Three months later

[Mia Andreson]

It was three months later and the day that Josh was to be released from rehab. There had been no communication with any of them and him so everyone was uncertain as to what would happen.

Mia's pregnancy had been going foreward very smoothly. The first trimester was over and with it was gone all the morning sickness, something she was very grateful about. While she was far from large yet, she did have a definite baby bump now and she had just found out the week before that it was going to be a baby boy. She had also for the most part moved in to Davids room with him. Both enjoyed each others company and cared for the other person grately. Under any other circumstances, they would have said they were in love but with the present situation it did not feel like the time. But they were a good partnership, one that the pack benefitted from as well.

The day that Josh was released, Mia awoke to the baby moving inside of her. She rubbed her hand over her swollen midsection to soothe it. She was unsure if it was her own nerves making the baby act up or if it sensed something had changed with Josh. With all the preternatural in her life, it was hard to tell what was normal baby behavior and what was not. It was already late morning and David had headed off to work so she got up at got to doing her usually cleaning up after the pack type of thing and checking in with RPIT. All her work she did mainly from home though she did go into the office now and then. But every phone call or car driving by made her jump. The not knowing and uncertainty of it all was unbearable.

[Mia Andreson]

When Josh called and Mia heard his voice on the other end, it took a few seconds for her to speak. Her voice just wouldn't work. Finally, after he had said hello a couple times she was able to speak. "Josh, I-I am sorry, hi! How are you? It's so good to hear from you."

When he asked if he could come over, Mia immediately agreed and then they hung up. He would be over within the half hour. A half hour after 4 months seemed like no time. She quickly called David and let him know what was up. He would be home a bit later but said he could come home sooner if she needed him to. She told him she would be fine, that Josh sounded good on the other line. When they were done talking Mia ran to the bedroom and quickly changed. She had been wearing a form fitting tank top but opted for a looser, flowier shirt that hid the bump better. She did now want that to be the first this he noticed.

[Josh Patton]

He called David's house and when Mia answered the phone his heart almost stopped. He had expected David or one of the other wolves to answer it. He asked about coming over and she told him sure. He was dressed in jeans and a black dress shirt. He left the house and found himself on David's front porch. He knocked on the door.

[Mia Andreson]

Mia opened it and stood there a second just looking at him before she could speak. "Josh..." She whispered and stood there another second before taking a step back and giving him some room to step in. It took every ounce of her selfcontrol not to fling her arms around his neck and hug him close. But she didn't know if he felt that way and she knew her heart couldn't bear it if he stepped out of her embrace so she refrained. "Can I get you some water? Soda? How have you been? I-I have missed you." Her hand did however reach up and graze his arm. She just needed to touch him, make sure he was real.

[Josh Patton]

Josh wasn't expecting Mia to be so beautiful when she opened the door. Maybe it was just because he hadn't seen her in four months. No, she really was that beautiful. He stepped past her and came in. He wanted to touch her bad but was scared she'd say no. When she touched his arm it made him want to touch her even more.
"I don't want anything...I've been good. I missed you too." He stood there looking at her for a minute. "Can I hug you or would that be too forward since I just got home."

[Mia Andreson]

Mia just shook her head and threw herself at him, arms wrapping around and holding him close. She smothered her face into his chest, breathing him in. Tears formed in her eyes and she couldn't stop them from falling. damn baby hormones, she thought to herself. "Josh...there is so much to talk about. But you came home and that's all I care about right now. You came home." She looked up at him, eyes shining.

[Josh Patton]

Hugging Mia felt right. He hadn't expected her to be so willing to hug him. The tears in her eyes told him more than any words how much she'd missed him With his arms around her, he noticed she'd put on weight. After a second he realized it wasn't that. She was pregnant. That was what she'd needed to talk to him about. She'd moved on with David and the baby was David's. He kept his arms around her anyway. He'd wait on her to mention the baby.
"I missed everybody...you especially. I would have come here regardless of any other plans I made." He said.

[Mia Andreson]

Mia pulled away and let him by the hand to the couch and they sat down. For Mia, hugging him had broken the ice and she couldn't help but touch him constantly. "So, do you feel better now? Do-do you think the rehab helped you? You seem happier, you seem brighter."

Mia desperately wanted to tell him about the baby, about his son, but she was afraid. She needed to feel him out more first, make sure he was in a better place. Being pregnant again had brought up painful memories of Lorelie for her and she knew it would do the same for him and she did not want to risk him falling off the wagon with that so soon after getting out of rehab. Or him turning to drinking if he did not want a baby with her. One of her hand subconsciously rested on her stomache.

[Josh Patton]

Josh let her lead him to the couch to sit down. He noticed Mia had relaxed some after the hug. She was as nervous as he had been. He noticed she touched him almost constantly, but he didn't mind. He'd always liked her touch.
"I do feel better." He said in answer to her question. Had rehab helped. It had. He nodded. "It did...I know now that drinking wasn't helping anything." He noticed one of her hands resting on her stomach and he suddenly had to know.
"So...I was gonna let you tell me yourself but I've got to know, you're pregnant and I'm assuming things have been ok." He asked. He glanced up and met her eyes.
"That would explain the beautiful glow." He said smiling at her.

[Mia Andreson]

Mia gasped slightly. So much for trying to not be obvious. But she quickly regained her composure "Yes, things have been okay. David and the pack have really taken me in and helped out a lot. It's like one big family. And..yes, I am pregnant. A couple days over four months actually." She watched him, letting that time table sink in. Her face was worried as she watched him, watched his mind work over that. "Josh...?"

[Josh Patton]

A little over four months, a few nights before everything went to hell. He had been worried the baby was David's, it was his. For some reason it brought tears to his eyes, probably because he'd missed the last four months. He put his hand on top of hers against her stomach.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here in the beginning...I'm glad you had David and the pack to help out." He said, looking at her. "Baby, we having a boy or a girl."

[Mia Andreson]

Mia took a shakey breath, trying to hold it all together. "It's gonna be a baby boy. I just found out last week. And Josh, I-I want you to know that I want you to be as involved as you wanna be but I am not gonna force anything, anything at all, on you." She had rehearsed this whole part in her head but somehow it was harder to say it out loud and she couldn't meet his eyes so she looked down while saying it. "I know this is really bad timing for you so I want you to know that the decision to claim this child is totally up to you. I don't want to pressure you or anything like that. I can do this on my own but I also wanted to give you the opportunity if you wanted to be a father."

[Josh Patton]

Josh nodded as he listened to her. Sure the timing wasn't great but supposely God didn't make mistakes so this was what him and Mia were suppose to be doing.
"Mia, I know you would never force anything on me...I wanted this when you were pregnant with Lorelie. I haven't changed my mind on that." He put his finger under her chin and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. "I want this...you, the baby; all of it. I do know we can't just pick up where we left off. I hurt you...I didn't mean to but it doesn't matter because I said I never would. I know I'll have to prove I'm ok and prove I'm serious about the relationship...and mostly prove I'm well and that I won't hurt you or him."

[Mia Andreson]

Mia nodded and a few of those kept in tears escaped her eyes and glided down her cheek. Just hearing him say that...it was what she had been waiting for for so long. Even before he went into rehab. And she fully believed him. "Thank you Josh..."

[Josh Patton]

Josh wiped her tears away.
"Don't cry baby...it's all good." He leaned in and kissed on the forehead. "I'm gonna stay at Jacy for now. You're in good hands here with David and the pack...I've got to find a job and start helping you out." He stared at her for a second. She was absolutely beautiful. "Can I come back tomarrow?"