WARNING! Before this chapter starts, I WILL be ranting. Feel free to skip the rant, read the responses, and then the chapter. I just need to vent.

Start of rant:

God, I am a straight mess right now. I'm not kidding. If ANY one of you were to see me, you'd agree. I mean, really. You guys were the only thing to make this day tolerable.

I've cried at least 5 times today. All for similar reasons. Fuck periods. Fuck rules. Fuck this.

I have this picture on Instagram that says, "Fuck this. Fuck you. Fuck everyone. Just fuck this fucking shit, you mother fucker, and for all of you looking at me, FUCK OFF." That pretty much sums up how I felt today.

Except you guys. FanFiction is the exception for this mood. And my best friend Mattie. I'm writing this and haven't even bothered to wipe the mascara off my face. I feel ridiculous yet I can't bring myself to care.

So I'll say it again. FUCK RULES. If I wasn't under my parents' roof, I would feel so much better. They put SO MUCH GODDAMN PRESSURE ON ME! Like I'm supposed to be perfect? Among my step dad and my mother, there's 6 of us. Guess what? I'm the first one to go to college/university. In fact, including my real father's kids, I'm the only kid in the family to go. Actually, I'm the first to graduate HIGH SCHOOL. Yet should any of the other kids make mistakes, they get let off so FUCKING EASILY. But when it comes to me? I fuck up once? Take all my shit away. Restrictions, thy name is Caitlyn Paige.

Like, for instance, they've been pressing me to getting a second fucking job because I want to take this trip next year. Yet they expect me to finish an entire French course in one summer, along with several assignments for different classes? I was gone for an entire fucking month. Regardless, I've been home for a month now, and all I do is work my ASS off to be the perfect model child for my younger siblings. What MORE could they want from me? I literally have nearly a 4.2 GPA in school, I don't party. I don't drink. I don't do drugs. I abide by their rules and do as asked. I'm always home on time for my curfew. In fact, most nights I stay home, and even then the latest I'm out for is fucking work.

So my step dad is lecturing me on getting another job. He doesn't even ask me, he just says "see you in an hour." That pissed me the FUCK off. Today I was supposed to be applying for scholarships, not applying for jobs. But I did it anyway, knowing school starts again in less than three weeks and there's literally no point in doing that.

Fuck that. I'm not staying in fucking Tallahassee for this shit. I'm tired of being controlled. They fucking made me break up with my boyfriend of 2 years. WHO THE FUCK DOES THAT?! And then, like two weeks ago, my mom says, "I just want you to know that I'm not mad, but it's been really laid on my heart lately to ask you this. I know I can't control who you're with in life, and I just want the best for you. It scared me seeing you with him because he didn't make you his first priority, and I didn't want to see you get hurt. But now I realize I can't stop you being with him if you leave for college... So are you still dating Colter?" Of course I am. But I didn't tell her that.

Whatever. This isn't about him. Well, it kind of is. He sent me this video on Facebook about the CUTEST COUPLE EVER, and he says "I miss you so much it makes my heart hurt." And he isn't really an emotional guy, but this put me in tears. Fuck periods. They make me feel like a fucking crazy person.

I swear I'm not crazy.

Fuck. Periods.

Yeah, after my fucking period was late for GOD KNOWS WHATEVER REASON WHY. I'm fucking on birth control for a reason. (Actually, that was my mom's idea, Lord knows why. Not mine. SHE put me on it.)

Okay, it wasn't even really that late. And I had no reason to be paranoid, honestly, but I was. I've been on the pill for... like, just over two years now. Every month, my period has come on a Tuesday between 9 and 11 am. A few times it has come later in the day, and one time before it came a day late.

So yeah, it freaked me out a little that I didn't get my period Tuesday, but Wednesday morning. You have to understand, after two years of a consistent cycle, it really stressed me out.

I apologize for all the period talk. But really, I'm blaming that for my melt down today.

I'm sorry, it's just that writing things out makes me feel better. I feel better for now. For any of you reading this, thanks for sticking through it haha.

End of rant.

I'm sure there will be more. For now, enjoy the responses!

SilverC/Efforttotypename: Haha! You sound like me in the above rant. "Fuck this, fuck that, fuck, fuck fuck fuck."
Well, if I'm not allowed to lose confidence, neither are you. Because I adore yours just like you adore mine. And you're completely right. Which is why I continue to write. :)
I almost forgot the Alec thing... but then I wouldn't be paying enough attention to the little details of my own story lol.
Oh, the reason it's called Better Than Thyself... You'll actually find that out within the next two chapters. :) MWUAHAHA!
Thank you... You're amazing. And SnapChatting you makes me laugh even when I don't want to.

infinitemaddys: I loved this review. Short and sweet. It cracked me up. :)

The Iron Sister: This review made me sooooo happy. You have no idea. It actually made my day and put the biggest smile on my face. I can't tell you how honored, how HAPPY I am that I could inspire someone. Me, who was so unconfident in myself for the longest time, who drew inspiration from other people, could do that for someone.
I never get tired of hearing that because, well, because it means the world to me. So thank you so much. Really.
Okay, I'm ready!
Haha ooohhhh! You figured it out. You'll see all the details this chapter... :)

Issi Herondale: I decided not to make you wait TOO long. And they're in college, and they're the same year. :)

Guest: Thank you... so... incredibly... much. :)

TessaElseHerondale: Oh god haha this will be a long response. But the long reviews are the best. :)
No no! Don't cry haha. I'm okay. I feel much better in my writing now... And in this story...
Your continued support means so much to me. I can't thank you enough for it.
You did tell me that, but it's still an honor to be compared to them :) Thank you so much.
I heard there was another Jagnus story?! I got SOOOOO excited! I mean, I paired them together, but if someone put them together?! Wow. That makes me so incredibly happy.
Thank you again. :)
Okay, for the second part of the review! Haha.
You guessed it! Read this whole chapter to find out what happens... :)
No, fangirling isn't rude. It makes me happy that you fangirl over my FanFiction!

CookiesHerondale: I'm honored to make you cry! Not like I want you to cry... You get what I mean, right? Hahaha. Thank you for reading this and for being so supportive and for following it and for liking and really for everything. :)))))))))))

Hearts With Love: Thanks for reading it after it got so long! That takes some dedication so kudos to you and much thanks from me. :)

Mrs Jace Wayland-Herondale: I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT GETTING BACK TO YOU ABOUT MY WEBSITE. As my above rant stated, I have been distracted with other things. :(
But, I'm glad you like the organized chaos of their lives. :) You've been awesome for all you're reviews. I just want to thank you extra bunches for it.

MagicMissy: They won't break up.. they get a whole lot closer.

M. MarvinN. Nancy: Don't feel bad for Will. Not one bit! :)

thebooknerd01: OMG! You have an account now! This review made me so happy. I can't believe I inspired you, but I am so happy I have the ability to do that.
Yes, I think you and Thalia and hercndale were the first to put the thought in my head. I think you should pat yourself on the back for that! Don't worry-I won't give up (on us, even if the skies get rough-haha Jason Mraz reference).

Okay, all! Enjoy the chapter. :)

TESSA'S POV

It started about six weeks after I left London, give or take a few days.

Six weeks.

That's all the time it took for my entire life to change.

Six. Fucking. Weeks.

Sounds like such a minuscule amount of time compared to the rest of my life.

I was twenty-two years old, for Angel's sake.

I had just turned twenty-two.

The first sign should've been the fatigue. The bone-deep, mind-numbing exhaustion that completely dominated me the past week.

Or maybe the mood swings. God, especially the mood swings. I was normally okay when it came to the mood swings, but not recently. Recently, I was increasingly more irritable, more standoffish, more snappy. Up and down like a fucking roller coaster.

Or maybe even the tenderness I felt in my entire body. My breasts were exceptionally tender, even for what I presumed it to be my period. My whole body ached, like I had just got done exercising after months of being inactive.

In fact, there were a hundred symptoms that I should have caught on to, but I didn't.

Which is why I didn't think much of the fact that, during a typical Thursday morning, after I met Clary and Isabelle for coffee and breakfast, I was kneeling in an alleyway, my stomach purging itself over and over.

I was sick.

That explained everything.

It was such an easy explanation, such a believable one.

I blamed it on illness.

I mean, my body ached, I was tired all the time, my head throbbed constantly.

Because, honestly, why would throwing up change the game?

It. Changed. Everything.

Thursday morning, I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, home in my parents' condo. It was nice to be home, but I missed the hell out of Will.

A month and a half left, Tessa, I thought. You can do this.

I turned to the side, frowning at how bloated I am. I had been bloated off and on for about a week now, and it was really starting to bother me.

Frustrated, I yank the tank top over my head and throw it on the ground. I stand in my bandeau bra, staring at myself, trying to figure out why it's happening.

And then it hits me.

My period.

I grinned, glad to know why I was bloating and why I was so moody all the time. It would explain the mild cramps I got.

It had been a while since I had last gotten it...

Smiling at the thought, I meandered over to my closet, rifling through my clothing items. I pulled out a chunky white cable-knit sweater and tugged it on over a pair of black leggings. The sweater was just loose enough to not show my stomach. I tightened my ponytail, which was placed high on my head, so my long hair swept my lower back. My hair had grown significantly in the last month and my skin had been abnormally glowing.

My phone rang. I bounded over to my nightstand and picked up my phone, not bothering to look at the Caller ID, even though it was inevitably evident because it was an iPhone, knowing who it was.

"Will!" I cried, a grin splitting my face.

"Ow, Tess. Let me turn down my volume real quick," he answered. Though his tone was playful and full of sarcasm, I took offense to it.

"Sorry," I mumbled, my mood immediately doused. I glanced at the clock and decided it was time for me to get off the phone. "Look, I'd like to stay and chat-" Not really, not after what you said, "-but I'm actually meeting Clary and Isabelle for coffee this morning, and it's time for me to leave," I said, ending the conversation before it even started.

Will laughed, obviously thinking I was kidding. "Come on, Tess. You go to coffee with them every Tuesday and Thursday at precisely eight in the morning. It's, what, seven now?"

I scoffed. "So? I have to go to the store and pick up tampons before I go."

Will was silent for a moment. "O-kay," he said. "Well, I-,"

"I'll call you later," I said quickly, not in the mood to hear his words of endearment.

More silence. "Why are you upset?"

I pulled my Uggs on, then wrapped a dark blue scarf around my neck. "I'm about to be on my period. I have mood swings."

He chuckled. "Right. I apologize for saying I needed to turn down the volume on my phone."

For some reason, I smiled, already over his earlier comment. "It's whatever. But really, I'm gonna head out. I promise I'll call you later. I love you."

"I love you too, Tess. Be safe."

"I always am."

"So, how does it feel to be twenty-two?" Isabelle asked as soon as I walked through the door of Java Jones, a popular hang out and coffee shop.

I rolled my eyes. "It feels the same as twenty-one." I scowled. "Actually, that's not true. I'm really tired. And my body aches. I certainly feel older."

"Period?" Clary wondered.

I smirked. "Absolutely."

Isabelle handed me my usual - chamomile tea with a little bit of honey - and leaned forward on her elbows. "So, do you remember your twenty-second birthday at all? No surprise visit from Will?"

I rolled my eyes again. "Of course I remember it. And no. Will did not make a surprise visit to come see me. In fact, I had a date with Sydney Carton."

Isabelle raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Who's that?" She leaned forward more, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Are you cheating on Will?"

Clary and I laughed. Clary said, "No, Izzy. Sydney Carton is from A Tale of Two Cities."

Isabelle frowned and leaned back. "Well, that sounds utterly boring. I would've been out partying."

I shrugged. "Like I said, I've been tired and my body has been achy and crampy. And I've been bloated. I just wouldn't have had fun if I had."

Isabelle snorted, then scrutinized my face. "What face wash are you using?"

My hands touched my face self-consciously. "I'm not using any, why?"

She huffed. "Bullshit. How do you get your skin to look so...perfect? How do you get it to glow like that?"

I squirmed, uncomfortable with being looked at like that. "I don't know. Maybe it's from eating healthier?" I suggested.

Clary was looking at me with narrowed eyes. "You're feeling alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Her lips tightened into a thin line. "Okay, well I'm going to meet Jace. Call me if you need anything at all, okay?"

"Of course," I said.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go see Simon. I'm on standby if you need me," Isabelle said with a dazzling grin.

I smiled wistfully at them as they stood up and left, and then I was alone in Java Jones.

It didn't take long after I'd left the coffee shop before my stomach started roiling. I was a few blocks away from it when I was hit with an overwhelming wave of nausea. With my stomach doing flips any gymnast would have been jealous of, I sprinted into the nearest alley, collapsed on my knees, and let my stomach heave over and over until it was empty. Even then, dry heaves racked my body until my body ached even more from the exertion of vomiting. It took so much goddamned energy.

When I finished, I groaned inwardly.

Great, I thought. The fucking flu. Perfect fucking time. Just what I need right now.

I mean, the flu made perfect sense. My body constantly ached, like it did whenever I got sick; I was tired all the time, presumably from my body fighting off the illness; my head throbbed often, most likely a side effect of the extra water and electrolytes by body craved.

That, combined with my period, all the symptoms made sense.

Bull fucking shit.

What are the odds what I was get my period and the flu at the same time?

Only me.

Two days later, I was really starting to doubt my theory of getting my period and the flu simultaneously.

I lay in bed, having just gotten off the phone with Will. I had called him later that day after coffee with Clary and Isabelle, and then later that afternoon. Every day, I spoke with him quite a few times a day. But recently, I fought with controlling my emotions over his normally playful attitude. I found it annoying and aggravating to listen to.

I sighed, rolling over in bed, when my stomach clenched.

Oh no.

Fuck.

I wasn't going to make it to the bathroom.

I scrambled out of my bed, making it to the small trash can by my desk just in time for the little I'd had to drink that morning to resurface. My hair, having fallen forward, fell in strings around my face. The long strands got caught in the line of fire, and tears pricked my eyes at the thought of how disgusting I felt.

When I was done, I raised my shaking hands and brushed my hair out of my face and wiped my mouth with the back of one of them. I sat back on my heels, breathing deeply, then turned my head to look at myself in the mirror.

Holy God, I look like shit.

It was true. My hair was matted from sleep, and tangled to say the least, and my clothes were twisted. My eyes were puffy, my skin radiating - quite possibly the only attractive thing about me - and my stomach bloated. My eyes lowered to my stomach, narrowing at my uterus, shooting it death glares, though I couldn't actually see it. I cursed it for the cramps, and the backaches, for the bloating, and for the bleed-

Holy fucking shit.

There was no blood.

But there was vomiting. And body aches. And mild cramping. And fatigue.

No, I told myself. There's no possible way.

Will and I were always safe about sex. I always got these symptoms before my period.

But never to this extent...

And, besides, I was supposed to get my period...

One...

Two..

Three...

Four...

Five...

Six...

Seven...

FUCK!

My period was two weeks late...

I was showered, clean, and ready to leave. My hair was twisted into a top knot, thick coils making a cinnamon roll shape on top of my head. I wore black boot cut yoga pants, a light pink long sleeve loose Cashmere sweater, and my black Toms.

Comfortable, but cute.

Angel knows I needed to feel cute for this occasion.

Yeah, right.

I raced out of the condo, to the convenience story a few blocks from my home, and to the health care aisle. I scanned the pregnancy tests, then grabbed four different ones to be safe. I wanted to be absolutely sure.

I made the purchases, ignoring the judgmental look I got from the cashier. She was some old woman with too much makeup on and an long-since-out-of-style eighties 'do.

I glowered at her. "I'm twenty-two fucking years old, and have every right to be pregnant. Doesn't hurt to be accurate, does it?" I snapped.

The lady pursed her lips, placed the tests in a bag, and practically tossed it at me. "Good luck with that," was all she said.

I stuck my tongue out at her, then bolted out the door, to the subway, and waited impatiently until I got off near the New York Institute, where I knew Isabelle and Clary would be, since they lived there during the summer.

My journey through the city lasted an eternity, and when I finally rounded the corner and could see the gothic spires of the Institute piercing the sky, I sighed in partial relief. I speed-walked the rest of the way, and as soon as my hand touched the doorknob of the large oak doors, the doors swung open. I peered inside cautiously.

Candles lined a walkway leading through pews, like a church. I weaved my way vigilantly to the elevator. I opened the gate and stepped inside the elevator, open and waiting. I pressed the button to the second floor, and listened to the clanging as it made its way up the shaft.

And then it arrived. I fumbled to open the gate, half-running out of the elevator and then-

I stumbled, and fell to my knees. I heard a mewl behind me. Startled, I whirled around on my hands and knees, and behind me sat a grey cat, nursing a most likely minorly injured paw. I reached toward him, and he hissed. Then, as if waiting for my response, he stared at me.

"Hi, kitty," I cooed. "Are you here alone?"

He let out a small mewl before setting off ahead of me. I clambered to my feet and watched him go. He stopped part-way down the hallway and glanced back at me, his tail whipping back and forth. I hesitated. Was I really about to follow a cat?

And then I remembered something Jem said, a few years ago:

I found a rescue cat while investigating some abandoned house. Charlotte let us keep him for a while, but eventually we handed him over to the New York Institute. We call him Church, since all the Institutes look like churches. He was always peculiar. He alway knew where everyone was at all times. Ask him, and he'll take you to who you're looking for. But be careful - I'm the only person he likes.

I huffed now, then set off down the corridor after him. After a few twists and turns, we arrived at two large doors with brass handles. Church looked up at me, then squeezed through the small opening the slightly ajar doors left.

Suddenly, I wasn't so sure about this. I took a deep, shuddering breath. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I tentatively reached a hand in to check it. It was Will. I swallowed, making my decision, and ignored the call. My eyes stung with unshed tears, and, with my bag clutched to my chest with the answer to my next move in life, I pushed the doors open.

I couldn't even bring myself to admire the large, round library. All I could do was stand there, until my gaze landed on the group of people gathered in front of a fire place, lounging in overstuffed furniture. Church had found himself a place on the back of one of the chairs, looking at me in mock pity.

Isabelle immediately jumped to her feet. "Tessa!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

I bit my lip, blinking. Why was I here? Oh, right. I needed the support. I stepped further into the room. With each step, tears fell, harder, faster, until my whole body shook with sobs. And suddenly, I was folded into an embrace but two lithe figures: Isabelle and Clary. They spoke whispering tones to me until I was able to get my emotions under control.

Finally, I pulled away. I couldn't prolong this any longer. I stared at them as they took a few steps back. Behind them, Alec, Jace, and Simon stood, looking anywhere but me. Jace had his phone out, and I zeroed in on it.

"Don't you even think about telling Will about my visit here," I barked, tightening my hold on my plastic bag.

Jace's golden eyes widened, and he locked his phone, sliding it nonchalantly into his pocket. "He just texted me, wondering if Clary had heard from you. He said you aren't answering your phone," he admitted.

It was unlike Jace to be so passive. I exhaled, then released my bag with one hand to check my phone again. Crap. Will had called five times. Well... I had told him I would call him back after half an hour, and it had been two and a half hours since I woke up, so...

"He can't know about this. Not yet. Please. I need your help. But I promise I'll tell him," I pleaded.

After a few moments of them all exchanging glances, they nodded reluctantly. And then Isabelle lunged for my bag, tearing it from my hands. I cry escaped my lips as I reached for it, but it was too late, and all my protection and barriers were stripped away. Izzy peered in, gasped, and dropped the bag.

She gawked at me with wide eyes. "Oh my God, Tessa, are you-?"

"I don't know!" I whimpered, panic rising within me. "That's why I came here."

Clary grimaced at me, then bent over and retrieved the bag. She looked at it and sucked in a breath. "Holy shit, Tessa. You expect us to keep this from Will?"

"What's in the bag?" Jace demanded, striding toward us quickly and snatching the bag from his girlfriend's hands. He groaned when he saw it. "How could it have happened? When did this happen?"

"What is it, Jace?" Alec asked.

"Pregnancy tests," Izzy, Clary, and Jace answered in unison.

And then all eyes were on me.

"Please. You can't tell Will, Jem, or Magnus. In fact, please don't tell anyone about it. I need to tell people when I'm ready to. If it's even the case," I begged again.

"Fine," Jace said, without even waiting for a response from anyone else. "But only because you're our friend, and I know that we all trust you'll tell Will and Jem and Magnus when you're ready to. But they need to know by the time school starts, okay? No doubt you'll be showing by then."

I gasped. "But that's if it's true-,"

"It probably is," Clary spoke up. "I mean, just the other day you were saying you were tired and your body ached and you were feeling bloated and crampy. Those are all early symptoms of pregnancy."

Agitated, I yanked my bag out of Jace's hands. "Where can I go pee on these things? I drank three bottles of water before I left my house, and two more on the way over, so I really have to go now."

Izzy actually smiled. "Follow me."

We were all gathered in Izzy's room. Apparently, the dorms were actually within the main building itself. Her room was painted black and silver, and her bed was all black and beaded and feathered. It was also a mess, an explosion of black and white and pink and red, and every other color imaginable, of clothing and accessories.

I only briefly glanced at it before I retreated to the bathroom, locking myself in there, and creating a barrier between me and the other people on the other side of the door.

And now I was waiting for all the test results.

Longest three minutes of my life.

As I waited, I opened the door and paced around her room, the anticipation killing me. I felt everyone watching me.

"How long has it been now?" I demanded, my third time asking.

"Only two minutes," Clary responded. "Tessa, stop pacing. You're creating an unusual draft."

I scowled at her and opened my mouth to make a witty response when Alec piped up.

"It's been three minutes," he said.

I raced for the bathroom, then paused at the threshold, where they all started to stand. "Stay here until I check."

They all glared but obeyed.

I entered the bathroom, then cautiously crossed it to where I had set the pregnancy tests on the counter. I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them.

My heart sped up as the realization hit me. No way could this be happening.

All of them said they were positive.

We had migrated back to the library, where I was given a cup of tea.

But I felt nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I had screamed and cried, trying to deny it. I had fought against the hands that tried to soothe me, but eventually succumbed. I needed all the support I could get.

I couldn't have a child. I was twenty-two years old! I wasn't out of college ("university") yet, and I certainly wasn't married. I didn't have a job locked in to support me, and I didn't want to live at home when I started a family.

How could this have happened? When did this happen?

But I had cried out every emotion left in my body.

I had a child growing inside of me, and, according Alec and his research, I should start taking my vitamins and prenatal pills to ensure my baby be in the healthiest position possible.

Izzy had been on the phone, but she hung up now. "Okay, babe, I scheduled an emergency session with my doctor. He got us in today for your first ultrasound."

My head snapped up to her. "Today?" I shrieked.

She nodded solemnly. "Tessa, we need to make sure this is actually happening. It's best to hear from a professional about this. They'll be able to explain it better than any of us could."

Unwilling to fight any longer, I obliged.

Which is how I wound up in the doctor's office now, lying down on my back, cool gel spread on my stomach. The weird probing-looking device glided across my stomach. Isabelle and Clary stood on either side of me, each clutching one of my hands. I stared intently at the screen. I had already taken a urine test, which had come up positive.

I wished more than anything that Will was here now, for my first ultrasound.

And suddenly, out of nowhere, there was the smallest of noises coming from the monitor. My attention immediately refocused to the task at hand. I stared wide-eyed at the monitor as the pulsing sound came again. The doctor kept the device in one spot.

"Do you hear that, Miss Gray? That's you're baby's heartbeat," Brother Enoch said.

Any student from any Institute got health insurance through the Bone City hospital, the best of the best. Which, thanks to Izzy, we were able to get in last-minute, with the New York Institute's main doctor, Brother Enoch. They all wore tan, parchment-colored scrubs.

I gasped, still gaping at the screen. "That's... my baby?" I asked in astonishment.

"Yes, that is your baby. I wasn't sure we would be able to hear it at such an early stage in development, but judging by the fact that you had sexual intercourse just over a month and a half ago, I was hoping we would. But yes, this is your baby's heartbeat. The heart starts to beat around six weeks after conception, so your baby's heart just started beating," he explained, his dark, nearly black eyes fixing on me with warmth.

I released Izzy's and Clary's hands, raising them to cover my mouth when I choked on a sob. Then I lowered them, full of questions. "By the Angel," I whispered. "How big is he?"

"'He'?" Izzy said.

I nodded. "It's a he. I can feel it," I said, suddenly overcome with joy. I had a baby growing inside me. It was definitely a boy. I could feel it all through me.

"The baby is approximately a quarter of an inch long after six weeks. It's about the size of a lentil," he explained patiently.

My jaw dropped. "A quarter of an inch?"

Brother Enoch nodded. "Yes. Extremely small. But, within this week, the baby will have several physical developments, including the nose, mouth, and ears."

I settled my hands on either side of my stomach. "What else do you know about him right now?"

Brother Enoch removed the device and handed me a paper towel, which I reluctantly used to wipe off the gel. "If you could see into your uterus, Miss Gray, you would find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. The emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and the arms and legs by protruding buds. The average heartbeat for your baby is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute, Miss Gray. That's almost twice as fast as yours. This means that blood is beginning to course through the very tine body. The intestines are beginning develop, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to the lungs have appeared. The pituitary gland is forming, as well as the rest of the brain, muscles, and bones," he told me, picking up his station like it was nothing new.

To him, it wasn't.

But I couldn't wrap my head around his words. "All of that inside this tiny little body?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. The human body is an amazing thing, and pregnancy is an even more amazing process. Now, tell me, Miss Gray, do you know who the father is?"

I bit my lip. "Yes. It's William Herondale."

Brother Enoch stilled in his cleaning. "William Herondale?" he repeated.

"Yes." I eyed him suspiciously. "Do you know him? Is there something wrong with that?"

He shook his head. "I know him, yes. But no, there is nothing wrong with it. Does he know about the pregnancy? Or the suspicion of it?"

I hesitated. "No. I wasn't sure about it, and I didn't want to freak him out if it was a false alarm," I admitted. "Plus, he's currently in Wales. I would rather do it in person."

Brother Enoch regarded me with interest. "That's a good choice. How long have you been associate with Mr. Herondale?"

"Almost a year now. Probably ten months."

"Did he court you?"

I grinned. "You could say that, yes. We have been dating."

Enoch looked vaguely amused. "Okay, Miss Gray. Make sure he knows soon. He might want to be a part of this process. Also, don't forget about your vitamins and prenatal pills," he advised me.

I nodded. "Absolutely. Thank you so much, Brother Enoch."

He smiled grimly, writing things on his clipboard. "I have your next appointment in two weeks. Can I expect to see you then?"

"Of course," I assured him, then stood up.

When I was dismissed, Izzy and Clary exited the hospital beside me, neither of them saying a word.

But I was glad for the silence. I could reallythink about everything Brother Enoch told me. I couldn't believe it. At first, I was shocked and upset, but now I was... ecstatic. Joyful. Excited.

And I wasn't ready to talk to Will about it yet. It had to wait. He would know soon, though. But, for now, I was going to keep my Lentil a secret.

That's a good name for him. My little Lentil.

Do you hear that, Lentil? It's just you and me right now. I love you.

Hello, everyone! So, I feel much better after writing all this out. I started the AN at... 10:30 pm my time, and it is now... 2:10 am. I'm exhausted.

Sooo... if ANYONE is wondering why the hell I know so much about pregnancy... you can thank the Internet for that one. I just googled stuff haha. Also, the idea that "Bone City" was a hospital was inspired by the fabulous SilverCarstairs.

Thanks, SilverC!

Okay! Here's my playlist:
Bad Intentions-Nikyee Heaton
Infinity-Niykee Heaton
Crazy In Love (Fifty Shades of Grey Exclusive Remix)-Beyonce
Hard To Breathe-Nikki Flores
Not A Bad Thing-Justin Timberlake

Soo... you know the drill! R&R :)

Let me know what you think of this chapter! Any future suggestions? How do you want this to pan out with Tessa and Will? How should Will react? When should Will find out? How should Will find out? Thoughts on the pregnancy?

I've got some big plans for this. I can't wait! And lucky you guys for two updates in one week...

Thanks for letting me rant!

So... Until next time! :)

You'll hear more from Lentil soon!

Xoxo!

~Caitlyn :)