Hey everyone, I'm back with a new chapter! There will be an Evie and Doug chapter after we get past this little guy. I'm going chronologically through all the kids I have imagined, from oldest to youngest. :)

This chapter is a little different from the last one, but I hope you like it anyway!


Mal had managed to wait until Ben was home to tell him the news and she was glad she was able to see his reaction. Shock to disbelief to a level of happiness Mal had only seen when she agreed to marry him.

He was overjoyed about becoming a father. He was thrilled about having a son or daughter and couldn't wait until it was born.

Mal was still not totally comfortable with the idea, but Ben's enthusiasm was rubbing off on her. She found herself looking up baby names and reading articles about the strangest things. She hadn't been terribly ill, thankfully and no wild cravings, but she had developed a affinity for cuddling and the very aroma of coffee made her nauseous.

Adam was very excited about a grandchild. He had gone out of his way to promise his anxious soon-to-be daughter-in-law that everything was going to work out and that she and the baby were very loved.

Outside of that, they hadn't yet told anyone the news, save the doctor that had promised them everything looked well and that the baby was healthy.

Because the baby was still their own little secret, they had the opportunity to talk about their wedding at length without feeling pressured. There were three options: push the wedding forward, push the wedding back, or keep it as it was. Ben had told Mal to make any choice she wanted because he'd be fine with dropping everything to marry her that moment or waiting another ten years.

Mal had ultimately decided to push the wedding forward. It would make her more comfortable for the baby to be born after the wedding. Belle had been told this and had immediately gone to work on reorganizing some things.

After the wedding decision was made, they decided they should announce their news to everyone, starting with their friends. They invited them over one Saturday, which wasn't at all out of the ordinary. Their group of friends tended to invite each other over all the time.

Jane, Carlos, Audrey, Jay, Evie, Doug, Lonnie, and Chad were all there. All eight of them were going to be in the wedding. They knew that much of course, they had been asked not long after the engagement had happened. Evie was going to be Maid of Honor and she was thrilled.

Conversation dulled down and the expectant parents shared a look before Mal spoke.

"One of the reasons we had you come over was that we wanted to tell you guys something."

Everyone looked to her. Jane stopped trailing her hair ribbon over the floor, giving both of Mal's cats the opportunity to pounce, Shadow (the white cat) jumped on her hand with her claws and she yelped in surprise.

"I'm fine." Jane promised, rubbing the scratch with her other thumb. "Please go on."

"We decided to push the wedding up a few months." Ben continued, reaching for Mal's hand. "Around six to be specific."

"A whole half a year?" Chad questioned. "Why?"

"I'm pregnant." Mal replied.

There was a lot of cheering and congratulating and hugs.

After gushing about baby clothes and toys, Evie spoke up.

"A wedding shower and a baby shower so close together. This is going to be crazy."

"We don't need-"

Mal was cut off by Audrey. "Oh, please. You're getting them both if we all loose our minds in the process. Right girls?"

"Right!" Lonnie said confidently.

"Absolutely!" Evie agreed.

Jane nodded enthusiastically. "I love parties. And babies."

"...do... we have to help?" Jay asked, motioning at himself, Doug, Carlos, and Chad.

"No! You're absolutely not helping." Evie replied.

"Showers are women's territory." Audrey told him. "The only man who'll be allowed in either is Ben."

Doug, Jay, and Carlos looked relieved.

"Ha ha." Chad teased his friend.

Ben flicked a chip at him.

"Real mature, Your Highness." Mal deadpanned. Ben chuckled.

Most of the rest of the evening was spent discussing wedding plans and baby things.

The excitement was thick in the air and the support and love from their friends was so strong, they could feel it pulsing around them.

The baby would be brought into a world full of people who loved it. And even though its mother was still weary, that kind of love would make it all okay.


A/N: The next chapter will be more focused on one event/point in time! Lots of happy tears, I promise.

What'd you think? Let me know!

See you soon!