Eaine&Eric- Brentwood

[Raine Gregory]

Raine honestly didn't know what was wrong. He hadn't done anything to hurt her physically or emotionally so why was she sobbing all over him like this? She was getting tears and snot all over the place which was disgusting now that she thought about it. How was she suppose to calm herself down? It took five whole minutes before she could calm down enough to explain all of the things that were going through her head. How was she suppose to tell him that this was all just her insecurities bursting out in the craziest way possible? She sat up against the pillows on his bed and wiped her eyes before beginning her rambling.

"It's not... It's not your fault... except that it is your fault if that makes sense because you're the one who got me pregnant." Well that was a lovely thing to do! Now why didn't she go and call Cici and Livvie to tell them that Santa is fake? "I don't mean that it's your fault like you did this to hurt me or anything but you got me pregnant. I hate being pregnant, I hate that I'm getting fat and everyone points it out. Your mom even did when we walked in the door! I hate how emotional that I am and how I've been so snappy with you lately." She wiped his eyes one more time and looked around the room mostly so she didn't have to look at him. How could she say these things? Wasn't she suppose to be happy that she was pregnant with the miracle babies?

"Do you ever think about how much happier that you would be if you were with someone else who wasn't so crazy? I mean if you were with someone who was happy to be pregnant and who looked good and had that glow. I'm not glowing! I'm just swollen and puffy." She looked down at her stomach and scrunched her face in utter disgust. "I love the babies but I wish that it wasn't so hard all the time. I'm tired, Elliot, I'm so tired and everything hurts but I get up and go to work every day and teach a bunch of kids that they can be ballerinas when I know that chances are, they're going to end up just like me. I feel like I have to pretend that this pregnancy is perfect because it's something that we both wanted but it's not fair. I'm the only who suffering."

[Elliot Gates]

Pregnancy wasn't that bad, was it? So bad that it seemed like she resented him for accidentally knocking her up because he thought.. well, they both thought that she wouldn't have babies? Wasn't she just as happy about the two little miracles as he was? Hell, he was ready to marry her and then adopt, but they were actually able to have children with their own DNA. Raine and Elliot, not some stranger who didn't want their baby.

He wasn't to ask her about that, but decided against it seeing that would probably just make her more upset. He had been secretly reading a book or two on how to keep your pregnant lady happy during and after the pregnancy. It was full of helpful tips and arguing was not one of them. He sighed at her reasoning and sat cross-legged beside her, the blankets providing cover.

"Oh, Raine.. I.. What do you want me to tell you?" Elliot asked, trying to sound sincere through his frustrations. "Nevermind, why don't we get dressed? I think I have something that will make you feel a little better." He smiled, trying to lighten her mood. The trio downstairs had become rather quiet which meant that they all probably moved to the basement for an afternoon brandy or something of the sort.

When they were both dressed, Elliot had her follow him to the backyard where they were greeted by the family dog, Micca. "Hey sweetheart!" He said, bending over to give her a quick pat on the head. "This is Micca." The dog was a little hesitant of Raine at first, but a little reassurance from Elliot urged her to greet Raine too. The dog sniffed at her shoes and then wagged her stub of a docked tail. "She doesn't normally warm up to people that fast." Elliot smiled as he took her hand in his.

The dog followed them down the unmarked path and into the little forest of seclusion. The brush had long since overgrown but he made sure that Raine was unaffected and could pass easily.. even if that meant her got a thorn or two in his hand or neck. Before they entered into the open area, Elliot stopped and stepped in front of Raine. "No one knows about this place except me." Or at least to the best of his knowledge no one knew. "It was my teeny get away from home and my little sanctuary from the world." After a moment, Elliot pushed the over grown willow branches out of their way which allowed Raine to walk ahead and take in the sight of the pond. The coldness of the water and air mixed with the humidity of the early Spring air and sun rays hitting the water was forming a slight mist over the surface that lead into the over grown field. The afternoon sun lit the regrowing grass into a sea a gold. Every happy emotion, thought and feeling Elliot had ever had here rushed back into him and brought the biggest smile to his face. He loved that the water lilies were already starting to bloom bright pink and some wild flowers were even popping up. He remained silent, just taking it back in himself.

[Raine Gregory]

Raine didn't want to frustrate Elliot or make him feel as though she resented him because of her pregnancy because she didn't. She was happy that she was having his babies and that they were able to experience this together but it was hard. She expected to be more than happy to be having a child but she never realized how difficult it was going to be to give up her body for the benefit of two tiny humans inside of her. She didn't think that she would actually hate food but she did! She hated how she had to consume so much healthy crap for the well-being of her babies when all that she wanted was a spoon and a big jar of nutella. "Alright..." She didn't think that anything that he had up his sleeve could make her feel better but it was worth a try, right? Plus he did so much for her so why not take one for the team and pretend to love whatever it was he wanted to do?

So, she put on her figurative big girl pants and put on her literal maternity skinny jeans, a white Wild Fox jumper with the red heart on it and her white tennis shoes since she really didn't feel like getting dressed up.. At all. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her face was still free of make up. Hell, she didn't even take the five minutes that it took to put in her contact lenses so she had to put on her glasses. Why did she have to have bad eyesight? Her life would have been a thousand times easier if she could just have perfect vision well not far but she wouldn't have to wear her damn glasses or contacts and that would be heavenly, wouldn't it?

She was nervous as they walked down the stairs because she didn't want his parents or Eric to see her when she looked like this! Her sweater made her stomach look even larger than she was. Hell, she looked like she could pop at any second and she was only twenty weeks along... What was she going to look like when she actually was ready to pop? "Oh boy..." She murmured as they were greeted by the dog. What if it didn't like her? What if it bit her? Oh dear... She had never been scared of a dog before, what in the hell was happening to her?

The walk hadn't helped her nerves at all even if Elliot had ensured that she was safe the entire time. She was thinking of the precious cargo inside of her uterus who could easily be injured if she were to fall and she was about ready to ask where in the hell Elliot was taking her when he stopped... And she looked up which she hadn't done once since they began walking. "Oh wow.." She was practically speechless! "Thanks for taking me here, baby." It was a big deal to her because she could pretend in her head that Elliot hadn't taken Ashley here and then this could be their spot. "I'm... just it means a lot to me that you trust me to show me this place."

She was too hard on him, wasn't she? She was always so ready to yell at him for things that he couldn't control until he did something great like this and suddenly he was the best guy in the world again. "I think the babies like it too." She was starting to feel little kicks and movements and they were going absolutely crazy right now. "Do you wanna try and feel?"

[Elliot Gates]

The walk had been fairly easy for him, but Elliot figured it wasn't so much for Raine seeing as she was carrying an extra load. Micca had run off to examine the water and looked like she was contemplating jumping in. Elliot took Raine's hand in his and drew her in close to his side as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

He could still see the days that he and Ashley came here. Their short swims in the clear water, the picnics she made him have with her on the dock that he had built himself. He looked at the tree branch that hung over the deeper part of the pond and saw the old rope that he would swing off from and fly into the water. A little ping was forming in his chest and his smile went away for a second. In that second, he had actually forgotten that Raine was right there beside him.

It was her voice that broke his memories, and he was glad it had. The girls were kicking! Something he hadn't been able to feel before. Every time he tried before, they would stop. It made him worry that they already didn't like him and that maybe it was a sign that he was going to be a bad father. Elliot was quick to kneel down in front of her with both hands over the bump inside her shirt. He didn't feel anything, as always. He pinched his eyebrows in closer and placed his lips just above Raine's belly button and whispered something inaudible.

He was telling the girls who he was and how much that he already loved them. Elliot made sure Raine heard the last part about how he knew they would be 'just as beautiful as their momma.' He kissed her belly and smiled up to her. It caught him off guard and nearly startled him when he felt pressure pushing on his chin. He looked at it like it was something alien but realized that it was one of their babies!

Elliot remained there, frozen by amazement. He felt a second push on his left hand and nearly burst with excitement. "Is this what you feel everytime the move?"

[Raine Gregory]

Raine honestly felt guilty that he had been unable to feel their babies moving or kicking... or really any sign that they were alive at all aside from the once every four week ultrasounds. She was trying to remember what baby A (Baye) and baby B's (Faith) positioning had been at their last appointment so she could actually tell him which one was doing what. "Feel that?" She moved his hand under her belly button and smiled weakly up at him, "That's Faith.... and..." She paused and moved his hand to the left side of her bump, "That's Baye."

She couldn't help but giggle whenever they moved around like this. "Isn't it amazing? Like... there's really two little people in there." She knew that it wasn't going to be all sunshine and rainbow baby movements when she got farther along... and they unfortunately got bigger. "It's really cool, huh?" He was likely getting irritated with her on the subject of the babies moving since she was always talking about how wonderful that it felt.

"Sorry... I know that I talk about the babies moving a lot and it has to get annoying." She just really loved their daughters. She hated being pregnant but she loved Baye and Faith more than anything else in the world. "We still need to figure out middle names, babe." Middle names weren't the most important thing in the world but it nattered to her. She wanted to have everything ready in advance for the babies! Hell, she already had the nurseries ready and her hospital bag packed despite the fact thar it was quite early for both.

She was trying to keep his mind on the bright future they had (their babies) and off the dark past that he shared with his dead ex-girlfriend. "I like Faith Elliot Gates since your name is kind of unisex, darling." She was under the impression that they would never have a son so he would never get a boy to honor him. "I know how some men can be with their namesakes." What if he hated the idea? "Or maybe after your mom?" She wanted one baby to honor him and his family and one to honor her and her side of the family. "And... not to completely change the subject but your babies are starving again."

She was always hungry so it couldn't be that big of a surprise.