You Had Me At Hello.

Blood Is Thicker Than Water, But Water Tastes Less Bitter

"Vic."

I sat up and looked around, "Did I crash out again?" I asked.

"Yeah, for the eighth time." Mike said.

"Sorry, I've been taking care of Elise, neither of us have gotten much sleep lately." I said.

"I'm sure she's probably snoozing on her desk right now." Mike sarcastically commented.

I shot him a glare, "Not even. She's more professional than that. She's probably hopped up on coffee." I said.

"Pregnant women can't drink coffee." Mike said.

I fought back a satiric remark.

"Maybe she had a candy  bar or something." I said shrugging.

"If you two didn't spend all night fucking, you might get some sleep." Mike said.

"We don't spend all night fucking. To be honest, I haven't touched her in a week." I said.

"You're in sadder shape than I thought." Mike said.

I glared at him, and started to ask him what the hell he was talking about, when my phone rang.

I knew the number on the caller I.D.

The Los Angeles Times Publisher.

"Hello?" I asked frantically.

"Vic, it's Briana, Elise is really sick, she's spent most of the morning throwing up in the bathroom. I was hoping you could convince her to go home and get some rest, because none of us can get her to leave." She said.

"I'll be up there in ten minutes. Keep an eye on her until I get there." I hung up.

"I have to go get Elise and convince her to go home, Briana says she's been throwing up all morning, and doesn't think she's sick enough to go home." I said.

"Best of luck." Tony said.

"Thanks. I'll  be back within the hour." I said picking up my keys.

When I walked in, I walked straight past the empty receptionist's desk and to Elise's office.

I opened the door, and she was crouched over the trashcan vomiting.

Briana appeared behind me, "She's been like this since an hour after she got here this morning." She said.

Elise sat back against her book case, hands resting delicately on her stomach, gasping for air.

She started coughing and I ran to her, "You don't just need to go home babe. You have to. This is ridiculous." I said.

"I'm fine." She argued.

"No you're not." I said.

She pushed her hair out of her face and sighed defeatedly, "Okay, let's go home." She whispered.

I grabbed her purse and recruited Briana to drive her car back to our house.

During the ten minute ride home, Elise had to fight her gut so not to get carsick.

When we got home, I paid a cab to take Briana back to the office, and I carried Elise inside the house.

"I'm sorry you had to leave work." She rasped.

"Don't be. They're a little mad a me, but they'l'l have to get over it." I said kissing her forehead.

"They're never going to like us being together now." She whispered.

"That's why we're calling the shots, not them." I said.

She groaned and had to be sick again.

"You sure you're gonna be okay here alone?" I asked.