Naughty Elf: Twinkle (Santa’s Naughty Elf Mates)

9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

“Dance with me, Tina.”

She hopped up and I held her front paws as we danced around the kitchen. Well, as best as she could on her hind legs. Monty was out working in the garden, and I was baking cookies. Hey, don’t shame, they’re my favorite treat and fast became one of Monty’s too. We ate so many I had to replenish them weekly. I didn’t mind because I’d found a dog friendly recipe online, so Tina got cookies too. I turned the music up as loud as I wanted and danced around and acted silly. Like a weekly date with the oven that ended with sugary yumminess.

Monty immediately changed the music as he stepped inside. We’d come to an agreement, a nonverbal one, that when he was around we listened to anything other than Christmas tunes. Some of his stuff wasn’t too bad. It was kind of growing on me. He wasn’t mean or nasty about it, but I understood. It was all I heard growing up and had no clue there was other music out there until recently.

“What would you like for dinner tonight, Monty?”

He snagged a cookie. “Surprise me, Twinkle.”

Probably time to eat up some of what was in the freezer. Since I wasn’t a fan of mystery meat, I’d leave those for Monty, but I deemed it leftovers night. I set one container out for Monty and decided to reheat the pasta with fresh vegetables I made from our garden yesterday for myself.

Multiple scents filled the air though the meat overpowered it all.

“Hey Monty, come and smell yours and tell me if it seems alright to you. I don’t know what it is, so I have no clue, but it doesn’t smell right to me.” My stomach was doing loopy-loops, and this scent was the trigger .

He came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned over the saucepan. “Smells mighty fine to me, Twinkle.”

I sniffed it again and my stomach lurched. I pushed Monty back and took off down the hallway and barely made it to the toilet in time. Everything I’d eaten for the extent of my existence came rushing out of me. This scared the you know what out of me, having never been sick before.

“Twinkle, honey, are you okay?” Monty grabbed a rag and wet it, then wiped my sweaty forehead.

“I don’t know. That meat just didn’t smell right to me.” No sooner had I thought about it then all the cookies in the world came out.

“Let me get you some water. Stay put. Don’t move.” Monty returned a couple seconds later with a bottle of water and handed it to me. “Drink it slowly. Otherwise, it’s gonna come blasting out of you too. I hope you’re not getting sick.”

“Me too. I have never been sick before. Everything was fine this morning. I had breakfast, no problem. I only snacked a little bit at lunch. Maybe I ate too many cookies.” That was entirely possible.

Once there was nothing left in me, Monty picked me up and carried me to bed .

“Oh no,” I popped up and immediately wished I hadn’t. “What about dinner? Is it burned?”

“Sweetheart, it’s under control. I already turned the burners off. Sit back, I’ll bring you some crackers.”

As soon as I was situated in bed, Monty ran back to the kitchen. Literally. Like he was afraid to leave me alone.

Figuring he wasn’t letting me out of this room, I took the remote and flipped through the channels, prepared to settle in for the long night.

“All right, here are some crackers and a lime soda. These will help calm your stomach. Not sure why, but it almost always works. Tina is eating so I’ll take her out in a few minutes. You doing okay?” He fluffed up the pillows and pressed the back of his hand to my forehead. “You’re not hot which is a good sign.”

“I feel better just tired. Who knew vomiting would wear you out?” Not me considering I’d never done it.

“How have you never been sick?”

I shrugged. “Santa’s magic possibly? It was rare for anyone at the North Pole to get sick. Unless…”

“Unless what?” It took Monty a moment. “I’m calling Grace.”

He bolted from the room and down the hall only to return a couple seconds later when he realized his phone was on the bedside charger. “Forgot my phone. ”

Why he didn’t call her from here I’d never know, but he was out of sorts. Seconds later I heard the back door open, so he must’ve taken Tina out too. Not like running out there after him would do either of us any good and I was quite comfy. The crackers were bland, but not upsetting my stomach and there was no reason to test that by getting up.

Midway through the show, Monty came back in. Tina hopped up on the bed and curled up at my feet and I gave her head a scratch. “Daddy’s good girl, aren’t you.”

“So, um,” Monty paused, “Grace is gonna come by tomorrow and give you a checkup. I don’t know what that entails but I’ll be right here with you.”

“I thought you had to start the renovation job on the restrooms at the restaurant?” I’d learned a lot over these last couple months like your bills aren’t automatically paid here. You must have money for literally everything and the only way to get it is to have a job. Monty was the only one of us working and doing that. I felt useless but he said what I took care of at home was work enough and he was happy but if I decided I wanted to get a job he’d support that decision as well.

Now, if I was pregnant I got the feeling he wouldn’t let me do much of anything. I think that made me what I heard on a silly housewife show something called a pillow princess.

I think…

Might need to research that a bit more.

“I called Cliff, told him I’d be a bit late. I’ll head into town after Grace is done. You doing all right still?” How many times over the next nine months would he ask me that? I should make a game of it.

“What’re you giggling about?” He gave me a sloppy kiss that only made me laugh harder.

“Nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

Monty showered while I finished watching my show. When he came out he snagged the remote and set the timer on the TV. I’d gotten into a bad habit of falling asleep with it on. As soon as he was situated, I turned and curled into him. Normally, he’d pull me against his chest, but he hadn’t tonight.

“Sorry, sweetheart. I wasn’t sure you wanted to cuddle with your tummy on the fritz.”

“I always want to cuddle. Are you going to treat me like a porcelain doll for the next nine months? If I’m pregnant, that is.”

“Sure am.” He kissed the top of my head. “You and that little LeClaire you’re baking inside your oven. ”

“Great, now I’m a kitchen appliance. Plus, we don’t know for sure that I’m pregnant.” I didn’t want to jinx it by admitting it aloud, but there was a tiny voice that whispered to me saying I was. Whether that was all in my head, who knew? What was more surprising was the lack of shock I felt at the potential of being with child. Maybe I was just ready for more and having a baby would cover that and then some. I’d envisioned a little one with Monty’s handsome features, on the floor, playing with their toys. Giggling away when Tina licked their face. She would have so much fun with a baby.

“I read online that herding dogs are good for babies too. Stories of their heroic efforts when it came to keeping children safe were all over the internet. Tina would be a great protector and furry big sister.”

“You are correct, my love. They are excellent at helping herd little ones. But you know me, I’ll have every security measure imaginable in place. That reminds me, Tina’s got her play area outside and I want to add onto it and install playground equipment for our offspring. Though that might attract the rest of the LeClaire youngins. Are we ready for that crowd?”

“I think so. I mean, we won’t know for sure until our baby is here. I never really had a family of my own and I love yours. The elves preached they were family though they never included me in their merriment. I think they were just jealous.”

“I think so too, my gorgeous mate.” Monty snuggled me tighter and the one thought that came to mind was…

Home.

“I’m not sure what my parents did or who they were, because much like me they had been ostracized and never spoken of again. One of the older elves who had no family was asked to raise me. He was all about work and making his Santa happy. I was fed and clothed, we all were, it was a perk of being an elf, but I sought more attention and acted out in the form of making mischief. And here I am.” Add another unsuspecting soul who unknowingly got stuck with me. Twice rejected, once accepted. Monty was my family now.

“Are you sad about that?” The doubt in Monty’s words nearly broke me.

“No, I’m not. At first I thought you were for sure considering you were stuck with someone you hadn’t chosen. But the more you growled the more determined I became to make you like me, although I know I went about it the wrong way. I’m not the brightest elf on the shelf."

Monty laughed, “Figure that one out, did ya?”

“Yes, humans have strange obsessions. Says he who is now one of them. Anyhow, changing everything in your home and your life wasn’t the correct approach. Then when Santa told us in the letter that we were mated, I don’t know, suddenly I wasn’t sad anymore. The only downfall was that I was forced upon you with no warning. But I guess in the end, it worked out. I don’t know if that makes any sense to you?” A rambling Twinkle wasn’t always a good thing.

“It makes all the sense in the world, and you saw what my life was like before you came. I likely would have lived like a hermit until I died, much like that elf that raised you. He lived alone and now he’ll likely die alone and that to me is a mistake. Honestly, it’s a sad existence and I believe I was waiting for you all along.”

“I like that theory. We’re together now and that’s what matters most. I’m truly happy, an emotion I never thought I’d experience. Nor did I ever imagine being mated let alone pregnant.” That was putting it mildly. Never once in my life had I envisioned myself with child.

Monty chuckled. “Hopefully we’ll find out tomorrow we’ve started a family.”

I could hear the pitter patter of tiny footsteps as they ran across the wood floors, with Tina hot on their tail. Me in the kitchen baking cookies, of course. I didn’t regret my life, neither the good nor bad experiences, because they led me to where I was now. Although being introduced to cooking shows might not have been the best thing. Poor Monty had been sent on quests for specialty items for recipes I wanted to test only to find out the local store didn’t carry them. The manager said they’d be happy to order it for us, but I didn’t want to be a burden.

Snuggled and warm, I drifted right off. My dreams, normally filled with all things Christmas, tonight instead were about babies. The what-ifs and unknowns of pregnancy and childbirth were almost too much to handle. Hopefully I wouldn’t drive Grace mad with all my questions over the next nine months. If I were indeed pregnant. But if I was, then the baby would be born at the perfect time of year, December. Our first Christmas as a couple and our first as a family. Nothing could be more perfect.

“Knock-knock.” Grace called out as she stepped inside with a bag in hand. “How are you two doing this morning?”

“So far, so good though if it’s anything like yesterday, ask me again this afternoon and you’ll likely get a different answer.” Morning sickness was not fun and even less so at dinner time.

“Well, I’ve got a test for you to take that’s going to tell us what we need to know. And if it’s positive we’ll listen for the heartbeat.” Grace reached into her bag and pulled out a white box and handed it to me. “The directions are inside, but basically you pee on the stick that’s in there.”

“Oh, my.” Why did I find that terrifying, yet being pregnant wasn’t?

Grace smiled. “It’s not as bad as you think. Go do your thing and then we’ll wait a few minutes and see if it gives you a smiley face or not. For humans, they usually have to wait a few more weeks before they can take a test. But for us we can find out within a couple of days after a heat. Not sure if it’s a gift or a curse. Which may be why Aiden and I stopped at one.”

Grace, and her husband, Aiden, only had Kaleb. He was sweet as pie with his little chubby cheeks but just entered what they called his terrible twos. No clue what that was exactly but I foresaw numerous internet related searches in my future. I definitely wasn’t taught anything about children other than what they wanted for Christmas. I saw them around town but never babysat or interacted with them, so this was one-hundred percent new territory for me.

I shut the door behind me and sighed as I pulled the directions out and read them. The process was as simple as Grace mentioned. I peed where I was supposed to, which I would have to say was the most uncomfortable part of all of this, because it was weird. I sat on the toilet while I waited and listened to Monty’s heavy footsteps as he paced the hall. At one point, Grace told him to sit down but he growled at her. All bark and no bite, that was my sweet bear. If it came down to it, I knew without a doubt he’d defend me if he had to, though I hoped the need never arose.

“Um, Grace,” I called out.

She knocked on the door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, I um, I think you better.”

She stepped inside and glanced at the stick on the countertop. “Wow, that’s fast. You’ve only been in here like two minutes.”

“I guess we have our answer.” I glanced up at Monty who had walked in behind her. He looked at the stick, then at me, and scooped me up and swung me around.

“This bathroom is not big enough for that, brother but congratulations are in order. To Daddy and Papa or Papa and Dada or whatever you two determine you want this baby to call you. I couldn’t be happier for you.” Grace hugged us both. “Alright, Twinkle, why don’t you go lie down and I’ll be right in. I want to do a quick exam and listen to your belly and see if I can hear the heartbeat.”

I skipped down the hall, jumped on the bed and landed with a bounce, then realized I probably shouldn’t have done that. I’d guess there will be a lot of things I’d have to stop or slow down on over the coming months. I hoped Monty wouldn’t have to roll me through the house like the blueberry girl in that movie we watched the other night. Can they juice a pregnant omega?

Grace blew on the end of the silver thing she pulled from her bag and when she caught my curious eye she realized I had no clue what was happening. “This is the stethoscope. It helps me hear the baby. This round metal piece gets cold, so I blew on it to warm it up. Didn’t want it to shock you.”

“Much appreciated. Thank you.”

She slid it around on my belly until she found the spot and grinned up at me. “Would you like to hear, Twinkle? It’s your baby’s heartbeat.”

“Yes please, yes please, yes please,” I merrily chanted, beyond excited to hear it. She put the earpieces into my ears and there it was, the faintest little thump, thump. Thump, thump . “Monty, come listen.”

He came around, and I slid them into his ears. As soon as he heard it his face lit up like a Christmas tree. “We did it Twinkle. We have a baby in there!”

“You two have done well, the heartbeat is strong. Twinkle, I’ll keep an eye on you and will come by for regular visits. I’m the midwife for the pack, in case my brother forgot to explain that. That means I’ll be the one to deliver your baby which brings me to confidentiality. Family or not, you are now my patient, and I promise you privacy. The family will only know what you and Monty tell them, nothing will come from me. Understood?”

“Yes and thank you. I think it would be fun for Monty and I to be the ones that tell them.”

“It’s your story, your life and no one has the right to take those important moments from you. When it’s time for the baby to be born, you can either have it in bed or in the bathtub. Some have credited the relaxing water for an easier delivery—either way that’s up to you. Whomever you want with you and Monty during the delivery is up to you as well. Labor is a private matter though some like their entire families present for the birth. I am not one of those people, but I did have Momma and Aiden there with me. Momma actually delivered Kaleb because Aiden nearly passed out.”

“Oh my Goddess,” Monty laughed. “I hadn’t heard about that.”

“Yes, and I’d wisely ask you to forget it. I lost a lot of blood and had to be stitched up.”

That did not sound fun. “I can’t imagine everybody seeing my bits. Well, assuming it’s my bits that will be bared. Wait, where does the baby come out of?” My god, how had I never thought of that before? There was no way it would come out of that little hole on the end of my …

“Deep breath, Twinkle.” Grace ran a soothing hand up and down my arm. “Your Omega body was built for this. The baby will be born rectally for you as a male.”

I must have stopped breathing because she patted my chest and reiterated the need to breathe. “Twinkle, you’re breathing for two now. Your channel and anus will dilate to the size it needs to in order to allow the baby to pass through. It’s not as bad as it sounds. I can send you the links to videos to watch if you’d like. There are also birthing classes I offer that would be perfect for you.”

My head went side to side so fast I nearly vomited. “No, please don’t do that. I don’t think I’d enjoy that, and it may scare me more. Blood and all that.”

“He can’t handle it in movies either,” Monty chimed in.

“Not a problem, I won’t send them but if you change your mind on the birthing classes let me know. You have my phone number and Momma’s too. She adores you and will help however you need her to. You can text me anytime, and you can call me as long as it’s not late except in the case of an emergency. You’ll soon find out what it’s like to have a two-year-old, and you’ll be thankful for any sleep you can get. I’ll be over once a month to check on you for the first two trimesters, for the third it will be bi-weekly until we near the end then it will be weekly unless I feel otherwise. Fair warning, once you tell the family you’re gonna have a lot of LeClaire’s in your business offering advice you didn’t solicit.”

“I thought they already did.” I hoped that was rude, it wasn’t meant to be but I’d received advice from every LeClaire since day one.

“I’m sure they have. But now as the pregnant mate of the oldest LeClaire child, you’ll be doted on and driven mad. Take it or leave it. Every pregnancy, childbirth, and baby are different. There are certain things that are good to know ahead of time, and other advice is worthless.”