Exactly Where We're Supposed To Be

Participants:

bf_lynette_icon.gif vf_ruiz_icon2.gif

Scene Title Exactly Where We're Supposed To Be
Synopsis Two people who should have been worlds apart are building a little home at the edge of the pine forests.
Date September 30, 2013

The Rowan-Ruiz House: New Jersey


Earlier this morning, Lynette told Ruiz he and Manuel were having a boys day while she went into the city. Shopping, business, boring stuff. There was one stop on her outing she didn't mention, but only because she wanted to be sure before she brought it up. When her car pulls into the drive, she's pretty quick about getting out and getting to the house. Although, she does have several bags with her because she had time to do stress shopping before her appointment.

"Javi," she says as she gets near the door, "I need help." Because she doesn't have the hands to open the door herself. She could put her things down and unlock the door and pick everything up again, but that takes time. And there is one mistake she made in her life that she never wants to repeat.

The boy's day had been spent with Ruiz doing something he hadn't done much in the last year. He didn't have a piano or a guitar, but he could hold the boy and sing to him. A few different songs in Spanish, a few in English. Until the boy fell asleep on his chest, with his fingers still in the curls of his beard. The boy continues to sleep as he hears the car, and the call from outside.

Instead of waking him and putting him down somewhere, he carries him to the door, an arm under him to hold in place as he unlocks the door and opens it with his free hand. The boy barely even moves a muscle, possibly a sign that he had been worn out.

"Do you need help carrying those in?" he asks, even though he's still holding onto a bundle that likely weights more than her own packages. He could always just put the boy to bed and then help carry things inside, if she had more in the vehicle.

"No," Lynette says, "this is everything." And she really only gets them inside the door before she sets them down against the wall and closes the door behind her. "My darling," she says to Ruiz as she leans in to give him a kiss. And then, softer as she kisses Manuel's sleeping head, "my little darling." She doesn't want to wake him, but getting her to not kiss him the moment she sees him would be a real feat.

"I have something to tell you," she says. And the way her eyes light up and her lips tug into a smile, she thinks it's a good something. "We should… probably lay him down," she says, a chuckle on her words, even if it's just a quiet one.

"Probably should have a few hours ago, but I think he finds me comfortable," Ruiz offers, with a sheepish look on his face as he steps back. "I'll do that while you put your things away," he does add, as he moves to go and do just that. It gives him some time to not worry about whatever it is she might have to tell him.

He knew she still called the detective on her husband's case sometimes, but it could be a lot of things. As he lays the boy down, turns on the monitor and tucks him in, he returns to find the woman he loves. His wife from another world. A woman he'd knowingly included in his wedding vows. Any other life.

"He's still asleep. Barely moved an inch." Just enough to try and grab after him when he was leaving, before his hands found the blanket and squeezed it instead.

"You are comfortable," Lynette says. She's fallen asleep on him on every occasion possible, after all. But she nods to the arrangement and grabs her bags again to cart them toward the bedroom. But that's all she's done, because when he finds her there, she's pacing the room instead of putting anything away. She turns back when she hears his voice. "What an angel," she says with a warm smile. Because he is.

She comes over to him, to take his hands in hers. "How do you feel about… two little angels around here?" she asks, expression hopeful. Her hands grip onto his, supportive whatever his reaction is. But she's watched him with Manuel enough. He's a good father. They're a good family.

At first he doesn't seem to understand what she means, because Ruiz looks toward the bags that aren't put away for a moment as if wanting to ask about them instead, or about whatever this news she might have would happen to be. "I'm happy that you let me spend— " and that's when it hits him. He was simply wanting to say how happy he was that he'd gotten to spend some time alone with him. That he had understood that probably had taken a lot of faith on her part.

That it meant she trusted him.

But the words just— stop. He closes his mouth after a second and looks back through the door as if wanting to look toward the boy's bedroom. And then back and her, eyes widening with the surprise, with— more emotions that he could possibly put into words, probably.

"You mean?" he can hear the blood pump in his ears. He's almost afraid to finish. What if he misunderstood. What if she were just saying it as a hypothetical. What if…

"I went to my doctor. Tests came back positive. We're going to have a baby," Lynette says with a smile first. Then she bites her lip a moment later. He has all those emotions and her hands leave his to take his face instead. "You're already a good father, Javi. Manuel loves you. I love you." She leans in to brush her nose against his, a gentle show of affection before she leans back enough to look at him again.

There's no question of trust. She trusted him the moment she saw him. She loved him the moment she saw him. And there was never any question, either, that their family would grow a little bigger one day. "Are you okay?"

We're going to have a baby.

Six words that Ruiz had never thought he would ever hear, considering all the things that had been going on in his own world. Back there it would have been six very different words. Something to worry about, be horrified for, even. But here.

Here, once she confirms, once she asks the question, his hands move, to cup her face, to pull and lean into a sudden kiss that should answer her question without him having to. But he still does, once the kiss breaks enough for breaths of air. Getting words out between kisses, "Yes— yes I'm good. I'm great. This— I love you."

And he means it. He can barely stop kissing her enough to get words out, but he does.

Lynette returns the kisses, arms sliding around his neck to cling to him a little tighter. She doesn't make answering any easier, either, except when his words bring out a smile. Wide, excited, and full of love. "Good," she says with a breathless laugh. "Javi, I couldn't be happier. I'm glad you're there with me. I'm glad you're here with me." Her words are also choppy and half muffled, but she's pretty sure he'll get the point. "I love you," she says, and she repeats it whenever she can manage.

She isn't alone this time, and that means the world to her. Mateo is here with her, which is a miracle she hasn't gotten used to. And she hopes she never does. Because every morning, every night, she's amazed to see him there with her.

This time she won't have to do this alone, that's for sure. Ruiz kisses her once again, before he pulls back to look down at her body. He realizes how cliche the whole thing is, but he can't help it. Somewhere in there a little him and her was growing.

A little sister or brother for the little boy sleeping in the other room.

"I guess we already have a name," he says after a moment, looking back up. Then the tears in his eyes are visible. Not sad tears, but happy ones, truly, from the way he's also smiling as he looks at her. A smile that wrinkles the skin around his eyes.

Cliche, maybe, but Lynette laughs when he looks her over. Her hands move to cover her face. It's only for a moment, though, because her hands move to his face instead, thumbs brushing at his tears. Seeing him cry makes her eyes tear up, too, and she moves back in against him.

They can enact all the cliches, as far as she is concerned. Because it's him and her. Because it's them. Because he never thought he would be able to. Because she didn't get the chance to last time.

"We do," she says, even though she has to clear her throat to get the words out. "The hard part's taken care of, then," she adds through a chuckle.

"I somehow doubt that's the hardest part," Ruiz responds with a grin up at her as he reaches out and does what he probably wanted to do the first time he looked down. He puts a hand on her stomach, even though there's no way he could possibly feel anything yet. And he doesn't quite put it low enough either. "But I'll be here. Through all of it." The hard times, the easy times. All of it.

"I can't wait to meet them." And by them, he doesn't mean plural, he means gender neutral. Cause it could be a boy! Which just means they will break out boy versions of Eve. Though he would be lying if he said he didn't hope for a little Evie.

There's still the hint of tears, the sound of emotional strain in his voice— but at the same time he looks happy.

Lynette takes his hand and moves it down to the right position, her smile softer when she looks over at him. "It'll be more obvious later," she says, a gentle tease. But his words are what get her tears to actually fall, and she leans in against his chest, her head falling against his shoulder. "Thank you," she says quietly as she nuzzles into his neck.

"I can't wait, either. They're going to be so beautiful, Javi." Boy , girl, either way. "I hope they get your smile." There's probably a list of traits she hopes the new baby will get from him, because she thinks they're all good traits to have. But his smile is what she loves the most.

"I hope they get your hair this time. Manuel's gonna go through so much hair product when he gets older," Ruiz teases softly as he kisses her hair and wraps his arms around her, eyes closing. "I can't help but feel like this is exactly where we are supposed to be." The two of them. Together.

Even if they should have been worlds apart.


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