Author's Note
OK: I'd like, no, love to thank laurazuleta18 for helping me pick out some names, so, kisses and dedication to her! Mwah!
Also, special thanks to CherryCrush101 since she reviewed, like, a gajillion of my chapters & Gryffindor Gurl2 for being with the story since day UNO. That's a lot of days, yo.
Also, happy late 17th birthday to my sister Erin. Chyeah!
This is the second to last chapter, and next is the epilogue with the birth and et cetera. This is seventeen pages freaking long, so enjoy while I go mend my sore cracking fingers. :D
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Feared and Revered Twilight!
Mamma Mia!
Horror washed over me as numbers flew through my head, tracking down when I was supposed to have had my period. Unbelieving, I went over those numbers over and over, always coming up with the same result. I was supposed to start two weeks ago. How could I have not noticed this sooner?
"Cassie? Cassie?" Paul waved his hand in front of me, concern lacing his words. "Cassie? Are you okay?" I blinked once, then twice, unfreezing from my rigid stance.
"We need," I croaked distraughtly, "to go to the pharmacy." Paul's eyes widened.
"Are you sick?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed in unease.
"I think I'm going to be very soon," I joked halfheartedly. Paul, not quite getting the joke, widened his eyes even more, but said nothing as he ushered me to his truck. The ride was tense with apprehension. I could see it on Paul by the way his back was painfully erect and how his knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel, barely blinking as he drove us to our destination.
Paul moved to unbuckle his seat belt, but I stopped him, shaking my head. "I've got it; just stay here." He opened his mouth to protest, but stopped and pulled out his wallet.
"How much do you need?" Paul asked warily. I thought for a moment, not quite sure how much pregnancy tests cost.
"Forty bucks," I said. Paul didn't even bat an eye, already pulling out the money. I grabbed it from him, dodging his curious glances and hopped out of the truck. I made a quick dash inside the tiny pharmacy and immediately searched the aisles. At the very back—very appropriately, I thought—were the pregnancy kits, alongside the mountains of birth control. I plucked several from the shelf and hurried back to the register.
The cashier tentatively picked up one of the blue boxes, raising her eyebrow in distaste at the little pile. I blushed brightly as she rung them up, placing them in a brown paper bag.
"That'll be thirty-five dollars, miss," she said in palpable disdain, and I handed her the two twenty dollar bills. The woman handed me back the change and practically shoved the offensive bag into my arms.
I jogged back outside, the bag tucked beneath my arm. I hopped back into the truck, handing back the change.
"Are you going to tell me what you bought?" Paul asked, cranking the key in the ignition. I could tell that he was irritated, but I just shook my head.
"I'll tell you when we get home," I said nervously, wincing under Paul's critical glare.
The ride was short, and I could tell that Paul had purposely increased the speed of the truck to get back to the house quicker. I ducked my head as I slid out of the car, making a run for the door. I heard Paul right behind me as I pushed open the door and made my way towards the bathroom door. Paul caught the back of my shirt, pulling me backwards toward him. I tried to pull harder, and even contemplated slipping out of my shirt to escape him, but thought better of it.
"What," Paul said in a low, severe voice, "is in that bag?"
"Nothing," I squeaked, my face flushing red. Paul scowled fiercely down at me, his eyes glittering dangerously.
"Nothing," he repeated flatly, and I nodded. "Well, if that's the case, you shouldn't mind if I take a quick look."
"Paul! Don't!" Paul, despite my warnings, deftly snatched the bag from beneath my arm and wrenched it open. At first, he just looked confused at the rectangular boxes, and he picked one up, flipping it over to see the cover. It was almost comical when recognition dawned on Paul's face. His jaw dropped, his eyes widening significantly. It was rather scary when he didn't move.
"Paul?" I whispered, nudging his shoulder.
"You're pregnant?" Paul croaked. When I didn't answer, Paul looked away from the box and down at me. "You're pregnant?"
"Might," I stressed, wringing my hands and biting my lip. It didn't help remove the astonished look plastered all over his face, just staring down at me with an almost awed expression.
"Well, while you stand there and make an even bigger ass out of yourself, I'll be taking the pregnancy test," I snapped, snatching the box away from him and turning on heel. Paul caught my shirt again and pulled me back, gently, this time.
"What if you are pregnant?" Paul asked softly. I stared at him, my blood boiling.
"What about it?" I spat nastily.
"I mean, what are we going to do?" he asked, and I could only shrug my shoulders rigidly. I, truthfully, didn't know what to do. Paul was quiet for moment before he brushed a stray strand of hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear, smiling softly down at me.
"Go take the test, and we'll see where it goes." He bent down and brushed his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and applied pressure while secretly hoping that, whatever the result may be, everything would turn out okay.
--
I glanced at the watch on my wrist, tapping my fingers against the countertop nervously. Just another minute and a half to go.
It was a very nerve wracking process, indeed, and I couldn't even begin to guess why people buy these little sticks of doom. All this waiting time was enough to cause a heart attack.
I glanced back at my watch again, moaning when I saw only five seconds had passed. A minute and twenty-five seconds to go.
What if I really was pregnant? Could Paul and I even deal with that right now? Did he even want kids this early in the relationship? Questions buzzed through my head, making me dizzy with confusion.
Was I even good with kids? I thought so, but I had a feeling that I hadn't quite seen all that applies to having children. My mother, in one of her many tries to convince me to have kids, had gone into full detail of the months of pregnancy, cravings, hormones, labor, and life afterwards. While she had tried to write it off as a 'good thing' and 'something every good child should do at least a dozen times to make their mother oh-so-very-happy', it sounded like pure hell to me, and I didn't know if I could take it, or even want to be pregnant.
My stomach dropped as I glanced at my watch again. Fifteen seconds to go.
Would Paul be okay if I were pregnant? Would he stay with me, or would he just up and leave like so many unready fathers? I felt sick at the last thought, and hoped desperately that that wouldn't be the case with him. Paul was a good man; he would take care of us.
My minutes of hell were finally up, and I, ever so slowly, looked down at the results.
If it's blue, you're screwed.
--
I stepped out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind me with a soft clicking noise. I padded to the living room where Paul was sitting with his head lolled back and eyes firmly shut. As I came closer, Paul straightened up to look at me with a mixture of anxiety and fear. I smiled nervously as I sat down beside him.
"Hey, dad," I said softly. Paul wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer so that I could curl into his side. I felt his hand slip under my shirt to touch my stomach cautiously, and I placed my hand on top of his hand.
"You're not going to feel anything yet," I joked quietly.
"I just," Paul said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat, almost in an embarrassed way. "I just can't believe I'm going to be a dad."
"Better believe it," I said grumpily, thumping his chest for good measure. Paul chuckled and kissed the top of my head. I yawned quietly, nestling down further into his side. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and placed it on top of us.
"When are we going to tell the others?" I asked sleepily, eyes fluttering shut. I felt Paul shrug beside me.
"Not sure," Paul mumbled, tracing abstract patterns on my stomach.
I rolled my eyes. "Some boyfriend you are."
--
"What if it's a girl? What are some good names?" I asked. Paul looked up at the ceiling, thinking.
"I like Riley," he said thoughtfully. I wrinkled up my nose at the name. "What? What's wrong with Riley?"
"It's just…I don't know…Riley," I repeated. Paul rolled his eyes at me.
"Okay. Since you're the master of names, what would you name her?"
"Well, it certainly wouldn't be Riley," I said, ignoring the glare Paul was sending me. "I would name her Scarlett, of course." Paul snorted, and I slapped his chest.
"What's wrong with Scarlett?" I questioned, slightly offended.
"Scarlett?" Paul asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "Are you serious? That's, like, the most stuck up name in the world."
"Fine," I huffed, still offended. "Scarlett's out."
"Damn straight it is. Now, how about Lakota?" Paul suggested. I thought about it critically, trying to picture our baby girl Lakota. I could see Paul holding a little girl with russet skin and the cutest smile, and warmness pooled in my belly.
"I like it," I said finally, and Paul beamed triumphantly. "Now, for the boy names. I like Shane."
"No," Paul said firmly. "No Shane."
"Why not?" I whined, resisting the urge to smack him.
"Because Shane is just…" Paul trailed off, shuddering.
"You shouldn't vibrate like that," I said spitefully. "We don't want another earthquake, do we?" Paul looked down at me with an exasperated expression.
"Well, how about Howard?" he asked, and I gagged.
"Howard?" I repeated disbelievingly, and Paul glared at me.
"After my grandfather," he said, and I shook my head. "Why not?"
"Because," I paused, trying to find a valid excuse as to why I wouldn't let him name our child after his favorite grandfather, "because…well, Howard reminds me of a duck." There was a long silence, and I could feel Paul radiating disbelief.
"A duck." Paul repeated flatly.
"Yes. A duck."
"…A duck?" Paul looked at me like I was insane, or, at the very least, a hormonal pregnant girlfriend.
"Yes," I affirmed. Paul just stared at me incredulously, his eye twitching every few seconds.
"…What's wrong with ducks?" Paul asked, and I groaned in annoyance.
"Now you're questioning my aversion of ducks?"
"Well, yeah," Paul said. "They're nice animals; I see at least a couple every time I go patrolling with the guys."
"Nice to see they have you fooled, but I bet when you turn your bushy tail to them, they point and laugh at you," I grumbled, ignoring Paul's thunderous laugh.
Howard's a stupid name.
--
"Cassie! Celebrate with us!" Kim said, popping open an expensive wine bottle. I simply shook my head, flipping a page in a magazine.
"Could you get me some water, instead?" I asked absently, engrossed in an article. Patrick Dempsey and his wife splitting? Huh. I wonder if would he mind having a pregnant girlfriend who was already in a relationship?
"Water?" Al scoffed. "We're celebrating my engagement, and all you want is water in a freaking bottle?"
"Yeah," I snapped, barely looking up from the article. There was disappointed grumbling from the women.
"Here," Kim said, pouting at me as she placed the water beside me. "Are you sure you don't want any? I heard that it was excellent."
"I'm sure." I took a sip of the water, flipping the page. The article with Patrick wasn't any good—the rumors weren't even confirmed, much less based on solid fact. I guess I don't have a chance of being his mistress, after all.
"Well, you're not going to see me passing up any alcoholic beverage," Leah jested, taking a swig from a glass Kim had given her. Tommy sighed gloomily beside her.
"How come I get stuck with the women?" he complained, scowling.
"Because you're human and you can't morph into a giant wolf," Al pointed out, making Tommy scowl even more.
"I remember when Jared first told me about the pack," Kim reminisced. "What and exciting time in my life."
"Well, I recall that you freaked out and hit him over the head with a frying pan," Leah chuckled, taking another gulp as Kim glared.
"I may have, but at least I didn't faint," she said, sending a pointed glance in Tommy's direction. I choked on my water, trying to fend off the giggles and the misplaced water.
"I didn't faint," Tommy said, annoyed. "I just had a momentary lapse of balance, is all."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Leah had to splash you with ice-cold water to help you get your balance back, if I recall correctly." There were high giggles around the room as Tommy slumped in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting like a petulant child.
"I can't wait until the wedding," Al sighed, smiling with a dreamy expression. Leah rolled her eyes as Kim and Emily giggled.
"You don't know the true meaning of happiness until your married," Kim quoted, grinning.
"And by then, it's too late!" Emily said, laughing loudly. Must be the wine. Amongst the tittering and much eye rolling from Tommy and Leah, Al pushed the wine bottle towards me, smiling mischievously.
"Join in on the fun, Cass," she said, winking. "It's not every day we get to drink like this." But I shook my head, taking a dainty sip of water.
"Nah, I'm good." I looked up to see Al staring at me critically, gauging my expression. My face tinged pink as I fought off the sneaking suspicion that she knew. She couldn't have; there's no way she could.
Luckily, Al just nodded, pulling the wine back to herself. "Suit yourself."
--
"They're here!" Al sang, throwing open the front door and throwing herself into Embry's arms. I heard jeers, inside and outside of the house.
"Aw, move it, man!" Quil said from behind Embry. "You're blocking me from my food!"
"Yeah!" Jared chorused, pushing past the two and making his way towards Kim, picking her up off of the ground and kissing her. Quil gagged loudly as he edged through, already on his way to the kitchen. Paul came in next, coming into the living room and sitting beside me.
"Hey," I said, kissing his cheek. Paul turned to his lips caught mine, and I heard more gagging from the kitchen.
"I have excellent hearing, Paul!" Quil hollered from the kitchen, his voice garbled by what I could only guess as food. Paul pulled away from me, rolling his eyes, but still smiling. Subtly, so that no one could see, he slipped his hand quickly over my stomach and then quickly pulling back. Heat flooded my cheeks and I laid my head onto his chest.
"So, what should we watch?" Emily asked, holding up two DVDs. Paul shrugged, stretching his legs out further.
"They both look equally boring," he said in a disinterested voice. Emily scowled at him before turning to Seth, who had just skulked in from outside.
"Which one?" Emily asked, holding up the cases for his examination. Seth scowled uncharacteristically, not even bothering to answer her question. Luckily, Quil saved him from that, barging into the living room with food in his mouth.
"Mgfhgrm!"
"Swallow your food, Quil," Emily scolded. Quil glared at her, but did as he was told.
"I said, No chick flicks!" Quil repeated, waving his arms about for emphasis, nearly whacking Al as she tried to slide past him. Embry growled, thumping Quil on his head in warning. Emily narrowed her eyes, but otherwise ignored him and popped in a disk.
"We'll watch The Notebook," she said firmly, sitting down beside Sam. There was a chorus of groans from the guys, which was quickly silenced by Emily's fierce glare and Kim's threatening glance. Embry flicked off the lights and sat down on the floor with Al, draping his arm over her shoulders and resting his head atop hers.
As the credits started, Paul whispered in my ear, "Did you tell them?" I winced lightly, before shaking my head. He groaned quietly. "Why not?"
"Waiting for the right time," I whispered back.
"Shh!" Emily hissed at us, immediately silencing the both of us. Paul snaked his arm around my waist, his hand resting on my stomach yet again. I blushed and focused on the movie.
Or, at least I tried to.
Every time I would start to get absorbed into the movie, Paul would do something to yank me back into the real world, leaving me with butterflies in my stomach. First, it was understated: a simple movement of his hand, or a shifting in position so that, somehow, he would be even closer to me. Then, as the movie progressed, so did his actions. Paul nuzzled my neck where he knew I was extra sensitive. I twitched in my seat, trying to decide whether I should smack him and leave in an indignant huff or to just attack the sexy man. Not knowing what to do, I sat extra still in my spot.
Paul, so quickly that it startled me, scraped his teeth against the sensitive junction between my neck and shoulder.
"Eep!" I squeaked. Several faces immediately looked in my direction at the loud sound, and I flushed a bright red. "I-I thought I saw something," I said lamely, pinching Paul's side as he chuckled into my neck.
"My child has no father," I hissed under my breath, making him laugh even harder.
--
"Cassie, could I talk to you for a moment," Seth said, not quite asking. Paul stiffened at his tone, but I just patted—or groped—his washboard abs in reassurance and followed Seth to the abnormally empty kitchen. I sat in one of the swivel chairs, twisting side to side in boredom.
"What'd you want?" I asked cheerfully. Seth slapped his palm onto the arm of the chair, stopping me from spinning. He looked down at me, a desperate glint in his eyes. "God, you look terrible," I couldn't help but add as I took in his appearance. Seth chuckled wryly, running a hand through his already untidy hair.
"I feel terrible," he said, chuckling quietly. "Cassie, have I asked you for anything? Ever?"
"Yes," I said immediately, pursing my lips. Seth blanched at my quick answer.
"Okay, but what I mean is that I haven't asked for a lot—"
"Uh, yes, you have," I pointed out. Seth sighed in exasperation, yanking at his hair roughly.
"That's beside the point," he snapped. "What I want is for you to help get Janine to notice me." Seth's voice softened at the end, saying Janine's name carefully as if it were fragile, and could disappear in a puff of smoke.
"What," I asked, teasing, "no 'please'?" Seth groaned, his face falling into his hands. His words were muffled, but each word hit me like a train.
"Please, Cassie. I love her."
I flinched at the honesty in his voice, feeling guilty at the rush of fury I felt washing over me. My hormones and foolish feminine mind were a deadly combination at this point. I, with restraint that surprised me, didn't snap on him. Well, not totally, anyway.
"Stop that!" I hissed, smacking him against his head. Seth looked up from his hands, staring down at me with a mixture of awe and rage.
"Stop what?" Seth spat, glaring down at me.
"The pity party, for gosh sakes!" I said, grabbing onto his shoulders and shaking his huge frame as much as I could. "Good grief! Get a hold of yourself, man!"
"How could I when Janine doesn't even know that I exist?" Seth said, despair drenching his words.
"She does," I said, before adding, "kinda." Seth groaned loudly, the noise reverberating off of the walls. "You just have to try to get to know her!"
"How?"
"Well," I said, pausing to think. "Well, you could…go to the library!" Seth glared at me, raising an eyebrow.
"The library?" he asked, and I nodded, slapping my fist into my opened hand.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that before?" I hopped out of the chair and dashed to the drawers where Emily kept her sticky notes and pens. I snatched a note out and scribbled the address of the library down onto it. When I was done, I shoved the pen back into the drawer and skipped back to Seth, slapping the note onto his forehead.
"For you!" I sang as he peeled it off and glanced at it with indifference. "That is the address to the library—where Janine works." Seth's face lit up and he started bouncing up and down like an excited kid on Christmas day. "All you have to do is go there every day she works—I can supply her schedule for you, if you want—and just check out books that she's interested in, which is something else I could fill you in on!"
"You're a genius!" Seth cried, picking me up and hugging me tightly. I placed my hands around my stomach to guard my baby, hoping that he wouldn't notice. Luckily, Seth was too happy on Cloud Nine to come down and notice my odd behavior.
"And you could actually fill your head with some information," I said once he put me down. "God knows you need something to fill up that empty head of yours." I knocked on his head jokingly, laughing when I heard a hollow sound.
"Ha ha," Seth said, rolling his eyes. But he smiled down at me, and I had a strong suspicion that I knew who I was going to name as the godfather.
--
"Alright, bye guys!" I said, trying to rush out of the door. But, alas, Paul caught me and ruined my escape plan.
"Isn't there something you wanted to tell them?" Paul asked, putting me in front of where he stood. I shifted uncomfortably as eleven pairs of eyes focused on me.
"Um," I said, "I just wanted to say…that I love you guys, and I hope we can be friends for eternity. So, yeah. Bye now!" I tried to make my way to the door again, but Paul pinned me to his stomach—something that wasn't too good considering my raging hormones.
"Cassie's pregnant," Paul said, sounding rather boastful. I narrowed my eyes at him as cheers—minus Tommy's joking boo—erupted around the room. I glared at him the whole time, even through the hugs and sisterly kisses.
"Dude! You knocked her up!" Quil guffawed, but immediately stopped and reverted to Momma Quil. "Dude, you knocked her up?! I thought I told you to use a sock if you needed to!" Paul simply shrugged, grinning mischievously at me. I rolled my eyes at him.
"Well, that's something he's going to have to explain to my parents tomorrow," I said airily, watching as the smile immediately disappeared and was replaced with a panicky look.
"Oh my cheezits," Jake said, grinning. "Could you catch that on video for me, Cass? I've always wanted to see Paul get his ass handed to him up close and personal."
I smiled angelically up at Paul. "Of course, Jake. I'd be happy to."
--
"Oh my God," I giggled as the situation finally set in. "My dad is going to kill you."
"Gee, you think?" Paul said, shrugging into a clean shirt. "But, it wasn't my fault, anyway."
"What, so it's mine?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "I don't think that's going to fly with my dad, seeing as how you were the one who forgot to glove your love."
"Ah, but I would have if you hadn't pounced on me and demanded that we have sex right then and there when I gave you your anniversary present," Paul said, beaming triumphantly at my flushed face.
"You know," I said, willing the blush away from my cheeks, "when you say that, it almost makes me hope that my dad takes the shotgun to your ass."
"I love you too, Angel," Paul said, kissing my forehead. "Now, lets get this over before I decide that it's better if we skip town."
The car ride was silent, tinged with Paul's anxiety and my amusement. Part of me was nervous, too, don't get me wrong, but the other part just couldn't get over how hilarious this was.
Finally when we pulled into the driveway of where my parents were living, I looked over to Paul. I detached his hands from the steering wheel, rubbing them.
"Come on," I coaxed, "it's not going to be too bad." Paul looked over at me, his eyes wide and, dare I say it, scared and intimidated.
"Cassie," he said in a serious manner. "I wrote my will last night, and, if I don't make it out today, I want you to take it to my lawyer and—"
"Oh, shut up," I laughed, letting go of his hands and sliding out of the car. Paul immediately followed, albeit reluctantly, as I stepped up the stairs and rang the doorbell. Paul grabbed onto my hand tightly as footsteps approached the door.
"Coming, coming," my mother sang before opening the door, squealing. "Cassie! Paul! Come, come, my dears! Come inside our humble abode and out of the chilling wind and get comfortable!" I rolled my eyes at her dramatics, but I felt Paul calm down in her cheery presence.
"Morning, Mrs. Barker," Paul said, smiling. My mom beamed brilliantly at him, shaking her head.
"Oh, please! 'Mrs. Barker' makes me feel so old—you may call me 'mom'!" she said, smiling impishly at me and winked. "Would you two like anything? Tea? Food?"
"No thanks," I said.
"I don't think I could eat right now," Paul said, somewhat gloomily. Mom clucked in disappointment, but otherwise left the subject alone.
"So, what is it that you two came over for?" she asked, curiosity shining in her blue eyes. Paul grimaced beside me, but I answered for him.
"We'll discuss it when dad comes home," I said. "When, exactly, will he be home?"
"Hm," Mom said, thinking. "Maxwell should be home shortly, I suppose. Are you sure that we have to wait until he comes back? You guys can tell me no—"
"We have to wait," I said. "I don't think Paul and I can explain twice."
"Oh, phooey," Mom pouted, but other wise left it alone.
--
"I'm so glad we moved into this neighborhood," my mother gushed. "It's so beautiful and green—" There was a car door slam, and trudging footsteps up the stairs. "That'll be your father!" Mom sang, smiling. I wasn't sure if it was because she was glad to see him, or if it was just because her curiosity would finally be satisfied. The door opened, and my dad put his coat on the coat rack, grumbling to himself.
"Oh, Maxwell! The kids are here!" Mom said, bouncing excitedly where she sat. Dad came into the living room, eyeing the three of us warily.
"Hey Cassie," he said before turning an intense gaze onto Paul, "the boyfriend."
"Maxwell!" Mom scolded, slapping his arm. "Be nice!" She pulled him down beside her, still bouncing. "Besides, the kids have something to tell us!" If my dad had looked suspicious before, he looked doubly so and glared at Paul.
"Should I tell them or do you wa—" I didn't have to finish the sentence as Paul shook his head vehemently, and I laughed. "Okay, then. Mom, dad, you guys are going to be grandparents!"
"Oh my goshness!" Mom squealed. "Maxwell! We're finally going to be grandparents! Isn't this all so exciting?!" We all turned to my dad's still form, his face getting paler and paler by the second. Paul's grip on my hand tightened, and I could feel him trembling slightly.
"You're pregnant," Dad croaked, and I nodded cautiously. "And you're sure?" I nodded again, coaxing Paul's hand in comfort.
Dad gulped loudly, slumping slightly. "Well, that's…wow." I could see that he was trembling, too, and Mom reached over to pat his hand.
"Your dad's ecstatic," she said, smiling serenely. "Just give him a moment to recover, hm? In the meanwhile, could you two go into the kitchen and fetch the pitcher of tea and some cups? Cassie, you know where they are at." Without a word, I stood up and led Paul out of the living room and towards the kitchen.
"Are you okay?" I whispered as we entered the cavernous kitchen. Paul nodded wordlessly, though I could see him turning pale under his russet skin. I opened the cupboards and grabbed four cups and placed them into Paul's hands.
"Tea…tea…where's the tea?" I mumbled, pushing aside containers and soda cans in the fridge. Behind me, there was a shattering sound and I turned around to see Paul shaking heavily at the sight of the broken cup on the floor.
"Shit," he cursed, placing the other cups onto the counter and searching the room for a broom.
"Here, I've got it," I said, grabbing the broom and dustpan from the open pantry. I swept the mess up into the dustpan quickly and dumped it into the trash bin. I looked up to see Paul trembling, covering his face with a shaky hand.
"Paul?" I asked worriedly. He didn't answer me. I whispered his name again, setting the broom down and wrapping my arms around his waist. Paul bent down slightly, picking me up and placing me onto the counter. He placed his hands on my hips and buried his face into my neck.
"Paul, what's wrong?" I asked, threading my fingers into his hair. He still didn't answer, but tightened his grip on me and kissed my neck lightly. "Is it because of my dad?" It was a moment before Paul shrugged uncertainly, making me chuckle.
"Paul, honey, you're going to have to tell me what's wrong for me to make it right," I said, kissing the top of his head. Paul groaned quietly.
"When you talk like that, it makes me wanna drag you to the nearest room and have my way with you," he said, and I laughed lightly. "It's just, I dunno. I'm just really nervous, I guess."
"You have nothing to be nervous about," I scoffed. "Dad's just shocked right now. It's not like he's going to take me and lock me in the tallest room of the tallest tower in a dragon guarded castle."
"I wouldn't put it past him," Paul grumbled, playing with a strand of my hair. I sighed quietly, running my hands up and down his back. Paul placed a little more weight on me, leaning into my embrace. His chest rumbled in contentment and his hand slipped under my shirt to touch my stomach.
"You've been doing that a lot lately," I said thoughtfully, and he chuckled.
"It's a habit, so don't expect it to stop anytime soon."
"Well, I think that you—"
"Knock, knock! Are we interrupting something?" Mom asked, entering the kitchen with Dad trailing closely behind. Paul tried to pull away, but I held on tightly, smiling wanly at my parents.
"No, not really," I said, stroking Paul's hair. I heard him gulp nervously at my gamble. I gauged at my dad's expression, but his poker face was up and I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"So," Dad said, clearing his throat anxiously. "How far along are you, honey?"
"A month, give or take a few days," I said, and he nodded. Paul looked up from my neck and looked at my parents, his face flushed in embarrassment. My mom beamed at him, winking. My dad, however, kept his neutral expression in place.
"Well," he said, shuffling his feet, "it's nice that I'll finally be a grandpa." Paul and I looked at him, shocked, and Mom clapped her hands giddily.
"Oo! I'm so excited! Now, Cassie, we should start getting you appointments set up with the doctor and…"
For the next half hour, my mother prattled on and on about what I should do, what I could and could not eat, so on and so forth. Paul stood by—or, in front of—me the whole time, kissing my forehead every few minutes. My dad, when needed, threw in some advice for Paul about dealing with hormones and his time in the delivery room—such as to by me some sort of stress ball to squeeze on so that it would save him even more bills for a broken hand.
Paul smiled down at me, and I kissed his jaw line. Everything would be okay.
--
[Two Months Later]
"Well, it's official," I said, admiring the bedroom. Pictures now adorned the once empty shelves and my clothes were carefully and neatly placed into the drawers alongside Paul's clothes. Not much else was different, but in a way, everything was.
Warm arms placed themselves onto my tiny baby bulge—now deemed as Baby Hunter Ethan Walker/Lakota Rose Walker, or Baby 1.0 for short.
"I suppose," Paul said, pursing his lips. "But, I think something's missing."
"Like what?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Paul removed his hands from me and moved over to the drawer, roughly pushing aside his neatly folded clothes in search of something.
"Aw, I just folded those," I groaned, but Paul ignored my complaining. Instead, he pulled out a photograph and placed it in the center of the collection of other pictures. I raised my eyebrow at the choice.
"But that's such a terrible picture," I said. Paul cocked his head to the side.
"Well, I guess we could always cut the guys out and just leave us in it."
It was the picture from over a year ago when our relationship started to take place. I lay on top of the sleeping Paul while the guys circled around us, posing ridiculously. I laughed, kissing Paul's cheek.
"I'm hungry," I said.
"What for?" Paul asked.
"Hrm…something deep fried and covered with chocolate and pickles." I glared as Paul gagged beside me.
"That's disgusting," he whined, and I rolled my eyes.
"Well, maybe we could go and see what Emily's cooking," I said, and Paul nodded, grinning.
"Who knows? Maybe she has some recipes for pregnancy cravings?"
"Well, you better hope not, because if she does, that's all I'm going to be cooking around her," I threatened lightheartedly, smiling as Paul flinched. "That's what I thought."
Alrighty then. Almost done. SO, a lot was accomplished such as telling everyone and the results.
I especially liked the shameless flirting/touching between Paul and Cassie. I've been havin' some dirty thoughts as o' late. Mm. It's a disease, ya'll. One that I'm not in any hurry to cure. :D
NO LEMONS FOR JUUU!
So, please review. I want to AT LEAST hit 600 reviews. C'mon. Make this kooky author happy! [Please pardon any grammatical errors you spot!]