"Guess what, Bug?" Adrien turned to Marinette excitedly.
"What?" she questioned, immediately interested. She lowered the fashion magazine that she was reading to peer up at him.
She knew that her hospital stay was drawing to a close and was grateful for it, because truthfully, despite all the things that were flung at her upon first waking up, she was getting a bit bored. Being restricted to a bed and a few short hallway walks was not fun at all. And even though she was a little nervous about returning home with Adrien, she longed to go out roaming the streets of Paris again, or even join Tikki and Plagg on one of their hospital adventures, or to finally have a heart-to-heart with Adrien about the their situation (she could tell that he was putting off the conversation about his father for as long as possible).
"Nino and Alya just got back from their trip and they're stopping by as soon as they land!" Adrien literally beamed sunshine at her in his excitement. "They should be here in a few minutes!" Marinette perked up at this news.
Both husband and wife could barely contain their impatience for their respective best friends' arrival and hardly gave their kwamis a proper warning about staying hidden when they zipped out, yet again, to tour another section of the hospital. Soon enough, Alya burst through the door to greet the couple.
"Marinette! Girl, how are you doing?" Alya rushed in to hug her friend.
"Aly—ah?" Marinette could barely hide the surprise her voice as her friend wrapped her arms around her. She soon recovered to hug Alya, all of Alya. Apparently, Adrien 'forgot' to mention another important detail about another friend: Alya was also pregnant. Very pregnant. Like ready to pop at any given moment pregnant. Marinette shot a withering glance at Adrien over Alya's shoulder, which he returned with an infuriating wink.
Alya finally withdrew from the hug to give Adrien his own Alya-hug which he gratefully accepted.
"I'm guessing from your reaction that Buttercup didn't tell you that I was pregnant too?" she smirked.
"You should have seen her reaction to Luka and Kagami before!" Adrien laughed at the same time that Marinette squeaked out:
"Shh, Alya! Don't call him that!" Both Adrien and Alya laughed at her reddening features.
"If it's about Operation Secret Garden, he already knows." That didn't help Marinette's embarrassment at all. "Besides, nothing is hidden between married couples, right?" Alya wiggled her eyebrows at her. Marinette felt a sudden urge to change the conversation topic.
"So how far along are you?" she questioned, genuinely curious. Alya gratefully accepted the seat Adrien offered her before responding.
"I am 37 weeks and half-tempted to scoot you out of your bed so that I can give birth now and get it over with," she sighed, rubbing her belly. Marinette smiled at her friend and for once it felt a bit like old times. She felt the passage of time that had taken place between her teenage years and now, however, the events that took place then were forever lost in an insurmountable blackhole. But her being there with Alya and Adrien, and soon Nino, reminded her that even though the circumstances have changed a lot over the years, the four of them would always be there for each other. Alya's voice soon roused her from her thoughts.
"I still can't believe that irresponsible [redacted]," she shook her head in disgust, "he has the nerve to complain about whiplash, while you're in here-," she couldn't finish as her voice broke. Adrien quickly handed her a tissue, placing a hand on her shoulder while swallowing several times to avoid breaking down himself. Marinette lowered the metal guard on her bed so that she could perch on the edge to face her friend better.
"Alya, look at me," Alya's hazel eyes met Marinette's blue eyes, "I'm here. Baby is here. We are both going to be okay." Alya nodded through her tears as Marinette continued, "yes, this situation is tough, but I have all of you here with me so I know I'm going to be taken care of, and it's all going to be okay," she gave Adrien a significant look and he smiled at her with the beginning of tears glistening in his eyes.
"Oh, girl," Alya smiled and wrapped them all in a big group hug. Just then, Nino walked into the room carrying a small girl on his hip.
"Is there room for two more in the group hug?" Everyone's smiles grew bigger as they all embraced.
After they all separated, Marinette looked in curiously at the child Nino was holding. She was very young, obviously not a toddler but closer to being four or five year's old. She had warm caramel-toned skin and a slender face which was peppered with freckles. She looked up at her father blinking her immensely cute green eyes at him and sucking her thumb. At a second glance, Marinette realised that her eyes were puffy and red, as if she had been recently crying.
"Sorry I took so long to join you guys here," Nino apologised. "Alya basically bolted out of the car before I even stopped, and I had to calm Nala down." He gently coaxed her thumb out of her mouth while shifting her weight in his arms.
"See, Nala," he repeated her name for Marinette's benefit, "Auntie Netta is alright. There's no need to cry anymore." Marinette felt her heart ache at the little girl's concern for her.
Nala turned her head at Marinette who in turn gave her a big smile as if to assure the young child that she was alright.
"So that means that the [redacted] can't hurt her anymore?" she questioned innocently, just as Nino was setting her down. The room went silent for a moment while the shocked adults gaped at her. After a while Marinette and Adrien both tried to hide their amusement by either turning their heads or covering their smiles, while Nino glared at his sheepish wife.
"Kids say the darndest things?" Alya weakly proffered with her shoulders by her ears.
"Any other choice words you'd like to teach our five-year old, Alya?" he chided in response. Without waiting for an answer, he kneeled down to gently reprimand his daughter, correcting her on her word choice and promising to have a 'talk' with mommy on her word choice as well when they got home.
When it looked like Nala might start crying again Marinette decided to distract the young girl's attention.
"It's okay, sweetheart," she beckoned the child to sit next to her on the bed, "I'm fine and doing better since you all came to see me. You being here makes me really happy."
"Really?" Nala sniffed. Marinette nodded and opened her arms for a hug which Nala graciously returned. Marinette noticed that she had experience hugging pregnant women, for although the child gave her a bear hug (not too unlike an Alya-hug) she was still mindful of her slightly bulging stomach.
Not too long after the hug was broken, Nala found herself back into her father's arms and started exhibiting signs of sleepiness. After a several more minutes of catching up, their visitors took their leave to recover from their long journey back home.
"It was so nice that they stopped to visit-," Adrien started before he was cut off by Marinette lightly swatting his chest with the rolled-up magazine.
"You could have told me that Alya was pregnant," swat, "and you could have told me that they already had a daughter," swat, "just as easily as you could have told that Luka and Kagami were married," final swat.
"You aren't actually mad are you, Bugaboo?" he laughed.
"No…," she pouted. "I guess it was kinda fun finding out for myself all the changes that have happened." Adrien leaned in smirking.
"Now that that's over, I promise to give you ample warning about any other major events in out friend's lives."
"Deal!"
After a brief pause, Marinette spoke up again.
"I have a few questions though." Adrien quirked his eyebrow at her. "Is Nala adopted?" she questioned, remembering how she didn't resemble any of her parents or extended family. Adrien nodded.
"Not too long after university, Alya was offered a documentary gig about the present-day effects of France's treatment of Haiti after their independence. Nino coincidentally was hired on as the director."
"Was that how they got back together?" Marinette questioned, recalling the not-so-fun breakup that their friends went through during lycée. Adrien nodded.
"They returned from Haiti married, with a child and an award-winning documentary," Adrien abridged the account. Marinette's eyes widened. She would definitely need Alya to retell that story to her soon.
All of a sudden, their attention was diverted to the door where someone had just entered.
"I hope this is a good time for me to stop by," a familiar voice spoke up.
"Alix!" Marinette and Adrien exclaimed in unison.
"Sorry for not giving a heads up. It was a last-minute decision to come here," she said. "So, who do I need to strangle again?"
"Get in line," Adrien muttered. Just then the kwamis returned from their adventuring. Marinette felt a rush of panic before it subsided when she remembered that Alix already knew her identity.
"Hey, Alix," they greeted redhead. "Where's Fluff?"
"Sleeping in my pocket," she answered. "We just came back from a pretty bizarre adventure with multiple versions of ourselves and—, well it doesn't matter. You'll find out soon in the future." Adrien and Marinette exchanged quizzical glances with each other before shrugging. Nurse Gene came in soon after that to inform them that visiting hours were over.
After Alix left, Marinette turned to question Adrien, "So, what surprising facts about Alix I should know?" Both of them were left alone in the room, waiting for Dr. Bulot to see them, with a sleeping Tikki and Plagg who were tuckered out after their hospital adventuring.
"Hmmm, nothing I can think of at the moment," he pondered tapping his chin. "Well, maybe who she's married to, or rather the reason they got married."
"Huh, I didn't realise she was married as well. The ring is probably hidden by the finger gloves, or she just doesn't bother to wear one. Who did she marry?"
"Yeah," he shrugged. "I mean the story is nothing scandalous or anything, but she actually married Nathaniel to help him out with something."
Marinette's surprise was cut short by Dr. Bulot entering the room with the news that she would be able to return home the next day, thus leaving another story queued up for later.