Adam's POV
Adam woke to realize Belle's side of the bed was empty and turned to find her sitting by the windows brushing her hair. Adam propped himself up on one elbow and watched her for awhile, the brush idly making its way through her gleaming chestnut hair. As she sat in the morning sun he was reminded again how impossibly beautiful she was, how much she meant to him. But as he watched, he noticed her sigh and lower her brush, so Adam rose from the bed and went to kneel beside her chair.
"What's wrong?" he asked her, tucking her hair gently behind her ear.
"I'm all right," she replied with half a smile.
"Tell me," he requested gently, knowing that she was not in fact all right.
"I honestly don't know," she said after a moment. "I feel like I'm being pulled in several different directions at once. I must be getting sick; I've been so tired recently, and very dizzy."
"Maybe you'd better stay in bed today," Adam suggested. He didn't like how pale Belle looked.
"But I've got so much to do today, I couldn't possibly. . ."
"Yes, you can," Adam interrupted. "You need to rest, everything can wait until tomorrow. Now, put your nightgown back on and get back in bed. I'll bring you some breakfast and make sure you're not bothered." Belle smiled at him and ran her hand along the line of his jaw, a tender gesture he adored.
"You're so good to me," she said. "All right, I'll rest for today."
"Good," he said and kissed her forehead. "Now get back in bed." Belle smiled and stood to do as he said but stumbled as she took a step. Adam caught her elbow and held her steady. "You're really not well at all, are you?" he asked, worry pulsing through him. Instead of waiting for an answer, Adam bent to lift Belle in his arms and moved to place her on the bed. "I'm going to get the doctor," he said calmly and evenly though his heart began beat frantically. They hadn't had a doctor in the castle since before the enchantment was put on the castle, but Gustave had thankfully thought to fill the position a few months ago. "Stay there until I get back, all right?"
"I'm fine, Adam," she tried to say, but he raised an eyebrow and she sighed. "I'll stay here," she agreed reluctantly. Convinced she would do as he asked, Adam left to find the physician who now resided in the castle, the composure he hung on to in front of Belle abandoned as he rushed through the halls. What could be wrong with her? Was it serious?
"Oh, Mrs. Potts!" he called as he spotted her turned the corner up ahead. She paused and turned towards him, waiting for him to approach.
"Master, what is it?" she asked, obviously seeing the worry in Adam's face.
"Belle's ill. I need to find the doctor. I think something's very wrong."
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Potts asked hastily.
"She's been tired and dizzy, I had to catch her from falling just a few moments ago. And I know she hasn't been eating much lately," Adam relayed quickly. To his surprise, Mrs. Potts began smiling. "What is it?" he asked desperately; how on earth could Mrs. Potts smile when his love was so ill?
"You go fetch the doctor, Master. I believe he's downstairs in one of the sitting rooms. I'll go up and see if Belle needs anything," Mrs. Potts said, far too calmly as far as Adam was concerned, but continued on his way as Mrs. Potts went in the direction of the West Wing.
Adam finally found the doctor and brought him up to the West Wing, though when Adam described Belle's symptoms for him, he showed the same lack of concern that Mrs. Potts had. "Stay out here, Your Highness," the doctor said, halting Adam in his intention of going in to the West Wing with him. "I'll come get you when I've finished the examination." So Adam could only stand helplessly in the hall and wait. What was it that Mrs. Potts and the doctor already seemed to know? Did that mean that Belle's condition was not as serious as Adam feared? He couldn't be sure, not until the doctor came back, and so he continued to worry.
"Master?" he heard Mrs. Potts call some several minutes later. He snapped his head up at her voice, waiting for the bad news he knew was coming. "Belle wants to see you."
"What is it?" he begged. "What's wrong with her?"
"I think she'd like be the one to tell you," she replied with a kind smile and made her way back down the hall, the doctor quickly following her. Fearful but curious, Adam pushed the door to the West Wing open. Belle was sitting up in bed, a smile playing across her lips.
"Adam," she said when she saw him and held her hands out to him. He took them and allowed her to draw him onto the bed beside her so he was sitting facing her. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling in the late morning light; could it be she was. . . happy?
"What is it?" he asked, mind whirring at the possibilities but unable to guess the truth.
"Well, actually. . .it's just that, well I thought this was going on, but I couldn't be sure. But the doctor said. . ."
"Belle, please, what is it?" he asked, squeezing her hands gently. He wasn't used to seeing her so on edge and, despite her strange happiness, it only made him more nervous.
"We're—we're going to have a baby, Adam," she said so simply it was impossible that Adam heard her correctly. But Belle's eyes were filling with tears, joyful tears, and Adam came back to himself, his head buzzing.
"A baby?" he finally choked out. "You're—we're—a baby?" Belle nodded, smiling brilliantly. She was obviously thrilled about this. He should be thrilled about it too. He was, at least he thought he was, but he was more terrified than anything else. But now was not the time for that. "Belle, that's wonderful!"
"Really? Are you really happy about this? I know it's unexpected, that we haven't really talked about it a lot, but. . ." Adam raised a hand to her lips, silencing her gently.
"Belle, I love you. We're going to have a baby. I can't tell you how happy this makes me! But you are always asking me to tell you what I'm feeling or thinking, to not keep secrets from you. So I have to tell you that I'm also terrified," he confessed, hoping that he would not upset Belle by confessing this, but also knowing he could not keep this from her.
"I am too," she confessed and Adam sighed in relief. "I'm not fully sure what we're getting into, and I'm not sure I'm ready for it, but I am so very happy." Adam leaned forward to kiss her, placing one hand gently on the back of her head to draw her ever closer. Through the tumult of terror and joy that flowed through him, the one constant was the knowledge that Belle loved him. And knowing that Belle was scared of what they had just learned eased his own fear, allowing the joy to come to the forefront though terror lurked just behind it, enveloping them in a perfect moment of bliss.
Belle's POV
Belle sat nervously fiddling with the sheets while she waited for Adam to fetch the doctor. He would most likely come and tell her what Belle thought she already knew, but she wasn't quite sure she was ready to hear it. When Mrs. Potts had come into the room first while Adam was still looking for the doctor, Belle knew what she did not want to admit to herself. She had been feeling off for some time, even hiding several bouts of sudden nausea from Adam, and the thought of her being pregnant crossed her mind many, many times, but she wasn't ready to know for sure.
Mrs. Potts sat beside her on the bed and looked at her, never uttering a word, never saying anything that might mean anything, but as soon as she sat down Belle burst into tears.
"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes even as more tears poured down her face.
"Oh, my dear, there's nothing to be sorry for. It's overwhelming, this sort of news," Mrs. Potts said reassuringly.
"You know then?" Belle asked.
"For a while now. The signs are clear when you know what you're looking for. How are you feeling, aside from the physical, I mean?"
"Scared," Belle admitted, which only made her weep anew. She should be ready for this; being a mother meant knowing what to do, how to handle things, and she shouldn't feel scared. She wasn't supposed to feel like this; she should be overjoyed about having a baby, and some part of her was, but the fear overwhelmed everything else.
"Believe it or not, every new mother I've encountered, including myself, has been terrified of having their first baby. It's a whole new life you'll be responsible for. And you have no idea what you're doing, or what you should do, or how you'll manage it all." Belle nodded; that was exactly how she felt. She wasn't the only one to be feeling that way? That in itself was a relief, but it changed little.
"But Adam. . . he doesn't want children, not yet. We haven't talked about it, I don't know how he'll react to this."
"He will probably be scared out of his wits," Mrs. Potts told her. "It will take him some time to adjust, but once he realizes that this is actually happening, I know he'll do everything he can for you and the baby."
"The baby," Belle echoed, placing her hand on her stomach where the still-invisible life grew inside of her. The baby, her baby. And just like that, the terror and uncertainty, though still there, made way for excitement and joy. Her baby. Belle smiled at Mrs. Potts.
"You love it already, don't you?" Mrs. Potts asked knowingly and Belle nodded, smiling.
Adam's reaction, when she had told him minutes after the conversation with Mrs. Potts, had been just what Mrs. Potts said it would be. But he assured her that he was very happy about this new development and Belle tried to believe him.
The castle was in an uproar when the news got out, as it was inevitable it would. Fortunately Belle had been able to tell her father before the news spread, finding him in his favorite sitting room nearest his bedroom. She knew he wouldn't want to hear such news from anyone else but her.
"You are?" Papa said in disbelief, a cautious smile spreading across his face when she told him.
"Yes, Papa," she confirmed. "You're going to be a grandfather!"
"Oh Belle," he exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes. "Belle, this is wonderful!" Belle grinned as he pulled her into an embrace, feeling the caution he used as he did so. "And Adam! My boy, congratulations!" Adam smiled and returned the embrace but the bemused look of dazed astonishment he had been wearing since he had found out remained. Maurice appeared to notice this, for he chuckled as he broke away from Adam. "I felt the same way when I was told my wife was pregnant with Belle."
"Really?" Adam asked suspiciously.
"Yes, indeed. You'll be fine, my boy." Belle could see that this new knowledge made Adam ever so slightly more at ease. Belle knew that Adam was terrified of this whole situation, but she was glad he had told her and had not tried to pretend he wasn't. To do so would have hurt her, though that wouldn't have been his intention. She was frightened, too, almost overwhelmingly so; she just hoped Adam was scared for the right reasons.
Mrs. Potts came in with tea enough for everyone and took a seat herself after Belle's father spent a few minutes convincing her to do so. Belle's father and Mrs. Potts had been growing very close since he had moved into the castle and Belle was glad of it. They seemed happy together, content to be in each other's company, and Mrs. Potts had brought a light to her father's eyes Belle had not seen since she was a child.
The talk of the baby was put on hold and they discussed other things of lesser importance, much to Adam's relief, Belle could see. She knew he had said he was happy about this, but she was beginning to doubt that.
As they got ready for bed that night, her worries at last came out in the open.
"Belle?" Adam asked as he lay on the bed beside her. "Belle, what's wrong?" She looked at him, his eyes full of concern for her.
"I—I know you're worried about this," she began slowly, not sure she wanted to know the answer to the question she was about to ask. "But is it because—because you don't want it?"
"No," he said vehemently, taking her face delicately in his hands. "No, of course I want this. I never thought of myself as a father—never thought myself as anything until. . .you know," he said and Belle nodded. The Beast she had known had been so hopeless for anything but a life of torment, and even when the enchantment was broken it had taken time for Adam to understand that he deserved the happiness of a full life. "I'm scared witless," Adam continued, "but that's not because I don't want this. I don't know what kind of father I will be. I'm so afraid of—of doing something wrong, of hurting the baby, of hurting you. I don't know how to be a father."
Belle almost sighed with relief, but she refrained knowing that these fears were real for Adam, were real for her.
"I have no idea how to be a mother, either," Belle confessed. "I have no idea what to do. All I know is that I already love this baby as much as I love you, and that's all I can do right now. We'll just have to trust that we'll know what to do when the time comes, because we'll feel it. At least, that's all I have to go on. And besides," she added with a little bit of humor, "I intend to do plenty of research about this." Adam chuckled gently and she smiled, hoping her words gave him some comfort, some peace of mind. After a long moment, Adam met her eyes and smiled.
"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" he asked and Belle smiled, thrilled with the first question he had asked, his first real show of interest since he had found out the news.
"I don't know," she replied. "We'll have to wait and find out."
"Well, whatever it is, if it has half your good sense and kindness it'll have a fantastic start on life," Adam said as he climbed under the sheets to join her in bed. Belle felt her heart soar as it not had since that morning when she decided to love this still unknown child, now that she knew that Adam wanted this baby. Gently, Adam bid her to turn so she might lie in the curve of his body, his arms enfolding her, one cradling her head and the other draped delicately over her ribs. As she drifted off into sleep, she felt Adam's hand move to rest protectively over her stomach.
I tried to do my research with the symptoms and such for this whole story, but research only goes so far before you just got to experience (which I haven't) so I apologize if I got anything wrong!
