A/N: Hey Everyone! Sorry I haven't been around much the past couple of days, but, aside from school starting back up again (it's going to be a VERY hectic semester), I've also had internet problems. I promise I'll get caught up on all your wonderful comments as soon as I can, but, in the meantime, enjoy a post. While I've been unable to play online, I've at least been writing. :D Thanks for being patient!

Charlynn

Chapter Five

Winter had turned to spring, and the Cohen-Cooper-Roberts-Atwood family, which had just added a new member the month before when Summer had given birth to a healthy daughter, Stella Chloe after two of her mother's favorite design houses, was about to learn of another soon-to-be born grandchild. As the sun was about to set over the picturesque seaside town, its glowing light illuminating the finely clipped lawns and professionally manicured flower beds, Ryan and Marissa Atwood were walking hand in hand from their car to the restaurant where the parental figures in their life were waiting for them. Two months had passed since their unforgettable Valentines Day weekend at Big Bear, and Marissa was safely into her second trimester where the chance of miscarriage greatly decreased. Feeling confident in her pregnancy, they had called Sandy, Kirsten, Julie, and Neil to organize a dinner in San Diego, the four adults driving down to meet them, in order to share their wonderful news.

She was just starting to show, and, embracing her newfound curves, wanting to share with the world that she was finally going to be a Mommy, Marissa was wearing a maternity dress that night that highlighted her still small pregnancy bump. Completing her simple look, she wore sandals and the various pieces of jewelry Ryan, over the years, had bought for her that she never took off. Her makeup was light and airy, her hair pulled back in a simple, casual bun, but no one who looked at her would notice anything but the bright, effortless smile that emphasized just how content and joyful she was. Ryan, on the other hand, seemed to fade into his wife, completing her and losing himself in her vision; she was the only thing he saw, the only thing he wanted to see.

Joining their free hands together, their fingers clasped tightly, Ryan opened the door for her as they walked into the dimly lit interior of the restaurant. "Are you ready for this," he turned towards her, unable to stop himself from returning her large, ecstatic grin. "I mean, once we tell them, there's no going back. They will be constantly calling us, sending way too many presents for one baby to handle, and your Mom will probably insist that she be allowed in the delivery room with us."

"I know we'll probably regret telling them later, but I just want to share the news with the whole world right now. I'm honestly surprised I've been able to keep it just between us this long."

Teasing her, he replied, "I'm sure the neighbors have some idea of what's going on, considering the fact that I don't think a day's gone past yet when you haven't come home with at least one bag from a baby store."

"I'm not that bad," Marissa defended herself, laughing at his comment despite the fact that he was picking on her. "And I've seen the packages that get delivered to the house all the time containing various things you order online. You might have to remodel the upstairs to make the nursery bigger to fit all the toys you've bought the baby so far."

As the waiter guided them to the table where their four guests were waiting, Ryan asked her, "so, how do you want to do this? We already told them we have news, so they probably have their own predictions about what we want to share with them, but, if they're wrong, do you want to come right out and tell them the news, or do you want to give them hints and tease them a little bit?"

"I don't see how they won't realize it right away," she retorted sarcastically. "It's not like I'm doing anything to hide the fact that I'm pregnant."

"Yeah, but you're barely showing. No matter how easy it is for us to see the changes in your body, other people won't pick up on all the small details."

"Plus," Marissa returned cheekily, "they are getting pretty old which means their vision is starting to go bad."

Rounding the corner to their table, Ryan was still chuckling at her comment when all four adults snapped out of their seats to greet them. The moment was complete chaos as hugs and hellos were exchanged and pictures of little Stella were shared, the small group of excited family members drawing the amused attention of the other restaurant patrons. When they finally sat down, calm enough to let the drone of their six voices waiver off to form a conversation, Julie was the first to speak.

"You look lovely as always, honey," she complimented her daughter. "Did Ryan pick out that outfit, too?"

"Actually, this one was all me."

"Well, I agree with your Mother," Kirsten added, smiling at her daughter-in-law. "I don't know if I've ever seen you look this beautiful…and healthy. Have you switched makeup, and, if so, let me know what you're using before we leave so I can pick some up and try it myself."

"I haven't changed anything," she responded honestly, amused when both older women seemed to ignore her response and immediately start a conversation between themselves about recent improvements in the beauty field. "Can you talk about oblivious," Marissa leaned over to whisper in her husband's ear as he pretended to listen to Sandy and Neil's intense discussion about the latest golf course that had opened in Newport.

"You should have just purchased one of those question mark t-shirts and worn that tonight," Ryan suggested, laughing softly with her. "Although, they might not have caught on even then."

"Plus, I'm not sure if I shouldn't take what they're saying as insulting. If they think I look healthy at almost four months pregnant, are they inferring that I looked unhealthy before?"

Nuzzling her neck, he kissed her silky smooth skin just below her jawbone before speaking softly, his words meant for her ears and her ears alone. "Well you must have been doing something right if you turned me on enough to get pregnant in the first place."

Breaking them from their spell, Sandy's loud, infectiously excited voice rang out across the table. "Aren't you two awfully pleased with yourselves and in high spirits tonight? I told you Kirsten," he turned to address his wife, "I told you Ryan got promoted. With all the hard work he puts into his job, it was only a matter of time before they approached him to become a junior partner."

"Not so fast," Julie interrupted him, sending a favorable smile in the young, loving couple's direction. "I'm sure Ryan is very good at his job, and, because he's my son-in and-law, I'm definitely glad he can give me daughter the lifestyle she deserves, but don't jump to conclusions. This promotion could be Marissa's. She works just as hard as Ryan does, and no one on the West Coast has discovered as much talent as she has. That company she works for would fall apart if she had to leave….even if for a few months."

Taking the bait, Marissa replied. "I hope it won't fall apart." Smirking to herself when all four parental figures turned to look intently at her as she spoke, their immediate interest apparent, she only continued when it appeared as if they were about to fall out of their chairs in anticipation. "If they can't hold things together while I'm off for a few months, then I won't have a job to go back to."

"Did Ryan get a special assignment overseas," Kirsten asked breathlessly, proud of her adopted son. "Where are you guys going? London, Paris, Madrid, or is it someplace more exotic, perhaps Tokyo or Calcutta? This is amazing news!"

"Actually," Ryan answered for his wife, "we won't be going anywhere for a while, especially if it involves flying."

"You know," Neil added in, sighing in sympathetic frustration, "I heard the airlines were about to strike again. This country damn near falls apart when that happens. Was it just confirmed?"

Befuddled, Ryan quickly responded, "I have no idea what you're talking about. As far as I know, the airlines are fine; we….well Marissa, to be exact, just can't travel."

"You're too happy to be sick," Sandy surmised, watching them closely. "Are you perhaps moving, maybe you've bought a new house, and Marissa is taking time off to remodel it and move everything in?"

"No," she ended the discussion about them moving, "Ryan and I love our house. They'll probably have to bury us inside of it before we voluntarily leave."

"Wait, I'm confused," Kirsten admitted, "let's go back for a second. Did someone get promoted or not?"

"No," Ryan answered her quickly and easily.

"And you're not going on an extended vacation or traveling for work, and you're not moving, right," she continued to question them.

Nodding her head, Marissa responded, "exactly."

"So then what's all this fuss about," Julie finally demanded. "Don't get me wrong, I have no problem driving down here to see you, but you were insistent that you had some good news. I don't know about everyone else," she motioned towards her best friends and former husband, "but I, for one, just want you to tell us already. What's going on?"

Sharing a quick glance with her husband, Marissa squeezed his hand before squealing out excitedly, "I'm pregnant!"

Expecting a wave of animation and best wishes amongst a few, emotional tears, they were both startled when they were met with absolute silence. Looking around the table at the faces staring back at them, Marissa and Ryan couldn't help but chuckle at the wide eyed, shocked expressions radiating from their family members. Obviously, they had taken everyone by surprise. Finally though, the bewilderment turned to enthusiasm, the wide eyes turned to watering ones, and the silence was disrupted as they all, once again, stood up to embrace the young couple and to offer them their heartfelt congratulations. Several moments later after Marissa placed a gentle kiss on Ryan's cheek while he was involved in a high energy conversation with Sandy, Kirsten, and Neil, she let her Mother lead her to the bathroom so they could talk privately.

As soon as they were alone, Marissa was touched beyond words when she felt her Mom pull her into a tight, nurturing embrace, whispering words of encouragement and support in her ear. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this," she revealed, breaking their embrace. "With Caitlyn off traipsing around the world and claiming she's too busy for romance, I never expected her to settle down and have children. However, you and Ryan have been married for ten years already and, contrary to my many examples, happily so, but I was starting to lose hope."

Realizing she could confide in her Mom, Marissa revealed, "it wasn't that we didn't want children; sometimes these things just a while."

"Oh, honey," Julie empathized, "did you guys have trouble conceiving? Why didn't you say anything? I know I wouldn't have been able to exactly help you, but I could have been there, holding your hand through this, supporting you."

"And I appreciate that, Mom, I do, but this was just something that Ryan and I had to together…as husband and wife."

Suddenly, Julie's face paled considerably. "Oh my god, and there I was on Christmas reminding you both of how much you wanted children when you weren't even sure you were going to be able to. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Marissa reassured her, taking the older woman's hand in her own and squeezing it gently. "Besides," she grinned mischievously, "maybe your….encouragement helped. It certainly served to motivate Ryan that night."

"Are you serious," Julie laughed out of surprise at her daughter's words and her audacity. "On Christmas….in your in-laws' house?"

"As for the date of conception, it appears Christmas may have been the lucky day, but it's hard to pinpoint, and as for doing….that in the Cohens' house, although it wouldn't have been the first time, we actually were a little bit more adventurous…and private."

Shaking her head, Julie remarked, "okay, that's enough information. There are some things even I don't want to know about. Now, come on Mommy," she teased her daughter, "that little miracle you're carrying needs fed…and it's Grandma wouldn't turn down a free meal either."

Amidst shared laughter, the two women so much alike and, yet, so different, returned to their party, the older one watching her daughter closely the entire time while the younge woman only had eyes for her husband….just as it should be.

-+-

"All we have to do is flip that paper over and we'll know," Ryan attempted to sway his wife, "and you know that it would be a lot easier to prepare for the baby if we knew what we were having. We could pick a name…."

"Decorate the nursery," Marissa added smiling at the idea. They were sitting together in her ob-gyn's office. It was her fifth appointment, and, being six months pregnant, the doctor had been able to determine the sex of their unborn child. Leaving Ryan and Marissa to debate whether or not they wanted to know, she had left them in the exam room to attend to another patient. The second sonogram picture of their baby was resting securely in Marissa's purse to be framed and displayed proudly in their house, they had gotten the news that both Marissa and their son or daughter were healthy, and she was dressed and ready to leave. Although Ryan was positive he wanted to know, she was slightly unsure.

"We might not get to do this again though," Marissa pointed out. Taking her husband's hand and placing it on her stomach, the feeling of their child moving around inside of her put content smiles on both of their faces. "This baby is a miracle, one that I think we had both pretty much given up hope on ever being blessed with, so it very well could be our only chance of being surprised, of having that experience of hearing the doctor announce for the first time that we have a little boy or a little girl. I just….if we do this, if we look at that paper to see what we're having, I want to be sure, beyond a doubt positive that we're doing what we want."

Locking her gaze with Ryan's, Marissa watched him intently as he studied her face. She could tell that he was deep in thought, and the smirk on his already over-confident countenance along with the mischievous glimmer in his eye made her realize that he was probably up to something no good.

"I'll tell you what," Ryan offered, "I have two suggestions for you. One, you can leave, and I'll look at the paper myself, promising that I won't reveal the baby's sex to you."

"But that will never work," Marissa argued with him. "We both know I'll never be able to handle the idea of you knowing while I don't. I'll badger you and drive you crazy even if I say I don't want to know until the point where you cave and tell me in order to shut me up."

"Or," he continued as if she hadn't said anything, "our second option would be that you concede and look with me in exchange for," he continued, holding up a placating hand, "me taking you furniture shopping today. You can get whatever you want, the sky's the limit. I'll even swear to not harass you into hurrying up, and I'll put it together as soon as we get home."

"Alright fine," Marissa agreed, unable to stop herself from clasping her hands together anxiously and bouncing in her seat, "but you have to look first and then tell me. I can't do it." Squeezing her eyes shut so she didn't even see Ryan looking, she waited and waited until the point where she had to peak at him to find her husband merely watching her, an amused and impish smirk on his face. "Ryan," she squealed in protest, "I can't wait any longer! What is it? Pink or blue, cheerleader or football player, Daddy's Little Princess or his best budby?"

Shaking his head to tease her some more, he finally replied, "I would say pink, but you know how much I hate that color. What about a compromise? Maybe we could go with…."

But his words were cut off as Marissa launched herself into his arms, her lips eagerly seeking his as she placed light, quick, tender kisses over his mouth while her long legs wrapped themselves around his waist. Talking in a hurry between embraces, she exclaimed, "we're having a little girl, our very own blonde haired, blue eyed angel baby who is going to have her Daddy wrapped around her finger and a firm grasp on her Mommy's credit card! She's going to wear the cutest dresses and I'm going to fix her hair special for her everyday, while you'll hang up her masterpieces at work, displaying our daughter's artistic ability, and you'll teach her how to brood and pout until she gets her way."

"Hey," Ryan interrupted his wife's delighted ramblings, "I do not pout!"

Giggling at his response, she taunted him. "Right…and I don't hog the bathrooms in the morning or steal all the blankets at night when I get cold or have a bad habit of misplacing my keys in the most obvious of places."

"Yeah, like in the ignition," Ryan returned her sarcastic comments with one of his own, rolling his eyes in the process.

Pulling back from him as far as she could because he was still holding her securely in his arms, she complained, "That is not fair," poking him playfully in the chest the whole time. "You have to be nice to me."

"Oh really," Ryan mocked, "and why's that?"

"Because, not only am I carrying our daughter which automatically gives me the right to win every argument good-natured or not, but I could make your life a living hell, buddy. Don't forget what you promised to do with me this afternoon."

Nuzzling into her neck, Ryan sucked on her sensitive skin before replying, his voice deep and husky. "What, take you home and have my way with you for the rest of the day and night?"

"Not unless you want to go furniture shopping online, and you know how picky I am. We'll probably have to exchange things at least several times, and, then, what if the baby's room isn't finished on time? Not only will you be on 4 am feeding duties but you'll be finishing the nursery in between changing diapers, grocery runs, and folding laundry."

Sighing, he muttered, "so not what I had in mind."

Ignoring him, Marissa ordered, "come on, let's go. You know," her tone became playful, "the sooner we're done the sooner we can go home to celebrate."

Without another word, Ryan started out the door, his wife still firmly held in his arms. Despite her appeals for him to put her down, he merely grabbed her purse as they walked by the exam table and left, refusing to release her. As they left the doctor's office together, her peals of laughter making the nurses and receptions smile pleasantly, they were the picture of the perfect couple.

-+-

"Switch," Marissa ordered as she rolled her swollen and curvaceous six months pregnant body onto her back, expecting her husband to do the same. Between spending an hour in the baby clothes department and browsing for another half an hour at maternity wear, she had gotten sidetracked on their quest for furniture, once again, by wanting to try out new mattresses. Despite Ryan's insistence that nothing was wrong with their bed, that her back hurt from the extra weight and awkwardness of her pregnancy, she was convinced they should at least test other mattresses to make sure he wasn't wrong. Satisfied with the comparison on her back, she told him to switch again so they could try out the display bed on their left sides, but, catching her off guard, Ryan rolled the wrong way, and, suddenly, their faces were extremely close, their noses grazing tenderly. Immediately, her breathing increased, and she scooted her body into his, running her right hand up along his body to rest on his face.

"See," Ryan told her with a taunting smirk, "this mattress is no different from our own. Can we go look at baby furniture now?"

"Not yet," her voice dropped to a low whisper, the seductive quality to it immediately intriguing and arousing her husband. "I have other things in mind right now besides shopping."

"Yeah," his breathing increased as her leg came up to rub suggestively against him, "I'm pretty sure that's illegal."

Peering up at him pleadingly, she returned, "but I thought you were a bad boy. Come on," she tried to coax him, "don't you want to be a little naughty? It's been a while…."

"Try since this morning," Ryan laughed. After a dry period in their sex life during the first eight weeks of Marissa's second trimester where she preferred just cuddling instead of making love, she was suddenly extremely demonstrative with her love, and, when she suddenly felt a craving to be with her husband, she did not like to wait to be satisfied. "We can't do anything here," he continued, attempting to push her wandering hand away and failing miserably when he simply gave up, the feelings she was invoking in his body too pleasant for him to even want to ignore, "so it's up to you. Do you want to go home right now, or do you want to postpone this until later and find the baby's furniture like I promised."

"What I want," she told him bluntly, her body sliding down his to allow her lips access to his neck and chest, "is for you to come up with a better option."

As her hand slid underneath his shirt, one of them tickling its way up his chest while the other's fingers dipped inside of his pants, Ryan sucked in his breath quickly. Realizing he wanted his wife as badly as she wanted him, he forced the cloud of lust away from his mind as he attempted to formulate a plan. Pulling away from her quickly only to elicit a moan of complaint from Marissa's abruptly abandoned lips, he took her hand in his and led her to the back of the store. "I have a plan," he confided to her in a deep, husky voice. "Follow me."

Five minutes later they were locked in a rarely used handicapped changing room, their hands working frantically to tear each others clothing off. "We have to be quiet," he warned her while pushing her maternity dress carelessly up her body and pulling down her panties. "That means no screaming."

"Then keep my mouth occupied," she ordered him. Fumbling with his belt, she finally managed to open it enough to unbutton his pants and push them down far enough to free him from their restrictive constraints. Ready for him, she supported her weight with her hands behind her on the dressing room's bench, reclining her body so he could move as deeply inside of her as possible. Their actions screamed of hysteria and desperation as if they were possessed with their desire for each other. Never had they ever been so reckless, so carefree, so abandoned before when intimate, and it was oddly freeing and definitely satisfying. It did not take long before Ryan's furious thrusts drove them both over the edge into rapture, and they were both left satiated and completely fulfilled.

Bending over uncomfortably, Marissa pulled her panties back on and let her dress fall back into place. Walking towards the door of the changing room, her back towards her still recuperating husband, she breezily called out for him. "I'll meet you out in the store in a few minutes. I think I noticed an adorable miniature tea table and set of matching chairs for the nursery on our way back here."

Before Ryan could respond, she was gone, leaving him to redress without her. Chuckling to himself as he made his way to find Marissa, he realized he had been used for sex, and it just made her even more adorable in his eyes. At six months pregnant, he had never been more in love or more attracted to his wife of ten years, and the thought that she was carrying their child inside of her only made him fall even deeper in love with her every second of every day. The only thing that would make their lives better was meeting their daughter, and they only had three more months to wait.

-+-

They had just finished up with their final Lamaze class, and, while Marissa was chatting with one of the other mothers in their group, Ryan had put their mat back for them. Finally, she was finished and ready to leave, but her husband was nowhere in sight. Rounding the corner of the studio, she found him talking to another soon-to-be father by the snack table. Of course he would be there. Before she could make her presence known though, they guys' conversation caught her attention.

"Man, am I glad this is our one and only child" the other guy remarked to Ryan, his name Marissa thought was either Mark….or Mike….or maybe even Spike. Hell, who was she kidding, she had no idea what the guy was, and she really didn't care. "Don't get me wrong, I love my wife, but I couldn't go through another pregnancy without requesting a temporary separation….just until she gave birth and calmed down a little bit. But you have to know what I mean?"

"No, not really," Ryan responded quickly, not even having to think about his answer.

Shocked, the stranger questioned him, "really? What about the mood swings, the cravings, the sleepless nights, the lack of sex, the constant complaining, the weird body side effects?"

"Oh trust me," Ryan laughed, reassuring the man he was talking to, "Marissa, she's had her fair share of mood swings," she felt herself bristling at his words only to immediately calm down as he continued, "but most of the time I thought they were cute. If you think about everything they have to do to bring the baby into this world, what do a few tears or hormonal fights really matter in the grand scheme of things? The cravings didn't bother me; I just ate what she wanted, too, though I have put on some sympathy weight." Marissa had to giggle at that comment…and made a mental note to remember it in order to tease him. Frankly, she had no idea what he was talking about. To her, he was perfect and hot as hell. "The only time we had sleepless nights, well, let's just say that lack of sex was really not a problem. She never complained about being pregnant, even when she was sick or tired or sore, because we've wanted this for so long. As for her body changing, I've loved that part; it's been fun," Ryan gushed, his face lighting up like a little boy's on Christmas. Her body is amazing, suddenly curvier in a sexy, nurturing, maternal way, and her breasts….they were never small before, but now I just can't stop playing with them. We're like teenagers again, can't keep our hands off of each other. She'd probably kill me if she heard me say this, but I'd be in heaven if she was pregnant all the time."

Marissa watched as Ryan snapped out of his fantasies about her and refocused his attention upon the guy standing in front of him, a man he'd never talked to until five minutes before. Looking between the two men, she noticed that her husband looked slightly horrified about how much he had confessed to a stranger, while the other father-to-be simply watched him with a look of bewilderment and jealousy written plainly across his face. Figuring she would save her husband, Marissa moved to his side; after all, he had definitely just earned himself more than a rescue from an awkward situation, and, the sooner she got him home, the sooner he could be rewarded.

"Hey Baby," she greeted him, placing a delicate, lingering kiss on his cheek. "Are you ready to go?"

"Whenever you are," Ryan responded, turning to wrap her loosely in his arms and dropping a light kiss on her nose. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Actually," she replied, glancing up at him seductively. There was no reason she couldn't have her own fun torturing the whining class member as well. "I thought maybe we could skip dinner and just go home for dessert. Suddenly, I'm in the mood for something besides food."

Although she was eight and half months pregnant and making love was no longer an option for them, it didn't mean Ryan and Marissa couldn't satisfy each other in other, slightly more creative ways. As they wrapped their arms around each other, the blissfully happy couple walked out of the studio together totally consumed with one another. Everything else in the world besides their marriage, their attraction, and their unborn daughter faded into the background as their little family went home.