A/N: I know this is a short chapter, but I wanted to get one out so I can spend my time writing the next one. I didn't want there to be another long break between chapters like there was before.

*Ana's POV*

I'm thirty-eight weeks pregnant now and I feel as big as a whale. I seem to waddle everywhere I go and my legs and feet have been swelling so much that I am stuck wearing ballet flats and tennis shoes. Tennis shoes really help with the swelling in my feet, but after awhile, they become numb. Thankfully, I have a husband that will do anything I ask, so over the past few weeks, I've spent many nights in bed with my feet up while he brings me dinner in bed and then runs me a bath so I can soak while he rubs my legs and feet. I love being spoiled.

"Baby, would you like a snack?"

I look up from my work at my desk at Grey House and give him an incredulous look. "Are you new?"

He snorts and smacks his forehead. "You're right. What was I thinking? Apples and peanut butter, my queen?"

I giggle at his teasing. "Yes peasant. A shiny red one."

He scowls at me. "Peasant, huh? If you keep that up, you'll be finding that your shiny red apple will be making you sleepy."

Suddenly, I'm Snow White and he's playing one of my evil step-mother's henchmen.

"I'd rather you play the role of Prince Charming." I give him a cheeky grin.

He stands and pulls me out of my seat, pulling me into his lap. "If you weren't so damn adorable, that mouth would be getting you into trouble."

I hum at the thought. "Maybe it wants to get into trouble." I bite my bottom lip and pull his head towards mine, attacking his lips. My hormones have been all over the place and I've found myself practically insatiable when it comes to him. I think I could have him half a dozen times a day and still not have enough.

"I'd rather reward you for being my good girl." He presses his hips into me, making his point. I can feel his hard-on against my bum and I get goosebumps.

"I'll be your good girl. Can I have my reward now?"

He chuckles. "So impatient. Straddle my lap baby."

I move quickly...well, as quickly as I can...and I do what he says. He reaches under my maxi dress and moves my underwear enough so that he can access my center while he pulls himself out of his pants. I lower myself onto him and feel a flood of relief when he's seated inside of me. Sex with him while pregnant creates a mixture of content/pleasure and I find myself just needing the connection with him. I can already feel the tears leak from the sides of my eyes, but it has become a regular occurrence with my hormones.

He holds my tight and kisses my nose. "You alright?"

I nod and begin to move up and down slowly. I know if I speak, my irrational crying will become worse. I wrap my arms around his neck and keep my forehead pressed against his while I ride him slowly. I close my eyes to try to keep my emotions in check, but I can't control my tears or the small sob that escapes from my mouth.

"Hey, I'm here. I'm right here." He holds me flush against him, my large stomach pressing against his flat one, and rubs my back up and down. "Just take your time. I'm all yours." I open my mouth to apologize like I always do, but he hushes me. "Just concentrate on me, Ana. Concentrate on how good it feels."

I moan. "You feel so good, Husband." I hold him tight and clench my jaw to keep another sob from rising out of my throat. I'm almost to the end of my pregnancy and I'm going to miss this with him. We're nearing the end of our time alone together and we'll soon be a family of three. I'm going to miss how emotional sex has been while pregnant. I move my head and nuzzle into his neck, breathing him in. My beautiful, protective, dominant husband.

He begins to roll his hips causing jolts of pleasure up my spine. "Oh, Christian..." I moan into his neck and begin to nibble on the skin there.

"You like that, baby?"

"Yes, yes, don't stop." I impale myself onto him harder and he matches me.

"Come for me, babydoll. I need you to come." I can hear the roughness in his voice and can see his vein popping out of his neck from him clenching his jaw. He's holding on just for me and it turns me on even more.

He takes ahold of my hips and takes over, beginning to piston himself inside of me, bucking his hips. I sit up straight and his bucking causes my swollen, heavy breasts to bounce.

"Fuck, Ana. You're so sexy. Baby, I can't hold it."

I ride him hard, meeting his thrusts, and I find my release as he loses control and releases inside of me. It takes everything in me to keep quiet as I convulse on top of him, but I manage like I always do at work. My body slouches against him as I suck in lungfuls of air, calming my heart rate.

"Fuck, I love pregnant sex." I giggle at his admission. "I can't wait to have our son in our arms and have your stomach already swelling with the next."

I grin against his shoulder and force myself to sit up. "Carrying your child is a major stroke to your ego, isn't it?"

He gives me a boyish grin and shrugs. "I like you pregnant with my child. I like to watch your body change and grow because of me. I want you to mother my children. I want to parent our children together and watch them grow, protecting them and loving them through everything. I want to give our children the best life possible. I take great pride in that."

I run my hands through the hair on the back of his head. "Oh, Christian. I love you so much." I press my lips to his. "So, what does that mean about birth control?" The last time we were at the doctor's office, she urged us to decide on what we were going to do about birth control after our son was born. We've gone back and forth on if and what kind to use, but haven't come up with an answer. Our boy is coming any day now and I'm anxious to get everything in place.

"Well, you want a big family don't you?"

I nod. "I'd love to have our children close together."

He smiles. "Then no birth control."

A large smile forms on my face. "Really?" This is what I wanted. I wanted my children young and close together so that they bond well and so that we can have a nice retirement together with lots of grandbabies to spoil.

He rubs both of his hands over my large stomach. "Yes, I want more. Wow, he's really moving."

I nod. "He's running out of room. He's getting a little pissy about it."

"You'll be able to stretch out soon enough, little man." He pats my stomach affectionately, making me grin. "God, I can't wait to hold him. I can't wait to see who he looks like and what his little personality is going to be."

"Well, if how he moves now is any indication, he'll be one energetic little boy. This guy never quits squirming."

He smiles as he rubs my stomach. "We'll have our hands full then. It'll be a nice change to my workout routine."

I snort. "You say that now. Wait until he starts walking."

XxXxXx

As the day goes on, I realize that my weepy mood isn't getting much better. I can usually pull myself out of it, but today I'm having a hard time with it. The afternoon goes slowly and by the time five o'clock hits, I am more than ready to go home. I usually work until six since I work on our charity with Kate on Fridays, but I've found myself too tired and too swollen to be working that late every night. I have made it a habit to bring home work every night, but Christian has a way of convincing me that it can wait...not that I need much convincing. I'll take food, movies, and cuddles over work any day while being pregnant.

I drag myself out of my chair and grab my stuff so we can go home. When Christian doesn't move, I stand in front of the door and stare at him. He's in the middle of reading something on his computer and he hasn't even realized I've moved, yet. It takes a minute, but his eyes finally leave the screen and he sees me standing there impatiently.

He chuckles. "Ready to go home, Ana?"

"How could you tell?" I give him a guilty smile back.

He closes his laptop and stands, grabbing his jacket. "Why didn't you speak up?"

"Because I'm grumpy."

He wraps an arm around me and turns me toward the door so we can go home. "I take it it's a bath first kind of night?"

"Absolutely. You know, pregnancy would be much more bearable if I could drink."

Laughing, he reaches down and pinches my bum, startling me. "You're right about that. Let me tell you, your pregnancy is much more bearable since I can drink."

"Christian!" He runs ahead of me, before I can manage to smack his backside for being cheeky. "Get back here!" I waddle quickly after him and find myself actually a little out of breath by the time we hit the elevator.

"I hate you."

He's still grinning. I scowl at him.

"You love me."

"That doesn't mean I have to like you."

He nods, agreeing. "That's true."

When the elevator opens, he enters first to hold the door for his slow, pregnant wife and I take the advantage and smack his backside with both of my hands.

XxXxXx

At two in the morning I wake up with my stomach cramping. It kind of feels like I need to use the restroom, only, it's more severe. I decide to slip out of bed and hurry to the toilet, worrying that somehow, I might end up soiling myself. I sit on the toilet for almost twenty-five minutes, but I can't seem to go, no matter how hard I try. I start to wonder if they're contractions and if I should wake Christian. I've read about Braxton-Hicks and that might be all it is.

I wait for another five minutes, but don't feel anymore tightness, so I head back to bed. I slip into bed and Christian pulls me back to him, my back to his front. His hand finds my stomach like it always does and he rubs circles on it.

"Everything alright?"

"Yep." I turn my head enough to press my lips to the corner of his mouth and settle back into my pillow. I've decided not to tell him. I don't want him to overreact and call Grace about something that's probably nothing. It's the middle of the night and I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate being woken up now.

I fall asleep quickly, but the cramping wakes me again around 4:30am. It only tightens twice a few minutes apart before my body relaxes again. I get up to pee and manage to fall back to sleep just long enough to get another hour of sleep before the alarm goes off.

When I wake for the day, I opt for a loose shirt and my most comfortable pair of maternity pants, worried I'll be uncomfortable throughout the day with these odd contractions.

During breakfast, I feel my stomach tighten twice more, but it isn't as noticeable as it was last night. It makes me wonder if I slept through some of tightening last night. I don't want to call them contractions, because I don't know if that's what it is. My body might just be getting ready for labor. It could be the way the baby is moving or it could just be Braxton-Hicks like I'd originally thought. A part of me is starting to think that maybe it'd be wise to mention it to Christian, but he has an important meeting this morning and I don't want him to cancel it over something that could be nothing. If it is contractions, they are still too subtle and too far apart for me to worry about them. I decide to wait until they become stronger and closer together before I voice my worry to my husband.

"Ana? Earth to Anastasia..."

I blink a few times and see that my husband is waving his hand in front of my face.

"Everything alright, angel? You've been acting really strange."

I nod. "Yes, I'm sorry. Just got lost in my own little world. Pregnancy brain."

"You're sure? You can stay home today if-"

"No, no. I'm okay." If I stay home, I know I will overthink what is happening and start to worry.

When we're done with breakfast, I drag myself towards the door, feeling pathetic because I actually want Christian to carry my to the car so I can be lazy. My body feels off and I'm sure that it's from me overthinking what is happening, but I can't help it. I feel so lethargic, but I'm restless...like my whole body has restless leg syndrome or something. I'm hoping that once I get to work, I can shake the odd feeling.

XxXxXx

Christian leaves for his meeting with a client from Switzerland and send him off with a deep good luck kiss. I haven't had any cramping or tightening since breakfast and I'm feeling better about the whole situation. I was worried for nothing. Most women don't go into labor with their first baby until after their due date. I still have two weeks until mine. I'm sure it's all in my head. Braxton Hicks are suck a bummer.

Feeling more relaxed than I have been since going to bed the night before, I decide to munch on some Wheat Thins I keep in my bottom drawer while I kick off my shoes and prop them up on my desk while I read over my emails. I know it isn't professional, but I can use the excuse that I'm pregnant and need to keep them elevated. Christian will be happy with me.

"Oh..." My feet slip back to the floor and I bend over in my chair, grabbing my stomach, and effectively losing my place in the long email I was previously reading. The tightening in my stomach is stronger and this one lasts longer than the ones I felt in bed. Once the tightness subsides, I force my body to relax and find my place in the email again. With Christian still in his meeting, there isn't much I can do except wait. I refuse to bother him unless the contractions become severe and close together.

I try to relax back in my chair again and place my feet back on my desk, but fifteen minutes later, another contraction hits while I'm typing a reply to Elizabeth. When it subsides, I reach into my top drawer and decide I should probably write down the times of each contraction. They're obviously not going to subside since they're getting worse.

Christian is gone for another hour and I have two more contractions while he's gone. All hope that these could be Braxton Hicks is gone and I realize that I am probably in the early stages of labor. The contractions are sparse and don't last long, but they're strong when they do hit.

After Christian comes back, another half an hour goes by without any incident, so I decide to get up to pee. I have yet to tell him anything, because I want to make sure that this is really happening before he starts to freak out. As I stand, it feels like a weird popping sensation between my legs, and as I stand to my full height, I can feel something warm and wet dribble down my left thigh. I stand there, unmoving, not wanting to believe that this is really happening at work.

"Anastasia? What is it?"

"Um, I think my water just broke."