Ana sat at her office table and grinned at the picture on her phone. It was showing Gideon and Mia, both looked sleep tousled a sheet was covering them and both smiled at the camera. The picture had come with a quick text:

*Just so you know your cupid skills aren't suddenly lacking ;-)*

Christian and Elliot were still not sure if Gideon was right for their sister but she knew it was just because they feared their baby sister would end up hurt again. She, however, knew better. Gideon wouldn't hurt Mia because in her he seemed to have found what had been missing in his life and he wasn't going to let her go. Ana for one was truly happy for them.

„Hey Ana, here's your coffee and bagel."

„Thanks, Hunter, when is my next appointment?"

„In an hour." Her young assistant said and left the office while she put her phone away and took a sip of her coffee. The moment she had swallowed her stomach churned and she made a dash for the paper basket where she had to throw up her breakfast.

It took several minutes for her until her stomach had settled and she had to push both the coffee and the bagel out of her sight or else she knew she would have gotten sick again right away.

Instead, she took her phone and opened the app she used to track her period. She was late, be it only a day, but going through the app she knew that she hadn't been late even once in the three years she had been using an app.

She tried to ignore the thought but it wasn't possible. So, she got her purse and got up.

„Hunter, please cancel my meetings and tell the cleaning team to bring some air freshener to my office, I'm not feeling well, so I will be leaving." She said and left the office but when she went to her car she felt too dizzy to drive so she got her phone from her purse and called Christian.

„Hey baby, how is your day?"

„Not so great, I'm sick... can you ask Taylor or Sawyer to pick me up, I don't feel well enough to drive."

„I'll be there in ten minutes, where are you?"

„In the garage but you don't have to..."

„Ana, sit in your car and wait for me."

„Ok, thank you." She said ended the call and sat in her car until the black SUV pulled up in the spot next to her and Christian got out of the car and kneeled by her side.

„What happened? Do you need a doctor?"

„No, just a little bit of rest and pregnancy test." She said with a small smile and watched as realization slowly set in for Christian.

„You are late?" He asked clearly excited.

„Only a day, but since I got sick right after taking a sip of my coffee and still can't even think about food or coffee I guess I should take a test."

„Come, give me the keys, I'll drive and we can stop by a CVS. Or do you want to go home right away and Taylor can pick it up for us."

„No, I want to pick it, it's so early that I need a certain kind." Ana said and gave him her keys so he got into the driver's seat while she remained in the passenger seat.

At the drugstore, they both looked surprised at the enormous selection of pregnancy tests but then Ana found the brand her app had suggested so she took one and soon they were in his bathroom at Escala.

„Christian, don't stare at me like that, I can't pee if you do that." Ana giggled because he was basically next to her looking at her intently.

„Sorry, I'm just nervous." He chuckled and moved over to the sink while she finally peed and then placed the test on the counter.

„Didn't it say it takes three minutes, Ana?" He asked her looking at it.

„Yes, why."

„Because the second line is already showing, here." He said and she looked at the box again to make sure that she was reading the result correctly.

„Wait, does this mean you are pregnant, it's positive right?"

„I... I don't know... let's wait until the three minutes are over. Maybe it just does that in the beginning." Ana murmured but after the three minutes, the test still showed a positive result.

„We are having a baby." Ana whispered shocked for a moment her brain felt completely empty and then a smile came to her face just as Christian lifted her up and twirled her around.

„Put me down." She gasped and leaped to the toilet to throw up again.

„I'm sorry, baby." He said while rubbing her back.

„Teaches you not to twirl the pregnant lady." She chuckled when she didn't have to dry heave anymore.

„Are you ok, do you want me to call my mom... see a different doctor..."

„Christian, relax, all I need is to lie down for a while until my stomach settles, you can join me." She said and because she knew that he was freaking out right now she didn't say anything when he carried her into the bedroom, put her down and put some extra pillows behind her so she wasn't lying too flat.

„This is really happening, right?" He asked and she giggled.

„Yup, this is as real as is gets."

„Are you happy?"

„Yes, to be honest, I wasn't sure how I would feel about it at first, but I'm really happy." She said and it was true, she wanted to have his child. Wanted to have a family with Christian and even though this had happened rather quickly it seemed right to her.

„Me too. Ana, I want us to have the house renovated for us to move in before the baby is born." He said, he also wanted them to be married by then but that was something he wouldn't bring up until he had figured out a good way to propose to her. Still, he was worried that all of this was happening too fast and too soon for her.

„Hey, why are you frowning?" She asked and he kissed her.

„I'm just worried that you are not really happy but only tell me you are to please me."

„Christian, there was still time for me to get plan b when I realized we hadn't used any protection. Yes, I am happy that this makes you happy but I want to have this child too. I want us to be a family and I want us to move to the house together once it is ready. Please don't worry about me, going to therapy is really helping me... my wish to make you happy will never go away but then again I love you, so that is how it should be."

„I want to make you happy too, Ana."

„Well, right now, I am very happy... I just hope I won't have to deal with the morning sickness for too long... and I don't think I will be able to accompany you to New York on Thursday."

„Why?"

„I think I've read somewhere that women shouldn't travel by plane in the first three months of their pregnancy. Something about the pressure in the cabin can cause a miscarriage..."

„What... fuck, how do you know that?" He asked clearly alarmed.

„I think I read it in a magazine at my gynecologist's office back in New York."

„Why would you see one, if you weren't with anyone..."

„Well, they are not just for prescribing birth control and looking after pregnant women but also for normal check-ups. You know ovarian cancer, breast cancer, cysts... there is a lot that can develop rather quickly that's why I have a check-up every six months since I lived in New York. When I started at Cross Publishing I was the assistant to an editor. Maddy was in her mid-thirties and was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer which nearly killed her and could have been treated much easier if she had gone to her regular check-ups." She explained and he nodded.

„Do you have a doctor here in Seattle?"

„Yes, I called Dr. Greene but she isn't taking on any more new patients but your mom has recommended someone else to me. Her name is Dr. Phillips."

„Ok, do you want to see her today?"

„I'm going to call her once the nausea her passed completely." She said and touched her belly.

„Can you imagine that there's a real tiny, little human growing in there." She mused and Christian rested his hand over her belly.

„Let's hope it's a boy, I might do my last name honors and turn gray if it's a girl." He said and she giggled.

„You'll do just fine with a daughter... after all, she'll have you wrapped around her fingers in a heartbeat, so I have to be the strict parent."

„That might be true... if it's a girl I want her to become as strong as her mommy."

„I'm not."

„You are, baby. After all you kicked me to my ass." He joked and she laughed but then fell silent for a moment.

„Penny for your thoughts?"

„I'm scared to turn out like my mother." Ana confessed.

„Ana you aren't anything like her. Don't worry about that or do you think I would turn out to be like my birth father?" He asked and she frowned, he had never mentioned him before.

„No... do you even know who he is?"

„I got curious once I came to the realization that Ella was just as trapped in the nightmare that was our life as I was. It took me a while, but eventually I did find him and went to see him."

„How did that go?"

„Not so well, actually, I wanted to knock his fucking lights out." Christian said obviously still angry about what had happened when he met the man who got Ella pregnant.

„Why?"

„His occupation is being the son of a rich man... fucker hasn't worked a day in his life. He was almost thirty when he got Ella, who was sixteen at the time, pregnant. When she told him he told her it was none of his business and kicked her out, which was what got her off the rails so badly. When I went to see him he didn't show any remorse... but a whole lot of interest in my wealth and how to get his filthy paws on it. Fucker even mentioned to reverse my adoption to have him put him as my father. I told him to never contact me again and left before I would have beaten his ass. Still, I kept wondering if he had more kids... and I found them."

„Wait, you have more siblings?"

„A sister who is a few years older than I am, she was adopted as well and has a happy life, I never approached her because she was adopted as a baby and I don't know if she is even aware of that and then I have a nineteen-year-old brother... he grew up in state care and was kind of a troublemaker... but still a bright kid. I sent him to college with the promise that he can start in the IT department of GEH if he stays on the track he is on now."

„Does he know you are his brother?"

„No, he seems to really hate our father and I was worried that he would not take my offer if he knew... I arranged for us to meet through a project his school was having when he was a senior. I have someone keeping an eye on him to let me know if is staying out of trouble but that is all I need to know for now... if he turns into a happy adult that is all I could ask for." He said and it was true... he already had siblings that he loved very much and didn't feel particularly close to his half-brother but he felt the need to make sure he was fine since their father didn't care about any of the children he had sired.

„I'm sorry your father has been such a disappointment."

„He is merely a sperm donor... Carrick Grey is my father and while we have our disagreements from time to time he is everything I hope to be as a father for our child... but you see, being a good parent is not genetic... it's about patients... love... and the willingness to take responsibility for another human being until eventually they are old enough to make their own choices and I don't have a single doubt on my mind that you will be a great mom for all of our children." He said and she smiled.

„So... just how many children does all of our children entail?"

„I was thinking about three or four... I liked growing up with siblings, but how about we have this one and then see if or when we want another one."

„On that we can agree... do you mind if I nap a little, I'm so tired." She said with a yawn and he kissed her.

„Sleep baby, I'll wake you up in time for lunch." Christian said and while she was taking her nap, he was lounging on the bed next to her just thinking about the little life that was growing inside of her...

There will be no updates for the next two days because we are going on a little family trip for Easter...