Tonks apparated back home to the flat she and Remus shared. She was tired, grouchy, and angry.

"Do have any idea what my mother said to me?"

He looked up from the papers in front of him and smiled. "I'm guessing she said something to upset you," he said lightly.

"Oh, don't get cute with me, Remus Lupin!"

"Sorry."

"For what?"

"I don't really know."

She sighed and sat down on the sofa. "Sh-she actually had the…the gall to tell me that I need to grow up and stop making my hair 'crazy colors', her words, not mine, because I'm going to be a mother."

Remus rose and crossed to sit beside her. "I'm sure she didn't mean to insult you."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You agree with her, don't you?"

Smiling gently, he slid his hand up into the violet spikes she wore. "Love, I wouldn't change a thing about you, ever."

Tonks sighed again, laying her head on his shoulder. "I know, I'm just…I don't know. I feel like crap."

"Is it your back?"

"It's my back, my stomach, my ankles, my head. I'm fat and tired and I keep tripping more often than I used to. What if I trip and fall on my stomach and hurt the baby?"

"You won't."

"But what if I do? What if I drop the baby? What if there is something wrong with our baby because I keep tripping? What if I hurt him?"

Remus wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head. "Dora, love, listen to me. It is perfectly normal for you to worry like this, but you won't hurt the baby. I promise you. You are going to be a great mother."

"How do you know? You're not a bloody seer!"

"Dora, you're being silly."

She sat up and glared at him. "So now I'm being silly? I'm trying to explain to you how worried I am and you're laughing at me!"

"I'm not laughing at you, I'm trying to reassure you."

"You reassure me by putting me down?"

"I'm not putting you down. I just think you're being hormon…" Remus trailed off and groaned.

"You're about to call me hormonal, weren't you?" Tonks pushed herself to her feet and stood before him.

"No."

"Don't lie to me, Remus John Lupin!"

"It slipped out."

"It slipped out because it's what you really think!"

"Now, come on, Dora, that's just not true." He stood and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "You're tired. Why don't you sit down, relax and I'll make you some tea."

"You're right," she sighed. "I am tired. Tired and hormonal and bitchy and I'm sorry."

Smiling, Remus hugged her. "You have nothing to be sorry for, darling. I'm sorry you were upset."

She tilted her head back and smiled at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He kissed her gently.

"Now, about that tea…"

"I'm on it."

"Is there any of that pudding left?"

"Yes."

"It would go well with tea."

"Yes, I suppose it would."

Tonks stepped back and laid both hands on her slightly swollen stomach. "The baby wants pudding."

He laid his hands on top of hers. "Well, I guess if it's for Junior…"

"Thank you." Tonks sat down on the sofa and propped her feet up on the table. "You can go get it for me while I sit here and grow a human being in my belly."

When Remus returned, carrying a tray laden with two mugs, a tea pot, and two pieces of rhubarb crumble, Tonks had pulled her jumper up, exposing her stomach, and was stroking her bump, talking quietly.

"And then Uncle Sirius and Uncle James and another boy, who shall remain nameless because I don't want to say it, learned to become animagus so they could keep your daddy company when his time of the month came."

"My time of the month?" Remus asked, setting the tray on the table.

"Well, I don't want to worry him, he's too young yet."

"Do you often hold conversations with the little peanut?"

She picked up the pregnancy book her mother had given her and flipped it to the page marked with a bookmark. "It says here his ears are almost completely formed and he is beginning to pick up sounds. I want him to know my voice."

Remus took the book from her and began skimming the page. "Well, if the baby can hear us, should we stop referring to it as a him? What if the baby's a girl, we could be confusing her."

"I read in this one book that if you aren't going to find out the sex of the baby, then you should come up with a name to call the baby, an asexual name. And we're not referring to our baby as 'it'."

"What shall we call him or her then?"

"Let's see, if the baby's a boy, we're calling him Sirius James and if she's a girl, we're calling her Andromeda Theodora."

"So…Siridromeda? Androrius?"

Tonks scowled at him. "If you're not going to take this seriously, then we won't do it at all."

"Of course I'm taking this seriously," he assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "This is the most serious thing to ever happen to me."

"The baby can hear what we're saying, what we're doing now, we have to be careful."

"Dora, love, I don't think we have to worry about editing ourselves just now. The baby can hear noises, but can't quite make out words yet."

"You're mocking me."

"I am not."

"Moony?"

"Hm?"

"We could call the baby Moony, that could be a girl or a boy and it has special meaning."

Remus smiled and nuzzled her neck. "All right then, Little Moony."

"Remus, stop it." Tonks swatted his hand away when he slid it under her shirt.

"Since when are you not in the mood?" He teased, kissing his way up her throat, to her ear.

"Since Little Moony can hear us."

Remus lifted his head and looked at her. "Are you serious?"

Tonks lowered her voice to a whisper. "Can you imagine how damaging it would be to the baby if he/she heard us doing it? What if he/she sees your…you know."

He bit back the urge to laugh when he saw the worried expression she wore. "Dora, you don't need to worry about any of that."

"You're laughing at me."

"Come on, you can't be serious."

Tonks pushed herself to her feet, her hands on her hips, and glared at him. "I can't believe you're laughing at me! I'm only thinking of our child!"

Remus closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He knew her hormones had been running amuck and that she was worrying as all first-time mothers did, but there were times he had to fight the urge to tell her she was being silly. His patience was wearing thin and she was being hypersensitive.

"I think we can…abstain from s-e-x for a few months."

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Did you just spell out the word sex?"

"Shhh." She placed her hands protectively over her stomach. "Come on, Remus, watch what you say in front of the baby!"

"So, we can't talk about sex, but you can yell at me? That won't upset the baby?"

"I'm not yelling. If I have to raise my voice it's to make sure my words penetrate that thick skull of yours!"

Remus rubbed his hand over his face and took a deep breath. "Okay, you're right, you're not yelling. Why don't you sit down, please, and have some tea."

She stood over him, glowering.

"I won't touch you."

"You don't want to touch me?"

"You just told me…" He stopped when he noticed his voice was rising. "Okay, Dora, love, please sit down. You can relax and I'll get my work done, then I'll make some dinner."

"Oh, so now you're too busy for me and our baby!"

"What?"

"I just got home and you can't wait to get away from me. What work do you have to do?"

"Nothing. It's nothing I can't do later. I just thought you'd like some time to relax."

"So now I'm not capable of doing anything other than sitting around, not doing anything!"

"Nymphadora!" Frustrated, Remus jumped to his feet to stand beside her. "You're twisting everything I'm saying. I love you, that's all that is keeping me from completely losing my cool. I just want you to relax, take care of yourself and the baby. I know you're totally capable of doing anything and everything you need to do…"

"Then stop talking down to me! I'm not stupid and I'm not a child!"

"I didn't say you were and I'm not talking down to you!"

"Damnit, Remus! I'm tired and I don't feel well and I'm fat! And I'm only half way through my pregnancy, I can't spend the next few months fighting with you!"

"We're not fighting, Dora. Just tell me, please, what you want me to do."

"Nothing, I don't want you to do anything."

"Do you want me to leave you alone?"

"No."

"So you don't want me to do anything but you don't want me to leave you alone?"

"Yeah! No! Stop playing mind games with me!"

"I'm not playing mind games, I'm trying to figure out what you want from me."

"I don't want anything from you!" She whirled and grabbed a mug from the tray he had carried in and hurled it at the fireplace where it hit the mantle and shattered. "I just…I just want to be myself again and I just want you to be you."

Remus pulled out his wand and repaired the mug, sending it back to the tray.

"I didn't ask you to fix that," Tonks snapped, grabbing the other mug and throwing it at the fireplace. "I don't need you cleaning up after me!"

"Fine!" Remus snatched up the other mug and threw it at the fireplace. "Let's just trash our entire home!"

"Don't you throw my mugs!"

"Your mugs? I'm pretty sure I bought those!"

"Oh, so now nothing is mine! I didn't know you could be so selfish!"

"I didn't know you could be so immature!"

"Immature! How dare you!"

"You're the one yelling at me for no good reason and throwing things!"

"I have plenty of reasons to yell at you! I can't believe you're yelling at me!"

Taking a deep breath, Remus took a moment to compose himself. This was silly. They were arguing over nothing and she should not be this worked up and upset. He lowered his voice and spoke carefully. "Dora, love, I'm sorry for whatever has upset you, really I am, but I can't help you if I'm not sure what has you so upset."

"Why don't you use Occlumency then," she muttered.

"Dora."

With a sigh, Tonks whirled around and stormed down the short hallway to their bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell just happened?" Remus asked. For a moment he stood in silence, trying to figure out what his next step should be. Part of him wanted to run after her, but she was so worked up, she would only yell at him again. Figuring she needed some time to cool off, he cleaned up the broken mugs before returning to his work.

He tried to read through the manuscript his editor had given him to proofread, but he was unable to get past the current page. His mind wandered as he tried to concentrate on the paragraph in front of him. After several minutes, he gave up, threw down his quill and ran his hands through his hair.

Tonks felt terrible. She was tired and embarrassed and frustrated. She knew she had behaved abdominally, Remus did not deserve to be yelled at but something seemed to snap inside her. Part of her wanted to go back out there and apologize, but her embarrassment prevented that.

With a sigh, she stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes.

When she woke nearly an hour later, she wasn't alone. Remus sat beside her, leaning back against the headboard, his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He set aside the manuscript he had been reading and gently ran his hand over her hair.

"Hi there"

"Hi."

"How're you feeling?"

"I-I'm all right."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, I just…"

"Just what?"

Tonks rolled onto her back. "Why do you have to be so damn perfect?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I behaved dreadfully and all you could do was be nice and thoughtful."

"Would you rather I yell at you?"

"Yeah. I was looking for a good, old-fashioned fight."

"I'm not big on fighting."

"I know."

Remus slid down to lie beside her. Bending his elbow, he propped his head on his fist and looked down at her, with his other hand, he gently stroked her cheek. "Tell me what's wrong, Dora."

"I don't know."

"Yes you do and I can't help you until you tell me."

"I'm scared," she admitted quietly. "I don't know anything about babies. What if I drop the baby? What if he won't stop crying? What if there's something wrong? What if I'm a terrible mother? What if I screw up and he grows up to hate me?"

"Dora, every first time mother has worries. You're a wonderful woman and you'll be a terrific mother."

"Don't you worry about anything?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Worry? Geez, Dora, I'm terrified. I live in absolute terror of hurting you or the baby."

"But you have the Wolfsbane potion, you won't hurt us."

"When the moon is full, I am a wild animal. I can't be around either of you. And the days leading up to and after the full moon leave me feeling weak and I'm worried that will prevent me from being of any good use. What part will my condition play in my abilities as a father? What if I can't provide for the two of you? What will having a werewolf for a father mean to the baby? Will he be born with werewolf tendencies? I have a million worries and fears running through my head all the time."

"You feel overwhelmed?"

"You have no idea how much."

Tonks slid closer and laid her head on his shoulder. "I've been feeling so alone."

"You're never alone, Dora, you have me."

"I know. I'm just feeling so many different things at once and then my mother had to say something like that, like the fact that I change my hair will make me a bad mother."

Remus slowly stroked his hand up and down her back. "I don't think she meant it that way, love."

"I just want everything to be perfect."

"Nothing is ever perfect and if it was, life would be so boring."

"I haven't really been around that many babies, I don't know what I'm doing."

"Neither do I."

She sighed and wrapped her arm across her stomach. "What have we gotten ourselves in to?"

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I've been asking myself that since the day I met you."

"I don't want to go the next few months without being intimate with you," she said quietly.

"We don't have to. I've been reading up on pregnancy as well and it is perfectly safe for you and the baby."

She lifted her head and looked down at him. "I'm sorry I behaved so dreadfully earlier."

"I know, love, I'm sorry you were upset."

"I don't even know what we were fighting about."

"I think you just needed to vent a little."

"I shouldn't have vented it all on you."

"You can vent on me whenever you need to."

She leaned over and kissed him gently. "Thank you, Remus."

"You don't need to thank me, I love you."

She lowered her head to his chest. "You don't need to worry about hurting us, you've never hurt anyone, you're so careful."

"Dora?"

"Hm?"

"I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"If…if anything should happen while I'm transformed, you have to look out for yourself and the baby. No matter what you need to do, you'll stop me."

Tonks hesitated before answering. She knew what he was asking of her and she wasn't sure she could promise him that.

"Dora, I'm serious."

"I know you are, it's just that you're asking a lot of me."

"Nymphadora."

She sighed. "I'll do whatever I need to do. For the baby."

"I know you will. You'll be a terrific mother."

Tonks rolled onto her back and laid her hands on her stomach. "I'm still scared."

"So am I." Remus rolled over on his side and laid his hand on top of hers. "You're really starting to show."

She pulled her jumper up to expose her belly. "I know, I'm so excited. Now comes the fun part where people start asking me when I'm due and do I know what I'm having and do I have any names picked out."

"You are such an attention hog," he teased.

"Of course I am. But I think I deserve it."

Remus slid down the bed and over her, bracing himself on his arms. He pressed a line of kisses across her stomach. "Yes, I suppose you do."

Tonks combed her fingers through his thick, sandy colored hair. "I love you."

He nuzzled her belly. "Me too. And little Moony."

"He can hear you."

Remus lifted his head and looked down at her stomach. "Hi, Little Moony, um, I'm not quite sure what to say. Um, I'm your daddy and I love you very much. You're one lucky kid, you've got yourself a great mum, she's beautiful and funny and sweet." His hoarse voice thickened. "And I love her very much too."

Current Day

"That was not our first fight," Remus said as he followed her from the kitchen to the parlor,

Tonks sat on the sofa in front of the crackling fire, tucking her legs under her and accepting the hot mug of tea he offered. "Yes it was."

He sat beside her, sliding his arm across the back of the couch behind her. "Are you serious? We fought several times before we even dated."

"That was before we dated, so they don't count. What fight are you thinking of?"

He sipped his tea and thought a moment. "Well, there was that terrible fight where I almost blew everything."

She scowled. "I don't like to think about that one."

"I thought you'd never forgive me."

"I almost didn't. No, this was our first fight as a married couple. Our first few of months after getting married, everything was perfect, then you pissed me off."

"You were over-emotional and hormonal. Everything pissed you off."

"Prat," she muttered as she settled against him.

"Remember the fight we had over buying a muggle car?"

Tonks giggled. "Yes. And we got the car and we made up in the backseat."

"I still think it was a massive waste of money."

"I enjoy driving."

"But it is such a slow and unnecessary form of transportation."

"Maybe, but we still have fun with it. What about the time you wanted to move?"

Remus shrugged. "We were outgrowing this house."

"No we weren't! I love this place, it's our home, it's where our children grew up and it's where they'll come back to visit and bring their families. I like that it's cozy and…"

"Dora," he interrupted, a smile on his lips. "Let's not start this argument again, we're not moving. What was it about that fight that has stuck out in your memory?"

She laid her head on his shoulder. "When I woke up, I was embarrassed and scared and you were there. You always find a way to make me feel better, more secure. You just make things better."

Remus tilted his head to rest it on top of hers. "You just make my life better."

Tonks reached across him and set her mug on the end table. She slid her hands over his chest and up around his neck, bringing his head down to meet his lips with her own. Somehow, without her realizing it, she found herself lying back on the sofa with Remus stretched out on top of her. His mouth moved over her face, down her throat. He laced his fingers through hers and stretched their arms above her head as he moved back up to kiss her again.

Neither of them noticed the flame in the fireplace shoot up and turn a bright shade of green. Nor did they hear Snuffles' as the dog raced into the room.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!"

Remus lifted his head and they both turned to see their daughter standing in front of the fireplace, dusting soot off her clothes. A moment later, Sirius appeared.

"Are they at it again?" He asked his sister as he shook ash from his hair.

"Looks like it," Andi mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Remus sat up and ran his hands over his hair, trying to smooth it down. "How're the Potters?"

"They're fine."

"How was work?" Tonks asked as she straightened her shirt, hoping to appear nonchalant.

"It was fine," Sirius replied, trying to not laugh. "How was your day?"

"Fine, fine."

"All right, so your mother and I were kissing," Remus said. "It's nothing unusual, so let's just all be mature about this and pretend you didn't see anything."

Andi flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked past them toward the kitchen. "No one likes to come home to see their parents snogging on the couch like a couple of teenagers."

"She's just jealous because she's not snogging with someone on the couch like a couple of teenagers," Sirius whispered.

"Sirius James Luipn, I don't want to hear you talking about your sister like that!" Tonks called after him as he jogged up the stairs to his room.

"Does it ever frighten you to think of how much he's like his namesake?" Remus asked.

"More than you will ever know."

AN: This is the end...for now. I have had so much fun writing this story and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read and review my story. I might add more chapters if the muse strikes, but for now, my muse is taking me in a different direction.

Thank you guys!!