''It's a girl….I can feel it,'' Jane nearly skipped all the way into the doctor's office.
''Honestly Jane, you can't know that,'' Maura beamed as she matched her wife's steps.
''Well I have a gut feeling, and you know my gut has never let me down''
''Well studies do indicate that-''
''Nope,'' Jane quickly shut her up. ''No studies…we are going with feelings remember?'' Maura sighed, wondering why on earth she had indulged Jane in this idea of 'going with our feelings' as the brunette had called it. She was going to live to regret this. But what did it matter anyway; Jane was pregnant and they were going to have a baby. It honestly didn't seem like there was anything else in the world that mattered more.
They were going for the first ultrasound. The 'at home' pregnancy test informed them that Jane was 7 weeks pregnant. It was a pity Amanda was no longer around for them to celebrate together and thank her for all her help. The midwife had left roughly a week after the insemination to attend her grandmother's funeral in Canada. They hadn't heard from her since, understandably, given the situation. But she had been the first they texted to share the news. ''We'll tell everyone else after our first doctors visit,'' Maura had reasoned. Jane had been all too happy to agree. They weren't out of the woods by a long shot; so keeping it quiet was only logical.
...
''My my, you two certainly are glowing,'' the doctor said as she put her gloves on preparing for the ultrasound scan. It was still very early in the pregnancy and given Jane's previous situation they were going to do a vaginal ultrasound just to be sure things were progressing as they should be. ''How have you been feeling?'' she directed her question to Jane as the brunette laid down with her legs wide open.
''I've been alright actually, no nausea or anything.''
''Well that's good. But don't get too excited, it could start pretty soon,'' the doctor smiled, lifting the hospital bed cover that was keeping Jane modest by covering her from the waist where she had her trousers off.
''that's precisely what I've told her,'' Maura agreed with the doctor. ''But I do hope it will be as smooth a ride as possible,'' she added wistfully, kissing Jane's forehead as a way of encouragement as the doctor inserted the thin ultrasound machine into Jane. ''are you ok?'' Maura asked when she saw Jane wince a little.
''Fine. It's just a bit cold and….uncomfortable,'' she added shyly averting her gaze. Being penetrated is only nice in the best of circumstances surely – when your body is ready for it.
''Sorry,'' her wife smiled back, deliberately keeping her eyes off the machine. She would know everything the second she looked, and she didn't want to have any sort of privilege over Jane. So she was going to look at Jane and wait to hear the news from the doctor the same time Jane would to.
When it took a little longer than normal for the woman to say anything, Jane was the first to ask. ''Is everything alright?'' her voice was a tad weak, a prelude to a trembling voice.
''It's alright Jane, just relax okay,'' the doctor said tenderly, being well versed in how to handle situations like these.
Maura didn't dare look, she could feel her heart beating so fast she thought she was going to faint. ''It's alright,'' she reiterated to Jane, and about fifty thousand times internally to herself.
After a few seconds the doctor inhaled loudly, and Maura didn't have a choice besides to look. ''Oh my God,'' the blonde gasped.
''What is it?'' Jane asked, hating that she couldn't sit up as she turned to look at the screen that the other two women were looking.
''As you can see here,'' the doctor began calmly, ''you have two sacs. This and this,'' she explained as she moved the ultrasound probe inside Jane ever so slightly. Maura's mouth was agape. She already knew what the doctor was going to inform them. Jane however, was listening intently to the woman. ''And inside the one here…'' she indicated to said one, ''…there are two york sacs inside. This means,'' she quickly added, ''you have triplets''
''Oh my god,'' Jane echoed Maura's earlier sentiment, if you can call it that.
''These two are identical twins,'' she pointed the probe directly to the sac with two yorks inside, ''and that is a fraternal,'' she pointed to the other. And just as she finished saying that, they began to hear a heartbeat. ''And we have a heartbeat,'' she announced joyously.
Maura and Jane began to cry, unable to express themselves with words. It was such an overwhelming moment.
''Now…'' the doctor told them, ''we have a heartbeat for the twins, but we can't hear one for their fraternal sibling yet. But don't panic, this is common. We are lucky in fact to have a heartbeat for the twins. Because sometimes it takes a bit longer''
''Ok,'' Maura said, mildly appease. She was now very worried about their other baby. Was he or she going to be alright?
''Unfortunately, I'm going to have to refer you two to Boston's Maternal Fetal Medical Specialist. Because of your age, and…what happened the last time, as well as the triplets, yours is a high risk pregnancy and-''
''So I have to change to another OB?'' Jane almost whined, unsure why she was getting touched over getting a new doctor if it was for her own good and that of her babies.
''They are specialists and you will be in better hands.'' Maura and Jane didn't say anything, as they looked back to the screen. ''Shall I print the sonogram for you''
''Yes,'' they both said, smiling at each other as the doctor did just that. Afterwards Jane got dressed and her and Maura headed to Doctor Whitaker's office. She printed out what felt like a thousand pages of paperwork for Maura and Jane to fill out. They got in touch with the specialist surgery where they were now being referred to, and made an appointment for four days later.
''Remember to take easy Jane. Get as much rest as you can alright,'' the doctor advised knowingly.
Jane ran her hands through her hair as Maura lightly rubbed over Jane's stomach. ''I can't believe there is going to be three babies in there,'' Jane muttered.
''I can't believe it too.'' Maura was a bit dazed, continuously rubbing a haphazard pattern over Jane's belly.
''Do you think she'll be ok, the other one,'' the brunette finally voiced her fears; placing her hand overs Maura's to attracted her wife's attention.
''I think so''
''How do you know?''
''How do you know it's a girl?'' Maura countered.
''It's a gut thing. Didn't I tell you already when we got here that I know it's going to be a girl''
''Well my gut tells me that she or he is going to be fine,'' the blonde smiled, even as tears ran down her cheeks. Jane could tell they were happy tears though.
''Maybe they will all be girls''
''Or all boys. Or a mix''
''Do you not want girls?'' Jane asked curiously as she relaxed into the passenger seat. Clearly they were not driving off just yet.
''I don't know,'' she sighed, resting her head against Jane's shoulder, who quickly wrapped an arm around her to accommodate Maura. ''I suppose I have been preoccupied with hoping you actually are pregnant and that if you are the baby is alright, so i just haven't put much thought into choosing which sex I prefer.''
''What about last time. You never really did tell me what you wanted. You kept saying you want a baby and will be happy with either sex. And that when we try for another one then you can choose. Which was cheating by the way, because if we had a girl then next time you would say you want a boy''
Maura laughed, lightly smacking Jane's thigh.
''Seriously though, why don't you just wanna say what you want?''
''Because I don't have that luxury Jane. I can't have babies. So choosing what sex is just silly. Just having a child is more than enough, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl.''
And finally Jane understood, and suddenly felt shitty for pushing the topic. ''I'm sorry love''
''It's alright. But since you asked…'' Maura tried to sound cheery, she didn't want to cause Jane any unnecessary upset, ''…I would like two boys and a girl''
Jane actually laughed out loud. ''No way!'' She pulled away from the blonde so she could look at her properly. ''You actually want two boys and a girl? Wow''
''What's so surprising about that?'' Maura wondered.
''Well I guess for some weird reason I thought you'd want three girls''
''Whatever on earth would make you think that? And don't you dare even say 'because you're girly'''
''Ahhhh, you've taken away my defence now''
Maura laughed as she playfully smacked Jane again on her thigh.
''Bring your abusive self over here,'' Jane motioned. ''I love you,'' she told Maura before kissing her very tenderly on the lips. ''I love you so much''
''I love you too''
''And no matter what happens, we have each other and we are going to be just fine.'' Jane kissed her again; pouring as much love into the kiss as she could. When they pulled apart, they rested their foreheads against each other – Maura was now sitting sideways with one leg under the other facing Jane.
''I can't imagine how we are going to do this,'' she looked at Jane's stomach.
''I would have loved three children yes, but not in one go. Maybe I just wanted a child so much, and you wanted one badly as well, and everyone else wanted us to have one too. So then we were gifted with three. I guess I should send out a triple thanks to God''
''If only Amanda was still around. I would have just gone over to her a given her a big hug for her help,'' Maura wished. ''she would have been so pleased with herself, I can only imagine''
''Definitely,'' agreed Jane, knowing that Amanda would be as happy as if she alone was responsible for the success – as if the sperm, the egg, and the womb all belonged to her. She was funny like that.
''You still haven't heard anything from her have you?''
''Nope. I hope things are going well with the funeral. It must be hard. I remember what a busy time it was when my grandmother died.''
''She'll be in touch when she can I suppose''
''So….do we share the news?'' Jane changed topics after a moment.
''Perhaps it's best to wait till our Friday appointment''
''I'm so excited and terrified at the same time Maura,'' Jane all of a sudden changed moods. ''am I going to manage to carry three whole bodies inside me? And we are going to need a bigger car to fit three car seats. Oh, and a bigger place at some point for all of them to have a bedroom each. Do you understand Maura, we are going to have to buy three of everything,'' Jane began getting slightly hysterical as reality hit her.
''It's going to be trying, at best. But we are going to have to be calm about everything Jane. We have time. We can start all this preparation now so that when they babies come we just focus on them and nothing else''
''Not that we can focus on anything else,'' Jane almost snorted. ''Two people, three babies. We are never going to go back to work are we?'' the detective slumped into the seat.
''I hadn't thought that far,'' Maura rubbed her hands nervously.
''You are in a better position. They said to slow down, and after the appointment on Friday only God knows. They might tell me to just rest at home and stop working all together''
''Don't think so negative Jane. In any case, it's not like you are going to sit at home bored all day. We'll have to start buying all the baby stuff now. Think of all the assembling we will have to do. And we'll have to do the nursery.''
''Yeah, but-''
''All that needs to be done now,'' Maura cut in. ''With multiples we run the risk of preterm birth Jane,'' she said tenderly. ''So we have to get ready as early as we can. Not to mention the fact that we have to do it while you are still physically able to do it''
Jane sighed putting her hands under her shirt over her stomach; it was all too overwhelming. Maura mirrored her, placing her own hands on the gap to the side and on the middle.
''Our babies,'' they said after a silent moment of reflection.
AN: To the guest who went on about how she would hate her baby if it came out black and how it would cause her depression and what not because she didn't pay for a black diamond but for a white one...I sincerely hope you have stopped reading as she said you would, because all that didn't sound very nice. I understand that if you are white you would more than likely want a baby that looks like you. Perhaps choosing different words to voice this sentiment is better.