Disclaimer: I do not own House of Anubis. Thanks and enjoy Taking Care.

Taking Care

"Jerome!" Mara shouted. "Where's Kimberly?!"

Jerome looked up from his newspaper to the tiny girl sitting on the floor in front of him. "She's in here!"

Mara rushed into the common room, her eyes wild with worry, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the small girl playing on the floor. Kimberly was there all along? Why hadn't Mara known that?

"Jerome, why didn't you tell me she came in here?" Mara demanded as she put her hands on her hips.

"I just did, honey," Jerome said blandly, going back to the paper. He had never imagined himself being the one who would spend so much time reading the newspaper, but here he was.

"Jerome, this is not funny! If Joy and Mick realize that I misplaced their daughter, they'll probably have me arrested for child endangerment!" Mara cried.

"Mara, calm down," Jerome sighed. "Joy wouldn't do that, and neither would Mick. And besides, Kimberly didn't go missing. Nothing happened."

But Mara couldn't calm down. She was still in a state. She had been given the responsibility of looking after Joy and Mick's three year old daughter Kimberly. The two had gone off on vacation and couldn't take their daughter, so Mara had volunteered to watch her. Jerome hadn't been very happy about it, but one pleading look from his wife had him caving.

"Auntie Mara?" Kim said, noticing the woman for the first time. "What wrong?"

Mara sighed, plastering on a smile. "Nothing's wrong, Kim. I was just scared for a second. It's fine."

Kim stood on shaky legs and made her way across the room to where Mara was standing. With a tiny giggle when she almost fell, Kimberly hugged Mara's leg. Mara's frantic emotions calmed at the little girl's touch. She grinned, reaching down and picking the tiny child up, hugging her back.

"Hey Kimie," Mara said with a smile. "How're you?"

Kim giggled. "Not Kimie! I'm Kimbely!"

"Kimbely?" Jerome asked, smirking. "Don't you mean Kimberly?"

The tiny girl in Mara's arms nodded. "Yep, Uncle Jorume."

"Jorume?" Mara laughed. "Kim, he's Jerome, not Jorume."

Kimberly frowned in concentration. "Jorume. Jerume. Uncle Jerome!"

After Kimberly managed to say it right several times, Mara took her into the kitchen for lunch. She set the three year old down in a chair and started making a sandwich for everyone. While Mara was busy, Kimberly decided to amuse herself with the chair. She bounced up and down in the seat, and then started kicking the legs of the chair. When Jerome came in, he stared at the little girl until she noticed him and stopped kicking the chair.

Mara sat the three plates in front of everyone and they all dug in. After lunch, Mara set Kim down for a nap. The tiny girl was reluctant to lie down, but eventually Mara convinced her. As soon as Kimberly was snoring softly, Mara smiled.

"Night Kimie," she cooed softly before leaving.

Jerome was outside the door, leaning against the wall, waiting on her. His grin surprised Mara.

"What?" she asked quietly as she closed the door.

Jerome pushed himself off the wall before answering. "You'd make a great mother," he mused.

Mara froze in shock. "What?"

Jerome pulled Mara out of the corridor and into the common room. They sat down before Jerome continued. "You'd make a great mother. Think about it Mara. Look at how well you work with Kimberly. You've got natural instinct."

Mara grinned to herself while Jerome wrapped his arm around her shoulder and cuddled. There was something she hadn't told anyone yet, but maybe it was time to tell Jerome.

"Jerome?" Mara whispered, not wanting to break the comfortable silence. "About that . . ."

"Yeah?" Jerome said quietly, waiting for Mara to continue.

"I'm pregnant. I've known for about two weeks, but I didn't know how to tell you."

Jerome's smile was bright enough to melt ice. "You're pregnant?"

Mara nodded. "Are you mad I didn't tell you?"

"Mara, how could I be mad? This is amazing! What will her name be?"

"How do you know it's a girl?" Mara asked cheerfully.

Jerome gave his wife a knowing look. "Because I know everything, Jaffrey."

Mara gave him a playful shove. "I'm not Jaffrey anymore, Jerome. I haven't been Jaffrey since the moment I married you."

"I can't just stop calling you something that I called you for years," Jerome stated simply. "And I'm not calling you Clarke. That's just weird."

Mara smiled again, snuggling up beside her husband. Possibilities of their future flew through her mind, making her wonder just what would happen. But to distract herself from that, she asked Jerome a question.

"So you really think I'll make a good mother?"

Jerome smiled. "Of course you will. But that's not the important part."

"Oh? And what's the important part?"

"I'm going to be the greatest father ever."

Aww, Jara got married and is going to have a kid! I might do another one where they actually have the little kid, but I'm not sure. But hey, if anyone has any idea of what the kid's name should be, then I'm all ears. Thanks for reading!

~C