You're Exactly What She Needs
Chapter 4
A/N: Hello everyone! After seeing some interest in a little more Schmece, I decided to resurrect this story from a few years ago. I wrote this originally in season 2 but it lent itself well to a future fic. Hope you all enjoy this anti-climatic, pointless drabble into Schmece's future! And be sure to review!
"Hello?" Cece answered the phone groggily at night.
"Cece?" the other end of the phone asked.
"Schmidt, hey." she instantly recognized his voice and smiled.
"What time is it, like midnight?" he asked.
"Mhmm. Benjy's been asleep for a few hours and Sydney and I are watching America's Next Top Model."
"I did hear that was the highest rated show among eight-month olds."
Cece laughed,"Like mother like daughter."
"And how's the little man, is he taking care of you girls?" Schmidt asked.
Cece rolled on her back, "He's being a little angel. Seems like he's only mischievous when his father's around."
"Like father like son, right?"
"I don't know if it's the silence, the empty bed, the angel child, or talking right now..." Cece lamented, "But I miss you so much."
"I miss you too." Schmidt said, "I used to love going on business trips but now I just want to go home to my family."
"Never thought I'd see the day, my Schmidt is a family man."
"I could say the same about you, honey."
"I know." Cece smiled, "It's not my fault I have the cutest kids in the world."
"What about your husband." Schmidt instigated, "I hear he's pretty great."
She rolled her eyes, positive that Schmidt could sense that over the phone, "He's okay."
"Okay?!" Schmidt feigned heartbreak, "Would an okay husband switch his flight to the middle of the night just to get back as soon as possible and be standing outside the door right now at midnight?"
"What." Cece got excited as she placed Syd down in her crib.
"If you're lying I'm gonna chop your-" She heard Schmidt laughing on the phone as she walked around the hallway and then behind the door so she knew it was true. She threw her cell phone into the couch and opened the door.
It took a millisecond for their eyes to find each other.
She launched herself in his arms and Schmidt hugged back equally tight. "I cannot believe you're here right now."
"Mmmmmm." he hummed against his wife's body, "There is literally no place I'd rather be."
Cece smiled and reached up to kiss him. After a generous, much-needed kiss, he laughed and she gripped him tighter, "I thought you weren't gonna be home for another week."
"I pulled some strings, I've been gone too long."
She played around with his hair as they still stood in the hallway of their apartment, "Well I am so happy you pulled those strings, and I know two kids in there will be equally happy."
"The kids just went to sleep so I'll wait until morning." Schmidt smiled,"But tonight, I just want to lay here with my wife."
She genuinely smiled back. The couple plopped on the couch in their apartment and Cece just lay there blissfully. But her mind was rolling a mile a minute as it dawned on her just how great her life was. And not so surprisingly how much it had changed just five years ago.
"Schmidt, you know what I just realized?"
"Huh?"
I'm your freaking wife." Cece said, beginning to laugh, covering her face with her hand, "We've been married for seven years!"
"I know, right?!" Schmidt gave his signature grin, moving around on the couch and wrapping himself up in her body, "We even have two kids, Cece, we made two freaking kids! Half you, half me."
"And honey, honey," Schmidt shook her gently to get her attention, "Look at our place. We live in a sweet three bedroom apartment in Los Angeles with great jobs."
"And Benjy is the most well-behaved, happiest, cutest little boy in the universe."
"Syd is the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen."
"Good lord." Schmidt exhaled.
Cece quickly followed, "We've done good, babe.""
Schmidt smiled and high-fived his partner, "We've done really good. I love you so much."
"I love you too." Cece kissed his cheek.
"It's so normal now, but when you sit down and really think about it, it's insane." Schmidt looked up in complete bliss.
"Babe, I am a wife and a mom, I know." Cece laughed.
"I am a freaking dad." Schmidt threw his hands up in the year.
"The best dad I know." Cece scratched his stomach affectionately.
Speaking of dads, they heard noise coming from their son's bedroom. Schmidt sat up, bringing Cece with him.
"Go." she instructed.
"Wha-?"
"You can go see your best friend!" she playfully pushed him off the couch and his eyes lit up like the fourth of july.
Schmidt threw off his shoes and sprinted down the hall. The door opened and all Cece heard was a little screech followed by "DADDY!"
Cece's heart melted and she couldn't help but sprint right in there with her boys.
She walked into the door to see the most adorable sight. Schmidt, the man she promised herself to, the man who gave her the most wonderful life and the most wonderful little boy was laying in bed with that little boy, cuddled in his arms while Benjy excitedly went on and on about his new model trains.
In perfect unison, the Schmidt boys looked up and Cece's world collapsed. Benjy's eyes were the perfect shade of blue that she adored in Schmidt. His hair was perfectly rustled like his daddy and there was nothing more she wanted her son to look like than his incredible father.
"Mommy, daddy's home!" Benjy informed his mom.
"I see that, sweetie. What are you two up to?" she implored with a permanent smile plastered on her face.
"You see, hon, Benjy was explaining his complicated, intricate network of the Benjamin Schmidt inter highway of trains."
"Was he?" she gave him an eye and in turn Schmidt gave her an adorable wink.
"He was."
"Daddy,we missed you." Benjy whispered, nuzzling his body around his father. Schmidt tenderly rocked his best buddy back and forth. It gave him chills in moments like this, the fact that this little boy was all his and that same little boy looked up at him like he was a super hero.
"I missed you two more than you can imagine. But I'm back now, and tomorrow we're gonna go to the zoo!"
"The zoo!" Benjy blasted off.
Cece smiled, rubbing Benjy's pajama-clad leg, "We're gonna see the lions and tigers and..."
"Penguins penguins penguins!"
Schmidt leaned back, dragging Benjy with him, "How could we forget the penguins!"
"Alright boys, we have a big day tomorrow, and we're meeting Uncle Nick and Aunt Jess."
Schmidt feigned disappointment, "Fine. Mommy's right. Have a good night buddy."
"Night daddy. Night mommy." Benjy practically squealed, super excited to get to bed to go to the zoo, "I love you."
Cece beant down once Schmidt was off the bed to wipe her sons hair out of his face and kiss his forehead, "We love you, too."
Before they made it back to their room, Schmidt made a pit-stop in Sydney's nursery. As he looked in the little girls sleeping eyes, he was in awe. He'd never imagined having a daughter, when Schmidt rarely imagined having kids he imagined a son that he molded into his mini-me (which may or may not have happened with Benjy whose little wardrobe perfectly matched his fathers, much to Cece's annoyance).
But the second he saw Cece holding a baby girl in her arms at the hospital, Schmidt knew that little Sydney already had him wrapped around her finger. Something about seeing the love of your life rocking a precious little child that's all yours back and forth was infectious...and the feeling hadn't died in the four years that he'd been a father.
Cece sometimes had to physically remove her husband from the kids rooms because he would stare at them all night. He would tell her that he couldn't believe it, that finally he had what he'd always wanted, a family.
"Do I have to remove you from here again?" Cece whispered from the bright doorway.
Schmidt rolled his eyes, "I've been gone awhile okay?"
His wife joined him next to their daughter's bed. "She looks just like you."
"You know, people tell me that." Schmidt replied, wrapping his arm around Cece, "But I don't see it. She looks like the most perfect human to ever grace the earth."
Cece chuckled, "You should save that line for her prom...or her wedding."
His face went sour, "Don't make me think about that! Benjy is barely in preschool and I'm already freaking out."
"I know, babe." She patted his back, "I'm scared too. But we're in this together."
Schmidt locked eyes with Cece inches away as he ran his hands through his hair in the dark nursery, their daughter still peacefully unaware of her parents' presence.
"No one else I'd rather do this with."
Cece leaned in to kiss him, mumbling "I love you." over and over. It was times like this where she asked how the hell did she deserve a life like this?
As soon as they closed the door, Cece grabbed Schmidt's hand.
"Thank you." she whispered in the hallway.
Schmidt scrunched his brow, "What?"
"For putting an end to all our nonsense and proposing to me." she laughed, "Because I can't imagine not having you...and them in my life."
"Well, thanks for saying yes."