Entangled

Chapter 24

Last post before Camp NaNoWriMo! I'll have a few updates in NANOWRIMO STORY SNIPPETS, but I don't know how many, because I didn't get a lot of requests. Hope you have a great April, and hopefully I'll have some stories to share in May!

"He's getting so big." Seth reaches up and puts his hand on Becky's belly. She has her feet up on the coffee table, so he's stretched out beside her, head on her lap so he can talk to the baby more easily. The baby already recognizes his voice and Sasha's, and even has music preferences—mostly anything with a lot of bass and drums. It amazes Seth how much personality his son can show while still in the womb.

"No, I'm getting big," Becky corrects him, combing her fingers through his loose curls. "According to the last scan, he hasn't grown much—which is normal."

When he hears the slight note of worry in Becky's voice, Seth grabs her hand and kisses it. "I know. Being first-time parents is hard enough, but we're twice as clueless as normal. You're doing so well, though. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you." Becky strokes his cheek for a moment before moving her hand back to his hair. "It just feels weird because this is something I always thought I'd get to share with friends, you know? Baby showers and shopping and all that. And since it's happening at such a different pace," she sighs, "I can't. At least not with my human friends, and that's most of the people I know here...."

Seth's felt much the same, but he hasn't wanted to say anything because he knows the pregnancy is far harder on Becky than it could ever be on him. He appreciates all the love and well-wishes he gets from his fellow wrestlers when he's on the road, but he wishes he could share more details with his closest friends. "I was thinking...." He scoots a bit closer to the edge of the couch so he can see Becky's face to gauge her reactions. "We've been in WWE for years now, so we have a pretty good idea about who's trustworthy and who's not. And we've been a pack for a while too—" He stops suddenly and takes a deep breath. "Obviously we would have to discuss this with Sasha too, but what if we shared our secret with just a few people? Say... one each? Each person would have to be agreed upon and if any of us had any concerns, than that person wouldn't be included."

Becky's hand slows in his hair as she thinks, and even the baby seems to sense that something important is happening, because he settles too. "That could be a good idea. I mean, it might be helpful if a few humans know just in case something happens to one of us when we're alone. Then they would know to get one of the other two and also to not let us be taken to the hospital."

"Right. And they could be alibis if we need one in a pinch." Seth turns onto his side and kisses Becky's belly. "I'd pick Roman, obviously. He's like my brother already—"

"And he's practically got a wolf-pack amount of kids," Becky laughs. "I don't see Sasha having a problem with Roman. She'd pick Bayley, and I'm good with that. Only problem there is the two of them fighting for Top Auntie honours."

"While Naomi swoops in and steals the crown when they aren't looking." When Seth feels a jolt in his gut, he chalks it up to sympathetic pregnancy pains at first. Other dads he knows have told him about the concept and he never really believed it, but it feels like he's learning something new about pregnancy every day. It doesn't take him long to realize it's a pang of conscience, though—at least not when he looks up and sees Becky's pinched expression. Of course, dumbass. Her answer should have been easy: Charlotte. But their friendship has fractured to the point where Charlotte hasn't called or texted or even asked Seth or Sasha how Becky's doing.

Becky saves him from trying to apologize. "Don't worry. I won't be picking Charlotte." She sighs so deeply that he can feel the movement through her belly. "Part of me wonders if things would be any different if Charlotte did know. She's not... she's not horrible," she insists. "Or at least she doesn't want to be. But she's so used to being misjudged that she gets defensive and... I don't know."