A/N: In the wake of last nights heartbreaking (imo) episode, I bring you 1) SOS's follow-up, and this future-fic. I started writing it the other night…Its just some drabbles that I couldn't help but write. I had so much fun doing it, too.
An Angel Lives In Brooklyn
Aria clung tightly to Ezra's hand as they stepped through the doorway of the Montgomery home. It had been years since she'd been there. The four years she spent at Hollis were also spent living in a tiny-but-slightly-larger apartment than the one Ezra had lived in for the two years she was in high school. Her graduation had only come up six months earlier, and was quickly followed by her wedding that he had been planning for three years.
She felt nervous as she walked towards the sittingroom. Memories of the last time they had come to her parents with news washed over her. Telling them about their relationship had nearly ended it. With all the restrictions they were given, they nearly fell apart. It had only been after 'A' had held a knife to her throat and left her rather beat up, that her parents had come around. It had taken her waking up screaming three nights in a row, and falling asleep on Ezra's couch one afternoon when she'd snuck over Hollis for them to realize she needed him.
Slowly, they had come around. Not with their own set of rules, though. Most of her senior year dates with Ezra were spent on the couch in the Montgomery home. Any comment even remotely phrased to sound sexual was scolded, and they were yelled at more than once for making out.
Even so, they had found time to sneak around and meet up away from the house, if only just to make out or nap together while an old movie played on the TV.
Graduation had brought very little, beyond Aria's last night in the Montgomery home. The first day of summer, she had packed her bags and moved into she and Ezra's apartment.
Of course, they had fights that ensued. There were nights when he slept on the couch, and nights that she went to her parents to get away.
Just after their wedding, though, Ezra had recieved a job offer from NYU. They had jumped at the chance, as it offered more money for less hours, and would be enough for Aria to work full-time on her writing. She'd been published multiple times in college, but had only just finished her first novel just hours before walking down the aisle to get married.
"Aria! Ezra! It's so good to see you!"
Aria smiled at her mother and welcomed her hug. She looked up nervously at Ezra as he hugged Bryon; a sight Aria had thought at one time she would never see. She parted with her mother a moment later and then hugged her dad while Ella and Ezra hugged.
"It's good to see you too, mom. Dad." Aria said cheerfully. Once contact had disconnected with her father, her hand automatically reached for Ezra's again. It was second nature.
"Look at them, Byron. Together six years, and they still walk around like they've just met."
Byron nodded as he walked towards the kitchen. "I know, I'm still waiting for that stage to wear off," he laughed.
Ezra chuckled.
"Can I get you two anything to drink," Ella asked. "Spritzer? Scotch?"
"I'll just take a water, thanks," Aria said softly.
Ella nodded. "Ezra?"
"Same," he replied with a nod.
Ella exited the room. He tilted his head towards Aria and kissed her temple.
"Take a deep breath. You're married and you live in New York now. They can't kill you."
Aria chuckled nervously. "Somehow I doubt that."
Ella walked back into the room a moment later with two glasses of water.
"Please, sit," she said as she gestured to the couch.
Aria looked back up at Ezra. He just chuckled as she gripped his hand tighter. He walked over to the couch and pulled her with him. He sat down and she sat down next to him or the far end of the couch. She draped her legs across his, crossing one over the other as she kicked off her shoes.
"Aren't you a bit warm in that sweater, Aria?"
She looked up at her mom and shrugged. "I'm okay."
Ezra rubbed his hand up and down her back as Ella handed them their glasses. Aria took a large gulp, hoping it would quell her wracking nerves.
"Where's Mike?"
Ella looked up at the clock hanging over the walkway between the kitchen and sittingroom. "In class. He should be here around five."
Aria nodded, taking more gulps from her glass of water.
Ezra shook his head at her, unable to contain his laughter. "You want to take a deep breath, babe? This isn't rocket science."
"Is something wrong?" Ella asked. "I know you two said you had something to tell us. Oh no, one of you isn't sick, are you?"
Ezra shook his head. "Not at all."
Aria extended her glass toward her mother, empty. "Can I have some more?"
"Sure," Ella drawled. She was suspicious. She turned to leave the room and Aria swung her legs off of Ezra's. She stood up and began to pace.
Ezra placed his glass on the table and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders to stop her from moving.
"Stop. Breathe."
"My parents are going to kill me. Damn it, I am hot," Aria whined. She began to unzip her sweater. Slowly but surely, a small bump was revealed under Ezra's baggy sweater that she had snatched that morning. It wasn't huge, but it was enough of a bump, especially against her form-fitting t-shirt, to give it away.
Aria tossed her sweater over to the couch and huffed, resting her head against Ezra's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.
"I swear, your parents won't kill you," he promised.
Aria looked up at him. "Will you still love me when I'm fat?"
Ezra laughed, tears forming in his eyes. "Aria you will never be fat. And I will love you even if you gain five hundred pounds and never leave the house again. Nothing will ever change that."
Ella walked back into the room with Byron following closely behind her.
"Would you like to explain what's wrong," Ella asked. "Before Aria has a panic attack?"
Aria popped her head around Ezra's arm and looked up at her parents. "Sorry."
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
Aria shook her head, releasing Ezra from her arms. He turned around and faced her parents with her. Ella and Byron didn't move.
"Well?"
Aria looked up at Ezra. He grabbed her hand and rubbed her forearm gently.
"Aria and I wanted to come to down to tell you-"
"I'm pregnant," she blurted out.
Byron's jaw dropped. Ella's eyes went wide, and a moment later, she was hugging Aria tightly.
"Already," she asked cheerfully.
"Congratulations," Byron said when he had gathered his thoughts.
Tears began to run down Aria's face as her mother pulled away.
"So you aren't angry?"
Ella pulled away a moment later, placing her hands on Aria's shoulders. "How could we be angry! We hoped you'd come home with news soon! We've seen you two together for almost five years. I think it feels right."
Byron nodded, walking over to Ezra. He patted his shoulder and shook his hand firmly. "You're naming him Byron, right?"
Aria laughed, placing a hand on her stomach. "We're naming her Elliana Milano Montgomery-Fitz. Oh-"
She bent forward slightly and a pained expression crossed her face.
"Kidney shot," Ezra asked as he rested a hand between her shoulders.
"Nope," Aria murmured breathily. "Ribs. Right under my lungs." She stood up straighter a moment later, rubbing the spot where she'd been kicked.
"How far along are you," Ella asked, once again suspicious.
"Five months," Aria replied tentatively.
"Why did you wait so long to come home and tell us?" Ella asked incredulously.
Aria shrugged, a fearful look on her face. "Well first we wanted to make sure it past the three month mark, so we didn't say anything too soon. And then after that, I was just...scared. I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you'd be mad."
"What changed?" Byron questioned.
"The baby demanded more room," Ezra said humorously.
"Couldn't really hide it after that," Aria replied. "Elliot took one look at me the other night when he showed up for dinner and asked when I was due." She blushed.
"Elliot?"
"My brother," Ezra explained. "We had dinner with him and his wife."
"Do YOUR parents know yet," Byron asked.
"I'm sure they knew the minute Elliot did," Ezra replied. "He probably texted them right after he made Aria cry."
"For what?" Ella asked as Aria moved her mother's hand on her stomach to where the baby was kicking.
"I'm huge!" Aria squealed. "How else could he have known?"
"Honey, some people just see it," Ella told her. "You're not huge. In fact, you look healthy for someone late in their second trimester."
"And she is NOT using healthy as a different term for fat," Ezra insisted. "Healthy means you look good."
"Yes," Ella agreed.
"So you're really not mad," Aria asked.
"Sweetie, I only wish you had told us sooner." Ella said. "No. We're not mad."
-
she can pin her wings so they fit under her jacket
a little bit of gold peaking out from where her hat sits
-
Aria yawned as she pushed the stroller in front of her. Elliana was tucked in tightly under her blankets, snoozing.
"I wish Ezra was here," she said softly.
Ella frowned. "Sweetie, he had to get back to work for finals."
Aria nodded, reaching down into the stroller to adjust the visor so that the sun didn't wake Elliana.
"I know. Its just hard. I don't want him to miss a single moment. I can't believe she's already been here for eight weeks."
"I can't believe my daughter has a daughter of her own," Ella said happily.
Aria parked the stroller in front of a bench and sat down. She adjusted the blankets around Elianna and then pulled her out of the buggy, gently settling her daughter in her arms. She brushed the knuckle of her index finger against Elli's face and leaned down, kissing her forehead.
"You've got nothing to worry about," Ella told her.
Aria looked up at her mother. "Hmm?"
"You'll do just fine being a mother, Aria. I can see it already. You've got nothing to worry about."
Aria chuckled. "Like worrying about her sleeping with her teacher?"
"Well, you know all the signs, don't you," Ella laughed.
Aria smiled, looking back down at Elli. She was a perfect mix of she and Ezra. Her hair was as dark as theirs. She had Ezra's piercing blue eyes, and Aria's nose and face frame. It was undeniable, though, even from birth. She looked just like Ezra.
"God, Elli, you're so beautiful, and you don't even know it," she murmured. Staring at her daughter made her miss her husband that much more.
"Just as beautiful as her mother," came a breathy voice in her ear.
Aria's eyes went wide and she turned around, smiling at the sight of Ezra. "I thought you were gone until the end of the week!"
Ezra shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "A colleague agreed to cover the rest of my classes. I wanted to see my girls, so I left first thing this morning."
Aria passed off Elliana to her mother and charged around the side of the bench. She wrapped her arms tightly around Ezra's neck, and kissed him.
Ella laughed, playing with one of Elli's hands as he gripped Ella's pinky in her sleep. "You two reallyhave to get past this whole newlywed stage already. Its sickening. Even Elli thins so."
Aria turned her head towards her mother as Ezra pulled her body flush against his, sucking on the side of her neck. "Afraid that's not going to happen, mom." Aria blushed as Ezra whispered something in her ear.
"I really have no whim to know what you two are discussing doing in bed tonight," Ella said without even turning around. "Will you be sticking around much longer?"
"My mom just flew into New York last night. She's dying to see Elli. I told her we'd try and get back before tonight."
Ezra walked back around the bench with Aria and sat down. He pulled Aria down into his lap, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders as Ella laid Elli into his arms.
"Hi baby girl," he said softly. Elli opened her eyes and yawned, squirming a bit in her blankets. "I missed you somuch."
Aria rested her head against Ezra's, curling a finger around Elli's right hand. "We missed you too, daddy, didn't we?"
Ezra smiled. He lifted his head up and kissed Aria's cheek. "Love you."
Aria placed her hand under his chin and tilted his head up, kissing him. "I love you too."