A/N: Hey guys, I am back with a new story. This was originally going to be a one shot, but I kept thinking about it and as I came up with more and more ideas for it, I decided that it would probably work better as a short story. There will be two or three chapters, not sure yet. I will also warn that this story deals with a subject that is not for the faint of heart. It is a sad one, but it is something that happens to so many women every single day. There's not much of it shown in this chapter yet, but I'm just letting you know ahead of time. I also imagine that they're about 23-24 here too. With all that said, enjoy!
Tick tock, tap tap tap
Marinette heard the sounds of nearby objects echoing in her ears. The waiting room was so quiet that she could hear the clock ticking one second after the other. Her body shivered from the cold air conditioning blasting in the room. Her nervous fingers tapped on the arms of her chair.
She felt a hand grab hers, enveloping it in a warm grip.
"You still nervous?", Adrien asked her in a soft voice. He brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles.
Giving him a soft smile, she nodded and turned back to stare at the floor.
He returned her smile and cupped his other hand around hers. He felt a shiver go down his own spine. Whether it was from the cold air or his nerves, he would never know.
Marinette picked up her phone from her lap and looked at the notifications on the screen. Her morning had been filled with many "good luck!" texts from her best friend Alya, along with her parents sending their support to her and Adrien.
"You don't think it was too early to tell them this time, do you?", she asked, turning to him.
"Of course not," he said, squeezing her hand. "I know that everything is fine."
Marinette bit her lip and put her free hand on top of her pudging bump. "I'm glad that you're so positive," she said softly. "Because I'm definitely not."
Adrien noticed the worry in her eyes and frowned. "Marinette…I know that things have been rough these last few months," he said. "I'm nervous too if that helps. Just think of all the good things the doctor could tell us when we go back there."
His words echoed in her ears as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. There had been many other times recently where she tried to think of positive scenarios for this situation, but her mind always managed to take her back to that day.
The day that shook her entire world. The day that something precious was taken from her. The day that still felt fresh in her mind, like it was yesterday. A day that she would never forget.
Seven months earlier…
Marinette stood in the middle of the bathroom, pacing around as her feet scooted against the fluffy carpet beneath her feet.
"Has it been five minutes yet, Tikki?", she asked the kwami, who was sitting on the counter next to Plagg.
"Not yet Marinette," she said.
"Ooh what do these lines mean?", Plagg asked before sticking a piece of camembert in his mouth.
Marinette took a deep breath. "One line means 'no', two lines means 'yes'," she said. She stopped in place and began fanning her face, trying to cool down her warm cheeks.
The kwamis sat around the small stick on the counter, anticipating the pink lines to pop up once the timer had went off.
Ring ring ring
Marinette grabbed her phone from on top of the toilet lid and hit the 'end' button. "Alright, let's check this out," she said, walking over to the counter.
Tikki held the pregnancy test up to her, covering her mouth with one hand. "Take a look," she said.
She grabbed the test from her and carefully looked at the pink lines that formed a small plus sign. She covered her mouth her free hand and gasped.
"Are you okay, Marinette?", Plagg asked.
Marinette closed her eyes, feeling her body shake internally from the excitement. There was a moment of shock that made her feel as though she may vomit. Though now she knew that could just be morning sickness. "Y-Yes, I'm more than okay actually," she said. "I'm going to have a baby…Adrienand I are going to have a baby."
The kwamis flew up and hugged her neck, both of them giggling. "We're so excited for you guys," Tikki said, resting on her shoulder.
"Yeah, and I think Adrien may faint," Plagg said, sitting on her other one.
Marinette laughed. "I hope not," she said. "But he definitely will be happy. We've been trying for a few months now."
Plagg's whiskers furrowed. "What do you mean 'trying'?"
She felt her face go pale and the heat returned to her cheeks. "I…um…you know," she said. "We've been trying to have a baby by…doing the thing that humans do."
The kwami's mouth opened in disgust as he soon realized what she meant. "Bleh!", he exclaimed, flying off of her shoulder. "Forget I even asked."
Tikki and Marinette laughed as Plagg went in search of cheese to soothe his palate.
Not far from them, the sound of a door opening and closing could be heard. They gasped and Tikki gave Marinette a slight push forward. "Go!", she said quietly.
Marinette stumbled forward a bit, but caught herself as she began her descent down the hallway. Her heart palpated in her chest as she heard the sounds of her love settling back into the house.
She found him by the door, setting his briefcase and folders aside and taking off his coat. "Adrien?", she said, causing him to notice her.
"Marinette?", he said, a perplexed expression on his face. "Why do you look so surprised to see me?"
She began walking up to him. "I-I'm sorry," she said, rubbing her arm with her hand. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed his cheek. "I'm just really happy to see you, that's all."
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I'm happy to see you, too," he said. "Especially because of how crazy my students were today."
"I want you to tell me all about it later," she said. "But first…there's something I need to tell you." She stepped backward, a cheeky smile on her face.
"Can I at least change my shirt first?", he asked, pulling on his collar.
"No, that can wait," she said, grabbing his hand. "Come on, let me show you." She led him towards the bathroom, where Tikki and Plagg still sat on the counter.
They stepped inside and Adrien looked around. "Were you guys having a party in here or something?", he asked.
Plagg picked up another piece of cheese. "Yeah we were," he said. "I guess you could call it a…" He flew over to the tub and pulled back the curtain. "A baby shower."
Marinette felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. "PLAGG", she yelled, her face turning red.
The kwami's shoulders fell. "Oh…right," he said. "Sorry."
Adrien looked around, confusion in his eyes. "What are you guys talking about?", he asked. "There's no baby here."
Marinette approached him. "Actually…", she said, speaking softly. She took his hand and put it on her stomach. "I'm pregnant."
His eyes widened as he looked up and down, his eyes going back and forth between her beautiful smile and her midriff. "A-Are you for real?", he asked, his voice high pitch.
She nodded, bringing a hand to his face to caress his cheek. "Mhm," she said. "You're going to be a Papa."
Adrien wiped a few tears from his eyes and pulled her into a big hug. "Oh, I love you so much," he said. "This is one of the best days of my life."
Marinette hugged him back, laying her head in the crook of his neck. "I love you, too," she said. She watched as their kwamis came and joined in on the hug. "I love you guys too, even if Plagg did almost spoil the surprise."
"Hey, he knows now doesn't he?", Plagg said. "That's what matters."
"He's right, ya know," Tikki said.
Adrien pulled back from the hug. "I'm so excited," he said, his feet bobbing up and down. "Let's order takeout tonight, my treat."
"Can we watch a cheesy romance movie too?", Marinette asked, laughing.
He kissed her cheek. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The next few weeks were filled with much joy and excitement for the soon-to-be parents. Sometimes they would stay up late talking about potential baby names, other nights were spent with Adrien holding Marinette's hair back as she vomited from morning sickness.
"You okay, sweetheart?", he asked her once she had taken her head away from the toilet. He handed her a cloth. "I hate seeing you like this."
She grabbed it from him and wiped her mouth. "I think I'm okay now," she said, hiccupping. "At least now I know that this baby does not like shrimp."
Adrien stood up and stuck a hand out to her. She accepted it and he pulled her up to her feet. "You ready to go back to dinner?", he asked her, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "We still haven't had dessert yet."
She nodded. "I can definitely go for some dessert," she said. "Just…no more seafood, please."
"Definitely not," he said. With their hands still intertwined, they walked down the short hall and into the small dining area near the kitchen.
When they returned, they were met with worried glances from Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.
"Ohh, are you okay, sweetie?", Sabine asked her daughter, walking up and putting her hands on her shoulders.
Marinette had a small smile on her face. "I'm fine now, thank you," she said.
"That's so strange for you to get sick like that," her mother said, worry in her voice. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were pregnant." She paused. Her eyes widened as she looked at the two young adults in front of her.
They had wide, nervous smiles on their faces as they looked back and forth between each other. Sabine looked back and forth between them and her husband, who was now also staring at the both of them.
"Um, remember that thing we came over to tell you?", Marinette asked, turning back to look at her parents.
"Surprise!", Adrien said, throwing his hands up in the air.
Without hesitation, Sabine pulled both of them into a hug. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!", she exclaimed. "Tom, get over here." She looked back the man, who was still trying to fix up the desserts.
"Marinette, are you for real?", he asked, his face in a shocked expression.
She bit her lip, nodding. "Yes, Papa," she said, her voice small. "I'm, I mean, we're having a baby."
His expression turned soft and she swore she saw a few tears in his eyes as he came over to join in on the hug. "Ohh I'm going to love that baby so much," he said, rubbing her back. "Congratulations you two."
"Merci, Mr. Dupain," Adrien said.
Tom laughed. "Adrien, I've told you before," he said, pulling him into a hug as well. "You can call me Tom."
"I know," he said. "Sorry about that." His grip on the young man was so right that Adrien could feel his cheeks flushing from the lack of oxygen.
Tom pulled back and put his hands on his shoulders. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Now you make sure you keep taking good care of my sweet little girl, you got it?"
Adrien smiles. "Always."
"Let me get a good look at you," Sabine said, pulling back to look at Marinette. Her pregnancy wasn't very far along yet, but a small pudge could be seen poking out of her midriff. "You look as beautiful as ever." She caressed her daughter's face, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You'll be sure to keep us updated, right."
Marinette grabbed her hand, cupping it with hers. "Of course," she said. "You're the first people we've told, actually."
Tom was back over at the counter, putting icing on the cookies. A few of which had already made their way into Adrien's mouth. "Really?", he asked, giving him a side glare, which was returned with a shy smile on the boy's face. "I figured you two would've told Alya and Nino already."
"Oh well actually, we did tell them already," Marinette said. "I meant the first family members."
"Well, we're honored," Sabine said, smiling brightly. "How far along are you?"
"Twelve weeks," she said, Adrien joining back by her side. "We have an appointment tomorrow, actually."
"Bonne chance, you two," Sabine said. "Be sure to send me those pictures."
"We most definitely will," Adrien said. "I'm so excited to see them."
"I still can't believe I get to be a grand-père…", Tom said, sniffling.
Marinette frowned. "Aww, Papa," she said, walking over to him and giving him a hug. "You'll be the best grandpa ever."
He put down the icing bag and hugged her back. "I haven't been this happy since the day you got married," he said, laying his head on top of hers. "I can't even tell you how happy I am for you and Adrien."
Marinette felt her heart swell in her chest as she hugged her father. She took a quick glance at Adrien, who was smiling brightly across his rosy cheeks. She knew from the start that her parents would be more than happy and supportive, but hearing it always made her feel so loved. "Merci beaucoup, Papa," she said. "We've been dying to tell you guys, too."
Adrien reached for another cookie, but hesitated at the thought of his hand being swatted at by Mr. Dupain.
Tom noticed this and laughed. "Go on, son," he said, releasing Marinette so that he could grab the tray. "You two eat as many as you like." He turned to his daughter. "Especially you, young lady. You've got a baby to feed in there." He rubbed her belly wish his hand, causing her to giggle.
"Don't mind if I do," she said, grabbing a cookie. Her mouth salivated as the taste of sweet cinnamon graced her taste buds.
"These are your best ones yet," Adrien said, wiping crumbs from his face. "Can we take some for the road?"
"Absolutely," Tom said. "In fact…" He reached for the cabinets on the bottom of the island and pulled out two bags of cookies. "I'm already way ahead of you."
Marinette's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh," she said. "You're the best, Papa."
"I can't have you or Adrien or now, the baby, going without my delicious baked goods," he said.
Adrien pulled his phone out of his pocket, turning to Marinette. "It's getting a bit late," he said. "And your appointment is early in the morning."
"He's right," she said, looking at her parents. "I really wish we could stay longer."
Her mother gave her a kiss on the forehead. "We understand why you have to go so soon," she said. "You have someone else to think about now." She put a hand on Marinette's midriff.
"We'll be sure to let you guys know how it went," Adrien said, standing up from the stool. "Come on, Marinette." He grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together as they began walking towards the door. "Bye Sabine, bye Tom." He waves back at them.
"Bye Mom, bye Papa," she said, waving at them. "It was good to see you guys."
"You know you two are always welcome here," her father said. "Take care, drive safe."
"We will, I promise," Adrien said, closing the door behind him. "That went very well didn't it?" He turned to his wife.
"As expected," she said, giggling. "I knew they'd take it more than well enough." She smirked at him. "When do we tell your parents, though."
He laughed. "Whenever he and Nathalie get back from their 'business trip'," he said. "What a time for us to find out, huh?"
"Still can't believe that's what they're calling their honeymoon," she said, throwing her head back to laugh. "I'm sure they'll be happy too, though."
"I know they will be," he said. "I'm sure of it."
They continued walking down the stairs towards their car, when Marinette grabbed his arm. "Hey, I need to tell you something," she said.
He raised a brow. "What is it?"
She stood on her toes and pecked his lips. "I love you," she said, a toothy grin on her face. Even after knowing him for so many years, the nervousness she used to feel in telling him those words could still be felt in the back of her mind.
Adrien returned her show of affection, kissing her a bit longer. "I love you, too," he brought her hand up to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. "My lady."
She giggled and poked his nose. "Silly kitty."
Marinette stood over the sink as she brushed her teeth. The sounds of the shower behind her soothed her ears and the smells of her husband's shampoo filled her nose. She used a cloth to wipe the fresh steam from the mirror in front of her, making it so she could see Adrien's outline through the curtain.
"Tell me again what Alya said?", Adrien said from inside the shower.
She spit some toothpaste in the sink. "She's already planning her baby shower," she said, wiping her mouth. "It's next weekend and she said you're definitely invited too."
"I figured," he said, turning the shower off. "Got any presents in mind yet?"
Marinette rinsed her toothbrush off and put it into the holder sitting on the counter. "Not yet, twins definitely deserve something very special," she said, tapping her chin with a finger.
Adrien grabbed a towel from the rack and wrapped it around his waist as he stepped out of the shower. "I know you'll think of something amazing," he walked up next to her and quickly kissed the top of her hair. "Isn't it kind of funny that you're both pregnant at the same time?"
She looked down at her small bump. "Yeah, we talked about it all day whenever I told her," she said. "Our babies will only be a few months apart, how exciting is that?"
He smiled, looking at the both of them in the mirror. "Our high school selves definitely wouldn't believe it," he said, laughing a bit. "What do you think our fans will think? Should we tell the city that Ladybug is pregnant?"
Marinette pursed her lips, pondering his question. She knew from the beginning that they would eventually have to give an explanation, especially once she got further along in her pregnancy. Hawk Moth had been particularly quiet in recent months, leaving the both of them few reasons to transform into their alter egos. Aside from occasional patrols and public appearances, it had become a rare occasion.
"I think we should wait a bit longer for that. Hawk Moth hasn't akumatized anyone in months, so there's not really been much reason for me to actually be Ladybug," she said, turning to him. "With our luck, I could go through the whole pregnancy and give birth without anyone ever knowing that Ladybug and Chat Noir have a child."
"Except Alya and Nino, of course," he said.
"Yes, obviously," she said. "But I think it's still too early for the whole city to know. I mean, we don't have to tell them."
"You're right," Adrien said, running his fingers through his wet hair. "It's just something I've been thinking about a bit lately."
"It's crossed my mind, too, actually," she said. "No sense in worrying about it right now, though." She held a hand up to her mouth as she yawned.
He smirked. "Yeah, that's true," he said, walking towards the door. "I think it's time for a certain lady to get to bed."
Marinette laughed. "And a certain kitty cat too," she said. She held her stomach as she laughed. The feeling of excitement and joy inside of her made her insides feel so light. It wasn't long, though, before the feeling of joy turned into one of pain. It was as if something was tugging at her insides. Her laughter quickly turned into soft groans of pain as her grip tightened on her shirt. Her eyes closed and she felt a pair of hands grab onto her arms.
"Marinette? Are you okay?", Adrien's panic filled voiced asked her. "What's wrong?"
Her smile turned into a frown as the pain in her groin began to harden, causing her to wrap her arms around herself. "My stomach hurts," she said, opening one eye to look at him. "It might be from where I got sick earlier, that's all." She bent forward slightly, still holding onto herself.
His gaze softened as he looked at her pain stricken face. "Come on, you need to lie down," he wrapped an arm around her back, helping her stand back up straight. Together, they walked from the bathroom back into their bedroom, where she sat down gently on the side of the bed.
Adrien let go of her, stepping back to watch as she crawled up onto her pillows. Marinette curled into herself, her insides feeling as if they would bust out of her abdomen at any moment. The pain moved up to her head, causing her to close her eyes as a splitting headache danced on her temples. She brought her hands up to her head to rub them in circles.
He gently brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "I'm a bit worried now," he said. He felt a bit of sweat begin to drip down his freshly cleansed face. It was times like this where he felt so helpless. The pain of wishing he could just take everything onto himself so that he no longer had to watch her suffer. "I'll get you some medicine."
"Please do," she said. "My head feels like it's on fire." She turned over and pulled the covers down. The soft cotton felt cold against her now warm body, like a soothing hand trying to caress her. She heard footsteps leave the room as Adrien went in search of medicine.
She laid her head back into the pillow, letting the comfort wash over her. The cold, soothing feeling of the cotton sheets allowed her to relax despite the pain. The soft bed beneath her nearly swallowed her up in a cloud of comfort. She heard Adrien's footsteps coming towards the door, though the sound was muffled in her ears.
Adrien came back into the room, nearly dropping the bottle in his hand as his hands shook from the slight panic. He took a deep breath, looking back to his wife who was in dire need of what he had went in search of. "Marinette," he whispered. "I've got this for you."
She gulped, opening her eyes to look up at him. "You're the best," she managed to say.
He sat the bottle on the bedside table and helped her to sit up slowly. She grabbed three pills and stuck them in her mouth as Adrien handed her a cup of water. She sighed as she swallowed, hoping that it would ease her current state.
Adrien knelt down and kissed her cheek. "I bet you'll feel better in no time," he said, caressing her face. "You're my strong lady."
That made her smile. She admired how calm Adrien always was in any situation, even though she could tell he was trying to keep himself together as he panicked on the inside. If it weren't for him and his bold strength, she probably would've went crazy herself. "How am I so lucky to have you in life?", she said, grabbing his chin to squish his cheeks together. "You're so cute."
Even after being together for nearly ten years now, his cheeks still flushed at her compliments. Adrien was born with exceptionally rosy cheeks, but Marinette always loved how they would turn a deep shade of crimson.
"I can already tell that you're feeling better," he said, cheeks still smushed. "Can you let me go so that I can put my jammies on?"
She giggled as she let go of his cheeks. "Fine," she said, crossing her arms and speaking in a whiny tone. "But stop saying 'jammies'."
He snickered as he walked into the closet. "Never."
She shook her head, laughing to herself. She always loved it when his inner Chat Noir came out.
"Are you okay, Marinette?"
She looked over to the open drawer in the bedside table next to her, which she had recently made in a little kwami space. Tikki was poking her head out and rubbing her eyes.
"Oh, sorry if we woke you," she said. "I think I am now. The medicine is starting to settle in."
"That's good," the kwami said in a small voice. "I also hope that the baby is okay."
Marinette brought her hands down to her stomach, rubbing it gently with her fingers. "I think so," she said softly. "At least, I hope so."
"I have faith in you Marinette," Tikki said, flying up to sit on her small bump from on top of the covers. "You're a very strong person. If you can be Ladybug, you can get through anything."
Marinette felt her heart jump. "Thanks, Tikki," she said, pulling the kwami up to her cheek. "You're the best."
"Hey, what about me?", Plagg asked, poking his head out of the drawer.
"You're not the best," Adrien said, walking out the closet, now clad in his pajamas. "You're an annoyance."
Marinette and Tikki gasped while Plagg flew up next to Adrien's face. "What did you just say to me, young man?", he asked, putting his paws on his hips.
Adrien mimicked him, doing the same. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before they both busted out into laughter. "Of course you're the best, buddy," he said, cupping his hands out in front of him so that the kwami could sit down. "Need any more cheese before we head to bed?"
Plagg shook his head. "Nah, I think I'm good," he said, patting his stomach. "Especially because I don't want Sugarcube to get too grossed out."
"Aww," Marinette and Adrien said together as the kwamis flew back over to their little bed.
"I guess you can be kind of sweet sometimes, you stinky sock," Tikki said, lying down next to Plagg.
"I'm more than just a cheese eating maniac, ya know," Plagg said, stretching out. "But now I must sleep again."
Marinette looked down into the drawer next to her. "Good night you two," she said sweetly. She felt Adrien's weight next to her as he climbed into bed. Turning over onto her side, she found herself next to his face.
He lifted a hand, bringing it up to tuck a piece of loose hair behind her ear. "Feeling any better, my princess?", he asked, his eyes sparkling in the dim light.
The pain had mostly stopped by that time, with only a small ache still present in her groin. "Yes, I think I'm okay," she said, relaxing back into her pillow. She closed her eyes as she yawned. "Just very tired, though."
Adrien followed her lead and turned over onto his back, stretching out. "Good, I was really worried there for a moment," he said, reaching over to turn out the light. "Don't want anything to happen to you…or our little peanut."
Marinette giggled. "That's what you're calling the baby now?", she asked. Even though she couldn't see it through the darkness, she knew he had the biggest smile on his face.
"Yeah, it's cute though, right?", he asked.
"Absolutely," she said.
He laughed. "Okay, I think it's about time we settled down too," he said. He felt her roll back over onto her side, taking it as an opportunity to scoot in closer.
She felt his warm arms wrapping around her body, his hands slightly cold to the touch. He let one of his hands sit on top of her small bump, gently rubbing little circles with his fingers. "Goodnight, Adrien," she said, laying her hands on top of his. She pulled one of her legs back, placing it in the middle of his.
"Goodnight, my sweet Marinette," he whispered right next to her ear. He put his face next to her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo as he began to fall asleep.
As Adrien began to snore behind her, Marinette found herself wandering in her thoughts. The pain from inside her stomach and in her head was mostly gone, leaving her with some relief. However, as she felt the little bump on her stomach, there was another uneasy feeling. A feeling that told her something was wrong, that she should wake up Adrien at that exact moment to express her worries. There was a part of her that told her she was letting her nerves get to her, that everything was fine. Perhaps the sickness and pain worked her nerves. She squinted her eyes shut, holding onto her love's hands even tighter. Feeling his soft breath against her neck soothed her slightly shaking body. She could faintly feel his heart beating against her back, letting her know at least he was okay in that moment.
Taking a deep breath, she finally brushed her current worries away in favor of the relief of slumber. At that moment, everything felt fine for the young couple.
The relief Marinette felt was short lived as the crippling pain returned to her abdomen. Her eyes shot awake as she curled into herself, gripping her stomach with her own arms. At that point in the night, Adrien had rolled away from her, curled up into his own little ball of warmth.
She felt the urge to cry and scream building up in her throat as the swirl of pain found its way back up to her temples. She managed to lean over to the bedside table to turn on the lamp, shedding a bit of light in the dark room.
Looking over to her sleeping husband, she knew the best approach would be to take more medicine to see if the pain dissipated again. She grabbed the bottle, but failed to grasp it due to her hands shaking uncontrollably.
"Marinette?", said a soft voice.
She looked over her shoulder at Adrien, who was still sound asleep. Her attention turned to the drawer below her. Sure enough, there was a small Tikki poking her head out. "I'm sorry, Tikki," she whispered. "Did I wake you?"
The kwami nodded. "You did, but it's okay," she said. "I keep having this feeling that something is wrong with you."
Marinette squinted her eyes as the pain rolled back to the front of her stomach. "M-Maybe you're right," she said, her voice strained. "But we're going to the doctor today, so whatever it is, I'm sure the doctor can help."
Tikki picked up the medicine bottle, placing it in her charge's hand. "Here, you need this," she said.
The girl calmed herself, taking a deep breath in order to try and clear out the shakiness. She finally managed to open the bottle and retrieve two pills. Closing the bottle up and sitting it back on the table, she noticed there was no water in the cup Adrien had given her earlier. "Sorry Tikki, I need to get up for a moment."
With the medicine still in her grip, she threw the covers off of her. Sitting up felt like an eternity as the headache still blazed through her skull. She looked over to Tikki, who was giving her the biggest smile of encouragement the little kwami could manage. She braced herself for impact as she threw her legs off the side of the bed, finally letting her feet hit the floor.
Standing up was indeed a challenge as the dizziness began to take over, but nothing prepared her for the immense horror she felt once her eyes gazed upon her sheets.
On her spot of the bed laid a pool of freshly red blood that coated the crisp white sheets. Her whole body became numb and the blood drained from her face as she felt herself become as pale as those sheets. She could feel Tikki big eyes glaring at her, but nothing could remove her from her current spot. Her legs struggled to keep her upright as the numbness moved throughout her body.
Looking down at her pants, she could already feel the tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. Just like the sheets before her, her pink pants had become stained with a fresh coat of red.
The medicine she gripped in her hand fell to the floor as her hand gave out. Her voice failed her as she tried to call out for help. "T-Tikki…"
The kwami heard her charge's strained call and flew up next to her. "Everything will be okay, Marinette," she said, trying to calm the young woman.
Marinette knew her kwami's words were in vain as she could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. "N-No, something is definitely wrong," she said, her voice hoarse. She looked over to the other side of the bed, still unable to move from where she stood. "A-A…Adri…" She let herself fall to the floor, gripping her stomach as the pain began to flow from within.
Tikki looked upon her distressed charge, determined to help her where she currently failed. Flying over to where he laid, Tikki sat on Adrien's face, jumping up and down in an effort to wake him up.
Her efforts did not go in vain as he slowly began to wake up. "Wha…?", he said in a dazed voice.
Tikki jumped off of him, flying close to his face. "Sorry to wake you, Adrien," she said, her voice slightly louder. "But Marinette is having a problem."
Without hesitation, he turned over to look at the spot next to him. His eyes grew wide as he, too, noticed the large pool of blood next to him. "The hell happened?!", he said, throwing the covers off of himself.
"Adrien…", Marinette's soft voice called from the floor on the other side of their bed.
His feet slammed on the floor as he stood up, running to her side. "Marinette, what's wrong?", he said in a panicked voice.
She grabbed his hand, revealing her tear streaked face as she turned to look at him. "Adrien…I-I started bleeding and-and…" A soft sob escaped her lips as she tried to gather herself.
He helped her stand up and she immediately leaned into him. "It's okay, I've got you," he said, reassuringly.
"We need to go to the hospital," she said, finally able to gather her words. "I think something is wrong with the baby."
Before she could say anything else, Adrien had sat her down on the bed and was gently slipping her shoes onto her feet. Both Tikki and Plagg were now fully awake, their small faces looking worriedly as their charges prepared to leave in the middle of the night.
Adrien could feel himself panicking on the inside, the feeling of wanting to bawl slowly making a knot in his throat. He tried his best to keep his composure as to not worry Marinette any further and continued to dress himself.
He threw a few things in a bag and slipped his shoes onto his feet. "Come on, let's go," he said. Before she could object, he had grabbed her underneath her legs and back to pick her up bridal style. He looked to the two kwamis hovering just above the table. "You guys can come too, just stay hidden, okay?"
They nodded and flew inside of the bag that he was carrying on his shoulder. Adrien walked as fast as he could out into the corridor that led outside. At that point, he put Marinette down in front of the door, allowing her to slip outside on her own.
He reached for the car keys hanging up on the wall, then slipped outside and locked the door behind him. When he reached the car, he unlocked the passenger door to let Marinette inside.
She sat down on the cold seat, not even thinking about the current state of her pants. Adrien slipped into the driver's seat next to her, calming her nerves just a bit.
Once he had started the car and pulled out of the driveway, he grabbed one of her hands. Marinette sniffled; the shock of the moment mixed with the pain still causing her body to shake as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
He brought their intertwined hands up to his lips and gave them a kiss. "Whatever is happening right now," he said, his voice shaking. "I know we'll get through it, my lady."
She swore she saw a tear run down his own cheek as he spoke. "I hope so, Chaton," was the last thing she said before the knot returned to her throat.
A/N: And that ends chapter one. Yeah, this one really broke me. They were so happy, so making them sad really hurt me, but I'm also really excited for everyone to see where this goes. You may already have an idea and if you do, bless you. Until next time!
