Disclaimer: None of the Benedicts/the Savant World belong to me – all rights to Joss Stirling :)

Chapter Eighteen

„Crap, I'm scared. "

„You're scared? Why the hell are you scared? She's my mother, she'll shout at me."

"Rubbish, she'll yell at the both of us. I'm family now, remember?"

Xav ponders on that for a moment before he finally nods and raises his arm to knock on the door.

"Wait!"

He freezes as if I've just pulled a gun on him.

"Which way were we going to tell them? Wedding and then baby or baby and then wedding?"

"Cupcake, we practiced our monologue for about five hours on the car journey over here – how could you forget?"

Seeing my helpless pout, he pulls me into a comforting hug before holding me at arm's length and nodding his head firmly at every word he says.

"First wedding, then baby. Otherwise she'll think we just got married for the baby and then she'll pull Will and Kira and Jimmy into it and then go on to say how extraordinarily traditional Yves and Phee are being about this and-"

He's cut off by a very annoyed Yves opening the door.

"This house has amazingly thin walls. You're lucky that the rest of the family is in the kitchen with them all making enough noise to cover your pathetic discussion."

"Why, hello there, little brother! A bit cranky, are we?"

I slap Xav's stomach and pull Yves into a quick hug before following the smell of delicious stew. Damn, I'm starving.

"Dearly beloved-"

"Shut up, Xav. Act normal, won't you?"

"Fine. Listen up, folks. Crystal and I have something to say to y'all."

The clatter of cutlery and dishes being passed across the table dies down immediately and thirteen pairs of expectant eyes are now trained on us.

"Crystal and I are married."

Way to get straight to the point.

Best to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Such a romantic, you really are amazing.

"Nice try, dude" Zed smirks as he helps himself to more potatoes. "Crystal's only wearing an engagement ring. You won't be able to escape the wedding mania."

I see a flicker of hope returning in Karla's eyes but Xav nods at me and I know we have to do it. Simultaneously, Xav and I reach into the necks of our t-shirts and pull out our wedding rings on the chains we've kept them on for the past couple of months. Phee tries to keep an encouraging expression but Yves just has that 'You're screwed, man' face all over him.

The silence becomes close to unbearable as I search everybody's face for a reaction. That is until Karla gets up and leave. Xav and I exchange a worried glance before Saul follows his wife out, sending Xav and me an unreadable expression.

"Dude, you freaking serious?" Will asks as he starts picking up the plates and putting them in the sink.

"At least with Kira and me she still has hope."

"C'mon, Will. It's not like we were the only unmarried couple left in the family. She'll have plenty opportunities to organise a wedding."

"How long?" Uriel asks.

"Four months" I say timidly and close my eyes as the others let out gasps and defeated sighs.

At that moment, Saul re-enters the kitchen and nods at Xav and me.

"She wants to talk to the both of you."

Xav and I quickly scramble out of our seats and hurry down the hall.

"Kids!" Saul calls after us. "Congratulations." He says and gives us the whisper of a smile.

Karla is sitting on one of the beanbags in the living room and as she turns towards, a surge of guilt runs through me when I see the tear streaks on her cheeks.

"We're really sorry, Karla. We-"

"Why?"

"I- It was very spontaneous, Mom. We wanted it just to be the two of us."

"Am I really that bad? At organizing?"

"No!" I rush in and put my arm around her. "You're the most amazing party planner we know. It was just – I wanted to be Xav's wife as soon as possible, he wanted to be my husband as soon as possible, it just- We're really sorry."

Karla manages a smile and reaches over to stroke Xav's cheek.

"My dear boy. Married and all. I'm really proud of you two. Congratulations!"

"Thank you." We both smile at each other and as Xav leans over to press a kiss against my forehead, Karla grins.

"Now, let's go back before that pie gets cold." She lifts herself off the beanbag but before she can open the living room door, Xav and I exchange one look and I speak up.

"Talking of party planning…" Karla turns back around with a suspicious look in her eyes. "How would you like to organize a baby shower in about five months?"

"I knew it!" Her shriek of glee is drowned out by the sound of twelve people bursting into the room, arms outstretched for a hug and congratulations.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Xav says as he slips into bed and spoons me.

"Hhmm." I murmur and slip his arm around my torso so that it rests on my stomach.

"Can you tell us how the little bugger is doing?"

"The little princess is doing absolutely fine, Cupcake."

"It's so not going to be a girl. I can feel it."

"It is so going to be a girl. I can feel it."

"Well, you don't have our baby kicking around in your stomach, so you can't feel it."

Xav presses a kiss against the back of my neck and whispers those magical words into my mind like a kind of lullaby.

Our baby. I like the sound of that.

You better, we made it.

How actually?
Well, you see, when a man and woman love each other-

I mean, when? We were pretty careful all the time.

Must have been that time you were particularly stressed out about the whole court business and I offered to help.

Xav chuckles into my hair and I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be than with my husband's arms around me and our unborn child.

I'm aware of the cheesiness at the end but I thought they deserved a bit of cheese before it gets dramatic. I tried to portray Karla as how I would feel if my child didn't involve me in their wedding so sorry if it is a bit OOC – I really couldn't think of anything she would yell about… Next chapter will be up if I reach 90 reviews so keep 'em coming :)