Chapter 20

"Oh. My. God. I think I'm pregnant" Natalie said as she didn't see him walk into the locker room.

"What?" Nick asked as Natalie turned around to see him,

"Ummm... umm... Nothing, I was talking to myself," Natalie told him as he walked closer to her

"I heard you Nat, you think you may be pregnant, does John know?" Nick said staring at her

"Of course John doesn't know, I just realized it was a possibility a few minutes ago" Natalie told him as she lifted up her shirt again to look at it in the mirror. She was in shock, how did she not know, how did she not realize it. Nick walked up behind her, as she looked at herself in the long mirror. Nick looked thru the mirror and into her eyes.

"He's one hell of a lucky guy" Nick told her as she released her shirt allowing it to fall back down over her belly. Natalie realized by Nick's words and his eye contact that he still held feeling for her.

"Nick I'm sorry, I never meant for you to get hurt," Natalie told him as she turned to face him

"I know" Nick told her and he leaned down to her cheek and placed a small kiss on it.

"I've gotta go, please don't tell John anything about this, Okay?" Natalie asked him as she ran out the door.

Natalie went right over to the hospital, she was glad for once Michael didn't seem to be working and she talked with Paige, Paige gave her all the routine tests for pregnancy and gave her Vitamins. Natalie headed home and tried to figure out how she was going to tell John about the baby, she knew he would be happy, she was happy, this was something they both wanted, they just didn't think it would happen so fast. Natalie arrived home and she sat, she sat and waited for John to come home from a case he was working on, a private case he told her, a case he didn't want anyone to know about.

John was heading home, home to Natalie's apartment, their apartment as he considered it, he was there every night, and soon he would be there every night forever. He told her he had a special case, a private case he had to work on tonight but that was a lie, a good lie, he had gone to his parents home in AC to find what he was looking for, the ring, the first ring his dad ever gave his mom, his mom had said she had wanted him to give to someone special one day, someone he loved, and that someone was Natalie. He found the simple ring earlier and he took it to a special jeweler to replace the diamond with a ruby. Natalie loved Rubies and it fit her personality so well, it fit them, their fire and passion for each other. He stopped off at a few other stores before heading home, heading home to ask her, he had waited this long and now it was time, it felt right, with all that had happen and with all that was coming up for them, it was most definitely time.

John arrived home and he walked into the apartment calling for her. She didn't answer, he briefly stopped by the pool table in the far corner of the living room and then headed into the bathroom when he heard a noise coming from it, she was sick again, he thought. She saw him as she was throwing up into the toilet, he rubbed her back gently and she sat there frozen. she looked up at him and spoke for a few minutes while she had the chance in between getting sick.

"I had this whole thing planned out for us tonight, I..I wanted to make it special for you, special so I could tell you and here I am getting sick in the toilet, real special huh? I'm just going to tell you, I can't wait, I'm not sure when this bout is going to end. John, I'm… I'm..." Natalie said staring up at him as she felt things coming up again and she proceeded to be sick in the toilet

"You're having my Baby" John said as she turned and gave him a confused look

"I already know Nat" John said as he got her a glass of water from the sink behind him. Natalie stood and she sipped it.

"I'm gonna kill Nick" Natalie said in a controlled calm voice

"What? What does Nick have to do with this?" John asked her him now being confused.

"Oh, It's not important, how? I mean… I just found out" Natalie told him as they walked into the bedroom

"Natalie, give me a little credit will ya, I'm a damn detective, I put the clues together and figured it out" John told her

"Why? Why didn't you tell me?" Natalie asked as they sat on the bed

"Well… I guess I didn't tell you because I was so excited about it when I figured it out, excited and happy but...but I didn't have hard proof of it so I didn't want to say it and chance the both of us getting disappointed. Things were pretty messed with Elizabeth and the whole custody thing so I didn't want you to be even more upset if it wasn't true." John told her as he watched her walk into the other room and take a seat on the couch.

"I can't believe you knew, and knew before me" Natalie said still a little confused about John realizing before her.

"Hey, look at me" John said as he saw she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with not realizing it, you've been pretty preoccupied with things" John told her as she looked at him and she gave him a small grin

"I just... it's just been a long time, I mean ...I'm four months pregnant and I didn't even know" Natalie told him as John got speechless

"Did...did you say four months, as in you'll.. We'll be having a baby in less than six months" John asked as nerves started in, it officially hit him, he was going to be a father in less than half a year. John looked into Nat's eyes.

"Yeah, in five months, five months and we'll be parents" Natalie told him, as her eye's got glassy, she was thinking about Elizabeth. John knew what she was thinking about and he knew it was time. Time to change her mood, to lighten the mood.

"Hey, what do ya say we play some pool to celebrate that I'm going to be the best dad ever?" John told her as he smiled and took her hand, he led her to the pool table in the corner, and the pool table they bought a few months ago but barely used.

" I bet I could still beat you, you know pregnant and all" Natalie said as she walked with him over to the table, they stood by the table for a few minutes when Natalie stood in front of him and looked into his eye's, she brought her hand to his cheek and caressed it.

"Thank You" Natalie told him softly

"For what?" John asked softly matching her tone

"For giving me a baby and for giving me your love" Natalie told him as she leaned into him to kiss him. but before she did he spoke.

"Anytime kid, anytime, " John told her with a smirk as they gently kissed.

"Now are ya gonna break or what?" John asked after the kiss and he went to the far end of the table while she started racking the balls.

"We're missing one?" Natalie told him as she racked the balls

"Better look in the pockets" John said as he started to chalk his stick, he watched her closely as she checked one pocket and there wasn't any missing ball in it, then she checked another pocket and he saw a curious look run across her face, she pulled something out of the pocket of the table.

"John" Natalie said as she pulled out a beautiful ruby ring, she looked at it and then at him, he walked closer to her, got down on one knee in front of her and watched as her eye's lit up.

"Natalie, I'm not really sure what to say" John told her playfully as she laughed and slapped him gently on the shoulder.

"You better find the words Mcbain," she said joking as he got a twinkle in his eye.

"Marry me Natalie? I would also ask you to have my baby but that's already happening s---" John was saying as Natalie leaned down and kissed him to shut him up.

" You talk to much " Natalie said as John stood up and they continued to kiss, they walked away from the pool table kissing and then John stopped right outside their bedroom door. Natalie didn't know why he stopped, he stopped and then she did.

"What?" Natalie said still holding the ring in her hand

"Well, yes or no?" he said smiling knowing she would say yes.

"Hmmm... I think I need some time to think about it" she said joking as he took the ring out of her hand

John put the ring on her finger, he pushed it all the way up and he kissed the ring as it was on her finger.

"I love you Natalie, I plan on Loving you forever" John told her as he picked her up and carried her the last few feet into the bedroom. Natalie grabbed onto his neck as he put her on the bed gently. She looked into his eyes.

"Yes" Natalie said as John came down on top of her and started kissing her neck.