Α/Ν: Another one-shot for my "Beautiful Life" collection. I really like the Crow / Sherry ship and it's funny writing about them. Well, life keeps me too busy so slowly I think I'll stop writing fanfiction. I still have some work that I want to post and my betas are helping me to post it faster.
Summary: Crow believes that Sherry has a problem with her stomach or something; however she found out that the cause to all her nausea and vomits was something else.
Time line: post-cannon (12 years after the Anime)
Rating: T
Character(s): Crow/Sherry
Genre(s): Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. I own the title and this story. Also I don't own the cover image; ClaireBaffour does (from DA) so the credit goes to her as the original artist! This is non-profit story and I'm not making any money from it.
Beautiful Life – The Best News
Crow's POV
"I'm home!" I shouted at the same time I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
"Crow, is that you?" I heard my lovely wife's voice as she appeared in the main corridor. I kicked my boots off and she helped me to take off my police jacket.
"Unless you were expecting someone else," I smiled and I turned to kiss her soft lips.
"No, this marker face only belongs to you," she said as she kissed me back.
I grinned with no hard feelings. She always liked to tease me about my marks but I knew for sure it didn't bother her at all.
"I'm starving. What's for dinner?" I asked.
"Bad day?"
I stretched my back. "Not really, but I'm exhausted and really hungry." My stomach purred loudly. "Will you join me-" I cut my sentence short, knitting my eyebrows together, "sorry I forgot, how are you feeling? You didn't get sick again, did you?"
"No, I was ok."
"Sure?"
"You don't believe me?" she asked with a bit of anger.
"Of course I believe you, honey," she glared at me, she didn't like being called honey so I hastily continued, "but I also know you don't want to make me worry."
Her expression became softer. "I know, but nothing bad happened."
"You went to the hospital to find out what's with your stomach?"
"Yes," she replied slowly and for an unknown reason, I thought she was trying to hide something.
"And?" I prompted.
"And I found out what's wrong."
My eyebrows knitted again. If she found out, why is she talking circles and not telling me a straight answer?
"Is there any virus or something?"
"No," she glanced away.
"What's wrong with your stomach, then?" I tried to look in her eyes but she kept avoiding my gaze. "Sherry, what are you trying to hide?" I raised my voice a little but that was because I was getting more and more worried.
"There is no virus and I have nothing wrong with my stomach. In fact, I'm in perfect health," she fires back, irritated, and glared at me.
I tried to placate her, raising my arms in a sign of surrender. "Easy there, I'm sorry if I sounded angry. It's just I'm worried about you and you are not telling me what the doctor said."
She waved her head. "I'm sorry too," she muttered but she didn't have to, I always forgive her.
"It's ok, now can you tell me?"
She took a deep breath.
"It's complicated," I lifted one eyebrow. "Can we go to the living room to be more comfortable?" she suggested.
"Can you explain to me what happened while I'm eating my dinner?" I retorted.
"No, it's really important and your dinner can wait."
Say that to my stomach. I was ready to complain but I decided to let it go. If Sherry said it was important then I had no reason to believe the opposite.
"OK," I shrugged and I followed her to the living room.
"You better sit down," Sherry suggested and I did what she told.
"Alright," I said when I took my place on the couch and knitted my hands on my knees. "I'm all ears."
"Umm…" Sherry bit her lip, taking in a deep breath. "Well, as I told you already, there is nothing wrong with my stomach or my health"
"That's really good," I mused, a little uneasy with the whole situation. I was confused, feeling that I was about to hear something not good at all. "So why are you getting sick so easily?"
"The doctor made me take some tests and at the end, he informed me that it is not something to worry about, actually he said it's logical and absolutely normal…"
I lifted one eyebrow. "Normal? Logical?"
"…for my condition," she added and I stared at her, puzzled.
"For your condition?" I repeated, "What condition?"
"I asked the same, but you know…"
"No, I don't know and I have no clue."
"Well if you want more clues I can give you some," she closed her eyes and swallowed. "Morning sickness and nausea, my decreased appetite, a shorter temper…" she paused, staring at me, "you want more?"
I stared at her in utter confusion. "So…" I said slowly, feeling a little sick in my stomach, "does that mean…?"
"Yes," she affirmed but I looked more confused than ever.
"Yes, what?" I asked like a goldfish out of the water. "What does that mean? I'm still clueless."
Sherry reacted by slapping her palm against her face and shaking her head, letting out a growl as she leashed in her temper. Clearly, she wasn't pleased that I was dumbfounded.
"Sherry, please! Enough with the riddles," I pleaded.
"Oh! Right, I forgot you're male, so I have to spell it out for you," she paused to suck her breath back in.
"Sherry, stop playing with me and tell me straight what is happening," I requested, irritated.
She cleared her throat. "You will be a father soon," she blurted and my jaw dropped.
I felt the blood leaving my face as I shook my head, trying to figure out if I heard right or my ears misunderstood. "Can you say that again but slowly, if you please?"
She stared at me for a minute before continuing. "That means I'm pregnant, Crow," she announced and my eyes widened in shock.
I looked at her absolutely, astonished and blinked a couple of times. I licked my lips slowly. "What did you say?" I swallowed.
"You are going to be the father of our child," she stressed.
I let myself drop back onto the couch; gaze blank. I wasn't exactly prepared to hear something like that, nor was I ready for such news. I felt the shock getting the best of me; even my voice was not immune. I was feeling weak, no I was feeling confused, no, not even that, I was… lost? Yes, that's it; I was lost and had run out of words. I tried to focus my gaze on her but I found it extremely hard right now.
I was trying to come up with some sort of answer but when I opened my mouth, my voice was still non-existent.
Sherry pursed her lips angrily. "Great! Crow, if you aren't going to say something, and soon, I swear I will slap you," she threatened me. I knew better than to take that kind of threat lightly.
I was sure she would do it if I didn't react, but how could I? My mind wasn't helping me at all. I opened my mouth again but I had no idea what I was supposed to say. Now I understand Jack completely, and I dare say his situation was worst since he and Carly weren't married*; at least Sherry and I are, but that doesn't mean much. Or does it?
Maybe it does; we are married. She is my wife, and I'm a lucky man to have such a wife as her, so it's natural to become parents one day. I love kids, after all. I was dreaming of becoming a father all of my life; so why am I acting like this?
I took a deep breath and cleared up my throat. She glared at me. There was a slight pause before I finally responded.
"You are pregnant?" I wanted to confirm again.
"Yes."
"We are going to have a baby?" I concluded.
"Yes."
"We will become parents?" I started to realize I could only ask so many ways with the same meaning.
"Yes."
"A child is growing in you?" Now I was thrilled.
"Yes."
"Our own baby?" That was more than great news.
"Yes."
"I'm going to be a father?" I exclaimed, ready to jump up and down.
"For the love of God, Crow Hogan, the answer is yes; yes to all, yes, yes, yes and yes again," Sherry yelled.
I apologized quickly. "I'm sorry it's just… I can't believe it. I'm going to have my own baby?" It was impossible to stay calm.
Sherry threw me a death glare.
"Sorry!" I hurried to add and lifted my palms in surrender. "Don't kill me, ok? You don't want to leave our child fatherless, do you?"
A slight smile appeared on Sherry's lips.
"Idiot," she chuckled.
"But I make you laugh," I smiled with meaning.
"That doesn't mean you are not an idiot."
"But you still love me, huh?" I smiled playfully, knowing her answer already.
"Yes," she replied and my chest filled with pride. "But don't think too much of yourself, because I do love you," she added and sat beside me on the couch.
"Oh no, this is Jack's role," I joked and placed one hand on her abdomen. "I can't believe it, Sherry," I said, full of emotion, "I'm going to be a father to our child."
"It was hard to believe it myself," she placed one hand on mine. "When the doctor first informed me, I thought he was joking and I was ready to kill him."
I smirked. "That's very you. So what did you do when he assured you he wasn't making fun of you?"
"Well," she said slowly, "I'm not vowing that I took the news easily."
"Oh! What did you do to him?" I questioned.
"Nothing. Why do you ask?" she took her most innocent face.
I stared at her. "How much did you threaten him?"
"Hmmm," she hummed and glanced way. Now I was starting to worry. The doctor or not, Sherry was scary when she threatened people. She could be very creative.
"How much?" I asked but I wasn't sure if I wanted to know.
She smiled playfully. "You know me, Crow."
"Yeah," I chuckled. I know her more than she thinks. "And that's why I wonder."
"Oh, come on!" she waved her hand, "Only a little." She made a pinching gesture with her fingers.
"But you are ok now, aren't you?" I stopped smiling and my expression grew serious.
"What do you mean?"
"Sherry, I know you," I locked her eyes in my gaze, "better than you think." She narrowed her eyes, about to protest that, but I cut her off. "Yeah, I do. And I know for sure that you don't really like the idea of being a mother-"
"You're wrong!" she shouted as her eyes widened and she sat up quickly, walking a few steps away before turning back to face me. "Apparently you don't know me as well as you think."
"You took that the wrong way," I said calmly.
"What did you mean then?" Now she had her arms crossed and was tapping her foot.
"I didn't mean you don't want a family because you do," I explained. "You want to live a happy life with a man who will kiss you when he returns home from work and love you for what you are and not for what you want to show that you are."
It was the first time in my life I was saying this to her and I must confess that even if I was guessing her reaction, somehow I felt surprised. She gasped, uncrossing her arms as she stepped back. She blinked her beautiful emerald eyes. Once. Twice. Thrice. Trying to hold back her tears. My heart kicked up a beat in my chest, I wanted to run and close her in my arms but I stopped myself as I continued.
"And you want to have kids; you want to be a mother to your own children." I paused taking a deep breath, "But you feel you are not yet ready for this."
She stood there, petrified, and I wasn't expecting any answer from her, especially seeing her reaction; I knew I was right.
"You are not ready and you are afraid too."
She slowly tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, lowering her gaze.
"You are wrong again," her voice was calm and full of bitterness and I stared at her, confused, as she turned and sat on the armchair, avoiding my gaze. "I'm not afraid."
I lifted one eyebrow. "Aren't you?"
She shook her head and I thought I saw tears in her eyes.
I knitted my eyebrows in sympathy. "It's ok to be-" I started but she cut me off.
"I'm not afraid," she raised her voice before she dropped it into a whisper and buried her face in her hands. I was beginning to worry again, and her next words did not comfort me. "I'm terrified."
Now it was my turn to gasp and blink in surprise. I knew she was scared but that much? Was she that afraid?
"I'm terrified," she lifted her head. "I don't know how to be a mother. I lost mine when I was little and I spent my life running and hiding from those who wanted me dead too," she bit her lower lip. "Mizoguchi raised me but he wasn't exactly the perfect role model on how to be a father. He was more of a servant and guardian to me, and he still is, I never saw him as another father." She took a short pause before continuing, "If anything, I still had a male present but never a female one to replace my mother."
"I know how you feel," I didn't know what else to say, but it wasn't a lie, at least. I did understand her feelings.
Her smile was hesitant. "I know you do. I'm afraid, yes, but only because I don't know if I will be a good mother."
Her voice cracked and I watched in astonishment as a tear drop ran down her cheek before she wiped it away with her hand. I needed only one second to react. I stood before her and embraced her in a tender hug.
"You will be a wonderful mother, Sherry," my voice came out hard and with one hand, I held her head to my chest. "I know you will be."
I bent down to kiss her forehead. I sensed her doubt and I hugged her tighter.
"Don't worry, Sherry, I'm scared too," I confessed and she chuckled. "It's true. I know it's funny after all those kids I raised and took care of in my life, at the age when I still needed someone to take care of me. I want to think I did everything in my power and I raised them well."
"You did great, Crow; there is no doubt about it," I kissed the top of her head.
"At least I know I did my best, but still, sometimes it wakes me up in the night when I'm thinking what I'm going to do when it comes to raising my own child. For my little orphans, I was more a big brother than a father but if I have my own kids then I should be a father and…" I didn't know what to say. How to explain it to her? "Well," I took a deep breath, "let's say I'm as scared as you are." I knelt down in front of her, taking her hand into mine and giving it a squeeze. "We are together, aren't we?"
She stared into my eyes, and I into hers. "Of course we are."
"And we love each other." It wasn't a question but a simple truth, with great meaning to me.
She nodded in agreement.
"Having kids is not something simple or something to take lightly, but as long as we are together, we will get through anything."
"I believe so too," she smiled warmly. I smiled back as I leaned in closer to her face.
"I love you," I whispered and touched her lips with mine in the barest of kisses.
"I love you too," I heard her whisper and I smiled wider as she kissed me back, pressing her lips harder against mine.
"So everything is under control, right?" I asked when I pulled back.
"There is one more thing we have to settle, you know," she mused.
"What?" I knitted my eyebrows in wonder.
She smiled a little craftily. "You have to keep your role as a father," she snapped, "because the kid role will be taken in a few months."
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "Oh. At least I have some months left."
She hurried to take my joy away. "That doesn't mean anything crazy, Daddy, because I will need your help until then."
"Yes, ma'am!" I replied with a salute, kissing her lips again. "You know that you asked something impossible, right? And I don't mean the helping and understanding part." I grinned against her lips.
She kissed me back passionately. "Idiot."
I place one hand on her lower abdomen. A child was growing in there; my child. In a few months, I would carry my baby in my arms. This was the best news ever and I couldn't help but wonder if my life could ever be more beautiful…
Special thanks to my lovely betas Ria D'Arcy and Mystic Mists!
Review if you like it. If you don't, review anyway! ^_^
* The Jack/Carly spoiler is from another story, that I'll post soon, at least I hope.