A/N: Hey everyone guess who's back! oddly enough not long after I posted the note about losing my note book with this story in it I stumbled upon it in my old school bag with all my old notebooks while looking for one that had another story in it! But now that I have it i'm ready to work more and turn this story back around from where I left it! please read and enjoy!
Part 4
Nearly a year had passed since losing Hadley and just as Nellie had hopped she was able to pick up the shattered bits of her heart and move on always keeping the locket Sweeney gave her close and making trips to the little headstone to replace the flowers once a week. She now owned a small bakery and hired Elisa letting her bring Alice and Benjamin with her. The bakery wasn't like her shop back in London because rather than meat pies she made fruit pies and tarts with the local fresh fruit from the market, Elisa turned out to be a skilled cake decorator and would handle most of the orders for them as well as the counter while Nellie worked with the more difficult or daunting orders and recipes.
The bakery was rather slow for a thursday in October, normally there'd be a slue of customers coming in for the fresh breads and pies rather than the ones at the market, so Nellie was sitting at a table holding the one year old Benjamin in her lap entertaining him while Elisa and Alice went to get more ingredients.
"Patty cake, patty cake
Baker's man, bake me
A cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, pat it, mark it with a B
then throw it in the oven for Benjamin and Me!"
Nellie laughed as Benjamin giggled clapping once the song was over before looking up at her.
"Again! Again!"
She chuckled standing from her chair holding him on her hip as she walked to the counter setting him down before starting to arrange decorated cookies onto a display plate handing one down to Benjamin with a smile.
"Maybe later kiddo, first we need to finish putting these cookies on display."
She scooped him up in one arm and carried the plate in the other hand over to the shelves that faced the busy street showing off their contents through a large bay window. Setting Benjamin on his feet she placed the plate on the shelf looking out at the street smiling as she seen Sweeney and Toby walk by to the door entering the bakery.
"Afternoon boys, what'll it be today?"
Toby moved from the counter to her side kissing her cheek before going back and looking over the treats set out. Nellie shifted her gaze to Sweeney who was watching her, she was wearing a new raspberry colored dress that had black stitch work around the color and bodice.
"Sweeney? Love you're goin' to be late gettin' back to your shop."
She put a hand on her hip and held out a plate with a few tarts and rolls that she'd set aside for him as Toby set a few coins on the counter as he ate his tart in three quick bites seeing people head for the barber shop. Sweeney shook himself placing a kiss to Nellie's lips.
"Thank you pet, I'll see you at home."
She smiled kissing back before watching him leave then looking to Benjamin who was trying to climb onto the chair making her smile softer as she lifted him into her arms and spun around as though they were dancing making him squeal with laughter but it was making her dizzy and her stomach became uneasy as she stopped closing her eyes so she couldn't see the room spinning.
"Nellie are you okay?"
She opened her eyes thankful the room was no longer spinning as her eyes focused on Elisa as she stepped in front of her and took Benjamin.
"Alice go get a glass of water please. Nellie you're white as a sheet!"
Nellie shook her head closing her eyes as she sat back down in the chair holding her head.
"I'm fine Elisa, just got bit dizzy's all."
Elisa's brows knitted together as she placed her hand to Nellie's forehead glancing away as Alice came back into the room holding a glass of water before meeting the other woman's eyes.
"Are you sure you're fine? You're warmer than you should be, you're not getting sick are you?"
Nellie shook her head standing up and walked to the counter picking up the coins Toby left.
"I'm fine dear, just a lil' spell, I'm right as rain n-"
Suddenly a wave of nausea hit her and she bolted to the back room emptying the contents of her stomach into the sink. Elisa followed closely behind holding her hair out the way for her until the spell passed.
"Ellie please, you could be really sick, let me take you to the doctor."
Nellie rinsed her mouth out listening to her friend's words, the other woman only called her Ellie when she was really worried, and sighed nodding as she closed her eyes in defeat. After rounding up Alice and Benjamin and closing the bakery the four made their way to the doctor's office. After a full examination the doctor left Nellie to fix her dress while he went to his desk.
"I kept tellin' 'er I ain't sick that it were only a spell, that's all it was right?"
She fixed her dress and stepped from behind the privacy curtain finishing the last strong of her corset waiting for an answer. The doctor smiled turning to face her.
"Well Mrs. Todd you are going to experience these sickness spells for at least 2 or 3 months but the overall cause will be completely gone in 9 months time."
Nellie looked confused for a moment before it dawned on her making her smile brightly as she paid him before going back to Elisa smiling as wide as possible.
"Ellie, what did he say?"
Nellie took her hands as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.
"I ain't sick! I'm pregnant!"
Elisa took a second before she smiled hugging Nellie close relived her friend was going to be fine.
"Oh Ellie that's wonderful! You better go tell Sweeney."
Nellie's smile faltered for a minute.
"But the bakery…"
"Don't worry about it, I can manage until you come back, now shoo, go on go!"
Nellie smiled and hugged her again before leaving and running down the road to Sweeney's shop opening the door so it swung back and hit the wall making the barber jump and spin around, thankfully he wasn't shaving someone or the poor blighter would have been dead, wide eyed to see her breathless and crying. He went to her holding her face in his hands looking into her eyes.
"Eleanor what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
She smiled brightly catching her breath before throwing hr arms around his neck.
"I'm pregnant! Just found out not 5 minutes ago, I ran 'ere from the doctor to tell you."
Sweeney seemed frozen as he processed her words before he smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist lifting her from the ground and spinning her around once before kissing her.
"That's wonderful news pet!"
She giggled into the kiss holding herself closer to him as tears rolled down her cheeks wetting his shirt until he pulled back to look at her.
"Why are you crying pet? You should be happy."
Nellie sniffled bringing a hand up to clasp the locket around her neck.
"I am 'appy love, I'm over the moon, bloody 'ormones already."
Sweeney kissed her cheek before meeting her gaze.
"Don't lie to me, there's something else."
Nellie sighed dropping her smile looking down at the locket.
"I'm scared Sweeney, what if it 'appens again? I couldn't take it if we lost this baby the way we lost Hadley."
He held her tight kissing her temple thinking over his words carefully.
"It won't happen."
She bit her lip looking up at him.
"But what if it does?! Don't you dare tell me it won't cause we don't bloody know it won't!"
She pushed herself away from him her hands going to her hair and began to rip out the pins, a few taking strands of hair with them, as she struggled to breathe as she paced.
"Eleanor calm down, breathe bloody woman!"
He gripped her shoulders making her face him looking into his eyes, her cheeks were flushed from her episode and her eyes were red from crying.
"Now listen Nellie, I promise you that it won't happen again, if it begins again we will find someone that can help. We'll be okay pet everything will be fine."
Sniffling she nodded and hid her face in his chest letting him hold her close and rub her back to try and sooth the tears. After a few moments she calmed down and kissed his cheek before going back to where she was pacing and picked up the pins from the floor.
"Sorry love, I'm just so scared."
He sighed carefully taking the pins and gently pinned her wild auburn curls back into place taming them in a way only he was able to.
"It's alright pet, you have every reason to be if it helps I'm scared too but we can't let it stop us from being happy to be having another child."
She smiled letting her eyes close as his fingers worked her hair back into place before finding her hips pulling her close and kissing her reassuringly.
