The days following Elliot and Kathy's passionate reconnection were the days meant for packing. Elliot and Kathy were leaving Paris for New York in a couple of hours.
"Christ, I hate packing." Elliot stated on his knees wiping his brow.
"Join the club." Kathy smiled folding his shirt and placing it in the suitcase. Elliot sarcastically rolled his eyes at Kathy, making her laugh. Elliot was thinking how great life was with Kathy after that night, but also Olivia popped into his mind once and again. He wondered how weird it be would getting back to work knowing what she said on the phone a couple of nights before, and how she didn't know he heard. Shaking his head he got up and stretched his back.
"Elliot, go and savor all the things Paris has to offer before we leave. I'll do the rest." Kathy offered.
"Are you sure?" Elliot asked repositioning himself in a surprised manner.
"Yea, all you've done is sat in this hotel and watched TV…" Kathy sarcastically reminisced.
"I've done a lot more than that…" Elliot replied kissing her neck.
"Get out of here…" she laughed pushing him away. Straightening himself out, Elliot wished Kathy goodbye. At the corner of his eye he saw eyes watching him as he left the hotel. He walked the gardens of the city and through the crowded streets. Looking at his watch, he seemed puzzled.
"Twenty past one? I left at that time…" he said to himself. He looked up to see a store's clock in the window. "Just my luck…" he stated realizing his watch stopped. Crossing the street he walked into a jewelry store.
"Oh shit, how do you say 'My watch stopped' in French?" he stated out loud to himself not realizing the salesperson spoke English.
"Ma montre a arêté." the man replied smiling taking off his glasses. Elliot suddenly looked up at the man and smiled back embarrassingly. "How may I help you sir?"
"Ma montre a arêté." Elliot laughed repeating and mispronouncing what the salesman said. With a smile on his face, the man asked Elliot to hand over his watch.
"How long are you in Paris for?" the man asked Elliot while examining the watch.
"Ten days, my wife and I are leaving today." Elliot replied watching the man put the watch to his ear. "I think it needs a new battery."
"Ah, sir, thanks for your help…" he smiled tapping the back of Elliot's watch with his index finger. "But your watch is in perfect shape. It just needs to be restarted. See...the parts inside stalled." Waiting for a moment, the man handed the watch back to Elliot after he reset the time. "Good as new, eh?"
"Thanks…" Elliot replied putting the watch back on his left wrist. After he reapplied his watch he dug his right hand into his pocket retrieving his wallet.
"It's no charge, sir." the man insisted. Elliot smiled and again thanked the man. As Elliot was leaving, a certain piece caught his eye.
"My God that is a really nice ring…" he commented not realizing the salesperson was still there.
"Yes, 18th century vintage emerald cut diamond. It is a replica of a favorite ring Maria Theresa wore when she was pregnant with Marie Antoinette. I like to call it the 'Maternity Ring'."
"Gosh, it's perfect for Kath…" Elliot murmured.
"Is your wife pregnant sir?"
"Almost six months…" Elliot replied astounded by the beauty of the jewel.
"Then it would be a wonderful surprise." he added.
"How much is it?" Elliot asked. The salesman a bit astounded by Elliot's question took his glasses off again and placed them on the glass counter.
"Eight thousand euros…" he replied a bit under his breath. Elliot shook his head in disappointment. "But, for you six."
"You take American Express?"
"Of course." taking Elliot's credit card, the salesman walked to the cash register.
"It's worth it…" Elliot murmured.
"Enjoy the rest of your trip, and have a nice flight." the salesman replied handing Elliot the ring in a bag and his card. Elliot smiled at the man, finding him a bit eerie. However walking out of that store, Elliot realized that he would make Kathy the happiest woman in the world. Elliot walked back to the hotel realizing he had two hours left in the country. He skipped up the stairs and opened the door to see all the suitcases lined one by one at the door.
"Kathy?!" Elliot screamed with excitement. He searched the apartment not finding her. "Kathy?"
"Hey sweetie…Back so soon?" she asked emerging from the balcony. He ran to her kissing her passionately on the lips. "What happened out there?" she asked smiling. Elliot put his hand in his pocket but realized he wouldn't give her the ring as of yet.
"We have to leave soon…" he said instead of presenting her with the ring.
"The taxi is going to be here in….fifteen minutes." she said checking Elliot's watch. "I called one when I saw you coming into the hotel."
"Smart…" he smiled. Grabbing the luggage he dragged the cases into the hotel lobby and made sure that everything was out of the room. It was a relieving yet gratifying moment when he saw the taxi pull in front of the hotel, back to normality for one thing. Elliot's face lit up when he saw the airport in the distance. Ten days in a foreign land was enough for him.
Elliot grabbed the luggage from the taxi and positioned it on the ground next to a shivering Kathy. After closing the trunk, Elliot gave the driver seven euros and put his hand around Kathy.
"Cold?"
"Freezing…" she replied half smiling. Elliot kissed her cheek and dragged the luggage into the airport. Elliot smiled noticing Kathy's belly expanding, even since they left ten days before. After getting their bags checked, Elliot and Kathy waited in line to board the aircraft. Growing increasingly impatient Kathy sat on a chair.
"Next!" the air hostess called at the boarding gate. Elliot signaled for Kathy to get up and she waddled over next to him. The woman tore their boarding passes and wished them a good flight.
Kathy took Elliot by the hand and he looked at her, leading her down the hallway to the airplane. "You ready?" she asked. Elliot smiled at her and thought for a second. Boarding that plane he answered her question with a smile.
"I'll miss the room service, and the beautiful sunsets; but I think Queens is calling me back. Plus I miss the kids..." Elliot added. "And it's time I got back to work anyways..."
"Oh yea..." Kathy depressingly remembered. Taking their seats, Elliot and Kathy sighed simultaneously. The sun had been hidden by a blanket of clouds and raindrops had begun to fall against the window. "The baby's kicking..." Kathy stated breaking the silence. Elliot placed his hand on Kathy's stomach put didn't say a word. The pilot's voice startled Kathy, and the plane started to move, another eight hours and they would be back in New York.
THE NEXT MORNING...
For the first time in twelve days, Elliot was up at five in the morning. The house was unfamiliarly damp, and the snow blanketed the sidewalk outside. He hid Kathy's ring in his underwear drawer under his socks and boxers. He kissed the kids' foreheads, locked the door, and headed for Manhattan. When he walked into the precinct a familiar voice rang through his ears.
"Hey, El..."
A/N: Sorry for the wait. Thanks for all the great names, very clever! Since this is near Kathy's 6 month, this story is rounding up soon. There's going to be a lot of drama in the next chapters to come. Review if you have any comments; it's always appreciated!
