Wait 10

Author's Note: Okay, loving my AU Liz and Ressler a little bit too much. I'm ignoring my other stories—sorry! I will get back to them.

Let me know what you think.

YYYYYYYY

"Uh, yeah, sure mom," Ressler said into the phone one morning as he walked into their bedroom and grabbed something off his dresser before he walked back out. They'd taken the morning off for their first OBGYN appointment with the second OBGYN Liz had found. The first man she didn't like, so it had taken a while to book with this second one and, luckily, Ressler was able to come to this appointment; for the last one he was in Boston on a case.

Liz was towel drying her hair in his bathrobe from her shower and could hear the tension in his voice.

She followed him out of the room and watched him rubbing at his forehead as he listened to her on the other end.

"I was…" he started and then stopped.

Liz's brow furrowed.

"Ma, I wasn't trying to…" Ressler started again.

He looked at her and sighed and then walked over to the table and started to write something.

"Yes, I can see how…" Ressler started again and seemed to be cut off.

He held up the paper for Liz to read.

Knows about us and the baby

Liz looked at him confused. They were going to head to Detroit in the next couple of weeks for the weekend to tell her in person and so she'd have the chance to meet Liz.

"Well, thanks mom," Ressler sighed. "Yes, I can pick you up at the train station on Thursday."

He nodded some more while Liz started to pace. So far, nothing had gone as planned when they tried to tell people about them and the baby.

"I know, I know," he said apologetically. "I love you too."

He said goodbye and hung up.

"How did she find out?" Liz asked him as she watched him put his phone down on the counter.

"Your parole officer called," Ressler explained. "Apparently, with you listing me as your next of kin, father of your child, and the fact that we are now living together, allowed, or possibly required your parole office to investigate me as well to make sure…."

"You're an FBI agent! What needs to be investigated?!" Liz snapped.

"He's just a douche, Liz," Ressler said as she walked into the kitchen to get Tylenol for his headache. "He called and asked her about you and ma seemed to catch on pretty quick that he was digging for information as he dropped details like us living together and you being four months pregnant with my child…"

"Shit," Liz winced.

"She said she didn't let on that this was the first she'd heard about any of it," Ressler said getting some water and swallowing back the pills. "But she was furious at me for not telling her that her first grandchild is on it's way."

"Did you tell her we were planning…?" Liz started.

"Yeah, apparently news of a grandchild is 'get on the phone right away' news," Ressler said. "And I think she was angrier that she had to find out from him instead of us and contain any excitement or questions she had until she spoke with me."

"And she's coming Thursday?" Liz asked, butterflies suddenly erupting in her stomach.

"Yeah, she wants to meet you and spend some time with us," Ressler said. "Usually, I give up my bedroom and take the couch but…"

"She can have the bedroom and we can figure out an air mattress or something," Liz said as she looked at his living room.

"That's what I figured," Ressler smiled at her, happy they were on the same page.

"She's really mad?" Liz asked.

"I little," Ressler conceded. "More hurt than anything else."

Liz swallowed hard and nodded. "I get that."

"Did you…what did you tell her about the circumstances of…?" Liz asked.

"I told her I loved you," Ressler said as he walked toward her and took her hands in his. "And things hadn't been easy, but we found our way to each other."

Liz gave him a soft grin. "That's a nice way to say it."

"I thought so," Ressler smiled at her.

"She's not going to be happy with me for not…" Liz said as she looked at him carefully.

"She's going to love you," Ressler said. "Trust me."

"I would just like for once, that it goes as planned," Liz scoffed.

"Yeah, we haven't had much luck in that department," Ressler said as he pulled her in for a hug and noticed something as he did. "Cooper looked at me like I'd just brought you home from prom knocked up."

Liz chuckled against him. "Yes, he was unimpressed for a little bit, but he came around."

"After the lecture on birth control?" Ressler asked.

"Yes, he was coming around after that," Liz said. "He did note how well we worked together on the Mason case and did say we'd be great parents."

Ressler nodded.

"This is new, isn't it?" He asked as he placed a hand on her more rounded belly that protruded.

"I noticed in the shower this morning," Liz said as she put her hand on her stomach as well. "The books said you just 'pop' all of a sudden, and I think I've popped."

"Oh, you have alright," he smiled and stepped back and looked at her. Liz turned sideways and opened up his bathrobe so he could see her newly rounded and definitely pregnant stomach.

"You look beautiful," he said as he smiled.

"I feel pretty beautiful," she smiled. "Maybe feeling fat comes later?"

"Or maybe not at all?" Ressler asked. "I think you're going to look gorgeous throughout this entire process."

"You're just buttering me up, so I like this OBGYN," Liz smiled at him.

Ressler chuckled and stepped forward, leaning down he kissed her belly quickly before he stood.

"Are you drying that hair or are we going with it wet?" He asked as he looked down at his watch. "Because we need to leave in the next 5 if we don't want to be late."

Liz nodded and turned and ran into the bedroom.

"I have a good feeling about this one!" She called.

"After your description of the last one, I'm thinking anything is better," Ressler called back.

He was upset he couldn't attend the first appointment with the last OBGYN, but a case had taken him to Boston for a few days and he knew it was more important for her to get in with an OBGYN then for him to be present, so he had told her to go ahead with the appointment without him. And Liz had shared that she didn't like the man who was stern, gruff, and a bit of an asshole. He seemed more interested in his phone then their appointment and Liz had not booked with him again. She spent time searching the DC area for other OBGYNs and located Dr. Nakamura

"Is your mom really going to be okay?" Liz called to him as he checked his phone for messages.

"A grandchild?" Ressler chuckled. "Yeah, I think she'll get over the initial upset."

He walked into their room and saw her standing in a pair of jeans she had sitting under her belly and a fitted black shirt. She was pulling her semi-wet hair into a neat bun.

"Almost ready," Liz said as she looked over at him.

He pulled out his camera and took a picture of her in profile with her obvious baby bump.

"What are you doing, stalker?" Liz chuckled as she looked at him and he clicked another picture.

"Making things better," he said as he left the room mysteriously.

Liz finished her hair and walked into the living room to see him setting up his camera against some books and beckoning her to come.

"What are you doing?" She laughed.

"Like I said," he said as he pulled her against him and then leaned forward and hit the timer on his phone. "Making it better."

"With pictures?" Liz laughed.

"For my mom," Ressler smiled down at her as she the timer went off.

He kissed her quickly on the nose and went to his phone, to check the picture. It was fantastic. They were standing with their arms around each other, Liz, consciously or unconsciously, had a hand on her belly which was turned into Ressler so you could see the bump. She was smiling and looking up at him and he was grinning and looking down at her. It was a great picture of them.

"Take a look," Ressler said as he turned his phone toward Liz so she could see.

"Great shot," Liz noted as she leaned in. "We need to take more pictures."

"We do," he smiled at the image. "Ready? We need to go."

"Let me just grab my purse and that's it," Liz said as she patted his hip and left to locate her purse.

Ressler placed both pictures in a text that read:

Sorry, we should have told you, but we wanted to tell you in person. This is Liz and your grandchild—her belly just arrived this morning. Love you mom. x

He forwarded the pictures to Liz as well and put his phone away as she opened the front door for them to leave. Ressler's phone dinged as he walked down the hallway with Liz. He pulled it out to see his mom's reply.

Donnie you both look so happy. Liz is beautiful and I can't wait to meet her and hear all about your plans for that little one. Love, Mom (aka Nana) xxx

Ressler snickered and then turned his phone so Liz could see the reply.

"I think she's gotten over it," he said with a smile.

Liz breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god."

"Oh, about that," Ressler said as they walked down the stairs to his parking garage. "She'd going to try to convince us to baptize the baby Catholic. Know that I don't give a shit about any of that, but she does."

Liz smiled at him.

"You were raised Catholic?" Liz asked.

"Parochial school and everything," Don nodded.

"Wow," Liz smiled. "Little Donnie in a uniform…"

"I'm sure she'll share pictures," Don chuckled as he held open the door for them to enter the parking garage. "I know enough about religion to know that all of them say the same things: be nice to others, help people who need it, and respect that there is a higher power at work. If we baptize the baby or don't, Catholic or another religion, or wait and see, I don't care."

Liz nodded as he unlocked the doors to his car for them.

"Sam didn't baptise me," Liz said. "But I'm not adverse to it. I like the idea of a ceremony welcoming the baby and having those we love present. It seems…sweet."

"Whatever you decide," Ressler said as he started the car and they headed to the OBGYN's office.

Forty minutes later, Liz had been measured, swabbed, weighed and received bloodwork from a troupe of happy nurses before they were led to a nice office at the end of a hallway and sat in chairs waiting for Dr Nakamura to arrive.

"So far so good…" Liz said nervously as she tapped her foot.

He reached over and placed a hand on her knee to stop the nervous tapping and smiled at her. "Everyone seems really nice and very thorough."

Liz placed her hand over his and nodded.

"And Namakura is part of a larger group of OBGYNs so if there's an emergency and she's unavailable, there are other fully qualified doctors available to help, no clinics with who knows what doctor seeing you," Ressler said.

The door opened and a petite Japanese woman with long black hair walked in with a soft smile on her face.

"Liz, Don?" She said as she held out her hand to shake theirs.

"Dr. Namakura, nice to meet you," Liz said for them both.

"I see we've popped," the doctor smiled down at Liz's stomach.

"Just today that we've noticed," Liz smiled. "It's been getting a little bigger, but this round and hard stomach? That is literally just today."

"It happens overnight and can be pretty freaky as a first-time parent," the doctor said as she took her seat at her desk. "You'll need to get some maternity clothes soon, or at least some elastic pants to accommodate."

Liz snickered at her observation.

"My nursing team said that all of your measurements and levels are good, but we are a little concerned that you are underweight," Dr. Namakura said. "I know you have a small body frame, but you need to feed your child, so more caloric intake is a good thing. Every visit I spend at least a half hour with you discussing the findings and doing an exam, but we squeezed you in today, and I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you before this office visit."

"That's no problem," Liz smiled. "We're very happy we got in."

"About the nutrients," Ressler started. "She's been throwing up a lot until this last week."

"Did your GP not put you on…" she asked as she flipped through the file.

"I haven't had a regular family doctor for about a year so I just kind of pushed through," Liz explained.

"Well, you need a GP to support you and your baby after it's born," the doctor explained.

"We will do that," Ressler nodded.

"Great. That explains the nutrient deficit," the doctor explained. "Now that you can eat, and not loose any nutrients, focus on nuts, protein, fresh fruit, and vegetables. Carry around some snacks with you everywhere so if you get hungry, which can happen suddenly when pregnant, you have something on you to eat. Many women carry nuts, or raisins, or an apple on them at all times."

Liz and Ressler nodded.

"Any cravings?" the doctor asked.

"I really wanted a lot of soup for a while," Liz explained. "I think it was the salt."

She made a note.

"You did eat dark chocolate and olives the other night," Ressler noted.

Liz nodded and laughed. "Yeah, it was exactly what I wanted."

"Those things will happen," the doctor smiled at them warmly. "Just watch that your cravings are not taking over your intake. You can have that deep fried pickle, or that piece of cake, but make sure you had a good meal before you indulge so your body isn't trying to live off salt and sugar alone."

Liz and Ressler nodded.

"And most importantly, enjoy this time as a couple," she smiled at them. "You have made something beautiful together, take pictures, feel it's movement, just enjoy the wonder that is your baby."

Ressler heard Liz start to sniffle and turned his head quickly to see her reaching for the box of tissues on the doctor's desk. She was crying.

"And emotions will run hot and cold," the doctor smiled at Liz as she watched Don place a comforting arm around Liz's back. "As will your sex drive, your sleep needs, your level of comfort…it's a miracle, but it's a lot for your body to take on. Have patience with yourself and each other."

Don swallowed hard and nodded as he rubbed Liz's back and she blew her nose.

"I want you to know that we observed no harm to your baby from the violent attack," the doctor continued. "And as the time where the risk of miscarriage has now passed, we're confident it won't be an incident that prompts any loss of your child. But you need to get rest, not push yourself, and minimize your stress when possible."

Liz nodded and tuned to Ressler and gave him a soft smile.

"I see your hair is bleach blonde and know you'd probably like permission to do it, but bleaching can be very strong and your baby…"

"I'd actually like to get rid of the bleach and wasn't sure if I needed to cut it out or if it was okay to dye my hair back to it's natural colour," Liz said. "I have read some conflicting articles…"

"Get it done at a salon by a professional," the doctor said. "Tell them you're pregnant and ask for the most natural dyes they have. Many will use henna. Ask that the dye is taken out of your hair as soon as it can be, and that your scalp is thoroughly rinsed. Dying doesn't pose a risk, really. But observing some basic rules helps mitigate any risk. But bleaching your hair? Yeah, I wouldn't recommend that."

Liz nodded, she wasn't averse to cutting her hair short, but would prefer to just colour it dark and keep the length so she could tie it up when needed.

"I'd like to see you back in 3 weeks," the doctor smiled at them. "We can do another ultrasound and tell you the sex of the baby, if you'd like, and keep an eye on your nutrients."

Ressler looked at Liz and she smiled at him. He knew this doctor was a keeper.

"That's great," Liz nodded. "We'll book for 3 weeks with reception."

They all stood, and Dr Namakura smiled at them and nodded. "It's a wonderful time, enjoy it."

Liz smiled and wiped quickly at the corner of her eye while Don shook hands with the doctor, and they were lead out of her office. They booked an appointment for three weeks and Don got on the phone with his GP, Dr Patel, to add Liz to their patient list while she was in the washroom.

"He'll take me?" Liz asked Don as they walked toward his car.

"Yeah, no problem," Don said. "He's been my GP for 10 years, you got in as family."

Liz wrapped an arm around his waist. "Family."

"You like that?" He asked as he kissed the top of her head.

"I really do," Liz smiled up at him. "What do you think about knowing the sex?"

She felt him squeeze her toward him a little.

"You want to know," Liz snickered.

"I do, but if you don't, I can wait," Ressler explained.

"I'd like to know too," Liz said as she felt him pull away when they got to his car.

"Then I guess we'll know whether it's a boy or a girl in a few weeks," Ressler said with a smile. "Maybe Aram can stop calling it baby Keenler. It reminds me of the elves who make cookies."

Liz laughed at his joke. "No elf here. Everyone ultrasound tech keeps commenting how long it's legs are."

"Yes," Ressler said as he fist pumped the air.

She laughed at his display of male pride and got in the car.

"We have time for lunch if you want before we head back," Ressler said.

Liz nodded and Ressler started to drive.

"And we need to get you those portable snacks she was talking about," Ressler said.

"Do I really need to carry around…?"

"You nearly lost it on me the other day when I was trying to find parking outside that deli," he said with a chuckle. "You are a bear when you don't get food."

Liz looked at him with a smile. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine, Liz," he smiled back. "But if I had some raisins or an apple I could pass over, I think you would have calmed down a little."

"True," she nodded.

"How about that soup place near the Post Office? There's a small grocery store next to it and we can pick up some nuts and stuff for you to keep in your purse or desk?"

"Anything to keep me from becoming a bear, I guess," Liz huffed.

"You know I meant that with affection," Ressler said as he jostled her leg.

"I know," she sighed. "I just…I can't believe I cried in her office."

"I know you don't like to…I know part of being an agent is steeling your emotions…" Ressler started.

"I'm not an agent any…"

"In this job, agent, consultant, it doesn't matter, you get used to hiding your feelings while you help others around you deal with, what may be the worst day of their life," Ressler explained. "So, we are particularly vulnerable to feeling inferior when we let those emotions come through."

Liz turned and looked at him surprised. He sounded like a psychologist in that moment.

"All I'm saying Liz," he said as he parked the car. "You are pregnant and allowed to cry, or be a bear, or…whatever. You were always allowed to do that. But more so now."

She leaned over and kissed him solidly on the mouth and when they pulled back, she had tears in her eyes.

He looked at her confused.

"I'm so lucky to have you," she whispered as a couple of tears fell.

He wiped at her tears with his thumb and kissed her softly again.

"Ditto," he smiled, hoping it would make her laugh.

She laughed and he chuckled with her.

"Let's get you some nutritious caloric intake," Ressler snickered as they pulled apart.

To be continued…