First Time

"Happy birthday dear Allie. Happy birthday to you!" I grinned as I blew out the candles on my birthday cake. Joe pressed a kiss against the side of my head, making me laugh. Christmas had come and gone. It was the 7th of January and the boys were to start their concerts up again.

"That was probably the most musical version of happy birthday I have ever heard." I said as Joe wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Denise took the cake from underneath me to cut it for us. "I can't wait for cake." I announced before turning around with Joe to look at everyone. I grinned to Joe, seeing Nick and Gabby standing in the corner of the room, talking.

"Leave them alone." Joe muttered in my ear.

"I wasn't going to do anything." I replied, tiptoeing up so I could press a kiss against his lips. He smiled into the kiss, grabbing me and pulled me closer.

"If Sophie gets any bigger, we are going to have some problems." He moaned, pulling away from me and rubbing the top of my belly. I laughed.

"She has got another 14 weeks to grow, Joe. I think I'm going to have some more problems then you." I mumbled, making him laugh softly. "Shut up." I pushed him away and went to sit next to Danielle on the couch.

"What was that with Joe?" She asked, keeping her eyes on where Denise was sorting out the cake.

"He was moaning that she is too big for him now." I couldn't be bothered to go into it all. Danielle narrowed her eyebrows at me.

"Are you and him sleeping together? I mean, having sex." She asked, both of our cheeks going bright red. I nodded my head.

"It's a little difficult with her in there, but we make it work." I replied, before both of us burst into laughter. "It's fine to have sex while I'm pregnant. She doesn't feel anything." I glanced my eyes at Joe.

"At least you don't have to worry about getting pregnant." She pointed out.

"How are you and Kevin getting along?" I asked, subtlety hinting about the conversation we had on christmas day. She nodded her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

"We are getting along perfectly, thank you." She replied.

"And with that disgustingly subtle comment, I'm going to get myself some cake." I pushed myself off the couch and walked over to Denise. "Me and your granddaughter would love a very big slice." I grinned at her as she handed me a slice.

"How are things between you and Joseph?" She asked as she grabbed herself a slice and sat back on the couch with me.

"Pretty good." I replied as I licked the chocolate off my finger. "I mean, we have only been together for 2 weeks. So for those two weeks, really good." We both laughed.

"You've been in a relationship before with Joe, it's not like you two are brand new to each other."

"Exactly." I glanced over at Joe, who was talking to Kevin and Frankie, throwing his hands all over the place. I laughed, shaking my head at him.

"So how is the nursery coming along?" Denise asked as we ate the cake. I nodded my head.

"Someone Joe knows put the finishing touches to it. So it's basically done." I grinned at her. "You two haven't seen it?" I said, nodding over at Paul, who was chatting away with Danielle. She shook her head. "I showed my parents before they left. C'mon, I'll take you up." Denise walked over to Paul, said something to him and they both walked over to me.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked as we were about to leave the room. I turned to him, smiling.

"I'm about to show your parents the nursery, do you have a problem with that?" I raised my eyebrows up, making him laugh and shake his head.

"Nope, but I'll come with you." He walked away from his brothers and came upstairs with us. "Welcome to Sophie's room." He pushed the door open and we let them two walk in first.

"Wow, this is a great nursery." Paul commented, looking around. I grinned at them both as they poked around. Joe wrapped his arms around my stomach, rubbing circles into it softly. I leant back into his arms, sighing contently.

"Oh." We both looked to where Denise was staring at the wall. Above the framed photo of us at christmas, a friend of Joe's had painted in italic handwriting 'Love Is On It's Way' on the wall above the crib. "That is beautiful."

"It's Allie's favourite song and it was the first time I felt her kick so I thought it was a good idea." Joe said, making me smile.

"It's a great touch, Joe." Paul said, smiling at the both of us. I nodded my head and Joe pressed his lips against the side of my head. Both Denise and Paul smiled at us in a weird manner.

"What?" I asked, skeptically. They laughed, almost in sync, before Denise spoke.

"You two." She shook her head, almost in disbelief. "After everything, you two manage to be together. Like it was fate." I turned to Joe, smiling. Fate was a word that we used a lot when it came to our relationship over the years.

"Everyone is very happy that this is happening again." Paul pointed between us. I smiled and nodded my head.

"I think we are too."

"You're alright." Joe replied, earning a nudge from me.

"We shall leave you two for a while." Paul said, before the two of them left me and Joe alone in the nursery. I turned in his arms, attempting to look annoyed at his joke.

"I'm only alright am I?" I asked. He laughed softly before resting his forehead against mine. I could feel his breath tickling my lips.

"You're more than alright, baby." His voice turned all deep and husky, making it seemed quite sexy. "You are brilliant. In every way possible." I smirked at him and it didn't take him a second before his lips were on mine. I ran my hands up his chest, to the back of his neck, tugging lightly on his hair. When he pulled away, we had matching red, puffy lips. He had a glimmer in his eyes. "I don't think anyone would notice if we snuck off for like 30 minutes."

"Joe, we aren't having sex while your entire family are here." I giggled softly as his hands slid their way down my back.

"I'll get rid of them, tell them you're tired or don't feel well." I pressed my lips up against his one more time.

"It's my birthday, I call the shots." I winked at him, slapping his butt before leaving him in the room. I walked out into the hallway to see Gabby coming out of the toilet. "Hello you." I said, making her jump.

"You scared the hell out of me." She said, trying to catch her breath. "What were you doing in there, alone with Joe?"

"Turning sex down. I hope you appreciate that." She screwed her nose up as we walked downstairs and into the kitchen. No one else was in there so I thought I'd mention Nick to her.

"You two looked comfy together earlier." I said, looking at her. She nodded her head, a small smile tugging on her lips.

"I guess. He was just saying how he didn't expect to see me here today." I laughed softly. "And then we got chatting."

"About?" I pressed.

"About general things." She informed me. "And then he mentioned wanting to talk in private. So I'm going around his tomorrow so we can talk."

"I'm happy that you are going to talk it out." I smiled at her before grimacing. An odd pain shot across my stomach and joined with the ongoing back pain I had.

"You okay Allie? Do you want me to get Joe?" I looked up at Gabby, the pain across my stomach gone now.

"It's fine. She was just kicking me and it wasn't very comfortable." I lied. She eyed me skeptically before we walked into the lounge where everyone was. I went and sat next to Joe, who looked really put out. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." He muttered. I smirked, knowing that it was me earlier. I placed my hand on his thigh and he turned to me.

"Is it because I told you no?" He pouted slightly, making me lean forwards and press a kiss against his lips. "I didn't say no, I just said not now." His eyes widened as he looked at me. I ran my fingers up and down his leg.

"Keep this up and I'll be taking you upstairs now." I smirked at him, before pressing a kiss against his cheek.

"You can be another one of my birthday presents."

* * *

Joe had gone out with a friend for the afternoon the day after my birthday, leaving me by myself. He had been gone almost 3 hours when I decided that the pains that kept coming in my stomach were something to get worked up about. "C'mon Joe." I said as he didn't answer his phone. I sighed and rung Doctor Coleman instead.

"Hello." She answered.

"Hi. It's Aleah James."

"Hello Aleah. How can I help you today?"

"I've been getting these sharp pain across my stomach since yesterday afternoon. They come every 20 minutes or so and joins in with this back pain I've got too." I informed her.

"Okay, nothing else is happening?" She asked. I narrowed my eyebrows, concerned by her tone of voice.

"Nothing."

"Okay, I need you to not panic." Automatically, I started to panic. "I want you to come to see me right away, okay? I don't think it's preterm labour, but I need to check you over."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." I replied, thanking her and hanging up. I tried to ring Joe again, my heart racing. He, once again, didn't pick up. So instead I rung Nick.

"What do you want, Allie?" He almost sounded pissed off at me, but I didn't care.

"I know you are with Gabby today, but I need you to take me to the hospital." I rushed my words in a panic.

"Why? What's wrong?" I could hear Nick basically running around the house.

"I don't know." I could feel the tears in my eyes. "I can't get through to Joe and my doctor told me she needs me to get to the hospital. And Joe has the car so I can't-"

"Aleah, calm down. Panicking isn't going to help." I heard car doors slamming and the engine start. "I'll be there in 2 minutes, okay?"

"Hurry Nick." I replied, before hanging up. I walked upstairs and threw a pair of clothes into a bag. I had to be prepared for the worst.

"Allie!" I heard Nick scream up the stairs. "Where are you?!" I walked out of mine and Joe's room, the bag in my hand. I made my way down the stairs as Nick and Gabby watched me, panic-stricken. I stopped halfway down, feeling the pains in my stomach. Although they didn't last long, they hurt badly. I felt a hand touch my arm so I grabbed it, squeezing out the pain.

"You should have told me yesterday when they hurt." The hand said. I looked at Gabby after the pain had gone, sighing. "You should have said something."

"Just get me to the hospital." I said, walking down the rest of the stairs. Nick took the bag off me and helped me out of the house while Gabby locked up.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked as he helped me into the back of the car. I shook my head.

"I'm scared, worried and I really need Joe, Nick." He nodded his head, pressing a kiss against my forehead. He helped me with my belt before climbing into the front. Gabby climbed into the back with me, giving me what seemed like a worried smile.

"I'm ringing Joe again." Nick announced as he pulled away from our house. He used the in-built handsfree. The phone went to answerphone and Nick left a very short, but blunt message. "Joe, ring me back as soon as possible. It's an emergency."

"Way to panic him, Nick." Gabby mumbled as I leant forwards to try and get rid of the pain in my back.

"It is an emergency." He replied as he broke many laws, driving. "I'm going to ring mom."

"Don't panic everyone, Nick." I said as Gabby started to rub the bottom of my back, easing the pain slightly.

"Hi mom." Nick said, completely ignoring what I had said. "We are on our way to the hospital-"

"What's happened?" Denise almost shouted down the phone. I let out a groan as Gabby hit the spot where the pain was the most. "Allie?"

"She is getting these pains." Gabby said. "In her stomach and back. She has been told to get to the hospital as soon as possible."

"Oh god." Denise muttered. "Shall we meet you down there?"

"It's fine." I said, as I sat back up. "Get hold of Joe please."

"Where the hell is he?" Denise shouted down the phone.

"He had gone out with a friend." I replied. "I've tried ringing him, so has Nick. No answer. Just send him to the hospital as soon as."

"Okay sweetie." Denise said, making me smile through the pain. "Keep in contact with us Nick." He hung up as he swung his car into the hospital car park. He helped me out while Gabby grabbed my bag. We walked into maternity and to the desk.

"Aleah James." I gasped as the pain increased in my back. "Doctor Coleman should be expecting me." The man behind the counter nodded his head and called for a wheelchair. I was placed in it and almost rushed off. I wanted to laugh at how fast Gabby and Nick had to walk to keep up with me. I was placed in a side room and helped onto the bed.

"Hello Aleah." Doctor Coleman said as she walked into the room, a nurse following her. "How you feeling?"

"Horrible." I replied, a slight laugh at the end of my sentence.

"Right, I'm going to have to examine you, if that's okay?" She looked at Gabby and Nick.

"You stay." Nick said, pushing Gabby slightly towards me. "I'm going to see if I can get ahold of Joe." He walked out of the room, leaving the four of us in the room.

"We are going to take your blood pressure, run a few blood tests and check your cervix. This sounds like Braxton Hick's contractions, not preterm labour. But we have to check."

"Fine." I breathed out as I shifted uncomfortably.

"Have you felt her move today?" The doctor asked as she felt my stomach.

"Yeah, she stopped moving just before the more painful ones hit. About 1pm. But she usually stops during that time anyway." I informed her as my BP and blood were being taken.

"BP is great." The nurse said, taking 4 bottles of my blood.

"Okay." Doctor Coleman said. I looked over at Gabby, who looked as panicked as I felt. "Even if this is preterm labour, there are things we can do." She rubbed my arm, comfortingly. "Relax, this bit may be a bit uncomfortable."

* * *

As I laid on the bed, waiting for the results of my blood work, I felt myself needing Joe more than ever. "Has Nick spoken to Joe?" I asked Gabby, who sitting on a plastic chair next to my bed. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Not that I'm aware of." She replied. I sighed, running a shaky hand through my hair. "Everything is going to be okay, Allie."

"What if it's not, Gabby?" I turned to her, tears pouring from my eyes. "What if something bad is happening?" Gabby climbed onto the bed, wrapping her arms around me.

"You can't afford to think like that." She mumbled as she comforted me. "She is a Jonas, she will be fine." I laughed softly, but the worry didn't fade.

"Take my mind of it for a bit." I replied. Gabby laughed. "What's going on in the world of Gabby?"

"You just want to know what was happening between me and Nick, don't you?" I smiled at her.

"As a concerned friend, yes." I replied.

"Oh yeah." She replied, sarcastically. "More like nosey friend."

"Are you going to get my mind off this damn child?"

"Fine!" She said, throwing her hands up in the air. "He told me how he actually felt, about it all. And how he couldn't open up to people. So I told him that we couldn't continue our relationship if he couldn't talk to me and then the phone rung to take someone to the hospital."

"That's why Nick sounded so pissed on the phone." I pointed out.

"He was getting all worked up. He was getting that red face he normally gets when he is angry." I grinned, remembering how many times I have come in contact with the face. "He was about to explode when-"

"I got through to Joe." Nick said, walking in the room, holding what I assumed were coffees and a bottle of water. He handed me the water and one of the coffees to Gabby. We shifted on the bed, trying not to pull any wires off me. "He should be here any minute." He said, before biting into a muffin.

"Weren't we hungry?" I pouted. Nick rolled his eyes at me.

"I didn't get this because I was hungry, I got this because my blood sugar level was low. I haven't eaten today." He informed us.

"It's like 3pm Nick. What are you, stupid?" I asked, making the two of them laugh. I took a sip of my water and watched as Nick and Gabby stared at me intently. "Don't give me that look, please."

"Sorry." They both mumbled at the same time. I gave them both a weak smile, showing them that I was trying to be strong. "How are you feeling?"

"She is moving, that's good news. But I'm still getting the pains and backache." Gabby rubbed her hand across my stomach, getting a kick in reply. Suddenly, I could hear Joe's voice all the way down the corridor. I looked at Nick and rolled my eyes.

"Allie." Joe said as he burst through the door. He looked panic-stricken and his eyes looked like he has been crying. "What's happening? What's wrong?"

"We shall leave you two to it." Gabby said, climbing off the bed and pulling Nick up with her as she walked out.

"What's going on?" Joe said, walking over to me and sitting on the edge of the bed. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I had these pains since yesterday and they got worse this morning. I tried to call you and you didn't answer. So I called the doctor who said I should get here. Nick and Gabby brought me."

"I should have been at home with you." Joe said, shaking his head, sighing. "You should have told me you were in pain."

"I thought nothing of it until it got worse earlier." I told him. "Doctor Coleman said that she thinks it's Braxton Hicks contractions, not preterm labour."

"Thank god." Joe breathed out, running a hand against his head. Joe climbed up the bed, next toe and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "How you feeling?"

"Horrible." I admitted as Joe pressed a kiss against my forehead. "Why didn't you answer your phone?" I asked as I played with his t-shirt.

"I left my phone in the car." He replied, resting his head against the top of mine. "When I got to the car, I had 16 missed calls. I realised something was wrong. I got here as soon as I could."

"Hello Aleah." Doctor Coleman said, walking into the room. Together, me and Joe sat up. He gripped hold of my hand. "You're okay. It isn't preterm labour, it was a strong set of Braxton Hicks. In the next few days, they should ease up. It's your bodies way of preparing you for labour." I let out a breath of air.

"Thank you." I said, smiling at her. I felt a massive weight off my shoulders, finding out this news.

"You're welcome. Now, this may be a delicate question, but one of the ways to bring on these contractions is sex." I nodded my head, answering her question straight away. "Okay, you two need to take things easy with that. And you," She pointed at me. "Need to take everything easy. I know that you have 2 months left on tour. I want you to be on bed rest when you get back until that baby comes, okay? Aleah, you need to take this really easy. Let people do things for you and rest, a lot. Otherwise, you might end up in preterm labour."

"Okay, I completely understand." And I did. The thought of Sophie coming early scared me to death.

"I'll sort out your discharge papers now and I'll be back in 10 minutes." We thanked her once more before she left.

"Thank god." I muttered, putting my head against Joe's shoulder. "She is okay." I rubbed my stomach, getting a kick in reply.

"Maybe we should cancel some of the dates. Just for January." I shook my head at Joe. "It means I can keep an eye on you two."

"You can't let your fans down." I replied. "When you do your New York and Jersey shows, I can stay at home."

"Let's not have this conversation now, let's get out of here first. I hate hospitals." I agreed with Joe before the nurse walked in, detaching me from the machines. Nick and Gabby walked in, smiling softly.

"Everything okay then?" She asked. "Doctor told us that you were being discharged." I nodded my head as I moved to sit with my legs dangling beside the bed.

"Just a strong set of Braxton Hicks contractions. Nothing major." I replied. "Joe, do me a favour and rub the bottom of my back." I asked him. The pressure eased off as he massaged it.

"You just need to sign these papers and you are okay to go." The doctor said, walking into the room. I scribbled my signature, where needed and handed the papers back to her. "To help with the pains, have a warm bath. Going for a walk can help and keep drinking water. Dehydration can lead to this." I nodded my head and thanked her.

"Let's go home."

* * *

I sat on the couch, dozing softly when I heard Joe walk into the lounge. "Hey, bath is ready." He whispered. I opened my eyes to see him standing in front of me. I held my hands out to him and he pulled me off the couch. I walked upstairs and into the bathroom. I smiled at Joe, who stood in the doorway. "I'll leave you alone." I shook my head.

"Stay." I replied. He gave me a smile before I took my clothes off and climbed in. Automatically, my body felt a lot better. Joe sat with his back against the bath, staring at the wall. I ran my fingers through his hair in a slow manner.

"How you feeling?" He asked me, sounding as tired as I felt.

"A little better." I replied, closing my eyes softly.

"I should have been with you, Allie." I heard him whisper. Just as I was about to reply, Joe spoke again. "I should have known something was wrong-"

"How were you to know, Joe?" I asked. I felt my hand drop off his head and I opened my eyes to see Joe kneeling over the bath, looking at me. "I should have told you, I shouldn't have kept it to myself."

"I'm just happy she is okay." Joe said, putting his hand under the water to touch my stomach. "That both of you are okay." I shut my eyes again, feeling exhausted over the day we had. "I'm sorry, I am so sorry I wasn't there."

"Don't." I whispered, not bothering to open my eyes to look at Joe. "Don't go there. The two of us are fine and you're here now. That's all we need."