Boyue's Note: This chapter is dedicated to Felse! Yay! =D

MATERNAL HEART

"The Second Trimester…

Pocket Full of Sunshine"

Damien wonders how humans manage to go to work every day and not kill themselves. Well, some of them actually do kill themselves… as well as their co-workers. But really, how soul-crushing it is to have a job. And it isn't even the fun kind of soul-crushing – it's the boring kind. He glances up from the semi-circle-shaped reception desk and looks at the front lobby of Gerald Broflovski's law office. Why did he think it would be a good idea to work as a receptionist at a law firm? Oh, right, because South Park is just that pissant of a town and he didn't want that job as the mayor's aide since part of his job description is to fuck Mayor McDaniels. What the hell is wrong with this town? Decent people can't get decent jobs.

Damien slumps on the desk and lets out a loud yawn. He checks the time and groans once he sees that he is about thirty minutes away from clocking out. The home stretch is always the worst. Even then, he'll be back here again on Thursday since he has to pick up an extra shift. They are starting a fund for the baby. Pip's a good four-month now and his belly is starting to show, which means he doesn't go out in public as much if he doesn't need to because they don't care to explain to anyone that Pip has carrying a demon seed. Especially if Father Maxi finds out… Oh that will be a heck lot of problems for them.

Damien looks up when the front door open. Thinking that it is a client, he sits up and puts his hands on the table in a professional manner. Turns out, it is only Kyle Broflovski looking for his dad. Damien and Kyle have never been close at all. Kyle is the kind of person who steers clear from bad influences, i.e. the anti-Christ. Of course, that doesn't explain why he is often seen hanging out with that chain-smoking Frenchman. But that's not Damien's business, as he has been told by Kenny. Damien shifts in his seat and gives a casual wave to his boss's son. Kyle glances at him with a brief smile before he heads toward the office. Damien turns his head and watches Kyle walk into the office. He notices that Kyle looks a bit fazed and tired. His eyes are also kind of puffy too. Must have had a long day. The door closes with a thump and Damien is once again bored. He stretches his upper body out on the desk and reaches into his pocket to get his phone. He lights up when he sees a text message from Pip. He is disappointed though after he read the message and finds out that it is a grocery list of things Pip needed. He sighs and jots down the list on a piece of paper. Going grocery shopping is supposed to be Pip's job. He decides that he doesn't want to bitch about it because that'll get him nowhere.

He turns his head when the office door opens and Gerald steps halfway in the hall.

"Damien," Gerald shouts from the hall, "you can take off early today."

"Cool," Damien says. Getting out twenty minutes early is pretty good. "See you Thursday, Mr. Broflovski."

Damien stands up and shakes his legs. He takes a peek into the hallway and watches Gerald get back to the office. Before the door closes, Damien swears he can hear Kyle crying inside the room. It can just be his imagination though. He grabs his phone and turns off the computer. He heads out the door and walks to the grocery store across town. They can really use a car even though South Park is small enough to walk everywhere. Damien isn't much for walking in the cold. But Pip is always saying how they shouldn't spend money on things they didn't need. And no matter how hard he tries, he just can't convince Pip that they need a car.

Damien walks through the automatic door and grabs a basket from the side. He takes out the grocery list and skims through the items. He frowns and wonders why Pip needs superglue. He walks to the stationary aisle and looks at the merchandise. He looks for the cheapest one but a silver tube stands out to him in particular. He picks out the glue and snickers to himself.

"Jesus Glue," he mumbles with a smile, "guaranteed to glue anything to everything or your money back."

He looks at the price; it's a little more than what he likes to pay for a bottle of glue but he just can't resist the drawing of Jesus giving a big thumb-up. He tosses the glue into the basket and moves on to the next aisle. Pip wants chocolate bars, salted peanut, sugar frosting, and milk. If he didn't know better, it looks like Pip is baking a cake. Damien slithers through the aisles and checks down the grocery list. He walks to the dairy aisle and looks at the selection of milk. What happened to the good ol' day when there was only one kind of milk? He looks at the different carton sizes and packaging color and has no idea which one he should pick. He is tempted to get the strawberry milk because that sounds like fun but decides to go with the traditional one. He puts the carton in the basket and looks briefly at the picture of a missing child. He groans at the basket weighting down on his arm. He looks at the list and nods to himself once he sees that he has gotten everything. Damien hurls the basket to the check-out line. He puts the basket on the belt and stretches. He glances at the magazine racks and is about to take one out when he hears an annoying voice that is horribly familiar.

"Ey, shut up, Kenny!"

"I'm just saying you should cut down on the Cheesy Poof."

Damien bends out of line and looks around. It's exactly who he thinks it is. Eric Cartman hugs two party-size boxes of Cheesy Poofs and walks toward the cashier. Kenny grins at his fat friend and places a bag of beef jerky on top of the boxes. Damien frowns at the sight of the fatass. He really doesn't know what Kenny sees in Cartman. It must be that whole 'he has a side that he only shows to me' bullshit. Damien hesitates as the best friends come closer. He knows Cartman is going to say something and he isn't in the mood to talk. He still needs to give Cartman a beating for what he told Pip a few months ago. What a meddlesome asshole.

Damien takes a step toward the old man in front of him. He turns around and awkwardly ducks when he sees Eric and Kenny closing in. The old man gives him a look and Damien thinks he looks like an idiot too. Why should he be avoiding Cartman anyways? That makes no sense. Still, he stays ducked and listens to them getting in the line next to him. He stands up carefully. Good thing the magazine rack is placed right in the middle so he can't see them and they can't see him. He stands straight and acts normal even as the cashier and the old man eyes him.

"Oh my god, Kenny, you know the funniest thing happened today," Cartman says with a snort. "Stan dumped Kyle."

"Dude, how's that funny?" Kenny asks. Though Damien can't see it, he knows Kenny has the biggest frown on his face. If that's true, Damien can see why Kyle was crying to his dad.

"I told ya they won't last," Cartman answers. "Nobody can stand to love a Jew. Hey, what are you doing? You aren't calling Kyle, are you?"

"I'm calling Stan. I don't believe you," Kenny says. "Damn, he turned off his phone."

"You know what else is funny? I ran into the Frenchie in the restroom and he was throwing up and he was wearing all these loose clothes. I, ha, he acts like he's knocked up. Isn't that funny? Huh, Kenny!"

Shit. Shit. Shit. Damien scoots toward the line. The bagboy asks if he wants paper or plastic. Damien mumbles something quick that sounds like 'papstic'. He keeps his head turned to the opposite side since the rack isn't there to hide his face. Luckily, it doesn't seem like either of them has noticed his presence yet.

"Oh my god... Is he pregnant?" Cartman says.

"No way," Kenny says calmly. "How is that even possible?"

"A-ha! I always knew he has a vagina."

"Eric, listen to what you're saying. You know how ridiculous that sounds? Pip was probably throwing up because he ate something bad," Kenny explains.

Damien takes a breath of relief. He knows he can count on Kenny to keep a secret. No one else can know that Pip is pregnant; it just won't make any sense. He shoves a handful of cash to the cashier and steals a glance at the next line. Kenny is looking right at him. Damien gulps. His hand holds out to take the change. Kenny looks away and turns his attention back to Eric, acting like he didn't see Damien. He fucking loves Kenny. Kenny always knows what to do. Damien shoves his changes into his back pocket and grabs the grocery bags. As he hurries out the door, he hears Cartman says…

"Why are you defending him? Oh don't tell me you want to stick your dick in his vagina? Are you the father, Kenny? Hmm?"

Kenny's response is, "Fuck you."

Damien stands at the entrance of the supermarket. He blinks up at the afternoon sky and shifts the weights of the bags to his hands. If only Cartman knows the real truth, he wouldn't be making stupid jokes. Wait, actually, if Cartman knows the truth… Damien shudders at the thought. He doesn't want to know what'll happen. He grips the bags and hurries home. He wants to see Pip.

Damien puts down the grocery bags on the kitchen table. He looks at the red marks on his palms and groans. He should've asked for paper instead. He looks at the direction of the bedroom just in time to see Pip hurrying out. Pip skips toward him and throws his arms around his neck. The Brit plants a deep kiss on Damien's lips, making a loud smacking noise as they pull apart. Damien grins and rubs his hand on Pip's back. He leans away a bit and stares down at what Pip is wearing.

"Is that my shirt?" he asks.

"Oh, yes, it is, dear," Pip answers. He opens and digs through the grocery bags. He takes out the bar of Snicker and tears the wrapper off like a wild beast. He stuffs half the bar into his mouth without even chewing. As he begins to chomp down on the chocolate bar, he shoves the latter half in and reaches for the other bar in the bag. He is eating the chocolate like… well, like a fat kid who hasn't had chocolates forever. He rips open the second bar and places it on deck in front of his mouth.

"Why are you wearing my shirt?"

"Nmmthinnnng fwit," Pip mumbles with a mouthful of nougat goodness. He licks his lips and gulps down the brown mess in his mouth. He coughs and says, "My shirts don't fit over my belly. Damien, darling, will you take me shopping please? Do you think the motherhood store will have my size?"

"Well, I don't know," Damien says with a grin. He loops his arms around Pip's waist, which is proving to be difficult since the belly gets in the way. He pulls Pip close and is happy to find that he can still lock his fingers behind Pip's lower body. He feels the belly pressing against his abdomen and sighs. He pecks Pip's forehead and says, "I think you look hot in my shirt."

To prove his point, he slips his hands under the big t-shirt and runs his fingers up and down Pip's back. Pip giggles and nuzzles against Damien's neck. He pulls away rather quickly and bites down on the second chocolate bar. Damien doesn't remember Pip being a chocolate fiend before. Pip breaks away and looks in the grocery bag. He looks up at Damien with a disappointed face.

"There are no more." He bites off a chunk and chews noisily. He turns to Damien and pouts, "Will you get more tomorrow please? And I'd like some M&Ms as well. Please. Thank you, love. Do you think I can eat frosting alone? Perhaps not…"

"Are you even supposed to be eating chocolate?" Damien asks as he walks over to the couch.

"Well, I don't see the harm in it," Pip says. "I'm always hungry. I have the strangest craving for veal today. Perhaps we can go to a nice restaurant in Denver tomorrow night. Yes, Damien?"

"Pip, you said you don't have the heart to eat tortured baby cow meat."

"I know… but I have never tried and I would really like to just once. Can we go please, tomorrow night? Please?"

Damien slumps against it with a loud fwoosh. There is nothing better than coming home to his lover and crashing on the couch after a long day at work.

"If you want," he says to Pip, "I'm down."

"Oh jolly!"

Damien reaches for the remote and turns on the television. He scoots until he is comfortable and puts his feet on the coffee table. He hears Pip taking the grocery out of the bags and putting them away. He scratches his neck and looks at the time. He had a late lunch and isn't feeling hungry yet but Pip is probably starving. Heck, Pip is always starving even since he got pregnant. He is always waking up at odd hours of the night and roaming through the fridge. Eat, sleep, and pee – that's pretty much Pip's daily schedule. Damien glances at the kitchen and sees Pip taking out the milk carton from the bag. He looks back at the television and watches a burger commercial.

"When do you want to eat?" he asks.

"What is this?" Pip asks.

Damien turns his head and sees Pip shaking the milk carton like he really has no idea what it is. He frowns and throws a hand up in confusion. He says with a playful smile, "It's milk. You know, the stuff that comes out from cow teats."

"I know what the bloody hell milk is," Pip says and Damien knows shit is about to go down. "This is whole milk. I can't drink this. I only drink 2%."

It probably wasn't a good idea to say it but Damien can't shut his mouth up sometimes. He raises an eyebrow and asks with a scoff, "What difference does it make?"

"It's too fucking fat! That's the difference," Pip shouts. "Aren't I gaining enough weight as it is?"

The entire mood in the apartment shifts. So, yes, Pip has gotten a little fat since the pregnancy but that's completely normal. Damien would be worried if Pip isn't gaining weight.

"Pip," Damien says as calmly as he can, "you're eating for two. It's normal to get some weight."

"Oh, so you do think I'm fat?" Pip snarls.

Fuck. There is no way out of this, is there? Damien takes a deep breath and organizes his thought. Seriously, why is it okay that Pip eats tons of chocolate but won't drink whole milk? What logic is that? But he knows he can't tell Pip that… he needs to think of something quick because he can see Pip tightening his grip on the milk carton.

"I don't… Okay, you are a little fatter than you were before but---"

With Pip's frail exterior, it's easy to forget that he is the world champion of dodgeball. As the milk carton hurls toward his face at 160 miles per hour, Damien is sorely reminded of the fact. The carton smashes him right in the nose. He falls off the couch from the impact. The carton breaks and drenches him in cow milk.

"FUCK!" Damien groans, cupping his hands over his lower face. He hopes his nose isn't broken but it's hard to say 'cause everything feels so numb right now. He stares up at Pip and bares his teeth. "What the fuck was that!"

Pip palms his face and sobs loudly in his hands. Damien rubs his nose and wipes the milk off his face. He gets up – or at least tries to – before he falls right back down. He can't possibly get a concussion from a milk carton, can he? He can't see Pip from the floor but he can hear how loud he is crying. That seems to be Pip's way of dealing with things lately. He just cries and cries and expects Damien to forgive him. And Damien really would've. But after taking a carton to his face… let's just say the milk is being warmed by the anger boiling from his body. Did he deserve to get plummeted for telling the truth? He hates it. He fucking hates the emotional Pip.

Damien pulls himself up. He feels a dizzy spell but manages to keep himself conscious. He wobbles over to the kitchen and finds Pip sitting with his legs pulled to his chest and sobbing like it is the end of the world. Damien flops down next to the Brit and puts a hand on Pip's shoulder. Pip harshly shrugs it off and turns away.

What a baby.

"Pip, Pip, listen to me," Damien says, forcing his hand on Pip's shoulder.

"You think I'm fat and ugly and you don't love me anymore," Pip chokes out.

That's how it is lately. Pip jumps to a crazy conclusion that usually involves Damien not loving him anymore. That has never been true. Damien scoots over and pulls Pip into his arms. Pip struggles against it and breaks away. He crawls away on his knees. Damien sighs and leaps after Pip. He holds on to Pip's leg and drags the escaping Brit back to him. He locks his arms around Pip's chest.

"Listen to me, Pip! Goddammit, listen to me!" Damien shouts right in Pip's ear. The blonde shudders and sniffles loudly. It doesn't do anything to stop the trail of snot coming out of his nose. Damien squeezes Pip tight and says, "I love you, Phillip Pirrup. Do you hear me? So enough with your fucking bullshit and crying. I'm sick of them, do you understand? Do you? If I hear one more word out of you about how you think I don't love you anymore, I'll fucking kick your ass."

"I-I, well, that's not v-very nice, Damien," Pip says.

"Damn it Pip, what the hell is the matter with you? You go into these crazy tantrums. You act like you're five."

"I d-do not," Pip says. He sniffles and turns his head up toward Damien. "Do I?"

"Hell yeah, you do. Remember how you got when we were at McBurgers and they were sold out of Goody Meals? Do you remember what you did?"

"Y-yes… I sat on the floor and wouldn't get up u-until they b-brought me… my toy…" Pip trails off and whimpers. He rolls over so he can cry on Damien's shoulder. "I still h-have it… It's on the nightstand…"

"See… I'm worried about you," Damien says as he strokes Pip's back. He places a kiss through Pip's blonde hair. "This is way more than mood swing. You've been acting really weird since you got pregnant."

"Oh, dear, you don't think the baby has something to do with it, do you?" Pip leans away a bit and places a hand on his belly. "You know, Damien, the baby kicked today. I felt it."

"Really…?" Damien softens. A drop of milk drips from his hair and onto his eyelash.

"Yes," Pip says. He takes Damien's hand and guides it to the lower part of the belly. "She kicked me right here."

"She?" Damien frowns as he tries to feel out a movement. Aside from Pip's natural breathing, he can't feel anything. "How do you know it's a girl?"

"I don't but I hope it'll be a girl." Pip smiles softly and wipes his nose.

"I hope it'll be a boy 'cause I'm not going to deal with having a girl," Damien says with a laugh. Pip joins him in the laugh. Damien brushes Pip's hair out of the way and kisses him on the cheek. "I'm going to get Dr. Ralph up here to check you out, okay?"

"Oh, no, no, I don't want to be a bother," Pip says.

"I'm serious. This… this can't be normal. It'll just be a check-up to make sure everything is good." Damien squeezes Pip's shoulder and pulls the blonde closer to him. He wraps his arms around Pip's frail frame and rests his head on top of Pip's. "Pip, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, dear?"

"Was it really that fucking big of a deal? Whole milk or 2%, does it really matter that much?"

"I suppose I did overreact…" Pip lowers his head.

"You supposed right. Good thing I didn't get the gallon."

"Oh, my! That would've been terrible," Pip giggles. He pecks at Damien's neck and smiles softly. "I'm awfully sorry. Will you forgive me… again?"

"You know I will."

Damien looks down at Pip and grins. How he can stay mad at that sweet… pudgy face and those gorgeous blue eyes? Pip gazes at him and smiles so full of love that Damien is almost willing to forget that he got hit in the nose with milk. He leans down and is about to seal their lips when the door bell rings. He turns his head to the door and frowns. He turns back to Pip, who has an equally confused frown.

"You expecting someone?" Damien asks as he stands up.

"No, not that I know of," Pip answers. "Perhaps it's the neighbors."

Damien walks to the door and opens it. There is a man about their age with flaming orange hair and bucked tooth. He is wearing a bowtie and a red vest that is strikingly similar to Pip's old outfit. Damien raises an eyebrow at the stranger. He hears Pip getting up and standing next to him. A sharp gasp escapes from Pip's throat as he covers his mouth with surprise.

"Pocket!?" Pip exclaims.

"Pip, ol' chap! How do you do?" Pocket greets.

"Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! I thought you were dead," Pip says with a palm on his chest. He sighs, "Oh, dear, I'm so relieved. You are alive!"

"That was just a silly rumor. Honestly, I don't know how that got so out of hand. Say, who is this charming young lad?" Pocket turns to Damien and smiles oddly. Damien narrows his eyes. What the fuck is the piece of shit smiling about?

"This is Damien," Pip says as he links arms with Damien, "he is my boyfriend."

"Hello," Damien says in a low voice.

"Ah, is that so! Charmed, Damien. Dear me, Pip, I am ever so happy for you, ol' chap."

Damien blinks. All the British silly-nanny talk is making his head hurt. That or because maybe he does have a concussion. He moves away as Pip invites Pocket into the apartment. He watches the two Brits settle down on the couch and starts chatting up a storm in the glorious British language. They throw names of places and people that Damien has never heard of. He scratches his head and figures he might as well use the chance to take a shower. He walks away from the couch, kind of sad that Pip didn't even notice him go. He slips inside the bathroom just as Pip and Pocket share a loud laugh. A weird feeling stirs up in his chest. He turns on the shower and throws off his clothes. He steps into the shower and lets the water wash out the milk in his hair.

As the warm water rids his hair of milk, Damien realizes why he isn't particularly fond of this Pocket person. He splashes water on his face and groans angrily. He just never thought…. Pip would have friends. He always thought he is Pip's only one… and that he is the only one Pip needs.

For the first time ever, Damien thinks he is actually jealous.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Boyue's Note: I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine. I got a love and I know that's all mine. Oooh~ xDD

The next two chapters will finally get to the core of the story. Phew. Took so long to get here.

REVIEWS, NAO! =D

03.19.09

2:10 AM