Sorry for the late update. I've just been so busy and working on editing THOADR. And ohmygosh. 80k reads on that. Holy moly, thanks so much. <3

Because you guys have been so sweet, and not yelling at me to update (trust me, I feel terrible for my lack of updates), I will provide you with a long chapter and try to get 28 up as well soon.

Enjoy!

-

"That's the baby," I said to Jackson, my stomach bubbling with excitement as I passed the picture from the ultrasound to him. Of course, Jackson had seen the ultrasound on the computer screen during the appointment, but I showed him the picture anyways. "Isn't that fantastic?"

Jackson's arm draped around my shoulders, pulling me close as he took the picture from my hands and gazed at it with a smile. "It is, Butterfly."

I chewed my cheek to keep from bouncing around, my hands shaky from relief at the news that the baby was in fact very healthy. No complications seemed to be appearing, and my pregnancy was going well so far.

Jackson kissed my head as we walked out of the clinic, handing the picture back to me. I neatly folded it and put it in my wallet to keep it safe so I don't end up losing it somewhere. "Where now?" I asked him, drawing some strands of hair behind my ears.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?" he replied, removing his arm from around my shoulders and lacing our fingers together.

"No, not really."

"So, home I suppose."

We walked out to our car silently, both of us seeming to be in deep thought. I was both ecstatic and surprised when I learned that my pregnancy was going very well and the baby seemed to have no problems, even though I was so worried about my low chances of carrying the whole nine months. The doctor assured me that nothing seemed wrong and told me that if I had questions to call and ask him.

The ride home was quiet, but relaxing. The hum of the engine of the car made my aching back melt into the passenger seat, and my eyes felt heavy. I gazed sleepily out the window, watching as we passed buildings and dragons all the same. I knew we'd be home in less than ten minutes, but my eyes still begged me to close them.

I obliged.

-

Sleeping had never been more good for me, I thought as I opened my eyes. I found myself in my bed with the blankets drawn over me. I felt energized, hyper, and good. I wonder if I was glowing. Isn't that what they say about pregnant women?

I wanted to get on my feet and do something fun, maybe go for a ride with Leto or go swimming, but I couldn't get my mind to convince my body to lift itself from it's position. I was so comfortable here..maybe if I just lay here for another ten minutes or so..

"Faye, darling, wake up," someone murmured, causing me to snap my eyes open. Shit! I had fallen asleep again. A pang of frustration shot through my chest as I trail my gaze to the window. The sun was already set, and stars shown in the new night sky.

"Mm?" I murmured back, moving my eyes to the person above me. My mother loomed over me, her dark green eyes glittering softly. "Hi."

"Hi." She crouched down on the side of the bed and rested her chin on her arms, looking at me with a smile. "You've been asleep all day."

"I know. I'm still tired."

"That's normal in a pregnancy."

"It is?"

Mom nodded, running her hand down my hair and patting it gently. "It's nothing to worry about, I promise. Unless, of course, you start sleeping two days in a row. In that case, we might need to be concerned."

I laughed quietly, thankful she could make me feel quite a bit better on this whole thing. She rocked me back and forth in her arms and began to hum gentle tunes to me, the ones that she always hummed when I was little.

"Mom?" I said softly, burying my face in her shoulder and breathing in. My mother has always smelled like wildflowers and spring breeze.

It reminds me of spring time, when we would go behind the fields of our house and have picnics whenever they got time to be home.

"Yes, sweetheart?" she replied, placing a kiss on the top of my head as she continues to rock us gently.

"Are you angry with me for being pregnant?" I asked her nervously, wanting to get the question off my chest, and the guilt. In my defense.. Mom knew I was in love with Jackson, and it was bound to happen. Plus we had gotten married and so..

Mom was silent for a bit, and I did not push her to hurry on answering. I wanted her to be truthful with her answer, just as she would want me to be truthful with an answer of a question as intense as this one.

"No," she spoke up finally, sighing softly. She kissed my head again, keeping her face buried in my hair comfortingly. "No I am not angry at you. Or Jackson," she added, which answered the question I had next.

"Were you at first?"

A small smile tugged my mother's skin pink lips, her brown hair shifting in front of her eyes for a moment. She pulled it back from her face and swept it to her right, causing the rest of her hair to drape down her shoulder.

"Honestly?" she said to me, shaking her head ever so slightly. "No. No I wasn't angry when I found out."

A sudden weight lifted off my chest and my shoulders, making my shoulders slump as the tense feeling left my body and made it relax. I heard a relieved sigh leave my mouth, one I didn't care to contain. This caused my mother to smile again, amused.

"I thought you would be," I admitted to her, returning the smile softly. "I mean.. Not yelling angry, but more like the angry that everyone hates. The disappointed angry."

She chuckled, turning me around so my back was facing her. Confused, I furrowed my eyebrows and let her sit me in front of her. She drew my hair away from my shoulders and chest and began to flatten it out on my back, patting it down. Then I felt her separate it into three big strands and nice around each other. Her hands worked swiftly, like she knew what she was doing, yet gently, barely having to start over and not always having to tug at my hair.

"What were you feeling?" I asked her, leaning into her touch and breathing out softly. "Just out of curiosity."

"I was surprised," she told me, continuing to braid my hair gently, her hands never faltering or pausing as if she was thinking. "I was like, 'Have they been using protection?' And then I thought, well obviously not if my daughter is pregnant."

"We had been using protection," I said, smiling sheepishly, my cheeks starting to feel warm. "But the time that got me pregnant was the time we were in the bath."

Mom raised her eyebrows at me in question. I'll admit it, I'm actually sort of shocked that my mother wasn't scolding me for having sex at eighteen years old. But in my own defense, she and dad were the one who told me we were going to be married. If I hadn't fallen in love with Jackson, there was no way in hell I would have done that kind of thing with him. But I did fall in love with him, a lot more than Ken surprisingly.

"The bath," she repeated, still looking surprised with raised eyebrows. "..You've showered together."

"Mom." My cheeks burned, and I bit my lip. "Of course we have.. We love each other, and we are married."

"That is true," she said, nodding her head, leaning her elbows on knees. "I'm happy that your baby is healthy, honey."

"I am, too," I whispered, leaning against her and closing my eyes for a moment. "Hey mom?"

"Yes, darling?" She looked down at me, continuing to braid my hair with gentleness.

"Are you going to tell Jordan to lay off the baby noise lessons?"

A laugh left my mother's lips and she shook her head, grabbing a hair tie from her wrist and wrapping it around the end of the braid.

"If you want me too, I will," she promised me, smiling softly.

I sighed in relief and nodded my head, drawing my knees up to my chest. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." My mother kissed my head.

--

Thanks for those who were patient with me on my updates. <3

So I have done MAJOR edits and changes on The Heart of A Dragon Rider chapters 1-15. :)

Also, I entered THOADR in the WattyAwards.

I don't do this much but if you guys could do me a major favor and maybe share my stories? :) You don't have too, of course, but if you did it would help me a lot.

Thank you, guys, and love ya!

- Grace xx