Never be alone again - Shelby finds out she'll never have to go through anything alone again. Originally a oneshot inspired by THAT kiss!
Rating - T
Characters - Shelby, Puck, Beth, Mrs Puckerman (Sarah), Noah's sister (Hannah) & Bruno the dog.
A/N - I've got quite a few chapters of this already written (it all seemed to come out of nowhere over the past few days) so I'm going to try and update twice a week for a while, but if I feel like I'm running out of stuff that's already written I'll go back to my weekend-ly updates, but for now. Enjoy!
This is just a short one but I think (hope!) you'll understand why I ended where I did.
Shelby had just entered the 32nd week of her pregnancy when she was hit with a sudden burst of energy, she'd find herself up at dawn taking Bruno for a long walk before Beth and Noah woke up, she walked to the store almost every day and she walked too and from school twice a day. Sitting still had been uncomfortable for a while, just because her uterus was so large and Shelby wasn't sure where to put it as she sat, but now sitting still was almost impossible, Shelby was buzzing and she was determined to use her energy to do something useful.
Noah came home to find Shelby sat on the kitchen floor, Bruno laid by her side, surrounded by tins of food and the work surfaces covered in pots and pans. "Shelby" Noah raised an eyebrow, "what are you doing?"
Shelby shook her head and sighed as if Noah had asked her a stupid question, "I'm organising the cupboards" she told him, "so all the like items are together and all the labels are facing forwards".
"Right...and can I ask why or would that be a stupid question?"
"It'll make it easier for us to find the things we need."
"Okay..." Noah began to step slowly backwards out of the kitchen, pulling his phone from his pocket as he did. "Mom" he dialled Sarah once he'd left the twilight zone, "I think Shelby's gone crazy."
"And what makes you think that?" Sarah asked, thinking Noah was playing a joke on her.
"I got home and she's rearranging the kitchen cupboards so all the labels face forward and she's washed dishes I didn't even know we owned" he pushed open the door to the downstairs bathroom to grab some tissue, "oh and the downstairs bathroom is cleaner than it was three years ago when it was brand new."
Sarah laughed, "she's nesting Noah".
Noah frowned, she's doing what?"
"Nesting."
"Should I be worried?" Noah asked his Mom, I mean am I going to go upstairs and find she's swapped our bed for a pile of twigs?"
Sarah chuckled, "no but she's probably changed the sheets and washed a lot of your clothes and everything you've got for the babies."
"Should I be worried?"
Sarah smiled at her son's concern. "Not at all, it's completely natural, I did it when I was expecting you and Hannah, Shelby probably did it when she was pregnant with Rachel, it's her hormones telling her to make sure everything's prepared for the new arrivals. When I was pregnant with you I repainted your room at least 8 times, with Han I was obsessively packing and repacking my hospital bag, just leave her too it, unless she gets the urge to do anything too strenuous like moving furniture, then you should step in and do it for her."
"Is she going to be like this until they're born?"
"I don't know" Sarah said truthfully, "there got to a point in both my pregnancies where I was so fat and exhausted that I couldn't be bothered any more but all women are different. As long as she's not doing too much just leave her to it, or offer to help if you're worried."
"Yeah" Noah smiled, I will."
"Okay" Sarah smiled, "I have to go get ready for work. Be safe Noah and look after Shelby and my grandbabies."
"I always do Ma, I always do" he said as he hung up the phone.
Noah had just hung up the phone when Shelby called him to help her up from the floor, "I want to go shopping" she told him decisivley, "I want to get a present for Beth from the babies, are you coming?" She didn't wait for his answer, "We'll take your truck, I'll drive."
Noah groaned, Shelby was hot. Pregnant Shelby was really hot. Shelby driving his truck was really hot. Pregnant Shelby driving his truck was really really, must think of the mailman hot. He hoped she wouldn't use her up all of her newly acquired energy on shopping, he had much more exciting things in mind.
Another week passed and Shelby groaned slightly as she stood from the bed, it was a little after 5am and she knew she was in labour, she'd been having Braxton hicks contractions on and off for the past few months but she knew this was different, she knew this was the real thing. She thought she'd be terrified when she went into labour but she was strangely calm, it was just five days before the doctor had planned to induce her labour so she wasn't too worried about the health of her children.
She stood for a moment watching Noah sleep before walking silently down the hall and checking on Beth, she couldn't help but smile as she saw her daughter in an almost identical position to her father, sprawled out across the bed, her head tipped back as she snored quietly. She stepped back into the hall as she felt her stomach tighten slightly, "I know" she whispered placing her hands on her stomach as she felt one of the babies move, "I'm excited too. I can't wait to meet you both" she told her stomach as she moved to the bathroom and began filling the large bath with warm water before leaving the room to check she had everything she needed packed in her hospital bag. She groaned in relief as she sank into the warm water a few minutes later, although the contractions had now taken on a regular pattern they were still weak and far apart and she knew it was best to let Noah get as much sleep as he could now.
It was almost hour later when she pulled herself from the cool water and dried herself on the largest towel they owned, there was no doubt that she was now bigger than she had ever been with Rachel but due to Noah's almost constant reading of baby books and online forums she hadn't gained a single stretch mark. He'd taken time each morning and evening to carefully rub cream into her stomach, even though he'd promised her time and time again that he'd still love her if she was covered in a million stretch marks.
Shelby glanced at the clock after she dressed herself in loose sweats and a tshirt of Noah's, it was almost 7am so she took her phone from beside her bed and slowly made her way downstairs, "Rachel" she called one of the few people she knew would be awake so early, "no, don't worry nothing's wrong I just thought I'd call you and let you know I'm having contractions." Shelby spoke to Rachel for almost half an hour, reassuring her daughter that she was fine and she'd wake Noah up if her contractions got any worse.
She let Bruno out before spending the next hour mindlessly flipping through tv channels only stopping occasionally to talk to her babies or the dog that knew something wasn't quite right and had curled up by her feet. She heard the creak of Beth's door just after 8.30 and met her daughter at the bottom of the stairs, "Mommy" she smiled sleepily as she wrapped her arms as far round Shelby as she could, "why are you awake? I'm always awake first."
Shelby nodded, it was true. At the weekends Beth was always awake first, the almost six year old knew she was allowed to watch cartoons with the volume down low and get herself a bowl of cereal. Several times Shelby and Noah had found her sleeping in a ball with Bruno on the floor when they came downstairs. "The babies woke me up" Shelby said truthfully.
Beth kissed Shelby's bump twice, "you hasta let Mommy sleep" she told the babies, "or she'll get real grumpy and not be fun."
"Hey Cheeky" Shelby batted Beth away from her stomach and cradled her bump protectively, "don't listen to her, I'm always fun."
"Mommy" Beth said slowly as she sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast with Shelby, "do you think I'll be a good big sister?"
"The best." Shelby didn't even need to think about the answer.
"And are the babies going to be here real soon?"
Shelby nodded and rubbed at her stomach, the contractions seemed to have died down slightly, "I think they will Baby."
Beth shook her head, "I'm not the baby no more Mommy, I'm nearly a grown up."
"Not quite" Shelby laughed, "and you'll always be my baby, you'll always be daddy's baby girl too."
"And you're still going to love me when you have the babies right."
Shelby nodded, "we'll love you just the same as we love you now, and we'll love the babies just the same as we love you. The only difference will be that the babies love you too."
Beth looked thoughtful for a minute, "My friend Lily says babies get smelly. I don't think I'll love the baby if it smells bad."
Shelby laughed, "When the baby smells bad someone will change its diaper and then it won't smell any more."
"Then I'll love it again." Beth said simply before putting her bowl in the sink and skipping through to the living room to watch cartoons with Bruno.
"Noah" Shelby was surprised at how calm she was as she shook him gently a little before 10am, "Noah, I think I'm in labour."
Noah flew from the bed, "what, what time is it, are you okay? I'll call my mom and get the bag, stay calm Shelby don't panic."
Shelby sat on the edge of the bed and laughed as Noah ran around the room madly. "Noah" She smiled, "calm down, I'm okay, I've called your Mom, Han's going to come and watch Beth and Sarah's gonna come with us to the hospital. I've called Rachel and although she didn't say as much I'm pretty sure she's on her way down from New York as we speak. I've put the bag by the door and you've probably got time to shower and have breakfast if you want before we leave. My contractions are still quite far apart and my waters haven't gone yet, they could be a while."
Noah stopped pacing the room a look of pure panic on his face, "you're in labour Shelby."
"I know" she smiled again, "we could be parents to three children tomorrow."
"Shouldn't you be freaking out?"
Shelby laughed, "I think you're freaking out enough for us both Noah." She reached her arms out and he helped her to her feet before hugging her tightly, "there's nothing to worry about Noah now go shower. I'll make you something to eat and I'll call you if we need to speed things up a bit okay. I'd rather spend time here than in the hospital anyway."
Noah nodded, "have you eaten? And have you called the doctor?"
Shelby nodded, "I had breakfast with Bee when she woke up and I'll call the doctor while you're in the shower. Don't worry Noah I've got it all under control."