Why do I get the sneaking suspicion that short chapters are becoming a tradition? =_= But I love this chapter. So... yeah.

The months passed. Gwen slowly grew larger and larger, and also tireder and tireder, even though the horrible symptoms from the first 11 days had passed completely. What little sleep she did get she took with gratitude, but it was never enough to keep her at her best, and most days she was slightly cranky.

It became harder and harder every day to do the simplest things. Gwen needed Shadow's help to tie her shoes, just because she couldn't see her own feet over her belly.

Plus, she was positively STARVING all the time! Almost every minute she was asking for more food, more food. Because her mother was always out of the house, Shadow was the cook now, constantly running to the kitchen to make some popcorn or get a yogurt cup for Gwen. He watched her devour anything he put in front of her in amazement. Her insides must be the size of a whale, what with holding a baby and so much food.

Gwen kept telling herself she could make it, that she could beat this out. But nearing the seventh month, she didn't know if she could last much longer. She was running out of steam, and she didn't know how to replenish herself. The constant food wasn't helping. It was just adding extra pounds to her body.

At one point, she suggested abortion to Shadow. "Are you fucking crazy?!" Shadow had blown up in her face. "This is our child, our first, our flesh and blood. And you're saying you just want someone to stick a needle up into your junk and inject poison into our BABY?! That's barbaric!"

Gwen cringed; she hadn't thought of abortion that way. Nevertheless, she knew Shadow was right. The baby was the center of everyone's attention. Her whole world was revolving around the little kicking body inside her, like the way Mobius's moons orbited them.

And even though it didn't seem like it too often, she truly loved her baby to death. It was part of her, part of Shadow.

She couldn't let it go. She refused to.

- - - - -

"Shadow, I can't do this," Gwen sobbed. "I can't have sex NOW, I'm nine months pregnant!"

Gwen and Shadow were laying in the bed, facing each other. Gwen's huge pregnant midriff was the only thing separating them. A tear slid down Gwen's cheek, and Shadow's face was pleading. "Gwen honey, you know it's one of the only things that delivers satisfaction to me, besides the taste of your blood."

"Well, you're definitely not going to be drinking me right now, I have a baby to take care of. We don't want to make me sick."

"You didn't answer my first question," Shadow pointed out.

"I said no the first TIME. That's final."

Shadow pouted and looked away, his expression pitiful. "Fine. I'll never have my way anymore, I guess."

Gwen's eyes widened, and her tone turned guilty. "Oh, Shadow... I didn't mean that."

She inhaled sharply suddenly and groaned, her jaw clenched and eyes squeezed shut, fighting back tears. Shadow, obviously, panicked slightly, his pouty mood forgotten. "What?! What happened?!"

Gwen was breathing heavily, her forehead beginning to dew with sweat. "Nothing. Baby's just very strong. That's all. Kicking. I think it's gonna be on a soccer team."

Shadow sat up in the bed. "Ouch. Do you need a painkiller?"

Gwen kept hugging her pillow. "Yes. Put your clothes back on and fetch one for me, please."

Shadow crawled off the edge of the bed and slipped his pants on, looking behind him at Gwen. She seemed to be calming down, and she laid flat on her back, putting her pillow behind her head. Her eyes began to close. "You tired?"

Gwen spoke shakily. "Yeah. Dizzy too. I can't really think straight." After a few minutes, she sat up and grabbed her shorts from the floor. She put them on and tried to get out of the bed, but fell and gasped, clutching the underside of her stomach.

"You should lay down, Gwen."

"I need water," she insisted. She tried to stand again and failed.

"Lay down," Shadow said firmly.

"But... Gr. Fine." Gwen hauled herself back onto her bed and pulled the covers over her as Shadow left the room to get her a painkiller. Seconds later, he was back and holding out the little pill with a plastic cup of water.

After finishing off the water, Gwen laid back down and groaned slightly. "What is it?" Shadow asked her.

"My head hurts. So tired... So cold." Her eyes slid closed. Shadow rubbed her cheek with his finger, but instead of getting a sleepy smile in response, she just lay there.

A slow panic rose within him. He put his ear to her mouth to make absolutely sure she was still breathing. She was, but it was extremely faint, even for his superior vampire hearing. "Gwen? Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

He knew exactly what he had to do, who to go to. He threw on the rest of his clothes, put a teal sweater and a pair of jeans on Gwen, and picked her up gently. Through all of this she didn't budge or open her eyes. He leapt out the window into the dark blue night.

He landed lightly on his feet, barely jostling his mate, who still had not awaken. He sprinted quickly to his car, buckled her in, and flew around to the driver's seat. He revved the engine and took off.

Before they made it to the main road, Shadow was dialing his cell phone with one thumb. "Come on, damn it, pick it up!"

There was a pause, then a click from the phone on the opposite end. "Hello?" The voice was groggy from being woke up.

"Sonic, it's me. I don't know what's wrong but--"

"Is Gwen okay?" Sonic suddenly sounded alert.

"Let me finish, bastard. I hope she is. I'm on my way to Tails's house."

"Okay, I'll meet you there." Sonic hung up, and Shadow dialed Tails's number with rapid speed.

"Shadow, it's the middle of the night! Is something wrong?"

"Something might be. I'm stopping by."

"Okay. I'm waiting."

Shadow closed his phone and slammed on the gas pedal. Gwen still didn't stir as Shadow sped off into the night toward Tails's house. If she didn't wake up soon...

Oh God. R&R!

~ GABL