Belle couldn't help but smile as Gaston crooned to her still completely flat stomach.
"Hello, Baby, this is your Papa. Papa can't wait to meet you."
They were lying in bed and Gaston had his head on her stomach. She ran her fingers through his dark, silky hair.
"I'm going to teach you everything, little man, how to ride horses, how to shoot, how to hunt."
"You know, it could be a girl."
Gaston shrugged. "Then I'll teach our little lady all the same things. I'll want to be sure she's self-reliant."
Belle felt a weight light from her shoulders. She had been fretting about how Gaston would react to a daughter.
"I have something to show you. Wait here." Gaston bounced up off the bed and left the room. He returned with a very familiar looking cradle.
Belle sat up. "Gaston...how?"
"I wrote to the hotel in Paris and offered a healthy sum of money if someone would retrieve it from the windmill attic and ship it to me. It came yesterday. I plan to refinish it."
Belle ran a hand over the rail of the cradle as she tried to find the words to tell Gaston what the gesture meant to her. "Gaston, this is perfect. Thank you. Does Papa know?"
"No, I wanted to show him after I refinish it."
Belle opened her mouth to reply, but a wave of nausea swept over her. She jumped up, ran to their small washroom, and vomited in the sink. She was still hanging over the basin when Gaston swept her hair up with one hand while rubbing her back with the other. "Come sit down, love, and I'll get you some ginger tea."
Gaston had improved his tea making abilities. The lightly sweetened cup of ginger tea he handed her was perfect. She sipped it slowly.
"Better?"
"Yes, thank you."
Gaston knelt before her and took her foot in his large hands. He rubbed and kneaded the arch with his thumbs. Belle hummed in contentment and continued to sip her tea.
"Is there anything else I can get you?"
"I'm not sure I'm up to cooking tonight." Belle didn't think she could stand the smell of cooking food.
"No matter. I can go to the cafe and eat."
Belle felt her lower lip start to wobble and tears build in her eyes.
Gaston stared in consternation as his wife sniffled. Belle was never weepy. "What's wrong, love? Are you still feeling ill?"
"No, I don't want you to leave."
This wasn't like her at all; Belle was independent to a fault. "I won't be gone long. Just long enough to eat so you don't have to smell the food." His stomach gave a loud rumble.
Belle put her face in her hands and began to sob. "Fine, go!" Gaston was baffled. He tried to reach for her, but she shoved him. "Go on, you want to leave, go!"
"Belle," he attempted to reason with her, "I'm just hungry. I could fix my own dinner here, but then you would still have to smell it. I'll go and get something to eat and be back as fast as I can. Would you like me to fix you some toast before I go?"
Belle jumped from the chair and stomped away from him. "No! I don't want anything from you. Get out." She went into the bedroom and slammed the door.
Gaston gaped at the door at a complete loss. Should he go in there and try to talk to her? He decided to go find the doctor; perhaps Belle needed some kind of tonic.
The doctor answered the door looking thoroughly put out about having his dinner interrupted.
"I'm sorry about the time," Gaston said, "but I think my wife may need you."
"What seems to be the trouble?"
Gaston explained all about Belle's mystifying outburst. "She's normally so logical. I just can't understand what's gotten into her. I thought maybe it was all the morning sickness, which by the way, lasts all day."
The doctor was smiling at him wryly. "Monsieur Gaston, pregnant women are often illogical and emotional, even those who had steady temperaments before the pregnancy. It's to be expected. Go and have your dinner, she'll probably be fine by the time you get home. The sickness will pass in time. Continue with the ginger tea. Peppermint can also be helpful."
"So, she's alright then? And the baby?"
"They are both fine, I assure you."
Gaston nodded with relief and made his way to the cafe. A full stomach helped ease his worries as well. He stopped by a stall in the market to buy more ginger and peppermint tea. He walked back into the house tentatively to find Belle eating toast and drinking more tea.
"Gaston!" She rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me earlier. It was so ridiculous. Did you have dinner? I think I could make you something now."
"It's fine, Belle. I ate. I...um, I went and spoke with the doctor." He held his breath hoping the admission wouldn't trigger another outburst.
"Oh?"
"He said this is normal for pregnant women."
Belle seemed to relax a little. "Really? I felt so foolish after you left. I kept trying to think over what upset me and couldn't come up with anything."
"I'm just glad you're feeling better. The doctor said peppermint tea will help the morning sickness as well. I got you some at the market."
"Thank you, Gaston. You...uh, won't tell anyone about how silly I was will you?"
He grinned. "Perhaps not. It all depends on how well you behave."
She put her hands on her hips and glowered at him. "Gaston!"
Gaston chuckled and pulled her against him. He held her tightly with one hand and tickled her ribs with the other. She struggled to break free and giggled despite herself. "Stop it, Gaston! Do you want the toast to come back up?"
"Of course not, love." He wrapped both arms around her and kissed her hair.
"How long do you think it will take you to finish the cradle? I can't wait to show Papa."
"Just a few days. I've already got everything I need. I'll start tomorrow."
Belle smiled up at him. "You are going to be an amazing father."
"And you are going to be a wonderful mother, but for now you need your rest."
Gaston swept his wife up into his arms and carried her back to bed
A/N: I'm baaaaack! I know you all have been waiting an unforgivably long time for an update. I can't say how often I will be able to update at this point, but I will try my best. For those of you have not experienced pregnancy hormones for yourself, know that they are legit and make you totally crazy. Haha! Poor Gaston.