"SLATER!" I shouted, kicking the wall. Jesse came running in immediately. He looked kind of confused (but relieved) when he realized I was alone, until he saw what I was holding. It was a little stick with a digital readout. The readout said… "pregnant." Well, this explained the moodswings. And the nausea I sometimes woke up with… that I'd attributed to bad dreams… Oh god, morning sickness. With the word on the readout plus the word I'd shouted, it can't have been too hard to figure out. Jesse started talking very fast in Spanish. I couldn't move my gaze. There was a period of shock. The next thing I remember, I was on the bed, sobbing, and Jesse was caressing my hair. I was pregnant. Me. Pregnant. Paul's. Me. Paul. Baby. Married… How could this… It was just one time!
After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, Jesse broke the silence.
"Maybe… Maybe this could be a good thing."
I looked up at him expecting to see a raving lunatic… maybe with pointy ears. Nope, still Jesse.
"Well, I mean… We couldn't… have our own… So maybe this way…"
I was starting to catch on. "Yeah! And…" I was trying to force the words 'Rosemary's baby' out of my head. "And… Well… If Paul and I are both shifters… maybe the baby will be able…"
"Well, we mustn't get our hopes up, just in case… but wouldn't it be nice…?"
"I guess I've always kind of wanted a baby… I mean, I haven't seriously considered anything but adoption since I met you… And I'm sure if we bring the baby up OK… it won't end up like… that."
"Right… right. It couldn't."
We talked for a while more, and I was kind of starting to warm up to the idea… I mean, if we got a restraining order for Paul… but made him pay child support… this baby could have a good life! Even (hope against hope) two parents… maybe…
OK… short chapter, I know… I couldn't think of anything else to put in… but the next chapter shall be THE LAST! And it shall be a few months in the future… NINE months, to be exact.