Ashton's PoV:

Smile.

That's all I had done for the past week.

Smile.

Never in my life I had been so happy about something, so genuinely happy and excited (sans my proposal to Carter and adopting Gracie), but I was going to be an actual biological dad of a child.

Ender and Gracie were my children and I loved them, but it broke my heart to know I wasn't really related to them, but I was with this baby.

This was my baby. My baby with Carter.

As I walked back to the bus after soundcheck I noticed myself still smiling and laughed to myself. I was going to be a father.

This didn't seem real.

I got to the bus and opened the door, walking into the front room where Carter and Gracie were making paper airplanes for their arts and crafts time.

It seemed like in a week she had transformed before my eyes.

She was happier, brighter, and back to the girl she was before Harry.

She was rarely on her phone now, unless she was texting my mom or Ari. She was here all the time, she didn't leave to go out, and I felt like my family was back.

Carter had a glow on her skin, and I don't know if it was because of the pregnancy or if she was just that insanely happy, but it looked gorgeous on her.

"Hey." I came up behind Carter and placed my hands on her shoulders before leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"Hi." She smiled up at me. "How was sound check?"

"Good. Where's Ender?"

"Playing video games in the back." She stood up and went to get Gracie a glass of apple juice.

I noticed when she walked around the counter she placed her hand on her stomach to protect it, and I smiled at her.

"How are you sweet girl?" I went to Gracie, kissing the top of her head.

"Good, Daddy." She giggled. "Look what I made!" She then held up her paper plane made out of pink construction paper.

"Oh that's pretty. Are you going to put some glitter on it?"

"Mhmm." She nodded.

Carter set the glass in front of Gracie and then placed her hand on her head, running her fingers through Gracie's hair as she watched her draw designs on the plane.

"You have twenty more minutes of play time before nap time." Carter told her and Gracie nodded before Carter walked over to me.

"And how's my baby boy doing?" I placed my hand on her stomach making her laugh.

"Well he hasn't kicked again since that one day but he seemed to be more accepting of foods other than chocolate today so that's nice." She smiled.

"Got himself a sweet tooth like his Mommy and big sister."

"Hey you're not one to say no when I make any type of dessert." She retorted with a roll of her eyes.

"Because you cook very well." I then moved in to hug her.

"I called Gemma today." She spoke into my chest.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want Harry to see when we announce that we're pregnant."

"Baby he's going to find out one day."

"I know. Just not that day."

As I hugged her a little body squeezed between ours and we looked down to see Gracie looking up at us.

Carter went to pick her up but I stopped her.

"You're not supposed to lift anything over twenty pounds."

"Ashton, I can hold my daughter." She frowned.

I picked up Gracie instead but used my other arm to pull Carter into a hug.

"Mommy, I have question." Gracie said.

"What is it?" Carter smiled at her.

"Um, um when baby come am I still baby too?"

Carter glanced up at me with a smile before looking back at Gracie.

"You will always be mine and Daddy's baby. You were our first baby and will be our baby forever, no matter how old you get."

"Your Mommy is right. You are our very first baby, and we love you more than you could ever know." I kissed Gracie's cheek.

"You love me more than this baby." She pointed at Carters stomach.

"We love all of our children the same amount. We don't love one more than the others." Carter shook her head as she chuckled.

We held Gracie and then Carter took her for a nap, and she finally came back in the room to sit next to me.

"How are you feeling today?" I asked her.

"Okay. I'm getting anxious though. He only kicked that one time. I don't know why he's not kicking."

"Baby i'm sure he's fine."

"But i've been reading and every book i've read said he should be kicking more."

"Maybe he has nothing to kick about." I shrugged and she rolled her eyes at me.

After the show that night I went back to the bus with Carter, the two of us getting into bed after putting the kids to sleep.

Carter was reading one of her baby books but I was exhausted so I turned over and closed my eyes so I could sleep.

A hit to my arm woke me and I whined before closing my eyes again.

"Ashton!" Carter whispered.

"What?" I grumbled.

"I want to go to the hospital."

My eyes opened before I rolled over.

"What?"

"Something's wrong with the baby. He's not kicking." She looked at me and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Carter the baby is fine."

"The baby isn't inside you, it's inside me, and I know something's wrong."

I sat up.

"Carter sometimes the baby won't kick, it doesn't mean that something's wrong."

"But something's wrong!"

"Carter."

I sighed.

"We're on a moving bus. If you really think that something's wrong i'll have to go up to the driver and have him take us to the nearest hospital, and throw us off schedule. Now are you sure you need to go?"

She nodded her head.

"Okay." I sighed before getting up and walking to the front of the bus, telling the driver to take us to the closest hospital.

When I went back to the bunks Carter was getting dressed and I did the same, watching her as she put a sweater on.

She then woke up the kids to dress them while I went back to the guys bunks, waking them up.

"What is it?" Luke turned over when I shook his shoulder.

"We're stopping to take Carter to the hospital."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"She thinks something's wrong with the baby."

"Is there?"

"I don't know." I sighed for the millionth time.

I walked back to see Carter putting a coat on a very sleepy Gracie.

"I sweepy." Gracie rubbed at her eyes.

"I know baby. You can sleep on Daddy's shoulder." I picked her up and she hugged onto my neck.

Ender was putting on his shoes when I walked into the front room.

"We're about five minutes away." The driver said to me and I nodded.

When we arrived I held Gracie in my arms and held Carters hand, Ender holding hers as we walked inside. The boys followed behind and sat down in the waiting room while Carter and I went back with the kids to a room.

Since she was pregnant we got right in and Carter was put in a bed while I sat down on the sofa with the kids.

Soon a doctor came in.

"Ms. Chase, what seems to be concerning you today?" She asked her.

"He's not kicking."

"Okay. Have you experienced any bleeding or cramping?"

"No." Carter shook her head.

"What about stomach pains?"

"No."

"Okay. Well we'll do an ultrasound to check on him. How far along are you?"

"23 weeks."

The doctor nodded and then began to set up the ultrasound, Ender awake and watching while Gracie slept in his lap.

"I mean, the baby kicked before, and we went to the doctor a couple days ago and he was fine. He hiccuped." I said as I stood there next to her.

"But he's not kicking, Ashton! He should be kicking." Carter looked panicked. "What if I did something wrong? I mean I had alcohol when I was pregnant, what if it was caffeine and I misscarried? Oh my God." She tried to choke back cries.

"We will just take a quick look." The doctor smiled at me.

She began the ultrasound and Carter bit her lip while the probe showed our baby on the screen.

"Is he okay?" Carter sobbed.

"Carter, listen." The doctor shushed her and when Carter got quiet we could hear the heartbeat.

"That's the sound of a perfectly healthy and normal heartbeat." The doctor said. "Your baby is fine."

"He is?" Carter wiped at her eyes.

"He is."

"But why isn't he kicking?"

"Here, let's try this." The doctor pulled out a reflex tool and lightly tapped Carters stomach and Carter gasped.

"He kicked."

"See, he's fine. Just very comfortable in the home his Mommy has provided for him."

Carter sighed in relief and I did too.

"Car, I told you it's nothing to worry about. He's fine." I squeezed her hand.

"I know, but I just wanted to make sure."

Carter went to put back on her clothes in the bathroom and since she was gone and the doctor was cleaning up the table I spoke.

"I'm sorry we wasted your time. I told her the baby was fine."

"It's okay." The doctor smiled. "This happens all the time. She's a pregnant mom, she worries. She will worry when the baby isn't kicking and then worry when it's kicking too much. That's what she will do. She cares, that's what will make her an excellent mother; and you brought her here so that means you'll make an excellent father."

I smiled.

"Thank you."

When Carter came out of the bathroom we grabbed the kids and made our way to the waiting room where the guys were.

"Is everything alright?" Michael asked.

"Yes, the baby has a good heart beat, is growing perfectly and kicked, so we can go." I smiled at them.

They cheered before we left the hospital and went back to the bus.

When we finally got into bed and the bus started driving again, Carter looked over at me.

"I know I was a little crazy tonight, and i'm sorry about that, but thank you for taking me to the hospital." She looked over at me.

"Yes you were a little crazy, but i'm your fiancé and I love you and our baby, so anytime you want to go to the hospital, if you're worried or just want to look at him, then tell me and i'll take you."

"Thank you." She smiled at me before moving closer to hug me around my waist. "I love you, Ashton."

"I love you too." I hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

This was my girl, my pregnant fiancé, and the love of my life, and I would do anything for her.

Because I was hers and she was mine.

Carters PoV:

The next few days were filled with preparation for me to leave.

We had bought plane tickets for me and the kids, and I was starting to get things packed. Also we had made an official announcement to the fans and media about our pregnancy, most of them freaking out but also being very supportive.

Deciding on an Instagram post like we did for most of our announcements, we took a photo of me standing there with my shirt slightly raised so you could see my little bump, and Ashton kneeling in front of me kissing my stomach along with the caption 'See you in a few months, baby Irwin.'

My body has been changing a lot as well. My breasts were a bit bigger and my ankles and hands a bit swollen, to the point where I had to take off my engagement ring (at Ashton's request) so Ashton could get it re-sized.

The night before we were supposed to leave I was sitting on the sofa scrolling through Instagram when I felt something move inside me, startling me.

I placed my hand on the small bump I had developed and waited for a few moments until I felt it again. The baby had kicked.

"Ashton!" I called through the bus. "Ashton he kicked!"

I heard the tumbling of his feet before he ran into the front room, his eyes wide.

"What happened?" He panted.

"He kicked, the baby kicked." I grinned. "Come here!"

He jogged forward and sat next to me on the sofa.

"Give me your hand." I said and took his hand, placing it on my stomach where I had felt him kick. "Okay now wait."

We sat there for a few moments and then I felt another kick, Ashton gasping.

"Oh my God!" As soon as Ashton spoke he kicked again. "Oh my God! He's kicking, Carter!"

"I know." I smiled and Ashton captured my lips in a beautiful kiss.

"What's going on in here?" Luke asked as he walked in, Michael and Calum trailing behind him.

"The baby is kicking." Ashton turned to them, a grin on his face.

"I wanna feel!" Michael burst through Luke and Calum, and ran over to me, placing his hand on my stomach. I moved his hand to where he had been kicking and waited until he moved again, Michael freaking out.

"That's so cool!" He exclaimed.

Luke and Calum felt as well, both of them thinking it was cool too.

"I think he's going to be a footie player like his mother." Ashton hugged my shoulders and the guys widened their eyes.

"It's a boy?" Calum asked and Ashton and I looked at each other.

"We, uh, weren't going to tell anyone, but yes, it's a boy." I bit my lip to hide my smile but was unsuccessful.

They all shouted happily at the news, hugging me and Ashton.

"Have you told the kids?" Luke asked.

"Not yet, we were going to tell them tonight." I replied.

"Do you have a name picked out?" Michael asked.

"Yes, but that we are keeping a secret." Ashton laughed.

We had a lot spent more time after that night deciding on names and had finally made a decision.

"That's so cool, I still can't believe you guys are going to be parents." Luke shook his head in disbelief.

"I know, it's so weird to think about." I laughed.

Ashton and I waited a little longer before calling the kids into the front room, sitting them down on the floor in front of us.

"So we have some news," I started and they both looked up at me expectantly, "We are having a baby boy."

"The baby is a boy?" Ender asked.

"Yup. You are going to have a little brother." I smiled.

"That's so cool!" He grinned.

"And Gracie, you're going to be a big sister." I picked up the little girl and pulled her into my lap.

"Yay!" She squealed in delight and Ashton pulled her over into his arms to hug her as well.

That night I went out into the crowd with the fans to watch the show, the kids holding onto me.

The boys finished beside you and I was watching for Michael to go get his acoustic guitar but instead Ashton stood up from his stool and I furrowed my eyebrows.

Was something wrong?

"So we're gonna play a new song for you guys tonight, is that cool?!" Ashton yelled into his microphone and the fans screamed.
"It's called Waste the Night and I uh-" He started to laugh, "I wrote it about my fiancé."

"Car!" Ender pulled on my arm and I smiled at him.

"Mommy that your song!" Gracie gasped as soon as we heard the guitar start and I noticed people taking pictures and videos of me but I kept my eyes on the boys, smiling away.

Normally after this they would bring a fan up on stage, so when the song ended and they said they'd look for a fan I went to ask Ender if he was ready to go back stage when I saw the flashlights come over our direction and Michael ran up, taking Gracie while Calum took Ender.

"Hey!" I said and then all of the sudden Luke came by and threw me over his shoulder.

"Wait, Luke no!" I struggled but I could hear him laughing as he climbed the steps on stage and ran to the centre.

The screaming got louder when the lights came back on and Luke set me down.

"I'm going to kill you!" I smacked Luke's arm but he just laughed and turned me around where Ashton was standing there and he hugged me, sweat and all.

Michael handed Ashton a microphone and I got really confused.

"What is happening?" I yelled so Ashton could hear me over the screams but he just winked at me.

"So um," Ashton spoke into his mic, "Its your last night here on tour with us so there's something I want to show you." Ashton said and pointed to the screens and I turned around to see what was happening.

The music to Beside You started to play and then pictures of me and Ashton began to flash on the screen. There were photos of our family, our engagement photos, random ones he had taken on his phone of him taking a selfie, getting me in the background doing something like brushing my teeth or reading.

I turned to look at Ashton and he stepped up to put his arm around my shoulders.

"What is this for?" I asked him.

"Just because I love you." He smiled and I shook my head.

The picture ended on the photo we had taken when we got engaged and it faded away before Ashton let go and I turned around.

The fans screamed and Ashton laughed before making a shushing motion to them and he then looked at me.

"So Carter, a few months ago on our rooftop I asked you to marry me." He said and the fans screamed again, "But I have to admit something to you."

"Okay." I laughed, feeling nervous being in front of so many people.

"So when I first started to plan how I would ask you to marry me, I had the idea of doing something really big, and to make it something that we could never forget. But plans changed and I ended up asking you to marry me on our roof top, I didn't even get to get down on one knee. But you said yes...and I had never been happier in my life, but I wanted to do things properly."

The stadium was silent now and my jaw was dropped in surprise.

"Carter, I know i've told you this a million times, but you are the love of my life." Everyone awed at this and I put my hands over my heart. "You are the most amazing person I have ever met, and that I will ever meet. You are an amazing mom to our children, they love you so much and I can't wait for the day when this little one arrives for you to love and inspire it."

I let out a laugh.

"You are beautiful beyond belief, inside and out, and every single day I wake up with you next to me and I still can't believe you're mine, because you are so out of my league. But for some reason, you love me and make me the happiest man in the world. I love you so much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I fall more in love with you every single day, and I want to give to you an eternity of love, because I can't do anything else but love you, and love our family, and love this life that I have with you. So I want to ask you a question, and I want to do it properly."

At that point Ashton got down on one knee and I put my hands over my mouth out of surprise.

At this the fans screamed again I saw Gracie and Ender grinning as they stood behind Ashton with the guys who were also smiling.

I looked back at Ashton and looked into his eyes that were smiling brighter than ever.

He let out a laugh at me and I went to wipe away a tear that rolled down my cheek.

"I don't know why i'm so nervous, I already asked you this question before." Ashton said into the mic again and I let out a laugh, the tears streaming from my eyes now. "Why are you crying?!" He laughed.

"Because I'm happy." I fanned at my eyes to stop my tears and he laughed again and brought the mic to his lips before laughing again and dropping his hand laughing for a few more moments before reaching into
his pocket and pulling out a ring box and opening it, showing me my engagement ring I thought he had sent to be re-sized then brought the mic back up.

"Carter," He said with a serious yet smiling expression, "will you marry me?"

The fans screamed and I nodded my head yes and Ashton grinned, setting down the mic and then sliding the ring on my finger before standing up and taking my face in his hands and bringing his lips to mine in a loving and passionate kiss.

"I love you." I said to him when we broke the kiss. "You're so amazing."

"I love you too. I love you so freaking much." He then smashed his lips against mine again.

His hands suddenly went underneath my bum and he lifted me up so my legs wrapped around his waist and spun me in a circle, my nose bumping against his as the two of us laughed.

Gracie and Ender ran up to us and Ashton set me down so we could hug them both.

"I can't believe you did this." I laughed as Ashton hugged me again.

"You and I are having a baby and I want that baby to know that I love his mom more than anything, and that I love him and his siblings, and I needed to propose to you the right way."

"You're so amazing." I kissed him again. "So amazing."

So so so amazing.

God, I was so lucky.

The next morning it was time for Ashton to take me and the kids to the airport so we could go home, a somber feeling in the air.

We stopped to take pictures with a few fans that we ran into and then put our suitcases on the scale and gave them to the handlers who were going to take it to our flight.

After that we made our way to security where we spent a long time getting through the line.

Once we were through, Ashton walked us to our gate. None of us really talked because we were sad.

I didn't want to leave Ashton right now, not when I was 23 weeks pregnant and also had my 11 year old brother and four year old daughter to take care of.

"Flight 1972 for Sydney is now boarding." A mechanical voice said over the speakers and my heart sank in my chest.

I stood up, helping Gracie put on her little back pack.

When I looked up at Ashton my eyes immediately began to water.

"Aw, babe, come here." He took my hands and pulled me towards him, wrapping his arms around me.

"I know you're scared, but I'll be home before you know it Car, and then we are going to have our baby okay? You're going to be just fine. You have Ari and Jason and my mum to help you." He shushed me before I could start crying hysterically.

"I'm just going to miss you." I held him tightly, not wanting to let go.

"I'm going to miss you too. But these six weeks are going to fly by baby, I promise."

I nodded into his chest and he lifted up my chin with two fingers and locked his lips to mine. This was the last time I was going to kiss him for six weeks.

The kiss was slow and passionate and filled with love.

"I love you." He said against my lips.

"I love you too." I pressed a few more kisses to his mouth.

One of his hands moved to rest over what he called my "mini bump" and his hand covered the entire surface.

"Just think...in less than two and a half months, you and I are going to have a baby boy." He smiled and I bit my lip.

"Yeah." I laughed lightly.

"Flight 1972 for Sydney is now boarding." The stupid voice said again.

"I gotta go." I frowned and he kissed me once more before he reluctantly let me go.

"Come here Gracie." He crouched down and the little girl ran into his arms, latching onto him.

"I'm gonna miss you baby girl." He hugged her. "You be good for your mom, okay?"

"Okay Daddy." She squeezed his neck.

"I love you." He moved to kiss her cheeks.

"I love you Daddy." She pressed a kiss of her own to his cheek and he beamed down at her.

She let go and he adjusted her jacket and back pack before giving Ender a hug.

"Take care of your sister for me mate. You're going to be the man of the house, I'm going to need you to take care of Car and Gracie and help with the baby stuff, okay?" Ashton said as he patted his back.

"I can do that. I won't let you down." Ender smiled and my hand went up to cover my heart.

Ashton stood up and began to walk us over to the line where we handed our tickets to the flight attendant.

"Call me when you land." Ashton said and I gave him one last hug.

"I will. I love you." I told him again.

"I love you too. Now don't miss your flight." He pressed a chaste kiss to my lips before we began to walk into the little hall that led to the plane.

"Bye Dad!" Ender called back to him.

"Bye Daddy!" Gracie waved too, smiling brightly.

I took ahold of Gracie's hand and gave him a little wave myself before we stepped into the hall and he was out of sight.

We got onto the plane, taking our seats in first class that Ashton had got so that I would be comfortable.

Gracie and I were sharing a set of seats while Ender was sitting behind us next to a really nice man in a well tailored suit. I gave Gracie the window seat and I took the isle because on the sheet the OBGYN had given me it said I needed to walk around every hour or stand up for ten minutes. Sitting in a chair for a twenty one hour flight from Chicago to Sydney would be dreadful.

Once we had taken off and were airborne, I set up Gracie's portable DVD player and put in tangled for her to watch.

I turned around to check on Ender and he was into one of the Percy Jackson books I had bought for him to read.

Reaching into my bag and pulled out a book I had bought about newborn babies and began to read, hoping the flight would go by quickly.

I needed this flight, and the next six weeks to go by quickly because I didn't think I would make it that long without Ashton.

Actually, I knew I wouldn't.

--

Ashton re-proposed! How sweet!

How do you think the next six weeks will go by? And Harry isn't gone get, what do you think is next for him and Carter?

More to come!

Much love xx-m