-slaps self- I really need to work on this whole updating thing! I'm really bad at it, aren't I? Ah, well, anyway, I hope you can stop being mad at me long enough to read the new chapter that I finally posted! :)

-XXX-

Kathleen

"Are you sure I should go? I mean, I could always cancel if need me to stay…"

I sighed, laughing slightly as I shook my head.

"Riley, you and I both know you're only using that as an excuse to get out of going to give that speech because you have stage fright."

"Is it working?" He asked, half-jokingly.

"Not a chance." I smirked and he looked defeated.

"Fine…"

He sighed, readjusting his vest. I watched him, mildly amused. He looked nervous – the look had been permanently etched into his face for the past three days. Riley, Ben, and Abigail had all been invited to give a presentation, and that meant a speech. Riley didn't like giving speeches. He tried using me as an excuse not to go. But I wasn't letting it happen. I kept reminding him that if I really needed him, I would call, that there was nothing to worry about, that he really should go, it'd be a once in a lifetime chance for him.

Even though I wanted him to stay. I was now nervous too – for different reasons, though. Ever since I'd woken up that morning, something had felt a bit… off. It felt the same as the scare the week before, and the doctor had told me that the pains might come back. But it was different this time, it seemed. Sharper. It worried me, but I didn't want Riley to have a panic attack, so I acted calm, like nothing was wrong.

However, there was another twinge at that moment, and my slight grimace of pain didn't escape Riley's notice.

"Kate…" His voice was laced with warning, but I waved it off, forcing a smile.

"I'm fine. The baby's just acting up, that's all. We're okay."

"Are you sure?" He looked even more worried now. "I can cancel, I really can, they don't need me to…"

"Riley James Poole, you are going if I have to get out of this bed and push you out the door myself!" I half-teased. "Besides, Nicole will be here any minute. It's not like I'll be alone. You've got nothing to worry about."

He sighed, raising an eyebrow, but finally smiled at me, kissing my forehead.

"If you insist. I'll have my phone if you need me for anything." He leaned down again, kissing me tenderly on the lips and then putting a gentle hand on my swollen stomach. "Don't give your mommy too much trouble, alright?"

I smiled at him reassuringly, nodding.

"We'll be fine, sweetie. Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it." He grinned and waved at me, and I waved back, falling back onto the pillow with a groan once he'd gone. I gently rubbed my belly, resting my hand on top it, shaking my head.

"Please not today. Just stay there. Because you kinda have to stay in there for now. If you come today, your father will never forgive me."

I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling drowsy, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

-X-

I wasn't sure how long I was out, but I felt someone shaking me and then Nicole's voice.

"Kathleen?"

I opened my eyes, and Nicole was standing over me. I rubbed my eyes tiredly, getting up in an awkward sitting position and smiling.

"Oh, Nicole, hey. Did you just get here?"

"About ten minutes ago." She answered with a shrug, sitting down in the chair across from my bed and taking off her headphones. "Didn't want to wake you, but your snoring was driving me crazy."

I laughed, and she leaned closer, looking at me strangely.

"Is everything alright?" There was a hint of concern in her voice.

"Yeah, fine. Why?" I said quickly. I knew she could tell I was lying by the way her eyes narrow, but she apparently decided to ignore it.

"You just look a bit…" She shrugged, not completing the sentence, and I shrugged back. We sat in silence for a few moments.

"I wish everyone would stop making such a fuss over me."

"By everyone, you mean Riley?"

I shrugged. "More or less."

"Well, you're his girlfriend and you're 8 months pregnant. It's his job to make a fuss over you, K."

I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest. "I hate when you're right."

"You do? Because me? I like it." She replied with a hint of a grin that made me crack a smile. She had a funny way of being able to make me laugh like no one else ever could. Best friend thing, you know what I mean.

Then I gasped in sharply at the pain in my belly, gritting my teeth to mask it.

"Kathleen?" Apparently she noticed too. Damn them all and their watchfulness. I shook my head in reply, but I could sense her eyes on me, looking at me knowingly. "The baby?"

I sighed, finally relenting. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's only the false pains. The doctor said they would probably come back."

"How long have you been getting them?" She was obviously trying to sound calm, but there was a note of fear in her voice.

"All day."

"You're sure they're not the real thing?"

I moved to nod, but stopped, because, truth be told, I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure of much anymore. But I nodded anyway, hoping it would get her off my back.

"Don't worry, Nic. I'm okay." She narrowed her eyes again. "Really."

"If you're sure…" She shrugged again. "I'm going to go make a sandwich. You want anything?"

"Ah, no, I'm fine." I sat back against the pillows again as the wave of pain began to subside. She nodded, putting her headphones back on as she walked off in the general direction of the kitchen. I sighed, rubbing at my eyes again. "You're gonna get me in trouble, little one. You need to stop that."

I shook my head, nearly laughing to myself. I was talking to a baby, an unborn one, no less, that couldn't reply. Maybe this whole pregnancy thing was slowly driving me insane.

Well, whatever it was, all I knew at that moment in time was that I had to go to the bathroom. I sighed, knowing it took forever just to get up on my feet anymore. I held onto one of the bedposts and slowly moved over to the edge of the bed, carefully pushing myself up on my swollen ankles.

And then a very strange thing seemed to happen.

My leg was wet. My first thought was that I hadn't been able to make it to the bathroom, and that was kind of gross. And then I looked down. Of course, I couldn't actually see anything because of my huge round belly. But I just sort of knew. So I did the first thing that came to mind.

I screamed. Loudly.

I had no idea what to do. I started screaming Nicole's name with all the lung capacity I had, still holding myself up by the bedpost. Nicole appeared in the doorway, looking all freaked out and screaming back at me.

"What?!" She looked scared, not something I was used to seeing. And that made me panic more. I paused, the words catching in my throat as I stared at my best friend through wide, terrified eyes. And then the six words emerged from my throat in a foreign, strangled voice.

"I think my water just broke."

-XXX-

Oh dear, here we go! It's almost time to meet our baby!

Until then, please review, thanks for reading!