It was different this time.

The connection felt stronger, yet the touches were soft and gentle. Warmness surrounded the happy couple, embodying their collective energy, appeasing the absence of their togetherness.

Will had never felt so alive.

And Emma sorely missed him touching her body in this way. Being so unwell during the past month, the only thing she wanted was to return to good health. Sex wasn't even on the radar. But now… oh, how wondrous.

Breaking the news of the pregnancy to Will couldn't have been more perfect. The joy in his eyes, the excitement, even the way he so lovingly kissed her stomach made everything sweeter. Her senses awakened to a whole new perspective on life, on love… and it was fabulous.

Emma felt complete.

As she lay beside him in those minutes before the alarm sounded, she lightly tousled his hair, weaving her fingers in and out of his unkempt curls, and smiled.

Will was sleeping soundly on his chest, his arms curled around his pillow. Emma kissed his bare shoulder and cuddled up to his body. She wondered what he was dreaming about. Maybe he was dreaming about holding the baby for the first time. Or maybe he was having a nightmare where thousands of green peas were being thrown at him by a dozen pregnant redheads. Please don't let it be the peas. She had a quiet chuckle to herself.

"It is morning yet?" The mumbled words escaped from Will's mouth. He yawned deeply, turning his head to see his pretty wife gazing back at him.

"Only just. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Em… it's you." Will sighed with relief. "That's okay honey." He did a half-yawn and rubbed his eyes. "I was at that stage of a dream where you are stuck replaying the same event until you do wake up."

"Oh." Then, curiosity getting the better of her, "What were you dreaming about?"

"You." He stroked her face, his thumb tweaking her chin.

She took his hand. "Tell me."

Will rolled onto his back as Emma lay on her side, arm around his body. "I rushed you to the hospital," Will explained, "and we were in the delivery room. You were pain, and holding my hand, squeezing it actually. But… they dragged me away. I begged to stay but this rickety old nurse who had a grip like a gorilla refused. I saw you through the tiny glass window and heard you calling my name. My first instinct was to call out, but the sound in my voice had gone."

"It doesn't sound like a nice dream so far," remarked Emma, a look of worry on her face.

"Wait, it gets better," he replied. "All of a sudden I was in the waiting room, handing out cigars, you know, like they do in those old movies. I don't even like cigars, so I have no idea how I got them. Just part of the thing, I guess. Some other fathers-to-be were there, smoking away, patting me on the back. And then… then I was allowed to see you. I was nervous. So nervous. You were in your hospital robe, yellow – I remember it was yellow – sitting up in bed. You looked tired but had a beautiful glow. And in your arms… our baby. You smiled at me, just like you're doing now."

She patted his stomach, her grin widening as they held each other's gaze. "I felt so happy. I had so much love for you and the baby I thought nothing in the world could make this moment any better." He kissed her forehead.

Emma noticed the familiar sparkle appear in his green eyes; the same sparkle that used to make her flutter each time he looked at her. Will tucked his right arm behind his head and continued. "I took a step towards the bed, but, for some reason, I couldn't get any closer. Again I tried. Again, the distance between us remained. I ran; but I only seemed to be running on the spot. I panicked. And the look on your face broke me."

"Why, Will, what was I doing?" Emma asked, intrigued yet puzzled, now wishing she hadn't probed any further. The dream seemed to be more bad than good.

"You cried. We tried to reach for each other; you seemed a million miles away. I was panting from running, and I cried too. I wanted to kiss you and hold our baby and something was stopping us from being together. Then, I would go back to entering the room, thinking 'great, a second chance', and the whole thing would start again. I don't know how many times I tried to run to you. And then I woke up." He exhaled, pursing his lips.

"Well, I'm glad it was just a dream and nothing else. Honey?" Her words hung in the air as Will thought just the opposite.

"It has to mean something."

"Maybe, maybe not. You've just been told you're going to be a father. Your subconscious is probably trying to take all the news in."

"What if it means I'm not ready to be a father? Or I'm going to miss the birth? Or what about –"

"And what does the passing of cigars mean? That our child is going to be born in the 1950s?"

"Oh, hardy-har-har. I'm being serious here."

Emma's soft voice of reason took over. "Will, I am too. One bad little dream shouldn't cast doubts like this. If dreams did that to me, well, I wouldn't be here now, married to you, carrying our baby."

Will linked their fingers together. He nodded in agreement.

She smiled sweetly at him. "You and I both know you're ready to be a father. That's your real dream. And nothing's going to come between us and reaching that dream."

"I love how your way of thinking makes everything seem clearer."

"Just think of me as your guardian angel." Their lips connected slowly, reassuringly.

"Hey," Will caught the side of her mouth, placing another tender kiss, "I really enjoyed last night."

"That was definitely no dream." Emma walked her fingers up Will's chest, pressing her index finger against his lips. He kissed her finger, then, taking hold her hand, touched the same finger to her lips.

"It's not your fingers I want to kiss," Will whispered as he pulled Emma onto him, pressing snooze on the beeping alarm.

Paradise was lying in Will's arms all morning. No school, nowhere to go, just basking in the comfort of her husband's body was enough. It was going to be a lazy Monday.

She was so happy that the early stages of her pregnancy would be through the summer, especially for her first baby. The heat wouldn't affect her as much and cause discomfort. Not that it got boiling hot in Lima during summer months, but she could imagine it would be uncomfortable being heavily pregnant and waddling around in a warmer temperature.

Will kissed her neck. Warm kisses would never make her uncomfortable. "Em honey, I'm going to be the most devoted father I can be to our baby."

Emma turned to meet his eyes. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you," she responded honestly. "That's why I love you so, so much. Our baby is blessed to have you as a daddy."

He twisted his finger around a lock of her hair. "Not half as much as having you as a mummy."

"You're so sweet." She put her arms around his broad shoulders and pressed her forehead to his. Once, twice, three times Emma grazed his lips with kisses. Will ran his fingers over her back, lightly scratching her nightie, making the skin underneath tingle. Emma arched her back like a cat against a scratching post. She was definitely going to rely on Will for massages for the next 8 months. And beyond.

The dream was still bugging Will. Apprehension. That's what it was. It had to be. Yes, he was scared, but he didn't want to be a screw-up father. His parents gave him a solid family upbringing. He wanted to provide for his own family the same way. Will hoped he was up to the task.

"Now I understand your fears. I want to be prepared, to know what's happening with your body, to know what we should expect leading up to the birth and everything afterwards. And to do whatever I can to make it easier for you and the little one." He laid a hand on her stomach, cuddling up to her.

"For starters, you can continue to do what you were doing to my back before. I'm going to need plenty of back and foot rubs and oh…" Emma closed her eyes as Will started on her back again. "That feels… remarkable."

He kneaded the skin at the base of her neck. "I was thinking more along the lines of a couple of books, but I'm happy to help… for the cause."

"The cause appreciates your help. And the books are a great idea. We'll learn together. You can read about it and I can live it."

"Yeah! It'll be a starting point at least. And what about… why don't you ask your mum for some advice as well?" Will cringed as soon as he asked. He felt her back stiffen almost immediately.

"My mother? Uh…" Emma pulled his hands away from her back and turned to him.

Will shrugged his shoulders, attempting to play it cool. "Sure, why not? She raised you."

"Yeah, and did you see how well I turned out?" Emma acerbically replied.

"There's nothing wrong with you honey," Will assured her, desperately trying to move on from what appeared to be deemed a bad idea and had now additionally ventured into Emma's outlook on her own life. "You're perfect."

"I'm as flawed as the Titanic." Emma's jovial response was tinged with sarcasm.

"Hey, we've been through all this. Now, no more, okay? You've come such a long way in the last 12 months and I won't have you thinking it isn't true." His gentle hands rested on her shoulders as he bowed his head to catch her gaze.

"I – I guess I have…" She said, almost inaudibly.

"No guessing. You have. You certainly have," he nodded. Convincing Emma of this was tougher than he ever thought. It hurt him when she spoke of herself that way. Even in humour. It was her own coping mechanism, but how he wished she could see that everything she was made her special.

"I don't feel comfortable talking to my mother about babies. Not at the moment. I want to do things for myself, learn for myself. Learn with you."

"Okay, if that's what you want. But I hope you change your mind."

"Actually, I'd rather talk to your mum," Emma admitted.

Will smiled. "My mum would be over the moon if you asked her."

"Great." Emma sandwiched her hands around Will's. "Well, what do you say we keep the news to ourselves for a few more weeks and then tell your parents? I'd like to hold off telling mine for a bit longer."

"How much longer?"

"Baby's first day of college?" She pulled a face.

He chuckled heartily. "Em, I'm sure they'd begin to ask questions when they hear a baby crying in the background during your weekly phone conversation."

Emma took a breath. "Don't get me wrong, I know they love you, it's just our marriage they're not overly fond of. They don't believe you can handle… me and my problems. Actually, let me rephrase… they are concerned you aren't ready to handle me and my problems. This will only add more ammunition to justify their reasoning." She bit her lip.

Will thought only he knew about their objections for him marrying Emma. "How did you –"

"I know." She wasn't prepared to tell Will how she found out that they questioned Will on coping with her and messy children.

Regardless of Rusty and Rose's objections, Will was always up for the challenge to show that he was right for Emma and would be there for her no matter what. Come what may, he and Emma were going to be together forever. "Well, we're going to have to prove them wrong, aren't we? And we will. Guarantee it. Now, hop into the shower, I'll fix us something to eat. I'm getting hungry."

"Me too. Alright, I'll see you in ten. I've got to take my vitamins with food and I'm behind schedule already." Emma kissed his cheek and walked into their bathroom.

Will watched her walk away, taking in the hypnotising swivel of her hips. "Hey, on second thoughts… may I join you?"

"If you do, we'll never make it to the kitchen." Emma winked and closed the door.

Fresh out of the shower, Emma joined Will at the kitchen table, where a bowl of muesli and a plate of mixed fruit awaited her. She wore a buttoned-up purple cap-sleeved dress that showed off her still-slim figure. In a few months, Emma wouldn't be able to wear it anymore.

"Did you have a nice shower?" He asked, bringing over two glasses of orange juice to the table.

"It was absolutely heavenly, the second-best start to the day," she easily decided, hugging Will.

He grinned. "Well, I should hope so. Hey, I was thinking," Will mused as he pulled her chair back so she could sit down, "do you know what foods are best for you to eat? I know there are a lot of foods you already do, uh, avoid, but I don't want you missing out on essentials or eating something that may cause problems."

"Actually Will, I haven't really thought about that yet.' She adjusted herself in her chair. "I eat fairly healthy anyway, so I would be under the impression my diet wouldn't change much. But you're right, it's probably best to check. We can do that at the next doctor's appointment."

"When's the next appointment?"

"Next week," Emma replied, pouring some soy milk onto her muesli, "we also have to book my first ultrasound."

"Good. Why don't we Google –" Will stopped mid-sentence. His heart buzzed as a wide grin appeared on his face. "First… ultrasound. We get to see the baby."

She nodded, blushing. "Uh-huh. You excited?" Emma already knew the answer. It wasn't so long ago that Will was seeing his first, albeit fake, baby's ultrasound. Terri was cruel to put him through that, even if it was, in her eyes, perfectly okay in order to save their marriage. It was a crushing blow to someone who so wanted to become a parent.

Will was already feeling misty-eyed. To see the start of a new life moving inside Emma, knowing, first of all that it was real, and second, that he helped create it was going to make for an emotional day. "Beyond excited. I just – oh, it's going to be one of those moments that I'll remember forever. The little… I don't know what to call it. We'll have to think of a nickname for the little bubba."

"A sweet name for our sweet pea," Emma looked fondly at her stomach.

"Do you like that? Sweet Pea? It was the name of Popeye and Olive Oyl's child." Will mimicked Popeye's laugh. Emma giggled.

"Sweet Pea. Yeah, I do." Sweet Pea, she thought to herself. It seemed an appropriate name after last night. And so adorable.

"Sweet Pea it is. Now, my big Sweet Pea, eat your breakfast." He pointed at the muesli that was turning into a brown mush.

"Oh! My vitamins." Emma bounced out of her seat and opened the door to the pantry, where she dug into back for the container that held all her tablets. "Ooh. Head spin. Got up too fast." She held onto the pantry door until it stopped.

"Are you okay hon?" Will stood up and guided her back to her seat, taking hold of the container and placing it next to her fruit plate.

"Yeah, just a little weak. I really need to get some food into my tummy." She sipped on the orange juice and took the lid off the container. "I was hiding them from you." Emma took out what she needed, breathed deeply and began taking the tablets one by one. "I'm not a huge fan of downing tablets this big. They always lodge in my throat and taste yucky."

Will sympathised. "I remember being really sick once as a child and gagging on tablets. They were just paracetamol, but so not my favourite. They tasted horrible. Give me those chewable Flintstone vitamins any day. Couldn't get enough of them."

"You took Flintstone vitamins too?" Emma exclaimed, swallowing the last tablet. "Just when I thought I knew everything about you…"

"They were a staple with my morning Capt'n Crunch." Will dug into his cereal, signalling Emma a 'cheers' with his spoon, dripping with milk.

"Which ones were you allowed to take?"

He paused. "Which ones? Uh, whichever ones were next to my plate in the morning. In fact, I used to ask for more so I could play Flintstone families."

"Oh…" She forced a smile and a soft chuckle.

"Why… were you particular about a certain flavour or something?"

She cleared her throat, preparing herself to tell Will another outlandish family story. "Mother would ensure I only ate the Wilma and Pebbles ones. She would buy 10 bottles at a time and spread all the tablets out on a paper towel on the kitchen table and sort the redheads from the 'others'." Emma danced her fingers in the air across the table, visualising the scene. "I used to help her sort them. I could never understand why there weren't any Betty Rubble ones."

Will narrowed his eyes. "You were only allowed to eat the characters that had red hair?"

"The whole ginger supremacy thing. Once, I tried to sneak a Barney and mother had a fit. I had to sit in a corner for the rest of the day."

He put his spoon down. "Whoa. Wait? Because Barney was a blond?"

"Uh-huh. I was only seven. And curious." She focused on stirring her muesli, not taking a bite.

"Em, I…" He shook his head in disbelief. How could Rusty and Rose Pillsbury with their prejudices and intolerances produce such a compassionate and loving daughter like Emma? How did she not bend to their influence? She was the exact opposite of them. Will was astounded that, even with Emma's OCD, she wasn't afflicted with an even worse condition. Even something as innocent as Flintstone vitamins were a victim of their ways. "What did they do with the other tablets?"

"Mother would repackage the vitamins then father would go out at night and leave the bottles at the doorsteps of families that were not of the ginger variety," she stated, eating her muesli.

"Well that's… kind of nice…" Will stumbled over his words.

She sighed. "They were just trying to prove a point."

Will was unsure what to say next. He finished his cereal and then asked, "Looking back, what do you think of the situation now, as an adult?"

"You know I love my parents," Emma reflected, "But growing up, I didn't know anything else. It was what we did. It seems funny now, and telling you, the entire situation seems so ridiculous, yet… it was taken rather seriously. Mother used to call them my 'Emma get better' pills; she convinced me that by the power of red-haired Wilma Flintstone I would return to a 'normal' child. And for a time I believed it too. But honestly, what child would come out 'normal' after this?"

A sad, half-smile appeared on her face. "It was a few years later that I developed my aversion to touched candy."

Will got up from his seat and hugged Emma from behind. "You are amazing. You are the strongest and bravest person I know, and I admire you for being the wonderful person you are." He kissed her cheek.

Charming words from a charming husband. His positive comments worked wonders for her. "I love you, Will. I promise, I promise, I won't do the same to our Sweet Pea."

"I know you won't." He hugged her tighter. "Why don't you finish up your breakfast and then rest? I'll clean up, make the bed and be a house husband for the day. Then I might take a trip to the mall and get some baby books."

"Okay, what are you making for dinner tonight?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Will playfully scoffed. "Oh, I'm cooking, am I?" He tickled her ribs.

Emma squealed from his touch. "Y-you – haha – said you were going to be-eeee a house husband… I think that encom-encompasses – heehee – cooking for your gorgeous, sexy, pregnant wife."

"How can I argue with that? You are all that and more." He kissed the top of her head. "Alright, I'll start with the bed and then plan for dinner. Love you." Will made his way to their bedroom.

Emma put her feet up on a spare chair. She popped a few grapes into her mouth, put her hands behind her head and grinned.

"I could certainly get used to this."