Ya'll, Demetria made it to 26. I'm so proud of her lil stupid ass. Love her so much. Okay, have at it now.

Justin returned to California Sunday evening with Alex and Mitchie. The next morning they all went to the clinic together. Justin made his donation, and not long after Mitchie underwent the egg retrieval procedure. After it was over and she'd been monitored for an hour, they were cleared to go home. She was given pain pills just in case and was discharged into her wife's care. Her doctor did warn her to take it easy, however, so when the three returned to the house they settled onto the couch and fired up Netflix. Any time Mitchie needed something either Alex or Justin got up to get it for her.

As Alex returned from the kitchen with a bowl of fruit Mitchie had mentioned she might want Mitchie had to roll her eyes.

"Babe, you don't have to wait on me hand and foot," Mitchie said as Alex sat down beside her again. "Walking to and from the kitchen isn't going to overexert me."

"I'm not taking any chances," Alex said. "So just accept my love and deal with it." She smirked and lightly pinched Mitchie's cheek. "Besides, you were cramping earlier."

"Yeah, earlier, not anymore," Mitchie said. "And it was nothing. I get worse cramps when I'm about to start my period."

"Guys, I don't want to hear this," Justin said with a look of distaste.

Alex rounded on him. "It's a normal bodily function, Justin. Get over it. Girls have periods. You have a wife."

"Who doesn't menstruate because she's a vampire," he countered. "Which you should know. We learned that in wizard lessons."

"You think I remember a random thing from something I learned ten years ago?" Alex asked and snorted.

"That's Alex, remembers random little tidbits from shit that we did years ago, but expect her to remember she studied?" Mitchie shrugged. "Forget about it."

"It's cute that you think I studied." Alex patted Mitchie's head, and her wife rolled her eyes again in response.

"My mistake," Mitchie said, then checked the time on her phone. "We're gonna have to leave to go get Sam soon."

Shane had kept him an extra night since Mitchie and Alex's flight had gotten in late, and he brought him to school in the morning. But they were getting him back that afternoon, and though Alex was excited, she hesitated.

"I don't think you should leave the house," she said.

"Alex, seriously, I'm fine," Mitchie said with a sigh. "But if it makes you happy I'll stay."

"I kind of don't want to leave you, either," Alex admitted before looking to Justin. "Could you go get him?"

"Sure," Justin said, nodding. "I'll even do it the non-magical way. Just gimme your car keys."

Alex got up from the couch and went to grab her keys in the foyer. When she returned to the living room she placed them in Justin's outstretched hand.

"Be careful with my baby," she warned him.

"Alex, I'm not going to let anything happen to Sam," he told her.

"I was talking about the car," she said. "But yeah, keep Sam safe, too."

Justin rolled his eyes. "I'll be back later," he said before heading out the door.

"I'll call the school and let them know Justin's picking him up," Mitchie said, reaching for her phone.

Nearly an hour later they heard the door open and Justin's and Sam's voices floated into the room. Mitchie and Alex paused their show as the boys came into the living room. Sam instantly went over to the couch and sat between his mothers when they scooted to make a place for him. They wrapped their arms around him, sandwiching him between them.

"Hi, my boy," Mitchie cooed. "We missed you."

"I missed you, too," he said as they released him. "I was sad when you didn't come get me from school."

"Even though I picked you up?" Justin said as he sat in the armchair. "You seemed pretty happy to see me."

"I was, but I was still sad that my moms weren't there."

Alex felt her heart squeeze, in a good way. "Well, we're here now. And you're staying with us all week. Shane's gonna have to deal with not taking you this weekend."

"And I'm here 'til Wednesday," Justin added with a smile.

"Cool," Sam said, his eyes lighting up. "Can Uncle Justin sleep in my room?"

"Sam, you have a twin bed," Mitchie reminded him.

"He can sleep on the floor," Sam offered.

"Yeah, Justin, wanna sleep on the floor?" Alex asked with a grin, knowing full well he didn't.

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll keep the guest bedroom," he said. When Sam frowned he quickly added, "All my stuff's already in there. I'd have to move it. It's easier this way."

"You're a wizard, Uncle Justin. You can just zap your stuff into my room," he told him. Sam had been too young to remember having powers, but the Russo family secret was not kept from him. After all, he was a part of the family. He knew Alex had been a wizard at one point, and that Justin was currently one. He loved it when Justin did magic, and he encouraged him to do it whenever possible.

"Your mom has asked me not to use my magic around her anymore," Justin said, and Alex widened her eyes at him.

Why did he have to drag her into it? Now she looked like the bad guy.

"Oh, now you remember?" Alex said, shooting him a glare.

Justin stared at her for a few moments before hopping up from his seat. "I think I'm gonna go start on dinner." He began to retreat from the room.

"Justin, you don't have to do that," Mitchie said, attempting to stop him.

"I want to," he said quickly and disappeared into the kitchen.

Alex sighed before turning her attention back to Sam. "How was your weekend, bud?"

"Good," he said. "I would have liked to go to New York with you, though."

"I know, hon, but you would have had to miss school on Friday," Mitchie said and reached out to stroke his curls.

"I wouldn't have minded," he said.

Mitchie laughed. "Well I know you wouldn't have minded, but I would have."

"You guys never let me have any fun," Sam grumbled.

Mitchie raised her eyebrows at him. "You're right. I'm a terrible mom. And since you can't have any fun ever, why don't you get started on your homework?"

Sam sighed heavily but stood from the couch and went to the kitchen. Alex shook her head and stood as well.

"Better go help him," she said before bending down and kissing Mitchie on the crown of her head. "You stay, relax."

"Do I have a choice?" Mitchie asked with a smirk.

"Nope."

Alex left Mitchie on the couch and headed to the kitchen. When she got there Sam was busy taking his books out of his bag while Justin washed some vegetables in the sink. At the sight of her brother an excellent idea occurred to her.

"Hey, Justin, how about I take over dinner and you help Sam with his homework?" she asked. "I mean, who better than the man who helped me graduate high school?" She was laying it on thick, but she really didn't want to sit through a math worksheet at the moment.

"Okay," Justin said. "Sounds fun." He dropped the vegetables in the sink and dried his hands with the dishrag before going to sit down at the table.

Alex smiled, glad he took the bait. She knew he was serious when he said it sounded fun, and he probably would enjoy it. Maybe she'd done him a favor. Plus, he was no doubt better at all things school than her. He was a certified teacher in both the mortal and wizard realm. This was his expertise.

The next day they were called with the good news that fertilization had occurred. They were so thrilled they could barely hold in their excitement, and they had to be careful not to accidentally say something in front of Sam. It was hard, too. It was all they wanted to talk about. But they reminded themselves that they still had a long way to go.

A few days later Alex had two embryos implanted in her uterus, hoping it would double their chances that one would take. She, like Mitchie, was discharged quickly and sent home with pain pills in case of cramping. She however, unlike Mitchie, could not handle any kind of pain.

At the slightest cramp she would wine loudly and clutch her stomach. Mitchie hadn't wanted to leave the house with Alex in the state she was in, even though she had a feeling her wife was being a tad dramatic. So, she called Caitlyn to pick up Sam, and she did. She even helped him with his homework and ordered food to be delivered for dinner. Alex loved to give Caitlyn a hard time about coming over so much, but she had to admit the girl was good to them.

The two weeks they had to wait after Alex's procedure were the most difficult in Alex's and Mitchie's lives. They just wanted to know if all they'd went through had paid off. All the shots, the appointments, and hoping just couldn't be for nothing.

The weekend before the appointment to confirm if either of the embryos had taken Alex couldn't take it any longer. She slipped out, claiming she was going to buy ice cream. Sam was beyond excited when Alex returned with a carton of rocky road, but Mitchie eyed her wife suspiciously. Later, when Sam was in bed, Alex went back out to the car and got the test she'd bought from the console where she'd hidden it. As soon as she walked into their bedroom with it Mitchie's eyes fell on the box.

"How did I know?" she asked with a smirk. "You are so impatient."

"Oh, like you don't want to know," Alex said, rolling her eyes. "I'm taking this. Whether you want to be there or not is up to you."

"As if I'd let you take it without me," Mitchie said, stepping forward and taking the box from her wife's hand. "Besides, I've taken one of these before. You need my expertise."

"Mitchie, I know how to pee on a stick," Alex said with a laugh.

"Pretty sure I said the same thing to Caitlyn," Mitchie said, smiling a little. "Come on, let's go." She grabbed Alex's hand and led her to the bathroom.

She waited while Alex took the test, sitting on the bathroom cabinet with her back pressed against the mirror. It was impossible for her mind not to roam to the time she'd taken a very similar test. She'd been much younger then, too young. She'd been sixteen with her whole life ahead of her and terrified beyond belief. As she waited for the results she'd never felt more alone, despite Caitlyn being on the phone with her. It was one of the lowest moments of her life, and she'd thought it was over. Little did she know she would still get everything she'd ever wanted, and then some.

She wasn't the one taking the test, but she still had a stake in it. Its results still defined her future. Only this time she wasn't afraid. She was nervous, yes, but also excited. And so happy that she had someone to go through this with this time around.

Alex finished and set the test aside on top of a wad of toilet paper. She went over to the sink and wished her hands, glancing up at the mirror. She caught Mitchie's reflection, saw that Mitchie was staring at her with a warm smile. Alex blushed as she dried her hands with the towel before turning to the other woman.

"What?" she asked, self-consciously tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nothing," Mitchie said, shaking her head lightly. "I was just thinking about how happy I am to be doing this with you." She reached out and grabbed Alex's hand, pulling her closer. Alex settled herself so she was between Mitchie's legs, which were dangling over the edge of the counter. "This is literally a dream come true for me. To have a family with someone I love."

"We already have a family, Mitch," Alex said. She let go of Mitchie's hand to settle her own on her lover's hips.

"I know, but we're growing it," Mitchie said and snaked her arms around Alex's neck. "I've always wanted this. The house, the career, the kids, even the dog." She paused to laugh at the mention of T-Rex. "Point is, since meeting you, you've always found a way to make every one of my dreams come true. So, thank you."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to thank me?"

"I'll never stop thanking you," Mitchie said seriously. "I'll never stop trying to deserve you, I'll never stop watching as you walk away, I'll never stop kissing you goodnight, and I'll never stop forgiving you when you drive me crazy." She brought her hand to Alex's cheek and stroked her face. "Because while I think I could go on living without you, without you I'd be miserable at best."

Alex bit her lip and fought against the tears welling in her eyes. She glanced at her feet shyly before meeting Mitchie's gaze again. "You know you've made my dreams come true, too, Mitch." She blinked in an attempt to dry her eyes. "Before I met you I thought all I wanted was to be a wizard. But you made me realize that none of that mattered if I didn't have someone to share my life with. Since the moment I met you all I ever wanted was you."

Mitchie smiled, now trying to fight her own tears. "You'll always have me." Alex returned her smile and leaned forward to kiss Mitchie, frowning when Mitchie held up a hand to stop her. "Hold on, lemme set a timer so we don't forget about the test," she said quickly, which turned Alex's frown upside down. After she set the alarm she looped her arm around Alex's neck once more. "Now, where were we…"

When the timer went off Alex and Mitchie didn't turn it off at first, still lost in their heated make out session. Mitchie pulled away first, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

"Pause for the cause," Mitchie said with a smirk, pushing Alex away from her lightly and hopping off the counter.

"That's still my favorite way to pass time," Alex said breathlessly before grinning mischievously. "Well, second favorite."

Mitchie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She went over to the toilet and picked up the test, which she'd told Alex repeatedly beforehand to place facedown so they could do the big reveal. Thankfully she'd done so, and Mitchie carried the test to where Alex stood, holding it facedown still.

"Ready?" Mitchie asked, raising her eyebrows.

Alex nodded, butterflies coming to life in her stomach. She hoped that was a good sign. "Do it."

Mitchie nodded quickly before she took a deep breath and flipped over the test. Her and Alex's heads immediately bent over the test, their eyes wide and expectant as they looked at the results screen. A little plus sign stared back at them.

"Oh my god," Mitchie said in an excited tone.

"That's good, right?" Alex asked hopefully.

"Yes!" Mitchie squealed. "We did it, babe!" She jumped onto Alex, wrapping her arms around her neck and her legs around her waist. Alex caught her and held her, beaming.

Relief and happiness spread through both of their chests. They knew technically tests could be wrong and nothing would be truly confirmed until their doctor's appointment. But at the moment they let themselves feel the excitement, despite the fact that so many things could still go wrong. They just wanted to hold onto the hope it wouldn't.

That Monday Mitchie woke up way before the alarm, already buzzing with excitement over their appointment. She lay awake for a while, trying to go back to sleep. She shifted, trying to get into a comfortable position. Alex stirred as she felt Mitchie tossing and turning next to her. She woke, opening her eyes slowly and groaning.

"Mitchie," she said, her voice still thickly laced with sleep.

"Sorry," Mitchie said quietly. She stopped moving, resting on her side so she was facing Alex. "I can't go back to sleep. I'm too excited."

Alex's lips twitched into a small smile. "I'm excited, too. But I could definitely sleep."

"And you should," Mitchie said with a small nod. "I'm just gonna get up so I don't keep disturbing you."

Mitchie climbed down from the bed and padded out of the room. She was surprised when a hand caught hers as she got to the stairs. She turned to see Alex smiling at her. She was confused, but she returned it.

"I thought you wanted to sleep?" she questioned.

"No, I said I could sleep," Alex said, shaking her head. "But if you're getting up, I'm getting up with you."

Mitchie's eyes softened. "You're giving up sleeping to spend time with me?"

Alex chuckled a little and nodded. "I just wanna be with you right now."

Mitchie felt her heart melt. She leaned forward and kissed Alex gently before pulling back slightly. "Okay," she murmured against her wife's lips and kissed her again.

Around noon on Monday they sat in an exam room waiting for the results of Alex's blood work and urine test. Alex sat on the exam table, and the paper crinkled every time she fidgeted. Mitchie sat in a chair beside her, holding her hand.

"So even if this is positive I still have to keep taking the shots for a while, right?" she asked, looking to her wife.

"We both do," Mitchie said nodding.

Alex resisted the urge to groan. "I am so tired of needles. Between the shots and the constant bloodwork I'm starting to feel like a pin cushion."

"We're halfway there," Mitchie reminded her, giving her hand a squeeze.

The door opened and Dr. Matthews walked in, smiling brightly at them. "Good morning, ladies," she said as she shut the door. "Are we ready for the results?" She held up her clipboard and raised her eyebrows at them." Both women nodded enthusiastically as their doctor sat on the rolling stool and placed the clipboard in her lap. She folded her hands on top of it and looked between them, still smiling. "Well, both the bloodwork and the urine sample came back positive for the pregnancy hormone. Congratulations, ladies. It worked."

Alex and Mitchie turned to face each other, both smiling incredibly wide. Mitchie's eyes moistened, tears of joy threatening to fall. Alex brought their intertwined hands up to her mouth and kissed Mitchie's knuckles sweetly.

"Now, you're not out of the woods, yet," Dr. Matthews warned them. "Keep taking the injections and we'll have you in periodically to see if it sticks." She frowned slightly, shifting on her stool. "I know it'll be tough if this one doesn't, but please don't be discouraged. I want you to be realistic."

"We know," Mitchie said quickly, nodding. "But it's hard not to want to celebrate."

"You can," Dr. Matthew said. "Just be prepared in case this goes south is all I'm saying."

The women nodded, her words registering but not quite penetrating their bubble of happiness. They'd decided not to tell anyone outside their immediate family about their plans, and weren't going to reveal they'd been successful until they were out of the woods. They also still needed to let Mitchie's parents in on the plan. Mitchie felt bad about keeping them in the dark, but like they'd told Alex's parents, it wasn't something you said on the phone. It was just hard to find time to do so when they were back in the studio working and her parents had their own lives and jobs in Texas. But they'd finally been able to arrange for them to come that weekend for a visit after Mitchie and Alex offered to pay for the flight. So, they wouldn't be keeping it from them much longer. Mitchie smiled to herself, knowing this time would go a lot smoother than when she'd told them about Sam.

And we're finally getting somewhere!

Until next time.

-DF