Kate went to bed early, alongside Taylor. So much for their summer being free and relaxing. She was uncomfortable and her head was swimming with information. Karen was supposed to talk to her the next day about the dangers of being a woman. The world was a scary place. She knew that girls had to be careful at bars or walking in the city after dark. It didn't occur to her that she should be worried so soon. Thankfully, she did have the training and she did have abilities. What if Logan had invited Ellie instead? She was clueless and weak. She was sweet and gentle and drew flowers on all of her homework. She wasn't ready for the cruel world. Kate wasn't either but she was born into it.
Taylor was almost glad to be sent to bed. He was exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically. The main benefit to getting your butt kicked was that you got a clean slate. He knew that no one was still angry at him. Things would be awkward for a while but no one was going to hold a grudge. He brushed his teeth and walked into the bedroom. "I think I'm going to actually sleep tonight." He fell back onto the bed and promptly rolled off the bed and laid on his face on the floor.
Kate couldn't prevent herself from laughing. "How could you possibly forget?"
Taylor groaned. "I don't know. I realized it was a mistake but it was too late."
Dean opened the door. "Why are you on the floor?"
Taylor got up on his knees and then stood up. "I made the grave mistake of falling back onto my bed instead of face planting into it."
Dean snorted. "How did that feel?"
Taylor grumbled and laid down on his bed. He lazily patted his pillow so that Liam would jump on the bed.
"I'll head up in a little while." Dean said.
Kate stretched. "Are you going to gossip about us?"
Dean smiled. "Absolutely. If you need anything, come get me. Don't sulk around and dig yourself into another pit." He waited for Kate to lay down and turned off the light. He held the door open for Millie and said goodnight before shutting the door.
John delegated a job to another hunter. He'd typically just take the case but everyone needed him to be home for a few days. "When did Sam say they were coming?"
Dean sat down in a chair. "They weren't sure." He pulled out his phone and dialed Sam's number.
Sam answered. "Hey, Dean."
"Sammy, you're on speaker, don't embarrass yourself." Dean said.
Sam rolled his eyes. "I don't say stupid things over the phone, jerk."
Dean smirked. "When are you driving down?"
Sam waved at Jess to get her to sit down beside him.
"We could in a few days. We can tie things up here and then head over." Sam said.
"I know you were wanting to do something fun. Kate and Taylor are on lockdown for a little bit." Dean said.
"What did they do now?" Sam asked.
Dean snorted. "That is a story for another time."
"My parents want me to stick around. I figured I'd stay a few days and then ditch them." Jess said.
"You could fly." Bobby said.
"We could." Sam said. "That put us on a timeline."
"Figure it out and we will make sure you get here." John said.
Sam pulled a face. "I didn't know you were back."
"I will be. I can't promise I'll be here the whole time you are here but I am trying to delegate." John said.
Sam shrugged. "We can talk to Jess's parents tomorrow and then we will know for sure."
The adults talked for a bit before the group started to drizzle out.
Dean got a shower and tried to work the knots from his neck. His jaw hurt. He was going to chip teeth if he didn't stop gritting them. The worry and anger that had wracked his body for nearly 24 hours had finally started to dissipate. On one hand, nothing supernatural was on the table except for Kate's teleporting. It was 'just' a party. No demons showed up. No one got hurt by anything not human or at least not human created. When he was a teenager, not that long ago, drugs were harder to get ahold of. Maybe he just steered clear of them and pretended that he didn't see that stuff being passed around. It was sad. Nate was chasing a high because he was angry at his dad. Taylor was chasing his because he was forced to kill someone. The circumstances made the consequences fuzzy and hard to dole out. They couldn't expect the kids to handle everything with grace, yet they couldn't let things slide. He rubbed his face and laid on his back. He grew up with a lot of pressure. It wore him out at a young age but it also helped him survive. He heard something outside his door and sat up. "Come in."
Kate slowly opened the door. She had her blanket draped over her shoulders and she looked worried.
Dean patted his bed. "What is wrong?"
Kate shuffled over and knelt on the bed. She crossed her feet under her and sighed. "I keep having dreams."
"What kind?"
"Bad ones. Not visions though. I think I still feel guilty." Kate said.
Dean scooted over to one side of his bed. He moved back so that his back was against the headboard. "Have a seat."
Kate scrunched her nose and decided to lay on her stomach and prop her head on her hands. "I have a tendency to make people mad. I forget how much my choices affect people and then things spiral. Making dad mad sucks. I'd prefer not to be in that situation. I saw your face today. You were disappointed. How do I fix it? How do I avoid it? It hurts and it is the worst."
Dean thought about it. "I was disappointed. Not necessarily disappointed in you but at the choices you made."
"It still hurts. If I keep making dumb choices, are you going to lose faith in me?" Kate asked.
Dean pulled on one of her curls. "No. I've met an older version of you. She is still cool."
Kate sniffled.
Dean patted her. "Hey, are you crying?"
Kate turned her face away from him.
"I have made mistakes too. I'll probably make plenty more." Dean said in a soothing tone.
"You didn't make as many by the time you were twelve. If I make a mistake, it is worse." Kate said.
"I was busy trying to keep Sam alive when I was twelve. I made a ton of mistakes. Thankfully, a lot of those were while dad was on a hunt and he never found out about them." Dean said.
Kate giggled.
Dean continued talking to her through her worries. She was tough as nails but so fragile as well. He rubbed the back of her head until she relaxed. He couldn't carry her back to her bed without waking her up. She was laying ontop of his blanket and he couldn't move it without waking her up either. He rolled his eyes. Damn kids. He shut his door. He grabbed an extra blanket from the stack at the corner of his room and laid down on his side of the bed. He felt weight creeping up his leg and opened his eyes. He picked Millie up and put her beside Kate. "You aren't laying on me."
Millie curled up on Kate's back and yawned. She looked at Dean for a moment and then laid her head down.
When Kate was awake, she was deep in thought. Her brows were furrowed and her eyes darted around. When she was asleep she looked peaceful. She looked like a little kid.
### The next day ###
Dean managed to roll out of bed without waking Kate up. He had gotten used to sprawling out at night and had to sleep on one side the night before. He was a little stiff. His head also hurt. He was grateful for fresh coffee and food.
John raised an eyebrow. "How did you sleep?"
Dean shrugged. "Fine."
"I went to check on the kids this morning and Kate wasn't in her bed." John said.
"She couldn't sleep and was upset. She fell asleep on my bed." Dean said as he stretched.
John smirked.
"What?" Dean asked.
"I figured she might be in your room so I checked. Millie was laying across your chest and neck." John said.
Dean rubbed his chest. "No she wasn't."
John tapped the camera on the table.
Dean's eyes flew open. "No!" He looked at the photo that John snapped. "No wonder my head is congested this morning. You haven't shown anyone that have you?"
John smirked again.
Dean groaned. He tried to erase the photo but John grabbed the camera. "No one else can see that."
Millie rubbed her head on Dean's leg as she walked by. She sat down and looked up at him.
John just chuckled.
Dean grumbled and grabbed a warm biscuit. "Personal space, cat."
Taylor woke up but stayed in his room for a while. He was processing the day before. He was embarrassed for how he acted but he felt awkward. He had broken down like a baby. He showed the weak side of himself. John was a father figure to him. He cared about what he thought. He probably thought that he was a wimp. He groaned and put his pillow on the back of his head. Crying was one thing but going limp was humiliating.
Kate hobbled down the stairs with her blanket wrapped around her. "I'm sorry, Dean."
"Eh, don't mention it." Dean said. He eyed John and made a slicing motion across his neck.
John held up his hands in mock surrender.
Kate tilted her head. She wasn't sure what that was about.
"I told you to let me know if something was wrong. You did." Dean said.
Kate scratched Millie's chin. "Where is Taylor?"
"He may still be asleep." Dean said.
Kate looked toward the stairs. She shook her head. "He is awake."
"He will come down when he wants to." John said.
He eventually did come downstairs because the smell of food was making him dizzy. He bit into a biscuit and closed his eyes. One part of the ordeal with David was that his stomach had been in knots. He rarely got to enjoy food but that morning he savored every bite.
"Kate, you are going to have your talk with Karen. Taylor, you are going to the library with me. I will be looking for certain books and you can look for a few that will help you write that paper." John said.
Taylor nodded. "Okay."
Kate bit her lip. "I know I can't go to the lab but could you pick up copies of Marty's data sheets? I need to see the numbers and results in person."
John got up from his chair. "I'll ask him if he minds making copies."
Taylor ate and got ready for the day. He was still miserable. He sighed to himself. It was going to be a long day.
John started the truck and waited for Taylor. He felt a pange of sympathy when Taylor winced when getting into the truck. "How did you sleep?"
Taylor shrugged. "I vaguely remember talking to Kate and then I woke up this morning."
"I'd say that is pretty good." John said.
"That is the most I've slept in a while." Taylor said. He looked away from John and shifted uncomfortably. He still felt awkward.
John noticed that Taylor was still standoffish. He drove to the library but didn't go in right away. "Talk."
Taylor looked at him. "About what?"
"You aren't making eye contact. You are only speaking when spoken too. You are tense." John said.
Taylor's face burned red.
"Talk or we make a pitstop." John said.
"I am just embarrassed, okay?"
"About what?"
Taylor rubbed his face and groaned. "Yesterday."
John studied him. He closed his eyes for a moment. "I am guessing this is about breaking down.
Taylor shrugged.
John rubbed his temples. "Taylor, I thought I made myself clear about that."
"You did but it is just a thing for me. I can't be doing that. I have to have a backbone." Taylor said.
"You can break down and still have a backbone. Hell, I broke down when Mary died. I broke down when I saw her in heaven." John said.
"Yeah but that is different."
John knew Tayor was a smart kid but he was being a tad dense. "Were you not allowed to be upset before you joined our family?"
"No, I guess not. Craig hated when I cried or got hurt. I'd get in trouble for complaining." Taylor said.
John nodded. "Sam and Dean will probably tell you that I made them be too tough. I did. I didn't have time for emotions. I'd get annoyed with Sam especially. He cried over everything for the longest time. That being said, I didn't understand crying over a missed field trip or spelling bee. When either of them broke down over something big, I didn't get mad at them."
"This isn't even big anymore." Taylor said.
"Your reaction was delayed and that was okay. This is a big thing. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been so hard on Sam over the little things. In this life, you do have to be tough but being numb is also bad. Kate came along and shook things up."
Taylor smiled slightly.
"Stop avoiding people. Don't be ashamed of yesterday. If anyone else on earth reacted that way, you would have no problem with it. Stop beating yourself up." John said. He waited for Taylor to acknowledge him and nodded his head.
Taylor followed him into the library. It was almost empty and so quiet that he could hear his heartbeat. No kid wanted to be at a library when school had just ended. He didn't want to be there but did need some books. Some one on one time with John probably wasn't a bad thing either.
Karen had Kate sit down in the living room. "I'm supposed to have a talk with you."
Kate sighed. "Yeah."
"I'll just be blunt. Some men, and even boys, are not good people. They will take advantage of you at every turn. You have to keep your eyes open. It is not fair to us but it is a necessity. You are strong and smart. You have an advantage. That doesn't make you safe though." Karen said.
"I know. I thought about it. Taking the first drink was a bad idea because it made me forget about those precautions." Kate said.
The two talked for a little while. Karen was very open.
Kate was still innocent, yet not entirely ignorant. "Ew, no. I don't want to do that with a boy."
Dean overheard that and yelled. "Damn straight."
Kate rolled her eyes. "You're Not the best role model for abstinence, Dean."
Dean scoffed and leaned on the back of the couch. "We are talking about you, not me."
Kate grumbled. "All I am saying is that I don't want to do anything. It doesn't even sound appealing. I was looking at what happens to your body during pregnancy and I never want to go through that. It is cool. I'm excited to talk to April about it but no thanks. Even being with a boy could end in that."
Dean ruffled her hair. "Boys are bad news."
Kate turned and looked at Dean. "Do you know what happens during pregnancy?"
Dean scoffed. "Yeah, I got that talk years ago."
Kate huffed. "You got the how does one get pregnant speech. I bet you didn't get the details."
"Why would I?" Dean asked. He knew the basics but never really worried about the details. He'd never have to go through it.
Kate smirked and grabbed the textbook that she had been reading. She flipped through and found a series of drawings of a woman's abdomen. All of the organs were in the right place but gradually moved up into the ribcage as the baby grew.
Dean cringed. "That is gross."
"Right?! So you know that a baby's head is big but do you realize how big?" Kate asked. She flipped to another page and held the book up.
Dean's face turned white and he got a little sick to his stomach. He shut the book quickly.
Karen and Kate both laughed.
Dean scrubbed his eyes with the sides of his fists. "Nope. That is disgusting."
"That is just when a baby crowns. That isn't even its body." Kate said.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm so glad I'm not a woman."
Kate turned and knelt on the couch. She patted Dean's hand. "You are a respectable man. If you ever get someone pregnant I expect you to be there to support her."
Dean scoffed. "Not after seeing that!"
Kate rolled her eyes. "Pansy."
###* April and Caleb *###
Since April had preexisting health conditions, her doctor got her in right away. She was still fighting dizziness. It had just been a few days since they found out she was pregnant and she was still nervous.
Caleb dropped the boys off at Bobby's house. Taylor was gone with John but Kate, Karen and Dean could help make sure that neither kid blew up the house.
Once they got to the office, April's hands were skaky. She didn't have many prenatal appointments when she was pregnant with Ian. She never even got a proper ultrasound. She grabbed Caleb's hand. "What if they ask if this is my first baby? Ian was but what about Andy?"
Caleb rubbed her hand. "He was adopted. We want to stick with that incase genetics becomes an issue one day. We have paperwork. Don't worry."
April kept a tight grip on his hand. She was happy that this pregnancy was going to be different but she was still nervous.
Caleb let go of April's hand when a nurse called her back. He stayed back while her vitals were taken and sat down beside her when the nurse left the room.
April leaned her head on his shoulder. "We should think about names."
Caleb smiled. "My middle name is Allen. Andy or Ian may be upset if this baby has my middle name. We could ask them."
April shivered. "I like Micah or Thomas."
"Micah Allen?" Caleb asked. "That could work."
"Your dad's name was Micheal. Micah is similar."
"I like it." Caleb said. "What if it is a girl?"
They traded looks. Neither had an idea for a girl. They both assumed they'd just have another boy.
An ultrasound tech entered the room and conducted a quick ultrasound to see if anything would show up. She smiled. "That right there is a heartbeat."
Caleb couldn't swallow the lump in his throat. It was so much more real. He squeezed April's hand. "Is it a strong heartbeat?"
"Yes." The tech said. She captured a still. "I always say that they look like beans at this stage."
"How far along am I?" April asked.
"Right around seven weeks."
April's eyes widened. "Already?!"
"Yes. You are looking at a due date around the first week of January 2003."
Caleb met eyes with April and chuckled. "Huh, I guess the honeymoon was more eventful than we thought."
April sat up when she was allowed to. She was shocked when she was handed two ultrasound photos. "Do I get to keep these?"
"Of course." The tech said. She patted April's leg. "The doctor will be in soon."
Caleb crushed April in a hug when they were alone. "Wow, January. He could share Dean's birthday."
April playfully smacked him. "You hush. I don't want to carry this baby an extra two or more weeks to make that happen."
Caleb looked at the photos. "He does just look like a bean."
April pointed out the head. "One bean though."
"What, you don't want twins?" Caleb asked.
April kissed him. "I'm a small person. I don't think I could carry twins. Besides, going from two kids to three is going to be hard enough."
### Sam and Jess ###
Sam had a few dreams. They were just dreams. Kate cured him of the demon blood so they couldn't be visions. He did tell Jess about them in detail, just to be careful. "I keep seeing your parents injured."
Jess hugged him. "Could it be because they suck?"
Sam kissed the top of her head. "Probably." He took her hand and walked to the front door with her.
Jess took a deep breath. She could make it through another dinner.
Martha was oddly cheerful. "Come in, come in."
Jess gave Sam an odd look. She returned the awkward hug that her mother gave her and then stepped back.
"Your father and I have a lovely cruise planned." Martha said.
Jess took a deep breath. "When?"
"We will leave in a few days. We will return before school starts again." Martha said.
"That sounds fun for you guys." Jess said.
"Jessica, you are coming with us." Martha said.
Jess squeezed Sam's hand. "We can't. We promised Sam's siblings that we would visit. We can't spend the entire summer on a cruise."
Martha scoffed. "Sam can go visit his family. The trip is a family trip."
Jess followed Martha through the foyer and dining room. "Mom, I told you weeks ago that I was going to Sioux Falls for part of the summer."
Martha spun around. "Are you really going to be difficult about this? Did we teach you manners at all? You are to say thank you and look at these brochures."
Jess stopped walking. "No. I appreciate the offer but we are going to split our time between both families."
Martha feigned chest pain. "I can't believe that you would act this way. That boy has made you forget your own family."
Jess rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend you didn't know that I made plans. Sure, I'll go on a cruise but not for the entire summer."
Sam didn't stop Jess as the argument persisted. Martha was manipulative and Jess had a right to be angry.
Jess looked at her dad. "You two don't even like each other! Why would you let her do this?"
Martha smacked her across the face and gasped, realizing what she had done.
Sam grabbed Jess and put her behind him. "We will be leaving now." He didn't stop as Martha dramatically apologized and claimed that it was an accident.
Jess got into the car and sniffled.
Sam drove straight to the apartment and ushered Jess inside. He looked at her face. It had a pink mark but the slap wasn't that hard. He kissed her cheek. "Are you okay?"
"She hit me." Jess said.
Sam pulled her into his lap as he sat down. He soothed her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see that coming."
Jess stayed in his lap for a while. She was tense and he was always a rock for her. "I think I'll get a bath."
Sam kissed her again. "Let me know if you want anything."
Jess smiled. "Wine, lots of wine."
Sam chuckled and grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator. Technically, they were under aged but Jess did love wine. He made sure she was comfortable and called Dean.
"Heya, Sammy."
Sam grumbled. "Hey, Dean." He told him about what happened.
"Wow, what a bitch." Dean said.
"I know. Jess will be wanting to leave soon. Give me details about what happened. I've been itching to know." Sam said.
Dean gave him a brief synopsis of the previous couple days. "They are grounded but not from family. We could work something out."
"I can't believe they did that. Man, I thought we were dumb." Sam said.
Dean grinned. "We got caught less."
Sam rolled his eyes. "You got caught less. You didn't have 'you' to watch every move you made."
Jess finished her bath and joined Sam. She used a towel to dry her hair as she listened to them talk. "Hi, Dean."
"Hi, Jess."
Jess enjoyed listening to their conversations, especially when they talked about when they were younger. Sam was so sweet and responsible. She had a hard time imagining him running away to Flagstaff for two weeks.
Sam grumbled as story time quickly got turned around on him. Not only did Dean enjoy tormenting him, Jess enjoyed helping Dean torment him. "Alright, both of you stop."
Jess sat on his leg and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, come on. I get a kick out of these stories. I think you're exaggerating though."
Sam scoffed. "No, I'm not. I vividly remember not sitting for an entire week."
"He ain't lying, Jess." Dean said. He was sitting on the hood of the impala with a cold beer in his hand. The sun was going down and he felt content.
Jess poked Sam's side. She had a gentle buzz from the wine and Sam was easy to rile up. "I don't believe you."
Sam squeezed her. "She was one of those spoiled kids who never got spanked."
Jess grinned at him. "So show me."
Sam squeaked. "What? No. What?"
Dean choked on the sip of beer he had just drank. He jumped up and used his shirt to wipe the beer from the top of the hood. "Sam! That isn't something you say no to. Have I taught you nothing? Are we related? If a hot chick wants you to show her anything, anything at all, you say yes." He paused to laugh at Sam's discomfort.
Jess laughed and fell off of Sam's leg, onto the bed.
Sam realized she had meant to embarrass him and rubbed his face. "Shut up, Dean!"
They continued teasing him for a few more minutes. "Your face, Sam." Jess said.
Sam took a deep breath. "Both of you are terrible people."
"Well, I thought it was funny." Dean said.
Jess grinned.
Sam poked her. "I'm done with this conversation. Go tend to the kids or whatever boring things you do now."
Dean laughed. "Uh huh, you two have fun."
Sam grumbled. "Jerk."
"Bitch."
### Bobby's house ###
April showed Karen the ultrasound photos.
Andy tiptoed to get a better look. "Was Ian that ugly as a baby in your tummy?"
April chuckled. "It isn't ugly. Right now, they are so tiny that you can't see them very well. The baby will grow and start to look like an actual baby."
Andy wasn't sure about that. The baby just looked like an Alien. "What are we going to name it?"
"We thought Micah Allen maybe. We don't have any ideas for girls." April said.
### Three days later ###
Taylor and Kate finished their extensive research. Kate didn't really mind the papers but they did make her think.
Jess was still angry at her mother and was ready to visit Sam's family.
Kate flipped so that her feet were over the back of the couch and her head was hanging down. "If we go on a trip to make Jess happy, that isn't really breaking the grounding."
Dean flicked her. "You are supposed to be miserable while being grounded."
Kate scoffed. "Joke's on you. I'm always miserable."
"She's trying to take your spot." Taylor said. He smirked. "You know, as the child with the most unfair life."
Dean popped the back of his head. "I'm still waiting on my trophy."
Karen stopped by Caleb and April's house with a few ready to bake meals.
April was beginning to feel better after the doctor adjusted her medication and added something for the morning sickness.
"You are glowing." Karen said with a smile.
"Oh, geeze. I don't know about that." April said. She was used to the idea that she was pregnant, although it took a few days. She was starting to get excited for the tiny clothes and sharing such an experience with Caleb.
Caleb was determined that April wouldn't overexert herself in any fashion. He took the food from Karen before April could grab it.
"Caleb, I'm not an invalid." April said.
"I know but why carry things that you don't have to?" Caleb asked.
Karen squeezed April's elbow. "I think he would put you in a padded room if you let him."
April blushed. "Don't give him ideas." She loved the extra attention from Caleb and thought it was sweet that he was researching all things pregnancy and baby related. It was such a difference from when she was pregnant with Ian. Everyone was supportive, even John. He congratulated both of them. She didn't necessarily think he would be angry about the situation but she didn't think he showed any more emotion than he had to. However, in some ways, Caleb was like the fourth son. After Micheal died, Caleb spent a lot of time with John and the boys. Well, he spent time with them before, as many childhood stories of shenanigans would prove. Maybe that is why the family accepted her and her boys so readily. Hunters, in general, found family where they could. If a parent died, the child was absorbed into another hunter family without question.
Caleb put the dishes in the freezer and sat down in the living room. He chuckled when Ian ran over to sit on his feet. He raised them slightly and bounced Ian. He would shift and Ian would fall off. It was one of Ian's favorite activities but taking years off the life of Caleb's knees. "You need one of those horse bouncer things."
"He is keeping you in fighting shape." April said.
Karen sat down as well. "When will you know what the baby is?"
"I'm not sure. I think they can do an ultrasound and tell you around 20 or so weeks. I didn't know with Ian until he was born." April said.
Caleb hadn't thought about it. "Where was he born?"
April sighed. "The house I was in at the time."
Caleb's eyes grew wide. "What? You had a baby at home? Was anyone there? Who helped you?"
April blinked. "Andy grabbed towels and stuff but didn't see anything. He was so little at the time." She saw Caleb and Karen's faces. "I didn't have money. I was covered in bruises. I didn't have papers or anything because the name I was using wasn't my birth name."
Karen leaned over and hugged April. "You are amazing."
April blushed deeply. "I think I want to have this baby at home too."
"Why?" Caleb asked.
"I could use a midwife so it is safe. This pregnancy just happened so fast and we took precautions. Somewhere, in the back of my head, I'm scared. Any baby born to any of us is going to be at risk. If I have the baby here, I can make sure that no one takes him away from me. In a hospital there are too many people and they take the baby for tests." April said.
Caleb wasn't sure about that side of birth.
Karen eyed Caleb for a moment. "If that is something you want to do, I will support you however you need. I can help round things up."
Caleb was lost in thought.
"Caleb?" April asked, tentatively.
"You had a baby without pain medication and you want to do it again?"
April smiled. "Women did it for centuries before pain medication was invented."
"Wow." Caleb said. "You are wonder woman."
Karen looked at April. "What was your name before you changed it?"
April chewed her lip. "Melanie June."
"You don't look like a Melanie." Caleb said.
Karen gave April a sad smile. "Lauren had a doll that she carried everywhere with her. She named it Melanie June because that was her favorite name. She thought it was beautiful and any doll that she got, she named it Melanie."
April was sad for a moment. "I never knew that."
"You were probably a living doll to her, just like she was to me." Karen said.
April and Caleb met eyes and blurted out a name at the same time.
"Elizabeth."
"Lauren."
April blinked a few times. "Lauren Elizabeth." She had initially said Lauren because Elizabeth's real name was Lauren and that would make Karen happy. Caleb said Elizabeth because that is what April knew her as.
"Why didn't we think of that days ago?" Caleb asked.
"I don't know. It just hit me." April said. She grinned. "We have a girl's name."
Karen had named Lauren so the possibility of a baby Lauren was emotionally charged. "I happen to like the name."
April smiled and hugged her.
Andy walked into the living room and heard the name. He didn't know if he would get a new brother or a sister but if it was a sister, she didn't need a girly name. She needed to be strong and tough because he was going to be so much older than her that it would be bad if he beat up a boy her age for hurting. Well, Ian could do that. He looked at Ian. He was going to need to teach Ian how to beat up people.
Caleb turned around. "What are you thinking about?"
Andy took a deep breath. He was so lost in his own train of thought that it wouldn't make sense to anyone else. "If the baby is a girl, I'm going to call her Ren because I'm too old to beat up little kids."
Caleb chuckled and held his arm out for Andy. "What in the world does that mean?"
"If I have a brother, that is okay. If I have a sister, she may get picked on and she needs a not girly name so people don't mess with her. I'm going to be eight right after she is born. If she is in kindergarten and gets picked on, I'll be too old to beat up little kids." Andy said, as if that made complete sense.
Caleb traded looks with April. Lord help them if it was a girl.