This is Thursday. Two days after the last chapter. (Today, by our calendar. LOL!)

No Warnings . . .

"I wish you could stay longer," Elle told her grandfather as she hugged him. "You just got here." They really only had a couple of days together since her father's funeral.

"You could always come with us, no?" The elder gentleman rocked her gently. "We missed you at Christmas."

"Well, you two gave me the best Christmas present ever by flying over here," Elle declared. "I was so glad to see you. You both were such a comfort to me."

Noemi clicked her tongue. "Eh, well, that could be debatable," she laughed. "Ricardo certainly put me in my place."

Dick blushed, but didn't apologize. He might respect Elle's grandparents and even liked them once he had the opportunity to get to know them better, but Elle was the most important person in his life and she would always come first with him.

"You both will come back for the wedding," Dick asked them. It was a sop to Elle's Nonna.

"You still haven't chosen a date," Noemi reminded them. "How can we make plans without a date?"

Elle pulled her grandmother into a hug next. "I will call you, of course," she promised. "Thank you for coming," she repeated.

"Of course, we come," Noemi told her. She pulled back and ran a hand along Elle's face. "Sei la nostra piccola Bella. Non c'è niente che non faremmo per te." ("You are our little Bella. There is nothing we would not do for you.")

The tears that Elle had been holding back slipped her control and fell down her cheeks. "E' solo che mi mancate." ("It's just that I will miss you.")

Noemi smiled; pulling her granddaughter back into another tight hug as Dick shook hands with her husband.

"Nonsense," she told her. "You have a new family to take care of now. You will be too busy to worry about a couple of vecchi brontoloni."

"You are not old geezers," Elle laughed as she wiped her eyes.

"We are," Noemi declared. "But only your Nonno looks it."

Luca glanced over at the two women. "So because my mother did not find herself a fish to love, I am made fun of. I look distinguished, I tell you. All of your Nonna's chatty old friends have admitted it to me."

Dick laughed. "So, does this mean when I am a doddering old man, that Elle will still look as gorgeous as Noemi?"

To Elle's surprise, her grandmother blushed. "You will call me Nonna, young man," she told him with mock sternness. "We are your grandparents now as well."

He pulled the older woman into an embrace and then kissed both of her cheeks. "I will," he promised. "But no one will believe it for a minute."

"It is not fair," Luca bemoaned. "She is my elder by twenty months, and yet people confuse her for my daughter."

Dick startled. "Seriously?"

He could see people getting confused because the woman easily looked twenty years younger than she apparently was, but to think she was actually the elder of the two was surprising.

Noemi smirked and raised an eyebrow. "I will be sixty-seven on my next birthday."

"You look forty," Dick admitted.

Luca snorted. "It's that fish blood that runs through her veins," he quipped. "You've never seen a wrinkly fish, now have you?"

Noemi laughed and slapped playfully at his arm. "Forza, vecchia capra! Perderemo l'aereo!" ("Go on with you, you old goat! We will miss our flight!")

Luca turned and winked at the young couple.

"Eh, il sangue di capra non mi farà certo diventare più giovane, ma mi fa rimanere arzilla," he teased, and drew his wife in for a nibble on her neck drawing laughter from his wife as well as Dick and Elle. ("Eh, goat's blood may not make me look any younger, but it keeps me spry!")

Noemi blushed like a young girl and kissed Luca's cheek. "Sono io ciò che ti fa rimanere arzillo," she told him. ("I am what keeps you spry!")

She tugged Elle aside as Luca picked up their carry-ons. "Adrai presto dal dottore? Un toast secco e zenzero aiutano con le nausee mattutine," she instructed quietly. ("You will go see the physician soon? Stale toast and ginger can help with your morning sickness.")

Elle paled and stared at her grandmother. "W-What? What are you talking about?"

Noemi smiled at her granddaughter's confusion. "I see that I did not do so well filling in for your mother," she shook her head sadly. "You did not know?"

Elle shook her head a little frantically. "No! I still don't! Nonna, what are you talking about?"

Noemi patted her face gently. "Vai," she instructed once more. ("You go!") "You buy those little sticks. Do as they say. They will tell you. Once you see the dottore, mia cara, you call me. I remind you; do not delay your wedding for too long!"

Elle's eyes grew huge once her grandmother's implications became clear. One hand slid over her stomach. "Are you serious? How do you know?"

"I know," Noemi pulled Elle in for one last hug. "Sarai una madre splendida, Bella cara," she whispered. "Now, your young man waits for you, and we must go." ("You will make a wonderful mother, my Bella.")

One last round of quick goodbyes followed, and then Luca led Noemi to the line that led to security. Elle leaned back into Dick's chest as he wrapped his arms around her and the waved, but she felt dazed.

She had wondered what the cause of her strange illness was. There had always been other possibilities to account for it. She had even blamed her grief, but if what her grandmother had told her was true? Elle hadn't even considered that she could be pregnant!

Elle looked up at Dick, and he smiled down at her, still clueless to the enormous changes that were about to take over their lives. She still couldn't believe it; was even a little afraid to believe it.

When could it have happened? They had tried to be careful, but there had been a few times when being careful hadn't even crossed their minds. The first time at the gym had been too spontaneous. They had been too caught up and had forgotten, but that was rather a long time ago if her morning sickness had only began last week . . . That time in the shower had happened right after the first time she had gotten ill, so that wasn't it either.

Her eyes widened. "The night in the pool," she gasped.

"What was that, sweetheart?"

"Nothing," Elle cleared her throat. "Just thinking out loud."

Skinny dipping at the manor! That had to have been it! It happened just a little more than two weeks before the first bout of sickness!

And those little sticks Nonna had suggested . . . She had been talking about a pregnancy test. Elle determined that she would need to buy one of those, but she didn't want to say anything to Dick about it until she knew for sure. She refused to think on the possibility until she could confirm it. The idea was just too overwhelming.

"Are you sure you're all right," Dick asked her, concerned. "You seem a little pale."

"Nothing a little orange juice won't cure," she said, thinking she could better use a shot of whiskey, but there would be no alcohol or wine for her for a while. At least not until she could confirm her suspicions or deny them. And only if it turned out false!

"Come on," he tugged her hand over to one of the little shops that lined the airport. "I'll get you your orange juice, but we need to get back to Bludhaven. I have a few things to do before I go out tonight."

"You're going out tonight?" Elle suddenly wanted him to stay in with her another night, but she had promised him she wouldn't cling to him or stop him from his patrols over silly, little needs.

Dick looked at her concerned. "I've already missed several patrols, Elle. Tim's got a paper due and an exam coming up on Friday he needs to study for. I can't ask him to cover for me again," he told her quietly.

She nodded. He was right. She knew he was right.

"Will you be okay," he asked. "If you like, I can drop you off at the manor for the night so you won't be alone. Alfred would be happy to keep you company, and I can pick you up in the morning."

"No," she assured him. "I'll be fine at home."

"If you're sure," he said.

Elle laughed. "I'm sure!" She opened one of the refrigerated compartments and pulled out a couple of juices. "Do you want one?"

"Yeah, an orange juice sounds great," he smiled. His relief at her assurance was obvious.

Elle handed him several of the small juice bottles to take to the register. Now that the thought had been put in her mind by Nonna, Elle was in a hurry to get home. She had errands to run herself. She rubbed a hand over her stomach.

"Are you feeling sick again," Dick asked, frowning.

Elle grinned. "Actually, I feel pretty great all considering!" She snatched some licorice off of the rack and tossed it by the juices at the register.

Dick wrinkled his nose at the black licorice candy. "I thought you didn't like that stuff."

She blinked at him, looked down at the licorice, and back up. "It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind."

"Hm," Dick smirked and paid for the purchases. "So, I've heard."

Elle grabbed one of the juices and the pack of licorice out of the bag as they left the convenience store.

Dick stared at her. "You're going to eat black licorice with your orange juice? At the same time?"

"What's wrong with that?" Elle asked as she juggled the juice to open the candy.

He made a face at her. "Ugh! Whatever," he said. "Just don't expect any kisses until we get home and you've brush your teeth."

Elle laughed and whacked him on the back of the head with a stick of licorice.

"Ow," Dick complained. He walked faster to get out of range.

Elle picked up her pace, but kept her licorice to herself this time. The sooner they got back home the better.

REACTIONS?

Yeah, I know . . . Black licorice and orange juice! Bleh! But you just don't know what kind of cravings you might get. (For me it was burritos and broccoli! I might have them at the same meal, but at least I didn't put broccoli IN my burritos!)