"Hey," Rick called out to Lisa when she finally ditched Mr. Lu. He picked up a glass of water to hand to her.
"Hi, stranger," Lisa teased him. "Where's Minmei?"
"Well, I found her someone else to talk to," he informed her.
"What do you mean?"
"She likes adoring fans so I introduced her to Brian," he said with satisfaction. "He likes to write about celebrities so I think it's a perfect match."
"Are you playing matchmaker?" she asked. "You do remember he's supposed to be dating Cindy right?"
"Well, I'm sure he won't stray if he knows what's good for him."
Lisa eyed Rick suspiciously. She wondered if his confidence had something to do with his short chat with Brian in Cindy's kitchenette on their last visit with her.
"Are you ready to go home?" Rick asked, looking around for any other reason to stay.
"Tired already?" Lisa looked at him with an amused look. She then looked around for Minmei who was still talking with Brian and some other reporters.
"I just prefer to spend time alone with you. We don't have enough of that as it is. I think we can just slip out," he suggested, seeing that Minmei was enjoying the attention she was getting.
"At least one dance before we go," she suggested, hearing the band play slower music. She took his hand and led him to the dance floor.
Rick followed her with a smile. He knew this was a dance he would definitely enjoy.
"So what makes you so sure Brian won't break Cindy's heart?" Lisa asked as they walked home. She just had to know what Rick did.
"Well, let's just say that if he doesn't want to end up in the brig, he will treat her right," Rick revealed.
"Rick, he's a civilian," she reminded him. "You can't just throw him in the brig."
"I don't think he knows that," he said with a smile.
"Are you going to threaten all the boys the same way if we have a daughter?"
"I'll make sure that none of the boys will hurt her," he said firmly. He wondered how he would make sure that he knew all the boys in the fleet.
"You can't be over-protective," she warned. "She needs to be strong for herself."
"You mean like you are?" Rick now realized that although Admiral Hayes may have tried to protect Lisa, he had let her be her own person.
Lisa replied with a sweet smile before opening the door to their quarters.
"Please let our first baby be a boy then," he thought to himself. "That way I have someone to help me fend off boys when we have a daughter."
Months quickly passed and as Lisa gained in girth, the more attentive and protective Rick became. He insisted that she reduce her work hours and took on more of the work she had to do. And as luck would have it, Rick and Lisa's first born was a beautiful girl. Rick's hands shook as he cut the umbilical cord, hoping he wouldn't hurt either Lisa or the baby. Tears were in his eyes as he looked at the little girl who was his daughter.
"She's beautiful," Jean said and hurried to clean her up.
"Thank you," Rick said gratefully and kissed Lisa's sweaty forehead. He had held her hands through the entire time she was in labor and tried to be strong for her even as she crushed his hands. He hadn't realized how strong she could be until he felt her squeeze the feeling out of his hands.
"Can I see her?" Lisa said weakly. She was tired but was eager to meet her baby.
"Here you go," Jean said and laid the baby in Lisa's arms.
"Hello," Lisa said sweetly and held her baby's tiny fist for the first time. She was drawn to tears when the baby yawned at her.
"What will you name her?" Jean asked excitedly.
"Clarisse," Rick and Lisa replied in unison. They had finally agreed to a compromise with the name. Lisa had wanted to name their daughter Claudia while Rick wanted it to rhyme with her name.
"That's a wonderful name," Jean gushed. "Welcome Clarisse Hayes-Hunter." Then she got a camera and snapped a photo of the young family.
"Hey boss," Max greeted Rick as they looked through the nursery window. "She's a beautiful baby."
"Yeah," Rick managed to say, still dazed by the day's events. He was fast asleep when Lisa nudged him fiercely that he fell off the bed. But all that was forgotten now as he watched his little girl sound asleep in the nursery.
"Congratulations," Max said. "Shouldn't you be handing out cigars?"
"What?" Rick wondered why he was supposed to do so.
Max decided to let it go since Rick was clearly overwhelmed. He knew how he felt when he first saw Dana. He missed his firstborn daughter but looked forward to having his second child with Miriya.
The two grown men stood silently as they watched the baby sleep peacefully.
"When can I take my girls home?" Rick asked impatiently. He had been hounding Jean about it almost every day since she was born.
"Are you sure you are ready for that?" Jean teased. "You know there will be feedings, burping, diapers and lots of crying."
Rick didn't care. He just wanted to take Lisa and Clarisse home. He wanted to be the one to take care of them instead of the nurses in the nursery.
"Rick," Lisa called out to him as she was being wheeled back to her room. "Can you please tell Jean to let me go home?" She echoed Rick's sentiments to Jean's amusement.
Jean shook her head as she saw the two look at her in anticipation. She knew better than to keep them apart.
"I'm trying," Rick said. "I can't wait to take you and Clarisse home."
"Alright, I'll release both of them to your care Rick," Jean agreed at last. "Don't come crying to me if they drive you nuts."
Rick assured her he wouldn't. He hugged her in appreciation.
Rick stared helplessly at the diaper that was unfolded on the change table. He knew that Clarisse was crying because she needed a diaper change but didn't know what to do. He also knew that Lisa had finally gotten to sleep so he didn't want to bother her. He quickly answered the door when he heard the doorbell.
"Finally," he said with relief and pulled Max in. He quickly led him to the baby's room.
"Whoa," Max exclaimed, seeing the mess in the room. "What happened here?" He looked around at the amount of things scattered about as Rick tried to figure things out.
"She needs a change," he said in defeat. "I don't know how. And I don't want to bother Lisa."
"I can show you how," Max assured him and set off to work. He was a pro at it and Rick learned quickly.
Lisa woke up fully rested and wondered where Rick was. She rose up and headed to Clarisse's room. She found Rick on the rocker with their daughter in his arms. He apparently had rocked her and himself to sleep. She walked closer and bent over to kiss him on his forehead.
"Hey," Lisa said when he stirred and opened his eyes. "Why don't you go rest and I'll take care of her."
"She's asleep now," he said. "It took a while."
"I know, which is why you need to go to bed." She gently took her daughter from him and laid her in her crib. She watched the little girl stir and held her breath hoping that the move hadn't woke the baby. She heard Rick let out a soft sigh of relief next to her when their baby drifted back to sleep.
They both watched their daughter sleep for a while before heading back to bed themselves.
Lisa looked at her reflection in the mirror. She noted the changes since she had given birth.
Rick watched her from the doorway before approaching and hugging her from behind.
"I've changed haven't I?" she asked him, a bit dejected.
"Let me see," he said and spun her around to face him. He pulled her closer to him for an intimate embrace.
"Rick," she prompted him when she felt they've been hugging long enough.
"No, still a perfect fit," he declared mischievously.
"Funny," she said with a smile. "But honestly, it shows doesn't it?"
"Lisa, I won't lie to you," he began. "You are fuller in some places."
"Thanks for your honesty," she said dryly.
"I told you, I won't lie," he reminded her. "And the truth is I thought you were beautiful before but now, you're amazingly beautiful. You've transformed into an irresistible woman." He showed his admiration by giving her his sweetest smile.
She looked deep into his eyes and saw what he meant. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled his head down for a long deep kiss. She finally pulled away when she heard the doorbell.
"Why don't you stay home for one more day?" he asked. He knew she was ready to go back to work after her maternity leave but he wasn't ready yet. He enjoyed the idle times they spent in bed with Clarisse. It made him delay leaving in the mornings and eager to return home at night.
Staying at home and taking care of Clarisse had become a routine for Lisa but she knew it was time to get back to her old routine. She was tempted by Rick's suggestion but knew better than to shirk away her duties. She knew he was a capable leader but knew from Cindy that he had been getting overwhelmed by it all.
Rick sensed her hesitation and took it as a sign to encourage Lisa to stay. He started by sensually nibbling at her ear.
"Rick, I have to go," she insisted, standing her ground. She heard the doorbell again and went to answer it.
"But it's my day off," he told her, trying to persuade her any way he can for her to play hooky.
"All the more reason for me to get back to work," she replied. "Now if Clarisse needs anything, call me ok?"
"What if I need you?" he asked playfully. He enjoyed seeing her blush as she opened the door.
"Admirals," Miriya greeted them.
"I'll be right with you," Lisa replied. She closed the door slightly so she could have a private moment with Rick.
"I'll wait outside," Miriya informed her, guessing Lisa's intention.
"You're a big boy Rick," Lisa told him in a sensual whisper. "I'm sure you can take care of yourself until I return." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out.
"Well, I guess it's up to us to prove to your mommy that we can take care of ourselves eh?" he asked his little girl when he hovered over her crib. She raised her balled fists and gurgled in response.