Topic: Must Be Something In The Water

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-08-26 05:55 EST
When Jon was filming, no matter where he was, Vicki was invariably along for the ride. They'd survived the Fifty Shades Darker filming schedule with Emily in tow, and Swan Song, this independent picture he was working on with Mataya De Luca, was no different. This evening, he'd been whisked out for an impromptu press gathering with Mataya and the writer/director, leaving Vicki to settle their daughter. Emily, however, had chosen to declare her annoyance with the absence of her father at the top of her lungs for about an hour, stubbornly refusing to actually go to sleep even now, with Vicki swaying to music and stroking her back. "Come on, sweetie pie, just go to sleep," the redhead crooned to her baby girl. "I'm sure Daddy will be back very soon, and he'll give you a big kiss and a cuddle just as soon as he can. Please?" The only answer she got was another sniffle, and the threat of more bawling as Emily tugged on her hair.

While Jon loved his job - and it was work, no matter what anyone else might think - he was relieved when the day was over, and he could return home and relax with his family. Filming a movie was, in a lot of ways, even more tiring than the theater, but he believed in the film and was loving every minute of it. Besides, it wasn't often he was given the opportunity to star opposite his favorite leading lady and best friend, Mataya. Even so, by the time the day was over, he was happy to be dropped off at the house he and Vicki were calling home for the next few weeks until filming was completed.

"Hey, you hear that?" Vicki didn't think she had ever felt so relieved as she did in the moment that Jon's keys jangled in the door. Emily lifted her head, looking sleepy but stubbornly forcing her eyes to stay open. "I think Daddy's home. Isn't that good?" Please let it be a good thing, she found herself hoping. Vicki loved her daughter, but Emily was getting on her last nerve tonight.

Jon let himself into the house and locked up behind himself, shucking his shoes at the door and meandering through the house to locate his wife and daughter. As tired as he was, he was never too tired for them. He always missed them while he was away, even if it was only for a few hours, and he was hoping he'd arrived home in time at least to tuck both his girls into bed for the night. "Vicki?" he called quietly, so as not to wake Emily if she was sleeping, as he padded through the house in his stocking feet.

"Up here," she called back to Jon, moving to the landing to look down the stairs. There was a garbled gurgle in greeting from Emily too, who was finally yawning as she dropped her head heavily onto Vicki's shoulder. "Oh, so now you decide you're sleepy?" Rolling her eyes, Vicki chuckled as she looked down at Jon. "She's been very put out that you weren't here."

"Sorry, baby," Jon apologized, as he shuffled up the stairs. "The press meeting went longer than expected," he explained. He'd fill her in on the details later, but for now that explanation would have to do, until they got a certain little person to bed. They'd been through this before, and he knew she understood the routine, but that didn't make him feel any less guilty about not being there. "Here, give her to me," he offered, holding out his arms to rescue his wife from baby duty.

She chuckled softly, handing over the finally sleepy Emily to her father as he reached for her. "It's fine, stud muffin," she smiled, stroking her hand down the baby's back as Emily sighed happily and cuddled into Jon's chest, big blue eyes drooping closed. Vicki rose onto her toes to kiss his cheek affectionately. "You get bed duty, that's all."

"I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized again, his quiet baritone soft and soothing, as he rubbed a hand against baby Emily's back, a smile at the kiss from his wife. He glanced down at the sleepy baby nuzzled against his chest, as he started toward the bedroom that was serving as a makeshift nursery while they were in Vancouver. "You were just waiting up for Daddy to get home, weren't you, pumpkin?"

The answer he got from his six-month-old daughter was another deep sigh, lips smacking as she relaxed her grip on his tie. Vicki could have been jealous of that, if it wasn't for the fact that Emily played this card almost every time one of her parents wasn't home for bedtime. It was indiscriminate - she just expected both of them to be there.

He thought it was sweet the way she missed him, even if it was only because she was used to both her parents being there to tuck her in at night. "Say goodnight, Mommy," he told Vicki as he arrived at the door to the nursery, waiting for Vicki to bid their daughter goodnight before he tucked her into bed for the night.

Chuckling, Vicki leaned over to kiss Emily's cheek affectionately, obedient to the order to say goodnight. "Goodnight, baby girl," she murmured. "Sweet dreams." Stepping back, she tossed Jon a warm smile. "I'll put the kettle on," she told him with a nod, happy enough to leave him to finish the routine while she rummaged around in their rented kitchen for something that wasn't going to make her feel slightly sick when she drank it.

It didn't take long for him to finish the nightly routine, settling little Emily into her crib and making sure to tuck her favorite stuffed doggy in with her. He caressed her back gently and sang her a quiet lullabye, before leaning in to brush his lips against her cheek and whisper a soft, "Sleep tight." He waited a minute to make sure she was asleep before creeping from the room, leaving the door ajar so that he and Vicki could hear her if she stirred. Once that was finished, he padded back downstairs, loosening his tie and yanking it from around his neck.

Emily wasn't the only one who enjoyed the lullabye. Vicki had turned the monitor on as she took it downstairs with her, as charmed by the sound of Jon singing as their daughter was while she filled the kettle and hunted out the tea. She was tired herself, but now she knew why she was tired, it wasn't such a big deal. She was just hoping Jon wasn't going to be too unhappy with her news; they hadn't exactly discussed it.

Jon left both his tie and his jacket on the back of the couch as he made his way through the small house, following the sound of Vicki to the kitchen. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt as he stepped into the kitchen, arms going around her waist from behind to plant a kiss on her cheek. "She's asleep," he announced quietly. At least, he hoped so. As much as he loved his daughter, it had been a long day, and he was looking forward to relaxing a little with his wife before they turned in and it started all over again come morning.

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-08-26 05:56 EST
"Finally," Vicki chuckled, leaning back into his arms as he pressed close. Her palm rubbed against his arm for a moment as she twisted to nuzzle a soft kiss of her own to his cheek in answer, other hand rising to stroke against the line of his jaw. "How did the honking go tonight' Did Mataya manage to keep them all talking about her bump whenever they tried to talk about your love life?"

He shrugged his shoulders, smiling in amusement as how well Vicki knew what had happened without even being there. "You know 'Tay. Besides, there's nothing to tell. I'm settled down and happily married now, and that's all there is to it. Do you know one of them dared ask if the rumors about she and I were true?" He snorted at the very thought of that. Mataya was more like a sister than a lover, at least these days. Though they might have had a brief tryst years ago, she didn't hold it against him, and he didn't remember it. "Where do they get this stuff?"

His wife cackled at the thought of Mataya and Jon having an affair, much less openly admitting to it in front of a horde of journalists. "I have images of her clearing a path through a crowd with that bump when it gets big enough," she laughed fondly, quite happy to stay cuddled in Jon's arms as they chatted. "I take it the usual press package still hasn't been put together yet, then. Organization seems to be struggling already."

"Maybe I should buy her a t-shirt that says Bump not property of Jon Granger." He bent his head to rest his chin against her shoulder as she went about making two cups of tea. Though he wasn't English, her fondness for the brew had grown on him over time, and he looked forward to their evening chats over a warm, soothing cup of tea before bed. It was often the only time of day they had to themselves. "They'll get it together soon enough. The film was a pretty last minute thing."

"I'd offer to help out, but I think Emily might actually attempt to strangle me with my own hair if I was on that set as well," Vicki chuckled softly. Her movements were slow and carefully angled to keep herself in the warm wrap of Jon's arms; not so much a wild declaration of having missed him while he was out for the evening, as a gentle promise that whenever he was away, she missed him. "That, and I'd probably spend a fair amount of time complaining about how tired I am." She smirked fondly at her husband, brushing a kiss to the corner of his mouth before setting to removing the tea-bags from their mugs.

Jon settled his arms around his wife, enjoying the quiet of their coming back together after a long day. "You'd just be bored," he told her, knowing how boring it could be on set if all you were doing was standing around watching take after take until the director declared it was right. A movie set was really no place for a baby, even if that baby belonged to the lead actor. He arched a brow down at her as she kissed him and pulled away to finish making their tea. Bored, yes, but tired" Why was she suddenly complaining about being tired" Emily wasn't a newborn anymore. She wasn't causing her mother that much trouble, was she" "I'm sorry," he found himself apologizing again. "Maybe I should have turned the movie down."

"Oh, Jon ..." Vicki dissolved into fond giggles, abandoning the tea to reassure him. She turned about entirely, reaching up to cradle his face between her hands. "I would be tired even if we were on a holiday somewhere and doing precisely nothing," she promised him through her smile, stroking her thumbs against his cheeks affectionately. "And if you had dared to try and turn this movie down, I would have paddled your arse until you changed your mind. It's a good role, a fantastic schedule now that it's been re-jigged about, and I have no objection to being a stay-at-home mum for a few weeks." She kissed him softly. "Try exercising that amazing intelligence of yours, and let me know if you need any more clues."

There went that single eyebrow again, arching even higher. "Clues?" he echoed. Clues about what" It wasn't really like Vicki to complain of being tired, at least, not since Emily started sleeping through the night, and she didn't seem to be sick. In fact, she looked happy, amused even, enjoying teasing him about something she seemed to know that he didn't. And then, it finally clicked, his expression changing as his mouth dropped open a little and his brows drew downward. "You're not..." he guessed, without actually daring to say what he was thinking out loud.

Vicki watched as the penny dropped, enjoying every moment of glacial comprehension as it made itself known on her husband's face. Her hands smoothed down to his chest affectionately as he made his guess, knowing what it was even if he couldn't quite bring himself to articulate it. "I'm as sure as I can be without going to a doctor," she told him softly, surprised that her face wasn't aching from the sheer size of her smile. "All the right aches, getting fatigued. No morning sickness yet, though." She chuckled impishly. "I think I need to get my birth control looked at in about ten months or so."

"What' No." He chuckled disbelievingly, as if she was only teasing him or telling him a joke. "You can't be! It's only been six months!" He laughed again, a bit nervously, convinced she had to be teasing him. She couldn't possibly be pregnant so soon, could she" Hadn't she been taking precautions" She could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to think this all out. What did he know of such things" He was a man. Sure, he'd spent a day or so as a very pregnant Vicki, but that didn't make him an expert!

"Oh, I can be," she laughed back at him, rolling her eyes at the disbelief in his expression. She had, however, anticipated this reaction, and was prepared for it. "But just to make sure, I have a test. Should I take it, or should we wait for your brain to catch up first?" She hadn't exactly been expecting this herself, but she had been taking precautions. It just seemed as though whoever was watching over them didn't want them to wait too long for that slightly bigger family they'd been planning.

"You haven't taken it yet?" he asked, not quite recovering his composure just yet. "What are you waiting for?" To hell with the tea. He grabbed hold of her hand to start tugging her away from the kitchen, forgetting the test would be more accurate if she waited until morning. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the news, but he was having trouble suppressing his excitement, even if the timing wasn't quite the best.

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-08-26 05:56 EST
It might well be more accurate in the morning, but given how far along Vicki suspected she was, she didn't think that mattered. Just to be sure, she had two tests, intending to do one in the morning just to make sure, in any case. She laughed as she was tugged out of the kitchen, unable to hide quite how pleased she was with Jon's excitement. There had been a couple of worried moments when she'd catastrophized his reaction fantastically in the privacy of her mind, but she knew she needn't have worried. It might be sooner than they had been planning, but he didn't seem to mind too much. "I was waiting for you!"

"Well, I'm here now, so what are we waiting for!" he exclaimed excitedly as he tugged her from the kitchen toward the bathroom. Peeing on a stick wasn't exactly the most romantic thing ever, but the possibility of having another child made him feel like a kid on Christmas morning waiting to open all the presents that had been left under the tree. He'd start worrying later about all the complications involved in having a second child so close to the first. Right now, he just wanted to know for sure one way or the other.

It was just as well she'd already put the tests in the bathroom, anticipating her husband's over-eager need to know as certainly as they could. Still chuckling to herself, she skipped along after Jon, pausing at the bathroom door to pull him to a halt. "Stud muffin, I love you, but you are not watching me pee," she informed him, pulling both tests out. "Read the instructions in that one to keep yourself busy." Opening up the other, she stepped into the bathroom and blew him a kiss as she shut the door.

What did it matter if he watched her pee" It wasn't like he'd never seen it before. Hell, when he'd been Vicki, he'd seen everything there was to see about her up close and personal, in detail, but he didn't argue. There were some things that, even in a relationship as close as theirs, required privacy. He pouted a little, but didn't argue, fumbling with the box before pulling out the instructions to read what they said. "It says your husband is allowed to watch you pee!" he called through the door, almost forgetting that Emily was asleep in the other room.

"Does it say anything about hitting your husband around the head if he wakes up the baby yelling at you while you're on the loo?" was called back to him in a laughing voice. As much as she loved Jon, Vicki was still a little self-conscious of admitting to having certain bodily functions, grateful that he'd decided to chat while she was ....sampling.

Jon paused for a moment as if he was reading the directions. "Hmm, nope, nothing about that! It does say something about forgiving him for getting you knocked up again, though!" He wasn't too worried about waking Emily. He had the touch and could usually get her to fall back asleep quickly enough.

"Oh, I see," his wife's laughing response made itself known again. "Getting the grovelling in early in case I turn into a waddling evil cow from the nethermost depths again, are we?" There was the familiar sound of waterworks from the other side of the door, and Vicki opened up, clutching the plastic stick triumphantly, the bright blue cap securely in place once again. "Okay, big daddy, three minutes and we'll know."

"I plead the Fifth!" he replied from the other side of the door. And like that kid on Christmas who couldn't wait to open his presents, he couldn't wait much longer. "Are you done yet' How long does it take to pee"!" He blinked as she opened the door nearly at the very instant and he looked a bit sheepish, though he couldn't help but chuckle. "Big daddy?" he echoed, smirking in amusement. And unable to wait the three minutes, he made a grab for the Plastic Stick of Doom. "Lemme see!"

She laughed again as he grabbed the stick out of her hand, shaking her head at his excitement. "Sweetheart, watching it won't make it produce a result any faster," she told him affectionately, thanking her stars that she'd gone with the digital display. At least Jon had a little spinning hourglass to capture his attention for the time being until the three minutes had passed. "I'm going to finish the tea while you burn a hole in it with your laser eyes."

Jon looked disappointed when all he got for his efforts was a spinning hour glass. "I don't have laser eyes. That part when to Cavill." Thank God, because Jon didn't really have any interest in playing the Man of Steel or any superhero really. He was more interested in dramatic roles. Never mind that he was playing Christian Grey. He was just doing that for the exposure, not to make a pun, and the money.

"I did say three minutes, love," she reminded him gently, stroking her hand against his cheek as she turned to slip back to the kitchen and finish what she'd started. "Instant pregnancy, just add pee, is yet to be invented." Chuckling, she turned her attention to adding milk to the steaming mugs on the kitchen counter, grimacing as she added sugar to Jon's. She didn't understand how he could drink tea with sugar, but to each his own. "So ..." One hand wrapped about her mug, she turned to lean back against the counter, smiling at him over the rim. "Boy or girl this time, what do you think?"

He followed her back to the kitchen, staring at the little plastic stick all the while, as if by doing so, he could rush it along. "Can't be three minutes. It's taking forever!" he whined as he came to a halt beside her as she fussed with the tea. She knew exactly how he liked it, and he liked it sweet - like his women. Anyway, he wasn't English like she was, so what did he know about the proper way to drink tea" He furrowed his brows thoughtfully at the question, as if it was the most important question in the world. "I don't know." Both possibilities were tempting. They already had a daughter, but he wouldn't mind another. The thought of a son made him a little more nervous, but mostly because of his own strained relationship with his late father.

"You never know, it could be twins," she shrugged, more to play with him than out of any actual concern that there might be more than one brewing in there. "One of each." She grinned, seeing his nerves flicker into view, and set her cup down, pushing from the counter to pull the stick out of his hand and lay it flat on the counter. She drew him close, the tip of her nose brushing his as she looked into his eyes. "If I am," she asked softly, "be truthful with me. Would you be happy about it?"

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-08-26 05:57 EST
"Twins!" Jon exclaimed a little too loudly. "Bite your tongue, Vicki Granger. We've got our hands full with one!" It wasn't impossible. Gabi'd had twins, but Jon wasn't entirely sure if twins ran in their family or that of the twins' father. "It won't tell you whether it's twins or not, will it?" he asked, already knowing it wouldn't. They'd been through this once before, after all, and he was all too familiar with the barrage of tests they'd - she'd - have to go through to make sure everything was as it should be. Forced to look at her as she snatched the stick out of his hand and drew him close, nose to nose with her, he frowned a little in thought, wondering if she'd be happy about it. "Of course, I'll be happy about it. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just, I know it wasn't planned," she shrugged lightly. "And the timing isn't perfect. But then, you know, we've done it once, we can do it again, right?" Her lips brushed his softly as she leaned into him. "No, it won't tell us if it's twins," she added, answering his query with a gentle smile. "But it will tell us how pregnant I am."

"Vicki," he started, his expression smoothing out, a warm smile on his face. He touched his fingers to her cheek as he returned her kiss, brushing the copper strands back from her face. "Do I look like I'll be upset' It's a little sooner than planned, but it doesn't matter. We'll work it out somehow." He brushed her lips gently as if to reassure her with that kiss.

Her smile softened as she eased her arms about his waist, easily reassured with just a few words to remind her that she did know him as well as she thought she did. "I just wanted to hear you say it," she admitted quietly. "I shouldn't be so insecure this time around. I'll be better dressed, for a start." Blue eyes twinkled playfully as she nipped at his chin lovingly. "Should we go to that magic shop so you can experience a day in the life of a half-way pregnant woman this time" It's a much nicer experience, I promise."

Her remark about the way she dressed made him frown again. He'd said something about the way she dressed once, in the heat of an argument when he had been wearing her body and feeling the effects of female hormones. "There's nothing wrong with the way you dress. You're just as beautiful in yoga pants as in an evening gown." And he meant it, too. He found her attractive, no matter what she wore - or didn't wear. He snorted at her suggestion, however. "No, thanks. Once was enough for me!"

Despite the extenuating circumstances of that particular comment, it had hit home, and since then, Vicki had been paying more attention to the way she presented herself. Jon might not have noticed the appearance of more skirts and dresses in his wife's wardrobe, but even she had to admit that she felt better when she took more pride in her appearance. Her hand stroked gently against his cheek as she smiled. "One comment did more for my pride in myself than any amount of gentle reassurance, love," she told him fondly. "I don't mind it." She glanced down at the stick on the counter, and her cheeks flushed. "It's finished."

Jon still felt bad about the little row they'd had when they'd switched bodies, but the experience had actually drawn them closer together and helped them to understand each other better. It had been a good experience, but not one Jon wanted to repeat any time soon - especially the painful part. He had acquired a deeper respect for women and all they went through in order to give birth after that. Drawn back to the subject at hand and the possibility of another child, Jon felt his stomach clench in nervous anticipation. On the one hand, he would be thrilled to expand their family. On the other, they were just getting into the rhythm of being a threesome, and he knew having another would mean more adjustments. "And?" he asked, following her gaze to try and get a peek at the stick.

"And ..." Reluctantly, she took one hand from his back to pick up the stick, studying the digital display a little nervously. It was right there - Pregnant 3+. Thank goodness I read those instructions three times. "And I'm pregnant," she told him with a slightly dazed smile. "I've been pregnant for more than three weeks, according to this."

Despite his own fears, a smile spread across his face, his excitement overcoming those fears and uncertainties. His arms went around her waist to pick her up off the floor and swing her around in a circle, laughing with excitement and kissing her fondly as he finally set her on her feet. "Congratulations, Mrs. Granger," he told her, smiling happily.

Surprised by just how pleased she was with the first level of proof in her hand, Vicki found herself laughing along with her beloved husband as he hoisted her off her feet, sharing her grin with his in the fond kiss he planted on her as she found the floor once again. "Congratulations yourself, Mr Granger," she countered happily, nuzzling a second kiss to his lips as the realization settled into her bones. "We're having another baby."

"Or babies!" he reminded her, just in case it was twins, though he doubted it. If it was twins, they might have to seriously think about hiring a nanny. A thought occurred to him suddenly and his eyes widened as he realized something else. "Oh! You and 'Tay are going to be mommies together!"

"We are!" Her expression lit up with delight at this unexpectedly cheerful side effect of their big news, suddenly even happier about the prospect of a new baby than she had been before. She loved Emily deeply, and though it would be a bit of a struggle, she had more confidence in herself to be able to juggle two children now she had proved she could handle one. But the icing on the cake was the knowledge that she would be able to share the experience of a newborn with brand new never-before-seen Mommy Mataya. "The Shanachie is going to be ringing to the sound of small people."

"Maybe we'll have to add something for the kids. A special engagement a few times a year that's family friendly." He wasn't sure what Mataya would think of the idea, but Jon was all for drawing more people to the theater, and it was just like him to have his mind move that way. "Do you think Emily will mind sharing us with a sibling?" he asked, one of many worries that popped into his mind.

Vicki frowned faintly, biting her lip. That was just one of many worries they now shared, but she'd had a chance to do a little research on the subject. "I think she's too little to understand what?s going on until, you know, she has a baby to poke at, but ....Well, I think we can manage it. It's up to us to make sure she doesn't feel left out, and I know we can do that. And they'll be close enough in age to enjoy each other, without one feeling left behind or the other feeling held back. She might mind a little, but she'll enjoy having a little brother or sister more, I think." She smirked faintly as the other side of that argument made itself known in her mind. "Do you think Cosmo will mind?"

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-08-26 05:58 EST
Jon's smile returned, relaxing a little at her reassurance. Of course, they'd have nearly nine months to adjust and get used to the idea before they really had to worry about it anyway, and he couldn't see them loving Emily or the new baby any less than the other. He laughed as she asked him about Cosmo. "Are you kidding" He'll be in his glory with another puppy to herd around."

"And, of course, Humphrey will probably try to smother you with as much manly love as he can bear to let himself show," she added laughingly. The Old Man was delighted with all children, but for some reason, family children seemed to reinvigorate him easily. She leaned up, pressing a fresh kiss to Jon's lips. "I love you. You're a wonderful husband, and a fantastic father, and I consider myself very blessed to have you in my life. So just remember that, in case the hormones turn me evil again."

"He's more likely to smother you and the babies," Jon pointed out. As nervous as he might be about having another, he was happy, as well. He beamed down at her, somehow resisting the urge to puff out his chest with manly pride at her praise. "And I love you," he countered, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose. "I'm the one who's lucky to have you, Vic. I can't tell you how glad I am that you knocked on my trailer door that day."

"Just think, if I'd given into the urge and jumped you there and then, things could have been so different," she teased him impishly, winding her arms around his neck as she nuzzled close. "I know the timing isn't great, love, but I didn't want to wait any longer before telling you. I waited long enough last time."

He chuckled at the thought of that. How different would they have been really' They were meant to be together, there was no denying it. "We might have gotten married sooner," he admitted. He really didn't see how it would have made much difference, other than the fact that they might have gotten a bit of a head-start. His arms held her loosely around the waist as she looked hers around his neck. "The timing doesn't matter. We wanted more kids anyway. We'll work it out." He was confident everything would be fine. Besides, they had plenty of family and friends who'd were more than happy to help out. He wasn't really worried, even if it was unplanned and a little premature.

"We'll slow down after this one, though," she chuckled back to him. "I think three children under five would do both of us in." Or four, she realized, remembering the twins suggestion. It might have been selfish of her, but she was hoping here was only one brewing in there. One at a time was more than enough, and frankly, she had no idea how Gabi did it. "Jack's going to be the undisputed leader of a small horde of Grangers, isn't he?"

"That would mean one of us actually remembering to take precautions," he reminded her with a smirk. He sighed happily as he leaned in to capture her lips. "I love you, Vicki," he told her softly, feeling all warm and squishy inside. He had no words to express just how happy she made him, not only with this bit of unexpected news, but every day of his life. He couldn't imagine feeling any happier than he did at this very moment, and it was all because of her. He chuckled as he imagined little Jack leading a parade of tiny Grangers around Maple Grove, with Cosmo in tow. "Who should we tell first?" It seemed logical that Mataya would find out soon, since she was in Vancouver with them, if she didn't suspect already.

"I did take precautions," she protested, but she was smiling as she said it. However unexpected, it was a happy development. She beamed into his kiss, the tea completely forgotten in the warm blanket of happy families they'd wrapped around themselves. But who to tell first' "We should send a message to Humphrey, really," she admitted reluctantly. "But ....well, I'd rather wait a bit before we tell anyone, really. It's still early days, and getting a doctor's opinion first would at least give us an idea of how far we still have to go." It was only then that she realized that although she was pregnant, this was something they were experiencing together. It was we, not me, and for some reason, that brought a sprinkling of tears to her eyes. "Oh god, the crying thing is starting already."

His smile disappeared at the sudden threat of tears. "Why are you crying" I thought you were happy," he asked, pulling back slightly to frown down at her, his fingers reaching to caress her cheek and dispel any threat of tears. It didn't occur to him right away that they might be happy tears. He'd become accustomed to hormonal Vicki over the course of nine months' time, but he thought it might be a bit early for that.

"I am happy, I promise I am," she laughed, blinking wildly to force the tears away before they trickled free. "It just occurred to me that ....well, we're pregnant. It's not me, it's us. And that's the best part of it. Good enough to turn me into a happy, weepy mess for a moment."

He brushed his fingers against her cheek to dash any tears away that might try to make an escape, smiling fondly, eyes warm with affection. "You're the one who has to do all the work, but I'm here for you, Vicki. We're in this together, but..." A small smirk touched his lips. "I'm not wearing heels again."

She giggled, tightening her arms around his waist as she leaned close into him. "But you looked so good in them," she teased him playfully. "For the whole hour and a half you wore them." She remembered warning him against wearing heels with nine months of baby weight to contend with, but Vicki had enjoyed the thrill of triumph when he'd given in and changed. She closed her eyes, savoring the warm feel of him close against her, knowing she was going to have to make the most of this kind of closeness. In a few months, embracing her husband was going to be awkward at best with an ever-increasing girth.

To hell with the tea. Morning came quickly and he wanted to savor the little bit of privacy they had left before sleep took over, and it would, especially with her in a family way once again. He brushed a kiss against her forehead, loving and protective, quieting the tone of his voice. "What do you say we skip tea tonight and head straight to bed, Mrs. Granger?"

Victoria Granger

Date: 2013-08-26 06:00 EST
Her lips curved in a warm smile as she opened her eyes, tipping her head back to look up at him. She didn't think she was ever going to be able to work out how he knew exactly what she needed and when; how he knew just what tone of voice to use, no matter her mood. How much it meant to her that he did know. "Are you going to read me a bedtime story, Mr Granger?"

He smiled at her question as he took hold of her hand and led her back through the small house toward the bedroom, the tea as good as forgotten. "If you want, but I can think of better things to do."

Trailing along behind him, Vicki couldn't wipe the smile from her face, and she didn't even try. Domesticated they might be, but the heat of their relationship hadn't waned even with a baby taking their time. There was no reason to think that two children would have any real effect on that heat, except perhaps to restrict the time they had to share it. "Maybe you should tell me what your intentions are," she murmured teasingly. "Be prepared, after all."

"Oh, I think you know me well enough to guess," he replied with a smirk as he led her into the bedroom, leaving the door open a crack so they could hear Emily if she started to fuss. He turned around backwards to pull her toward the bed. He had already shucked his shoes, jacket and tie upon his arrival home.

Barefoot herself, she met his gaze with an expectant look, brows raised above an innocent smile as she was led forward toward the bed, teasing her fingertips over his palms. "You want me to guess, hmm' Well, now ..." She raised her eyes to the ceiling, smirking as she pretended to consider her options. "Are you going to braid my hair?"

He chuckled at her suggestion, both of them knowing that was not what he wanted. "Is that what you want?" he asked, teasing her in return as he drew her down onto the bed.

Step by step, she was drawn inexorably with him, crawling to straddle his lap under his guidance as he came to rest on the bed, ignoring the rise of her skirt as she slipped her hands from his to comb her fingers in and out of his curls. "I have a husband who combs my hair far more gently than I do, purely because he enjoys it," she mused with a smile, nudging the tip of her nose to his. "Why would I want him to braid it when there are so many other possibilities that spring to mind" We have a bed; we have a sleeping Emily ....What do you say to recreating the moment of her sibling's conception?"

"Well, I don't recall that exact moment, so it may differ a little from the original script, but if you don't mind, then neither do I," he said, smiling contentedly as his hands smoothed over her sides to draw her shirt upwards. For as long as they'd been together - and it had been nearly two years now, though for Vicki, it was longer as he was part of her past - they never seemed to tire or get bored of each other, and in all truth, this quiet coming together was the favorite part of Jon's day.

She raised her arms, tenderly trusting in the brief moment of vulnerability that came as her shirt covered her face on the way up. It would be a little while yet before there was any physical evidence of their unexpected news to be seen, but that didn't matter. They knew, and the pleasure in sharing that knowledge, that special little secret, translated into a kiss that was as slow and thrilling as any she'd given him before. Her lips plied his with a gentle smile as her fingertips rippled down his chest, leaving undone buttons in their wake. "Let's improvise then, shall we?"

It wouldn't be long, more than likely, before at least Mataya shared in that news. Even if Jon managed to keep his mouth shut, which was probably going to prove difficult given his excitement, as soon as she saw them together, she'd probably know something was up. She just knew them both too well not to. "I've never been very good at improvisation, but I'm willing to try," he replied, his lips sharing the pleasure of her kisses, one after the other as they slowly peeled away the layers that separated them and savored the quiet of the evening.

They had begun together with unmistakeable fire - fire Vicki had been holding onto since she was a child, certainly, but a fire that Jon had brought roaring to life the moment he'd first agreed to go on a date with her - and though their time together now was definitely quiet, there was no mistaking the gentler burn that warmed them both through. Tenderness and loving affection passed back and forth between husband and wife - a pair who had somehow managed to miss their own first anniversary - with as much laughter as solemnity, and true enjoyment of one another's company. Jon had ruined her for any other man when she was just a teen, and Vicki knew no one could ever have made her feel so perfectly complete as he did without even trying.

As for Jon, he had never felt more alive, more loved than he had since he'd met Vicki. Though he had only known her for two short years, she had come into his life with such fervor and passion that she had indelibly imprinted herself upon his heart and his soul. As many lovers as he'd had over the years, she was the only one that mattered, the only one that lasted, the only one who knew and understood him so completely, and the only one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They were like two pieces of a puzzle who fit together so perfectly, so completely, it was as if they were made for each other. And Jon could say with complete honesty and confidence, even without remembering his past, that he felt happier and more content now than he ever had before and it was all because of her.

Just two years ago, a home, a spouse, a child ....these had all seemed distant and out of reach, dreams that would have to wait to be fulfilled until the time was right. Yet here they were, married, parents, about to begin preparing to be parents for a second time, and there was nothing to suggest that the underlying bond they had forged between them was even hinting toward showing the strain. It had been a long road for both of them, but worth the pain, for at the end of it they had both found love, and a life that promised to be worth the living. Together.

((Hoo, boy, I really piled on the corn with that last paragraph, didn't I? :grin: Anywho ....Awesomely awesome thanks to the awesomest awesome of all awesomeness, Jon's player!))