Author's Note:

Yes, yes, I am alive! I apologize, again, for taking so long to update. I had an amazing vacation in Florida, and after I got back, I hit a little spurt of writer's block. So...here I am with the new chapter. I want to inform you all that this will be the last normal chapter for this story, but I will add an epilogue chapter soon. So keep an eye out for that, and thank you all for sticking with me despite my stupid absences. I love you, and make sure to review!

Happy Reading!

I do not own Twilight, or Taylor Lautner, or a Vera Wang dress, or a Gucci purse, or an Iphone 4, or a cat, or many of the other things I wish I owned. Sad day.

And in this crazy life,

and through these crazy times,

It's you, it's you, you make me sing.

You're every line, you're every word,

you're everything.

You're every song, and I sing along.

'Cause you're my everything.

-Everything, Michael Buble

Ch. 21 Perfectly Content

I anxiously knawed on my fingernails as my heart thrummed a million miles an hour in my chest.

"Relax, Claire, whatever happens, it'll all work out", Emily reassured, gently resting her hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, we're here for you", Kim piped up, kneeling down to my eye level because of my perch on the toilet.

I was panicking. My entire future depended on the little line that may or may not appear on that plastic stick sitting on the sink counter. I could be a mom...

"It's time", Rachel announced, looking up with nervous eyes from her wristwatch.

I took a deep breath before reaching for the tiny white stick that could change my life. If it had two lines, I was pregnant. If there was only one line, I wasn't.

And right now...I didn't know which option I wanted to see.

I closed my eyes, until I had the stick directly in front of my face. I took one more long breath of air, and cracked my eyes open to peek at the stick.

Holy crap.

I was pregnant.

I was going to be a mom.

Quil was going to be a dad.

We were going to be parents...to a baby.

A baby.

"What does it say?" Kim wondered softly, trying to guage my expression. I couldn't breathe.

"Whoa, Claire, breathe, calm down", Emily ordered, patting me on the back in attempt to knock some air into my lungs.

I inhaled a huge gulp.

"So...what's it say?" Rachel pressed, waiting for my answer intently.

"It says...I'm pregnant", I answered, having trouble saying those words out loud.

"How do you feel?" Emily asked, rubbing my knee comfortingly.

I didn't know how I felt. Nervous. Scared. Happy. Excited. Anxious. Confused.

"I'm not sure..."

They shared worried glances with each other before redirecting their eyes back to me.

"When are you going to tell him?" Kim questioned slowly.

Crap. I hadn't even thought of that. How was I going to break the news to Quil? Would he even want a baby? We were living together...which is kind of how I got into this situation...but that didn't necessarily mean Quil wanted a baby. We weren't even married yet. Or engaged.

Oh God.

"I don't know."

"This is amazing Claire, what'd you put on it?" Quil asked, his mouth full of the steak I had made for supper tonight.

"I just put some sugar into the barbeque sauce", I replied blandly, my mouth dry. I was so nervous and on edge that I had barely touched my dinner.

"Why aren't you eating anything?" Quil wondered, on cue, setting his fork down and assesing my expression.

"I'm just not very hungry. I had a big lunch", I lied, wringing my hands below the table. I was going to tell Quil that I was pregnant after dinner...and I still had no clue on how I was going to come out with it.

"Oh. What you'd have?" He questioned casually, going back to attacking his meal. I had also made potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Quil had a huge helping of each.

"A...taco...bowl and a big ice-cream cone", I lied again, feeling sick to my stomach. I had just started to get morning sickness this week, and it was kicking my butt, especially hiding it from Quil and his super senses. I figured out that I was about a month and a half along most likely.

"Hmm, that sounds good." Quil smiled, popping a carrot into his mouth. Then his face dropped. "God, Claire, are you okay? You're super pale." He leaned over the table and put his palm to my forehead, checking my temperature.

"I'm fine", I answered, even though he wouldn't believe me. Every time I got sick Quil freaked out like this.

"Are you sure?" He wondered, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Positive."

"Uh-huh...", he mumbled, and I knew he thought I was lying.

I waited patiently for Quil to finish his meal, and then we washed the dishes together. After that, I suggested we watch a movie in the living room. Quil agreed, and we piled onto the couch together, my back resting on Quil's chest, as he fiddled with my hair that now reached my shoulders.

"Uh...Quil?" I ventured, sounding very squeaky and nervous. Much like I was.

"Yeah?" He wondered, and hearing my tone, sitting up while spinning me around so that I was facing him. I almost forgot what I was going to say as I looked into his soft chocolate eyes, the same ones that never failed to mesmerize me.

"I'm pregnant", I blurted, squeezing my eyes shut because I wasn't sure I wanted to see Quil's reaction. Seconds later, I felt Quil's fingers on my eyelids, prying them open carefully.

"Claire?" He sounded quiet and hesitant. I gulped.

"Yeah?" I whispered, my voice failing me.

"Why are you closing your eyes?" He wondered, caressing the sides of my face with his gentle fingers.

I blinked. "I didn't know if you'd be mad or not", I admitted, avoiding his eyes. His fingers soon found my chin and pulled my face to meet his eyes.

"Why would you think I'd be mad?" He asked, his face still absent from any emotion.

"I don't know...", I sputtered, feeling out of place and awkward.

"Well, I'm not. Actually, I'm happy. Really happy." I glanced up, seeing a large, bright smile spread across his face.

A burst of relief and excitment shot through me. Quil wanted to be a dad to my child.

"So am I", I said, a smile reaching my lips. Quil pulled my face to his and kissed me lightly before pulling away.

"We're gonna be parents", he stated, almost to himself. I nodded. "Mommy."

I laughed. "Daddy."

"I like the sound of that", he chuckled, pulling me in for a deep kiss this time.

"UHHHH! God, OH, UGH!" I screamed; labor was definitely not what I expected. It was worse. A lot worse. I was squeezing Quil's hand, probably hard enough that it hurt him, even being a shapeshifter.

"You're almost there, Claire-bear. A little further. You can do it", Quil encouraged, smiling widely at me with sweat beading on his brow. His eyes radiated happiness, giving me strength to push even harder.

"Okay, Claire, one more push should do it. 3...2...1...push!" Dr. Hart, my birthing doctor instructed.

I pushed through the nearly unbearable pain one more time, regretting my decision to not get an epidural, and was rewarded with a sudden explosion of crying. A baby's crying.

"And you have a baby girl, Miss Mason", Dr. Hart announced, as a nurse carried away what looked to be a mop of black hair. Quil was looking down at me with a huge smile on his face, brighter than I think I'd ever seen it get. I was tired, exhausted actually, but joy swelled in my heart. I was a mother.

"I'm so proud of you, Claire", Quil said, brushing some sweaty strands of hair out of my eyes.

"I love you", I breathed, looking up at him with a grin.

"I love you, too, sweetheart. I always have and always will."

"What would you like to name her?" A nurse interrupted our moment, her arms encasing a little pink bundle that had just become my whole entire world. I smiled, glancing at Quil, before giving the nurse the name we had both agreed upon weeks ago.

"Harper Emily Ateara", I said. She smiled, and nodded, and walked over to me, handing the pink bundle my way. I accepted it, and lifted it to my chest.

She was beautiful. She had the tan Quileute skin, obviously, and Quil's curly locks, but it was the same crow black color as mine, and her wide-open eyes were the same chocolate shade of Quil's, with a few flecks of my eye color. Her little hand peeked out from under the layers of pink, and I immediately lifted my finger towards it, giggling as hers wrapped around mine. I heard Quil's low chuckle from above and glanced up.

He was grinning widely, his eyes dancing with happiness. "Do you want to hold her?" I questioned, even though I had only been holding her for about thirty seconds.

He smiled, but shook his head. I frowned. "I would love to, but I love watching you and her too much to have you give her up, I think", he admitted, giving me a small peck on the forehead.

She hiccuped suddenly, and we both laughed, as we watched her huge brown eyes curiously study us.

Harper Emily Ateara was going to be one lucky girl.

Of course, Emily was the godmother of Harper, and Sam was the godfather. So, when they came to visit baby Harper in the hospital, Emily started bawling when she heard she was the godmother. It was the Emily thing to do.

"Really? Me? Are you sure?" She blubbered, sneezing into a tissue a nurse handed her. Sam was gently patting her back, chuckling under his breath at his wife's freakout.

"Emily, you were the only person I could imagine being my child's godmother", I confessed, smiling as I rocked Harper back and forth. Quil was relaxing in the chair next to my hospital bed, watching me.

Emily smiled through her tears of joy, and then hid her face in Sam's neck. Sam grinned, looking down at her, before glancing at me, and mouthing, 'thank-you'. I laughed, and nodded. Sam gave a small nod to Quil, who nodded back, before shuffling out of the room, with a sobbing Emily in tow.

I looked over at Quil once they had left, and gestured towards a sleeping Harper with my head. Quil smiled, so I carefully lifted her off my body, handing her into her father's large hands. He skillfully set her down on his warm chest, making sure not to jostle her body.

I sighed, and turned onto my side, getting a better view of my daughter and fiance. Quil had proposed this morning.

Right now, I was perfectly content. I had a gorgeous daughter. A perfect fiance. And life was only gonna get better from here...

What'd you think? Review and let me know what you thought! And remember the next chapter I put up will be the last, it'll be titled Epilogue. So keep an eye out for that, and thank you all so much for supporting this story. I'll hopefully be starting another imprint story soon, and in the meantime, if you haven't already, check out my other story up right now, Opposites Attract, about Seth and his imprint. Thanks!