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XLVI .. the element of surprise
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"JUST TRY TALKING TO IT." bella smiled as she placed a hand on her baby bump, as she ran her other hand through johnny's hair. "it can hear you."

"what am i supposed to say to it?" johnny said as he laid on her stomach. "are you sure it can hear me?"

"yeah, just try it." bella smiled. johnny intertwined his hand with bella's. she used her free hand to run her hands through his golden locks, smiling.

"hey kiddo." johnny smiled as he ran his fingers down the small tummy. "i'm your dad. your mom's gonna take good care of you while you're in there and i'm gonna take care of her out here. your mom and i can't wait to meet you."

johnny placed a small kiss on her stomach as the baby swiftly kicked. "why is it when i talk to the baby, it never kicks, but then you talk to it and it kicks." bella said, sitting up.

"don't tell me you're jealous." johnny smirked as he continued to caress her baby bump.

"i am." bella laughed as she pecked his lips as she stood up. "so, i have my appointment at 2:00, i know you have something–"

"nah, tony'll take care of it. i'll take the afternoon off, if you need me to." johnny said as he followed bella into the kitchen while she grabbed the extra bowl of fruit salad, that she made.

"i'll be fine, thank you." bella chuckled, grabbing a fork and honey for the salad. "i haven't had a chance to talk about this with you, but i wanted to bring it up to see if we were on the same page. if they ask us about the gender, would you wanna know?"

johnny chuckled as he grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl. "i knew you were gonna ask me about this." he said. "i don't know about you, but i kinda wanna wait until the baby's born to find out."

bella frowned as she began eating her fruit salad. another thrill of having a baby or being pregnant is finding out the baby's gender. bella was anxious to know the gender of her baby and she was sure johnny felt the same way, but she wanted to know before he or she was born.

"alright." bella said as she softly smiled. johnny saw the sadness in her eyes and intertwined his hand with hers.

"but if you wanna know beforehand, you can." johnny said. "i'm not gonna force you into–"

"no, no. it's fine." bella chuckled. "finding out at birth makes this more interesting right?"

"are you sure?" johnny sighed as he stood up and wrapped his arms around bella, placing a kiss on her temple.

bella simply nodded as she gave him a soft smile. johnny pulled her in for a hug before going into the room to get ready for work. after she finished eating breakfast, bella walked into the bathroom to take a shower. as she bathed, she overthought about the baby's gender.

if the baby was a girl, she'd be a total daddy's girl, just like when bella was a kid. girls tend to favor their fathers more than their mothers, but then again, she would rely more on their mothers for "girl advice", which is stuff they can't really tell their fathers.

if the baby were a boy, he would be a carbon copy of johnny with his shiny blue eyes and golden blonde hair. he would be an active, athletic child just like his father. bella even smiled at the thought of johnny teaching their son a bit of karate. he'd be  a heartbreaker with a soft side for his mother; like his father.

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bella briefly closed her eyes then looked at johnny who was pacing around the examination room, waiting for the doctor. she noticed his nervousness and extended out her hand, to which johnny smiled.

"the baby's gonna be fine." bella said as johnny intertwined his hand with hers. "it's a healthy baby, i promise."

johnny took a deep breath as dr. sullivan walked back into the examination room, with a smile on her face. "okay, well, the baby's doing great! it's happy and healthy." dr sullivan smiled. "i also have the baby's gender. would you two like to know?"

the couple looked at each other, remembering the agreement they made earlier that day. "we'll wait." bella smiled.

"bella, are you sure?" johnny whispered to bella and she nodded.

"i'm sure." bella said.

"alright, then i will see you next month." dr. sullivan smiled as bella climbed off of the examination table, buttoning her jeans up.

"babe, you go on ahead. i have to talk to doc about some things." bella said as johnny turned around.

"you okay?" johnny said.

"yeah, i just have to ask her some questions regarding the contractions i've been getting." bella smiled. "i'll meet you outside."

johnny placed a kiss on her forehead as he exited the examination room. "doc, i wanna know the baby's gender." bella sighed as she sat down next to her doctor.

"i knew you did." dr. sullivan smiled as she grabbed her file. "are you sure you wanna know?"

"yes, i wanna know." bella smiled as she took a deep breath.

"alright. here it goes."

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"i knew it!" jenna smiled as she sat beside bella, opening up a coke from the fridge. "we all figured after like 5-6 weeks."

"i thought you were gonna wait, just like johnny?" chrissy said.

"i wanted to, but i couldn't stop thinking about it." bella said as she adjusted the denim dress shirt that belonged to johnny. "if johnny finds out he's gonna kill me."

"he'll be fine." chrissy said as she sat down on the couch and kicked her heels off. "besides, you have a right to know, one; you're the mother, two; you're carrying the child."

"but i told him i would wait." bella sighed. "i guess i'm gonna have to keep a secret. i can keep a secret, right?"

"you were able to keep the baby a secret." jenna said as she grabbed a slice of pizza. bella sighed as she heard the sound of the keys then the turning of the doorknob.

"hey babe." johnny smiled as he placed the keys down on the table. "hey chris, jen."

"hey hon. well, i should be heading out." chrissy said as she grabbed her purse. "i'll leave you two lovebirds alone."

"i should be going home too." jenna said as she grabbed her purse as well. "i'll see you tomorrow! kiss the belly for me."

bella said goodbye to her friends as she walked back to her spot on the sofa. "feeling better? have you gotten anymore of those contraption things?" johnny said as he sat on the sofa, bella laying down beside him.

"they're called contractions, babe." bella giggled as fixed the denim shirt. "and no, not anymore."

"so, i was driving around the city with mom today and i took her to see the house." johnny smiled as he ran his hands through bella's hair.

"and? did she like it?" bella smiled.

"she loved it." johnny smiled. "we can still take out a loan, y'know. the asking price isn't so high and mom said she'd help us as much as possible."

"john, are you sure about the house?" bella said as she sat up. "i feel like i'm asking for too much."

"i'm sure because it's something we're doing together." johnny smiled. "plus, we're gonna need the extra room for the baby."'

bella smiled as she then placed her lips on his. "you really wanna buy this house? we can stay here for a few months, it's not so bad here." bella softly whispered.

"i'm not gonna lie, i like the apartment, but we need a house, especially for the baby." johnny said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind bella's back. "although i'd love to see the baby run around the apartment, i'd also love to see it run around our living room or the kitchen."

"this baby's gonna be a handful." bella as she stood up to grab a cherry coke. "but i get excited just to think about waking up on a saturday morning, wrapped up in your arms, feeling your lips against my skin, then both of us walking into the nursery and seeing the baby. i can't wait to see you hold our beautiful baby girl in your arms–"

bella snapped out of her daydream and gained consciousness as she realized what she had just said. her heart began to pound as she looked at johnny, who sat there confused. "a baby what?" johnny said. "we-we're having a girl?"

bella took a deep breath as she attempted to deny the gender, but she only managed to nod her head. "i-i asked for the gender." bella said as she ran a hand through her hair. "i know i shouldn't have and you have every right to be upset, but yes, it's a girl."

johnny smiled as she walked up to bella and spun her around. "we're having a girl." he smiled as he passionately kissed bella's lips and went down to kiss her belly. "i knew it, y'know."

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bella combed a hand through her hair as she fixed wrapped the flannel shirt around her body, buttoning it up before walking out of the bedroom, to find her boyfriend laying in bed, watching mtv.

"i can't believe it's a girl." bella smiled. "i would've figured it would be a boy because of how small."

"she's small for a girl." johnny chuckled as he turned his gaze from the television to bella, who was sporting one of his flannel shirts. bella got under the covers, wrapping the blankets over her semi-bare body. "she's gonna be beautiful, just like her mommy."

bella smiled as she caressed his cheek. johnny leaned down and softly placed his lips on hers as bella wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling hims down. he them ran his fingers through the buttons of the flannel shirt, slowly unbuttoning them.

johnny hovered over bella as the tv softly played the music that was on mtv. "you sure you wanna do this?" johnny said as he pushed his hair back, while looking at her body, up and down.

"mhmm." bella softly groaned as he placed her lips onto hers once more. he then went down to kiss her collarbone as bella softly moaned. "i need you again."

"and you'll have me." johnny groaned as he ran his hands down her sides, caressing her belly as bella moaned under him. the couple was now in the heat of the moment, bella felt a small kick from the baby. "you're kidding me."

bella giggled as johnny laid to the side, turned off. "i did not expect for the baby to kick." bella softly laughed as she placed a hand on her boyfriend's torso. "i'm sorry hon."

"you wanna try it again?" johnny said as he intertwined his hand with hers.

bella simply nodded as she pressed her lips onto his once more. her hormones were going crazy as she felt johnny's hands roam through her body and then reach her lower area. just as bella messed with the waistband of his calvins, she felt another kick from the baby.

"fuck. everytime i touch you, the baby has to kick." johnny said as he laid back down on bella's side.

"i guess baby disapproves." bella giggled as she pecked his lips.

"but i'm the father here." johnny said as he attempted to press his lips onto hers as he felt the baby kick once more. "she really won't let me, huh?"

"she's gonna be a handful."

"yeah, just like her mother."