A Pregnancy

A fanfic by Pheep

Pairing: J/D

Rating: T

Author's Notes: This is really just something random that occurred to me, when I wondered how Josh and Donna would deal with certain things after they had (finally, finally, finally) gotten together, such as marriage and pregnancy. I had also planned to write a piece for Josh's proposal – not really a companion piece, just sort of the same theme – but I got blocked up and I wasn't able to finish more than the skin and bones of it. I do still hope to finish it sometime, though. Anyway, this fic is set when Josh and Donna are already married, and takes place in their apartment. One-shot. I repeat: one-shot. Enjoy.

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"Josh, how do you feel about kids?"

…Josh is momentarily stunned. "What, like…having one?"

Donna is standing close. Her hand is on his arm. "Yeah…"

Josh is not recovering well. He blinks, once. And then again.

"…Uhm…I dunno. Maybe someday, when- we're ready…"

Donna stares at him. He stares at her.

"…You don't mean…"

Donna sucks in her lower lip. She nods.

Again, Josh is momentarily stunned. Hell, he's permanently stunned. He is bashed-in-the-face-with-a-frying-pan stunned. But Donna's got this dent in her brow and she looks pretty terrified in spite of herself; so he lifts an arm. "…C'mere."

She does, and he pulls her into a hug. "C'mere," he says again, dazedly. "…When did you find out?"

"A couple of days ago," she replies quietly, the sound muffled against his shoulder.

"And you're just telling me now?" He asks, pulling back to look at her.

She, in turn, looks at her feet. "Well yesterday was April Fool's Day, and I didn't want you to think I was, you know, fooling you."

"You actually thought that I--" …He sighs. "No, you're right, I would've. You said a couple of days, though."

"Yeah--" she laughs weakly. "Yeah, but, a couple of days ago I had just found out, and I was kind of freaking out, you know, a little, so I didn't really feel like telling you just then was the best idea, because then both of us--"

"Okay," he says - gently, or as gently as he can at least. He doesn't exactly have a full reign over his mind right now, let alone the tone of his voice. "Okay, it's…it'll be all right, Donna. C'mon, let's- sit down, or something." He steers her over to the couch, and as she curls up beside him a guilty thought emerges. He clears his throat. "…Do you wanna have it?"

Her head snaps up and she stares at him, pale eyes wide in a clearly distressed face. "Of course I wanna have it, don't you wanna have it?" she asks urgently.

"Well yeah, of course I do! I just wasn't sure if you did – you're the one having it, after all –"

"I might be the one having it, but it's still our baby!"

"…Oh, man."

"What?"

Josh runs a hand through his hair. "That's just…surreal," he says slowly. "'Our baby…'"

For a moment, Donna doesn't say anything, just watches him; slowly, she relaxes a little. "…Yeah…" She settles back against the couch, and her head lowers to rest on his shoulder. "Know what's even weirder, though?"

"What?"

She smiles wanly. "In a few months, you're gonna be someone's dad."

"…." He breathes out in a slow whoosh, and his head falls back against the upholstery. "Aw, man..."

"Yeah." She laughs a little. "Yeah, I thought that one'd get you."

He looks down at her curiously, his brow creasing. "Have you just been sitting around thinking these up the past two days?"

Her smile is sheepish. "Sort of…?"

His is not. "C'mere." She holds back a laugh as he wraps an arm around her, pulling her halfway onto his lap so that she lies haphazardly against him. He plants an idle kiss on her head. "Y'know, I heard that a pregnant woman can have sex until the third trimester," he remarks lowly.

He can't see it, but he knows that she grins. "I don't wanna know why you know that."

He smirks. "'Cause, I'm an educated man."

"Uhuh."

"I'll show you my diplomas," he threatens.

"You'll have to show me a lot more than that to get my attention," she returns wryly.

"I should have known that all this time you were only after my body."

"Damn right."

There is a pause then, a lapse in the conversation where he pulls her a little closer, and when he sighs the breath is warm against Donna's hair. If he had glasses, they would probably be fogging. "…The reason," he starts quietly, "that I asked you if you wanted it…is that I didn't want you to feel pressured into anything."

"I know."

"I wanted to make sure it was what you wanted."

"I know," she says again. She isn't smiling, but he trusts her voice.

"Okay." He lets out a breath, sounding as though the exchange had tired him. His arms tighten around her. "This is…this is great, Donna. Really great."

She sighs. "I know…but I wanted you to myself for a few more years. I mean, this is a kid, Josh. We're gonna have absolutely no time together pretty soon."

"…Yeah, but remind me when we had time before?"

"Well, okay, but it's gonna be even less."

"Yeah…But y'know, Donna – kids have early bed times."

"Yeah, but because of the kid so will we."

"Nuh-uh, not happening. We'll send it to bed at noon if we have to, I'm staying awake for you."

"What about when it starts school?"

"It'll have homework."

"And it'll want our help."

"I dunno about you, but I'm going to play dumb."

"You are not."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. You'll help 'em every time they ask, because your ego can't resist the boosting," she says, prodding him in the chest.

"Ahh…and then when the light of glory is upon me I will return to you, and we shall make merry all through the night and bask in my great victory." He kisses the side of her neck lazily, very much the basker.

She smiles. "For you alone will know the secrets of the multiplication tables."

"Do you mock me, Donna?"

"Yeah, I do..."

He raises his head and peers down at her loftily. "Maybe I'll bask alone, then."

"Hmm. Y'know it's odd, but I don't really care?"

"You lie."

"Yes, you've gone and seen right through my flimsy ruse, good for you."

"That's an…odd combination. Of words."

"What? The…"

"Yeah, flimsy."

"I know, it- was a thing, whatever."

"Yeah. But y'know, I'd be happy to—"

"See through other things of mine that are flimsy? Yes, I'm sure you would."

He gives her an approving look. "How well you know me!"

"Mm, yes, don't remind me. The wave of nausea I receive every other morning is a swell indicator as it is."

"Ah, God, I'm sorry." Actually, he sounded like he meant it. "I, uh…I hope it doesn't get any worse than that, for you."

She smiles and shifts against him comfortably. "That's okay…if it does, though, then I'm dragging you down with me."

He raises a brow. "Okay, that's fair. How're you gonna pull that, though?"

"I'll complain a lot."

"Ah."

"Seriously, I'll whine. I'll make you dance like a puppet and you'll blame it on the hormones."

He frowns. "Not now I won't."

"Ahh, so you say…There's no escaping it, though. In a few short months you'll be like putty in my hands."

"I don't think I'd mind that, actually. It sounds kinda sexy."

"Shut up, you're ruining my threats here."

He gives her an infuriating smile. "Yeah, and that just kills you, don't it?"

"…I'll make you change the diapers for the first year," she mutters after a pause.

That gets him. "You wouldn't."

"Oh wouldn't I."

"That's cruel and unusual, Donna. Show some compassion, you're going to be a mother."

"I won't be showing you much of anything from now on, thanks to that crack."

"You realize that's the second time so far in this conversation that you've used that line on me?"

"Yeah -- you realize it's kinda sad that you've been counting?"

He grins. "Oh, stop it, all this witty repartee is making me dizzy." He pauses a beat. "Or maybe that's hunger…"

She smiles and pulls away. "Okay, I'll get started on dinner."

"Actually I meant for the warmth of a woman's touch, but that works too." He watches after her as she heads to the kitchen. "What're we having?"

"Leftovers."

"Mm, my favorite," he says under his breath, getting up himself.

"I know!" she calls back.

He watches as the last of her disappears through the doorway -- and, after standing in the empty room for a moment, follows after. She reaches to open the cupboard, and his arms wrap around her from behind.

"You're pregnant," he says.

She smiles then, that slow Donna-smile that does unfortunate things to his brain. "Yeah…"

There is a pause, and his eyes move to the cupboard door. He blinks. "D'ya want me to make dinner?" he asks.

"Really?" She sounds pretty surprised.

"Yeah, lemme do it - you just relax."

"Wow…" She tilts back her head to look up at him. "That putty thing is happening a lot sooner than I thought it would," she remarks.

He arches his brows and offers a lopsided smile. "What can I say? I am a man of occasion."

She smiles, then twists around in his arms so that they face each other and leans into him. For a few moments they are only standing there, and when Donna's voice breaks the silence it is distant-sounding, like a half-asleep child's. "…You've still got nine months to try and change my mind, you know. About only wanting you for your body. That's the better part of a year. I wouldn't hold my breath, though."

"Neither would I, for nine months…" Josh muses.

She closes her eyes. "Hush. I'm trying to concentrate on your good points and you aren't helping."

"And what, pray tell, are my good points, in your opinion?"

"Not your razor-sharp wit, for one thing, so stop acting like it is." She nestles her head against his shoulder. "I liked the hugging me, though. The hugging part is nice."

"I'll keep that in mind."

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End