The sound of Axels shed door opening woke me up from my nap. I sat up and rubbed the tired out of my eyes.

Today, after boot camp Axel promised to tell Nate, Caitlin, Holly and Nicole that I didn't really leave, that I've been here all along and that I am, in fact pregnant with his baby.

Wow, that was going to be a hard pill for them to swallow but I wasn't nervous, I was excited.

Nate was the first to walk in, his eyes roamed Axels shed in awe, then he spotted me.

Nicole, Holly and Caitlin screamed when they walked and immediately ran to hug me.

"Woah!" Axel said in his demanding Lieutenant voice. "Back up." Their feet halted and their mouths quieted.

"I can't believe you're here! You're really here!" Nicole squealed excitedly from a distance.

"Stand to attention soldiers!" Axel yelled.

The four of them stood in a uniformed line, standing straight with a salute to their heads.

"Axel—" I stood up, dropping the blanket that covered me and the four of them broke their stance to look down at my stomach.

They were completely and utterly shell shocked.

"Woah! You're pregnant." Caitlin worded slowly.

"What?!" Nate yelled in surprise.

"With him?" Holly asked.

"What?!" Nate yelled again.

"You didn't tell them?" I asked, but Axel stood straight and commanding. He looked ahead and didn't show any response or emotion on his face.

"Girl or boy?" Nicole asked.

"Boy." I confirmed.

She glanced at Axel, checking him out.

"Damn, that boy is gonna be super hot."

"Wh-" Nate started.

"Don't say it again." I warned.

Nate started to walk up to me.

"Back the hell up Thompson!" Axel snapped and I face palmed myself.

"You have the demon spawn inside of you?" He whispered to me, not at all inconspicuous. I glanced axel, I could tell he was a little hurt by that comment but he remained in his Lieutenant stance.

"Do you guys want a beer?" I waddled over to the fridge and got out a few bottles. My friends all glanced at Axel, as if seeking out his permission.

"Did I tell you that you could break attention soldiers?" They all stood tall, again resting their hands on their foreheads.

Axel sized them up one at a time, checking over their uniforms and posture. I felt myself blushing, he was being so professional when I just wanted him to be social.

"Is this really necessary, I mean—"

"You approach Williams with care, slow and precise steps only. You do not touch the stomach. You do not cause harm to mother or child in any way. Do you understand soldiers?"

"Sir yes sir!" They replied in unison.

"At ease." He took himself to the side of the room, a place where he could watch over our whole encounter but not really be involved.

My friends, feeling ridiculously awkward now sat down around me and looked at one another, lost on a conversation starter.

"So... how have you been?" I asked, side glancing at Axel who policed us like he was policing the cafeteria. I handed them all a beer but nobody drunk from it.

I knew they wanted to talk to me, they wanted to ask me questions. They wanted to talk about Axel and our relationship. They want to drink the beer and absorb the gossip but they were not allowed, it was awkward.

So we talked about how hot it's been lately and how much they missed the taste of chocolate.

"It's okay!" I blurted out when Nate started talking about the cafeteria slop for the third time. "We can talk normally. He won't care." They couldn't even look at him, too frightened of getting punished.

"Nate, you took any cars for a drive recently?"

"Harper, no." He gave me look that told me to shut the fuck up.

"You girls gone back to the bar? Does the band still play there? I miss that place, we should go sometime."

"Harper!" Holly gasped and Caitlin shook her head at me. Nicole was brave enough to shoot a quick glance at Axel.

"Axel, come here." I called over to him but he didn't even falter in posture. He simply remained stationary with his vision straight.

"I think I'm going to go, it was nice seeing you again Harp." Nate stood up.

"No, don't go."

"Yeah, it's getting late." Holly yawned.

"Guys, stay. Please."

"Sorry Harper, I'm just not comfortable risking my life on this. I got kids and I can't go to prison." Caitlin stood up to join Holly and then Nicole followed them.

"This is your fault." I pointed a slender finger at Axel. He broke attention to look at me. "I told you to be normal so why did you bring your weird?"

"This is my normal. I told you I didn't want this to happen, it's putting me in an awkward position. It's putting them in an awkward position. It's totally unprofessional."

Nate burst out laughing at the irony, Holly slapped him on the chest.

"Guys, please stay. We'll order food, watch a movie. Tell them Axel, tell them you won't be giving out any disciplinaries tonight. Tell them to relax, tell them that you don't care what they do in secret. Tonight you're not their Lieutenant."

My damn hormones racked up inside me and exploded in the form of tears. I sobbed like my heart was breaking and Axel ran over to me, rubbing my back to offer comfort.

"Fuck, Harper are you okay? It's okay." He stated calmly, though I could see the panic in his eyes. He hated it whenever I cried.

"Jesus Harp, don't cry. We'll stay, I promise." Nate sat down beside me.

"Yeah, c'mon Harper stop these silly tears." Caitlin cuddled into me, wiping the wetness away from my eyes.

"Whatever you feel, he feels." Nicole tapped my belly gently and Axel piped up.

"Ah! Hands off the belly." She immediately reined back her hand and I started laughing along with my sobs.

"Can we all just be normal?" I pleaded with them.

"I'll order the pizza, what do you guys want?" Axel went to grab his phone off the beside table and I smiled gratefully.

"I can't believe you were shacking up with the Lieutenant all this time." Holly whispered, out of earshot to Axel.

"Does he make you call him sir in bed?" Caitlin whispered.

"No I don't." He answered for me, startling her and making her blush. "Any other questions regarding our sex life, I've heard it's a pretty hot topic in your conversations."

Silence fell over my friends for a few seconds until we all burst out laughing.

"Hey, I'm just here for the pizza. Pepperoni, load me up." Nate cut into the laughter and grabbed a beer, cracking it open and chugging it back.

"Uh Harper?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah?"

"You need to go use the bathroom?" I shook my head, laughing at her weird question. "I think you do." She pointed down at the sweatpants I was wearing. There was an ever growing wet patch darkening the fabric.

Axel stood to his feet, his eyes widening in fear.

"Is that your waters?" Holly asked slowly. "How many weeks are you?"

"It's too early." Axel said slowly.

A sharp shooting pain cramped up my stomach, like a knot getting pulled tighter and tighter until there was no pull left so slowly it released. I held my stomach, it was becoming firmer and firmer.

"I have pain." I said softly, trying to remain calm. "You need to call the doctor."

Axel was a shell of himself. Usually dominating in leadership and order. Now lost, unable to move or communicate. He stood, paler than usual, looking utterly fucking frightened and not moving a muscle.

"No." He uttered out quietly. "It's too early."