Chapter sixty: Don't put your foot on the heartbreak
Fourteen months later,
Oh, how life had changed in such a short time.
Noni and Arthur had finally gotten married after the birth of their daughter Georgiana Grace Shelby. After a bitter custody battle, Arthur had won full custody of his son Billy. Noni had immediately proposed that they moved to a little cottage by the seaside several hours away. Thomas missed his brother, but he had to admit that this was the happiest he had ever seen Arthur. Noni had been a good influence on Arthur, she'd helped him give up the cocaine and keep his temper in check. According to Noni, the happiest moment of their days was training before the children woke up.
Kate's father had decided to retire from the business two months ago and she'd offered him the option to move into the house. Her father agreed readily, loving to be around the children and Polly. While it wasn't exactly a love affair, the two had known great loss and it was a comfort to talk to someone who understood you on such a deep level. Polly had cut Michael free from her life after it was confirmed that he had been conspiring with her brother to take out Thomas. Her father's right hand man, had taken over the business, with the pledge that the Shelby and Kovach family were kept safe.
Kate sets Richard on the ground; he immediately toddles towards Jodie, who looks to Kate. She nods. "Go ahead and pick him up."
"Alright." Jodie picks up Richard and peers closely at Kate. "Are you alright? You look pale."
Kate sighs. "I know it."
"Mother threw up in the car, again." Ruby informs Jodie with a smile.
"It was your deviled egg sandwich that made her sick the first time." Charlie stated with a disgusted face. "The second time, it was all those cinnamon rolls she ate."
Kate laughs. "Very amusing you two. Go on upstairs; I'll be there in a minute. I need to talk to your father first." She looks to Jodie. "He in a good mood?"
Jodie nods. "He's been quiet today. Actually called me Jodie today for the first time."
"Will wonders never cease?" Kate chuckles before muttering. "Please stay in a good mood."
Kate steps towards the library, her heart racing as she taps on the door. "Come on in Kate." He says matter-of-factly, causing her to smile. Kate smiles uneasily as she steps into the library. He looks up at her, peering over his glasses at her. "You look lovely."
"Thank you." Kate sits on the edge of desk and leans forward to kiss him lightly on the mouth.
"You seem uneasy." He states as he sets down his pen. He smirks. "How much money did you spend on clothes today?"
"Nothing actually." She inhales. "I can't help but feel you're going to be mad at me."
"Why?" he sits up slightly. "Did ya wreck the car?"
"No."
"Are the children hurt?"
"No."
He stood up and took her hand. "What is it luv?"
She inhaled and whispered. "I'm pregnant."
He blinked and stared at her, his expression cold and unreadable. "What? We were careful."
"I know, but…I am." she inhales. "I think…we had a bit too much fun on my birthday."
"You're sure that you're pregnant?" she nods as he stares at her before stating the words that nearly cause her to pass out. "Terminate it."
"No." she stared at him in total disbelief. "I won't murder our child Thomas!"
"If it comes between you and it, I'll choose you."
"You can't mean that!" she knew he'd be upset, but she hadn't anticipated that he'd be this angry.
"Damn right I do!" he shouts. "I won't go through that again!"
"Well, I'm not exactly gun-ho to go through the labor again, but I'm going to have our baby."
"God, I can't believe this!" he jumps up from his chair and shouts. "I won't allow it Kate!"
"You won't allow it?" she shrieks. "What are you going to do? Tie me down and force me to drink whatever will cause me to miscarry!"
"If that's what I need to do," he growls. "I'll do it."
"You bastard!" she screams at him. "God!" Kate gets a sharp cramp in her side, causing her to gasp. Thomas heads instantly towards her, but for the first time in years, Kate pushes him away. "Stay away from me. I need to calm down without you near me!"
"Kate, that-
"It's just a cramp!" She shouts. "I'm fine!"
With that, she inhales deeply and walks calmly out of the library, slamming the door behind her. Thomas lets out a curse and a glass flies at the door. She sighs and closes her eyes. She should care that he was hurt and angry, but she upset and furious as well. She moved to the parlor. She was going to lie down, take a nap and try to calm down.
That evening,
Kate yawns as she stumbles from the parlor to the dining room. Thomas looks up at her and she glowers at him as she moves to her spot. "Everything alright?" her father asks as she sits stiffly down beside Thomas. "You seem tired?"
"Yes."
Her father's eyes narrow. "That's not all that's wrong. I can sense it."
"We had a fight." Kate bites out as she slaps her napkin into her lap. "And we're still fighting."
Polly shoots them both a look. "Well, don't let it drag out too long."
"It won't. I scheduled an appointment for you, Kate." he said coldly, without looking up. Kate drops her fork and exhales, ready to fight again. "You're going tomorrow."
"No." she bites out. "I'm not."
"Yes, you are." She shakes her head as he slams his hand on the table, causing everyone to jump. "Damn it Kate! I want you to-
"I don't f**king care what you want Thomas Michael Shelby!" she shouts as she jumps up from the table, eyes flashing. He stared at her, unaccustomed to using profanity. She hated the word, but she was driving a point across to him. "I know, you didn't want me to get pregnant this soon, but I am! I am not terminating our baby!"
"Baby?" her father stares at them. "Kate, you're pregnant?"
"Not for long." Thomas states.
"Hold on!" Polly snaps. "Kate's pregnant, and you don't want the baby? That's what the fights about?"
"Yes." He roars in anger. "She needs to terminate it."
"You're such a cruel, unfeeling bastard!" she shouts back in his face.
"Kate, calm down, breathe." Polly stated as she stood up and moved to Kate's side. "Sit down, breathe. Thomas, if you can't try to discuss this civilly with her, then leave. You're in no danger; she is by you putting stress on her."
"I agree." Her father states. "My daughter tells you that she's having your child and you want her to terminate it? You should be happy; you're going to be a father again!"
"Not if it means losing her." he growls out.
Everyone is silent for a moment, breathing rapidly, trying to find their calm. "What does," Ruby licked her lips as she asked nervously as all eyes went to her. "terminate mean?"
Everyone was silent, except for Kate who chose to state. "In this instance, terminate means to kill."
Ruby and Charlie gasped in shock. Charlie spoke first. "You want mommy to kill our baby brother?"
"Or sister?" ruby asks. "I want a sister!"
He shot her a deathly look. "Nicely played Kate." Thomas clears his throat. "If not, the baby will kill your mother." That caused both of the children to freeze. "Like little Johnny almost did. She needs time to get her strength back, and then…she can have another one."
"Once I realized I was pregnant, I went straight to see Doctor Blake. He thinks that should I take it easy, it will be a good pregnancy, unlike the last one."
"He can't guarantee that!"
"Thomas, there was a lot of stress going on for me while I was carrying Richard. I was being robbed, kidnapped, beaten and even shot at! If I stay here and take it easy, all should be well."
"But he can't guarantee that." he stood up. "If you die….things will go back to the way they were before you married me."
"And if you force me to terminate my child," she stands up and holds his gaze. "what makes you think I could ever love you again?"
He froze in place. "Kate."
"I love you Thomas Shelby, but I will not terminate our child. It's a part of you and me. I won't do it." she exhales. "No more. We'll discuss this tomorrow."
"I'm not hungry." He states as he abruptly exits the dining room.
Kate lets out a growl as she sits back down. "How hard and cruel can a man be?"
"I can understand his worry Kate. He was very scared during Richard's birth."
"I know," Kate states. "it was scary for me too. It's still scary but he can't just tell me to terminate my baby without discussing options first. He just decided to completely override my thoughts and feelings. That's the first time he's ever done such a thing I'm not going to allow him to walk all over me."
"What if you die?" ruby asks. "I didn't like daddy before he married you."
Kate smiles uneasily at her. "I'm not leaving you all, I promise."
Her father nods. "And you two, in order to help your mother in her pregnancy, help her out. I'll tell you what you can do to help her out."
"Let's just have dinner; we can discuss things in the morning."
In spite of the explosion, dinner managed to go down pleasantly enough. Kate went up to her room, which had been converted, into a nursery for Richard. In a few years, he'd have his own room. Kate changed as was brushing her hair when she heard Thomas come into his room and slam the door. She exhaled and continued brushing her hair and then checking on Richard one last time. He was tired and had fallen asleep right away.
Kate pushed the door to their adjoining room open, causing Thomas to look up at her with a glower. She ignores the glower as she moves to the bed. "What are you doing in here?" he demands.
"I may be mad at you," she huffs as she gets under the covers. "but I'm not leaving you, now that those nightmares are almost under control." he throws back the covers and prepares to get out of his bed. "I mean it; I'll follow you wherever you plan on going, so you might as well stay in bed."
Again, Thomas cursed before flopping back onto the bed. She sighed; he was acting like a child. He turned his back to her and Kate closed her eyes. This was going to be their first major fight. Even though they shared a bed, they could not have been further apart.
Idcam: Well, Kate's been secretly wanting to be a mother for so long, you can't blame her for wanting more. However, now everyone's upset! I don't think I'll do a sequel. The way I'm planning on ending it doesn't leave much room for a sequel. However, I have started the other idea and I'm already up to 5,000 words. But I won't be posting 'Among Angels' until I've got at least 15,000 words typed beforehand.
