Disclaimer: I don't own The Penderwicks (Do I have to keep reminding myself of this sad fact...?)

Chapter 9 (Skye's POV)

I felt like forever ago but I still remember one of Rosy's first lectures. It had a lot to do with being self-sacrificing for the sake of love or something. Okay, so I still remembered most of it. My mind might have trailed off to prime numbers part way through. But what I do still remember was that caring about someone meant that sometimes you have to be willing to suffer a little. Or at least that was my interpretation at this point. And logically love and suffering had to go hand in hand. I mean I really do love Jeffrey...which is why I bought him a french horn for our anniversary. Which is why I'm suffering now… It all seemed to fit pretty well.

"And this composition was first composed by-" I raised a hand to cut Jeffrey off. I wasn't sure but it felt like we'd already been here for hours. When his lips weren't on that horn they were busy explaining something in technical music terms. It wasn't like I couldn't stand it for his sake, but I had to think about the children. Or at least that's what I was telling my conscious.

"Right, I get you Jeffrey but uh…" I rubbed at the back of my neck as I tried to think how to word this delicately.

"Are you sick of the horn?" He said simply. I couldn't stop myself from grinning in relief.

I nodded. "Well yeah."

Surprisingly he smiled. "I was about ready to move on myself." I felt my smile fade a little. Wait, move on to what?

"Besides, I think the twins need a well rounded musical upbringing. Which means it's time for some Brahms!" Moving over to his piano he flexed his fingers and I felt my whole body cringe. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the piano or music, but…

"You know Skye," He said happily as he adjusted his sheet music in front of his. "I read somewhere that babies can hear outside sounds before they're born. Isn't that amazing! So I was determined for their first memories of me to center around music." His face suddenly softened in an overly dramatic way. "Just think, years from now whenever they hear these songs they just might think of me…"

Sinking back into the sofa I sighed inwardly. How could I argue with that? I didn't have the heart to tell him my head might explode if I heard one more music note. Yep, more love, more suffering…

"You make it sound like you plan on dying before they get here." I added with a playful smirk.

He shook his head. "Oh no, but they'll have other memories of me then… Stoick father, admirable leader…"

"Piano nerd?" I added as a smile crept across my face.

He shot me a playful frown. "Ah yes and their mother, the astrophysicist with the wit of a thousand worlds."

I laughed a little. "Hey I wasn't being sarcastic, I think piano nerd is one of your best qualities."

He bunched his eyebrows in thought and it looked like he was trying to figure out if he should be insulted or flattered. That just made me smile a little wider. I leaned into my hand. "No really I mean that." And I did, in spite of having a tolerance threshold that was right now very overloaded, I did respect Jeffrey's passion for music.

"I mean, I think it makes you interesting is all."

He smiled smugly before turning his attention back to the piano keys. "Case in point kids, your mom is crazy over me."

Yep and there was the suffering again. So I thought I'd share the love a little more. Tossing a throw pillow at him he failed to dodge it and took one straight in the face. He frowned playfully as he tried, rather pointlessly I might add, to put his hair back in place. The problem was it was just more out of place before.

"Remember children," He interjected calmly. "Retaliation is never the answer." I wanted to say that depended on the question when it came to Jeffrey, but by now he'd started playing again.

So like it or not I had to sit back and listen to at least another hour of his concert. I didn't blame Jeffrey for wanting to make an impression with his kids, but I guess I was worried I might make too much of one. I didn't want them to think we were nuts, but honestly… Well we kinda were. An aspiring astrophysicist and a nerdy musician didn't really seem like a likely pair. But here we were stuck together and spreading the madness to other people. It made me wonder just who these two little persons would turn out to be…

When Jeffrey finally faded out his playing with a satisfied sigh he just smiled over at me. Then pacing over he took a seat next to me on the sofa, and without taking the smile off his face he turned to face me give me a quick kiss. Then he smiled wider. "Case in point kids, I'm crazy about your mom too."

Something about that line made me feel like I was choking on plushie stuffing, but I didn't mention that. After so many hours of playing music I knew Jeffrey was about as close to cloud nine as he could get.

"But on to business!" He said suddenly as he leaped to his feet and checked his watch.

"What business?" I asked with an eyebrow raise.

He smiled knowingly. "All in good time, my dearest love." Okay, now I knew I was gagging on something...

"Anyway, Jane should be here any time now."

Now I raised both eyebrows. "Jane?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Why?" I asked simply as I eyed him.

He squirmed, looking a little guilty. "Well, I'm going to be out most of the afternoon so…"

"And so you're having my little sister babysit me?" I asked deadpan.

He opened his mouth to say something but was conveniently cut off by an energetic knock on the front door. I just facepalmed. This time Jeffrey's paranoia had gone WAY too far. But before I could explain that with a well-deserved jab to the shoulder he was ushering Jane inside.

And did she have board games? Suddenly I felt like today had just got a lot longer...

"Skye!" She shouted excitedly as she raced over and gave me hug. I felt compelled to remind her that we had seen each other just last week, but then I figured she was a sucker for overly dramatic reunions.

"And look at you!" She said with a smile as she reached to gently pat the top of my hand. "You look good, almost glowing I mean."

I just stared at Jane while I silently asked if she was going crazy. Or at least more crazy than usual… But she didn't seem to notice, instead she took a step back as if to take in the scene from another angle. Then turning to Jeffrey she started pushing him toward the open door.

"Anyway go ahead and take care of whatever it is you need to Jeffrey, we'll all be fine here. Skye and I have a lot of sisterly bonding to catch up on!"

He'd been shoved out and the door closed before he could get in any words of protest or paranoia, and I was glad about that at least. In fact I figured Jeffrey deserved at least two jabs for setting me up with Jane as MY babysitter of all things. I wanted to add that babysitters only come into play after babies are actually born. But I knew I'd have to settle this with Jeffrey later, in the meantime I had an overly sentimental Jane to deal with. Again, as in more than usual.

"So let me get this straight, Jeffrey in his typical worried freak nature called you to 'look after' me while he's out doing who knows what?"

Jane frowned in thought for a second before collapsing into a chair across from me. "Yeah I knew you wouldn't like, but hey you know how paranoid Jeffrey has been lately."

I leaned into my hand still a little annoyed. "Yeah, you're telling me…"

Jane smiled though and decided to see it all from a glass half full perspective. "Oh Skye I know he means well though, right? And besides how sweet is it of him to be so worried about you and the babies?"

I sighed, her argument deflating my annoyance a little. "Yeah, I get that, it's just…" I frowned a little as I tried to think how to word it. "I don't like feeling vulnerable or whatever…"

Jane smiled as she rubbed at her chin. "Which has always been interesting since so many heroines favor the helpless approach as a means to attract a suitor…"

I just stared at her with raised eyebrows until she got my point.

She laughed. "Yes Skye I know you're not the typical heroine!"

I still felt confused. "Uh I don't think I'm a 'heroine" at all Jane. And besides the last thing I need is to attract another suitor." I sighed. "I've already got one annoying musician…"

Jane laughed. "Oh Skye don't be mad at Jeffrey, he's just as new at this whole parent thing as you are, he'll come around if you give him time."

I frowned as I crossed my arms. "Yeah, I guess I don't have much choice do I?" Then I looked up and stared blankly at Jane. "Unless I decided to skip town and just tell the kids they were adopted or something."

Jane rolled her eyes at me. "Hilarious Skye! Anyway, the reason I went along with Jeffrey is that I wanted us to get a chance to spend some time together. We've both been so busy I almost feel like an only child!"

I grinned a little. "I honestly don't think it's possible for a Penderwick to feel like an only child. As in ever."

Jane beamed and walked over to slide in next to me on the sofa. Putting an arm around my shoulders she leaned into me lightly. "I know Skye, I just missed you is all."

I averted my eyes to stare at the floor for a second. "Yeah, I kinda know what you mean…"

Jane pulled back but kept smiling at me. Then looking down a little I saw her smile soften. "I've only got three months left as a Penderwick." I knew she was talking about before her wedding. It felt surreal to think my little sister was about to get married. But it was even stranger to realize that in only about four months time I'd be responsible for two lives. All of a sudden I guess I understood Jeffrey's paranoia a little better. He was responsible for all of us.

I shook my head. "You never stop being a Penderwick. Not really. What matters never changes…"

Jane just smiled a little wider as she gently reached to touch my stomach. "What's it like Skye?" She asked simply with the same childlike wonder she always had.

"What do you mean…?" I asked awkwardly to stall for time more than anything.

She got a dreamy look in her eyes before she softly spoke. "To carry life inside of you?"

I bit my lip a little as I tried to come up with something to say. I knew that if it had been me asking Jane, she would have answered with flowing poetic descriptions. But the truth was I hadn't really figured it out yet either…

"Like…" I closed my eyes as I fought to grab at the feelings and mold them into a half sensible answer. "Like…" But hard as I tried it felt almost impossible to put it all into words. Finally, I shook my head. "I don't know… I don't understand it all yet, I mean it hasn't even really sunk in yet. But…" I awkwardly brushed a lock of hair out of my eyes. "All I know is it makes you want to...well protect them. Almost like that's all that matters…"

I wasn't too proud of my description, but Jane almost looked like she was swooning. "That's got to be your maternal instinct!"

I nodded before shrugging. "Yeah probably, but…" I should have just left it at that, but something about summing everything I was feeling up with the word instinct didn't seem right. Instincts were something even animals had, but this...this was a lot deeper than that. Jane looked on eagerly waiting for me to go on.

Now I was wishing I would have just left it alone. But I forced myself to go on. I shrugged again. "I don't know it just seems beyond special. Like something way bigger than me… Like I'm one star in a massive constellation. I...I just feel like there's something else out there but I just can't see it yet."

Jane smiled before laughing a little. "The Tifton/Penderwick constellation, huh?"

I playfully jabbed Jane's shoulder feeling suddenly embarrassed. She just grinned a little warmer at me. "No I think that's sweet Skye. And I think your choice of words is quite befitting what a writer would say. Truthfully each of us are like stars branching out to form new constellations while still being part of the original one we started with. Like if you zoomed out enough you could see that we're all connected."

"Yeah I guess so…" I nodded slightly. We both fell silent before Jane spoke up again.

"Anyway, have you and Jeffrey given any thought to what to call my new little relatives?"

"Well, we made a deal that Jeffrey gets to name the boy after a famous musician, and I get to name the girl after a scientist or something."

Jane grinned. "That's a great idea! It's just another way to give them a piece of yourselves. Not to mention it narrows the list of possible names a little. I know how hard it can be trying to think of names for the people in my books. So, any ideas on your end yet?"

I frowned in thought for a second. "I'm still thinking about it actually."

Jane patted my shoulder. "Well, you've got a whole four months left to decide so-"

"But I," I said hesitantly cutting her off. "But I did have something in mind…"

"Oh what is it?" Jane asked excitedly.

I suddenly felt self-conscious, I hadn't told anyone about the name I was considering, not even Jeffrey. But crossing my arms I decided to just spit it out.

"Astra."

Jane's eyes got big before she grabbed my arm in excitement. "That's Latin right!? For stars or something?!"

I nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, basically…"

Jane beamed. "Just think how over the moon dad is going to be about that! Have you told Jeffrey, what does he think?"

I shrugged. "I haven't told him yet actually…"

Jane shook her head. "Why haven't you, that's great?! I mean it's so you! Little Astra Tifton! It has a nice ring Skye, almost as great as Sabrina Star!"

I smirked playfully at her. "Have you ever realized you're a little crazy Jane?"

She wrapped her arm around my shoulders as she winked at me. "If you don't tell David I won't. Deal?"

I smiled with a nod. "Fine, deal."

The rest of the afternoon was spent in general Jane craziness. From her nearly burning her attempt at making us grilled cheese, to the movies she made me sit through. At least Treble was on my side and decided to stand aimlessly in front of the screen half way through the "rom-com." When she brought up nail polish I threatened to lock her outside, and our game of scrabble ended up lasting WAY too long. Jane decided to use the words she made as a prompt for a short story each round and took at least 30 minutes jotting down notes for "future reference." All in all, it was our childhood condensed into one afternoon. And if I'm honest, I guess I'd say I pretty much enjoyed it…

By that evening Jeffrey finally made it back and I gave him the typical welcome home, by kissing him on the cheek before playfully punching his shoulder. "That's for thinking I needed a babysitter…" I explained with a smirk.

"Oh, how good it is to be missed." He said with a sarcastic frown.

"So how did things go Jeffrey?" Jane asked as her eyes grew wider in excitement. That's when all at once I figured out Jane knew more about this than I did.

He smiled smugly before pulling out three pieces of paper from his jeans pocket. Unfolding them he handed them to me. "It took all afternoon, but I finally narrowed it down to the three best houses in Cameron. Not an easy task if I do say so myself!" He added with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Peering down at the papers I flipped through the three before looking back up at Jeffrey. "Now the choice is completely up to you, my lady!" He bowed playfully. "Your wish is my command."

I was a little too overwhelmed to speak so I just frowned. "You're serious?"

"As can be." He answered with a smile before he bent down to pick up Treble whom was rubbing against his leg. "But a little background music might make the choice a little easier, huh Trebs?"

With that he marched over to his piano and started pounding out a tune that reflected his happy mood. Jane mirrored it by peering happily over my shoulder at the pictures of the different houses.

"Wow, Skye look at that deck! Oh and this one has a balcony!" I was trying my best to get my head in gear. "Do we really need to move?" I asked over the music.

But before Jeffrey could answer we heard someone banging on the floor below us. Or for our neighbor it would have been their roof.

"Hey buddy, keep it down will ya! Some of us don't like classical ya know!"

Jeffrey just crossed his arms and smiled smugly.

I sighed. "Okay, never mind, point taken."

Sorry for the somewhat late update guys, between swimming through extra papers at work, and blowing most of my weekend at comic con, I've let myself go! lol Anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always thanks for the continued support. More to come soon!