(Disclaimer: I do not own The Bad Guys; just Lilith and my other OC's.)

(Authors Note: Hello there dearest readers and fellow writers! Thank you all so much for sticking around so far! I hope you've been enjoying the story, cause I've still got plenty of inspiration ;) Regardless, thank you for your continued support.)

Chapter 19

-Two Days Later-

Waiting outside the Greyhound bus station with his fellow Bad Guys, Snake kept a watch out for Lilith's bus as it was due to arrive any minute now. While she had only been gone for nine days, it felt a lot longer to him as he missed her presence terribly. In truth, he never thought he could miss someone as much as he did Lilith, for she was so much more than just his partner/lover: she was his better half. His soul incarnate. His light. He had spent the majority of his adult life thinking he'd forever be alone because of what he is, but ever since meeting her, he realized that there truly was someone for everyone.

"Isn't that her bus coming down the road," Shark suddenly spoke up as he gestured towards an approaching Greyhound.

"11:35. That's the one," Webs replied with a smile as she noticed Snake's tail beginning to wag.

As the bus pulled into the station and slowly came to a stop with a loud *PSSSST*, the (former) Bad Guys waited for the passengers to exit, knowing Lilith would be among them.

Once the doors opened, people exited the vehicle and stepped over to the baggage compartment to retrieve their suitcases. Among the last to exit was a familiar tattooed, blonde haired woman, except she appeared slightly green in color and had dark circles around her eyes, indicating her exhaustion. Her hair was greasy from not having access to a shower for the last two days, and her clothes appeared wrinkled. Yet, despite all this, Snake thought she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on.

Weaving her way through the crowd, Lilith jogged over to the Bad Guys and immediately wrapped her arms around her serpentine lover, "Hubert..I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, sweet peach," he smiled before kissing her temple, while keeping her secured in his coils as she nuzzled against him. As he did this, he flicked out his tongue and noticed a strange scent emitting from her body; however, he dismissed it as he figured she'd return to her normal smell after a nice shower and some proper rest.

"It's good to have you back, Lilith," Wolf stated as he offered to carry her bags, which she allowed him to take her backpack; however, she kept her carry-on close as it held her baby's urn.

"It's good to be back," she answered with a tired smile as she walked with them over towards the parking lot. "I'm just sorry the circumstances are grim."

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for. We're here for you," Shark replied with a comforting smile as they entered Wolf's car and rolled out.

"Thanks, guys," she tearfully smiled as she settled against Snake's coils and felt her eyelids growing heavy. Within seconds, she was out.

Placing the tip of his tail against her forehead, Snake noticed that she felt warm to the touch, which he figured she had fallen sick after all the stress she had endured these last several days. Regardless, he was determined to help her recover.

XXXXX

Upon returning to her apartment, showering and changing into clean night clothes, Lilith collapsed into her bed and fell asleep with her son's urn now sitting atop her nightstand. While she had wanted to stay awake and visit with the Bad Guys, they had insisted that she take the rest of the day off to rest as it was obvious that she hadn't slept much (if at all) during her trip from Buffalo. Of course, Snake remained with her to make sure she eventually ate something and to offer her comfort by acting as a body pillow for her to spoon/snuggle with while she slept.

Flicking out his tongue, he noticed that strange scent was still present on her, which left him confused as he was unsure what it meant. Chalking it up to her current illness, he decided to keep an eye on her overall health and well-being. Pressing his scaly lips against her cheek in a soft kiss, he warmly smiled when she hugged him in her sleep and emitted a faint moan of contentment:

"..Mmm..Hubert.."

Hearing her say his name brought a sense of pride and comfort to him as he adored hearing it from her. Lightly rubbing circles along her shoulders with his tail, he laid his head next to hers and smiled as her lips were slightly parted, almost tempting him to flick his tongue inside her mouth and kiss her; however, now wasn't the time for such actions as she needed rest and he just wanted to bask in her presence.

XXXXX

At the warm smell of tomato soup and grilled cheese, Lilith opened her eyes to see Snake maneuvering through her small kitchen, to which she stretched and slowly sat upright in bed.

"Good evening, sweet peach," he spoke up with a lopsided smirk lining his scaly face, while he set the dinnerware atop the counter.

"Hmm, how long was I asleep?"

"Nearly six hours," he admitted as she approached the counter and sat down on one of the barstools. "I thought it was best to let you sleep as you looked like you hadn't gotten much rest during your trip back to LA."

sigh* "No, you're right: I didn't get any sleep during the drive. I was sick for the majority of it, as my stomach was constantly churning. I blame all the stress I've been under this last week and a half."

"Well, I hope I can at least ease some of your stress."

"You already have. Just being in your presence is relaxing."

"I aim to please," he winked before setting a bowl of tomato soup in front of her, followed by a plate with a gooey-looking grilled cheese sandwich in its center.

"This looks delicious! Thank you, Hubert."

"Of course. I know it's nothing fancy, but I figured you'd prefer something simple for tonight."

"Fancy or not, it's the taste that matters in the end." With a smile lining her angelic face, Lilith then took a hold of her grilled cheese and dipped it in the tomato soup before taking an inquisitive bite, "Mmmm..Oh my god, this is sooOoo good!"

A swell of pride filled him upon hearing that, to which he emitted a soft chuckle, "Heh, well, I'm no Gordon Ramsey, but I'm glad you like it."

"Hon, you're way better than him in my opinion. At least you can cook a proper grilled cheese sandwich," she winked, causing him to smirk:

"True."

XXXXX

-2:45 am-

Waking up to a familiar churning in her gut, Lilith slipped out of bed and quickly shuffled into the bathroom where she immediately threw up last night's dinner to her utter dismay as it had been the best grilled cheese she'd ever had. Retching into the porcelain bowl, she soon felt a familiar set of coils resting against her back:

"Honey, are you alright," Snake asked in a concerned tone, to which she shook her head:

"No..I feel awful. My stomach is knotted and I feel lightheaded."

Placing his tail along her forehead, he frowned when she felt a little warmer than usual, "You seem to have a slight fever. Do you have some medicine you can take?"

"I-I think so," she nodded before embracing the bowl and purging once more, while Snake continued to gently rub her back.

After emptying her stomach and flushing the toilet, Lilith shakily stood up and retrieved a bottle Tylenol from the medicine cabinet, to which she took out two capsules and stepped over to the kitchen where she retrieved a glass and filled it with water before downing said capsules, hoping they'd at least work to eliminate her fever. Of course, she made a note to seek medical aid if her symptoms did not improve within the next two days.

XXXXX

-Tuesday 2:00 pm-

"So, you've been feeling nauseous these last few days," the doctor questioned, to which Lilith gave a curt nod:

"Yes. At first I thought it was all stress related as I recently received some bad news from home that had required my immediate presence; however, my nausea hasn't let up, and I've been feverish off and on these last two days."

"Okay. If it's alright, I'd like for you to provide a urine sample for me so I can check for any possible infections," she then handed her a styrofoam cup and gestured to the adjacent bathroom, to which Lilith gave a nod and headed into the restroom.

Within minutes she returned and handed the doctor her sample, to which she donned a pair of latex gloves and transferred the majority of it into a plastic cup, while the rest was used on a pregnancy test (which is a standard procedure in most younger women's healthcare checks).

As they waited for the test results, the doctor asked her, "Are you on any sort of birth control medication?"

"No," she honestly answered with a slight shake of her head. "I found those tend to make my periods much worse than they usually are."

"Do you tend to have heavier periods?"

"I do; however, they're not as bad as they were when I was on the pill."

"I see."

When the timer went off, the doctor checked the results of the tests and turned to Lilith with a smile, "Well, you don't have any sort of UTI; however, you are pregnant. Congratulations!"

"W-What?! I..I'm pregnant?!"

"Indeed you are. If you'd like, I can put you down for your first ultrasound next Thursday at noon."

"..T-That sounds good," she replied with a soft smile as she tenderly placed her hands along her flat abdomen.

"Alrighty, I'll have Sophie (the receptionist) put you down for next Thursday and she'll also give you some Folic Acid tablets to start taking. I'd advise you to also pick up some prenatal vitamins and refrain from any and all heavy lifting."

"..Okay," she nodded, still shocked by the unexpected news.

XXXXX

Upon leaving the doctor's office, Lilith took the bus over to the grocery store so she could pick up some prenatal vitamins and other essentials. Of course, she also grabbed a pregnancy test to take at home as she wanted to present it to Snake, as well as to make doubly sure she was indeed expecting a baby and not just imagining that the doctor's words were just some part of a fever dream.

Placing the vitamins and test inside her basket, she felt a slight wave of nausea sweep through her body; however, instead of rushing to the bathroom, she ignored it and quickly made her way through the store before a voice spoke up:

"Good afternoon, Miss Lilith."

Turning around, a smile appeared across her face as she spotted a familiar woman pushing a cart alongside a (male) lynx. "Hello, Tabitha. It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise, sweetie." She then glanced at the male beside her, "This is the young lady I was telling you about."

"So you're the one Snake's been bragging about," he smiled before offering his paw/hand for her to shake, "The name's Ralph."

"Lilith," she replied as she shook his hand/paw. "As for Snake, he and I have been dating for a couple months now."

"So I've heard. Tabby and I were wondering if he'd ever settle down."

"Well, I'm more than happy to settle down if it means I get to wake up to his warm embrace every morning. He makes me so happy and I can no longer imagine my life without him in it."

"He said the same thing about you," Tabitha said with a warm smile lining her face. "I'm happy for you both and I know you two will make wonderful parents," she added with a wink, to which Lilith's eyes widened:

"How did.."

"Oh, I couldn't help but notice a motherly glow around you when I saw you. That, and I noticed the pregnancy test and prenatal vitamins in your basket," she replied and gestured towards said items, causing the younger woman to blush.

"Well, you're right: I am indeed pregnant. The doctor confirmed it less than an hour ago, but I still want to take another test so I can show Hubert and assure myself that this is all real and not just a dream."

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so happy for you both! And don't you worry: Ralphie and I will keep the news to ourselves as it's not ours to share."

"Thank you," she smiled before the three of them said their (temporary) goodbyes and parted ways.