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Quinn wakes up, running to the bathroom. He throws up his breakfast into the toilet bowl before flushing away its contents. He brushes his teeth and washes his mouth before going back to his room. He puts on a shirt and shorts before heading downstairs to where his mother is making breakfast.“Good morning honey. How’d you sleep?” she asks him, turning around and seeing his red face.“Fine. I think I got sick during the showcase because I threw up this morning,” he replies, still feeling a little queasy.“I’m sorry to hear that honey. I’ll put some tea to help calm your stomach,” she sighs, kissing his forehead.He drinks the tea and remarkably he doesn’t throw up for the rest of the day. However, he wakes up the next morning to another bout of nausea, which is strange. He writes it off as just a stomach bug and doesn’t pay much mind to it. However, he starts to grow nervous when he wakes up every morning for 5 straight days with nausea.-Quinn finds himself in the waiting room looking at other teenagers waiting with their parents.“Quintin Hughes?” a nurse calls out.Quinn gets up and follows the nurse into an examination room. The nurse takes a blood sample and urine sample from him. She also checks his vitals, making sure they’re all normal.“Alright honey, just change into this gown and Dr. Morton will be with you shortly,” she smiles before exiting the room.Quinn changes into the gown and sits down on the bed, swinging his legs in anticipation.What if he has some sort of infection? What if he has a tumor? What if it’s cancer and he has to go to a hospital? What if he’s dying?His thoughts get worse and worse the longer he waits. A knock on the door breaks him from his thoughts. The door opens a second later and Dr. Morton walks in.“Hi Quintin, how are you feeling?” Dr. Morton asks, shaking his hand.“I’m alright now. I’ve just been waking up with nausea the past few days. I’ve been vomiting every morning and I’ve been tired recently,” he explains truthfully.“Alright well, have you ever been tested for the G gene?” Dr. Morton asks.“No, no one in my family has ever had the gene since the gene was first discovered,” he replies.“Well we ran the test to see and you’re definitely G positive,” Dr. Morton explains.“Oh wow,” Quinn gulps nervously.“With that being said, your symptoms and your blood and urine samples prove that you’re pregnant,” Dr. Morton continues.Quinn feels the entire world stop for a second. Pregnant? He can’t be pregnant! He’s only 18 years old and he’s supposed to go back to U of M for one more year so that he can join the Canucks the following year! How will he be able to do that if he’s pregnant? What will his family think? What will his coaches think? What will the media and the fans think? And most importantly, what will Brady think?“I know this is a lot to take in, but you do have options. I’m gonna refer you to a friend of mine who specializes in male pregnancies. You should set up an appointment with him as quickly as possible so that you can get more information regarding your pregnancy,” Dr. Morton explains, scribbling on his pad.He rips the sheet from the pad and hands it to Quinn.“Take care of yourself, Quinn,” Dr Morton smiles, shaking his hand.He leaves the examination room and Quinn does his best to fight back tears as he changes into his clothes. He leaves the clinic and drives all the way back home, thinking about how he’s actually carrying a baby inside him right now. When he gets home, he goes straight to his room, avoiding his family’s questions.Once he lands on his bed, the tears start to flow and he screams into his pillow. When did his life become an episode of 16 and Pregnant? He cries himself to sleep before waking up a few hours later to the sound of knocking on the door.“Honey, dinner is ready,” Ellen announces.“Thanks mom, but I’m not hungry,” he replies a little coldly, sniffling a little.“Okay well I’ll save some for you in case you get hungry later. I love you,” she replies, feeling slightly hurt by her son’s coldness.“I love you too,” he replies, suddenly feeling like he’s gonna burst into tears again.His phone starts ringing and he sees it’s from Brady. He ignores it since brady is the last person he wants to talk to right now.
From: Brady
Babe, can you talk to me please? Jack said you’ve been in your room ever since you came back from the doctors. I just wanna know if you’re okay. I love you
To: Brady
I just don’t wanna talk to anyone right now. I love you too
Brady doesn’t send him another text and he goes back to sleep, feeling even more tired.-It’s a week later and he still hasn’t told his family or Brady about the baby. He doesn’t know how to. He’s currently in the waiting room at the Male OB’s office. He looks around and sees other men much older than him who are pregnant and with their partners. He also catches sight of a guy who looks to be about 16 sat all by himself. Quinn gives him a warm smile, feeling sorry for the kid. The kid puts a protective hand on his bump and smiles back at Quinn.“Quintin Hughes?” a nurse calls out.Quinn gets up and follows the nurse inside an examination room. The nurse takes all his vitals and blood and urine samples before leaving. Quinn waits patiently for the doctor thinking about how much longer he can hide this from his family and Brady. A knock on the door quickly brings him away from his thoughts.“Hi, Quintin. I’m Dr. Andrews,” the doctor smiles, shaking his hand.“Pleasure to meet you, doctor,” Quinn smiles, putting on a brave face.“Okay well according to your blood and urine samples, you are 6 weeks pregnant. Your vitals are all normal which is great. You are very healthy which is also a great sign. I don’t believe you’ll have any complications with your pregnancy,” the doctor continues.Quinn thinks to himself, 6 weeks ago was the NHL draft. He remembers the night of the draft so perfectly. After he and Brady both got drafted they managed to sneak away from their families and went to Brady’s room. Quinn remembers telling Brady that he wanted him to fuck him and when Brady went to go put on a condom, Quinn had told him no. “You don’t need it baby. I trust you,” was what Quinn had told him. If only he knew that he was G positive and that Brady would end up knocking him up.“My primary doctor told me I have options..” Quinn trails off.“Yes, since you’re in the 1st trimester you have a couple options. You can terminate the pregnancy if you choose to or you can continue with the pregnancy until birth and decide from there whether adoption or keeping custody is the right choice for you. Now, I’m gonna need you to pull up your shirt and lower the waistband of your pants a little so I can do a sonogram to check how everything is going down there,” the doctor continues, getting up and retrieving the sonogram machine.He retrieves the doppler, the monitor and the jelly setting it up on the table beside him.“Okay, this is very cold,” he announces, before spreading the jelly on his lower abdomen.Once he covers the entire area with jelly he places the doppler down and starts moving it. On the monitor, a dark figure is shown and he sees a little blob on the screen.“That right there is your baby,” the doctor announces pointing to the small blob on the screen. “You can’t see much right now but when you come back for your 8 week scan, you’ll be able to see a bit more.”Suddenly, a loud echo sound is heard throughout the room. The echo starts repeating itself, shocking Quinn.“That is the sound of your baby’s heartbeat. It’s very strong which is a good sign,” the doctor explains.Tears well up in Quinn’s eyes hearing and seeing his baby. It’s actually real. He’s actually growing a baby inside of him.The doctor wipes the jelly from his belly and Quinn pulls his shirt down and pulls the waistband of his pants back into place. The doctor explains to him that he needs to take prenatal supplements and vitamins and change his diet. He can’t drink or smoke and he will continue to have morning sickness until at least the end of the 1st trimester. The doctor prints a few copies of the scan and hands him a few informational pamphlets before sending him off. Quinn drives all the way home and hides the ultrasound photos in his sock drawer. He grabs his phone and calls Brady. The phone rings a few times before going to voicemail.“Babe, can you please call me or Facetime me when you can? I need to talk to you and it’s super important! I fucked up like really bad. We fucked up really bad. I love you and I’m sorry,” he practically sobs into the phone, before hanging up.He goes to his bathroom and wipes away his tears before walking back into his room.-He sits down at the dining room table and sees his brothers and his parents giving him sympathetic looks.“Why are you all looking at me like that?” he snaps, as he shovels mashed potatoes with extra gravy into his mouth.“Honey, we’re just worried about you. You haven’t been yourself recently. You haven’t gone out, you’ve barely spoken to us in almost 2 weeks and you just stay locked up in your room,” Ellen explains, almost on the verge of tears.“I’m sorry, mom,” he replies, feeling his eyes brim with tears. “I’m so sorry! I’m such a fuck up and you’re gonna hate me! You’re gonna think I’m stupid and I’m a freak!”Tears are now flowing freely from his face and his father and brothers look at him sympathetically.“We could never hate you, bud! What’s going on?” Jim asks, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand in comfort.“I’m G positive and I’m pregnant!” he manages to let out between shaky sobs.Ellen shoots him a look of sympathy while Jim’s face turns white like a sheet of paper. Jack and Luke just look at him in confusion and shock.“Oh honey, how many weeks are you?” she asks, getting up from the table and making her way over to him.“6 weeks! I’m so sorry mom! I didn’t know I was G positive! I should’ve been more careful!” Quinn continues to cry.“Oh honey, no need to apologize. Are you in a relationship with this guy or was it just a one time thing?” she asks, biting her lip.“It’s Brady. Brady’s my boyfriend and we had sex during the draft and we didn’t use protection because I told him not to,” he continues, his sobs starting to slow down.“Have you told him yet?” she asks him.“No, I didn’t know whether I was gonna keep the baby but I heard the heartbeat today and I can’t kill my baby. I can’t do it,” he replies, wiping the tears from his eyes.“Well you need to talk to him. He needs to know about his baby. We love you, honey and we will all support you,” she continues, speaking for Jim and the boys.Jim and the boys all confirm their support and Quinn is so glad he has such a supportive family-Quinn is just getting out of the shower when he hears his phone go off. He quickly runs to his room with a towel wrapped around his waist and answers the Face Time.“Hey babe,” Brady smiles, seeing Quinn’s face.“Hey,” Quinn replies, before putting his phone down and going over to his dresser.“You wanted to talk?” Brady asks, growing slightly worried.“Yeah, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for almost 2 weeks now but I’ve been too chicken shit to do it. It’s huge and you might hate me for this. I understand if you think I’m a freak and break up with me. I completely understand if you never want anything to do with me again,” Quinn cries, tears leaking from his eyes.“Babe, you’re scaring me!” Brady cries out, feeling hurt by the sight of Quinn crying.“I’m G positive and I’m pregnant, Brady,” he finally informs him through a choked sob as he pulls on a pair of shorts.“You’re pregnant? We’re gonna be parents?” Brady asks in shock.“Yeah I went to the Male OB my doctor referred me to and he said I’m 6 weeks today. I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat and see it. I have pictures if you wanna see,” Quinn explains, laying down on the bed.“You heard our baby’s heartbeat? Of course I wanna see pictures!” Brady smiles.Quinn grabs the pictures from his drawer and holds them up to the screen.“Wow, I can’t believe we made a baby,” Brady smiles, tears brimming in his eyes.“So before today I was thinking about getting an abortion but once I heard the heartbeat, I knew I couldn’t do it. So it’s either we raise this baby or we give it up for adoption because there's absolutely no way I’m killing it,” Quinn explains.“I wanna raise our child, babe! I know we’re young but we’ll have help from our parents and friends,” Brady replies, feeling slightly hurt that Quinn would even think about an abortion or giving the bay up for adoption.“I wanna raise our baby too, but we have to do what's best for the baby. He or she needs 24/7 care and if we can’t provide that, I know someone else can and will,” Quinn explains, fighting back a yawn.“We’ll talk about this another time. You look ready to knock out right now,” Brady sighs, smiling at the sight of his boyfriend laying so peacefully while pregnant with his child.“It’s tiring growing a baby,” Quinn sighs, his eyes fighting to remain open.“Okay I’ll talk to you tomorrow, baby. I love you forever and always,” Brady smiles, blowing him a kiss.“I love you too, babe,” Quinn smiles, blowing him a kiss as well.Brady ends the Face Time and Quinn falls asleep with the pictures of their baby under his pillow.-Quinn is in the waiting room again at Dr. Andrew’s office. Today he will have his 8 week scan and checkup. He wishes Brady could be with him but he called and told him he wouldn’t be able to make it in time for his checkup. He starts talking to the same boy from last time and he finds out the boy’s name is Dylan and he’s 16. He was kicked out by his family, so he now lives with a friend. His friend works all day and can’t take him to his appointments so he’s by himself. He’s 20 weeks along and having a girl. Just as Quinn is about to tell him his own story, he sees Brady walk in.“Babe, what are you doing here?” Quinn asks in shock, getting up and making his way over to him.“I thought it would be nice to surprise you! Your mom dropped me off here once she picked me up from the airport,” Brady explains, as Quinn practically jumps into his arms.Quinn kisses him softly, loving the feeling of being in his arms. They sit down and Brady pulls him down into his lap.“Baby don’t! I’m fat!” Quinn groans.“You’re not fat, baby, not even close,” Brady replies, kissing his cheek and feeling up his abdomen.“You just wait. In a few weeks, I’m gonna blow up like a balloon,” Quinn replies, melting into Brady’s touch.“Hughes?” the nurse calls out.They get up and follow the nurse to the examination room. There they wait for Dr. Andrews to come and examine Quinn. He comes in a few minutes later.“Hi Quinn, how are you?” he asks, shaking Quinn’s hand.“Good. Just tired,” Quinn sighs.“That’s something you’ll have to get used to if you choose to not terminate the pregnancy,” he explains, “And who is this young gentleman?”“Dr. Andrews, this is my boyfriend and baby daddy, Brady,” Quinn introduces them.“Pleasure to meet you, Brady,” he smiles, shaking his hand. “Now, let’s see if everything’s still going great down there.”He takes out the machinery and gets the jelly out. Quinn lays down on the bed and pulls his shirt up, exposing his flat tummy that will soon expand. Brady grabs Quinn’s hand and squeezes it as Dr. Andrews spreads the jelly around his tummy. He then presses the doppler around and rolls it around until a picture shows up on the screen.“Wow that’s our baby, Quinn,” Brady smiles, a tear rolling down his cheek.“And that sound right there is the heartbeat,” Dr. Andrews explains.Quinn can’t help but look down at Quinn in awe. He can’t believe that he helped create another human that’s growing inside his boyfriend’s body.“God, I love you and I love this little guy already,” Brady smiles, kissing Quinn’s cheek.“How are you so sure it’s a boy?” Quinn asks curiously.“I just have a feeling,” Brady replies, convinced he has some sort of power where he can determine the sex of their child.“Well you can schedule your 20 week anatomy scan and I’ll be able to determine the sex then,” Dr. Andrews informs them.He takes a few photos of the baby before turning off the machine and cleaning the jelly from Quinn’s tummy. He then informs the expecting parents of all the changes Quinn will go through within the next four weeks and gives him a folder with his diet plan for the rest of the pregnancy.“Any questions?” Dr. Andrews asks.“Yes, is it okay for us to have sex?” Brady asks, causing Quinn to shoot him a death glare.“Yes it’s perfectly safe to engage in sexual activity. However, as the pregnancy progresses it will become more difficult. But here’s a pamphlet on safe sex practices and positions that won’t hurt the baby and your boyfriend,” Dr. Andrews explains, handing the pamphlet to Brady.They have no more questions for now and the doctor leaves the room. Brady and Quinn leave the examination room and set up their next appointment and the 20 week anatomy scan before leaving the clinic. They drive all the way over to Quinn’s house and they go straight up to Quinn’s room.“Babe, I love you and your mom said I can stay here as long as you need me to,” Brady explains, as he unpacks his things.“I love you too and I’m so glad you’re here with me. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you,” Quinn replies, laying down in bed and rubbing his lower abdomen where his baby is.-Brady and Quinn have Quinn’s laptop set up in the living room. His mom is at work and his brothers are away. It’s been 2 days since the 8wk scan and Quinn is supposed to report to U of M for training camp soon.“Are you ready to do this?” Brady asks.“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Quinn sighs, squeezing his hand.They set up skype and start the call. The call goes through and they see the face of Quinn’s U of M coach on the screen.“Quinn Hughes, how are you?” his coach, Mel Pearson, asks.“I’m alright, coach,” Quinn smiles weakly, feeling his nerves start to grow.“So, why did you decide to video call me tonight son?” Mel asks curiously.“Brady and I are in a relationship together,” Quinn announces, raising their conjoined hands.“That’s great kid,” Mel replies, not understanding why that was the urgent news.“But I can’t play this season. Doctors won’t allow me to,” Quinn explains, trying to work his way around saying he’s pregnant.“And why is that? You were perfectly fine a few weeks ago at the showcase,” Mel points out, confused as to how Quinn could be so hurt all of a sudden. “I’m G positive and I’m pregnant,” Quinn finally announces, preparing himself for any potential backlash.“Wow kid, you’ve definitely put us in a bad spot. When are you due?” Mel asks in shock.“March 29. I’m currently 8 weeks along but we haven’t decided whether to keep it or give it up for adoption,” Quinn continues to explain.“Well congratulations. We’ll place you on IR with a lower body injury. If you want, you can let the rest of the team know. Will you still be enrolled in classes?” he asks.“Yes but I switched them to online classes. I don’t want to draw attention to myself,” Quinn sighs, thinking about the disaster that walking around campus pregnant would be.“Alright kid. Make sure you call the Canucks and let them know about your situation. They’re gonna wanna know why one of their top prospects is out for the season,” he informs him.“I will sir,” Quinn nods.“Alright, Brady take good care of Quinn and I wish you two the best of luck. I will be expecting updates as your pregnancy progresses,” he smiles.“Thank you sir,” Quinn replies.Mel ends up ending the skype call. Quinn closes his laptop and lays his head on Brady’s shoulder.“That was one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done,” Quinn sighs, feeling himself grow tired.“I’m so proud of you babe. Now let’s go to bed and take a nap. I think our baby wants one right now,” he replies.The two go up to Quinn’s room and take a nap with Brady keeping a protective hand around Quinn’s tiny baby bump.-Brady flew back to Boston to start the new season with the team and the new semester after Quinn’s 12wk checkup. He bullshitted an injury to miss a week of class and two weeks of training camp. He tries to call, Facetime and text everyday, loving little updates of the baby.Quinn is now 16 weeks pregnant and is getting big. He had to buy maternity clothes because none of his old clothes fit. He feels more tired every day and all he does is eat like the world is ending.He’s on the bed watching TV when he receives a Facetime request from Brady. He answers it to see Brady in his hotel room, freshly showered and changed into pajamas.“Hi baby, how was your game?” Quinn asks.“Good baby, how’s the baby treating you?” Brady asks, seeing how big Quinn’s bump has gotten.“The baby’s alright. The baby’s just been giving me killer back pains recently,” he replies, stuffing his face with Oreos.“Babe are you eating Oreos right now?” Brady asks.“Leave me alone, Braeden! I’m eating for two now!” Quinn groans, taking a sip of milk.Quinn stops when he feels a pressure in his belly. His face contorts into discomfort.“Babe, what’s wrong?” Brady asks, growing concerned.“The baby’s moving! You can’t see it yet but I can feel it! Dr. Andrews said the other day that I’d be able to feel the baby move soon,” he explains, feeling the flutters in his stomach as his baby moves around inside him.Brady tries to hide his tears but he can’t. He can’t believe how quickly things are progressing and he hates that he’s missing it all.-“Happy Birthday, honey!” his mother smiles, as she brings him over a giant cake.“Thank you mom,” he smiles, kissing her cheek.“How’s my grandbaby doing?” she asks, placing her hands protectively along his butt.“It’s been giving me tons of back pain,” he sighs, sitting down on the chair.“Wow, I still can’t believe you’re pregnant bro,” Jack says, sitting down beside his older brother.“Me neither, but here I am on my 19th birthday while 4 months pregnant,” he sighs, placing his hand on his bump to soothe his baby as it moves around inside him.“Happy birthday, Quinn,” Luke smiles, handing him a gift bag.“Thank you Luke,” he smiles, opening the gift up.“You’re welcome. It’s from Jack and I,” Luke explains.Quinn opens up the gift bag and pulls out a pair of Canucks booties with little fake skates on them.“You guys!” Quinn chokes up, trying so hard not to sob.“We thought we should give our niece or nephew a head start with its own pair of fake skates,” Jack explains.“You guys are the best uncles already!” Quinn sobbs, his hormones taking over.The sound of the doorbell grabs everyone’s attention and Jim answers the door.“Am I too late to say happy birthday?” Brady calls out, entering the dining room.“Babe, you came!” Quinn cries out, feeling his heart start to flutter at the sight of his boyfriend.“Just flew in from Minnesota. I’ve missed you and our baby,” he replies, walking up to Quinn and kissing him.“God I’m so glad you’re here!” Quinn smiles, beyond thankful to have his favorite people around him on his birthday.They sing happy birthday, exchange presents and cut the cake. They eat the cake before calling it a night. Quinn and Brady go straight to his room where Brady gives him a very special birthday gift.-“Are you two ready to find out the sex?” Dr. Andrews asks, as he gets the jelly ready for the ultrasound.“Yes we have a betting pool. My family thinks it’s a boy while his family thinks it’s a girl,” Brady explains.Brady flew in the day before so that he could be here for Quinn’s anatomy scan to find out the sex of the baby.Dr. Andrews rubs the jelly all over Quinn’s belly and places the ultrasound wand on his belly. After a few seconds, a picture comes up on the screen.“Wow, the baby is getting big!” Brady smiles, loving the fact that Quinn is carrying his child.“The baby has all of its organs now and we should be able to see the development of the sex organs,” Dr. Andrews continues.He moves the wand a bit more before stopping.“Well congratulations, you’re having a girl,” Dr. Andrews informs them, causing Quinn to tear up.“Brady, we’re having a baby girl!” he cries out, wiping away tears.“I’m not even upset I lost the bet. I’m just glad we’re having a healthy girl,” Brady replies, tears slipping from his eyes too.Dr. Andrews takes a few pictures and cleans up the jelly. Quinn pulls down his shirt and the doctor explains to them how things will be different now that Quinn is at the halfway point of his pregnancyQuinn then asks him embarrassing questions about his body’s recent changes and Dr. Andrews reassures him that everything he’s experiencing is normal in male pregnancies. After answering all questions, Quinn and Brady leave the room. They schedule their 24 week checkup and leave the clinic.“Babe, I think I wanna keep her,” Quinn says, as they get into the car.“Are you positive about this babe?” Brady asks.“I’ve fallen in love with her and I can’t give her up, babe! I just can’t,” he explains, feeling himself grow close to tears.“Looks like we’re gonna raise a baby. We better start planning on a nursery then,” Brady smiles, putting the car into drive.-By late November, Quinn has quickly become a mess.“Babe, I need you!” Quinn groans, suddenly feeling needy.Dr. Andrews told him that he would start seeing an increase in his sex drive. That would be great if his boyfriend was around. Instead, his boyfriend is all the way in Boston and he’s left to tend to his needs by himself.“Babe, are you hard?” Brady asks, his phone dropping lower to expose his bare torso.“Fuck, I am now! I need you to tell me what to do. I’m in bed with nothing but my boxer briefs on and I’m home alone,” Quinn informs him, as he kicks off his underwear.Quinn lowers his phone and is met with the sight of Quinn and his erect cock“Holy fuck, Quintin Hughes! I swear to God, you’re gonna be the death of me,” Brady groans.Why is it that when Quinn’s sex drive goes up, Brady has to be away from him?-It’s the day after Christmas and Quinn is feeling like a full beached whale. He’s 26 weeks pregnant (6 ½ months) and he feels his energy to do things has crumbled significantly. Luckily his mother has been there to help him with everything.She already has a birthing plan for him setup. She has signed him up for lamaze classes, which she has offered to go with him, as well as buy him more maternity clothes. They have all been doing a great job of keeping the pregnancy away from media attention as much as possible. Neither Quinn or Brady have posted anything involving the baby.The doorbell rings and Quinn gets up from the couch and makes his way to the kitchen, in case it’s a stranger or someone who shouldn’t know about his pregnancy. Luke opens the door and Quinn’s mouth drops when he sees Brady stroll in with a carry-on right beside him.“Babe, you came to surprise me!” Quinn starts crying, slowly walking his way back to the living room.“I know you don’t celebrate Christmas but I wanted to come as soon as I could. I’ve missed you two,” Brady smiles, kissing him sweetly.“We missed you too,” Quinn smiles, wiping away the tears.They make their way over to the couch and Brady lifts Quinn’s feet up, exposing his swollen ankles.“Oh my God babe!” Brady gasps.“Yeah my ankles have been swollen for weeks,” he replies, before melting into the couch.Brady starts massaging his feet, causing Quinn to moan appreciatively.“Oh my God yes! Don’t stop babe!” Quinn cries out, feeling the tension in his feet start to ease up.Quinn lifts up his sweater and reveals his big baby bump, placing his hands protectively over it.Brady eventually finishes the massage and puts Quinn’s feet back down, before moving closer to Quinn. Brady then puts his hands on his bump and starts talking.“Hi, princess. This is your papa. I’m sorry I haven’t been around but I’ve been busy with school and hockey, but I promise to always be in your life. I love you and your daddy so much and I can’t wait to meet you,” Brady says, kissing the bump.He looks up and sees Quinn crying.“Oh my God, Brady! You can’t say things like that when my body is just raging with hormones!” Quinn cries out, wiping the tears from his eyes.Suddenly, Quinn feels a kick and Brady feels it too.“Did she just kick?” Brady asks in shock.“I guess she likes to hear the sound of her Papa’s voice,” Quinn smiles.They feel a couple more kicks and Brady cries.-It’s the 1st Saturday of January and Quinn is at a nearby small hall where his family has decided to throw a small baby shower for him. His teammates as well as all his family are present. He’s sat in a big chair in the center of the hall surrounded by pink decorations everywhere.Everyone has come up to him to congratulate him and he couldn’t be happier to be surrounded by all the people he loves, including Brady. Everyone is mingling and he finds himself catching up with his teammates, since he’s been away from them all season.Eventually, food is served and the music starts playing. After everyone eats, Ellen brings everyone together for a few games. They play guess the size of the baby bump, do a baby bottle chugging contest, play who can change the diaper on a fake baby the fastest, and pop the balloon baby.Quinn laughs alongside Brady as they watch some of Quinn’s relatives and his teammates participate in the games. After the games, it’s time for photos. Then the cake is cut and served. After that, the party ends and everyone helps clean up and load all the gifts to the cars. Brady takes Quinn home right away and Quinn falls asleep, happy that his family is so awesome and threw him the best baby shower he could’ve asked for.-It’s the 1st of February and Quinn is in the kitchen, making a sandwich when he feels a sharp pain flow through his lower abdomen down to his butt.“Quinn, are you okay?” Luke asks.“Yeah Dr. Andrews said I’d be getting Braxton Hicks soon,” Quinn says, regaining his composure.“Braxton Hicks?” Jack asks in confusion.“Braxton Hicks are fake contractions. It’s my body getting ready and practicing for labor,” Quinn explains as he makes himself a sandwich.“Wait the baby is gonna come out of your-" Luke trails off.“Yes Luke, the baby is gonna come out of my ass. I, for some reason, prefer to have a natural birth and a c-section only if there are complications,” he explains to his little brother.Quinn finishes making his sandwich and turns to face his brothers.“Um Quinn you have a stain on your shirt near your nipples,” Jack explains awkwardly.Quinn looks down and sees a wet spot on his shirt around both his boobs.“I can’t believe I’m leaking already!” Quinn groans, lifting his shirt up.He tosses the shirt to the ground and looks at his swollen, shiny nipples.“Wait, are your pecs filled with milk now?” Luke asks in utter fascination.“Dr. Andrews said they would start filling up now and that they might leak out from time to time,” Quinn explains, before sitting down on the island.“Wow, you’re kind of awesome, bro,” Jack replies in fascination.“Glad to know you guys think my body getting ready to have and raise a baby is awesome,” Quinn snorts, before taking a bite of his sandwich.These are definitely developments he has to inform Brady of.-Quinn wakes up on Valentine’s day to his mother barging inside his room with a huge delivery basket.“Morning mom, what is that?” Quinn asks, rubbing his eyes open.“It’s a delivery from Brady,” she smiles.Quinn gets up and throws on a shirt and slips on sweats before going downstairs to the kitchen. He sees the basket there with a card on top.
Quinn,
I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in person but I’m sending my love through fruit. I love you and our princess and I can’t wait to see you both soon. Happy Valentine’s Day babe
Love, Brady
Quinn cries a little because of how much he loves his boyfriend. And unwraps the Edible Arrangements basket. He takes a chocolate covered strawberry and puts it into his mouth. He takes a selfie of him eating it and sends it to Brady with the caption “Thank you for the Valentine’s day gift.”
From: Brady
Glad you and our princess are loving it! Also did your belly drop?
To: Brady
Yes noticed it when I woke up this morning! I’m so glad she’s not crushing my ribs anymore!
From: Brady
I hate that I’m missing so much
To: Brady
I hate it too but it’ll all be worth it when we finally have her in our arms
Quinn may or may not cry at the thought that his baby girl will arrive in a few weeks.-It’s the 1st of March when Quinn finally decides on a name he likes for his princess.“Babe, what do you think about the name Leah?” Quinn asks, as he rubs his giant belly.“I love it, babe! It’s a gorgeous name! What about a middle name?” Brady asks through Facetime.“I was thinking Ellen after my mom. She’s just done so much for me these last 9 months. I don’t know if I would’ve made it this far without her,” Quinn replies, getting emotional thinking about everything Ellen has done for him.“That’s a beautiful idea! What about last name? Are we hyphenating our names or choosing between one of us?” Brady asks.“Hyphenating our names would make it too long, so I think she should have your last name,” Quinn suggests, feeling Leah start to shift inside him.“Babe are you sure you don’t want her to have Hughes as her last name? You carried her and everything,” Brady asks.“I’m sure babe. She deserves to have her Papa’s last name,” Quinn smiles.“Okay so Leah Ellen Tkachuk?” Brady asks.Quinn rubs his belly and Leah kicks very hard, startling him.“I guess she approves. Leah Ellen Tkachuk it is,” Quinn chuckles, as Leah kicks again in approval.-“Good morning babe,” Brady says, walking into Quinn’s room.“Babe?” Quinn asks, opening his eyes slowly.“Hi baby,” Brady smiles, walking over to Quinn on the bed.“What are you doing here?” he asks, stretching his arms out.“It’s spring break and I’d rather spend it with you,” Brady informs him, sitting down on the bed next to him.“But what about the tournament?” Quinn asks, sitting up slowly.“Coach put me on IR with a upper-body injury, so I’ll be missing the entire tournament,” Brady explains.“But why, babe?” he asks, leaning his head on Brady’s shoulder.“You and Leah are more important. I promised I would be here for you and you can go into labor at any moment now,” Brady explains, placing his hands on Quinn’s large bump.“Speaking of, I can’t wait to get her out of me! I obviously want her to stay all 40 weeks but jesus, I don’t think I can handle being pregnant for 3 more weeks,” Quinn groans, feeling her kick his kidney.“I’ll be here to do everything for you for now on,” Brady reassures him with a kiss on his cheek.“Thank you babe, I love you,” Quinn smiles, running his hand through Brady’s curls.If only Brady knew how hard it would be taking care of his heavily pregnant boyfriend would be.-Quinn opens the fridge to take out a carton of juice when he feels water gush down his thighs, soaking his shorts.“Gross!” Luke groans at the sight of his brother covered in amniotic fluid.Quinn quickly feels a strong contraction in his womb and falls back against the door.“Luke, get Mom and Brady! Leah’s coming!” Quinn gasps, trying to fight through the pain.A minute later Brady and Ellen come running into the kitchen.“Babe, go get my hospital bag! Mom, call Dad and let him know she’s coming!” Quinn gasps, feeling his legs turn sticky.They escort him into the car and Brady practically speeds to the hospital. They get inside and Quinn is immediately checked in and taken into an examination room.The doctor checks him and sees he is 5 centimeters dilated, meaning he needs 5 more centimeters to begin delivery.-“Oh my god, I swear to God I am never doing this again!” Quinn groans as another contraction rips through his body.He has been in the hospital for almost an hour and his contractions are now 7 minutes apart.The doctor comes in and checks him.“Alright Mr. Hughes you are 7 centimeters dilated. You should be ready to start delivering within the next hour,” the doctor informs him.“An hour? I need her out of me now!” Quinn gasps, feeling her put pressure on his pelvis.“She’ll come out when she’s ready to come out,” he replies, before leaving the room.Quinn does whatever he can to try and speed up labor.-“Oh my god, mom! I don’t think I can do this! It hurts too much!” Quinn cries out, as a painful contraction practically rips his pelvic region.“You can do it honey. I know it hurts but it’s gonna be worth it when you finally get to hold her. When I first held you in my arms, I knew that it was worth it and that I could do it again. You’ll have that same feeling when you’ll hold her,” she reassures him.The doctor comes in and checks him.“Mr. Hughes you are 10 centimeters dilated. Time to transport you to your delivery room,” the doctor explains.They take him to the delivery room where he is joined by Brady and Ellen. The doctors get him into the bed and get him hooked up on IVs and strap a monitor on his belly to track his contractions.“Gonna need you to lift your legs up,” a nurse informs him.Quinn lifts his legs up onto the stirrups and feels how exposed his hole is.“Push as hard as you can!” the doctor informs him.Quinn pushes and feels Leah slide down towards his hole. Brady squeezes his hand while his Mom is in front looking at his hole.“Keep pushing honey, you’re doing so well!” Ellen encourages him.“I can’t do this! It hurts too much!” Quinn groans, feeling another contraction rip through him.“You can do this baby! I’m so proud of you already for being so brave and carrying my child! I love you and I know you want to meet Leah! Let’s meet her baby!” Brady reassures him, kissing his sweaty forehead and squeezing his hand.Quinn nods before pushing very hard, feeling her slide further down towards his hole.“I can see the head honey! She has blond curls just like her Papa!” Ellen cries out.“Baby’s crowning! We need you to do one more hard push to get the head out!” the doctor orders.Quinn grunts as he pushes with all of his might. He feels the head slide out of his hole and feels the burn of the stretch. The nurses remove the umbilical cord from around her neck and suction out her nose so she can breathe.“Alright we need to get her shoulders out!” Quinn pushes as hard as he can and feels the shoulders pop out of his hole, feeling the burn of the stretch.“Honey she’s almost here! You’re doing so well!” Ellen encourages him.Quinn pushes as hard as he can at the doctor’s instruction. With one final earth-shattering push, he hears a sharp cry fill the room.“You did it, baby! I’m so proud of you!” Brady kisses his shoulder, before walking over to cut the umbilical cord.“Good job, honey! You did it!” Ellen smiles.The nurses clean her off before swaddling her and placing her on Quinn’s chest. Quinn’s eyes brim with tears as he holds his daughter for the first time.“Hi Leah. I’m your Daddy and you’re the most precious thing on this earth,” Quinn cries out, as Leah wraps her tiny hand around Quinn’s finger.The nurses take her away to be measured, tagged, and registered and Quinn falls asleep, the exhaustion of the labor finally hitting him.-Quinn wakes up to the sound of Brady talking to Leah.“Hi princess, your daddy is asleep right now but I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. I thought hockey was the thing I loved the most but now hockey doesn’t even compare to you and your daddy. You two have made me happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I can’t wait to watch you grow up and I can’t wait to protect you from all the boys who are gonna be after you. When your daddy told me about you, I was shocked but so happy. Even though, we’re young we promise to take care of you and love you. You are the greatest gift God has ever given me. I love you so much, Leah Ellen Tkachuk,” Brady coos at his sleeping daughter as he holds her in his arms.Brady looks up and sees Quinn staring at him.“Hi baby, how long have you been awake?” he asks.“Long enough,” Quinn replies, feeling sore.“Well you’ve only been out for 20 minutes. She’s been registered already and the doctors have shown me how to do everything for her. She might get hungry soon though,” Brady explains.As if right on cue, Leah starts to wail and squirm in his arms. Brady gets up from his chair and hands her over to Quinn. Quinn lifts up his gown and Leah attaches immediately to his chest, suckling milk out of his boob. Quinn watches her open her eyes to reveal chocolate brown irises.“Hi pretty mama,” Quinn coos, feeling how strong his bond is to her already.“Wow, have I ever told you how sexy you are?” Brady asks, causing Quinn to giggle.“Oh stop it, Brady! There’s nothing sexy about me in a hospital gown with several stitches in my asshole and milk being suckled out of my boobs by our daughter,” Quinn groans, feeling as gross as ever.“That’s where you’re wrong because I haven’t seen anything sexier in my life than you feeding our daughter,” Brady replies, feeling nothing but love and pride.Quinn and Leah fall asleep after a while and Brady clean them both up before putting Leah back in her bassinet.-Quinn wakes up to the sound of hushed voices. He opens his eyes and sees his family all in the room, while his mother holds her granddaughter.“Hey bud, how you feeling?” Jim asks, sitting directly beside him.“Alright, just sore,” he groans, still feeling numbness down there.“Well the team sent you flowers and the Canucks front office sent Leah her very own Canucks jersey with your last name on it,” Jim explains.“That’s amazing,” Quinn smiles, glad that they’ve sent him well wishes.“Babe, we should post about Leah now. I think it’s time we let the world know about her and end the whole Tkachuk and Hughes mystery,” Brady suggests.“You’re right,” Quinn agrees.Ellen passes Leah to Quinn and Quin holds her gently in his arms as Brady snaps a picture of the two.@bradytkachuk: Keeping this a secret has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life, but I hope you all respect why we kept this private. This journey that Quinn and I have been on these last 9 months have been incredible and I’ve never been happier in my life. On March 24, 2019 at 4:37 pm Quinn successfully delivered a beautiful healthy baby girl weighing 7lbs 8oz and measuring 19in and 9cm long. Leah Ellen Tkachuk, welcome to the world baby girl. Your daddy and I couldn’t be happierBrady then sends the picture to Quinn for him to post on his Instagram.@_quinnhughes: Keeping this a secret has been the most difficult decision I’ve ever made but I did it to protect myself, my baby, my family, and the Tkachuk family. Back in August, I received the great news of my life that I’m G positive and that I was pregnant. I knew then and there that my life would change for the better. These last 9 months have been a roller coaster but were definitely worth it when I got to hold my baby girl in my arms for the first time. Leah Ellen Tkachuk was born on March 24, 2019 weighing 7lbs 8 oz and measuring 19in and 9cm long. Welcome to the world, princess. Your papa and I love you so much alreadyQuinn looks up after sending the picture and sees the door opening, revealing Keith, Chantal, and Taryn.“Is that my granddaughter?” Chantal squeals, making her way over to Quinn.“Yes, Mrs. Tkachuk,” Quinn smiles, lifting Leah up and transferring her to Chantal’s arms.“Oh honey, call me Chantal! We’re family now!” she reassures him.At that moment, Quinn knew he didn’t need anything else in his life. He had all the people he cared about the most in this room with him. He knows that no matter what happens now with his career, regardless if he ever puts on a hockey uniform again, he knows he’ll be content because he’ll have Brady, his family, and Leah. That’s all he’ll ever need for the rest of his life to be happy.