A/N: My last submission for Jily Week! I'm going to miss it. Hope you enjoy this, its a tad more serious than the others I've written. (:

"You sure you want to do this on your own? You don't have to you know? There are so many options..."

"Yes. Yes. I know James. We could hire someone, we could use a charm, you could help me. We've been through this. I WANT to do this alone. Everything is so out of control right now, I just need to be in control of something. I need to be able to do this." Lily let out an exasperated sigh. "Do you understand James?" she asked, staring at his lean back imploringly.

James taped the last newspaper to the floor, and turned to meet his wife's gaze. "I get it. I totally do. Shhh." James hushed her, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I just don't want you under any strain. You, or the baby." He rested a palm against Lily's round belly.

Lily looked up at James, stroking his cheek lightly. "I'll be careful alright? And I'll call if I need anything."

James nodded. "I'll make some sandwiches and bring them up in a while." He winked at his wife before departing for the kitchen.

He stood at the kitchen counter, slicing tomatoes, allowing the rhythmic sound of the knife hitting the board to calm him, while he pondered on Lily's words. "Everything is so, out of control right now, I just need to be in control of something". James sighed and placed the knife down. He propped his elbows against the counter and let his head drop into his hands. She was right. A baby was the last thing they needed right now. People - friends - were dying by the day, and here they were, preparing to bring a baby into this awful,awful world. James was scared, and there were times when he just wanted to huddle in a corner and stay there for a very long time, without having to carry all this responsibility on his shoulders. He sighed and resumed chopping. But he couldn't. Lily, if no one else, needed him. All the fear that was threatening to overwhelm him must be encompassing her as well. She was under so much pressure, what with a baby on the way, and a war raging behind their closed doors. James wished that he could take her in his arms, and hold her close, kissing her and murmuring in her ear that everything was going to be fine, they'll all be alright. He couldn't do that. Not any more. Things were far too harsh to believe that everything would be peachy again. But, James resolved, no matter what, he would do his very best to shield Lily from it all. He would keep her and the baby safe.

He levitated the sandwiches up the stairs, his other hand holding a large pitcher of orange juice. He pushed open the door of the baby's room using his shoulder, backing in slowly. He placed the tray and jug down on a small table and whirled around to peruse Lily's painting. He furrowed his eyebrows as the sight didn't quite match up with what he had pictured. There was a line of paint, and next to it, a splash of purple, resembling a thrown paintbrush. James' line of sight traveled down the wall to the floor. Sure enough, a paintbrush lay discarded there, dripping purple paint onto the newspapers. A wizard in the photo winced every time a drop of paint blobbed onto his nose. Lily stood, her back to James, and shoulders slumped in defeat. "Lily?" James called tentatively.

She spun around to reveal a tear stained face "Oh Lil." James moved towards Lily, cupping her face and brushing away the tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. "Come on, love. What's wrong?"

Lily squeezed out more tears. "It's wrong. It's all wrong James." She leaned her forehead against James' chest, trying to collect herself. James ran a soothing hand down her back.

"Are you talking about the colour?" he asked, tilting her chin up to look her in the eye. She nodded. "Not just that though. I'm so scared James! I don't know what I'm doing? I'm not ready to have this baby. How can I possibly raise a child? I can't even paint a room! I have so many questions to ask, and I have no one to talk to. Mom's gone, so is yours, Alice is just as frightened, and I have nobody."

"You have me, Lil. Talk to me."

"But." Lily choked back a sob. "You don't understand. You're so brave. You're not scared, like me."

Suddenly, James understood. He knew now how to help Lily. She didn't need someone to protect her and mollycoddle her. She just needed him. She needed James to stand by her side and let her know that she wasn't alone.

He smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Why are you smiling?" she demanded. "Do you find my state of distress amusing?"

"I'm terrified Lily." he said, meeting her gaze.

"You're scared?" she asked.

"Positively petrified." he replied.

"Oh thank Merlin!" exclaimed Lily, relief flooding over him as she realised that he understood how she was feeling.

"We can do this Lily. Together. We'll raise this baby to be a happy, healthy, loved child. And we'll be amazing parents. Don't you worry."

"We will be pretty amazing yeah? Once we get the hang of it?" Lily felt her heart soar as she let James' words console her.

"Obviously. We're so much fun! We're going to be rad parents, and we'll embarrass our kid so much, but we'll love him -or her- just as much too."

Lily sighed, and wrapped her arms around James' waist. He could feel her smile against the fabric of his t-shirt.

"Everything's fine Lily. We're all going to be alright. Everything will be 'll be a happy family." he murmured against her hair. And in that moment, he wasn't even lying.

A/N: This draws my Jily Week to a close! Thank you all for reading, its been great! x

-Anj.

Go check out my Jily Multichap AU, Always The Accidents, I hope you guys like it! (: