Gaining a Third Conspirator

"Honey, I'm so sorry I'm late," Ryan immediately began to apologize loudly when he walked in the door of his and Marissa's apartment one Friday evening, hurrying to make his way through the main living space and into their bedroom, stripping the entire way. As he walked to their room, he continued to undress. Jacket, tie, and belt off, he worked on un-buttoning his shirt. "I know I was supposed to be home a half an hour ago, but we had this major breakthrough with the Grant project we're working on. Well, I came up with the idea of including a cupola in order to get natural light throughout the whole building. Problem solved, but we had to go back to the drawing boards and rework everything."

Entering their bedroom, Ryan did not pay any attention to his surroundings, merely walking straight towards the bathroom. "Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be ready, promise." Just as he reached the door though, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Turning around with only his pants, which were unfastened, on, he smiled softly to himself when he saw that Marissa was curled up on their bed, hair drying naturally while she slept in only her robe. Completely disregarding that they were definitely going to be late, he climbed into bed with her.

Tenderly pushing back the hair that was cascading down onto her smooth, slightly flushed cheek, Ryan lowered his lips to her forehead and placed a light kiss there, letting them linger there a moment while he took in the subtle, comforting scent of lavender on her skin. Merely watching her sleep for several minutes, Ryan sighed when he realized he would have to wake her.

Grazing the backside of his fingers across her jaw line, letting his finger tips caress her lips, he spoke in barely a whisper. "Marissa, it's time to get up. We're going to be late to your premiere party." When she did nothing, he raised his voice slightly and tried again. "Baby, it's almost 6:30. We're supposed to be in LA at 8:00. Come on, you've got to get up."

Eye lashes fluttering, she made her way into his arms, resting her head on his bare chest and sighing in contentment. "We're not going," she dismissed his concerns, settling down for a quiet evening in bed with her husband.

"What do you mean we're not going," he asked her puzzled. "This is your big night, the premiere of a show you helped create. Of course we're going."

Sitting up in bed and opening her eyes, Marissa grinned at his concern, her body still close to his. "I decided I really didn't want to go. We've barely seen each other this week, I'm exhausted, I hate the drive into LA, and I don't have a dress that will fit me because I didn't think ahead and go shopping for a new one. Plus," she added, the disdain evident in her voice, "they're having filet mignon for dinner afterwards and that's just…..not an option. The thought of it alone makes me slightly queasy. Could you imagine having to smell a room filled with it?"

Ryan laughed at her newfound dislike for the high end steak, knowing it was just a symptom of her pregnancy before he kissed her head and pulled her down with him so that they were snuggled together in the bed. "And your bosses won't care," he inquired in concern. "Because if they would, I can get us there in time if we have to go."

"No, it's fine," Marissa disregarded his concerns. "No one cares if the writers are there for things like this or not. And when I called in this afternoon, they even sent me a copy of the show so we could watch it tonight since we won't be there."

"Well then, it's a date," Ryan pronounced, getting up off of the bed and making his way into their closet where he continued to talk to Marissa while he finished changing. "I'll order us in some dinner, and we'll spend the night in bed together. Does that sound alright with you?"

"Sounds great," Marissa agreed, "just make sure the food is somewhat bland. I don't think I could handle anything spicy tonight." Suddenly excited, she sat up in bed, her voice animated. "Oh, and we don't have to worry about ordering dessert. I got bored writing today, so I took a break, and I made some pound cake."

"Do we have any vanilla ice cream to go with it?"

"Yeah, I picked some up last week," Marissa answered him. "Oh, and I also have some fresh strawberries, too, if you want to put that on for a topping."

Emerging from the closet, clad only in a pair of shorts, Ryan made his way back to the bed, picking his phone up off of the nightstand on his way. Retaking Marissa in his arms, he went to make a call before she interrupted him.

"Hey, what do you think about working on the baby's room tomorrow," Marissa pondered out loud. "Neither of us has to work, so we have the whole day with nothing to do. We could go to the store early, pick up supplies, and then you could paint while I give instructions."

Tickling her and making her giggle after she insinuated that she wouldn't help him at all, Ryan teased her back. "Oh, I don't think so. Trust me, they have paint that you can use, too. Besides, how are we supposed to have a paint war if you're not painting?"

"We are not having a paint war," Marissa admonished, laughing, her eyes dancing with merriment. "Now call and order us dinner. We're starving," she admitted, rubbing her stomach lovingly. Listening to his wife, Ryan put the phone to his ear, ordered dinner, and then sat back with her in his arms once again as they spent a relaxing, quiet, peaceful evening in bed, enjoying each others company.

Laying on the paint splattered plastic tarp covering the floor of the baby's room, Ryan hovering carefully over Marissa, the two were focused upon each other, lips locked in a passionate embrace, clothes quickly melting away as their paint brushes and rollers rested in the pans forgotten, the room only half way done. It was early afternoon, and Ryan, after watching Marissa peel off her tank top which he had splattered with paint, had decided that they needed to take a break in order to attend to each other. Marissa was not one to argue.

Pulling them out of their private moment, the doorbell sounded its way through the apartment, making Ryan roll off of Marissa and lay down on the floor beside her, groaning out in frustration while she merely sighed and tried to catch her breath.

"You're going to have to get that," she told him in a shaky voice. "I'm in no shape to answer the door, and, besides, you have more clothes on." She was right; he did have more clothes on. While she was merely resting there with her boyshorts on, he still had on his old, tattered, ripped jeans.

Grumbling while he stood and not bothering to throw a shirt on, Ryan smirked down at her before walking out of the room, his voice traveling back to her as he moved away. "You owe me for this. Don't move a muscle. I'll be right back as soon as I get rid of whoever is at the door."

Unable to keep the smile off of his face as he thought about the day they had shared so far, he made his way to the front door. Starting with her surprise breakfast in bed after she had woke up early, energized and eager to do something special for him, they had taken a shower together before making their way to the store. Their trip to buy paint had been playful and fun with Marissa riding on the back of the cart as Ryan pushed her through the store, stopping every few minutes to steal a kiss when no one was watching them. At first when they had gotten back to the apartment, they had both been serious, working away diligently to paint the room, but after a couple of hours, he had gotten bored. Turning around, he had seen her, left hand on her back while the right one painted away, blowing the stray pieces of hair off of her face as they tickled and annoyed her, and suddenly, he could not concentrate on the task at hand any longer. Without a word, he had walked the expanse of the room and stopped to take her in his arms, kissing up her neck to her surprise before she melted into his embrace. Now, twenty minutes later, he had to leave her ready and waiting behind to deal with their sudden and unwanted intrusion. Pulling the door open quickly without bothering to look through the peep hole, he was shocked by who he saw.

"Is this how you always answer the door," Hayley laughed loudly as she pushed her way passed him and breezed into the living room. "I see nothing has changed with you and Marissa. Still going at it every chance you get and taking every opportunity to rub it in the faces of those of us not getting any."

"Hayley…..I….uh….," Ryan began, stumbling over his words only to be interrupted by his smirking, mischievous aunt.

"What am I doing here," she said for him. "I was bored, and it's been a while since I've seen Marissa, at least a month since we went shopping that day for Bridezilla's dresses, and I missed you horny kids." Attempting to walk her way further into the apartment, Ryan jumped in front of her, eliciting strange looks from the older woman. "Where is she, Ryan?"

"Uh…sleeping," he answered in a hurry, attempting to usher her towards the couch.

Dismissing him and trying her best to get around him, Hayley kept moving her way towards the hallway and bedrooms. "Well then, let's wake her up. It's Saturday afternoon, what the hell is she doing sleeping anyway?"

"She's tired," Ryan replied in a firm tone, holding Hayley back gently by her arms. "We're not waking her up. Sit here, and I'll go and check on her, and we can talk until she wakes up."

Not saying a word, she merely watched him make his way towards where Marissa supposedly was sleeping, doubt evident in her eyes. As he went past their bedroom, she became really suspicious. "Why is she sleeping in the guest bedroom, Ryan," she asked out loud following after him. "Are you two having problems?"

"We're fine, Hayley," he shot back annoyed. "She was working earlier and got tired, so she laid down in there to take a nap."

"Yeah, but the last time I was here, which, granted was when you first moved in, there wasn't a bed in the guest room. It was a bunch of junk mixed in with your computer equipment. What are you hiding," she inquired, hands on her hips.

Turning her around, he pushed her back towards the living room before answering. "Nothing; now go and sit, relax. I'll be back out in a minute." Moving into the spare room, quickly shutting the door after him, he did not see Hayley smirk as she went back to stand outside of the room to eavesdrop.

"Is Hayley here," Marissa asked him as he walked into the room. Already up and getting dressed, he went to her side to help her, handing her pieces of clothing when she needed them.

"Yeah, she is," he responded. "She said she missed us."

"We can't let her see this room….or me," she feverishly pointed out as she looked down at her appearance, her tight tank top hugging her small bump. "She'll figure things out instantly."

Before Ryan could respond, the door flew open and Hayley stood there watching them, curiosity written plainly on her face. "Figure out what," she pondered, looking around at the partially painted room before her eyes fell on the frozen, bewildered couple standing in front of her. "What exactly is going on here?"

Nervous, Marissa stepped forward, her hand, instinctively, going to rest on her abdomen. "Hayley, you cannot say anything to anyone. This has to remain between the three of us."

"So, you're pregnant," she surmised walking further into the room. "What…..when…..I don't understand."

Moving to Marissa, Ryan snaked his arm around her waist drawing her into him. "Well, Hayley, when two people love each other very, very much…."

"I don't need the sex talk, Ryan," Hayley snapped at him, her tone making it crystal clear that she was not in a joking mood.

"You did ask what," Marissa teased her, smiling broadly, only to wipe the smile off of her face to speak in a gentle, calm voice when she noticed Hayley's lack of humor in the situation. "I'm due in February, and before you ask, even though it shouldn't matter, yes, we're married, too, but you cannot say anything to the rest of the family, especially Seth and Summer."

Confused, Hayley inquired, "why not?"

"Because things are rough already between us," Ryan explained. "Imagine how they would react if they found out that we're already married and expecting right before their wedding. To put it mildly, they would be furious. We're going to wait until after the wedding to tell Sandy and Kirsten, and then we'll tell Seth and Summer after they get back from their honeymoon."

"That is," Marissa added, "if you agree to keep this secret with us."

"Wow!" Utterly flabbergasted by the magnitude of the news she had just found out, Hayley was practically speechless. "I just….when did this all happen?"

"It's a long story," Ryan teased, picking up a paintbrush and handing it to her, "but we'll tell you for the very fair price of two hours of manual labor to help us finish this nursery."

"You've got yourself a deal," Hayley laughed as she turned towards a bare spot on the wall, shock still written plainly across her face. Grabbing their brushes as well, Marissa and Ryan turned to work on the painting, too.

"I guess we should start with last May," Marissa began. "Do you remember the weekend when you sent Seth and Summer to Vegas?" When Hayley nodded, she continued, "Well, we went up to Monterey….and got married."

As the sun made its descent in the sky, afternoon turning into dusk, the three friends, a blushing, expecting mom-to-be, her doting husband, and perhaps their closest friend in the whole world, quickly finished painting the nursery, talked of the happy couple's wedding and pregnancy, and strengthened their bond.

On her way to the kitchen for some orange juice and her pre-natal vitamin, Marissa called out to a still slumbering Hayley who was slightly snoring on the couch. "Wake up Hayley. We're leaving in an hour. You can use the spare bathroom, and I'll drop you off in Newport on my way up to LA."

It was Monday morning. Hayley had stayed the rest of the weekend with Ryan and Marissa after surprising them Saturday afternoon, but all three of them had to return to the real world and leave their own private oasis in the little apartment in Laguna Beach behind as the work week was dragging them back into reality. Hayley had a doctor's appointment to attend and Kirsten to appease. Staying away from the house for forty hours, despite the fact that Marissa and Ryan took good care of her, was pushing her sister's limits and sending her into a tailspin of worry and paranoia. Marissa had her weekly meeting with the other writers and producers of the show and would likely be gone all day, only to return tired, aching, and slightly moody. Ryan also had work, as always, but that, compared to what he had to do afterwards, was something he was looking forward to. Following work, he had to meet Seth, Sandy, Branning, Luke, and Zach for their tux fittings, a commitment that would surely give him a pounding headache and a penchant for his punching bag. All in all, the week was not starting off that well for any of them.

"It's too early," Hayley complained shuffling into the kitchen, hair askew, eyes puffy, and clothes twisted and wrinkled all from sleeping.

"You were the one who insisted that we stay up last night and play cards," Marissa teased her. "Besides, Kirsten will have you doing nothing but sleep this entire week after your wild and crazy weekend of fun."

"Fun my ass," Hayley responded back with a snort, making her way towards her salvation, the coffee pot. "You two put me to work the whole time, first painting the walls of the nursery, then the ceiling. Who the hell makes a sick woman labor for hours painting tedious clouds onto a ceiling?"

"Oh, shut up, you loved every minute of it," Marissa shot back at her, laughing at the complaints her best friend was offering her. "Plus, you owed us after barging into the room when Ryan told you to wait in the living room. You weren't even supposed to know there was a reason for a nursery. Your curiosity and nosiness got you into the mess, so you can thank yourself."

Smirking at the glowing, content woman beside her who was greedily eating a yogurt, she played along. "Thank you, Hayley."

"Morning ladies," Ryan interrupted, walking into the room, kissing Marissa on the cheek before making his way towards Hayley and the coffee. Pouring himself a cup, he rested against the counter while he drank it.

"What time will you be home tonight, "Marissa inquired of him. "Should I make dinner or do you think you'll eat out with everyone."

"I'll be home as early as I possibly can, and make dinner or order in, your choice, because I'm not going out to eat with them."

"What's wrong, Ryan," Hayley mocked, "not looking forward to bonding with the boys….and Branning?" His glare was all that it took to answer her question. "Well, this has been fun, but the java and I have a date with the guest bathroom's shower." Pushing her way through the kitchen, she left, speaking over her shoulder. "Excuse me love birds. Keep it G-rated in front of my great niece or nephew, will you?"

"Want some breakfast," Marissa asked him after Hayley had disappeared down the hallway, sliding her arms around his neck and giving him a small, chaste kiss.

"I'll just grab something and eat it on my way," Ryan answered her, encasing her in his arms as well. "I can think of something I'd much prefer doing in the last few minutes before I have to leave for work. We didn't get nearly enough alone time this weekend."

"Have fun with that….by yourself," she teased him, moving out of his grasp and away from his outstretched arms, placing her empty glass in the sink. "I have to take a shower and get ready for work."

Following her, he shot back, "oh, trust me, I can watch." The only response he got was her mirthful peals of laughter. "I take that as a no then?"

"If you watch me shower, you'll end up getting in, which will lead to us both being late, which cannot happen," she answered him, turning around with her hands impatiently on her hips. Shooing him towards the door, Marissa continued to talk. "I'll see you tonight, and if you're a really good boy and get home early enough, we can shower together….later. Now go," she ordered, giving him a light, playful tap on the ass, sending him chuckling out the door as she made her way to the shower, for now, alone.

"Hey man," Branning greeted Ryan, stepping over beside him as the men waited for their tuxes to be brought out so they could try them on. "Long time, no see; how are you and Marissa?"

"We're good….great," Ryan answered, sneaking a quick peak around the room to make sure that no one was listening into their conversation. "We're both pretty busy, but it's nice living on our own. How are you?"

"Bored and definitely overloaded with Seth/Branning time." Laughing, he continued. "Dude, what happened between the four of you? Seth and Summer avoid talking about it, you and Seth barely seem to be speaking even though you're his best man, and there's this obvious tension in your family."

"It's complicated." Ryan's short tone made it apparent that he did not wish to discuss the issue further. "But whenever you need a break from LA, you're always welcome to come down and stay with us for a weekend. You'll have to sleep on the couch though and give us warning, because we're still not fully settled in. We'll just hide all the boxes in the empty spare room and lock it so you can't peak into our junk," he lied through his teeth.

"Will do," Branning responded, a wide smile covering his face. "I appreciate the offer." Changing the subject, he turned to Ryan with an impish sparkle in his eye. "So, tell me what you have planned for the bachelor party? Granted, I personally won't enjoy the strippers, but I'll have fun getting Seth in trouble with Summer afterwards."

"There won't be any strippers, nothing for Seth to get yelled at for, because there's not going to be a bachelor party, and, before you ask," he stopped Branning from interrupting him, "there's no bachelorette party either. Marissa and I are too busy to throw them, and, besides, I think Seth's gotten himself into enough trouble this year, and Summer's quota

for doing crazy, outrageous things has been filled as well.

"Oh, well, okay then, I guess." Stumbling with his words, Branning was at a loss for what to say. Confused by Ryan's vehement feelings towards his brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, he merely changed the subject. "So, are you coming out to dinner with us tonight?"

"Nope, Marissa and I have plans." With that, Ryan picked up his tux, made his way to the dressing room, and left Branning standing there with many questions filtering their way through his mind.

"Looks like I need to make a visit to Newport and Hayley," Branning said to himself as he followed Ryan's path to the dressing rooms, tux in hand. "She'll know what this is all about.