She dreaded the day she would develop a sudden craving for a bacon double cheeseburger. It hadn't happened yet, but one never knew.
For the fifteenth time in the past twenty minutes, she glanced at her watch, wishing the shift would end. She probably should have taken a nap during the afternoon to help herself stay awake, but she had been too busy. Blake had the more boring job, listening to the sounds picked up by the hidden microphone, and he hadn't complained, which made her feel somewhat ashamed. At least she could see things out the window. On the other hand, he didn't have such a compelling reason to rush home when he got off.
To pass the time, she ran over the details about the suspect in her head. Known as "Skippy," he was a young man who had managed to accumulate a great deal of demolition experience and had likely been involved in at least three local bombings. No deaths had been involved, but there had been substantial loss of property. By all reports, he acted like someone out to establish a reputation, which meant he would be looking for business.
Thus, he was a good target for surveillance. The police had been monitoring his contacts for the past five days without any luck. It didn't appear as though they would be making any progress tonight, either.
She checked her watch again. "They're late," she announced. "Why are they always late?"
"Relax," Blake advised, lowering his earphones. "They'll be here. You in some kind of hurry?"
"As a matter of fact, I--oh, never mind, here they come," she broke off as the officers on the next shift drove up. "Later, Blake!" She grabbed up her purse, snagged the last slice of pizza, and was through the door before he could blink twice.
He shifted position slightly, curving his arm around her. "I am...awake." She could feel the vibration as he spoke. "You are not tired?"
"I'm exhausted," she sighed. "But I want to say something before I fall asleep."
He reached across with his other hand and brushed her hair back from her face, the better to gaze deeply into her eyes. "What is it you wish to tell me?"
She laid her palm flat against his chest, letting it rise and fall with his breath. She had never been as comfortable as she was now here with him. He always had so much love to give to those around him, she couldn't imagine not responding in kind. The words she was about to say would take their relationship to a new, unexplored level, yet she didn't have even the tiniest sense of trepidation about entering that future with him.
She smiled. She chose her words carefully, for this moment had to be perfect. She caressed his cheek. "Start thinking of names, Kwai Chang Caine. We're having a baby."
Though the room was dark, she could make out his expression. His eyebrows rose and a smile crept across his face like the blooming of a morning glory. "This is...wonderful news." He leaned down and kissed her, his lips warm and soft.
There would be no "What do you mean?" or "Are you sure?" from him. He took her at her word. He trusted her. She chuckled low in her throat, interrupting the kiss, but he didn't seem to mind since he wound up grinning like a fool himself.
She relaxed in his arms, allowing drowsiness to steal over her now that she had delivered her precious news. "I just found out for sure this afternoon," she murmured, suppressing a yawn. "I couldn't wait to come home and let you know."
He laced his fingers through hers, content simply to hold her peacefully and share in her joy. "Tomorrow we must celebrate."
"Mm hmm." She had time for one more thought before she sank into slumber. "We'll have to find some way to tell Peter..."