Warning: Some non-graphic descriptions of sex.


Summer slowly turned into autumn and as the weather became cooler with each day, Madeline also started to show more and more. By the end of the fourth month, her belly was quite round and it was time for her to start wearing maternity clothes. She got a few new ones to wear at work but at home, she preferred to wear Jan's old shirts, which her husband whole-heartedly offered up to her.

Jan wasn't sure if it was because Maddie's pregnancy was more visible now or he simple had enough time to adjust to it but the fact that they were really going to have a child didn't seem so absurd anymore. He often found himself wondering what their kid will be like and he even took a whole new kind of interest in Maddie's condition.

"I wonder if it's a girl or a boy." He said one time when they took Kuma for a walk in the park. They held each other's hand as they strolled, while the dog trotted a few feet in front of them. The leaves on the trees have already turned various shades of lively reds and oranges, making a contrast with the pale grey sky.

"We'll find out on the ultrasound check-up." Madeline replied. Of course she was curious too and she found Jan's newfound thoughtfulness rather touching. It was quite a change compared to his more distant demeanor in the first couple of months.

"Yeah, but don't you have a guess?" Jan turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

Maddie pondered for a moment and placed her free hand on her stomach.

"Hmm, not really." She shook her head. "Something tells me it's a girl but I'm not sure…"

"A girl, huh? That's nice." The Dutchman's face softened and a smile spread on his lips. He almost looked sentimental.

"Really? I was sure you'd want a boy." Maddie chuckled.

"Boy's fine too" Jan shrugged. "As long as he or she is healthy."

"Yeah, I feel the same way." Madeline sighed and held onto her husband's arm instead of just his hand and leaned a little closer. They continued to walk like that for a while before she asked. "Hey, can we stop at that Indian restaurant on the way back?"

Jan tried to hold back a smirk. "Are you having cravings again?"

"Yes." Maddie said, blushing a bit. She didn't see what was so funny about this.

"It's okay, schat. We can make a stop there." Jan assured her and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

The cravings were a part of everyday life for Maddie by now. They were definitely better than being sick all the time but that didn't mean they didn't have their own quirks, especially when she craved the strangest of things at the strangest of times. She even got cranky despite her will when they didn't have her desired snack at home.

This left Jan with no other choice but to go out of his way in the middle of the night and purchase whatever food Madeline asked for. Fortunately, he already knew which nearby non-stop shops had the biggest selection and that saved him a lot of time, which was rather convenient when he had important meetings the next morning.

"Wife's pregnant?" the shopkeeper asked with an omniscient smile on one of Jan's midnight trips.

"How can you tell?" Jan asked back, not even looking up while packing the groceries in a paper bag. The shop was practically empty, except for him and one more customer.

"You're not the only father-to-be who comes here, you know. One recognizes them after a while." The other man explained.

"No kidding." The Dutchman muttered while getting his wallet out of his pocket, shaking his head a bit in annoyance when his bangs hung over his eyes. He didn't see a point in spiking his hair up when he was going to hit the bed again as soon as he got home.

"First kid?" the shopkeeper asked again while taking the payment, still grinning.

"Yeah..." Jan said dryly.

The shopkeeper gave him a sympathetic nod.

"Good luck, pal." He said, handing back the change.

"Thanks." Jan said, deadpanning as he picked up the bag and left the shop as quickly as he could without actually running.

As tiring as the late night shopping was, it was all worth it to see Maddie's bad mood vanish when she finally had her ice cream, bacon and peanut butter. And when she was feeling better, it also meant other favorable outcomes.

It turned out that Maddie's appetite wasn't the only thing that returned tenfold. Their love life was usually far from dull but in the first three months or so of the pregnancy, the Canadian simply didn't feel well enough for them to really engage in any form of sexual activity. But now it almost felt like they were making up for all the missed opportunities, as the hormones flowing through her veins left her with certain needs.

Jan usually wasn't the one to turn down sex, especially when Maddie was so eager but (even to his own surprise) he was actually a bit worried if whether or not that was safe for his wife and their baby. After some research and a little adjusting however, it quickly turned into something amazing for both of them. Sure, they couldn't do everything they normally could but in return they discovered different kinds of foreplay, new positions and places to touch.

Although Jan wasn't a bad lover, Madeline honestly felt like she was never so in touch with her own sexuality before. Sometimes she felt like she could go mad with desire, every touch and every kiss felt so much more intense and when she reached climax she trembled with sensation, her mind clouded with lust.

As much as Jan came to enjoy the new situation himself, the part that gave him the most pleasure was to see how stunning Madeline looked after they finished their act and lied together on their bed. She stretched out like a cat, skin flushed with a healthy pink, hair messy with sweat and her face practically glowing with serenity as she looked at him with sleepy eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently, tugging a lock of hair behind her ear.

Maddie took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second.

"Wonderfully." she said sweetly.

Jan smirked and laid a small kiss on her lips, then shifted southwards to kiss her tummy too. Maddie laughed a bit at the tickling feeling and reached out to run her fingers through his shaggy hair. He kissed the baby bump again then crawled back up and gathered her into his arms with her back to his chest. Maddie snuggled up to him and let his chin rest on her shoulder while he pulled a blanket over their naked bodies. The last thing Jan wanted was for Maddie to catch a cold.

Madeline let out a deep sigh. "I can't wait for the check-up tomorrow." She whispered.

"Me too." Jan said, his hands finding their way onto her belly under the duvet. "Then we'll finally know who's in there…"

Maddie put one of her hands on top of his, enjoying their little moment of happiness. She just couldn't stop smiling.

"I'm too excited to sleep…" she chuckled.

"You should try anyway, you need rest." Jan murmured and kissed her ear.

"Yeah, I know…" she said and yawned softy the next second. She reached out and turned off the small lamp on the nightstand then cuddled back against her husband and soon enough they both drifted off to sleep.

-x-x-x-

The wait at the clinic wasn't so bad this time. After they entered the room, the gynecologist instructed Maddie to sit in an armchair which had its backrest somewhat tilted backwards and to tuck up her shirt. She did as she was told, albeit her hands were shaking lightly and her heartbeat was starting to pick up pace. She hasn't been this excited since she first learned she was pregnant.

Once she was finished tucking up her shirt, she couldn't help but feel a little exposed. She looked over to Jan, who sat down next to her. He gave her a small smile and took her hand in his, which calmed her down instantly. In the meanwhile, the doctor finished setting up the ultrasound machine.

"So, you would like to know the baby's gender, right?" she asked the couple.

"Yes, we would." Maddie replied, a little too ecstatically. She could feel Jan squeeze her hand a bit tighter.

She shivered for a second when the doctor put some cold gel her stomach from a tube. Then the doctor pressed the ultrasound device against her taut skin and some dark patches appeared on the monitor. Maddie's heart was now pounding in her chest as she tried to make something out of them and she almost felt disappointed in herself for not being able to recognize her own child. She glanced over to Jan again and he looked back with an awed expression.

"Hmm… alright, both babies look healthy." The doctor said after a few minutes.

Jan and Madeline both turned their heads towards her at the same time.

"Excuse me, did you say both?" Jan asked with genuine surprise.

"Oh yes, sorry." The medical women laughed. "It seems like you're having twins."

Maddie forgot to bread for a second. She turned back at the monitor, where the doctor was now pointing out things and explaining what was what. She saw them now… She recognized their little heads, their tiny hands and feet… But most of all, it struck her that they were real and they were hers. Hers and Jan's.

"Are… are they girls or boys?" She asked.

"Let's see…" the doctor moved the device lower on her belly to get a better look. "This one on the left is a girl and the other… is a boy. Congratulations, you've got one of each."

One of each… Jan started to feel dizzy. He just got used to the idea of having one kid and now it turned out they were having two? He took a deep breath, trying to get himself together. He really couldn't afford to lose his cool at the moment.

The gynecologist turned off the machine and wiped Madeline's stomach clean with a paper towel, while she explained a few things.

"They're growing fine and you should feel them move any time now. Normally you'd be due around mid-February but since twins tend to be born a few weeks sooner than single babies, I'd say you're due at the end of January. And you'll probably have to go on bed-rest during the last couple of months. Do you have any questions?"

"Actually, yes…" Maddie wasn't sure if it was a good idea to bring this up now, since she hadn't talked about it to Jan yet but she figured the sooner she knew, the better. "Does this make it riskier to give birth at home?"

She could see a confused frown on Jan's face from the corner of her eye.

"Well, with twins there's a higher chance of complications which might require an emergency C-section, so hospital birth is more recommended." The doctor answered.

"I see." Madeline nodded and tugged down her shirt. She was a bit disappointed but of course, the babies' safety was more important to her.

They drove home soon after and Jan was rather quiet during the whole ride. He actually didn't spoke a word until they were at home and taking their coats off in the hall.

"So… you were planning to give birth at home?" he asked while he took Maddie's jacket to put it on the hanger.

"I was considering it. I would've discussed it with you in time too." She answered, crossing her arms.

"But… Why would you want to do that?" he asked again with a hint of frustration in his voice.

Maddie just shrugged a little. "Why not?"

"Well, for one, it's more dangerous for both you and the kid." Jan pointed out, putting his hands on his hips.

Maddie's eyes widened with surprise. She wasn't expecting Jan to be this much against the idea.

"Aren't home births common in the Netherlands? Besides, you're the one who's always talking about taking risks." She retorted.

"First of all, we are not in the Netherlands. It's different there." Jan stated. He let out a sigh and seemed to calm down a bit as he took a step closer to her, placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her deep in the eyes. "Second of all, I only take risks in business and money. Never with my family. I want what is the safest for you and the babies."

Maddie blinked a few times and hung her head.

"It was just an idea." She muttered. "I guess I just wanted them to be born in place that I'm already familiar with and that is our own. But since they're twins, the hospital should be safer."

A smile spread on her lips and she looked back up at Jan.

"What is it?" he asked.

"They're twins." Maddie repeated and her smile grew wider.

"I know." Jan said, returning the smile and pulling her into a tight embrace. He was aware he could be forceful with his opinions sometimes but he could never forgive himself if something happened to his family.


Thanks for reading! I think I finally know where I'm going with this story. I guess it'll be 7-8 chapters all together.

Comments are welcome!

The characters' opinions don't necessarily reflect mine, so please don't start a pro-con home birth debate in the comments.

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