Rue didn't hestiate to answer, knowing full well that Lily was aware he preferred to take the lead in even simple tasks. As Lily moved her feet from his lap, he hopped up from the couch, one of his feet kicking her heel along the way, wincing at the clobbering sound it made as it fumbled on the floor. Making his way into the kitchen, he glanced at the caller id, already having more than an inkling as to who would be calling. Grabbing the phone, he held it up to his ear, "Hey."

Rue's voice on the other end echoed over, gravelly and deep, "Hey! You two want to come over for dinner?"

"Wow, later than usual tonight!" William joked, fumbling with a sticky note pad on the counter.

"Yeah, we were going to call you two earlier, but," a silent pause crackled over the phone, "we were distracted."

Not needing any more details, William cut in, "No need to explain. Give us five minutes to get ready, and we'll be right over."

"Sounds good! See you then," with the the phone clicked as Rue hung up, following closely with William doing the same.

Farrah sighed in relief as she stepped out of the shower, pulling the plush towel around her. Normally, the towels would have swamped her, but what with her nine month belly it didn't exactly fit like it used to. Anything, for that matter. The towel slid against her skin, soft and comforting as she listened to Rue coming down the hallway.

Once Rue hung up the phone, he went to go see if Farrah was out of the shower yet. When he didn't hear the shower running anymore, he knocked softly on the bathroom door.

"Lily and William will be here soon," he said through the door. "Fifteen minutes, give or take." He didn't rush her out of the bathroom, though, letting her take her time. He could easily shower in five minutes and be dressed again five minutes after that. He wasn't all that worried about it.

Lily looked at her mate when he came back.

"I'm guessing that was my brother on the phone?" she asked as she moved over to let him sit down again. She leaned against him, just taking in his scent for a moment. "What did Rue want?" Knowing her brother, Rue was probably inviting them over for the evening, which actually sounded good to Lily. She wanted to talk to Farrah about the drama of the afternoon. She didn't mind talking to William, but sometimes, she needed to talk to another female.

Farrah hollered through the door at Rue, "Sounds great sweetie, I'll be ready in five," she opened the door as she finished her sentence, stumbling slightly when she realized how close he was to the door, having thougt that he was farther away.

Catching herself, Farrah made her way past her made, planting a soft kiss on his shoulder, her feet to sore to life up on her toes and kiss his cheek. Smiling as she walked around him, she opened the top drawer of their dresser, pulling out light purple panties and a matching silk bra. She had never been very picky or demanding with clothing, but Rue had as of late made a habit of bringing home fancy clothing from the human mall for her, even splurging on Victoria's Secret undergarmetns. He'd said that the women at his work had been gushing about the new bras they got there at the semi-annual sale, and that he couldn't help but get her some after hearing how great and comfortable they were, using the baby as an excuse for her needing very comfortable things.

Though, she thought as she dropped the towel and pulled them on, she wouldn't complain! They were, indeed, very comfortable.

William plumped back onto the couch again, smiling as he heard Lily take in a deep breath, well aware of why she was doing so. In response, he inhaled deeply as well, her rich intoxicating scent causing his nostrils to flare in delight, releasing a deep sound of satisfaction, "You would be right. Dinner with them tonight. I told him we'd be right over. Do you want to wear your heels or something more comfortable for tonight?" He did appreciate the sight of her slender legs accentuated with heels, but knew that they weren't the most practical things in the world.

For the first time lately, Lily actually stopped to think about William's question. She knew he appreciated it when she wore heels, and she did so mostly to please him, but her feet and calves still ached from wearing heels all day at work. She had comfortable flats that she knew would match the outfit she was wearing, and they would be easier on her than the heels would be, but she still wanted to please her mate after the argument they had earlier.

"I'll wear something more comfortable tonight," she said after a moment. Leaning over, she gave him a soft kiss. "I'll wear nice shoes tomorrow, just for you." Picking up the discarded heels, she stood up. "Let me go and put on comfortable shoes, and then we can go."

It didn't take her long to find comfortable shoes to put on, and then she was ready to leave with her mate.

Rue wasn't expecting William and Lily to take long in getting there, and made sure to shower quickly. Once he was showered and dressed, he went into the kitchen to see what he could put together for dinner for the four of them. On his way to the kitchen, he paused to pay attention to his mate, giving her a gentle kiss and rubbing her belly a little.

"Is there anything in particular you want me to cook tonight?" he asked her.

A little bit of worry intruded in William's thoughts as his mate went to get comfortable shoes. Usually when leaving the house she would put on heels, strutting the femininity she naturally possessed. Was wanting comfortable shoes some kind of under the radar signal to him? If so, what was she trying to tell him?

William smiled as his mate came back down the hallway, her slender feet adorned with comfortable shoes, and clapped his hands together in readiness, "Okay, we're looking good, and feeling comfortable. Now, all that's left is some food to finish it off."

Grabbing their coats off of the wall, he held Lily's out, moving it with her arms so she could slide them in easily, and then slipping it onto her shoulders. Pulling his own on as he made for the door, he led his mate out to the car, ensuring that he beat her to it to open the passenger door for her.

Farrah paused for a second, her lips pursed as she was lost in contemplation, the tip of her pink tongue tracing along the roof of her mouth, "Well, I could really go for something with noodles. Oh! And bread on the side! That would be so nice darling." Pushing off of the couch, her black vneck cotton s-shirt tight around her belly, and her purple sweats snug around her hips. Neith pair of clothing, though, was uncomfortably tight. In fact, they were only snug enough to fit, though she could go for a looser fitting shirt...

"Then that's what I'll make," Rue said. He was about to tell her that she should relax on the couch for a while while he cooked, but a better idea came to him. Going over to where their coats were hung, he reached into the pocket of his and pulled out a book. It was the latest in a series he knew his mate had been following. "Here, I brought this for you. I had meant to give it to you earlier, but we got distracted." He handed her the book and gently steered her back towards the couch. "You enjoy that, and I'll start dinner. Lily and William should be here soon."

Lily let her mate help her with her coat, giving him a kiss in thanks. Without heels on, she was a good four inches shorter than before, so she had to stand on her toes to give him a proper kiss. Then she walked outside with him and let him open the door to the car for her. She could do it herself, of course, but her mate liked doing such things for her and she wouldn't deprive him of that. She settled in, although she knew the drive over was short, maybe only about ten minutes or so.

((I apologize for how short it is~ I didn't want to take over your characters at all.))

Farrah squeeled as Rue came back with the next book of her current series obsession, grinning as he handed it to her. She allowed him to usher her to the couch again despite her efforts of just having gotten off of it, but didn't argue due to her excitement in already flipping to the first page. She nodded at Rue as he spoke, already working on reading the first page, pulling their sherpa throw blanket over her as he walked back to the kitchen. As much as she wanted to help with dinner, and even more so to just be around Rue, she knew it pleased him to know he was taking care of her, and if that meant she had to relax on the couch with a new book from her favorite series, then she would do what he wanted!

William made it to their house in no time, the route now engraved in his mind as second nature. Lily had been quiet beside him, but thankfully not in the same way she had been before; now it was more of a relaxed quiet than a tense quiet. Pulling into the driveway besides William's car, he hopped out to usher his mate inside, laughing as he looked through the living room window to find Farrah already working on getting up from the couch. Surely that baby was coming out soon, because that poor thing couldn't do much with so much weight on her front.

"She could smell you from a mile away," he joked as Lily stepped out of the car, tilting his head towards the window.

"Thanks," Lily said as her mate opened the car door for her. She even let him usher her towards the door of the house. She could see Farrah in the window and shook her head slightly in amusement. "She should know better than that," she murmured to William. "We can be inside before she can get up." She glanced at him, and could tell what he was thinking just by the look on his face. "The baby will come soon," she added. "I think Farrah said it would be within the week." Which meant that this would probably be their last get-together for a while. Even if Farrah thought she was up to it, around taking care of the baby, Lily doubted that she would be able to spend much time there while she was still uncertain about whether or not she was going to have a child with William.

Even from the kitchen, Rue could hear the car pulling into the drive and his mate getting up from the couch. He had to resist the urge to rush to her aid, though, because he was in the middle of cooking something that was rather delicate and could burn at a moment's notice.

"Farrah, love," he called, "why don't you just let them come inside, first? You're supposed to be relaxing."

Farrah huffed, blowing her hair out of her face as she stared in the general direction of the kitchen, "Just because our child has made me as large as a whale doesn't mean I have to become bed ridden. Besides, maybe if I move around the baby will decide that it's time to come out."

Waddling from the couch, she made her way to the door, but before she reached it the couple on the other side had already opened it. Frowning slightly, she pouted, "I could have opened it for you. I do still have the ability to walk!"

She leaned forward as Lily came in for a hug, moving her torso so that her belly was out of the way enough to hug. The same routine was repeated for William, but the man made his way into the kitchen, his nostrils flared as he inhaled the aromas of cooking food.

As William disappeared, male babbling already underway, Farrah laughed, heading back for the couch with the intent of Lily to follow, "Men; all about the carnal pleasure! I swear they haven't evolved as well as women."

"Heard that!" William hollered from the kitchen.

"Well, stay in your own conversation! Talk about your man stuff, and we'll talk about our girl stuff!"

((Gahh there's so many characters to take into account here lol))

Lily smiled and hugged her friend when she walked in.

"Thanks for letting us come over," she said to Farrah as she slipped out of her coat. Then she followed Farrah over to the couch and sat down with her. "So, how have you been lately?" Lily tried to make the question sound casual, and she inwardly winced at the fact that she still sounded a little troubled and uneasy.

Rue chucked when he heard his mate yelling back at him affectionately. He knew she was ready to have the baby already. She enjoyed her pregnancy, he was certain, but she seemed like she was ready for the baby to be born.

He looked over and grinned when William came straight into the kitchen.

"So," he said to his friend, "what has my sister done now to make you look so undone?" He tapped off the pasta spoon into the pot and then used it to gesture to one of the kitchen chairs. "Talk to me. You look like my sister blindsided you somehow."

((Lol there's only four.))

William sighed as he plopped down into one of the kitchen's chairs, one arm on the side of it and the other hung around the back of the chair, sitting at an angle in it rather than straight forward, "She's talking about babies now; thinks she might be pregnant."

His eyes were wary as he stared at Rue, knowing full well that the response he was going to get probably wasn't what he was looking for. After all, his friend was obviously pro-baby, he cooed over his mate like today would be their last day together.

Farrah frowned as she put down the book, resting it in her lap, and pushing her toes underneath her friend's thigh to warm them up, "I have been as fine as the baby will let me be, which means not as much sleep as I would prefer. The poor things just waiting to come out by the looks of it. That's not important right now, though. Why do you look so off? What's wrong?"

((I know, but I'm sick so having trouble with simple things >< ))

"And is that a bad thing?" Rue asked as he continued to work at the stove. He glanced at his friend. "Unless, of course, you don't want a child." As playful as Rue acted most of the time, he could be serious when he needed to be. "To be honest, I'm surprised it's taken the two of you so long. Lily has always liked children, I thought the two of you would have had a child long before Farrah and I could."

Lily bit her lip, hesitating in answering the question.

"Farrah," she evaded a bit, "how... how did you know that you and Rue were going to have a child? At the beginning, I mean." She didn't want to come right out and say that she thought she was pregnant, but she wanted to know what Farrah knew first before admitting anything. She shifted a bit in her seat so that Farrah could burrow her toes a little deeper. She didn't mind when her friend used her to warm her feet when they were sitting on the couch together. She'd done the same to Farrah in the past.

"I didn't say that it was a bad thing," William set matter-of-factly and nearly defensively, "I just stated what was happening. And I am well aware that Lily has always wanted kids, believe me I've had way more replays of those conversations, but that's Lily. This is my mate, now. You may be all high and mighty Rue that was born to be a father, but those instincts aren't exactly as prominent in me. I just," he sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I love her, she's my mate, and I would love our child with everything I have in me, but it doesn't seem like a decision to me."

Farrah frowned slightly as she tilted her head, her eyes squinting in concentration, "Well, there were those obvious aspects that we have in common with human pregnancies, like morning sickness, cravings, tenderness, and the skipped menstruation. The biggest hint was the change in hormones; it's a great aphrodisiac for the most part! It's like he could sense the change in me, and his mating instincts were sent into overdrive-" She stopped, eyebrows furrowing as she looked over at her friend, her fingers fiddling with her book resting on her table of a belly, "Why exactly did this come to mind?"

"Easy, William," Rue said, holding up his hands in front of him. "No need to bite my head off about it." It was clear that William was all worked up over the issue, and any talk he may have had with Lily clearly didn't go too well. And if William's unease was anything to go by, Lily must have worked herself into a fret as well. Rue thought for a moment before choosing his reply. "I didn't think I was ready to be a father when Farrah told me she was pregnant," he said finally. "I was completely certain that I would be a failure."

Lily bit her lower lip a little, trying to figure out how to put her concerns into words. She hadn't mentioned anything to William, but she was certain she'd skipped her moontime for the month, and now that Farrah had mentioned such a thing...

"Farrah," she murmured finally, "I think... I think I may be pregnant." She took a slightly shaky breath, hesitating, and the continued, "and... I don't think William wants any children." She looked at her friend worriedly.

William frowned at Rue, his eyebrows furrowing in obvious confusion, "You thought you would be a failure as a father, and yet you were still excited about it? Why didn't you hesitate or freak out like I am?"

Farrah held back her squeal, partly because she didn't want the men to hear and partly because she didn't want to irritate the baby (who has been very touchy about noises lately and would definitely let her know when it wasn't appreciated). "Lily, that's wonderful! Of course he doesn't want any, but that's nothing for you to freak about. Even Rue had his doubts. Motherhood is a stronger instinct in us than fatherhood is in them. To them, this is a lifelong commitment that they can't really control, and you know how elven men are about their control in something important, especially when it affects their mates' future so severly. They always come around though, otherwise our species would die out. We're kind of made to mate, just like every other species out there, and we mate to pass on our lineage."

"I was freaking out," Rue replied as he went back to cooking. "Worry, nightmare scenarios, sleepless nights, the whole thing. More than once, I caught myself wondering what I would do if something happened to Farrah, because I certainly wouldn't be in any shape to raise a child without her. Even if nothing bad happened, I wasn't sure if I would be a good father." He glanced at William as he spoke, but continued to prepare the meal. "It took me a while to come to the conclusion that I would just have to raise the child the way my father helped to raise Lily and I, and it would have to be enough." He chuckled a bit there. "And all things considered, Father didn't do too bad a job with us."

Lily bit her lip. She didn't feel like she could share in Farrah's excitement, not yet.

"I'm not certain about it yet," she reminded her friend. "But... William and I have had a couple of talks about it, and... I mean, I asked him if he would want children..." She trailed off as she started to get more upset and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I just don't want him to be unhappy with a child he doesn't want."

William nodded in agreement as his friend talked, empathizing with the fear of losing his mate. More tradition elven don't use medicine during birth because it wasn't the natural means of delivery. Only those who were adopting all human ways did so, and it was generally frowned upon. That's why things had been tense between him and Farrah; she claims that she isn't nervous but he could smell the fear that came off of her when she thought about the pain of delivery. She isn't known for having a good pain tolerance.

"You'll always have fears like that, Rue, but trust me when I say that your paternal instincts are far stronger than the fear. You won't lose her. Elvens have been mating since their creation, it wouldn't be necessary if we couldn't survive. Your conclusion is great, and it's what you need to believe!

Farrah giggled, unable to help it, "I'm sorry hun for laughing, but even if he thinks he doesn't want it the second he sees the child or smells it growing inside of you he'll love it completely."

Rue cracked a bit of a grin.

"Oh, I know," he replied as he finished preparing dinner. "You were the one saying you don't think you're ready to be a father. I was just telling you the conclusions I came to when I thought about it for myself." He glanced at William. "Although I suppose I should wish you luck, if you really have gotten my sister pregnant. She's still prone to mood swings, isn't she?" Rue knew all too well how quickly Lily's mood could change, having grown up with her, and it was bound to get worse once her hormones started surging.

"I wish I had your confidence," Lily said softly to Farrah as she wiped her face. "William is different from Rue. Rue likes children well enough, and I know he wanted a family with you. But William..." she trailed off.

{{OH GOSH I messed up our characters!! lol Sorry, I screwed that up! Good cover though :) }}

William stifled a laugh, covering it as a cough as he held a sleeve over his mouth. Regaining himself, he shifted in his seat, "Actually I believe they've already started. While she is prone to her swings, she has been in quite the mood. I can smell it on her, but she still tries denying it. You'd think our kind wouldn't still try to fib about how we're feeling considering we can sense it so well on our mates!"

Farrah rubbed her hand on her friends back in a comforting manner, her eyebrows furrowed in sympathy for Lily, "Well, I can keep telling you my opinion but I can't change your mind. But believe you me that worrying over it will only make matters worse. What happens will happen, and all you have to do is allow for that."

((No worries, I knew what you meant.))

"She can be quite fearsome when she gets into one of her moods," Rue agreed. "She's always been that way." And if anyone knew how Lily was, besides William, it was him. "If you think she's already started getting moody, then I would suggest you try to prepare yourself. More than likely, you have a child on the way." And Rue was relatively certain that was the case. It was the wrong time of month for his sister to be having her moontime, and Lily was usually extremely regular in that regard.

"I can't help but worry," Lily said. "Not until I know how William will react." She knew that her mate loved her, but there were still other things she was insecure about, and this was turning out to be one of them. Having a child was an extremely important event, and she wanted to be absolutely certain that her made was okay with it, and at the moment, she wasn't certain of it at all. She pulled her knees up a bit and tucked her feet under herself. "I just hope he doesn't get upset."

{{Okay :) So do you know what the eggs are that are for sale for so much in the special event store and when it's ending? OMG I'm dating a boy (: }}

William laughed as Rue talked about Lily's mood swings, well aware of it. He'd been her mate for many moons, and would never underestimate her when it was that time. Women were a powerful work of nature, and when necessary, as a man, you just need to agree and stay out of the way. William's thoughts trailed off when Rue told him to prepare himself, wondering absentmindedly about how her scent would change. Elven men had always told him that their females scent changes, usually becoming more powerful and an irresistible aphrodisiac. It's like their instincts could sense their own blood growing inside of their mate, and the idea sent the male instincts into overdrive, including the instinct of pleasing their mate.

Farrah was uncertain of what to say. She'd try reasoning with her friend, and it didn't seem like now was the time to try to convince her, but rather to just let her have her time to her thoughts. She tried to lean forward to hug her friend, but winced as it moved the baby in an uncomfortable manner, pressing the infant against her spine. The infant kicked against the lining of her stomach in protest, as if she hadn't noticed the uncomfortable position. Leaning back against the couch once more, she rubbed the palm of her hand in circular motions on her stomach and took a deep breath.

Lily was pulled from her thoughts when she noticed Farrah wince, and was immediately concerned. She knew that Farrah was close enough to giving birth that just about anything could set off labor for her.

"Are you alright?" she asked, reaching over to rub her friend's stomach gently. She had helped Farrah calm the baby in the past, and knew what should work. Farrah's stomach was firm under her hand, and Lily could feel the stirrings of the baby within. She tried to ignore the flash of jealousy she felt and instead focused on helping her friend.

((And I'm skipping Rue because the men have run out of things to say and do for the moment, I think.))

{{I think I'll have her start going into labor soon? Forgive me if I make any mistakes. As I've never had a child I'm not exactly an expert at it! We'll just keep adding some elven twists to it and call it good lol}}

Farrah nostrils flared in concentration as she frowned down at her belly, arching her back to relieve pressure as she felt the infant move impatiently within her. She forced calm breaths out as she waited apprehensively, staring at the moving lump in her belly and watching it stretch at her t-shirt.

Lily's hand rubbed at the moving skin, knowing that it had been very comforting to the child throughout the entire pregnancy. Now, though, rather than causing the baby to stop moving it caused it to stir more as if reaching for the hand and tired of settling for the pressure it put on the skin. A clear hand print pressed against the stiff expanse of Farrah's belly, and then disappeared. Only a second later a foot print ran along the length.

Farrah clenched her eyes shut as she felt a pang against her spine, causing her to shift uncomfortably in an attempt to relieve the added weight. She grabbed at the side of the couch with one hand and the seat with the other to lift her out of the couch. As she attempted to stand she heard a snap, knocking the air out of her as a gush of water came out. Horrified, her screech caught in her throat, she panicked and nearly fell to the floor.

((I won't notice any mistakes, trust me. I'm no expert, either. So take your ideas and just run with them. And I'm so sorry this is short, but I didn't want to mess up whatever you had planned.))

Lily's eyes widened as she realized what was happening, and she barely reacted fast enough to keep Farrah from falling. Carefully, she eased her friend back down onto the couch. Her hands shook as she did so, but she managed to keep that mostly under control. They had all known the baby was due any time, so it really shouldn't have been that much of a surprise.

"It's alright, Farrah," she said, although her voice shook from the sudden rush of adrenaline. "I think that's the baby's way of telling you it wants to come out."

{{I don't really have anything too planned out :) We'll just roll with it! We can always edit our posts if we think of something awesome. So, I guess we add elven twists onto it, make it more epic!}}

Farrah nodded up at Lily, gasping for air as the baby pushed against her spine and added pressure onto her diaphragm. She wasn't ready for this..she hadn't been able to mentally prepare for this enough. Fear ripped through her as she winced from a stabbing sensation on her stomach, shrieking against clenched teeth. Her knuckles whitened with the force of her grip in the cushions, and as the baby draw on her energy to prepare for its journey out of her womb her pupils flickered, the black circles shaking as the baby drew from Farrah's reserves.

Rue? Where was Rue? What if the neighbors heard? Surely humans would be horrified and call the police if they heard screeching coming from their neighbors house. The elven infant would look nowhere near normal as it wouldn't have hair to cover it's ears yet. Her wild gaze turned to the open blinds of the large bay window across the living room floor.