* Trigger Warning - Conversation about termination, adoption and so forth. Nadri's character does not depict my views on termination. If you wish to comment on this section, keep it civil with no view bashing. Remember everyone is entitled to their opinions, fictional or not *
The nurse that Nadri and David were sitting with smiled at her comfortingly, a few pamphlets laying in front of her on the table and she was clinging onto David's hand so hard he thought that he was about to lose the feeling of it. She didn't know whether it was being in the hospital again but she felt like she had a massive weight laying on her shoulders, her hands shaking with nerves of sitting there choosing life or death. "You have plenty of options, Nadri."
Nadri surprisingly felt a change in her mood when she had her breakdown in the forest, it was almost like it was overdue for some time. She silently reached out for her Gods as she cried into the earth with David clutching her and she hoped for an epiphany to hit her in the face. Nadri thought her purpose was to be free, but could there have been more? Did Akatosh light this way for her, to open up a new world?
"Have you and your boyfriend discussed adoption?" She asked her, eyes awkwardly glancing at David sitting next to her. She knew the potential problems it would cause with David being with her instead of Killian, but she wanted to know everything that she could without feeling like she was going to break her True Love's heart.
"I'm not the baby's father, I'm here as a friend." David announced while Nadri was lost for words, unsure of how to answer a question she didn't quite understand. "Nadri, there's a route of giving the baby to another person or another couple to raise themselves. How Emma was brought up without me and Snow." David explained to Nadri in the best terms for her to understand. Despite being in the Underworld for so long, there were still some things that Nadri wasn't quite up to date with.
"Well there are a lot of people looking to adopt if you don't feel like a termination is right for you. But you don't have to decide right now." The nurse told her.
"How does it work? The termination?"
"Well, you can take two tablets. That will start the process to-"
"I-I don't want to know." Nadri whispered, running a hand through her hair tiredly as she felt tears stinging her eyes. She was so exhausted, it was mentally draining to just sit in the room and let information be thrown at her. "But if I want to give the child to someone, I have to go through the entire…thing? I have to give birth and just hand the child over?"
"You don't need to decide today, Nadri. You still have some time to weigh your options, if you do want a termination I suggest that you do that as early as you can. We can't do it past 24 weeks, do you understand?" The nurse informed her, her voice sympathetic and calming alone.
"That seems like a really long time." Nadri's expression was horrified. She could admit she was sheltered when it came to these things, so hearing that she could go so late until making her decision petrified her even further. Her baby would be in a viable stage.
The thoughts started making her feel ill.
"That's why if you want a termination, to do it as early as possible."
"May I ask, why are you considering other options? Financial or?" The nurse trailed off, waiting for Nadri to answer. She swallowed hard, looking back at the nurse with eyes full of shame. "If you are being forced into this by anyone, Nadri-" David squeezed her hand back, reassuring her.
"After everything I have been through, I'm worried that I won't be able to do this. This could break me. watching them get hurt in this world…I would have failed to protect them. I can't deal with that anymore, I failed my people before. I can't fail anyone else."
"I understand your thinking, Nadri. I think most parents believe that themselves, it's scary. This world is very different now from when I had my own children. And that's okay. It is your body, your choice regardless. It is absolutely okay to have these thoughts, feelings and it's okay to look into these things." The nurse nodded, trying to be understanding as she handed over some leaflets on everything she would need to know and prepare herself for.
They left the hospital, grabbing a coffee and a cinnamon hot chocolate, a more apparent craving of Nadri's right now, at the cart near the entrance. Nothing had really been said between them once they had left the hospital, David knew that Nadri was full of anxiety about sitting down with Killian and discussing what she wanted to do next. Without saying anything between them, David knew that she was more than thankful that he was there for her.
David took his phone out of his pocket, turning it back on after having to turn it off by being in the hospital and his eyes widened when he realised he had 5 missed calls from Regina, and then another 3 from Snow and God-knows how many text messages from the both of them combined.
"I'm really sorry, Nadri, I need to go, something has happened."
"Is everyone okay?" Nadri questioned him intently, seeing the worry over his face. "David, you helped me today, if there is something I can do…"
"Someone from our past came with the dirigible. I need to get Snow, try and change this guy's mind from trying to kill us. I can't have you involved in this, Nadri. I'm sorry." David apologised, quickly giving her shoulder a squeeze before running off down the road, the phone to his ear. "I'll call you later, see how you're getting on. I gotta go."
"Be safe…Charming." Nadri called to him as he'd already begun to walk away. Nadri exhaled sharply, trying to put her worries aside for her friends as she looked at the pamphlets in her hand and she scoffed before scrunching them up in her hand and tossing them into the bin.
Her mind was being pulled backwards and forth, stretched thin. She was human now, life wasn't stuck in time anymore. Possibilities were endless now that she had been given and stuffed them into her bag before she continued on, taking a walk along the docks until she got back to the ship.
She went below deck, looking around to see Killian was sitting with a book in his quarters, almost jumping up at the sight of Nadri. Killian put his book down in his lap as Nadri made her way over to the leather couch, dropping her bag down and getting comfortable next to Killian. He knew something was wrong without her needing to say anything, just looking at how red and puffy her eyes were, and how distant she had been acting.
"Do we need to talk, love?" Killian's voice was shaky, like he was about to expect the big break up speech, or that something terrible had happened. The way she had been acting since finding out that they were expecting had thrown him off, he thought they were through the bad already.
"I went with David to the hospital." Nadri whispered faintly, swallowing hard as Killian immediately sat up more, bracing for bad news, fearing the worst had happened.
"The baby?"
"The baby is fine, Ruveyzun." Nadri promised him, holding his hands when she saw that he was close to bursting into tears himself. He waited for her to go on, but she couldn't help but just look at how fearful he had become over the possibility of something happening to their child. "When I called you, you were true to your word right? We would talk, properly?"
"Of course, love." He brought her hand up to his face, kissing her knuckles lovingly. "What's the matter? Why were you there?"
"To talk about my…options. They explained a er - termination and to give the baby to another family if I felt that having that wasn't what I wanted."
…
"...You did what?" Killian's deathly quiet outrage emitted through his words when he heard the ones that left Nadri's mouth. Nadri felt Killian's hand relax from hers, letting it go. She swallowed hard, seeing the pain on his face of processing what she was telling him. "Did you..?"
"No." Killian sighed in relief when she shook her head so much so that the sigh could have blown out all the candles in the ship. "I just wanted to talk to them more about it, I feel like my mind is full of fog right now since last night."
"I'm the baby's father, Nadri! Not bloody Charming! I should have been there with you!" He shot up to his feet, jaw clenched with anger and Nadri immediately reached for him, but he slapped her hand away.
"That's why I didn't bring you with me! I needed someone to talk to me like their head isn't full of fairy tales."
"Oh and having a family with you is just a fairytale is it? Wanting to be with you for the rest of my life, having our children?"
"That is not what I meant." Nadri strongly replied, getting up from the sofa. "I wanted to talk to someone who wasn't convinced that this was secure. I wanted to be…human. I wanted to know what I was feeling was valid. That it's okay to have doubts and all these feelings. I just wanted to know more just in case."
"I thought we got through this darling." Killian assumed, recalling their conversation from the night previous.
"I'm…I'm in shock." Nadri admitted. "I have been in shock since I found out and I need to process what's going on, what's going to happen to my body." Killian got up, following her to the window where she was standing looking out of. He took her hand gently, bringing her back towards him. "I'm scared, Ruveyzun."
"I know, love." Killian soothed. He kissed her forehead longingly and then her cheek, his beard tickling at her face. "I'm sorry." She looked back up at him, tip-toeing and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
"Why are you apologising?"
"Because of this. I wasn't thinking of how much this would affect you after everything. How scary it is to go from that place to here. I just…I want to be a father so badly, especially to our child. I wasn't thinking past that, I should have. I should have thought of you first and foremost." Killian admitted, feeling shameful and regretting how their conversation had turned into a nasty argument in a matter of seconds. She lifted herself to be able to kiss him, the smallest of kisses but the most meaningful.
"Do you think I can do this? Nadri asked him in a timid voice and Killian nodded, smiling.
"You can do anything, Nadri. I've felt it, I've seen it. I've seen everything you've done and been through and I couldn't imagine a stronger person being a mother to this child. I can see you holding our daughter. Or son. It doesn't matter." He gave her another cuddle, Nadri enjoying the feeling of how secure she was in his arms. "I want you to promise me one thing. Please, come to me. I won't do this, always calm discussion…At least I'll try. If I get heated I'll go and calm down first."
"I promise. I'm sorry."
"Why don't you go and have a bath? I'll go and get you any ice cream you want and I'll take the long way, just have some time to yourself." Killian whispered gently, holding her still.
"A rose soak makes everything okay." Nadri mumbled through his shirt, making him laugh under his breath. "Can I get cinnamon swirl?"
"Of course my love." Killian let her go, kissing her hand.
"What?! You've run out?" Killian huffed when the woman behind the counter of the ice cream parlour shot down his hopes and dreams of receiving Nadri's favourite ice cream.
"Sorry, sir, I sold the last tub of cinnamon to that man. Can I get you anything else?" Killian turned around and saw that Leroy was walking out of the door with an unopened tub of cinnamon swirl ice cream.
Killian jogged over to Leroy, exiting the building as Leroy turned around to him, raising an eyebrow at wanting his attention. "Hey mate, hold up, I need that."
"Get your own, man!" Leroy frowned at him, pulling the ice cream out of reach as Killian tried to grab it regardless.
"Look, I'll pay you whatever you want but I need that tub. It's the last one left!"
"I'm sure you can live without your sugar rush, Hook, I can't! You ever seen me on a cranky day? You don't want to." Killian raised his eyebrow in doubt.
Leroy wasn't called Grumpy for no reason.
"It's for Nadri." Killian protested further, stopping Leroy from walking away again even though his face was beginning to turn red at being mugged for ice cream. "It's her favourite."
"And it's mine too! I know you pirates are just used to taking what you want but don't be an ass-"
"Do you want me to go home to a pregnant woman empty handed? That might not end so well for me." Killian pointed and Leroy looked at him like he had just pulled out a card trick from his sleeve after listening to the words that came out of his mouth. "So… ice cream, mate?" Kilian raised his eyebrows with a nervous smile, hoping to lighten his mood enough.
"Nadri's pregnant dude?"
"You've seen what she's like when they don't have her favourite doughnuts, can you imagine me going home empty handed?" Leroy practically shoved the tub into his hands, Killian taking it gratefully, it was probably one of very few times he had seen the miner actually smile.
"Thanks for this." Killian headed off back towards the ship, holding the ice cream tub under his arm as he strolled down the road with a smile he just couldn't contain.
He got back to the ship, finding Nadri in their bedroom, in the middle of brushing through her hair, beginning to spring back up into curls.
Killian leant against the door frame, just watching her as she was oblivious to her surroundings when she looked into the mirror.
"I've got your ice cream." Her facial expression brightened up, snapping around at him with a grin. "I almost had to fight to get it." He explained, walking over to her and handed her the tub and spoon. Nadri thankfully took it, practically ripping the lid off just so she could start shovelling the cinnamon goodness into her mouth. Killian couldn't help but titter to himself, going up behind her and resting his hand on her shoulder, messaging it.
"Feel better?" He asked her and she nodded, moaning to herself.
"It's like a reward." She commented and Killian kissed the top of her head. "Thank-you, Ruveyzun." She held the spoon up with some of the ice cream on it and Killian eyed it suspiciously, knowing full well that the love of his life would never dare to share anything food related. Of all the obsessions that she had since coming back to the world of the living, it was eating everything that she never got to experience.
"Is this a trick? It feels like a trick." She looked so offended and he couldn't help but smirk before he leant down and took the spoonful of ice cream cautiously.
This was Nadri. Nadri and Food. Not just any food, cinnamon swirl icecream. She would rather cut off her hand than share with anyone else.
"Yeah I can see why you like it, love, that is good."
"See, I can share." Nadri pointed out with a cheeky smile, taking the spoon back and continuing to eat her desert.
"How are you feeling now, love?"
"Like I said, soaking always makes things better."
"I just want you to rest. When you get worked up it's like the whole world is about to end." Nadri snorted at Killian's comment, chuckling quietly. He gave her a kiss on her hair, wrapping his arms around her properly so she could melt into her embrace while devouring the dessert.
He couldn't help but gaze at her in the mirror, just in her own little world. Nadri was carrying his baby, he was going to be a father. Ever since he came back from the Underworld all he wanted was to make his peace with the world and start his life anew. Killian had been given everything on a plate, he just prayed that he could have his happy ending now.