This chapter may be a lot less "fun" but I think you all will enjoy it anyway ;)

Alex's morning sickness did not end, to her dismay. It did, however, start happening less often. By week thirteen of her pregnancy she only threw up once, and not nearly as much as she had been. By week fourteen she didn't throw up at all, only felt a little queasy every now and then. Every day she got through without puking was a good day in her book.

She had officially entered her second trimester of pregnancy, and they were both able to stop taking the invitro shots. That was another win, Alex felt. She was also starting to show, and though it was June, she wore sweatpants and a sweatshirt around the house because she refused to buy maternity clothes yet. But of course then she complained she was hot.

By week sixteen Mitchie had enough, and while Sam was at school she lured Alex out of the house by promising to take her out for ice cream. The woman was excited, her mind coming up with an endless list of toppings she wanted to get. She frowned, however, when Mitchie unexpectedly put on her blinker and pulled into a parking lot of a maternity clothing store.

"Mitchie," Alex said with a whine as her wife parked the car. "You tricked me."

"No, I told you we're getting ice cream," Mitchie retorted. "And we will… After you buy clothes." She looked to her wife seriously. "It's time, babe."

Alex crossed her arms over her chest and frowned deeply. She chewed on her bottom lip, eyes beginning to well with tears. She turned her head and looked out the window so Mitchie couldn't see.

"You think I'm fat," she said with a sniffle.

"What?" Mitchie asked incredulously. "Alex, no—"

"I'm fat and disgusting, and you don't love me anymore," Alex said, her voice shaky.

"Alex," Mitchie said, and hooked her fingers under her wife's chin and made her look at her. "I could never not love you or think you're disgusting. I just want you to find clothes that'll fit you and make you comfortable until the baby comes. That's all, I promise."

Alex held her gaze, nodding slowly as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Mitchie used the pads of her thumbs to swipe away Alex's tears. Alex gave her a weak smile, then looked down bashfully.

"I'm sorry, Mitchie," she said. "I don't know what came over me. I just felt sad all of a sudden."

"Pregnancy brain. Don't worry about it," Mitchie said before kissing Alex sweetly on the forehead. "Now, come on. The sooner we buy you clothes the sooner we can get ice cream."

Alex beamed at this, and they got out of the car. They spotted an SUV at the corner with its window down and a camera lens sticking out. Mitchie frowned deeply as she grabbed Alex's hand and they walked inside the building. Typical. They couldn't even go shopping without being followed and photographed.

The shop was small and quaint, but had a variety of options, ranging through all stages of pregnancy. Alex hated shopping with a passion, so it was mostly Mitchie picking out outfits for Alex to try on. It was hard because Alex refused to wear anything pink or with flowers on it, and that seemed to be the most popular design for the majority of maternity wear. She wrinkled her nose at just about every blouse Mitchie held up for her to examine.

"Why can't there be pregnancy plaid?" Alex asked as Mitchie pushed her into the changing room with an armful of clothes she could tolerate.

"It's June," Mitchie reminded her. "We're trying to find you things that'll keep you cool, not give you heat stroke."

"You're so lucky you were pregnant in the fall and winter," Alex said with a frown. "Being pregnant and hot is miserable."

"Maybe it wouldn't be if you didn't wear such heavy clothes," Mitchie said. "Now stop stalling. Try this shit on."

Shane came to pick up Sam for his last day of second grade. The boy was excited about the summer ahead, and nearly ran to Shane's car before he'd even parked it. Mitchie and Alex followed him out, Mitchie carrying Sam's duffle for the weekend. Shane hopped out of the car and was greeted with a hug from his son. T-Rex ran out of the house and circled the car, knowing he was going this time, and yipped happily.

"Ready for your last day, little dude?" Shane asked, taking Sam's schoolbag from him.

"So ready," the boy said, beaming. The tooth he'd lost was finally starting to grow back in, somewhat out of place amongst the rest of his baby teeth.

"Well, we better get going, then," he said, opening the back door for Sam to climb into the car.

He helped the boy buckle in while Mitchie popped the hatchback and stowed Sam's duffle in the trunk. When Shane was done with Sam's seatbelt he stood back to allow Alex to hug the boy goodbye. Mitchie came back around and hugged Sam as well, kissing his temple before closing the door.

Shane paused before returning to the driver's seat. "So, I was thinking…"

"Already don't like the sound of this," Alex said uncertainly while frowning.

"Lex," Mitchie chastised, though she smiled softly, before turning her attention back to the father of her son. "Go on."

"Since it's summer, could Sam maybe spend the whole week with me sometimes?" Shane asked, awkwardly switching his weight from foot to foot as the women gazed at him. "I think I've been doing well so far with taking him more, and since he's not going to be in school and I won't have to help him with homework it should be easier."

"You'd think," Mitchie said with a small smirk. "But that just means he's home more. It actually gets harder. You don't get the break during the day. He gets so restless during the summer."

"It's too hot for him to go outside, so he's inside," Alex chimed in. "He gets bored, and then he gets into things. You have to constantly keep your eyes on him, or take him somewhere to do something, like the aquarium or a museum."

"All the more reason for me to take him," Shane said. "It would be so much easier for you. Especially since you're getting bigger, Alex."

"Rude," Alex all but growled.

"I mean, since you're getting more pregnant," Shane said quickly, his face turning bright red. "You look great, just how you're supposed to look. Beautiful. Absolutely glowing. Are those new clothes? They're great… Just great."

Alex rolled her eyes, though she muttered, "Thank you."

Shane let out a sigh of relief. Crisis averted. "Just let me try it. One week. Doesn't even have to be this week. Just think about it."

"Okay, we will," Mitchie said. "We'll give you our decision Sunday. Just get him to school for now. It's his last day, and he hasn't been late all year. We're not starting now."

"Alright, alright," Shane said with a laugh as he got into the Range Rover.

That evening they got pizza as a special treat for Sam finishing school. He'd gotten almost all A's, and only one B. Shane was so proud he even let Sam have a soda with dinner. They ate in the living room so they could watch TV. They were on the second season of Smallville, and it was getting so good that Shane had to force himself not to watch it without Sam when he was with his moms.

They sat side-by-side on the couch, eating and drinking in silence as Clark Kent fought a shapeshifter who could transform themselves into anyone. T-Rex sat at their feet, watching them eat intently. Somewhere towards the end of the episode Sam finally spoke.

"Moms said they're going to find out what the baby is next week," he announced.

"Oh, yeah?" Shane asked, pausing the show and turning to his son. "So, do you want a little brother or little sister?"

"A brother," Sam said, then frowned slightly. "So I'll probably get a sister."

Shane stared at him for a moment. "You're eight. Why are you so cynical?"

"I don't know what that means."

"It's kind of like expecting the worst in things, in people," Shane explained.

"I don't know," Sam said, shrugging.

"Well, whatever the baby is, you're gonna be a great big brother," Shane told him.

"Thanks," Sam said with a small smile, before looking up to Shane. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah, bud?"

"How come you never had more kids?" Sam asked innocently.

Shane took in a breath, somewhat caught off guard. It wasn't that he didn't want more children. He loved being a father to Sam, but that was something that just kind of happened. And since then he'd been so careful to make sure he always wore a condom. He didn't want to accidentally bring a child into the world again. He wanted to do it with someone he loved, someone he could grow and build a family with. He just hadn't found that person yet.

"I just haven't met the right woman yet," he said finally. "Until then, you're enough for me. You'll always be enough." He reached out and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Okay?"

"Are you sure?" Sam asked in a small voice, not meeting Shane's gaze. "You don't get sick of me sometimes?"

"Of course not," Shane told him forcefully, squeezing his shoulder gently. "Sam, you're my favorite person in the whole world."

"Really?" He looked up to his father hopefully.

"Really," Shane assured him. "Why would you think anything different?"

"I don't know," Sam said with a small sigh and a shrug. "You were weird for a little while a few weeks ago, and I thought you hated me."

Shane thought about it for a moment. "After we went to the park?" Sam nodded, and Shane let out a sigh. "I was just going through something then. It had nothing to do with you." He thought about it for a moment. "Is that why you've been so agreeable and letting me pick everything we do?"

Sam nodded. "I thought if we did what you wanted you'd want to spend more time with me."

"Sam," Shane said, sighing again. "I will always want to spend time with you. I'll never get sick of you. I love you, okay?"

"Okay," Sam said softly. "I love you." He smiled. "Can we watch the show again now?"

"Sure," Shane said, grinning as he pressed the play button on the remote.

Sunday afternoon Shane brought Sam back to Mitchie and Alex's. When Sam went upstairs to put his stuff in his room, the dog following him up the stairs, the women turned to Shane, who stared at them pointedly.

"Well, have you decided?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"We have," Alex said, resting her hands atop her rounding belly. "And maybe you taking Sam for a week every now and then isn't such a bad idea."

"Really?" Shane asked, smiling widely.

"Yeah," Mitchie said. "It would actually help us out a lot. We're going to start on the nursery soon since we're finding out the sex Tuesday. It would be easier to not have to worry about Sam through that process."

"He told me you were finding out," Shane said with a grin. "He also said he wants a brother but is expecting a sister."

"He's so negative sometimes," Mitchie said with a small laugh. "He gets the from you," Mitchie said, wrapping an arm around Alex's shoulder and kissing her cheek.

"What do you two want?" Shane asked.

"I want a boy," Alex said, looking down to her stomach fondly.

"I want a girl," Mitchie said, placing her hand atop Alex's on her belly. "But we'll be happy with either." She looked up to Shane. "We're bringing him with us to the doctor to find out. Wanna come grab him on Wednesday and keep him the week?"

"Sure," Shane said with a nod. "Although he might need a bigger suitcase."

"Why don't you just get him some clothes to keep there?" Alex asked. "Could be easier than lugging suitcases back and forth."

"Good idea," Shane said. "I'll take him shopping Wednesday."

"Good luck," Mitchie said, slightly giggling. "He's worse than Alex to get to shop."

"Hopefully it's as easy to convince him as it was to get him to get a haircut," Shane said.

"Worth a shot," Alex said, shrugging. "If not, we'll text you his size and hopefully he won't have to try anything on. That's the real challenge."

"Duly noted," Shane said. "I'm gonna go tell Sam goodbye and tell him the good news," he said before heading to the stairs.

The woman watched him go, and when he disappeared into the hallway Mitchie turned to Alex.

"So, I know you want a boy," Mitchie began, "but what do you think it is?"

"Honestly?" Alex thought about it for a moment. "A girl."

Mitchie laughed slightly. "Weird, because I want a girl, and I think it's a boy."

"I guess we'll find out who's right Tuesday," Alex said with a slight smile.

Tuesday morning all three of the Torres-Russo clan sat in the clinic, waiting for Dr. Matthews to come in and begin the ultrasound. Alex lay on the exam table, and Mitchie sat in the chair beside her, Sam in her lap. Mitchie and Alex's hands were joined, and when Dr. Matthews entered the room she smiled upon seeing that.

"Well who is this?" she asked with a nod towards Sam.

"Our son, Sam," Mitchie said, using her free hand to smooth out his hair. "Say hi to Dr. Matthews, Sam," she told him.

"Hi," he said shyly.

"Nice to meet you," the doctor said with a gentle smile before turning her attention to the women. "So, are we ready?"

"Been ready," Alex said, squeezing Mitchie's hand.

"Great. Alex, please lift your shirt," Dr. Matthews said as she walked over to the machine and turned it on. Alex did as told, watching as her doctor squirted gel on the end of the transducer, then put some on her stomach. It was cold, and she hissed as Dr. Matthews pressed the transducer to her stomach. She moved it around for a moment, the screen showing nothing but a gray blob. Then, a soft, rhythmic thudding filled the room. "There's the heartbeat," the doctor said, gliding the probe over. "Oh, look, there we are," she said, pointing to a small, humanoid shape on the screen.

"Oh my god," Alex breathed out, her eyes transfixed on the screen.

Mitchie stared at the screen as well, then glanced down to her son. She remembered the first time she saw him through ultrasound. It had been one of the most amazing moments of her life. And now, looking down at him, then to her wife, then back to the screen, she felt her heart swell with happiness.

"You want to know the sex, right?" Dr. Matthew asked, glancing at the family. All three nodded quickly, their eyes not leaving the image of the baby. She smiled softly as she said, "It's a girl."

Mitchie had to stop herself from squealing in excitement. "Really?" she asked instead. "I get a girl?"

"I knew it," Sam and Alex said at the same time.

"I've never been so happy to be wrong," Mitchie said with a small laugh. She looked to the boy in her lap. "What about you? You okay with having a sister instead of a brother?"

Sam thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I guess," he said. "As long as she likes dinosaurs and video games."

"Girls can like anything boys like," Mitchie said, before looking to Alex. "What about you? I know you wanted a boy."

"I don't care," Alex said, her eyes still fixed on the baby on the screen. "As long as she's healthy." Her eyes finally left the screen, darting to her doctor. "She's healthy, right?"

"She's great," Dr. Matthews assured her. "She's got a strong heartbeat, and she's growing at a normal rate."

"Good," Alex said. "Then I'm happy."

They called their families immediately to tell them the news. They planned on making an announcement on social media, but they wanted to wait until after they'd told everyone who was important to them. They only called the members of their immediate family the first night. Mitchie was tempted to call Caitlyn and tell her, but the brunette was set to come over the following afternoon to help with the nursery.

Shane was going to pick up Sam in the morning, and afterwards Mitchie and Alex were going to the hardware store to pick up paint. They'd decided on a soft shade of yellow for the nursery, preferring something gender neutral, even if they were having a girl.

What Mitchie didn't tell Caitlyn was that she'd also asked Nate for his help. It would come in handy to have his muscle for the bigger pieces of furniture. The room they were using as the nursery had recently been a guest bedroom. But since their home was so huge they had other rooms that could be used as such. One room Mitchie called her 'library' because it only held a couch and a couple of bookshelves with her collection of books. The bed would be moved to that room, as well as the dresser. They had ordered new furniture online, having gotten rid of Sam's old things when they moved. It was set to be delivered sometime that week. But first they needed to make room for it, and they wanted to paint before putting furniture in the room.

Caitlyn showed up not fifteen minutes after they returned from the hardware store. She let herself in, entering the living room and finding Mitchie and Alex sitting on the couch.

"It's so weird coming in here without T-Rex yelling at me," she said as she sat down with a huff in the armchair.

"'Yelling?'" Mitchie asked, quirking an eyebrow. "You mean barking?"

"Barking is a dog's way of yelling," Caitlyn said with a dismissive hand wave. "So, what's on the agenda today?" she asked.

"Just moving the furniture out of the guest room and into the library," Mitchie said. "And hopefully painting."

"Yes, and what color would that be?" Caitlyn asked with a smirk, knowing Alex and Mitchie had found out the sex the day before. She was surprised she hadn't been told the news yet. Then again, she knew Mitchie liked to tell her things in person.

"Yellow, actually," Alex said, grinning at Caitlyn's sudden frown.

"You're assholes," she said with a groan. "I know you found out the sex. Just tell me already." She looked at them pointedly.

Mitchie smiled broadly, unable to contain it. "We're having a little girl."

"Fuck yeah!" Caitlyn exclaimed. She jumped to her feet and was about to throw her arms around her friends when the doorbell rang. She paused, looking to the seated women questioningly. "Were you expecting someone?"

"Why don't you answer the door and find out?" Mitchie asked coyly.

Caitlyn glared at her suspiciously. "If it's Nate I'm leaving."

"No you're not," Mitchie told her, standing. She held out a hand to Alex, who took it to pull herself up. "We could use his help with the bed. It's heavy. Besides, it'll be nice to have an extra set of hands. I don't want Alex straining herself."

"If I knew being pregnant would get me out of manual labor I would have suggested we have another baby years ago," Alex said, chuckling slightly.

The doorbell rang again, and Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "I swear, Mitchie, if this whole thing is just some big setup to get me and Nate together—"

"It's not," Mitchie said quickly, walking around the couch and pulling Alex with her before Caitlyn could say anything else. The three of them went out to the foyer, and Mitchie could see a figure on the other side of the frosted glass. She opened the door, and Nate stood there, arm resting easily on the doorframe. "Hi," she said with a smile and stood back to let him in.

"Hi yourselves," he said, walking into the house. He paused when he saw Caitlyn standing in the doorway to the living room. "Caitlyn, hi. Mitchie didn't tell me you'd be here."

"Really?" Caitlyn asked, casting a glare at her best friend. "Funny. She failed to mention to me that you'd be here."

"The more the merrier, right?" Mitchie said, smiling widely to ease the tension. "Everything's upstairs," she said, pointing to the stairs. "Shall we?"

"Uh huh," Caitlyn said with an eye roll as she turned and headed towards the stairs. Nate blushed slightly and followed her.

When they'd reached the top Alex turned and whispered to her wife, "You're meddling again, aren't you?"

"Yes, but only because these two idiots obviously like each other and are both too stupid and scared to get together on their own," Mitchie whispered back.

Alex shook her head. "There's no talking you out of this, is there?"

"Nope."

"Well," Alex began with a sigh, "I guess I'll just have to help you, then."

IT'S A GIRL!

I know I tortured you in the first story by waiting until the delivery to reveal the gender, but I decided to be nice this time around.

Until next time.

DF