ONESHOT
Angel Within Me
Lara had her back against the bathroom wall staring at the little plastic life ruiner. She squeezed it "Please be negative" she thought. She didn't hate kids or anything, but she wasn't sure if... Kurtis was ready for them and for sure that she and Kurtis had sex so many times, but this time... Looks like the life sucked.
After agonizing 5 min wait the tiny beeping gose off, she hesitently look down, she glare in bid bold letters it is flashing POSITIVE and then theres that stupid smiley face. She chuck it in the garbage and slump against the wall, "I'm not getting an abortion". Those were the first thoughts that came into her head, "I can do this with or without Kurtis" the voice in her head says to her, but deep inside she can feel her heart, Kurtis wouldnt want this baby, he was so cold sometimes, Lara wasn't sure if he could take care of her baby, he wasn't that type, but she felt that she has to try to speak with him.
Lara was sitting on the couch and looked once again over her father's journal, listtening to Zip's running sound of one of his many games. She sighed, closed the journal and she put it on the table, she lay on the couch and closed her eyes " Phew, I managed to avoid Kurtis all day", this thought made her sad, all her world crushed today, avoiding him, she wanted to cry and scream but she couldn't, she squeezed her eyes, a few tears made their way down on her delicate face, she loved him since the day she saw him. She sobed and curled in to a ball remembering all they've done togheter.
Voice: Why do you cry?
She heard a soft, sweet, yet strong feminine voice in her head, she oppened her eyes, but no one was there, she rose up and a strong feeling of naussea came, she ran to the closest bathroom, then she went to the kitchen and drank water, then she went to her room and took a bath.
She went to sleep, but she still wasn't fine, all the night she was at the bathroom, because of the sickness, it was growing stronger and stronger, she wished she colapse, but she couldn't.
Voice: Are you okay?
The same voice ran in her head, "I'm not... whoever you are..." she responded back this time.
Voice: Close your eyes...
Lara suddenly felt her eyelids heavier than normal, her legs were like the bublle gum, she felt on the ground and felt asleep, still wandering who was the angelic voice she heard in her head, was her...Angel?
The next morning she sat in the library, she knew Kurtis didn't liked the books, but Alistair did, her days became worser than always. She crouch down on the floor and colapsed her back on a bookshelf, she was thinking at the life who sat in her womb.
Alistair: Are you fine Lara?
Lara: Yes, why?
Alistair: You don't look okay, you seem confused...
She couldn't help it, she burst into tears and screamed like never before.
Alistair: Hey, are you okay?!
He jumped from his chair and sat next to Lara.
Voice: What? Why do you cry?! Tell me! Why don't you want to tell me?!
The sweet voice she heard, it was so calming, she stoped crying and crossed her arms around her belly, which was warmer than usual, probably a side effect of Lux Veritatis?
Lara: What will happen if I tell you?
Alistair: Nothing, I'm your friend.
Lara: Promise you won't tell him?
Alistair: Whoever is he, I promise I won't tell anyone!
Lara: Swear?
Alistair: I swear!
Lara bitted her lower lip and looked in her friend eyes.
Lara: I...
Kurtis: Lara, you screamed! What happened?!
Alistair left the room, leaving Lara and Kurtis alone, Kurtis kneeled next to Lara.
Lara: I just felt like it, it's okay!
Kurtis: No, is not, you have tears, he hurt you?
He asked weapping Lara's right check.
Lara: No, he didn't.
Kurtis: Please tell me what happened.
He looked at her whit his ocean eyes, like he was looking in her soul, he tillted his head on a side and looked at her, like a mother looks at her child, she realized that Kurtis wasn't like she thought, but she didn't want to admit it.
Lara: Nothing.
She stands up, but his hand grabs hers, she turned to face him. He does something unexpected, he wraped both his arms around her and he held her close, she loved the feeling of his body next to hers, she burry her face into his neck and cryed, his grip on her tightens as he whispers sofy and loveing twoards her.
Kurtis: Lara, this is killing me.
Lara: Kurtis, do you love me?
Kurtis: Ofcourse I love you , I tell you almost everyday and night. Now what is this about?
His eyes are so intence she has a hard time looking at him, they are almost burning.
Lara: K-Kurtis I-I'm pregnant.
She says the last part fast and squeezes her eyes shut. He's still for a moment and she can feel almost sobing when he takes her chin in his hand and force's her to look at him.
Kurtis: I'm going to be a father?
His expression emotionless, she nods and smiles.
Lara: We are going to be parents.
A smile definet on his lips, she smile back and nod he picks her up and spins her sround he then presses his lips to her, the kiss full of exitment, he puts her down and kiss's her again, his eyes go wide.
Kurtis: I'm going to tell them!
He then pecks her on the lips and runs down stairs, she can hear him yell "Hey guess what, im going to be a father!"and her friends comemts. She laughed and then smiled, he took the news better than she thought.
Voice: Was that hard?
"I don't know." Lara was responding to the voice, but the voice didn't respond back, never ever. She started to belive that it was an angel or something like that.
0000
Lara: Kurtis?
Kurtis: Hmm?
Lara: Kurtis? Wake up!
Kurtis: Hnnn…
Lara: I have a craving, she said, prodding him in the side.
Kurtis: Lara… it's one o'clock in the morning. You're hungry now? Didn't you eat an entire pizza on your own for dinner?
He asked in annoyance
Lara: It was a small pizza.
She said petulantly, turning on the light and sitting up.
Lara: You eat a half, so don't give me any lip. Your baby is hungry and he or she is craving a sandwich and a hot chocolate whit marshmallows.
Kurtis felt like placing a pillow over his head and ignoring her completely. Barely three months into the pregnancy, and already she was driving him mad. The past week had been nothing but cravings, and the last two nights had been cravings in the middle of the night. Tonight made three. He sat up reluctantly and pulled on his t-shirt over his bare and went down. All he did was to put something on him and go in the kitchen his pants, nearly dragging his feet. About thirty minutes later, he was sitting with her in bed, watching her eat with so much gusto that he was starting to get cravings. He made a face and had he not been so schooled at not giving away his thoughts, he would've maybe even gagged a little.
Kurtis: Tastes good?
Lara nodded and kept eating. She was finished in a matter of ten minutes, and she sat back, nearly glowing in pleasure, satisfied that her stomach was full.
Lara: Thank you so much, Kurtis, the baby and I thank you.
She touched her tummy, which was biger as the months pased, or this is what he thought. He puted a hand on her belly, the baby wasn't any bump yet.
He laid back down and turned on his side to try to get some more sleep. Lara sighed to herself and watched him for a moment. She didn't know why it bothered her that he was trying to get back to sleep, but it did. Her hormones had been all over the place for the past month, and sometimes—no—all the time, Kurtis was the one who took the brunt of her mood swings. She sighed and turned off the light before quietly getting off of the bed and walking out of their room and towards the one right next to theirs.
It was done, she could feel the love and the effort that was gone into the room. The walls were already painted a soft yellow, almost white with a pastel blue. The ceiling was a night sky and there were sponge stamps in the shape of moons and stars over it, Zip said that in this way the baby could experience the sleeping outside. Lara smiled to herself and took a seat next to the wooden cradle. The smell of paint was gone, and the carpet had been placed, all the nursery things and a rocking chair, a gift from Winston. She sat down and let out a sigh, wondering at how long babies took to be born. She knew that it was nine months, but she meant the time spent waiting and growing together. She was still freaked out, but the more time passed, the more Kurtis convinced her that they would be good parents.
She touched her tummy and she felt a bump, for the first time she felt her or him, she smiled.
Lara: Hey little one, you don't want to sleep? I do, I will be happy if so...
She moaned and in a short period of time she felt asleep.
Kurtis: Lara?
Lara: Hmmm...
Kurtis: Lara!
She oppened her eyes, the light hitting her.
Lara: I'm awake...
Kurtis: Let's go.
Lara: Where, I'm in my night dress, if there's no Karel or Natla, it's fine.
Kurtis: Let's go to those freakin lesons you put us to.
Lara: You. Are. Kidding. Me.
Kurtis: No, I'm not.
Lara: Shit.
Voice: You tell me...
0000
Lara: This is a load of crap. Why do we have to suffer through this? If you think about it, it's kinda humiliating!
Alex: I'm with the brat on this one, (said a certain grumpy archeologist). I've had to suffer through this thing every week for the past two months, and I haven't learned shit."
Jessy: Mind your language here.
Kurtis sighed, he wasn't comfortable either. He shifted uncomfortably when a few other expecting parents came over to introduce themselves.
Lara: Someone woke up whit the face to the pillow.
Lara said looking at Alex, amazed that he will have a child, she never thought at this.
Alex: Lara. I'm glad that you are here, lady archeologist.
They giggled.
The woman tried to keep her polite smile.
Cindy: Oh, well, it's certainly nice to meet you. I am Cindy and I am the new instructor. How long are you?
Lara patted her small bump.
Lara: Just three months, I and Kurtis decided to start learning all we need to know long before the baby is due.
Cindy: Well, that's a great start. Go ahead and grab a mat and take a seat. Daddy's-to-be, you will sit behind your partner as her support. Today we will go over the breathing exercises for the new parents and then we will watch a birthing video.
Cindy said before walking off to introduce herself to other pregnant parents.
Alex made a face.
Alex: Shit, I forgot that the other woman told us that we would be watching that fuckin' video today. I had started to wonder when she would pop. She was unnaturally inflated.
Jessy: She was having twins, Alex. Now hush up and let's take our places on the floor. I've wanted to watch that video since they told us about it."
Jessy said whit darkness in her voice.
Lara and Kurtis watched the other couple and did as the others did. After awkward introductions on her and Kurtis's part, and after a giggle fit when Jessy berated Alex for cursing in his intro, the class began. Lara watched in alarm as they were instructed to sit in bizarre positions and breathe in very strange techniques. How was that going to help? She didn't think she would be able to remember all of that when the labor came around. Hell, she had forgotten by the time the video of the woman in labor came around. She swallowed hard as she watched the woman struggle and the gruesome picture giving birth really was.
Kurtis: Gross...
He whispered.
Lara: This is so... grotesque.
Voice: You tell me...
Alex: Magical time, my ass.
Alex muttered from beside them.
Kurtis squeezed her hand in his when the baby finally popped out, and they both realized that they would probably have many, many nightmares after the whole experience. Lara realized that he was as freaked out as she, but hid it much better. she nearly yelled as they walked out of the class and made towards a restaurant nearby. Despite the horrifically disturbing birthing video, she and Jessy were hungry.
Lara: I'm supposed to go through all that?
Kurtis: I'm sure it will be okay.
Said Kurtis, not sounding at all convinced.
Lara: Speak for yourself, Kurtis! You won't be the one squeezing a watermelon through something this size!
She said, curling her thumb and pointer finger into a small space. She knew she was freaking out, but it was better to do it now, than when the labor would be upon her.
Kurtis: Lara...
Kurtis stopped her as Alex and Jessy walked into the restaurant to get a table and to give them a private moment.
Kurtis: You will see that in the end it won't matter. We will have our baby and the labor will be a distant memory. She knew that he was trying to be supportive and comforting, but she didn't give a rat's ass. The woman in the video had suffered like nothing in the world, not even falling off of Dao Chao and breaking her leg in different places had looked as painful.
Lara: Fine... But… you… get diaper duties when the baby is born.
Kurtis sighed to himself and decided to put this conversation in the back of his mind for now. Distantly, he realized that Karel would've been cackling at the situation he found himself in now and would be for the next twenty years or so.
0000
Lara: How do you think we should name him or her?
She said lookin at the celling.
Kurtis: I don't know...
Lara: How about... Caius?
Kurtis: What if is a girll?
Lara: What about... Serah?
Kurtis: Umm... No, I like Kiera, sounds more original.
Lara: Ok, if is a she, she'll be Kiera. What if...
Kurtis: It'll be Caius and no more.
Lara: Okay don't push yourself!
Kurtis: Sorry...
He puted his hand on her big belly, there were six months gone. It was incredible how he or she bumped when no one was talking, and when he was talking the baby stoped bumping, probably the baby was listenning to him.
0000
Lara: Kurtis?
Kurtis: Hmm...
Lara: Do you think I'm still pretty?
Kurtis: What?
He asked sleepy.
Lara: I'm huge, It's been days since we last made love.
She said whit watery words and snifing in the end.
Kurtis turned to face her. She was nearly in a sitting position because of the various pillows trying to make her comfortable now that she was close to her due date. He sat up next to her and refrained from making a comment that it was nearly three in the morning this time. He took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
Kurtis: I think that no matter what, you will always be beautiful. We haven't made love because you've been more tired than usual. And that's okay, it's almost time for the baby to come. You should get all the rest you can.
Lara nodded, but couldn't stop the sniffle she felt coming. Kurtis leaned forward and kissed her gently, taking extra care with her. Of course he still found her beautiful. She could've been covered in mud and he still would've wanted her, but he had been worried that any type of that… contact would affect the baby, despite the reassurances of the doctor that it wouldn't. He had been itching to touch Lara for a few days now, but had refrained; he just hadn't known that she would react this way because he hadn't made a move. She gasped and pulled away from him.
Lara: Either that was one hell of a kiss or my water just broke.
She said whit wide eyes.
Kurtis looked at her in surprise and then realized that the bed was indeed soaked through where she sat.
Kurtis: Are you in pain?
He asked quickly, sitting up straighter.
Lara: A little. Jessy said that it can take a while after the water breaks.
She looked at Kurtis and felt her heart skip a beat when he kissed her again.
Lara: Kurtis, we are having a baby.
She murmured.
Kurtis stood and quickly dressed, grabbing a few articles of clothing for her, including a dress she had had ready for this occasion, her coat and shoes, and the baby bag
Kurtis: We can go now, right?
Lara shook her head when she realized how far apart her contractions were. She was unnaturally calm for a first mother, and she knew it, but her mother had taught her to endure pain, and right now it wasn't so bad.
Lara: Let's wait for a little bit, and then we'll go. Just help me up so that I can change, okay?
Kurtis did as she requested and felt his knees shake a little. Everything he had lived, everything he had done paled in comparison to this moment. He was going to be a father. Lara was going to be the mother of his child. He could've never hoped for anything as amazing and pure as this.
0000
Lara held back a scream as her contractions began to come closer and closer. Gone was her control and her calm. All she could think about was the pain and how much she hated Kurtis and every other man who decided to poke his head into her hospital room. Jessy and Anaya were sitting with her, holding her hand and giving her encouraging words as they tried to help her breathe during the contractions.
Lara: I'm going to castrate Kurtis so that he never does this to me again!
She exclamed.
Jessie: I had the same thoughts on Alex. But the end result is what matters.
Jessie said as she wiped the sweat from Lara's forehead with a damp cloth and she assured her friend.
There was a knock at the door and the doctor walked in to check on Lara once more. She had been by almost an hour before, and Lara was ready to murder someone if she had to wait another hour.
The doctor: Okay Mylady Croft, I think we're just about ready to get that baby out.
The doctor smiled.
The doctor had a nurse help her sit up and Jessie and Anaya walked out to let Kurtis in. It took about another thirty minutes with the pushing and the heaving and the cursing Kurtis to the deepest pits of hell, but despite the excruciating pain, Jessie was right, the end result was what mattered.
Kurtis kissed her just he heard the cry of their baby once the doctor had him out. He had held Lara's hand and endured her cursing, but he said nothing and only wondered at the type of pain she was feeling.
The doctor: Congratulations! Its a girl!
The doctor said brightly.
Then she moved over and handed Kurtis a tightly wrapped bundle that was covered in white goop and red all over, and he stared into tiny dark brown eyes as the baby cried loudly, squirming. There was nothing like holding such a small but separate piece of himself for the first time. In that moment, it was very clear that his life would never be the same.
Aside from the shock of dark brown hair, and the dark brown eyes, the baby would most likely look like a feminine version of him. Kurtis smirked and handed him over to his Lara watching her as she looked at the girl and began to cry.
Lara: Hello, my little Kiera.
She said, voice cracking. She pressed a kiss to her tiny nose and smiled when her mouth opened wide.
The nurse: Oh, I think she's hungry. Let's get you both cleaned up and then we'll take her to your room so that she can eat.
She nodded and looked at Kurtis tiredly, still listening to the amazing lungs her daughter had.
Lara: I'm sorry for cussing you out.
She said with a faint, tired smile.
Kurtis just took her hand in his and kissed her gently once more.
Kurtis: As long as you didn't cause me any bodily harm, we're both okay
He said whit a proud look.
EPILOUGE
Kiera grew, she was spending her time mostly with her father, training or playing whit him, she sometimes went to her mother and listened to her adventure stories, sometimes she was annoying Alistair by throwing the books on the floor, or she went to Zip and looked how he was palying when she was older she played whit him on the computer, she was alone sometimes in her room where none dare, besides Kurtis, to enter.
She was remembering this happy as she looked behind her to see her childhood friend.
Nick: Miss Croft.
Kiera: So, we meet again West.
A soft, sweet, yet strong feminine voice rang through Nick's ears and made all his blonde hair shiver.
The End