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Everything Is Changing

-x-

Renee rested a hand on her bump, smoothing her fingers over it. From the moment she found out she was pregnant, she couldn't wait until she was showing. Now she had a recognisable baby bump and couldn't stop looking at it in the mirror.

"Okay?" Jon asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I'm fine baby" she craned her neck to kiss him.

"Good" he smiled, putting his own hand on her protruding stomach. "You look gorgeous" he told her, admiring her make-up free face.

"Thank you handsome" she smiled, turning around in his arms so she could kiss him properly.

"What time do we need to be at Joe's?" he asked.

"In about an hour" she told him, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Guess we should shower then" he smirked.

"Stop it" she smacked his arm. "We don't have time for that"

"C'mon" he mumbled, leaning down to suck at the column of her neck. "It won't take long"

"No" she laughed, pushing him away. "We're not going to have time for all this sex when the little one is here" she pointed to her bump. "You better get used to it"

He pouted and it was so cute she just had to lean over and plant a big kiss on his lips.

"I love you" she whispered, brushing her nose against his. "Now go shower…" she slapped him on the ass as he went.

- x -

The short drive from their hotel to Joe's house didn't take long at all and the big Samoan was waiting at the door to greet them.

Joe came rushing down the steps of the porch and out onto the tarmac, giving Jon a brotherly hug. Renee smiled at their embrace, accepting a kiss on the cheek from Joe when he finally released her boyfriend.

Joe's wife Galina quickly joined them and Renee hugged her warmly.

"Wow…you're really starting to show now" the other woman beamed, putting a hand on Renee's stomach.

"I know, I can't stop showing it off" Renee smiled excitedly, her t-shirt stretching across her stomach.

"Being pregnant was such an exciting time, I bet you're so excited!" she beamed. "Are you nervous yet?" she asked Jon.

"I'm absolutely shi…"

"Jon" Joe warned, pointing to his seven year old daughter behind them.

"…terrified" Jon corrected.

"You'll be fine" Galina smiled, rubbing his arm. "Won't he Joe?"

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done…" Renee watched Jon's brow crease in worry. "…but it's the best experience of your life. You've never felt anything like it man" Joe ruffled his hair. "You'll be a great dad"

"I hope so" Jon laughed.

Renee got chatting to Joelle, asking her all about school and what she wanted to eat for lunch while Jon and Joe caught up. When it was time to leave, Joe gave them the run-down.

"Don't cuss around her and don't let her eat candy" Joe told his friend.

"Got it. No fun" Jon joked.

Joe laughed. "Seriously though, she shouldn't have sugar and I don't want to come back to her repeating a load of bad words she's learned from you"

"Hey" Jon feigned offence. "Renee's just as bad as me!"

"I know but she has more restraint" Joe chuckled.

"Bastard"

"See" Joe raised a brow. "Anyway, we'll be back about ten this evening. She'll be tired by then so if she wants to sleep let her but not before seven or she won't sleep through the night"

"You want me to make a list?" Jon frowned, trying to remember it all.

"Don't worry, Lina told Renee all of this on the phone"

"Then why are you telling me when you know I'll forget?" Jon asked incredulously.

"Because you're supposed to be babysitting for us so you can get some parenting practice in" Joe laughed. "So don't leave it all up to your pregnant girl alright? Jo's a good kid, she won't cause you any trouble"

Jon and Renee said goodbye to Joe and Galina, waving them off.

"It's a beautiful house isn't it?" Renee commented, looking at the family photos and ornaments in the hall.

"It is" he agreed.

"I'd like something like this when we have our own house"

He smiled at that. He loved his apartment in Vegas, but his little rented place wasn't going to be suitable for a baby. He couldn't wait to build a home with Renee.

- x -

It wasn't long before Joelle was showing them around her family's home. Jon had visited before, but this was Renee's first time seeing the place.

"Is there a baby inside your tummy?" Joelle asked curiously as they settled in the kitchen.

"Yeah…wanna feel?" Renee smiled.

Joelle nodded and Renee guided her hand to her bump.

"Baby's head is just here" Renee explained.

"Why is it upside down?" Joelle giggled.

"Because when the baby comes out, hopefully the head will be all the way down here…" she pointed. "…that's how babies are born, head first"

"Is Uncle Jon going to be the baby's daddy?"

"I hope so" Jon chuckled, winking at Renee as he joined them at the island.

"Do you think he'll be a good daddy?" Renee asked with a smile.

Joelle thought about that carefully before nodding.

Renee could see the little girl's judgement meant a lot to Jon, even though he tried not to show it.

"Daddy always says having me was the best thing he ever did" she replied matter-of-factly. "But him and mommy don't get to spend much time together anymore and that makes them sad"

Renee shared a look with Jon. They talked about the strain a new born would put on their relationship, but they'd never really considered that their priorities were about to change forever. It was scary. Now, they could stay out late at the bar, go exploring in the mountains and do whatever they wanted. With a child, that was all going to disappear.

"Well they have today to enjoy so that's nice huh?" Renee smiled.

Renee always was a natural with kids, and as the day went on, she proved to have even more of an instinct for it. She'd talked at length with Joelle, all about school and her favourite things to do. Then she'd cooked the most delicious feast for dinner. Now it was early evening, they were settled in to watch a movie on Joe's big TV.

Jon kept a close eye on Renee, knowing she'd been suffering with bouts of tiredness recently. Sure enough, he could see her eyes drifting closed every now and again as she fought to stay awake.

He remembered what Joe had said and all the talks they'd had about the importance of him taking an active role in being a parent. He didn't want to leave it all to Renee and he knew she felt as though she needed to stay with Jon and the little girl to make sure they both felt comfortable.

He cleared his throat and she looked up.

"Go upstairs and take a nap" he reached across the little girl in between them to stroke Renee's arm. "Joe said the spare room is free and you need your rest"

"I'm okay baby, don't worry about me" Renee stretched her arms over her head with a yawn.

"Go" he let his hand travel up and into her hair and she leaned into his touch. "We'll finish watching the movie and then it'll be our bed time too" he patted Joelle on the shoulder.

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking between the two.

"You'll have to trust me eventually" he laughed.

"It's not that I don't trust you, you know I do. I just don't want to leave it all to you"

"We're lucky, you're a pretty good kid aren't you?" Jon asked Joelle, ruffling her hair.

"I'll be good. Go take a nap, we got it" the little girl assured her.

"Well, if you two are so sure" Renee smiled, pushing herself up from the couch.

Jon stood too, helping her get all the way to her feet.

"Thank you gorgeous" she told him, waiting until they were out of the room to give him a sweet kiss. "If you need me, wake me okay? Don't be afraid to shout me"

"We'll be fine" he assured her. "Sweet dreams"

"Love you" she called as she ascended the staircase.

"I love you too"

- x -

Things were going swimmingly. At least until Joelle decided she was bored of the movie.

"Uncle Jon?" she asked sweetly, turning to face him on the couch.

"Yeah…?" he asked her warily.

"Can I have ice cream?"

Jon laughed. "Nuh uh little lady"

"But I always have ice cream with movies…"

"I'm not falling for that one" he chuckled. "Your dad will kill me"

She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes.

"Sorry" he apologised.

She sulked for a moment before perking up, an idea popping into her head.

"Can I show you my treehouse in the garden?"

He considered it for a second.

"Sure" he shrugged, deciding it wouldn't do any harm.

Following her out into the night air, they walked down to the bottom of the garden. At the end, there was an enormous, old tree. They'd built wooden rungs from the base to the top where there was a little wooden hut with a roof.

"Are you coming up?" she asked as she started to climb.

"You sure I'll fit?" he laughed.

"Daddy comes up here all the time when mommy's mad at him"

Jon chuckled at that, making a mental note to tease him about it later.

Climbing up and squeezing himself into that tiny treehouse, he found himself really bonding with the little girl. She has so many intelligent things to say, and so many opinions on the world around her that he just sat and talked to her.

When she yawned, curled up against the far wall to make room for Jon's long legs, he checked his watch.

"It's getting late. I think it's bedtime for you little lady"

"Okay"

Jon climbed down first, dropping down to the grass with ease. He watched Joelle emerge.

"Ready to catch me?" she asked, looking back over her shoulder.

"Go for it" he said, holding out his arms.

She jumped and he caught her with ease, setting her on her feet.

She ran off towards the house at top speed.

He should have known something was going to go wrong. He couldn't possibly have a nice, relaxed evening without some kind of challenge or mishap.

He saw her mop of dark hair as she went tumbling to the ground. The 'thud' was audible. There was a few seconds of dead silence before the realisation hit her and she started crying.

Shit.

He quickly located her, sprawled on the concrete patio outside the door clutching her knee. Crouching beside her, he surveyed the damage. The skin was broken and bleeding, but it was just a graze.

Looking up at the spare room, curtains pulled across the windows where Renee slept, he debated waking her. She would be so much better at comforting the little girl. But then he reminded himself of Joe's words. He needed to handle this.

"Come here princess, it's just a scratch" he soothed, putting an arm under her knees and another around her back to lift her up. Carrying her into the kitchen, he set her on the table and went about searching for medical supplies. She was still sobbing, sniffling noises echoing around the room. Eventually he found a first aid kit and cleaned her up.

"See" he told her, holding up the antiseptic wipe. "No more blood"

"It h..hurts" she hiccupped.

"I know" he soothed. "But it's all better now" he stuck a band aid over it. "You know, when I was younger I got a really bad scratch" he said, aiming to distract her. It worked.

Renee walked in just as he reached the crescendo of the story about his detached nipple.

"Jon" she gasped. "Don't tell her that!"

"It's a really cool story!" Joelle exclaimed, checking out the scar when Jon lifted his shirt to show her.

"Oh no, what's happened here?" Renee asked, spotting the first aid box.

"Just a scratch" the little girl shrugged with a smile at Jon.

- x -

They managed to get her to sleep before her parents got home and settled on the couch, Jon running his fingers through Renee's hair gently.

"Did you have a nice nap?" he asked quietly.

"Mmm" she smiled.

"Good" he dropped a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm proud of you" she whispered sleepily.

- x -

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