"Kate?" Leopold's gentle voice cut through the silent air. "Kate, I
have been thinking," he said quietly. Kate turned to him with a warm smile.
"You're always thinking, Leopold. Its not much of a surprise to me. Now, tell me what's on that brilliant mind of yours," Kate grinned, although her smile was slightly awkward. Leopold seemed very much in thought the past few hours, and Kate had a feeling he meant to tell her something…in private.
"Kate…" Leopold began hesitantly. "I've been thinking about you," Kate raised an eyebrow suggestively, a small grinned quirked on her face. "I have thought that maybe…perhaps you would like to stay in 2001, with Charlie and Stuart. I mean, you were born and raised here, and had a very successful life. Then…I came along, and everything changed. I feel guilty for that." Leopold, being the gentleman he was, kept his eyes on Kate, never looking down.
Kate stared at him in shock. "You're insane," she choked out. "Where you go, I go, right Leopold? I love you, and no century is ever going to change that. And you…you can't stay here! You are a Duke! In 1876! No, absolutely not. I'm staying here for a short while, then we're going back to 18th century to live happily ever after. You, me, and…just you and me. Its out of the question! Think selfishly for once, Leopold! Think of your life. Our life!"
Leopold took this in, studying his wife with an intense expression. Something else was going on with her. She slept much, got very agitated easily, and seemed jumpy. "Kate…" Leopold whispered softly, his eyes pleading. "Tell me what is wrong. I know something is wrong, my Katherine."
My Katherine. Kate winced involuntarily. Leopold knew he could get her to speak with that phrase. Her eyes flitted from Leopold's handsome features to her hands, and back again. "Leopold, I've been keeping something from you for so long. I feel awful, considering how wonderful, intimate, and honest our relationship is." Her hands began to tremble violently, her face paled. Leopold practically flew to her side.
"Kate!" Leopold was, for the first time in his life, truly petrified. He took Kate's shaking hands in his own, rubbing them as though to stop the shaking. One hand stroked her face tenderly, the other grasping her small hands worriedly. God, please. Let her be okay. Don't let my wife be ill! I could not stand that…please…let Kate be alright! Leopold prayed silently. Leopold never really prayed before…but when it came to Kate…
Kate looked lovingly at her husband through teary eyes. "Leopold…how do I say this…" She swallowed hard and tilted Leopold's face to hers. "Leopold, I'm…pregnant." Her breath slipped out in a WHOOSH. She glanced at Leopold, who stumbled into the recliner, his face an interesting twist of shock, bewilderment, amusement, and above all, joy.
At that moment, Charlie walked in, whistling, before casting a puzzled look at the shocked Leopold. "He OK?" he asked Kate, nodding to Leopold. Kate smiled weakly.
" I was just telling Leopold about your niece/nephew that's on the way," Kate said, trying to sound casual. Charlie nodded absently and picked up the phone.
"My new WHAT?!" he yelped suddenly, the phone clattering to the floor. "Kate, this better not be some kinda joke…" he said warningly. Kate laughed and gestured to Leopold, who was just shaking his head and mumbling to himself, a pleased expression on his face.
"Does it LOOK like I'm joking?" Kate burst out laughing. Stuart then popped his head through the window.
"Did I miss somethin'?" he asked, an interested expression on his face. Kate and Charlie looked at each other and grinned slightly.
"Not much," said a recovering Charlie. "Good ole Kate here was just informing us of..um… a new member to this strange, twisted, time traveling clan."
Stuart stood abruptly and whacked his head on the window frame. "Say what?" he inquired hesitantly.
"I'm pregnant, Stuart," Kate grinned, relieved that her secret was out. It had been hard to keep it in…especially from Charlie and Leopold, but everyone was having such a relaxed time, and she couldn't quite get Leopold alone. Charlie was grinning with an exhilarated smile on his face, Stuart was shaking his head smiling, amused. Her biggest concern, though, was Leopold.
Leopold sat, back straight, in the recliner, a soft, dazed look on his face. Kate is pregnant he mused to himself. that is why she has been so emotional as of late…but I suppose that is a woman's concern he grinned slightly. Then it really hit him. HIS baby! HIS wife! He shot out of his chair suddenly, and stood close to Kate. Charlie and Stuart saw him, exchanged a look, and backed off into the kitchen.
"Leopold…" Kate began softly, looking into his face. "I meant to tell you, I really did. I just…how do you tell the Duke of Albany that you have his child? Here, in 2001, the woman would be like, 'Hey, before you go off to work, I want you to know I'm pregnant.' I'm a duchess from 1876, I…"
Now it was Leopold's turn to do the silencing. He held a hand up, and met her eyes. He bent down on one knee and kissed her hand gently. "I suppose…Connor or Kayla?" he said, a sparkle in his eye. Kate flashed him a puzzled expression.
"Connor is my favorite boy name, and Kayla is my favorite girl name," she said slowly, when it dawned on her. "Leopold!" she flung her arms around her husband's neck and kissed him. Leopold smiled down at her
"Yes, those will do fine," he said with finality, stroking Kate's cheek. "It will do just fine."
"You're always thinking, Leopold. Its not much of a surprise to me. Now, tell me what's on that brilliant mind of yours," Kate grinned, although her smile was slightly awkward. Leopold seemed very much in thought the past few hours, and Kate had a feeling he meant to tell her something…in private.
"Kate…" Leopold began hesitantly. "I've been thinking about you," Kate raised an eyebrow suggestively, a small grinned quirked on her face. "I have thought that maybe…perhaps you would like to stay in 2001, with Charlie and Stuart. I mean, you were born and raised here, and had a very successful life. Then…I came along, and everything changed. I feel guilty for that." Leopold, being the gentleman he was, kept his eyes on Kate, never looking down.
Kate stared at him in shock. "You're insane," she choked out. "Where you go, I go, right Leopold? I love you, and no century is ever going to change that. And you…you can't stay here! You are a Duke! In 1876! No, absolutely not. I'm staying here for a short while, then we're going back to 18th century to live happily ever after. You, me, and…just you and me. Its out of the question! Think selfishly for once, Leopold! Think of your life. Our life!"
Leopold took this in, studying his wife with an intense expression. Something else was going on with her. She slept much, got very agitated easily, and seemed jumpy. "Kate…" Leopold whispered softly, his eyes pleading. "Tell me what is wrong. I know something is wrong, my Katherine."
My Katherine. Kate winced involuntarily. Leopold knew he could get her to speak with that phrase. Her eyes flitted from Leopold's handsome features to her hands, and back again. "Leopold, I've been keeping something from you for so long. I feel awful, considering how wonderful, intimate, and honest our relationship is." Her hands began to tremble violently, her face paled. Leopold practically flew to her side.
"Kate!" Leopold was, for the first time in his life, truly petrified. He took Kate's shaking hands in his own, rubbing them as though to stop the shaking. One hand stroked her face tenderly, the other grasping her small hands worriedly. God, please. Let her be okay. Don't let my wife be ill! I could not stand that…please…let Kate be alright! Leopold prayed silently. Leopold never really prayed before…but when it came to Kate…
Kate looked lovingly at her husband through teary eyes. "Leopold…how do I say this…" She swallowed hard and tilted Leopold's face to hers. "Leopold, I'm…pregnant." Her breath slipped out in a WHOOSH. She glanced at Leopold, who stumbled into the recliner, his face an interesting twist of shock, bewilderment, amusement, and above all, joy.
At that moment, Charlie walked in, whistling, before casting a puzzled look at the shocked Leopold. "He OK?" he asked Kate, nodding to Leopold. Kate smiled weakly.
" I was just telling Leopold about your niece/nephew that's on the way," Kate said, trying to sound casual. Charlie nodded absently and picked up the phone.
"My new WHAT?!" he yelped suddenly, the phone clattering to the floor. "Kate, this better not be some kinda joke…" he said warningly. Kate laughed and gestured to Leopold, who was just shaking his head and mumbling to himself, a pleased expression on his face.
"Does it LOOK like I'm joking?" Kate burst out laughing. Stuart then popped his head through the window.
"Did I miss somethin'?" he asked, an interested expression on his face. Kate and Charlie looked at each other and grinned slightly.
"Not much," said a recovering Charlie. "Good ole Kate here was just informing us of..um… a new member to this strange, twisted, time traveling clan."
Stuart stood abruptly and whacked his head on the window frame. "Say what?" he inquired hesitantly.
"I'm pregnant, Stuart," Kate grinned, relieved that her secret was out. It had been hard to keep it in…especially from Charlie and Leopold, but everyone was having such a relaxed time, and she couldn't quite get Leopold alone. Charlie was grinning with an exhilarated smile on his face, Stuart was shaking his head smiling, amused. Her biggest concern, though, was Leopold.
Leopold sat, back straight, in the recliner, a soft, dazed look on his face. Kate is pregnant he mused to himself. that is why she has been so emotional as of late…but I suppose that is a woman's concern he grinned slightly. Then it really hit him. HIS baby! HIS wife! He shot out of his chair suddenly, and stood close to Kate. Charlie and Stuart saw him, exchanged a look, and backed off into the kitchen.
"Leopold…" Kate began softly, looking into his face. "I meant to tell you, I really did. I just…how do you tell the Duke of Albany that you have his child? Here, in 2001, the woman would be like, 'Hey, before you go off to work, I want you to know I'm pregnant.' I'm a duchess from 1876, I…"
Now it was Leopold's turn to do the silencing. He held a hand up, and met her eyes. He bent down on one knee and kissed her hand gently. "I suppose…Connor or Kayla?" he said, a sparkle in his eye. Kate flashed him a puzzled expression.
"Connor is my favorite boy name, and Kayla is my favorite girl name," she said slowly, when it dawned on her. "Leopold!" she flung her arms around her husband's neck and kissed him. Leopold smiled down at her
"Yes, those will do fine," he said with finality, stroking Kate's cheek. "It will do just fine."
