Before I started posting on here, I never actually realized how much reviews mean to the authors. I was always like "Other people review, so I don't need to." No, I was very wrong. Every time I see a review I smile a bit because I know that people really like the story. Thank you so much to all my favoriters and followers and reviewers, it means the world to me:)

So now, an extra-special Chapter 3 :) Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Afternoon Bliss

She should have been happy.

She was happy at first with Sadie, and then she realized how much work parenthood was. So she should have been happy. A negative was nothing to worry about, right?

She didn't realize how long she had been sitting in the bathroom until she heard Sadie's faint cries from down the hall. She tossed the two sticks in the trash and made a mental note to change the bag later. Sadie's face was beginning to turn red from crying but as soon as Jules picked her up her breathing evened out and she gave her mother a cheeky smile. Jules recognized it as the same one Sam gave her when he got caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing. She called it his 'Kid in the cookie jar" face. "You look just like Daddy, Sadiebear," she told the little girl, holding her high in the air. Sadie had inherited Sam's face but Jules' stature, so she was smaller than most other two year olds. She had Sam's blond hair and blue eyes, but he still swore to anyone who asked that she looked like Jules.

When Jules checked her watch a while later, she realized that it was almost six o'clock. Maybe Sam had listened to her and had waited until shift was over to leave. She grabbed the bag she had packed for Sadie and buckled her back into the car seat for the drive to Natalie's house. As usual, Natalie was ecstatic to see her favorite, and only, niece, and assured Jules that she would be just fine and if anything went wrong that she would call right away. When Jules arrived back at her house, there was another car in the driveway that she recognized as Sam's. She raced inside and unlocked the door, calling for Sam when she was sure the door was locked tight.

Any worries about her false pregnancy were forgotten when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her middle. "Good evening." he whispered huskily into her ear. She felt his stubble prickle against her neck and realized that he still hadn't shaved that morning. He knew that she liked it better when he didn't. She spun in his arms and their lips met in a frenzy, their mouths mashing together. Their tongues battled for dominance as he hoisted her up onto his waist and carried her to their bedroom. He tripped on one of the bottom stairs and fell flat on his back, causing him to groan when Jules rubbed against the bulge in his pants. "Sorry baby." she apologized. Her jeans were discarded as they lay there, neither completely conscious of where they were. After a moment he lifted her back up and they made it to the room without any more falls.

Later, as they both lay in a mess of sheets and mangled bodies, Jules' head lay on Sam's warm chest. "I love you," she said suddenly. "I may not always show it, but I do love you." She tilted her head to look him in the eyes. "I love you." she repeated in a whisper. He smiled and dipped his head down to give her a kiss. "I love you too."

He stood up and walked into the bathroom. "I'm getting a shower. Join me?" he offered. She shook her head and laughed. "Not tonight, babe." He feigned a look of disappointment but continued into the bathroom alone.

When she was sure the door was shut tight, she stood up and pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top. The clock read 8:24 and she sighed. Sadie had only been gone for a little over two hours and she was already worrying about her. It wasn't like she didn't trust Natalie, but she wasn't always the most mature aunt in the world. She wouldn't drop her or forget her somewhere, but there was a good chance that Sadie would make a fuss without her Mommy and Natalie would freak.

She made her way down the stairs but froze halfway. She had forgotten to change their bathroom garbage. 'Doesn't matter', she thought. He wouldn't be going through the garbage. He wasn't that controlling.

She got herself a glass of water and was heading for the couch when he came back downstairs. "Jules?" he called. Her head shot up and she dropped the television remote. "In here," she called back. He came around the corner in nothing but a bath towel wrapped tightly around his waist. He held up a piece of paper and raised his eyebrows. "What?" she asked. He frowned and passed the paper to her. "Anything you're not telling me?" he asked.

She stared at the paper blankly before she realized what it was. Some sort of instructions, for - for, oh God, a pregnancy test. She must have dropped them when she so quickly pulled the test out of the box. "Anything at all?" he repeated. His arms were crossed over his muscled chest and she resisted the urge to do the same. "No, nothing."

She wasn't lying. It wasn't like he really needed to know about every negative pregnancy test she took. She's taken at least five since Sadie was born, and she never said anything about those. Because it was none of his business. Well, it sort of it was, since it was his kid they were talking about, but since there was no kid he didn't actually need to know about anything.

He frowned at her. "Jules, don't make me ask you." he told her. She shrugged and held out the paper for him to take. "Jules, did you take a pregnancy test?" he asked impatiently. She saw it in his eyes that he needed the truth and gave in. "Yes, Sam, in the five minutes I had to myself today, yes, I took a pregnancy test." She put her glass into the dishwasher and it was still only 8: 37. She heard him laughing in the background and his arms wrapped around her body. "So we're having a baby?" he asked. She shook her head ever-so-slightly. "No, it was negative. That's why I didn't tell you." she said. His arms loosened around her. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are - are you okay with it?" he stuttered. She held onto his thumbs, much like Sadie did with pinkie fingers, and shrugged. "I've gotten negative a bunch of times. It's not like it really matters." She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You should really get your shower." she suggested.

He nodded and watched her disappear up the stairs. She had gotten a negative before? When? How many times? He got that she probably didn't want to admit that it was hurting her, but he knew her. He knew exactly how much she was hurting. It explained her constant stress. He knew that she would never open up easily, though, no matter who she was talking to.

He didn't know where she had disappeared to, but decided to just leave it for now and actually take a shower, like she had suggested. He let the steaming water pour over him and wondered what was really going on with her.

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Then end. Next chapter up soon :)