Natarle's Apartment

June 10th

Natarle was in her room, mulling over her friend's words. She had left hours ago, but her words still echoed in her ears as though they had just been spoken. She sighed shakily, trying to organize her thoughts so she would be somewhat coherent when her lover arrived. 'This is stupid... I'm never going to be able to do this like Murrue can...'

"It doesn't happen overnight. And I know you're frustrated for letting this happen, but you're making an effort to get better at it. It's hard for you, we all know that, but as long as you're trying to change, that's the point. You're trying to be different. That's respectable."

Natarle silently stared at the far wall, her friend's words repeatedly echoing in her head. Though the more logical part of her mind told her that her friend was right, she didn't want to admit it to herself. She quickly shook her head to clear the doubt from her mind, slumping her shoulders with a sigh of frustration.

The sudden click of the door shutting caught her attention, and she almost immediately perked up. Jumping from the bed she was careful to be light on her feet, opening the door as silently as she could manage. He was there, with his back to her at the table, already on his laptop.

Taking a deep breath to steady her suddenly destroyed nerves, she tiptoed out of the room and behind him. She was careful to be as silent as possible, peeking over his shoulder to see him playing solitaire, looking so disinterested her heart nearly broke inside her chest. She took another deep breath and then wound her arms around his shoulders, gently kissing him on the cheek when he turned a bit to look at her.

"Oh hey... I thought you were asleep..." Justin spoke quietly, kissing her on the cheek before closing his game on the computer and holding her arms gently in his hands. She shook her head, nuzzling into his neck silently, kissing his cheek again. He smiled a little at that, taking a deep breath of the familiar perfume before he stood.

No sooner had he just opened his arms before she was in them, and he didn't waste a moment with her. The previous worries of not being wanted anymore vanished for the moment while he picked her up bridal style and carried her back into their room. They had a long night to make up for.

Later...

"I missed you." His voice was lower than a whisper when he finally spoke after what seemed like forever, his strong arms wrapped around her waist, nuzzling and kissing her shoulders and collarbone.

"I know." Natarle whispered back, feeling as though somehow she had to fill the silence that stretched on. Their clothes were scattered through the room, and she felt that warm ache in her muscles that was actually quite welcomed. It seemed like forever since she'd last held him like this, though she knew it was only really a few weeks.

Justin was thinking the exact same thing, and sighed softly as she cuddled closer into his arms. He had missed this, had missed her. As close as she had been through the past little while, he hadn't been able to really touch her the way he wanted to, to hold her close like he felt he should. It was a good feeling now, to keep her in his arms like now.

"I'm sorry." Her voice shook when she spoke again, and he stiffened in concern as she st up, clutching the sheets to her body. She looked away from him, violet eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she murmured again, "I was... Scared. But it's no excuse for how I treated you. I shouldn't have acted like I did. I'm sorry."

Justin sat up too, gently cupping her face in his hand and turning her head so she was looking at him. Her eyes closed however when his thumb gently brushed away a stray tear that trickled down her cheek, and his lips followed in its wake. When he pulled away from her, her cheeks glowed a faint pink, and her eyes were uncertain. "Hey..."

"Justin, I... I love you." Natarle bit her lower lip, hating herself for having stammered. she didn't want him to not believe her, and she couldn't stop feeling as though he was going to get up and leave. She shuddered. Maybe before she met him she could handle loss, but she was fairly sure that if he left her now... She'd never be able to pick up the pieces.

Justin saw the anguish hidden deep in her eyes, he had learned how to seek out her secrets by simply watching her for a moment or two. The fear there scared him too, he knew what she was thinking. He welcomed her back into his arms, kissing the crown of her hair before rocking her from side to side. "Natarle... I love you too." His voice was low but gentle when he spoke again, lips moving casually against her ear, "Talk to me."

"What you said to me during the wedding... When it would be our turn... It scared me." Natarle murmured weakly into his shirt, gripping his forearms in an attempt to hold him there. She didn't want him to go, the intensity of her own emotions scared her. "I mean... I liked the thought, but... I never had to think of that before. It never was something that even occurred to me when I was serving, it's strange to imagine myself settled down."

"Nat... You are settled down." Justin's voice was gently exasperated and affectionate as he nuzzled tenderly into her neck. She said nothing just sat silently in his arms as he kissed her bare shoulder and gave her another gentle squeeze. His fingertips trailed down her sides and then back up again to ease the tension her felt in her muscles. She sighed quietly and leaned against him as his hands worked their magic. "You're happy... Aren't you?"

"Yes." Her reply was nearly a groan when a knot in her shoulders was worked out under his touch, and she bit her lower lip to suppress the purr that grew in her throat. She was being honest when she answered though, despite the worry that sometimes haunted her footsteps, she was happy to be there with him.

"You have great friends, a suitable job that pays well, and a home, don't you?" Justin continued with a low chuckle, quite amused with the way she melted into him without a word of complaint. He wasn't frustrated with her thoughts at all, it was something he'd come to accept from her.

"Yeah..."

"You're all set for being settled then. You don't need to imagine it, just look around." Justin instructed her gently, watching calmly as she glanced around the room to understand what he was getting at. He laughed again when she finally shook her head in defeat and settled back down. "See? Everything's just where it should be, and you're living the life you never could have before. You are perfectly settled down."

"You forgot something." Natarle finally murmured, waiting a moment before turning around to see his quizzical expression. She smiled gently and wound her arms around his shoulders, kissing the tip of his nose, "You."

"Me, huh?" Justin smiled crookedly when she smiled shyly and looked away, cheeks flushing pink. He laughed softly again, kissing her cheek and wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her into a better fit against him. He brushed his fingers along her cheekbone, feeling the heat of her blush. "I make you settled?"

"Yes." Natarle answered softly, her voice serious and eyes staring deep into his. She saw the warmth there, making his emerald eyes seem to glow. "You've made me what I am today. You have no idea how grateful I am about that."

"I think I have an idea." Justin answered with another low laugh, kissing her gently and leaning her back against the bed. She didn't fight him, relaxing into his arms and sighing into his mouth as the kiss intensified. He pulled away too soon for her liking and she told him with a grumble, but he only kissed the tip of her nose before pulling away entirely, leaning over the edge of the bed. She peeked over his shoulder curiously but whatever he found was held in his hands and hidden from her. She sat up, pulling the sheets with her as he sat beside her, brushing kisses against her ear and neck. "I've been wanting to give this to you for awhile..." He slid what was in his hands into hers.

Natarle examined the blue velvet box for a moment, curiosity alight in her eyes before she opened it almost hesitantly. She gasped when she saw what was cradled inside of it. A ring sat on the tiny cushions, the small amethyst stone twinkling back at her as she tilted the box to catch the light in the stone. When she inspected it closer, she realized that the ring itself was a silver dolphin, the diamond-shaped stone being cradled by the tail and the head. "Oh my god... It's beautiful..."

"It's what you want it to be, you don't have to decide now either." Justin told her carefully, picking his words before he spoke them, knowing how she could become nervous and hide away again. He didn't want to see that happen again, he'd be very sure of what he told her. He could wait a lifetime if it took that long. "It can be an engagement ring, a promise ring, or just a ring, if that's what you want it to be... It's all up to you."

With shivering hands, she plucked the ring from its home and slowly slid it onto her left hand, watching the way the stone twinkled thousands of shades in the light from her lamp. She had no idea what to say, simply stared at the simple piece of jewellery for a long moment. "Justin..."

"It fits." Justin said with a smile, taking her hands in his and pressing a kiss to her fingers and then to the ring. He couldn't begin to describe how happy he was to see the ring sitting on her hand. The more male side of his brain was pleased that she finally had a mark of who she belonged to on her, the other half was just glad to see that she had accepted it. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful, of course I like it you dolt." Natarle murmured between the tears that were building in her throat. She wound her arms around him again, ducking her head into his shoulder in an effort to hide the emotions that ran wild through her. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

"No comment." Justin teased, kissing the crown of her hair before pulling her into his lap and holding her close again. She still refused to look up from his shoulder but he didn't really mind, happy to hug her close. He nuzzled into her neck once, hearing her murmur in contentment. He hummed gently as he held her close, whispering the words of her favourite song into her hair.

Anchor the night,

open the skies.

High in the hours,

before sunrise.

Pray for me not,

I won't lose sight,

of where I belong and where you lie.

August 18th

Hospital

Murrue shivered at the feel of the cold gel that was slathered against her stomach, but she said nothing but held onto her husband's hand anyway. He was smoothing out her ruffled hair with his hand, eyes fixed intently on the blank screen that was waiting for the picture to appear.

The nurse was chuckling to herself as she fixed the machine, the happy couple had wanted rather impatiently for their turn at the ultrasound, and now that they were there... Just like all couples their impatience had turned to a mix of anxiety and wonder. It was no wonder either, they were first time parents. She gently pressed the tip of the machine against the brunette's stomach, waiting for the scan to appear.

"Oh!" Murrue gasped sharply as the screen before her started to glow and the images, though blurred and distorted, began to appear. Her grip on her husband's hand tightened as the nurse continued, causing the pictures to sharpen in focus. Her voice was barely a whisper, throat tight with emotion, "Mu, look!"

She didn't need to tell him to, he was already staring raptly at the screen, searching through the blurry images to find what he was looking for. He gasped too.

The subtle contours of the baby's shoulders could be seen, smoothing out the picture into a tiny little body curled up in its mother's womb. The nurse examined the picture with a keen eye, scrutinizing every little piece of the frame before smiling to herself. She looked at the parents who were obviously spellbound and asked gently, "do you want to know the sex of the baby?"

"Please." Murrue's voice broke on the word, but she struggled to keep some composure. But it shattered anyway and the tears came steadily down her cheeks, but she didn't care. They were happy tears, full of wonder and delight as her little one moved inside of her.

"A little girl by the looks... And a very healthy looking one at that." The nurse told her gently, patting the woman's hand before enlarging the picture for the parents, making note to scan one off for them to frame.

"Oh Mu... She's beautiful." Murrue murmured through her tears, glancing up at him to see that just like her, his azure eyes were misty with his own tears of joy. She touched her stomach tenderly, watching the image of her baby move slightly inside of her, matching exactly to the shifts she could feel in her body.

Then, a sharp nudge broke through the tiny touches, her little girl had just kicked. At that, Murrue's tears overfilled and she hiccupped as the fresh wave made its way down her face. Her little girl was speaking to her, telling her she knew that she was being watched.

I'm here.

A second nudge. Another message.

I know you're watching.

Murrue turned her gaze to her stomach, seeing her little unborn child staring back at her through her skin, she was certain that her daughter knew exactly what was going on. She whispered softly, knowing that she must look crazy to everyone around her, "I know sweetheart... You're right there."

Mu kissed her on the cheek, nuzzling into her neck and breathing deeply to fight the urge he felt to sob. He couldn't really believe what he was seeing on that little screen, but it was though reality had really just hit him in the face. He had known he was going to be a father, but seeing that child inside of Murrue, his child moving on that screen... It was real. She was real. 'I knew... But at the same time, I didn't really...' Wonder filled his thoughts and all he could do was stare at the little frame, his wife's hand wrapped tightly in his, her eyes locked on the exact same picture. 'She's there. She's right there. My little girl. Our little girl.' He felt a single tear break through and slide down his cheek, but he didn't brush it away, he couldn't.

"I wonder who she'll look like..." Murrue murmured brokenly, reaching up with her free hand to brush away her remaining tears, peeking up at him to see his gentle smile. He kissed the crown of her hair again, he was still at a loss for words. She understood that, she was still not over her spellbound stage, entirely enchanted by her unborn child. "I hope she looks just like you..."

"With your personality." Mu countered with a weak chuckle, the humour not lost on him. He kissed the crown of her hair again, unsure what else to really say. He kept staring at the screen, watching the minute movements that shifted the black and white picture. He could see by the way his wife's marigold eyes glanced down to her stomach that she felt them, and her warm honey smile made his heart skip a beat.

This was real. This was their child. The thought made both of their throats tight.

She snuggled into his arms, watching the nurse finally turn the machine off, but not before handing them both a picture each, which made Murrue's face light up into a bright smile. She was sure she would be showing the thing until her friends were sick of seeing it, but she didn't really care. She'd have Mu frame the other... It was never too early to start documenting every moment.

Her mind spun. It was there, it was real. Counting back now, she knew it had only been four months since she must have become pregnant, and she smiled at how quickly time had seemed to pass already. It all seemed like it was happening so fast, as though she had only gotten the truth of his being alive yesterday... 'Had it really been in December? And now it's August. Where did the time go since then?'

She smiled as his fingers played along her bare arm, closing her eyes against the comforting sensation of his skin on hers. She'd missed this. She'd missed him. Another little nudge caused her eyes to fly open and stare at her stomach, and she smiled wryly, touching the thin fabric of her shirt.

'You know exactly what I'm thinking don't you?' Murrue inwardly asked her unborn child with a smile, wondering if she really was going crazy.

Another nudge.

'Yeah... I thought so...' She felt almost smug, despite some part of her rational side telling her it was the hormones that were messing with her mind. She spread her hand against her stomach, feeling the flutter underneath her fingertips. It seemed like her daughter was getting impatient to be out, to be heard.

'I know your father is scared... But he doesn't need to worry about anything. You'll be the perfect little girl, I know you will be. Besides... You have the perfect father to raise you. Everything will be just fine...'

One more tiny nudge, one last little message for the day.

I love you.

'I know little one... I love you too.'

AN

I overdosed. XD I was like woot with all the fluff XD It happens, ne? Oh well, as long as it was good enough... The song was "Heaven's Dead" popular song for me, I know... No own, lol. And I just realized I constantly kfced up the lyrics too XD My bad! Anywhosit, I beat the clock and hopefully it was good, moar fluff in the future! And yes, I do think that little girl is a helluva smartie. XD

Sky