Ella and Roman walked slowly along the same beach. The water was lapping at her feet and she was holding his hand tightly.
He stopped and pointed in the distance and Ella laughed.
"Well they are engaged," she said to him. "Or are you getting a bit jealous that maybe we are moving out of the honeymoon phase!"
Roman pulled her into his arms.
"I have no doubt that our honeymoon phase is going to last a long time." He told her placing a kiss on her mouth.
"Yum!" she told him.
"Uh huh." He grinned. "Come on into the diner for a sit down." He instructed.
"I don't think I like you being bossy." She grumbled.
He grinned at her.
"This isn't bossy. This is slightly over protective. I'll give you ample notice of when I shift into bossy." He told her.
"Oh great I'll look forward to it." she replied with a sigh.
"Shut up and let me do the protecting Alpha male thing." He told her steering her into the Diner.
She laughed up at him.
"You know what I fancy?" she asked him a glint in her eye. "A full fried breakfast!"
"Ha Ha ha!" he said. "You are so funny."
"Hello Darl!" Irene called when she saw them. Roman steered her to the comfy couch and watched as she sat down. He bent down and placed a quick kiss on her lips.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Just a mineral water please." She told him.
He nodded and went and fetched it.
"How are things Irene?" he asked her.
"Quiet. I don't mind doing s few extra shifts you know!" she told him a glint in her eye.
"Uh huh, does everyone know?" he asked.
"No "someone" hasn't connected the dots yet!" Irene told him with a lift of her eyebrows.
"That would be why it hasn't been reported in the paper yet!" he grinned. He carried the bottle through to Ella and then went back to the kitchen to finish the conversation with Irene.
"I take it things aren't going ok?" Irene asked quickly. "She doesn't look well."
"No she isn't. She's not able to eat anything and its causing some problems. If it continues Rachel is going to keep her in hospital for a few days." He told the other woman.
"Poor thing. She must be worrying herself sick." Irene told him and then added after looking at him. "You too, from the looks of things."
"Yes I am. " he shrugged. He turned and reached into the tall fridge to pull out the ingredients to fix himself a toasted sandwich.
"I'm not quite sure what I'd do if she lost this one too." He confessed and to his horror found tears in his eyes again. He blinked them away and focused on making the sandwich.
"I'll give you a few moments Darl!" Irene told him, placing a comforting hand on his arm. He looked at her and nodded.
Irene went and sat next to Ella on the sofa.
"I know I should be cleaning those tables but I'm taking my break!" she said.
Ella laughed.
"Just as long as he hasn't told you to watch me!" Ella told her.
"I heard that!" Roman grouched form the kitchen.
Irene laughed.
"No Darl I can faithfully say that he didn't. Any minute now the school will ring the home time bell and we'll have another rush. I'm taking any chance I get to have a sit down!" Irene explained.
Ella smiled and reached for the water bottle. She felt herself go woozy and tried to sit back on the cushions but it felt as though her body wasn't responding. She took a breath and then another one, finally sinking back on the cushions.
Irene handed her the water bottle and she took a cautious sip.
She met Irene's eyes and saw the worried expression.
"Don't tell him Irene, he'll just get worried and I know he hasn't been eating properly. I'll go home and go to bed as soon as he has finished." Ella told her softly.
"He's got a right to be worried hasn't he?" Irene said to her.
Ella nodded.
"Rachel told me that if I don't get eating then the risk of miscarriage will go up. And I've tried but everything makes me sick. She gave me an injection today to try and ease the nausea. I also have a problem with my blood pressure, which is why I keep going dizzy." Ella confessed to the other woman.
"Darl, I just want to give you a great big hug right now!" Irene said. "Does Princess Nic know?" she asked.
"No. We talked it over and decided not to tell her. She has enough to worry about with no job and the wedding." Ella told her. "Actually we wanted to talk to you about something. We know Geoff spoke to you about them living with you but we were planning on giving them a wedding present. We've been looking at houses," Ella began, she held her hand up to stop Irene interrupting. "via the internet at the moment and we were planning to buy one for them."
"Strewth!" Irene exclaimed. "Has Roman been scamming the profits behind my back or something?" Irene asked quickly, a grin spreading on her face.
"I heard that too!" he shouted out from the kitchen.
"We juggled our finances a bit." Ella told her, with a shrug.
"Blimmey Darl, do you want to do likewise with mine?" she asked her.
"Well Roman took out some policy for her when he was in the army, just in case and with that maturing we can afford either a small place or something to fix up." Ella closed her eyes for a moment and then took another long drink. She felt so tired all of a sudden.
"Hey," he called to her.
"Hey." She replied opening her eyes. "Have you eaten?" she asked with a frown.
"Yes I have. And I think you should get home." He told her.
"In a bit." She nodded. She turned to Irene and patted the other woman's hand. "Will you help us find a place for them?" she asked.
"Of course I will Darl, and I really hate to agree with that husband of yours but I think you need to get home."
Ella laughed.
"Me too, but I kinda like it when he goes caveman on me." She said with a grin. She held her hands out to him and he helped her to her feet. She wobbled for a moment and felt his arm go around her.
"I'll give you a call about the thing," Ella said her voice drowsy.
Roman took a look at her and sighed. He picked her up and carried her out to the car. Ella winked at Irene over Roman's shoulder and the older woman laughed for a brief second before her frown reappeared.
"Hey we're home!" he told her.
"Good. Carry me!" she said and held out her arms to him.
He got out and walked around the other side of the car and opened her door. Unclipping her seatbelt he lifted her easily out of the car and into the house. Not even pausing he strode up the stairs and sat her on the bed.
She giggled.
"I must remember that you can do that when I feel better!" she told him.
"El." He began.
She caught his hand and pulled indicating she wanted him to sit down. He sank slowly beside her.
"I think we need to face up to this pregnancy not going well. We have to focus on Nic and the wedding, I don't her day spoiled." Ella told him.
He pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth.
"How about you stop worrying about me and Nic for a moment." He said.
"I can't help it I just want this to go ok and if I think about what can happen I'll be an even worse basket case than I am now!" she told him. "I need you to take care of yourself too. I know you have been skipping meals Mister because I haven't been eating." She grinned. She stood slowly and walked over to the chest of drawers and pulled out a long cotton nightdress.
"True." He said. He stood from the bed and pulled the covers down, watching as she slowly got changed. She climbed into bed and lay back against the pillows.
"Why don't you go for a run? Or go and see Miles?" she suggested. "I'm ok, I'm going to sleep for a while."
He pulled the covers up tucking her into bed and pressed a kiss to her mouth.
"How about I get to stay here and watch my beautiful wife sleep?" he suggested instead.
"Yeah, you could do that but all I'm planning to do is drool on your pillow!" she told him with a grin. "Please…" she began and he watched as her eyes drifted shut.
He pressed another kiss to her lips.
"Fine I'll go see Miles for a coffee." He said and began walking out of the room.
He laughed when the cushion hit his back.
"Don't mention Coffee!" she groaned sleepily. "I miss coffee."
"That's only because it is the only thing you can cook!" he said softly and caught the second cushion that she threw at him.