A/N: Here we are, chapter 21, which is coincidentally, a number which has nothing to do with anything. This chapter has nods to some of my friends, the ones who I could find the meanings of their names, anyway. Just to say, in case they read this fic, that if I don't use your name as the final baby's name, don't take the reason I don't use it as a comment on your personality!
Although Marie and Stein were two very different people, they tended to agree on things. There was one thing, however, on which they couldn't come to a consensus. They weren't arguing, as such, but they just couldn't work out something that they both agreed on.
"What about Jessica?" Marie asked, pulling back the covers and slipping into bed, picking up the book "Sugar, Spice and All Things Nice: Baby Names for Girls."
"If I had a dollar for every Jessica at Shibusen, I could afford to hire someone to pick a name for us." Stein said, pulling back the covers and getting into bed, next to Marie.
"I suppose... You know, this is ridiculous. Why does it have to be so difficult?" Marie said, exasperatedly. Stein pulled her close to him, putting his arm around her.
"Because...you're choosing the name which a human life is branded with their entire life. It's not supposed to be easy." Stein said, taking the book out of Marie's hands. He did have to question; why the hell did they make everything about pregnancy so stressful? Had they never heard the phrase 'don't prod the bear?'
"It's stupid." Marie said, pouting slightly and crossing her arms. Stein could tell Marie was getting tired. She got childish when she got tired.
"Come on, it's not that bad." Stein chuckled, pulling the covers up over Marie's shoulders.
"It is!" Marie said, infuriatedly. Stein looked down at the book, flicking to one of the first few pages.
"What about Amy? It says here it means 'beloved.'" Stein said. Marie shuddered.
"I knew an Amy back in grade school." Marie said.
"Oh, what was she like?" Stein asked.
"She ate glue." Marie said back. Stein raised an eyebrow.
"All the best ate glue." Stein said.
"Didn't you eat glue on a dare?" Marie asked. Stein's eyes darted.
"Moving on... what about Anne? It means 'grace.'" Stein said.
"No." Marie shook her head. Marie took the book back and flicked further through the book.
"How about Rachael? It says here it means 'innocent as a lamb.'" Marie said.
"'Innocent as a lamb' doesn't get you through this world." Stein said. Marie looked up at him.
"That's not nice! Innocence is a virtue very few possess. Plus, I know some Rachael's who are far from innocent." Stein looked down at the page Marie had accidentally flicked to.
"Here, what about Maddie? It means..." Stein said, but was cut off by Marie's exclamation.
"Unmarried maiden? I am not condemning our daughter to never be married." Marie said.
"Marie, it's just a name. I'm sure there are plenty of Maddie's who are happily married. Anyway, our life isn't that bad, right, happily unmarried?" Stein said.
"No, it's not bad, it's very nice... but I don't want to set her up like that." Marie said.
"Alright, alright, that's fine." Stein said.
"I don't know, Stein. What are we going to do, then?"Marie asked.
"Well, I don't think we've quite exhausted all of our options yet. Ah, here, what about Victoria? It means 'victory.' How's that for setting her up?" Stein asked.
"No. No way. Because then people will call her Vicki. And I will not have that." Marie said, adamantly.
"Fair enough." Stein said, some of Marie's overtired logic actually making sense to him. Marie yawned as she continued to flip through the book.
"What about...what about..." Marie said, yawns breaking up her words. Stein took the book off of her.
"You're tired. Come on, rest. You don't want to be picking names if you're this tired. Now, sleep." Stein commanded, placing the book on his side table and taking off his glasses.
"Fine." Marie said, reluctantly laying down and pulling the covers over herself. She snivelled slightly. Stein looked over at her. He laid down next to her, pulling her close to him.
"It's alright, Marie. We'll get there eventually." Stein said.
"I-I know... it's just..." Marie started.
"Just what?" Stein asked, softly.
"It's just... you see all of these ordinary mothers who've had names picked out for as long as they can remember. And I.. I just have no idea." Marie said.
"Well... you're hardly going to be an ordinary mother, are you?" Stein asked. Marie raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Marie asked.
"You're going to be extraordinary." Stein said. Marie smiled.
"Shut up." Marie blushed.
"What? I was just trying to be nice." Stein said.
"Yeah, well you can be nice without talking." Marie said. Stein smirked, running his hand up and down Marie's side.
"What are you saying, Marie?" Stein asked, suggestively.
"You come anywhere near me with that and I break it off." Marie said, snuggling close to her pillow. Stein chuckled slightly, placing his hands behind his head.
"I love you too." Stein smirked to himself. Marie bit her bottom lip. She felt bad.
"I do love you." Marie said, leaning over slightly and kissing him on the cheek. Stein smirked at her, curling his body around her again. He ran his hand around Marie's hips.
"That doesn't mean I was joking." Marie said.
"Sorry." Stein said, taking his hand and placing it more chastely on her stomach. Marie giggled slightly before falling asleep.
The next morning, a Saturday, Stein awoke to the sound of running water. He sat up and scratched his head. It was a rare day when Marie awoke before him, and he went to investigate. He walked into the bathroom and saw Marie in the shower.
"Marie?" Stein asked. Marie poked her head out from behind the frosted glass.
"Oh! Stein, I have the greatest news!" Marie said. Stein raised an eyebrow. Marie turned the shower off, stepped out and wrapped a towel around her. After also wrapping a towel around her head to dry her hair, she walked over to him. She kissed him on the cheek and looked up at him in anticipation.
"So, what's your news?" Stein asked her.
"I've thought of a name." Marie said, biting her lip.
"Let me have it." Stein said.
"Alright... but you can't laugh." Marie said, leaning on the sink.
"I won't. I wouldn't dare, Marie." Stein said.
"Well... I was thinking of Shelley." Marie said cocking her head. Stein looked over at her.
"Why Shelley? I mean, the name sounds good, but why the sudden certainty?" Stein asked.
"Well, I saw it, and it's a really nice name. Plus, it means different things in different languages. In one language, it means 'intelligent.' Which is good, because you often give your child names that correspond with traits you want them to have, right?" Marie asked. Stein thought it was cute when she tried to explain things. She rambled like the best of them.
"Right. What else does it mean?" Stein asked.
"Well, in Old English, it means 'sloped meadow.'" Marie smirked. Stein cocked an eyebrow.
"And the significance is...?" Stein asked.
"You don't remember?" Marie asked.
"No... should I?" Stein asked. Marie walked over to him.
"You remember, a couple of weeks after graduation, when we..." Marie began before standing on her tip-toes and whispering in Stein's ear. A smile crept across Stein's face as Marie recollected the day to him.
"I remember now..." Stein smirked. Then he stopped.
"Wait a second." Stein said.
"What?" Marie asked.
"What if said daughter asks what her name means?" Stein asked.
"Like I said, multiple meanings." Marie smirked. Stein nodded.
"Ah, I see." Stein said, standing behind Marie.
"I'm smarter than people give me credit for." Marie said.
"I always knew you were smart. I just didn't know you were conniving." Stein said. Marie put her hands on her hands on her hips, her jaw dropping.
"I'm not conniving!" Marie said.
"You are slightly conniving." Stein said. Marie threw her hands up in the air. Stein saw this as an opening and grabbed the bottom of Marie's towel, pulling it off. Marie's eyes widened as she tried to cover herself. Stein swiftly exited the room. Marie growled as she chased after him.
"That's conniving, right there! Now, give me back my towel!"
A/N: Yes, the name is a reference to Mary Shelley, wrote Frankenstein, yada, yada, yada, plus, Shelley's a cute name :) And there's all of my friends' references in there :) x (Just a little random ramble, I would have named the baby 'Elizabeth' after Dr Frankenstein's wife in the books, but that's Liz's real name, so I didn't particularly want to do that.)
Oh, and just one thing, "You come anywhere near me with that and I break it off" is one of my proudest literary moments ever.