A/N: Hi, everyone! I hope you guys are ready to dive back into the world of Where We Belong/Together with Liam & Grace. I have quite a few ideas centered around my favorite high school sweethearts, and this is just one of many. I hope you all are looking forward to it. :)
P.S. This will be a multi-shot, and you guys will see the rest soon :)
Grace trudged through the door of the house. With a loaded sigh and a heavy heart, she sank down on the couch.
While the news she had received today wasn't exactly a shock, part of her had been hoping she was wrong. After all, there was a chance that the home test she had taken could have been false.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much chance of a mistake with the doctor, and the older woman had run the test twice to make sure.
Grace was five weeks pregnant.
As the red-haired young woman buried her face in her hands, she knew she should be ecstatic at the news. But all she thought about was that a baby was the last thing that she and Liam wanted or needed after being married for only three months.
Stressed wasn't a strong enough word to describe how she felt right now. As if by their own accord, her legs led her toward the kitchen - her place of solace.
She grabbed the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies and poured them into a bowl. She began mixing as if her life depended on it.
By the time the dough was ready for the cookie sheet, a fourth of it had ended up on the counter, and Grace had eaten another fourth. The half that was left would likely get stuck to the pan because she realized too late that she had forgotten the non-stick spray.
She then forcefully placed the cookies in the oven before she slammed the door shut.
She then sank down on the floor and leaned against the cabinet across from the oven, taking the bowl and spoon with her.
With a sigh, she buried her face in her hands. A million thoughts raced in her head, all of them fearful and worrisome.
Her phone then beeped in her pocket. She grabbed it and glanced at the Facebook notification. Her attention then drew to the photo on the lock screen.
She and Liam wore bright smiles as the baseball field stretched behind them. He held her close to his side, his hand cupping her hip. She had both arms wrapped around him.
Red clay stained his uniform, and he still wore his glove on his free hand. Grace sported his Letterman jacket, as well as his baseball cap - she snatched it off his head after a congratulatory kiss for scoring the winning run.
The game against Storybrooke's rival had been the first one for them as a couple. It didn't necessarily change how anyone saw them because they were already inseparable.
But for Liam and Grace, it was only the beginning of something amazing. They were each other's first and only love, and that only made their relationship even more special.
Even in spite of a few challenges - including a long-distance relationship - Grace always knew Liam was the one for her - the one with whom she would grow old.
As her hand wandered down to her stomach, she longed for the days when they were just kids with dreams.
When they stayed up late on the phone, when she always had to help him with math, when she cheered him on from the stands, and when just the two of them would hang out, laughing, talking, and teasing.
In those moments, they were always so in love - and yet as the years passed, that love only grew stronger.
Starting their lives together - trading her promise ring for a diamond and a wedding band - made her so happy she could burst. Becoming Mrs. Liam Jones had been even more amazing than her dreams. Than their dreams.
Yet, it felt like everything had turned into a nightmare.
They were only a short drive from all New York City had to offer - Times Square, Coney Island, Yankee Stadium, and Sam's Diner, of course.
Not to mention all the wonderful gems hidden away from tourists' eyes.
Could they even enjoy all of that with a baby on the way? Because they no longer had just themselves to think about.
What were they going to do?
Tears streamed down her face as she shoved the bowl from her lap, the rest of the cookie dough splattering on the floor.
She then buried her face in her hands and began to sob. The door opening and closing never even registered.
It was only when she felt her husband's hands cup her face that she tried to hide the fact that she felt like everything was falling apart.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Liam asked in a tone laced with concern and worry.
Grace plastered on a fake smile as she answered, "Of course. I just...got something in my eye while baking."
Liam gave her a look that indicated he knew better. He then stated, "I know there's more to it than that."
"And just how do you know that?" she evaded in a desperate attempt to buy some time.
In response, Liam soothingly ran his hands up and down her arms. He then perceived, "I know you're trying to avoid my question. And based on the cookie bomb that exploded on the counter, I know that something is really upsetting you."
Grace sighed before she simply buried her face in her hands. She felt Liam wrap his arms around her and pull her close to his chest.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Liam kissed her head. He then told her, "Whatever is bothering you, I promise you it'll be okay. We'll get through it together."
"It's not… not that simple. It's not something to just 'get through,'" she slowly admitted.
"Then tell me so I can help you through this," Liam pleaded.
Grace only stared at him as a war began raging in her mind. She then untangled herself from his arms before she got up and began pacing around the kitchen.
Liam got up from the floor and followed her as he reasoned, "Look, I see how upset you are, and that this thing is killing you. But it can't be worth all this worry, and it can't be bad enough for you not to tell me."
The red-head stopped pacing and argued, "It's my fault! I didn't do what I was supposed to do, and now this happened!"
"And you think I'll be mad at you? Is that what this is about?"
"How can I expect you not to be mad at me when I'm mad at myself?"
Grace then continued pacing before she started mumbling, "I can remember all the meticulous details about accounting, movie and book quotes, phone numbers, birthdays, and a million other monotonous ideas, but I can't remember to take a birth control pill!"
Unfortunately, her mumbling wasn't as quiet as she thought it had been. She froze when she heard Liam ask, "Are you pregnant?"
She slowly turned to face him. She fumbled with her wedding ring and avoided his eyes as she answered, "Yes, I am. I went to the doctor today."
The silence was deafening as Liam processed the news. He then tilted his head before he questioned, "That's what has you so upset?"
Grace crossed her arms and gave him a bewildered look. She then replied with a question of her own: "Why are you so calm?"
Liam scratched behind his ear as he answered, "I'll admit the timing isn't exactly ideal, but it's not like we didn't talk about having kids one day."
"One day being the operative phrase here," Grace pointed out. She then huffed and continued, "We've only been married three months, and we spent two of them traveling cross-country as we visited those authors' houses and museums! We've just gotten settled into our married life, and now we have a baby to think about!?"
She then started to pace again, but Liam managed to stop her. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms before he carefully began, "I think you may be overreacting a bit…"
"Overreacting?" Grace questioned with clear disbelief in her tone. She then pulled away from him and argued, "Can't you see that this blows up our lives? It changes everything, and I don't even know if we're ready for it! And it's all because I wasn't more careful!"
She then sank down onto the floor once more and began crying. Liam immediately knelt down in front of her and firmly stated, "Grace, look at me."
Her head shot up at his tone, and he then took her face in his hands. He took a deep breath before he told her, "There's one thing you need to do right now, and that is to stop blaming yourself for getting pregnant. We made the decision to wait to have kids, and we both should have made sure it didn't happen sooner. We should have been careful - not just you, okay?"
Grace nodded before Liam wrapped her in a hug, and she laid her head on his chest. They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before he pointed out, "We still have to deal with this baby."
"What's there to deal with? We'll keep the baby, and we'll raise him or her together," Grace told him, another smile plastered on her face.
However, she could see that her husband didn't believe her - not that she really expected him to. She didn't even believe herself.
"I know that isn't what you want," Liam commented.
"But you do," she pointed out. At the tilt of his head, she continued, "I heard it in your voice when you asked me if I was pregnant. You were so hopeful - you are happy. I can see that you want this."
Liam scratched behind his ear as he admitted, "Yeah, I guess I do. We both know I'm not great at being subtle."
Grace couldn't help but giggle at that last part before she became serious and continued, "Look, it'll be easier for us to keep it since I'm going to be carrying it for the nine months anyway."
Liam shook his head before he told her, "It may be easier than finding someone to adopt, but it wouldn't be fair to you."
"No, it really wouldn't be," Grace admitted, as she looked down and began picking at her fingernails.
Liam then placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head. He then assured her, "Hey, you know it is okay for you to feel like that, don't you? This wasn't part of our plan."
"Knowing that and believing that are two totally different things," she pointed out. She then ran her fingers through her red hair and let out an agitated grunt.
"Hey, talk to me," he encouraged as he moved his hand from her face and squeezed one of her hands.
Grace took a deep breath before she spoke, "I just have all these feelings that I don't even know how to explain, much less deal with."
Liam then moved his free hand and soothingly ran it up and down his wife's back. He told her, "That's what I'm here for. You know how much I hate to see you hurting, and I want to help you - just tell me what's wrong."
"It's just… just so much," she began. She entwined her fingers with Liam's before she continued, "On the one hand, I'm just thinking about how I don't know if I'm ready to become a mother. It's so much responsibility, and I don't know that I want to add that to our busy lives that we're still figuring out how to manage. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, and I do want them, but I thought I'd have time to, you know, sort of prepare for this big change. That we'd have time to talk about it and plan more. I also thought we'd have time to just enjoy being in love and being newlyweds. And then, there's also the part of me that feels selfish."
"Why would you feel selfish?" Liam questioned, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Because I want to give this baby away," Grace admitted, with tears forming in her eyes. She sighed once again before she continued, "If we were to find someone to adopt the baby, there's a chance it would be a couple who couldn't have kids - just like your grandparents. I'm sure that Sage would have given anything to be able to have a child; Regina would have as well. And then there's me - the woman who would purposefully give her child away."
"Because you want him or her to grow up in a loving home. If you know you're not ready to be a mom, there's nothing wrong with giving the baby to someone who is," Liam pointed out.
"And here I thought I was the older and wiser one," Grace joked.
"Well, at least you can still make jokes about being older than me," Liam offered as he smiled brightly at her.
She tried to smile back, but it faltered. She leaned her head back against the cabinet before she told him, "It doesn't change the fact that I'm not sure I want this baby, yet there's no real reason we couldn't keep him or her. Couples in more complicated and less ideal circumstances do it all the time, and they do a great job."
"You really do have a lot going on in that pretty head of yours," Liam told her before he kissed her forehead.
"Exactly," Grace dejectedly agreed before she laid her head back on Liam's chest, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. She immediately felt her husband's arms wrap around her, and it was as though he wanted to shield her from all her problems.
He then placed a loving kiss in her hair before he assured her, "We will get through this. I can promise you that."
"I know," Grace spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper. His words were the only thing holding her together.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before he suggested, "How about we order a meat-lovers pizza and watch Captain America?"
Grace looked up and slightly smiled as she commented, "Why am I not surprised you picked my favorites?"
"Because we both know that you need to relax," he honestly responded as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms once more.
She nodded before she told him, "I think I'll take a long, hot shower first." She then asked, "Is it alright if we eat a little late tonight?"
"Sure," he assured her with a smile. He then continued, "I'm here for whatever you need, alright? That won't be something you'll have to worry about."
A hint of a real smile overcame Grace's features before both of them stood. Before she headed into the bedroom, she told him, "Thank you, Liam. For dealing with all my crazy emotions."
"You don't have to thank me, Grace. You know how crazy I am about you and have been for as long as I can remember," he responded.
"I know," Grace simply replied. She then took a deep breath and continued, "But this is your baby, too. This can't be all about me."
"Well, you are the one who's carrying the baby and will have to go through labor," Liam stated with a slightly teasing tone.
His wife only shook her head before he spoke, "Hey, listen. I know this pregnancy is a little more than unexpected, but whatever decision is made, we make it together, okay? I know we'll find a way to both be happy."
"How can you be so sure?" Grace incredulously asked him, hands planted on her hips.
He wrapped his arms around her before he assured her, "I know this is, well, complicated, but we've always found a way before - you have to believe that we can do it again."
Grace offered a small smile in response. For the most part, stress and worry evaded every part of her being, but knowing that Liam believed in them - in her - made things a little better.
She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, and he held her as if he never wanted to let go. They stayed embraced for several moments before Grace pulled away.
"I'm gonna go take that shower now."
Liam nodded before he watched his wife head toward their bedroom. He then pulled out his cell phone and ordered the pizza.