blackamber- This was a fun one...

Courtney- Why'd Tala talk to Amy in Russian before they made love?

blackamber- Well, I was thinking to myself, if I were to have someone speak to me in any language in the world while making- or before making- love, it would be Russian, so I decided that he would.

Courtney- interesting...

Sadie- (calls from outside my room) Am I allowed back in the room now?

blackamber- Yup, remember kids, love making is for adults XD

Courtney- You say that, you made Amy pregnant and making love to Tala at age 17... she's younger than you!

blackamber- That's besides the point

Brook- Usual disclaimer

Amy woke up the same way she usually did during these final months of her pregnancy. Exhausted and to the firm kicking of the little brat inside her- or to a horribly painful contraction. She urges for the most ridiculous things and soon found herself losing her voice from picking fights with people and coaching Sadie.

The Carters extended family (which is what we will call Claire, Brook, Amy and them) were not overly heartbroken as Amy's voice began to dissipate. Norah and Claire felt sorry for her, because they knew how hormonal she was right now and yelling made it somewhat better- as long as it wasn't a stressful argument that she got herself in. However, the silence didn't last long, for her voice returned the following week.

For the past few weeks, Norah was on a mission; convince Amy to agree to an ultra sound. And she had almost achieved said goal, had Tala not stepped in. Although he was curious, he was not about to do let Norah get away with convincing Amy to do something she didn't want to do.

Amy was eternally grateful that he had come, regardless of what she had said to Courtney, Melissa, Kaylie, and Sadie about going behind her back on matters such as this. She watched him sleep as her alarm clock flashed the numbers 4:23. Unable to stop herself, she ran her fingers diligently along his hairline. He grunted a little in his sleep, and scrunched his face slightly, but did not wake.

Amy narrowed her eyes, another mood swing taking control. If she couldn't sleep, why should he? She stroked him again, this time not taking any precautions about not disturbing his sleep. Tala scrunched his face once more, groaned and rolled over, so that he was facing her. Slowly he opened one eye and stared at her.

"In your own words," he began, "some of us are trying to sleep."

She knew he was teasing, and for that she refused, under any circumstances to let another mood swing react for her. "Really," she said, kissing him lightly, and quoting his own words, "I hadn't noticed."

He grinned, for a moment forgetting her 'condition' and pulled her roughly too him. His eyes widened as he felt her stomach against him and panicked, dropping his grip around her, "Sorry, I… I-"

She placed a finger to his lips, "It's alright, no harm done."

He slid his hand over the swell, as he often does. It was as if part him didn't really believe that there was a baby- his baby- in there. It was kinda soothing to feel the tiny kick against his hand, though he couldn't imagine how painful it must be for Amy. He rested his head against her stomach, smiling.

"What are you doing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This," he said, giving the bump a kiss before going up to her eye level and giving her a kiss as well. "What time is it anyway?" he asked.

"Umm… past four," Amy replied sheepishly.

Tala groaned, "You woke me up at four? Why?" he dreaded the answer, wondering if it was for one of her weird cravings.

"No reason," she responded.

"So… why can't I go back to sleep?" he asked, once again dreading the answer.

"I don't see why you get to sleep when I can't," she stated, a little agitated.

Tala's brows creased, "Are you alright? Did something happen to-"

"It's fine… just another contraction," she stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course, if it's not your weird cravings it's the kid kicking, if it's not the kid it's the contractions, I get it," Tala joked sarcastically, suddenly thinking that the kid could not be born quick enough.

As if proving his point, Amy winced heavily. "Every time that I think I'm finally getting used to the contractions, I'll have one that's at least ten times worse than the last."

"Are they supposed to be that bad?"

She shrugged, "Derek says it's normal."

"Of course, and since Derek says it's normal it has to be okay," grumbled Tala.

"He is a doctor," Amy reminded.

"I'm going to ask Claire's husband, he's the baby doctor."

"He's not a baby doctor, he's a doctor for pregnant women."

"Even more of a reason to ask him. Derek is just a doctor, Claire's husband is specifically for people like you."

"That makes me sound like a completely different race of human," Amy said, unimpressed by his choice of words. "And I'm more comfortable with Derek, I've known him longer. I was very against it when Derek told me Matthew was going to be delivering the baby."

"Is he qualified for that? I thought you said he was only for pregnant women?"

"That is part of his job… he can't just take care of pregnant women and then run away the moment they go into labor." She wasn't really in the mood to explain it all to Tala, especially when he was in paranoid mode.

"So what happens when… uh… you know…"

"I go into labor?" she put extra emphasis on the word since he seemed so uncomfortable with it. Honestly, for someone who was two years older than her he could really act childish.

"Yeah, that…"

"Well, I go through a lot of pain, curse everything in the world, curse you a lot more, and break your hand," Amy said, listing the things off on her hand, "according to Claire. Though, in Claire's case she broke Derek's hand 'cause Matthew was a little preoccupied with delivering their son."

Tala paled slightly, "You think I could, possibly, become a doctor like Matthew in less than two months and then take his place?"

"I think you'd faint the moment you had to go into action," Amy said truthfully, with a teasing grin, "it's not a pretty sight… and I may have exaggerated a little."

"I thought so, there's no way you could break my hand," Tala grinned.

"Oh no, I will break your hand… unless Norah tells you that you're not allowed in the room, I meant I probably won't curst the world," Amy clarified.

"Why would she do that?"

"'Cause she's crazy like that. She didn't let Derek in with her, according to Claire and Matthew."

"Huh… and yet Claire was different?"

"Claire's husband was delivering the baby and she demanded to have someone's hand she could break that she wouldn't feel guilty about afterwards… so Norah called Derek in."

Tala sighed taking her hand.

"What's wrong?"

"I want you to squeeze it as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"To see if you can actually break it. I'm not going to let Norah chase me out when you have the kid."

Amy sighed, beginning to squeeze his hand.

"Is that the best you can do? And you said you could break my hand," he sneered, kissing her.

"Women get monstrous strength when they are in pain, you have been fore warned," Amy retorted.

"Whatever you say, weakling." He kissed her again and then asked, "Can I go back to sleep now?"

Amy closed her eyes, thinking. "Okay… but I don't see the point of it."

"Why?"

"Well, now that I have your hand, the next contraction I have I'm going to squeeze it to release my pain onto you," Amy said grinning like a child at Christmas, "I will show you that I am no weakling."

Tala groaned again in mild frustration. Truthfully, he was wide-awake now, there was no way he was going back to sleep.

"Hey… what's with you today?" Brook asked, noticing the exhausted looking Tala who lumbered into the kitchen.

"Amy woke me up around 4:30 this morning and wouldn't let me go back to sleep," he grumbled.

"Welcome to the life of an expecting father," she teased.

"She didn't do this before," he argued.

"Her contractions weren't as bad before."

"She's just trying to get back at me for what I said before she came here."

"I assure you that she's not," Brook laughed, "she's just in a lot of pain, and since you're the one who technically did this to her, she's letting you feel it too. It could also be the act of her mood swings." She shrugged at the last part, not entirely sure of the theory.

Tala slumped his head against the table, "You think she'd notice if I went back to bed?"

"She will now," Amy's voice came from behind him.

"After this, if you ever get pregnant again give me a heads up so that I can escape to an island until the nine months are over," requested Tala.

"If I have to suffer, you do to," she countered.

"I knew it! This is to spite me!" he exclaimed.

"You're being more dramatic than ever," Kai stated, entering the question, "are you sure it is my sister who's pregnant?"

"Kai be nice," scolded Amy as Tala glared at him.

"Just wait till you have a woman who's expecting, then you won't be laughing," Tala growled.

Amy began to have a giggling fit.

"What's so funny?" both Kai and Brook asked as Tala just gave her a questioning look.

"Kai… with a girlfriend…" was all Amy could say before she broke down again.

"Hey!" Kai snapped as Tala too began to laugh.

"Don't blame them Kai, they're running low on energy and need easy laughs," Courtney said, trying to stop herself from laughing as well.

Kai narrowed his eyes at the younger Tate sibling, hearing the insult that she tried to hide.

"You see, that look is exactly why they're laughing," she continued.

Kai got up from the table, "I'm going bey battle outside."

"Oh, I'll come too!" Sadie exclaimed, bouncing into the kitchen.

"Be careful Kai, she might try something," Amy teased earning a deep blush from the ten year old who obviously had a childish crush on her brother.

"I-I just think it might be good practice," Sadie countered.

Kai just gave Amy a confused look, and left.

"H-hey Kai! Wait up!" Sadie yelled, running after him.

"It's a good thing Kai's not interested or I would have to beat his head in," Amy calmly stated.

"Why?" Brook asked.

"She is much too young for him."

Tala chuckled, "I don't think your brother is in to women just yet, he's stuck in 'girls carry cooties' mode still."

"All the better," Amy grinned, before laughing again, "though I seriously think he needs a woman, maybe he won't be such a jerk with one."

"One can hope," Tala muttered.

"Oh! We should try to hook him up with someone!" Amy suddenly exclaimed, earning a look from a certain boy beside her.

"It's just the mood swing talking," Brook explained, "she won't actually go through with it."

"That's what you think," Amy said, "c'mon Tala, it'll be fun!"

"I'm not listening to your ideas of fun until the kid is born," Tala stated, "the last thing you said would be fun was a chick-flick, and you hate those!"

"But this one would really be fun, please Tala," Amy begged.

"Let's wait a few months, then decide whether or not we really want to get murdered by your brother for playing matchmaker."

"He won't mind," Amy said.

"If you want to go through with it, go right ahead," Tala sighed, "just keep me out of it, your brother already hates me enough I don't want to give him yet another reason to send me to an early grave."

"If he tries anything, I'll tell him it was my idea," Amy bartered, pouting slightly. "Please baby."

Tala looked at her, feeling very turned on. She had used the very same tone that she did when they were… No keep a straight mind. You are not going to bend to this time, it's too ridiculous. "If you really want to do this to Kai, ask Brook or Courtney to help you, they'd be better at it anyway."

"Aww, but I-" Amy froze in mid sentence and stiffened, brushing her stomach. "Brook… get Derek and Matthew… now…"

"Aim… what's wrong?" Brook asked.

"Just get them please…" she was stunned. It was Tala who had talked to Derek about everything regarding the contractions and premature births, not her. He had just told her it was normal, not what it meant.

"Amy?" Of course Tala was worried, she had just been trying to coax him to play matchmaker and now she was as pale as a sheet and stiff.

"Tala… I think…" she paused hearing Brook leave the room and calling for Derek and asking where Claire and Matthew would be right now so that she could call them.

"What is it?" he pressed.

"Ithinkmywaterjustbroke," she said quickly, feeling a little embaressed.

Courtney gaped at her, choking on the organge juice she was in the process of swallowing.

"W-what?" Tala asked, blinking at her, hoping he had heard wrong.

"I think," she paused again, "my water just broke."

He hadn't.

blackamber- Uh-oh... hehehe I'm evil aren't I?

Sadie- Yes you are

Tala- (stunned and frozen... much like how he was when he discovered he was going to be a father)

blackamber-We need to fix that... Amy can you-

Amy- You jerk! I'm going into labor and you are requesting something from me! I HATE YOU! I HOPE YOU DIE!

blackamber- (blank stare... then takes out notebook) Note to self, never approach angry pregnant women who are going into labor with requests regarding their baby's father...

Bryan- R&R since I didn't get to read an announcement today