Mendelssohn, Motley Crüe, and More Me

"Have you guys thought of names yet?" Ella asked curiously. I bit my lip and shook my head.

"I want to name her Tinkerbell." CC walked behind us to the cooler on the floor to grab a beer and back into the other room with the boys, kissing my temple on his way out.

"Her?" Sammi's head snapped towards him, but he'd already left. She turned to me. "Surely it's too early to tell?"

"It is," I chuckled, "And we're keeping it a surprise. He just wants a girl."

"Can we focus on the real problem here…" Ella was making a face. "He plans on naming her Tinkerbell."

"I think it's cute!" Sammi protested.

"Oh, please, that's because we all know you plan on naming your daughter Alice." Juliet teased. I giggled.

"Um, actually, if we have children, we will both agree on the name--"

"We all know Jinxx would never say 'no' to his sweet little Sammi." Trisha, who I'd just now met, giggled.

"Let's face it, she'd probably wait until the baby was born then ask him or her what their name is and get a crying in response." Lindsey pointed out the obvious habit of uncreative names.

"And then we'd wind up with a kid named 'Cry.'" Ella agreed. "Very true."

Sammi rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I feel the Christmas spirit!"

***

"Merry Christmas, baby." CC said, his voice still rough and scratchy from the obvious fact that he'd just woken up. "How do you feel? Are you sick?" He searched my newly opened eyes with his own tired ones.

I thought for a moment.

"No."

"Good. Then, come on. I have a gift for you."

"CC…" I moaned, stretching. "Before we open gifts…"

His eyes widened.

"Oh…not again…"

"I just…I really, really want chicken-less caesar salad…"

"It's nine in the morning! And we're in a hotel!" He exclaimed. We'd driven over on Christmas Eve, much to Mrs. Mora's distaste as she'd hoped that the whole family could go to Church last night…alas, she and my mother went alone apparently. Or, so my brother told me was the plan.

"I'm s-s-s-sorry…" I said quietly, suddenly shy again. "I d-d-d-didn't mean to upset-t-t you…"

"No! No! You didn't! I--Let's just open gifts." He walked over to the closet and pulled out a few packages. "You first."

"Same time." I spoke softly still.

He nodded and went back to grab his gifts from the closet.

We made eye contact as I sat up and he sat down on the edge of the bed.

The first box revealed a nice-looking, comfy white robe. I smiled when I caught a glimpse of the black veil bride logo on it, shaking my head at his silliness. The next box procured a pair of black slippers and a pair of slipper-socks. The last box was considerably small, and I suspected jewelry,

My guess proved right, a beautiful pair of sapphire earrings were in the box, with a matching necklace.

"CC…" I cupped my hands over my mouth. "The robe was enough, you know I'll use that. But this--"

He smiled and I kissed him softly.

When I pulled back, I took note of the gifts I'd given him.

"First off, this is amazing." He held up the box of whiskey stones. I figured that'd be the hit. "Second, thank you, I needed a new passport wallet, as you know. Third, just, thank you." He laughed. I'd gotten him a case of hairspray, mostly jokingly.

"We should get ready I guess…"

"You take a shower, I'll go get breakfast." He smiled.

***

Caesar salad. He seriously got it.

"Best Christmas gift ever." I said to him when I'd gotten out of the shower. I was 100% serious.

He chuckled and kissed my temple. "I'm going to shower. Eat and get ready?"

I nodded, my mouth already full as he kissed my hair again with an amused expression.

It didn't take me long to finish the salad and get up to dry my hair. But, CC took his time in the shower, because I was entirely ready before he'd even come out of the bathroom.

"I'm ready." I told him, sitting down.

"You're wearing those?" He raised an eyebrow at the shoes I'd placed on the bed next to me. They were heels. "Babe, you know you're going to be so tired by the time we leave, maybe…maybe your boots? Those are nice and comfortable, and they'd look nice." He tried to reason. I bit my lip.

***CC's POV***

Oh, crap, don't cry, Wynn--

"You don't think I made a good outfit choice? Maybe I should just change, I don't want to--"

"Wynn, Wynn, Wynn!" I pleaded, trying to get her to sit down again. "Wynn, please relax." I sat down and pulled her into my lap, thank God I'd put pants on. Kissing her neck, I could feel her shaking. "Shhh, you look gorgeous. You always do. I just know that you've started getting tired more easily recently and took note that maybe heels will be too difficult for you."

She sniffled and nodded.

"Okay, babe." I kissed her temple and squeezed her one last time. I hadn't realized all of this would start happening so soon. My friend from high school, Kris, had warned me that it snowballs with a first kid. He and his wife were now on their third, but I didn't actually think he knew what he was talking about.

I'm going to die…

I watched her pull boots on over her white stockings and decided to finish changing.

We were telling out parents today, about the baby…and Sammi and Jinxx were going to be there, not at Sammi's parents…and I was starting to get a little nervous.

"Is your hair done?" Wynnie asked. I took note that she'd fixed her makeup and nodded my response.

"Let's go." I kissed her softly before taking her hand and leading her out of the room.

***Wynnie's POV***

"Mom!" I smiled as we all exchanged hello's. My brother had already gotten to the house and I said hello to him and Sammi as well before I finally reached CC's parents. "Ma, Pop." I smiled, I felt butterflies in my stomach now. Everything was so real…

"Hey!" CC smiled and hugged his mother after me.

I made eye-contact with my sister-in-law and she winked.

Presents can't come fast enough.

Dinner wasn't too long after we'd arrived. It was an early dinner and a late lunch, as we were eating by three-thirty. I munched on pasta quietly, shyly avoiding much of the conversation. CC frowned at me.

"You okay?" He asked quietly when he passed me the bowl of string beans.

"Yeah." I gave him a small smile.

"Wynnie, are you feeling okay?" My mother asked. "Do you want an aspirin?" I'd told them I had a headache to avoid the question of why I wasn't drinking alcohol.

"No, I'm fine." I flashed her a small smile as well. "Just tired."

"Maybe you should rest--" CC looked concerned.

"I'm fine." I promised him, turning back to my food.

"Jinxx and CC just dropped a new album…" Sammi tried to pick up the conversation.

"Oh, they did?" My mom was instantly engulfed in the conversation, as was CC's mom. The men at the table, however, looked ever-suspicious.

My brother was answering my mother's questions, but kept shooting me glances. Mr. Mora was glancing from me to CC and back every few minutes.

I got up to leave the table when my mom told me to lay down after dinner. She and CC's mom refused to let me help with the dishes and CC followed me while his dad and Jinxx talked.

"Are you okay?" CC cupped my face in his hands as he searched my eyes.

"I'm fine. I'm just scared…" I bit my lip. "What if they're not happy?"

"They'll be ecstatic. You know my mother." He kissed my forehead. "Do you want me to get you anything? Any dessert?"

I thought for a moment.

"Whipped cream?"

"Oh…Jesus." He chuckled, kissing my lips. "I'm on it."

I could hear his voice in the other room, but I could hear his mother's more clearly.

"It's in the fridge, why does she want whipped cream? Is that some new headache cure? Give her an aspirin."

"Ma, she just wants--"

"You're her husband, you know where the aspirin is, take her some and a glass of water."

"Okay, ma." I could hear his father and Jinxx snort when he gave in. He came back with a bowl of coolwhip and the two necessities his mother gave him.

"I'm going to just throw these down the toilet then." He sighed at the two little white tablets in his hand and left the room again while I licked my spoon contentedly.

"Who's ready for presents?" Sammi cheered. Everyone chuckled, but slowly our families made their ways into the living room where I was already seated. I quickly hid my bowl behind a picture frame on the table next to me and got up to hand the gifts that I'd both bought and wrapped for everyone from me and CC.

CC walked in on us about to open the gifts and raised an eyebrow. I giggled and patted the floor next to me. He smiled and took his spot beside me, wrapping an arm around me and picking up a present with the other hand.

Sammi had managed to give me just a cardboard box packed with jewelry. Technically it was from her and Jinxx, but I suspect the arrangement was similar to mine and CC's where he probably had absolutely no clue what was being given to people. CC got two very nice sweaters that I had a feeling he was never going to wear.

"That's really nice." I commented as he was folding it back up and placing it in it's box.

"Yeah."

"You should wear it…like…tomorrow." I pushed.

He looked at me, an eyebrow raised.

"I think it's attractive." I shrugged.

He chuckled and nudged me to open the gifts from our mothers. A really nice new wallet from his mother with a JC Penny giftcard inside I accepted with internal gratitude, because I could grab some maternity clothes which I feared were coming quickly. My mother's gift of a Petsmart giftcard was well-received by me also, as I may or may not have recently been trying to convince CC to get a cat, and Willy still needs to be fed.

Clearly my mother knows my obsession with animals needs help.

"Look, Jinxx! We can afford to feed the cats this week!" Sammi grinned, I hadn't looked up, but I suspected she had received the same gift as I had.

I was in a nervous daze while saying my thank-yous, because I knew what was coming next. CC moved into a kneeling position behind me and wrapped both of his arms around me.

"W-w-well…" I stuttered, "Um…w-we have some n-n-n-news…"

Both my mother's hands and Mrs. Mora's hands flew to their mouths, Sammi's did too which was hilarious because she already knew, and Mr. Mora smiled.

"Um--"

"We're expecting!"

"I'm expecting!" I made a face. "I don't think this baby will be hopping around in you for nine months." The three women before us squealed, something I'd never particularly envisioned my mother doing.

"She has a point." CC's dad laughed.

"It's an expression!" CC kissed my cheek.

***

"I think last night went well." CC kissed my forehead in the morning.

"It went swimmingly." I agreed, snuggling closer into his side.

"I think Sammi wants to plan your shower--"

"Oh…Lord…"

Just then, my phone rang. I moaned, unwilling to roll over and reach for the dumb little square on my nightstand. CC chuckled and reached over me to grab it.

"Hello?" He answered. "Oh hey, Lindsey! Yeah, no, she's awake. Yeah, she's right here. Did you want to talk to her? Of course!" He smirked and passed the phone to me.

"Hey, love!" The happy woman on the other end greeted. I had to smile.

"Hi."

"You'll never guess what I was just told!"

"What?" I asked, suddenly interested.

"We've booked an overseas tour!" She squealed. "I told them you're pregnant, and probably not up for that…but we've got a nationwide tour as well and I figured you could at least do the local stuff?"

I grinned.

"I'm so jealous right now! I can't even!"

"What? What happened?!" CC asked. I shushed him with my finger.

"Well, you're welcome to come! I told them you might not be up for it, but they'll be contacting you anyhow!"

"Eep! That's just so exciting!"

"I know! And we'll need your parts recorded if you don't go, by the way!"

"Oh my gosh, that's just amazing!"

"What is so amazing?!" CC groaned in exasperation.

"I have to go tell the others before our lovely manager does, just to piss him off." She laughed, "Bye!"

"Bye!" I laughed, too.

"What is so amazingly exciting that I had to wait to hear?" CC asked again.

"We've been invited to tour in Europe."

His eyes widened and he looked panicked.

"But you're not…right?"

"I don't know. I don't have details. I've been given the option to record my parts for the setlist here and sent them over with the crew or go. It depends on what I feel like."

"You can't just…go…you're pregnant!"

"I'm sure tons of people travel while pregnant!"

"Not over seas for work!" He was getting really worked up now. Not into an angry mood or anything, just panicking. I could read it written on his face as obviously as it could possibly be. "You'll exhaust yourself and everything that could possibly happen will happen--"

"Shhh," I snuggled into him again. "I don't plan on going."

"I'm sorry…" He trailed off. "It's your first European tour…everything is just taking off…and you can't even go…"

"It'll be fine." I promised. "We'll be fine."