I am such a hypocrite. I despise it when people take a long time to update – and then I take nearly 2 months to update! I feel REALLY, REALLY guilty. Will you please forgive me? I had NO idea how long it had been. Time has been FLYING by for me. (High School is on its way –eek! =] )The moment I realized that it had been so long, I got right on word and started to write.

Now, I have stopped reading stories because the authors take so long to update that have forgotten what is going on. To stop any of you from doing that, here's a recap! So, Ron and Hermione are married and Hermione is pregnant. At the end of the last chapter, they just discovered that they are having a little girl. Harry and Ginny are engaged and planning their wedding. Bill and Fleur just had Victorie. Fred brought his girlfriend Z to the Burrow for Christmas to meet the family. George and Angelina are engaged.

There you go! Now, please enjoy the to-long-awaited 25th chapter. (Again, I BEG for your forgiveness and for you to continue READING and REVIEWING!)

A girl. A stunning, flawless, astonishing…girl.

Ron stared, riveted, at the screen on the other side of Hermione. He was, for once, completely speechless.

That little white blob… His daughter. His and Hermione's child. Their DNA. They made…that. That precious dot on the screen.

Several tears escaped from their captivity. Releasing his clutch on Hermione's hands with one of his own, he whipped away the fugitive tears. The attempt was fruitless. Several more replaced the recently eradicated ones.

Looking down at Hermione, Ron saw that she was crying as well. Her gaze was unwaveringly fixated upon the screen showing their daughter. She lay on the char completely immobile except for the tears that were steadily rolling down her cheeks.

Sniffing and damming the tears that were threatening to break free, Ron redirected his gaze to the screen.

Healer White froze the image before she removed her wand from Hermione's stomach. "This does tend to be an emotional moment." She said, starting the couple. Both had been completely enraptured in their daughter, causing them to lose awareness of their Healer.

Smiling in a motherly fashion, Healer White displaced herself from the perch sandwiched between Hermione and the screen. "I'll leave you three alone, shall I? I do wish to see your parents, Ronald. I would like to meet yours as well, Mama," she told Hermione, who gave a start. "I know the Weasleys very well, so I would like to know where this latest grandchild is getting some of it's genes from. Anyway, as I was rambling on about before, I am sure that your family is sitting in our waiting room, which is aptly named at the moment. Now don't you fret, I'll let you tell them that it's a girl, but I want to see them. I will be back I a few minutes."

After Healer White had stately waddled out of the room, Ron swooped down and engulfed Hermione in a massive hug. As they held each other, each had thoughts racing around wildly in their heads.

How could I have ever, ever, ever even considered adoption? Ron wondered guiltily. Even though it was never a serious suggestion…Harry was completely right. My daughter. I thought that I wouldn't – couldn't love my child until they were born. How could I be more wrong? Ron pressed his head to Hermione's bushy curls and let several more tears break loose. I can already tell that she's beautiful.

As Ron was consumed with thoughts of guilt, Hermione was distracted with ones of anguish. Oh, Mum. Daddy. You should be out in the waiting room right now too. You should be anxiously awaiting Ron's and my return; taking bets on if it's a boy or a girl; being interrogated on how Dentistry equipment functions by Mr. Weasley. Why? Why can't you see this? If only you could see her… Hermione watched her tears be soaked up by Ron's shirt.

Resurrecting herself from the angst of her mind, Hermione raised her gaze to Ron. She was slightly surprised and overwhelmingly relieved and joyous to see Ron was crying himself. The morose thoughts of her parents retreated stealthy to the back of her mind. They did not leave, but they allowed themselves to be shut away in a small box for the moment being.

Suddenly, all deep feelings of depression and anxiety left Hermione for the moment being. Laughing loudly, she kissed a startled Ron squarely on the mouth. She drew away smiling. "Oh, Ron! This is so exciting!" She glanced at their daughter euphorically. "I can already see her. She is going to be endearingly sweet and will certainly be breathtaking."

Though startled by his wife's illogical mood swing, Ron went with it; getting excited himself in the process. "I could not agree more, Mione," he answered, kissing her again.

Withdrawing from their show of affection, both looked yet again at the screen.

"Ron…" Hermione began slowly.

Ron looked at her.

"What are we going to name her?" she asked.

To this previously unthought-of query, he did not yet have many suggestions.

That night

Hermione shuffled through the several piles of ultrasound prints that Molly had insist they take from Healer White. They filled her with a wonderful feeling of anxious expectancy and bliss. It was exquisite. She sighed and looked up at Ron, who had his arms linked around her midriff.

"Do it, babe." He insisted.

"But what if it doesn't help?" He fussed.

"At least you're trying, Hon. And we'll still have plenty left over for a scrapbook or whatever else the heck my Mum will force us to do with all the baby stuff. I have a feeling that there is going to be lots of it." Ron smiled and kissed Hermione on the cheek.

"Yes…Lots and lots of baby paraphernalia. And my parents should have a bit of it. I know that they want it, even if they won't say so. Even my dad."

"Yah, even your dad." Ron agreed, nuzzling her neck.

Hermione was convinced. She shoved the scrawled note and a few ultrasound printouts into an envelope addressed to her parents and attached the small parcel to Pigwidgen. He flew ungainly out of their sight and into the moonless night beyond their bedroom window.

Hermione smiled. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I feel good. Finally!" she beamed. "I've done all that I can do and I am going to forgive them. I love them, and I am never going to be completely happy unless I give them forgiveness. So, I am going to do just that. Now we can really get ready for this baby in the right way. Happily and without guilt." She kissed Ron. He responded with a kiss in return. His hands massaged her back happily; a happy Hermione was not a thing that had been seen often in the past few weeks.

Hermione relaxed in Ron's hold. This was it. This was right. Being held by the man that she loved, happily expecting their first child. Who cared how old they were? They were going to be just fine.

She ran her fingers through Ron's hair and he responded by kissing her earlobe. Slowly, his hands drifted towards the hem of her shirt. Hers reached for the top of his jeans. They collapsed onto the green bedspread as layers were unwrapped.

So, ya, this was not a much of a chapter, (only 1056 words), but, to make up for it, I am updating with chapter 26 tomorrow. I just did this little scene (which I really wanted in here) as a separate chapter because the next one takes place in April. I would have had this chapter up LAST weekend (I finished this and wrote the next one last saturday/sunday, but I was waiting for my beta to get back to me - which she never did) Thanks so much to those who read this and even more to those that will/have reviewed!

Kisses!

~GinnyPotter365~