A/N: Okay, just so you guys have some visuals to help figure out why I chose the furniture and crib bedding that I did, I'm including several links. The first is going to be to the chosen crib, which has other links from it to things like the changing table and whatnot. The rest are going to be the bedding sets mentioned, the last one in that list being the one I actually settled on. It might be easier for you to see why I said the chosen bedding is the perfect combination of girlie and tomboyish, in my opinion.

Link to crib: www.toysrus.com/product/index.…
Link to first mentioned bedding set (Jungle Jill): www.toysrus.com/product/index.…
Link to second mentioned bedding set (Kids Line Dena Happi Tree): www.toysrus.com/product/index.…
And finally, link to chosen bedding set (CoCaLo Taffy): www.toysrus.com/product/index.…
~Cyn


The last few shows of the Kerrang! Tour and all of the second leg of the Church of the Wild Ones Tour passed quicker than anyone thought it would. Before they knew it, they were all back in LA at their respective homes, ready to spend the next three weeks or so in loving embraces and quality time with significant others before all but Ash embarked on the third leg of the Church of the Wild Ones Tour.

He did his best to make the most of the time he got to spend with Andy before he had to leave, knowing that it was going to be a long month or so without him. Thankfully, Sammi’d agreed to all but move in with him again during his fiancé’s absence, not just because she didn’t like being alone when Jinxx was gone, but to help out with Legacy, as well. He was far enough along in his pregnancy now that his energy reserves were drained and he got short of breath easily, especially when the baby decided to give him a kick to the lungs, so the help would be greatly appreciated.

On the morning of March twenty-second, he had an appointment with Rebecca to make sure everything was going smoothly. He hadn’t had any problems so far, and he was hoping it stayed that way until he went into labor, just as it had the last time. Just as he had for every appointment so far, Andy accompanied him to the OB/GYN’s office, their young daughter sitting in his lap the whole time. The only time he had him turn so neither of them could see was during his pelvic exam to check for dilation, but other than that, there were no complaints.

“Okay, if the little rascal will cooperate, you wanna know the gender today?” Rebecca asked, firing up the ultrasound scanner.

“We’ve been wanting to know,” Ash answered, nodding. “I keep getting the feeling that it’s another girl, but Andy disagrees.”

“Usually the mother’s right if she, or he, in your case, gets a feeling like that,” she told them.

“Well, either way, it won’t matter to us, so long as it’s healthy,” Andy swore.

“Exactly. Gender’s not as important to us as health,” the bassist agreed, gasping when she squirted the cold gel on his belly.

“Sorry about that, Ash,” the OB/GYN apologized, smearing the gel around.

The trio lapsed into silence as she moved the probe around, getting a good look at the baby and the interior of his womb from just about every angle possible as she checked its health. She gave them a good report, saying that she saw nothing wrong with it, its umbilical cord, or its placenta, and gave them a moment to listen to its racing little heartbeat.

“All right, let’s see if it’ll cooperate with us,” she murmured, talking more to herself than either of them.

Ash held his breath as he watched the screen, hoping their little one would behave and let them get a good look.

“Hmm… You recognize that, Ash?” Rebecca asked, grinning when she got a good look at the baby’s crotch.

“Oh!” he gasped, covering his mouth in surprise.

“What is it?” Andy asked, confused as he, too, stared at the screen.

“That’s what a baby girl looks like on an ultrasound,” she explained, still grinning. “Congrats, guys!”

“Oh, wow,” the younger man breathed, covering his mouth with one hand while the other held their older daughter tightly.

“I guess this means when can finally go shopping for her nursery,” Ash said.

“You wanna do that when we leave here?” his lover asked.

“Let’s drop Legacy off with Sammi and Ella, then round up the guys for their help,” he suggested, nodding. “I don’t mind doing most of the decorating and setup after you leave, but I wanna get the big stuff while you’re here to help.”

“Sounds like a plan to me, sweetheart.” He pulled his phone out to send a quick mass text to Jake, Jinxx, and CC, warning them to be ready to help with heavy lifting.

After setting up his appointment for three weeks from that day, given that she wanted to see him a bit sooner than she had in the past as his pregnancy drew to a close, Ash got himself cleaned up and dressed once again. As he pulled his maternity jeans up to cover the slight bump he had, Andy got a response from the guys saying that they’d all be waiting at Jinxx’s house so they could take his Tahoe and Jake’s Silverado, that way they’d have enough room for everybody and their nursery purchases.

Satisfied with that response, they headed back out to Ash’s Mustang since he’d insisted on driving this time, where his lover got their daughter settled in her car seat before hopping in. Even though he was perfectly capable of doing so himself, despite bending over making it a bit hard to breathe, he was grateful for his help. He didn’t like having to bend over to reach into the back seat any more than he had to these days.

Once they were all settled, he headed for the multi-instrumentalist’s house, glad to see Jake’s truck and CC’s car sitting in his driveway when they arrived. Before they could even get out of the car, the front door open and Sammi and Ella flew out it, the guys trailing them at a more leisurely pace. They were both excited to see them, especially Legacy, again and wanting to know how his appointment had gone. The grins that already split their faces grew even wider when the bassist announced that they’d finally found out it was another girl, and the guys all gave them hugs as they congratulated them. The moment was so sweet and sappy that it was almost like something out of a cheesy chick-flick.

Now that their older daughter was in the loving arms of her aunts, Ash and Andy hopped back into his Mustang so he could lead the way to Babies ‘R’ Us. Jake and Jinxx both hopped in their respective trucks, CC choosing to ride with the former, and cranked them up. As had happened shortly after buying his car during his first pregnancy, the bassist felt his baby girl lurch within him as his car roared to life, then settled into a sweet purr. He chuckled as she did so and his lover reached over to caress his belly as he took off, soon calming her down so she didn’t kick him as much while he was driving.

“Welcome to Babies ‘R’ Us,” an employee said, and the bassist recognized her right off the bat.

“Hey, Mykenzy!” he greeted excitedly, moving to give her a hug.

“Ashley!” the woman responded, returning his hug. “And the rest of Black Veil Brides! It’s a pleasure to have you guys here.”

“The pleasure’s all ours,” they chuckled in unison.

“I was at the show you guys announced your pregnancy at,” Mykenzy told him. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Mykenzy,” Ash said, grinning.

“You guys find out what the little rascal is yet? Or is it still being uncooperative?” she asked curiously.

“Actually, we just dropped Legacy off with her aunts following another appointment with my OB/GYN,” he answered. “I’m still surprised that she cooperated this time.”

“So it’s another little girl?”

He and his lover nodded as the younger man wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

“Mmm hmm. I get the feeling she’s gonna be a bit more of a Hell-raiser than her sister, though,” he answered, gasping as her foot connected with his rib. “Ouch. Jeez, little girl. You sure can kick hard, for an unborn baby.”

The guys all chuckled at his misery as Mykenzy told them she’d be glad to help them if they needed it, then sent them off to browse since he wasn’t quite sure how he wanted to decorate the nursery. Like he had the last time, he decided he wanted to just browse around a bit and see what caught his eye, and since he had his fiancé and brothers with him this time, their input would be more than welcome.

As they browsed through the crib bedding, which he’d design his color scheme around as he’d done before once he’d settled on a specific set, the guys suggested several different ones. CC found a set from Carter’s called Jungle Jill, that had a bright, almost African savannah-type feel to it. Although he thought his younger daughter was going to be more of a Hell-raiser than her sister, that set didn’t exactly strike Ash as being “the one” like the set he’d bought for Legacy had. His brother seemed a bit disappointed when he made a face and shook his head, but kept looking anyway.

Jake held up a set called the Kids Line Dena Happi Tree set, but like the one that’d caught the drummer’s eye, it was a bit too light and airy for his taste. Not only that, but it was insanely too girlie, and on top of being a bigger Hell-raiser than Legacy, he got the feeling that this little girl was going to be more of a tomboy, as well. Shrugging, the guitarist returned the set to the shelf and continued to browse with their little group, hoping he’d be able to settle on something, and soon.

It wasn’t long before he felt a tap on his shoulder as he was browsing, thinking this search was going to be futile, and turned to see his fiancé standing behind him. Andy showed him a set by the name of CoCaLo Taffy, and he couldn’t help the gasp he let out. The set was pretty girlie, what with all the pink and lime-green in it, but it was offset and given a bit of a tomboyish feel with the brown that was incorporated into it. There were other colors in it that added to the tomboyish effect, such as the varying shades of green and aqua blue, and despite how girlie it appeared, especially with all the flowers, he felt it was perfect. It seemed like just the right combination of girlie and tomboyish for his second daughter, and he fell in love with it.

“I can’t believe it,” Jake said, sounding surprised. “You actually found a set he liked.”

“I guess it was because I get the feeling that this little one’s gonna be a tomboy,” Andy told him, shrugging as he gently caressed his sweetheart’s belly.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” the bassist agreed, grinning. “Like that feeling I had that she was a girl, I just have that feeling. I had that kinda feeling when I was pregnant with Legacy and felt like she was gonna be a major girlie-girl.”

“Oh, really?” CC asked, curiously cocking a brow.

“Mmm hmm. And look at her now. She loves playing dress-up and trying to play with our makeup, and she just turned a year old,” he chuckled, nodding. “I think this little one’s gonna be more for making mud pies and climbing trees when she’s older, though.”

“Well, you were right about Legacy and this baby’s gender; I don’t see why you’d be wrong about her personality later,” his lover said, gently kissing him.

“Me either,” Jake, Jinxx, and CC agreed in unison.

“Let’s go find Mykenzy and grab a couple carts,” Ash suggested. “When I found the crib set for Legacy’s nursery, there was a shit-ton of other little things that filled up an entire cart.”

“You mean like the lamp on her dresser?” the guitarist asked.

“And that silly little singing chicken toy?” the drummer added.

“Yes, and yes,” he answered, laughing. “I filled up an entire cart with stuff from that set for her nursery, and that’s not including the sheets for both her bassinets.”

“Sheesh. Who would’ve thought there’s so much to decorate a nursery with?” the pair asked in unison, shaking their heads.

“I wouldn’t if I hadn’t gone through this once already,” the bassist chuckled.

“I still don’t, and I’m going through it now,” Andy said, sounding flabbergasted.

“It’s all right, my love. Mykenzy was an awesome help when she helped me find everything from the set I used in Legacy’s nursery,” he assured his lover. “I don’t see why she wouldn’t be now.”

The quintet headed up toward the front of the store, where the quickly found the employee they sought. She laughed merrily as she told them that, like the set he’d chosen for his older daughter’s nursery, there were several more things that went with the set he’d picked out this time around. They heard a chorus of groans from his fiancé, the guitarist, and the drummer, while he and the mutli-instrumentalist merely chuckled softly.

It was soon decided that Andy and Jinxx would go with Mykenzy to round up everything else that went with the crib set he’d picked out, while the rest of them decided to head over to browse through the cribs. He didn’t really like the crib shown with the bedding set, which was the same problem he’d had the last time around, and decided he wanted to pick a different one. It was still going to be a darker-finished wood like what was shown in the picture, though maybe not quite as dark, just as his older daughter’s crib had been white, although not the same one pictured with her bedding set.

He ended up finding a crib that was said to be in a coffee-finish, and like his older daughter’s crib, it was a convertible that could be used for many years to come. Not only could it be used as a toddler bed once the baby was old enough for one, it could be turned into a daybed and a full-sized bed as she aged. It also had a trundle drawer under it that could be used for extra storage, should they find later on that they needed such a thing this time around.

“So are we gonna try to find all-matching furniture like you did with the crib bedding?” Jake asked him curiously, working with CC to put the boxed crib in the cart.

“I’d prefer to do that so that everything looks right,” he answered, nodding. “I mean, if it’s not an exact match, I want it to be something close so that it appears to unless someone asks.”

“Sounds like a plan,” CC said, panting a bit. “So what all have we gotta look for?”

“Well, a changing table is one of the obvious things,” Ash told him with a “duh-huh-huh” tone. “I’d like to be able to have a rocker like I did in Legacy’s nursery, but that’s not a necessity. The only other thing I can think of off the top of my head would be a dresser for her clothes, once I start shopping for what I won’t just reuse of her sister’s.”

“So the list is actually pretty short?” the drummer asked.

“Yeah. I mean, the furniture in Legacy’s nursery consists of her crib, a double dresser since it’s shorter and she already likes to attempt independence, a taller four-drawer dresser, and a nightstand, since we don’t have to use the conversion kit and guardrail yet,” the bassist answered.

“And it all came from the same set, didn’t it?” the guitarist asked as he took over pushing the heavy cart.

“Well, except for the rocker in the corner,” he answered, nodding. “I had to get that from a different set since the Baby Caché Heritage set didn’t come with one.”

Nodding, the two accompanied him through the furniture, searching to see if there were any other matching furniture pieces before they tried picking out something that appeared to match. It wasn’t long before they’d found a matching two-door changing table and four-drawer dresser, as well as the conversion kit. However, if he wanted a second, shorter dresser that the baby could open on her own later in life and a rocker like he had in his older daughter’s nursery, they were going to have to find something that appeared to match.

Before they could finish their search for the furniture, Mykenzy found them and had Andy and Jinxx in tow. The multi-instrumentalist had some decals and wall art in his hands since they wouldn’t fit in the cart, which was stuffed almost to overflowing with other minor details. To keep the list short, there was a mobile, changing pad cover, lamp, and clothes hamper that matched the crib bedding, but the set didn’t end there. With a grin on his face, Ash wrapped his arms around his fiancé and pulled him down for a kiss, then hugged each of his brothers for helping them out.

Once they’d finally gotten everything that was necessary for the nursery, and a few things that weren’t so much, the guys were all relieved, but none more than Andy and CC. The former found he needed a cigarette, even though he knew he really should quit, while the latter’s hyperactivity was starting to make him bounce in place like a child anxious for a toy or ice cream.

All in all, their little excursion didn’t do too bad, and somehow he managed to talk Jake and Jinxx into helping him get started setting up the nursery while the other two burnt off some energy for a while. Considering that they’d managed to focus long enough to help pick this stuff out in the first place, the bassist didn’t mind if they ran off and found something to unwind with, so long as it was within reason and wouldn’t cause them to get arrested. Jake and Jinxx were proud of them and agreed, saying they didn’t mind helping him put the furniture together once they got it to his house. With those plans made, they all headed to said house to get everything unloaded and moved into the fourth bedroom, which would now be his younger daughter’s nursery.

Notes