"Now remember, Beckett: make sure she stays on her current sleeping schedule. The last thing you want is a fussy newborn. Formula is in the cabinet, next to the fridge, and make sure you maintain her feeding schedule."

Beck continued to listen to his mother's nervous rants, and let out a soft chuckle. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver's stay had come to an end, leaving Beck and Jade alone with Sophie for the first time since the accident. Although he had reassured his mother not to worry, that he and Jade were completely capable of taking care of their niece, the reality of the situation was beginning to set in, and so was the uncertainty.

"If you don't stick to some type of schedule, it's going to make things unnecessarily difficult."

"Honey," Mr. Oliver interrupted his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist, "Beck and Jade know what they're doing; you need to trust them."

"Thanks," Beck turned to his father. "And, besides, I'm used to difficult," he joked, earning an eye roll from Jade.

"You're right, I'm sorry," Mrs. Oliver gestured to her husband, "but leaving my own baby with a baby? Do you have any idea how nervous this makes me?"

"Why are you nervous?"

"We're just so far away, sweetheart; we're not going to be of much help. And if something were to happen…"

"Nothing's going to happen," Jade reassured the frantic matriarch. "I've seen how Beck is with Sophie: he loves her too much to let anything happen to her."

Beck smiled at his wife and grabbed her hand, giving it a grateful squeeze. "Thanks, babe."

"You know, Jade," the older woman began, "you may not realize it, or even think you have the capability, but you're going to be an amazing parent. Your own parents may not have been the most loving or nurturing, but don't let that frighten you; you're not your mother, you're so much more, and I know that you're going to be an amazing mother to Sophie."

Jade couldn't fight the smile that spread across her face as she took in the other woman's words. Mrs. Oliver knew her all too well, and for once Jade wasn't upset by her unusual lack of unpredictability; it comforted her to hear such reassurance from someone other than her husband, especially from someone in which she had the utmost respect.

"Thank you," Jade muttered, slightly embarrassed. She wasn't used to receiving such compliments, and so wasn't entirely sure how to accept. Mrs. Oliver simply smiled at her daughter-in-law before wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug, and was relieved when the younger woman accepted.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. If you need anything, any advice or just someone to talk to, you call me, alright? I'll be there."

Jade nodded against the woman's shoulder before pulling away from her embrace, and she noticed the tears forming in her eyes. She gave Jade a small smile, and the sight effectively caused her own eyes to grow wet with tears. Despite her generally stoic personality, she couldn't help but feel emotional about her in-laws' departure, and there wasn't a doubt in Jade's mind that she would miss them, especially her mother-in-law. After all, she looked at her as more of a maternal figure than her own mother, and she was now leaving. Of course she was going to miss her.

"We better get going," the matriarch spoke softly, brushing away her tears. Her efforts appeared futile as the tears began to fall, and she wrapped her son in a warm embrace.

"We'll be back soon," she reassured him, "but until then, I know that you'll take such good care of Sophie. I'm so proud of you for doing this, and I know that your sister would be too; she would really appreciate what you're doing for her baby girl. I love you, sweetheart," she whispered before kissing his cheek and releasing her grip.

As the older woman stepped away from her son, Jade carefully stepped in and snaked an arm around her husband's waist, pulling him close. The simple gesture felt comforting to Beck-reassuring, almost- and he gratefully kissed the top of her dark curls. Although he wouldn't admit it, especially to his already nervous wife, he was beginning to question whether or not they had made the right decision. He was thankful that his parents were available to help with Sophie-to give them a crash course in parenting (which was more for his wife's benefit than his own) and as he watched the couple walk out the door, he knew that he would miss them terribly. Not just the extra help, but their company; it saddened him that they lived so far away, and especially now more than ever.

"I'm really going to miss them," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I know," Jade agreed, wrapping her other arm around her husband in an effort to console him. "Me, too."

"Do you realize that this is the first time we've been alone, I mean really alone, with Sophie?"

"I know. This feels so…"

"Real?" Beck finished, pulling back to look into Jade's eyes.

"Yeah. I mean, we're responsible for her; she's practically our daughter."

Beck nodded as if he were trying to adjust to their new reality, and he smiled as he watched Jade's eyes nearly pop out of her head.

"Oh, my God! I'm a mom!"

"Technically, yes."

"We're like…parents," she whispered, letting it sink in. Beck let out a laugh at her revelation, clearly amused. She, however, didn't find it so entertaining.

"How are you not freaking out about this? We're parents now, Beck. We're not just Aunt Jade and Uncle Beck anymore; we're responsible for an actual human being- a baby."

"And are you okay with that?"

"Surprisingly, yes," she admitted, earning a smile from her husband, who had reclaimed her in his embrace. Jade sighed in content as he began to trace patterns along her back, and she let her head rest on his chest as he kissed the top of her head.

"This is nice," he whispered, and Jade simply nodded into his chest as she breathed in the scent of his cologne, allowing for her body to relax.

"Do you think she's awake?"

"Well, she hasn't cried yet," Jade replied, earning a small laugh from Beck.

"You make it seem like that's all she does," he teased. A small pout formed on Jade's lips as she felt Beck release her from his comforting grip, and she watched as he made his way to the playpen that was set up on the other side of the room.

"Beck, I swear to God, if you wake her up," she hissed, not wanting to deal with a fussy baby. But it seemed as if he wasn't listening as he leaned over the side of the pen and gently lifted Sophie out.

"Dude!"

"She was already awake, babe. Relax," he informed her before looking down at the baby.

"Hi, gorgeous," he whispered, bringing her up to his chest. She immediately curled into her uncle's embrace, and let out a soft cooing sound to express her content.

"Has she ever done that before?" Jade asked, perking up. She wanted to kick herself for being excited about such a seemingly unimportant milestone, to her anyway, but she couldn't help but smile as the sound of Sophie's coos filled the room. Beck took note of her excitement, much to her dismay, and smiled at her as he crossed the room. "No, she hasn't," he answered with a smile, but then met her gaze with a smirk. "You seem happy."

"Contrary to belief, I'm not made of stone," she answered with a roll of her eyes. "It was…cute. I've never heard her do that before." As Jade finished speaking, Sophie let out a contented sigh, as if to emphasize her point and both Beck and Jade smiled at the baby's action. Jade couldn't care less about her tough front- Sophie was too damn cute for Jade to even feign disinterest, and her smile only continued to grow.

"Do you want to take her?" Beck asked, noticing the smile that remained on his wife's face. However, at Beck's words, Jade's smile fell and a hint of panic flashed across her face.

"Not after last time; no way."

"Jade, you're going to have to hold her at some point."

"I did, at the hospital."

"That was over two months ago; that doesn't count."

Jade let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that Beck was right: whether she liked it or not, she was going to have to take care of Sophie and, unfortunately at some point, without Beck's help.

"Is Jadey afraid of the baby?" he teased, which only angered her.

"No!"

"I just don't understand, what's the worst that could happen?"

"She starts crying, she's hungry, she spits up, she won't stop crying. Shall I continue?"

"Jade," Beck started, trying to calm her down. He knew he shouldn't have egged her on, but, although he would never say it, he found her reaction amusing.

"What?" she snapped. She was growing tired of this conversation, especially since it seemed that Beck was right.

"Does this have anything to do with the conversation we had before? The day that Sophie was born?"

Jade didn't answer, but rather bit her lip as she contemplated telling him the truth; she didn't want to seem pathetic.

"Babe?"

"I just don't understand why she likes you so much. And, I know, I know, I should spend more time with her, and I will, I promise, but I still don't get it. I mean, what's going to happen when I have to take care of her when you're at work? I can't just dump her off with you; I'm going to have to figure it out by myself. Which I obviously can't."

"You're upset by this, aren't you?" Beck asked her, softening his tone.

"Well, yeah," she answered matter-of-factly.

"But, why?"

"What if she hates me?"

"You're really worried about that?"

Jade, dissatisfied by his answer, crossed her arms over her chest in frustration. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's just a baby, Jade."

"Yeah, so?"

"She's too young to understand that yet; she's two months old. Be patient, babe. She just needs to familiarize herself with you, that's all."

Jade closed her eyes, digesting Beck's words. Again, she knew that he was right, and she felt ridiculous for craving the affection of two-month-old baby.

"Give her to me," she whispered, opening her eyes.

Beck was completely shocked by her request, and the surprise was evident on his face. "Are you-"

"Hand me the baby," Jade demanded, obviously annoyed. The longer that he waited, the greater the chance she had of changing her mind. What was he waiting for?

Beck hesitantly complied and handed Sophie over to Jade, still questioning her request. "Are you sure?"

"What, you don't think I can handle it?"

"I never said that," he defended, holding up his hands.

"But you were thinking it!"

Beck just rolled his eyes in response before briefing his wife. "She hasn't eaten in a couple of hours, so she might be hungry. And, she's been fussy this morning, so don't get frustrated if she's upset."

"Okay, whatever," she replied with a shrug. She began to bounce the baby gently in her arms, in hopes of keeping her content, but felt uncomfortable as she felt Beck's constant gaze fixed on her.

"Is there a problem?"

He merely laughed and gave his wife a warm smile before kissing her cheek. "Not at all," he reassured her. The couple looked down at the baby nestled in Jade's arms, and Beck ran a hand over the tiny girl's head, kissing her forehead gently. "See? This isn't so bad."

"I guess you're right," she admitted as she lightly rocked Sophie. "She doesn't seem upset…yet."

"I wouldn't count on that lasting much longer," Beck teased, causing Jade to grow nervous. He could sense this, though, and immediately tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, babe. Don't be nervous, it'll be fine."

Just when Jade was beginning to get comfortable, and was beginning to think that Sophie wouldn't give her too much trouble, the baby girl began to stir in her aunt's arm as she let out a discontented whimper. Jade's eyes widened as she heard the first of Sophie's cries, and Beck watched on in anticipation of both of the girls' reactions. But Sophie's whimpers only grew louder, and Jade felt uncertain as to how she should soothe the fussy child. She assumed that a soft, soothing voice would help her situation, but she felt uncomfortable trying to comfort Sophie with Beck in the room; she didn't want him to see her acting so soft, nurturing. It was something that she was still trying to accustom herself to and, quite frankly, she was a little embarrassed.

"You're okay," she half-whispered, half-cooed, but Sophie didn't seem to be responding.

"Do you want me to take her?" Beck suggested, wanting to relieve his wife.

Jade just sighed, before answering honestly, "No. It's fine."

As if to counter her aunt, Sophie began to cry and Beck continued to watch for Jade's reaction; he didn't want her to snap.

"Don't you have something to do?" she snapped, clearly annoyed.

"Do you want me to have something to do? I can leave."

"I'm sorry," Jade sighed, feeling guilty for yelling at her husband. "I'm just nervous, and having you standing there, watching my every god damn move, isn't helping any."

"Alright, I get it," Beck agreed, smiling at her. "Do you want me to go somewhere? Get something?"

Jade pursed her lips as she contemplated her answer. "Could you get some Jet Brew?" she asked cutely, causing Beck to smile.

"Sure thing, babe," he answered before grabbing the keys off the shelf.

"Black with two sugars!"

"I know what to do," he chuckled. Of course he does: they've been together for seven years, and although Jade is highly unpredictable, this is the one thing that he knew for a fact would never change.

Jade just smiled at her husband as she watched him leave, and waited until she heard the definite click of the front door. After it seemed that he was out of ear shot, she looked down at the upset child in her arms and wanted nothing more than to comfort her and, now that she was alone, she felt that she could let her front down enough to do so.

"What's the matter, baby girl?" she asked softly, surprising herself. She'd never heard her voice so calm and gentle, unless she was dealing with Cat's antics.

"You're alright, baby girl," she found herself cooing to the newborn. "You're okay."

Jade's surprisingly soft, reassuring voice immediately began to soothe Sophie and her cries died down almost instantly.

"Thank God," she sighed in relief, happy that Sophie had quieted down. But as Jade began to revel in the miniscule amount of silence, Sophie began whimpering again.

"You're just not happy, are you?" she asked as she began to bounce the baby in her arms.

At this point, Jade didn't know what else she could do. Sure she could try rocking her again, but she knew that that would only get her so far and she couldn't rely on the same technique forever. Much like Beck had done before, she let her eyes wander about the kitchen counter until they landed on the row of clean bottles next to the sink. As she walked into the other room, she berated herself for not thinking of it earlier. After all, that's all Sophie seemed to do was eat.

And cry.

"Is that what you want?" she asked the newborn, not expecting a response, but as Sophie began to smack her lips together, Jade couldn't help but laugh.

"I thought so."

Before grabbing a clean bottle, Jade noticed Sophie's empty car seat that had taken residence next to the dining room table. She figured it would be easier to place her back in her play pen, but she found herself feeling anxious at the thought of her being out of her sight, and she needed to set her down in order to prepare the bottle, but she knew that as soon as she wasn't being held she would begin to cry. She also knew that she didn't have much else of a choice.

After getting Sophie situated in her car seat, Jade placed her in the center of the dining room table, ensuring that she could see her at all times. She may make her distaste for children quite clear, but she felt a little protective over Sophie; she was starting to grow on her.

Jade moved about the kitchen as she began to prepare the bottle. She had seen Mrs. Oliver do it before, but she hadn't been paying much attention. She convinced herself that she would never need to know how to do it, as if Sophie were to cry or need any attention other than to be held, she would hand her over to someone else- anyone else.

"Look how that turned out," she mumbled to herself after warming up the bottle. Almost as if Sophie knew that food was on its way, she began to whimper in anticipation, and it only made Jade more frantic.

"It's almost done," she assured the fussy child while testing the liquid.

Perfect, she thought.

As Jade made her way over to the car seat, Sophie began to squirm with frustration, eager to be free of her restraint.

"There you go," she soothed while easing her out of the seat. Upon seeing the bottle on the table, Sophie began to smack her lips once again as she demanded her food.

The nervous aunt eased Sophie into position in her arms as she placed the bottle up to her mouth, and felt relieved when she began to eat. When it seemed that Sophie was content, for the time being, she made her way over to the couch where she sat with Sophie in her arms and waited for Beck.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked the small girl. Although she was panicked at first, Jade had to admit: it wasn't as terrible as she had thought it would be.

Sophie continued to suck eagerly on her bottle, all the while keeping her eyes locked on Jade. It was almost as if she were trying to memorize her appearance. Jade couldn't help but feel something as her eyes connected with Sophie's, and a small smile graced her lips. She didn't think that it was possible- that she could love someone other than Beck- but it was. Sophie was starting to grow on her, and Jade was starting to realize how much she really loved the tiny baby.

"You're such a cutie, Sophie Boo," she cooed, not even caring how ridiculous she sounded. She smiled when Sophie scrunched up her nose in response, and she let out a laugh.

"Do you like that, baby girl?" Another scrunch of her nose.

Although Sophie wasn't her own child, something about this felt so natural to Jade. Her own mother was rather brusque and stoic and nature, so she was never exposed to much emotion. Jade knew how badly it hurt her to not gain her mother's affection, and she would never wish that upon Sophie; she wanted her to know that she loved her. And although she would never admit it, she loved her a lot.

"We never tell Uncle Beck about this, alright?" she whispered to her niece. The last thing she wanted was Beck's cheesy commentary, especially after she had made such a huge deal out of it. Jade knew that he was right, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. After all: she was Jade West, and some things just never change.

And there's chapter three. Let me know what you think! Or if you have any suggestions, let me know :)