René

Taking a minute to finally look at some of the missed messages on his phone, he scanned over the worried texts from Constance before pressing on her name, eager to tell her the news. They'd wait until Anne was more rested to call her father and trigger the deluge of calls and messages from her family, but she had said he could tell their close friends the news.

"Aramis, are you and Anne all right?" Constance immediately asked upon answering the call. "You didn't answer any of my texts, the news was saying some scaffolding fell and your street's flooded, are you still at the apartment?"

He ducked into the hallway. "Yeah, sorry, things got pretty chaotic here: the street flooded, Anne had the baby, the power went out for a little bit…"

There was a second of silence on the other end before he heard d'Artagnan's voice in the background, "Did he say that Anne had the baby?"

"Anne had the…" began Constance, "I just spoke to you last night, you…ARE YOU TWO NOT TRAPPED IN YOUR APARTMENT?!"

"Constance, put him on speaker," he heard d'Artagnan say, followed by the sound of a button being pressed.

"Well, it's three of us trapped here now," he replied, grinning, unable to resist teasing her. "And your shouting might wake the other two up."

"Aramis, if you're joking I swear I'm going to find a way to smack you through this phone and then I'm going to find a boat so I can go over there and smack you again!"

"I'm not joking! Here-" bringing the phone down from his ear, he sent over the picture he had taken of Anne and René. "There, I've sent proof."

"Aramis, are you really serious…" Constance began, followed by another moment of silence during which Aramis thought to lower the volume on his phone, just before Constance started shrieking. "Oh my Gooooood, Aramiiiisss! Oh my God, are they okay? Did it start just after we got off the phone? Was the midwife able to get there in time, then?"

Before he could answer her questions, d'Artagnan chimed in, "Let me see-Wow! Congratulations, mate."

He chuckled at their antics. "Well, Anne says it must have started sometime last night, but she wasn't sure it had really started until her water broke in the wee hours, riiight before we got the flash flood alerts, and just after our street was essentially cut off."

"And what about your midwife?"

"Couldn't come. It was just us."

Constance gasped on the other end. "You had to deliver him yourself?! Did it go okay, are you all okay? My God, Aramis, must everything you two do be so dramatic?"

He grinned to himself again, it was still hard to believe that he had delivered his own son just a few hours ago. "I did, but they did all the work, really," he proudly told them. "It was unreal how quickly things escalated, but they're both so amazing, Constance, really. We did a video chat with the midwife, and she looked them both over as best she could, and then she'll come over as soon as she can for a more thorough examination. Anne and René are both very tired, though, as you can imagine, so they're resting now."

"Is that what you've named him? René? Aww, I'd tried to get her to tell me what she was thinking but she was very stubborn about keeping it a secret."

His cheeks were starting to hurt again from smiling so much. "I know, she wouldn't tell me either, kept saying she wanted to see him first."

"And now what about you? Have you had the chance to rest yet?"

"No, I haven't even tried, too much adrenaline still." That and wanting to simply stare at René for hours.

"Well, you should try before you collapse or something, we don't need you being the one emergency services needs to be called for, alright? And we'll get there as soon as you want us, as soon as we're able so we can see you all and help out."

"Thank you, Constance. And you and d'Artagnan are doing okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine, d'Artagnan was more worried about the car getting damaged than anything, but don't you worry about us, you go and take care of yourself and that precious family of yours, you hear me?"

Walking back into the bedroom, he went over to the bed to gaze upon René and Anne as they both slept. One of Anne's arms was outstretched and she was holding onto René's tiny hand. "Don't worry, Constance," he answered softly. "I've got them."

MMMMMMMMMM

He could hear René crying immediately upon opening the door. Approaching the nursery, he saw Anne pacing the room, René in her arms.

His heart broke when she turned toward him and he caught sight of the worry and tiredness etched on her face.

"You're early," she said.

"Athos sent me home, I was distracted ever since you got back to me about taking him to the doctor," he replied, walking over and looking down into René's red and scrunched up face. "Is there any change?"

"His fever's starting to go down," she answered, "but I don't like how his breathing still sounds."

"Constance mentioned having him breathe in some steam to help loosen up some of the congestion. Just give me a minute and I can take him into the shower with me, and then you can rest. Have you eaten anything? I can make you a quick sandwich before I go in."

"Don't worry about me, I just want him to feel better already."

Cradling René with one hand while the other gently pressed against Anne's back, he leaned over and quickly laid a kiss on her temple. "I'll be right back."

MMMMMMMMMM

"He's all tuckered out," said Aramis as she followed him to the nursery.

She leaned against the doorway, her legs aching from having danced so much. "He had a very busy day; meeting new people, experiencing so many new things…"

"Being the cutest, most handsome little ring bearer for his Auntie Constance and Uncle d'Artagnan," Aramis cooed as he laid René down in his crib.

Anne smiled at the memory of Aramis carrying René down the aisle, the two of them wearing matching suits and holding the little pillow on which Constance and d'Artagnan's wedding bands were tied. The church had erupted into a chorus of "awws" at the sight of them, and Anne felt immensely proud of how well René had behaved and charmed everyone.

"The groomsman carrying him looked pretty handsome himself," she stated, suddenly feeling nervous. Watching Constance and d'Artagnan get married, she couldn't help but imagine what their own wedding could be like.

But did he still want her like that? They hadn't had sex since René had been born, and while the thought of sleeping together never really crossed her mind those first few chaotic months with all the change a new baby brought, and she was grateful Aramis never pushed her to "satisfy his needs" as she'd heard from other mothers, she also couldn't help but wonder now if it was simply because he wasn't attracted to her anymore.

He was still affectionate with her, they still ended up spooning or laying on top of each other during the little time they actually slept, and she'd had a wonderful time dancing with him tonight, but she wondered if an infatuation had now simmered down into a less of a romantic love and more of a deep caring for the mother of his child, his friend.

He straightened and turned around, a half-smile on his face. "Well, I have to say, the bride looked very beautiful, but it was hard for me to look away from the exquisitely stunning maid of honour," he replied, dipping his chin but keeping his gaze locked with hers.

She arched an eyebrow. "Exquisitely stunning?" she repeated. He'd said it with such earnestness, but that little voice in the back of her mind continued to wonder if he was just being kind.

"You don't think so?"

She glanced down at herself. She still had his suit jacket on. He had given it to her once the sun had set and the temperature dropped. "I don't know," she shook her head as she started fidgeting with her rings, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

"I suppose I'm only just starting to feel like myself again, like a woman and not just a mother. Though I still don't feel particularly, well, attractive," she finally admitted.

Coming over, he stopped right in front of her, and took her hands in his. "Well I for one think you are a very-" lifting one hand he pressed a kiss to her knuckles, "very-" pausing again he did the same to her other hand, "attractive woman."

She gazed up into his dark, unwavering stare. "Still?"

He gave her a somewhat incredulous look. "Always."

Lowering their hands, he stepped even closer to her. "I'd love to prove it to you, if you'd like."

Her pulse quickened. "Please," she breathed.

He let go of her hands then, and before she knew it, he was sweeping her up into his arms.

Leaning in, he whispered into her ear, "Hopefully René will sleep extra well tonight."

MMMMMMMMMM

"You alright?" he asked once he got home and saw Anne curled up on the sofa in front of the television, hugging what looked to be her hot water bottle and looking melancholic. "I have the chocolates you wanted."

"I'm fine," she answered, turning off the television. "It was just a false alarm. I was only late."

"Yeah?" They had started to think she might be pregnant, and although they hadn't been trying, hadn't even discussed having more children, and the thought of having another baby so soon somewhat scared him, he knew that he would love to have more children with Anne. "Okay. Are you sure you're alright?"

She nodded. "Nothing a cuddle with you and René won't fix."

"Is he still sleeping then?"

"Yeah, I'll see if he wants to eat anything soon."

"Good, we'll all have a bite to eat, I'll change into some comfy clothes, and we can all have a cuddle, sound good?"

Anne gave him a small smile. "Yeah."

Coming over, he sat on the sofa next to her. "Can I just ask, though…do you want more children?"

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "I do," she replied, and then looked up at him with apprehension. "Do you?"

He gave her a small smile. "Yeah." It had been a big and sudden change, but he loved being a father.

A smile flickered on her lips but then she lowered her eyes and frowned again. "I couldn't conceive again with Louis, though, I don't know if-"

"Don't even worry about that," he said. He took her hand in his. "We can talk more about it later, I just wanted to know if it's what you want."

She looked down at their hands and nodded again. "I'm grateful for what we have, for René, but I would love to have another baby."

He squeezed her hand. "Me too."

MMMMMMMMMM

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?" Porthos asked over his shoulder.

Aramis only nodded as he concentrated on making the chocolate egg. To the left of it sat the open box containing the engagement ring he had picked out for Anne.

"When are you gonna ask her? Tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Why now?"

He shrugged. "Because I think it's time," he simply answered. He and Anne had been living together for over a year now, she'd told him she loved him multiple times, and he her. They wanted their family to grow and he wanted to be able to call her his wife, to be her husband.

"Did you ask her father for his blessing or will you?"

"He pretty much gave it that first Christmas when I met him, but I confirmed my intentions this Christmas, though I wasn't exactly thinking I'd be asking her quite so soon after." Even if Philip hadn't given his blessing he still would ask Anne, it was ultimately up to her after all, but he knew how much it would mean to her and Philip for him to have paid that respect.

"He's happy about it, then?"

He put a hand to his chest. "About me potentially becoming his son-in-law? Who wouldn't?" He asked in mock indignation.

Porthos shook his head good-naturedly. "Well, you did save his daughter's life on more than one occasion, I suppose that's one way to prove you love her."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with her, Porthos."

"And you're confident that she'll say yes?"

He was tempted to be flippant again, but chose to answer seriously, because this was serious. He nodded, adding, "We want to have more children." Even if they didn't end up having any more, he still wanted to marry her, and he would make that clear when he asked her.

Porthos clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Then I've only got one other question for you."

"What's that?"

"I'm gonna be your best man, right?"

MMMMMMMMMM

He cradled her face in his hands, his heart positively bursting as they kissed.

Anne is going to be his wife.

Parting for air, he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs while they rested their foreheads against each other. Anne is going to marry him. Anne is going to marry him.

"Let's do it tomorrow," said Anne excitedly, pulling away.

"Do what tomorrow?" He was still hearing her say yes over and over in his head.

"Go to city hall and get married."

He blinked at her, dazed and now surprised. "You really want to?"

She nodded. "We can still have a church ceremony later on of course but…" She shook her head then. "I don't want to have to wait that long to become your wife. To call you my husband." Reaching up, she brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead before meeting his eyes again. "What do you think?"

He huffed, his heart still hammering and his thoughts racing as he processed what he had just done and now Anne's own proposal. "I'm-I'm thinking…I mean I'm wondering how late the city hall is open," he said, making Anne laugh as he let out a chuckle of his own. "No," he amended, more serious, "no we'll call first thing tomorrow morning and make sure we can get an appointment if needed. And then I can make sure I look halfway decent."

"You always look handsome."

"Well I want to look extra handsome when I marry the most beautiful woman in the world, even if it's just at the city hall," he replied before leaning in to give her another kiss on the lips.

"And I suppose then we'll have more time to scrounge up a couple of witnesses if we want them to be people we know."

"Hmm, or four," he said, hoping Athos, Porthos, Constance and d'Artagnan could all be there. "Double the witnesses."

"So that we'll be extra married?" asked Anne with a smile.

"Exactly."