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[watch for time stamps]

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Ares pushed the last box to the side, closing the front door of the house and locking it.

"Dinner time Reecie?" Alette asked, holding Carino in her arms.

He nodded, "Sit down darling, I'll warm it up," he said.

She raised a brow, letting Carino jump out of her arms.

"You need to rest, Alette," he said, his tone strict.

She laughed, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist, "I'm barely a month along my love, I think I can warm up some dinner."

He looked apprehensive, so she leaned up, placing her hand on the back of his neck so that she could kiss him.

"I'm perfectly fine Ares, I promise," she said, and then, just so that he would believe her, she stuck out her pinky finger.

His face broke into a smile as he linked his finger with hers.

"Let's get some dinner baby," he said lowly, kissing her atop her head.

They walked to their kitchen and opened the mostly empty fridge to grab the food that Grams had made them.

They had only moved in a few days ago, spending the last two weeks packing up and bringing everything to their new place.

There was very little furniture in the new place, and their family had been dropping off food so that they didn't have to worry about cooking.

"What did Grams make?" Alette asked Ares as he took the lids off of the containers.

"All my favourites," he replied, giving her a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes, "Favouritism," she huffed playfully.

He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her; the two worked in tandem to warm up dinner and then they walked with their plates to sit down on the makeshift table and chair they had.

Before Alette could sit down, Ares pulled her onto his lap.

She meant to give him a stern look, but her face softened when she saw his eyes on her stomach.

"I still can't believe it," he said, his voice quiet and filled with awe.

Alette placed her hand on his, "Are you...are you still feeling okay with it?"

Her voce had a hint of uncertainty; she had told him two weeks ago, and he had been very happy at the time, but she wondered if he felt differently now that it had sunk in a little.

His eyes flitted up from her stomach and matched hers. He cupped her face, gently placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I am..." he swallowed, "So beyond happy, I can't even begin to explain it," his eyes were light, a small smile on his face.

Her shoulders sagged in relief, and she cuddled even closer to him.

He picked up his plate of food, loading up his spoon and giving her the first bite.

"Are you okay? Your centre just opened up and you were so excited for it," he stated solemnly, "You'll have to take a step back."

She chewed, swallowing before she cleared her throat, "We didn't really plan anything that happened to us Reecie. It all kind of...fell into place as we went. I know I'm young, but honestly," she bit her lip, trying to stifle her grin, "I am so excited. I can work for a few months, and then I'll take my leave and work from home. Perks of being the boss," she wiggled her brows.

He shook his head, smiling as she gave him a bite of food.

"When do we tell everyone?" he asked, as they fed each other dinner.

Her doctor had very recently confirmed that she was in fact pregnant based on her blood test results, and they would go get an ultrasound in the upcoming weeks.

"I'm not sure yet," she said, looking hesitant, "I want to wait until the first trimester is done at least. We can ask the doctor how everything looks."

He could feel the apprehension rolling off of her in waves; he was terrified too.

He wanted her to be okay and he wanted their baby to be okay.

He wrapped his arms around her as she tucked her head in his neck, "We'll figure this out, hm?"

She kissed his neck, sighing, "I love you, Reecie."

He kissed her head, feeling his heart beat under the palm of her hand as they sat in their new home.

"I love you, my angel girl."

Alette and Aresius sat inside the examination room, waiting for the ultrasound tech to return.

Her doctor had recommended an early ultrasound, just to ensure everything was how it should be.

The door opened, and Alette sucked in a breath, trying to steel her nerves.

"Alrighty, we're ready to get started! Can I have you lay back and pull your shirt up for me?"

Alette lay down, pulling her loose sweater up. She clenched her hands to stop them from shaking as the technician placed the cold gel onto her belly, chattering about what she was doing and what to expect.

Ares sat on a chair beside where Alette lay, his face pale; this was really happening.

They matched eyes for a moment, their hearts beating fast.

They smiled.

The tech placed the probe on her lower belly, moving it around.

A very faint sound filled the room.

Alette gasped and Ares sucked in a breath.

Their baby's heartbeat.

"Well congratulations Mom and Dad, that's the heartbeat!"

It was very faint, but it was the most beautiful sound Alette had ever heard.

The tears she had been holding back slipped out, and she swallowed, daring to glance away from the screen and at Ares.

She wished she hadn't looked at him, because it made her cry harder.

His eyes were glossy with tears, his face completely coated in shock.

The tech quickly explained a few things, pointed some stuff out on the screen, and then left to get them the pictures from the ultrasound; she knew that they needed a moment to be alone.

"Ares," Alette whispered, her face overcome with emotion.

He unfroze, immediately moving forwards and grabbing her hands.

His heart was pounding so quickly, he felt as though he might pass out.

He brought her hands up to his lips, placing a kiss on them.

"W-We're going to be parents Alette," he said, his voice an incredulous whisper.

She laughed through her tears, "We're going to be parents!"

The sun shone brightly through the large windows. There was a cool breeze in the air; the flowers in their backyard danced in the wind.

It was, by all accounts, a great morning.

Alette couldn't enjoy it though, because she sat on the floor of her bathroom, throwing up in the toilet.

Ares held her hair back, reaching over to grab something to tie it up with.

He winced as her body shuddered with another heave.

He rubbed her back as she finally lifted her head up, her eyes teary.

Her morning sickness had started at the end of last week, and it had progressively gotten worse. Their recent morning routine had consisted of Alette running to the bathroom, and him following behind to pull her hair out of the way.

He helped her up, guiding her to the counter so that she could brush her teeth.

Placing the toothpaste on the brush, he pushed some hair away from her face.

"Shower?" he asked, gently.

She rinsed her mouth out, nodding wearily.

He kissed her forehead, lifting her nightdress at the hem. He pulled it off, discarding it into laundry basket.

He bent down, kissing her stomach gently. He slid off her underwear, and then his own shirt and boxers.

Turning on the hot water, they both stepped into the large, walk-in shower.

"Want to sit?" he asked her.

She shook her head, "I'll fall asleep," she mumbled, stifling a yawn.

He nodded, letting her lean on him as he wet her hair.

He meticulously washed her hair and her body, paying close attention to her sore chest, and massaging the knots on her back.

Once she had rinsed off, she kissed his chest, grabbing a washcloth to wash his body.

"I love you, my Reecie," she said softly.

"I love you, my beautiful wife," he replied, leaning down to give her a slow, languid, kiss.

She blushed, feeling more awake now, "S-Stop that, we have to finish showering."

He raised his brow, "That's not what you usually say when we're showering together."

She narrowed her eyes, collecting some water in her hand and splashing his already wet face.

He chuckled, rinsing off before grabbing a big towel to wrap her up in. He grabbed a towel for himself and then led her out to the bedroom.

He haphazardly threw on a pair of pants and a t-shirt, grabbing some clothes for her to wear.

He dried her off, applying moisturizer on her body.

His hands stopped, his fingers stroking the swell of stomach.

"It grew overnight," she commented smiling, her hand on top of his.

He nodded, looking completely dazed; her stomach definitely looked way bigger this morning.

He placed a chaste kiss on her belly and finished helping her dress.

They spent the morning together, sharing affectionate touches as they made breakfast and ate in their newly decorated home.

Alette chastised Ares for bullying their cats first thing in the morning and he pouted at all of the attention that she gave them.

Life was beautiful for the two, and they could hardly wait for the new member of their family to join them.

"Everything looks good at this moment in time Faye, just make sure you're taking your prenatals, eating all your meals, and doing some light exercising," her OBGYN said.

She nodded, looking apprehensive, "The baby's fine?"

She knew her mother had complications with her pregnancy, and she herself had mild ovulation problems.

Ares held her hand tighter.

The doctor smiled gently, "Everything is perfectly fine right now, the baby seems to be okay. You can come in for an earlier check-up, call me if you have any questions, or come to the emergency room in the event that you feel anything is wrong," she placated.

Alette nodded, "Okay, t-thank you," she conjured up a small smile and the two walked hand-in-hand back to their car. Ares opened the door for her, buckling her in before he sat in his own seat.

They drove in a silence, Alette's anxiety still radiating off of her.

He wanted her to feel okay, but it wasn't that easy.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it all must be for her, not only physically, but also mentally.

"Darling?"

She looked over at him, swallowing before she spoke.

"Lovebug?"

He cleared his throat, his eyes on the road, his hand gripping her thigh.

"You're alright?" he asked, his tone neutral.

She sighed, "I'm just...nervous. That's kind of a given at this point but," she placed her hand on his, "I just want everything to go smoothly," she finished.

He grabbed her hand, giving it a kiss.

"You tell me what you need from me Alette," he said seriously, "I'm here baby, always."

She leaned over, kissing his bicep, "I love you, Ares."

They settled into a slightly more easy silence before Alette spoke.

"Reecie?"

"Angel?"

She peeked over at him, smiling, "Ice cream please?"

He glanced at her, his lips lifting into a smirk, "Already on my way, darling."

She laughed, her heart feeling lighter.

She was afraid, she knew he was too.

But they were excited.

And they would get through it all together.

Alette smoothed down her sweater, feeling her bump under her hand.

"Ready?" Ares asked her, as they walked towards Grams' house.

She wrapped her hands around his arm, beaming, "Yes! I'm so excited."

He chuckled kissing the top of her head as they rang the doorbell.

Ever since she had started showing, she wore even looser-fitting clothing to hide her stomach.

She had wanted to wait to tell everyone; now that she felt more secure in the fact that the doctor thought the baby was healthy, she was excited to share the happy news with their family.

"Hello!" Grams threw the door open, leaning forwards to hug Alette, and Ares.

"Hi Grams," Alette beamed, walking into the house.

"Good evening Grams, how are you?" Ares, his voice as serious as ever made Ada smile.

She patted his arm, "So much better now that you two are here, it's been," she pretended to think about it for a second, "Fifteen days since you came to visit."

Alette giggled, hooking her arm with Grams' and walking into the kitchen.

Ares held the small gift bag in his hand, following behind them.

They sat in the kitchen, Ares grabbing Alette a glass of lemonade.

She smiled shyly, thinking about how it felt like only yesterday that she nervously asked him if he wanted some lemonade in this very kitchen.

"How are you two?" Grams asked, sitting back in her seat.

They shared a look before Ares cleared his throat, "We're great," he replied.

Alette smiled, "We brought you a present Grams," she said, her voice soft as she held back tears.

She was already feeling as though she was going to start sobbing.

"Oh?" she furrowed her brows, "What's the occasion?" she grabbed the bag from Ares' outstretched hand.

Opening the ribbon at the top, she reached into the bag and pulled out a small bundle of white coloured yarn.

Ada furrowed her brows and Alette cleared her throat, "Will you make me a sweater Grams?"

Ada smiled, "I would love to as always, but," she smiled playfully, "There's not enough here to make a sweater for you, my precious girl."

Alette shook her head, unable to hide her smile any longer, "Not for me."

"For the baby."

Ares' words elicited a gasp from Grams, the yarn falling from her hands and onto the table.

"W-What..." she looked at the two of them, her eyes wide.

Alette let out the tears she had been holding in, and nodding, "We're having a baby, Grams."

"Oh my goodness!" she barely could get the words out through her tears, hurriedly wrapping her arms around Alette.

They hugged for quite a while before Grams moved to give Ares a hug.

"I am so happy for you two," she said to him, "I am so proud of you two."

They sat for the next few minutes, Ada firing off questions, and Alette's tears flowing.

The sound of steps echoing in the hallway interrupted them, and a few moments later, Sylvester's large figure appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

The smile on his face fell as he observed the tears in his niece and mother's eyes.

"What happened? What's wrong?" his tone was dark, full of promises of suffering for whomever had caused his family to be upset.

His eyes flickered over to Ares, and Aresius cleared his throat, "Everything is fine, there's..." he glanced over at Alette.

"Uncle Syl...we," she swallowed, the contagious smile back on her face, "We're having a baby."

His eyes widened and he immediately braced a hand the chair in front of him.

"You..." he looked positively shocked, "A baby?"

She nodded, "You're going to be a great-uncle, yay!" she cheered, her voice low and slightly hesitant.

It took a moment for him to recover before he rounded the table and pulled his niece in for a hug.

"Congratulations, my Faye," he kissed the top of her, his eyes watery, "This is amazing news, how are you? You doing okay?"

She laughed through her own tears, hugging her uncle tighter.

He stepped away from her, looking at Ares searchingly, "Congratulations Adler."

Sylvester clasped him on the shoulder, "You're alright?"

Ares' lips lifted slightly, "Never been better."

Sylvester chuckled, "Good to hear that, we would've had problems otherwise."

Alette laughed, and they all sat back down at the table, talking, eating dinner, and spending the evening together.

Only a few days passed before she told the next person the exciting news.

"You never come visit anymore, Bow Tie," she complained, handing him a cup of coffee, as they stood in her new kitchen.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry Bee, life's been so hectic," he replied, pulling his hair into his usual bun.

She hid her smile, knowing she was only joking and then cleared her throat, leaning under the counter to grab a gift bag.

"I got you a present because I missed you so much," she told him, pushing the bag towards him.

He raised his brow, "You're so weird," he mumbled, grabbing the bag.

She narrowed her eyes, reaching over the counter to pinch his arm.

"Ow!" he rubbed at the spot, grinning, "I was kidding, Bee, you're so violent."

She stuck out her tongue, before pointing at the bag, "Open it!"

Ares walked into the kitchen, pocketing his phone; he came to stand beside Alette, also staring at Tai.

"You guys are scaring me," he said, eyeing them apprehensively.

"Just open the present Tai, you're so dramatic," Alette laughed.

"He's been spending too much time with Jerryl," Ares said.

"Going to tell him you said that," retorted Tai, as he untied the ribbons on the bag.

He peeked into it, his brows furrowing, "What's..." he reached inside, grabbing the shirt that was in the bag.

He unfolded it slowly, his eyes flitting over the words on the front, "Best...uncle ever?"

His voice sounded confused, but it only lasted a second before the shirt fell out of his hands.

"What? What?" he looked at the two, his face coated in surprise.

"She's pregnant, you're going to be an uncle," Ares said, sharing a look with Alette.

"And also maybe...the Godfather?" she asked, biting her lip.

Tai shot out of his seat, laughing incredulously and gave Alette a hug.

"Are you kidding? A baby?" he pulled away, smiling widely, his eyes shining.

Alette laughed, nodding her head; he could hardly believed that his little sister was going to have a baby and that he was going to be an uncle.

"You guys want me to be the Godfather?" his eyes looked teary.

Ares' lips lifted into a very rare smile, "You'll be sharing the job with someone, but yeah, we would love it if you were the Godfather."

Tai laughed happily again, congratulating the couple.

The very next day, they invited Jakob over for dinner.

Ares had seen him almost everyday, but he knew that he wanted to be sitting down when he told him the news.

Alette's phone rang and she picked it up, just as Ares led Jakob to the back deck outside.

The back garden was illuminated by all of the lights that Alette had put outside.

Ares leaned against the wood of the deck, overlooking the garden, and Jakob stood beside him.

They didn't speak for a few minutes; that wasn't anything new for them, the two were usually silent.

Aresius, with his heart pounding, cleared his throat.

"Are you free?"

Jakob looked at him raising a brow, "When?"

"The rest of your life?"

Jakob narrowed his eyes at him, checking his head for injuries, "Why?"

His voice was cautious; Jakob was usually on edge, but especially at Adler's cryptic words.

Adler turned to face Jakob, just as Alette walked out to the back deck.

"We were wondering if you were interested in being the Godfather?" Ares asked Jakob, his tone serious.

Jakob, not understanding yet, "Godfather? For wh-"

His eyes widened a fraction, "Really?"

Alette smiled, nodding.

He stepped back, "Do you need to sit down? Did you need anyth-"

Alette giggled and Ares shook his head, hiding his smirk.