A/N: Yes, I did drop off the face of the earth for a while. Yes, I am back. I finished my Mock exams on Thursday, went out to celebrate last night (although my aching feet ruined the effect slightly) and now I have a week off. So to celebrate, I am posting this horribly short one-shot that I wrote ages ago. As in, 2015 ages ago. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own it, although I think I deserve it after all the study I've done. Sigh.

Vorfreude

(n) the joyful, intense anticipation that comes from imagining future pleasures.

Teresa Lisbon-Jane awoke to the smell of cooking pancakes. Smiling, she closed her eyes again and breathed in the scent. She looked to her left at the empty bed beside her, the blankets still a mess. Listening to the happy laughter of her husband and young son, she contently rested a hand on her again-pregnant stomach and lay back against the covers, her eyes still closed.

She thought about her life and how hard she had fought to get to where she was now. She and Patrick had overcome so many barriers, and she was so proud of that. Her thoughts wandered to her four year old son Jacob. She chuckled quietly when she thought about his innocent smile and mischievous eyes. Jacob was the image of his father, and he had been blessed (or cursed, however you chose to see it. Personally, she thought the latter was more accurate.) with his father's personality as well. Teresa always said she didn't mind whether her next child was a boy or girl, but she did hope she didn't have another Patrick. One was bad enough, two she could just about cope with, but three was definitely too much to handle. However, Patrick seemed convinced it would be a girl, and he was so convinced he was right, (then again, when isn't he?) that he had even gone as far as buying pink paint for the nursery. As much as Teresa wanted a little girl, she would love to be able to say 'I told you so' to Patrick.

She imagined what she would look like. Would she have dark hair and green eyes like her mother and grandmother, or would she have blonde hair and blue eyes like her dad and big brother?

As consumed as she was in her thoughts, she never noticed the bedroom door open until a small body launched itself at her. Laughing and waving away Patrick's words of caution, she lifted up her son and sat his on her knees, where he turned his body and snuggled into her chest. Even though he was only four, he had already been told by an overprotective Patrick to 'be careful of Mummy's tummy', so he gently patted her slight bump and made sure to position himself in way so that he wasn't lying on her stomach, which Teresa found so sweet she started tearing up and cursing her hormones.

Patrick came up beside her and placed a breakfast tray on the bed and a kiss on her lips.

"Mmm, what do we have here?" she asked with a smile.

Jacob immediately sat up.

"Me and Daddy made you breakfast!" he told her proudly. "But," he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I did most of the work. Daddy was just fooling around."

She hugged him, laughing at his comment.

"Thanks sweetie." she said. "I guess Daddy doesn't deserve any credit then?"

Jacob brought his finger to his lip as he thought, looking so much like his father she almost couldn't believe it.

"Well," he said finally. "I guess he could get a little bit of credit." He held up two fingers, showing about a centimeter between them. "Just this much."

As Teresa looked at her family, she felt a sudden rush of happiness at the sight. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew that whatever happened, it couldn't be that bad if she had them with her.