Chapter 1: Trying Again

Charisse felt rather sick the first few days of her pregnancy but it was worth it. All the pain and unpleasantness she felt was only temporary for the gift she was going to bring into this world. Recently, she and Baron had been to visit the Cat Kingdom to see if the pregnancy wasn't a hoax and it turned out that the baby really was there. It was a real baby. There was a small fetus in there. She remembered crying tears of joy because she was finally going to be a mother and of course Baron gave her a tight hug but he was trembling too. He was excited at the thought of having a baby.

Now, Charisse sat in the office reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting" while Baron sat at his desk doing paperwork. Then he looked up and stared at his wife, feeling sheer joy well up in his heart. How was he so lucky to find such a true heart? He felt like he was the most fortunate of men just to have someone like her. True, he had past dalliances here and there but none of them amounted to what he was feeling now. He was so in love with his wife…

"Why are you staring at me?" she had asked, getting his attention.

"You're just so beautiful," he said tenderly, setting his pen down so he could sit with her.

She smiled. "Just wait until I get fatter," she said teasingly. "You'll be eating those words."

Humbert shook his head as he sat next to her. "No," he said gently, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. "Don't say that, you're too beautiful. I am the most fortunate of men."

Charisse placed her hands on his chest tenderly. "And I am the most fortunate of women to have someone like you, Humbert," she replied lovingly, kissing his cheek lightly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Charisse," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers softly.

…

A few weeks later, Charisse and Humbert went back to the Cat Kingdom to check the fetal heartbeat. The couple was so excited but then their joy was dashed when the cat doctors told Charisse the baby was dead. She had a miscarriage. It was normal, they had said. It had happened to a lot of women and no one knew why but they had to get the fetus out of her or else it would give her a brain hemorrhage. Of course Charisse began crying but Baron kept a strong composure for his wife. He didn't want her to see him weak.

"Okay…" wept Charisse, wiping her tears away. "I understand. I'll do it…"

The doctors nodded and began dousing her with drowsy magic so they could operate without her feeling any pain. Humbert had a strong stomach but he couldn't watch the doctors cut away the life that could have been; it was too much for him. Instead, he held Charisse's hand and watched her carefully, kissing her forehead as it happened.

Finally, the doctors got the fetus out of her and helped her get back to normal. When Charisse came to, she looked numb but pain crossed her face. Her vagina echoed with pain and she knew the baby was gone. She locked eyes with Humbert, who looked distraught, and she broke down into tears. He held her tightly and kissed her brow tenderly.

"I…I m-miss my parents…" she gasped, clinging to him.

He rubbed her back, shushing her gently. "It's okay, baby," he whispered tenderly. "It's okay…"

One of the doctors spoke up. "I recommend not engaging in sexual intercourse for four weeks. Charisse needs her hormones to be rebalanced and for her cycle to be normal again. I'm so sorry…"

Charisse closed her eyes and bowed her head, taking deep breaths, as Baron held her in his arms.

…

It was all silence and awkwardness for Charisse and Baron as they sat at home. Humbert was concerned for his wife. She was so stoic and stiff with her eyes looking cold. He sat down next to her and drew an arm around her, pulling her to him. That was when she broke down. Tears gushed down her cheeks and whimpers and sobs escaped her lips.

"Shh…" he murmured gently, "shh…shh…It's all right. It'll be okay, Charisse. We can try again in a few weeks, okay?"

Charisse shook her head. "No," she hissed bitterly. "Nothing can replace the loss I'm feeling now. I can't…Humbert, I just can't…" She broke off, weeping bitterly.

"It's all right, love," he whispered gently, kissing her on the forehead lovingly. "We don't have to do anything until you're comfortable with it."

Charisse just looked downcast. "I know it's hard to be married to me sometimes," she said dully. "I mean, you don't have to be patient with me all the time and…" Suddenly, she was cut off by Humbert kissing her roughly on the lips and pinning her against the wall.

She totally succumbed to the kiss, responding to his rough lips, but then she remembered that the kissing could lead to activities that they weren't allowed to engage in yet. She slid her hands up to his shoulders and pushed him back delicately. Humbert somehow found his way on top of her and he was panting when they separated from the heated kiss. How she wanted to make love to him but it would hurt both of them if they did that.

"I love you," whispered Humbert, kissing her on the forehead gently. "Never, ever doubt that."

Tears ran down Charisse's cheeks and she clung to her husband tightly as if he was life support. How she loved him so. She curled up into his arms and buried her face into his shirt, closing her eyes. As her sobs mellowed into whimpers, Charisse began breathing calming breaths to soothe herself. She felt Baron rubbing her back gently and her nerves began to relax. Slowly, she began drifting off to sleep in her husband's arms, feeling comfort that she hadn't felt in a while.

A/N: You are probably going to hate me for doing this but miscarriage happens. It happened to my mom, to my aunts, and to family friends! She will try again a little later! Don't fret! Also, sorry for being AWOL! I'm back! R&R please!