Soft lips parading across Nicki's stomach were the very first things she felt when the sunlight peeked through her freshly opened eyes. The airy, radiant warmth of the just risen sun splayed over her, caressing her in a silky embrace. Her upper half was completely exposed, void of all linen and sheet. As she adjusted to the rush of sensations that waking up often entailed, she glanced down at Tyler, who was entirely unaware that she was no longer sleeping. Hoping to catch him in a moment, she stayed perfectly still as she watched him.

He was obviously trying his hardest not to wake her; she had never seen him so gentle. The scruff that was permeated his face scraped her slightly, and she tried not to squirm as it tickled her sensitive skin. Nicki could hear a faint whispering, but it was too quiet for her to understand, even from just a foot away. All she could do was observe as her husband caressed her belly with more love than she thought humanly possible. For a brief moment, she had to consider what might happen to them if she couldn't make it through the pregnancy. If they lost this baby too, she was sure that it would ruin him. It could only be his unrelenting drive to father a child the way in which was naturally intended that made him decide that it was worth the horrifying risks. She also believed that he liked her pregnant better than he liked her normally. Although he almost always treated her like she was the most fragile thing in the world, when she was carrying his child he took on a whole new level of lovingness. She guessed it had something to do with his internal instinct to protect her. For now, this baby was a part of her like he never would be. And even though they both knew there was not a single thing he could do to protect it, Tyler would be damned if he didn't try.

After a good, long while, he ceased everything he was doing and slowly lowered the side of his head onto her stomach. Once he had it all the way down, his eyes inched up her body, until they connected with her own. Nicki stretched out an arm and laid her fingers in his hair, forcing his lids shut for just a moment.

"Morning," he moaned quietly, his breath bouncing off of her skin.

Nicki sighed at the feeling; it was one she loved and could never tire of.

"Morning, love."

Nothing more was said, and she didn't feel the need to initiate any more conversation. Instead, she ran her fingers through his hair, which by his standards had grown abnormally long. Tyler kept his eyes closed, and his steadying breaths nearly convinced her that he'd fallen asleep. Checking would mean potentially waking him up, and he needed all of the rest he could get. In a few days, he would be back to his grueling summer workouts, trying to get stronger still for the upcoming season. With the added stress of a pregnant wife, he surely wasn't going to have an easy time. Nicki wanted nothing more for him than to see his career skyrocket even more than it already had. She wanted to see him leading his team onto the ice, she wanted to boastfully don a C on the jersey that shared their last name. In order to do so, she needed to be willing to sacrifice. After all he'd done for her, there were few things she wouldn't give up to see him succeed.
Besides, his recently acquired twenty pounds of pure muscle sat quite well with her.

Unable to control herself, her eyes scanned his body, which was contorted in an odd way in order to make his head comfortable on her midsection. He was curled up like a little kid, the way she often slept. Seeing him that way never failed to make her smile. She had wondered for a long time when his boyishness would fade, and so far it had only grown more noticeable. Tyler Seguin, the hockey player who everyone had grown to respectfully fear on the ice, was one of the most adorable people Nicki had ever met. When he slammed someone into the boards or threw a stray punch, she couldn't help but picture him just the way he was now, slowly killing her with cuteness.

Nicki could call him cute all she wanted, but that one word could never do him justice. To prove it, she had to look no further than the massive bulges that formed his powerful biceps, the only muscles that were presently visible. It was then she realized that he wasn't in the clothes he'd gone to bed in the night before, nor was he even in pajamas. A glance to her alarm clock told her it was barely ten o'clock, bringing her to the conclusion that he must have gone out while she was still sleeping. It was unlike him to leave her alone while she wasn't awake, but then again, he was constantly surprising her.

"I picked up some muffins for the big day," Tyler murmured, revealing that he wasn't asleep, after all.

She giggled and sat up, forcing him to switch his position. Taking advantage of his cross legged posture she shuffled into his lap and waited for his arms to latch around her. Her lips attacked the cheek nearest to her, causing his face to pull and crinkle, revealing the toothy smile that made her knees weak. Nicki knew that he was as excited as she was, possibly even more. He'd been waiting for this since the moment she found out she was pregnant, with a mix of anxiety and thrilled anticipation.

"You're the best, baby," she said simply, placing a last kiss on his face. "How early did you get up?"

A warmth tickled her skin as his lips engaged in the game she'd begun, pressing softly and numerously against her forehead.

"To be honest, I never really went to sleep."

Now that she was paying attention, Nicki could hear the exhaustion in his voice. There was a good deal of doubt in both of their minds that either of them would sleep the night before, but not only had she slept, she'd slept well. She whittled it down to her body knowing that she needed as much rest as she could get to support both herself and the baby. For the last week, she and Tyler had done everything they could possibly think of the ensure that her pregnancy would go as smoothly as possible. Most importantly, Dr. Baker set them up for biweekly ultrasounds, partially to make sure that the baby was growing the way it should, but mostly to give them the satisfaction of being assured that everything was alright. Even so, knowing that they had their first ultrasound that morning had made for a worrisome and anxious night.

"Ty, what am I gonna do with you? You need to sleep, love."

"I would if I could," he defended himself. "I think, after today, I should be okay."

Nicki sighed and pressed her head against his cheek. She had never seen him so worked up over anything. Not one of the three times he had been to the Stanley Cup Finals had he been such a wreck. Not the day he proposed, nor the day his grandmother passed. Not even her last pregnancy and the night that it came to an end. They both knew how much was at stake, but Tyler seemed to be taking it much harder. At times, it was heartwarming to see him so concerned over it. Others, it was stressful. She wasn't sure how to deal with it, how to ease the troubled thoughts that were buzzing around in his head around the clock.

"We can always take a nap later," she suggested, hoping he would comply.

"I have to hit the gym at some point," he said, briefly giving her thoughts of him bench pressing and doing other godly activities. She couldn't help but shiver, the image of him working out was a bit too much for her to handle.

"After, then."

Just because she was in need of care taking certainly didn't mean she was about to cease her nurturing ways. If she couldn't get him to nap at some point that day, she was clearly doing something wrong. Sometimes it was refreshing to look after him, rather than the other way around.
The past seven days had been wondrous and brilliant and for the most part, relaxing, but being waited on hand and foot didn't suit her, nor would it ever.

Tyler let out a soft chuckle and got off of the bed, dragging Nicki gently with him.

"Maybe."

"I'll take maybe," she giggled, keeping her arms locked around him for another minute before letting go.

"Good. We have to get going in," he glanced down to check his watch, "thirty two minutes. So get that cute little butt of yours dressed and come downstairs, okay?"

Another giggle escaped her and she felt her cheeks burning, an occurrence that had not been rare since they found out about the baby. He had been so unnecessarily kind, going out of his way at every possible moment to make her blush with a sweet statement, the same way he had when they first began dating. A part of her believed that when he saw her cheeks turn rosy and heard the shy giggles slip out of her, it took him back to those simple, blissful days, when their only worry was whether or not they would last. It was hard not to miss that time in their lives. She still got butterflies thinking about the way things started, and the crazy, indescribable emotions that controlled her. Falling in love with him had been the single most memorable experience of her life. It had been as easy as breathing, and as dangerous as swimming with Great Whites. Falling for him was natural, and loving him seemed to be the only thing that she could always do right.

She made sure to watch him walk away, until he had disappeared completely. Even though she knew that she had the rest of her life to spend with him, every solitary moment was too special to let pass her by. Ten lifetimes wasn't long enough to be with him, never mind just one.
Sauntering into their closet, Nicki couldn't help but scan over all of her pregnancy clothes that she hadn't parted with after the miscarriage. For four months, she believed that she would never again have reason to wear them, but could never quite bring herself to throw them out. In just a few short months, she would have no choice but to wear them again.

It took her all of five minutes to throw on a pair of shorts and a shirt of Tyler's, which after a single time in the dryer had shrunken down to her size and become quite flattering. She rushed through the rest of her morning process, eager to be back in contact with Tyler. It was pathetic in the worst, most disgusting way, and she was completely okay with that. If having separation anxiety from the man you loved was a bad thing, then she was fully prepared to admit that she had issues.

One last check in the mirror told her that everything was in order. Nicki took off down the hallway and bounced down the stairs, nearly crashing into him once she entered the kitchen, where a muffin and a cup of tea awaited her at the island.

"Tyler," she started, about to launch into a full explanation of why he was the greatest husband in the universe.

Instead of letting her do so, Tyler cut her off.

"My shirt," he said, grabbing onto some of the fabric and laughing. "I can't believe you kept this. It actually looks good on you."

"Thanks, sweetheart!" she chirped, feeling even more elated than she had when she stepped into the kitchen. She decided to save her speech for later, thinking it might be more effective whilst cuddling after a long day.

"There is something so adorable about you when you're pregnant," he mumbled, in a way that made Nicki believe it was supposed to stay in his head.

"And there's something so sweet about you when I'm pregnant."

He smirked and captured her face in a single hand, warming her cheek with his palm. Her eyes flitted shut for a moment as she absorbed the comfort that was radiating from his touch. Her breathing caught when his lips hit hers, as delicate and loving as they'd even been. His thick bottom lip held hers perfectly. Tyler's kiss was one so distinct, Nicki was sure that it was impossible to replicate. No one had ever kissed her the way he did, and she guessed that if she spoke to any of the girls from his past, they would all agree. When he began to pull away, his lips hung on, as if they weren't ready to leave hers. She forced her eyes open, and saw that his were still closed. They lifted slowly, weighed down with affection and the desire to do nothing but kiss and cuddle and accomplish none of the things they needed to do that day. She knew, because she felt the same way.

Tyler kept his eyes on her for a while longer before gesturing towards the island.

"Eat your muffin, will ya? Don't wanna be late to this thing."

"Jeez," she giggled, taking a seat on a stool. "What happened to that sweetheart who kissed me five seconds ago?"

A large, clumsy pair of hands found their way to her shoulders, the fingers on them tickling the skin of her chest. "Oh, he's still here," Tyler said, almost seductively.

Nicki wanted to turn and see what exactly had provoked such a response, but he caught her and kept her still.

"Ah ah ah, stay right there."

Doing as he asked, she stayed put. A million questions were running through her mind, and his behavior just continued to confuse her.

"Aw, babe," he whined, "You aren't wearing your necklace."

A hand shot up to her collarbone, where one of three stones always resided. He was right, she had forgotten to put it on.

"Shit! I'll be right back. If I don't put one on, my whole day will be off."

Suddenly, Tyler's lips were grazing her neck, wracking her body with shudders. She had accepted long ago that she would never become accustomed to the way he kissed, on the lips and otherwise. No matter where on her body, if his lips were touching her, it was going to drive her crazy.

"I got you covered," he whispered, placing a soft, tiny kiss on the edge of her ear, only resulting in more shivers.

"Ty, what - "

Before she could finish her question, a cold chain was being draped around her neck. It took a moment for it to set in that he had continued to do what he promised, and bought her yet another necklace. Her head tipped down, catching a glimpse of the rich, glorious emerald that now rested against her skin. The setting was different from the other two he bought, but just as beautiful. Nicki spun around on the stool and found herself caught in Tyler's cozy embrace.

"You really need to stop doing this," she muttered into his chest, which was pressed firmly against her face.

"You love it."

She groaned, unwilling to admit that she was becoming spoiled. It was no use. He saw right through her.

"I'm a horrible person."

"Yeah, accepting gifts from your husband is actually one of the worst things I can think of," he mocked, shaking his head above her. "If it makes you feel any better, Looch just bought a six thousand dollar pair of shoes for Brittany."

Nicki cringed, and she knew that Tyler felt it. He laughed and held her closer, leaving a kiss on the crown of her head. Instead of backing off, he buried his face in her mass of blondish brown hair.

"Let me spoil you," he said. "I have it so easy with you. Believe it or not babe, I love buying you shit."

"Really?"

Another laugh from above shook her small frame. "Really. What's the point of making six million a year if I don't get to spend any of it on stuff we don't need?"

Finally, he got her to smile. "Thank you, Ty. Not just for the necklace."

Hugging her close, he whispered, "I know."

His hand trailed down her back, rubbing circles the way they always did. Although Nicki was only nine weeks in, she was already feeling some of the more painful effects of pregnancy. There was no morning sickness, no cravings or nausea. This time around, she had aches and pains that had occurred much later on her last time. Dr. Baker reminded her again and again that her body would need to work extra hard to provide for the fetus, and that she would be feeling the direct results of that. He still didn't seem keen on their motivation, or rather their hopefulness, but he was doing everything he could to help them.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked, most likely noting the way she rolled her shoulders into his touch.

Nicki shrugged and pulled away from him so that she could look him in the eyes. His fingers brushed the hair from her face, sending a breath of warmth through her body. He did it with so much care, it truly made her want to cry.

"Same as yesterday."

"You'd tell me if you weren't feeling good, right?"

She nodded. "I promised I would. I'm just a little sore, that's all."

"Well then say so," he urged, cocking his head. "You know I can fix that."

"You've given me a massage every day for a week."

"So?"

"Ty, you're doing too much for me. Just let me be pregnant and achy for a day. I can deal," she said, realizing once it was out that it was a bad idea. It was only going to upset him, and she was certainly never going to win this dispute.

He stared at her, long and hard. "You do realize who you're talking to, right?"

Involuntarily, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She could fight it all she wanted, but it was never going to get her anywhere. In a way, it was incredible to know that he was so intent on taking care of her, no matter how guilty she felt for accepting all of his offers.

"I guess I'll take one," she murmured.

"That's what I thought." After pressing his lips to her forehead, he spun her around so that she was facing the island again. "Now eat, and you have to drink thirty two ounces of something before we leave. Pick your poison."

"Ugh," she groaned, picking her muffin into tiny pieces. "Why?"

"Babe, you really don't remember?"

By his tone of voice, she gathered that once again she'd forgotten a valuable piece of information given to them by the doctor. She hung her head, both frustrated and ashamed. Now that she knew the pregnancy was to blame, it was a bit easier on her self confidence, but still bothersome. Hot tears stung her eyes, and she tried to conceal them as they fell. Before the first one hit her cheek, arms were thrown around her.

"Hey, don't cry," Tyler pleaded as he stroked her hair, the way he knew always calmed her down.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I know you're frustrated swe - "

He stopped mid-sentence, and she glanced up at him. Her pout had morphed into a grin wider than her entire face.

"You were about to call me sweetie, weren't you?"

"No."

"Tyler, don't you lie to me," she scolded, well aware that she had gotten the best of him, and would continue to do so.

"I'm not lying," he said flatly. "I wasn't going to call you that."

"Tyler, what were you going to say?"

It was then she noticed that his cheeks had become flushed, and his eyes were darting back and forth across the room. He was nervous. To confirm it, Nicki made a grab for his hand, and instantly felt the clamminess. He let out a long sigh and shook his head ever so subtly.

"Sweetheart," he mumbled, so low that she could barely make out what he'd said. "You're rubbing off on me, I'm spending too much time with you."

Nicki couldn't help herself. She burst into a fit of uplifted laughter. Even when it was a complete accident, he always said exactly what she needed to hear. Apparently, Tyler didn't find it very funny. He glared at her until she stopped, arms crossed in front of his sculpted chest. The sight was enough to make her stop, and nearly enough to make her drool. His eyes followed hers, trying to figure out what had suddenly inspired her to become quiet. When he looked down and saw the way his bulky arms had shoved his pecs together, it became his turn to laugh. In seconds, his shirt was a crumpled heap on the hardwood floor. Nicki had to hold back a gasp as she took in his toned form; he had gotten bigger since the last time she'd really looked at him. The strength that exuded from him set off desires she didn't even know that she had. She wanted to be rough handled, gently. The way he did so well. She wanted to feel his power in every way she could. She wanted to forfeit herself over to him, and let him take control for as long as he wanted.

"You like what you see?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and slowly closing the distance between them.

Soon enough, he was standing in front of her, between her spread legs. He was just begging to be touched, to be stroked and caressed by her soft, skillful hands. Ncki hesitantly reached out, her fingertips landing on his solid abs, just above his belt. She ghosted along his skin, taking great pleasure in the chills she could feel rocket through him. No matter how beautiful he became, he would never be immune to her affectionate touch. A long sigh came from him, and her breath stopped completely as she felt his muscles working to exhale. She briefly had to wonder what she'd gotten herself into. They both knew quite well that she couldn't handle the body in front of her, that just looking at it long enough would rip apart her sanity. She threw a glance his way, and found him smirking back at her. He loved that he didn't have to do anything but take off his clothes to tease her, to make her want him in a way that no one had ever wanted someone else.

As her now shaking hands moved weakly across his torso, Tyler watched in pure delight. He pushed his hips forward, so that his pelvis was pressed against her thighs. She gulped down her pride and relished it. As badly as she wanted him, she was well aware that she couldn't have him. Not now, at least. But he was going to make sure that it was on her mind all day, even throughout the ultrasound that they'd been waiting so anxiously for.

When she moved to his chest, he caught her hands in his. The thumping of his heart underneath her palms had grown quicker, making the smile return to her face.

"You feel that?" he asked, pressing her hands gently to his chest.

Nicki nodded, and tried to ignore the fact that her heartbeat had picked up twofold as well.

"You're the only one who can do that to me."

She kept her eyes on his, and could see the scary truth behind what he'd just said. There were hundreds of things that she wanted to say to him, but not a single one seemed right. Anything she said would take away from the beauty of the moment, from the intensity of the feelings being exchanged. As she had found with Tyler, there were certain things in life that words would never be able to describe, and could never do justice to. Instead of spilling out all of her deepest feelings, she leaned forward and pressed her lips on the spot where his heartbeat was strongest. His hands clenched hers, and she knew that she had gotten her message across.

Unwilling to let it end, Nicki tilted her head up, searching for his lips. When she found them, she nearly collapsed. Between the erratic thudding of his heart where her hands still laid and the heat and passion of his kiss, her entire body had become weak and uncontrollable. As all good things must eventually do, the kiss ended, but not without hesitation. Her hands dropped to his hips, and his rested on her shoulders. His soft brown eyes were scanning hers, in a way that she would never be able to figure out. He found things in her eyes that she would never understand.

"I love you, Nicki," he said solemnly, his face like stone.

It was an odd way to tell someone you loved them, but it cut through her like a hundred knives. It pierced straight through to her heart. Somehow, the way he spoke said more than the words did. He was brutally serious, and almost a bit frightening. He managed to reflect perfectly the way they loved each other. Of course they were happy, but their love wasn't a happy one. It was serious and it was fearful. It was based off of necessity rather than desire. One needed the other to breathe. One without the other was nothing. There would be no moving on if something happened. They were caught in an ocean, ten feet beneath the surface, and the only thing keeping them alive was having one another.

She studied his face, overcome with graveness. It suited him well; the harshness of his features were on full display with his smile missing.

"I love you too, Tyler." Beginning to feel oppressed, she added something to lighten the mood around them. "Forever?"

Instantly his face softened, becoming again the face that she recognized as her husband's. The corners of his mouth raised slightly, momentarily making Nicki forget everything that was currently on her mind.

"Forever."

** * * * *

"I have to say, I'm rather excited to see you here again," Dr. Reed said, leading them down the same hallway they'd ventured down almost a year ago now.

"Believe me, we're excited to be here," Tyler responded, placing his hand on the small of Nicki's back.

"Ah, I'm glad to hear it." The doctor gestured towards an examination table, which Tyler diligently helped her on to. "So how have you been feeling overall?"

He watched Nicki shift on top of the table, trying to settle herself on top of the crinkling paper.

"Not too bad. No morning sickness, no nausea. Just the aches and pains, I guess."

Dr. Reed nodded before turning his back to them so that he could prepare the necessary tools for the procedure. She was having an early ultrasound, which according to Dr. Baker, was much, much different from a regular one. Instead of using the ultrasound wand on top of her stomach, one would be inserted inside of her, offering a much better view of the fetus. He was having an extremely difficult time dealing with the idea. In his mind, there were only two things that belonged there, both of them extensions of himself. Tyler despised attending these visits with her, and would never be okay with watching another person, never mind another man, deal with her intimate areas. But he had promised to be there for her, and would die before he broke it.

He turned to watch the doctor's every move, still not quite sure what to expect from the test he was about to perform. Tyler heard a distant ripping noise, and saw an all too familiar item being placed over the suggestively shaped wand in Dr. Reed's hand. He could feel the color draining from his face.

"Is that… is that a condom?" he asked, absolutely perturbed.

Dr. Reed looked down at what he held in his hands.

"Yes, it is. It's just a precautionary measure, some women don't react well to the material the ultrasound wand is made of."

"Oh, Jesus," he muttered under his breath, suddenly feeling a bit disoriented.

A tiny hand came to rest on his arm, snapping him out of his horrifying trance.

It's okay, she mouthed, trying and failing to comfort him with a smile.

Tyler took a long, deep breath. No matter how disturbed he was, Nicki was the one who needed support. He needed to pull himself together long enough to be there for her. It was hard to forget why they were there, suffering through such an uncomfortable test in the first place. For all they knew, the baby could already be gone. If they had to receive that kind of heart stopping news, he would need to find it in himself to stay and hold her and make sure that she was okay before he broke down.

"Tyler, are you feeling alright?" Dr. Reed asked, suddenly right by his side.

One glance at the object in his hand made his head spin and his vision blacken.

"Woah there!"

A firm hand on his back kept him from falling backwards, and a more delicate hand holding onto his arm steadied him.

"Baby what is it?" Nicki inquired, sounding more concerned about him than she ever had.

After taking a minute for himself, Tyler began to regain his composure. The first thing he did was grab Nicki's hand, hoping to ease her worry. She had enough on her plate without being concerned about him, and the stress was just as bad for her as it was for the baby.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I guess this whole thing is just making me a little squeamish."

"You can wait outside, Ty. I'll be alright."

"No, it's not that… It didn't come out right."

Dr. Reed intervened. "You're not comfortable with me inserting this into your wife's - "

"Yes," Tyler answered hurriedly, hoping that he wouldn't feel the need to go on in detail.

"That's perfectly normal. If you're willing to follow very specific instructions, I've let other husbands perform the test before. It's really quite simple. Is that something you would be interested in trying?"

"Oh, I don't know," he murmured, looking to Nicki for an answer.

"You won't hurt me, love, if that's what you're worried about."

Her hand was still wrapped around his wrist, and her thumb was moving soothingly back and forth across his skin. He needed to be by her side, but there was simply no way he could watch the man in front of him stick something into his wife. There was no conceivable way that he could be okay with that.

"Alright, I'll give it a shot."

"Good then," Dr. Reed responded, giving him a small pat on the back. "Now, Nicki, I'll need you to draw in your knees, keeping your feet flat on the table."

Tyler observed as she did what he said, and when the hospital gown she wore slid down her thighs, he couldn't help but feel awkward. He was about to perform a very serious test, and all he could think about was how sexy her legs were. Not to mention, he was quite confident that the sixty-something year old doctor was well aware of the bulge forming in his pants. It was an unspoken thing between men, of all ages. He took another breath, hoping to center himself. It wasn't helping that her carrying his child somehow made her even more irresistible than she already was.

The doctor raised a hand and gestured for Tyler to go around the other side of the table, where he would have a full view of the area he'd rather not have shared with anyone else. He tried to look anywhere but between her legs. Unfortunately, the task at hand called for exactly that.

"All you have to do is insert this slowly, face up, and follow any further instructions I give you, okay?"

He nodded and glanced at Nicki, whose warm smile nearly knocked him off of his feet. Suddenly, he felt at ease. Once Dr. Reed left his side and took a seat in front of the ultrasound monitor, it felt as though it was just him and Nicki there. Tyler smiled back at her and placed one hand on her thigh, conveying that everything would be fine. In a way, it was beginning to feel almost like a bonding experience. He wondered how many couples had done something like this together, and gathered that it probably wasn't many.

"Okay, Tyler, you can start whenever you're ready."

After making sure his hand was steady, he brought the long wand closer to her, pushing gently as it entered her. Tyler tried not to think about what he was doing, and concentrated on doing the job right. If he did, in a matter of seconds his baby would be up on the screen in front of him, as minuscule as it might be.

"That's perfect," Dr. Reed assured him. "Just a little bit further."

"You doing okay?" he whispered, so that only Nicki would hear him.

She nodded, but he could see the discomfort on her face. In an attempt to make her feel at ease, he cautiously dropped his head to her knee, placing a soft kiss on her skin. When he lifted his head he pushed just a little further, until Dr. Reed told him to stop. He could feel Nicki cringing, and his stomach lurched at the expression on her face. The only console he felt came from knowing that at least he wasn't watching from the sidelines, wondering what exactly was going on underneath her gown.

"Oh my."

Tyler's head shot to the monitor. His heart felt as though it was about to beat right out of his chest.

"Oh my" was the last thing he ever wanted to hear concerning his unborn child, whom they were already worried sick about.

"Come on, doc," he urged. "You can't just leave us hanging like that. Is everything okay?"

Dr. Reed pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before turning to Tyler.

"Everything is just fine."

"So what was with the 'Oh my'?"

He noticed that Nicki was being uncharacteristically quiet on top of the table. If he had to guess, he would say it was a mixture of worry and discomfort.

The doctor smiled and pushed the monitor so that it was facing them head on.

"You're having twins."

** * * *

"Is that even possible?!" Nicki nearly shouted, catching Dr. Baker off guard.

"Of course it's possible," he responded calmly. "It's by no means probable, but so far you seem to have gone against all things medically logical."

"So what does this mean for her?" Tyler asked, clenching his hand over her knee.

"I'm going to be brutally honest with the two of you, carrying twins is just going to mean a more difficult pregnancy. Looking at how many times you've surprised me in the past, I won't say it's impossible for me to be wrong. There is a chance it will carry on like a normal pregnancy. But you're going to have to prepare yourselves for a very, very long seven months. It may lower your chances of a successful pregnancy even further. Also, twins may cause issues during delivery. There was already a strong possibility of you needing a Cesarean section, what with two babies that possibility has just doubled. The procedure has become much safer over the years, but if we can help it, I'd rather have you deliver naturally."

"But she'll still be okay, right?"

Nicki placed her hand over Tyler's, stroking the back of it with her fingertips.

"Nicki should be fine, with the proper care and observation. You'll most definitely have to continue the bi-weekly ultrasounds. I assume that besides receiving this news, everything was in order?"

"Yeah, everything else was fine," he said, answering all of the questions for her, figuring it would be nice to take some of the pressure off of her for once.

"I'm glad to hear that. We'll continue with these meetings every three weeks, and if something comes up you have my personal number. Do you have any other questions?"

They both exchanged glances before shaking their heads. They had more questions than they could possibly count, but none seemed answerable. At least, not yet. After scheduling another appointment, Tyler grabbed Nicki's hand and led her through the hospital and out the exit. When they reached the car, it was the first moment they had alone since finding out, that wasn't occupied with worried thoughts and frantic phone calls to the doctor. He opened her door for her, and before climbing in she stopped in front of him, the way she often did.

Round, brown eyes stared up at him, causing everything inside of him to melt. Those eyes were unlike any others he'd ever seen.

"Twins," she muttered. "Can you believe it?"

Tyler shook his head and placed a hand on her rosy cheek. "No, honestly, I can't. The thought never even occurred to me."

"I never thought of it either," she admitted. Hesitantly, she asked a question. "How… how do you feel about it?"

"Nervous," he answered flatly. "I'm worried about you enough as it is."

Obviously, it was not the answer she'd been looking for. Her eyes glossed over, and her lower lip pouted so subtly that it wouldn't have been noticeable had he not been with her for half of a decade.

"But," he continued, "I'm twice as excited now. To go from thinking we would never be able to have even a single kid naturally, to find out we're having two… I'm mind blown."

A small giggle escaped her precious lips and she threw her arms around his waist. Habitually, his let his arms hang over her and left a small kiss on the top of her head.

"That's a good way to put it. Oh, Tyler, I just can't believe it. Twins!"

Nicki squirmed around in his arms, like a child who had become too excited about something and didn't know how to control themselves. It got him to laugh, something he hadn't done since their first appointment that morning.

"I know, I don't think it's really sunk in yet." After kissing her head once more, he let his arms fall.

"We're gonna have to tell everyone. Again."

She pulled away from him, and he knew by the expression she wore on her face that she was stuck in deep thought. Her pink tongue peeked out through her lips as she stared off into space. He couldn't suppress a chuckle; she was unbearably cute when she thought too hard. Waiting patiently for her to come up with something, he twirled a strand of her hair around on his finger.

"Okay, I got it."

"Got what, exactly?" he asked, grinning at her sudden enthusiasm, as well as the fact that she'd forgotten to fill him in on whatever she was planning in her mind.

"Oh." She paused, realizing that she had never explained herself. "I want it to be special, and I want everyone to find out at the same time. We've been all over the place with this stuff. Besides, I miss everyone."

"Go on," Tyler urged, mentally pushing her to just come out with it.

"Well the fourth is coming up soon, right?"

"Couple of weeks, yeah."

Nicki nodded, and a grin formed on her face to match her own. She was clearly quite proud of whatever she had conjured up.

"So we're going to invite everyone - and I mean [i]everyone[/i] - to stay with us for the fourth. They won't think anything of it. We've got the fireworks right over the lake. You can whip up some barbecue."

"Uh, I'm not sure I know where you're going with this," he said, trying not to make her feel bad for confusing him.

"Okay, I'm getting there. So between now and then, we're gonna redo the nursery. And once we have everyone together, I'll bring them upstairs to show it to them. The two cribs should be a dead giveaway."

Somehow, the smile on his face grew even wider.

"Look at my wife, being all smart and coming up with plans. Knew that Master's would come in handy for something," he teased.

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment or a stab, and honestly I don't really care," she responded.

"We're gonna do it whether you like it or not Ty."

"On the warpath already babe? You're not even through the first trimester."

"You are just asking for it," she hissed, making a beeline for crotch.

Tyler caught her hand and clicked his tongue. He was almost sure he could see the fire burning in the backs of her eyes. He loved his wife, more than anything. But when she was pregnant, God help him if he wasn't following her around like a lost puppy.

"I believe you just asked for it."