((Jumping right in, here.))

For the hundredth time that day, Lily sighed and resisted the urge to tuck her hair back behind her ears. In compromise, she ran her long, slim fingers along the neat braids that ran from her temples to the back of her head. She specifically left her hair long while she worked, so that it would disguise the delicate points at the tips of her ears, but she detested the feel of her hair over her ears. She glanced at the clock on the wall as she knelt down to pick up a shirt that a careless person had knocked to the floor. Only a few more minutes until she could escape... She stood up again gracefully as one of her co-workers walked past her towards the dressing rooms, laden down with articles of clothing for someone to try on.

While she didn't particularly enjoy her job, working at a boutique gave her an excuse to wear her finer clothing on occasion. She had learned to mix her own things with pieces she'd accumulated from other stores, leaning more towards fashionable than elegant. Although, she did have to admit, she had gained a new appreciation for human clothes when she found that first pair of denim jeans that fit properly...

Across town, Rue knelt on the floor of a small bookstore, restocking a shelf. His hands flashed in and out of the box next to him quickly, taking out books and placing them neatly on the shelf. His hair was bound back in a long braid, although the tips of his ears were tucked underneath. He didn't mind so much, as long as his hair was out of the way. He sometimes got strange looks from humans because of the length of his hair, but he couldn't bring himself to cut it.

Once the box was empty and the shelf was full, he stood up and picked up the empty cardboard vessel and took it into the back of the store. It was time for him to leave, anyways, and he was looking forward to having the next couple of days to himself.

Farrah huffed slightly as she squated, lowering herself awkwardly towards the floor. She'd turned to hand one of their customers her Caramel Mocha with low fat milk when it slipped right out of her fingers. Frowning slightly now, she used the counter for balance, reaching around her swollen belly with the rag, sweeping up icecubes.

"Farrah, you ain't supposed to do that sweets!" Miranda came running up, crouching on the floor and snatching the rag from Farrah's hand, chewing her gum as she sighed heavily, "You gotta baby in there! You don't need to be doin' this!"

Farrah muttered her genuin thanks as she awkwardly made her way back into a standing position, apologizing to the customer once again. The woman just smiled, handing Farrah her money slightly impatiently, as if she actually had somewhere important to be and her precious time was being wasted.

In a law firm just a few blocks away, William fidgeted with the stiff collar of his dress shirt. He was dealing with a civil dispute today, and the arguments had only elevated in emotion, leading to the husband and wife yelling passionately at each other as if they purposefully wanted the whole firm to hear. William had attempted to butt in, clearing his throat and trying to make peace, but they only hesitated for a moment before going back to their bickering. Looking down, he flipped through the papers in their file; financial records, witness statements, prenuptual agreements, etc.

Standing from his desk, he pardoned himself without a mere glance from the couple, and stepped out of his office into the silent firm.

"Everything okay?" James offered William a bottle of water, staring into his office.

"You know how it is with married couples. They're the worst case to have."

"I'd have to agree with you there. While they battle it out, why don't you just go for the day? I'll make excuses for you."

"That wouldn't be proffessional. They're paying for my time."

"Yeah, but you aren't a therapist so you won't do them any good right now. Besides, you have a special woman who's about to get off work. Go surprise her. I'll take care of them. Go," before William could speak, James had already slipped into his office, his voice muffled by the door between them as he spoke over the couple.

Lily sighed in relief as she was finally allowed to leave for the day. Her fingers flew across the keyboard of the register as she logged out of the system for the time being. Her hair shifted over her ears as she did, and she fought back a grimace. She really, really hated her hair being over her ears. She endured it for worktime, but she would always, always tie her hair back once she got home again.

Waving to one of her co-workers, and grabbed her purse from under the counter and headed towards the door, the heels of her boots clicking slightly on the worn wood of the 'runway.' The sooner she got to leave this place today, the better. She'd been in an odd sort of mood, lately; indeed, her moods seemed to shift at the slightest provocation the last couple of weeks or so. It was starting to become a challenge to work with so many people every day without snapping at someone.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she slipped out the door of the boutique and into the late autumn sunlight.

Rue managed to slip out of work early. One of the other managers who worked at the bookstore with him came in early, so he was able to leave. He'd changed his mind; instead of taking some time to himself, he'd decided to go and surprise Farrah at the coffee shop. It was only fair, after all; she was carrying his child, and he was anxious to see how she was doing. To the humans, the pair was 'engaged,' but he was more than happy just being Farrah's mate. He wasn't sure what he was thinking before, thinking about time to himself. Perhaps the humans were rubbing off on him.

He shook off the thought and slipped on his jacket. Then he left the bookstore and headed down the street to the coffee shop.

William closed the door to his car, pulling a hat over his head to fight the slight breeze that threatened revealing his ears. During weather like this he always had to wear a hat, because the wind would blow his hair away from his ears, revealing the pointed ends to anyone that happened to see. It'd only happened to him once in his lifetime, but luckily enough for him it was Halloween so he'd played it off as being an elf for Halloween and he couldn't get the fake ears off because of the glue. The person had been dumb enough to believe it, which also played out well for William.

Williams ears twitched as the click click of boots echoed in the distance. Glancing up, a smile pulled at the corners of his lips, because he could see further down the block his Lily making her way towards him. Lifting his hand to wave at her, he quickened his pace, closing the distance between them in a matter of a minute or so. "Lily!" He pulled the surprised elf into his arms for a warm embrace, planting a kiss on the top of her head, "I decided to take the rest of the day off. It's far more enjoyable to spend my time with you than with a bickering couple. How was your day? You look," he hesitated, looking for a word that wouldn't offend her, "slightly frazzled." Yes, he'd heard a woman call herself that before, so that must mean that it is acceptable to call a woman such a thing.

Farrah's hand rubbed over her swollen belly absentmindedly as the next customer came up in the line, hurriedly texting on their phone. This was one thing about humans that irritated Farrah; they spent so much time on their phones and machines that their personal skills were terrible. She waited patiently, but the man held up a finger to signal that he was almost done. Glancing at the clock, she tried desperately not to seem impatient, because she did not want to be rude. However, it was rude to make her wait like this, when he was well aware that any second he'd have to tell her his order because the woman in front of him would finish.

"What can I get you?" She asked, hoping to encourage him to pause from his texting, his eyebrows forrowed together as his fingers swiped across the touchscreen.

"One non-fat mocha, two icecubes, and an extra shot. One Caramel Latte with an extra shot," the man paused as he had glanced up to look at her, his eyes dropping to her large belly and adding, "Please."

Farrah was nodding, ignoring the obvious stare at her belly, and hurriedly writing symbols on the coffee cups. Once she was done writing the specifications she handed them off to the waiting Miranda, and told the man how much cash he owed.

"I feel slightly frazzled," Lily admitted as she cuddled into the embrace. Already, she was starting to unwind from her day. "I haven't been feeling like myself lately... I don't know why. My moods have just been so unpredictable..." She looked up at him with a bit of a wry grin. "I'm sure you've noticed?" She was willing to admit that she'd snapped at him once or twice in the last few days, although she tried to apologize afterwards at least once.

Rue walked into the coffee shop and completely bypassed the line, sidling up next to the little swinging door that blocked the entrance behind the counter. He leaned against the wall, just watching Farrah for a moment.

"Think my lovely fiance can take a break for a little while?" he finally asked when she got close enough to hear him. Farrah looked like she needed to take a break... or even just leave for the day entirely. Honestly, just watching her, he didn't think she should be working anymore... She looked like she was uncomfortable from working for so long, and really, she should be at home relaxing. The baby was due soon, after all.

"If by unpredictable you mean nearly fearful, then I would have to agree. I won't deny you have," he paused again as he looked for the word, "had your moments. You aren't..." he trailed off with his words, allowing her to fill in the blank, pulling away and giving a meaningful look at her stomach, his eyebrows raised. Pregnant women commonly underwent mood swings; just the other day Farrah started crying because they were out of pickles. Women were extremely unpredictable in that state, and if even Lily thinks her emotions are unpredictable then it wouldn't be out of the question to wonder.

Farrah squeeled and nearly dropped the man's change on the counter. Handing it to him quickly, she made her way to the swinging door, leaning awkwardly to move them out of her way. She would normally just walk through the swinging door, but Rue was blocking her from doing so, leaving her only to pull it towards her. She leaned in for a hug, but her belly didn't allow for her to get too close to him while doing so. Holding back her pout, she reached up on her tiptoes, and gave him a delighted kiss, "Your lovely fiance would love to take a break!"

She glanced back at Miranda, hopeful eyes pleading. Miranda didn't hesitate over a chew of her gum before calling with her southern twang, "Y'all take off for the day. I gotcha covered!" She waved them off, pretending to be impatient, and handed the man his coffee, turning to the next customer.

"Well, if my handsome fiance is quite alright with it, I'd love to take off with him!" She smiled, giving him another kiss.

"It's possible," Lily admitted after a moment. And it made sense, sort of. If she really thought about it and did a few mental calculations, it was entirely possible. She looked up at him. "Would you be alright with it if...?" she trailed off. Personally, she would love to have a child, but she wasn't sure what he wanted. They had never talked about having children at all, and for all she knew, he didn't want any.

Rue gave Farrah a kiss when she came over to him, and moved out of the way so that she could escape from behind the counter. He wrapped his arms around her, being careful of her belly.

"I think we should get you home, then," he said once Farrah was released from work. He grinned a bit. "I'm betting a foot massage would sound nice right about now. How is the baby doing? Everything still alright?" Hey, he was allowed to be worried about it. Farrah was due to give birth pretty soon. Gently, he steered her towards the door. "Come on, it feels nicer outside."

William chewed on the inside of his lip at Lily's question, turning and taking her arm in his, leading her toward the car. They walked in moments of silence as he contemplated how to go about answering, but found that words would not form in his head. He knew exactly what she wanted to hear, but the words just wouldn't escape his lips. He would never want to hurt her feelings or upset her, but he struggled to picture children involved in his life. "I'm here with you now aren't I?" He pulled her closer into his side protectively to show that he was here for her, "And this is where I'll always be."

A moan escaped Farrah's lips at the sound of a foot massage, her cramps suddenly far more overbearing than she thought they had been, "How did I end up with a man as wonderful as you? I'm taking you up on that foot massage when we get home," she warned with a smile, inwardly laughing at his concern over the baby. Lately, it was constantly worrying him. Just last night they'd laid in bed for an hour or so whispering sweet nothings, Rue cooing to her belly. It was actually pretty beautiful; it was as if the baby could tell that it was it's father's hand pressing against it, and the baby would move into the hand, following it if he moved it. Then, when Rue pulled his hand away, there was a clear print of the baby's hand, reaching out for him and pressing against her belly.

"The baby is fine, but a little fiesty today. She," Farrah glanced at Rue, adding, "or he knows it's about time, I think. Day by day the baby gets a little more antsy."

"I know you will be," Lily replied, laying her head on his shoulder. Her hair shifted a little to show the tip of one of her ears, but she paid it no mind for the moment. "That isn't what I asked, and you know it." She looked up at him even as they stood in front of the car. She sighed. "I do want a child, if we end up being blessed with one. But... If you don't want one..." She bit her lip. She knew humans had ways of getting rid of unwanted, unborn children. Before elves had to hide in human society, it was something that was unthinkable, but it seemed that some elves had taken to human sensibilities a little too well. She didn't want her mate unhappy, and if it turned out that she was pregnant, she would find a way to make him happy. Even if it meant getting rid of the child.

"I'm glad," Rue said as he walked with Farrah out to the car. It wasn't a long walk; the coffee shop and the bookstore were on the same strip, only a few doors apart. "It shouldn't be long now, then, right? The baby could come any day, now." Gently, he laid a hand on her belly. It seemed like the baby always knew when he was there. "Well, let's get home and get you comfortable then, my love. I'll give you that foot massage, and then you can take it easy and unwind while I cook. Or we could even invite William and Lily over, if you like."

William paused in front of her as he processed what she was saying, and when he understood what she was saying a feral growl ripped from his throat, his lips pulling over his teeth, "That's not our ways, and it never will be."

Looking at Lily's wide eyes, William made an effort to calm himself, chewing on his bottom lip as he stared down the street at the cars zooming by. Humans are always so busy. If they're in the middle of something there's no time for others, and if they're not then they're speedily racing to their next thing they have to do. It was very aggravating sometimes.

"If we made a baby," his glance shifted back to his mate, unsure of what was going through her mind, "We will do everything in our power to give the baby everything it needs. Even if the baby isn't a choice we consciously made, we did make the baby, and it belongs with us. To," he hesitated, his lips pulling into a scowl, "rid ourselves of a child like the humans do would be despicable. Do you understand me?" His eyes widened slightly as he waited for his answer, his fingers gently tilting her chin up towards him, "If we did make a baby, you will not harm it."

"I think it'd be wonderful to have them over tonight!" She exclaimed, smiling as he opened her door and she awkwardly slid in, arching backwards to do so. After waiting for him to walk around the car and hop in as well, she continued, "I think it'd be good to talk to her about the birth."

Fiddling with a string loose on the seat's hem, she shifted in her seat, "I have to admit something." Avoiding eye contact, afraid she'd upset Rue, she stared at the string, "I am a tad afraid of the birth. Miranda was talking to me about giving birth, and what they do in human hospitals to ease the pain. I knew it would be painful, yes, but she makes it out to be a nightmare," her other hand rubbed at her belly, the baby shifting position inside her.

Lily sighed in relief and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Thank you," she breathed. She had been worried that he would have her get rid of the child, if there was one. She looked up at him, and snugged a bit closer. "I think we will know soon whether or not there is a baby, regardless," she said softly. After a moment, she added, "let's go home."

Rue nodded as he started the car.

"Then when we get home we will give them a call and ask if they are free this evening," he said. "I'm sure Lily would like to spend time with you, as well." And it would gI've him a chance to talk to William and talk about his worries about the impending birth. A get-together tonight seemed to be just the thing.

William nodded, grateful for the last interjection, "Home it is, darling."

Brushing his lips against her forehead, he cupped her head, his fingers delving into her hair. His lips trailed down until they landed on her own, giving her a last gentle kiss before opening the door for her. He knew he was lucky to have a mate as understanding as her. It was probably hard, after all. Her friend was about to give birth, and it most likely left Lily craving the same. It is their instinct, after all, to mate.

Farrah nodded as the string finally came loose, twisting the thin fabric between her fingers. She hadn't seen her friend in a few days, and was craving catching up on everything. In their ways, your mate was your primary crutch, but the men still didn't understand childbirth like a female elf could. It seems no matter the species there will always be that gender separation.

Lily slid into her seat in the car and waited for William to get in. She was a little worried now... It hadn't crossed her mind until William mentioned it that she might be pregnant, but now it weighed heavily on her thoughts. She wasn't sure how he would react if she really was pregnant. She didn't want to make him unhappy by making him take care of a child he didn't want... She did want a child, but she still clung to the slim hope that there was nothing to worry about.

She bit her lip slightly and glanced at her mate before turning to look out the window at the passing scenery. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense that she was with child, but it still made her nervous. William had never answered her question as to whether or not he wanted children at all.

It didn't take long for Rue to get Farrah home. Once he parked the car, he got out and went around so he could help her out. He knew she'd been having trouble getting in and out of the car lately, because of the baby. Once she was out of the car, he gave her a kiss and rubbed her belly gently.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get you inside so you can sit down and relax for a while."

William spent the car ride glancing over at Lily. who was currently making use of her time by staring out the window. Running his fingers through his hair, he propped his elbow on the side of the door, frowning out the windshield. That conversation didn't go well for him at all; it only made him out to be the bad guy. She was obviously trying to hide from him how upset she really is, but as her mate he could tell she wasn't okay; that she still had things bothering her.

Farrah accepted her mate's help with getting out of the car with much gratification, bending awkwardly to kind of duck out of the car, squatting as she did so. Once her feet were safely planted on the ground and she was safely out of the car Rue gave her another kiss, his hands rubbing her belly softly. Insider her womb, she could feel the baby shifting with the hand, reaching for it.

She nodded at his words, trying not to pout at the loss of his lips against hers. The car ride home had left her oddly excited, and she would've settled for a much longer, much more passionate kiss. Then again, she couldn't do that out here, and he didn't look like he was in the mood. So, instead of demanding more, she followed along beside him, her hand reaching out and gently pressing into his.

Lily got out of the car without a word once they got home. The 'discussion' from earlier still weighed heavily on her mind, and she wanted to go inside and think for a little while. Well, no, what she really wanted to do was talk to Farrah, but Lily got the feeling that her friend was probably already at home relaxing. The baby was due very soon, and Lily knew her friend needed all the rest she could get.

Rue could tell his mate was trying to suppress her desire, and kissed her again.

"If that's what you want, you know you can just ask," he murmured to her. He would never deny his mate something she wanted. It was his job to take care of her, after all. Not that he would consider this particular 'duty' much of a job, anyways. "We can always call Lily and William a little later on." He gave her a brief grin. "Give them time to get home and unwind themselves."

William frowned as he hopped out of the car, only to notice that Lily had not waited for him to open the door for her, which is very common practice in their kind. Male elves were what humans called gentlemen, and it most very commonly believe among their kind that it was actually elven that passed on this polite practice to the humans, for before the two entangled with each other the humans were mere neanderthals with no respect for one another or themselves.

Farrah's cheeks flushed as Rue kissed her again, well aware of her spike in desire. She knew it would be more polite to wait for tonight and permit her mate to call their friends over, but she just couldn't help it. With all of these hormones raging inside of her she was as helpless to them as Rue is. Plus, it wasn't as if Lily and William were aware that Rue was going to welcome them over in the first place.

Giggling, Farrah nodded, taking her mates and pulling him towards the house excitedly, "Perhaps they can wait for a little while."

Lily went inside, although she let William open the door inside for her. Once she was in, though, she went and curled up on one side of the couch. She just wanted to think for a bit. If William wanted to cuddle with her, she wouldn't stop him, but for now, she didn't want anything more intimate than that.

"Would having a baby really be so bad?" she asked him finally. She asked quietly, though, not wanting to annoy him too much by harping on the subject.

"They can wait," Rue agreed, letting Farrah pull him inside. He managed to get the door open for her, but other than that, she was in charge. If nothing else, Lily would understand; his sister probably knew that Farrah was really the one in charge around here while she was pregnant, and Rue did as he was told by his mate during that time.

Again, not that he minded at all.

William held back his sigh, tucking his dark hair behind his ears as he dropped the keys their basket on the entryway table. He knew she wouldn't drop this subject. The whole ride home he could sense the tension seeping from his mate, her eyes distant as she stared out the window. Judging from her defensive posture, he knew he was treading on very thin ice here. As in, don't even dare come to our bed if you say the wrong thing ice.

"I never said it was bad. It's just," he hesitated, chewing his lip as he planned out what to say to his tousled woman, "a baby is something to cherish. I'm still perfecting my skills on cherishing you."

Taking off his jacket, hanging it in the closet, he used the actions as an excuse to pause again, "It's not that I don't want children; you know I do. I just don't feel prepared."

Farrah giggled as her mate chase behind her down the hall, making a beeline for the bedroom as swiftly as her sore feet would allow her. She had almost made it to the bed before Rue was pressed against her back, his hands slipping into hers, his face nuzzling into her neck. Knowing what her mate was searching for, she tilted her head, opening her neck to him. Smiling at the expected kiss to her neck, his nostrils flaring as he took in her scent. Shivering as he released the breath with a gutteral growl, she leaned her head back against his shoulder.

------(time skip?)------

"We may not have a choice," Lily reminded him softly. She bit her lip, and then shook her head a bit. "There might not be anything to worry about, but... I mean, you know as well as I do that it's possible... and I haven't been feeling quite like myself lately..." She looked down at her lap, where her fingers were fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Then she looked back up at him and moved over slightly so he could sit down next to her. At least she wasn't pushing him away, that was good. He'd said the right things.

----(timeskip is fine)----

Rue held Farrah close to him, rubbing her stomach gently. He gave her a soft kiss.

"Feel better now?" he teased her.

William sighed in relief, his chest visibly shrinking as he released the breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding. A human male would've hesitated still, curious as to whether she was merely holding back her emotions. Elves, however, could sense their mate's emotions. It was almost like they could smell it, which is why mates love each other's smell; it was unique to each other.

Making his way to the couch he plopped down, his arm extending and reaching around her, his hand rubbing the shoulder across from him, "What do you want for dinner?"

Farrah smiled, wild tendrils of hair splayed on the pillow, her skin glistening from their passion. Ever since her belly had grown so large that it hindered her movements, he'd made sure to make it easier on her in bed. He'd make her comfortable, and to be honest he did most of the work. She'd try to help, but he was just so protective of her that he'd usher her back to a comfortable position. It was very sweet, and the lack of work made everything all the more sensitive.

"Much better," she smiled, her cheeks flushed as she kissed his shoulder. The baby stirred inside her, a foot pressing against the inside of her womb, following Rue's hand.

Lily leaned against him, snuggling closer as he put his arm around her and laying her head on his shoulder. She craved contact with him after their disagreement, and she didn't want to be apart from him for a little while. She knew she would have to soon, if only so he could make their meal, but she still didn't want to.

"Surprise me," she replied softly, still cuddled close. There wasn't anything in particular she wanted for dinner, so he was free to make whatever he wanted. After a moment, she lifted her head again and looked at him. "How was work today?" Amongst the drama on the way home, she'd forgotten to ask like the usually did. That, and she was giving him the 'all clear,' to signal she wasn't upset with him anymore. He could probably tell already, but she liked to give him that sign anyways.

"Good," Rue replied. He smiled when he felt the little foot against his hand. He interacted with the baby for a few more moments before gently nudging his mate. "You know," he said, "we should probably make ourselves decent, if you still plan on inviting Lily and William over. You'll want to call before they make their own plans for the evening." He was just suggesting it, gently reminding Farrah what her original plans were before they'd become sidetracked. He wouldn't mind either way what Farrah decided, but he knew she enjoyed being able to spend time with Lily.

William noted his mate's attempts to put him at ease, and let out a smile, thankful for her thoughtfulness. Humans usually fought for days with each other, but to an elf it was literally painful to fight with each other; it just isn't their nature to do so. Elven mates are in sync with eachother, rely on eachother, and understand eachother. When mates argued it was a very uncomfrtable situation, because they're not used to being out of sync.

Thankful for the usual ways, he sank into the couch, realizing she actually didn't intend for him to go cook yet. She was probably trying to make up for the disagreement by wanting to feel closer to him. Leaning forward slightly, he grabbed her legs, pulling them over his, making her tilt towards him, sinking against his side. His hands stroked along her calves, massaging at the tense muscles.

"Work was okay. Another pair of arguing human couples. No wonder they don't call themselves mates; to do so would be blasphemy on the very word."

Farrah gasped at the reminder of William and Lily, her eyes opening wide. The baby sense the sudden surge of blood, the intake of breath, and shifted uncomfortably, nervous with the shift. Groaning as she pulled from his graps, she murmered, "You have such a talent to make me forget about everything but us! Do you want to call? You could be dressed quicker, and I gotta go," she paused, her face flushing, "clean up."

Lily sighed softly as her mate massaged her calves. She always appreciated it when he did that for her, especially after a long day at work. She was the only one where she worked who dared to wear heels of any sort to the boutique, and it wreaked havoc on her calves sometimes. She cuddled closer to him.

"I don't think humans understand what it means to be mates," she commented softly. "Even just watching them when they come into the boutique, the males never treat the females the way they should." She leaned over and kissed him softly. "And nowhere near the way you treat me." The disagreement from earlier was clearly being put in the past. It wasn't forgotten, but it wasn't important anymore, either. She moaned softly when he hit a particularly sore spot on her calves. "Oooh, right there..."

Rue chuckled softly and gave Farrah another kiss.

"You go get cleaned up, then," he said. "I'll call my sister and her mate and see what their plans are." Getting up, he held out a hand to help his mate to her feet. "Just take your time and stay relaxed. You and the baby don't need to get stressed out about anything."

William smiled at his mate's feminine sighs, sinking into him as she relaxed further, his tough fingers working at the sore muscles, pushing the knots until they relaxed. One of his hands slid down towards her ankle, working expertly at her heels, having taken many off of her many a nights. The strap came undone, and he grabbed the heel, pulling it from her foot. His stomach tightened at her sigh of relief, moving to the other foot eagerly to hear the same sound. One of his favorite sounds was her sigh that just oozed out her tension, her body visibly relaxing; it always made him feel like such a successful mate, his male pride rearing in his head.

"Humans don't evolve as quickly as our people do, though. They'll take time, but they'll eventually learn how to go about relationships right. Hopefully sooner than later, because their divorce rates are horrifying.

Farrah gave Rue her 'look', an eyebrow tilting up at the comment, "I am almost positive that I can get ready and cleaned up without the baby stressing."

She topped off the comment, however, with a smile that showed him she was only teasing him. Pressing her hands into the mattress, she used it to shove off from the bed. After that struggle, she made her way to the shower, confident that Rue could handle everything until she was done.

Rue nodded and waited until he heard the shower running before he got up and pulled on a pair of pants. He already planned to shower after Farrah, so all he needed at the moment was the one article of clothing. Once he was decent enough to walk around the house, he went and picked up the phone to call his sister and her mate. Dialing the number quickly from memory, he listened to it ring on the other end.

Lily relaxed completely as her mate took care of her. The way he was rubbing her feet felt so amazing... She jumped slightly when the phone rang. She had been getting so into the massage that she'd stopped paying attention to anything else, so the phone startled her. Automatically, she took her feet out of her mate's lap so that one of them could go and answer the phone. This time of day, she had a fair idea of who was calling.

"Do you want to get it, or should I?" she asked when the phone rang a second time. She didn't mind getting up to get it, but she knew how her mate thought, and she knew he might want to get up himself, so that she didn't have to.