So, I just received word from my editor tonight, that I will have line edits heading my way the day after Christmas. Which means this story will need to be done by then or I will have to abandon it for a little while. Since it's all but pouring out of me, I want to try and finish it before the edits show up, so I don't leave you all hanging and I'll then be able to fully focus on my edits. So I will hopefully be putting up several chapters over the next couple of days. Enjoy!

Chapter 23

Roman had been hanging with is father and brother at his parent's house when gotten the terrified call from his mother. Time seemed to stand still as he'd rushed out of the house, jumped in the car and headed for Lexi's OBGYN's office. Now he burst through the door and raced toward the front desk. The women in the waiting room stared, some of them intrigued, others appeared frightened by his appearance. He didn't care what they thought of him. He only cared about finding Lexi.

The receptionist looked up from behind the desk and her eyes widened at the sight of him. "I'm Ro-" He caught himself. While he'd pretty much adopted being Roman Reigns and went by the name 24/7, here he was known by his real name. "Uh, I'm Joseph. Joseph Anoai. I'm Alyssa's brother and Lexi Hart's fiance."

The look in receptionist's eyes went from wary to understanding and she nodded to the door on Roman's left. "Come through that door and I'll take you to Miss Hart."

Roman stepped through the door and was half way down the long hallway when Alyssa emerged from a room to his right. She grabbed Roman by the hands, stopping him. "She's okay," she said before he had a chance to speak. I told mom not to call you until we were sure of what was going on."

"Mom was right to call me," Roman grumbled.

"Yes, but you're all upset now. I don't want you going in there and letting Lexi see you like this. It will just make her more upset."

"She's upset? Why is Lexi upset if she's supposedly okay?" Frustrated he raked a hand through his hair. "Damn it, Alyssa, what in the hell is going on?"

Alyssa pulled him out of the way of a nurse guiding a patient down the hallway. "Lexi had a couple of random pains. I wasn't concerned at first. It's typical for the baby to cause discomfort with kicks and punches as it moves."

"But?" Roman urged knowing there was more.

"But she discovered that she was bleeding."

He felt the sick slide of panic ooze through him as he looked down at his sister. He realized a moment later that he must have reflected that panic when she raised her hands to his chest. "Relax, Joe. I promise you that she's okay and the baby's okay. It was just a small amount of blood. Spotting really, but combined with the pain it was bothersome enough that I wanted her checked out so I called the office and told them I was bringing her in."

"The baby's okay?" Roman repeated, hoping by saying the words it would help to alleviate his panic.

Alyssia nodded. "The baby is fine. Doing great actually."

"So why the blood?" he asked.

"Doctor Petrucci did an ultrasound and discovered that she's having a small issue with area around her scar tissue. He believes that it's probably a combination of the uterus stretching and stressing the area and the baby repeatedly kicking the same spot."

Roman shook his head. "I'm sorry, sis, but that doesn't sound like nothing."

"Okay, well, it's not nothing, but it's also not as serious as it sounds He's going to want her on bed rest for a little while to see if the irritated spot will heal on it's own."

"And if it doesn't?" he asked.

Alyssa frowned. "If it doesn't then it will be hospitalization and close monitoring until the baby is born. There's also an outside chance the baby might have to be delivered early."

Roman stared blankly at Alyssa as he felt his world slowly crashing down around him. He could be forced to be away from Lexi during her last trimester. There was a possibility that the baby might be at risk. "Exactly how is that nothing?" he asked, surprised by how calm his voice sounded when inside he was a wreck.

Alyssa sighed. "That's a worst case scenario, Joe. Right now she's far away from that happening. I just wanted you to know everything before you went in to see her so you'd have time to process it and be able to support her. She's going to need your strength so it's important for you to be calm and prepared."

Roman glanced toward the door Alyssa emerged from earlier. "Who's with her now?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Her mother and she's driving Lexi crazy. She's already decided that since Lexi has to be on bed rest for at least the next week, that she's going to take Lexi home with her."

Roman's brow winged up. "Really?"

Alyssa placed a hand over Roman's wrist. "As Lexi's fiance and the father of her child, you need to put your foot down. If Lexi goes home with that woman there is no doubt in my mind she'll end up in the hospital."

"King me." Seth grinned as he looked up at Lexi.

Frowning, Lexi placed a checker on top of his. "I still say you're cheating."

"How am I cheating when you're watching every move I make?" he argued.

"I don't know," Lexi waved a hand at him. "Give me a minute and I'll figure it out."

Roman stood just outside the bedroom door of the tour bus and watched as his best friend lay stretched across the bed while he played a game of checkers with Lexi. Two weeks after their scare she was now back on the road with them, but still restricted to mostly bed rest. The bleeding had stopped, thank God, but with the baby continuing to grow they knew it could return at any time. The more she stayed off her feet the better.

He'd stepped in and prevent her from going home with her mother, but with the touring schedule he'd been unable to stay home with her and had shuffled Lexi off to his parents while he was gone. She hadn't been happy and while she made the best of it, he knew she was much calmer and content to be back with him and the boys. Roman silently thanked his soon to be father in law, because if they didn't have the tour bus, she would have had to stay in Pensacola with his family.

"So," Seth began. "Is your dad going to give you away?" he asked.

Lexi nodded and Roman grinned at the smile that lit her face. Bret was, Roman knew, the only person, besides himself, that Lexi loved unconditionally. While she wasn't one to let anyone person dictate her decision in life, her father's opinion carried a lot of weight. "I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the wedding," she said. "Honestly, I've been battling some demons when it came to getting married, but I've finally reached a point where I'm excited. I really can't wait."

Her admission caused Roman's smile to widen. She'd come such a long way since he'd first asked her to marry him. To know she was looking forward to it warmed his heart.

"Did you manage to get your dress before you had the scare with the baby?" Seth asked.

"Yeah," Lexi adjusted the pillow she was leaning against. "Alyssa actually picked it out, but I love it. I can't wait for Roman to see it."

Seth arched a brow. "Shield colors?"

Lexi giggled and shook her head. "Not quite. The dress is white, but I promise that The Shield is represented."

"Good," Seth replied and double jumped her last two pieces. "I win."

She narrowed her gaze and studied him. "Best two out of three?"

Seth grinned and gathered up the checkers. "You're on."

Later, Roman walked into the bedroom to find Lexi engross in something she was watching on her laptop. He eased onto the bed next to her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Whatcha' watching?"

She slid a sideways look at him. "Promise you won't make fun of me?"

"I promise," he replied, curious now by her question.

"I'm taking an online Lamaze class," she said..

His brow winged up in surprise. "Really? Why?"

She shrugged. "Mostly because I'm bored, but I am a little curious. I figure even if I'm having a C-section that doesn't mean I should deny myself the experience of taking the class."

"But you're not going to get to use any of it," Roman argued as he struggled to understand her thinking.

"True, but it's still an experience in itself," she explained. "It's a right of passage, so to speak, to take a childbirth class. So what if I don't use it? I still get the experience." She paused a moment, her look turning slightly sheepish. "Honestly, I'm beginning to think that a C-section might not be so bad."

Well she was just full of surprises tonight, Roman decided. "Why is that?"

"I-um...I got curious and decided to check out some childbirth videos on Youtube." She visibly shuddered. "At least with a C-section I won't have to worry about dealing with all that pain."

"You've never been afraid of pain before," Roman argued. "Remember the incident with your broken arm last year?"

Lexi nodded. "Sure, but all that childbirth stuff looks pretty scary. It's not just the thought of dealing with pain for hours on end, but you have to give up control of the situation and put yourself in the hands of fate." She shook her head. "I'm not good with relinquishing control. Actually, the idea frightens the hell out of me."

"Don't I know it," Roman chuckled. "Guess it's a good thing you don't have to worry about that."

She grinned. "I guess so."