Rating: M mostly for mature, thematic content, adult language and some moderate, not overly explicit sexual content-just to be safe.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Roxie and Amos, I just borrowed them to indulge my imagination. ;)
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This little story is just a continuation of "Luck of the Irish". It's something that popped into my head a while back when I had too much time at my hands (which doesn't happen very often). ;) Hope you enjoy it!
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Chapter One
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"Congratulations, Annie, you and Amos are gonna have yourselves a baby." Old Doctor Muller's words, spoken in his droll German accent, were replaying over and over in her mind as she walked down the busy sidewalk.
It was early May and the beautiful weather seemed to have drawn the entire Southside into the streets; but the pretty redhead took no notice of the bustling activity around her. A baby. She and Amos were going to have a baby.
Annie Hart could barely contain her excitement. She had been suspecting it for a while now, but not wanting to give Amos any false hope, she had kept quiet. But now that it was confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt, she couldn't wait to fill him in on the wonderful news.
Tenderly, she let her hand come to rest on her stomach, feeling the subtle swell there. It would almost be another five months until the new arrival Dr. Muller had said.
It was hard for her to believe that already five months had passed since their wedding. A remembering smile curved Annie's lips. How could she ever forget the day Amos had gone to ask her father's blessings? Poor Amos had been a nervous wreck that entire Sunday. When he had finally stood in the living room of the Sullivan residence, it had taken all her self-restraint to keep a straight face as her husband-to-be was nervously stumbling through his so carefully prepared speech. Apparently, her father had found it just as amusing; as soon as Amos had finished the last word, he had burst out laughing—much to Amos' chagrin. In the end, however, he had placed a fatherly hand on Amos' shoulder and welcomed him into the Sullivan family.
The actual wedding had been most memorable. Due to the fact that Amos had been married before, they both had resigned themselves to the idea that their wedding would not take place at their church. It was something, their Catholic faith prohibited. What a wonderful surprise it had been when Father Mulroney had pulled them aside one Sunday morning after mass and told them with a wink that sometimes, rules existed, only to be broken.
The actual wedding had taken place on a bitter cold New Year's Day with a host of friends and family in attendance. Under Mrs. Sullivan and Mrs. Hart's expert leadership, a group of ladies had assembled the most delightful wedding feast, complete with cake. And just when they thought that things couldn't get any better, Kieran Tully, Amos' employer, had presented them both with another surprise; an envelope, containing two-hundred dollars, and a note, forgiving Amos the remainder of the money he still owed his co-workers for his ex-wife Roxie's defense lawyer. Seeing the tears shimmer in her new husband's eyes had been enough to bring tears to her own.
It had truly been a day that would stand out in Annie's memories for the rest of her life.
Before she realized it, she suddenly found herself at the intersection of Cicero and W 99th Street. More than anything, she wanted to go down to Tully's garage and tell Amos the good news, but after quickly thinking it over, she resisted the urge. As much as she liked all of his co-workers, she preferred to surprise him in the more private setting of their home. Yes, she decided, she would cook him his favorite meal of poundies, cabbage and bangers tonight and divulge the good news then. With that, she turned down Cicero to pay O'Connor's grocery a visit.
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Standing on the threshold to his flat, Amos whistled some obscure tune as his fingers fished for the key in his pants' pocket. The delicious smell of bangers sizzling in bacon fat wafted through the hall, tickling his nostrils.
Amos raised his head and sniffed the air. He smiled to himself as he inserted the key into the lock; there was nothing better than coming home to Annie at night, coming home to a hot meal, coming home to her love and warmth. To him, there had never been anyone like her; soft and generous and passionate, yet filled with a womanly strength that completed him perfectly.
The enticing aroma of bacon and sausages enveloped him the instant the door swung open. Amos allowed himself a moment to savor the warmth. It was amazing how Annie's presence had transformed his once so cold and lonely flat into the warm and inviting place he couldn't wait to get home to every night. Yes, evening had definitely become his favorite time of day.
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Back in the kitchen, Annie had heard the clicking of the lock. She turned to the sink to quickly check her appearance in the small mirror mounted above it. Hastily, she tucked a few stray curls back in place that had come undone from her casual updo.
Moments later, Amos' heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway. Annie turned to throw him a welcoming smile as he walked into the kitchen.
"You're just in time, dinner's about ready."
Amos inhaled deeply. "Boy, it sure smells good." He set his empty lunch pail onto the kitchen table and then removed his cap. The sight of Annie humming a melody as she stirred something in a simmering pot on the cooktop, brought a smile to his face.
With few steps, he had crossed the kitchen to where she was standing.
"I missed you, honey." He tenderly cupped her face with his big hands and dipped his head to drop a loving kiss onto her soft lips. His expressive green eyes lingered on hers for a beat or two and he could see the love shining in their emerald depths. It filled his heart with indescribable warmth.
"I missed you, too," she said softly as he gathered her into his arms. Yes, she had truly missed him; they were not just words, simply spoken out of habit. Annie loved every moment with Amos. She loved his kindness and dedication; she loved the way he looked at her, the way he smiled, the way he made her feel. She loved everything about her Amos—even the fact that he could be a little slow at times.
With her head against his chest, Annie reveled in his by now so familiar scent; he smelled faintly of axle grease and gasoline, mixed with the heady musk of sweat and Barbasol aftershave. She loved the smell of him-although some people would have probably argued that gasoline and axle grease could hardly be considered "good-smelling".
Amos smiled down at her and then nodded towards the stove. "So. What's the occasion?"
Annie regarded him innocently, not ready to reveal her secret just yet. "Does there have to be an occasion?" She moved out of his embrace to turn her attention back to the skillet on the enameled cast-iron cook stove. Skillfully, she quickly turned the sausages over before they browned too much. She cast him a quick glance over her shoulder.
"If I'd a told you that I loved you, would that be reason enough?"
Amos smiled at that, but figured her query to be of a purely rhetorical nature, not requiring a reply. He watched as Annie lifted the lid off one of the pots to check on its contents.
"Hmmm, poundies," he said delighted. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "I love poundies," he murmured against her cheek as he peered over her shoulder at the pot with steaming, mashed potatoes. He pointed at another pot, sitting on the rear burner. "What's in that one?"
Annie lifted the lid for him to see. Immediately, a cloud of steam rose from the pot, carrying with it the wonderful aroma of Irish bacon and cabbage.
Amos inhaled deeply and then sighed happily. He brushed a tender kiss against her cheek. "Bangers, poundies an' cabbage?" he wondered, putting an emphasis on the word 'and'. "Are you still tryin' to tell me there ain't no reason?"
She turned in his embrace to meet his inquiring gaze, Her mouth twitched as she worked hard to keep her expression from giving away the joy and excitement she felt. No, she wasn't going make it that easy for him; she wanted to have a little fun with him first. Her brows narrowed and her hands moved to her hips, feigning annoyance.
"Amos Hart, are you suggesting that I'm keepin' something from you?" she asked with mock indignation.
Apparently, Amos failed to notice the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Immediately, he took a step back to raise his hands in an appeasing manner.
"Oh, sweetheart, no—no," he hastily apologized, "I ain't sayin' that at all…."
"—because if you do," Annie went on to say, undeterred, "you're absolutely right." She paused briefly and then added slyly, "daddy."
Now Amos looked at her, clearly confused.
"I am?"
Annie smiled excited.
"Yes, you are."
Amos scratched his forehead.
"You mean, I'm right?" he asked, uncertain.
Annie sighed at his obvious lack of perceptiveness.
"Yes, that too," she confirmed patiently.
For a moment, Amos said nothing more, instead dwelling on her words, trying to make sense of them, but then suddenly, he realized something else. He raised one finger in front of him and his gaze turned inwards as he tried to remember her exact words.
"Wait a minute, what did you jus' call me?"
Annie cocked her head. "Daddy," she said.
Amos still wasn't sure whether he had heard right.
"Daddy?" he echoed baffled.
Lifting her face, Annie smiled into his eyes.
"Yes, Daddy," she repeated.
Amos' gaze turned inward again as he gave the matter some more thought. Then his eyes found hers again.
"Wait," he said as comprehension slowly began to dawn on him, "does that mean-" he sought for the right words, "are you sayin' that I'm I gonna…are we-?" He shook his head slightly. No, it couldn't be, that would simply be too good to be true.
By now, Annie couldn't conceal her own excitement any longer. She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Amos, I went to see Doc Muller today, he said we're gonna have a baby."
Amos looked down at her, for a moment too stunned to speak.
"We-we are?" he finally stammered.
Annie nodded, her face alit with joy.
"Yes…you're gonna be a daddy," she confirmed.
"A d-daddy?" Amos still couldn't believe it. "I'm gonna be a daddy?"
Annie nodded again, her eyes regarding him with warm tenderness.
"Yes, you're gonna a daddy. "
For another second, he continued to stare at her thunderstruck as her words slowly began to sink in.
"I'm gonna be a daddy," he whispered amazed. "A daddy." A tentative smile tugged at his lips. "I'm gonna be a daddy-" he repeated, this time louder. He looked down at Annie, awe, wonder and excitement all at once reflected in his eyes.
"Yes!" His arms flew around her and before she knew what was happening, Amos had already lifted her off the ground and begun to swing her around in circles.
"We're gonna have a baby!" he shouted, "I'm gonna be a daddy!"
Annie gave a surprised shriek. "Amos!" Her hands pushed against his chest. "Put me down, you're makin' me dizzy-"
Amos stopped immediately and set her down with utmost care. Ever so gently, his hands came to rest on her upper arms.
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry-" he stared down at her concerned, "are-are you all right?"
Annie couldn't suppress a giggle. "Oh, I didn't mind," she said as her eyes settled on her stomach. She brought her hand up to come to rest on the small swell of her belly. "But I think somebody else didn't like it too much."
Amos' gaze moved down to her stomach, staring at it with awe. The notion that a little life was growing inside of Annie—a little life that he had helped create, filled him with wonder and excitement. He dropped to his knees before her. Slowly, tentatively, his trembling hand reached out, hesitating just above her belly. He glanced up at Annie. "Can I-?"
With an assuring smile, Annie took hold of his shaking hand and placed it on her stomach.
Their eyes met again and Amos was at a loss for words as the reality of the situation hit him.
"She ain't very big yet. Doc Muller said, she ain't much bigger than my hand."
Amos' amazed gaze settled on Annie's small hand.
"So tiny," he whispered awe-struck.
Just then, Annie felt a minute twitch, a faint flutter deep inside. An excited smile lit her face as her own hand came to settle on the still tiny mound of her belly.
"I think I just felt it move around."
Amos' large hand moved to cover Annie's. Now he was clearly intrigued.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Of course, the fetus was still too small for Amos to be able to feel its movement, but that didn't stop him from placing his ear against her stomach anyway.
"Must be a little shy," he finally decided when he wasn't able to hear or feel anything.
Annie smiled to herself. Just like its daddy, she thought fondly. For another moment, she allowed Amos to feel her belly some more then she gently touched her hand to the side of his cheek.
"I think we oughtta sit down an' eat, Amos. I don't know about you, but I'm starved."
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Later that evening.
"Amos?" Annie propped herself up on one elbow and gazed down at his sleeping form. He was on his back, snoring softly. "Amos?" she said again, this time a little louder.
He murmured something unintelligible in response and began to shift a little, the bed frame creaking with his movement.
"Amos." Annie nudged him gently.
"Huh?" came his sleepy reply moments later. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "You all right?" he mumbled, his voice still heavy with sleep. He opened his eyes and blinked, trying to adjust his sight to the semi-darkness of their bedroom.
The warm light from the streetlamp outside their window filtered mutely through the drawn curtains, bathing Annie's face in a soft shadowy glow.
She gave a small nod. "Yes."
For a few seconds, she said nothing more, thinking how to best put her complicated thoughts into words. "Amos?" she then said, "would you rather it to be a boy or a girl?"
For a moment, Amos gazed at her thoughtfully, giving her words careful consideration. "Sweetheart, it ain't gonna matter," he said at last, "it's gonna be our baby an' that's all I care about."
"You ain't gonna be disappointed if it's a girl?"
Amos looked on surprised. His hand reached forth to gently touch her cheek.
"Oh, honey, I ain't never gonna be disappointed. Look…I don't care if it's a boy or a girl—I just hope the baby's gonna look like you."
Amos was fully aware of the expectations men oftentimes had-especially, if when it came to their firstborn. He had experienced it firsthand with some of his co-workers down at the garage. For most of them, it had been extremely important that their first child was a son. Amos had never understood that. Apparently, it hadn't meant much to his own father; he was nothing more but a faceless figure to Amos who had left his mother shortly after he was born. He had never bothered to search for him. He had no interest in locating a father who did not want to claim him.
Annie's soft giggle roused him from his thoughts. "Look like me? Well, the poor thing's definitely gonna have plenty of curls then." Her fingers threaded gently through his sleep-rumpled crop of reddish-brown curls. "Between the two of us, there ain't no way around that."
Amos chuckled agreeably. He bent over her and brushed a tender kiss onto her forehead, figuring the gender issue settled.
"I love you, honey," he murmured against her warm skin before relaxing back against his pillow.
Comforted by his assurance, Annie snuggled closer to him, burrowing in the comforting warmth of him. With a soft sigh, she rested her head on his chest. "I love you, too," she whispered back.
Amos' arm came around her and he glanced down at her with warm tenderness. Her curly tresses were tickling his face and he gently smoothed them back. A baby. Just when he thought that life couldn't possibly get any better, he'd found out that they were going to have a baby. His and Annie's. Amos still could hardly fathom it. He smiled to himself; yes, he had to be the luckiest man in the world—lucky, because he had Annie's unconditional love. He didn't know how or why, but he was not enough of a fool to question it.
Annie shifted slightly beside him and suddenly, he was intensely aware of her warm hand on his stomach. Her fingers were circling gently and soothing, not deliberately seductive, but he couldn't help the delicious tightening in his groin her action elicited. He groaned softly.
It wasn't lost on Annie. Slowly, her hand began to expand its circle, gradually inching its way lower where it slipped beneath the waistband of his pajama pants to eventually settle in that most sensitive of spots.
Amos sucked in a sharp breath as her fingers began to gently squeeze and caress him.
"Annie-" It was a half-hearted plea, nothing more that did little good but only encourage her. Her thumb now rubbed the tip, spreading a drop of his arousal causing more. He groaned louder in response, involuntarily moving against her hand.
"Annie, sweetheart, you don't know what you're doin' —"
She smiled innocently. "No? What am I doin'?" His throbbing member moved eagerly in her hand as she ran her fingers down the velvety length of it.
He moaned softly. "Ughhh, don't—"
But his words carried little conviction; he was way too aroused by now. His arm tightened around her, instinctively pulling her closer. His mouth found hers, and he kissed her passionately as her small but capable hand settled into an irresistible rhythm.
Oh, good Lord-
"Annie—" he moaned against her mouth, "you better stop, or—" But her hand only moved faster in response and within minutes, he couldn't hold off much longer; the throbbing and pulsing was building to an intolerable level with the feeling of her hand moving up and down around him. He was no longer aware of the instinctual way his hips bucked or the sounds of pleasure he made. Giving in to the overwhelming sensations, he held his breath as he dangled over the precipice of climax. Suddenly, with a choked groan, he went over the edge, panting and moaning as he spilled himself into her hand.
For a moment, he simply lay there, too spent to speak. He barely took notice as Annie wiggled herself out of his embrace. When he finally cracked open one eye, he found her sitting up beside him, smiling sensuously.
He smiled back. "You didn't have to do that, sweetheart," he murmured, still a little out of breath. His hand came to rest on her thigh, rubbing it gently. "I don't mind waitin' until after the baby's born."
Annie cast him a puzzled look. "Why should we wait until after the baby's born?"
He pushed himself up on his elbows to glance at her. "Well, because..." He hesitated. Talking about matters of intimacy wasn't exactly his strong suit. "well, with you havin' the baby an' all—"
Annie's brow furrowed, still not sure what he meant. "With me havin' the baby?-"
He sighed. No, this was definitely not his strong suit. "Don't you know what I mean, honey?—" He paused for a beat, struggling to find the right words. "I mean, us havin'...ah…well, relations. I thought, you're not s'posed to, you know, when you're expectin'." A look of genuine concern began to spread across his face. He added. "Look, I don't wanna hurt the baby, Annie."
Right away, Annie's expression lightened with understanding.
"Whoever told you that?" she asked, looking anything but concerned. "Oh, Amos, that's nothin' but an old wives' tale. I talked to Mary and she said—"
"Mary?" Amos interrupted her, "you told Mary?" He found it more than just a little embarrassing that Annie was discussing such private matters with her friends.
Now Annie sighed deeply. "Oh, Amos, I didn't tell Mary anything. We're just talkin' the other day and she was givin' me a little advice, that's all. She said that there ain't nothin' wrong with havin' relations while you're expectin'. S'matter of fact, she said that most women enjoy it even more durin' that time." At her last words, a slight blush had crept into Annie's cheeks.
Amos looked on thoughtfully, contemplating what she'd just said. His eyes sought hers again. "You think that's true?" he wondered, sounding more than just a little hopeful.
Annie's lips curved into a decidedly wicked smile. She leaned over him and brushed a soft, sensuous kiss against his lips. "I think there might be some truth to it. Why don't you try an' find out?".
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.TBC
A quick note from the author: Positive feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome-so if you have either one, take a minute and let me know and I'll post the rest. ;)
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