This story is in the Red Label series, and falls about eighteen months after Blue Heaven, and almost immediately before A Third of Two. Chapter 1 is from Nancy's point of view, Chapter 2 from Ned's. Mild suggestive content; the full version is available at the website.


The lights go out at noon, and somehow none of us are surprised. As our computer screens flicker out simultaneously, we glance around at each other, the same restrained glee on our faces. But the interstate will be clogged with traffic, and even if we could manage to make it to the stores for a few hours' more shopping, they would be closed, the fairy lights in the displays dark.

I'm halfway back to our house when my cell phone rings. "Where are you?"

"Stuck on the expressway," I groan, as another chorus of horns ring out. "You?"

"If I don't get out of here soon, I'll be directing traffic downtown."

"Please talk your way out of that," I beg, twisting the wheel to maneuver into a faster lane, the wheels skidding slightly against the freezing road. "I want you home at a decent hour."

"Oh?"

"To go over the paperwork for the house," I reply, sensing his playful disappointment. "You know, what we've been doing the last three weeks?"

"I trust your dad," my husband protests, which is true enough. Dad has been keeping a close eye on the paperwork, making sure we get a good deal for the house. "Anything you want me to pick up on the way home?"

"Just yourself."

Mollie is standing at the door when I finally make it inside, overwhelmed with joy, and she won't let me by, so I sit there on the hardwood floor, still shivering, and stroke her until she's licked half my makeup off and is standing on my thighs, her tail just a blur of motion in the air. "Who's my good girl," I coo to her, stroking her, rubbing her soft ears. "'Cause you're mine, aren't you, no matter what Ned says."

She barks happily in response, her eyes bright, and I hug her before checking her food and water. Then I duck into the freezer quickly, finding a bag of steak, and Mollie follows me to the spare bedroom to find the camping stove I'm sure is in here somewhere.

The light is still a dull glow through the drapes when Ned ducks into the house, stamping the snow from his feet. He pulls me in for a kiss, and I know the exact second he hears the steaks sizzling, because his lips turn up in a smile against mine.

"You know what I like."

"You know what I like," I counter, running my fingertips over the gleaming brass badge. He's still in uniform, which means if I'm not careful, I'll forget about the steaks entirely and waste all of the cooking fuel, burning them into oblivion. "Go change, or you'll be wearing me in a minute."

"And that was supposed to be a threat?"

"Not very effective, huh."

He backs me into the counter and kisses me again, all my weight on one bent elbow, my fingers twisting in his collar. His cheeks are still cold, even though the house is still warm enough to keep me from shivering.

"They had you directing traffic, didn't they."

"Until they found someone who needed overtime more than me." His stubble brushes my throat when he kisses my neck, and I chuckle as I push him back.

"Ned..."

"I know, I know," he groans, sweeping his hat up off the table. "When's dinner gonna be ready?"

"Whenever you say it is."

He grins at me from around the corner before Mollie follows him into the bedroom, and I look at my purse.

I've missed my period. I missed it two weeks ago, but I kept waiting for it, because Ned and I only agreed that I'd go off the pill two months ago, and it's almost impossible that I'd be pregnant already. But I have a test in my purse.

We have dinner by candlelight and I don't mention it although it's on my lips twenty times. But we haven't gone through anything like this before, and I don't want to tell him that I'm pregnant when I'm not even sure about it yet. I've skipped periods before.

"George called me this morning," I mention, while Ned saws off another bite of steak.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Bess is supposed to be getting in tonight, I think. If the airport has any power, that is."

"Oh, they're fine," Ned shrugs. "I think if we lived closer to town, we'd already have power back."

"Think maybe we could take her out to dinner?"

"Sounds like a great idea."

"Maybe Friday night?"

"Sure."

The tree is in the corner, even though it seems strangely dark and sad with the lights off, and we clear the table together. He wraps his arms around my waist as I fill the sink with soapy water, and as he kisses the back of my neck I shiver against him. "So, no movies, no video games... how," he kisses the hollow just behind my ear, "are we going," he kisses the other, "to keep ourselves busy tonight?"

I turn in his arms. "Let's play cards."

He groans against the base of my neck. "No, no," he protests, and I laugh at him. "No, baby. I'll even go put the uniform back on..."

"No you won't," I tell him softly. "When's the last time you played cards?"

"Last time I saw Mike."

"With me."

"Can't even remember."

"Exactly. And we have the rest of the night, once it starts getting cold, for you to put your uniform on, and..."

"And..."

By now I'm blushing, even though the kitchen is the warmest place in the house from the camping stove, and I know he's enjoying it. Mostly because his hips are tight against mine.

"And find a way to entertain ourselves."

He gives me a good natured sigh and backs off. "You'll owe me, Drew."

"Depends on what we use for our betting."

His eyes light at that. "What did you have in mind?"

We don't bet with clothes (his first choice) or shots (his second choice), because it takes a while for me to remember how to play against him instead of with him, and I'm not drinking until I see the results of the pregnancy test. Even so, he finds a bottle of wine and has a glass or two while we play with the change from the jar in our bedroom.

"You're going down."

"What, you want to bet for sex acts too?"

It's his turn to gape at me. "You didn't mean that."

I laugh. "No, I didn't," I admit, and his face falls a little. "Would it make things more interesting for you?"

"Well, it's too cold to strip," he muses aloud. "I don't know. This could be fun, especially if the power isn't back on by the morning..."

"You know it will be."

He sighs. "I know, I know..."

I deal out the cards, and he picks them up, fanning through them, and I can see that same spark in his eye.

"Ante up, girl."

He builds a fire after, and the tree almost looks right in the flickering light. Mollie is fascinated, Mollie's always fascinated by it, and then she jumps up on the couch and nestles in next to me, pressing up against my side, and I'm surrounded. Ned's on my other side, his arm wrapped around my shoulders. I can tell he wants to drink some more, but he's puzzled by my declining to join in. When he ducks in and presses his mouth against the base of my throat, making me laugh, he leaves the taste of wine on my skin.

"I love you."

"I love you too," I murmur, with my head against his shoulder, and we did this all the time before, when his parents were still alive and we were still years away from our engagement. Sitting on the couch in my father's house, laughing under my breath as Ned snuck into the kitchen for another helping of one of Hannah's fantastic desserts.

He turns his head and I turn mine and we meet in a long, slow kiss, my palm cupping his cheek when he pulls back, and although he's always gorgeous, there's something about the shade of his eyes in firelight that takes my breath away.

"Tired?"

"Not really," I reply, and neither of us can stop the slow smile from spreading across our mouths.

The house is so incredibly quiet and still when we go to bed. We waited until the last ember had faded from red to ashen, and he already has me half-undressed by the time we sneak out of the living room, leaving poor Mollie asleep on the couch, our faces still flushed from the heat. The candles on the bedside table are almost always cold, but tonight they hold steady flames, casting deep flickering shadows on the walls, the pale outline of our silhouettes. Our bedroom is cool, my toes are numb with it, but he's warm, perfectly slow with wine.

I trace my palm over the curve of my stomach, wondering if it's already true, and the thought makes me shiver.

Ned loops his arms around my waist. "Cold?"

I smile a little bit, but I nod. He pulls me in to him and drapes the blankets around us, and I dip my head in, my face against his shoulder, teeth scraping the skin. I love this feeling, I love when he's all I can feel, when there's nothing other than the two of us, nothing at all. His chest is warm against mine and he runs his fingers through my hair.

I turn my face to press my mouth against his ear, smiling when I feel him shiver in return. "I love you," I whisper. I can't make myself move, after, and he kisses my cheek, my face, while we just hold each other. The house is so quiet that I can hear every bedspring's twist when we shift, and I can almost hear Mollie whining in her sleep in the other room, and even though I can't see Ned's eyes, I can feel the ring when his palm slides down my side to cup my hip.

When we curl up to sleep I lay with my back against his chest, and I hold his hand over my belly, low, and wonder.