Status: Complete - Check out the sequel :)

When Duty Calls

Chapter 18

Andie lay in bed, awake but her eyes shut as her hands rested on her now very obvious baby bump as her baby moved around inside her. Over the past couple of weeks the baby had been moving more and with more force. These days she felt every tiny movement he or she made and most days she was sure that the baby thought that her internal organs were punch or kick bags and that her bladder was a squeeze toy.

The longer she lay still the harder and more frequent the kicks and punches became. This was one baby that defiantly thought his or her mommy didn’t deserve the right to rest.

“Alright, alright, I’ll get up!” Andie said in a raised voice as she pushed herself up off the bed and slipping her feet into her Nightmare before Christmas slippers and tugging her top down trying to cover her stomach. “I was getting up anyway you know? You don’t have to batter my insides. You’re going to be giving me restless nights for the next god knows how many years, could we at least try to come to some agreement that for the next three and a half months or so you let me rest and get some sleep in and in return I’ll get up whenever you wake up screaming for a feed or whatever? Does that sound like a good deal? One kick for yes, two for no.” she continued as she made her way out of her bedroom talking to her stomach.

“You okay And?” Brian’s voice drew her attention away from arguing with her unborn child.

“Oh, yeah, just trying to negotiate a bit.” She replied with a tired smile.

“He or she keeping you up again?” he asked stepping towards her.

“Yep, and he or she also thinks that my bladder is a squeeze toy, so if you’ll excuse me…” she replied with a tired smile indicating towards the bathroom.

“Of course, I’ll see you at breakfast.” He replied with a small wink as he walked away.

Once again tugging the top that just a week ago fitted her perfectly down over her protruding bump Andie walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the table, greeting the rest of the family already gathered around eating breakfast.

After finishing her bowl of Cheerios she took two slices of toast off the rack. As she took her first bite her cell phone began to ring. Glancing at the caller ID to see Rhian’s name, she quickly chewed what was in her mouth before answering the phone.

“How many times to you need reminding? The appointment’s at two.” She answered before Rhian could even get a greeting past her lips.

“Um, actually And, that’s why I’m calling you, Michael just called, there’s a problem in the office, I’m going to have to go in and help sort it, I’m sorry Hun. I wish there was something I could do but-“

“Don’t worry about it Hun, it’s your job, I can go by myself, I’ll be fine, and I promise I’ll pop over later with a picture of the scan.” She replied willing her voice to say strong.

“Are you sure Hun, I hate leaving you in the lurch like this.” Rhian replied.

“You can owe me one, I’ll talk to you later.” She replied, waiting for Rhian to say her good-bye before hanging up the phone and setting it on the table next to her.

“Everything okay?” Michelle asked quietly.

“Rhi can’t make it, looks like I’m going to the scan by myself.” She replied with a saddened smile.

“You can’t do that. You need someone with you.” Michelle replied.

“I can go.” Brian said immediately.

“No, no, you’ve got Ella, she’d get bored waiting at the hospital, I’ll be fine on my own.” Andie replied hastily.

“I’ll ask Dad or someone to have her. Michelle’s right you shouldn’t go on your own.” He replied with a concerned smile. As Andie met his eyes she realised that truthfully she wanted someone there with her. She hated hospitals and the thought of going by herself scared the living crap out of her. And if she was truly honest with herself, the thought of Brian being with her made her feel a lot better. It almost made her feel ‘normal’.

“If you’re sure.” She replied quietly.

“Of course I’m sure, I’ll just go ring Dad, see if he can have Ella for a few hours.” He replied with a smile, getting up from the table and leaving the room.

“Is Ella going over to Grandpa’s?” Connor asked with a pouting lip.

“Maybe, but only so Daddy can go with Andie to the hospital.” Michelle explained.

“Ooh!” he retorted dropping his spoon into his bowl with a scowl.

“Hey, don’t sulk, you know you’ve got to go to school.” Andie began with a smile, leaning across slightly to whisper into his ear. “How about, to make it up to you, not only will I spend as long as you want reading with you this evening, but you will be the first one I tell if the baby’s a boy or a girl.”

Very quickly a smile worked its way back onto his small face and he picked up his spoon to finish his breakfast.

“Dad can’t but Suzy said we can drop her over on our way to the hospital.” Brian stated walking back into the room.

“Good, right, I better get going.” Michelle said standing from the table. She stepped around the table kissing her two children before her husband. “Be good, and good luck Andrea. I’ll see you guys later.” She said as she turned and left.

“Come on then squirt, let’s get you to school.” Brian said turning to Connor who quickly finished gulping down his glass of milk before taking off towards the stairs.

“Are you taking Ella? I could do with taking a shower.” Andie asked as she sipped the last bit of her orange juice.

“Yeah of course.” He replied leaning across to place a kiss on her cheek.

“Bri…not in front of the kids.” She warned feeling herself blush at the contact.

“Sorry.” He muttered as she got up.

“Maybe later though.” She replied with a wink and a smirk before walking away.

***

“Right Miss Jennings, you better get ready to go.” Brian teased laying soft kisses over her naked, sweaty body.

“Mmm, that would be easier to do if you stopped kissing me for just one second.” She moaned with her eyes closed.

“Okay, sorry.” He replied jumping off the bed and grabbing his clothes.

“I need another shower.” She murmured as got up.

“You do that and I’ll go get Ella up and dressed. I’ll see you downstairs.” He replied kissing her lips briefly before leaving the bedroom.

Within the hour Brian was pulling into the hospital parking lot having first dropped off Ella with Suzy. As they walked across towards the entrance Brian reached across to take hold of Andie’s hand only for her to pull away.

“Bri, you know we can’t do shit like that in public.” She muttered stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

“Sorry, it just felt the right thing to do.” He muttered in reply.

They remained silent as they walked into the hospital and to the Obstetrician’s waiting room. Andie busied herself by reading all of the posters around the small room, not wanting to concentrate on the other parent’s to be in the room. Most of the women sat in the room were accompanied with a loving husband or supportive boyfriend while she was sat next to her baby’s father, the man she was having an affair with, the man with a family of his own.

“Andrea Jennings.” A female voice calling her name brought her from her thoughts. She looked up to see a woman in a white coat over a gray suit stood in the doorway holding a clipboard.

“That’s me.” she said as she stood up, Brian standing up behind her.

“Hi, I’m Doctor Stephens, follow me please.

They followed her through to a small room with an examination table and a monitor set up next to it.

“Please make yourself comfortable on the bed Miss Jennings, lift up your top and lower the waist band of your jeans and we’ll begin.” The doctor began without looking up from where she was reading Andrea’s notes. “Have you had any problems since…Brian?” she said as she sat down next to the bed next to the machines, opposite where Brian was sat.

“Hi Doctor Stephens, long time no see.” He replied with a smile.

“You and Mich-“

“Are fine, Andie is our nanny and she didn’t have anyone to come with her today so I offered.” He explained without having to hear her full question.

“Oh, sorry, I just was a little shocked. Right Andrea lets have a look at your little one.” She replied quickly happy to change the subject.

“Have you had any problems since you were last here?” she asked with a smile as she began checking her blood pressure and stuff.

“I’m fine, apart from he or she not liking it when I sit down, or lay down.” she replied with a small roll of her eyes as again the baby began to kick.

“Well unfortunately there isn’t much I can do for you with that, so let’s have a look at the little mite hey. Do you want to know the sex of the baby today?” she replied as she began to apply the freezing cold gel to her stomach.

“Yeah, I’m fed up of not knowing whether to say he or she, him or her” Andie replied with a smile.

As the black and white picture of her baby appeared on the monitor next to her, Andie felt something brush her hand. Looking away from the monitor for a second, she saw Brian’s hand holding hers gently. She looked up at him and smiled mouthing a simple ‘Thank-you’ before turning back to the screen.

“Okay, so the baby looks fit and healthy, the perfect size and I can take a good guess that you are in fact carrying a baby girl.” Doctor Stephens said turning to face Andie with a smile.

“A girl?” she replied with tears in her eyes.

“Yes.” She replied simply as Andie felt Brian squeeze her hand.

“A girl.” She repeated turning to face Brian.

“A girl.” Brian whispered with a small smile.
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Sorry, again for the wait inbetween update, I will try to sort that out I promise. :)

Thanks as always for everyone who's read, subscribed and of course commented kept it up guys :)

Andie Morning
Andie