As Anna washes her hands and looks over her makeup, she thinks about what Connor said before she left. It makes her feel a lot better that everything she did tonight worked out and that he was happy with how tonight went. Her telling him that she was pregnant was the best part though. Now she’s just ready to get back to their suite so that she can lay with him and eat their dessert. With that, she tears off a paper towel and dries her hands before moving back towards their table, smiling when she sees Connor looking around the restaurant. “Miss me?” she teases before opening the small folder holding the check and signs her name. It shocks her a little bit that he didn’t just sign it for her, but either way she doesn’t mind. Once her wallet is back into her purse, she looks up at Connor and grins. “Ready to go? I’d say we could walk back to the hotel but I think my feet would hate me if we did that.” Anna stands up and holds her hand out, waiting for him to take it before they exit the restaurant to go get a cab. As soon as one pulls up, she slides in before curling up against Connor again, leaning her head on his shoulder before moving to run her fingers over where his wedding band would be sitting if he had it on. “Maybe you should put that on when we get back to the room. What do you think?” She looks up and meets his eyes before doing something that he usually does. Anna brings his left hand up and kisses his ring finger before leacing them together. Adjusting her head on his shoulder, she kisses the side of his neck, then whispers into his ear. “What do you think we should do when we get back?”

“Oh? Well if it’ll remind you a little bit of home then we should definitely get it.” She smiles at him before glancing down at the menu, wondering which one she should get for herself. The waitress returns with the box and Anna orders both the whiskey cake and the cream pie before working on putting her leftovers in the box. “It would be useful. I guess we’ll just have to ration accordingly, won’t we?” Anna raises her own eyebrow like he does then winks because she understands what he’s hinting at. Even though the alcohol is most likely baked out of the cake, she’d rather not risk anything just in case. Once the leftovers are in the container, she moves around to grab her purse while laughing gently at his amused voice. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll eat it.” Anna can only imagine the things going on in his mind about how he can eat it off her body or something like that, not that she would mind either way. She’s missed doing things like that, even if he hadn’t been gone very long. As she pulls out her card, she smiles softly at him, setting everything onto the table before reaching over to squeeze his hand. “I’m looking forward to just being able to cuddle against you at night again. And I hope dinner was fantastic.” The waitress comes over to take the card and sets down their desserts along with a to-go bag. Anna stands up and places them in the bag before moving over to kiss him quickly. “I’ll be right back, okay?” After pecking his lips one more time, she walks over to use the restroom before they leave.

Anna notices that he realizes she’s right. It won’t be the same but she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. At least not tonight when they’re supposed to be celebrating. So she’s glad when he changes the topic a bit, laughing at how Connor already knows that Puck would bring vodka to any party. “Well Russia is known for their vodka. He’s proud of that. And a lot of other things, but parties with him are fun.” She nods and looks down at her food before she hears him mention that Callum would be really happy if he came along for the cake testing. “It’ll be good to get another opinion on what everyone would like at the wedding. Plus I may like what other people won’t like.” Anna shrugs and glances over the menu again, eyeing two of the desserts that sound the best. Even though her eyes are still glued to the menu, she laughs when he says the two cakes that he doesn’t think would work. “Banana cake? I don’t think that would work for a wedding, though banana bread sounds really good now. I’m sure the bakery can tell us some of the more popular flavors. I’m sure vanilla is overdone when it comes to weddings.” She knows that he won’t know much about that, especially since she doesn’t but the baker should. And the thing she wants most is to save the top layer of the cake like she’s read about for a tradition, to freeze it and eat it on their anniversary. It could be fun. Anna looks up and nods. “I see two that I like and I’m considering ordering both. There’s the banana cream pie, a chocolate sauce and some sort of ‘fudgesicle ice’ with it as well. But then there’s the white chocolate souffle with some ice cream and a sort of sauce. Is there anything that you’d want? There’s a crumble that might sound good and they have a whiskey cake.” She looks over the menu and laughs a bit. “We might as well just order all of it at the rate I’m going.”

Even though Connor squeezed her hand, she keeps her eyes down while trying to think of a way to get him back to Scotland. Anna knows that he’s been extremely busy and it’s only fair that he should be able to go back to his home so that he has a chance to feel normal again before he’s considered royalty. When he calls out to her, she finally looks up and into his eyes, biting her lip nervously before listening to him talk. “Connor, that’s not what I’m worried about. It’s not going to feel the same if you go back there after we get married, once you renounce it. I want you to enjoy yourself and I don’t want you to ever resent me or regret not going there before then.” Sometimes it’s hard for her to believe that she’s given him a lot because it feels like she’s taken more away from him. Even if he does reassure her multiple times that it’s not like that. “I’m sure Puck will put something together too. You know how he is.” Anna smiles tightly at him before pulling her hand back and going back to eating her food. She is hungry and doesn’t want it to go to waste. Especially since she knows that Connor will want to finish his steak as well. She looks up at him after taking a bite, nodding slightly. “That was another thing I wanted to wait for you. I have an appointment next week for it and I figured we could get Callum to come with us. I’m sure he won’t say no to a cake tasting.” The waitress comes over when she finishes her sentence and she requests a dessert menu and a to go box before setting her utencils down. “Is there any type of cake flavor that you absolutely do not want?” Anna asks before smiling politely at the waitress and looking over the menu. There’s a few desserts on there that sound really good and she’s tempted to get them all before her thoughts are interrupted by Connor speaking.

She scrunches up her nose at the thought of haggis, granted Finland had some pretty odd dishes as well. “We could probably have a variety and let people pick between steak, chicken and fish, maybe? Or is that too much? And Rachel is vegan, so I’ll need to figure out something special for her.” Anna bites her lip and stares at Connor, thinking she should probably write this all down unless he could remember it till they get back to the suite. Then she realizes that he’s had to memorize lots of things before for his training, so they should be okay until she’s either in the car or something. She looks back up at him and notices that he’s just staring at her while chewing, making her laugh. “I don’t think many people can say no to candy but we can always think of something fancier that could be suitable for a royal wedding. Though I want it to be us too. And you know how much I love candy.” His words catch up with and she furrows her eyebrows, looking down at her napkin and thinks about it for a second. “Would you like to go to Scotland to spend time with your friends before the wedding? Callum gave me some people that he thought you would want there but I didn’t really think about that until you mentioned it.” Her eyes drop down to when he squeezes her hand but she’s concerned now. “And I wouldn’t tell you if your ideas sucked. I’d probably put it a little more politely. However, if you did suggest something and it may not fit, I’d try to find a way to make it work. This is your wedding too and I want things that you want there. You’ve already given up a lot to be with me Connor.” Her voice is a little more quiet at the end and she really hates that she feels weird about this now. Connor should be able to spend some time in Scotland before the wedding instead of spending family time in Finland, especially since that’ll be his new home once they get married. Before he has to renounce it.

Anna imagines that Connor is thinking about what she said, how she would’ve fallen in love with him no matter what. She doesn’t want to even think about what she would have done if she was married before and met him. Would she have cheated? Had an affair and got divorce? All those thoughts are a bit overwhelming, but either way it doesn’t matter. Because that’s not this lifetime and she’s happily married to Connor and having his child. That’s all that matters to her. Anna smiles up at him, eating more of her food before nodding. “Even though some time with her with either me or Callum would be nice, I think she’d really love some quality time with you. I’m not sure how she’ll feel about having to be in Finland, so maybe if you took her out to see a lot of different things then it’ll help out” She shrugs, not knowing it that’s a good suggestion or not but she knows deep inside that his mother would really enjoy that. Anna missed him too, but she figures she’ll voice that later where she won’t turn into a mushy person in public. A small laugh escapes her lips as he looks over her dinner, wondering if he’ll want to try any. She wouldn’t force him to, especially if there was something he didn’t like but she nods when he does say that he’ll try the squash. So she gets some onto her fork and holds it up for him, expecting him to take the utencil. It honestly surprises her a little bit when he lets her feed him since he tends to act more guardlike when they’re out. Before he can completely pull away, Anna reaches out and squeezes his hand, smiling gently before settling back in her seat. “Do you want steak at the wedding? For the reception dinner? That’s something I decided that had to wait until you got home. And the favors that are left at the table. I’m not quite sure what to do about that. I’ve read in magazines that people have candy bars or leave little favors on the table and those can be virtually anything.” She looks up at him, hoping he’ll be interested in discussing the wedding while they eat.

“Of course I want your help. You know more about that aspect that I do. And knowing what they want or need will be a big help as well.” Anna nods then joins his laugh when they talk about Puck. It’s one of the things that her and Puck joke about, him stealing Connor away for the Spetsnaz. The fact that he would want her husband makes her feel good, that she’s picked such an amazing man to spend her life with. While Connor speaks though, she bites her lip wondering if it would’ve been any different if he had been in the military and somehow Puck introduced them. Would he still have wanted to speak to her and get to know her like he did in the Bahamas. “How do you always find the most amazing words to say? No matter how we met, I still would have fallen madly in love with you.” Her eyes search his, hoping he understands that she means it. It pains her to even think about living a different life without him. Anna rolls her eyes at him, biting her tongue to keep her from saying that he has to say those things to her because she’s his wife. Thankfully she’s saved from saying anything when the waitress brings their food over. The smell is overwhelming and she immediately feels her stomach growl when she glances down at her food. All of it looks amazing and she knows that Connor will be really excited about his steak. Anna picks up her fork but waits as he cuts into his steak, wanting him to be completely satisfied with it before she even tries her own food. When he hums in approval and she can physically see that he likes his meal, she cuts into hers and takes a bite before noticing that he’s calling her over. She moves the plate forward a bit before leaning over the table, taking the bite into her mouth and chews, nodding in approval before leaning back in her chair. “I did. He was doing really well, even if I could hear your mother whispering in the background. She was asking about the wedding, I think but Callum avoided it. He’s coming next week since that was when you were supposed to be coming back. We’ll just get some alone time before he comes. And I can get everything set up for him to sleep as well.” Anna nods and takes another bite of her food before looking up at him. “Is there anything on my plate that you’d like to try?”

Anna laughs and reaches over to squeeze his hand. “I’ll be sure to cook for you this week. But I feel terrible that they don’t have better food over there.” She thinks for a second before pulling her hand back so that he can finish the breadstick that she gave him. Her head nods thoughtfully as he talks about his time there. She absolutely believes that her father may not have said much but was probably interested in what Connor was doing and how he interacted with the soldiers. What she’s most proud of is how they were all impressed with his Finnish. It’s probably not the easiest language to learn and the fact that he learned for her and her country makes her feel  so much more love in her heart. “I’m glad that it sounds like you had a decent time though.” Anna smiles at him then wonders about how the soldier’s wifes, girlfriends and family must feel like though. She missed him so much for a few weeks when they’re there for months. “I feel like I should do something for them. Like a thank you of sorts. What do you think? We could plan something together.” Her eyes search his before she picks up her water for another sip. “You would be great in the military. Maybe Puck would’ve tracked you down regardless if you were. I think he’s still trying to recruit you,” she says with a laugh before looking into his eyes. Anna can tell how passionate he is about that aspect of his job as a guard, so she can only imagine what he’d be like if he does become king and wants to take care of the Finnish military. If he had been in the military for Scotland though, they probably never would have met so in a way, she’s thankful that he didn’t go that route. Her thoughts are disrupted when he asks her a question, grinning at what he calls her. “Meetings. Wedding planning. Doctor. But yes, I did find my wedding dress. I don’t think it’s a style most women would go for nowadays but it still seems royal enough. I’ll have to go get fitted soon once I grow a bit.” Her eyes dart down to her stomach before she smiles back up at him. “I can’t wait for you to see me in it either. I really hope you’ll like it. And our wedding pictures will be really nice with the dress and your uniform.”

Anna watches as he moves his hand over to her own then smiles up at him. “I know you prefer beer but I’ll just make sure that I don’t order any wine. We can share dessert though since I don’t think I’ll be able to finish one by myself.” Her eyes glance back down at the menu and now she’s really wondering what she can and can’t eat but doesn’t want to be rude to pull out her phone. “Well he wouldn’t be paying for it. I wouldn’t let him.” Anna gently shakes her head then glances back down at the menu. It feels like she’s looked it over a hundred times before the waitress comes back to the table. So she orders the pork chop with the butternut squash side with it. After they’re done ordering, she watches as Connor picks up the breadstick and she laughs a bit when he seems so shocked by how good it is. So she picks up her own and picks small pieces off to eat then nods. “It is good. It’s probably been weeks since you’ve had warm bread like that, huh?” She pops a few more pieces into her mouth then grins at him, looking around slightly before letting her eyes land back on his. “It’s really nice. And you should let me try some of that when you get it.” Anna winks at him before finishing off her breadstick and leaning back in her seat. “Did my father teach you any more things? He’s been training you, hasn’t he?” She waits for his answer, reaching forward to sip from her water before she grabs another breadstick but breaks it in half since she wants to have room for her dinner and hands the other half to Connor. “And tell me about your trip. Well not any of the scary stuff. Just what it was like interacting with the other military guys.”

When they walk into the hotel and towards the restaurant, Anna can’t help but be nervous about her selection of steakhouse. It’s his homecoming, even if he was only gone for a few weeks but to a war zone regardless, and she wants it to be special. Everything looks extremely fancy and she hopes that won’t make Connor think that she’s trying to wave her family’s money around or anything. When they walk up to the hostess, she’s about to say her name when Connor is a gentleman as always and handles it so she brings up their joined hands and kisses the back of his hand. The hostess walks away and she mouthes a thank you and an I love you to him before they’re seated. Anna smiles and nods. “It does say that,” she finally replies after she opens up the menu, slightly shielding her face to ignore any type of reaction he may give her about the place. In all reality, she shouldn’t be as nervous as she is but once he orders, she thinks that she’ll calm down a bit. His voice travels across the table and she looks over at him before smiling a bit. “Is it okay, Connor? The steaks were rated really well here. And I’m sure they have beer.” Soon she’s interrupted and the waitress asks what they want to drink. “I’ll take a glass of…” she trails off before shaking her head. “Water is perfectly fine for me.” Anna looks over at Connor as he orders, thinking of how she would normally order wine but she’s not allowed to drink that anymore. “It’ll take some adjusting, having to get used to not ordering that or else you’ll be drinking a lot of wine that I accidentally order. But I can always get dessert instead to take home.” She looks over the menu some more, trying to think of what she can and can’t have before looking up at her husband. “If we like this place enough, we should bring Callum here. What do you think?”