Inescapable Love

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Results

        Upon waking up in the morning, I remembered that today Chris was taking me to a doctor to find out if I was pregnant or not. We had stayed up for most of the night discussing it, and he explained that he trusted the doctor we were going to. Apparently more people knew about werewolves than I originally thought. 
        Chris was sleeping with his back to me, and I stared at his bare skin in the dim morning rays of light filtering through the window. Looking at him in complete silence, I could suddenly see us raising a family together. I could see both Adam and Chris' packs joining together and learning to get along. I could see the potential of a happier life. I just hoped Chris could see it. 
        I reached out and gently touched Chris' shoulder, the warmth of my fingertips enough to wake him. I heard his slow intake of breath as he twisted his body beneath the sheets in order to look over at me sleepily. I smiled, staring into his eyes. 
        "Morning." A slow smile spread across his face, and I felt one of his arms drape over my waist as he rolled over so he was facing me. The warmth of his body was comforting, and the feel of his hands on my waist sent pleasant shivers down my spine. His lips parted, and I could see the tentativeness in his eyes.
        "The appointment's at nine." His voice was soft, with the rough edge of sleepiness to it, but his words alone made my breath catch in my throat. It wasn't that I was nervous; I mean, of course I was nervous, but that wasn't the main reason for my sudden anxiety at what events the day would hold. My mind was focused more on the aspect that if I wasn't pregnant, the only sliver of hope I had for joining the packs together would be lost. With no baby, Chris would have no motivation, no urge to protect an innocent life from war and violence. He would simply continue to be just as stubborn as Adam, which meant nothing would ever be achieved. 
        A baby was definitely not the healthiest thing to bring into our relationship just for the purpose of joining the packs together, but it was the only chance I had left. I never intended for things to happen this way; when I thought of having a child with Chris, I imagined it would be a planned thing that would happen further down the road, when both of us were ready. Instead, it could be happening now, and guilt stabs through me every time I think about the relief I would feel if I found out a baby was on the way. It seemed a bit selfish, having a child just to resolve personal issues, but I couldn't see any other way.
        "Are you okay?" Chris' voice cut through my moment of thought, and I refocused on his face, taking in every inch of his features. I closed my eyes briefly to gather my thoughts before nodding, dismissing the problem as if it were really that easy.
        "I'm fine. I was just thinking about how today can change our lives." It was partially true. I didn't have to tell him about the guilt I was feeling. No need to make things any more difficult than they already were. 
        "It will change it for the better no matter what happens," he mumbled, his touch light on my waist as he leaned in and pressed his lips to my forehead. I was too tired to decipher the meaning of his words, but I was all too eager to simply fall into his embrace and close my eyes against his chest, pretenidng that my worries were irrelevant at the moment. Just five more minutes of sleep and I'll be fine. Five more minutes..

        I never really enjoyed going to the doctor when I was younger. The sight of the sick patients and sterile needles, the white lab coats worn by the doctors, the wailing sounds of children. It all unnerved me, but I kept my mouth shut as Chris and I sat in the waiting room, our hands clasped together. His thumb rubbed over my knuckle in small reassuring circles, leaving a trail of warmth and reassurance. I took a few deep, steadying breaths, bracing myself each time a nurse appeared in the doorway and called another patient in. Each time the crowd in the waiting room thinned out more and more, my heartbeat increased until I was sure Chris could hear it. If he did, he didn't say anything.
        "Miranda Williams." The voice echoed in my ears, and I felt like I might be sick. Instead I opened my eyes to see Chris standing up, helping me to my feet as he did so. His expression was slightly more reassuring than I felt inside at the moment, but I knew it was now or never. I forced one foot in front of the other, leaning against Chris for support as we walked towards the nurse standing in the doorway. Her lips were pursed, and she gripped a clipboard tightly in her hand. As soon as we reached her, she spun around and whisked down the hallway, expecting us to follow her. 
        We were led to a plain white room with two chairs and an examining table in the center. Chris sat in one of the chairs, and I sat on the edge of the table, clasping my hands together to stop them from shaking. 
        "The doctor will be with you shortly," stated the nurse, leaving her clipboard on the opposite end of the table before leaving the room and pulling the door shut behind her. Chris and I locked eyes simultaneously, but his expression was blank, not revealing what he was feeling on the inside. 
        "I love you," I said hesitantly, breaking the silence between us. My small, pitiful voice echoed in the bleak room, but Chris' expression softened. 
        "Don't get stressed out." He got up, striding over to me and taking my hands in his. "A child would be amazing for us Miranda. You'd be the best mother," he said reassuringly, kissing me softly. His lips seemed to convey the meaning that his words did not, and I instintively relaxed under the influence of his touch. I nodded and felt his fingers combing through my hair, nearly lulling me to sleep. Then I heard footsteps and voices just outside the door, causing my head to snap up in response. Chris held me tighter, seeming oblivious to the fact that the door was opening and the doctor was walking in. 
        "C-Chris..." I cleared my throat and blushed, gently pushing him away to the appropriate distance as the doctor regarded us with patient eyes. With Chris' fingers still laced with mine, I greeted the doctor and listened to what he had to say. He informed both of us about how I would be tested and how long it would take to receive the results. I listened intently to every word, focusing on the steady rise and fall of Chris' chest to calm my nerves. 
        "We'll begin when you're ready," announced the doctor, picking up the clipboard from the table and scribbling a few things down. I opened my mouth to speak, but looked to Chris instead for guidance. 
        "We're ready." He squeezed my hand reassuringly as he spoke, and I knew he wanted me to trust his judgement. He wanted me to calm down and accept whatever happened. I wish I could share his mindset. 

        I thought getting tested would be the worst part. I was wrong. Waiting for the results was much, much worse. I no longer cared about listening to the nurses unless they were bringing news of the test results. My head was resting against Chris' chest and he answered most of the questions for me, using my nods as confirmation that he was giving the right information. Whenever we were alone, his lips would brush against my forehead, or he would absentmindedly stroke my hair. It relaxed me to be near him like this, though I felt I'd be able to relax even more if I were in wolf form. There'll be plenty of time for that if I'm pregnant, I thought with a shudder. Staying in wolf form for three months straight would be a pain, but if it meant bringing the packs together, then I would gladly do it. 
        Just as I was beginning to doze off in the chair beside Chris, I sensed him perk up, his back stiffening. I sat up as well, seeing the doctor walk through the door wih a file folder in his hand. He sat on the edge of the examining table, facing both of us with a serious look on his face.
        "The test results were positive. I'm pleased to congratulate you Mr. Brown, Ms. Williams," he said, nodding respectfully at Chris. I got the feeling that the doctor knew exactly who Chris was. Before I could dwell too long on that, however, I realized what the doctor had just said. The test results were positive. That means I'm pregnant. I am going to have a child. Chris' child. My hand instantly dropped to my stomach, and I glanced up at Chris, my eyes wide. His face was still expressionless as he thanked the doctor and accepted a packet of papers from him. Once the doctor left, I was aware of Chris' arms wrapping around me and his lips finding mine before I got the chance to speak a word. Our kiss was short, yet passionate, and when he broke away I saw the smile that spread across his face. 
        "I'm a father," he said, tilting my chin up slightly and allowing me to see the spark of excitement and protectiveness in his eyes. Always the alpha at heart. I nodded, my emotions a swirling mess. I didn't know if I should cry, rejoice, or simply stare in shock. In a way, I did a combination of all three. Chris was handling the situation to my liking, but I knew I still had a lot to learn on what it meant to be pregnant. A human pregnancy sounded difficult enough, not to mention a werewolf pregnancy. 
        "I'll be there to help you through everything. We'll get through this with a beautiful child," Chris reassured me, his words filling me with a ray of hope. Maybe the packs would find a way to come together after all, once all the pieces were in place. For now, though, I just had to worry about making it through this pregnancy successfully. I'm going to be a parent... Chris and I are having a child... 

I still couldn't believe it. 

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A/N Hey everybody :P finally updated for you guys, and I'm sorry to say that my writing has gotten a lot more formal and boring than it was before :'( High school is messing with my head to the point where now I feel like everything I write has to be formal. So, thoughts on this style of writing? Better? Worse? If you miss the old style of writing I'll try as hard as I can to change it back, but until then, which book would you guys like me to update next? :) Please remember to bear with me, as I'm loaded with homework and this thing called laziness aka being a teenager. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!