I have too much free time on my hands. Read and review,

xoxox

He had caught her, a few times, with her hand on her ever-expanding belly. It was her natural reaction, she told him, when she caught them staring at her stomach. She couldn't help it. But, Jake had caught her talking to her stomach. Not a full on conversation, but whispered phrases, as if the baby could hear her.

"Can she hear you?" he wanted to know.

"Pardon?" Rachel looked up from what she was doing.

"Can she hear you?" Jake repeated. "I've seen you do it; I've seen you talking to her. Do you think she hears you?"

"I know she does", she almost whispered. They were quiet for a beat. Ben sat there, considering what his wife had told him, and Melissa sat there, watching him. Finally, she gave a small nod. "She'll hear you too".

Ben's head snapped up, turning to his wife.

"If you want to talk to her too, I don't mind".

"Now?" he said uncertainly. He wasn't sure what to tell the unborn- his daughter, he corrected.

"If you want". Rachel shrugged, picking up her book once more. The room was silent for a few minutes as Jake sat there, contemplating words to tell his daughter. Rachel sighed, but she knew that didn't help him.

"It doesn't really matter when you talk to her, Jake", she told him finally. "You could talk to her when I'm asleep, if you want. I can guarantee she'll be awake because I'm not, but... maybe it'll be easier if it's just you".

They watched a movie that night- the four of them. Alex, Jake, Rachel and their unborn child. Rachel fell asleep about halfway through the movie, her head in Jake's lap. Alex smiled at the two of them, declaring that he was heading to bed.

"Night, mate", Jake echoed, as his brother shuffled off to his bedroom. Absent mindedly, he stroked Rachel's hair out of her face, looking at the bulge that was their daughter. "Hey, kid. I'm your dad... I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say right now, but we're gonna get one thing clear, before we meet. No dating. Because then you'll meet a fool and wanna marry him, and I don't really think my heart could handle that. Anyway, movies. You'll probably like the princess movies, the chick flicks, like your mum. But I like action movies. Now, I don't mind a compromise. Compromise is my middle name..."