A/N: Yeah maybe I should have waited a bit longer to post this one, but really was on a roll and wanted to get the story going. My thanks to TrudiRose (thank you SO much again!) and Mon Amy (great to see ya aboard with an account!) for their reviews. Enjoy Chapter One!

Chapter One

Many years ago…

Sleep. All Celie wanted to do was sleep. In her final month of expecting, the baby due any day to be exact, the only person that she continued to work for was an elderly gentleman next door, Monsieur Perrot, who did not have any family nearby to help care for him. But even when he insisted that she only do small tasks to keep her off her feet, Celie persistently did more, and at the end of the day, exhaustion began to catch up with her.

Leaning against her locked door, Celie paused to take a deep breath, trying to calm the baby, who was extremely active today, kicking vigorously at its mother. Convinced that her every action affected her child as if it had already come into this world, Celie caressed her middle tenderly as she hummed softly.

"Such childish ideas," most of the neighbors said of her. "But then again, she is only a child herself; why expect any less?"

"Although she acted quite the adult when she met that scoundrel of hers," others responded. "Now look at her! A baby on the way and still not married, for shame!"

But Celie paid them little attention; painful as it was, she did not regret her actions. She was simply a young woman in love when she had met Adrien in the town square one afternoon last summer. The merchant ship he served aboard had docked earlier that morning, and the entire crew was ordered to bring the cargo straight to Paris.

Dieu, how clearly she remembered that day…

ooo

Celie had not even finished her personal errands when she realized that she was late for one of her clients, of all people the well-bred, but snobbish Madame de Ponay. Not paying attention to where she was going, she ran straight into an unknowing passer-by, causing an inevitable fall.

Apologizing profusely as she tried to gather her things, Celie stopped when she looked up to find an understanding, handsome gentleman assisting her.

"Can I help you carry any of those, mademoiselle?" he asked, gesturing to some of her heavier bundles.

Celie shook her head, blushing the brightest shade of red. "Monsieur is far too kind, but non, merci. I should have been somewhere ages ago, and truly, it will be faster if I do this myself."

As she walked passed him, he called to her, "In that case, I will just have to wait for a better time to assist you then!"

ooo

And he most certainly had, Celie recalled with a smile as she made her way upstairs to her room. The very next day, a glorious day off, she returned to the square to complete everything she had not finished when she saw Adrien again.

ooo

"Back again so soon, mademoiselle?" he asked from his seat at a café table as she passed.

Celie turned around, startled, but smiled at seeing his pleasant face. "Ah, the kind monsieur from yesterday," she said, moving to join him.

Adrien simply rose from his seat to pull the other invitingly out for her, and she did not object. When he sat down again, he asked, "Now, I must know, and beg of you to tell me. What is such a beautiful young woman like yourself doing here alone?"

Celie grinned, lowering her eyes coyly; attention from any man had always been one delight in life that she had enjoyed since the moment she had first been complimented. "Only if I may ask the same of you."

Adrien raised an eyebrow, chuckling under his breath. "Being at sea for too long among so many people, I prefer to keep to myself when we dock…unless of course, a stunning beauty happens to grace me with her presence."

"At sea?" she asked. "Monsieur is a sailor then?"

"Quite right, mademoiselle," he confirmed with a nod. "And my name is Adrien; 'monsieur' is far too formal."

"For two people who just met a few seconds ago, formal is the only way of greeting, Monsieur Adrien."

"Please, just Adrien, I insist," he said. "And I disagree. Formal is the only way of greeting for two strangers. Now if I remember, I did have the honor of bumping into you yesterday, which means that we have met before, and if you were to tell me your name, then we would surely no longer be strangers."

Celie smiled adorably. "Well, when you put it so nicely," she said, laughing gently. Holding out her hand in a friendly manner, she said, "Celie, Monsieur Adrien, enchanté."

Adrien smirked, accepting her hand and drawing it to his lips. "The pleasure is most definitely all mine."

ooo

By the time the memory had finished playing out in her mind, Celie was resting uncomfortably in her bed, with Madame Maigny, her voluntary midwife, snoring in the chair nearby. It was a wonder her pregnancy had made it this far, she mentally sulked with a sigh, between the infuriating snoring, her continuing to work, and Adrien himself.

Ever since that day in the square, her courtship with Adrien had been the highlight of her life. As long as he was in Paris, the pair was inseparable, day and night, the latter especially ever since their first together before he left for the sea again. The ship was to set sail the very next morning, and Adrien insisted that Celie allow him to stay with her as he did not know when he would be back. The earlier details she could never recall, but nonetheless, he had convinced her to allow him entry to her room. The rest was history with her bulging midsection as a recurring reminder.

She wished she could forget the day she had told him she was expecting…it was the first time he had ever raised his voice to her…

ooo

Celie paced the wooden dock, both nervous and excited all at once. Perhaps she should have written about it in one of her letters, but no, the thought of a joyous surprise was a much more thrilling idea. He would surely be as happy as she was, maybe even bring her to the local Church the minute he walked off the ship and marry her on the spot! Then they all could be together forever, the beginning of a loving family.

After what seemed an eternity, she saw him making his way down the gangplank and raced to meet him. Adrien in turn laughed in delight, nearly falling over as Celie jumped into his arms, kissing him wholeheartedly and passionately.

"For that hello, maybe I should leave more often," he whispered, nuzzling into her neck to steal his own kisses there.

Celie melted into his embrace. "I hope you reconsider and stay as long as you can; after all, I do have the most incredible news for you," she replied, pulling back to gaze at him with adoration.

"And what would that be?" he asked, laughing as she led him aside. "Ma chérie, what is it?"

Wringing her hands nervously before she grasped onto his, Celie smiled radiantly. "I just found out not too long ago…I…we…well, yes, really just I…Dieu, this is not easy…"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, amour; please, just say it."

Celie took a deep breath before she tried again. "Adrien," she whispered. "I…I am expecting."

"Expecting what?"

Her grin broadened. "Our baby," she said. "We are going to have a baby."

Adrien's face paled at her explanation, the color thoroughly vanished as he tried to understand what he had just been told.

"No," he said, his voice shaking nervously. "We are not."

"What do you mean?" Celie laughed. "Of course we are; I am already two months along today…"

"I said no!" he answered, sharply, viciously.

Now it was Celie's turn to be nervous; of all reactions imaginable, she never would have planned on this one.

"Adrien, what are you talking about?" she asked. "There is no… 'no' in this; I am going to have a baby."

"The hell you are!" he shouted, wrenching away from her to pace, cursing madly under his breath.

Celie could not believe what she was hearing. "What is the matter with you? Everything will be all right; we can get married right away…"

"Will you stop talking crazy, woman?" he hissed, gripping her shoulders painfully. "Don't you understand? I said there is not going to be a baby; the last thing I am going to do is get married over a bastard that I had no part of."

Celie shoved him away, anger blazing in her eyes as they threatened to flood with tears. "The last thing I understood was that it takes two to make a child, so it is just as much yours as it is mine."

"How the hell do I know that? Who knows how many men you've been with while I've been away?" Adrien retorted. "There is no way to prove the baby is mine, and I refuse to believe it. You have two choices, Celie, and they are very simple. Either get rid of the baby, I do not care how, or else, you will never hear from me again. Just remember, we both know how the world treats an unwed woman with a baby."

Celie could not contain her teetering emotions any longer. Without another word, she pushed her way passed him, wanting to get home as soon as possible. Adrien, on the other hand, headed straight for the closest tavern he could find.

ooo

Celie wiped her eyes as she put the memory to rest once again, praying Adrien was here with her now. He had come back that night to apologize, bringing flowers and a few trinkets, and then left for the first of numerous long trips.

Then again, maybe it was best that he was not here. Every time he returned, it was the same. The tiniest thing she did would upset him somehow, and vice versa. Chaos would break loose, they would go their separate ways, and then later at night, he would return with candy and flowers, full of apologies. Like the fool in love she was, Celie would always take him back. No matter how angry he made her or how much he hurt her, she loved him far too much to let him go.

Besides, with Adrien away so often, the baby would spend most of its time with someone who truly loved it. That is, when it finally decided to arrive…

Which could be in the next few hours, Celie realized as she gasped, feeling a sudden rush of pain. Groaning in discomfort, she called to the woman beside her. Madame Maigny, apparently not in as deep a sleep as she seemed, woke up immediately, rushing to Celie's side, already examining the girl to be sure she was in labor.

"All right, all right," Maigny murmured gently. "Celie, relax, you need to be strong; there will certainly be a baby in this room tonight."

ooo

By the dawn's first light, the peaceful sounds of morning were disturbed by a loud, inconsiderate pounding on the front door. Maigny sleepily made her way downstairs, her temper rising as she found Adrien on the other side. From the God-awful stench of liquor and perfume, she did not even want to begin thinking where he had been, nor did she need too many chances to guess.

"What do you want?" she asked, not hiding her annoyance.

Adrien stumbled a bit, obviously having drunk the night away and on the verge of the torturous hangover that came with the territory he had ventured upon.

"Wh-where's Celie?" he asked, squinting painfully and leaning against the wall to regain his balance. "I…I need to see Celie…now."

"The last thing Celie or the baby needs right now is you," Maigny growled, not closing the door. "Now get out before I send for someone who can throw you out."

"The baby?" he asked. "She had the baby today?"

"Last night to be exact."

Adrien stared at her for a long moment then turned to glance at the stairs when he made the decision to climb them.

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear," Maigny said, racing to block his path. "I told you, right now, neither Celie nor her child need you around to upset them, or worse. You are not welcome."

Completely ignoring her, Adrien roughly shoved passed her with little effort, making his way to Celie's room. Inside, he saw Celie fast asleep in bed, understandably more exhausted than she was when she came home. Therefore, he did try to be as quiet as he could.

Beside the bed, however, Adrien found the makeshift bassinet they had put together for the baby, with the infant inside. Curiously, he made his way over, staring down at the newborn with an unreadable expression.

"If you must know," Maigny whispered softly, "It is a little girl. You have a daughter."

Adrien did not offer any response except continuing to look at the baby. Celie's baby…and his, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. Over the past few months, he had tried to come to terms with the thought of being a father, but his efforts failed him. He could not see any good coming from it, and he slowly retreated from the bassinet.

Celie would write him as often as she could, asking for money, his money that he earned. Then when she had that, his job would be the next thing to go when she pleaded for him to stay home to be a part of the child's life. Because of that, he would not have any money left when she asked him for it again.

Then again, the more he thought about it, to hell with Celie; what about him? Without money, there was surely no way to escape, getting as far away from this punishment as he could! No comfort in the best form he knew, his beloved liquor and other women who would not do such a selfish thing like bearing him a child!

He knew he should just wash his hands of the both of them, but Celie's beauty was too addictive. As much as she often irritated him, making him scream at her and storm off, he always found himself missing the pleasures of her body, and came back to her to smooth things over. Which was easy enough to do: no matter how bad the fight they'd had, a few apologies and gifts always won her over and made her take him back.

He didn't want a little brat in his life, and certainly didn't want to take any responsibility for her - but he didn't want to give up Celie either. He'd have to make a show of caring about the kid to stay on Celie's good side. Luckily his job took him away so much - he wouldn't have to see much of her. When he was in town, he could just give the kid a toy or some candy, get that out of the way, and then tell Celie how much he'd missed her and needed to be alone with her. He could still have what he wanted - Celie - while dealing with the brat as little as possible.