"Nick is the water boiling yet?" Gaby asked as she walked into the kitchen.
"Yupp," Nick said as he checked on the roast in the oven.
Gaby and Nick had been proud parents of twins for two weeks and Gaby already wished that time would slow down, mainly so she could get some sleep. She had never been so tired before she felt like she was almost delirious. Every time one of the twins cried she was up and tending to them. Isabelle warned her that if she didn't stop jumping every time they cried she would pay for it later.
"Did Victoria finally stop crying?"
"Yeah she finally went to sleep thank god." Gaby said as she put her hands together like she was praying.
"She's your daughter that's all I'm going to say," Nick said with a laugh, and Gaby rolled her eyes as she gathered the bottles she was cleaning from the sink and was getting ready to put them in the pot of hot water when Nick blocked her way.
"Um excuse me, Mr. Gregorio." She said looking up at him.
"Pay up first." He said with a smile. Gaby stood on the tips of her toes to level with him and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"Now move please." Nick slid out of the way, and Gaby turned the pot off and tossed the bottles in before she tried to steal a peek at what Nick was cooking.
"I don't think so Gaby, you don't let me peek in your pots when you're cooking." Nick said pulling her away from the stove.
"So what, it's different for me, I have to make sure you're not burning anything." Gaby said as Nick led her to the kitchen table and pulled her into his lap as he sat down. Gaby wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.
"Have you given any more thought to what we talked about?"
"I thought I said no," Gaby said looking at him.
"No, you said that you needed time to think about it."
"Oh okay, in that case, my answer is no," she said, and Nick let out an aggravated sigh.
"Gaby come on, I think getting a nanny is a great idea."
"I can take care of my children Nick." She said with a frown.
"I know that, and I'm not saying that you can't it's just that..." Nick paused as he tried to pick his words carefully.
"You're tired Gaby we both are. You're parents will be leaving in a few days and I go to Chicago next week, I want to make sure you take care of yourself. I already feel bad that I have to leave you like this." He said as he brushed Gaby's bang out of her eyes. "If we get a nanny then I wouldn't worry so much because I know that you have some help when you need it and that you will be able to get the rest you need." Nick rested his chin on her shoulder and looked up at her with pleading eyes.
"Fine I'll think about it some more, but I'm not making any promises that my answer will change." She said with a huff.
"Mmmhm," Nick said absent mindedly.
"You know I was thinking about rearranging the nursery. I think I want to move he rocking chair over to the window, it feels kind of cramped over by the wall. If we move the rocking chair when can put the changing table in its place, what do you think?" Gaby said as she twirled her hair around her finger trying to imagine how the room looked.
"Nick what do you think?" she asked again looking down at him and she realized that he was staring at her breasts.
"Nick stop staring at my boobs!" she yelled as she hit him in the back of the head and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What?"
"Did you hear anything I said?"
"You said something?" Nick said finally snapping out of his daze.
"Oh my god Nick sometimes you can be such a guy," Gaby complained as she readjusted her tank top, so her cleavage was no longer showing.
"Well I am a guy honey, or did you forget? I can give you a quick reminder I don't mind one bit." He said giving her a devilish grin.
"No thank you." She said as she tried to get off of his lap, but Nick held onto her.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from you, I don't need you staring at my rack like it's a five-course meal." She huffed as she struggled to break from his grasp.
"Okay, I'm sorry I promise not to stare at your rack like it's a five-course meal."
"Thank you." She said feeling satisfied that she got her point across.
"I'll just stare at em like it's a two-course meal," Nick said with a laugh, and Gaby growled.
"You're such an asswipe, let me go," Gaby said as she hit him in the chest.
"Never sweetheart." He said as he claimed her lips, Nick wrapped his hand around the back of her neck cementing her to him as he took his time exploring her mouth. He loved the full softness of her lips and how she always tasted like candy. Gaby shivered as Nick's warm hands slipped under her shirt and caressed her soft skin. The doorbell rang and Nick groaned as he dragged their lips apart with a sigh.
"Four weeks and five days." He muttered as Gaby slid off of his lap with a smile knowing that he was counting down the days until the six week waiting period was up.
Nick went to answer the door as the doorbell rung again, and Gaby went back to cleaning the baby bottles.
"You have a visitor," Nick said through gritted teeth. Gaby looked at Nick and could tell that he was annoyed and pissed off.
"What's wrong? Who is it?" she asked as she put down the bottle she was drying off.
"Derek," he said Nick didn't have to say anymore Gaby knew that between Nick and having her father in the house she needed to get Derek out as soon as possible.
"Derek what are you doing here?" she asked the surprise evident on her face.
"Sorry to drop in like this Gaby but I needed to discuss something with you."
"Sure, let's go to Nick's office." She said leading him to Nick's office, and before she could close the door Nick pulled her out of the room and closed the door behind him.
"What?" Gaby asked as she tried to figure out what was going on.
"I don't want you alone with him." He growled.
"Why not? You don't trust me?"
"It's him I don't trust." He hissed.
"Nick please, our relationship is strictly business, and he made it clear he wanted nothing more to do with our past relationship."
"Get him out of here."
"Just give me five minutes." Gaby snapped as she opened the door and walked into the office as she was closing the door Nick stood there staring at Derek menacingly. Gaby rolled her eye and turned her attention to Derek.
"How can I help you, Mr. Miller," Gaby said with a smile as they sat down.
"Did you get the gift basket from the office?"
"Yes, I did it was lovely thank you."
"I'm glad you liked it," Derek said as he fiddled with an envelope he had in his hand.
"What's that?" she asked pointing to the envelope.
"This is my two weeks' notice; I'm leaving the firm." He said handing her the envelope.
"What? You're leaving? Why?"
"I'm going to take over my father's firm, he wants to retire and the whole reason why I went into business law was so I could help my father run his firm. I kind of lost track of that reason after I moved here and started working for Stewart & Stein."
"Wow, so your actually going back to Vegas like planned"
"Not quite as planned, I'm not going back with you by my side but plans change right?" he said and Gaby could see the sadness in his eyes.
"They sure do," Gaby said as she twirled the letter in between her fingers.
"So who's going to negotiate my contracts? You're the best negotiator I've ever had."
"You're right about that. That guy I stole you from did not know what he was doing at all."
"What do you want he was a friend of a friend who knew a guy," Gaby said with a laugh.
"You're telling me, but I found you a replacement, the woman is ruthless when she makes a deal. She'll be calling you in a few days I suppose. Normally the firm would handle that but I wanted to make sure I took care of it myself, it's the least I can do."
"Thank you, Derek I really appreciate it."
"Listen Gaby I want to apologize to you for those things I said to you at the restaurant. I didn't mean any of it; I was just trying to tell you what I thought you wanted to hear."
"You thought I wanted to get my feelings hurt?"
"I thought it would help you move on. When you asked me why I didn't go through with the wedding I knew you were struggling to move on. Gaby you have to believe me when I say that I wanted more than anything to marry you that day but I knew we wouldn't be happy. We wanted too many different things; Nick is a better fit to you than I will ever be."
"It is something how you just decided to take it upon yourself to control my life."
"Gaby do you honestly think that we would still be happy. Think about it five years from now with me in charge of my father's firm, you spending countless hours alone because I'm working long hours. Or when you want to have a child and I keep saying it's not the right time."
"You're right I wouldn't be a very happy camper."
"Exactly Gabrielle, I let you go because I loved you too much to see that sparkle in your eyes disappear, and I would hate myself for being to one who made it disappear. You deserve to have someone like Nick who is willing to go the extra mile to keep you happy."
"Well, couldn't you have found a better way of letting me go?"
"Yeah, I could have." He said softly
"Well it doesn't matter now, everything worked out for the best," Gaby said as she patted Derek on the hand as she stood.
"I believe so." Derek said as he stood up. "If you ever need anything or if Nick doesn't come through on that happily ever after, you know where to find me." Derek said as he extended his hand to Gaby. Gaby looked at his hand with furrowed eyebrows and shook her head.
"We are so passed that." She said as she hugged him, Derek tensed up before wrapping his arms around her.
"Okay now let's get you out of here before there's a mob waiting for you." Gaby said as she pulled away and led Derek out to find Nick waiting for them in the hallway.
"Good luck in Vegas Derek."
"Thanks."
"Isabelle is calling you." Nick said as he pushed Gaby towards the stairs "I'll show Derek out." Nick said never taking his eyes off of Derek.
"I can-"Gaby started to refuse, but the look Nick gave her caused her mouth to snap closed.
"Coming ma!" Gaby said as she trotted up the stairs. The two men stared each other down until Gaby was out of sight.
"You know I still owe you for that sucker punch," Derek said.
"I'm ready whenever you are," Nick said with a shrug. Nick's nostrils flared as he tried to keep his temper under control, but he wanted to knock the cocky smirk off of Derek's face.
"Some other time Nick, I have packing to do," Derek said as he brushed pass Nick.
"You're a lucky man Nick but you better keep her happy, if not I will." Derek warned as he opened the door and walked out of the house. Nick was busy debating whether he wanted to break Derek's legs or arms first when he felt Gaby's hand slip into his. Nick looked down into her smiling face and kissed the tip of her nose.
"Are you okay?"She asked.
"Never better," Nick said as he closed the door and went back into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.