Promise Me One Thing
This is my first fan fiction, so please tell me what I should do to improve and that. I decided to write about Karen/Charlie because I really loved what their relationship would've been years previous to what Waterloo Road showed. It may be a bit quick moving, but I figured that I'd cut out the boring bits:) Anyway I hope you enjoy reading this! Beth:) x x x x
Introduction:
Karen looked up at the ticking clock, it had been 5 minutes since her last painful contraction and to be quite honest, she wasn't looking forward to the next one. Her hand found her huge bump, and she winced as the pain rushed through her tiny body. She let out a tiny moan and mumbled to herself, "This is not what I signed up for." Karen stood up and waddled through to the living room to where her husband, Charlie, was sitting watching television. His eyes wandered over to his terrified looking wife, "It can't be that bad can it?" he asked rhetorically as his wife frowned, "Maybe we should go to the hospital now?" Charlie suggested, getting to his feet slowly.
"No, it's not time yet. They'll just send me home aga-" she ceased in pain, clutching her husbands arm tightly. He kissed her head, and smiled, "You're going- we're going to the hospital now because in a few hours we are going to have a family."
"Oh! So all of a sudden you're a bloody expert on giving birth!" she snapped breathlessly, "It's all easy for you. You haven't got to go through this awful pain and you don't have to-" she cut herself off, "I haven't even got my bag packed! What am I going to do? The nursery isn't finished, he's not due yet, not for another week!" she continued, in a panic. Charlie put his arm around her, "It's okay Karen, I'll sort it, okay? The most important thing right now is just you and the baby. Now come on," He helped his reluctant wife out of the house and into the car as she protested that 'it wasn't time' yet.
Four long hours later, Karen gave birth to a baby girl. As the midwife carefully placed the angelic, beautiful baby into Karen's arms she said, "Congratulations, you have a beautiful baby girl." Karen gazed at the pretty little bundle she held in her arms, as her husband put his arm around her and looked in awe at their first child. "She's perfect." Karen weeped, lost for words at the undying love she had for one human being. She had never felt anything like it and all of a sudden the pain she'd had previous had all been forgotten.
"She's beautiful," Charlie smiled proudly, a tear creeping out of his right eye, followed by a whole river of tears. Karen looked up at him for a brief second, "So he's not a boy after all." she laughed and Charlie bent down and kissed her softly and then placed a tender kiss on his daughters head, "I love you two. I love you two more than life." he whispered.
Karen got hardly any sleep that night, despite her deprivation of it. She was far too busy cuddling her new life, her baby. She never really was maternal, but when she discovered she was pregnant she felt as though it was right. It brought everything that was missing into her life, it made her and Charlie complete, they were a family. And although the thought of the responsibility of a child scared her stiff, she was ready now. Ready to face all the challenges that lay ahead, ready to be the best mother she could be, and above all to raise the most perfect little girl in the whole entire world.
Chapter One:
(8 years later)
Everything was so perfect. Karen and Charlie had three beautiful children now, Rebecca, Jessica and Harry. It seemed that their fortune of a happy life would never end! Well, that's what they thought.
It was May 21st 2001, the Fisher family were celebrating Harry's 5th birthday. The sun shone brightly through the clear beautiful blue sky as the cosy happy family sat in their back garden.
"Mummy! Watch this!" Harry squealed waving his hands in the air, and then climbing onto his big sisters bike, then to instantly fall flat onto the ground. Karen passed her cup of coffee to her husband and rushed over to her son, "Oh darling, I've told you, you can't go on Bex's bike! It's too big for you." she lifted him up so he was on her hip and kissed his head as his big brown eyes filled with tears. Jess stood up from where she and her sister had been playing mummy's&daddy's and walked over, "Why is Harry crying when it's his birthday? Everybody is happy at Birthdays!" she asked, looking at her brother in confusion. Karen was about to answer when the doorbell went, "That'll be Nana and Grandad. Charlie, love? Can you go and let them in." Karen said, putting Harry down, "Because he hurt-" she was interrupted answering her daughters question by her mother, "Where's my birthday boy?" a strong female Irish accent sang.
"Nana!" Harry ran to his grandmother in delight, if there was one person he loved more than his mummy, it was his nana. He simply adored her.
"Happy Birthday dear! Is mummy and daddy spoiling you rotten?" Karens mum, Bridie, asked cuddling her grandson.
"Yes! I got a colouring book!" he beamed proudly, as Bridie frowned at her daughter, "Oh right, well how about we go inside so you can open your present from me and grandad?" Harry nodded and walked into the house, followed by the two girls and Karen and Charlie.
As Harry opened his present, he smiled in excitement, "Mummy! Daddy! Look a Play Station!" Karen frowned at her mum, the one thing she didn't want to get her son. Maybe Karen was a little strict with her children, they was only allowed sweets every other Friday, they'd never had a McDonald's and they certainly wasn't allowed on video games until they'd reached an appropriate age.
"Say thank you, Harry." Charlie smiled, he was more excited about the Play Station 1 than Harry, much to his wife's dismay.
"Thank you Nana and Grandad." Harry grinned.
"That's quite alright my love." Bridie replied, "Shall we go and have a play on it?"
"Yes!" Charlie and Harry said in unison. They went into the living room to set it up. As Karen's dad went to go into the living room too, Karen pulled him back.
"A play station? Seriously?" she whispered, her dad, Patrick laughed.
"A colouring book? Seriously?"
"It wasn't the only thing we got him, he's got a bike as well. But I've told mother that I will not have her buying my children things like that!" she huffed, leaning on the kitchen side, "And before you say it, let me say this. They are MY children, and I shall bring them up how I like. I don't want them to be brainwashed into shit like that!" Patrick shook his head, "Your husband seems to approve. Calm down, this isn't Ireland. It's not like what it was like when you were a little girl. He's got millions of good influences around his head, not a billion bad ones."
"I know it's not Ireland! My childhood has nothing to do with the matter! Now if you don't mind, I'm finished with this conversation!" Karen went to leave the kitchen when her dad bellowed, "Not talking about it, won't block her out." She turned around, "I don't want to reminisce on the subject, dad. My real mother is dead. The question of how she died doesn't matter anymore, does it? I just want my kids to be raised better, and to have a much better childhood than I did. Is that too much to ask for?" She walked into the living room, slamming the kitchen door behind her. Charlie looked up from the TV as Karen sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder, "What's up?" he asked puzzled.
"Nothing. Just tired." she replied, closing her eyes, Charlie kissed her cheek, "You've still got the pots to wash up from dinner." she laughed slightly, "You can do it. I'll reward you later." Karen whispered in his ear. And with that he jumped to his feet and wandered into the kitchen.
"Karen? So when are you and Charlie going to give me another grandchild?" Bridie asked later that night, as they all sat in the living room watching EastEnders with a bottle of wine. Charlie laughed, "Another? I don't think I've got the energy anymore to look after a baby." his wife's heart sank, Karen wanted another baby, desperately and Charlie knew that but it seemed he'd make an excuse every time they'd make love to wear a condom.
Karen cuddled up to Charlie on the sofa, "No, he just doesn't want another child." she corrected, "There's no harm in telling the truth, is there?" Charlie gave his wife a look and gently pushed her away from him, "Well in that case, Karen. I am going to bed. Good night. It was lovely to see you, Bridie, Patrick." He kissed Bridie's cheek and shook Patrick's hand and went off upstairs.
"I've pissed him off. There's no doubt about that." Karen mumbled, putting her wine glass on the coffee table, her mother stood up, "We better be off now love." she walked over to Karen and gave her a cuddle and whispered in her ear, "Pierce the johnny." and then winked at her, Karen laughed and shook her head, "Thanks mum. I'll see you later."
It was 11 pm before Karen took herself off to bed, she was drunk. Something that she rarely did was drink. She got into bed next to Charlie and shook his arm, "Charlie! Charlie!" she whispered, he woke up sleepily, "What?"
"I'm sorry. Can we have another baby?" Charlie sat up and switched the lamp on rubbing his eyes.
"Karen, go to sleep. I'm too tired to discuss this with you now." Karen nodded and laid down as Charlie turned off the lamp. They layed in silence for a few minutes and then Karen sat up again, "What if I promised you really hot sex for a whole month if we had another baby?"
"No Karen, now that I'm 30, I love sleeping more than sex." he replied pulling the duvet over his head, "It's overrated."
Karen sighed and laid back down, and drifted off to sleep. When she was younger, she didn't even want children. Yet here she was, feeling like she needed an extra child. But she couldn't have another one if her husband felt differently. Karen couldn't understand why he didn't feel the same as her. They were happy, they could afford a baby, and there couldn't have been a better time to bring another child into the family.
