All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.

This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.

The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.

AN: I know -an entire month has passed. It's a combination of things -working days, having a hard time writing at home, dragging my feet over the upcoming changes to the story, so forth so on. Anyway, here's a new chapter -as promised, this one is a Gabe/Vivi heavy. Hope y'all enjoy and please make sure to review. Every time I feel discouraged or suffer a lack of inspiration, I read y'alls reviews to remind myself what it is I'm doing here.

Chapter Seventy-Three (16 yrs old)

First Saturday of June

It hadn't been at all difficult, tracking through the dense forest until she came to a meadow, the soft light from the setting sun casting shadows over the grass and colorful wildflowers spread out before her like a patchwork blanket.

She stood just inside the shadows of the forest line, upwind from where the dappled doe nibbled on the grass, occasionally yanking a wildflower out by the roots. It was an idyllic scene, almost like a painting done in watercolors.

It had been months since she was released from the hospital, Dr. Cullen giving her strict instructions as to what her diet had to consist of, telling her to at least supplement if she couldn't make blood her primary sustenance.

Despite his admonishments, this was the first time she had gone 'hunting' and only because Tio Seth had point blank asked her. She didn't like to lie so she'd told him the truth –so here she was now, fulfilling a promise to go hunting.

She had expected a little more difficulty, considering she'd never done this before but the scent of the doe had been strong and moving silently through the forest had been instinctual. She had noticed minute changes in herself since the blood transfusion, such as the sharp sense of smell she hadn't had before or the ability to hear soft sounds from far distances –it was disconcerting, to say the least.

It wasn't just that, though –her pants were a couple of inches shorter, her shoes a bit small and the one thing Gabriel had noticed the most: her bust had increased one cup size.

Letting out a soft sigh, she placed her hand flat against the rough bark of the tree she stood next to, watching the doe as it crept along, its interest completely focused on its current activity. The longer she watched, the harder it was getting to move out of the shadows, the tangy smell of its blood tickling her nose while the thought of what had to be done made her stomach turn.

She tried to keep her mind blank but wasn't successful, her stomach rebelling and triggering her gagging reflex at the thought of having to attack and kill the poor defenseless animal. She wasn't going to be able to do it –she wasn't going to be able to keep her promise.

Turning away from her prey, she froze in place, gold-brown eyes widening in shock as a shiver of apprehension ran down her spine.

"It's not all that hard," the melodic tones accompanying the words hung in the air, unblinking red eyes focused on her, "All you have to do is focus on the thirst…it's always there, even when you ignore it."

Vivi's breath was stuck somewhere between her chest and throat, the tight quiver in the pit of her stomach a warning of the danger she was in.

The shadows falling over the features of its' face shifted into a different set of patterns as it stepped closer, unhurried movements fluid, "Although I can understand your reticence with this particular type of prey…you wouldn't be so averse to feeding like this if you fed off of someone instead of something."

Finding her voice, and some deep buried courage she wasn't aware of having, she spoke up, "Who are you?"

Midnight black hair spilled over small shoulders as it tilted its' head, dark eyebrows highlighting the delicate features of a supernaturally beautiful face, "Who I am is inconsequential at this time. I have no plans for you –yet. This is purely an accidental meeting, one I had to take advantage of –I've wanted to make contact with you for quite a while now…I couldn't pass up the chance."

"Why," Vivi stepped back, wanting to keep space between them, somehow knowing if given the chance, this situation could easily become more than just a threat, "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing. I'm just curious…I've been wondering why you're so opposed to what you are –your very nature defines you as a predator and yet, you work so hard to oppress it…it's a futile endeavor. You can't change what you are, no matter how hard you try."

"I won't let the past define who I am," Vivi glared, feeling heat under her skin, her heart beating fast in response to the unfamiliar anger building inside her, "I have the power to change the course of my life."

It let out a soft laugh, its melodic tone somehow scraping Vivi's nerves raw, "Whoever told you that bullshit did you a serious disservice. The course of life is sketched from the moment of conception…genetics determine a lot –and yours…well, let's say they're stacked against you if what you want to be is harmlessly normal."

"You're wrong," the words were forced through clenched teeth, Vivi's chest rising and falling rapidly, which revealed the agitation she was feeling.

Marble smooth lips spread into a grin, red eyes glinting as it tilted its' head to the other side, looking innocuously inquisitive yet dangerous, "I think it's in your best interests for me to prove you wrong."

Vivi had no time to think, simply reacting as the red eyed brunette rushed towards her, spinning out of the way in time to avoid being tackled to the ground. She instinctively reacted to every attack, ducking and weaving out of reach, knowing getting caught would result in serious pain.

They were both a blur of movement although it became clear after twenty seconds, Vivi was being toyed with. There was no warning to the rage exploding inside her, Vivi's movements becoming aggressive as she went on the attack.

A peal of laughter rang across the forest, ten seconds passing before a wolf's howl brought the vampire's game to an end. Moving at full speed, it dodged Vivi's flying fists, the ease with which the redhead's space was invaded testament to indulging the hybrid's tantrum.

Vivi let out a strangled cry as she was slammed up against the wide trunk of a redwood tree, her feet dangling inches from the forest ground, hands clawing at the stone fingers around her throat without success.

Red eyes studied her, voice low and melodious as it moved closer, stopping a mere couple of inches from her face, "You're feeling dizzy…your vision's getting blurry. That's your brain, starving for oxygen, just like your body's starving for blood. A piece of advice, sweetheart –the longer you deny it, the harder it will be to turn down temptation. Just give in –you'll lose yourself but at least you won't kill anyone."

Vivi's vision was tunneling, her desperate movements sluggish as a fleeting thought passed through her oxygen deprived mind –she was going to die and she'd never once told Gabriel how much she loved him.

A series of howls had the cold one let out a low pitched growl, fingers relaxing just enough for Vivi to take in a gasping breath, "I must go…but as you know, nothing in this world is free so if you please," it breathed right onto Vivi's face, the sweet scent clinging to her face and hair, "Distract them for me, dear."

Vivi collapsed on the ground, gingerly touching her aching throat as she took in big gulps of pine scented air. Looking up, she realized she was alone, not even a scuff mark where it had been standing.

Pushing herself to her feet, she could smell the sweet scent of burnt sugar clinging to her, horror dawning as she realized the wolves wouldn't be able to differentiate her own scent from the one the vampire had breathed on her.

Stumbling through the forest, she occasionally had to reach out for support, the bark of the century old trees scratching her palms, one of her fingernails breaking when she tripped over a protruding root and tried to catch herself without success.

Landing on her hands and knees, she let out a sob, tears running down her face as she tried to get her chaotic thoughts in order.

This was what it was to be hunted down like an animal. She'd never been the predator, didn't know what the thrill of the hunt felt like but she did know one thing –being the prey was absolutely terrifying.

The strong vibrations under her hands reminded her to get up and move as quickly as possible or she just might find out what happened when prey got caught.


Seth burst through the front door, wearing low riding cut-off jeans and nothing else, "Rose! Rose!"

Coming out of the kitchen as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel, she stared wide eyed as he moved across the living room to grab her by the shoulders, "Seth, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"Where are the boys," he had to work hard at not shaking her, the fear he was feeling overwhelming as she answered; "They're playing out in the backyard."

Letting go of her, he moved through the kitchen, yanking the back door open, "Carlos! Harry! Come inside."

The little boys, both playing in the sandbox, looked up at their father's shouts. Dark eyebrows lowered over hazel eyes, Carlos tilting his head as the breeze ruffled the dark hair falling over his forehead, "But Daddy, we playing trucks."

"I know, Bub, but I need you to come inside for a little while," Seth was halfway across the wide expanse of their backyard, easily catching Harry who had gotten out of the sandbox to run towards him, a big toothy smile evidence of the joy he felt at seeing his father, "Daddy! You play with us?"

"I will, little man," Seth kissed his little boy's pudgy cheek, settling him comfortably on his hip as he held out a hand to Carlos, "Come on, Bub, mama has ice cream for you."

"Yay," Carlos let out a loud cheer, scrambling out of the sandbox and running to his father, little fingers wrapping around two of Seth's larger ones, "I want chocolate syrup on my ice cream."

"You got it, dude."

Rose watched as Seth ushered Carlos across the grass covered ground, little legs running and skipping to keep up with his Daddy's longer strides, "Seth, what's going on?"

Seth's eyes kept scanning the forest line bordering their backyard, letting go of Carlos' small hand and gently pushing him into the house, herding Rose along with him, "We picked up a scent –it leads right to our front yard."

Rose's face blanched, taking Harry from Seth's arms and holding him tight, "That doesn't make sense. Nothing out of the ordinary's happened. Vivi came in ten minutes before you and headed right up the stairs to the bathroom."

Seth's stomach clenched painfully as he easily lifted Carlos into one of the kitchen chairs, "Here, Bub, sit here. Mama's gonna get your ice cream, okay?"

"I want sprinkles too," Carlos looked up at his father with wide hazel eyes, deciding to see the positive side of this whole strange situation, "And a cherry."

"Anything you want, little man."

"You realize you're going to spoil their dinner, right," Rose asked, a frown on her pretty face letting him know she wasn't happy with him promising ice cream before dinner time.

"That's the least of my concerns right now," Seth headed towards the living room, turning around when Carlos called out to him, "Daddy, you not having ice cream with us?"

"I'll be back, Bub," Seth gave his oldest a reassuring smile; "I'm going to see if Vivi wants to join us, okay?"

Both boys cheered at the idea of spending time with one of their cousins, Rose having settled Harry into his booster seat before she gathered everything needed for pre-dinner sundaes.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he couldn't help the thoughts going through his head –what if the leech had hurt Vivi? Had Rose actually seen Vivi when she came in or was it the leech masquerading as his niece? There were, after all, monsters with talent –hadn't the one hunting the twins years ago been able to throw out his scent in multiple directions, making it harder for the pack to track him? Then there were the Cullens with their mind reader, psychic, lie detector and an empath.

What if this one had the ability to change itself or suppress its scent? It would explain why they only picked up scents in random places with no continuity, as if the blood sucking leech had just dropped out of the sky in random places.

He could hear the shower running, the smell of green apples permeating the moist air, steam escaping from under the door. Leaning close to the door, he rapped his knuckles against the wooden surface, eyebrows lowering at the faint sound of crying, "Vivi? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," her voice was slightly choked up, water hitting the tiles muffling it enough for Seth to miss the rough edge to it, "I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Vivi, I need you to come out now."

She scrubbed her face with a washcloth for the fifth time, her long red-gold hair saturated with the green apple shampoo she preferred –it was the fourth time she'd shampooed her hair, "I'm not done."

"Vivi," Seth knocked on the door again, leaning against the door frame, "I need to talk to you –now."

"I'll be out in five minutes."

He leaned against the wall across from the bathroom door, crossing his arms over his wide chest, fingers tapping impatiently against his bicep. The five minutes crawled by, the door unlocking with a snick before it swung open.

The dark purple bruises on her throat were the first thing to catch his attention, "What the hell happened to you?"

Vivi lifted her shoulders, fingers gripping the neck of her over sized sweater in an attempt to hide her throat as she carefully edged around her uncle's big frame, his overly large presence making her skittish for the first time ever, "I don't want to talk about it."

Seth watched as she crossed the hallway towards her bedroom, her usually tall frame, though petite, looking decidedly fragile in the Seattle University sweater she was wearing along with black tights, bare feet vulnerable looking with pale pink polish on her toes, "How did you get those bruises on your throat?"

One of Vivi's hands flew to her throat, her eyes wide and wary as she looked at him then quickly looked away, "I don't remember."

Seth reached out in a comforting gesture but froze when Vivi cringed, her shoulders rising up to keep him from touching her, seeing fear in her eyes before she could disguise it, "Vivi…are you scared of me?"

Vivi's face flushed, the irritated skin flaring a bright red as her voice came out sounding strangled, "No! I'm not…I'm fine. There's nothing wrong…I'm not scared of you."

One of Seth's dark eyebrows rose at the challenging tone to that last phrase, his jaw tightening as he looked right into his niece's eyes, "It was you out in those woods, wasn't it? The trail ended right at our front yard –"

"The sprinklers were on," Vivi muttered quietly, her eyes dropping to her feet, toes curling defensively, "I went through them to get the scent off me…she breathed on me so the wolves would go after me and not her."

Seth sucked in a breath, realizing where Vivi's sudden fear of him was coming from. Pulling her into his arms, he held her tight until she relaxed, her arms moving to wrap around his waist as a quiet sob escaped her, his deep voice soothing as he rested his cheek on top of her head, one of his hands rubbing wide circles on her back, "I would never hurt you, Ladybug –I would never let anyone hurt you, no matter what."

"I was scared, Tio Seth," Vivi's words were muffled and slightly husky, Seth realizing her bruised throat was probably hurting, "It felt like I couldn't run fast enough."

"Did you run into it or did it find you?"

Vivi sniffed as she moved out of her uncle's comforting embrace, tucking a damp curl behind her ear as she moved further into her room, "She found me…I was by that clearing out near the north mountain bordering the Cullens' property…I followed this doe –she was beautiful, beige with these caramel spots on her back and a white underbelly and tail. I watched her eat…the way she moved, it was like watching someone dance, she was so graceful and fluid."

Seth watched from the doorway, not liking how dejected she looked as she sat on the window seat, legs drawn up and arms wrapped around her knees. He didn't say anything, letting the silence be encouragement enough for her to continue.

Taking her eyes from the view outside her window to look over at her uncle, she wasn't aware of the defeated sadness in her large gold-brown eyes, "I couldn't do it…I couldn't destroy something so beautiful so I could survive…just so I could feel satisfied."

"If you want to stay alive, you have no choice," Seth crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe, "You can't expect Marc to give his blood to keep you alive –I honestly don't think your relationship would survive if he did so again."

Vivi let out a sigh, not surprised Tio Seth had noticed the growing tension between her and Marc since the whole transfusion thing almost two months ago. Although they'd had a close relationship, like most siblings, they tended to get on each other's nerves which would occasionally erupt into the epic fight of the year but these past two months had been fraught with a different kind of tension, any little thing setting one or both of them off.

It had gotten to the point where neither could be in the same room with the other for more than five minutes without a fight breaking out so they had begun to avoid each other, which wasn't easy being they shared the second floor and its only bathroom.

Their inability to be in each other's presence making it difficult for them to figure out what had changed –was this new animosity between them due to resentment on Marc's part over Vivi's stubbornness landing her in the hospital or was it due to the transfusion, the aggression of a predator now in both their veins thus making it impossible to be in the same vicinity as each other?

And if that was the case, wouldn't it get worse if Vivi got up the nerve to hunt?


Three Days Later

It was an unusually sunny and warm day, the breeze tugging at her hair as she stood just outside the opened garage door, watching Gabriel taking apart what looked like a rusted motorcycle.

He had a wrench in his right hand, his biceps and shoulders bunching and shifting with every twist and pull of the tool, a white cotton wife beater –why they were referred by that offensive phrase, she didn't understand –stretched over his broad back, worn out jeans tight over his butt.

He really did have a beautiful body –at sixteen, he was already hitting six feet of height, with defined muscles just shy of being bulky the way Tio Seth's were. The last time she'd seen him without a shirt, she had noticed a slight definition to his stomach but that had been a while ago –she wondered what it looked like now, if the lines were deeper…if she would be able to trace them with her fingers.

Gabe fought back a smile as he worked on loosening the bolts to the transmission, able to feel Vivi's eyes on him and although he was aware of her watching him, he didn't acknowledge her. He liked the way she watched him –the way her eyes felt on him –as if she were touching him in her mind –it made him wonder what it would feel like to actually have her hands touch his skin.

He liked holding her hands; they were soft and small, with long delicate fingers tipped by carefully shaped nails just the right length –not too long and not too short. To have her touch him…a shiver ran down his spine at the very thought of it.

Quietly walking into the lighted garage, she leaned over his crouched form, hands covering his eyes as she whispered into his ear, "Guess who?"

Grinning, he rested his elbows on his thighs, easily balancing his weight on the balls of his feet, "Uhm…Angelina Jolie?"

Vivi laughed as she pressed a kiss against his smooth jaw, the defined edge of it making her heart flutter as she took in his scent, a mixture of rain, dirt and…motor oil, "You wish."

Laughing, he stood up, turning as Vivi took a step back. Dipping his head to press a kiss on her soft wet looking lips, he gave her a wink, "Actually, I don't. You're much better than Angelina Jolie."

Vivi rolled her eyes, watching as he set the wrench on a nearby workbench, "What are you doing?"

Grabbing a rag from the ground, he wiped his greasy hands as he jerked his chin towards the motorcycle, "Uncle Sam's having me to take it apart. I think I'm going to end up having to replace most of the parts so I have to know where they all go –remember the order I remove them 'cause that's the order I'll be putting them back together."

Vivi giggled at the way he said that last part, knowing he was mimicking his uncle, "It'll be worth the work, I'm sure –once you finish."

Stuffing the rag into the back pocket of his jeans, he looked over at his girlfriend with an arched brow, "So did you find a car this time around?"

Vivi laughed at the teasing tone to his voice, recalling how he'd told her she was too damn picky when it came to cars, which didn't help because Tio Seth was too, "Yes, I did. Want to see?"

He looked down at his hands, which were still stained with dirt and motor grease, "Let me wash my hands first."

"Okay," Vivi clasped her hands behind her back, watching him as he headed to the outside water spigot on the far side of the garage, "I'll wait for you."

There was a bottle of mechanics' hand soap beside the free standing spigot. Pumping a generous amount of the thick liquid into his hand, he looked over his shoulder in a covert effort to check out his girl.

She was looking downright sexy –not to mention adorable –in a white round-neck cotton top tucked into high-waist navy shorts, simple canvas flats the same color as her shorts completing the outfit. Of course, what he liked most out of her whole summer look –aside from her amazing legs –was her hair. She usually kept it in a braid of some sort except today, it fell in loose waves down her back and over her shoulders, the sides held back with small navy blue barrettes.

Drying his hands, he hung the towel back on its hook, smiling as she slipped her hand into his once he was by her side. Tugging at him, she gave an excited skip as they walked around the garage towards the front where Uncle Sam's office –and the parking lot –was located, "Wait until you see it –it's so cute!"

Gabe rolled his eyes good naturedly, "Only you would think cute a requirement for buying a car."

"You know how I wanted that Mini Cooper but Tio Seth said no?"

They made their way down the uneven path leading to the front of the garage. Uncle Sam had bought it some years ago, expanding it in size as well as personnel. It now had four working stations plus an added auto-body repair workshop. The office, which housed a reception area, consultation room, bathroom and a separate office space for Uncle Sam, was at the front of the garage facing Pine Thrush Street.

"Uncle Seth told you it wasn't a responsible vehicle for a sixteen year old girl because it has a backseat," he teased, laughing when her face flushed, the nearly invisible freckles across her nose dark against the bright pink skin.

Deciding to ignore his teasing words, she pulled him around the corner to the front parking lot, "Well, he changed his mind. Ta-da!"

He let go of her hand, laughing as he looked over the brand new Mini Cooper. It was a milk chocolate brown with pale pink detailing –it fit Vivi's style right down to the silver rims on the tires. Looking in through one of the back windows, he admired the tan leather interior, noting the state of the art stereo system, the LCD screen above it more than likely containing all the apps necessary for a sixteen year old girl, "Very nice…Uncle Seth special ordered it for you, didn't he?"

"Yes," Vivi grabbed his hand, skipping sideways as she pulled him towards the front of her new car, "Did you see? Did you see?"

Moving to the right side of the low riding car, he noticed what she was so excited about, "Hey! The steering wheel is on the wrong side."

"It's not on the wrong side," Vivi grinned as she beamed at her new car, giving the hood a pat as if praising it for a trick well done, "It's European –you do know the Mini Cooper originated in Britain, right?"

"Yes, I know," Gabe leaned back against the side of the shiny new car, crossing his arms over his chest as he stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles, "The first Mini Cooper was released in 1959 by the British Motor Corporation. There are ones made here in America, you know…with the wheel on the left side of the car –where it's supposed to be."

She punched him in the arm, holding back so she wouldn't end up hurting herself, knowing her small fist would cause him no damage, "Stop being a jerk. I like the steering wheel on the right side –it's unique."

"Well, here it's unique," he couldn't help teasing her, grinning at the sparks flashing from her gold brown eyes in response, "In Europe, it's just like every other car."

When she reached out to punch his arm again, he snagged her wrist to pull her off balance, arms wrapping around her when she fell against him, "You're mean."

Gabe gave her a smirk, dipping his head to touch his nose to hers, laughing when she playfully crossed her eyes at him as she tucked her arms between their chests, "Only you think I'm mean."

"Because you are," Vivi pouted as she plucked at the ribbed fabric of his undershirt, adjusting her feet slightly, the forward angle she was at forcing her to balance on her toes, "At least with me."

Angling his head, he lightly rubbed his mouth over hers before giving her bottom lip a tug, whispering against it, "I always make it up to you, don't I?"

Vivi didn't say anything –she couldn't, what with Gabriel taking possession of her mouth, tongue slipping past her lips to slide over hers.

It was one of those delicious kisses, the kind to make her toes curl if she weren't balancing on them in an effort to get closer. Hands gripping his broad shoulders, she tilted her head to the side, the angle making it possible for them to deepen the kiss.

Moving his big hands down to her waist, he pulled her closer, enjoying the way her slight body felt in his arms –her soft breasts against his chest, long legs on either side of his which meant the only part of him thinking at the moment was right up against the only place it wanted to be.

Vivi broke the kiss, her breathing erratic and heart frantic as she lowered herself until her feet were flat on the ground, which meant she could feel it against her stomach.

Swallowing hard, Gabe loosened his grip slightly, linking his hands against the small of her back as he cleared his throat, voice slightly thick when he made an attempt at breaking the awkward tension between them with a joke, "Uncle Seth was wrong about the backseat, though."

Brain still in a feel good fog, she didn't exactly get what he was referring to right away, "What?"

"The backseat," he gave her that crooked little smile, the one that made her heart skip a beat and her insides melt, "It's not big enough for anything to happen back there."

She didn't know whether to laugh or get mad; deciding the latter would just be a waste of time, considering she had the same thought when Uncle Seth had first made the comment, she simply didn't say anything.

Letting out a sigh, she rubbed a finger against the hot skin stretched over his collarbone, nibbling on her bottom lip as she looked at him through her eyelashes, "What are you doing Friday night?"

"This Friday night?"

At her nod, Gabe looked up at the clear blue sky, going over his mental calendar as he unconsciously pulled her up onto her toes, the friction of their bodies moving against each other bringing him back to attention in more ways than one, "Uhm…it's a no moon night so that means family movie night. Why?"

Vivi nibbled on her bottom lip, taking in a breath for courage, not noticing Gabe's eyes dropping to her cleavage, which was right there so really, it wasn't so bad if he just glanced at it, right?

"I was thinking," she sucked on her bottom lip, unconsciously causing Gabe to draw in a breath as blue eyes zeroed in on her mouth, "Maybe we can…hang out."

"You mean sneak out after everyone's gone to bed, right," he teased her, slipping his fingers into the high waistband of her navy shorts then slowly walking them down until he reached the beginning swell of her shapely bottom, the waistband digging into her stomach as it pulled down the back along with his hand, "Because no one's allowed to miss movie night at my place –it happens once in a blue moon, when dad and ma don't feel like farming us out to the relatives so they can have the house to themselves."

Vivi giggled as she tried to get away from the tickling sensation his fingers were eliciting but that only had her pushing harder against him, which elicited a whole new set of sensations for her, "Sure, why not? Let's sneak out."

The look of surprise on his beautiful face –because handsome was just too general a word to describe him –had her giggles turn into laughter. Flattening his hands against her back, but still inside the waistband of her shorts, he pointed out the downfalls to her sneaking out after bedtime hours, "You're going to sneak out of your house, with Marc next door and Uncle Seth downstairs?"

"Marc's room is soundproof, plus –his window faces the backyard while mine faces the front."

"What about Uncle Seth?"

Giving him a playful smile along with a single shoulder shrug, she very innocently remarked, "I can be very, very quiet."

Gabe laughed, enjoying what he was sure was a game to her, "You can be very quiet, sneaking out your second floor window?"

"If you're there to catch me, I can," her smile had his stomach clenching, his temperature increasing by a degree or two as he worked at keeping his heart rate under control.

Out of some perverse need to see how far she would really go, he decided to call her bluff, "Okay, then. I'll be outside your window after midnight –we're going to need a blanket."

"A blanket," Vivi's eyebrows rose in surprise, realizing he was taking her seriously. Her stomach rolled in a funny yet pleasant way as she thought of what might happen if she really went through it, not sure if she would actually go through with it.

"I know this place we could go to," Gabe cocked an eyebrow at her, a smirk on his face telling her he didn't think she'd go through with it, "It'll be a bit of a hike but you'll like it."

Looking into his blue eyes, pale as ice yet a vibrant contrast against the reddish skin tone of his face, she felt a swarm of butterflies in her stomach settle as soon as she made up her mind, "Okay."

"Seriously?"

Vivi nodded, moving her arms to wrap around his narrow waist as she pushed up to her toes to whisper against his mouth, "Yes."

He stared into her warm eyes, his body still and tight as she kissed his bottom lip, the scent of green apples filling his head and causing him to ache with a need so deep, it was almost scary.

"You're not going to chicken out on me, are you," he teased her in an effort to get himself under control, his voice coming out a bit shaky, "'Cause this is your idea."

"I won't chicken out."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


Later That Day

The smile on Rose's face wouldn't go away, her good mood keeping her humming along with the radio as she worked on her dinner plans.

Earlier today, she had confirmed her suspicions and now, here she was, working on something special to share her news with her husband.

The last time, he had been the one to tell her –and not in a very pleasant way – and the time before that, she hadn't had the chance to make some elaborate plan to reveal the news to him.

This time around, it was going to be different –she was going to surprise him.

Finishing the salad she had planned as part of her revelation dinner menu, she turned her attention to the contents in the oven once the cedar wood bowl was covered and in the refrigerator. The smells permeating the kitchen were mouth-watering and she could see the main dish was still cooking along in the oven.

Closing the door, she moved on to dessert, mixing up the dry and wet ingredients separately before combining them. Once she was certain there were no dry lumps left behind, she rolled it out into smaller dough balls before flattening them with a rolling pin.

Carefully lifting the stretched out dough over the pie dish, she patted it down evenly then removed the extra dough before carefully rolling and crimping the edges. She repeated the steps five more times, ending up with six miniature pie pans ready to be filled.

Moving to the stove, she took the cooled pot where she'd boiled several miniature pumpkins along with cloves, ginger and cinnamon sticks. It didn't take long to slice and puree the pumpkins along with a dash of vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg.

Pouring half a cup of pumpkin puree into each individual pie dish, she set them to the side before moving over to the oven to check on the broiling meat. Pleased with what she saw, she took handheld hot pads and removed the pan, placing it on the stove top where it could finish cooking in its own juices.

Lowering the temperature several degrees, she took the pies and set them in the middle rack, closing the door and resetting the timer for twenty five minutes. Once that was done, she moved on to set the table for two.

She was cutting into the rack of meat when the front door opened, Seth's voice deep and booming as he called out, "Rosa, I'm home!"

Grinning at his insistence on announcing his arrival, as if the opening of the door weren't enough, she called out to him, stating the obvious as well, "I'm in the kitchen."

He walked in as she covered the pan, not wanting him to see what she had prepared, "Hey, baby. How was your day?"

"Good," she returned his kiss, smiling as he pulled her in for a hug, "I finally finished the set of pictures I needed to complete the series. How was yours?"

"Exhausting," Seth loved holding her after a long day without seeing her, the cherry blossom scent of her hair calming his anxious soul, "After several meetings with the corporate top guys, they had me meet with one of their private investors –he wants me to design a car specifically for him. The guy wouldn't shut up, kept yammering about what he liked, didn't like what he expected and wanted from me. I swear to god, I wanted to punch him in the mouth just to shut him up."

Rose laughed as he gave her one more kiss before letting her go, watching him head to the fridge and pull out a bottle of beer, "I can understand the frustration. The new manager Minerva hired for the gallery seems to be incapable of handling silence. It took two hours on the phone to explain what I needed from her because she wouldn't let me talk."

Seth laughed as he moved to sit at the table, taking note of the two place settings on the table when there's usually six, Rose still talking as she removed the salad bowl along with a bottle of dressing, "Don't get me wrong, she's very competent but we're still getting to know each other and how we work –I'm hoping she's easier to handle in person."

"When are you meeting her?"

"Next week –I'm going to be in Seattle most of Wednesday. Kim's coming with me since she's got a show opening in two weeks."

"Jared told me her work's getting popular," Seth commented, taking another pull of his beer as the oven timer went off, changing the subject while he watched his wife bend over the open oven to take out whatever it was that smelled amazing, "Where are the boys?"

"Your mom asked if she could keep them for the night," Rose lied, having been the one to ask Sue to keep the boys while Vivi stayed the night with Nika and Marc had plans for a late night movie date with Betty.

"So it's just going to be us," Seth worked hard at not smiling, watching as she took their two plates to the stove to fill them up with whatever savory meal was in the pan she'd covered when he came in, "What's going on?"

Rose shrugged as she filled his plate then her own, setting them on the table before taking a pitcher of lemonade and filling up their glasses, "I just thought we could have a special dinner –just the two of us. I made baby back ribs with mesquite barbeque sauce, a baby spinach salad with baby carrots, baby corn and baby tomatoes…and for dessert, there's miniature baby pumpkin pies with vanilla bean ice cream."

He stared at her, seeing the expectant look she was giving him as she fiddled with the silverware, "Okay…I feel you're trying to tell me something by playing on the word baby."

Rose couldn't hold back the joy she was feeling, her smile big and beautiful as she gave him the news, "I'm pregnant."

He gave her a dubious look, brown-green eyes studying her face before dropping to his plate then back up again, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," her smiled dimmed a little as he kept glancing from her to the food on the table, "I took a home pregnancy test."

"It could have been a false positive," he suggested as he picked up his fork and knife to cut apart rib rack on his plate.

Rose couldn't understand why he was questioning her instead of showing some excitement, "There are two tests in the box –I took both of them. Not only that, but I missed my period last month."

He silently studied her, picking up a juicy rib and taking a bite out of the moist meat –he knew she knew he knew her menstrual schedule better than most husbands. Thinking back on the last two months, he realized she was right which meant, "So that means…our anniversary night?"

Rose blushed at the smile on his face, still shocked over the planned surprise she had come up with to celebrate their twelfth wedding anniversary.

"Think we can have a repeat since we're all on our own tonight," Seth teased her, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed even deeper, her smile shy as she drizzled dressing over her portion of salad, "We don't have a pole."

Seth laughed, cleaning his fingers on a napkin before picking up his fork to get started on the salad, "You can give me a lap dance."

Rose laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, rolling her eyes before returning her attention to her dinner. A few comfortable minutes passed with them eating their dinner, Rose letting out a sigh before setting her fork down on her plate, "Seth?"

"Yeah babe," he kept his eyes on her as he bit into his fourth rib, almost choking as he swallowed when he noticed a hint of pain in her beautiful hazel eyes, "Baby, what's wrong?"

Biting her bottom lip, she fought back tears as she asked in a whisper, "Aren't you excited about having another baby?"

"Baby, I'd be ecstatic," he cleaned his fingers before reaching across the table to take her hand in his, "It's just…I know you missed your period but…I don't think you're pregnant."

"Why?"

He looked at her in surprise, thinking the answer obvious, "I haven't been throwing up."

Rose stared at him, unsure if his gullibility was a reason for her not to get mad over such an asinine comment, "Morning sickness is not a guarantee for every pregnancy."

"God, I hope so," Seth pushed his plate to the side, finishing his beer in a couple of swallows before setting it aside as well, "Maybe this time, I can get the cravings instead."

Rose laughed, standing up and clearing the table before bringing the miniature pies to the table, along with a quart of vanilla bean ice cream, "Are you too full for dessert?"

"Never," Seth wrapped his fingers around her slim wrist, pulling her to his side of the table and into his lap, "Since it's just you and me tonight, we can work on that baby."

She cocked an eyebrow, loosely draping her arms over his broad shoulders, "The one we already have?"

"Doesn't hurt to make sure, right?"

Nibbling on her bottom lip, she rested her forehead against his as she looked into his eyes, "You do want another baby, don't you?"

Reaching up to gently drag his fingers down her jaw, he caught her chin and placed a tender kiss on her pouting lips, "With you, baby, I want everything."

Dessert was forgotten by both, the quiet solitude of their home creating a soft cocoon around the two of them as they made their way to their bedroom, clothes patiently removed, mouths and hands slowly exploring the familiar yet exhilarating planes of the other's body.

Rose let out a soft sigh as he slowly drew a line of kisses down the center of her body, his hands smoothing over her hips and thighs. He loved the sounds she made, the way she moved under his hands, the taste of her on his tongue.

Kissing the inked skin over her hip, stroked the small hard bump below her belly button, realizing she was right. Moving up her body and settling his own between her spread thighs, he dropped a soft kiss on her swollen lips, "You're going to make me a father again."

She smiled at the glint of joy in his brown-green eyes, not realizing until that moment how much she had feared he wouldn't be excited over this new addition to their family, "I didn't do it on my own, you know."

Seth hummed as he nibbled on her earlobe, wrapping his arms around her yet making sure he didn't crush her with his weight, "Well, this time around, it's going to be a girl."

"You've said that the last two times," Rose ran her fingers through his hair before framing his face, "What if it's another boy? Will you be disappointed?"

"Never," Seth kept his gaze on hers, seeing the ever changing colors of her beautiful hazel eyes, "I would give anything to have a little girl –one that looks just like you –but if boys are all we get, I'll be just fine…the more little boys we have, the more help I'll get in adoring you the way you deserve."

She literally felt her insides melting at his sweet words, her entire body tingling in the most delicious way as he rocked into her, "Seth…oh…"

She let out a soft moan, closing her eyes in ecstasy as her entire body unfurled like a flower, petal by petal, the weight of his body along with the friction of them moving together serving as sun and rain to the fertile soil that was her desire for him.

All other thoughts were lost in the growing desire between them, the time slowing down to a crawl as they loved each other with an abandon born from love and trust.

It was sometime past nine in the morning when Seth woke up, his stomach feeling strange as he fought back a wave of nausea. Breathing in through his nose and out his mouth, he carefully maneuvered himself out from under his wife's small body, inadvertently pulling her hair when he had to bolt out of the bed and into the en suite.

The rude awakening was forgotten as soon as she heard him retching, a grimace of sympathy on her face as she got out of bed, the white bed sheet wrapped around her nude body, "Oh, baby…"

Seth let out a weak laugh as he flushed the toilet, falling back on his behind and taking the damp washcloth she held out to him, "Yeah…we're definitely pregnant."

Rose let out a soft laugh as she kneeled down beside him, running her fingers through his mussed hair as she kissed his cheek, "I know you hate it but I thank you for taking this one thing away from me."

His smile grew a little more as he wrapped an arm around her small waist and pulled her into his lap, "I think I'd rather get fat for you –even deal with your weird ass cravings."

Rose giggled as she draped an arm over his wide shoulders, "Chocolate covered pickles are not weird."

She was unceremoniously dumped on her bottom as he lunged for the toilet, his misery clearly conveyed with a groan as he hung his head, arms wrapped around the toilet bowl.

Rose grimaced as she got on her feet, keeping the bed sheet wrapped around her while her other hand kept the soft cotton fabric from tangling around her legs, "Sorry…want me to make you breakfast?"

Seth moaned at the thought of food, shaking his head as he worked on breathing through the waves of nausea.

Rose gave his tense shoulders a gentle rub before walking out of the bathroom, feeling bad for him but not bad enough to wish she could take the discomfort away.

Hell, she was the one who would be pushing an eight or nine pound baby with a thirty two centimeter head out of a ten centimeter hole –and as much as Seth would be there to support and coach her through the ordeal, she knew he himself wouldn't wish to do that particular task for her.

In a sense, they were even, which was more than other expecting parents could say.