116: Emotional (Elena, Ben, Marie)

(warning: If you are reading this in order starting at 1 and going on at the blog... skip this one! It's CHAPTER 116!)

adult language

Elena

I wait a few weeks to be sure before I even think of telling John. I don't want to get his hopes up. I can't believe it happened so quickly! I thought this was supposed to be harder when you got older. Seems to me we only just barely got started trying.

Positive. It's positive. I'm pregnant. Again.

What will the kids think?

Shoot, I'm almost old enough to be a grandmother .... Take your time, Xavier, since Marie doesn't really count as far as age goes... and I'm having another baby.

Oh, please be a girl!

"Babe? You in there?" I hear John say through the door.

"Um, yeah, one sec." I say back to him and hate how my voice sounds shaky.

"Everything okay?"

John doesn't miss a thing, does he? I'll bet he won't even be surprised when I tell him. The way I've been running to the bathroom every five minutes it seems, he couldn't have failed to notice.

"Um, yeah." I say as I open the door.

His green eyes immediately assess the scene, and he looks like he's dying to find out what's really going on. However, he won't ask because he doesn't want to pry ... even if he really does. The intensity of his gaze makes my knees shake a little and I have to force myself to pull it together.

You just had to marry a secret agent, didn't you?

"I'm starting to get a little concerned is all. You're spending alot of time in the bathroom lately." he says in that fabulous bass voice of his. I have this sudden urge to pounce on him. Why does he have to lean on the wall in just that way? Does he even know how hot he looks right now?

"Oh, um, yeah." Lame, Elena. Really stupid. You're letting yourself get distracted! Why not just go ahead and tell him since there's no possible way you can keep it from him anymore?

"Is there a reason for that?" he asks with his eyebrows raised.

"Um, yeah." I answer lamely again and look anywhere but at his probing eyes.

"Are you?!" he suddenly asks, bolting over to me.

I can't help it now. I lift up my gaze to his. He looks like he's desperately trying to read me. I nod my head a fraction of a degree.

He makes this little 'ha' sound and suddenly starts passionately kissing me. I feel a little overwhelmed even considering my recent pouncing urge. I also feel a little sick. Dizzy. Oh no.

I fly out of his arms and race back into the bathroom.

Well great. John kisses me and I go throw up.

"Sorry." I say as he wipes my face with a cold washcloth. "I don't know why I'm so sick this time. Honestly, that wasn't meant as a reaction to you kissing me."

He laughs his beautiful laugh and kisses my forehead.

"Well," he says, "you know they say sometimes the sicker you are the better the baby is."

"Good for the baby then but I feel like crap." And oh, I like hearing your voice say the word 'baby' again. "I think I want to go lie down for a while. At least I don't have to work."

After lying on the bed for a few minutes, I notice John's fidgeting.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Um, speaking of work..."

"Uh oh."

"Hugh called and said he needed me for .... something."

Figures. At every important part of our life you're down at that fucking station!

"Fine. Go." I say in a tone that makes it obvious I do not think it's fine.

"Elena, baby, please don't be mad. It's probably..."

He stops when I hold up my hand. "No. You go ahead. I'll just be here at home by myself, sick as a dog. And no offense to Duchess."

"You're not alone. Marie is here some-"

"No. She went house hunting with that Dawson boy. I'm alone."

"Xavier will be home in a few hours..."

"Oh, so you leave me in the care of our fifteen-year-old son?"

"Elena..." he growls my name. "You sure are pregnant with that whining."

"Whining! I'm not whining!"

"And that temper..."

"Temper! I'll show you temper! You leave me all the time! Go! Go to your station even though you're retired! Don't worry about me! I'll just be here sick. But no! You go!"

"Nope. Now I'm staying. I know that voice. Hugh will just have to do without me today." He gets in the bed next to me.

"John, just go. Now I feel guilty I'm making you stay if he needs your help."

He reaches past me, picks up the phone, and tells Hugh he can't make it today but maybe tomorrow.

"Do you ever listen to me?" I complain.

"Yes. I am right now. You're not really telling me to go. You're telling me to stay. If I go today I'll be coming back to one very angry wife tonight, and it's not worth that."

"Now I'm telling you to go."

"Nope." He kisses the tip of my nose. "I'm staying right here."

I can't help it, but I feel better. John wraps me in his arms and I immediately fall asleep.

Ben

"Shut up, Ben! I did not!" Sarah yells to me on the playground as the unseasonably hot sun beats down on us. Thankfully, there's a strong breeze. It was this breeze that blew something into her eye.

"Oh yes, you did." I say back to her. I like Sarah. I think she's cute. She's the prettiest girl in class and if the other boys are too stupid to chase her that's fine with me.

"I had something in my eye, you dweeb! I was not winking at you!" A sudden gust of wind blows some of her hair into her face, and she irritatedly tries to tuck it behind her ear. It doesn't stay there long before the wind catches it again.

"I'll pretend that's what happened if you want, but between you and me, I don't believe it for a second." I grin at her as she makes an aggravated sound, clenches her fists, and stomps her foot. Yeah, I know she had something in her eye, but I'd be dumb not to make something of it.

"Benjamin Turner, you are, without a doubt, the most irritating boy on Earth!"

"Aw, I didn't know you cared, Sarah." This is fun! I think as I reach up to brush her hair out of her face, grinning the whole time.

"Stop grinning at me!" she says as she bats my hand away and tries again to get control of her hair herself.

I attempt to stop grinning and fail. "I can't." I say and laugh.

The bell rings and recess is over. The whole rest of the day, I practice my spitball technique on the back of her head. I don't think she really appreciates my art. Huh, critic.

Marie

Dawson looks at me like he's really getting fed up. "Marie, you haven't liked anything we've looked at today. This town isn't that big, you know."

"I know. I don't know why I don't like anything. Maybe today just isn't my day." I say quietly.

"I just want you to like whatever house I get. I wish I could afford a palace, but..."

"I don't want a palace, Dawson, just get a house because you like it."

"But... I want you to ... You know ... Just in case we .... You know." he stammers.

I have to laugh a little. "Just in case what, exactly?" I ask, knowing what he means but enjoying torturing him all the same.

"You know..." he growls a little and pulls me to him.

I look at him with false confusion and ask, "I do?"

"Exactly" he says and smiles. "I'll just pick one. Don't be upset with my choice, okay? You had a chance to have a say."

"Can always move later, you know." I point out.

He groans. "Let's go get something to eat."

At the restaurant, someone I never in my life expected to see again walks up.

"Dawson?" she asks and we both turn to her with shocked expressions.

"Cristina?" Dawson asks, wide-eyed.

I watch him closely as his face starts to light up, mirroring hers.

Click here to go to Chapter 117