"Don't worry about it," said Jace softly, reaching over the centre console of the car to grip her hand and kiss the back of it. "Honestly, I expected your dad to castrate me on the spot. So I'm relatively pleased with the result."
In truth, Jace had expected a lot worse from Embry's parents. He would have liked them to welcome him with open arms, like his parents had with her. But he had known this was an unachievable goal and he was satisfied with what had gone down.
"All I care about is you and I want you to have a happy relationship with your family. I want my child to know all of their grandparents." He reached down and put his hand on her stomach.
"But I think you should do what makes you happy."
"And you are what makes me happy. You and this baby on its way." Embry touched the diamond of her engagement ring thoughtfully. "And nothing anyone says or does will change my mind about us. I love you."
She wrapped her fingers around his hand a top of her belly and brought it to her mouth for a kiss. "I only wish everyone was aboard.But my relationship with my family hasn't been precisely happy since I chose to go on a different path with my musical talent and moved out."
Huffing from deep within her chest and out her mouth, she tightened her hold on his a little. "I guess me getting knocked up forced them to change their thought patterns for the situation."
Jace thought it was a little sad that it had taken such a large change of events for Vanessa and Richard Ashford to change their mind about their daughter, but he bit his tongue. It wasn't his right to comment on her familial situation, therefore he wouldn't pass judgement on it.
But he would defend Embry until the very last second of his life. Even against her parents.
After a large German dinner prepared by Tanya, Jace lead Embry up to his bedroom and, again, took her shoes off and rubbed her feet a little for her. He also prepared her some tea and laid down in bed beside her.
"Goodnight," he murmured, kissing his beautiful fiancee on the top of the head. "I love you. This time tomorrow, we'll be in Paris."
It had been two to three days since the other members of Insanity Not Sound had left the tour, that was on it's last months, for home. And Embry was now in her second trimester, with an evident belly, showing that their baby was growing healthily. And also making it harder to not let her show in public.
Though, she felt more than comfortable to laze around in the luxury of the bus, not having to worry about a thing. Especially not paparazzi. For they were the worst. Yet, she knew they'd have to go public soon from now.
Embry set her prenatal vitamins down on the table , choosing to postpone, but not refuse, taking the pills. In her meantime. She laid herself upon the couch and her head in Jace's lap. She hoped they weren't bothering Ashley too much.
"Jace, do you want to know the gender or be surprised? Because we're about in the stage of gender reveal."
The tour was going wonderfully and they were currently in Berlin, resting in the bus as they made their way out of the city and to Vienna, in Austria. Jace was happy with how the tour was going, but he was even more elated at how Embry was growing bigger. Their child, growing inside of her.
He currently sat on the couch in the bus while Ashley read by herself in the corner. He immediately reached over and put a hand on Embry's stomach, where their baby rested under the skin.
"I absolutely refuse to be one of those hipsters who doesn't learn the gender," said Jace firmly. "I would much rather be able to colour co-ordinate the nursery when we get back. So, yes, I'd like to find out the gender. We have an appointment in Vienna."
Jace used his other hand to trace the outline of Embry's lips.
"What do you think we're having?" he murmured. "And, where do you stand on names?"
"Well, according to the old tales of pregnant women, because I crave sweets, we're having a girl." Embry smiled gently, clearly entertained by the tale. "I don't know, but I'm very excited to find out."
She put her hands over the one her stomach, and played with his fingers as she pondered for a moment. "I've been trying to come up with some names. It's a little difficult to do when I'm doing it for both genders."
It was true, her list was short. And she wanted to have presented her suggestions to Jace so they would pick and come up with something together. Her plans weren't happening however. "What about you? Is there any names you like?"
"See, the annoying thing is that my absolute favourite boys' name in the world is Isaac," said Jace as he rubbed her belly with one hand and played with her shiny blond hair with the other.
"But, I think your bandmate would be slightly pissed if we named our son Isaac," he sighed. It was clear to see that Isaac was still in love with Embry. Not that Jace could blame him.
"So, I don't know where I stand on boys' names, but I was thinking of Luna or Violet for a girl."
Isaac. Isaac who had been shocked to hear the news of her pregnancy on top of her engagement. Who refused any pity and so was relentlessly teased and picked on by their other bandmates. He didn't even hug her goodbye.
She mumbled, "Yeah, he probably would."
Embry could only hope he cooled off before they returned.
"I like Luna." She went on to talk, loving the feel of his fingers in her hair and closing her eyes as if to picture a Luna Lesecki. "It sounds pretty."
"I'm glad you think so," said Jace truthfully, smiling and gazing down upon his fiancee with affection and adoration in his bright blue eyes. He hoped that if they had a little Luna, she'd have Embry's face exactly, without any interference from Jace's.
Luna Lesecki. The name rolled off his tongue like a well-written song lyric and he loved it more than words could describe. Luna Lesecki. His daughter. He wanted the child to be a girl, though he would be perfectly content with a son. Any child that was Embry's would be perfect.
"I was inspired by my favourite Harry Potter character," he murmured. "Another of my secret loves."
"Luna Lovegood?" Embry smiled delightfully and opened her aquamarine eyes for them to gaze upon Jace endearingly. "A secret love of yours?"
"Well, it's a good thing she's a fictional character." She reached up to caress the side of his enchanting face. And slowly slid her fingers up into his soft hair."Who else is there? I demand a list of names that is your 'secret loves'."
"A list? We're literally engaged, do I need to affirm my loyalty to you further?" Jace joked. He returned her endearing gaze and slipped his hand up her shirt to place his slender fingers over her small baby bump.
"Well, there's Luna Lovegood, Rosalie and Alice from Twilight, Harley Quinn, Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds." He shrugged, as if his ambiguous sexuality wasn't important. "Nikola Tesla was also super cute when he was younger."
Jace leaned down, lifted up her top and kissed her stomach softly. Their baby. Their precious little child he already loved more than the entire world combined.
Embry watched him with soft eyes as he placed a kiss on her stomach just where their child lied underneath. The touch of his warm lips against her skin was enough to make her sigh with contentment.
It was the strangest thing, to feel such an immense love for a little person she had yet to meet. And it was just as strange to know she had been terrified at first about having that little person grow inside her when all she felt now was love, excitement and affection for their child now. She loved it, whether it may be a girl or a boy.
Seeing Jace display his love and affections for their baby only proceeded to make her love it and him more. It filled her up with great warmth and happiness.
"You are going to be an amazing father." Embry decided.
Jace glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and offered a small smile. "I hope so," he murmured against her skin, planting another tender kiss there before sitting back up, and scooping Embry up into his arms.
He really did hope he could be a good father. He hoped that his child would love him as much as he loved his own father. No -- he hoped their child would love them as much as possible. Jace had a lot of issues and he wasn't exactly child-safe on stage.
But he didn't have to worry about that until years later.
He laid down on his bottom bunk and laid Embry on top of him, positioning her so his chest could be her pillow. They had been sleeping like this for months.
"You're going to be a wonderful mother," he assured, kissing her on the forehead. "Goodnight. Tomorrow, we'll find out if we're having a little prince or princess."
Under normal circumstances, Embry wasn't much of a hospital or clinic person unless she was there not as a patient. But she had been anticipating many medical visits since her pregnancy. And this one, among others, did not include shots or pills which made them all the more likable.
And knowing they'd get to see a sonogram picture, as well as the gender of their baby had her radiating with eagerness.
They had arrived in Vienna early in the morning. And only a few hours later they arrived to the doctor's office for their appointment. Their first official ultrasound appointment.
She sat on the edge of the heavily padded examination table next to the sonogram machine. They hadn't been waiting long at all, but she was still very much fidgety, drumming her fingers against her knee caps.
"If it's a girl, it's Luna. If it's a boy, back to pondering on a name." Embry noted a loud. She didn't mind either way, because it would still be their baby.
Jace was nervous, which he knew was absurd, but he couldn't help it. What if ... no, he didn't want to think about that. About the possibility of something being wrong with their baby.
He sat in a chair beside the bed of the room and gripped Embry's hand tightly as they waited for the doctor. He couldn't sit still -- he was bouncing his knee up and down as the doctor entered the room. She was a pretty black-haired woman with olive skin and brown eyes.
"My name is Dr Oliviera," she said, shaking both Jace's and Embry's hand. She spoke in an English accent with hints of Italian. "It's an honour to meet the both of you. My little sister loves your music."
Jace smiled and leaned back in his seat as Dr Oliviera spread the jelly around Embry's small bump. "How far along is she?"
"Three months," Jace replied quietly.
"Okay." An image appeared on the screen and Jace stared at it in wonder as he watched a small figure come into view. A tiny little fuzzy image of his baby. Their baby.
"Well, it appears you're having a healthy baby ... girl. A baby girl."
A girl. A healthy baby girl. They were having a healthy baby girl.
A brilliant smile crept onto Embry's lips as she stared at the dark image displayed on the screen. It was fuzzy, but she could still see the baby's shape all the same. She, their daughter, was so tiny.
And Embry never loved her so much
Embry almost sat up to get a better look at the screen until she was reminded by the feel of the cool jelly on her belly. So, instead she turned her head to the side to face Jace because she couldn't imagone the reaction written on his face. To hear the news that he'd be a father of a baby girl.
"It's a Luna. Luna Lesecki." She said, squeezing his hand
Jace didn't even try to stop the tears. They welled in the corners of his bright blue eyes as he watched their daughter -- their Luna -- move around in Embry's womb. Beautiful. There had never been anything more beautiful.
"Luna Lesecki," he breathed, a small sob escaping his lips as Dr Oliviera moved the screen so they could see her better.
"The dads are always more emotional," she said to Embry with a soft chuckle.
Jace leaned his head against Embry's arm and tilted it to the side so he could see their Luna better. Suddenly, he couldn't wait for her to be born. He couldn't wait for Luna Lesecki to be brought into the world.
Embry continued to smile, gazing tenderly at Jace before she moved her hand to rub his back. She was elated to seen so happy and pleased with their Luna just as she was. She couldn't stop smiling even if she tried.
"The third of August?" She repeated, counting off the months swiftly in her head as she turbed to face the screen again.
It seemed so close and yet, so dar away. By the time they were done with the tour, they'd still have plenty of time to prepare things at home for the arrival of their baby girl. And she couldn't for it. Especially for their little Luna.
"Yep," said the doctor happily, moving the wand around on Embry's stomach so they could see other angles of Luna. "If all goes to plan. And according to the daddy, you've been taking all your vitamins and getting all your shots, so your baby should be as healthy as can be."
Jace smiled and kissed Embry on the top of the head, sighing in content as he watched Luna float around in Embry's womb. Beautiful, was all he could think. Absolutely beautiful.
Soon they were done and the doctor printed out their ultrasound pictures so they could see as much of Luna as they could. Jace thanked the woman and took Embry's hand, leading her out of the clinic.
"Let's go out for lunch," he suggested. "To celebrate
"That is a good idea." Embry happily agreed with him. She leaned against his side and squeezed his hand gently.
"I've never been more happy to have taken so many pills and shots before. Only about six note months to go." And that was the truth. If it meant a very healthy and beautiful baby girl, she would take twice as much. She was glad with the coming results.
After seeing the images of Luna, it somehow felt so much more real."And your eyes are all dried, now?" Embry teased and kissed his cheek. She honestly found it endearing. How could she not? He was so extraordinarily happy about their child, Luna. So, was she.
