Warnings: This fic is A/B/O - this is Alpha/Beta/Omega!Verse. It's basically a universe where everyone is either an Alpha, Beta or Omega, and allows each of the aforementioned to find their mates.

It also allows for MPreg in male Omegas. MPreg = male pregnancy.

I suggest looking this up if you are unfamiliar with the concept.

Just to make it clear: this fic contains male pregnancy.

Check-ups and Tea-cups

Sirius/Remus

For Raybe

Please enjoy some MPreg!Sirius. I threw in some ABO for you too. :D

Sirius sighed loudly and James rolled his eyes. "Sirius, I told you to make a list," he said. "Your arms are fine. You can make a list."

"My fingers kept cramping up," Sirius insisted, sighing once more. "I can't grip the pen as tightly as I wanted."

"I bet you can wank though," James muttered as he searched for a pen and paper. "You know what, I'll make a list. What do you need from the shop?"

Sirius sighed again, louder than before. "Well, now I don't remember," he muttered. "Is it too much to ask that I be free from this room, James! I feel like a prisoner."

"You just passed out - again - and had a fall," James said, folding his arms. "This is where you recover."

"Not my fault."

"You were overdoing it - again."

"I wasn't," Sirius replied. "I went for a walk. It's not my fault the weather was hotter than it was supposed to be. I bought a bottle of water with me like I'm supposed to. I drank the water too. But the bank was overbearing. I thought I could manage it. I needed to sort out my money."

"Well, it was probably a good thing that it happened. Otherwise we might not have known that you needed constant bed rest throughout the next six months," James replied.

"Which I could get at home," Sirius insisted, a pleading expression on his face.

"The doctor wants to keep you here for observation," James stated. "We can't go against medical orders. Let's give them a week or two, and then we'll ask again"

"So, I'm a prisoner," Sirius muttered. "Abandoned at the hospital through no fault of my own—"

"You got knocked up. I'm pretty sure you were somewhat involved in that," James replied, tired of Sirius' dramatics and argument.

"Oh. So you're saying I deserve this?" Sirius asked, his eyes widening. "Poor, stupid Sirius, getting himself knocked up. He deserves it, though."

"That's not what I meant," James quickly replied, realising that Sirius was taking his comment too personally and regretting the words. "I just said that… you know what, I wasn't saying anything. Nothing at all. I just want you to be aware of yourself, Sirius. Your actions have consequences, and—"

Sirius glared at James. "I'm very aware right now, thank you. I'm aware that I'm in agony and could use a real hot drink that isn't from a machine up here. I could also use a trip to the shops… but if it's too much trouble, I'll hire an assistant."

"An… assistant?" James asked, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Yes. One that'll wheel me down to the shops today," Sirius muttered. "Thank you James, but your assistance is no longer required." He reached for his phone. "I'll go and look on Gumtree now and—"

James grabbed the phone from Sirius' hand and set it down on the side. "There's no way I'm letting you hire a stranger off the internet," he said, protectively. "I'll bring you down today, and we can discuss this later."

Sirius grinned. "If you insist," he replied.

...oOo...

Sirius made sure the blanket was tucked around him properly, hiding his stomach. He was wearing loose-fitting trousers rather than his favourite jeans as they weren't suitable attire, unfortunately. On the top of his body he wore a loose-fitting t-shirt.

Sirius really missed his clothes, but the blankets Dorea supplied were nice and at least he could wear his leather jacket over his t-shirt, much to James' amusement.

Today's blanket was pale green with black dogs all over it, but Sirius missed the warm red and gold blanket Dorea had given him for Christmas. It was softer and; not that he'd admit it, but it was great to have a cuddle with when he was sleeping.

Not that he needed to cuddle something. He may be an Omega, but that didn't mean anything. It was just comforting in the same way anyone who was pregnant needed a cuddle. That was all.

...oOo...

"Why is this chair going so slow?" Sirius muttered, bringing his arms off the blanket so he could fold them against his chest. He pouted, though James couldn't see him do it.

Though James was still aware he was pouting. Sirius was always pouting about something.

"Because we're not in a race?" James offered, walking slightly faster. "We only just stepped out of the lift, and we're not in a rush."

"And whilst you take your time, all the good tables will be gone by people who were pushed faster!" Sirius said.

"Tables? Sirius, I thought we were just going to the shop?"

"Well, all of this travelling has made me really need a hot drink. Be a dear and get me a hot-chocolate or a tea. I've left my stuff upstairs."

James let out a loud sigh before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. He glanced inside, checking how much money he brought out with him.

"Why have you stopped?" Sirius demanded, trying to turn around in the wheelchair, and wincing in pain. "We need to get there quicker!" I refuse to sit by the door, I'll have you know!"

James pulled out a ten-pound note and put his wallet away again, pushing Sirius through the big doors that lead to the shop, cafe and to the exit.

"Look at that queue! I told you to hurry up. I've seen the elderly walk faster than you," Sirius snapped miserably as they walked over to the cafe.

"You know what? You're worse in that chair than out of it. I never thought it possible, but you're doing my head in!" James shouted. He dropped the ten-pound note onto Sirius' lap. "I need a minute."

Sirius pouted harder as James stormed out. How dare James abandon him?

With uncertain movements, Sirius slowly moved the wheelchair into the queue. He was fourth now. Had James just listened, he would have arrived before there was a queue. As one person moved away, Sirius pushed on the wheels once more, bringing himself forward and accidentally knocking into the woman in front of him. He quickly apologised and moved back, though the woman was too engrossed in her call to pay him any mind. As he moved away, the money slipping from his lap onto the floor.

"Crap." Sirius began to edge forward on the chair, trying to ignore the agony in his back with each movement. He had to get that money somehow. As he began to lift himself up and out of the chair, he felt a hand press gently against his shoulder, stopping him from moving.

"Sit down and I'll get that for you," an angelic voice said, before Sirius could move away from the touch. The voice calmed Sirius and he allowed the man's hands to gently guide him back into the seat. The ten-pound note from the floor was pressed into his hand. "Are you okay?"

Sirius shook his head. None of this would be happening had James not cruelly abandoned him there, alone.

"My friend abandoned me," he replied pitifully. "He was supposed to help me but I think I upset him somehow." He turned puppy-dog eyes onto the man who had helped him. "I didn't mean to, but he hates me now!"

"I'm sure he doesn't," the man replied, smiling warmly. Sirius glanced at the man's t-shirt, noticing it bore the logo from the coffee-shop. "I'm here to help. I'll bring you over to a table and get your drink for you. Which table would you like?"

"One where I'm not alone, like I always am," Sirius murmured sadly, his gaze returning to the man's gorgeous eyes. Of course James hated him. Why else would James abandon him in his time of need?

"Oh." The man hesitated for a moment, checking his watch. "Well, I do have a break coming up in about ten minutes. How about I sit with you until your friend returns? I can ask to take my break a few minutes early."

"If he returns," Sirius mumbled. "I'd like that, and I'd really like a cup of tea and a tuna and cheese panini."

"Coming right up." The man stood up and guided Sirius' chair to a table in the corner. "I'll be right back," he promised after making sure Sirius was close enough to the table.

Sirius strained to turn to watch the man walk away, even if it did make his back hurt. The man had a nice voice that instantly made Sirius feel calm, though Sirius hadn't gotten a proper look at him. He had barely seen past the man's wonderful eyes. He had been too busy feeling sorry for himself. Though the man clearly wanted to be his friend.

That was fine. Sirius clearly needed new friends - ones that wouldn't abandon him so cruelly.

...oOo...

Sirius glanced up when the tray was placed on the table, followed by his change. He quickly allowed his eyes to move across his new friend's face, taking in the shaggy dark-blond hair, the beautiful amber eyes and the soft lips. He hadn't expected his new bestie to be drop-dead gorgeous but decided it was a bonus. Much better than looking at Potter's stupid hair all of the time. "My name's Sirius," Sirius began, holding his hand out.

The man's smile widened and he held out his own hand, shaking Sirius'. Sirius was certain he felt sparks as their hands touched, but decided against mentioning it for obvious, pregnancy-related reasons. "I'm Remus," came the reply. "Here's your receipt and change. I must admit I ordered a tuna and cheese panini too. I was curious as I've never had one before."

"Then you haven't lived!" Sirius exclaimed eagerly. "I'd live on these if Mummy didn't force me to eat real food. Sometimes, she makes these herself as a treat. Have you worked here long?"

"A year," Remus replied. "I go to uni and this place is open at all hours, so it's really good to fit around my course. I'll be finishing up in July though, so I'll be looking to get a full-time job by September."

"Seven months," Sirius murmured thoughtfully. "Maybe we can hang out some whilst we're both here? I've been told I'm going to be here for a while, and it would be nice to have a friendly face when I come down for something to drink. I mean… if it's not too strange since we've only known each other five minutes."

Remus' smile widened. "I've no problem with that," he insisted. "I'm here a lot so if you need anything just let me know. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for you if you come down, so just find a table and I'll come over to you."

"I'll definitely let you know," Sirius said, smiling happily. "Remus, I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship."

Remus looked surprised, but beamed at Sirius as Sirius lifted his cup of tea.

"This is where we do the clinky thing," Sirius ordered. Remus merely nodded at Sirius' slightly bossy tone and lifted his own cup of hot chocolate and carefully clinked it against Sirius'.

Yes. A beautiful friendship indeed.

...oOo...

"I've got five minutes left," Remus said, checking his watch. "Let me get you back to your ward."

"Thanks," Sirius replied, hiding his disappointment. Had the hour really passed that quickly? "I have no idea how to use this thing," Sirius admitted as Remus stood up and began to put the cups back onto the tray. He placed the tray on the counter and returned for Sirius, quickly pushing the chair back through the doors and towards the lift.

"Which floor are you on?"

Sirius hesitated. He had made a new friend - a friend who didn't know the truth, and Sirius wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. After all, his parents and whole family had reacted badly, as had some of the students at school who didn't expect Sirius to be anything less than an Alpha.

Sirius wasn't sure what Remus would think of his status, but he didn't want to risk it, so he shrugged. "I've got it from here," Sirius insisted with a smile. "I'll come down soon, yeah?"

Remus nodded and Sirius reached for the button to close the lift. Once the doors were closed, Sirius pressed the second and third floor buttons.

He knew Remus wasn't going to be standing at the lifts watching for a ward number, but he couldn't help but be paranoid. He watched the doors open on the second floor briefly before they closed again, taking him up one more.

...oOo...

When James returned half an hour later, Sirius ignored his best friend's apology. He didn't want to hear James' feeble excuses, like how James had an important call whilst he was outside having a smoke. Surely James would skip a call like that to help his knocked-up, wheelchair-bound friend who was abandoned so cruelly in the cafe?

James should always put him first. Sirius didn't know how many times he had to explain that to his best friend before he remembered it.

Instead, when James turned up to bother him, Sirius would leave for the cafe. More often than not, he caught Remus there. When the cafe wasn't busy, Remus could be found sitting on a stool behind the counter, studying, which Sirius thought was adorable.

The moment Remus noticed him making his way in, however, Remus would put the books away and he would give Sirius his full attention. This was perfect. If only James was as dedicated to him as Remus was. Remus clearly knew how to be a friend.

And that he was gorgeous, amazing and smelt absolutely perfect just made things even better.

...oOo...

The next day, Sirius headed down for a drink ten minutes after the previous day to ensure he arrived when Remus was on his break. Remus' face lit up at the sight of him, and he left a girl to deal with the few people in the queue as he walked around to help Sirius through the people and to the table in the corner.

"I'm glad you came back," Remus said, blushing slightly. "So, what are you having today?"

"Another panini, but I think I'll have a hot-chocolate today. Yours smelt really nice yesterday." He handed the money over to Remus, and Remus smiled before heading back to the counter.

It was only a couple of minutes before Remus joined him and Sirius discreetly took a deep breath of the captivating smell. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed Remus was opening his.

"So, how are you?"

"Since yesterday?" Sirius asked. "Tired, in pain. The usual these days. You?"

"A little worried about you," Remus admitted, reaching across the table for Sirius' hand. "Is there anyone up there looking after you?"

"James and his family," Sirius said. "I left them up there so I could come and get some lunch. Mummy and James are both protective of me and I felt like I needed to be alone. Well, alone with you." He gave Remus a seductive look which Remus didn't react to.

Instead, Remus smiled warmly. "I'm glad you came back down," he admitted. "Though I think I've already told you that. So… you're in for a while?"

"At least two weeks," Sirius replied. "They'll review me after that and possibly let me go home. If… if I go home, will it be okay to get your number and text you sometime?"

"Of course," Remus replied, his hand still on Sirius' hand. "Do you have your phone now?"

Sirius shook his head sadly. "I don't even know my number off by heart to give it to you. I got a new phone a few months ago and can't seem to remember anything but my old number."

"No rush," Remus said with a smile. "Just make sure you leave your number before you're discharged. I'm here a lot so…"

"Yeah," Sirius replied. "So, are you here every day at lunchtime?"

"Fridays and weekends," Remus confirmed. "Monday to Thursday I have classes, so I do afternoon shifts. I get in at five each afternoon on those days."

"Oh. Well, I'll stop in after dinner instead," Sirius decided. "I'm glad I asked. Otherwise I would have come down at lunchtime tomorrow, looking for you."

"You seem to… really like my friendship?"

"Well, I don't really have many at the moment… not any that I can trust anyway. Just James… and it's nice to talk to you. I was counting down the time until your break so I could come and hang out with you. Though the chair really stops me hanging out. Trust me, I'm a lot more fun out of this thing."

"You're a lot of fun now," Remus insisted. "I'm sorry you don't really have many people, and I do understand that, but you've always got me, Sirius. If you want me that is."

Sirius nodded his head. The previous day, he had assumed that the spark he felt was one sided, but there was something about the way Remus was looking at him that had him wondering if Remus had felt it too.

Though what would someone as perfect as Remus want with a knocked-up Omega? It was best to bury any romantic feelings that were threatening to arise.

...oOo...

"So, what are your plans for when you get out of here?" Remus asked, a month later.

"I… well, I've not thought that far ahead," Sirius muttered absently, his hand moving to his stomach. He caught the movement and quickly put his hand on the blanket again, hoping Remus didn't see.

Remus seemed to be busy looking out of the window and Sirius almost sighed with relief.

"What about you?" Sirius asked, hoping to change the subject away from himself. After all, he still hadn't admitted to Remus that he was an Omega or that he was pregnant and he didn't want it to slip out.

"Me?" Remus turned back to look at him. "I'm hoping to be a teacher. It doesn't pay loads, but I wanted a job to make me happy really. Something that I could do for the rest of my life. I mean, what happens when I find a mate for myself and have a family? I want job security."

"So you can look after them?" Sirius asked.

Remus hesitated for a moment. "Yes and no," he finally replied. "If I meet someone who wants to stay at home and have me support them, well, I'd never refuse my mate that, so I'd need to have a secure job to be able to afford to do that. Though if I find a beta or omega who wanted to work, I'm happy with that too. I just want to give that special person whatever they want."

"And they are going to be very lucky," Sirius insisted.

"What about you?" Remus said. "You're amazing. Whoever is lucky enough to be with you - they are the lucky one."

Sirius snorted. "Lucky? You'd think. The last one abandoned me like this! Didn't want anything to do with me!" Sirius was appalled at himself to find tears in his eyes and he brushed them angrily away and forced himself to calm down. He wasn't going to cry. He was a Black, and Blacks didn't cry.

"I'd like to go upstairs now," he whispered, not looking at Remus. There was something about Remus that tempted Sirius to blurt out everything about his life, and that just wouldn't do at all. Remus didn't need to hear these things. Remus would be disgusted with him.

Remus may even look at him the same way his parents had upon finding out about the pregnancy.

Remus nodded silently, thankfully not asking any questions, and disappeared. He returned a minute later with Sirius' drink in a takeaway cup and his half-eaten panini wrapped up in foil to keep it warm.

Silently, they made their way to the lifts, but after pressing the button, Remus moved around to the front of the chair and knelt down.

"Sirius, whatever's happening with you… whatever is making you so unhappy, I wish there was a way I could fix it for you. I've know you over a month now, and it's been amazing getting to know you. You're… I can't even begin to tell you how special you are. Just… if you ever need anything, call me. If you want me to come up to your ward instead, I'll do my best to get someone to cover me. I'm here for you whenever you need me, okay?"

Sirius could only nod, not trusting his voice to work. The doors of the lifts slid open and Remus stood up again, walking around the chair and carefully pushing Sirius inside.

"Do you want me to bring you upstairs to your room?" Remus asked. "Or can you manage your drink?"

Sirius tucked the drink between his legs and shook his head before reaching for the button to close the doors. Remus put his hand up, stopping the doors from closing.

"Well, if you need me, just call the reception desk. They can pass a message. Not that you'd need me, I mean you have your own family and stuff, you… I'll talk to you tomorrow. Take care of yourself, Sirius."

He moved his arm, allowing the doors to close, but didn't move until they couldn't see each other anymore.

...oOo...

"Sirius, the doctor is worried about you. He's insisting you stay in bed for the rest of the pregnancy."

Sirius stared at James in absolute horror. The highlight of his day was when he wheeled himself into the lift and headed down to Remus. Even if they just chatted or studied, Sirius craved those moments where their hands would brush, or when Remus would get passionate about what he was talking about and his hand would find Sirius' on the table, which happened quite often. (Though, not often enough, in Sirius' opinion).

"I can't do that," Sirius replied, the idea of not seeing Remus again making him feel sick. "I have plans." He glared at James. "I'm not cancelling them."

"Sirius, you have to," James replied, taking a seat next to the bed and taking Sirius' hand in his. Sirius pulled it away, crossing his arms over his stomach. "You're a high-risk pregnancy."

"I don't care. What difference does it make if I wheel myself downstairs? It's not like I'm getting out of the chair."

"Okay, you leave me no choice," James said. "That's why I've called mum."

"You did what? You called Mummy?" Sirius snapped. "How could you betray me like this? I thought we were family. I thought—"

"Sirius darling, are you alright?" Dorea asked, appearing in the room and rushing over to him.

She wrapped her arms around him and Sirius clung back. "Mummy, James is telling me I have to stay in bed. Surely they can't do this?" he whined.

"I know it's not fair my darling, but it's just until the baby is here," Dorea insisted, smoothing her skirt before sitting down and taking his hands in hers.

"But I have plans," Sirius replied, his heart sinking. Dorea usually let him get his own way. If she was insisting he stay in bed, he knew he had no choice. "I was going to go to the shop, and the cafe today."

"If you give me a list, I'll go down myself," Dorea decided, reaching out and stroking his hair. "What do you need?"

Sirius wanted to tell the woman who was like a mother to him that he wanted Remus… but Remus didn't even know he was pregnant. Remus had a life and went to uni and had dreams of being a teacher.

Sirius wasn't part of that life and when he realised that, he began to panic.

"Mum, he's having a panic attack. Call the nurse."

"You mean this isn't his usual—"

"No, this one is real!" James shouted. "Can't you smell the despair coming from him? Something's wrong!"

Sirius was barely aware of the alarms in the room going off. Everything began to go dark and he felt James' arms helping him back onto the pillow before everything went black.

...oOo...

Two weeks later and Sirius seemed to have lost the spark that made him Sirius. James never thought he'd miss the drama and the pouting and the constant accusations of abandonment (sometimes James just really needed to use the loo), but that was part of who Sirius was.

Besides, after the father of the baby abandoned Sirius, after his family kicked him out and disowned him, he could understand Sirius' fear about being abandoned by the people he did still have in his life.

But there was something else the matter with Sirius. He would head down to the cafe saying he needed to get out of the room, but insisted on going alone. When he returned, he was happier. In fact, after the third day, he didn't even complain about having to stay in the hospital for the full length of his pregnancy. He took the news surprisingly well, which was a first.

The smell of Sirius' contentment and happiness was the only reason why James let Sirius out of his sight for that one hour. He couldn't help but be protective of his best friend, but Sirius clearly needed that time away from the room.

Now, being stuck in the bed constantly took away the little bit of freedom Sirius had claimed as his own for the past few months and Sirius was clearly suffering. James had even asked the doctor if they could reconsider the bedrest seeing how Sirius would be just sitting in the chair, but the doctors had insisted that Sirius had to stay in bed. Just the moving him between the chair and bed, or him getting up to use the loo was enough of a problem.

The doctors were concerned that the upset would send Sirius into early labour. They had to schedule for Sirius to go into surgery instead, causing Sirius to become even more upset. James had to leave the room, unable to handle the smell much longer, or Sirius' muttering about a missing mate, though he wouldn't elaborate.

James suspected that the mate was the same reason Sirius headed to the cafe each day and returned so happy, so he headed down, planning to ask the people behind the counter for more information. Someone at the shop or cafe had to remember Sirius since he was there so often.

He headed to the front of the counter, ignoring all of the people in the queue.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, but it's important." Happy that he had both sets of eyes on him from the two members of staff, James continued. "I'm looking for someone. My friend, Sirius—"

"Sirius?" The guy behind the counter interrupted, his eyes widening. "Is he okay? He hasn't been down in weeks. Did I upset him?"

James paused, staring at the man as he rushed around the counter. "Can I see him?" the man demanded.

"Yeah," James said, quickly leading the way to the lifts. "He's about to go into surgery now and keeps mentioning his mate. It was a guess that his mate would be in the cafe. I'm going to guess that it's you he's been meeting?" Remus nodded. "I just don't get why you haven't been up to see him?" James asked.

"I couldn't get in," Remus replied mournfully. "Rules of the ward. We're not marked mates and I'm not the baby's father. I couldn't even tell them Sirius' surname. I asked, but was turned away. I didn't push to see him because I didn't want to get banned from the ward or the hospital. I was hoping he'd come back to the cafe for me."

"It's a good thing you were there," James said, pressing the button to summon the lift.

"I'm doing exams," Remus replied. "That's the only time I'm not here. I've been picking up extra hours, or I study here. I didn't want to risk missing him."

James smiled as the doors opened and the walked inside.

"I'm James Potter," James said, holding his hand out after pressing the button for the third floor. Remus took it.

"I'm Remus Lupin. James, can you tell me why Sirius hid this all from me? I knew about Sirius being an Omega and being pregnant since meeting him, but he's tried hard to hide it."

James thought about it as the lift brought them up to the third floor and the pair stepped out.

"I think it's because of his family," James finally said. "He's taken a lot of crap and lost a lot of people due to being an Omega. I think maybe he was scared of losing you too. If the Omega status didn't scare you away, maybe he was scared that the pregnancy would."

Remus smiled. "There's nothing that could scare me away. Sirius is the most amazing person I've ever met and he's definitely worth waiting for."

James led the way to the doors of the ward. "I don't think we have long," he said. "Sirius is going into surgery today so you might want to make it quick. If there's some drama involved, Sirius would love it… though I'm certain you being here would be enough."

...oOo...

The pair walked through the doors once the nurse had buzzed them in. "Your friend will have to sign in," the nurse said, handing over a clipboard. Remus nodded, taking the clipboard and scribbling his name down.

"It looks like Sirius has another visitor," Remus murmured, his eyes falling on the name above, who had signed in to see Sirius too.

James glanced over his shoulder. "Crap," he said, rushing down the hall. Remus dropped the clipboard back onto the counter and rushed after him.

"It's my baby!" the man was insisting.

"No," Sirius replied, clutching his stomach, he glanced around panickedly, but sighed in relief at the sight of James. "Get out, Benjy."

"No," Benjy said, not noticing James. "As the baby's Alpha, I have the right to keep the child if I want. Sirius, I'm offering you something that very few Omega's in your position get. I'll treat you right."

"As your bit on the side," Sirius snapped. "Benjy, I don't want anything to do with you at all. I want you to leave."

"And you'll see me in court?" Benjy asked. "Sirius, you're not going to get a better offer. An unmated Omega with a child… who'd want you?"

Remus had heard enough. He moved past James and grabbed the man, pressing him against the wall hard. Benjy's head hit the wall and bounced off, leaving him dazed for a moment.

"I know you aren't talking to my mate like that," Remus murmured softly. "And I'm sure you're not threatening to take his child away from him. Sirius has a mate, and even if he didn't, I'm certain his family would rip you to shreds before letting you lay one finger on that baby. Now, I'm not going to threaten you with restraining orders or the police, because if you come near him again, I will tear you apart myself."

"But the baby—"

"You don't even want a child," Sirius replied. "Why are you doing this?"

Benjy shifted, but Remus didn't loosen his grip.

"Because if you want me to leave you alone, it'll cost you."

"Wait, are you trying to sell your baby?" Remus asked. He pushed Benjy against the wall harder, but Sirius sighed.

"What'll it cost?"

"Sirius, don't give him anything," Remus said, turning his head.

"I'll pay him but only if he signs the forms stating that he gives up all rights to the baby and that he won't ever go near me or the child again," Sirius said.

"No," James snapped. "I'll pay. What will it cost, Benjy."

"Twenty-five thousand."

James snorted. "I'll give you ten."

Benjy hesitated when Remus turned his gaze on him again. "Accept the money and sign the forms," he growled.

"Fifteen," Benjy replied, his voice shaking slightly.

"Done. I'll take him to sign the forms now," James said. "Dad's in the office and he'll make it top priority." He waited for Remus to loosen his grip, before grabbing Benjy's arm and pulling him from the room, leaving Sirius and Remus alone.

"Remus! You came!" Sirius said in delight, holding his arms out to Remus.

"Of course I came. I couldn't leave my mate alone at a time like this," Remus replied, crossing the room and wrapping his arms around Sirius, breathing in his scent. "So, James said a dramatic gesture, but I wasn't expecting to find him here."

"Yeah, well, hopefully he doesn't come back."

"And the things he said… he's full of crap," Remus continued. "How could someone not want you, Sirius? You're amazing, gorgeous, smart… you're perfect. These past few months with you have been everything to me and I've wanted to tell you for months that I'm falling for you. That I want to be with you, and that… that if you want me too, I want to raise the baby with you. I don't have much to offer. I have a small, one-bedroom flat for now, but once I start working at the school in September, I'll be able to get somewhere a little bit bigger. I can support the three of us."

"You don't mind that it's someone else's baby?" Sirius asked nervously. "I mean, you don't look like the sort to feel threatened."

"Why would I be threatened?" Remus asked softly. "The baby is yours, Sirius. That's enough for me. So, do you want to be my mate? Do you want to be with me?"

"Do you mean marked-mates?" Sirius asked, his eyes widening. "You want to mark me?"

"I've wanted to since you first appeared in the cafe downstairs," Remus admitted. "I've been in love with you for months. I planned not to say anything until you brought the mates thing up because I thought you weren't ready, but I can't stay silent any longer. If you need time, I'll wait - but I need you to know that I'm in love with you and I want to be your mate and I want a family with you - I want to raise this baby with you, if you'll let me."

Sirius' smile widened. "I want all of that too," he admitted. "I thought if I told you that I was pregnant, you'd run. I love you too and as to being mates, yes!"

"Sirius darling, they're ready for you to… hello, who is this?"

"Mummy, this is Remus. He's my mate!"

Remus held out his hand. "Mrs Black, I'm—"

"Dorea Potter," Dorea replied, taking his hand. "You must be the mate Sirius has been asking for."

Remus nodded. "I am," he replied. "I'm Remus Lupin. We met months ago in the cafe."

Dorea smiled warmly at him. "And where's James?"

"He took Benjy out of here," Sirius replied. "He turned up the moment you disappeared, but Remus threatened to kill him. It was really hot!"

Remus blushed. "I'm not normally like that, but I didn't like what he was saying to you," he said, turning away from Dorea and going back to Sirius' side. "So, do I wait here for you? Or do you want me to go in with you?"

"Only if there's a mating mark," Dorea said, shaking her head. "Or if you're the father."

"He's going to be," Sirius assured her.

"Dear, the hospital has rules. I can go in with you, but Remus will have to wait here."

Remus reluctantly stepped out of the way as the doctors came in. "I'll be waiting," he said, as they wheeled Sirius out of the room.

...oOo...

Remus paced outside of the room, ignoring when both James and his father turned up. It had been over an hour. Sirius should be out by now.

"Remus, why don't you come with me for a hot-drink?" James asked. He took in the expression on Remus' face. "Or I'll get them myself. What are you having?"

"Tea, thanks," Remus muttered, turning his attention back to the door. Two minutes later, the door opened and Dorea walked out.

"Sirius is in recovery," she said, looking between the pair. "He needs a few minutes to get himself together and to get moved to a ward. I'll let you know when they move him."

"How is he? The baby?" Remus asked.

"They are both fine," Dorea said, smiling. "Sirius can't wait for you all to meet her." Before the others could say anything, Dorea turned and walked back through the doors, leaving the others.

"James, it's a girl!" Remus said, when James returned.

"I'm an uncle," James replied, grinning as he handed the tea over. "Uncle James has a nice ring to it. Not as nice as Dad or Pops though. How does it feel to become a dad?"

"Scary," Remus admitted. "Amazing. I can't wait to see them both. I don't know why this is taking so long."

"Remus, are you sure about this?" Charlus asked from where he was sitting nearby. "This is your last chance to leave before getting attached. If you leave now, you'll not have to raise a child that isn't yours."

Remus turned to Charlus, his eyes narrowed. "I'm not going anywhere," he snapped. "I love Sirius, and I have no doubts that I'll love any child he has, mine or not. I'll raise the baby as though she were mine, and I'll raise all future children together. I might not be rich, but I can give him everything he wants, and I'll do anything for them."

Charlus stared at him for a long moment before smiling. "Then welcome to the family."

"Dad, you can't say stuff like that," James muttered. "Remus thought you were trying to get him to leave. He didn't know it was a test."

"He wasn't supposed to know it was a test," Charlus replied, before turning back to Remus. "You look after my boy," he ordered. "He's a bit of hard work, but his heart is in the right place. I've been raising him since he was eleven years old, and he's been through a lot. Do not become someone who lets him down."

"I'll do my best, Mr Potter."

"Charlus. We're family now," Charlus insisted as the door opened again.

"He's just been brought up to the third floor in the other lift," Dorea said. "We can follow now."

...oOo...

Instead of turning right into the previous ward, the group headed to the other ward on the floor. Dorea quickly got the room number and the trio walked through the ward to the private room at the end.

Remus stepped in first, his eyes searching, until they landed on Sirius on the bed. He held a finger up to his lips as he clutched the baby against his bare chest.

"Skin on skin promotes bonding or something," he murmured. "So, I have a kid now. Still mean everything you said before?"

Remus slowly moved closer until he was standing next to Sirius, looking down at the baby with black curls plastered to her head. "She's beautiful," he murmured, already in love with the little girl who was, in his eyes, going to be his daughter. "What's her name?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead. We can work that out later," Sirius said softly. "James, Mummy, Pops. You can all come in."

The three moved from the doorway and crowded around, all wanting to see the baby.

"I'm still Godfather, right?" James checked. "And Uncle James, of course."

"Of course," Sirius murmured. "This feels weird. Surreal. Remus, do you want to hold her?"

"Are you sure? The rest of your family…" Remus trailed off at Sirius' insistent nodding.

"Just so you can be sure you want this," Sirius admitted.

Remus nodded silently. He already knew he wanted it, but wanted to show Sirius that he did. He carefully took the baby from Sirius' arms into his own. He took a moment to look over the little girl in his arms. Her cheeks were red and squished, her dark curls plastered to her tiny head and her arms were flying through the air in adorable, jerky movements, before the baby pressed into him for warmth.

"I love her," he whispered, awed at the baby in his arms. He turned his gaze to Sirius. "And I love you."

"I love you too," Sirius said, delighted by Remus' reaction. He laid his head back and closed his eyes. "Just going to take a little nap now. I'm exhausted. Wake me if she needs me."

"My turn next," James insisted, hovering nearby. Remus just smirked. He wasn't passing his baby over to anyone except Sirius anytime soon. He turned his attention down to the baby again. His baby. Their baby.

Review Please :)

Also written for:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Assignment 6 - Defence Against the Dark Arts. Write a Coffee-shop!AU

Dungeons and Dragons Challenge - Write a hospital!AU

Hogwarts: Zodiac Writing Challenge - write about Remus Lupin.

Writing Club - Genre: Romance

The Valentine Making Station - White: Write about a newborn baby.

Hamilton Challenge - [scenario] Write about a pregnancy.