Lots of time jumping in this but hopefully it should be clear when we've moved on. If not I apologise, just leave a comment if you think it's too confusing, and I'll change it. Also this is my longest chapter yet, but surprisingly the easiest to write, so hope you enjoy as much as I did writing it. x
It was a monday morning when the official press release from both Benedict and Louise's agents were sent out. The couple had no idea when the news of their pregnancy would be revealed but judging by both their phones buzzing and flashing it was very early in the morning. 7.30 am to be exact. Not a time the pair wanted to be disturbed on their day off.
26 text messages, 1 miss call and over 3,000 tweets.
"Wow.." Loo breathed as she squinted at bright phone lighting up the still dim room.
"What is it?" Ben asked rolling over and spooning his girlfriend, peering over her shoulder.
"Just the who of twitter congratulating us." She smiled into the darkness reading a few of the sweet words.
"Bless them, the Sherlock fans really are the best fans." Loo nodded in agreement - they really were.
Throughout the day Look had been tweeted more times than she was in an average week and the word 'babybatch' was trending world wide for most of the day. "I guess I should tweet them a thank you, is there anything you would like me to say?" Ben spent the next five minutes making a speech about how grateful he was for the support and kind words. "You do realise I only have 140 characters, right?" Louise chuckled as she typed out a quick summery of Ben's words and pressed the 'tweet' button.
"My mum said we've been in the newspaper and on the TV." she blushed as she read a text from her mother, who was as equally excited as Wanda and Timothy about their grandchild.
"Really?" Ben asked. "This is crazy. Who knew so many people would be interested in out little one."
"Mm, wild..." Loo agreed slumping down on the sofa next to Benedict.
"Hey, what's up with you?"
Loo shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just being silly, but I feel like with everyone know, this isn't as special as it was before and it's making me feel pressured. Like, what if something happen's, what if something goes wrong? I'd have let everyone down and they'll all hate me. And worst of all, I'd have let you down.
"Don't be silly." He said pulling her into a hug. "You could never let me down, anyway you're just being paranoid. Everything will go smoothly, we're past the danger zone anyway."
"I know. I'm just being dramatic."
"No, you're just being a normal expecting parent. Everyone goes through these thought but you have to remember, with you as a mother, this little one's going to be tough." He smiled into her hair, holding her in a hug still. "And I'm sorry you feel it isn't as special, but you shouldn't let everyone knowing stop this from being a magical period for us. You and I are going to have a baby and that is a special thing in it's self, in fact, I'd even go as far to say it was perfect."
He let go of her and looked down to see she had tears in her eyes. "I'd call it perfect too." She smiled through her 'happy' tears. Ben had moved her with his words. She knew he was completely right; this baby was theirs and they had both wanted it for such a long time it would always be a special time for them, no matter how many people knew. "I love you." She smiled craning her neck to kiss him.
"I love you too, and little one." He smiled before kissing her back, one hand cupping her face, the other resting on her bump. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to love you and leave you my dear. I have to pick up my suit for the awards tonight. I can't wait, we can finally show your bump off in that sexy black dress." He winked, and she gently swatted him. "and dancing! I can't wait for the after party so I can dance." Ben really was a big kid at heart , he got up from the sofa and began to dance out of the living room, Louise heard him pick up his keys and call out goodbye and then he was gone. It was just her, the little one and Daisy now and she still had an hour or two before Ben got back and the rest of the Sherlock cast arrive to get ready and in the limo, so decided to have a nap while the baby was peaceful and sleeping inside her.
"These shoes are going to give me blisters." Amanda groaned.
"It'll be worth it though. They're stunning." Sue said, Loo and Beryl nodded in agreement.
Benedict, Mark, Martin and Steven we're down stairs getting dressed themselves. It didn't take them very long to put on a suit and tie and were ready way before the girls were. "I'm so excited." Ben grinned as he sat down on the same sofa Loo had been sleeping on earlier.
"You're only excited for the after party, us real award show goers are tense." Mark chuckled.
"Yeah, I'm not a bad loser but if we don't win there will be a murder of a main character in series four!" Steven joked, or at least Ben hoped he was joking, he'd hate to see any of his friends leave.
Loo threw herself on the bed in anger. "Stupid dress." She muttered still not dressed.
"Come on Louise, we're going soon." Amanda said, seeing the woman in distress, hoping to motivate her to get ready.
"I'm not. I'm not going."
"Don't be silly, of course you are. You know Ben would be devastated if you didn't go. What's the problem?"
"The silly dress doesn't fit, it seems I've grown a lot in a week, it won't do up at the back and it's too tight, I can barely breath."
Amanda was about to ask her friend if she had something else she could wear but was beaten to speak by Beryl. "You go get your hair done Amanda, I'll help Loo into the dress." She smiled, "Come on dear, nothing a few safety pins won't fix."
Loo followed the older woman into the spare bedroom, where her dress had be left in a pile on the floor where Loo had given up with it. But less than five minutes later both women reappeared.
"Fuck." Amanda said, "Loo, you look stunning." and she was right, Louise was wearing a black, floor reaching dress with simple detail on the front, it was tight but it could be passed of as the design of the dress so show off her bump. She wore a silver bracelet Ben had bought her for her birthday back in March.
Loo just blushed. "You do love, you look amazing." Sue smiled, then kissed her mother as a thank you for saving the day. Quickly the make up artist and hairdresser finished Loo's look off and they were on their was down when Martin and told them the taxi was there.
One at a time the ladies walked down the stairs and went to their partner (Mark had Beryl for the evening.) When Loo came down last everyone's mouths dropped, Ben's nearly hitting the floor, she looked flawless. "Look, it's beauty and the Beast." Martin joked with his friend who reached out and thumped his arm, but Ben thought he was right, Loo was gorgeous, he was lucky to have her.
"God, I hate the red carpet." Louise said just before they we're about to walk down it. "Everyone looking at us, calling out your name. I feel like I get in the way and ruin the photo's."
Ben shrugged. "You really don't, but even if you did, I wouldn't do it without you. I don't care what the photographers say, I want you by my side." Loo smiled, god she loved that man, such a gentleman. He rested a hand on her bump, and they set off down the carpet, everyone was dying to get pictures as it was the first time Loo and Ben we're together and showing off her bump.
After the walk down the carpet, two interviews (one with Ben, one with the whole cast), what seem's like a million photo's on her own, with Ben (a good one for twitter! she thought), and group ones, more photo's and signing things for fans, they had finally reached the other end and were allowed to enter the show.
Ben was now clearly a lot more nervous but buzzing from the adrenaline he got when surrounded by fans and cameras. Luckily, there was no need to be nervous as they had won all three awards they we're nominated for, including Best Leading Actor for Benedict who made an amazing speech and dedicated the award "to his amazing girlfriend and out little one." which, due to hormones Loo insisted, made her cry.
"How was I?" Ben asked returning back to the table, where everyone congratulated him.
"Just perfect." Loo smiled, snuggling into his neck. "The baby seem's to agree, kicking like mad, clearly very proud of you, just as I am."
There were two more awards to sit through, none related to them, so they started the party and made use of the free bar - all but Loo who stuck to J2O.
"Thank you for watching, goodnight." The host said indicating that the show was over and Ben could get to his favourite part. He dragged Loo into the next room and pulled her on to the dance floor, but after only three songs Loo had to sit down as her feet and back were beginning to ache, various members of the cast (mainly Steven and Beryl) took it in turns to sit with her to make sure she was okay and not left on her own for too long but they were often joined by other people Loo had worked with or knew her through mutual friends who kept her from boredom as Benedict dominated the dance floor with his drunken moves.
"Come on Loo, last song, you have to dance with me." Ben came over pulling her back on the dance floor. It was late now and nearly everyone else had left so the floor was pretty empty. The song was slower than all the others that had been played that evening. "May I have this dance Ms Brealey?" Ben asked, with a cheeky grin on his face.
"You may." She replied holding her hand out for Ben to take, they slowly danced around the floor, bodies touching due to Loo's stomach with foreheads touching (thanks to Louise's high heals.) as they starred into each others eyes. "God, you're beautiful." Ben smiled. "I'm lucky to have you.
Loo blushed. "And we're even luckier to have you." She smiled back.
Not sure how or where the Sherlock cast get ready for award shows but I like to imagine that they all get ready together like a group of teenagers (who just happen to have a make up artist and two hairdressers pop round) off to a party, all buzzing with excitement and complimenting each other on dresses and ties, ect. And with Martin around maybe even a drink or two before they leave "just to calm the nerves."