If u see a mistake plz don't point it out my feels are so damaged and beyond repair today and I worked real on hard this and yeah ._. (Hi btw!)

~~~
Tom's p.o.v.

"Blue? What if the baby's a girl?"

I groaned and threw the paint samples down on the carpet. "I don't know anymore...why do you want me to help pick out paint colors, Sparklez?" Every time I make a suggestion, he shoots it down and causes me to rethink my whole decision. I'm a damn Dianitee, I'm not meant to pick out paint colors for a stupid baby room! I'm meant to fight and avenge and dominate-

"Because I care about your opinion and I want you to like the room too." I felt a hand curl around mine in a soft manner, but it really didn't help my grouchy mood. I glared down at the white wall as if it were the source of my problems, which it was, and kept my back turned to him.

"I don't care what color the room is. I don't care what clothes the kid wears. I don't care what food it eats." Annnd I've probably just set him off again. He gets a lot more irritated now, with the mood swings and all. He snaps at me a lot more too. I guess I shouldn't blame him though, I am sort of an ass sometimes. I thought I was a good parent and husband for awhile, since Rosie turned out so well and Sparklez used to be so happy all the time. Maybe I was wrong.

"Do you care about the baby?" He asked softly.

"Of course I care about the baby."

"You don't act like you do, Tom."

I let out an angry huff. "Just because I hate doing decorations and picking out useless shit for hours at some stupid store doesn't mean that I don't care about our baby! I love our baby and I love you! I just hate these stupid bonding activities Dec suggested and I hate deciding which pacifier would go with each bib we buy and I hate seeing the words BABY BLUE AND PASTEL PINK ON EVERY DAMN PAINT SAMPLE WE PICK UP! I want the room to be purple and red because it's our family colors, pacifiers don't have to match bibs because for gods sake Rosie never had anything that matched in her entire childhood and she had no problems, and we don't need any fucking bonding activities to bond well! If you want to bond then let's go take walks in The Ender dimension or watch your nerdy space movies or go have dinner with some friends! I can't take this decorating shit anymore, I'm sick of it! Please, please don't get pissed at me but I just...I can't anymore."

I was expecting some dramatic turn away from him, an emotional breakdown, something being thrown at my head because here lately, that's how it's been. But I was shocked when two hands planted themselves on my shoulders and turned me around, so that I was facing a smiling Sparklez. "I missed you."

"What?"

"I said I missed you." He stood on the tips of his toes and kissed my cheek, and by that point I was ogling at him with my jaw on the carpet. He pulled away and giggled at my expression. "You haven't been yourself lately. I was wondering when you'd come back."

"You-...I-...I don't get it. You missed me yelling at you when I get pissed?"

"Yes! I miss bickering with you, it's what our whole relationship is based on. I thought the five hour shopping session would break you, but you've gotten way more tolerant than I originally thought you had. Who knew it would be paint samples that brought you back to me?" He snaked his hands around my middle and hugged me, his baby bump poking into my stomach as he held me. I hesitantly wrapped my own arms around him. I feel like I'm stepping into uncharted territory.

"But...but we have been bickering. You threw a potion stand at me the other day."

"That's arguing, and it's not fun. I'm sorry my mood swings are so bad. I try to control them, but I can't always keep from yelling at you. If I ever do it again just tell me I'm being mean and I'll calm down."

"Sparklez have you met yourself when you're angry? If I tell you you're being mean, you'll rip me to shreds."

"I won't, I promise. So red and purple?"

Grinning, I cupped both sides of his face and drew him in for a nice kiss on the lips. "Yeah...red and purple." Ugh, I wish pregnancy didn't include having zero sex for nine months.

"Rose red and lavender or blood red and indigo?"

"I'm going to rip up those damn paint samples."

He let out a series of angelic laughs. "Kidding! I'm kidding, blood red and lavender all the way. Do you think you could bare a few hours of painting with me? I wouldn't ask, but my ankles aren't as strong as they used to be."

I smirked. "As long as I get to feel up those ankles afterwards."

He rolled his eyes and pulled away from me, only to walk over to the paint samples and attempt to get them up from the floor. "What is it with you and things that swell up?"

I jogged over and scooped up the samples so he didn't have to struggle over his stomach and handed them back to him. "Guess I just like the feel of it. Which reminds me, when's the next time I can rub some lotion over that tummy of yours?"

He giggled cutely and blushed. "Right now if you want. I could use it, little kicksters been living up to its name today."

"Ah! So you've been giving your poppy trouble, eh kid?" I bent down in front of Sparklez tummy and poked it gently, but in an accusing manner. "You better calm it down, or else I'm changing your room color to poo brown when you're born!"

"Aw, don't be too hard on them! It just wants to see us sooner, right?" Sparklez patted his tummy with the sweetest adoration in his eyes.

"I think it's just bein a little shit. I'm kind of tired of calling the baby it. Why didn't you want to know the gender? Rose coulda told us."

He pouted, rubbing his bump protectively. "I want it to be a surprise."

"But what do you want the baby to be?" He's gotta have a preferred gender in mind. Right? Am I selfish for preferring one gender over another? Ugh. I am.

He took a few wobbly steps over to the crib to pick up his white paint brush and finish up the second coat on the wood. "I don't know. I don't really care about the gender."

I raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. "You don't?"

"No. You do?" He looked up with accusing eyes, and I knew I'd made a mistake. He expects me to love the kid unconditionally, and I will, but I guess picking favorites wouldn't really prove that to him. Time to weasel my way out of this.

"Well...imagine if we had another girl?"

He looked a little hurt at my words. "But don't you want a boy?"

"Y-Yeah! Yeah, a boy would be just as nice." But I love little girls so much, and I never got enough time with my little girl to enjoy her being little. It would be great to start over again, and enjoy the moments we didn't get.

"You don't want a boy, do you?" He asked, that little hurt expression still covering his face. Crap, I shouldn't have brought up the damn gender.

"That's not what I'm saying, I just-...if we did have a boy, would he turn out gay too?" Oh gods, I've made it ten times worse now. He's going to murder me.

He went from hurt to are you serious in point five seconds. "Tom."

"It's a serious question!" I exclaimed weakly.

He flicked his paint brush in my direction, causing tiny specks to fly all over my grey t-shirt. "No, sexuality does not carry on through genetics. And what's the big deal if our son is gay? You don't want him to be?"

"No Sparklez, I just want grandkids." A lie, but not completely. I do want grand kids, a shit ton of them. So many that I forget their names at times.

He went back to his painting, getting down on his knees to reach the bottom of the crib and paint the underside. "We can still have grandkids. Fertility potion, remember? What's the real reason you're worried about it?"

"I'm worried one of those wizards are gonna come after him...and you remember what Rosie said? Tom says they aren't allowed to conceive kids, and then...then we really wouldn't have any grand kids at all."

"Then we'll tell Phil and Tom to leave our new child alone, romantically wise, or else." He tried to stand back up by himself, but he wobbled a little and that was enough for me to come flying over and help. I pulled him up to his feet quickly and he sighed, muttering a small thank you before continuing. "It'll be okay, Tom. We'll have grand kiddies. I promise." His hand smoothed over mine, the beautiful purple and gold wedding ring sparkling in the light of the baby room. He always wears that ring. Always.

"But if Tom and Phil are out, then that leaves only one other option for if we have a son who's gay. We don't know for sure if Nicky's gonna turn out well-"

"Tom."

"What?"

"Stop worrying. It'll be okay. The baby will be here soon, it'll be healthy and happy, and it'll grow up the same way. Rosie told us that. She knows everything is going to be okay. Okay?"

"...okay." I slipped my own ringed hand over his. "But she's not telling us something. I know it. Just the way she grins every time we ask her something, like she knows something we dont...Sparklez this is my baby, right? You didn't get pregnant by anyone else, did you? Is this baby going to be half wizard when it's born?"

He smiled, letting out a tired giggle. "You know I'll only ever have eyes for you, Tom Syndicate."

"Good. Let's get you to bed, you're exhausted."

"I have to finish-"

"I'll finish the paint later. Come on, let's go rest."

"No, I'm not tired..." He weakly reached for his paint brush again, but I gently pulled him back by the hips and kept him in place.

"You're wobbling like a handicapped penguin with insomnia. Let's go to bed, beautiful."

Whining quietly, he reluctantly let me whisk him away to our bedroom, where I laid him down on his side and draped our covers over him. When I slipped in beside him and he curled up into me, everything felt at peace again.

Too peaceful.

"You do realize how horny your bump makes me, right? If Dec wasn't so against me porking you, I'd-"

"Tom. Baby. Go to bed."

"Right. G'night my lovely, chubby hubby."

I heard him sigh. "You're sickening."

~

"Tommmmmmm."

"Yeah baby?"

"Pain killers. Please. Head ache. Stomach. Throat. Ankles. Ugh."

"Everything hurts?"

"Everything hurts."

"I'll go and make some potions, the good ones too, the ones that make you feel like you're being massaged everywhere. Need anything else?"

"That...that pasta you made last week, can you make some more of that?"

"I sure can. Anything else?"

"A hug?"

"You got it, love bug."

~

"Tom. Tom! Tom..."

"Mm?"

"Please..."

"Please what? What do you need?"

"Make my stomach stop moving...I can't sleep."

"I'm sorry. How's this? My hand on your tummy?"

"...yeah. Yeah, that's better. Thank you."

"Love you. Night."

"Love-...love you...night."

~

"Tom!"

"W-What?! What happened?!"

"I peed the bed!"

"Oh. Jesus Sparklez, I thought you were going into labor...why are you crying?"

"Because I peed the bed! These are your good sheets too, the nice plushy ones..."

"Doesn't matter to me, I can clean them up. It'll be okay."

"You're not mad?"

"Nah. Come on, let's go sleep in the guest bedroom, yeah?"

"Okay."

~

"Tom..."

"Y-...yeah baby?"

"I peed the bed again."

"S'cool. Let's just...get you some pajamas and...go sleep-"

"What if I have to start wearing diapers? I don't want to!"

"You're not gonna have to wear diapers-"

"But if I keep peeing the bed I'll have to!"

"Look, your pee doesn't bother me. Sleep on my side and I'll sleep on yours. Just sleep and stop worrying. No ones gonna make you wear diapers."

"You don't mind my pee?"

"No. Your pee is sexy. Go to sleep."

~

"Tom? I promise this is the last time."

"Sparklez I know it's hard to sleep, but-"

"I had a nightmare..."

"Oh. Okay, it's okay. Come here. What was it about?"

"I peed everywhere..."

"Sounds hot."

"It was scary!"

"Sorry! Sorry, wrong time to joke. No, don't start crying again...I'm sorry. Shh, you're okay. It wasn't real. You want a bed time story?"

"...mhm..."

"Okay. Once upon a time..."

~

"Morning."

"I'm so sorry I kept you up all night, I feel so bad."

"It's okay. I know it's hard to sleep. So, pancakes or eggs and bacon?"

"...can we have both?"

"Of course we can. Love you."

"I love you too. Thank you for putting up with me."

"I love putting up with you."

~

"You both look like hell this morning." Rose plopped down on the chair beside me and propped up her spider skin boots on the table, sighing contently when she settled in. The days when she shows up for breakfast with me and Sparklez are great, it makes things feel a little less lonely when we sit down at a table with just the two of us. Nowadays she usually out with Matt and the wizards on trips or participating in the purges, and on the days that she's not, she's snogging Matt under a tree somewhere. I hardly see my baby at all anymore and I really do try not to tell her I miss her, because she's grown up now and she doesn't want to hang around us all the time.

"Pregnant poppy keeping you up?" She grinned, popping the cap off the root beer Sparklez had sat on her side earlier. We always make her plate and set her out a root beer, just in case she decides to turn up one day and meet us with us. Her visits aren't really scheduled. She comes whenever she's free.

I tried with failure to rub the sleep from my eyes. There's no doubt I have bags under my eyes and I look like death in the form of a zombie. "I know he can't help it, but gods is he tiring..." I hope to god he's out of earshot too, because if he hears me it's another sob fest for two hours.

Rosie giggled. "Aw don't worry, it'll be worth it soon. I have a feeling you'll be very happy with the gender of the baby." She smiled slyly before taking another sip of her drink. What does that mean? The baby's gonna be a girl?

"So...a girl? Right?"

She said nothing, but she still had that knowing look on her face that she's had ever since Sparklez drank that potion. Sometimes having a physic daughter is great, but most of the time it's a pain in the ass. Like how it is right now. She may know everything, but she refuses to tell it, unless it's to drive somebody crazy until they find out what it is. Conniving. Just like me.

"The baby is mine, right?" I asked, slightly panicked. "It's not Waglingtons?"

She gave me the exact same look Sparklez gave me when I asked that question. "Dad. I don't even think Wag has a penis."

I snorted. "Good point. But you didn't answer my question."

"You got him pregnant, dad. I promise. Now, let's talk business. When are you going to purchase adult diapers for him? Because unless you want sleepless nights full of piss covered blankets, you're gonna need to."

Nervously glancing towards the room my husband had left out of minutes ago, I shushed her and jerked my thumb in the direction I was staring at. "Do you not realize how sensitive he is right now? If he'd heard you just then, I would've paid dearly for it. I'm not getting him diapers, he doesn't want them."

"Tonight he's going to accidentally get urine all over my childhood stuffed bunny. Why do you still sleep with that by the way? It's gross, Terrence chewed and humped that thing more than you do poppy."

"I won't sleep with it then. And I keep sleeping with it because I miss my daughter, okay?"

"My bad. Though I don't think I can fit in your guys' bed anymore. I'm taller than the both of you combined."

I just shook my head. I should go check on Sparklez, it's been ten minutes and I'm not supposed to leave him alone for even five.

"Daddy, you do realize how many kids you're gonna have after me, right? A shit ton, like you wanted. You'll have tons of kiddies to sleep with at night."

"Yeah, I know. You told me already."

"Then why-"

"Rosie, we didn't get enough time with you. We got what, two years? You grew up like a weed and we were so busy with saving the world, we didn't realize we only had months left with you. It's just unfair. I feel like your whole childhood was robbed from you."

She shrugged. "It was, but it was cool while it lasted. I'm sorry it wasn't long, but you'll have a thousand other chances to do kid stuff in the future. You two have a lot of baby busting to do." She finally touched her breakfast for the first time all morning to scarf down her gravy biscuits and gulp down the rest of her root beer.

"What do mean you two? Decs delivering the kid."

She wiped the smudges of gravy from her lips with her sweater sleeve. "Busting as in busting babies out of you."

"Woah woah, I'm not getting pregnant. That's not something that's gonna happen, Sparklez and I already discussed it."

She grinned at me, snatching up a slice of her bacon and tearing a hunk out of it. "Whatever you say, Dad. The future can always change I guess. You should go check on poppy."

My heart sank. "Why?"

"Go check on him, I have to go. I've got plans with Nade in ten minutes and I don't really want to stick around for what's about to happen. Bye Daddy!" She stood up and kissed my cheek, before hurrying out the front door with her plate still in hand. Well shit, what's happened to Sparklez now?

I ran down the path he'd taken to the bathroom, my heart in my throat and ears while I headed towards the door. I pounded my fist against it and put my ear up to the wood. "Sparklez? Everything okay?"

"No..."

"Well? What's wrong?"

"I have so many stretch marks..."

I let out a frustrated groan and banged my head against the door. With all the talk Rosie was doing, I would've thought he'd fallen on his stomach or something. "Sparklez you're hot as hell, stretch marks be damned. Come out, you scared me for a second there."

The door clicked open a moment later, the door swung open to reveal a shirtless Sparklez with tear stains on his cheeks. "I look awful," he murmured, looking down at his stretched tummy. It did have a few stretch marks, but it wasn't even that noticeable. He looked just as sexy as he did before he got pregnant.

"Baby...no you don't. You look fine."

"No I don't, I look gross."

"Jordan, you look sexy. I promise. I tell you all the time how hot you look with that bump on you. You literally have to bat me off monthly for trying to get in your pants. What's makin you feel like this?"

He traced over the large swell with his fingers. "I dunno. Hormones?"

"Well...hey, I'm here if you need to get rid of those." I put my hand up to his cheek and wiped away the few tears that remained on his skin. He smiled weakly up at me and giggled.

"These mood swings are killing me..." He chuckled, still stroking his tummy. My left hand wandered over to his and traced the wedding band on his ring finger.

"Eh, everyone needs to be a mood swinging drama queen every once in awhile. You have to put up with me all the time, but I've only got nine months with you. Not very fair to you, is it?"

"Not really, no. Ugh. I've got to be high maintenance though, peeing on everything, complaining every five seconds, crying about my looks every time I look at my reflection..."

"Sounds just like me," I snorted. "If you can put up with me all the time, then I sure as hell shouldn't be complaining about you. You look fine, you aren't a bother, and I told you already that your pee is sexy. Just a few more months, okay?"

He nodded. "A few more months. I hope we have a name for it by then."

Taking his hand in mine, I began guiding him back to our bedroom. He needs some rest, I know he didn't sleep at all last night. "I'm sure we will. C'mon, off to bed. You and I both need some sleep."

He stopped at the doorway and held both my hands in his. "Tom?"

"Hm?"

"Wake up, baby."

I groaned. "You're shitting me." Jordan's smiling face washed away from my sight and darkness replaced it. I found myself in a bundle of familiar sheets, Nades sheets, alone with no Sparklez. Couldn't it have lasted a few minutes longer? So I could've cuddled him and kissed him goodnight? Why do my dreams always cut short when the good stuff starts?

"Morning," a faint voice whispered. By instinct, I grabbed for the thing I always kept hidden under my pillow for protection, my pocket knife, but it wasn't there. I was on the brink of murdering the person behind me when a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled my searching hand to a halt. "Daddy, it's just me."

I expected Rosie, even though the voice sounded really strange. Sitting up quickly, I flicked on Nades lamp and looked behind me. It was my daughter, but I hardly recognized her. She looked...well, like she did in my dream. Grown up. Why was she grown up? What happened? How long have I been asleep?

"Please don't be upset," she pleaded. "I tried to keep it under control for as long as I could, but Matty said it would happen sometime whether I wanted it to or not. I really did try to stay little, daddy. I'm sorry."

As much as I tried, I couldn't not be a bit upset. Her childhood is gone. I wasted it chasing villains and other things that were less important than her, and she grew up without my knowing. "How long?" I asked tiredly.

"H-How long what?"

"How long have you been faking?"

Her eyes casted downward at the question. "...awhile. I just- I knew you'd be sad, and poppy would be torn apart, I didn't want you to be hurt. I've always been really smart, I just kept it in to make you both happy. Matty helped me stump my growth for awhile, but...he left the other day, and he couldn't do it anymore."

Mot had already told me the wizards left, it was no surprise to me. I was only angry at Matt, truly, for leaving my daughter behind after promising to be by her side forever. "How old are you?"

"In actuality, seven months. In terms of demon age...sixteen years."

Sixteen. Wow. I wasn't sure how to respond, except to shed some humor on the situation. "Does this mean I have to give you the talk?"

She smiled slowly, and then a small giggle escaped past her lips. "I think it can wait. You're not sad?"

I shrugged. "I am, but it's not your fault. It's Sparklez you gotta worry about now. I'm not telling the guy about this."

Sighing, she covered her face with her hands. "Shit, I don't want to."

"Did you just curse?"

One of her fingers parted and she peeked a look at me. "Maybe?" She answered unsurely.

Grinning so widely it hurt, I felt my chest swell with a new feeling. "I don't think I've ever been so proud before."
~~~

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghhhhhghghghghghhhh

^ my only excuse for not updating sooner

I'm sorry I left for so long, but I'm back! I'm trying to get in the swing of things again and hopefully back on the train of updating once every two days (don't hold me to that tho) so be ready for the grand finale of this book pretty soon! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and PRETTY PLEASE WITH SPRINKLEZ AND PROCRASTINATION ON TOP, FAV AND COMMENT I will love you forever and ever and ever <3 Bye!

- Lee