They arrived back at Evangeline's apartment and John quickly settled Evangeline on the couch, making her lie back and put her feet up. She didn't protest but just chuckled at how he was now fussing over her.

"Ok you just rest and I'll whip up something for you to eat," John said as he fluffed the pillow she rested against.

"Oh John," She said shaking her head a bit. "I really don't think I can get anything down."

"Well, you should try," John said not wanting to give in, for he knew she really hadn't eaten. "You're eating for two now," They both shared a smile at his words.

"Truth be told I honestly think it will just make me sick again," She said throwing her head back against the pillow and pouting up at John. He smiled down at her as he reached down and stroked her hair.

"Still having morning…I mean all day sickness?"

"Yes big time and Roxy's yummy lunch did not help," Evangeline said as she frowned in remembrance of the ham, cheese, and sardines sandwich.

"Funny thing is she was actually trying to be helpful," John said with a chuckle.

"Yeah I know," Evangeline said as she too laughed.

"So you can't eat, right now," John said placing emphasis on the last two words. "So what do you want to do?"

"Hmmm…just laying here is good but I know something that would be even better," She said as she reached up and grasped his tie, and tugged him down a bit.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" John asked as his smile widened.

"If you'd lay with me," She said and John swiftly removed his jacket, tossing it on a nearby chair. He then situated himself on the couch with her, moving behind her, and spooned her against him. "Yes, that's much better," She sighed as she snuggled back further against him, closing her eyes. Soon Evangeline drifted off to sleep as John watched her and absentmindedly rubbed his hand against her still firm belly.


"I can't believe you're going to actually eat all that," Nora said as she sat watching her friend in amazement.

"Hey I didn't…mmm, correction, I couldn't eat much yesterday," Evangeline mumbled out as she munched on her steak, eggs, pancakes, and bacon while washing it down with occasional sips of orange juice.

"Well, you're definitely making up for it now, Miss Piggy," Nora joked as she and Evangeline sat in the Palace restaurant having breakfast.

"Hey I'm allowed, I'm eating for two now remember."

"Ahh, yes I do remember it well how I would use that as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted," Nora said with a wide grin, one that Evangeline matched.

"So far it's the best part about this whole thing," Evangeline added and Nora nodded in agreement.

"But it will get better, once the sickness passes, I just hope yours passes sooner than mine did. I had it until I was about six months along," Nora said and Evangeline paused in her eating to frown at her friend.

"Oh don't tell me that, I don't think I could handle that."

"Hate to break it to you sweetie, but you don't really have a choice. For the next thirty-two weeks, your body will be the property of your baby. You'll swell, have backaches, uncomfortable and sleepless nights, mad mood swings, crazy cravings."

"My God, you're evil and I thought you were my best friend," Evangeline cut in.

"I am which is why I won't fill your head with falsehoods about how it's gonna be, but even with all that stuff I just said, in the end, when you feel the baby kicking and moving inside you, when you finally get to see him or her, and actually hold them in your arms. Man, all that other stuff, it'll be well worth it and you'd do it all again in a heartbeat if you had to just to have them," Nora said with a smile. Her words brought a huge smile to Evangeline's face as well.

"I can't wait to see it. This morning I woke up early and just lied in bed with John curled around me and I wondered what our baby would look like. Would they have John's eyes and his mouth, and I do hope they do? Will they have my attitude or be the strong silent type like their daddy?"

"Yeah I recall doing that myself, that and trying to pick a name, oh and going shopping, we have got to go shopping," Nora said excitedly. "How about today, instead of playing tennis let's go shop till we drop."

"Don't you think it's a bit early? My mom would always preach to me about counting my chickens before they hatch, I don't want to jinx anything."

"Oh please, that's just superstitious nonsense, one can never be too prepared for having a baby. In fact, no matter what you do you'll never really be prepared for it, not really," Nora said. "I can't even believe your mother would tell you that when it's concerning her grandchild. You'd think she'd be already buying things to spoil it with," Evangeline nervously chuckled at her friend's words and then seemed to focus intensely on her plate of food. "Evangeline, you haven't told her yet have you?" Nora questioned, knowing her friend well enough to know when she was hiding something from her.

"Well I just found out myself, and then I told John…I haven't had time really." Evangeline defended by lying.

"What are you afraid of, you don't think your mom will approve?"

"Of a grandbaby, oh yeah, of the daddy I'm not so sure," Evangeline frowned as she pushed her plate away from her, having suddenly lost her appetite.

"Oh, I thought you said your mother was the one who was the most civil to John when he went home with you."

"She was, in fact, she told me that John reminded her of my father."

"Whoa, those are some pretty big shoes to fill," Nora commented.

"Oh yeah but," Evangeline paused and breathed out a heavy sigh.

"But…" Nora pushed wanting her to go on with the story.

"Then I opened my big mouth and told her that John can't seem to tell me he loves me, well that set her off, and she officially became the president of the 'I hate John McBain' club."

"Well she just wants what's best for her daughter, you'll understand that soon enough. But you know you have to tell her."

"Yeah, I'll call her Monday," Nora arched her brow a bit in surprise since it was Tuesday. "That'll give me the weekend to let it all sink in for me and John, because as soon as she knows she'll be coming down and possibly staying until I give birth."

"Yeah, you say that now like it's a bad thing, but just you wait until you get so big and miserable you can't tie your own shoes and you won't want to get out of bed, you'll love having someone there to wait on you hand and foot," Nora said as she pushed her plate back and wiped at her mouth. "So, how bout that shopping trip?" She asked again but before Evangeline could answer her cell rang. She pulled the phone from her purse and then smiled a bit as she read the caller id.

"Hello, Detective McBain," Evangeline answered playfully.

"Hey you," John replied smiling and just happy to hear her voice, even though it hadn't been but a few short hours since he was holding her in his arms. "What are you up to?"

"Oh just having lunch with Nora."

"That's good, that was part of the reason I was calling, to see if you'd had lunch or not. If you hadn't I was gonna come take you out for a bite," John said and Evangeline pouted a bit.

"Wish you had called earlier, I would have loved you have had lunch with you."

"What am I chopped liver?" Nora asked jokingly, in a lowered voice, and Evangeline giggled and stuck her tongue out in reply.

"So are you heading back to the office when you're done?"

"Uhm, no my schedule is pretty much free today and Nora wants to take me shopping."

"Oh yeah, isn't it a bit early for that?" John asked in concern, he wanted Evangeline to take it a bit easy. Even though she had told him she was fine and pointed out to him that women had been having babies since the beginning of time, he still felt overly protective of her in her delicate state.

"Hey that's what I said but Nora assures me that one can ever be too prepared, and since she's a mother I'm guessing she knows what she's talking about."

"Thank you very much," Nora threw out.

"Well, don't overdo it, you know you should take it easy…"

"John, I'm fine really and I will. We won't be out too long and when we're done I'll go straight home and take a nap, there are you happy now?" Evangeline said as she smiled and rolled her eyes a bit, while Nora giggled.

"Yeah you do that, and I'll see you when I get home," He said.

"Ok, see you later," Evangeline said smiling at his 'home' comment as she ended the call. "Will he be this bad the entire time?" She asked Nora.

"No, it'll get worse. See right now he only knows here," She pointed to her head. "That there's a baby, but wait until you start to show and it starts to move, he'll be trying to carry you everywhere and want you to stay in bed 24/7. But the upside is he too will wait on you hand and foot, which will come in very handy when you have those late-night cravings for things that aren't in the house, which means he'll have to go out a get it for you."

"Ohhh…I think I like the sound of that, John McBain waiting on me for a change," Evangeline said rubbing her hands together.

"So, you ready to go?" Nora asked.

"Yes, I'm full for now. So where too?"

"We'll start at Baby Gap and then I'll take you to this wonderful boutique, with the most beautiful baby things; cribs, car seats, any and everything you'll need."

"Ok let's go," Evangeline said as they stood from the table and headed for the exit. A part of her was actually getting excited about becoming a mother, thanks to the support of Nora and John, which was a pleasant surprise to her. She had convinced herself that as soon as he learned she was having his baby, he'd not want to be very involved. She was happy that she had been wrong, it seemed as if John was just as excited, if not more, as she was. Right now Evangeline felt that life couldn't get any better, now she just had to tell her family, but she had a full six days to do that, giving her and John some time to adjust and settle into their new roles as parents.