Vivian paced back and forth across the floor, her stomach fluttering. She bit on her thumb nail and glanced at the door to the room every so often. Jim had been working late, and everyone, including Sarah, had already gone to bed.

It had been a week since she had gotten sick in the kitchen – a week since Sarah had suggested that Vivian might be pregnant. Vivian sat down on the bed she and Jim shared, thinking back on the events of the past week. The uncertainty, the confirmation with the doctor, the secret eating away at her insides.

"You have got to tell Jim," Sarah had said earlier that day as the two washed dishes in the kitchen.

Vivian stared into the dirty dish water for a long moment. "I don't know what to say to him, Sarah," she said, squeezing her eyes shut as her stomach fluttered. "I'm afraid."

Sarah sighed, drying her hands on her apron. "I understand how frightening it can be, Vivian. But you've got to tell Jim; he has a right to know."

Vivian sighed as she sat on the bed; her eyes locked onto the door. Jim DID have a right to know, but… she was till so afraid to tell him. They had only been married (again) for two and a half months. Were they ready for a child?

Vivian had done the math and she figured she was between 8 and 10 weeks along – the local doctor agreed. That would mean the baby would come just in time for the next summer.

Baby… Vivian placed her hand on her lower stomach; her clothes still fit like normal. Aside from being sick and the lack of her womanly visitor, Vivian felt normal… but then there were the constant butterflies. "Are you moving, little baby?" Vivian thought. "Are you trying to let me know you're there?"

Vivian was pulled from her thoughts when the bedroom door opened; Jim walked into the room, closing the door behind him. "Viv! I've got great news!" He quickly discarded his work boots beside the door and rushed to Vivian's side, unbuttoning his work shirt as he went. Jim had returned to his military work, but remained stationed at the local base located on the Space Port.

Vivian tried to smile, but the action felt false and wrong. She imagined that it looked somewhat like a frightening theatre mask. "What is it, Jim?" she asked, trying to quell the shaking of her hands.

Jim took his wife's hands into his own, his smile brightening. "I got orders! We're changing stations!"

As if the world wasn't frightening enough; Vivian had come to treasure the stable home she had at the Benbow Inn. After a life of moving around, living on ships… Vivian liked having a roof to call her own. Jim began rambling on and on about the new station – the planet they would move to, the pay raise he would receive, the adventure it would be. Vivian's head was spinning with all the information, her ears ringing and Sarah's voice calling to her, louder and louder. "You have got to tell Jim."

"I'm pregnant!"

Vivian quickly covered her mouth, tears at the corners of her eyes. She doubled over, hiding her face in her nightgown.

"What?" Jim asked after what felt like an eternity. He rubbed his wife's back, tried to pry her out of her fetal position. "Vivian, look at me… what did you say?"

Vivian took a shaky breath before looking at her husband. "I'm so sorry Jim; I… I didn't mean to – I wasn't trying t-"

Jim pressed his lips firmly over Vivian's, his heart pouting over with a multitude of emotions: confusion, fear, joy, even arousal. He pulled his wife tightly into his arms, pulled her into his lap. After a long moment, he pulled away and took hold of her face in his palms. "You're pregnant? We're pregnant?"

Vivian squeezed her eyes closed and nodded slowly. "I'm so sorry, Jim… I just," Vivian sighed.

"Why are you sorry?" Jim asked, a shocked look on his face. "Vivian, I… I wanted to talk to you about starting our family… eventually." Jim gave a sheepish laugh before lightly touching Vivian's lower stomach. "I guess we've gotten a head start."

Vivian placed her hand over Jim's. "You… you want to have a baby?"

Jim laughed, making Vivian jump a little. "Of course I do." Jim held Vivian's face in his hands and looked into her deep green eyes. "Vivian, I love you. You're my wife, I want us to have a family together… I want our baby, of course I want our baby!"

Vivian looked down slightly. "But what about you're promotion? I… I don't want to move away from here with a baby on the way… " Vivian's eyes misted over. "I can't do this by myself and… I really want to stay near your mom. I mean… I don't have my mom to-"

Jim laughed before kissing his wife again. "Forget about it; I'll talk with my commanding officer. This adventure is more important to me than traveling all over the Etherium."

Jim took his wife into their bed and showed his love for her; they celebrated their impending parenthood, their love for each other. Jim and Vivian stayed in each other's arms, absorbing and enjoying their time together as a couple, knowing that it would be limited.

And honestly, they couldn't be happier.

Sooooo, here ya go! I came dangerously close to doing a lemon, but I decided not to do that. Please let me know what you think of this chapter – it was kind of tough to write; not totally sure why.

Vivian's reaction is basically how I reacted to finding out about my baby being on the way. And Jim's reaction comes from my husband's. :)

I wanted to show Vivian as being somewhat vulnerable because, I'll be honest – becoming a mother is probably the most frightening thing in the world. It's amazing (and I'll show you all that later in the story), but frightening.

Please, please PLEASE let me know what you think! I'll try to get more chapters to you soon!

XXOO

BBTM