*This story follows Expect the Unexpected. If you have not read it, I suggest you do to get the full effect of the series.*
Chris and Rita sat in the office of their captain, Harry Lipshitz, anxiously awaiting his arrival. They had planned to make their announcement today… come rain or come shine. Although, they had attempted to tell Cap about their impending marriage and Rita's pregnancy several times already, something always got in the way. Usually, it was work, but whenever Cap went on and on about how much he valued them as his top detectives, they lost their nerve and decided against telling him. But last night, they had agreed to divulge the secret they'd been keeping from him for the past couple months. Chris and Rita just prayed he wouldn't split them up as partners.
Cap walked into the Palm Beach Homicide Division about five minutes later to see Chris and Rita sitting in his office waiting obviously for him. He got a bad feeling in his gut, and he knew that this was not going to be a good conversation.
"Lance, Lorenzo! What are you doing here? Why aren't you working?" he asked as he took a seat behind his desk. Chris glanced over at Rita, who was looking down at her hands and fidgeting nervously in her chair.
"We've got to talk to you about something, Cap," said Chris.
"Uh-oh. Why do I have a feeling this is not gonna be good?"
"We ah… Rita and I are getting married, Cap."
"Married? My two best homicide cops? Come on, you two. You know the rules. Nothing physical between partners. You've got to be pulling my leg here." When he got no response, Cap sat back preparing for a discussion he knew was coming but wasn't quite ready for.
"It's true, Cap. We know all the rules, but we love each other. We've been best friends for years, and we recently realized that we're much more than that."
"How recently?" Cap asked in a stern voice as he brought his glasses down to look at them.
"About four months ago, Captain," said Rita.
"Four months!?! You two have been sneaking around here for four months? How could you lie to me? I'm your superior, but more importantly, I thought I was your friend."
"You are, Cap, but we couldn't tell you or you'd spilt us up as partners. We weren't ready to face that," Chris said as he reached over and took one of Rita's hands in his.
"And you're ready to face being split up now?" Chris and Rita looked at each other and both nodded, but they were hoping that deep down the captain wouldn't split them up. Cap just shook his head back and forth. "You know I'll do what I can for you, but I don't know if there is anything I can do. This isn't my rule It comes from the higher ups in the department."
"We know, Cap," said Rita.
"You just need to keep this relationship quiet until I can figure something out, okay?"
"For now, that won't be a problem, but…"
"But what, Lorenzo?" Cap asked, the feeling in his gut intensifying.
"We've got more news, Cap."
"More? Isn't marriage enough?"
"Ummm… well, I'm pregnant, Cap," said Rita. Cap looked at Chris and Rita in shock. Then, he got up from his chair and smiled brightly at them. Chris and Rita got up with smiles of their own on their faces.
"Congratulations, Rita. I'm so happy for you," Cap said as he embraced her in a fatherly hug. "And you too, Lorenzo. Get over here." He gave Chris a hug as well. "I know you two will make great parents, and I knew you'd find your way together one day. I just hoped it was a little later down the road so I didn't have to deal with this whole partners fiasco quite yet."
"We appreciate everything you're doing for us, Cap," said Rita. "And we understand if you can't get the okay for us to still be partners."
"I know you do, Lance. Hey! Why don't you guys come over for dinner tomorrow night. Frannie's been dying to see you, and she'll be thrilled that you're getting married. And pregnant, wow! Do you know how old this makes me feel?" Chris looked at Rita, and they both smiled.
"We'll be there," Chris said as he put his arm around Rita's shoulder.
Later that night, Chris and Rita were curled up on the couch watching a movie.
"So, do you think the department will make an exception for it's best homicide team?"
"Best homicide team, huh? Not very modest, are we Christopher?"
"Nope. We are the best, no doubt about it. And what did I tell you about calling me Christopher? I feel like I'm in trouble when you do that?"
"Ok, I'm sorry. I won't do it again… unless you're really in trouble," she said with a smile.
"In trouble, huh? All right, I can deal with that because I'd never do anything that would get me in trouble," he said innocently.
"Right, Sam," she said while unsuccessfully trying to hold back her laughter.
"What's with the laughing? Are you trying to say that you think I'm a troublemaker?"
"No… I know you're a troublemaker!"
"That's it, Sammy. Now, you're gonna get it." Chris pinned Rita beneath him and tickled her while she begged for mercy. They were both out of breath by the time Chris finally stopped his torture treatment.
"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" Rita asked sincerely.
"I think I have some idea," Chris said with a smile. He lowered his head so his lips met hers in a soft, gentle kiss. "I love you too, Rita," he whispered. He looked in her eyes and then down at her stomach before lifting the sweatshirt she was wearing to reveal the place where their child lay. Then, he started placing gentle kisses there. Rita giggled at him. "Hey! Are you laughing at me?" Chris asked as he stopped kissing her stomach.
"No, but that tickles."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Chris got up off Rita and sat back on the opposite end of the couch.
"Where are you going?" she asked concerned that she'd hurt his feelings.
"Nowhere. I just didn't want to crush you and Junior," he said with a smile.
"First off," she said as she crawled over to him and straddled his lap, "you, Sam, can crush me whenever you want." Then, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "And second, who said we're naming our baby Junior?" she asked, her face appearing very displeased even at the thought of it.
"I don't want to name the baby Junior, but we can call him that until he's born or at least until we think of a name, can't we?"
"I suppose, but I have a slight problem with that," Rita said as she leaned in and started kissing Chris's neck, sending his body into a highly aroused state.
"And what's that?" he asked, barely able to get the words out of his mouth.
"Who says our baby will be a boy?"
"No one. I just have a feeling about this."
"Yeah? Well, I say it's a girl," Rita said as she seductively ran her fingers down his chest, where his shirt now lay open. When her hands came to the top of his pants, Chris lost all sense of reality.
"Sammy?"
"Yes?"
"Can we argue about this later?" he asked in a pleading tone, showing her just how much he wanted her at the moment.
"I think that can be arranged," she said with a smile. Chris smiled back as he brought his lips to hers in a mind blowing kiss. His hands soon found their way underneath her shirt, where he unsnapped her bra and pulled both articles of clothing from her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he kissed her with more intensity than seemed possible. Then, Chris got up off the couch, and Rita wrapped her legs around him. He led them upstairs where they spent the night making love over and over again.
The next night, Chris and Rita pulled into Cap and Frannie's driveway and walked up to the front door.
"I can't believe we can finally be open and honest about our relationship. It feels good," Rita said.
"Yeah. I know. I don't want to keep us a secret anymore. I want the whole world to know how much I love you."
"I love you, too, Chris." Rita brought her lips to his in a sweet, passionate kiss. At that moment, Frannie opened the door, and that's how she found them.
"Oh my… Heschy, get over here," she yelled. Chris and Rita broke apart and looked at Frannie, each with a smile on their face.
"Frannie, what is it? Why are you screaming?" Cap asked. Then, he saw Chris and Rita at his door step, Rita wrapped tightly in Chris's arms. "Ahhh. I see you discovered Chris and Rita's secret."
"You knew about this and you didn't tell me?" she asked as she poked Cap in the ribs.
"Hey! I only found out yesterday," he said while rubbing his bruised ribs. Frannie turned back to Chris and Rita.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you two. I knew you belonged together from the start," she said as she enveloped them both in a big hug.
"Thanks, Fran," said Rita.
"Come on in. Dinner's almost ready," said Cap.
"Let me take your coats." Chris handed his to Frannie and then helped Rita with hers. When she took her coat off, you could see that her stomach was starting to bulge a little bit. Cap, nor anyone else at the department, had discovered this yet because Rita had been wearing loose fitting clothes to work. But the tight fitting shirt she was sporting now made it obvious that she had either gained some weight or she was pregnant. This didn't escape Frannie's attention.
"Rita? You're… Do you two have something else to announce?" she asked as she walked back over to the couple.
"Well, we're ah… getting married," she stated leaving the obvious unsaid.
"Married? Oh congratulations, dear! And a baby? You two sure will have your hands full! Isn't this great, Heschy?" she asked, not giving him time to respond. "What about work? Can you still be partners? And neither of you have a place big enough to accommodate yourselves and a baby. Are you going to get a new one? Oh and ,Rita, I'm sure you want to get married before you're as big as a house. We've got a lot of planning to do for this wedding!" When Frannie was done rambling, Chris and Rita looked at her in complete surprise. They had never seen anyone yammer away that much in such a small amount of time, but Cap, on the other hand, was quite used to Frannie's tirades.
"I think we need to slow down a little, Fran," said Rita.
"Yeah. I don't want to rush anything. I want my Rita to have the wedding of her dreams," Chris said as his arms found their way around Rita's growing waist.
"Awww! Heschy, did you hear that? His Rita? That's so adorable!" Chris and Rita blushed a little.
"Frannie, stop. You're making them blush."
It turned out to be a long evening.
Later that night, Chris and Rita were lying in bed, their legs intertwined. Rita had her head rested on Chris's chest, and he was stroking her hair with one hand and her back with the other. Rita closed her eyes and sighed at the feeling of contentment she experienced whenever she was with Chris like this…just the two of them in the comforts of their own bed.
Chris and Rita had been spending the last few months at her apartment, which had become their home. Chris rarely ever went to his place anymore. He'd practically moved all his clothes to Rita's place, and she didn't mind in the least. She loved being able to wake up and fall asleep wrapped securely in his arms. It was one of the joys in life that she knew she'd never be able to live without.
Chris looked down at Rita, whose face was lit up in a bright smile.
"What are you thinking about, Rita?" he asked softly as he continued his delicate stroking through her hair and down her back.
"The future," she answered, her smile growing wider with the anticipation of seeing their child for the first time. Tomorrow was the day they'd have a sonogram done at the doctor's office.
"I can't wait until tomorrow either." He paused before asking, "What do you think we're having? A boy or a girl?"
"I don't know. I mean, even though we were arguing over it the other day, it won't make a difference to me either way, you know?"
"Yeah, I do. I'd love to have a little boy that I could teach to play basketball, but I wouldn't mind having a little girl that looked just as beautiful as her mommy either." Rita smiled brightly at him.
"You're not gonna think I'm so beautiful in another couple months. I'll be huge!"
"Huge or not, you'll always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me," he said sincerely causing Rita's eyes to glisten over on the brink of tears.
"Whenever you say something that sweet, it just reminds me of how much I love you, Christopher," she said, a few tears escaping her eyes. Chris had begun to recognize the moments when Rita's emotions were in overdrive lately, and this was definitely one of them.
"Well, when I'm with you," he said, moving around so that he had Rita pinned beneath him, "I'm just overly sappy." Then, he leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. He pulled back and rested his weight on his elbow. "So, what kind of wedding do you wanna have?"
"I don't know. What kind of wedding do you want?"
"I want whatever you want, and you're not being fair. I asked you first," he said with a smile, bringing a smile to Rita's face as well.
"Well, I guess I want something small, you know? Just us, the minister, Cap, Frannie, George, Diana, some friends from the department… Is that okay with you?"
"Yeah, sure. It's not like either of us have much family. Besides, you and Junior here are all the family I need," he said as he gently ran his hand over her stomach.
"And you and the baby are all I need, but what about your parents? Don't you want to invite them? Did you even tell them about the wedding or the baby?"
"Well…," Chris said as he looked down at his hands. "I ah… I haven't spoken to Anna in months… I haven't seen her in a few years actually… and I haven't called my dad either."
"Why not? You think they won't approve of me?" she asked insecurely. "I mean, we did do it backwards… got pregnant before we got married."
"Hey! You squash that thought from your pretty little mind, Sammy. Don't you remember how much my dad liked you the last time he was in town?" Rita nodded. "And who cares about my mother anyway? She never approved of me, so it won't make a damn bit of difference to me what she thinks of us being together. You got that?"
"I got it," she said, a hint of a smile forming at her lips. "And what did you mean by 'pretty little mind'? I always thought I was kind of smart, Sam," she said teasingly.
"Of course you're smart… just not as smart as me!" He received a hard smack on the arm for that one. "Hey!"
"You asked for it!"
"Well, you didn't have to hit me so hard," he complained.
"I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you," she said seductively. She brought her hand to her mouth and kissed it. Then, she rubbed the hand on Chris's arm where she'd just hit him. "Does that feel any better?" she asked with fake sympathy.
"A little. Try it again, and we'll see if the pain's gone." This time she leaned forward and gently placed a kiss on his arm with her lips. "Feels much better, Sammy. Now, how about here?" he asked, pointing to his lips. Rita had to smile at that, knowing Chris's tendency to take advantage of every situation that presented itself, but she kissed him quickly on the lips anyway. "Again?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
"Now, you're pushing it!"
"Okay, okay. I get the hint," he said with a puppy dog face.
"Now, back to the wedding. I was thinking of asking Diana to be my maid of honor. What do you think?"
"Sure. I already told you, Sam. Anything you want."
"Well, how about you? Who's gonna be your best man?"
"I was gonna ask Cap. And we should ask Cap and Frannie to be Junior's godparents too. What do you think, Junior?" he asked, his mouth hovering above Rita's stomach as he talked to their son or daughter.
"Oooh!" Rita exclaimed.
"What's wrong, Sammy?" Chris asked, concern evident in his tone of voice.
"The baby just kicked me," she said happily.
"Really? He must agree with me, huh Junior?"
"Ahhhh! The baby kicked again, Chris. Here, give me your hand." Rita took Chris's hand and placed it over her stomach where the baby had kicked her. It kicked again. "Did you feel that?" she asked, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree.
"Yeah! I can't believe that's our baby in there." Chris moved back so that his head was right above Rita's stomach again. "Hey in there! This is your daddy speaking. I just wanna tell you that Mommy and I love you so much already, and we can't wait for you to get here." He looked up at Rita who was smiling brightly at him with tears in her eyes. He moved up so that he could kiss her gently on the lips, but the kiss soon turned passionate, and Chris and Rita soon found themselves lost in a world of their own desires.
The next day at work was very uneventful. The people of Palm Beach weren't as homicidal as usual, which was, of course, a good thing for Palm Beach but a bad thing for the cops, who were reduced to sitting at the department with nothing to do.
"Hey, Chris. I think I'm gonna go downstairs and talk to Diana, ask her about what we talked about last night. Maybe it will take my mind off the disappointment of not being able to see Junior today," Rita said as she got up out of her chair and walked over to him. The doctor's office had called earlier that morning to cancel Rita's appointment, which meant they wouldn't have their sonogram today. Apparently, a woman had gone into labor, and Rita's doctor was called in for the delivery. "The nerve! Couldn't the baby have waited one more day?" Rita thought to herself.
"Sure," Chris said not looking up from the paper he was reading.
"You should ask Cap about it, too. Chris?" Rita noticed he wasn't listening to her. She looked over his shoulder to see the paper he was reading, but he quickly pulled the paper away. "Hey! What are you reading there? And why don't you want me to see it?"
"It's nothing. So what were you saying?" He was obviously trying to divert her attention, but she decided to figure out what he was reading later rather than argue about it at work.
"I said I'm gonna go ask Diana about being the maid of honor at our wedding, and I think you should ask Cap about it too while it's still slow in here."
"Yeah. Sounds like a plan."
"All right. I'll be back in a little while. Then, we can go out for dinner, unless you want me to cook."
"You cook? You've got to be kidding me, Sammy. I seem to recall the smell of burnt food in my apartment one night when I let you cook for Eric."
"I've gotten better, and don't mention him. He was a jerk, and I never should have started seeing him."
"I never did like him, but I guess that's because I was jealous, huh?"
"Jealous?"
"Yeah. I hated the fact that you were with him and not with me, but I never said anything," he said sadly. "Weren't you the least bit jealous of Jillian?"
"Well… maybe a little bit."
"I knew it! You wanted my hot bod, even back then!" he said with a smile extending from ear to ear.
"Go talk to Cap, you ego maniac," Rita said as she playfully hit him in the arm and went off in search of Diana.
"Rita? Are you home?" Chris asked as he entered her apartment later that night. When he didn't get a response, his protective mode slipped into gear ad he immediately ran for the stairs. He knew it was probably nothing, but he wasn't going to take any chances with the woman he loved or the child she was carrying, his child, their child. When he entered the bedroom, he heard the shower running and saw steam escaping from the bathroom door. A naughty idea crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it, knowing they didn't have time to play. The shower stopped, and Rita walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her. The sight of Rita in a towel caused plenty more fun ideas to jump into Chris's head, but he regretfully dismissed those too.
"Hey! I didn't hear you come in," Rita said as she walked over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Diana said she'd be happy to be the maid of honor at our wedding. Did you talk to Cap?"
"Yes, I did, and he agreed. I think he was honored that I asked him." Rita smiled at him in agreement.
"So, how come you're late?"
"It's not late. It's only six o'clock. Besides, I was taking care of a few things."
"A few things? Would these things have anything to do with those papers you didn't want me to see this afternoon?"
"Possibly," he said with a smile. "Now, get dressed. We're going out for dinner, then I have a surprise for you. I think you're gonna like it."
"A surprise? I like surprises. You think I could convince you to give me a little hint," she said as she seductively walked over to him.
"Sorry, Rita. You'll have to wait until after dinner."
"But I was hoping for just a small hint."
"Nope," he said turning to walk out the door.
"Are you sure?" she asked forcing him to turn back around. When he did, he saw that her towel had accidentally dropped to the floor, and she was standing there naked in front of him.
"Now, that's not fair, Sam. You know I can't resist you when you're standing here looking like that," he said, taking a second to absorb her beauty.
"Why do you think I did it?" she asked with a smile.
"Well, under any other circumstances, I'd be at your mercy right now, but there's no way you're getting this out of me." With that, Chris turned and left the room.
"Oh well." Rita frowned and went in search of clothes.
Downstairs, Chris headed towards to kitchen to cool off his highly sensitized body. "Ice! I need ice!"
"Can I take this thing off yet?" an annoyed Rita asked.
"Not yet, Sammy," Chris said as he led her out of an elevator. They had already finished their dinner, and Rita was anxiously awaiting her surprise.
Rita heard Chris fidgeting with keys. "Where are we, Chris? We were in an elevator, and I hear keys, but I still have no clue where we are."
"You'll never stop being a detective, will ya Rita?"
"Nope. Now, can I take this blindfold off yet?"
"Give me one more second." Chris unlocked the door in front of him and led Rita inside. "Okay. You can take it off now."
Rita removed the blindfold from her eyes and looked around the room in confusion. "Where are we, Chris? This looks like someone's loft."
"Wrong," he said as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "This is our loft."
"Ours?" she asked in amazement.
"Yup! That's what I was working on this afternoon. I came and saw it yesterday, and I loved it! I knew you would too, so I signed the papers, and it's ours. We can move in as soon as we sell our places."
"Really?"
"Ah-huh. In fact, I called the paper this afternoon, and both my loft and your apartment will be listed in the classifieds starting tomorrow morning." Rita started walking around the loft inspecting her new home. Chris mistook her amazement for disappointment. "Rita?" She didn't answer. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"
"No, I love it, Chris. It's beautiful," she answered quickly to dismiss his fears.
"You really like it?"
"Yes! Let's go check the upstairs." She ran up the stairs with Chris following close behind. She inspected the bathroom and both bedrooms with a huge smile on her face. "Wow! This is wonderful, Chris."
"Do you like the second bedroom? I thought it was a nice size for a nursery."
"Yeah, it's big, so there's room for the baby to play in it. The master bedroom is huge too!"
"Yup! That's so we have more room to play!" he said with raised eyebrows.
"You're bad!" she said playfully hitting him on the arm.
"And you love it!"
"You know I do. And I love you for doing this, Chris. Thank you."
"No need to thank me. You're all the thanks I need, Sammy."
Chris and Rita were so excited when they got home later that night. They were well on their way to having the life they always dreamed of, and neither of them could wait.
"You think we should start packing? I want to move in as soon as possible," Rita said, her excitement still showing in her voice.
"Aren't you a little tired? We've had a long night, and we have to get up early for the sonogram tomorrow. Remember it was rescheduled?"
"Yes, I know we do, but I was only thinking of you."
"How so?"
"Well, I'm already starting to show…"
"I noticed," he cut in bringing a smile to Rita's lips.
"As I was saying, I'm already showing, and pretty soon I won't be able to help you move because I'll be as big as our new loft."
"Ahhh! I see your point. Maybe I should put you to work now while I still can."
"I'm so excited about our new place that I'm not even gonna argue with you."
"Good. So, where do you wanna start?"
"How about the bedroom?" A knock at the door interrupted their attempt to begin packing.
"Hold that thought," Chris said as he headed toward the door. He was surprised to see Cap and Frannie standing there. "Cap, Frannie, what are you doing here?"
"Didn't anyone ever teach you manners, Lorenzo? Is that how you greet your guests?"
"You know what I mean, Cap," Chris said as he moved from to doorway to allow them entry into the apartment.
"Cap, Frannie! How are you? It's nice to see you," Rita said as she embraced her captain and his wife in a hug.
"See, now that's how you greet your guests." Chris just rolled his eyes at the man before him.
"Sit down. What can we do for you, Cap?" Rita asked. Cap and Frannie took a seat on the sofa while Rita sat in the arm chair across from them.
"I'll go get some coffee. A fresh pot just finished. Can I get you guys a cup?"
"As long as you didn't make it," Cap joked, watching Chris exit into the kitchen.
"You're in luck. I made it, Cap," said Rita.
"In that case, I'll take a cup with milk and sugar."
"No, I'll take mine that way, dear, but make Heschy's black," she said turning to her husband. "You need to be more careful with your health," she explained to Harry's disappointment.
"I'll just have a glass of milk, Sam."
"Okay. I'll be right in," Chris called from the kitchen.
"So, what can we do for you, Cap?"
"Well, I have some news, and I wanted to tell you in person," Cap said reluctantly.
"Really? We have some news for you too."
"Yup," Chris said returning from the kitchen with their coffee and Rita's milk. He handed Rita her milk and sat on the arm of her chair.
"Well, you guys go first," said Cap.
"Okay. Well, Rita and I were wondering if you and Frannie would like to be the godparents of Junior here," he said, indicating Rita's stomach.
"Oh, Chris! We'd be honored," Frannie answered quickly.
"Cap?"
"Of course, we would. Besides, someone has to teach him about baseball. If I leave it up to you, all he'll know is basketball."
"I hate to burst your bubble, Heschy, but it could be a girl."
"Thank you, Fran," Rita said as she gave her a hug. She was glad she had a woman on her side. "So, what was your news, Cap?"
Cap's face fell at the mention of his news. "I'm afraid it's not as good as yours," he said solemnly.
"What is it, Cap?"
"The board the department set up to decide your fate as a team came back after you left the office this afternoon. I'm sorry to say that it's not good news."
"We can't be partners after we're married, can we?" Chris asked, already knowing the answer by Cap's tone of voice.
"It's worse than that, Lorenzo. They said that since you're engaged and therefore you have uhh… a sexual relationship, you can no longer be partners… effective immediately."
"Immediately?" asked a stunned Rita.
"I can't believe this, Cap. We've given most of our lives to that department and this is how they repay us?" Chris asked, the anger rising in his chest. He looked down at Rita from his position on her chair and saw the tears about to flow from her eyes. "C'mere, Sam." He quickly took their glasses and placed them on the table, so he could hold her in his arms as she cried. He knew this wasn't just the hormones of her pregnancy speaking either. It was a chapter in their lives closing for good.
"I'm sorry about this guys. I did what I could," Cap tried to apologized though it wasn't his fault.
"We know you did, Cap," Rita said lifting her head from it's place on Chris's shoulder. "What are we gonna do now?" Rita looked to Chris for an answer. "I don't want another partner."
"Neither do I, Sammy."
"Anything I can do to help, you just call."
"Thanks, Cap," Chris said as he took Rita back into his arms enveloping her in a comforting hug.
"We should get going, Heschy. Chris and Rita need to be alone and think," Frannie whispered. Cap nodded in agreement and went to notify the couple in question that they were leaving, but he saw that they were wrapped up in their own world, oblivious to their surroundings. Cap and Frannie quietly found their way to the door and left.
A couple minutes later, Chris noticed that Cap and Frannie had left, so he led Rita over to the couch and held her in his arms. "It'll be okay, Sammy," he said, trying to reassure her.
"How?"
"You remember what we talked about the night after we got engaged?"
"About us having ten kids?" she joked, lightening the mood.
"No!"
"Oh. You mean about us becoming P.I.'s?" Rita pulled her head back off his chest to look at him as she spoke.
"Yeah. What do you think about that?"
"I don't know. I love being a cop, Chris."
"I know you do, and so do I, but if we still want to be cops, then we can't be partners. We're gonna have to make a choice, Sam. We can either be cops and not be partners, or we can be P.I.'s and be partners." Rita still looked weary of the idea. "Think about it. We can start our own business. We can chose the cases that we want to take, not just work on the ones given to us. And we can set our own hours too. That doesn't sound too bad, does it?"
"No. It sounds pretty good actually," Rita said with a small smile.
"I think we should sleep on it tonight though and not make any decisions right now."
"Wow! You're starting to sound responsible here, Sam. I think I'm having a good effect on you," she kidded.
"You," he said as he pulled her onto his lap, "have a wonderful effect on me. In fact, having you in my arms like this is affecting me more than you know," he said as his body became more aroused with her movements in his lap.
"I know exactly what I'm doing to you," Rita said as she leaned in and kissed him deeply, leading him quickly over the edge.
"I think I'm a little too depressed for this," Chris said with a smile, contradicting his statement.
"Christopher Lorenzo, in all the time that I've known you, you've never been to depressed to have sex… especially with me," she said casing his smile to grow wider by the second.
"I think you're right about that, Miss Lance, soon-to-be Mrs. Lorenzo. And to prove your point, I'm taking you to bed… right now!" And that he did!
"Rita Lance?"
"Right here," Rita said as she and Chris rose from their seats in the doctor's office waiting area.
"This way please." A nurse showed Chris and Rita into an exam room. "Here you go, Miss Lance. Change into this, and the doctor will be right in," she said as she handed Rita one of those see through, open in the back, paper thin hospital gowns. Then, she exited the room.
"Oh, Sammy. Are those the gowns that open in the back?" Chris asked with raised eyebrows. When Rita nodded, Chris asked, "Can we take one home?"
"Not a chance," she said as she slapped him in the arm. She knew he wanted the gown to play with, but there was no way that thing was making it's way into her home. It was bad enough she had to wear it at her doctor's appointments. She put her purse down on the table and took off her jacket. Then, she started to remove her shirt to put the gown on. Chris came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, undoing the buttons on her shirt himself. "Christopher, not here. We're in the middle of the doctor's office. Don't you ever quit?"
"I'm not trying to seduce you, although it's not a bad idea. I'm just helping you change into your gown." When Rita looked at him skeptically, he added, "I told you I wanted to be here for you through every step of this pregnancy."
"Ah-huh. Every step? Does that mean you won't mind when I'm biting your head off in the delivery room? I've heard that women in labor can get pretty brutal."
"Don't worry. I can take it. I'm gonna support you every step of the way."
"So, it's your support that's leading you to unbutton my shirt right now, huh?"
"Of course! Now, you get the picture, Sammy," he said with a patent Lorenzo grin. Rita rolled her eyes at him as he pulled her now unbuttoned shirt from her shoulders. "So, would you like me to help you put the gown on?"
"I think I can handle it from here."
"Okay."
A couple minutes later, the doctor and a nurse entered the exam room with the necessary machines to perform a sonogram.
"Good morning, Rita. And you must be the future daddy?" the doctor said extending a hand to Chris.
"Yes, he is," Rita said proudly. "Doctor, this is my fiancé, Chris Lorenzo. Chris, this is Doctor Seidel."
"Nice to meet you," Chris said as he shook the doctor's hand.
"Likewise," said Dr. Seidel. "Shall we get started?" Chris and Rita nodded. "Rita, why don't you lie down on this table so that my nurse can put this jellylike stuff here on your stomach. But I warn you, it might feel a little cold. And Chris, there's a chair for you to sit on right over there." Chris grabbed the chair while the nurse put the gel on Rita's growing stomach.
"Will we be able to hear the baby's heartbeat today too?"
"Yes, you will." When the nurse was finished, Chris took Rita's hand, and the doctor started the machines.
A few minutes later, the sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room, and the silhouette of a baby appeared on the monitor.
"I couldn't believe it, Pop! I was sitting there holding Rita's hand, and all of a sudden our child appeared on the screen. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, except for Rita, of course," Chris said to his father while smiling at Rita. They were both laying on the couch, Rita on top of Chris, because Chris had finally sat down and called his father to tell him the news.
"You couldn't believe it? You've been seeing that beautiful lady for months now, and this is the first I hear about it. And she's pregnant too? Tell her I'm too young to be a grandpa," said an excited Benny Lorenzo on the other end of the line.
"Pop says he too young to be a grandpa," Chris told Rita with a smile as she watched him talk to his father.
"Ask him to come to the wedding," she said into his chest, where her head was resting.
Chris turned back to his phone conversation. "Pop, Rita and I would like to know if you want to come to our wedding."
"Are you kidding? Of course I would! When's the big day?"
"We actually haven't set one yet, but it'll be soon. We definitely want to be married before the 3AM feedings begin."
"Well, count me in, no matter when you set the date."
"Thanks, Pop. I guess I'll let you go now. I just wanted to tell you about me and Rita and, of course, the baby."
"I still can't believe it. I can't wait to congratulate that woman of yours in person for finally getting you to settle down. I didn't think it'd ever happen."
"Yeah, well neither did I, but being married to a woman like Rita and having a family with her is exactly what I've always wanted in life," Chris said while looking straight into Rita's eyes.
"I know it is, kid. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"
"Okay, Pop. I love you. Bye."
"I love you too, kid."
Chris hung up the phone and pulled Rita closer to him. "I love you," he whispered softly in her ear.
"I love you too, Chris."
"Are you sure about this?" Chris asked as he and Rita walked through the halls of the Palm Beach Police Department and toward Cap's office.
"Yes. This is something we need to do, Chris. Why? Are you having second thoughts?"
"No!"
"Good, then let's get this over with before we lose our nerve." They walked into Cap's office to find him sitting behind his desk deep in concentration.
"Hey Cap. You got a minute?" Chris asked causing Cap to look up from his work.
"Sure, but what are you two doing here? I distinctly remember giving you to day off today, so you could start packing."
"You did, but we wanted to tell you something," said Rita. Chris walked over and saw his and Rita's names on the paper in front of Cap.
"What are you working on there, Cap?" he asked.
"I'm trying to find you two new partners."
"Well, I don't think that's necessary anymore."
"Why? Don't tell me you're not getting married now. What about the baby?"
"Hold on a sec, Cap. We're definitely getting married," Chris said with a smile.
"Then, what are you talking about? If you're together, you're gonna need new partners."
"Not if we quit, Cap," said Rita.
"Quit?" Cap asked in shock. "You're kidding me, right?"
"No, we're not."
"But what will you do? You're cops! It's in your blood."
"We know that, Cap, but neither Chris nor I trust anyone to watch the other's back, and we just don't want to be split up."
"We're gonna open up our own P.I. business."
"P.I. business? Come on, you two. Whenever you worked on a case involving a P.I., you were always annoyed with the fact that they were stepping on your territory. Now, you're gonna switch over to the other side."
"It's not like we haven't talked about all that, Cap. We just can't see ourselves working with anyone else but each other."
"We'll be able to set our own hours too, which will be good for the baby. We can even work out of our new loft if we want," said Chris.
"Are you sure about this? Both of you?"
"I've never been more sure, Cap," Chris said without hesitation.
"And Rita?"
"Yes, Cap. It's the best thing for us right now."
Cap got up from his desk and walked around to the couple. Chris and Rita didn't know what to make of his silence. "Then, I guess this is it, huh?" he finally asked. "I'm gonna miss you guys."
"We'll miss you too, captain," Rita said on the brink of tears as she hugged Cap.
"It's not like we'll never see each other, Cap. I mean you're the best man at our wedding and you're the godfather of our baby."
"I know, but it won't be the same around here."
"It won't be the same for us either," said Chris. Rita pulled back from the hug and looked at Chris. "Are you ready to do this, Sam?" he said as he took Rita's hand.
"Yeah." She pulled back her suit jacket a little bit and reached for the badge that she had so carefully placed there everyday for years and pulled it out. Chris reached for his own badge and looked at it with sorrow in his eyes before handing it over to Cap. Rita held onto hers for a couple more seconds before doing the same.
Cap just looked at the badges in his hands and frowned. "I'm gonna need your weapons as well," he said reluctantly. Chris and Rita unholstered their guns and slowly handed those over too.
"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some packing to do."
"Of course," said Cap. Chris and Rita started to walk out the door. "And Chris?" Cap said causing them to turn back for a second.
"Yeah."
"Don't forget that if you need anything, anything at all, Frannie and I are there for you two."
"Thanks, Cap," Rita said before she and Chris walked out the palm tree doors for good.
"There goes the best damn homicide team I ever worked with."
Two Months Later
Look into my eyes
And you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart
Search your soul
And when you find me there
You'll search no more
"Do you Chris take Rita to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward until death do you part?"
"I do," Chris said as he tightened his grip around Rita's hands. She smiled at him making his heart melt.
Don't tell me
It's not worth trying for
You can't tell me
It's not worth dying for
You know it's true
Everything I do
I do it for you
"Do you Rita take Chris to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward until death do you part?"
"I do," she said through her tears. Then she mouthed "I love you" to Chris, who did the same.
Look into you heart
You will find
There's nothing there to hide
Take me as I am
Take my life
I will give it up
I would sacrifice
"By the power vested in me, by the state of Florida, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Chris, you may kiss your bride."
Chris didn't need to be told twice. He lovingly took Rita into his arms and brought her lips to his in a tender kiss, encouraging clapping and plenty of grins from their audience.
Don't tell me
It's not worth fighting for
I can't help it
There's nothing I want more
You know it's true
Everything I do
I do it for you
Cap and Frannie looked on with love in their eyes. They loved Chris and Rita as if they were their own children, and watching them get married was a proud moment for them.
Anna Alexis and Benny Lorenzo clapped as they watched their son and new daughter-in-law break the kiss, each with a smile on their faces. Seeing Chris so happy was a like a wish granted for them. Chris's didn't have the easiest childhood, but they were glad to see that he'd been able to overcome it and marry the woman of his dreams.
George and Diana watched from the sidelines as their friends relished in their love and newly changed marital status. They couldn't be happier for them.
There's no love
Like your love
And no other
Can give more love
There's nowhere
Unless your there
All the time
All the way
Look into your heart, baby
Chris took Rita in his arms as they glided across the dance floor for the first time as husband and wife. Rita was now five months pregnant, and she had developed a fairly rounded stomach showing evidence of their child growing within her. Chris couldn't be happier, but she wasn't exactly excited to "look like a blimp", as she called it, on their wedding day. But even that couldn't stop her from enjoying this day. She was finally Mrs. Christopher Lorenzo, and soon all their dreams would be fulfilled.
Oh you can't tell me
It's not worth trying for
I can't help it
There's nothing I want more
I'd fight for you
I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you
Yeah I'd die for you
"Aww, Heschy! They're so in love," Frannie said as she watched Chris and Rita dancing in the middle of the room.
"Yes, they are," he said with a smile.
"They're gonna make it. I know they are."
"I think so too, Frannie," Cap said as he hugged her closer to him.
You know it's true
Everything I do
I do it for you
"Push, Mrs. Lorenzo."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can, Sammy. One more time, and we'll have our baby." Chris held Rita's hand as she pushed once more. Suddenly, a high-pitched cry filled the room.
"Congratulations, Mr. And Mrs. Lorenzo. You have a daughter."
"Oh, Sam! Did you hear that? We have a baby girl," Chris said with tears in his eyes.
"A girl," Rita said, her body thoroughly exhausted.
"Would you like to cut the cord, Mr. Lorenzo?"
"Sure." Rita let go of his hand, and he followed the doctor's instructions and cut the cord connecting his wife and child.
The nurse cleaned the little girl and then handed her to Chris. "Meet your daughter, Mr. Lorenzo," the nurse said with a smile.
Chris looked down at the bundle in his arms and brought her over to Rita, who sat up in anticipation of holding her daughter in her arms for the very first time. "Rita, meet our daughter."
"She's beautiful, Chris."
"Just like her mommy," he said with the biggest smile to ever cross his face.
"What should we name her?"
"I don't know. Any suggestions?"
"How about Anna Rose, after your mother and your grandmother?"
"I don't know, Sam. I like the Rose part… in fact, I think Grandma Rose would be honored, but…"
"Well, we can chose something else if you don't like it."
"How about Amy Rose?"
"Yeah, I think I like it," Rita said as she smiled down at her daughter.
"Then, Amy Rose Lorenzo it is."
"What do you say, Amy? You like your name?" The baby tightened her little fingers around Chris's finger and smiled up at her daddy. "I think she likes it, Sam."
"Me too."
"I love you, Mr. Lorenzo."
"And I love you, Mrs. Lorenzo, and you too my little princess… always and forever."
I hope you guys didn't mind that I skipped the crime part of this story. I just wanted to get Chris & Rita to the point where they're P.I.'s. In the next part, if I do one, I'll do more with a crime story.
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know this by now, but Christopher Lorenzo, Rita Lee Lance, Captain Harry Lipshitz, Frannie Lipshitz, Benny Lorenzo, Diana Roth (?), Anna Alexis, and George Donovan are property of Steven J Cannell, USA Network, etc… I only borrowed them for a little while. *g* And any characters that never made an appearance on Silk Stalkings are all mine. *g* "Everything I Do (I do it for you)" is by Bryan Adams. That's not mine either. *g*
I'd also like to thank Joy once again for her editing and her opinion. You're the best!!
If you wanna tell me what you thought of my story, then you can email me at lancelorenzo@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading!