Holy crap you guys! 51 reviews?! I'm totally blown away! Thank you all so much for being so amazing! And a special shout-out to the awesome msgemgem for being review number 50 and always having such lovely things to say! Thank you! :D
There's a handful of chapters left here, guys, so I thank you again for being along for this ride! I've had so much fun writing this fic and I'm glad so many people are enjoying it!
Jon
"Holy shit." Jon muttered, staring at his phone.
Colby glanced sideways at him, an eyebrow raised. He absently handed AJ, who sat next to him in the catering room, her phone back.
"You alright bro?" Colby asked.
Jon nodded, passing his phone over to Colby. Dani had sent him a picture of herself standing in her bathroom facing the mirror, holding her shirt with one hand and her phone with the other. Her little belly had started to round and poke out and she was smiling. On the mirror she'd written '14 weeks' with a little heart beside it in what was probably red lipstick.
AJ leaned over a little closer to Colby to catch a glimpse of the photo. "Sorry, I'm being nosy! Oh! Jon! Is that the same girl from New Orleans?"
"Yeah, that's her," Jon said as Colby handed his phone back.
"I thought you weren't an item!" AJ gave him a look but grinned. "Is she pregnant?"
"Yeah." Jon said, smiling a little.
"Aww congratulations! Holy crap fourteen weeks already. That's awesome." AJ said.
"Yeah dude!" Colby said. "Does it feel real now? Like now that you can see she's pregnant?"
Jon nodded. "Yeah, actually being able to see her like that... like shit, it's really sinking in. In another, what? Six months? We're gonna have a kid."
"Man, Jon no offense but you're the last person I expected to be having a kid right now," AJ said. "But she's so cute and you guys were adorable together before you were together! I'm happy for you!"
"None taken," Jon shrugged. "I wasn't expecting it either. But thanks."
"So when do we get to see her again?" Colby asked. "I feel like its been forever!"
"You feel like its been forever? Who are you telling." Jon said.
With the holidays coming up and their schedule getting increasingly packed, Jon hadn't been able to see Dani much in the last ten weeks. He'd been upset when he had to miss accompanying her to her first prenatal checkup because he was clear across the country. But it was redeemed when he was able to be there to hear their baby's heartbeat for the first time. Dani wasn't able to fly much due to her pregnancy but her employer seemed to be cool about it and granted her extended maternity leave. Jon had made it a habit to fly straight to Scottsdale to be with Dani instead of going home to Cincinnati.
"She really isn't supposed to fly," Jon said. "Doc's orders. So next time we're in the area you can see her, weirdo."
AJ giggled. "Jeez Rollins, sounds like you have a crush on the girl."
Colby scowled at AJ. "I do not! Dani's cool! I'm glad she's with Jon. He's not such a miserable butthole anymore."
"Fuck you, Colby." Jon said, but couldn't help laughing.
"Look! It's like the Grinch grew a heart!" Colby laughed. "I've never seen this guy smile this much!"
"The right girl got him," AJ said. "It's like magical or something."
Jon rolled his eyes at the two of them, bringing his attention back to his phone. He saved the photo Dani sent him and finally sent her a message in reply.
'You're fucking beautiful. Miss you, love you, can't wait to get home.'
He stared at the text for a long moment after he sent it. Home, he said. Home to his pregnant girlfriend. Home to their eventual family. The one place he belonged outside the safety net of his career. And one more thing that scared him shitless about this new life he'd fallen into. A happy home wasn't something Jon had ever experienced. Sure, after leaving his dysfunctional family home, things had been better, but he struggled constantly. Keeping a roof over the head of a ten-year-old, making sure she was clothed and fed and went to school when he was only eighteen was hard. He'd worked a lot and hardly ever saw her but he did what he could to give her a home. It was a rundown, shitty little apartment but there were locks on the doors and it kept them off the streets.
Now he had a real home, even if he didn't technically live there. He had a roof over his head (in two different states), a girl who loved him that waited for him to come home from a long tour, and a baby on the way. How things changed so dramatically in his life. Things he never thought he'd have were close within reach and he wanted them. He wasn't sure which he was more surprised by. The fact that it was real, or the fact that he accepted it, that he wanted it.
"Umm, you in there buddy?" AJ leaned over Colby, poking Jon in the arm.
"Huh? Yeah. What?" Jon said.
AJ giggled. "You're such a space case," She shook her head. "Not that I should talk."
"Yeah, no kidding," Jon said, standing up. "I'm outta here, weirdoes. Later."
AJ waved and Colby nodded in acknowledgement as Jon walked away. Halfway to their locker room, his phone beeped in his pocket. Sliding out his phone and paused, leaning against the wall.
'Love you and miss you and can't wait for you to get home,' Dani had replied. 'Gender sonogram next week. Think you'll be here?'
'Hopefully. Don't wanna miss that. What day?' Jon replied.
'Thursday.'
'Should be able to make it. I'll be nearby, anyway. Nevada, I think.'
Jon pushed away from the wall, continuing to the locker room. It was empty when he got there, and that wasn't surprising. Most everyone was out and about waiting for the show to start or hadn't even made it to the building yet. Jon dropped down onto a chair, pulling his phone out of his pocket again.
'Okay. I'm glad you'll be close at least. So... we wanna know, right? What our baby's gonna be.'
Jon stared down at the message. Part of him thought the surprise would be nice, but another part of him knew he'd never really favored surprises. Knowing the gender of their child would put to rest the final piece of fear in his gut about their family-to-be.
'Yeah. I'd like to know.' Jon said.
'Okay baby. We'll find out.' Dani typed back, following it with a smile.
He'd gotten used to Dani calling him that. The first time it slipped out, she'd backpedaled quickly, not knowing how he'd react to terms of endearment. Jon wasn't used to it, and apparently the look on his face had said the words that failed him and poor Dani's pregnancy waterworks started again. Jon had never been one for mushy, lovey-dovey nicknames and all of that cuteness, but for Dani, he'd make the exception. Something he couldn't seem to stop doing for that girl.
"You look cute, you know that right?" Jon said, leaning back on his hands, watching Dani arrange and rearrange her hair.
It was a scramble for time and he'd hardly got any sleep, but Jon managed to make the four-hour drive and end up in Scottsdale from Vegas around three-thirty that morning. Dani was already asleep when he arrived and he'd passed out next to her, sore from that night's match and in all his clothes. There was no way he was going to miss this appointment, even if it got him in a little trouble for being late to the show the next day.
Dani smiled at him in the mirror and dropped her hands, tugging her shirt down over her belly. Jon pushed up from the bed, wrapping his arms around her, resting his hands on her little bump. Jon kissed her cheek.
"Crazy, isn't it?" Dani said.
"Little bit. It's kinda cool too though," Jon said. "Like, shit, there's a little jellybean in there."
Dani giggled. "An apple."
"Huh?"
"Baby is the size of an apple about now," Dani said. "I read about it. I'm like, fifteen weeks about now. A healthily growing baby is about the size of an apple right now."
"Shit. That's crazy," Jon said. "There's really a baby in there."
"Yup, and we're gonna find out what it is today," Dani said, glancing down at her watch. "So we should really probably get going."
Jon nodded, kissing Dani's head again before letting her go. Dani followed Jon downstairs, picking up her purse from the couch. She made a grab for her car keys but Jon snagged them out of her grasp.
"Oh Jon, come on! You drove all night last night." She said.
"And I'm fine. I'll drive, it's alright." Jon said.
Dani gave him a look but didn't argue further. Jon smiled at her, ushering her out the door. Once in the car and on the road, Jon reached over and grabbed Dani's hand, squeezing it gently. Dani smiled over at him, lacing her fingers with his.
"Baby needs a name." Dani said.
"Uh, yeah. I haven't really thought about that." Jon said.
"Well, I was thinking... if we have a girl... her middle name could be Kelsey. If that's alright with you." Dani said.
Jon glanced at her, feeling an odd tightness in his chest. He hadn't even thought of that. But Dani did. In her endless kindness and understanding of how much he cared for his little sister.
"That'd be good," He said thickly, what he was sure were rare tears stinging the backs of his eyes. "That'd be really fucking good."
Dani squeezed his hand. "Yeah? I'm glad you think so. So then... could we name a boy after you then?"
"No way," Jon shook his head. "No juniors please."
Dani laughed. "No? Not even Jon as a middle name?"
"Jonathan. And no," Jon said. "I'd rather not. I'd wanna give the kid his own identity, ya know? Or just give him a badass name."
"Like what?" Dani asked.
Jon shrugged. "I don't know. Something cool though. If its a boy."
"I always wondered if you were a Jonathan," Dani said. "I can't believe I never asked."
Jon chuckled. "Me either. So, like I said, I'd rather our hypothetical son not be Jonathan Good Jr."
"Okay," Dani said. "How about a first name for a girl?"
"Umm... I don't know," Jon said, chewing his lip. "Something nice. Not like, old, or too weird."
Dani nodded. "I agree. We'll come up with something. How about we get through finding out whether it's a boy or a girl first?"
Jon nodded, relief sweeping through him. "Yeah. Let's get through that first. It'll give us time to think."
Dani nodded, falling quiet, her free hand laying on her stomach. Jon sighed quietly, glad for the subject of baby names to be dropped, at least for the moment. He really hadn't put much thought into it, what they would name their baby. In his mind, things were happening one step at a time. He'd come to accept the fact of his impending fatherhood, that had been the first, and hardest step. Next, in his mind, was finding out what gender their child would be, holding out hope that he and Dani would be gifted with a baby girl. Then, he thought, they'd get around to thinking of names. That series of events made sense to him, but clearly Dani's thinking was different.
Several minutes later, Jon was pulling into a parking spot outside the doctor's office and he and Dani were seated in the waiting room after she checked in. Jon felt uncomfortable here, having only been one other time. Dani seemed more jittery than usual, too. He felt her leg bobbing beside him and she was toying with the end of her ponytail when he looked over at her. Jon reached a hand out, squeezing her knee.
"Hey, calm down." He said quietly.
"I'm trying. I'm just kinda nervous, ya know? This is big." Dani said.
"This whole thing is big," Jon muttered. "But yeah, this part is definitely huge."
"You still want a girl?" Dani asked, smiling over at him.
"Yup. That's definitely not gonna change," Jon said. "Don't get me wrong, I'll be just as ecstatic and fucking scared with whatever gender we end up with. But being totally honest, I'm more partial to having a baby girl."
"I think that's sweet, baby," Dani said. "I kinda hope the same thing. It'll be nice. Having a little girl to do all that mother-daughter stuff with. And I'm certain she'd be a daddy's girl."
Jon chuckled. "Yeah, that'd be cool. I could still teach her about sports and stuff. And what boys to avoid forever."
Dani laughed. "Oh you'll be one of those dads huh? No dating till you're married?"
Jon snorted, smiling at her. "Yup. I don't want my daughter with some shitty schmuck who won't treat her right."
Dani giggled. "You know you're going to have to let her make mistakes, right?" She squeezed Jon's hand, smiling at him. "You're gonna be a great daddy."
"The more you say it the more I believe it." Jon said.
"Danica Trice? You can come back now."
A fresh wave of nervousness crashed over Jon as Dani tugged his hand when she stood up to follow the nurse to the exam room. The nurse took her weight and gave her an open-backed hospital gown to change into for her exam, letting them know the doctor would be in shortly.
Dani had been more self conscious than ever around him the last few times he'd seen her. He assumed it had to do with pregnancy hormones but she scarcely wanted to be undressed in front of him, painfully aware of the changes her body was going through. Jon wouldn't pretend be didn't see them as well, and none of it would he complain about. Her hips and breasts were fuller and he loved it. Her cheeks were a little rounder from the baby weight she'd gained but he still found her beautiful. Hell, he even found the roundness of her growing belly to be sexy, and that was something he'd never thought he'd admit to himself.
A jolt of desire shot through him when Dani stripped her dress off. Her body was gorgeous to him. Full and round and soft in all the right places. Dani hurriedly grabbed the gown to put on, but Jon gently took hold of her shoulders from behind, pressing a small kiss to her cheek.
"Can I be really honest with you?" He said.
"Always. Please do." Dani said, squirming uncomfortably.
"Never in my life have I been attracted to a pregnant woman. Until you," Jon said. "You're so fucking sexy and perfect."
Dani wiggled out of his grip, turning to face him. She had a nervous little smile on her face. "D-do you really think so?"
"Fuck yes I do," Jon said, wrapping his arms around her. "You're gorgeous and sexy and everything I loved about your body before, I love even more now."
Sometimes Jon had trouble figuring out where these words came from and how they were coming out of his mouth. Being with Dani really had changed him, and for the best it seemed.
He kissed her gently and helped her into that god-awful gown. Dani sat down on the exam table and smiled at him.
"You're incredible, you know that don't you?" Dani said. "A few months ago we were practically still treading water around each other, getting to know what we could and couldn't talk about. And now? We're having a baby and in a relationship and I've never felt so damn good. And I've seen so much change in you, Jon. It's not bad, you're still you. But... you're different too. You've adapted to this situation so well and I know it's scary for you and sudden... but... I see how hard you're trying. I just love you so much."
Dani was crying by the time she finished. Jon smiled at her and stood up, wrapping his arms around her again. He kissed her on the top of her head and rubbed her back gently.
"I love you too, girl. You know that. It's... different, this situation but you're right. I've adapted and accepted it and I wouldn't have it any other way. There's no other woman on the planet I'd want to be the mother of my child. You're a good person, Dani. You've taken me along down that road and I can only hope I'll be as decent as you one day. I'm gonna try and be the best dad and boyfriend I can because I fucking care. I love you too damn much to do anything less."
There was a knock on the door a few moments later and reluctantly, Jon pulled away from Dani. He wiped his thumbs under her eyes, brushing away leftover tears and gave her a little smile as he dropped into the chair next to her. Dani called for the doctor to come in.
"Danica, Jon, hello! It's great to see the both of you here again!
Dr. Riley was a nice enough lady. Sometimes she was a little overly energetic for Jon's liking, but Dani seemed to like her well enough for her baby doctor so he didn't complain. She was quick about the normal pre-sonogram tests, measuring the growth of Dani's belly and an other manner of things Jon had no real clue about. It was when she had Dani propped up for the sonogram that he really started paying attention. Dr. Riley nudged up her gown and squirted that weird blue goo on Dani's belly, the sonogram wand in her hand.
"So, we're at the stage in your pregnancy where we can try and find out what little bundle of joy is in there," Dr. Riley said. "Is that something the two of you would like to find out?"
Dani glanced over at Jon, reaching out for his hand. He took it and smiled at her, nodding. "Yeah, we'd like to know."
"Alright! We'll give it a shot," Dr. Riley said. "Now, don't be discouraged if we can't see it today. Sometimes babies get a little shy and modest want to hide. It's perfectly normal and we'll try again next time. But maybe we'll get lucky on this first try."
Dani squeezed Jon's hand. He sat up a little straighter in his chair, listening to Dr. Riley's comments on how everything looked good and normal and the baby was just the right size. Jon was amazed, seeing the little life in 3D on the screen, arms and legs, fingers and toes, and a funny little head. He could see the baby moving its little legs, could hear its heartbeat on one of the machines Dani was hooked to and he was sure his heart was going to explode. It was tiny and beautiful and real. The life he'd helped create.
"Seems like we're lucky today," Dr. Riley said, pulling Jon out of his thoughts. "Congratulations on a little girl."