(Okay Lovies, I specially dedicate this chapter to Forbbidensoul562. She specially asked if I could finish this one chapter since she will be away in Europe for two weeks and wanted some nice USUK before she left. So here you are done in a flash for you. Have fun on your trip! :D)
Arthur didn't feel quite right as he sat there at the kitchen table and merely pushed the food on his plate around with his fork. Something just didn't feel right in the air as he abandoned his food- having lost his appetite- and instead moved to nursing his cup of tea. The air felt tense and thick almost stifling and cutting his breath short. He turned his gaze towards the hall way where the bathroom door was tightly shut with Mary Jo inside. The blonde girl had been in there for awhile now… it was starting to worry the Brit.
"I'm going to go check on her." Arthur proclaimed as he placed his tea cup back on the saucer and got up to head down the hall. Alfred gave a curt nod and continued to wolf down his food in his normal distasteful manner. Arthur's footsteps on the hard wood floor were light as his heart pounded and his lungs constricted. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat and pulled his robe tighter over his thin shoulders as he reached out and gingerly knocked on the door. "Mary Jo?" He called through the wooden slab. "Are you alright? You've been in there for awhile…" There came no answer from the other side. "Mary Jo?" Arthur called again and was still met by only silence. Concerned the Brit hesitantly reached for the door knob, turning it slowly and gently pushing the door open.
"Mary Jo…" He poked his head around and looked around the small half bath and easily spotted her sitting on the closed seat of the toilet, her blonde curls hanging in front of her face which was blotchy and streaked with tears. She had her arms wrapped around herself, particularly her growing mid section. Arthur could feel his heart breaking for the poor girl who he had once seen as a ray of sunshine in the dull world they lived in. The poor dear, left so heart broken by a man who she thought supported her. If Arthur was any less of a gentleman he would find that Nathan and give a good beating to the face. No one treated anyone like this especially not someone you loved.
Arthur took a hesitant step into the bathroom. "… Please… cheer up, love. Things are going to get better you just have to look on the bright side." Arthur attempted to soothe the broken girl. "Don't worry about Nathan, he'll come around."
She didn't seem to be consoled. Her shoulders only shook with small silent sobs and fresh tears poured from the rims of her now dull blue eyes still covered by her blonde bangs. She bit her lower lip and merely shook her head. She breathed in a shaky breath, "It's not Nate I'm cryin' about…" Her voice quivered.
Arthur was confused. "Then what's wrong?" He inquired.
She slowly brought her gaze to meet his and he saw filled in her blue eyes was pain and not emotional pain. She rested her hands on the swell of her stomach. "I…I think something's wrong…"
Arthur's blood turned to ice in his veins.
Arthur hated hospitals. He hated them more than anything in the world. They always smelled of sterile rubber gloves, medicine, floral soap, and even the stale scent of death and sickness lingered in the air. Even though the halls of the hospital were large and expansive Arthur still felt as if they were as small as a broom closet and just as suffocating.
When Mary Jo had proclaimed she believed there was something wrong with the baby Arthur had immediately sprung into action, calling Alfred and having him carry her to the car while he grabbed a few things of hers and theirs from upstairs. He then proceeded to fly down the carpet covered steps and hop into the car along with them.
Alfred had probably run about five red lights and nearly caused an accident or two, but once Mary Jo was in the safe care of the doctors the American bravely faced the cops that had been chasing them down, explaining the situation and flashing a government I.D. badge to fend them off.
Arthur was currently pacing back and forth in the waiting room, nearly leaving a rut in white tiled floor from where he strode back and forth. Alfred watched from behind the rims of his glasses as the Brit paced, making him dizzy from the near constant motion. "Arthur," The American chided his bustling husband gently. "You're making dizzy from all that pacing."
"Well sorry, but you know how I get when I'm nervous." He proclaimed, not faltering a bit in his steps. Arthur could never sit still when he was nervous. It was nearly impossible as the stillness of his body allowed Arthur's thoughts to run wild, (His current thought of Mary Jo's sickness being a miscarriage) growing to epic proportions and going on a rampage in his mind which would eventually send him into panic attack mode. If one couldn't guess, it wasn't very good to have an OCD prone Brit with a panic attack.
Alfred let a heavy sigh pass from his lips as he hauled himself out of his chair and walked over to his husband, grabbing the smaller man's shoulders and holding him steady. "Arthur," He said sternly as he gazed intently in the Brit eyes. Sky blue eyes meeting a wild grassy green gaze. "Calm down. Mary Jo will be fine; the doctors are taking very good care of her." Alfred attempted to soothe the frazzled Brit.
Arthur remained completely unconvinced.
The ever persistent man Alfred was he gently took Arthur in his arms, resting his chin on top of his head and stoking his golden blonde hair; whispering soothing sweet nothings into his ear. Even thought Arthur still remained on edge the comfort from Alfred seemed to be helping a considerable amount. But that was short lived.
"So what do you two do to my fiancé?" Even though Alfred and Arthur had only heard that voice once it didn't take more than a second to know who it was. Standing there at the entrance to the waiting room was Mary Jo's "fiancé" Nathan. He stood there so sure of himself with his legs spread apart and his arms folded tightly over his chest as if he was superior to all men of the world.
Arthur pushed Alfred away slightly, turning around so he could face the brunette man. "What we've done?" He echoed back sarcastically. "I believe the question you're looking for is what have you done?" Arthur corrected, each word rolling of his tongue positively dripping with venom. The Brit instantly regretted ever calling him to tell him about Mary Jo.
Nathan snorted snobbishly. "What I've done? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
"Oh really?" Arthur shot back. "Then what exactly led you to believe that complete and utter nonsense?" The Brit taunted the brunette across the room.
"Well," Nathan began in a very matter of factual tone. "Obviously Mary Jo is here in this hell hole because of you two faggots and your little demon spawn."
Arthur's green eyes grew wide with shock at Nathan's brutal and harsh words. Nathan might as well have smacked Arthur right across the face because within only a few split seconds a hot rage flared throughout every single vein, artery, and capillary in the Brit's body. He gnashed his teeth together, thick brows furrowing, and green eyes glowing with fury.
Faggot? Well Nathan also might as well have called Arthur every single awful insult in the book because to him none of them even compared to that one. He hated that word with a fiery passion. People died for that word, protesting against it and its cruelty to homosexuals. It drove Arthur completely mad with rage every single time he ever heard it.
Arthur clenched his hands into tightly packed fists. "That's it. This guy needs to be taught a lesson." The Brit began to make a beeline for Nathan, but Alfred reacted quickly; snatching his husband's wrist and pulling him back with little effort.
"Arthur," He chided even though there was rage lining all along the edges of his voice as well. "Don't do it, he's not worth all the fuss." It was obvious it was taking all the American had not to go over there and also teach Nathan a lesson… using his fists.
The brunette just stood there still looking sure of himself with a cocky grin spread on his face as he realized that both Alfred and Arthur didn't have the guts to come and hit him. "I have no idea why Mary Jo picked to be your surrogate. I swear she must've been out of her pretty little mind when she picked a couple of happy losers like you." Arthur was fuming, his anger completely expressed by the red blotches appearing on his pale cheeks. He tried desperately to shake Alfred off and run over t o Nathan just so he could tackle the bastard and beat him to a living pulp. "What's the matter? You both not man enough to come over here and take me on?" He taunted again. He was really playing with fire. He just poking and prodding. It was like poking one very active land mine with a stick. "Oh wait that's right, you aren't men because you're nothing, but a couple of lousy good for nothing gays."
Arthur once again unsuccessfully tried to shake Alfred off. "Alfred," He growled darkly. "Let me go… I have to fucking kill this son of a bitch."
"Yeah Alfred, let him come and get me. I'm pretty positive your little shit for a husband can't even so much as lay a single scratch on me."
And that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Alfred released Arthur and rushed ahead of him, not allowing the Brit to reach Nathan first. Rage and adrenaline pumped furiously through America's blood stream as he rushed up and Nathan and decked him right across the face. Nathan flew off to the side from only sheer impact of the blow, barreling into a nearby cluster of cheap chairs. (A/N: For the sake of the next scene just think that no nurses or security actually saw the punch. Thanks!) Nathan lay sprawled out a top the chairs, clutching his mouth where blood was now seeping out from the corner.
He nearly had a heart attack as Alfred approached him, afraid that the American would hit him again. Alfred didn't hit him. Alfred was pretty sure he had been able to transfer most of his feelings of anger into that one punch. But just because Alfred wasn't going to hit Nathan again didn't mean he wasn't going to give him another piece of his mind.
The much larger American crouched down in front of Nathan who attempted to desperately scramble away but was unable to because of the crowd of chairs surrounding him. Alfred glared down intently at the brunette man, blue eyes steely and fierce from hind the lenses of his glasses. "Look here, Nathan," Alfred growled darkly, making sure he put an extra amount of bitter emphasis on the man's name. "You can insult me all you fucking want, but when you bring the man I love into this then god help you." He said. "You think Arthur and I are the ones with the problem, well you better think again. It's not people like us who cause all the trouble, it's people like you." Alfred continued as he jabbed one finger accusingly at the brunette man. "Mary Jo isn't in the hospital because we fought with her and yelled at the girl until she was so upset and distraught that she had to go somewhere else. No, last time I checked I'm pretty sure that was all you're doing."
Nathan looked as terrified as a rabbit corner by a blood thirsty wolf as Alfred continued to give him a through verbal beating. "You don't ever treat anyone like that, ever, especially not someone you love who happens to be pregnant and stress is the last thing she needs. You should be ashamed or yourself. If you were half the decent man I gave you credit to be than you would be in there with her making sure she was alright and begging for her to forgive you."
Alfred rocked back on his heels and stood up, shoving one hand in his pocket. "People like you make me sick." Alfred finished and walked back over to where Arthur still stood awestruck.
Just as Alfred reached Arthur a nurse dressed in light purple scrubs with a clip board appeared in the door way of the waiting room. "Excuse me," She cute herself short when she got a look at Nathan still sitting in the cluster of fallen chairs with a bleeding lip. "Oh my gosh! What happened?" She questioned in concern as she kneeled down by Nathan and attempted to help him up.
"He just tripped and fell into the chairs," Alfred covered up. "Right, Nathan?"
The brunette man gave to objections to Alfred's explanation out of fear for his life as the nurse helped him stand up. "So are you Mr. Nathan Steinager?" The nurse inquired as she handed him a tissue to put on his bleed mouth.
"Yeah I am." He muffled from between the material of the tissue.
"Oh, then your fiancé wants to see you." The nurse proclaimed, sending a nervous chill down Arthur's back. With that the nurse and Nathan left the waiting room leaving Alfred and Arthur to set the fallen chairs back in place.
"… I could've hit him…" Arthur pouted as he set one chair upright.
"And get you're sweet delicate hands dirty? I couldn't do that." Alfred chuckled as he did the same thing.
"Stupid git, I'm not a woman for god's sake." The Brit scoffed as he set another chair straight.
"Of course I know that, but I didn't want you to get any trouble if any nurses or doctors saw." Alfred explained. He would have gladly taken the fall for Arthur. He loved him way to much to watch him get dragged out of the hospital by security guards especially when he had enough problems as it was.
"… Well I guess I can thank you for that…" Arthur mumbled quietly. "But I can punch people if I want to…"
"Oh I don't doubt that. I remember the one time you brought me flowers and I laughed at you because I thought it was girly and you punched me in the face." (1) Alfred laughed as he recalled the memory fondly even though he had to sit with an ice pack on his cheek for three hours before the swelling went down.
"… I told you I was sorry already…" Arthur mumbled, cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink.
"Yeah I know, and I forgave you. I shouldn't have laughed at you anyway; it kinda was like I was asking for it."
Arthur only nodded his head a little and then finished setting the last chair upright before he flopped down in the seat, much too tired to continue his nervous pacing after all the commotion he had been through that morning. Still now as his body sit there motionless and still the terrifying thoughts he had been trying to fend of earlier were coming back to eat away at his mind.
If Mary Jo had asked to see Nathan Arthur had guessed that she had to be alright…. Well Arthur hopped anyway. He only prayed to god nothing was wrong with her or more selfishly the baby. Arthur felt positively terrible knowing that deep down in his heart the thing he was really worrying about was more so the baby and not the woman who carried it. He rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward in his seat and burying his face in his hands. He only prayed and prayed that everything would be alright. Arthur wasn't sure if he could take anything else before he just completely flew off his rocker.
Alfred sensed Arthur's distress, but decided not to say anything. The American merely finished fixing the chairs and then sat down next to Arthur, comfortingly rubbing the Brit's back in a small silent motion that sent all the reassurance in the world with each stroke and touch.
The two sat like that for another half an hour, deftly listening to the mumble of the morning news on the TV embedded in the wall. The minutes slipped by painfully slowly until finally another scrub clad nurse came into the waiting room. "Mr. and Mr. Kirkland-Jones?" She asked looking towards them seeing as how at the moment they were the only ones in the room. Both sets of green and blue gazes traveled up to meet hers. "You're both here for Mary Wright, yes?"
Both nodded their heads and stood up. "Tell me, is she alright?" Arthur inquired as he approached the woman.
"She's fine, a little shell shocked from the scare, but perfectly fine. Her stress levels were just a bit over the top and it made her feel different from normal."
What a relief. Arthur almost felt bad asking, "And what about the baby?"
"Perfectly fine as well. Everything checked out and the baby is perfectly healthy." That came as en even greater relief to Arthur as he released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
"Can we see her?" Alfred asked eagerly.
"Yes, I was actually on my way here to tell you that she wanted to see the two of you." Alfred an Arthur intertwined their hands together as they followed the nurse deep into the bowels of the hospital until she came to a stop at a room marked '310.' The nurse briefly knocked before she opened it and allowed Alfred and Arthur to enter. It was a small room with only a bed, a chair or two, a rolling table and a few different monitors and pieces of equipment.
Mary Jo lay sitting up in the hospital bed dressed in one of those awfully printed hospital gowns, a small exhausted smile spread across her full pink lips. Arthur was a bit surprised to find that Nathan wasn't anywhere to be seen. It was either he was much too afraid to face Alfred again or Mary Jo had kicked his sorry ass out. Somehow Arthur doubted the second of those two ideas because Mary Jo wasn't the type of girl who could be mean like that.
"Hey Mary Jo, how're you holding up?" Alfred asked politely as he walked into the room with Arthur closely following.
"I'm doin' alright," She sighed. "I'm sorry I put you guys through so much trouble, but when I started feeling sick like that I guess I kind of panicked."
"Don't worry about it at all, there was no trouble. Besides it's better to be safe than sorry." Arthur dissuaded her apology and tried to reassure her everything was fine.
She only smiled in thanks and remained quiet afterwards. "… So… where's Nathan?" Arthur could've nearly smacked Alfred for the rude question, but Mary Jo didn't seem to mind.
"I told him to leave. I didn't want him around." She said flatly as if it wasn't a big deal.
Alfred and Arthur exchanged a brief glance. "Mary Jo… you didn't have to do something like that for our sake." Arthur explained.
"Yeah we don't want your relationship to be ruined on the count of us." Alfred added.
"No it isn't anything you guys did," She reassured. "I didn't want him around because of the way he treated me. Not only was it horribly cruel what he did to you two, but…" Her confident words faltered. "… But if Nathan really did love me then he would be supportive of my decision instead of ridiculing me for it."
Arthur felt guilty and he could tell Alfred felt it just as much as he did. They both didn't want to cause Mary Jo her happiness for their own even though it was much too late in the game to stop what they were doing. Knowing that only made their combined guilt grow.
"But you know…" She started softly. "In a way… I'm kind of… grateful for everything that's happened. All those things finally let me see that the Nathan I fell in love with wasn't his real self." She trailed off, turning her gaze down to where her hands were folded in her lap. She gripped the sheets and stared down at her ring finger that was now empty of a silver diamond studded engagement ring. "Still… that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt…"
As she sat there and silently cried Arthur found himself searching for Alfred's hand, needing desperately to take comfort in his touch. Alfred heeded Arthur's silent call and let the Brit's smaller hand slip into his. With one brief glance towards each other the two made a silent pact.
They would fix things for her if it was the last thing they ever did.
Please review my lovies! You have no idea how great it is to hear your opinons of the story! Thanks :D
Annotations:
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