By the time now that Edith attended the training-dojo weekly, she was aware that wearing her black ninja-outfit wasn't quite fitting the dress code in such an occasion. Instead, she now held her used white tanktop and her pink leggins in the bag over her shoulder, smiling widely as they exited the dojo. The training was great and it had been such a great time to train with Lucy. First, she was a bit suspicious about her fathers idea to let her accompany Lucy to her training – to bond a bit with her - but now, she just enjoyed it.
It had been a bit of a struggle first; She didn't really like the idea of Lucy moving into their house, and towards the new girlfriend of her Dad, she seemed distanced and almost jealous. She could understand. Suddenly some intruder barged into the small family and claimed Gru as hers as well. Gru even had to tell Lucy to delay her moving in for a week, because she felt like she was going to take space away – but that was in the past.
Lucy was so cool, and even though Edith was still a beginner, she learned quickly from Lucy. Not only that, but she started to learn a lot from her, and Lucy also from Edith. She asked about how Gru and Lucy actually met and their first date, how she became an agent at all and about her exciting agent life.
"Thank you for bringing me home, Lucy." she said as they reached her blue little van, rubbing her upper arm. "I think this'll hurt in the morning, hehe!"
"Haha!" Lucy opened up the doors for them to sit in the car. "Yes, you'll feel that often from now on, if you wanna look like this." She raised her arm and showed her muscles in her upper arm. "Whoa, cool!" Edith exclaimed and tensed her own – but there weren't many yet to be proud of.
"Aww…" she said a bit discouraged.
"You'll be as muscular and strong as me and your Daddy together someday!" Offering Lucy a big grin, she added: "You know, i haven't thought training would be that cool with you, but-i really do love it! You know, there are just mature adults and no annoying girls and boy in my age..."
Yes, she really did like spending time around older people than actually children. Lucy sat herself in the driver's seat, readjusting the seatbelt for the bulge she started to feel in her abdomen. It wasn't that big yet. Edith hadn't seen it when working out, and when showering, she turned around with her back against the girl, but if she looked, she would know soon enough, especially if she looked at her breasts. They had swollen up half a cup. She had stopped wearing her favorite light blue dress, feeling the fabric getting tighter. And tonight, her instructor had taken her to the side, telling her she wasn't allowed to train there again until the child was born. She could still go to the gym, but that wasn't her concern. It was the little blond girl she had in tow. She could bring Edith and not work out herself, but she wasn't sure Edith would like that. It was worth a shot though, just to spend some more time with Edith, softening her up for Lucy to move in.
"Hey, uh… Edith?" she asked, insecurely. "Yes?"
Lucy swallowed at how happy and excited she looked – it would definitely break her heart to hear her not-so-great news.
"…S-something has happened. Nothing bad, but… I won't be able to train for a while, tonight was the last time for me." She started the engine and began driving out of the parking lot. "We could still do this, I guess. If you would want me to drive you over here, watch you train and then drive you home again. The instructor would like you to come every time then though, he told me. "
"Wait-you, you cannot train anymore?" she asked, almost shocked and her smile dropped instantly. "B-but-but why? I-i don't wanna train alone, it wouldn't be half as fun!" Edith swallowed, but remembered what her father used to say: You can't have everything, so try to understand and cherish what you have. "U-uhm-sorry i mean...okay...I think I'll train alone then."
She looked down to her feet, a little upset about this sudden announcement.
Lucy glanced back at her and felt guilty. Poor honey. If it wasn't for the sake of her and the baby, she definitely would have continued.
"Edith…I'm very sorry…" she said. "I would continue with you, but…"
Edith didn't answer.
This whole thing was becoming g just too strange.
First: Lucy's constant complaining about how sick she felt. Then: That ravenous appetite she seemed to have. Last night she had heard her asking Gru if he could cut her some watermelons – and then seconds later she wanted gingerbread.
And not to forget she wanted to have a hotdog for breakfast. And now she couldn't even do sports anymore…
...
As they reached her home, she jumped out of the car, still quite sad about the fact she wouldn't be training with Lucy anymore, and as Gru opened the door for them, he saw how frustrated and downcast edith was.
"Lucy-is everythin' okay?" he asked the redhead. "Did somethin' happen?"
"Yeah." She said with a heavy sigh. "My instructor just told me that maybe it was time for me to 'take a break until I'm better' ", Lucy hinted with a roll of her eyes. It was the last straw for her this week. Her mission at the AVL was sooo boring, Silas had her do all kind of paper work, being afraid she would run off and do the spying stuff herself. She was almost climbing the walls from boredom. And now the ju jutsu. What was left for her to do was going to the gym, or read.
"Oh..." Gru understood. "I see, uh-yeah it probably will be dhe best for yu." he answered. He wasn't that okay with seeing his pregnant Girlfriend working out that much, and he always was scared something could happen to the baby. So, he was almost glad to hear she'd stop now until the kid was born.
"But…I still could take Edith to the training. We would need to pay the fee, and Edith would have to start going every week, so I need your blessing first before I let her."
"Of course I'll pay dhe fee, she shuld keep havin' fun vith trainin'. Right Edith?" he called back into the house, but all he heard was a muffled: "Leave me alone!" from upstairs. Gru sighed. She seemed quite gloomy now that she knew she'd work out alone. "As soon as she baby's here, yu can go and train vith her again, hm?" Lucy nodded.
"Wow…it's going to be so boring now. My job sucks without missions…no training with edith…" She sighed heavily.
"Do you have a cup of coffee ready? I need something before I drive home, I feel like I might fall asleep here on the porch."
He closed the door behind them and led her to the kitchen. "Sure, I've got some-by dhe way, how is junior doin'?" he asked, gently stroking over her belly. "I hope it's not causin' any trouble."
It had grown over the few weeks, and for the sake of the kids, he was glad she wore more wider clothes to hide the bulge from them.
Lucy cringed and stepped away from his hand for a second, scared that still one of the kids were present.
"S-sorry, Hon. I'm…I'm a bit scared the kids find out and it causes a drama." She whispered, but then returned to him and let him caress her belly. It was so sweet of him – he almost daily asked her how the baby and she is doing and everytime, he caressed the still quite flat part. There was still close to nothing to feel, and yet he was so mesmerized by it.
"The little one is fine. Last doctor appointment, they told me everything is going according to the charts. I still can't handle too sweet scents though." With that, she scooted the fruit bowl to the other end of the table, not wanting to be close to the bananas.
"Just two weeks more – then we can tell the girls, yes?" He nodded. And then she sighed.
"I just wish we had solved everything with Edith by now, and her issue with me moving in. I don't want to go to the doctor appointments alone, it feels so wrong without you, and I only get the early appointments when you're still sending your girls to school."
"I'm sorry, honey…" he sighed. He really wished to have the next few appointments with her, soon they were going to make ultra-sound pictures – and he wanted to see the baby.
"Hey…how about I'll talk to her again about dis, okay? I wun't tell her about dhe baby yet – but I think I can change her mind on lettin' yu stay here in future." She looked at him and cocked her head. "You think she ever would like me here?" - "She loves yu, Lu. But it alvays takes a whole lot until she is accustomed to new people." Lucy smiled.
Some moments later he led her back to the door and to her car, giving her a last kiss, then he returned back into his house and sighed. This was really not according to plan. He hoped the girls would love the idea of Lucy moving in, and none of them would make such a drama outta it. Gru wanted to have Lucy here, all the time, waking up next to her, helping her in her hard times and seeing their baby grow, but no...
Carrying Agnes to her bed, Gru knelt down next to Ediths bed, she had turned her back to him.
"Edith, uh...can i tak to yu for a sec?"
"Hm.." she mumbled.
"Look, she does still vant to train vith yu, but at de moment, she jus' simply can't. Du yu understand dis?"
"Hm!"
"Edith, turn around and look at me!"
"Hm-hm!"
Gru sighed again.
"Edith...I know yu have much fun vith Lucy, and she still will train vith yu, but...more observe yu, hm?"
The ninja didn't answer.
"Lucy told me it is not goin' to be long, really. Perhaps...uh...seven or eight months?"
Edith turned around briefly, furrowing her eyebrows in anger and turning back to give him the cold shoulder.
He gently brushed his hand over her head.
"Hey...if Lucy wuld stay here, vith us - she culd train vith yu everyday. I'll give yu two dhe free space down in dhe lab, so yu can make it yur training ground, hm?"
"She would...train with me everyday?" she turned around, finally interested in his words. "And you'd really give us that spot? You said you need it..."
"Yu both need it more dhan me." he answered.
"So vhat du yu say - yu think it's okay for yu if she lives here vith us, so yu both can train daily?"
Edith hesitated, but then she nodded. "Okay...that sounds awesome! Have, uh-have I been the reason she hasn't moved in yet."
"Uhm-partly, yeah." Gru shrugged slightly. "We weren't sure if yu'd feel uncomfortable with it..."
"Sorry..." she mumbled. "It's fine sweetie..."
He sat up and kissed her head. "Jus' dun't forget dat we love yu – and dat I'm proud of yu."
And with that, he closed the door behind him, getting ready to go to bed himself.
...
Lucy sighed when she entered her dark apartment. Taking a glass of water from the kitchen, she laid herself in her bed and started to read, waiting for the coffee buzz to go away so she could sleep.
Her bedroom was covered with books about pregnancies. Not being able to run long without back aches, and now, no ju jutsu, she didn't have much to do on her free time. So, she read. She felt comfortable when she was informed, so she read up on everything about pregnancies to reassure herself she would be prepared for anything, like a mission.
She already went through the chapters with the contractions – no problem. She knew worse pain than that.
And she read about possible positions to give birth. Putting her hand over the small bulge, she reached the chapter about breech births.
It wasn't a comfortable chapter, she had to admit.
The text was hardly bearable – and as soon as she saw pictures, she could feel her stomach clenching.
"In the more common breech presentations, the baby's bottom is what is first to descend through the maternal pelvis and emerge from the vagina.
The baby usually turns to face the mother's back. Next occurs external rotation, which is when the shoulders emerge as the baby's head enters the maternal pelvis. The combination of maternal muscle tone and uterine contractions cause the baby's head to flex, chin to chest.
Then the back of the baby's head emerges and finally the face, before—"
Slamming the book together, she decided she didn't want to read more about any complications that could occur and imagine the dangers – and she definitely didn't want to see these horrible pictures anymore. She shoved the book to the end of her bed, before lying down again. She gulped.
Now she remembered why she didn't want to become pregnant – the risk for the baby and mother to be harmed or even die were just threatening and scaring her. Her hand held onto the small bulge on her stomach. She just started to like the idea of being with child – but the fear came back again and again. She turned off the light and pulled the duvet over herself, trying to ignore her anxieties and fell asleep.
...
The next moment, Lucy opened up her eyes to knowing something was wrong. She felt a stinging pain in her back, and when she pulled the covers off, she was that her belly had fully grown! Jumping up from the bed, she was confused. What was this? She had come to full term? Another pang of pain shot in her back, and she felt something wet falling into underwear. Taking off her pyjamas, she saw a white fluid liquid. Her water broke!
Getting up her phone from the bedside table, she called Gru's number. No answer. She tried twice again, gasping from her abdomen muscles being pulled together involuntarily, still no answer. Desperate for help, she called Silas, no answer there either. She put her pyjamas back on, put on a jacket and called the AVL headquarter. No one. Putting a hand on the door, the handle cracked. She was locked inside. 911. Just as Lucy pressed the digits, the phone ran out of juice.
"No!" Lucy shouted to the phone. Desperately looking for the charge, she felt her muscles pull together again. The baby was coming. Pulling off her clothes, she saw blood running down over her legs.
The delivery was hard, and painful, and blood was flowing out over the floor where she was sitting, too weak to actually pull herself up on the bed. Reaching down with her hands, she felt what was wrong. The baby was the wrong way and stuck midway. She was having a breech-birth! Too weak to push the child out, everything blackened.
...
Lucy bolted up from her laying position in a shout. Hands running around her body, she made sure the belly was still almost flat, with the tiny bulge. Sweat was dropping down her forehead and she gulped down the nausea that was caused by this horrible dream. She really did dream the worst nightmare ever… Looking over at the digital watch, she saw the numbers. 3:42. She breathed heavily and still had her hands hovered over her belly, she looked on the door where the knob had been broken in her dream – it was tightly fixed to the door.
She pulled down her underwear to see if there was something to worry about – nothing.
And then tears ran down her face as she started whimpering and sobbing.
...
A noise!
Gru woke up, instantly, his eyes roaming around the dark room. He had a light sleep and ever since the kids used to enter his bedroom in the middle of the night to complain about a nightmare or sleeplessness and if they could spend the night in his bed, he was alert, always.
He hadn't had to seek long for the source of the sounds he heard, right on the other side of the bed, the nightstand was glowing, and something vibrated on the surface of the wooden tiny board. He rolled over, grabbing his phone and with narrowed eyes, he let out an annoyed huff. Blinking several times, the name "Lucy" appeared on the screen. Lucy? Why did she call? At that time? A bit startled, he pressed the green button.
"Mhh-yeah?"
"Gru?"
"Lucy, vhat is it...?" he asked. She sounded like she had been crying. Or as if she had seen a suddenly he heard her voice cracking, and she started to sob and cry. Gru was wide awake! Jumping out of his bed, he heard his own heartbeat starting to increase.
Oh god, what was wrong? Did something happened? Did she hurt herself or...has something happened to the baby?
"L-lucy, vhat's wrong?"
"I-I—I had a nightmare."
The fear something happened to her or the child dropped instantly. A nightmare..? Apparently it was a terrible one, she never cried because of nightmares.
"Oh, honey, I-" he tried to comfort her, but she wouldn't stop crying. He would have said the same to his kids when they were complaining about terrible dreams – that it was not real and nothing would happen to her. But she seemed to desperate…
Looking to the clock, he had to recognize it was the middle of the night, and in about three hours he had to get up again. He tried again to console her and tell her she was okay, but she wouldn't listen to him.
"Lucy, hang in dhere, I'll come over to yu..."
"O-O—Okay…"
...
"Gru, what happened?"
Margo joined her father in the hallway, he was about to grab his jacket and scarf. "Where are you going?"
"Lucy called me." he said. "Somethin's wrong vith her."
"Oh my god!" she gasped. "D-did she miscarry?"
"Vhat-No!" Gru hissed back at her, almost angry to hear that from her mouth. "She jus' had a nightmare and I'll make sure she's fine..."
Margo sighed. "Okay...good. I'm settled."
"Margo, yu haven't told dhe odhers about-" - "Nope, I haven't! Not a word!"
"Good. Okay, look, I'll return in some hours, stay here and go to bed again, okay? And make sure dat Agnes and Edith are still sleeping, okay?"
"Sure...!"
Some moments later, Gru stood in front of her door and knocked. "Lucy, it's me...!" he called.
The door was opened – and a completely shocked and frightened Lucy jumped into his arms. He caught her, still a bit startled.
Desperately holding him, she was grateful that her phone had worked, he had answered her, and the door would open. The nightmare had felt so real, she was still shaking and sobbing when he arrived. "Lucy…Lucy, shhh…" he stroked her hairline and held her close to his chest. "I'm here…I'm here, honey…"
"Oh Gru…" she sobbed like a little baby.
"I had a horrible nightmare, I was full term. And- and-" She gulped, trying to get strength to say the words. "I went into labour, but the baby wouldn't come out. And I was all alone. In this apartment." She clund to him tighter, face deep down in his shoulder, muffling her voice. "You wouldn't answer your phone. Silas didn't answer, the AVL didn't answer. I couldn't get to the hospital. There was so much blood and I was in so much pain." Gasping for air, she hugged him as tight as she could, wishing she could escape inside of him. "Gru, I died. Alone." Gru gasped silently. Oh dear lord…That did sound way she described it, the labor, her desperation being alone with her pain...And her death...
His heart clenched in his chest and he gulped heavily.
"Oh, Lucy..." he breathed
"Oh, Lucy, shhh...it's fine. It's fine..." he said, calmly, pressing her head into his shoulder, nuzzling his face into her hair.
He listened to her sobbing and crying, brushed his hand over her hair. "It's okay, I'm here, Lucy...I'm not leavin' yu..."
Lucy sobbed, both startled, and yet so happy he was here for her and that she could be with him and hug him and feel him… She almost didn't feel how he lifted her up and carried her back into her bedroom, onto the small bed and sat down with her, still holding her securely in his arms, kissing her face and brushing away her tears. "It was jus' a nightmare, honey…"
"I know..." She said in a whiny voice. "But it felt so …real. And that is where we're at now, Gru. I live here by myself." Lucy shivered in his arms. "I don't want that. I don't want be alone when it's time." Nuzzling against his chest, she tried to calm herself. Gru hugged her tightly, held her as close as possible to him.
"I-I'm scared…Gru, I'm scared…I wanna be with you, I want you to stay at my side…but…but Edith…"
Poor Lucy…She had to deal with so much at the moment, and he wished he could help.
He couldn't leave her here anymore. She had to stay with them, with him, where she was secure and where he could watch over her.
He wasn't really fine with her staying away from his house, and he wouldn't endure this any longer...
In a long moment of silence, his mind started to spin, so many thoughts and so many words he wanted to speak out. Taking a deep breath, he whispered: "Lucy..."
He tightened his hug a bit more.
"Marry me..."
He let go of her, looked down at her.
Lucy blinked a few times, staring at the man she was dating.
"I can't let yu stay here, all by yur own, i jus' can't. I'm scared too, i dun't wanna lose yu, i dun't wanna let yu go again and again, knowin' anythin' culd happen to yu...Please, marry me...!"
Did he just propose?
Did he just PROPOSE in the middle of the night?
Did he just propose to her in the middle of the night to comfort her from her fears?
Her eyes grew saucer and her heart nearly skipped three beats.
They had dated for eight months. She knew him well enough to understand that he wouldn't had proposed if it wasn't for the pregnancy. That this was an act out of desperation to help her. To protect her and their child. It was sweet, but…
"No." She said firmly. She took a slow breath, gathering her thoughts.
Gru stared back at her in disbelief.
"Gru…honey…I love you and someday I might want to marry you… but I want to give birth to our child first so it's not the reason you're proposing, and then we'll see if you still want me as your wife." Gru tilted his head, and quirked an eyebrow above his eye, almost looking like a little puzzle puppy. She rejected him, although he counted several reasons to be married? Let alone the child...? But then he realized again that this wasn't his decision – but hers. About to respond with a firm: 'I'd always want yu as my wife', he just nodded, taking her hands in his and stared back at their fingers. "I uh-I'm sorry, I-i know dis kinda came outta dhe blue and-I mean we haven't been togedher dat long, I jus'-"
"Sweetie…"
She took a gentle grip of his chin, making sure he was looking her in the eyes.
"No need to apologize big guy, you did nothing wrong." She kissed him on his lips. "I just don't want this pregnancy to cloud our judgment. And I don't want us to assume we should be married because we're having a kid. If we want to marry later, we can do that. There's no best before-date." She smiled at him.
"Ohh…yes…of course…" he licked his lips and nodded.
Lucy nevertheless pulled him into a hug and he hugged her back.
"I love you, Gru…"
"I love yu too…"
A moment of silence lingered between the couple, before Lucy looked back up at him.
"You – you should go back to your kids. They need you, don't they?"
"Lucy, I think yu really shuld stay at my place tonight." he said, hoping she'd agree.
"B-But…" Lucy gulped. "But what about Edith?"
"I have been talkin' to Edith - and she told me she's fine vith yur movin' in. She loves yu and she trusts yu - oh uh, and I have promised her dat yu and she'll probably will train daily after dhe birth." he grinned, almost awkwardly.
"So, yu still wanna move to me?"
Lucy blinked a couple of times, staring at her boyfriend in shock. Then, without explanation, she jumped out of the couch. She grabbed a sport bag and tossed in clothes in amounts to last a week, got her stuff from the bathroom, and ran over to the kitchen, grabbing the stuff that would go bad within the next few days and packed in an ice-box. Gru watched him with a strange fascination. She stopped in front of him with a smile.
"Eh, yes, I do. Let's go." With a smile, she picked up the keys from their place and walked out with the stuff in her arms, ready to lock after the both of them left the apartment.
...
Back home, Gru made sure Lucy went straight to bed. He gave her some of the pillows she usually used, put the blanket over both of them and then with terribly tired and sloppy movement, he rolled onto the bed and accidentally bumped into her, both chuckling before they found a comfortable position where they could sleep. Gru held her in his arms, spooning her. And for the first time this evening, Lucy felt safe. Safe and sound and loved and cared for – and she felt nothing but gratitude and deepest affection towards him.
It wasn't much there yet, and still Gru's hand crawled beneath her shirt to brush over the bulge of her tummy. If he couldn't feel how it would grow when the kids were around, at least he'd be glad to feel it when they were alone. Lucy jumped suddenly by his movement, but relaxed again when she knew it was him… she felt herself blush. There was barely anything there yet, she mostly looked like she'd had a big meal. But she guessed that to Gru, it was the world right now. He could see their baby grow. Her heart melted by how gentle he was and how sweetly he was admiring this place in her body…With a light sigh, he kissed her hair.
"Sorry again...for dat stupid proposal." he whispered, almost dozing off.
"Stupid proposal?" She turned her head towards him. "Oh, honey, it wasn't stupid. It was… ill-planned. Timing isn't your thing, huh?"
"Mh-mh." Gru replied and she laughed. She hugged his hand, making it press against the bulge, feeling it properly, while dozing off herself.
"Gru…?"
"Mh…yes…?" he mumbled, very sleepy.
"Uhm uh…I really would like to have some tomatoes on bread right now…and, uhm…and some roastbeef...as a midnight snack..."
"-Mhhph…anythin' for yu, my dear…" he muttered sleepily, before walking downstairs into the kitchen.