TPATSD 12
Morning dawned and neither Alex, nor Henry were prepared to wake up intertwined. Henry had wrapped his large hulking frame around Alex's lithe body. Unfortunately, neither of them could enjoy their closeness. Gabriella's whimpering and soft cries were rousing Alex from his sleepy state and into the realm of consciousness. Alex slipped out of Henry's grasp, hearing a slight moan at the prince's loss, Alex took a moment to commit the sound to his memory bank, before forcing his body towards his daughter's room.
"Good morning to you, my sweet girl." Alex cooed to his daughter, as he scooped her up from her crib. Her grizzling immediately ceased, and she snuggled into Alex's arms.
Taking her in his arms and into the small kitchenette he had set up off the upstairs living room, he prepared her morning bottle and took her back to her room for a fresh diaper. Retrieving the now warm bottle, he brought Gabriella with him back into his bed, like he did most mornings, for her morning feed, before they started their day.
Laying his hungry girl between him and Henry on the bed, she whimpered at the loss of her father's comfort, until Alex managed to get himself situated on the bed and the bottle into her mouth. Gabriella began guzzling down her milk. "Drink slow, little lady." Alex cooed in a small soft voice, not wanting to wake Henry from his semi-conscious state. "You're gonna give yourself a tummy ache."
"Papi, I hungy." Henry said, imitating a baby peeking out of one eye to watch Alex's reaction.
"Good morning to you, our drunken Prince Charming." Alex cooed in a sing-song voice. "Do you know where you are?"
"Ha ha," Henry mocked, dryly. "Good morning to you too, Alex. Yes, I know my name and I know where I am."
Henry's finger's found Gabriella's hand and her tiny fingers wrapped around his pinky like a vice. "Do you know why you're in my bed?"
"Seeing as I am on top of the covers with a duvet over me, I am thinking that the spare room is still in shambles from your family's visit."
"More like Prince Charming arrived at 2am, with no PPOs." Alex told him and watched Henry's face redden in embarrassment. "Drunk as a skunk, propositioning me into bed."
"Oh God, Alex." Henry apologised immediately, mortified of his behaviour. "I am so sorry. Do I really want to know what else I did? Please tell me I didn't wake Gabriella up."
"No, that was Pez, when he called at midnight looking for you." Alex explained softly, as he scooped a fully fed, almost sleepy Gabriella into his arms. He flung the white terry-toweling cloth over his shoulder and held her upright, encouraging her to pass her wind. "But little miss grumpy pants here didn't settle until she had snuggles from you on my bed. It put both of you right to sleep."
"Oh no," Henry cried once more, with embarrassment flooding his usually pasty white cheeks.
"Yes, and I have the photo to prove it." Alex grinned at his friend in a teasing manner. "I should send it to Shaan. Or perhaps, your mother."
"You don't have my mother's number, you're bluffing." Henry hoped and prayed he was right, but the thing was, it was entirely probable that Alex did have Catherine's number.
"Wanna bet, sweetheart?" Alex quipped, and Henry could feel his own heartbeat quicken. "Perhaps Pez, he'd be the better option, or I could always post it to Instagram."
Now Henry knew Alex was teasing him. Alex took the law seriously and he would never willingly violate an NDA. "Alex." Henry warned, seriously. He didn't even know if there really was a photo in existence or not, but that wasn't a risk Henry was willing to take.
"You have to know I never actually would." Alex rushed to explain at the prince's low warning. "Anyway, your PPOs would literally kill me."
"Speaking of PPOs, I am in a world of trouble." Henry groaned, with a vague memory of sneaking away from them, like he used to when he would drink in uni. "Please tell me I didn't sneak away from my PPOs?"
"No can do, babe." Alex chuckled. It thrilled Alex to see a small shiver from Henry's body at the diminutive name. "You told me I couldn't rat you out. But relax, the moment you passed out I called Pez and told him where you were."
"So, you ratted me out anyway?" Henry laughed at his friend. Alex lowered a sleepy Gabriella back down on the bed. She had let out two small sized burps and was drowsy. "Some friend you are."
"Yeah, I didn't feel like having my house ransacked by PPOs on the search for the missing prince." Alex retorted and Henry nodded his touché' at him. "Besides, it's not every morning you wake up in the arms of the prince of fucking England."
Henry pondered Alex's words and recalled Alex being warm and him snuggling into Alex's body, feeling safe and secure. If only he could wake up wrapped around Alex every morning. Looking down at Alex's daughter, in the bed between them, it wasn't too much of a leap of his imagination to picture what it would be like if that happened.
Lazy mornings in bed, Gabriella snuggled between them. The sound of early morning rain hitting the windowpane. "She's asleep." Henry whispered, not wanting to wake the baby girl he was already so smitten with.
"Now is when I usually sneak into the shower." Alex replied softly. The offer to have Henry join him was on the tip of his tongue, but the thought of it, instantly had him regretting the thought. Feeling guilty at the thought of betraying the memory of Erica. This was still the room he shared with her. This was their bed, the one they had chosen and purchased together. "I can't seem to bring myself to get moving." Alex sighed.
"Alex, go in the shower. You're fine, love." Henry murmured, looking at him with adoring eyes. "I've got her. Take a break and don't feel guilty." Alex took a longing glance at him and nodded, before moving off the bed and into the attached ensuite.
Henry had seen the guilt written on his friend's face. He wondered if Alex had ever thought that a change of furniture would help him with the immense guilt, he carries over his fiancée's death. He would bring it up with Alex, but he really doesn't want to hurt him, on an emotional level. Erica has only been gone for five months.
Gabriella stirred only moments after Alex left, as if she could sense that he had stepped away. Henry tried everything he could to resettle her, but before she could get truly distressed for Alex, he was stepping back into the bedroom; dressed in nothing but a towel, half wet where he hadn't fully dried. His skin was glistening in the early morning light, where it was still wet. His abs were taut and firm, his chest and stomach void of hair where he had shaved it and his nipples pert from the brisk coolness of the morning.
Henry felt like he had died and gone to heaven, with the view of his friend this early morn. Not that his thoughts were very friend-like. They were obscene, almost pornographic, as he fantasized about stepping up and wrapping his tongue around one of those pert nipples while his hands traced the planes of his muscular chest and taut ab muscles. Henry's thoughts imagined what it would be like to undo the knot that sat low on his pelvis, reaching down and exploring what was underneath the towel.
Not to mention the fact he saw his life flash before his eyes, at the sight of Gabriella snuggled against his chest, all small and petite. Looking like a little doll, in comparison to his broad chest. The sight of the father and daughter together in that sweet moment, had Henry seeing fireworks and his heart exploding from within his chest, in great balls of fire. Holy hell, it was perhaps the hottest image he had ever seen and now it was burnt into his retinas.
Alex smirked at Henry. He had seen his eyes glaze over, laced with what was clearly want on the royal's face. He wondered if it was this, that would force Henry's hand and will him to be the one that kisses Alex this time.
"Yo, Henry." Alex said softly, trying to bring Henry out of whatever fantasy his mind had slipped him into. "You there?"
"Sorry Alex, you were saying?" Henry asked, after a couple more minutes of plain ogling, his impure intentions written on his face for Alex to read and decipher. "Oh, let me take her so you can get dressed." Gabriella fussed again when Henry took her, which was unusual. Normally she loved being in Henry's arms. Alex sighed softly, hearing her unhappy grizzles. "She just doesn't like me today." Henry pouted.
"She's being clingy," Alex mused and he wondered to himself if she was feeling OK. He remembered the last time that she had gotten sick. He tried his best to hurry off and find some clothes from his closet before she truly lost it and started screaming once more.
"She feels a little warm." Henry added, putting his hand over her forehead like a seasoned parent. Alex had to try and stop his whole body from swooning at the sight of it. "Maybe we should get the thermometer and check it."
Stepping into his business casual jeans and buttoning them up as he emerged from his walk-in closet, Alex made a beeline to the nursery for the thermometer. Henry holding the small dark curls Gabriella already had off her forehead, Alex let the infrared scanner check her temperature. "Hmm, 37.3" Alex muttered. It was higher than Gabriella's usual 36.4 or 36.6. But it was still normal. "Normal."
"Not for her." Henry whispered, before agreeing with Alex that it was still normal. "Love, if you think she needs a doctor, please let me get her doctor here. Remember last time, Alex?"
"She doesn't have a fever, and nothing else is wrong." Alex reluctantly admitted. "Let's just wait and see."
Eventually Gabriella was happy to settle in Henry's arms, as long as she could see her father. When they went downstairs, Alex prepared his coffee and toast, offering Henry tea. He declined, he had to get going. He had to get back to KP to shower and change, before heading into the shelter.
Alex knew he had court with Pez this afternoon and Henry had already agreed to watch Gabriella.
"Come on, my love." Henry cooed softly to a very grizzly Gabriella. She had been especially unhappy since Alex and Pez had left for the courthouse, mid-morning. All of his usual tricks, smiles, funny faces and voices weren't working. He had checked her diaper, as well as given her a bottle. He had burped her and played with her, but nothing could calm her. She had been whiny with Alex all morning too. Henry had even checked her temperature again, noting that it had gone up to 37.5. He was sure that a scarce 0.2 of a degree increase in body temperature was nothing to be concerned about though. "It's ok, Hen's got you, Darling. You're ok." He murmured, kissing her hair in an effort to comfort the distressed baby.
Since her first admission into hospital with croup last month, Henry had been reading every baby book and parenting book he could get his hands on. All on his e-reader, so no one was aware of what he was really reading. He had read about premature babies and the struggles they face until he was blue in the face. He had even gone into a researching hole and read some medical papers on the topic. He had read about self-soothing, gentle parenting, co-sleeping, everything, but nothing had told him what to do when something like this happened.
As Henry gently rocked her, back and forth still trying to comfort her, or at least to make her sleepy, he was loathed to admit that he might need reinforcements today. Deciding to start with Shaan, he gave his equerry a quick call to organize a car from him, the one with Gabriella's installed car seat in it. He remembered his father telling him a story of when he was younger the only thing that would settle him, when a story didn't work, was a car ride. Perhaps that would work.
Unfortunately for Henry, Shaan first wanted to give the spare prince a lecture about his drunken behaviour last night and the evasion tactics of his PPOs. Fortunately for Henry, Gabriella chose that minute to let her frustrations be known, starting to scream and Shaan was forced to drop it and send the car.
When Brie at the front desk notified him that his car was here, Henry adjusted his grip on her in his arms, slung the diaper bag over his shoulder and left a message with the shelter receptionist for Alex, as he nodded to her a goodbye.
What Henry was not expecting when he arrived at the car, was his mother; dressed casually in jeans and a tee bearing the name of their shelter printed across the front of it. Her arms stretched out wide open to take the grizzly baby from her son's arms. "Hello, my sweet girl." Catherine cooed at her, as she took her from Henry and began strapping her into the car seat. "Aren't you the cutest little thing? Even if you are a little grumpy today."
Henry stood back and watched his mother, the future queen of England with Alex's daughter, a stupid grin on his face. He couldn't remember a time when his mother had fawned over a baby with such love and affection in her words. Even though his brother had two children already.
"Mum?" Henry finally let out, as she slid into the car and Henry slid in after her. "I thought you; Gran and Bea had that all girl's thing today."
"Beatrice and your Gran will be fine without me." Catherine winked at him, as she leaned over the baby seat once more to double check the straps before telling the driver to drive. "When Shaan mentioned you had an upset baby on your hands, I seized the opportunity to help you."
"Help?" Henry echoed. He felt like he had stepped into a parallel universe. "Mum? If you needed a children fix so badly, you have two grandchildren who would have loved to spend the day with you."
"Martha doesn't need me hanging around, Love." Catherine muttered, her eyes firmly on Gabriella. "She has an army of nannies, tutors, coaches and whatnot at her disposal to help her, and Martha isn't with the children today. She is accompanying Philip on that small tour of Scotland. Also, I don't think Philip likes me arriving, unannounced to see the children. He is a stickler for rules and routines. Something he certainly didn't get from me or your father."
Henry had nothing to say to that. What could he say? He agreed with his mother's assessment of his brother's parenting skills and both of his nephew's parents were on the same page. It was so structured and routine-filled, that the boys were rarely afforded the opportunity to just be children and kick a ball around or sit quietly and read a story.
"Besides, I love my grandsons, but this is my chance to play with a little girl." There was something in Catherine's voice that made Henry miss his father more than usual. A longing for something more.
Henry thought of his father and how Arthur would have adored seeing his mother like this. His father would have adored Gabriella, as well. Hell, he'd have paid good money to see his father and Alex in the same room. Kensington Palace would not have survived it. They would have gotten along like a house on fire.
"Just don't spoil her." Henry warned his mother, sternly. Besides the fact that Alex hated it when he spoiled her, Henry was not going to be outdone by his own mum. He had worked hard to keep Pez at number two, he couldn't have this interloper coming in and destroying all of his hard work.
"Of course not," Catherine placated her son and he groaned. He knew that tone and he best start composing an apology card to Alex, for his mother's behaviour. Yes, it was going to have to be a card, and possibly coffee and an inordinate amount of the Mexican chocolate Alex loved because with the amount of spoiling Henry feared his mother was going to do, a text wouldn't cut it.
Dear Alex, You know how I promised not to spoil Gabriella too much? Well, here's the thing. My mother happened … I am deeply sorry; I could not stop her. Love Henry.
"Mum." Henry warned once more, in a firm voice. Even to his own ears, it almost sounded parental.
"Just something small, it's her first trip to the palace. We need to celebrate the occasion." Henry groaned as Catherine leaned over and continued to talk to Gabriella in that baby voice she had been using since Catherine got her hands on Gabriella this morning.
Arriving at the palace, Henry was surprised to be met by Shaan, who was instantly taking Gabriella's bag from Henry. "Everything is set up, as requested, Your Royal Highness." Shaan nodded to Henry as Catherine, lead the way with Gabriella in her arms, towards Henry's apartment.
Henry entered first, looking around the sitting room of his apartment. There was a Baby Einstein sit and play, the same one Alex had in his home for Gabriella on the soft padded floor mat that spanned most of the room. The receiver of a video baby monitor sat on the table by Henry's favourite chair. Looking further ahead into his bedroom, he could see a portable crib that still had the tag attached to it was set up in the corner of the room. The partner to the baby monitor looked to be on the nightstand.
"What's all this, Mum?" Henry asked, turning to look directly at his mother. Henry just knew in his bones that this was her doing. It was like the car seat debacle all over again. Admittedly, right now, he'd let her have the car seat as a win, but this was too much. "Mum, Gabriella's not moving in. Alex will be collecting her at the end of the day. She isn't staying with me."
"Oh Henry Darling, this is just a few basic essentials Gabriella can use while she is here." Catherine said, dismissing her son as she sat with a grumpy girl and tried to entice her to play with the box of new toys that Henry had missed when he had scanned his apartment, the first time. "This is a palace and while she is here, she will be treated like a princess."
"Mum!" Henry protested again, as he heard the little click-clack of David's paws coming to greet them. Henry crouched down in preparation to greet his beloved, overweight beagle. David always came to greet him first before anyone else. No one else existed unless Henry was unavailable.
David bypassed Henry and his outstretched arms completely, wandering straight over to where Gabriella and Catherine were in the centre of the room. Catherine let out a small chuckle and scratched the beagle behind his ears, as David ignored her too, in favour of smelling the new human in his humble abode.
A sniff and a small lick on her clothing covered leg and David was hooked. He made himself at home, sitting in front of baby Gabriella, looking around. He looked at her for a moment longer, towering over her tiny body, before laying himself on the floor.
"Traitor." Henry hissed playfully at his boy. Secretly half amused at both Gabriella and David. He snapped a picture; he couldn't wait to share this sweet moment with Alex.
Gabriella didn't quite have enough core strength to hold herself upright, Catherine had propped her upright with pillows into a sitting position. She was hovering nearby in a very maternal fashion, ready to catch her if she falls.
A soft squeal of delight came from Gabriella when she laid eyes on David. Immediately, trying to latch on to him, toppling herself over. Catherine scooped her up, before she could cry and propped her back up, as Henry came and climbed down onto the floor to sit on the side of her. He made sure to touch her arm and reassure her she was OK. Her little eyes lighting up at Henry's presence beside her on the padded mats.
"Do you like him, my little love?" Henry asked Gabriella softly, "He's such a good boy, isn't he? David. His name is David, Gabriella. Day-vid." He enunciated the dog's name, giving David a rub behind the ears and Gabriella let out a tiny, excited noise. All of the baby books had mentioned encouraging speech and speaking to babies in a normal tone to encourage speech and language development.
David was pressing his luck, inching closer and closer to her; fascinated with the tiny human before him. Gabriella reached out for David and Henry took her hand before she could startle his pup. "Like this, my darling." He guided her softly, using her hand to gently pat his precious pup. "That's it, gentle touches. Well done, my love."
Henry kept watch, vigilantly watching between David and Gabriella. The little girl wanting to constantly touch David and David wanting to be closer to her. The baby toys she had previously been playing with, recklessly abandoned, in favour of her friend.
Catherine sat back on her haunches and observed Henry. She had a soft and tender look on her face. Putting her hand over her heart, as she felt the tenderness of the scene before her physical ache inside her heart. Henry was so good with Gabriella. Catherine couldn't help but compare the stark differences in Philip and Henry; starting with the way they both interact with babies and children. 'Not to pitch one son against another, but Henry was better with Gabriella; his friend's daughter, than what Philip was with his own sons.'
"What?" Henry asked his mum, looking up at her and catching the traces of a wide smile on her face and soft eyes.
"Nothing, Darling." She smiled wider again and winked at him, before rearranging herself into a more comfortable position. "When is she due for her next feed?"
"In half an hour." Henry replied without taking his eyes off Gabriella.
Gabriella's attention on David waned shortly after and Henry scooped her up off the floor and told her they were going to explore the palace. Taking her around his apartment and showing her around the room, bedroom and bathroom. Feeling her bottom rumble, then a pungent aroma filled the air, Catherine smirked from her spot on the sofa. "Do you want me to?"
"Thanks Mum, but it's not the first dirty diaper I have changed." Henry replied, like it was something he did on a daily basis as he snatched her diaper bag off the coffee table and set himself up.
A burst of energy entered the room, accompanied with the whirl of auburn hair and a small exclamation of, "Oh Henry, what smells in here?"
"Hello to you too, sister dearest." Henry deadpanned from the floor, where he was cleaning Gabriella's messy diaper.
"Oh." Bea let out, surprised to see Henry with a baby, let alone on the floor changing the baby's diaper. "Would this just happen to be the super-adorable Miss Gabriella Claremont-Diaz?"
"The one and only." Henry smirked. He always wondered how Gabriella would fair with Bea, and vice versa. His sister wasn't really a fan of babies in general. She generally avoided them; he could only ever remember her holding the boys twice before. Once when they were born and once at their christening for photos, despite the fact that she is their godmother. Pulling the zip of her onesie back up, Gabriella made eye contact with him. "There you go, my little love. All clean, now why doesn't Princess Beatrice keep you company while I dispose of this? Bea, she doesn't bite, come say hello."
Bea crouched down, and the two younger women in Henry's life came face to face with each other. The stare-down finished as quickly as it began. Gabriella tracked Henry with her eyes. When he disappeared out of her sight, she began whimpering. Bea spoke softly and quietly to her, trying to calm her down. Not that that worked in her favour, Gabriella became more upset.
With Henry's reappearance, she scooted back and watched Henry scoop the baby up, off the floor one handed, nestle her into his arms. One handed, he managed to root around in her diaper bag for the bottle cooler bag. Hoisting her into a better position, allowing him the use of a second hand to get the bottle out and tip the pre-measured portion of formula into the bottle.
"Do you want some help, Dear?" Catherine asked him, secretly enjoying the sight of her son being so proficient at preparing the bottle with a baby om his arms.
"I've got it, Mum." Henry mused, paying his mother no attention. Paying no attention to the stunned look on Bea's face, as she joined Catherine on the sofa.
"You're good at that, Hen." Bea whispered to him, when he returned and settled himself in the armchair with Gabriella in his arms.
"Did you shake that bottle enough, Henry?" Catherine asked, concerned that the mixture looked too thick to her eye. It had been a hot minute since she had prepared a bottle of formula, but things hadn't changed that much. "It looks too thick. She won't be able to suck it down."
"It's supposed to be thick like this." Henry replied, putting the teat to Gabriella's lips. "Do you remember when I told you she is on a thickener to help her grow and settle her reflux? It's a medication."
"Oh." Catherine said softly, exchanging a look with Bea. "I wasn't questioning you, just wanted to make sure."
"I've had plenty of practice, Mum." Henry reassured his mum, not looking up her. "Plus, I have literally watched Alex do it a hundred times before. He is the one that taught me how to do it."
Henry arranged the white terry toweling cloth under the baby's chin. With less than a third of the way into the bottle, Henry had to pull her off and burp her. She had been guzzling it down at an impressively fast pace, despite his low murmurings to her to slow down or she will get a tummy pain.
Bea was smirking with Catherine, discreetly snapping photos of Henry. Catherine nudging her daughter, only encouraging Beatrice to take more and send them to her.
After Gabriella's bottle, she was still grizzly; but eventually settled down to sleep in Henry's arms. Watching Henry lay Gabriella down in the crib in his room, he remembered to turn the monitor on before. David had dutifully followed him and once he had her settled in the crib, he stood back and observed the baby girl get comfortable. Content she had settled herself, he looked over at the dragging noise from the opposite side of the room. David was dragging his soft bed, he rarely using, over to the foot of the crib.
"Are you going to stay there, ol' boy?" Henry asked him, as he crouched dog and gave David a rub behind the ear. "Good boy, you keep an eye on her for me!"