A/N: I apologize for the long wait. I have exams right now, but they're almost over. Soon I'll have more time to write. So, look forward to that. I want to finish this story soon. I don't know if I can or not, but I'll try. So, please review. I'll love you for it.

Catch My Fall

Chapter 17-Woes of an Auror

"My back is killing me," a very large Alice Longbottom complained. She was seven months along, as was Lily. The two of them were walking, just as the Healer had advised. Katy was there as well, mainly for supervision as the two woman were far too hormonal to be left alone.

"Your back?" Lily asked. "My feet are swollen."

"At least you can see your feet," Alice grumbled.

Katy couldn't help but laugh at the two women. She loved them both, was happy that they were pregnant, but found it entirely amusing. She wasn't so sure about marriage and a baby yet, so it was nice to see the other side of things from her friends.

"Is Frank working late tonight?" Lily asked, turning to Alice.

"No," Alice answered. "We're supposed to go to his mum's house tonight. Lord, save me. That woman is like a human vulture. She Apparates over to our house at least twice a day. It's always the same thing. 'Alice dear, are you alright?' or 'Is it good for you to be answering owls from the hospital while you're pregnant? Think of the baby'. I am thinking of the baby. I'm thinking I want it out of me."

"I know what you mean," Lily agreed. "I just want to be skinny again." She shot a look over at Katy. "You're so lucky."

Katy coughed nervously, not wanting to touch on the body image issue at the moment. Pregnant hormonal women and body image just did not work well together. "Where are we off to today, ladies?"

"I was thinking we could stop at Honeydukes," Lily suggested. "Maybe restock the chocolate stash."

"Chocolate?" Alice pondered. "I haven't really been craving chocolate. More like Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Those are to die for."

"That's odd," Katy said. "Last Christmas I sent you a huge bag of those and you ended up throwing them out."

"I know!" Alice said. "I used to hate them. Now they're all I eat."

Katy smiled and was happy for the day off. She would be able to spend time with her friends, do a bit of research on the new project she was starting, and then spend some time with Remus. It seemed like a fairly promising day.

.X.

"Ten more minutes, ten more minutes," Frank chanted, staring at the clock.

"Lucky you," James sighed. "I have a load of paperwork to do since Lily went on maternity leave. Moody is making me stay until midnight."

"Nine more minutes," Frank reported. "Alice and I have to eat dinner at my mum's. Should be great."

"Why did I note a hint of sarcasm in your voice just then?" James inquired, looking up from his stack of papers.

"I just don't understand why my mum has to be so incessant. I love her, but I have no idea how it doesn't get to Alice," Frank said. "I mean, she's pregnant and she likes my mum better than me. You can barely keep the two of them apart."

James laughed, recalling Alice's rant earlier that week about Mrs. Longbottom being an annoying twit. Obviously, Frank didn't know that.

"Six minutes, thirty seconds," Frank said, smiling and glaring at the timepiece. He was so intrigued by the clock that he barely noticed Moody running down the hall of the office.

He did, however, notice when the alarm sound. His eyes averted over to Moody in recognition.

"Longbottom, Potter," Moody panted from the hall. "We have an attack."

"On who?" James asked, rising from his seat and grabbing his wand. Frank had done the same.

Moody's eyes cast to the floor when he heard the question. "Well, we don't exactly know. We only know that it was two women and they were both pregnant."

James and Frank looked at one another with panic.

"Was it You-Know-Who?" Frank asked quietly.

"We think so," Moody informed the two men. "Right outside of Diagon Alley."

The three men Apparated quickly. James, Frank, and Moody arrived at the end of the alley, seeing Ministry officials surrounding the scene. James noticed that police men (the muggle law enforcers) were there as well. His feet wouldn't move. He saw the bodies, sheets covering them. A bump protruded around the mid region of both women. They looked about five or six months pregnant.

"I can't," James whispered. "I just can't look."

"Me neither," Frank said to Moody, his voice shaking. "You go."

Moody nodded, limping to the scene. He spoke with the police men briefly, then the Minister. He nodded his head. About ten minutes later, he wobbled over to Frank and James.

Before he could say anything, James saw a strand of long, blonde hair fall down from one of the women. His heart raised in joy and confusion. It wasn't Lily or Alice.

"Two Muggle woman were attacked this afternoon by Death Eaters," Moody told them. "It seems as though Voldemort was targeting your wives, but they attacked the wrong people. You both can go home."

Frank and James nodded, walking down the alley a bit farther.

"Is it wrong to feel happy right now?" James asked Frank.

"I don't know," Frank replied. "But I am. I am so damn happy it wasn't Alice."

James nodded, knowing exactly how Frank felt. The two of them nodded at one another and then Apparated home.

.X.

Remus walked in the door of his flat and smiled. Katy was home, he could smell her perfume. The two of them rarely had nights alone together. Soon, sometime soon, he wanted to talk about the next step. Maybe marriage. He didn't want to rush anything, but he wanted to see how she felt about it.

The light in the kitchen was on and he saw her bent over books upon books. She was highlighting excerpts vigorously and her blonde head was bobbing as she read.

He nuzzled his face into her neck and she smiled.

"Hi," she said quietly. He smiled.

"What are you working on?" Remus asked, trying to see what was inside the book. As far as he could tell, they were books of newspapers and Azkaban prisoner records. "I thought you said you weren't going to do any work today."

Katy frowned and closed the books quickly, setting them into a backpack she had resting on the back of her chair.

"Well, I'm done now," she said, eventually changing the subject.

Remus couldn't help but wonder why she was keeping secrets from him.

.X.

"Lily!" James called as he Apparated into their house. "Lily!"

He looked around and saw nothing. The house was it's usual self, nothing out of place. He wondered if the protection instilled by his father was enough to keep Voldemort out. Silence throughout the rooms made him panic. Voldemort had missed her earlier, but had he come back out of pure frustration?

What if he's taken her? What if she's hurt? What if she's dead?

The thoughts were jumbling through his brain as his feet carried him from room to room. His heart was racing, the beat throbbing through his brain.

Then, once he reached their bedroom, he was afraid of what he'd find.

Maybe Voldemort's right in there, waiting for me.

He gripped his wand and opened the door. Sure enough, he did find something. Yet, this something calmed him down. His wife was asleep, in their bed, alive.

A/N: That chapter is mainly there to do a bit of foreshadowing and to express James' love for Lily and the worries that Aurors go through daily. Please review. I am sorry if that was too short.