A/N Just a quick little 2-part L and E story following the S9 finale.
...
"Are we almost there?" Elizabeth asked, tilting her head in an attempt to see around the blindfold covering her eyes.
Lucas chuckled. "Yes. we're almost there."
"I still don't know why you insisted on blindfolding me. I feel like I'm being kidnapped."
He grinned. "I promise, you aren't being kidnapped." He slowed the car as he approached his destination. "Okay, we're here."
"Can I take this off now?" She reached toward the cloth knotted behind her head.
"Not yet. I'll tell you when." He exited the car, stepping around to the passenger side and opening the door for Elizabeth. "Take my hand. I won't let you trip."
She hesitantly slipped her hand into his, trusting that he would get her safely to wherever he was taking her. Her steps were unsteady as she relied on him for guidance, blindly following him.
"And…stop." He released her hand before reaching around to untie her blindfold.
She blinked a few times to clear her vision, trying to determine where they were. "Whose house is this?" She gazed up at the structure, large windows on either side of the front door, a small balcony jutting out from a room on the upper floor, a porch wrapping around three sides.
"It's ours. Happy anniversary."
She quickly turned toward him, disbelief on her face. "Ours?"
He nodded. "This house was just out here, abandoned and in disrepair. I had it renovated, and I think it could be perfect for us."
"I just…" she shook her head. "You bought us a house?"
"Are you upset?"
"No, no. I just didn't expect this when you said you had a surprise for me."
He pulled a key out of his pocket. "Would you like to see it?"
She smiled as she took the key from him, her fingers brushing against his.
"What?" he asked, curious about the look on her face.
"That moment just brought me back to when you gave me the key to the library."
He returned her smile, putting his hand on the small of her back as they approached the front door. "Who would've guessed that, a few years later, we'd be here?"
"A few people around town probably could've guessed." She chuckled. "How far from town are we, by the way?"
"Just a few miles. Close enough that we can walk there on nice days, if we want to."
She put the key in the lock and turned it, hearing the mechanism click. Lucas stuck out his hand before she could open the door.
"What are you doing?"
"I have to carry you over the threshold."
She rolled her eyes playfully. "You did that after our wedding."
"But this is the first house that's just ours." He pushed the door open, scooping her into his arms. "Just humor me, please."
"Lucas." She giggled as he set her down in the entryway.
He kept his hands on her waist, leaning in to kiss her softly. "Welcome home, my love."
She smiled, kissing his cheek before turning toward the house. "Lucas," she breathed, taking in the space. "This is beautiful."
Beyond the front door was an open entryway, the walls lined with various paintings and photographs of landscapes near and far. To the right, a large wooden staircase led up to the second floor, and to the left, an archway led to the rest of the house.
Elizabeth followed Lucas as he showed her around, pointing out different things he had chosen to include in the house because he thought she would enjoy them: large windows facing into the backyard, a cozy breakfast table tucked into a nook in the kitchen, a desk in the corner of the living room so she could write and keep an eye on Jack while he played.
"What's this room?" she asked, walking toward a closed door off of the living room.
"That," he stated, "is the best room in the whole house. Go ahead."
She gasped as she opened the door. "A library?"
Shelves lined two of the walls, filled with books and souvenirs from his travels. A pair of matching wingback chairs sat opposite the shelves, with a lamp in between to ensure they could read at any time of day.
"Lucas, darling, this is amazing."
"I'm glad you like it." He grinned, charmed by her enthusiasm. "Shall we go upstairs and tour the bedrooms?"
Nodding, she took his hand, and he led her back to the front of the house and up the stairs.
"There are four bedrooms up here, plus a washroom."
"Lots of space," she remarked, moving toward the bedroom at the front of the house.
"One room for us, one for Jack, and a guest room for any time our families visit."
She raised her eyebrows. "That's only three rooms, Mr. Bouchard. What do you have planned for the fourth?"
"Oh, I don't know," he teased. "Maybe it could be a nursery."
"You think so?"
"Well," he trailed his hands down her arms, taking her hands in his. "We've talked about growing our family. A little Bouchard baby would need a room of their own."
"I suppose you're right." She smiled, taking a step closer to him. "So this house has room for us to grow."
"That was the idea." He kissed her. "So now, we just need to pack up our old house and move those things over here."
"Does Jack know?"
"Yes. I've brought him over here a few times."
"I can't believe you got him to keep this secret."
He chuckled. "I figured if he could keep the proposal a secret, he could keep the new house a secret. Now," he reached for the door behind them, "why don't we see our room?"
Her jaw dropped when they stepped into the spacious room. A windowed double door lined one wall, leading out to the small balcony they had seen from the outside of the house. A large feather bed was pushed against another wall, a down comforter draped over the mattress.
"I know we didn't need a new bed, but I saw this in a catalog while I was searching for some of the other furniture, and I couldn't resist. We can put our old bed in the guest room."
"Lucas," she began, sounding a little concerned as she ran her hand over the polished wood of the headboard. "How much did all of this cost? The house, the renovations, the new furnishings. It's all so much."
"You don't need to worry about that, Elizabeth. I saved some money by going through Lee and helping out with some of the renovations. Besides, the Queen of Hearts is doing well. I promise, I'm not going to spend more than we can afford."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Just enjoy this, my love. This is our home. Where we'll raise our children, where we'll grow old together."
The corners of her lips turned up. "I love the sound of that."
He watched her as she slowly made her way around the room, her eyes lighting up as she noticed different things he had placed in the room: photographs of their family, a few keepsakes from their honeymoon.
"You did well." She moved back to stand in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"I'm glad you like it."
A knock sounded downstairs, and Elizabeth turned, confused.
"Someone's here?"
Lucas just smiled at her knowingly. "Why don't you go answer that?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Lucas Bouchard. Is this another surprise?"
"Another good surprise."
After another knock, she hurried to the door, opening it to find Lee standing on the front porch with Jack, a large picnic basket sitting next to him.
"I have a few deliveries for you." He grinned.
"Hi, mama." Jack smiled sweetly. "I bringed dinner."
Elizabeth lifted him from the ground. "Did you help dad plan this?"
He nodded. "This is our new house."
"I know. Are you excited to live here?"
"Uh huh. Hi, buddy!" he exclaimed when Lucas stepped up behind her.
Lucas chuckled. "Hey, buddy. Are you ready for dinner?"
"Yes!"
"Great." He gently tweaked his chin. "Why don't you and mom go take the food to the kitchen? You can tell her all about how you want to decorate your bedroom. I'll be there in just a minute."
"Okay!" he agreed, chattering away as he led Elizabeth toward the kitchen.
"Thank you for this, Lee." Lucas shook his hand. "And for all the help with the house."
"So she likes it?"
"She does. Tell Rosemary we'll have you two and Franny over for dinner once we're fully moved in."
"I will. And hey, let me know if there's anything else you need."
"You've done too much already, Lee. But I'll keep that in mind." Lucas clapped him on the back. "I should let you get back to your family."
"Have a great evening, Lucas."
"You, too." Lucas gave him a wave as he walked to the car, closing the front door as he drove away.
"Dinner's ready, buddy!" Jack shouted when Lucas came into the kitchen. "Let's eat!"
Lucas laughed. "Okay. What do we have here?" He took a seat at the table, between his wife and son.
"I don't know exactly what it is, but I assume we have Gustav to thank for this meal."
He nodded. "Yes. And Minnie made the dessert."
Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head. "How are you going to top this anniversary?"
"No idea." He let out a small laugh. "Good thing I have another year to figure that out."
...
"Good night, Jack." Lucas dropped a soft kiss on his forehead. "If you need anything, mom and I are just down the hall. You remember where?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah."
"I love you, Jack."
"Love you, buddy." He rolled to his side, tucking his little hands beneath his cheek.
Lucas slowly pulled the door closed, leaving it slightly cracked. He found Elizabeth standing in the hallway, looking into the empty room directly across the hall from their bedroom.
"He should be asleep soon. Hopefully he does okay since we're in a new place," he said quietly. He wrapped his arms around her, looking over her shoulder into the room. "How long do you think it'll be before we actually have a reason to furnish this room?"
"Oh, not long." She leaned back against his chest, smiling. "I'd say six, maybe seven months."
"That seems like a very precise timeline."
"Well," she turned in his arms, leaning back a bit to look up into his face, "I spoke with Faith a couple of days ago, and it seems we might be needing a nursery before the year is up."
"We might…" he repeated. "A baby? We're having a baby?"
She nodded, tears filling her eyes as she brought her hands to her stomach. "Happy anniversary, Lucas."
He lifted her into his arms and spun her around. "We're having a baby!" he shouted, laughing through his own happy tears.
"Shh! We don't want to wake Jack," she hushed him, unable to control her own laughter that bubbled up.
"Was this the surprise you said you had for me?"
"Yes." She took his hand, placing it on her belly. "Say 'hello' to Baby Bouchard."
He knelt down, curling his hands around her sides, his mouth even with her stomach. "Hi, baby. I'm your dad."
She threaded her fingers in his hair, smiling as he whispered to their unborn child. He placed a kiss on her stomach before standing up straight once more.
"I think your surprise beats mine." He grinned, kissing her once, twice. "I love you, Elizabeth. Thank you for giving me everything I could ever hope for."
"Thank you for waiting for me." She stepped into his arms. "I hope it was worth it."
"Elizabeth Bouchard, you are worth every minute I waited and more." He kissed her again. Taking her hand, he led her into their bedroom. "Are you ready to spend our first night in our new house?"
"I still can't believe you did all of this."
"A new house, a new baby." He caressed her cheek. "I wonder what our next anniversary will bring."
"Time will tell. I love you, Lucas."