After those first two days, Alison thought she'd never make it through the next nine months without having a total breakdown. But days turned into weeks and weeks into months, as the time flew by.

Even her Nana had adjusted to the situation, as best she could. She still didn't "approve," but she wasn't going to let anyone stand in the way of her and her future great-grandchild, so she stopped by every once and a while to say hello, bring a present. They were somewhat cold visits, but Alison hadn't even expected them, so at least it was something.

By the time Alison was six months pregnant, things had settled down a bit, and she had grown much more comfortable with the circumstances. Well, actually she grew more and more physically UNCOMFORTABLE, as pregnancy goes, but she found herself more and more content with the idea of being a mother. She remembered the first time she felt the baby kick. She was in her fourth month, sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, watching a movie...and boom! It was the first time, she really realized that there was a little life inside her. A little piece of her and Rafe's love alive and growing...and kicking...and she couldn't have been happier than at that moment.

But there was still one thing. One nagging pull that wouldn't go away- Rafe. There wasn't a moment she didn't think about him. She dreamed about him almost every night, and those dreams were so real that she could almost feel him, smell him. She loved those dreams, but waking up from them never got easier. As her baby...their baby...grew inside of her, she wanted nothing more than to share it all with Rafe. She knew, however, that he was sharing it with her. Like he promised. She knew that Rafe was up in heaven, looking down on her, and that he'd zip right back down to earth in a second if he could. But all the wishes and all the prayers weren't going to bring him back, and she had to face that. Rafe wasn't coming back.

Ed walked in on a sulking Rafe. He was used to this sight by now. The council was at a stalemate, and he had thought Rafe's moodiness would lessen over time, but he was wrong.

"Ya know if I didn't know any better...I'd think YOU were pregnant! All these mood swings!"

"She's thinking about me again."

"I know, kiddo. She's always thinking about you...and you're always thinking about her."

"What?! I'm supposed to forget her?! Forget the fact that I have a baby coming that I'll NEVER get to see?!"

"Whoa! A little on edge today, aren't we? It's not wrong for the two of you to think about each other...and never say never, kid. You know you'll get to see her again, and your kid, too...eventually."

"Oh, thanks. That really helps."

"I know it's not a lot, and I know it's not what you wanna hear, my boy, but it's the best I could do."

"Noooo...the best you could do is to find a way to let me go back down there!"

"Oh...here we go AGAIN! Listen, Rafe, I told ya a million times. I can't do anything. The council's in a real bind and even after all this time, we still don't have a clue what to do with you. You, my boy, are officially Heaven's Problem Child."

"Ya know, Ed...I didn't ask for this. All these months I've been sitting up here watching the woman I love go through a pregnancy with my child, and all she wants...and all I want...is to just be there for her, with her."

"Son, I know. It's hard. And if I could change it all for you, I would. Honestly. But right now there's just nothing I can do. Sorry," Ed tried to change the mood, "By the way, have you SEEN what your little blondie's been eating lately. Now I don't know about being pregnant, but for some reason olives and peanut butter just do NOT appeal to me!"

Rafe laughed. "Yeah, actually...I saw her eating a banana, potato chips, and mayonnaise sandwich the other day and I was thinking that maybe the council would let me go back down just to save her from eating these disgusting foods. I mean, we had some interesting foods in my country, but that's just wrong!"

Ed and Rafe both shared a heartfelt laugh, but the laughter soon died out and Rafe's mind was back to pining for Alison once again.