Special Thanks: To Mary and Laura for sharing their wonderful experience and allowing it to be used for this story.

Comments are happily accepted at Cruise1313@aol.com.

Part XIII

"I'll forgive you…one day my dear." Lark teased and patted Rayne's face as she climbed in the car.

"You're too good to me my sweet." Rayne sarcastically replied and closed the door once Lark was seated in the car. She ran around to her side and thrust the car in gear barely closing her door as she sped out of the parking lot. She fumbled with the seat belt and finally locked it into place with Lark's help. "Thanks." She smiled and pulled out into traffic to the sound of horns from unhappy motorists as she cut them off. "Oh, BITE ME!" She replied agitated and heard Lark snicker.

"Honey, by the way you're acting you'd think I'm already delivering the baby!"

"Well, we're late honey." Rayne responded hurried and glanced at Lark then back to the road.

"No, we're right on time. Now, slow down so you don't kill us." Lark advised, mischievously looking at her lover.

"What? It's four Lark. We're late!" Rayne answered pointing to the clock on the car dashboard.

"Yeah and the appointment is at four-thirty. I told you four because I knew you would be late seeing as how it's your first day back to work." Lark explained with a sheepish grin.

Rayne sighed a breath of relief and looked at Lark. "Aren't you the sneaky one?" She sarcastically replied, with a sly grin from Lark's ruse.

"Are you mad?" Lark asked hesitantly and smiled hoping it would help her cause.

"Slightly, you should have told me, but I understand and I'll forgive you…one day." Rayne answered with a small grin and concentrated on her driving.

"I'm sorry." Lark replied and held Rayne's hand lightly kissing it.

"It's okay." Rayne relented and smiled as her hurried state had finally calmed knowing she had plenty of time to get to the doctor's office.

Rayne was quiet for the remainder of the ride to the doctor's office and Lark worried that Rayne might still be upset with her. The pair entered the building heading towards the elevators. "You okay?" Lark asked, as they waited for the elevator doors to open.

"Oh, aah…yeah, I guess." Rayne evasively answered and looked down at Lark then back up to see the arrow light up indicating the elevator doors would soon open.

"Are you still mad at me?" Lark queried, stepping onto the elevator before Rayne.

"Oh, aah…no. Just didn't have such a great day at work." Rayne answered stepping onto the elevator wondering when and how she was going to tell Lark she had to leave for a week.

"Want to talk about it?" Lark asked, concerned by Rayne's distracted demeanor.

"Oh, no thanks honey. We'll talk about it later. I promise. Let's just think about the baby…okay?" Rayne replied, straining a smile and pulled Lark closer, appreciative of her concern. She leaned in and kissed her blonde beauty and broke the kiss when the bell sounded alerting them the elevator doors would soon open.

They stepped off the elevator hand in hand and headed towards their doctor's suite. Rayne opened the door and they were surprised to see the waiting room full of patients. Rayne and Lark gasped with an uneasy feeling and headed to the window to check in, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. They hoped no one would recognize them. "Hi, sign in and have a seat. We'll be with you shortly." The cheerful nurse replied and quickly walked away.

"But…" Lark replied and realized her attempt of talking to the woman was futile as she disappeared around the corner. Lark signed in disappointed and they sat off in the corner of the waiting room. Rayne looked up and noticed the people staring at them as they realized whom Lark was. Rayne picked up a magazine and held it up trying to nonchalantly conceal their presence. It wasn't working.

Rayne leaned closer to Lark and whispered, "Great, our baby secret is going to be plastered all over the tabloids tomorrow."

Rayne's breath tickled Lark's ear and she smiled leaning to Rayne's ear for her answer, "that's why I made the appointment in your name. It's a good thing because we were suppose to be brought right in to avoid all the gawkers, but I'm not sure what happened."

"Someone fucked up." Rayne replied with a laugh shared by Lark.

They looked up as the door opened and a nurse stepped out. "Rayne Donovan." She replied with a smile and watched as the pair approached her. "Right this way." She motioned as the two women walked through the door.

Rayne felt uneasy and as if a million eyes were staring at her as they entered the door. She hated feeling that way, but it was the price she paid from Lark's celebrity. Lark slipped her hand into Rayne's as they followed the nurse into the doctor's office. "Please have a seat and the doctor will be in shortly." The cordial nurse offered as Rayne and Lark took their seats.

Lark looked at Rayne and stroked her cheek lightly. "You okay baby?"

"Yeah, I just didn't like sitting out there for everyone to speculate on what was taking place between us. I just don't want it to be plastered all over the tabloids. It would be nice if we could make the baby announcement on our own…together." Rayne replied disappointed and was convinced it would be splashed all over the tabloids the next day.

"Honey…come on. Have some faith. Those people out in the waiting room may just think you were here for your yearly exam." Lark attempted to reassure her worried lover and patted her hand.

What Lark said made sense to her and she felt like she might be making something big out of nothing. "Yeah, maybe you're right." Rayne smiled and kissed Lark's hand who blushed.

"The headlines could read 'actress, Lark Morgan's Secret Service agent wife is pregnant! Read page three for the torrid details!'" Lark teased and got a laugh out of Rayne.

"Oh, now that would be funny, but only page three?" Rayne laughed.

"Okay…front page with big, bold headlines then." Lark motioned out the headlines in the air with her hands and laughed harder as did Rayne.

"Hello, I'm so sorry for the problem in the waiting room. The front desk girl is new and didn't recognize you Ms. Morgan. She was instructed to bring you right back, but neglected to do so, I'm very sorry." The flustered doctor apologetically replied stepping behind her desk. "You must be Ms. Donovan. I'm Martha Garzon. Pleased to meet you." She cordially greeted Rayne with a firm handshake.

"Likewise." Rayne smiled and released her grip as the doctor sat down. She felt more at ease and found the doctor to be very pleasant and genuine.

"Okay…let's get down to baby talk." She exuberantly replied and opened the chart before her.

"Sounds wonderful to me." Lark beamed with happiness and squeezed Rayne's hand that was intertwined with her own.

"As I mentioned on the phone, I just wanted to meet with you both and explain a few details. I can also answer any questions you might have regarding the method of conception you've chosen." She smiled and reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a box, handing it to Rayne who blushed.

"We really appreciate you having this sent here." Rayne replied nervously and quickly put the box down next to her.

"I understand the confidentiality completely and it's not a problem. Please read the directions for the sex aid before your first attempt." She advised as they chuckled embarrassed. "You mentioned on the phone that you normally chart your menstrual cycles Lark. Do you have an exact idea of when your next one will begin?" The doctor asked, looking the actress directly in the eye.

"Yes and I figured out the date that I would start to ovulate to be on Christmas day."

"Oh, that's so romantic!" The doctor smiled enthusiastically. "Now, what you need to do is start recording your temperature two weeks prior to that date to establish your basal temperature. Once you determine that, on Christmas morning check your temperature that should rise. If it does, you can begin the process."

Lark smiled and looked at Rayne who returned the look smiling. She could see all the joy and happiness in Lark's eyes about having this baby. The look melted her heart and she lightly kissed her hand flashing her a wink. "Oh, doctor. Is there a certain amount of time that we have before it's too late to conceive once her temperature rises?" Rayne curiously asked turning to the doctor.

"You have twenty-four to forty-eight hours in order to conceive once Lark's temperature changes." The doctor answered with a smile waiting for the next question. Rayne and Lark were happy with the doctor's enthusiasm regarding their desire to get pregnant.

"Then how long until we know if we are pregnant?" Rayne inquired, as Lark sat amazed at how enthusiastic Rayne was about conceiving their child. She would never doubt Rayne's sincerity again.

"You should know in about five and a half weeks from that day." She smiled excitedly. "Do you have any other questions?" The doctor asked looking between the two women.

"What are my odds of conceiving on the first time?" Lark enthusiastically asked, as Rayne looked at her then to the doctor for her answer.

"Well, that's hard to say Lark." The doctor drawled hesitantly and leaned back in her chair thoughtfully choosing her words. "The method you both have chosen is a difficult one and it may take you a few times before you conceive your child."

"Oh, aah…we were hoping to conceive on the first try." Lark disappointedly replied.

"I'm not saying you won't, I'm just advising you to be prepared in case it doesn't happen. Your conception percentage ranges from ten to a twenty percent chance of conceiving…at all." The doctor answered leaning forward in her chair and rested her arms on the desk. The young, dark-haired doctor could see the disappointment in both women's eyes, but she had to give them the honest facts.

"Is there anything we can do to help the process along?" Rayne asked, seeing the disappointment in Lark's eyes. She could see that Lark had her heart set on conceiving the first time.

"According to Lark's last visit two months ago, she's perfectly healthy and I've received your donor's medical information and he's perfectly fit as well. So, I see no problems there. The only thing I can suggest is to not put so much pressure on yourself. Relax, enjoy the moment and before you know it, you'll have a wonderful bundle of joy in your lives." The doctor explained, smiling reassuringly.

The women sighed a collective breath and chuckled at each other's nervousness. "Uhmmm…doctor. Even though Lark is healthy are there any other problems that could arise?" Rayne worriedly asked, knowing what happened to her sister-in-law Holly, when she gave birth to Matthew. She wanted all the facts…up front and no surprises.

"Well, sure. There is a chance with any woman who is pregnant to have complications such as a miscarriage, diabetes related to pregnancy, and life threatening problems related to child birth for the mother and the child." The doctor answered as delicately as possible. She could see the fear and nervousness in Rayne's blue eyes.

Rayne's heart quickened and she felt her stomach flip flop from the thought of anything happening to Lark or the baby. It scared the hell out of her when Holly had complications with Matthew and she wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to Lark. "That's certainly a risk I'm willing to take doctor. This baby is very important to me and there's nothing else in the world I could ever want than to be a mother." Lark smiled and Rayne looked at her as her negative thoughts were brought back to the present. She looked at Lark who showed no fear…only pure joy. She saw the happiness in those gorgeous green eyes of hers and knew that no matter how worried she would be, she couldn't deny Lark the joy of having a baby. She would do anything for Lark and this is what Lark wanted more than anything else in the world and she would have it.

Rayne tightened her grip on Lark's hand and lovingly smiled when Lark looked at her. "I'm confident that we aren't going to have any problems with Lark's pregnancy and we'll have a healthy, beautiful baby before we know it." Rayne replied smiling and looked at the doctor. "Thank you for your honesty doc." She hoped she would be right.

"That's what I'm here for ladies. Here's my card with all my personal phone numbers and please feel free to call me any time, no matter how silly you think the question might be." The doctor chuckled and handed them her business card as she rose from her chair.

"Fantastic and thank you very much!" Lark exuberantly smiled, grateful for the doctor's time and honest opinion.

"I'll have my nurse give you a bag and again, I apologize for my staff. Good luck and I will see you again very soon." The doctor warmly smiled, shaking their hands before exiting.

"Thank you." Rayne answered with a smile and felt Lark slip her hand on her forearm. Her touch was so soft and warm that it sent a tingling sensation throughout her. Rayne turned to face Lark who moved closer.

"I hope it won't take us too long to conceive." Lark replied, the doubt etched on her delicate features.

Rayne smiled warmly and held Lark's face in her hands. She lightly stroked Lark's cheek with her thumb to comfort her worried lover. "Stop worrying baby. Everything will happen in it's own time. We certainly can't force the issue. All we can do is relax and enjoy the moment like the doctor said to and before we know it our baby will be growing inside of you my sweet." Rayne lovingly replied and brushed her lips against Lark's who deepened the sensual kiss.

"You're right honey. Thanks, you're so sweet." Lark smiled with a deep sense of relief and comfort, tightly hugging Rayne.

"Excuse me." The nurse interrupted as she entered the office. Lark and Rayne broke the hug and turned to look at the woman who handed her a bag. "Here's the bag and I'll show you out through the doctor's private exit." She smiled and stood in the doorway to escort them out.

Rayne slipped the package into the bag and followed Lark out of the office. "Thank you." They both replied in unison as they exited the building.

Rayne opened and held the door for Lark who entered the car. She slipped her seat belt on as Rayne closed the door. She was giddy with excitement and wished they could conceive their child right at that moment. She was very close to fulfilling one of her dreams that she has always wanted…having a child. Her other dream that was very important to her in life was a soul mate and she already had that in Rayne. She turned and watched as her sexy lover slipped into her leather seat behind the wheel, starting the ignition. 'My life will soon be complete. I will have everything that I've ever wanted in life.' Lark thought with a wonderful sensation consuming her as she intently watched Rayne buckle her seat belt.

"Are you okay?" Rayne asked, pausing as she saw the far off look Lark possessed.

"I'm absolutely wonderful." Lark gushed, her small smile consuming her beautiful face.

"Great!" Rayne exclaimed with a smile and looked back to pull the car out of the parking space.

Rayne followed Lark into the house and put their attaché cases by the door as Lark made a beeline straight for the flowers that sat perched on the foyer table. Lark smiled excitedly and picked up the card. She turned to Rayne smiling uncontrollably and pulled the card out. Rayne stood expressionless waiting for Lark's response to what was written.

"I'm baffled Rayne. Why are you apologizing?" Lark asked confused and held up the card which simply said 'I'm sorry'. She wasn't expecting that to be written on the card.

Rayne approached tentatively, knowing there just wasn't an easy way to tell Lark. "I'm apologizing for what I have to tell you baby." Rayne solemnly replied and gently grasped Lark's hands in her own. She regretted what she was about to tell her companion.

"Why? What's going on? You're scaring me Rayne." Lark nervously replied, her heart beating faster.

"Lark, I have to leave early tomorrow morning for an assignment." Rayne reluctantly told her and saw Lark's eyes water. "I'm sorry." She softly replied.

"I can't believe this! Not now." Lark replied, the hurt and anger evident in her voice as she turned away from Rayne.

Rayne looked down guiltily and felt a pang of regret that Lark was so upset. She inhaled deeply and exhaled gathering her thoughts as to what she would say to Lark. She moved closer to Lark and lovingly wrapped her arms around her shorter lover after a brief pause, fearful Lark would reject her hug. "I'm sorry baby." She whispered sincerely and lightly kissed her cheek.

Lark broke the warm confines of Rayne's arms and turned to face her. "You promised you would change your assignments so you wouldn't be away so much!" Lark angrily and tearfully accused.

"That's right Lark and before you jump to any conclusions, hear me out." Rayne defensively answered and grasped Lark's hands in her own. "I have been reassigned to the Electronics Crimes Division which deals with various forms of federal crimes using computers. Unfortunately, it's on a federal level that requires me to travel. Not as much as before, but I do have to travel."

"Are there no other assignments that you can do that won't require you to travel?" Lark asked, wiping her tears away. She feared their life was going to repeat itself and hated the thought of them being apart again.

"There is, but I can't get on that team until someone else leaves it honey."

"Damn…Rayne!" Lark replied frustrated and moved away from her, sitting on the couch. Rayne hated the fact that Lark was so upset and it killed her to see Lark cry. Rayne knelt before her and kissed her forehead as Lark sat with her arms resting on her knees. Lark's tear-filled green eyes looked up at Rayne. "I'm scared." She softly replied.

Her admission broke Rayne's heart. "Hey, why are you scared baby?" Rayne asked, embracing Lark to comfort her.

"I'm afraid we're heading in the same direction we were in before Rayne and I don't want to ever go through that again." She tearfully explained, crying harder.

Rayne leaned back and stared into Lark's watery green eyes, lovingly wiping her tears away. "Honey, there's no way that's going to happen again. That's a mistake we are never going to repeat…you know that." She replied confidently, softly kissing Lark's lips. "I'll be gone for five days and before you know it, I'll be back." Rayne smiled, trying to reassure her lover.

Lark stared into Rayne's loving blues and wholeheartedly believed what Rayne said. She just didn't want to be away from her. "I know, you're right. We won't repeat our past mistakes, it's just that I've gotten used to us being together all the time and I want that to continue. We also have a lot of planning to do with the baby. We are going to cut everything very close honey with you being gone." Lark explained and lovingly stroked Rayne's cheek.

Rayne turned and kissed Lark's palm before returning her look. "I know and I don't like it anymore than you, but what we can do is set our plans for the baby over the phone. So, we won't be cutting it so closely. I'll set up a program on my laptop and you can take your temperature every day as I record the results while I'm gone. How does that sound?" Rayne asked, hopeful Lark would feel better about everything.

"It's a solution Rayne, but it's not the same as you being here. I want you involved in every aspect of our child's conception, even the pre-conception stages."

"There's no other way I want it honey. I want to be involved with everything. We have had a set back and we'll have to accommodate any other changes that might arise like this one. It will work babe. I'm sure of it." Rayne reassured her and hugged Lark tightly.

Lark felt her tension release and felt better within Rayne's arms. "I'm sorry." She whispered, feeling guilty about treating Rayne so bad and making her feel like it was all her fault.

"Don't be. I'll be home before you know it honey." Rayne softly replied and kissed Lark's cheek. Rayne held Lark tighter and softly stroked her blonde hair.

"The flowers are beautiful." Lark replied with a soft giggle.

Rayne smiled and leaned back. "Did they help?" She asked, her smile growing larger.

"Big time." Lark chuckled and smiled.

"I bet dinner will help even more. Let's see what we can rustle up." Rayne grinned. Rayne rose to her feet and pulled Lark up off the couch, leading her towards the kitchen.

"Are you going to cook?" Lark chuckled and followed Rayne towards the kitchen.

"Oh, sure. How does a frozen burrito cooked in the microwave sound to you? It'll only take a minute." Rayne laughed looking at her lover.

"Sounds gaseous to me!" Lark chuckled, as they both entered the kitchen.

"Ooh, look. Dinner! Your intestines are saved honey." Rayne laughed and saw the note on the counter from Marcia who advised dinner was in the oven.

"Yes! I think we may have to give her a raise!" Lark excitedly replied and opened the cupboard pulling out a couple of plates as Rayne removed the pan from the oven.

"Hmmm…smells delicious." Rayne exclaimed, smelling the hot pan of lasagna. "If this is better than my mom's we'll definitely have to give her a raise." Rayne laughed and placed the dish on the counter. She removed the cover and Lark spooned out their helpings.

"My mouth is watering it smells so good!" Lark exclaimed, eager to taste the food.

"I bet it is babe." Rayne chuckled, opening the refrigerator door for a couple of drinks. She smiled and turned to Lark. "Get ready to give Marcia a pay raise. She made your favorite, strawberry shortcake." Rayne replied and opened the door for Lark to see the dessert.

"Oh, yes! Can we eat the dessert first?" She grinned, wedging past Rayne and the door of the refrigerator for a better look.

"Get out of there!" Rayne laughed and playfully removed her wife from the refrigerator. She nudged her out of the kitchen towards the dining room.

"Oh, you're no fun!" Lark huffed teasingly and sat at the table as Rayne carried the plates of food behind her.

"Let's see how you feel after I show you how we are going to eat the strawberry shortcake later." Rayne grinned mischievously and sat in the chair looking at her stunned lover. "Close your mouth honey or the lasagna will fall out and make a mess." Rayne chuckled and filled her mouth with the tasty morsel. Lark dug into her meal, eager to finish it and get to the dessert!

Rayne and Lark busied themselves with cleaning up the dishes and the kitchen after consuming their wondrous meal when the phone rang. Rayne answered the phone to find Elaine, Lark's agent on the other line. She passed the phone along to Lark who grinned and blushed when Rayne kissed her cheek. Rayne padded down the hall to begin <her> packing for the trip the next day. She knew Lark would be on the phone for a while and she'd be able to complete her packing in no time. Rayne was right, she had time to pack, gather her paperwork for the trip and take a shower before Lark finished her phone call.

"I'm sorry honey." Lark apologized, entering the room as Rayne sat in the oversized chair with her long legs stretched over the Ottoman watching the football game. Lark sat down in Rayne's lap and kissed her lover who pulled her closer in her lap.

"Hmmm…you're forgiven. So, how many tabloids will cover our trip to the gynecologists office today?" Rayne grinned, knowing Elaine probably had to field calls regarding the matter.

"Well, miss smarty pants…none." Lark grinned, happy that she was right.

Rayne chuckled surprised. "I'm surprised and happy that it won't be plastered all over the place."

"I was right." Lark tauntingly teased and stuck her tongue out before returning it.

"Don't stick that thing out unless you're going to use it…on me." Rayne seductively insinuated, pulling Lark closer for a kiss.

"Oh, don't you worry. I intend to use it on you to your hearts content!" Lark sexily replied, sensually kissing Rayne as she lightly stroked her fingers through Rayne's dark hair.

"Care for some dessert?" Rayne huskily asked through her kiss before deepening it.

"As long as I get to lick it off of you." Lark retorted in a whisper, gazing lovingly in the blues she adored.

"I'll go get it." Rayne sexily grinned as Lark moved off her lap and watched her tall lover cockily stride towards the door, her heart aflutter.

Rayne slammed her hand down on the alarm and stopped the annoying sound of 'Metallica' screeching through the speakers. It was entirely too early for that music! She laughed, laying back and sighed, wishing she didn't have to get out of the warm confines of her bed and leave the beautiful blonde she had laying next to her. She rolled onto her side and stroked Lark's golden locks as she peacefully slept next to her. She blushed, looking at the empty dessert dishes on the night stand and fondly remembered their previous night's sexual escapade with the fruity dessert. 'I'll never look at 'strawberry shortcake' again thanks to Lark. Rayne smiled and lightly kissed Lark's cheek before getting out of bed for a shower.

Rayne finished showering and dressing before exiting the bathroom. She stepped out and saw Lark standing before her with a cup of coffee. "Morning." She smiled and leaned up to Rayne for a kiss.

"Same to you sexy. What are you doing up so early?" Rayne smiled and kissed her partner. She gladly accepted the cup of coffee and quickly sipped the hot beverage as Lark cuddled into Rayne. Rayne slipped her free arm around Lark and kissed the top of her head.

"I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible before you left. Why didn't you wake me?" Lark asked, looking up at Rayne disappointedly.

"I didn't want to wake you honey. Thanks for getting up though, I appreciate it. You must really love me to get up this early." Rayne chuckled and hugged Lark closer to her, kissing her forehead.

"I adore you my love and I'm going to miss you so much." Lark professed, squeezing Rayne tighter. She didn't want to let her go.

"I'm going to miss you too honey." Rayne softly replied and held Lark as close as possible. She regretted having to leave her. Rayne broke the hug when she heard the doorbell ring. "That must be Tom."

"Yeah, probably." Lark replied, her sadness evident.

Rayne kissed Lark's forehead and led her down the hall towards the living room. She placed her coffee mug on the end table and headed for the door, never relinquishing her hold on Lark's hand. "Hey, Tom." Rayne greeted flatly, when she opened the door.

"Morning ladies." Tom cheerfully greeted and stepped into the house. "I'll take your bags out to the car." He smiled, knowing it wasn't an easy situation for the women and picked up the said items that sat waiting next to the door.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Rayne smiled and watched as he exited the house. "I'll call you as soon as I get there okay?" Rayne softly asked, turning to Lark. She pushed the errant wisp of hair off Lark's forehead and kissed her.

Lark threw her arms around Rayne's neck and held her tightly. "Oh, I don't want you to go Rayne." She tearfully replied, as Rayne wrapped her arms around Lark.

"I know baby. Me either, but I have to. Come on, please don't make it any harder than it already is by crying. You know it breaks my heart." Rayne softly pleaded, holding her lover tighter.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it." Lark replied, breaking the hug. She wiped her tears away and looked up at Rayne. "Please be careful." She worriedly advised.

"I promise." Rayne softly answered, smiling and gently stroked Lark's cheek with her palm. "I'll call you later." She hugged and passionately kissed Lark one last time.

"I love you." Lark replied through her kiss, deepening it. She didn't want to break the connection.

Rayne broke the kiss and smiled. "I love you too babe. I'll see you soon." She winked and turned away quickly exiting the house. She sniffed back the emotions that brewed within and wanted to bubble to the surface. She hated to see Lark upset and to have to leave her. Rayne opened the car door and took one more look at the house to see Lark standing in the doorway waving. She smiled and waved back before closing the door.

"Did the flowers work?" Tom asked, as Rayne turned to him.

"Yeah, but it's still hard to leave her." Rayne answered, as the car pulled out of site.

"I can imagine. You two have been through way too much that's for sure." He smiled, as Rayne looked back at the house one last time before disappearing around the corner.

'Yeah, way too much.' Rayne reflected inwardly and hoped they would be able to live a happy life together, never again having to face such challenges as they did before.

Four days and entirely too much time spent apart had passed as Rayne made the phone call she hated to have to make. "Hey, honey." Rayne flatly replied when she heard Lark's voice on the other line.

"What's wrong? You're not coming back tomorrow are you?" Lark asked, the anger and disappointment evident in her voice. She knew by Rayne's tone of voice that she wasn't coming home. Lark had heard it way too many times in the past.

"No, I'm sorry. We've had a set back and with the slow ass people we have working with us, our departure has been delayed." Rayne regretfully answered.

"Damn…Rayne! How much longer?" Lark asked, her anger mounting.

"It looks like we'll be leaving on Monday if everything goes well." Rayne softly replied, rubbing her forehead to alleviate the pounding headache she had and knew Lark wasn't going to take it well.

"Shit! Don't they realize the holidays are here and people have stuff to do?" Lark asked, quite agitated.

"Yeah, they know it honey. It's just that crime doesn't take a holiday unfortunately."

"Would you just kill them and come home!" Lark spat angrily.

"I think you've been around me too much babe. What happened to my cheerful, holiday loving wife?" Rayne chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Lark laughed and felt her anger lifting. "Oh, this is so frustrating. It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have a million things going on next week!" Lark replied, thinking about everything they had to do to prepare for the family coming over for Christmas and for the baby preparations.

"I know and I'm sorry. Has Jayce arrived yet? I can have him help you with some of the stuff."

"Yeah, he's here and he's chomping at the bit if you know what I mean." Lark chuckled, embarrassed from her implication.

"Oh, I'm sure he is, just don't let him start until I get there!" Rayne laughed harder, as did Lark.

"No chance of that happening baby. I guarantee it."

"I love it when you're sassy honey. You show him whose boss!" Rayne chuckled. "I'll give you a call tomorrow. I'm heading off to bed. I've got a tremendous headache." Rayne replied.

Lark noted the weariness in Rayne's voice and became worried. "Should you go see a doctor?"

"Nah, it's just a headache from stress. I'm trying to get this crap finished as soon as possible and these local dickheads are dragging their feet on the investigation. I want to be home with you and to help with all the holiday preparations. I'll be alright once I get a good night's sleep." Rayne attempted to reassure her lover.

"I'm sorry you're not feeling well honey. I wish I was there to take your headache away."

"Me too!" Rayne chuckled, a smile sweeping across her face at the thought of being with Lark.

"Go to bed and call me tomorrow. I love you." Lark lovingly replied and wished she could reach out and make Rayne feel better.

"I will and same here my love. Sweet dreams." Rayne's voice faded as the phone clicked off.

Rayne's departure date moved closer to Christmas and both women fretted that she wouldn't be back in time. They had established Lark's basal temperature to be 98.4 degrees and worried that Rayne wouldn't be back in time. Lark desperately attempted to reach Rayne by phone one more time to no avail. She was about to board a plane with Jayce and meet her lover when she heard the door open and slam shut.

"Lark! I'm home!" Rayne shouted, quickly walking through the house to find her wife. "Where are you?" She shouted, looking in the closest rooms to find her.

Lark dropped the phone and rushed out of the bedroom towards her dark lover. "I'm here honey!" She shouted excitedly, running towards Rayne and jumped into her arms startling her. Rayne laughed as they both fell back on the ground holding each other. "I'm so happy you're home. I've missed you so much!" Lark exuberantly informed her shocked lover and kissed her passionately to show her just how much.

"I guess you did!" Rayne laughed and gazed into Lark's beautiful green eyes.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Lark subconsciously asked, wondering why Rayne was staring at her.

"No, I just wanted to look into your gorgeous green eyes and see how much love they have for me." Rayne smiled lovingly and kissed Lark soundly.

"You are so romantic!" Lark smiled and deepened the sensual kiss.

"I try to be babe…I certainly try." Rayne laughed as did Lark.

"Oh, you are. Trust me." Lark grinned mischievously. "Oh, guess what?" She excitedly asked.

"No, guessing. Just tell me woman!" Rayne laughed, looking at her excited lover.

"My temperature is 99.7." Lark grinned enthusiastically.

It took a couple of seconds for it to fully register with Rayne. "Let's go! Where's Jayce?" She replied in a panic and lifted Lark up along with herself to a standing position. She moved Lark to the side and rushed down the hall. "Jayce! Jayce!" She called out searching the rooms and realized he had to be in the game room. That's where her lazy, couch potato brother is always permanently fixed, watching her big screen TV.

Lark laughed and watched her nervous, panicked lover searching the rooms. "Rayne. Oh, Rayne!" She drawled, trying to get her attention. "RAYNE!" She shouted louder and finally got her attention. Lark laughed harder and met Rayne halfway down the hall. "He's not here honey."

"Well, where the hell is he? He needs to be here, now!" Rayne replied nervously, her eyes as wide as saucers and her heart beating a mile a minute.

"Calm down babe. He went shopping for your Christmas present, which won't take him very long I'm sure. Men don't do well in malls so, I'm sure he went to the closest 'Sports Authority' to buy you something. He won't be long I'm sure. There's a store only five minutes away. He didn't know you'd be back so soon." Lark replied, attempting to calm her nervous wife.

"Okay…he's got five minutes." Rayne replied, checking her watch. Her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest and she began to pace back and forth, much to Lark's chagrin.

"Are you going to be like this when I go into labor?" Lark asked, laughing.

"I don't know…probably." Rayne replied hurried and checked her watch again.

"Oh, no. We can't have that. You'll make me a nervous wreck if you act like that honey." Lark smiled and found it extremely cute the way Rayne was acting.

Rayne inhaled deeply and it dawned on her how she was reacting. She exhaled with a chuckle looking at Lark. "I'm acting pretty silly huh?" She laughed, as Lark nodded her head yes. "It's my excitement I guess." She chuckled embarrassed and shrugged her shoulders.

"I think it's adorable." Lark smiled and kissed Rayne as her arms wrapped around her lover tightly.

Rayne lifted Lark up in her arms and deepened the kiss. "Oh, baby did I miss you." She whispered through her kiss and felt Lark's arms tighten around her neck as her kiss deepened.

"I missed you terribly Rayne. Aah…not that I mind, but how were you able to leave work? I was about to bring Jayce and fly out to where you were!"

"We took matters in our own hands and nailed the son-of-a-bitch we were looking for this whole time. Those damn locals drag their feet so damn much it isn't even funny. No wonder we have to be called in to solve a friggin crime! I'm glad it happened or we would have had a major problem. Did I miss something with my calculations?" Rayne wondered regarding Lark's temperature change.

"No, I may have calculated the day wrong. But, then again it is close to the twenty-fifth so…it doesn't matter. All that does is you are home, my temperature is up and it's time baby!" Lark grinned happily and jumped into Rayne's arms who laughed.

"You know it sweets! Now, the five minutes are up. Time to put an APB out on that brother of mine." Rayne chuckled and carried the sexy little package in her arms towards the telephone.

"You aren't really going to do that are you?" Lark suspiciously asked.

Rayne grinned and lifted the phone to her ear. "No, I'll call him on his cell phone." She chuckled and dialed his number. She put the phone to her ear waiting for him to answer.

"Hello?" He questioned, answering the phone.

"Where are you?" Rayne asked anxiously.

"Well, I'm walking up to your front door why?" He asked confused and heard the phone click off. "What the hell?" He wondered and stopped looking at the dead phone and heard the door open.

"Get in here!" Rayne demanded and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him into the house, still holding Lark in her arms who laughed hysterically.

"What's going on?" He asked confused, looking between the two women.

"It's time!" Rayne replied with a silly grin on her face.

He stood there silently until it registered and dropped his shopping bags. "Oh, shit. Okay…I'm ready. I think…aah…yeah, let's go." He nervously replied, shuffling his feet side to side.

"I think the nervousness runs in the family." Lark chuckled, as did Rayne.

"Calm down bud. You're a big part of this so, go do your thing and do as we planned and we won't have any problems." Rayne attempted to reassure her brother, who's brow began to sweat.

"Okay…no problem. You can count on me." He nervously reassured with a smile and a wink, as he headed down the hall mumbling something inaudible.

Lark and Rayne looked at each other laughing. "Ready to make a baby?" Rayne asked, her large smile consuming her face.

"I've been ready for so long my love." Lark smiled happily and kissed Rayne as she carried her down the hall to their bedroom suite. The moment and Lark's kiss sent Rayne's passions soaring. Her arousal mounted as she thought about how she would soon share in the conception of their child with the love of her life. She loved Lark so much for allowing her to be involved in every aspect of the conception of their child and that she would want to choose this method for her. It meant everything to her to be so involved.

Rayne deepened the kiss and gently rubbed Lark's back as she entered the suite and closed the door with her foot, never breaking the kiss. She reached under Lark's shirt and unhooked her bra as their tongues fought for dominance through the passionate kiss. Lark's hands feverishly stroked Rayne's dark hair as her body tingled from her lover's touch and kiss. Rayne gathered Lark's shirt and lifted it over her shirt, quickly discarding it to the floor. Lark's bra soon followed the shirt to the floor.

Lark did the same with Rayne's clothing, desperate to feel her warm, naked body against her own overheated body. She wanted Rayne so badly and could hardly wait to have her. "Baby, make love to me." Lark pleaded in a whisper as Rayne led her to the bed. Rayne gently lay Lark down on the bed, staring deeply into her wanton green eyes. She slowly slid Lark's shorts down her legs and off her feet, adding them to the pile of clothing on the floor. Rayne gently rubbed her hands up Lark's legs, stroking her wet mound with her thumbs as they passed on their way to her breasts. They stopped and gently kneaded her perky breasts as Rayne's tongue dipped into the warm, wet recess of Lark's mound, lightly stroking her hard clit. "Oh, yes baby. That feels wonderful." Lark breathlessly announced and threw her head back in delight to Rayne's ministrations.

The stroke of Rayne's tongue and her gentle touch on her breasts was more than Lark could stand. She desperately wanted to wrap her arms around Rayne and feel her body on her own. Lark rubbed Rayne's back with her hands and gently guided her up to lie on her. Rayne smiled when she looked into Lark's loving greens and gently pressed her lips against Lark's, softly kissing and nibbling them. Rayne's tongue lightly traced the contours of Lark's lips as Lark pushed Rayne's shorts off her hips. She wanted to feel Rayne's naked body and her wetness. She gasped when Rayne's body pressed down on hers again after kicking her shorts off and she felt her lover's wetness on her thigh. "You feel so incredible honey." Lark whispered, passionately kissing Rayne.

"So do you." Rayne softly replied through her kiss, slowly deepening it. Rayne's hand slowly and gently traced the curves on Lark's sexy body, settling between her legs. She parted Lark's folds and dipped her finger inside her warm, wet lover. Lark gasped, her heart quickened and she held Rayne tighter, deepening the searing kiss. Lark's hips moved in rhythm to Rayne's motion with her finger and her heart beat faster.

"Rayne I can't hold it any longer." Lark breathlessly informed her lover.

"You've got to honey." Rayne replied, breaking the kiss and moved her hand, knowing Lark's orgasm had to wait until Jayce had completed his task. A light rap on the door sounded. "Okay…hold that thought, you won't have to wait too much longer now." Rayne smiled and kissed Lark before climbing off the bed.

Lark smiled and panted breathlessly trying to calm her racing heart. The moment she had waited so long for was about to happen. She had a wondrous sensation course through her and she couldn't imagine being any happier and excited than she was at that moment. She felt the bed move and looked up to find Rayne climbing back on top of her. She hovered over Lark smiling happily. "Now, where were we?" She softly asked, kissing her lover passionately.

Lark felt Rayne lie on her and gently spread her legs. Her heart raced uncontrollably, as if it were the first time they had ever made love. She was nervous, excited and ecstatic all at once. She tightly wrapped her arms around her muscular lover, who sensually kissed her, and gasped when she felt Rayne slip inside. Her fingers clenched Rayne's back reflexively as Rayne looked at her nervously. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"I'm just nervous. I'm okay. Just go slow, it's been a long time since we've used one of these." Lark reassured her anxious lover.

"I'm just as nervous as you baby and I'll try to be as gentle as possible." Rayne smiled nervously and kissed Lark.

"You're a wonderful lover Rayne, you're always gentle with me baby. I'll be fine." Lark replied through her kiss, more for herself to calm down than for Rayne. She was so incredibly nervous that she could hardly relax; she knew she would have to for it to work. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and melted into Rayne's kiss that was so soft, loving and meant only for her. Her nervousness subsided and her arousal once again mounted as she accepted Rayne deeper and deeper. Lark could feel Rayne's heart beating nervously through her chest as her lover lay upon her, gently moving in and out.

Rayne could barely contain her excitement. It was all she could do to catch her breath and it felt as though her heart was in her throat beating uncontrollably. Her emotions consumed her as she gently made love to Lark. It seemed as though everything was at stake for them and she desperately wanted to do everything right so they could conceive their child. She worried about Lark and whether she was hurting her. Her fears were calmed when she heard Lark's soft cries of pleasure from her making love to her. Rayne's eyes welled with tears from the emotions she felt. She loved Lark so much and she was giving her their child, it meant the world to her to be able to participate in the conception. She opened her eyes and watched Lark's reaction as she made love to her. She saw all the pleasure, enjoyment and love Lark's face expressed…there was no way she could love this woman any more than she already did at that moment.

Her hopes, her dreams and her life were before her in the angelic face that she loved so much. She treasured everything about Lark, who had become the most near and dear person to her heart when she fell in love with her. "Oh, baby…I can't hold it any longer!" Lark shouted, her hips rocking in rhythm with Rayne's. Rayne picked up her pace and watched as Lark's head tilted back. The tears streaked Rayne's face when she heard Lark shout out her excitement and break down and cry as she released her orgasm. Lark could no longer contain her emotions and cried harder when she felt a warm sensation fill her within. She held Rayne tightly as did Rayne. Their hearts raced, their tears streaked their faces and their love ran deep for one another. They knew that they would soon share a child together, their dream finally coming true.

"I love you so much sweetheart." Rayne whispered, passionately kissing Lark who grasped her lover tighter and deepened the kiss. She hoped the two and a half week wait would come quickly.

To Be Continued…

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