In some ways the next four months were the best of Revy's life. In other ways, the worst.

The morning after moving in Revy woke up and compulsively reached for her traditional morning cigarette. When her hand met the cold floor she remembered her new reality and let out a groan.

No smokes or booze for the next nine months, minimum.

Her head started to ache. She groaned again and turned over, hoping that sleep would help her escape the biting want. But sleep didn't come.

After some time she gave up and pushed herself into a sitting position. Next to her, Rock stirred.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said when their eyes met. "And how did you sleep?"

Revy's craving melted away in his smile and his, "beautiful." She pounced on him and fixed her lips to his.

"My! Aren't we… energetic!" He laughed into her mouth.

"S-shut up!" She hissed. "I need… a… distraction. Can you… do that?!"

In answer he seized her around her back and flipped her over as she laughed. His shameless hands found her out. Revy gasped her delight into the fire of his kiss.

When the light became too bright for the blinds to hold back they moved into the shower to clean up. Revy pressed herself into him, tied her arms behind his head, and kissed him again.

"I love you," he said as their kiss broke apart.

"I love you!" she growled. "I love you! I'm never fucking leaving you again!"

As they walked out to the car Revy made sure to hide her guns under her jacket. She might not be able to use them here like she could in Roanapur, but she'd be damned if she was going anywhere without them.

True to his word, Rock took her shopping for furniture. This was a new experience for Revy. The biggest thing she'd ever owned was her own home-made workout set, and even that was completely disposable. The king sized mattress they were buying alone was a lot bigger and more expensive.

Also, she wanted a drink.

Like really wanted one…

Being without her usual smokes made her anxious. She'd smoked at least half a pack a day since she was twelve. And she was pregnant. That made her feel uniquely vulnerable. Being out of Roanapur was helpful on that front, but that fact brought its own stresses. Even though she was only an hour away, having to hide her guns again was annoying as hell. All in all, she felt stressed and anxious. And a shot of rum would've really hit the spot.

She barely noticed as Rock showed her the lamp he was buying for her bedside table. The light switch for it hung on a long cord.

"So you won't have to lift yourself up to turn the light on when, you know…"

He used his hand to pantomime having a distended stomach. Old Revy might have socked him in the jaw for suggesting that she had or would have any sort of physical weakness. New Revy just rolled her eyes.

Besides that, there were other home improvement projects Revy actually wanted to shop for. Most of her prior dwellings had been as disposable as human life in the City of the Dead. She'd never even bothered locking her front door, the logic being that if someone wanted to come in they were coming in whether she wanted them or not. In her old life, her guns were the best defense she could have.

Things were different now though. If she was having a baby, Revy needed all the security she could get. Even through her annoyance, she could see that. She and Rock agreed on their list of home improvements on the way to the contractor's office. When the contractor quoted the price Revy didn't even bat an eye.

Afterward though, Rock surprised her by taking her shopping for something that even drove the thought of booze from her mind.

"When I go back to work, you're going to be on your own for most of the day," he explained when they arrived in front of the car dealership. "You're going to get bored around the house, and there are things you'll need to do. Pick whichever one you want."

Revy threw herself into him with enough force they nearly fell over.

After a lot of test drives and haggling she ended up with a Red Boss 429 Mustang. Baddest car she'd ever seen, signed and sealed in her name. She grinned ear-to-ear the whole drive home with the window down and the radio blasting Guitar Wolf. She'd driven plenty of vehicles before, often without their owners' permission, but had never once owned one herself. All she needed was a cigarette between her teeth and she'd be golden. She contented herself with a candy smoke as well as she could. When she parked it in their garage, Revy felt truly at home.

Sadly, that wasn't all she felt.

After about a week the house was mostly livable, and Rock had to go back to work.

"I left Benny and Denali in charge while I was gone," he explained over dinner the night before he was due to return. "They can hold down the fort well enough, but they can't manage it permanently. There are some big changes going on in the city. I need to be there to oversee it."

Revy frowned into her bowl of noodles.

"Great," she muttered. "I'll just hang out all pregnant-like until you get back."

Rock sensed the protest behind her words and leaned forward.

"We have video games," he whined. "We have movies, the pool, takeout, and with your car you can go anywhere you want. Isn't that enough?"

Revy shoveled another big load of noodles into her mouth. Her cheeks bulged comically but she continued to pout.

Rock sighed.

"The sad truth is, I'm going to have to be there overnight for a few days. Work's backed up since I've been away."

"Whatever," Revy muttered as she went back to her soup.

The next few days were hell.

Rock was gone and she was alone. Most mornings she just lay staring up at the ceiling until she found a reason to get up. She tried to keep busy. She made her doctor's appointments and oversaw the home security improvements. She played video games, worked out, watched movies, drove her car, and practiced with her guns at the range. Still, everything was just dull.

And when things were dull, she wanted a drink.

And when she wanted one drink, she wanted fifty.

It was nice that Rock called nearly every night before bed, but he was normally so exhausted he couldn't be on long. One night he just stopped talking. Revy yelled into the receiver and finally he came back.

"Sorry," he mumbled into the line. "Fell asleep for a second there."

Her phone shattered against the wall. Next day she bought a new one.

Even while she could hear Rock succumbing to sleep, Revy struggled with her own. Night after night she tossed and turned until she gave up amidst the frustration. Memories of long nights at the Yellow Flag when she and Dutch and Rock had gotten drunk on their success wriggled into her mind made her feel sick with nostalgia. It turned out one symptom of alcohol and nicotine withdrawal is insomnia. When the doctor told her that, Revy wanted to punch him in the face. The non-addictive sleep-aids they offered didn't work for shit. She drove home that day sucking on a candy smoke wishing she could have just one miserable drink.

Often, even when Revy managed to fall asleep, the fucking baby in her guts woke her up. The first time Revy thankfully made it to the bathroom before hurling. The next two times, she didn't. She cleaned up her own puke from the floor before it smelled too bad, but that did nothing to improve her mood. Next weekend he was home, Rock suggested they see a counselor together. A big part of her wanted to kick him in the balls in response, but she remembered his rules and was so desperate for more time with him by then she agreed.

Honestly, it had mixed results.

When they were finally able to find a therapist they agreed on it took Revy a long time to open up. She kept defaulting to jokes, sarcasm, defensiveness, and straight-up anger when the topics became too personal. When the therapist asked why she was there, Revy jerked her head at Rock.

"Ask him," she snarled, her arms crossed.

Rock's face fell into sadness and Revy was too pissed to care.

It went on for four months like this. Revy got bigger, and her mood got worse. Nothing Rock did seemed to help. Everything he tried pissed her off.

Finally, Revy couldn't take it anymore. She bought a bottle of Bacardi. The old Thai woman manning the cash register at the liquor store cast a disparaging look at her belly, but said nothing.

Revy figured one drink couldn't hurt.

But when she got home she saw Rock's car in the driveway.

"The fuck?" She muttered.

Suddenly she grew paranoid. Had Rock put a tail on her? That bastard.

She clambered out, struggling slightly due to her belly. She left the bag with the bottle in the car. He didn't need to see that.

Rock was sitting at their kitchen table looking through the contents of a manilla folder. He looked up as she entered.

"Hey!" He called, smiling. "I tried to call you but you didn't pick up."

She scowled.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. It wasn't like him to be there in the middle of the workday.

Rock smiled.

"I found out about your mother."

Revy's brain froze. It must've shown in her face, because Rock continued.

"I couldn't wait to tell you. Do you want to see?"

Her curiosity overcame everything else. Revy took her usual seat.

Rock turned the folder towards her.

"Her name was Katherine Lee. There's no record of her marrying your father. She was born on September 22nd, 1953. She graduated high school in 1972. I wasn't able to find much on her. Seems she worked odd jobs after high school."

Revy flipped through the folder, learning the different jobs her mother had worked. After a few seconds, she looked up at Rock.

"What happened to her?"

"She died," Rock said. "I'm sorry, Revy. She died in 1979. It was peaceful, if that helps."

Revy shrugged and shook her head.

"How'd it happen?"

"Pneumonia," Rock answered. "At least, that's what's in the autopsy report. I know. It must seem boring given the lives we led in Roanapur, but there it is. I take it your dad's apartment wasn't very well heated?"

"No," Revy answered, suddenly remembering. "It was always cold. Every winter. I had to wear my coat inside."

Rock nodded.

"It's pretty straightforward then. Your place wasn't properly heated. Your mom got sick. She caught pneumonia and she died. I'm sorry, Revy."

Revy was scanning the contents of the folder again and didn't answer. Rock spoke again.

"There's one other thing I wanted to show you though."

He flipped to the back page of the folder. A picture of a pretty, auburn haired woman smiled up at them. And in her arms she was holding…

"That's her?" Revy asked.

Rock nodded.

"Yep. And guess who she's holding."

Revy looked closely at the little bundle.

"Is that…?"

"That's you," Rock answered her question before she could ask it. "This was taken at the hospital, just after your birth. Rebecca Lee. Born May 27th, 1978. You weighed seven pounds, two ounces."

Revy stared, slack jawed, as for the first time in her life she saw her own birth certificate

"Woah," was all she could manage.

Rock smiled again.

"I figured you'd want to know immediately."

"Yeah," Revy answered, staring at the photo again. "Yeah."

She was utterly unable to take her eyes off the smiling woman. Finally, Rock spoke up.

"Listen, I'd love to stay for the rest of the day but I'm needed back at the office. Are you ok on your own for a while? I can call again tonight."

"Yeah," Revy repeated. "Yeah…"

Rock smiled again. He wished she would say more, but this seemed to have had a good effect.

"Okay. I'll talk to you tonight, beautiful. See you soon."

He got up. Revy turned her face upwards and kissed him before he left. Then she returned to the folder.

Sometime later Revy was trying to nap. Her sleep schedule had been so badly messed up that she grabbed sleep whenever she could.

She'd finished reading through the folder and had set it by her bedside. It hadn't told her much else. Her mom had worked as a stripper for a while. Part of Revy was pissed at that fact, but she also felt an odd sense of connection. She'd done that too, after all. She understood.

She had set her mother's picture against her table lamp. She wanted to sleep, but she couldn't take her eyes off the picture.

Finally, feeling hungry, she gave up on sleep and got up for a snack. This was at least one vice the doctors had allowed her. She was eating for two now and she could chow down whenever she wanted.

She opened the fridge and frowned at its contents. Then she looked down and noticed a pizza box that had certainly not been there that morning.

There was a note on top.

"Dear Revy. I know things haven't been great recently, but I'm proud of you for getting through it. Enjoy the pizza.

Love,

Rock"

Revy put down the note with a smile on her face. She leaned against the counter and rested a hand on her belly.

"You think he's gonna be a good daddy?" She asked. "I think he's gonna be a good daddy."

In response her stomach gurgled. She chuckled and went for the pizza.

After eating she flopped back in bed, and resumed staring at her mother's picture. Each time she clicked the light off to go to sleep the desire to see her Mom again compelled her to click it back on.

Click, click. Click, click.

Finally, she left the light on. Her mother smiled joyfully at her.

"Hey, Momma. It's been a while. Ain't it? I don't remember the last time we talked. Don't think I had much to say."

She paused here, thinking.

"I miss you, Momma. It's been rough. It's been hell, but it's getting better. I'm pregnant now, mom. We don't know what it's gonna be yet. I'm hoping for a girl. Her dad's a good guy. We've had some rough times lately, but we're getting through it. He's gonna be one hell of a daddy, Momma."

She paused again.

"I dunno how well you knew my dad, mom. Hope he wasn't too hard on you. I'll be honest, he wasn't great to me."

She paused here for a long time, thinking about what to say.

"I shot him, Momma. I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was doing. I'd just been raped. I wasn't thinking."

She swallowed. A couple tears leaked out.

"But I can do this, Momma! I do all my medical shit. I haven't touched booze or cigarettes in mo-."

She froze, eyes wide, as a memory crashed through her skull.

Fifty dollars worth of rum shattered in the garbage.

She signed up for personal therapy after that.

Dutch parked his car in front of the house Rock's people had given him the address to. It had been about eight months since he and Revy had left, and he had come to learn the sex of her child. He was the godfather, after all.

The house looked much like the others. It was in a clearly upscale Thai neighborhood. However, there were some important differences. The windows of this house had steel bars. Dutch wouldn't be surprised if that glass wasn't at least two inches thick. He could also see a steel security door on the front and several security cameras. Clearly, whoever lived here had security on their minds.

He adjusted his tie and checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror. Between Rock's generous bonus from the battle and the more recent sale of his boat he was doing quite well. His IRA at Weber Financial was doing great, and his savings and investments would keep him going until he hit sixty-five.

He ran a hand over his dome and smiled at his reflection. He was glad to no longer have a job that required him to be shot at.

He grabbed the gift and card he'd brought and stepped out of the car. Just then he heard another pull up behind him. Turning around he saw Benny and Jane pull up in their Pontiac Super Duty.

"Hey! Dutch!" Benny called. "Lookin' sharp there!"

Benny stepped out of the car wearing a new suit.

"Same to you," Dutch responded.

Jane stepped out of the passenger side looking stunning in a black dress. Her gregarious bust stood out against her tight frame.

"Dutch!" She called excitedly, hurrying over and hugging him. Benny went to get their own gift out of the back seat.

Suddenly a new voice called.

"Welcome!"

They looked towards the house. Rock was striding towards them, beaming.

"Welcome! Welcome!" He said again as he reached them. "Thank you so much for coming!"

"Are you kidding? Wouldn't miss it!" Benny said, rejoining them with a package in his arms. "Revy? Pregnant? How many bullets did you have to dodge to pull that off?"

Rock chuckled.

"I managed."

"Y'all done lollygagging?" A harsh but familiar voice sounded from the house. "It's not gonna get any fresher, ya know!"

The three guests looked up, and three mouths dropped in unison.

Revy was big.

She was leaning against the doorframe by her elbow with her knuckles pressed into her temple. She wore a full black shirt and jeans which covered her skin but which did nothing to conceal an obviously pregnant belly. Even with warning the sight was so foreign that they stood stunned for a few seconds too long.

Revy's face changed to one of annoyance.

"What?!" She demanded. "Y'all ain't seen a pregnant girl before?!"

They collectively blinked.

Rock smiled.

"Anyone hungry?"

They made their way inside. The smell wafting from the kitchen was incredible. Chicken, beef, rice, noodles. Benny turned to Revy, impressed.

"You make all this yourself, Rev?"

Revy shrugged.

"Eh, Rock helped."

Dutch noted the large variety of food, but he also realized after a quick scan that there was no alcohol.

They collected their meals and took their seats, chatting all the while.

"So, do you know yet?" Benny asked Revy.

Rock and Revy looked at each other, then Revy's face cracked into a massive grin.

"It's a girl!"

All three of them broke into applause. Rock and Revy beamed. When their hosts weren't looking, Benny slipped Jane a fifty-dollar note. Her winnings from the bet they'd made that morning.

The party lasted well into the evening. Dutch took note of the house. He noticed that every door had a lock and seemed to be made of solid steel. He couldn't tell if it was Rock's doing or Revy's, but clearly the house was well secured. He also noted with some jealousy the pool and hammock out back. He resolved to get his own some day.

Mostly though he took stock of Revy. It was hard to describe.

She was happy…

There was no other way to put it, but to Dutch it was clear as day. She laughed, she joked, she held Rock's hand. Over the years he had learned to read the subtle signs of her mood, and every sign he could see now indicated that she was happier than she had ever seen.

After the meal they played cards in the living room and continued to talk.

"Have you two thought about names yet?" Benny asked.

Revy smiled.

"Katherine," she answered. "Kate for short. Katherine Okajima."

"I like it!" Jane chimed in. "It has a good ring."

Dutch saw Rock reach over and clasp Revy's hand. She took it and placed her other on top of his.

Oh yeah. She was a happy camper all right.

The party lasted into the evening. Then their guests said their goodbyes and headed back to Roanapur.

Revy lay on the couch. Rock sat on the floor by her head. They kissed gently.

"Hey," Rock asked. "Do you think I could spend a little time with her?"

Revy pouted.

"You do realize that she can't understand you, right?"

Rock shrugged.

"Yeah, but still."

Revy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, go ahead."

Rock scooched himself down to her midsection. Revy lifted her shirt to reveal her belly.

Rock spoke to her stomach with a voice that was squeakily high-pitched.

"Hey baby! Guess what? We love you! We love you even though we don't know you yet. We love you because you've got a wonderful momma who's the best woman that I've ever known. We love you and when you come we're going to kiss you and hold you. We're going to take you to the park! And we're going to take you out on drives! And we're going to feed you! And hold you! And love you because…"

Revy's hand shot out and grabbed his chin. Turning to face her Rock saw that her cheeks were stained with tears running down her eyes.

"I lied," she snarled. "I want you for a… little bit longer."

He came back to her then. She cupped her hand behind his head and pressed his lips to hers.

God damn but he was unbearably cute…

The doctor approached them with an expression of grave concern. It had been about a month since the party with Dutch, Benny, and Jane; and Revy had woken up only a few hours earlier to find the bed soaked. Her water had broken.

She was lying on the hospital bed, her face was contorted with rage and pain. Sweat was trickling from her brow.

"Mrs. Okajima," the doctor warned. "The baby hasn't turned yet. We need to do an emergency C-section."

"Fuck!" Revy spat. "Just do it then!"

The doctor nodded. Rock knelt beside Revy.

"I'm going to be right here, okay?"

Panting heavily, red-faced, Revy nodded. Rock kissed her forehead and held her hand.

The doctor put a mask over her mouth and nose.

"Okay Mrs. Okajima. Count down from ten for me, okay?"

Revy nodded.

"Ten, nine, eight, seveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen."

Whatever was in that tube was no joke. The fog rushed in, and the pain was suddenly a million miles away.

But Rock was still there. Revy didn't know when he'd moved from her side to across the room, but she could hear him. She couldn't understand what he was saying though.

Slowly she opened her eyes.

"Ugh…" she groaned.

He looked up and smiled.

"Why, good morning beautiful. You had one hell of a night."

Revy's brain still felt fogged up. She closed her eyes again.

"Are you okay? Would you like to meet your daughter?"

Daughter?

Revy's eyes flew open as the last remnant of the anesthetic was ripped away. She laser focused on the little bundle in Rock's arms.

And nothing she had ever seen had ever been so terrifying.

Rock smiled and slowly came forward. As he turned it towards her Revy started to see features.

There was a nose…

Then an eyelid…

Then the full face came into view. It was plump and pudgy and beautifully formed.

Rock held out her baby to her and Revy took it with trembling hands.

"Heya baby!" she said, in a voice that started out normal but cracked into high pitch by the end.

"Heya baby girl! How's it goin'? Huh? You ok?"

In her arms, little Kate squirmed slightly but continued to sleep. Revy chuckled.

"Revy?" Rock asked.

Revy looked up to see him holding the camera they'd bought for exactly this event.

She smiled and nodded.

She held up their daughter so she was in full view of the camera, and smiled down at her.

Rock snapped the picture, then a few more for good measure.

"Beautiful," he said, and Revy smiled again.

He came back to them then and their little family was complete. Revy was staring at their daughter again.

"Hey, Rock?" she asked suddenly.

"Hmm?"

She turned her face to his and kissed him.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes welling with tears. "Thank you for this! Thank you!"

He kissed her back.

"No, Revy. Thank you," he answered.

They kissed again, as in Revy's arms their baby began to cry.

The end.

Author's note: And with that, this story comes to an end. Thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. I'm delighted you enjoyed this work.

A special thanks to Illicitaction for beta-reading this piece. Please check out his works A Hard Way to Fall and Cat's Game for more excellent Black Lagoon Fan Fiction content.

A special thanks to u/RevyLee44 for creating the cover art to this story. Follow her on twitter at /Revy_96?s=20 for more excellent digital art.

A special thanks to unkeptsecret for giving me permission to create this piece. Secret, your work inspired me.

I may do a discussion post on the r/blacklagoon subreddit in the near future to discuss this piece. If anyone is interested in taking part please let me know.

Thank you.