The Darkest Hour

Chapter 21

"I think we should get you out of here before you get all pruney," Christian says with his arms wrapped around my waist. The way the water pounds against his shoulders and pours down his chest in rivulets could make me want to go for another round.

"Five more minutes, you haven't scrubbed my back yet," I lie and bite my lip dramatically for good measure. Anything to escape the upcoming confrontation with my mother.

He rolls his eyes. "Mes plus sincères excuses, mon chers," he says. "Turn around. And stop biting your lip. We have things to get done today."

I blink up at him in surprise. "You've never spoken to me in French before," I say excitedly, as I wiggle out of his grasp to follow directions. "I like it." He squirts some body wash into his hands before spreading the sweet smelling liquid across my back. His hands knead into my shoulders and I let out a content moan.

"I spoke plenty of French on our honeymoon. You must have just been distracted by the amazing sex," he says deadpan.

"It was pretty amazing... But no. You spoke to everyone else in French, just not me."

Christian works his hands down to what certainly is not my back. My inner goddess stirs from her orgasm induced coma. "Vous avez un beau cul, Madame Grey. Je ne peux pas attendre jusqu'à ce que je peux réclamer. (you have a nice ass, Mrs. Grey. I can't to can claim it.) I don't even know what he's saying, but it makes me blush anyway. My inner goddess claps her hands together, excitedly. "How's that?" he adds huskily into my ear. My insides turn to mush in an instant.

"Mmm," I reply.

Christian kisses my forehead and pulls away. "Get out baby, we're going to be late." Damn!

IIIIIIIIIIIII

I step out of the bathroom wrapped in a plush towel begrudgingly, having stalled as much as I could. Now that I'm out of the shower, my nervousness has bubbled back up to the surface. I can hear Christian on the phone in the living area. I sit on the bed and frown down at my toes. I'm torn between wanting to see my mother and wanting to scream at her. I miss her, but deep down I still haven't forgiven her for not coming to see me in the hospital. It's a childish thought, but I can't help but be a bit hurt.

I also know I shouldn't be worried about her reaction to me being pregnant. My subconscious rolls her eyes dramatically. She gave you a bassinet as a wedding gift, she reminds me snarkily. I frown in disagreement. But what if? - This isn't about Carla. This is about you being afraid of what other people think, she snaps. I sigh, confused. Is that what I'm so upset about?

I groan and bury my face in my hands. Now I'm arguing with myself… I wipe my nose on the towel wrapped across my chest and stand up. The last thing I need is for Christian to find me upset again. I hunt down my suitcase in the closet and sift through it looking for something to wear. I find a short sleeved, black, shift dress with a see through back. I grab a pair of panties and a bra from the bottom and carry them into the bedroom. I make quick work of changing, unwilling to let my mind wander again. I just want to get today over with so I can go home and get back to rebuilding my honeymoon bubble.

Having composed myself, I venture into the living area in search of my scalloped black flats. The room is not as big as the suite at the Heathman, but the minimalist furnishings make it feel more spacious. Christian is sitting at a steel and glass desk, fully dressed, typing away on his laptop. "Chicago?" he says with disgust. I briefly wonder who he's on the phone with. "I was hoping Georgia would have more to offer us… No, no we'll go over it more on Monday… Do you have the numbers for the San Francisco account?"

I spot my flats by the couch and bend over to slip them on. Christian glances at me casually. Smiling shyly back, I walk over to sit in his lap. He wraps his arms around my side so he can continue typing, and plants a soft kiss on my forehead. I bury my face in his neck. "Good… Yes, I'm looking at it right now… I can see what you mean… Call me when he gets back to the office."

"You're awfully snuggly today." I blink up in confusion, thinking he's still on the phone. He's looking down at me with a serious expression on his face. "Are you alright, baby?"

"Yes, just nervous," I say quietly. "And hungry too."

Christian's face brightens. "Hungry? Why didn't you say so?" He slides me off of his lap and stands up, straightening his navy colored polo shirt. He glances at his watch. "It's about time to leave anyway. Are you ready?"

I nod and lean against the desk as he collects his wallet and keys. Glancing out the bright window overlooking the bustling street, I let out a small sigh. Not for the first time in the last few months, I wish I could go back to my honeymoon before Jack intervened. My stomach rolls uncertainly at the thought of Jack. I can imagine him standing on the other side of the street, sneering up at me…

"Baby." I jump in surprise, and tear my eyes away from the window. Christian is staring down at me, worriedly. "You're sure you're alright?"

IIIIIIIIIIIII

The drive from the hotel to the restaurant is mercifully short. Christian pulls the ostentatious sports car into the parking lot of the local IHOP, and with ease, slides into an open spot right by the door. By some act of God, he's managed to not try to push me into telling him what's wrong. I can tell by the pout carved on his face and his tightened grip on the steering wheel, that he's annoyed. Let him be pissy! My subconscious snaps in a sudden fit of rage. He's not the 22 year old college graduate whose about to have a baby and follow in her mother's footsteps! Through the side mirror, I can see Taylor pull up behind us.

"I need one of these," Christian says happily. I glance over to see him pat the dashboard appreciatively.

"Don't you know Mr. Grey, new parents are supposed to buy mini-vans not sports cars."

He scrunches his face up in a look of mock horror. "Mini-vans are a hard limit for me, Mrs. Grey." He shakes his head. Despite my morose mood, I giggle.

Christian sets his hand on my leg. "Oh, what I would do to hear you giggle more often," he mutters to himself. I bite my lip. "Are you ready to face your mother?" he asks.

I blink in surprise at the change of topic and shake my head. "I don't know how to tell her."

His brows scrunch closer together, analyzing me. "What do you mean?"

I shrug and lean back in the seat. "I don't know what to say. I- I just don't know."

Christian undoes his seatbelt and leans closer to me. His hand wraps behind my neck and he gives me a deep kiss. My inner goddess stands at attention. "I'll take care of everything, baby. Just relax."

Relax. Okay. I can do that. I take a deep breath. Yeah, relax. Everything's going to be okay. I nod weakly. He gives me another peck on the cheek before getting out of the car and walking around to open my door. After I manage to peel myself off the low seat of the car, I smooth down my dress nervously.

"Come," Christian says leading me towards the entrance. "Let's get this done with so I can go back to fucking you in our hotel room all weekend.

I glance up at him. "Why don't we skip this part and move on to that?" I ask as seductively as I can, as we step up the curb towards the glass door.

He throws his head back and laughs. "My, my, so brave, Mrs. Grey. That sounds like an enticing proposition, but I'll have to pass." He opens the door for me, and I step in cautiously.

The cold air hits my face and calms me down for a microsecond until I spot Bob and Carla by one of the small windows near the back of the packed restaurant. Nope. Nope, I can't do this! I move turn around but hit Christian's solid chest. I feel his hand on the small of my back, and then he's leading me through the maze of tables towards our destination. I take a deep breath.

Carla spots us first. "Ana!" She squeals loudly and jumps out of her chair to pull me into a hug. "I missed you so much!" Several people around the busy restaurant look up from their meals to watch us. I blush in embarrassment.

"Hello, mom," I say weakly. "I missed you too."

She lets go and grabs a hold of my face. "I heard about what happened with your old boss. Are you alright?"

"I'm okay now. How are you?" I add, hoping to change the subject. I don't want to think about her bad parenting skills, or Jack for that matter. She pushes me into the chair next to her and Bob reaches over to pat my shoulder and say hello. Christian leans over the table to shake hands with Bob, who is still in his seat.

"Hello, Christian," Carla says finally having noticed his presence. "How are you?"

"I'm well. And you?" He says politely, and pulls up a chair next to me. She goes into her usual exuberant spiel, allowing me to gather my thoughts and set my purse down. Christian's hand finds mine underneath the table and squeezes. I return the squeeze and take the menu Bob offers. I quickly unfold it and bury my face behind it, happy to not be the center of attention. Although I know that won't last very long, not once I tell my mother about Blip. I glance nervously around the unusually busy IHOP. Hopefully she doesn't make that big of a scene.

I only surface from the menu when a bleach blonde waitress comes over to eye fuck my husband while taking our drink order. It's not improving my mood. She promptly comes back with my orange juice and I take a small sip, cautious of my stomach. I'd prefer not to reenact my birthday dinner.

"What can I get for all of you?" She asks in an overly friendly voice. The top buttons of her shirt are now undone.

Christian casually wraps his arm around my shoulder. "I'll take the spinach and mushroom omelette, bacon extra crispy. What about you, baby?" Bleach Blonde's smile falters a bit. Yes! My subconscious growls at her. He's mine, back off. She looks to me expectantly (but with much less enthusiasm). Huh? "Ana, what would you like?" Christian repeats.

Oh shit! "Buttermilk pancakes and a side of scrambled eggs, please," I say quickly. Am I that off my game today? I take a swig of my orange juice, letting the cold condensation bleed into my hand. Bleach blonde manages to take Bob and Carla's orders while still giving flirty eyes to Christian.

Stuck without a menu to hide behind, I suddenly feel very exposed. Bob asks Christian about GEH, launching a discussion between the two; my mother follows along politely. Nervously, I take another sip. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. Christian's thumbs graze my knuckles from under the table. What if she gets angry about Blip? Or disappointed? Damn, I should have made Christian bring them to the hotel for this, or at least somewhere private. I can't figure out if my hand is wet from the condensation of my glass or if I have sweaty palms.

"You should see this grill," Bob says excitedly. Shit! What if she want's nothing to do with Blip, like my grandparents with me? I can't let Blip go through that! " She's got great temperature controls, and there's even a built in-" Oh no, word vomit!

"Impregnant," I mumble loudly, catching everyone by surprise. Crap! I ruined it, again... I glance up nervously.

My mother's eyes have widened to saucers. "What?" My face heats up in embarrassment. Great finess, Steele! My subconscious reprimands me.

"We're having a baby," Christian clarifies smoothly.

"A baby?" Carla's voice lowers. I nod tensely. I mentally prepare myself for the argument. "A baby!" she repeats in a high pitched squeal, as the news sinks in. "Oh Ana, that's wonderful!" I mentally sag in confused relief.

IIIIIIIIIIIII

"Come on, the maternity section is just over there," Carla says excitedly, dragging my by the arm towards the maternity clothes section in the back corner of the local Target. I follow reluctantly, still in shock of how I ended up here.

My day has been nothing if not unexpected so far. First, I manage once again to screw up the delivery of the news of Blip. Second, my mother is over the moon about me being pregnant. Christian told me I was overthinking her response, but I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop… Then, to top it off, my mother convinces Christian to let her drag me around Savannah on a shopping binge, to celebrate. I'm half tempted to deny him sex for the next few days, I'm so annoyed with him. But I know couldn't go without sex for that long.

I hate shopping.

"What kind of clothes are you looking for, honey?" My mom asks once we disappear into the clothing racks.

"I don't know," I shrug awkwardly and rub the back of my neck. "Stuff for work, I guess. Dresses, skirts, things like that."

She turns around. "Dresses and skirts? When you were growing up, I couldn't get you out of those ratty t-shirts and jeans," she teases. "I should have married you off sooner."

I roll my eyes. They weren't that ratty. "I wasn't that bad, mom."

She shakes her head, smiling. I turn and busy myself in pretending to be interested in the rack of blouses in front of me. She pulls two black dresses off a rack and handing it to me. I vaguely wonder why I didn't grab a cart. "I can't believe you're having a baby!" she says gleefully. I look around nervously to see if anyone could have heard her outburst. Thankfully the area of the store we're in is abandoned, except for us. I glance over to my right and I can see Taylor lurking between racks a few aisles away.

"I mean, I'm way too young to be a grandmother, but I'm so happy for you, honey. You're happy, right?" She adds.

I pick at a floral shift dress on the rack in front of me and mull the question over. "Yes and no," I say quietly. "I want this. But I don't know if I'm ready. I don't know if we're ready." I rub the back of my neck in an effort to relax my tense muscles.

"Oh Ana. No one's ever ready. If anyone tells you otherwise, their lying," she says knowingly. "Trust me. I know people who treated those baby books like they were the Bible, and as soon as they got pregnant, were just as unprepared as I was with you."

I notice we've wandered down the aisle to the pajamas. I sift through the rack with a bit more enthusiasm. "I have no idea what to do with a baby, mom," I tell her. "I've never even held one. What if I'm a bad mother? What if I'm one of those moms who drops her baby or leaves it in the grocery store next to the potatoes?"

She rolls her eyes. "You'll be fine. You have me to help you, and Christian's mother. She's a pediatrician." I suppose she has a point, but it doesn't do enough to quell the churning sea of insecurity in my gut. Or is that the pancakes? "And besides, Ana, you are the most loving, caring person I've ever known. Just trust your instincts."

Carla pulls out a pair of warm looking drawstring pajama pants and stacks them on the pile in my arms. "Shouldn't we get a cart, mom?" I ask, gesturing at the growing pile of clothes in my arms..

"Oh sorry, honey! I was so excited, I didn't even think of it." She adjusts the strap of her purse on her shoulder and pats me on the back. "Wait here, I'll go get one."

I watch her weave her way out of the clothing section towards the front of the store and bite my lip. I'm half tempted to make a run for it. Except that I know if I do, I'll probably end up a heaving mass on the floor. I haven't had any nausea today so far, and I'm loathe to do anything that might initiate it. Bored, I idly wander towards the book section that I know can't be too far away. Behind me, I can see Taylor following at a distance. I see the sign for electronics up ahead and figuring the books will be somewhere near there, make my way towards it.

But something catches my eye and makes me stop: the baby section. I bite my lip again and stare at the endcap selection of baby bottles. Why so many? I ask myself. Surely a bottle is just a bottle? Feeling inadequate in my knowledge of anything baby related, I make my way over towards it.

Holy Shit! I think when I see the adjacent isle with an even larger selection of bottles. I pick one up an odd shaped one and look at it.

"It's for reflux," Taylor says helpfully from beside me. I hadn't noticed him come up so close.

"Reflux?"

"It's when babies spit up more than they should. My daughter had a case of it when she was a newborn," he explains. "It's got a bend to prevent air bubbles in the milk." I nod, interested and put it down, delving deeper. I pick up a few things as I wander and ask for an explanation. Who knew Taylor knew so much about babies?

I turn the corner and find my way to the next aisle, which is full of baby clothes. The adorableness makes my ovaries want to explode. I pick up a onesie with little red fire trucks on it and feel the instant urge to buy it. I reach out to pick it up off the rack and stop when I see an equally adorable dress with dogs on it. I suppose I should wait until we know whether or not Blip is a boy before I start buying baby clothes. My subconscious whines in protest. But they're so cute….

"I thought I'd find you here!" Carla says conspiratorially as she pushes the shopping cart towards me. I drop the heavy pile of clothes in my arm into the basket. "Having fun?" she asks. I nod. "Come on, let's go try these clothes on and we'll come back."

A/N: Oh my, that one took FOREVER to write. I'm glad that's done with. I'm sorry it took so long everyone, school is very busy right now. I now have to write nine 6 page papers before the end of March! Alright, enough of me whining. Please Review, you know how much I love it.