Start Me Up

"Oh my god!" Tessa exclaimed the minute she spotted Tara leading the pack to the baggage claim in the Vegas airport. When they stopped where Tessa and Shea were waiting for them she said, "You're so pregnant now."

Tara glanced down at her stomach, laughed and said, "Yeah, don't make the mistake I did. Don't do this to yourself."

Pekka rolled his eyes and Tessa told her, "You're so cute it doesn't even matter."

Pekka this time laughed and Tara rolled her eyes. Pekka told Tessa, "You're so excited it's cute."

"Isn't anyone else excited?" Tessa asked, looking at Roman and then Shea expectantly.

Roman told her, "We're men, we don't get excited over pregnancy."

"Well you should." Tessa stated, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout for good measure.

Tara let out a laugh and wrapped her arm around Tessa's shoulder as she told her, "Come on, let's go find me a drink and I'll tell you all about how awful creating life is."

As Tessa lead her away from them Pekka called out, "Nothing sugary! And no coffee!"

They found their way to a nearby hotel restaurant that Tessa knew sold smoothies at their bar and ordered two before she text Shea to let him know where they were.

Tessa couldn't help but note aloud, "So… Peks is pretty… into this whole thing."

"Yeah… I would say I hate it but it's just too cute to hate. He's determined to read every book he has before the baby comes so once a day he sits down and reads for at least an hour. He does all the cooking, he shops at a Whole Foods like place now. I thought I was gonna hate him for all of this but I love this." Tara told her with a smile as she took a sip of her smoothie.

Tessa couldn't help but ask, "And…maybe you love something else too?"

With a laugh Tara nodded, "Yeah I think that's a possibility."

Tessa let out a squeal, which made Tara laugh again.

"Oh, kicks." Tara said softly, shifting in her seat. Tessa watched her curiously, and Tara reached over and grabbed her hand to place it on her stomach. She pushed her hand on top of Tessa's gently and then they waited.

A few seconds later Tessa felt it, and she stared at her hand with wide eyes, and then to both of their surprise her eyes welled up with tears. So as she pulled her hand back to wipe her cheeks she told Tara with a slight laugh, "I'm sorry, that was… uh... I don't really know what that was."

"It's okay."

Tessa offered up freely, "My sister's pregnant, about four months. I guess that's why I'm so excited for you and Pekka, because I actually get to be a part of this kids life… hopefully."

Tara let out a small chuckle and assured her, "Of course you will. You're aunt Tessa."

That made her eyes well up again, and the sight made Tara's, which made them both laugh. As Tessa reached up to wipe her eyes again the boys approached them and Pekka asked Tara, "Jeez, what did you do?"

She reached out and pinched him and Tessa answered for her, "Nothing, we're just a little emotional today."

"Well, she's pregnant… what's your excuse?" Pekka pointed out with an amused smile. He then grinned and asked, "You're not pregnant too are you?"

Shea, who had just reached across Tessa to steal a sip of her smoothie choked on the liquid, and Tessa laughed as she patted his back gently. She assured everyone, him included, "No, I am not pregnant. Someone just kept me up all night."

Shea subtly reached down and pinched her hip and Tessa smiled up at him. That was when Roman announced, "Okay, way too much information."

Tessa changed the subject and asked, "When does Craig get here?"

Shea told her, "Three more hours."

"But that's so long." Tessa said with a sigh, making everyone laugh. She rolled her eyes and said, "I haven't seen best friend number one point three in months. I need to see him or I'm afraid I may spiral into a pit of despair."

Shea rolled his eyes at her dramatics and Pekka asked her, "One point three?"

Nodding Tessa explained, "Well yeah. You, Craig and Roman are all my best friends. I can't pick between you so you're all one point something and the last number varies. When Craig gets here he will be best friend one point one for a while."

"You're strange." Pekka stated.

Tessa fired back with, "Says the guy who willingly stands in front of people shooting frozen rubber pucks at him every night."

Shea and Roman laughed, Pekka simply nodded and said, "Touche."

As they climbed into the SUV Shea had rented for their time in Vegas and Tessa set the GPS up to get them back to their hotel Shea glanced in the rear view mirror at Tara, who was leaning with her head against the window and her eyes closed and asked, "How's mom doing?"

"Mom may have to stick her head out of the window to vomit on the way to the hotel." Tara told him softly, eyes still closed.

Pekka, who had squashed into the middle seat so that Tara could sit by the window, slipped his hand between her and the seat back to rub her back gently. He told Shea, "Just try to hit the least amount of bumps possible and, speaking from personal experience, don't slam on the breaks."

Tara rolled her eyes, "I did not puke in your vehicle… I hit the corner of the inside of the door but most of it hit the pavement."

With a laugh Shea pulled pulled away from the curb and drove as carefully as he could, being mindful of Tara the whole time.

As he drove he asked Roman, "How's Harper?"

"Sad she couldn't make it, but she's been so busy lately we've barely seen each other. Things are starting to settle down now that she's in the swing of things, so that's nice." He told them.

Tessa asked him, "Are you excited for John and Steven to visit?"

"Actually, I am looking forward to it and I know she's excited. It's been a long time since she's seen everyone together. John and Bristol came to see the house when it was first done but Steven hasn't had the chance to come out our way yet so Harp's pretty excited." He told her.

"And she really likes the house? You can tell me if she doesn't." Tessa asked him, and he couldn't help but chuckle. He couldn't remember how many times she had asked him that.

He assured her, "She loves the house. She especially loves the bath tub. I can tell how her day was just by checking to see if she came home and had a bath first thing."

Tessa let out a relieved sigh, "Thank God."

It had been a gamble putting in such a big, not traditional tub. Tessa had been nervous about it because while she had thought the large enough to fit two people comfortably tub would be perfect for those long days she wasn't sure if Harper would feel the same.

Roman and Pekka chuckled, and Shea told her, "Told you so."

Curiously Roman asked her, "Were you really that nervous?"

Nodding Tessa explained, "I'm always nervous after a house is finished. Sometimes I still worry that Peks doesn't actually like his house."

Pekka stated, "Which is crazy, because I never even liked my house until she got through with it."

Tara spoke up to say, "Even I love his house."

Tessa joked, "Aw, thanks for inflating my ego a little bit guys. You're so sweet."

"How are you older than me again? I'm convinced you've been lying this whole time about your age." Roman told her and Tessa shrugged.

She informed him, "Don't you think that if I was lying about my age I would have made myself younger and not older?"

He thought about it for a second before he said, "So what you're saying is you're really thirty-six not thirty-four."

Tessa turned to face him in the backseat and she said, "How dare you? You are officially out of the best friend one point something category."

Pekka made everyone laugh by saying, "One down, one to go."

"I hate to be the one to have to break this to you, but Craig will never lose his place." Tessa informed him.

"What does he have that I don't?"

"It's the hair. He has really nice hair." Tessa told him, pausing for a moment before adding, "And the smile. God he has nice teeth."

After arriving to the hotel and having a quick lunch Tessa and Shea had gone up to their hotel room while everyone else got checked in and settled in their own rooms.

Shea was sitting on the end of the bed with the tv on while Tessa changed in the bathroom. She came out and announced, "Tara and I are going to the pool, she's dying from the heat."

"I think we're gonna join you, there's a bar down there." Shea told her with a smile as he stood up and reached over to pull her into him. He leaned down and kisses her quickly before he asked her, a joking tone present in his voice, "You're not gonna make us have a sleepover with Craig tonight are you?"

She let out a laugh and told him, "I haven't decided yet. Why?"

He leaned down to press a kiss to her jaw before he told her in a low voice, "Because I have a few things I'd like to cross off my bucket list tonight."

She made a noise of excitement, which made him laugh, before she said, "Well let's go then, the sooner we get down to the pool the sooner we get to come back up here."

Tessa was sitting on one of the in pool benches next to Tara twenty minutes later. They were both sipping on virgin Pina Colada's while the guys drank beer on the pool deck directly behind them.

Tessa asked Tara, "Feeling any better?"

"Much. My advice to you is to plan your pregnancy according to the seasons." Tara told her with a smile and Tessa chuckled.

"Good to know."

"So… do you guys know what it is?" Roman asked Tara and Pekka.

"I know, he doesn't." Tara said and both Shea and Roman raised their eyebrows at her. She explained, "Everyone in my family, I mean literally everyone, has girls."

"Your dad…" Roman pointed out.

"Adopted. Into a family of two girls, who were not adopted. My mother is an only child, my grandmother is one of six. My grandmother on my dad's side is one of three girls, all his sister's have daughter's and two of them each have a girl." Tara told them.

"So… basically if you don't have a girl you're the black sheep of the family?" Shea asked her.

He had intended it to be a joke, Tara knew that. Still, she said, "I already am but this kid is a girl, no need to worry."

Pekka explained to Shea so he didn't feel bad, "Apparently she's the only one who's had a kid without being married. All those people in her family and no one has had an accidental baby, can you believe it?"

Shea let out a chuckle and Tessa wrapped her arm around Tara's shoulder and told her, "Couple of blacksheeps we are."

"We gotta stick together." Tara said, nodding her head in agreement.

The minute Tessa spotted Craig leaving the hotel doors and walking into the pool area she jumped up from her spot in the pool. Tara jumped at the sudden movement. Tessa put her hand on Shea's shoulder and pulled herself out of the pool while saying, "Step aside."

She threw her arms around Craig who laughed and lifted her up off of the ground for a minute.

When he set her down again she exclaimed, "You're here!"

"I'm here… and glad Shea told me you were at the pool and I dressed accordingly." Craig stated, looking down at his wet t-shirt. He pulled it off and then surprised Tessa by getting into the pool and yanking her in with him.

When she surfaced again she narrowed her eyes at him and then splashed Shea for his laughter. That started a full out war and soon everyone but Tara was in the pool and soaked.

When they settled down again Craig got up to get drunk refills Tessa took a look at his butt and said, "Hey Craig? You should really wear tighter pants more often. To show off your really great ass-"

Shea cleared his throat.

Tessa went on to say, "Ets… assets. Definitely what I was gonna say."

"Yeah, sure." Shea stated, giving her a look.

"He has a very nice butt okay? I'm a chick, we notice these things." Tessa said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Tara nodded and said, "We do."

- - - -

"Thanks for doing this." Tessa told Shea as they headed off of the elevator and down the hallway to their hotel room. As he dug in his pocket for their room key card his brow raised and she told him, "Inviting them here to spend some time with us. I know this was supposed to be a you and I thing so I appreciate it."

He smiled over at her as they stopped in front of their hotel room door and he slid the card in and out before opening the door and holding it open for her. She stepped inside and then he did, letting it close behind them.

As Tessa made her way into the bathroom to change out of her clothes she had put on hours earlier for dinner with their friends Shea pulled the door open again to stick the 'Do Not Disturb' sign out.

He waited a few minutes before he heard water running and then he headed to the bathroom door to knock twice.

"Hmm?"

"Can I come in?" He asked through the door.

"It's unlocked." She told him and so Shea pushed the door open and stepped inside to find Tessa sitting in the large whirlpool tub, water filling up. She smiled at him and said, "You should take all those layers off and get in."

"I should?" He asked her with an amused smile on his face.

Nodding she told him, "What's the point to having this big tub if we don't use it?"

So she watched him as he slowly unbuttoned his dress shirt and then peeled it off of himself and tossed it onto the counter next to Tessa's makeup bag. He then unbuckled his belt and let it and his dress pants hit the floor at his feet.

"Hurry it up already, will ya?" Tessa told him as he pulled his socks off.

Shea looked over at her as he pulled his boxer briefs off and asked her, "Aren't baths supposed to be relaxing?"

He got in the tub opposit of her and smiled as she leaned forward and grabbed the back of his neck to pull him closer to her. She then connected their lips for a quick kiss.

When they pulled apart Tessa told him, "I hope you know how much I love you… even when you're slower than molasses."

"I hope you know how much I love you…even when you're annoying." Shea told her.

Tessa grinned as she kissed him again and then she told him, "It's one of my many quirks you love."

"There's just too many to count."