Nope, I do not own W.I.T.C.H.

Irma's POV

The girls and I spent most of Sunday hanging out with Elyon at the market. Caleb disappeared with Aldarn doing whatever it is that guys do. My parents took Chris and Cornelia's family on a picnic by the lake.

We returned in time for dinner, with everyone satisfied with the results of taking the parents to Meridian. Susan Vandom was still upset by the revelation, but at least she knew now. Taranee's mom also wasn't sure how to handle the news, but Mr. Cook was a good balancing influence in Taranee's favor.

After dinner, my dad went into the living room to catch the latest news before bed. Chris conned Caleb into playing with Legos, leaving me and my mom to do the dishes. As my mom was drying the last of the pots, the phone rang and I answered it, it was Taranee. Seeing that the call was for me, my mom finished and headed to the den, gesturing for me to join her when I was done. The call was a quick one, Taranee just wanted to verify we would still study for the math test at her house after school tomorrow. I hate math.

I hung up the phone and headed into the den to find my mom had several magazines and papers spread out on the desk. One glance at the frilly long white dresses on the covers of the magazines quickly told me she wanted to work on the planning the wedding.

Maybe wedding isn't the right term...as Caleb and I are already married, on Meridian that is...we have 'documentation' to support that here on Earth (don't ask me who made this documentation, but its legal). That's the problem: we never had a wedding and my mom desperately wants to have a formal wedding. The reason we're married without a wedding is that, getting married on Meridian is different, it's a private affair, the most significant parts being an engagement, then the man taking the woman into his home and consummation of the relationship.

I never noticed until this last trip, there are no churches in Meridian, along with no formal religions or religious ceremonies. On Meridian, marriage is celebrated after consummation with party similar to a reception. For my mom, the ultimate hostess, a Meridian wedding was not sufficient – she needed an Earth style affair, including the long dress, cake and guests. And just as she promised when we got engaged, she was going to pull off the event once school was out and we had less than four weeks to do it.

"Let's start by finding you a dress, I'm thinking a strapless mermaid style would look stunning on you," My mom started as I stood in the doorway.

"Um, mermaid style?" my head was spinning. Who did she think I was Hay Lin? Oh yeah, didn't I promise Hay she could design and make my dress?

"Hey mom, sorry but, Hay Lin already offered to design and make all the dresses. Maybe you should give her a call and give her your dress suggestions."

Whew! That's one bullet dodged.

My mom took only a second to digest that information and moved right into flowers and guest lists – so many more bullets and nowhere to hide!

The phone rang and my mom moved to answer it but the den phone was out of power. "Tom, honey can you get the phone, this one needs to charge!" she called into the living room.

"I can't find the phone!" came my father's all too quick response. It was so obvious he was watching sports recaps and didn't want to get up.

"I'll get it," I said and I ran into the kitchen to catch it just after the third ring before it went to voice mail.

"Hello, may I speak to Irma Lyons?"

"This is her..."

As I hung up the phone and walked back into the living room, it was such a normal scene, just a relaxed family: my dad watching TV, Caleb and Chris sat in the middle of the floor making dragons and rockets from colorful blocks and providing their own sound effects.

I leaned against the door frame and took it all in. Everything had come together so well, so perfect. Caleb looked up, and asked, "Was that one of the girls?"

"No-"

"Irma," my mom came out of the den, bubbling holding up to really bright photos of weddings, "which do you like better the cherry blossoms or the carnations? I'm thinking the seasons better-"

"Um...I'm pregnant!," I blurted out.

Everything stopped. Even Chris understood the significance of what I'd just said.

"You're what?!" my dad stammered.

My mom's appeared in the living rooms, her hands over her heart and her mouth open. I think she meant to say something but no words came out.

Caleb didn't move or speak.

The silence was killing me, but I needed to go on.

Still, how I managed to get that sentence out is a mystery to me. Because my whole body was shaking and my knees really didn't want to remain standing. I needed someone to say something – anything.

"Somebody say something!," I pleaded, then I did a really girly thing, but for some reason I just couldn't help myself. I started crying.

Caleb jumped up and wrapped his arms around me, I felt a tender kiss grace my forehead. "Oh, Babe, don't cry. I'm just so shocked...I didn't think...I mean the pills..."

"I didn't take them," I confessed through hiccups and sobs.

A second set of hands gently rested on my shoulders and turned us towards the couch. My mom asked calmly, "Why not, Irma?"

"I just couldn't do it...I couldn't kill our baby, I couldn't kill a piece of Caleb living in me...I wanted it. I still do."

Caleb crushed me to his chest in a bear hug. "God I love you," he murmured into my hair.

I heard my mom plop into a chair, "A baby! A baby! I'm going to be a grandmother!"

Okay, so I couldn't see her, but she sounded happy...

Hands that I've known all my life, gently pried me from Caleb's arms and my dad placed his own kiss on my forehead, followed by, "Congratulations baby."

I was still sobbing but I was feeling better – no one was mad about it, at least not that I could tell.

I looked into Caleb's bright green eyes and smiling face, then sighed as I further explained, "Don't get too happy yet...it's still not for sure, at least not now, they took the blood tests on Wednesday, while I was in the hospital, but things could have changed since the fight and my period coming on - I could have miscarried. I need to go back to the doctor for another test – then we'll know for sure."

"Wow," Caleb sighed.

I leaned back on the couch, too many thoughts swirling in my head. First I could be pregnant, then not knowing, now I could have been pregnant and lost it. I squeezed my eyes shut, unsure what I was supposed to feel right now.

"Hey are you okay?" Caleb asked as he gently stroked my hand.

"I don't know what I am right now," I replied making an unintentional pun.

Tentatively, Caleb asked, "Do you still want the baby if you are pregnant?"

I opened my eyes and turned to look my love, "Yes, yes, very much. But what if I've lost it?"

Caleb peered at me with green eyes so full of love that it hurt, "If you have we'll deal with it...but we can hope you didn't right?"

He placed a hand under my chin, stroking my face softly with his thumb, "What were the odds that you could be pregnant? That test was after Martin's first attack and you didn't miscarry right away. So we have to believe that somehow its still in there holding on."

New tears flooded my eyes, this time not of fear or worry but thankfulness – I was so glad to have Caleb as mine.

"A baby," my mom repeated, then out of the blue she started on a new litany, "We need a nursery, and we'll have to speed up the changes to the attic. I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl."

Caleb and I turned to my mom, already lost in her world of planning for a 'maybe baby'. Seeing us stare at her she smiled and stated simply, "I agree with Caleb, if its meant to be nothing can stop it. And I choose to believe its meant to be."

"Um Dad, why is Irma going to have a baby?" Chris joined the conversation.

"Ahem," my dad cleared his throat, stalling while trying to think of how best to answer my brother's innocent question. But lucky for him my mom's quick thinking saved him from a difficult birds and the bees talk with a curious eight-year old

"Honey, married people have babies, its just what they do. Irma and Caleb are married so its only a matter of time before they have babies too."

Chris thought about it for a second, "Okay as long as it doesn't touch my toys...oh and can it be a boy too – I don't want a girl."

"Don't worry Chris, I did my best to make sure its a boy," Caleb teased.

For the first time in several tense moments, I felt truly lighter and was able to laugh at Chris' concerns about toys and the household boy-girl ratio. A small giggle escaped me.

With a confused look Chris asked, "What do you have to do with it? Irma's having the baby."

So close, we'd almost escaped but Caleb's joke had pulled us back into explanations. This time my dad spoke up.

"You know what Chris, why don't we go get a cookie and some milk and I'll explain it to you." With that my dad herded Chris into the kitchen.

My mom just shook her head and smiled, then asked, "So do you feel like continuing our planning? Our list of todos has just grown...luckily the new little 'item' will give me more time to work with."

"Well..." I started trying to weasel out of it.

"I think we should," Caleb interjected before I could finish my sentence.

I sat back and stared at him then asked, "You want to help plan the wedding?"

"Irma you're not alone in any of this, it's our wedding, our baby, our life."

My mom saw her opening and took it, "Well that settles it, let me just go and get the planner and books from the den and we can work in here." Then off like a bullet she was gone.

I leaned more comfortably against Caleb and teased, "Don't look so pleased with yourself. Just wait until she starts on tuxedos."

Caleb laughed softly in my ear as he wrapped both arms around me, resting his hand on my belly. "No worries there, I want black, basic black. No frills no fancy ties and things just the most simplistic black tux I can find. Besides it'll be okay, I'll just keep telling myself we can show this one the pictures someday."

His soft pat to my stomach was comforting...I really, really hope...

My mom was entirely too good at planning events, in less than three hours, we'd decided on a simple small wedding held in our backyard, the wedding colors, flowers, Caleb's tux and most of the guest list. She tried to start into plans for a nursery, but I had to stop, it was a really long day.

It was just before eleven, when I crawled into bed with Caleb after my shower. He was reading in bed as I snuggled under the warm sheets finding the niche at his side that fit me just perfectly.

"Tired?" He asked with a grin.

I laid my head on his shoulder and replied around a yawn.

Caleb turned over to put his book down and turned out the light, making me move from my comfortable position cuddled into him. He rolled back to face me and wrapped his arm around my waist. With a smooth movement he slid my body towards him until there was no space between us, wrapping one leg around my own, cocooning me in his warmth.

"So,um...how do you feel?" Caleb asked as his finger drew circles up and down my spine in the dark.

I smirked as I answered his question with a question, "Is this a sex question? 'Cause I'm still not clear yet from my period."

"No babe, right now sex is not on my mind." Caleb replied rather somberly. "Not that I wouldn't take sex if I could get it, but that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if you're okay."

"Physically or emotionally?"

"Both. You know what I mean...stop stalling."

"Ughh," I groused, he really does know me too well. I could feel his stare piercing through me, willing me to answer, but I was stalling because I knew talking about it would make me cry again and I think he knew that too.

"Physically, I'm not in any pain but I am confused how I might still be pregnant...I know my period's been really light but I wonder if I could still have a baby growing in there. I don't feel any different."

"Emotionally, I'm not sure...I think I'm a little scared and worried both that I am pregnant and that I'm not. But mostly I'm scared"

"Babe, everything's going to work out, you don't have to be scared. If we lose this baby, we can try again."

Little pools of salt water gathered where I pressed my face to his shoulder, the pressure of my fears squeezing out the tears as I confessed, "I'm scared to hope, because if I've lost the baby...I think it would destroy me. I don't want to hurt like that. All it took was for the nurse to tell me that I tested positive and now I don't think I can live if I'm not."

"Shhh," Caleb soothed as he rubbed my back. Even in the dark I could feel his smile as he pressed his face into my hair. "It's going to be okay. We're fighters, survivors...so our baby...Just think, by the time we have ten kids running around you won't even remember a time when you thought we could loose a child."

"Ten!" I shouted and sat straight up in the bed. "Ten kids! You want ten kids!"

I could feel his smile long before I heard his laughter ring through the dark room. "See it's all just perspective. You're not nearly as scared and worried now," Caleb managed between guffaws.

I couldn't help but giggle, he was right. I felt tons better, but refused to admit it, so I swatted his arm. Needing to have the last word, I teased, "Aren't you supposed to be my charming husband? Funny not so much."

Caleb pulled me back down to his chest, first wrapping his arms around me, then weaving his fingers through my hair and whispering, "Love you."

"Better, much better," I whispered back, "Love you too," as his soft touch eased away my concerns. Just before I fell asleep, I told him, "I just hope you don't really want ten kids."

"No I was just joking, I was really thinking twelve...its a nice round number."

I love him, but I may have to kill him.

Cheers!