A/N: I am terribly sorry for the long silence. I couldn't post this chapter sooner because I had to focus on my major. (I need to graduate this year, please bear with the long gaps between chapters!) I'll have the next one out soon, I'm just not sure when exactly. I am so sorry to those who waited and hoped for updates to this story! I promise you guys, I will finish this thing!
It was with great reluctance that Gillian lay back down on the bed, a hiss of annoyance escaping her lips as she felt the heat of the hot compress sting her back through the thin fabric of her blouse. She sent Roderich a fierce glare when he tried to shift closer.
"The awesome me does not need to be babied. The doctor said this would be a normal part of having a belly nearly the size of a watermelon."
"That doesn't mean you should ignore your back pains. You're always up and about; rest a while and think of your health for once."
"Oh I have. I haven't touched that bottle of schnapps, yeah? If I cared less I would have raided my brother's fridge in the middle of the night. This backache is nothing! I will be fine, and I do tell you to stop worrying."
Once she had shifted into a more comfortable position, Gillian shut her eyes and allowed Roderich to sidle up to her.
To be honest, the throbbing pain in her back really was quite annoying, and it was rather unawesome now that it had become a more frequent occurrence, but she would rather bite off her own fingers than tell her husband. She was aware of her dear Roderich's nature, although he always had the best intentions he worried far too much, and she knew it would do nothing for his own health. She had to be strong for both of them when Roderich obviously could not keep himself together during this period in their lives.
'He used to have so much self-control,' she mused.
Maybe this needless fussing over a pregnant woman was a male thing to do? Was her pregnant state causing the masculine wiring in Roderich's brain to go on overdrive?
West didn't exhibit any signs of anxiety and he was the type to go overboard!
Neither Antonio nor Francis reacted negatively when around her, so the problem just had to be Roderich's mind. But then again, her brother wasn't married to someone as awesome as her, and neither Francis nor Antonio were ready to tie the knot with their significant others.
It was just her luck to have married someone like Roderich, so as his wife she just had to make sure that her husband was the one that received proper rest.
Perhaps he was going a bit stir-crazy being cooped up here with her subjecting himself to be her nanny or something. She remembered he used to go for walks or teach piano to the local kids on weekends. Now he had made it his personal mission to be stuck to her like a leech. An overly worried and fussy leech.
It just made Gillian feel a tad unawesome for taking away a wee bit of his hobbies, though it only intensified his manly nagging.
The compress was growing cold. She handed it to Roderich with a little huff. Her nanny-husband was staring at her with an unreadable expression.
"Once that thing is warm you come back here, lie down and use it. You need to relax as well. My back's not hurting anymore."
Roderich stared at her skeptically.
"You're not having any leg cramps?"
"No. Roddy, stop asking. I'll tell you when I'm hurting. Right now, I'm already fine. The awesome me recovers quickly." She flashed him a grin meant to be somewhat reassuring, although it only caused him to stifle a slight grimace.
Once Roderich had left the room, she scrambled out of bed and reached for the nearest phone. Pressing on the speed dial a bit harder than necessary she waited with baited breath as the phone started to ring.
She needed to be free from confinement! She needed space just as much as Roderich needed space. The atmosphere in this house just would not do!
Constant bickering and worrying and nagging just battered at her awesomeness and they both needed a happier, brighter way to recharge and prepare for their kid.
She needed to get Roderich out and away and fulfill some of his other dreams which he had put on hold ever since the pregnancy.
They had sacrificed a lot for their baby, but they needed to fill up that bit of emptiness. Not even sex would fill up the gaping maw alcohol abstinence had left in her!
No! they needed at least some of their hobbies, some of their pastimes, some of the tiny little things that made them feel a bit more confident and happy in themselves. Being a married couple had its perks. Being a married couple with the baby on the way was something they still both needed a lot of mastering.
"West," she grumbled once she heard a noncommittal grunt on the other end of the line.
"Schwester," came her brother's low, rumbling voice. There was a hint of wariness in her little brother's voice and if she timed everything correctly, she would be able to bypass his suspicions in favour of his innate desire to please.
"If I bring Roderich over to your house for a bit, can you watch over him and make sure he learns how to have some fun, relax and forget his worries, the whole thing, y'know. I need to do something. I can't tell you why! It won't be an awesome secret of mine if you know! Come on, West…"
Her whining was met with several minutes of tense silence before a suspicious coughing sound came from the other end of the line.
"There's a reason why I don't often have you and Roderich come over at the same time. Do you not remember the last time that husband of yours came over?"
Of course she remembered that infamous last time!
Who could ever forget that infamous last time of drunken revelry and legendary partying wherein nearly the entire neighborhood bore witness to the event?
It was probably one of the best times she'd ever experienced, and she even ranked it among the top three most awesome experiences to ever happen in her awesome life, though she absolutely had no idea why Ludwig hated it immensely.
After all, he was the first to get absolutely trashed enough to warble a poor rendition of some Italian ballad his not-so-secret lover taught him. Roderich just happened to be drunk enough to accompany him in an ear-splitting duet, complete with a bit of uncoordinated swaying and tap dancing.
What could be so bad about that? The only ones in attendance were best friends, good friends, party friends, mischief-making friends and even ex-friends so long as they knew how to celebrate a proper party. Oh, good times!
"Not to worry, West! You'll only have him for today. I just need to pay a rather unsavoury visit to someone I'd really not like to see, but it can't be helped." She really hoped her appeal would be acceptable!
The silence that permeated the air for nearly twenty minutes was terrible.
Did stupid Ludwig hang up on her?
A moment of silence so long it might have been forever, and then, a low resigned sigh.
"Okay. I'm not asking you anymore questions. What are you willing to do in return for babysitting your husband?"
The sarcasm was not lost on Gillian as a grin morphed on her face.
"Like I keep telling you, bro, don't worry. You can choose from a range of awesome freebies care of the awesome me. Want me to reserve only the best of the best at a fancy restaurant for you and that cute Italian of yours? Or maybe you prefer free and unlimited access to all the beer they offer in that rave club we used to go to?
"I know you haven't been there in a while, and you love their beer, and I love the bartender! Just say the word, and I'll give you something even better. It'll be worth making sure my hubby is relaxed. Why, you can even bring him along! Both of you need another party!"
It didn't take long to hear Ludwig's exasperated reply after that.
Letting loose another mental fist-pump Gillian ended the call and waited for Roderich's return.
Roderich was not amused. The last time he had been to his brother-in-law's house had ended as quite a bad experience. Of course Ludwig could be a rather good host but when the topic finally turned to music, their opinions clashed horribly.
He just hoped Ludwig would not care to mention anything about composers this time.
Ludwig cast his sister a final glare as she waved a cheery goodbye. "Play nice, West! I wouldn't want to come back and find my husband's corpse in the basement. There'll be hell to pay even if you're my bro."
"When will you be back?"
"Later!"
Right. Later could mean tomorrow, or maybe even next month.
Once she was gone, Ludwig stiffened his shoulders and mentally prepared himself to face one troublesome brother-in-law tinkering in his kitchen. He had to admit that Roderich could be nice and polite, but he inwardly pleaded to the heavens that the musician would not say a word about music today.
After Gillian sent Roderich off to Ludwig's, with too many hissed protests and vague mumblings only a fussy husband could muster even as he carried the cake he had baked just for the occasion, the most awesome pregnant woman in the entire planet went off to find an unawesome ex-boyfriend who owed her multiple favours.
But before she could speak face to face with said unawesome ex, she needed to overcome the overprotective witch-dragon of a sister her ex was tragically related to. And wrangling with that beast was no easy task.
"Listen Nat, I'm not here to get back together with your crazy bro, I'm married, you see this ring? Awesome, yeah? Well you can't have it, and neither can your bro! But I need to see him so you have to let me in, even just for five minutes because he owes me a favour, and no, don't look at me like that…! I know what you're thinking Nat, don't say a word, the awesome me just needs to see-"
"I'm not letting you in, even if you're married to someone else, you're still the bitch that stole my brother's heart and broke it! I've had to scare away a lot of other unworthy bitches for my brother's affections, why can't he look at me like he used to look at you?! You're the reason I'm not married to him and-"
"Oh? It's little Gil - " came the voice of Gillian's saviour, and unfortunately, her ex.
"Yo, Ivan! Don't call me little, I mean business. Lemme in you inhospitable commie. Tell your witch sister to let me through."
"I will not allow you to corrupt my brother with your-"
"Let Gillian in, I'm sure there's a good reason for her visit. Please don't ruin our reputation further, sister!" Ivan, uncharacteristically, pleaded to his witch sister.
Well fuck. It seemed even creepier now that Gillian played audience to the little drama between brother and sister. To think the mighty Ivan Braginsky looked and sounded scared of his sister…
Turning his attention to her the moment Natalya retreated from the doorway and allowed Gillian entry, "You are quite well, da? You look…well, you look fat."
"Pssh! Don't ever call a pregnant woman fat in her presence, Ivan. You look fat too, I see your taste for thick jackets haven't changed. Can we dispense with the trivial formalities now, and please tell your batshit insane sister to stop lurking! ...Nat stop lurking! I told you I'm not here to commit adultery with your bro!"
The sound of Natalya slithering back into the darkness of the Braginsky's kitchen still didn't stop the cold shiver of icy relief that made its home in Gillian's spine. She hoped her child hadn't caught whatever virus Natalya carried along with her aura of menace. Ivan was still smiling politely in her direction, and thankfully, hadn't interrupted her frustrated shrieking. Now, back to business indeed.
"What brings you here, Gil? You have made it quite clear that you have made your happy fairytale ending come true…with that nerdy pianist, I presume? Ah, it makes me remember those good old days when we- " Ivan cut off when he noticed Gillian's blank expression. Right.
"I've come for the many favours you owed me all those many years ago, Ivan. I need to ask a favour of my own this time."
The polite smile slowly faded from Ivan's face, replaced with a contemplative frown. He nodded once at her, his eyes turning cold and calculated in a second, and Gillian sighed internally.
She had hoped that Ivan didn't assume his mob boss persona the moment they talked 'business'. Well. It couldn't be helped, the faster they got this resolved, the better it would be for all of them.
"I don't believe I owe you anything, Gil."
"Yeah you did, and now I need to borrow your private plane. Just for Roderich's one week concert in Brazil, mind you. Just this one favour, please." Gillian pleaded, her voice embarrassingly trailing off into a tiny whine.
She really, truly, desperately needed this favour. She just hoped Ivan harbored no hard feelings after that messy break-up years ago.
If Roderich found out that she was asking favours from her ex-boyfriend for his sake, not only would her husband throw an unholy fit, he would most likely pop several blood vessels in his tirade of righteous indignation and probably die of a heart attack and never see their baby born into the world.
"You need to remind me of all those favours that I asked of you, Gil, I truly don't recall asking you for…"
Then again, Gillian never denied having a wild imagination and she did love to think of possible scenarios where everyone could be happy and awesome, except that she really hoped this surprise would relieve some of Roderich's stress and take his mind off worrying for her and their baby.
"-or those times when we were dating we usually shared and it was all mutual on our parts that…"
Ever since her pregnancy Roderich had put on hold every appointment and scheduled concert for her sake. Well Gillian would not have any of that martyr bullshit! Her husband was awesome at his job and he would continue to remain awesome and world-renowned and she could happily brag about his achievements to their kid someday, but all of those fucking fairytale dreams would not come true if Roderich continued to be a considerate dick and stop his concerts…
"-lian…!"
"-illy…! Gil…!"
A large gloved hand waving frantically in front of her snapped Gillian back to a most unwanted reality.
Oh right, she was in Ivan's living room and she had wandered off into her own head because Ivan's unawesome vibes were boring her.
"Yeah? Sorry, my awesome self was somewhere in the awesome land of daydreams and I could not help bask in the awesomeness." she mumbled.
Somehow, Ivan remained unperturbed by everything and the creepy weird smile was plastered on his face once more.
"I said 'da'. You asked if I would lend you the private plane, though I don't know where you got the information I owned one."
"All badass motherfucking mob bosses get to own badass awesome tech, and a private plane is just one of them, of course I would know! I'm awesome enough to know everything about all things awesome, though at first it was just a hunch because I didn't think you needed another ego boost. So, wait…what?! You are seriously lending the plane?! Sure you're not rigging it with explosives or something? No hard feelings towards Roddy at all for stealing me away?"
"Nyet. I don't hold grudge."
This was probably a big step in Gillian's dreams coming true and Ivan the fucker was just smiling like it was no big deal.
This whole thing….was unreal…damn awesome! Too bad she was too far in her pregnancy for intercontinental trips.
'You're sure you're not changing your mind halfway?"
"Nyet. I can accept defeat in the war of love. I can accept that he is your final choice. Though I must congratulate you and Roderich; you're having a baby, and I do hope you get to be a happy family together."
"Oh. Thank you so much, I guess. I never would have expected those words from your mouth, Braginsky. You're somewhat awesome after all. Okay, maybe creepy badass is more appropriate but whatever."
Truly, Gillian wouldn't have expected a million other words to come from her ex, but the fucker was bipolar during their dating years and his temperament was mercurial at the best of times, but then again, anyone could be elevated to awesome status in Gil's books if they did really unexpectedly awesome stuff, like lending private planes and wishing happiness on an ex.
"But, if you don't mind me asking, why are you so hell-bent on getting your husband out of the country? I thought he was doing fine with his part-time job as a piano teacher."
"Where the fuck did you hear that? Roddy did not fucking advertise to the world that he was teaching kiddies how to play a fucking piano. For all they know he's just taken a short break from being a concert pianist, from being the most awesome pianist, if I do say so myself!" Gillian all but growled, the leer she was sending towards Ivan not affecting the same creepy polite smile anyway.
"You have your means of information, Gil. I have mine, and it is much more reliable and updated too. Let's just say we are even, da, and life would remain peaceful and happy for us both." Ivan replied, nonchalant as ever.
"Right. Awesome. That did not fucking sound a bit like a threat, and yeah, we're good, but don't you dare spread the fucking word that he's demoted himself to a piano teacher! He's just undercover and observing children and their behavior to prepare himself for when our awesome baby arrives!"
"That sounded a bit perverse…Anyway, why couldn't you have just borrowed money to pay for a normal flight instead of borrowing my plane?"
"Because the idea of a fucking private plane sounds awesome and my dear Roddy the insecure priss with a secret love for the spotlight needs all the awesomeness me can get. It would be awesome to make a comeback in the world of stuck-up music loving aristocrats if he got to ride in style!"
"Sweet. Completely blown out of proportions. Overdone. Still sweet gesture. Da. I approve of your logic and your method; arrogant with a flair for needless style."
"I know right! It's so awesome!"
When Gillian finished the rest of slightly more pleasant negotiations with Ivan, and finding out that the badass motherfucking mob boss was secretly seeing someone behind his crazy suicidal sister's back, she therefore concluded that this day was officially awesome, never mind that it was getting late!
Roderich was pissed off. There was a reason he disliked visits to Ludwig's house if he could help it; there was a reason Gillian acted as a buffer between him and her brother, they were, as she called it, both stubborn idiots with sticks high up in their asses and they only got worse when they were together. Something about differences in opinion probably a galaxy wide.
The only thing that could bring them to passably civil terms were Gillian, cakes, and alcohol. Sadly, there was none of the former two, and plenty of the latter. Ludwig's cellar was probably stocked full of alcohol to last a millennium, definitely with help from Gillian at storing extremely fine wines for special occasions, and beer for everyday occasions.
Currently, they were both at their sixth bottle and the neither the mood nor the tension had eased up from uncomfortably awkward.
"I think your sister is hiding something. I have this weird tingly feeling in my spine, that fuzzy feeling in the back of my head that tells me she has been plotting." Roderich grumbled, tipping back another bottle.
"I think you are tipsier than you should be and well on your way to being drunk out of your wits. Still, as her husband, you should be used to her being secretive at times. She must be planning a surprise for you." replied Ludwig, his attention however was concentrated on the label of the bottle he was currently holding.
"How would you know it is a surprise for me? There is no way of predicting Gillian's behavior, nor her mind."
"Like you said, Roderich, it's that fuzzy feeling. It's called a Gil-radar. Whatever you want to call it though. It's the feeling of impending doom."
"You're drunk as I am!"
"Nein, I am merely humoring you."
"Fuck that. Cheers, to whatever my wife, my heavily pregnant wife, is plotting!"
And both men toasted to Gillian's success, even as the fuzzy feelings in the back of their heads steadily turned into a violent drumbeat pounding away at their remaining shreds of consciousness.
It was dark outside when Gillian finally returned to her brother's house. The lights were all turned off and it seemed that nobody was up and about, and that was just wrong. It felt so wrong Gillian knew she had to stage an awesome rescue right at this very moment. It was still seven in the evening. Ludwig never slept early. He woke early but never did he sleep early. Her brother worked like clockwork and she remembered every single detail of his personal habits. There was only one reason for this!
Trying to pick the lock on the door took a bit of effort since it was rather dark outside and even for all her awesomeness Gillian did not have night vision. A curse upon her brother's head for not giving her an extra key, and curse her own forgetful brain for actually forgetting to bring along one of the fucking extra keys Ludwig stupidly hides under the living room couch.
She really should have anticipated that her dear idiots would drink themselves into a stupor. Together. Heh, and they claimed she was immature and irresponsible on most days!
Once she had the door unlocked, she did her best to remain quiet as she surveyed every fucking room in the house for them.
Not in the living room. Of course not. Roderich usually felt like he owned every house he stepped in, and her brother's house was no exception. He would explore every nook and cranny if he had to.
Kitchen. Ah yes, the place where all things break loose between her husband and her brother.
Finding them in positions that should never ever be described in public, Gillian mustered up every awesome thought in her head to keep herself from bursting out loud and ruining the moment. She needed a camera. The scene before her was definitely blackmail material she could sell for thousands!
The painfully bright light that flooded the entire kitchen when she flipped the switch on did not cause both drunks to stir. They were probably too far in the dreamland drunks often ventured in to notice.
The bottles strewn everywhere in the kitchen however, was a fucking big problem.
The siren call of alcohol echoed faintly in Gillian's mind. Everything about it tempted her to reach out and sip the last drops from the nearest bottle.
Oh, but for just a taste!
The beautiful feeling of gulping down several shots sorely missed and most welcome. Just a taste! One of each would do!
From the cheapest table wine to the richest, darkest reds and light, sparkling whites; the burn of vodka in the throat and gut, the feel of gin and rum and whisky as they settled and enveloped the entire body and mind in a different kind of high; the excellent taste beer from Bavaria, the sting of absinthe; the love alcohol shared with its lover, the drinker.
Gillian broke away from her musings when Roderich stirred somewhere to her left; straddling his chair and leaning his chest on the backrest. Ludwig was still as a stone from his slouch on the kitchen counter. How he managed to keep himself atop it was a mystery she did not dare unravel. In her hand she held a half empty bottle of beer. It had called to her and she had responded.
As if seeing it all through the haze of a dream, Gillian raised the bottle to her lips, tipping it just right so she could catch the barest whiff of it. Then her stomach gave a most terrible lurch.
In her shock she dropped the bottle to rest both hands upon the swell of her belly. The sound of glass smashing to pieces on the kitchen tile nothing more than a dull thump to her ears, the thunderous beat of her heart loud and echoing in the silence that followed, the phantom feeling of a nudge from within her breaking the spell that had temporarily bewitched her senses.
"What the ever loving fuck have you done kiddo?! Are you my conscience now?" she grumbled half-heartedly as she rubbed circles on her belly. The baby had kicked her for nearly falling into temptation. The. Baby. Kicked. Her.
"You, dear one, will be awesome when you're born. Now, let's see if we can wake your unawesomely drunk dad and stop him from making out with the table."
I hope this pleases all those who hoped and prayed and PMed me to update. Now if only I can find a free week in this month...