Summary: Lizzie and William finally learn the sex of their baby while everyone else impatiently waits to hear what they're having.


Notes: It's a new month so new chapter! Sorry this took so long but thanks for your patience. Enjoy!


Friday, June 22nd (20 weeks)

William returned to his regular work schedule the day after they came home from Belize. He had meetings lined up for most of Thursday, which had been delayed because of his vacation, and had no trouble getting back into the groove of things. Lizzie was surprisingly dealing with the effects of jetlag, despite the one-hour difference. William told her to take it easy when he saw how groggy she was, so she worked from home where she was still able to get a lot done. He checked in with her a few times throughout the day and brought dinner home, satisfying her craving for Greek food. After some downtime on the couch with William, she knew she'd be ready to return to the office the next day.

Lizzie woke up before the alarm on Friday morning. She simply couldn't sleep anymore. She was excited about her ultrasound at the end of the day and finding out the sex of their baby. When she and William went to bed, they spent a little time discussing more baby names. Only two names had been added to their actual list but it was fun looking up names with each other.

"Good morning."

Lizzie turned her head to see that William was also awake.

"Morning. How long have you been awake?" Lizzie asked.

"Not long. Just a few minutes." William turned on his side to face her.

"Any particular reason why you're awake before you need to be?" Lizzie asked playfully, despite knowing full well why he was. She saw a sparkle in his eyes as he took a moment to think of his answer.

"I have this feeling today is going to be a good day," William said, scooting forward and sliding his hand over to her stomach. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and Lizzie's eyes widened, understanding his reaction. She pulled the covers back to see that her stomach was no longer flat. She was finally showing. She actually had a little belly and was beginning to look pregnant for the first time. "Look at you. It's about time!"

"I didn't think my body would take 'growing overnight' so literally," Lizzie laughed as he rubbed his hand over her small protruding belly. "I hit twenty weeks and I get a twelve-week belly."

"Have you been on the forums and comparing pictures again?"

"For a bit, yesterday. I was curious and I had a little downtime," Lizzie said with a shrug, watching him as he shifted further down on the bed. "This feels like another stepping stone for us. Finding out I'm pregnant to the ultrasound to hearing the heartbeat to telling everyone. I finally felt movement this week and now we have more physical evidence I'm pregnant. And we find out if we're having a boy or girl today. I love each day more and more."

"Physical evidence," William echoed with a half-smile. "That sounds like something old me would say. And I love each day more and more, too."

He pushed her shirt up and bent his head down closer to her. She watched him for a few moments as he pressed light kisses to all over her skin before she ruffled his hair. "You like my little belly?"

William's half-smile turned into a full blown one, spreading his fingers across her skin. "I love it. Our baby is growing right here. I've been looking forward to this part for weeks."

"You and me both."

"You know, the app said that Baby should be able to hear noises outside the womb around now. Your voice would be the most recognizable but I'm hoping if I talk to your belly enough, I might be recognized as well."

"I would love that," Lizzie murmured, running her fingers through his hair.

"From now on, I'm carving out time every day just for this," William said proudly, kissing her stomach again.

Lizzie smiled. "I think that will be our favorite time of day then."

William's face brightened. "I love when you refer to yourself in the plural sense."

"I'm growing a tiny human right here so I count as two people right now."

The alarms on their phones started beeping almost simultaneously, breaking their moment.

Lizzie sighed, grabbing her phone from the nightstand and swiping the alarm away. "It's time to get up."

"It would appear that way," William said, sitting up and grabbing his own phone to do the same. Lizzie swung her feet off the bed and stood up. "We have to get ready for work."

"We could save time by showering together," Lizzie suggested as she rounded the corner to his side of the bed.

"That is almost never true," William teased back as she stopped in front of him and held out her hand.

"Excuse me, but are you turning down an offer from your pregnant and hormonal wife?" Lizzie scoffed.

William chuckled, grabbed her hand and stood up, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I would never."


Lizzie's work day was relatively non-eventful, despite her return to the office. She had lunch with Andrea and Katie because she could tell they were chomping at the bit to ask her about her trip as soon as she walked in. She ended up not eating much of her lunch because they had asked her so many questions. Her afternoon was full of meetings and ended with a conference call that felt like it would never end. It didn't help that she kept glancing at the clock every five minutes until the call was over.

Twenty minutes later, Lizzie packed up, locked up her office, and left to meet William at the doctors. He beat her there by a few minutes, looking just as anxious as she felt as he sat on the bench outside, waiting for her. They kissed each other hello and went inside to check in. He stayed in the waiting room while they took her vitals and then the nurse called him back to join her in the room she set them up in, telling them the wait should only be a few minutes more.

"How was work?" William asked, sitting down on the chair next to the examining table.

"It was good, but it dragged. I think it was a mix of returning from vacation and wanting to get here," Lizzie said.

"Mine dragged as well," William replied. "I had a meeting with Edgar."

Lizzie grimaced. "The one who likes to talk your ear off about the most inane things?"

"That's the one. I would have been late if it weren't for Fitz."

"Thank goodness for Fitz then."

"Exactly," William said before his phone pinged. He pulled it out of his pocket and he snorted. "Fitz just texted 'hlp'." William showed Lizzie his screen.

"I bet he's texting under the desk without looking," Lizzie said. "Text Gigi to save him in a few minutes. He deserves that much."

"I'm doing that…now," William mumbled as he finished typing. His phone pinged within moments and he rolled his eyes. "She'll save him but she wants to know the baby's gender first."

"We'll see about that."

As he was sending another message, a female technician walked into their room. It was a young woman, about as short as Lizzie, with a severe black bob and a big smile on her face.

"Good afternoon! Sorry about the wait. I had triplets who wouldn't cooperate," she joked, shaking their hands as they said their names. She introduced herself as Fay and washed her hands before taking a seat by the equipment. "So we're here for your…thirteen-week ultrasound?"

Lizzie exchanged a quick worried look with William and shook her head. "Twenty."

"I'm so sorry! Hold on," Fay said, logging into the computer. "Right. Here it is. I misread it before I came in. You just look so tiny! Then again, most would after my last patient."

Fay began to explain that she would be looking for a number of things in the ultrasound, including checking the internal organs and making sure everything looked normal. All the results would be given to their doctor so she wouldn't be able to tell them anything. "Except the gender, if you'd like to know. As long as the baby is in a good position, we should be able to find out today."

"We want to know," Lizzie nodded quickly, smiling at William. Fay had her lie back on the table and Lizzie adjusted her clothes so her belly was exposed. Fay made small talk with them as she set everything up, asking the same questions the other technicians had asked them before.

"Okay, let's get started," Fay said. She squirted gel onto Lizzie's belly and pressing the transducer probe to her skin, spreading the gel. The click of a few buttons and their baby was on the monitor for them to see. William grabbed her hand as Fay began to take measurements.

"We can see so much more than the thirteen-week ultrasound," Lizzie said with wonder.

"The baby measures about the same size as a small banana at twenty weeks," Fay explained. "They would fit in the palm of your hand currently. You're right on track for size, so no worries there."

Fay moved the probe and the screen focused on the profile of the baby's head. As she took more measurements, the baby brought their hand close to their face.

"Look at that." William kept his eyes glued to the screen as the baby began moving their hand around.

"Baby is fascinated with their hand," Lizzie said softly. The baby wiggled around on the screen a moment later and she smiled. "I felt that."

"As the baby gets bigger, it's going to be more pronounced."

"I'm looking forward to that day," William sighed.

"You should be able to feel more soon," Fay said, adjusting the probe. "You're just getting into the stage where they will be more noticeable."

Lizzie and William were mesmerized as they looked at the details of their baby's profile on the screen. Fay stayed quiet as she went about her work, pressing buttons and changing angles. The wait seemed unbearable. Every time she paused to take screenshots, they thought she was going to tell them the baby's sex. She slowly moved the probe to capture angles of the baby's body to get what she needed but lingered when she was checking the baby's internal organs. Lizzie winced slightly as Fay pressed the probe a little harder into her stomach, moving it around as if she was looking for something.

"Is everything okay?" William asked, brushing his thumb across Lizzie's wrist to comfort her.

"The baby's not quite in the right position." Fay said, not elaborating. She moved the probe a few different ways but she didn't seem satisfied enough with the angles she was getting. After a little while, she moved on to take some more measurements of the rest of the baby.

"Can you see the sex?" Lizzie asked.

"Nearly done and then we'll take a look," Fay replied with a kind smile.

"What's a few more minutes?" William said to Lizzie.

"The more we get to see of Baby, I'm okay with it," Lizzie said softly. William looked at her affectionately and he pushed his chair in closer to the exam table as they watched the screen. It was a couple more minutes before Fay was finished with the exam.

"Alright, I caught a glimpse of the sex a little while ago but we're going to confirm it right now," Fay said, getting the probe into a good position. "Let's hope baby cooperates for this."

Lizzie squeezed William's hand and they kept their eyes on the monitor as they waited for Fay to show them the sex. After a minute of moving the probe around, Fay paused, pressed a couple buttons and froze the screen.

"There we are," Fay said, explaining what was on the screen. "You're looking at the legs from the bottom and then right here? Those little white lines?"

"Yea." They both said as they leaned in closer to the monitor.

"You're having a girl."

William straightened in his chair and Lizzie brought a hand up to her chest.

"You're sure?" Lizzie asked in disbelief, looking between her stunned husband and the monitor.

"Very. This…" Fay circled the sex on the monitor. "…is what we lovingly call the hamburger sign. It's a girl."

"We're having a girl," William repeated, his voice full of awe. Lizzie turned to him and she watched him as he lit up and the biggest smile spread across his face. It was the same wonderful smile she saw when she told him they were having a baby, with his dimples clearly showing and his eyes shining. She was sure her expression matched and she felt positively giddy.

"It's a girl," Lizzie whispered to him as he leaned in close to her. He nodded and brought his hand up to her cheek, wiping away a lone tear before kissing her.

Fay quickly tapped away on the keyboard, typing 'I'm a girl!' on the screen cap before printing a couple copies for them. She handed them, along with a sonogram strip of great shots of the baby, to William.

"Congratulations, you two," Fay said, grabbing a cloth and wiping away some of the gel on Lizzie's stomach before handing it to her. "You're all done! I'll give you a moment and you can leave when you're ready."

"Thank you," William said as she started to leave.

"It was my pleasure," Fay smiled before closing the door. Lizzie wiped away rest of the excess gel and then pulled her shirt down, putting the cloth aside. She shifted and her legs hung off the side as she faced William, who was still smiling widely.

"We're going to have a girl," Lizzie said with a happy sigh. "Guess my argument for those boys' names were all for naught."

"I wouldn't say that." William stood up and held out his hand to help her off the table. "You convinced me for any future boy Darcy."

"That's good to know," Lizzie said, grabbing her bag and sliding the sonogram pictures in.

"But right now," William started, putting his hand on her stomach. "We focus all our attention on her."

"I like the sound of that very much."

"Finally being able to use pronouns for our daughter?"

"Stop." Lizzie laughed gently and grabbed the end of his tie, tugging it a little. "You're going to turn me into a wreck."

"I don't think I can just yet," William rested his forehead on hers. "I'm so thrilled to finally know."

"Me too," Lizzie whispered. She closed the space and kissed him, continually playing with the end of his tie. After a moment, they pulled away and shared a happy look. "So, I say we eat."

"How about going out to celebrate? I'll follow you home and then I'll drive."

"Sounds good."

After Lizzie and William double-checked that they had everything, they left and headed to the parking lot. Lizzie took the lead as they drove home and William waited in the garage when she ran to freshen up and drop off her things. She returned with a bounce in her step and looking more radiant than before.

"Could we go to The Cliff House?" Lizzie asked.

"Sure," William said. "Call and see if you can get a reservation."

"It takes ten minutes to get there from here. I think we'll be okay this early."

"There's somewhere I want to take you first. It might take some time."

"No hints?" Lizzie asked, holding the phone up to her ear.

William shook his head and one corner of his mouth lifted as he kept his eyes on the road. Lizzie talked to the hostess, getting a reservation for an hour and a half later. Lizzie was unsure of where they were going but he seemed to know. After a few minutes, he started looking for parking and lucked out pretty quickly.

"Okay. Where are we going?" Lizzie asked, getting out of the car.

"It's just half a block down," William said, slipping his hand into hers. As they walked down the block, William's phone pinged a couple times.

"Aren't you going to check that?"

"It's just Gigi wanting to know if we're having a boy or a girl. She can wait until dinner tomorrow."

"You're delightfully evil." Lizzie bumped their joined hands against his hip.

William grinned. "Thank you."

"She might take to Twitter again," Lizzie reminded him.

"That was rather ineffective, wasn't it? It only riled up the natives. I was happily too busy," William said with a knowing look. "Besides, that was a different time. I'm sure she'll simply leave me a heated voicemail."

"Or two."

"That's the sacrifice I'll gladly make so you and I can keep this news to ourselves for a day."

"Our bubble," Lizzie smiled.

"Exactly," William said, slowing down. He glanced up and stopped, indicating that they were at their final destination. "We're here."

Lizzie glanced up to see that the marquee said 'That's Tot' before looking at the window display of various baby clothing and gear. "Will!"

William looked entirely too pleased with himself. "You said no purchases until we find out the gender. Well, we found out the gender."

"I didn't expect you'd want to go shopping two seconds later." Lizzie said.

"Fitz and I have driven past this place a few times on the way to a client," William told her. "I was curious and looked it up one night. They have more gender neutral choices than other stores. It's not all pink and blue, which is something we've both wanted very little of."

William opened the door and led them inside. Lizzie noticed a few other customers in the store and two employees welcomed them as the bell above rang. The place was spacious with brightly painted walls and tasteful baby décor all over them. There were racks upon racks of different colored baby clothes, separated by size. She noticed cribs and other baby equipment, including car seats and rockers, in the far corner.

"So you only gave us a little time to shop?"

"This is more of a celebratory purchase," William said with a twinkle in his eye.

Lizzie and William headed straight for the newborn section, noticing how diverse the collection was. Pink was still present for some of the onesies but it was used as an accent or for the lettering. Lizzie was delighted to be sharing this little moment with William and he looked just as thrilled to be there.

"Okay, this one is adorable," Lizzie said, holding up a white newborn-sized onesie that said 'Hello. I'm new here!' inside a pale green circle on the chest. She passed it to him and he held it up. She watched a sweet expression pass on his face.

"It's scary to realize she'll be this little," William said, looking at Lizzie. She gave him a curious look. "Scary in a good way, if that makes sense."

"I think…it's the thought that she'll be completely dependent on us."

"Yes, I think so," William said, glancing down at other onesies before looking back at her and bumping her shoulder. "I can't wait to hold her."

"Me neither," Lizzie sighed, briefly closing her eyes when he pressed his lips to her head. She resisted the urge to bring her hand up to her belly when she felt the baby move but smiled to herself. Then she found two onesies with 'Thing 1' and 'Thing 2' on the chest and pointed them out to him. "Remember when Charlie and Scarlett were this small?"

"I do," William nodded. "And when Charlie finally brought came from the hospital. They were so relieved. Bing let me hold him after he fell asleep and he was so little in my arms. I was afraid of waking him up and I was probably in that same position for nearly an hour before Bing took him back. I'm sure we'll find ourselves in plenty of those situations soon enough."

"Oh my god. This is a must buy for today," Lizzie said swiftly, picking up a purple onesie and holding it up.

"'Daddy's little girl'." William's face lit up as he read it out loud. "What about you? She's your little girl too."

"Oh, she's going to love me. We're already bonding," Lizzie joked, rubbing her belly. "I just happen to be closer with my dad and I want that for you and her too."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. What everyone is saying will probably be true. She's going to have me wrapped around her finger."

Lizzie brightened. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much but the occasion called for it. She brought a hand up and pressed it to the back of his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. They pulled apart a few moments later and lingered. "I'm happy you brought me here."

"I'm glad you like it," William murmured as his eyes darted to the clock on the wall. "We still have a little time before we need to leave."

"We've barely scratched the surface. I say we keep shopping."


Lizzie and William ended up buying four different onesies, including one that had a pattern of little black bows all over it. They made it to the Cliff House on time and ordered mocktails along with their meal for a little fun. Dinner was even more delicious than they expected and they could barely eat another bite. They took their dessert to go and William suggested they go for a walk on the beach. Lizzie readily agreed and they put their stuff in the car before heading down to the water. The weather was cool but not so much that Lizzie needed a jacket. They talked about how happy they were about having a girl and discussed baby names, all while walking hand-in-hand.

Once the sun had completely disappeared from the sky, the temperature dropped and Lizzie was ready to go home. They spent the rest of the evening on the couch, half-watching a movie but focusing more on looking up nursery pictures together. While they generally knew what they wanted, Lizzie insisted on research. She fell asleep on his shoulder and he carried her to bed before joining her soon after.


Saturday, June 23rd (20 weeks and 1 day)

Lizzie woke before William feeling ravenous. She got out of bed and slipped on an oversized t-shirt, leaving her husband to keep sleeping. Grabbing her phone, she shuffled towards the kitchen and checked her missed messages, snorting when she noticed the missed calls from Gigi. When she got into the kitchen, she saw a name written on the message board and figured it was a suggestion from William. She looked at it for a moment before she grabbed eggs and some cheese from the fridge to start making herself some breakfast.

She was focused on preparing the food in front of her when she heard William's steps approaching. He came up behind her and slid his arms around her, laying his hands flat on her little belly and kissing the crook of her neck.

"How are my two favorite girls?"

"We're hungry," Lizzie said, playing along. She turned around and slid her hands up his bare chest, resting her arms on his shoulders. "How long have you been waiting to say that?"

"Probably the moment we found out about her," William replied, making Lizzie snicker. "How are you besides starving?"

"Pretty well rested, actually. I woke up and felt her moving a little so I took it as a sign we needed food," Lizzie said, her eyes darting to her stomach and back to him.

"Cheesy scrambled eggs?"

"Yep."

"Would you like me to do it?"

"You sure? I was nearly done with the cheese." Lizzie glanced over her shoulder to the small grated pile.

"It's fine. I'll make them. Have a seat," William said. Lizzie thanked him with a kiss and grabbed her apple juice, taking a seat at the island.

"So, Gigi has taken to pouting on my phone now." Lizzie said. "I've got a couple text messages and a voicemail from her."

"She was probably tired of hearing my outgoing message," William quipped. "She's never been a patient person. You're welcome to tell her she'll find out tonight, but she might pounce as soon as we walk in."

"She might pounce either way but I'll keep my mouth shut until then. She wants us to bring the appetizers for tonight, by the way."

"We'll go to the store later this morning."

"And I saw your name suggestion. Was that there last night?"

William turned around and looked at the name on the board before looking at her.

"Woke up in the middle of the night and that was in my head so I wrote it down," William replied. "Do you like it?"

"Cora? It's a very pretty name. It sounds Irish."

"Mmm. It would go with your literary choices. Cora is a character in Last of the Mohicans," William clarified. "I like the sound of Cora Darcy."

"Me too. It'll go on our list."

"It keeps growing," William said as he grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and started cracking eggs on the side of it. "We're going to have to eliminate names at some point."

"Eventually," Lizzie shrugged. William leaned against the counter as he mixed the eggs with the shredded cheese. "But we just found out she's a girl. Isn't this the part where we pour through baby name books and websites even with the names we've written down? We'll start seriously knocking names off the list in a month or two."

"I can agree to that," William said.

"Good," Lizzie said before finishing off her glass of apple juice. "What happened to breakfast? Your girls are starving."

William smiled. "Coming right up."


"You ready?"

William had his finger poised on the buzzer to Gigi's apartment building. He had noticed Lizzie was fidgeting and adjusting her outfit as they reached the front entrance and stopped. She changed three times before they left, wanting to look cute but comfortable. In the end, she chose a plain sleeveless black blouse with a blue cardigan that didn't show her off.

"You look beautiful. I don't know why you're fussing," William said and she shrugged, tugging at her blouse again.

"I'm not quite used to the stomach yet."

They were buzzed in and took the elevator to her floor. William barely knocked once before Gigi opened the door, greeting him with a glare and a hand on her hip.

"It's not nice to ignore your sister, William," Gigi said, emphasizing his full first name. Lizzie snickered beside him and Gigi whipped her head to her. "You either. I thought we were on the same team!"

"We brought you a housewarming present?" Lizzie offered with a toothy smile, holding up a bag of presents for everyone from their babymoon.

"Trying to win back my love with gifts," Gigi huffed. "Come in already. Charlotte and Sam are on the way over and Brandon and Lydia are in the kitchen. Fitz should be back from the store in a minute. I misplaced my bottle opener."

"We could have picked it up if you needed," William said as Gigi narrowed her eyes at him.

Something in Lizzie snapped at Gigi's petulance. Lizzie was going to be protective of her family, no matter what. Even if that meant telling off someone close to her in order to do it.

"You know what, Gigi? Don't take your annoyance out at him. Or me, for that matter. This is our baby. Our first baby," Lizzie gestured between her and William. "We're more than happy to share news with you but we decide when. We wanted some time to ourselves once we found out. It will be the same when the baby is born. We'll want time to ourselves then too. You need to give us that."

Gigi's glare disappeared and she looked remorseful. "It's hard not to get caught up in all this. A baby is a big deal in this small family. But I'm sorry for pushing."

"I know, Gigi. I'm happy you're energetic about it, but Lizzie's right. You need to give us time to digest our news and celebrate it ourselves before we bring you into it. I assure you, you're at the top of the list whenever we have something to tell you all," William said. Gigi looked a little deflated and he pulled her in for a hug. He rubbed one hand up and down her back, murmuring near her ear. "You're going to be a great aunt, you know."

"Thank you," Gigi said appreciatively as they pulled away.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am."

"Alright, I'm going to get the appetizers ready."

He glanced to Lizzie and she smiled at him before he disappeared into the kitchen, where other voices were coming from. Lizzie gave Gigi a reassuring pat on her shoulder and that was the end of it.

"Do you want a tour? You haven't seen the place since I've settled in."

"I'd love one." Lizzie nodded. There was a small room directly to the right of them that Gigi had turned into an office of sorts, with a skinny desk and chair tucked in. A wooden cabinet against the opposite wall held a hidden murphy bed. The pale-blue bathroom was the first door on the right side of the hallway and across from it were folding shutter doors that hid a washer and dryer, one of the many reasons why Gigi loved the place. A little further down the hall was the entrance to a fully equipped kitchen, updated with modern appliances, marble countertops, and white cabinets. William and Brandon were preparing food and talking to Lydia, who was sitting on the other side of the breakfast bar.

"Hey, sis! Lookin' good," Lydia waved. "Getting the tour?"

"Hello! I am. Keeping the guys company?"

"As always. I want to hear about the trip!"

"As soon as I see the rest of the place. Hi Brandon. It's nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too, Lizzie," Brandon said. "We're anxiously awaiting to hear the news. William's very tight-lipped."

"Shall we continue, Gigi?"

"Upstairs!"

"I see how it is!" Brandon's voice echoed as Gigi led her upstairs to the second level. The mezzanine den had two plush chairs and a table facing a television on the wall. It was just off the master bedroom and overlooked the living area on the first floor. The living room was furnished with a big plush couch facing a large fireplace, along with a smaller matching couch and wooden coffee table. The connected dining room had a long wooden table with eight chairs and beyond that was the breakfast bar with three stools tucked beneath them.

"I like this little set-up," Lizzie commented. "And the high ceilings are such a perk!"

"I love it. It makes me feel like I have infinite space," Gigi said, heading into the large master bedroom. A king-sized bed was against one wall and was framed by wood bedside tables with modern looking lamps. Beyond that was an enclosed and private deck with a few plants and plush furniture. Last but not least was the bathroom, showing off marble countertops, double sinks, and a moderately-sized tub shower.

"I love your decorating style, Gigi. This place is perfect for you," Lizzie said as they walked back out to the den. "It's so different than when we first saw it."

"It's fun to decorate a place from scratch," Gigi grinned. They headed back downstairs and met with Charlotte, Sam, and Fitz as they were coming in. The noise level in the loft grew as they greeted each before Gigi herded them down the hallway to the rest of the group. They all gathered around the breakfast bar and in the kitchen, catching up with each other.


Lizzie was full. Everybody had contributed to dinner and it was all so delicious but she couldn't eat another bite. Even after Charlotte brought out ice cream and cookies for dessert.

"Lizzie?" Charlotte asked, holding an empty bowl.

"No more room."

"William?"

"None for me, thank you," William replied. He stretched and rested his arm on the back of Lizzie's chair, turning to her. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty well," Lizzie said brightly, squeezing his lower thigh. "Thanks."

"I was thinking of passing out gifts. Now's a good time."

Lizzie nodded. "I'll help."

William cleared their places of dishes while Lizzie went to go get the bag of gifts she left by the door. Gigi caught on to what they were doing and sat up straighter in her seat.

"William and I got you all things from our trip." Lizzie returned and began passing the gifts around. "They're not much but there wasn't a lot of opportunity for souvenir shopping."

"That's nice of you to think of us," Sam said, smiling as she handed him a little box.

"When are we going to see the pictures?" Fitz asked. "The trip sounds amazing."

Lizzie laughed. "How about once everyone is done with their dessert?"

Lizzie handed Gigi a card and William took the empty bag from her, folding it up and putting it down. "Think of this as a housewarming present."

"No need to wait, guys. You can open them," William said.

He slid his arm around Lizzie's waist as their friends began to open their small gifts of various jewelry for them. Their gaze was more focused on Gigi as she tore open the envelope, pulling out a card with a house on the front. She opened the card to read it and moments later, she jumped out of her seat and let out a shriek of excitement. Everybody turned at the noise.

"Are you kidding?! Really?"

"Really," William confirmed proudly.

"Oh my god!" Gigi squealed, pressing the card to her chest as she bounced up and down. "I was hoping! This is so exciting!"

Lizzie and William laughed in delight as she kept bouncing, hugging them both as the rest of the group looked on in confusion.

"What in the world is going on?" Charlotte asked.

"Can I read it out loud?" Gigi asked Lizzie and William.

"Go ahead, Gigi," William consented.

"William and Lizzie gave me a lovely card and signed it…" Gigi paused for effect, holding it open to read to them. "Love from William, Lizzie, and Baby Girl Darcy."

Everybody at the table jumped up from their seats in excitement and talked at once. Lizzie and William beamed at each other as the others reacted.

"A girl!"

"You're having a girl! That's awesome!"

"How exciting!"

"I won again!" Fitz exclaimed, getting a laugh from half the group. "I mean, I'm psyched for you two!"

"Nice save, Fitz," William shook his head in amusement. Fitz came over and clapped him on the back while Lydia, Gigi, and Charlotte practically pounced on Lizzie.

"But really, Darcy. I'm happy for you. You must be excited!" Fitz said enthusiastically.

"Beyond belief," William replied. "We would have been happy either way but there was a small part of me that hoped we would have a girl first."

"A small part of me too. Only Charlotte and I guessed girl," Fitz said, nodding to her.

"We're the smart ones," Charlotte joked, giving him a high five. "Have you guys decided on a theme yet?"

"We've only known for a day!" Lizzie said. "But we are respectfully asking you all to try and stay away from the pink." Gigi looked ready to protest. "I know it may be hard to resist, but we'd really like it if you make an attempt when buying whatever you're planning to buy."

"No pink at all?" Gigi asked, looking desperate.

"As long as pink isn't the primary color," William clarified. "We'd never say no to anything green."

"Can I ask for one more thing?" Gigi asked.

"Of course," William said.

"Any chance you have pictures from the ultrasound yesterday?"

Lizzie smiled slowly. "We do. Want to see them?"

"The word 'duh' comes to mind!"


Charlotte and Sam called it an early night after William had shown everyone pictures of their trip. Lydia and Lizzie were sharing the couch, catching up while the rest of the group was hanging around the breakfast bar. Every so often, she'd catch William's glance towards her way and she'd smile at him.

"So, is it weird to be off so many days in a row?" Lizzie asked. The musical Nevermore had ended its run three days prior on the twentieth and the next musical production wouldn't be starting for another month. The theater was taking advantage of being dark and doing some much -needed renovations for two of out of those four weeks. The main crew, including Lydia, was given the time off with pay.

"It's pretty nice. I'm going to visit Mom and Dad for a few days. I missed Father's Day because of work and Mom has been pestering me since Mother's Day," Lydia said.

"So since I told her I'm pregnant?"

Lydia snorted. "Yea. I don't mind. I haven't seen them since the holidays. I'm sure she'll be expecting the scoop."

"Just don't tell her we're having a girl yet," Lizzie said.

"Like I'd give that away," Lydia said. "Remember what she did to Jane?"

"Oh my god," Lizzie groaned, covering her face with her hands. When Jane and Bing let their mom know they were having a girl and a boy, she conveniently only focused on the first part and mailed Jane all her long-out-of-style baby clothes. Thankfully, Jane used her skills and made cuter clothes, as well as a blanket for each twin. "I can only hope she doesn't do that for us."

"I'm sure Jane would help you out."

"I bet. We're simply keeping Mom and Dad in the dark for a little longer…for their own good," Lizzie stated. "Either way, I hope you have a good time."

"I'm looking forward to seeing them."

"Don't hesitate to call me if you need a break."

"You know I will," Lydia grinned, bumping her shoulder with Lizzie. Lizzie bumped her back.

"Anything new on the Adam front now that Nevermore is over?"

"Maaaybe." Lydia said evasively.

"Did I hear Adam's name?" Gigi asked, hurrying over to join them on the couch. "Spill."

"Okay, so we may have had a lunch date yesterday…"


Monday, June 25th (20 weeks and 3 days)

On Monday, Lizzie and William's day started with a doctor appointment. Dr. Gates checked Lizzie out and told her she was right on track. Then she went over the ultrasound results with them.

"I have a couple notes from the technician," Dr. Gates said. She explained that the baby wasn't in a good enough position to see all the chambers of the heart and one kidney was slightly larger than the other. She assured them that the issue was fairly common and usually corrected itself before birth. She wanted them to have another ultrasound in eight weeks' time but was confident that everything would be fine. She also encouraged them to start discussing birth plans. Afterwards, Lizzie and William asked a handful of questions that she happily answered.

They went off to work and were busy the whole day, barely having time to think of little else. When William got home, Lizzie was in the kitchen cooking dinner and talking on the phone with Jane about the ultrasound results. William took over dinner and shooed her out, letting her talk to Jane for a bit more. She emerged from the bedroom ten minutes later and walked right into William's arms.

"Jane's excited we're having a girl," Lizzie mumbled into his shirt.

"I figured she would be."

"And she said not to worry about the kidney issue. Scarlett also had it and she was fine when she was born," Lizzie added.

"Bing said the same thing."

Lizzie quickly pulled away and looked up at him.

"I called him on the way home," William confessed. "We think alike, you and me."

"It's funny that even after the reassurance from the doctor, I feel better when hearing about it from my sister," Lizzie mused.

William bent down and kissed her forehead. "I have a feeling everything is going to be just fine."

"Me too."


Tuesday, June 26th (20 weeks and 4 days)

Lizzie and William met with Fitz and Gigi after work, wanting to try a new Thai place that opened up in Gigi's neighborhood. They talked about possible plans for the upcoming Fourth of July, debating between going down to the wharf to watch the show or using Lizzie and William's balcony. Lizzie was hoping for a quieter affair like they had in the past, knowing that things could get hectic. Fitz and Gigi also offered their services to clear out the rest of the furniture in the guest room so Lizzie and William could decorate.

Once dinner was over, they said their goodbyes and drove home in separate cars, having come straight from work. Lizzie beat him by thirty seconds and teasingly gloated all the way up the elevator ride. He thought she looked too cute as she did a little celebratory dance that he merely watched.

"It was sheer luck you got here before me."

"You would have beat me if you hadn't let that person ahead of you," Lizzie concluded as they walked into their apartment.

"I'll try to be less polite next time," William joked, hanging up his coat and undoing his tie.

"Whatever you think will work," Lizzie said. "I'm going to go change. Maybe we can watch a movie?"

"Sure. I also wanted to show you something I've been looking at."

"Okay. I'll be right back," Lizzie said, taking his tie off his neck to bring to the bedroom. He chuckled as she swayed her hips while she walked, knowing he was watching her.

William grabbed his tablet and set on the couch, pulling up what he wanted to show her. Almost ten minutes went by but she hadn't returned. William got up and headed to the bedroom to see what was up. He found Lizzie sitting on the end of the bed with her hand pressed to her stomach, her expression focused.

"Lizzie?"

She looked up and smiled.

"Hey, sorry. I got distracted. Did you want to show me something?"

"I did." William walked over and sat down next to her, handing her the tablet. "I was planning on trading in my car. I wanted to show you what I'm thinking of getting."

"Oh yay. Car talk," Lizzie said flatly. A little over a year ago, Lizzie's car troubles reached a peak. Expensive parts needed to be replaced and it barely passed the smog test. William insisted she needed to get a new car but she was being overly stubborn on the matter. He left out dealership magazines for her to look at, sent her emails on sales coming up on certain cars, and a couple dealerships even called her after her supposed inquiries. William slept on the couch for the last one. It wasn't until her close call where her car broke down in the middle of an intersection that she gave up the fight. She said goodbye to her old car and bought a new one, much to the relief of her husband.

"It's a sore subject, I know," William said. "I don't want to think about what could have happened to you."

"I'm sorry. We both went about it the wrong way," Lizzie admitted before looking at the tablet. "So, I thought you liked your car? It's only four years old."

"It's a fine car but I want something a little better for the baby," William said, pulling up the page.

"A Tesla. Fancy."

"Specifically the Model X," William said.

"Are those wing doors?" Lizzie's eyes widened. "Like in Back to the Future? Is that necessary, Will?"

"I was debating on the models and saw the unveiling. It's rather convenient for your tall husband," William pointed out, playing that part of the video. "I won't have to bend down as much for the car seat."

"Oh, I like that," Lizzie murmured, watching the video. After a moment, she smiled and brought a hand to her belly. "I think she does too."

"She's moving again? Do you think I'd be able to feel her yet?"

"Probably not? She's moving just enough for me."

"You're just rubbing it in my face now," William said playfully and Lizzie snickered.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing, Will."

"Lie down and I'll have a talk with her."

Lizzie moved on the bed and fluffed the pillows before lying down. William put the tablet down and shifted until he was close to her raised stomach, resting his hand on her. Then he cleared his throat as Lizzie watched in amusement.

"Hello there, my little girl. This is your dad speaking," William started, gently tapping on Lizzie's stomach. "I want to ask you a question."

Lizzie giggled and he glanced up at her through his eyelashes.

"Your stomach moves when you laugh. This is helping none, Mrs. Darcy," William said as the corner of his mouth twitched up.

Lizzie took a breath. "Sorry, Mr. Darcy. Continue."

"As I was saying." William brought his gaze back to her stomach. "Why are you only moving for your mom and not for me? I want to feel you move, too."

Lizzie let out a little gasp and William looked up.

"You can't feel that?"

William rubbed her belly for a moment and then shook his head. "No."

"Keep talking."

"Do you know how much I love you, my girl? I love you as much as I love your mom," William said while he caressed her stomach with his thumb. "I can't wait to tell you the stories of us. She had my heart from the beginning, just like you do. I think you're going to be as beautiful as your mom, too. She always takes my breath away."

Lizzie pressed her lips together and wiped away a tear before she reached down to run her fingers though his hair. He smiled up at her and then kissed her belly.

"Is she still moving?"

Lizzie nodded. "Feels a bit like she's doing somersaults."

"Are you having fun in there? Are you playing around for Mom?" William continued. "Do you like it when I talk to you? You're going to hear from me every day. I promise, baby girl."

"You're being so adorable right now," Lizzie teased.

"I'm only going to get worse when she's born," William said.

"You hear that, baby girl? Your dad's going to be embarrassing!" Lizzie said in a sickly sweet tone and William laughed.

"Don't tell lies to our baby," William narrowed his eyes at her. He put his lips close to her stomach. "Your mom is just being silly."

"Both your parents are silly people, baby girl."

"I'm silly?"

"It's part of the reason I love you so much. You put on a wig for me, even after you were uncomfortable," Lizzie reminded him.

"I was smitten. I would have done anything you asked."

"And that's why our baby is going to be spoiled. She'll look up at you with big doe eyes and you'll crumble."

"I think I did pretty well with Gigi."

"Yea," Lizzie agreed. "But there's a difference between your fourteen-year-old sister and your three-year-old daughter asking for a pony."

"You're going to have to help me out."

"As long as I don't have to be the bad parent all the time," Lizzie snickered, ruffling his hair. Her cell phone started ringing and she realized she left it on the further bedside table.

"That's a promise I can keep," William said as he stretched out to get it for her. He looked at the screen. "It's Lydia. Isn't she visiting Thomas and Fran?"

"Yea. I said she could call anytime," Lizzie nodded as he handed her the phone. She answered it. "Hey Lydia!"

"Lizzie?" Lydia's voice was crackling and breaking up. There was too much noise in the background and Lizzie couldn't make out anything.

"Lydia? You're following who? I can barely hear you," Lizzie said, covering her other ear and getting up from the bed. She took a few steps and everything cleared up. Lydia sounded frantic.

"Lizzie! I'm following the ambulance! It's Dad!"