The mid-morning light of Valentine's Day reflected sharply off of Nora's engagement ring as she brought a hand up to inspect her carefully curled hair once more… re-assuring herself that enough gels and sprays had been utilized to guarantee that the whole thing wouldn't come apart once the thin veil was draped over her face.
"Stop fidgeting! Geez… you look like a million bucks" Marie, her lone bridesmaid admonished, leaning in so that her reflection joined Nora's in the full-length mirror of her pink-upon-pink childhood bedroom. "Vera Keyes, eat your heart out"
The bride scoffed lightly as she ran her palm over the silk-draped swell of her belly.
"I doubt Vera Keyes would be seen dead walking down the aisle with her stomach proceeding her" Nora pointed out. Marie simply shrugged and brushed non-existent lint off the bodice of her own baby-blue gown.
"You never know… celebrities are always getting into some scandal or another. Give it a few months and I guarantee you that at least one famous actress finds herself the star of a shotgun wedding" She gave the bride a half smile. "Think of how trendy you'll be when that happens"
Nora snorted at the idea before returning her attention to the mirror in front of her…
For all of the years she'd spent mostly immune to the sin of vanity, as she looked upon her own transformed image, she couldn't help but imagine that this is what fairy-tale princesses must look like on their wedding days.
Actually, no- scratch that… those princesses tended to wear enormous, poofy meringues of dresses when they got married, didn't they? With bulbous sleeves and trains so long that a small team of servants was required to carry the superfluous fabric behind the starry-eyed bride.
Yep… Marie was right. Aside from the baby-belly, this woman staring back at her from the silvery surface looked like a freaking movie-star.
Her gown was fairly reserved in design, and had it been a color other than white it might have passed for formal evening attire on any other occasion. The lace, elbow-length sleeves and silk of her bodice were form-fitting above Nora's swollen middle, below that the fabric of her skirt was loose, flowing and sported the faint glimmer of tactically applied sequins, before ending sensibly at her ankles… there would be no tripping on excess dress if she had anything to say about it.
She'd awoken far earlier than she would've preferred on a day supposedly "all about her" and allowed Rosa Valentine to make a fuss… putting her hair in rollers before making some final, obsessive adjustments to the wedding gown she'd created from scratch. Nora now sported a perfect re-creation of the large, bouncy curls her fiance had been so enamored with on the night of the policeman's ball. She'd applied her make-up sparingly, uncomfortable with the thought of it accidentally smudging the veil.
"Nervous?" Marie inquired, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay to have butterflies, it's a big day after-all"
Rather than butterflies the bride experienced a phenomena that felt more like grasshoppers skipping across her belly… these were the movements of the baby steadily growing stronger and more active beneath her skin.
Memories of the night before promptly surfaced along with the sensations; when Nick had felt the kicking of their child for the first time… his sheer delight and awe over such a small milestone. Any subconscious, niggling doubts she might've had up until that point had been completely obliterated in the face of his unabashed love for her… for their fledgling family.
"Nope… never" Nora answered autonomously, a tiny smile lifting the corners of her mouth at the knowledge that she'd likely never have second thoughts about her decision to marry Nick.
Fantasies of the couple's near future were interrupted at that moment by a knock at the door, followed by the appearance of Nora's soon-to-be mother-in-law, looking every inch the proud parent.
"The car's here, ready to go?" she inquired with slight trepidation, as if the question might trigger a sudden attack of cold-feet and cause her to flee. The bride could only roll her eyes and grab her bouquet with as much enthusiasm as she could display without damaging the precisely arranged flowers.
"Absolutely" Nora answered brightly.
A silver flask was thrust under Nick Valentine's nose by his best man after hearing that the bride's transport had arrived, heedless of the fact that they were standing at the church's alter in full view of the wedding guests, as well as the priest. He pushed the foul-smelling swill aside and shot an apologetic look to the nearby minister for Donny being his usual, inappropriate self.
"C'mon Nicky, last chance to settle those nerves… I ain't being held responsible if you freak out in the middle of the vows" the ginger man grumbled at his side. The groom responded with an icy glare.
"As if I would" he gritted out. "And I'm not kissing Nora with something that tastes like a motor oil cocktail on my lips"
No, the glass of bourbon he'd poured himself in secret back at the apartment had calmed his nerves quite nicely, not that he'd had many to begin with… those had all been forcibly banished within the first few weeks of the engagement.
Nora had a talent for picking up on any shred of distress Nick happened to have… or maybe he was just more transparent than he fancied himself to be. Either way, she'd cajole his thoughts out into the open and expertly shoot down any doubts or worries he expressed.
Since slipping that ring onto her finger his fears had all boiled down to just the one, worded slightly differently each time they talked about it; Had she only agreed to marry him because she was pregnant?
Each time he asked Nora would narrow her eyes and either pinch him, flick him across the nose or (if they were in bed at the time) give him a love bite… it often felt as if his pessimism was being beaten out of him bit by bit. She'd then launch into a short-list of the things that made him a catch which she couldn't imagine giving up.
The detective was still skeptical over how his snoring could be considered a plus. After running through all the normal things a dame would find attractive in a man she'd started listing the more esoteric character traits of his… she was clearly dredging by that point, who the hell enjoyed sharing their bed with someone who sounded like a lumber mill while they slept?
Any further musings banked-up in Nick's brain were suddenly swallowed by the church's pipe organ coming to life in order to herald the welcoming of the bridal party… whose horrible idea had it been to go with that metal monstrosity? Likely his bride's theatrical father. Someone was bound to walk away deaf from this service. He stifled the urge to clasp his hands over his ears as he craned his neck to try and catch a glimpse of Nora in the entryway.
Never had he more keenly wished he was a poet in that moment… he needed more words to affix to the vision of Nora taking measured steps towards him on the arm of her father.
Stunning… radiant… completely and utterly, jaw-droppingly beautiful…
His meager collection of adjectives was forgotten though when she got closer and he finally got a good look at her face beneath the sheer veil… he couldn't properly describe it, but it made his blood run cold and his heart break apart and fall into his shoes. It wasn't the smile he'd seen in the countless bridal magazines that had littered their coffee table over the past week.
She looked nervous… hesitant… doubtful.
Fuck… had something happened between now and last night to make her change her mind? Or was it different now that they were being ogled by extended family and fair-weather friends? He'd take Nora straight to city hall and elope with her there if that was the case, guests be damned… most of them were only here for the reception afterwards.
Was it something he'd done?… Jesus fucking Christ… he had to get her alone somehow and talk to her… He wouldn't -couldn't!- do this unless she was completely sure!
She joined him at the alter, fidgeting nervously with her bouquet and shifting minutely from foot to foot. Her father gave her an affectionate pat on the wrist as he moved to take his seat, seemingly blind to his daughter's distress, the airy bastard! The din of the ancient pipe organ was suddenly lifted for a few blessed seconds of silence, before being replaced by a long, high-pitched wail from the seated guests… it appeared Nora's cousin's infant son was of the same opinion regarding the music.
The entire congregation paused as the parents struggled to pacify the baby, and Nick saw his chance while the rest of the room was distracted… he leaned forward and spoke quietly enough that only his bride could hear him;
"Nora… are you sure this is what you want?" he tried to keep his voice straight. "You can't fool me, you looked like you were walking your last mile down there. Please… just tell me what I did wrong"
She stared at him blankly for a few miserable seconds which felt like a handful of eternities to the distressed detective… then the familiar narrowing of her eyes appeared, followed immediately by the sting of a lacquered fingernail striking him across the nose. He'd never been happier to be on the receiving end of Nora's ire before.
"Honestly Nick… I thought you'd gotten over this already" she responded with a huff and a poke to his chest. "I'm sure about this wedding, damn it! I want this, I want you… and if you don't drill that concept into your thick skull this second you're going to be facing a pretty wretched rest of our lives, because that's how long I plan to be with you!"
She continued to glare up at him with the tip of her nail digging into his torso as the words sunk in for the hapless groom… along with the realization that she was absolutely gorgeous when she was frustrated like this.
"As for what you did wrong" she continued, much quieter this time… and he noticed a light blush shining through the thin layer of make-up across her cheeks. "The baby you put inside me shifted when the music started… it's poking me in the bladder"
Nick couldn't help himself, a bubble of laughter escaped and he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to muffle any further emissions before Nora murdered him in front of their friends and family right on the alter of the esteemed Old North Church. It wasn't that he found her discomfort funny… okay, it was a little bit funny… his chuckles seemed to stem from sheer relief more than anything.
"Would you like to use the facilities before we begin?" The priest inquired softly at their side, startling Nick somewhat, he'd completely forgotten about the stout man-of-the-cloth waiting patiently to begin to proceedings.
"I can hold it" Nora waved off the offer with a tight smile. "Just try to talk fast"
The couple had rejected the idea of composing and reciting their own vows because neither felt comfortable baring so much of themselves in front of a small crowd, but they'd never been more pleased with that decision until now.
The priest gave a slightly rushed rendition of the standard, cookie-cutter service given to thousands upon thousands of pairs before them… speaking of bindings and devotion and the world-surmounting strength of a shared love blessed by God… or something along those lines. In truth, Nick barely heard more than a few consecutive words at a time, he was caught up basking in the image of Nora in her finery… and trying to keep a lid on the sparks of elation threatening to overwhelm him at the thought that this was all finally coming to fruition. Nora had to shoot him a pointed look to snap him back to reality when it was time for the vows.
"Nicholas Ottavio Valentine, do you take Nora to be your wife? Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and to honor her all the days of your life?"
"I do" Nick answered… and it felt like the most natural and obvious thing in the world to pass his lips. He then realized that while he'd been off with the fairies Donny had managed to push a golden wedding band into the palm of his hand without alerting him somehow. He ran his fingers reverently along his bride's slender digits as the new piece of jewelry clinked into place alongside her engagement band, the act triggering a smile on each of their faces. The minister then turned to Nora.
"Nora Edith Fitzsimons, do you take Nicholas to be your husband? Do you promise to be faithful to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and to honor him all the days of your life?"
"You're damn right I do" she answered smoothly, teasing a small murmur of laughter from the guests as she slipped a matching gold band onto his own finger, running her eyes over Nick's form with an expression that he recognized immediately as carnal interest… cheeky, audacious little hellcat.
"May the blessings of life, the joy of love, the peace of truth, and the wisdom and strength of Spirit be your constant companion, now and always, as husband and wife" the priest recited, before turning to Nick with a nod and a half smile. "You may now kiss the bride"
Nick managed to gently lift and brush back her veil with imperceptibly trembling hands… the barest of caresses brushing against her cheeks, before sealing their union and finally claiming the lips of his sweetheart… his best friend…
…his wife.
It was three hours into the reception when the newly-minted Nora Valentine stood up from the sanctuary of their table to rescue her new husband from the rest of the Eddie Winter task-force, who were steadily getting drunker and louder as the party wore on… perhaps the open bar had been a bad idea.
Nick was currently trapped in a firm over-the-shoulder embrace from Detective Williamson while a melancholy, recently divorced Detective Forbes slapped him on the back and regaled him with slurred marital advice, the rest of crew circling them and nodding along in agreement like a display of formally dressed bobble-heads.
She pushed into the tight ring of cops just as a tid-bit about leaving dirty socks lying around devolved into a depressing snapshot of Forbes's failed marriage and grasped Nick by both of his hands, preparing to yank him free if necessary.
"Boys, some of the neighbors are starting to complain about the noise" she lied casually. "You don't want them calling the police, do you?"
Yep, they were well and truly under the table by now… because not a single one seemed to remember that they were the police, and immediately apologized before going their separate ways into the party. Nora noted with a cringe that one of them was making a beeline towards a cluster of colorful azalea bushes against the fence, presumably to puke up his guts… her dad wasn't going to appreciate that at all.
Perhaps hosting the reception in her father's beautiful, prize-winning garden had also been a bad idea.
"It's a scary thought, isn't it?" Nick quipped. "That those are the men working to keep our streets crime-free"
She giggled and held his hands a little tighter, running a thumb over her husband's new wedding ring and secretly marveling over the idea for the umpteenth time that day… he was her husband.
"They have you baby-sitting them, so I think the citizens of Boston can rest easy" Nora added warmly, earning herself a quick kiss on the forehead and a lopsided smile from her intrepid investigator that sent a tingling warmth radiating through her chest… she'd definitely snagged the best of the batch.
"I'll give them until after the gift exchange and then order them to go home and sleep it off" Captain Widmark informed them as he sidled up to the pair and shared a knowing look with Nora… reminding her of the initial reason she'd chosen the privacy of a walled-off garden over renting out a function hall for the celebration; her wedding present to Nick couldn't be brought into a public venue.
When she'd mischievously shared that tiny clue with her then-fiance during the planning phase he'd returned her impish grin and said the exact same thing about her own gift, which had left her with no small amount of curiosity niggling at the back of her brain over the weeks… it was definitely time to put that particular mystery to bed.
"Well… they probably won't be able to walk properly in about twenty minutes" Nora mused aloud. "Might as well do it now"
Widmark completely failed to hide his excitement as he turned to announce the exchange of presents between the bride and groom to the rest of the guests. Nick said nothing as he escorted her back to their table with an arm around her, but she could almost hear the wheels turning in his head.
It was while Nora was handing over a carefully wrapped package with silver ribbon twined around it's middle when her father slammed the back door to the house open and emerged with an expression of barely contained psychotic rage plastered across his face… and a white powder which she assumed was flour smeared across nearly every visible inch of his suit. He then addressed her husband through clenched teeth, a muscle near the corner of his eye twitching cartoonishly;
"Nick, for the love of all that's good in this world, get that twice-damned thing out of my kitchen before he demolishes the entire room and I send you the bill!"
The last light of Valentine's Day was finally bleeding from the sky when Nick unlocked the front door of their apartment and was almost bowled over by Nora's present as he barreled past into the entryway. He merely grinned at the pup's infectious enthusiasm and silently thanked the gods that his fragile, pregnant wife had objected to being carried over the threshold.
Setting aside the adolescent German Shepherd's destruction of Frank's kitchen, he was pretty confident that Nora loved her slobbering, disobedient gift, if the cooing noises she was making over the grinning fur-ball were any indicator.
He'd been absolutely stumped over what to give his bride at first… what on God's green earth could he possibly get her that came even slightly close to what she was giving him? Her love… her hand in marriage… a child. No amount of fine china or crystal wine glasses was going to cut it.
It was during a slow day of paperwork and softly banging his head against the grain of his desk at the station when he'd overheard a snippet of idle conversation that caused everything to fall into place;
Nora liked dogs… she'd had one as a child and confessed that it had been her dearest friend during those formative years… she'd most likely want the same experience for their own offspring… their apartment building had just recently begun to allow pets… the Cambridge precinct acted as the training site for the city's K-9 units… many of the dogs regularly failed to make the grade and were given away to interested families.
After that it was simply a matter of talking to the trainer in charge and three weeks later he was given a choice between three eager-to-please pups. Pre-named, for training purposes; Abbot, Ellery and Bogart.
Nick had, very obviously, picked Bogart. Not just because of the name, he kept telling himself, but struggled to find another characteristic that had set the dog apart from his siblings during the choosing.
His arm brushed against his own token from Nora as he shucked off his suit jacket and slung it over the back of the sofa. Nick had never described a gun as luxurious before, but the custom-made .38 caliber revolver, with it's mother-of-pearl grip and silver embellishments, complete with hand-made leather holster, was exactly that… absolute luxury.
Not to mention highly customizable, which he unfortunately wouldn't be doing any of… Nora and Widmark had both gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that his gift was properly registered, certified and ready for him to carry on duty. Any tinkering with the piece would nullify the small pile of documents they'd painstakingly filled out and submitted to the higher-ups.
Nick pulled the firearm from it's holster and gave it yet another look over… brushing his thumb over the familiar outline of a heart pierced with an arrow that had been engraved into the grip. He suspected that Nora was trying to turn the little doodle into some sort of family signature, she'd had it printed on the wedding invitations as well… and on the card tucked into the gun's gift box, right beneath the words "Cupid's Hand-Cannon".
All the best weapons have names… something that Franklin Fitzsimons had told him once while proudly showing off his extensive collection of Revolution and Civil War Era weaponry… ever the history nut.
He paused in his admiration of the brand new revolver and switched to admiring his brand new wife instead, who had lowered herself onto the carpet in favor of giving Bogart a thorough belly-scratch.
Her dress was steadily being covered with dog hair… her curls were long gone after an afternoon of mingling and dancing… and the first thing she'd done after leaving the party was steal his handkerchief in an effort to remove the majority of her make-up.
All-in-all, Nora was exactly as stunning as she always was in the eyes of the love-sick detective.
The subject of his attention seemed to feel his gaze warming her back and turned to look up at him from beneath her lashes.
"Could you, um… help me off the floor, please?" She queried in a small voice... this marked the first time she'd asked for his assistance with something so physically mundane, but he suspected it would become a common occurrence as she got closer to her due date. He held out both hands and managed to lever her off the floor without incident… then tugged her a little bit further so that she fell flush against his chest and into his arms with a tiny squeak of surprise.
Her head immediately pressed into it's usual place against Nick's collarbone and underneath his chin, and the detective allowed himself a slow, deep inhale… filling his lungs with her sweet scent and letting the tension embedded throughout the fibers of his flesh dissolve away in the wake of Nora's close proximity.
Was he a jerk for admitting that he hadn't really enjoyed his own wedding? He was over the goddamn moon, of course, to finally be hitched to his lady-love… but the ceremony and after-party had felt far too much like they were putting on a show for the guests. Anything other than the chastest of kisses and embraces would undoubtedly be turned into fodder for the gossip mills… did that sort of thing still apply to them now that they were dutifully married?
Regardless, his entire team from work had been there, and they never failed to joyously rip into him over any hint of perceived deviance from their straight-laced lead investigator. Nick wasn't so thin-skinned as to say it hurt him, but it was extremely annoying, not to mention distracting.
"I missed you" came the murmur against his skin.
"We've been together the whole day" he noted against her hair. Her response was to hold him a little tighter and run a fingernail down the length of his spine.
"You know what I mean" Nora sighed.
He did… he really, really did.
Nick was idly mimicking his sweetheart's soft ministrations when he noticed that the zip of her dress was paused halfway down her back, indicating that it was either stuck or out of her reach. He gave it an experimental tug and confirmed the latter, before drawing it down slowly… brushing the tips of his fingers deliberately along the skin exposed and drawing a low moan of contentment from his bride.
It was an innocent enough gesture among committed couples… but that wonderful sound wrapped itself snugly around his insides, making it seem anything but.
"I haven't forgotten last night, you know" Nora mumbled against his chest.
Nick searched his memories of the night before… slightly fuzzy after the mind-altering orgasm she'd given him in the dubious privacy of the car, but clear enough;
He'd admitted to avoiding sex with her out of concern for her growing fatigue… and she, in turn, had been hurt by his withdrawal… thinking that her extra curves had turned him off, when in fact, it had done the opposite.
You're an idiot, Nick… a complete, fucking idiot, he chastised inside his head… tipping Nora's face upwards with careful hands and pouring his apology into a long, deep kiss. Several weeks worth of lust came flooding back with a vengeance at the feel of her soft lips moving against his own, but the memories of what he'd done instead of seeking her out caused him to break their seal and rest his forehead against hers.
"I wasn't lying before" he confessed in breathless whisper. "I really did want you the whole time. I touched myself every day in the shower over the thought of you, did you know that?"
He could feel Nora's breath hitching against his torso and her eyes took on an unmistakable glaze of arousal. She liked dirty talk, he knew that much, but he'd never been very good at it… preferring to showcase his desire in other, more tactile, ways. He decided to start making more of an effort on that front though, if this was the expression it brought forth… and adopted a low, sensual purr for his next words, ensuring that each syllable rumbled against her chest;
"Let me make it up to you"
He's going to go bald if you don't stop doing that… a little voice intoned in the back of Nora's brain… only to be immediately muted by a fresh wave of molten electricity crashing through her belly and causing her limbs to seize… her grip tightening further around a handful of ebony hair… fingernails digging deeper into the scalp beneath and very likely drawing blood.
The pain only seemed to spur Nick's enthusiasm and he re-doubled his efforts between her legs… a pair of dexterous digits skillfully mapping her innermost contours… the flat of his tongue rolling against her hardened clit… his free hand happily kneading away at the layer of fat that had taken up residence in her thighs… she'd likely have bruises down there tomorrow, and-
Oh holy, ever-loving fuck, he was humming now… or moaning… she couldn't tell, but the vibrations marched straight up her spine… triggering a series of somersaults in her stomach and sending her heart thudding violently against her ribs. Did he really enjoy eating her out that much?
She glanced down and nearly dissolved into a quivering puddle of need at the visual answer to her question, whimpering pathetically around the bottom lip she'd been biting down on. There was her new husband… eyes clamped shut… nuzzling her short brown hairs with his nose… unconsciously rutting against the bed covers beneath him… and a tell-tale rhythmic bobbing of his Adam's apple as he greedily swallowed the liquid evidence of her pleasure.
A sudden twist of his fingers and Nora was squeezing her eyes shut, bucking against his roaming hands and trying desperately to direct him closer to that secret little patch of nerves deep inside her… but he seemed to detect what she was trying to do, cruelly skirting away from the area at every turn.
"You're going to kill me…" she practically sobbed. "I'm going to -ah!- die on my wedding n-night… all because -fuck!- my bastard husband won't l-let me come!"
Nick responded by pausing his rough treatment of her twitching slit, and locked her with a heavy-lidded gaze… smirking up at her with her juices still surrounding his lips… he looked absolutely evil in that moment. How could such a resolute officer of the peace manage to look so completely evil?
"Well… we can't have that, can we?" Oh hell… his tone was worse. "Not when we've got the rest of our lives to perfect these little sessions"
This wasn't perfect already?!
Before she had a chance to muster another word he lowered his head once again and created a tight seal around her abused little nub with his lips… sucking it into his mouth and giving it hard flicks with the tip of his tongue that had her body jolting with every pass as if she were being electrocuted… keening through every labored exhale and forcing herself to grip the wooden headboard behind her… she didn't want to actually tear out his hair, after all.
Nick's fingers returned to their previous engagement, only this time they dove straight for the spot he'd avoided before… rubbing firm little circles against her walls… heat and tension pooling exponentially in her lower belly… just a little more and she'd snap…
She was chanting now, though she had no idea if the words were in her head or passing her lips, not that she gave a fuck;
Just a little more… almost there… fuck…
Then Nora suddenly yelped in surprise as a blinding hot agony lanced through her core… Nick's hand had slipped… the tips of his fingers driving into her sensitive spot like a goddamn battering ram, bringing tears to her eyes as his nails cut into her inner folds.
And just like that… her perfect impending orgasm was gone.
She looked down at her new husband… fully prepared to kick him in the face for driving her so beautifully up to wall to the heights of the purest ecstasy, only to yank the rug out from under her with that ill-conceived stunt… leaving her cunt thrumming with pain instead of pleasure.
Only for her anger to dissipate as she witnessed Nick glaring daggers over his shoulder at their newest furry family member, sitting at the foot of the bed and giving him a puzzled look.
Her lover tensed and coiled beneath her, reminding Nora of a snake preparing to strike… and then he did… rearing up onto his knees and barking out his frustration;
"Get the hell out, you fur-faced son-of-a-bitch! If I wanted a threesome I'd find someone better looking than you! Go and shove that icy nose up someone elses ass!"
She couldn't keep it together at his choice of words… Nora broke into peels of laughter, clutching her rounded stomach in an effort to still the shakes wracking her body.
Her poor detective probably would have had more of a reaction if he'd yelled at the wall instead… Bogart simply yawned, almost defiantly, and jumped onto the bed in order to curl up next to her… leaving Nick with an absolutely priceless expression of incredulous shock… his mouth hanging open like a stunned mullet. She rolled onto her side and hugged the ridiculous beast… laughing into his fur and trying to blink back a fresh batch of tears.
"That's impossible" she managed through her amusement, petting the dog vigorously. "No one's better looking than Bogart"
He cracked the barest of smiles at that and moved to lie down next to her… pressing the length of his body against her back and running a hand soothingly up and down her side… fingers brushing meaningfully against the taut skin of her belly. The spark was completely gone now… but those warm hands simply touching her gently was another kind of heaven.
"Are you alright?" Nick asked, warm breath fluttering against her nape. "He startled me, I didn't mean to- did I hurt you?"
She released the dog and took his roaming hand in her own, drawing it upwards to press a reassuring kiss against his knuckles.
"Still stings a bit, but it's nothing that won't heal by itself" Nora replied.
He hid his face in the crook of her neck and mumbled something that sounded like "I'm sorry". Another kiss… and then she brought his hand down to rest against her middle.
The baby was especially active at the moment, probably due to all of the strenuous physical activity. And after a solid ten minutes of cooling down and holding each other their little one was still beating against the wall of her womb as if it were a set of drums. Nora smiled grimly against the warm chest now substituting as a pillow.
"It's not even born yet and already we're bad parents" she mumbled tiredly. "Keeping them up past their bedtime"
"Sorry kiddo" Nick murmured, running a hand over the rounded flesh. "But I love your mom too much to keep my hands off her"
"I love you too" Nora exhaled, holding him tighter and allowing the quiet void of sleep to settle over her… sandwiched between the warmth of her husband and a poor-mannered German Shepherd.
Author's Note: I know I always apologize for my chapters being late, but I think we can all agree that such an apology is completely necessary this time. I only hope the fact that this was (by far) the longest chapter to date makes up slightly for having to wait two freaking months between instalments.
I like to think I have a very good excuse however; I have a mental illness, a particularly nasty one that begins with an 'S' and ends with an 'A'. It requires a tightly controlled regime of medication and recently my doctor decided to switch out one of my pills for another, and so began an agonising two month adjustment period to the new medicine. I was essentially walking around like a drooling zombie all that time... when I wasn't sleeping 18 hours at a time, of course. I've only just started to regain a bit of brain functionality and the first thing I did was start cranking out this chapter... so I hope the quality hasn't taken too much of a hit :/ Anyway...
Fun Fact #4: Bogart the Failed Police Dog is based on my own (late) real-life pup, Ellery the Failed Guide Dog. It's really odd having a dog that's been through an intense course of training, they know 30+ commands but they'll still test their boundaries with you, there's a reason they didn't make the cut after all and it's usually a rebellious streak. They make for some truly loving pets though.
I'm afraid I can't give you a preview for the next chapter this time around, as I honestly can't find a way to word it so it doesn't give the entire chapter away. Please forgive me :(
Please don't hate me, beloved readers. And please leave reviews!