"Mummy and Daddy Dearest"

It is a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Alexander DeLarge is in the nursery, seated in the rocker, rocking his baby. The baby looks up at him, and emits a soft chortle. The baby has his brilliant blue eyes.

Alex smiles at the infant, and chuckles. The charmingly handsome 19 year-old – and gradually changing sociopath – next does what he does best, in his lovely goloss:

Somewhere my love,

There will be songs to sing

Although the snow

Covers the hope of spring

Somewhere a hill

Blossoms in green and gold

And there are dreams

All that your heart can hold.

Someday we'll meet again, my love.

Someday whenever the spring breaks through

You'll come to me

Out of the long ago,

Warm as the wind,

Soft as the kiss of snow.

Till then, my sweet,

Think of me now and then.

God, speed my love

'Til you are mine again.

(Disclaimer: I do not own the music and lyrics to "Lara's Theme"/"Somewhere My Love"/Theme from "Dr. Zhivago")

Alex sings to the infant. He smiles. Then proceeds to hum the song…

There is the patter of feet entering the nursery. It stops by Alex, who turns in the gentle sounds' direction. Alex hums for a bit; then stops, and smiles…

"Hi, hi, hi, there, Alex, love!"

Alex Jr., now a 1 year-old tot, and the pint-sized version of his (infamous) father, is by his father's side. Alex Sr. tenderly caresses his son's fair hair (like his). The child laughs. Alex chuckles.

Alex Jr. is regarding the baby in his father's arm while leaning against his Daddy's leg.

"Are you viddying at 'Breenie' - your baby sister?", he asks his young namesake.

Alex and Peggy's newborn baby daughter, Auberine ('Breenie') Clementine DeLarge, arrived the previous month. The unusual couple's family is starting to grow.

Alex Sr. gently picks up Alex Jr. with his right arm, and seats him on his right lap. Alex Jr. turns and looks at his baby sister neatly settled in the crook of his father's left arm. He studies his sister, who wriggles and snorts while gazing at her father.

"Where's Em, my darling?', Alex asks his son.

"Kishhen", Alex Jr. innocently enunciates, pointing out of the nursery.

"All right, love. Pee will join her in a minute. Righty right?"

Alex resumes his gentle singing of "Lara's Theme", humming the words in-between.

Suddenly, Peggy's sharp cry rings out from the kitchen – along with the sound of dropped glass.

"PEGGY!", Alex instinctively cries out.

Alex carefully holds Alex Jr., and lowers him back to his feet on the floor. Then Alex carefully holds Auberine, and gets up out of the rocker.

Within seconds, he arrives in the kitchen holding Jr.'s hand.

"Peg? Peggy?"

Entering, Alex finds his beloved wife trying to pick up a drinking glass she dropped on the floor. Peggy sees her husband and father of their two children.

"Alex!", she cries.

"What happened, love? – Here, take 'Breenie'. I'll pick it up for you, my darling."

"No, Alex, dear…", Peggy starts to tell him.

Alex lovingly 'ignores' Peggy's refusal, as he gently places Auberine in Peggy's arms, and safely places Alex Jr. on a chair by the table. Alex gets two napkins, and carefully picks up the broken glass shards with the napkins.

"Oh, thank you, Alex, love", Peggy tells him. "I'm so embarrassed!"

Alex discards the broken pieces.

"Why, Peggy-Leggy? It's just an accident, darling!", he tells her in tender reassurance. "Anybody could drop a glass, or anything for that matter."

Peggy now blushes crimson as she cuddles Auberine.

"It's because… I heard you singing in the nursery…", she admits.

Alex gives her a "Not that, again!" look, almost reprimanding. His blue glazzies still have their piercing intensity to them, even at 19 years of age.

"Leg: You're not used to my singing, by now?", he asks her.

"I'm used to it, Alex. It's just so lovely!", Peggy tells him.

Alex, chuckling, goes over and gives Peggy a brief, yet tender kiss. Peggy embraces him as she returns his kiss.

"How do you think we both had Breenie?", she reminds him.

Alex smirks.

"Because I sang to you… and seduced you, my darling!", he replies. "You pretended to be sleeping, when you heard me singing beside you…"

Alex is gazing at Peggy. His cold blue glazzies meets with her soft, sad brown ones.

Peggy blushingly recalls:

(*Note: an excerpt of this was seen in "Alex's Complement" – Chapter 5: "The Vestibule")

Baby Alex is sleeping in his bassinette in the nursery.

Peggy is in bed waiting for her charming husband, who's drying off following their 'Bath Night'. Dressed in her nightgown, she flips through an issue of Hello magazine…

Alex proceeds to sing from in the bathroom – "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" (from Walt Disney's "Cinderella").

Peggy, alarmed, starts to melt upon hearing him. She hastily puts the magazine on the dresser, and nestles under the covers, and 'goes to sleep'.

Alex has just arrived in their chamber, wearing only his briefs. He continues his lovely 'warbling' as he moves over to the bed, and gets under the covers.

He relaxes a bit, lying on his back with his arms folded under his head. He's fully aware of Peggy 'sleeping' beside him. He waits a bit, as he sings; then hums the song.

Alex, humming, turns toward his 'sleeping' wife. He leans over, and just regards her as she 'sleeps'.

He then – still singing to himself – gently eases one of his hands under her back; then his other free hand about her waist.

Within seconds, Alex gently – yet deftly – flips Peggy flat onto her back.

Peggy screams, and instantly 'wakes up'. To her surprise and 'horror', she finds herself looking up at Alex, who's gazing down at her with his piercing blue glazzies. He gives her his smirk.

Peggy trembles under her husband's stare.

"Hi hi hi, there, my darling!", he greets her. "Enjoying your spatchka? Hmm?"

Alex brings his lips to his trembling wife's - and gives her a tender kiss. His kiss gradually deepens as he settles himself over her. He emits a sensuous moan as Peggy returns his kiss. He slips out of his 'garment' beneath the sheets.

Alex then 'bites' her – not with his teeth; but with half-sealed lips into the side of her neck; then onto the left side of her bosom. He painlessly leaves two red 'marks'. Meantime, he starts to ease and peel down Peggy's hidden 'garment' carefully off her.

Peggy still has yet to learn how to leave 'love bites', in turn. Poor thing!

Peggy embraces Alex as she begins to melt in his arms. As she tenderly kisses her love, her fingers lightly touch, caress and fondle her sensuous spouse in all the right spots. Then she nibbles and nuzzles his Adam's Apple, while continuing with her light touchings via her fingers.

Heightened by the light touches, Alex buckles as he emits a soft, yet deep, grunt of pleasure.

"Peggy!", he whispers in extreme delight.

He seizes Peggy's wrists, and pins her with his body. Alex carefully – gently – moves into her.

Peggy yelps; then whimpers. Alex gives her a soft kiss and nuzzles her cheek.

"Shhhhh… Appy-loggies, love", he whispers. "Just relax, my darling…"

Peggy trembles, whimpering at her beloved, who gazes down at her with his glazzies. That 'iniital entry' always freaks her, due to the 'discomfort'.

Alex tries to calm her with his smooth gentle voice, loving words, his caressings, nuzzles, kisses.

Peggy tries to 'relax', as she tensed up.

Alex tries, again. He gently moves into her; then out. This steadily increases.

Peggy starts to 'melt'. She wriggles her wrists. Her pinkies and ring fingers wrap around Alex's pointer fingers.

Alex releases his grip on his wife's wrists – and entwines his fingers into hers.

He gradually gives her his 'all', nuzzling and kissing Peggy's shoulder and neck.

"Your yahzick, Peg! Your yahzick!", Alex breathily orders her.

Peg doesn't know what yahzick is in Nadsat. She probably forgot. Peggy looks at him, puzzled. She shortly finds out once Alex gives her a very deep kiss, moaning – keeping it there for a bit.

Peggy melts back into her pillow, also moaning as she clutches her husband close to her…

Alex and Peggy's muffled cries simultaneously ring out in their bedroom. They fall back against Peggy's pillow.

The sociopath and his victim have both reached their 'peak'. Perspiring, they are exhausted.

Alex and Peggy tenderly kiss – and remain in their embrace.

The sociopath tenderly gazes at his victim. He smiles at her.

"Alex!", Peggy softly utters. Her sad brown eyes are on her husband.

"Peg, baby…", Alex lovingly whispers to Peg. Their damp foreheads touch.

Baby…

"You're having a baby…"

Alex and Peggy are tenderly embracing…their foreheads touch... at the obstetrician's office.

Alex is dressed in his blue shirt and blue pinstriped suit. Peggy wears a blue-and-white drop-waist dress with a blue hairband.

The couple is in 'Dreamland' as they nuzzle and coo. They forget they are being watched – in surprise – by the female Obstetrician and Nurse.

"Mr. and Mrs. DeLarge!"

Alex and Peggy, being addressed, snap out of their romantic haze and come out of their embrace. They are embarrassed by their openly amorous behavior as they regard the Obstetrician and Nurse before them.

Two-month old Alex Jr. is heard yawning; then he snorts and chortles. He's nearby his Pee and Em in his pram.

"You're having a baby, Mrs. DeLarge", the Obstetrician repeats to Peggy, who still seems to be in her romantic daze.

"I-I'm pregnant?", Peggy asks, as if trying to comprehend what has happened to her.

The Obstetrician and Nurse regard her in bemusement at her silly question.

"Yes! Again!", the Obstetrician and Nurse repeat – and remind her this isn't her first go-round.

Peggy seems surprised.

"Again?", she absently repeats, pondering.

"Ask your 'Source', Missus! He's to the 'right' of you!", the Obstetrician snappily concludes, pointing to Alex, who sits quietly at his wife's side.

Peggy turns to Alex. He gives her a solemn wink of his eye; then lowers his gaze.

Peggy, blushing, emits a minor gasp, and turns away from her spouse, and looks at her Doctor. She 'shakes it off' – with a shake of her head – as if coming out of a daze, or trance.

"Shall I say 'Congratulations', Mrs. DeLarge? Or, do you have further questions as to how it happened?", the Obstetrician asks Peggy, who still appears confused about it all…

'Little Alex' Jr.'s chortles are heard…

Breenie chortles in her mother's arms. It's as if Peggy is reminded of Breenie's conception.

Alex continues to gaze at Peggy. The blushing Peggy smiles.

"Sometimes, Alex… I wish you sang terribly!", she admits.

"Really, Peg?", Alex asks her, surprised by her response. "Why?"

"Because…you sing so lovely, Alex! You warble! – and you're so charming, at the same time! When I hear you… my stomach gets butterflies! You sound so lovely – I want to pass out!"

Peggy raises her gaze toward her beloved Alex at this confession. He smirks.

"Why do you like singing so much, Alex?", Peggy asks him.

"It relaxes me, Leggy-love", he replies. "If my singing bothers you, then I won't sing as much…"

Alex becomes a bit downtrodden at mention that he won't sing too much, or, perhaps, anymore…but Peggy hastily corrects the matter.

"No, Alex! I love it when you sing! Just be prepared for me to run and hide from you… or faint!"

Alex smirks further at his wife. He carefully embraces her as she's holding their newborn daughter.

"Good! That way, I'll continue to seduce you with my singing! And give you more babies!"

Peggy gulps.

"I know!"

"Are you all right with that, Peg?"

"Yes, Alex. Of course!"

Alex chuckles. Peggy smiles at her beloved husband.

Peggy, thankfully, shifts her gaze from Alex… to Alex Jr. Her eyes fearfully widen, and she comes out of Alex Sr.'s hold.

"ALEX, NO!", she cries out.

Alex turns, and sees what's going on. His curious namesake is pulling at something on the table. It is the tablecloth. As Alex Jr. pulls it, the dishes atop the cloth are being drawn, and risk falling off the table. The child laughs at what he sees.

Alex (Senior) promptly acts. He seizes his son with one arm, and puts his hand on the tablecloth to stop it from moving further. Alex Jr. squeals as he laughs, again.

Alex Jr. notices the fork and spoon near the table's edge. He innocently puts his hand on them…

"JUNIOR – NO!", Alex cries out. Peggy gasps.

– and Alex Jr. sweeps both silverware items off the table, and onto the floor. They drop with a steely clatter.

Delighted, Alex Jr. squeals, and laughs, again.

Alex is picking up the silverware with one hand. With his other hand – or arm, rather – he takes Alex Jr. down off the chair, and sets him on the floor.

"Behave yourself, Junior!", Alex mildly reprimands his son, who whimpers at his father.

Peggy lovingly speaks to her son while her husband goes to the sink, and washes the fallen silverware. She carefully holds baby Auberine with one hand while patting her son's head with the other hand.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. Mummy and Daddy don't want you to get hurt! We both love and care about you – and your baby sister, Auberine!"

Alex has finished washing the fork and spoon. He dries them, and prepares to put them back on the table… when he feels his lower leg being held.

Alex Sr.'s blue glazzies meets Alex Jr.'s blue glazzies staring up at him. Alex Jr. begins to whimper; then cry.

Alex crouches to Alex Jr.'s level as he embraces the crying youngster.

"It's all right, love. It's all right", Alex Sr. tells him.

Peggy giggles as Alex Jr. hugs his father as he wails.

"He's peevish, Alex", she discerns. "Let's sit with him a bit."

"Right right, Leggy-Leggy", Alex agrees.

Alex kisses Alex Jr. as he picks him up in his arms. He dries the child's tears with his hand.

Alex and Peggy head for the living room, carrying their young son and daughter.

Yes, this is a new phase in Alex and Peggy DeLarge's teen married life: Parenthood.

The hoodlum and his victim, now a Pee and Em, must always be on their toes, and on the alert, as the young parents just witnessed with their one-year-old son; and with the arrival of their baby daughter.