Well of COURSE I had to post this chapter today, yesterday was my birthday guys! Goal is to finish this fic before August.

Chapter 14: Great balls of fire

At seven months pregnant, Marie was very much done with carrying somebody else around in her body. On her good days, she enjoyed the sensations of little feet kicking. Giggled when the baby had hiccups inside her and she could feel the butterfly jumps of its small body. More then once, she'd woken up to a hand pressing into her side and meeting the much larger hand of it's father. It was enough to make her tear up, in the best way possible.

On her bad days, it was hell.

Today was one of the bad days. Her back felt like it was on fire from the weight her front was carrying. She was exhausted, having woken multiple times to either be sick or pee in the middle of the night, and her feet had swollen to ungodly proportions. Whatever glow people talked about pregnant women having was god knows where.

To make matters worse, she was generally achey. For some reason, things felt.. Off. And she wasn't even sure why, which made things that much worse. There was a stab of pain and then nothing. There was a stab of pain, and nothing. Of course she would be stuck with cramps on top of everything else.

For once, Marie was thankful Dr. McCoy had put her on bedrest. She attempted to sip some chamomile tea and just as quickly spit it back out, the taste was wretched today and her tastebuds were in some kind of evil partnership with her stomach.

"Ugh.." Bracing her hands on the kitchen sink, she leaned over and tried to breathe through her nose, mewling when another cramp made her want to curl up in on herself. The front door opened while she tried to stifle another whimper.

"Marie?" Logan had been running danger room sessions earlier in the day but was home for lunch now and she was thankful for it.

"In the kitchen sugah- Oh.." She pressed a hand to her abdomen, forcing a slow breath out. The cramps were worse. She put her head on the counter, hands fisting. They were so much worse...

"Darlin'? You alright?" Logan strolled in, just in time to see Marie panting over dirty dishes and squatting against the countertop.

"Marie!" Running over, he put his arm around her waist, letting his very pregnant mate lean against him.

"Ah think it's time- owwwww!" Her clutching his hand, she was in too much discomfort to protest when he began to help her waddle to the truck.

"I gotcha baby, I gotcha-" He was helping her into the cab of the vehicle when she froze, suddenly unmovable.

"No!" He tried to nudge her, but only met with stubborn resistance. To his jaw dropping shock, she was in fact trying to head back into the house.

"What the f*** do you mean no?!"

"Don't swear, the baby developed it's ears remember?!" He huffed but at her glare conceded.

"What do you mean no?" He tried again, sighing heavily. She hugged her belly, bracing a hand against the truck.

"It's too early. Ah'm not gonna have the baby yet." Even with his considerable feral strength, it took Logan digging in his heels to keep his tiny mate beside him.

"I don't think you have a choice Marie." He tried picking her up and succeeding in nearly tearing off the door handle when she refused to let go.

"Ah do too! Ah'm yah mama, and yah have tah do as ah say!" She poked her belly, groaning but putting on her firmest scowl. "And ah say yah not done cookin yet. So yah stay in there!" As if in response, she doubled over, groaning when the baby kicked ferociously.

"Logan! Tell the baby tah behave!"

"Um…" When it became apparent she wasn't kidding, he glanced at her belly and shrugged helplessly.

"Marie-"

"Tell 'em!"

Sighing, he scooped her up and ignored her protests,tucking her into the seat and completing a few awkward maneuvers to buckle her in.

"Logan! It-"

"Behave baby. You too little skunk."

She folded her arms and sulked, the baby kicked and the trio was on their way.

"Who the hell is Braxton?" Logan demanded, still holding onto Marie's hand. He hadn't let go since they'd begun to drive.

Hank chuckled and pulled Marie's shirt down. They'd made it to the school, but by the time they got down to the medical bay her pain had all but subsided. Even so, the furry doctor insisted on running tests to be sure all was well and the parents to be had no problem with that.

"John Braxton Hicks. He was the doctor who discovered some women have contractions without being in labor. Essentially what's happening to Marie now." He began to tidy up the space, smiling when Logan had to help Marie sit back up.

"So ah'm not-" She sagged when he shook his head.

"No, you're not in labor yet." He patted her hand kindly. "Consider this a practice run." Logan sighed and nodded at the blue feral.

"Okay, so it isn't time yet. Should we be worried?" Hank shook his head,scenting his friend's fear and subconsciously purring to soothe.

"At seven months, I am perfectly happy to have baby Howlett tucked away awhile longer. I suggest you head back home and try to get some rest. Enjoy the time to yourselves a little longer, hmm?" They nodded and he excused himself to fetch her file.

"So." Logan raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes.

"Technically ah told yah so-"

"Kid."

He watched her cheeks redden, even while she shrugged.

"Ah'm only seven months along sugah, ah had a right tah panic. The baby has tah stay put awhile longer so they can finish developing." Her only reply was silence as he helped her up and she shrugged again.

"Okay, so ah didn't handle it real well either. But-"

"Marie." The growl caught hold of her borrowed feral instincts, forcing her to meet his eyes. He cupped her face,kneeling at eye level.

"M'not gonna let anything happen to you or the baby. Hank's the best, and a genius to boot. And if the baby comes early, we can handle that too, I know we can. But we gotta do this together darlin'. Hear me?" He let her nod and then pressed his lips to hers softly.

"Alright. Now how about we go home and get something to eat? You and little skunk must be starving." Marie grinned back.

"How'd yah know?"

He grinned.

"Lucky guess."

Three weeks later, Marie woke up to a sharp cramp. Beside her, Logan lay fast asleep, having taken to a more cuddled position around his mate since her pregnancy. Trying not to wake him, she turned slowly and tried to go back to sleep. Thankfully, it subsided and she nodded back off.

Some time later, another cramp made her roll again. Damn Braxton Hicks and his stupid science. Marie tried to remember her breathing techniques learned in birthing class and was seriously tempted to punch Logan awake. If she couldn't sleep why should he?!

Another cramp just made her feel worse, he did so much and really did worry for she and the baby..

With care, and still wincing she rose from the bed, intent on relieving her pelvic pressure. Padding barefoot towards the bathroom in her night shirt, she nearly sank to her knees at the next cramp, this time punching at her lower back hard enough to bring tears to her eyes.

"Fuck Fuck Fuck..." Breathing was seriously NOT helping and in the time it took to catch her breath back, the next cramp was already on its way.

"Fuck- Sugah?" Struggling back to the bed, she shook Logan's arm.

"Sugah?"

"Mmmm?" He muttered something and rolled over, his back to her.

"Sug- owwww God baby please wake up." Another cramp, and then another on its heels. Clutching her belly with one hand, she picked up her pillow and brought it down repeatedly on his head, hard as she could.

"Shit! Wha-" Logan rose up, claws coming out and just missing skewering her arm.

"Sugah, fire drill!" Was all she could get out before another cramp came. No, contraction. It was DEFINITELY contractions.

"What?!" Half asleep,claws out and testy with a mate who was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf, one large fist rubbing his eyes.

"Fire drill Logan!" She growled out. He snarled back.

"Dammit Marie I'm not trying to work on fire safety at three in the morning!"

"THE BABY'S COMING A$SHOLE AH'M IN LABOR!"

"F*** REALLY?!" He paused and squinted at her while she continued to bend over the bed

"Wait, are you sure? How-"

"MAH PELVIS IS EXPLODIN AH'M PRETTY FUCKIN SURE!"

"Right- Right! Right, okay, we need your bag and we need to go to Hank um- where's the bag we need your bag-" Shirtless, he scrambled up, stubbed his toe, tripped over his boots and was off and running.

"VIC! VIC WAKE UP, CODE RED FIRE DRILL BABY'S COMING GET UP!" There was a roar in the direction of the older feral's room and then the brothers were darting back and forth, grabbing her overnight bag, getting the truck going, making sure the birthing CD and relaxation tapes were there. They were out and on the road in record time. Suddenly, Logan's phone rang. Irritably, he scooped it up and pressed it to one ear, already halfway out of the driveway.

"SPEAK."

"Logan?"

"Marie? Why're you callin me darlin, we've gotta get you to Hank-"

"Ah know. But yah forgot one thing."

"What? No we didn't. " Victor disagreed, going through their collection. "Bag, music-"

"Tapes, keys, baby shit" Logan continued. "It's all here, what are we missing?"

"YAH FORGOT MEH!"