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Jared hovered in the doorway of their bathroom watching Jensen as his mate knelt in front of the toilet. He took a step forward only to stop when he heard Jensen moan and then gag. His fingers flexing out straight only to curl into fists with the anxiety running through his body. Jensen had been sick for several days, barely able to keep anything down, even dry toast which was what Jensen had just attempted to eat. “What can I do?” he asked as he stepped closer to Jensen and knelt beside him. Placing a hand on Jensen’s back he began to rub his hand in a circle hoping to soothe his mate. “Maybe we should call the doctor,” he murmured when it seemed like Jensen had stopped throwing up.
After closing the lid and flushing the toilet Jensen took a deep breath hoping his stomach wasn’t going to revolt against him. He had nothing else in it and couldn’t possibly throw up again. He gave a small shake of his head. “Yeah… okay,” he agreed. “Why don’t you call the doctor while I freshen up?”
“Are you sure? I can stay with you…” Jared offered as he got to his feet.
“I think I’ll be okay,” Jensen answered as he accepted Jared’s help in standing up. Placing a hand on his traitorous stomach he looked up at Jared. “I don’t think there’s anything else in there that I could possibly throw up anyway. I’m just gonna splash some cold water on my face and brush my teeth. Hopefully, by the time I’m done, you’ll have gotten through to the doctor.” He nudged Jared toward the door knowing his mate meant well but he honestly didn’t want Jared hovering over him. He was sure whatever was wrong with him would pass. He probably just had a stomach virus.
“Fine, but call me if you need anything,” Jared called over his shoulder as he made his way into the living room where his cell phone was.
“I will,” Jensen called as he stepped up to the sink. Placing his hands on the counter he looked into the mirror. What he saw reflected took him by surprise. His normally pale skin had an ashen appearance making his freckles appear prominent and his eyes looked bloodshot. He definitely didn’t look like himself. With a shake of his head, he pulled his eyes off his reflection and set about freshening up before joining Jared in the living room, catching the tail end of his mate’s conversation.
Jared looked up, catching Jensen’s eye, before turning his attention back to his conversation. “Yeah,” he responded and then looked at his watch, “yeah, we can be there in an hour,” he confirmed and then ended the call.
“So, you were able to get me an appointment?”
“Yeah, I told the nurse what was happening with you and she gave us the last available appointment. How are you feeling?”
“Okay… I think.” Jensen knew he was fine at the moment but a smell could set him off and have him running for the bathroom. “Why don’t we get going?” he suggested, hoping that he would be able to make it to the appointment without getting sick again.
“Yeah, sounds like a plan,” Jared agreed and then placed a protective arm around Jensen’s shoulder, guiding him out of their apartment and to his SUV. Once Jensen was safely seated in the passenger’s seat and he was situated behind the wheel he started the vehicle and pulled out of his parking spot, making the drive to their doctor’s office.
Once at their doctor’s office, Jared and Jensen sat in the waiting room doing their best to wait patiently for Jensen’s name to be called. Seeing the look of apprehension on his mate’s face, Jared tossed down the magazine he had been attempting to read and took Jensen’s hand in his. “Would you rather I wait out here for you?” The last time he had accompanied Jensen to see their doctor, Dr. Thompson, had been after claiming Jensen as his mate. He wanted to make sure that Jensen was healthy after taking the suppressants for so long. He needed to know that the suppressants hadn’t had any adverse effects on Jensen since Jensen had been taking them without fail for nearly ten years. Thankfully, Dr. Thompson had given Jensen a clean bill of health.
“Would you mind coming in with me?”
Reaching over, Jared cupped Jensen’s cheek, feeling his mate leaning into his touch. “Of course not. I’ll do whatever makes you happy. “
“Thank you,” Jensen murmured before a nurse stepped into the waiting room and called his name. Standing up, he felt Jared’s large hand on the small of his back. Appreciating the comforting touch of his mate, Jensen stepped forward.
“Hi, Jensen,” Sally, a beta and Dr. Thompson’s nurse, greeted. “Ready to head back to the exam room?”
“Is it all right if Jared is in the room with me?”
Sally looked from Jensen to Jared and nodded. It wasn’t uncommon for an alpha to accompany their mate, especially one that was an omega, into the appointment. “Of course it is. Let’s get you settled in the room and figure out what’s going on with you,” she said as she led the mated pair to an empty exam room. “Why don’t you hop up on the table so I can get your vitals?”
Jared heard the crinkling of the protective paper as Jensen situated himself on the exam table. Pulling one of the empty chairs in the room over, he sat down next to his mate, watching as Sally took Jensen’s vitals and his blood. “Is that necessary?” he asked, pointing to the vial of blood in Sally’s hand.
“It is and so is the urine sample I’m about to ask Jensen for.” Helping Jensen off the table, she smiled at Jared. “I’ll bring your mate right back to you.” She led Jensen out of the room and to a bathroom. After Jensen was finished, she led him back to his room. “See, here he is as promised.”
“Thank you,” Jared murmured as Jensen reclaimed his seat on the table.
“Dr. Richards will be in shortly,” Sally said as she started to pull the door to the exam room open.
“Wait…” Jared called. “Dr. Richards? Our doctor is Dr. Thompson.” Jared wasn’t thrilled with the change; he had never met this doctor before. He trusted the older beta, Thompson, with caring for his and his mate’s medical needs.
“Dr. Thompson was called away for an emergency. Dr. Richards is new but very good,” Sally stated before leaving the room.
“I don’t like this,” Jared grumbled.
Feeling his mate’s agitation, Jensen reached out, placing a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll be fine…” a knock at the door stopped him from speaking further. Looking toward the door he watched as it was pushed open to reveal a man standing there giving them both a blinding smile. He felt Jared tense as they both realized the man entering the room was an alpha.
After entering and closing the door, the alpha walked forward, extending his hand to Jared as Jared stood up. “Alpha Padalecki, I’m Dr. Richards. I understand that you brought your omega in because he’s been feeling under the weather?” Taking a step back after shaking Jared’s hand he turned his attention to Jensen. “So, you’ve been throwing up?” he questioned as he pulled up a rolling stool and sat down.
“My mate, Jensen, hasn’t been feeling well,” Jared gritted out. He wasn’t thrilled with having this alpha in such close proximity to his mate. Sure, Jensen had been around other alphas but for some reason this felt invasive to him, setting him on edge. He felt Jensen squeezing his arm and he forced himself to focus on his mate.
Jensen offered Jared a tight smile trying to convey that they just needed to get through the appointment and find out what was going on with him. “Yes, my stomach has been acting up. I’m sure it’s just some stomach virus I picked up,” he explained.
Richards looked up at Jared. “Have you been experiencing the same symptoms?”
“No, I haven’t,” Jared responded, trying to keep his tone light and failing. He knew if the alpha tried to touch his omega, he would most likely take a swing at him.
“Do you work?”
“Yes, I do,” Jensen answered.
“Has anyone around you been sick with the same symptoms lately?”
“No, not that I’m aware of,” Jensen admitted. He couldn’t recall anyone at work being sick lately.
Richards nodded, tapping on his iPad. “Tell me about your heats… Are they regular?”
“No… not really…” Jensen stated.
“Why is that?” Richards questioned looking up from his iPad and at Jensen.
“I’ve been on suppressants since presenting and having my first heat. They failed… I’m not on them anymore…” Jensen explained. “Is that important?” Since his suppressants had failed and after Jared had claimed him, telling him he was no longer allowed to mask his omega status, he had honored his mate’s wishes.
“Are you knotted regularly?” Richards questioned not looking up from his iPad.
Jared stepped protectively in front of Jensen growling low in his throat, issuing the other alpha a warning that he wasn’t happy with this line of questioning. “That’s none of your business,” he responded in an angry tone.
Richards looked up from the iPad to see the state Jared was in. The taller alpha was standing in front of his mate. His eyes were red with anger, his nostrils were flaring, his chest was puffed up, and his hands were curled into fists. A smile came to his face when he noticed how protective the alpha was over his mate. “I can assure you that the questions I’m asking are for medical purposes only. I’m trying to determine what the cause of your mate’s illness might be. In order for me to do that I need to gather all the necessary information available to me.” Seeing how Jared hadn’t backed down he placed the iPad on the counter and then held his hands up in surrender. “My apologies if I came on too strong. I meant no disrespect to you, Jensen, or your mating.”
Jensen reached out to place his hand on Jared’s back. “What else do you need to know?” While he didn’t particularly care for the alpha or his questions, he wanted to defuse the tense situation they were in.
Taking a step back, Jared reached out to take Jensen’s hand in his. He gave the alpha a pointed look and then nodded his head, indicating he had given his consent for the doctor to continue asking his questions.
“When was your last heat?”
“About two months ago I think,” Jensen admitted and then bit down on his bottom lip.
“Did you help Jensen through his heat?” Richards asked, turning his attention to Jared.
“What kind of question is that? Of course, I did! Are you implying…”
“I’ve only ever been with my alpha…” Jensen cut in only to stop speaking when Richards interrupted him.
“I’m not implying anything. It’s not uncommon for an omega to use artificial means to help themselves through a heat, whether they are mated or not, that’s all I was getting at.” Richards rubbed the back of his neck. If he wasn’t careful he was going to end up setting Jared off. He knew Jared was already on edge and doing his best not to strike him. “Did you knot your mate during his heat?”
“Yes,” Jared spat out, not liking the question or the invasion of their privacy. He never spoke about his private life with Jensen to anyone. What took place in their bedroom was between them and not fodder for gossip.
“Jensen, are you on any type of birth control?”
“No…” Jensen managed to say and then stopped when a loud dinging noise from the doctor’s iPad filled the room. He watched as Richards picked up the iPad.
“Ah, the test results are back. Well, I’m happy to report that you’re not fighting a stomach virus…” Richards started to say only to be interrupted by Jensen.
“But I’ve been throwing up…”
“What’s wrong with my mate?” Jared demanded.
“Jensen, since you haven’t been having regular heats, you probably missed the telltale signs that you’re carrying your alpha’s pup. Congratulations!”
“I’m… I’m pregnant?” Jensen gasped and then reached out for Jared to steady himself.
“Yes, about two months judging by the level of hormones detected in the samples we took,” Richards explained. “The nausea you’ve been experiencing is called morning sickness. It’s very common and nothing to really worry about.”
Jared turned to Jensen, a wide smile on his face as he cupped his mate’s face. “You’re pregnant. We’re going to have a pup.” He leaned in and kissed Jensen before dropping his right hand to place it on Jensen’s stomach awed at the fact that his mate was carrying his pup.
“I’m pregnant… I’m… I’m carrying your pup,” Jensen whispered as he covered Jared’s hand with his own. “We’re going to have a pup.”
Richards cleared his throat to get the mated pair’s attention. “Since we’ve figured out what’s going on with you, I’m going to step out so I can attend to my next patient. I’m going to prescribe you some prenatal vitamins which you’ll be able to pick up at your pharmacy. When you leave, make sure you set up another appointment to be seen so either I or Dr. Thompson can follow your progress. Whoever you choose, just know that we'll do everything we can to help you have an easy pregnancy and give birth to a healthy pup. And congratulations again,” he said as he stood up and walked out of the room. Neither noticed that he had left the room, closing the door behind him to give them the privacy they needed.
Jensen looked into Jared’s hazel eyes seemingly searching to see how his mate was feeling about the sudden discovery that he was carrying Jared’s pup. “Are you… are you happy about this? We… we haven’t talked about having pups…”
“I’m incredibly happy,” Jared assured his anxious mate. “I figured we’d have a pup or two eventually. How are you feeling about this? Are you happy?”
A wide smile spread across Jensen’s face. “Definitely… I just wasn’t sure how you were feeling about this little unexpected discovery.”
“We’re going to have a pup! My incredible mate,” Jared said and then crushed their lips together in a needy kiss. “I love you. I’m so happy,” he panted when he broke the kiss. “Come on, let’s get out of here. We’ll make an appointment with Thompson… You do want to continue with him as your doctor…”
“Yes, of course, I want Thompson. I wouldn’t be comfortable with the new doctor. He’s an alpha… He’s not right for me…”
“Okay.” Jared nodded his head in understanding, feeling his apprehension lessening at hearing Jensen’s words. While he wouldn’t be happy with Jensen having an alpha doctor overseeing his pregnancy, he would grin and bear it if that was what his mate wanted. “Okay, so let’s make your next appointment, stop and get your prescription, and then go home.” He offered his hands to his mate, helping Jensen off the exam table, and then led him out of the room and to the checkout window.
Once home Jensen made his way over to the couch to get comfortable while Jared cooked something for dinner. For a while, he watched his mate as Jared pulled a few things from the refrigerator before closing his eyes. Before he knew it, Jared was gently shaking him awake. “Hmm?” He looked up at Jared’s smiling face and felt his heart beat faster.
“Come on; let’s get some food in you. You’re eating for two now,” Jared said happily as he helped Jensen to his feet and then over to the kitchen table. “I figured I’d make us a home-cooked meal to celebrate our good news,” Jared announced as he took his seat across from his mate.
“Thanks for doing this,” Jensen said as he looked at the delicious meal Jared had prepared for him. Picking up his knife and fork he cut a piece of the steak Jared had broiled the way he liked it and took a bite, moaning at the taste as it hit his taste buds. “This is delicious.”
“Glad you like it.”
They ate in comfortable silence until Jensen’s stomach decided to stage a revolt sending him running for the bathroom followed closely by his mate. As he was throwing up the contents of his stomach he could feel Jared’s rising panic and concern for him. “It’s nothing to be concerned about, remember what the doctor told us.”
Jared growled low in his throat at the mention of Richards. Thankfully when they had made the next appointment it had been with Thompson. That at least had soothed his frayed nerves.
“Jared…” Jensen murmured as Jared helped him to his feet. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’m pregnant and I’ll just have to deal with a little morning sickness. It’ll pass before we know it. And Richards isn’t our doctor, Thompson is, so you can stop growling.”
“We should have been told he was an alpha before he stepped into the room. And I didn’t like the way he was looking at you,” Jared commented as Jensen brushed his teeth.
Once Jensen had finished brushing his teeth he turned to look at Jared. “There’s no one for me but you. You know that, right?” He crowded into Jared’s space, cupping his mate’s face. “You’re my alpha, I’m mated to you. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I still don’t like him,” Jared grumbled. “Do you want to try eating something else?” he asked, changing the subject. He knew how Jensen felt about him, he felt Jensen’s love for him through their bond.
“I think I’m gonna go lay down. I don’t think my stomach can handle anything else right now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Seeing the forlorn look on Jared’s face Jensen shook his head and relented. “Okay, maybe I’ll try another bite or two,” he said and watched as a smile graced his mate’s face. Returning to the table Jensen attempted eating only to end up pushing his plate away when he started to feel nauseous.
That was the way things went for Jensen for the next few months. He would eat only to end up in the bathroom hunched over the toilet. Thankfully by the time he was six months pregnant, the morning sickness that seemed to last morning, noon, and night for him had tapered off to where he was able to eat without feeling like he was going to be sick. Unfortunately for him, at seven months pregnant their doctor had placed him on bed rest due to the high blood pressure he had developed during his pregnancy. Fortunately, he had been able to work from home on a reduced schedule or he was pretty sure he would have lost his mind.
Jensen looked up from the book he had been reading to see Jared standing in the doorway of their bedroom. “Hey,” he said with a smile.
“Hey, yourself,” Jared responded. He hadn’t wanted to disturb Jensen and just stood there wanting to take in the sight of his heavily pregnant mate. Seeing Jensen pregnant with his pup always brought a smile to his face, he just didn’t like the complications his mate had been dealing with throughout his pregnancy. He watched as Jensen closed his book and placed it on the nightstand before taking a few steps into the room.
“What are you hiding behind your back?” Jensen asked, narrowing his eyes when he noticed Jared was standing at the foot of their bed with his arms behind his back. Jared was clearly trying to hide something from him and failing. He maneuvered himself so he was propped up with his back against the headboard looking expectantly at his mate.
“Just a little something I stopped after work to get you,” Jared explained and then placed the bag he had been hiding behind his back on the bed within Jensen’s reach. He watched as Jensen’s green eyes widened as he realized the bag was from the baby boutique he had discovered online. A few nights ago when they had been settled in bed, Jensen had reached for his laptop to show him all the baby items he was coveting. Hating that his mate wasn’t able to browse the store himself, he had made note of the items Jensen had fallen in love with and had gone to the store after work to purchase everything he could.
“Jared,” Jensen gasped and then looked up at his mate with watery eyes, doing his best and failing to hold back his tears as he was overcome with emotions of love and happiness that Jared had done this for him. He hated being stuck on bed rest, not able to do much aside from working a few hours a day, sleeping, reading, watching TV, and only getting up to make himself something to eat or move around a bit, or when he had a doctor’s appointment which Jared dutifully and happily took him to.
“Hey,” Jared said soothingly as he sat down next to his mate. Reaching over, he wiped away Jensen’s tears. “Why are you crying?” Had he done something to upset his mate? Had Jensen just liked the boutique but hadn’t really wanted anything from it?
“You… you remembered,” Jensen whispered as he waved a hand at the bag. “I can’t believe you did this for me.” He sniffled, wiped away his tears, and gave Jared a grateful smile.
“I’d do anything to make you happy,” Jared said and then moved the bag closer to his mate, urging Jensen to look at what he had purchased. “I hope it’s what you wanted. I did my best to keep everything gender-neutral since we’ve decided not to find out the sex of our pup.” He placed a hand on Jensen’s stomach and rubbed it, feeling the movement of their pup.
Happily, Jensen grabbed the large two-handled black and white paper bag and started to unpack it, holding up each item as he pulled it out looking in awe at each one. Soon he had an array of tiny clothes around him. “I love them,” he murmured as he looked from one tiny outfit to the next. “Thank you.”
Jared smiled proudly. “There’s more,” he announced and then pushed himself off the bed and disappeared into the hallway only to return pushing a bassinet filled with a few more bags. Rolling the bassinet closer to the bed, he sat down on the edge of the bed to help Jensen look at the rest of the items.
Jensen covered his mouth with his left hand as he looked at the bassinet. “It’s the one…” Jared had bought the cream-colored bassinet along with its matching bedding and the small wolf mobile he had fallen in love with along with the navy blue diaper bag he had pointed out, and the various other baby items he had wanted, including the tiny stuffed gray and white wolf he had seen.
“My parents also bought the crib, dresser, and changing table you liked. Your parents bought the rocking chair and matching footrest and the stroller you showed me. They should be delivered by the end of the week and then we can put all of this stuff away. For now, let me repack everything and I’ll put it in the pup’s room.” He saw the look in Jensen’s green eyes, the one that silently told him that his mate wasn’t ready for the items to be put away where he wouldn’t be able to easily see them. “How about you hold onto this?” he suggested as he handed Jensen the stuffed wolf, “and I’ll at least put the stuff back in the bag and move everything so you won’t trip over it. When the furniture arrives then we can put things away until you whelp our pup.”
Jensen nodded in agreement as he ran his fingers through the wolf’s soft fur. He watched intently as Jared repacked the items, his mate showing such care folding each outfit and placing it in the bag, and then placing the bag within his reach should he feel the need to look at the items again. He appreciated the loving gesture and that Jared had taken the time out of his busy day to not only coordinate with their parents who lived out of state but had also gone to the boutique and purchased everything. “Thank you. I love you so much,” he said and then reached out, motioning for Jared to lean down so he could kiss him.
“Love you too,” Jared murmured against Jensen’s lips and then pulled away from his mate to finish moving things so when Jensen got up he wouldn’t fall. Jensen’s equilibrium wasn’t what it used to be now that his mate was heavily pregnant and he had a tendency to lose his footing while walking. It was something he worried about, Jensen falling, while he was at work. At least they had a neighbor who could check in on Jensen from time to time while he was at work and he took comfort in that. “Okay, now that everything has been rearranged, what would you like for dinner? How about chicken with potatoes?” It was something bland that wouldn’t upset Jensen’s stomach. Even though Jensen’s morning sickness had all but stopped, his mate still preferred not to tempt fate by eating anything spicy or apparently with taste.
Jensen absentmindedly nodded his head. He had picked up the wolf again and was busy running his fingers through the fur while looking at the baby items wondering if Jared would get mad at him if he peeked at them again. He really wanted to look at the clothing again but didn’t want to ask Jared since his mate had just packed everything up.
Sensing what Jensen was looking at Jared rolled his eyes and chuckled before picking up the bag and placing it down on the bed next to his mate. “Here, you can occupy yourself with this while I go make dinner,” he announced and watched as Jensen’s green eyes light up and a wide smile broke out across his face. He heard Jensen’s ‘Thank you’ as he left the bedroom shaking his head as he walked into the kitchen.
At night Jared would curl himself around his sleeping mate feeling the need to protect Jensen and their unborn pup. As he lay in bed listening to Jensen’s even breathing he would place his hand on the swell of Jensen’s stomach enjoying the feeling of their pup whenever it moved. He would also set his teeth over his claiming bite, growling every few minutes until he was able to settle down. As Jensen neared his due date, he found himself growing increasingly protective over his mate. He had even growled at their doctor when the beta offered Jensen a hand to steady himself as Jensen tried to climb up onto the exam table. He had apologized when he heard Jensen gasp but just the idea of anyone touching his pregnant mate was enough to make him lose control.
When it was time for Jensen to whelp their pup, Jared had been beside himself as the nurses helped Jensen out of his clothing, into a hospital gown, and into the birthing bed. He had snarled at the nurses, issuing them a warning to back away from his mate, which had caused them to run from the room. He smiled in satisfaction at protecting his mate until Jensen moaned in pain, making him relent and allow one of the nurses back into the room. When Dr. Thompson appeared to help Jensen with whelping their pup he had growled loudly when the beta placed his hands on Jensen’s cramping stomach. He had nearly hit Thompson when the doctor placed Jensen’s feet in the stirrups attached to the bed to help his mate get into position to whelp their pup. Thankfully, Thompson was used to alphas going overboard with trying to protect their mate, especially an omega, when their mate was whelping a pup.
“Jared…” Jensen called in a pain-laced voice, catching Jared’s attention and drawing Jared toward the head of the bed and away from the medical staff. He reached out and latched onto Jared’s arm with his right hand, moaning when he was hit with another contraction.
Jensen’s voice had sounded strangled to Jared, causing him to move closer to his mate in an attempt to comfort Jensen. “I’m here,” he said in a soft voice as Jensen clutched at him. “I’m not going anywhere.” He stayed by Jensen’s side shooting murderous looks at Thompson and the nurses until Jensen had whelped their pup. He didn’t start to relax until Jensen and their pup, a boy, had been cleaned up and everyone had left the room. Once they were alone and their pup was in Jensen’s arms, he settled on the bed next to his mate, wrapped his arms around Jensen, and bit down on his claiming bite feeling the need to re-establish his claim on his mate.
Jensen leaned into Jared’s embrace, feeling the need to be protected by Jared as he held their newborn pup. “What should we name him?” They had compiled a list of names, both for a boy or a girl, but now as he looked down at the sleeping pup in his arms, he had no idea what to name their son.
“Lucas. He looks like a Lucas to me,” Jared proclaimed.
“Lucas,” Jensen said as if trying the name out to see if he liked it. “Lucas Padalecki, I like it.” He nodded his approval. “Hi Lucas, we’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.” Turning his head slightly, he looked at Jared and smiled. “I can’t believe he’s finally here.”
“Neither can I,” Jared breathed softly, his breath catching in his throat. He’d never dared to hope that Jensen would be anything other than a friend. He’d certainly never thought Jensen would be his mate or that Jensen would give him a pup but there he was sitting with his mate and their newborn pup. “I love you so much, Jensen. Thank you for giving me Lucas,” he whispered and then captured Jensen’s lips in a kiss that spoke of passion, love, and appreciation. At that moment he realized they were no longer just a mated pair, they were now a family and he couldn’t have been happier.