Wildflowers and Weddings Chapter 4
Mar. 24th, 2014 11:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Wildflowers and Weddings, Chapter 4
Fandom: Common Law
Pairing: Travis Marks/Wes Mitchell
Rating: PG-13.
Word Count: 2,073
Warnings: More mpreg. You’ve been warned.
Short Summary: Wes and Travis plan a wedding while dealing with other things.
Author’s Notes: Part four of the Flowers in the Garden series. The first three installements are on AO3: Buttercups and Babies, Violets and Doting Daddies, and Poinsettias and Presents.
“Wizard’s Fourth Rule: There is magic in sincere forgiveness; in the forgiveness you give, but more so in the forgiveness you receive.” – Terry Goodkind, Temple of the Winds
May – Four months until the big day
Wes rolled onto his side, uncomfortable. His growing belly had expanded way past where he’d been with Violet at the same point. He’d even made a point to eat better this time through. And yet, he was still huge… with a little over ten weeks still to go.
Something other than his awkward stomach was keeping him awake, however. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something wasn’t quite right. Closing his eyes, he tried to think about something else – something neutral so he could grab at least a few hours of sleep. Between the awkwardness of his own body, Travis’ contented snoring, and Violet’s late night bedside visits, he hadn’t been able to get much these days.
He rested a hand on his stomach and slowed his breathing. Happy thoughts, Mitchell. Happy thoughts. Violet’s face floated in his minds’ eye, then Travis’ smile. Visions of wildflowers, tied up in neat bouquets, came next, leading naturally to a handsome, dark-skinned man in a tailored suit.
Pain gripped his belly, forcing his eyes to fly open in worry. He rubbed along the underside of his stomach, feeling the unknown child fidgeting restlessly. Reminding himself to breathe, he analyzed the pain that faded as quickly as it had appeared. It was like a contraction, but not quite. Wes stretched, trying to ease the growing pain in his lower back.
A warm hand reached around and cupped his waist. “Baby, you okay? Can’t sleep?”
Wes leaned into Travis’ strong chest. “Go back to sleep, Trav. I’m –” A second shooting pain hit him, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
“Wes?” Panic laced Travis’ voice, something that scared Wes even more than what his body was doing currently.
“Travis, I think I need a doctor,” he whispered, clutching his lover’s hand to his stomach.
Violet slept soundly, curled up in a hard as hell plastic waiting room chair. Even with as noisy as the emergency room was, she hadn’t stirred since they’d arrived. Travis kept an eye on her while he paced fitfully. It’d been over an hour since the ambulance had brought Wes here, he and Violet arriving minutes later. He hadn’t been able to get any information on Wes’ condition so far and he was starting to get really worried.
“Family of Wes Mitchell,” a doctor called from the admitting desk.
“That’s me,” Travis said, scooping Violet into his arms and rushing to meet the doctor. “How is he?”
“He’ll be okay, but he’s in a delicate state. He’s lucky to have had you with him tonight.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that, he hates being treated like a porcelain doll just because he’s pregnant. And besides, I’m with him every night.”
The doctor frowned. “Can I be frank with you, Mister…?”
“Marks,” Travis supplied. “Travis.”
“Mr. Marks, I didn’t mean that he was fragile because he was pregnant. His health is what’s fragile right now. His blood pressure is elevated as is his heart rate, both of which are dangerous for an expectant parent. Is he under any stress right now?”
Travis tried not to laugh at the absurdity of that question. “Of course he is, he’s a pregnant homicide detective with a young child. And we’re getting married soon, so I know that can’t be helping any.”
“All of this stress, coupled with his high blood pressure, has led to preterm labor. We’ve got it under control for now, but until his blood pressure normalizes and he’s out of danger, I’m suggesting indefinite bed rest.”
“Oh, he is not going to like that one bit,” Travis said.
“If he cares about the child he’s carrying, or,” he motioned towards the sleeping girl in his arms, “the one he already has, he’ll follow orders. Now, you can go see him, if you’d like. He’s in room 1279.”
“Thanks, doctor, I appreciate it.”
Travis approached the open door carefully, fearing airborne objects and hurled obscenities coming from within. Poking his head in the door, he instead found a very dejected Wes, head in hands, sobbing quietly.
“Baby, you okay?” He placed the still sleeping Violet at the foot of Wes’ hospital bed and wrapped his arms around his lover.
“No,” he cried, “no, I’m not okay. I’m done with this, Travis. I want to go home, I want to go to bed and sleep forever. I just don’t want to do this anymore.”
He’d looked at his bulging stomach when he’d uttered that last part, causing Travis’ heart to land solidly in his stomach. Suddenly, he found himself doubting the future of their relationship. “Wes, you can’t give up now, you’ve only got a few more weeks to go. And then there’s the wedding…”
Wes snorted. “Oh, yeah, because that’s going to make everything better, right? This damn wedding is what landed me here in the first place.”
Well okay then, he thought. “Know what, baby? I’m going to take Violet and go home. Call me when they release you and if you still want to come home, I’ll come get you.”
Gently, he lifted their daughter off her mama’s feet and carried her out of the room. He forced himself to not look back, to not say goodbye, because to do either would cause him to give in to his breaking heart. And that shit just wasn’t going to happen in front of Wes.
The goddamned doctor decided to keep him overnight. To put it mildly, Wes was not happy. Neither was the baby, from what he could tell. He – or she – hadn’t stopped fidgeting all night. An older nurse had patted his belly lovingly, telling him that it was all the excitement of the evening and his anxiety keeping the baby up. He tried to relax, but after Travis had walked out on him, it had been hard to do anything but wish he’d kept his damn fool mouth shut.
“Good morning, Mr. Mitchell,” a diminutive young redhead called out, pulling a machine twice her size behind her. “I’m Alice and I’m here to give you a quick ultrasound this morning. Your doctor requested one to check up on the baby after last night so we can assure you that everything is a-ok and send you on your way. Sound good?”
Wes nodded, giving silent permission. After she helped him into position, she had him lift his pajama top enough to fully expose his belly. A squirt of extra-icy gel landed on his bare skin, making him jump.
“Sorry, it’s a bit cold, isn’t it?” She smiled apologetically. “You have another baby, don’t you?”
Again, he nodded. “Yes, she’s eighteen months.”
The tech smiled at him. “You should be an expert at this then, right?”
“I’ve never actually had an ultrasound before,” he confessed.
“Never? Well then, we’re going to have to fix that right this instant!”
Taking the flat paddle into her hand, she smeared it around in the gel on his belly, moving it and poking at his gut until she found what she was looking for. After a few clicks on the keyboard, she turned the machine so he could see the display. What he saw there blew him away.
The baby’s profile was so clear he could make out a tiny nose and a little fist pressed to miniature lips. A sad smile crossed his own not so tiny face when he recognized – or assumed he did – Travis’ strong jaw in the monitor. He was such an ass last night that he was relatively sure that he’d even passed the Travis Marks level of insensitive asshole.
He sighed, depressed. “I wish Travis could see this.”
“Is he here?” She looked around as if she could spot him hiding in a corner. “No? Well, I’m not supposed to do this, but what the hell, right? I mean, he’s probably home caring for your other one, right?”
Another stab to the heart. “Yeah, he is.”
Nodding happily, she clicked on the keyboard a couple times, moved the paddle, clicked again. She repeated this three or four times, grinning the whole time. Grabbing a small stack of paper off the machine’s cart, she said, “Here you go. Now you can share with your man.”
Wes looked through what appeared to be pictures of his baby, astounded that such a thing even existed. “These are mine?”
“Yep, sure are. Show them to your honey when he comes to get you. Oh, and your little girl, too. You can tell her she’s getting – wait, do you even want to know what you’re having?”
His eyes widened in shock. He knew they could do this, but it hadn’t ever occurred to him to ask.
“Hell yes we do,” Travis said from the doorway.
“Mama!” Violet rushed to the bedside, arms spread wide.
The tech lifted the bundle of energy off the floor and onto the bed beside her mama. “Now, you need to stay really still while I show your daddy something, okay?” Violet nodded eagerly, snuggling into Wes’ side. Alice motioned Travis over and positioned him where he’d have the best view. “So, you want to know? Both of you?”
Travis looked at Wes, nodding after he was sure. “Please. Baby Vi was a surprise in more than one way. A little preparation this time around would be nice.”
“Are you hoping for one or the other,” she asked, moving the paddle around until she’d found what she was looking for on the monitor.
“All I want is to not be pregnant any longer,” Wes said.
Travis patted his hand before saying, “I had thought I wanted a boy, but we’ve been so blessed with this little rascal that I think maybe another baby girl would be the best fit.”
“You’re in luck then, because that’s exactly what you’re getting. Congratulations! And now, I must go.” She wiped Wes’ stomach clean and packed up the machine. “Oh, and your daughter is beautiful. If this little one is even half as adorable, you’ll be the luckiest parents on the planet.”
“Soooo,” Travis said, “another little Violet. How cool is that?”
Wes watched him perch himself on the side of the bed. “Very cool, just so long as this one is a bit more Mitchell than she is Marks. The one we have now has enough mouth for twelve kids.”
“Awww, that’s our baby gurrrrrl you’re talking about.” Travis poked him playfully in the arm. “But she does have a habit of mouthing off, doesn’t she?”
“No idea where she gets it from either,” he deadpanned. “Listen, Travis I –”
Travis stopped him. “Don’t. I know, or hope anyway, that you didn’t mean any of it. You were scared and tired and stressed. I’m the one who needs to apologize. For not helping and letting you get so overwhelmed with everything.”
Wes squeezed his hand tightly. “How about we call it even where fault’s concerned? I shouldn’t have said any of it, no matter how I was feeling. Okay?”
“Okay, baby. I’m sorry, too.”
“So, I’ve been thinking.” Wes caught Travis’ gaze, holding it.
“About what?”
“How about we elope?”
“What?” Travis laughed, looking around for the hidden camera. “You can’t be serious? Not after all the planning?”
“I am, Trav. I’m going to be riding the bench for the next several weeks, so getting any actual cake tasting or invitation buying done is going to be difficult. Will Judge Bentley come to the house?”
“If I promise him some of my mama’s tamales, he might. But what about the wedding you’ve been planning?”
“Dakota,” he corrected. “She’s been doing most of the research and planning and arranging. All I’ve been doing is giving my final approval on things.”
“See, this is good. She can continue in your place, and we can still have our wedding in September like we planned.”
Wes shook his head. “No, I’ve had an epiphany. I don’t want to wait. I want to be married to you before the baby gets here. We can still have a big party celebrating both the baby and our marriage in September if you’d like. But, the rest? It can’t wait.”
“Well, when you put it that way, when the hell can we get you home?”
Continues here.
Author’s End Notes: I *heart* Terry Goodkind. Just sayin’.
Fandom: Common Law
Pairing: Travis Marks/Wes Mitchell
Rating: PG-13.
Word Count: 2,073
Warnings: More mpreg. You’ve been warned.
Short Summary: Wes and Travis plan a wedding while dealing with other things.
Author’s Notes: Part four of the Flowers in the Garden series. The first three installements are on AO3: Buttercups and Babies, Violets and Doting Daddies, and Poinsettias and Presents.
“Wizard’s Fourth Rule: There is magic in sincere forgiveness; in the forgiveness you give, but more so in the forgiveness you receive.” – Terry Goodkind, Temple of the Winds
May – Four months until the big day
Wes rolled onto his side, uncomfortable. His growing belly had expanded way past where he’d been with Violet at the same point. He’d even made a point to eat better this time through. And yet, he was still huge… with a little over ten weeks still to go.
Something other than his awkward stomach was keeping him awake, however. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something wasn’t quite right. Closing his eyes, he tried to think about something else – something neutral so he could grab at least a few hours of sleep. Between the awkwardness of his own body, Travis’ contented snoring, and Violet’s late night bedside visits, he hadn’t been able to get much these days.
He rested a hand on his stomach and slowed his breathing. Happy thoughts, Mitchell. Happy thoughts. Violet’s face floated in his minds’ eye, then Travis’ smile. Visions of wildflowers, tied up in neat bouquets, came next, leading naturally to a handsome, dark-skinned man in a tailored suit.
Pain gripped his belly, forcing his eyes to fly open in worry. He rubbed along the underside of his stomach, feeling the unknown child fidgeting restlessly. Reminding himself to breathe, he analyzed the pain that faded as quickly as it had appeared. It was like a contraction, but not quite. Wes stretched, trying to ease the growing pain in his lower back.
A warm hand reached around and cupped his waist. “Baby, you okay? Can’t sleep?”
Wes leaned into Travis’ strong chest. “Go back to sleep, Trav. I’m –” A second shooting pain hit him, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
“Wes?” Panic laced Travis’ voice, something that scared Wes even more than what his body was doing currently.
“Travis, I think I need a doctor,” he whispered, clutching his lover’s hand to his stomach.
Violet slept soundly, curled up in a hard as hell plastic waiting room chair. Even with as noisy as the emergency room was, she hadn’t stirred since they’d arrived. Travis kept an eye on her while he paced fitfully. It’d been over an hour since the ambulance had brought Wes here, he and Violet arriving minutes later. He hadn’t been able to get any information on Wes’ condition so far and he was starting to get really worried.
“Family of Wes Mitchell,” a doctor called from the admitting desk.
“That’s me,” Travis said, scooping Violet into his arms and rushing to meet the doctor. “How is he?”
“He’ll be okay, but he’s in a delicate state. He’s lucky to have had you with him tonight.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that, he hates being treated like a porcelain doll just because he’s pregnant. And besides, I’m with him every night.”
The doctor frowned. “Can I be frank with you, Mister…?”
“Marks,” Travis supplied. “Travis.”
“Mr. Marks, I didn’t mean that he was fragile because he was pregnant. His health is what’s fragile right now. His blood pressure is elevated as is his heart rate, both of which are dangerous for an expectant parent. Is he under any stress right now?”
Travis tried not to laugh at the absurdity of that question. “Of course he is, he’s a pregnant homicide detective with a young child. And we’re getting married soon, so I know that can’t be helping any.”
“All of this stress, coupled with his high blood pressure, has led to preterm labor. We’ve got it under control for now, but until his blood pressure normalizes and he’s out of danger, I’m suggesting indefinite bed rest.”
“Oh, he is not going to like that one bit,” Travis said.
“If he cares about the child he’s carrying, or,” he motioned towards the sleeping girl in his arms, “the one he already has, he’ll follow orders. Now, you can go see him, if you’d like. He’s in room 1279.”
“Thanks, doctor, I appreciate it.”
Travis approached the open door carefully, fearing airborne objects and hurled obscenities coming from within. Poking his head in the door, he instead found a very dejected Wes, head in hands, sobbing quietly.
“Baby, you okay?” He placed the still sleeping Violet at the foot of Wes’ hospital bed and wrapped his arms around his lover.
“No,” he cried, “no, I’m not okay. I’m done with this, Travis. I want to go home, I want to go to bed and sleep forever. I just don’t want to do this anymore.”
He’d looked at his bulging stomach when he’d uttered that last part, causing Travis’ heart to land solidly in his stomach. Suddenly, he found himself doubting the future of their relationship. “Wes, you can’t give up now, you’ve only got a few more weeks to go. And then there’s the wedding…”
Wes snorted. “Oh, yeah, because that’s going to make everything better, right? This damn wedding is what landed me here in the first place.”
Well okay then, he thought. “Know what, baby? I’m going to take Violet and go home. Call me when they release you and if you still want to come home, I’ll come get you.”
Gently, he lifted their daughter off her mama’s feet and carried her out of the room. He forced himself to not look back, to not say goodbye, because to do either would cause him to give in to his breaking heart. And that shit just wasn’t going to happen in front of Wes.
The goddamned doctor decided to keep him overnight. To put it mildly, Wes was not happy. Neither was the baby, from what he could tell. He – or she – hadn’t stopped fidgeting all night. An older nurse had patted his belly lovingly, telling him that it was all the excitement of the evening and his anxiety keeping the baby up. He tried to relax, but after Travis had walked out on him, it had been hard to do anything but wish he’d kept his damn fool mouth shut.
“Good morning, Mr. Mitchell,” a diminutive young redhead called out, pulling a machine twice her size behind her. “I’m Alice and I’m here to give you a quick ultrasound this morning. Your doctor requested one to check up on the baby after last night so we can assure you that everything is a-ok and send you on your way. Sound good?”
Wes nodded, giving silent permission. After she helped him into position, she had him lift his pajama top enough to fully expose his belly. A squirt of extra-icy gel landed on his bare skin, making him jump.
“Sorry, it’s a bit cold, isn’t it?” She smiled apologetically. “You have another baby, don’t you?”
Again, he nodded. “Yes, she’s eighteen months.”
The tech smiled at him. “You should be an expert at this then, right?”
“I’ve never actually had an ultrasound before,” he confessed.
“Never? Well then, we’re going to have to fix that right this instant!”
Taking the flat paddle into her hand, she smeared it around in the gel on his belly, moving it and poking at his gut until she found what she was looking for. After a few clicks on the keyboard, she turned the machine so he could see the display. What he saw there blew him away.
The baby’s profile was so clear he could make out a tiny nose and a little fist pressed to miniature lips. A sad smile crossed his own not so tiny face when he recognized – or assumed he did – Travis’ strong jaw in the monitor. He was such an ass last night that he was relatively sure that he’d even passed the Travis Marks level of insensitive asshole.
He sighed, depressed. “I wish Travis could see this.”
“Is he here?” She looked around as if she could spot him hiding in a corner. “No? Well, I’m not supposed to do this, but what the hell, right? I mean, he’s probably home caring for your other one, right?”
Another stab to the heart. “Yeah, he is.”
Nodding happily, she clicked on the keyboard a couple times, moved the paddle, clicked again. She repeated this three or four times, grinning the whole time. Grabbing a small stack of paper off the machine’s cart, she said, “Here you go. Now you can share with your man.”
Wes looked through what appeared to be pictures of his baby, astounded that such a thing even existed. “These are mine?”
“Yep, sure are. Show them to your honey when he comes to get you. Oh, and your little girl, too. You can tell her she’s getting – wait, do you even want to know what you’re having?”
His eyes widened in shock. He knew they could do this, but it hadn’t ever occurred to him to ask.
“Hell yes we do,” Travis said from the doorway.
“Mama!” Violet rushed to the bedside, arms spread wide.
The tech lifted the bundle of energy off the floor and onto the bed beside her mama. “Now, you need to stay really still while I show your daddy something, okay?” Violet nodded eagerly, snuggling into Wes’ side. Alice motioned Travis over and positioned him where he’d have the best view. “So, you want to know? Both of you?”
Travis looked at Wes, nodding after he was sure. “Please. Baby Vi was a surprise in more than one way. A little preparation this time around would be nice.”
“Are you hoping for one or the other,” she asked, moving the paddle around until she’d found what she was looking for on the monitor.
“All I want is to not be pregnant any longer,” Wes said.
Travis patted his hand before saying, “I had thought I wanted a boy, but we’ve been so blessed with this little rascal that I think maybe another baby girl would be the best fit.”
“You’re in luck then, because that’s exactly what you’re getting. Congratulations! And now, I must go.” She wiped Wes’ stomach clean and packed up the machine. “Oh, and your daughter is beautiful. If this little one is even half as adorable, you’ll be the luckiest parents on the planet.”
“Soooo,” Travis said, “another little Violet. How cool is that?”
Wes watched him perch himself on the side of the bed. “Very cool, just so long as this one is a bit more Mitchell than she is Marks. The one we have now has enough mouth for twelve kids.”
“Awww, that’s our baby gurrrrrl you’re talking about.” Travis poked him playfully in the arm. “But she does have a habit of mouthing off, doesn’t she?”
“No idea where she gets it from either,” he deadpanned. “Listen, Travis I –”
Travis stopped him. “Don’t. I know, or hope anyway, that you didn’t mean any of it. You were scared and tired and stressed. I’m the one who needs to apologize. For not helping and letting you get so overwhelmed with everything.”
Wes squeezed his hand tightly. “How about we call it even where fault’s concerned? I shouldn’t have said any of it, no matter how I was feeling. Okay?”
“Okay, baby. I’m sorry, too.”
“So, I’ve been thinking.” Wes caught Travis’ gaze, holding it.
“About what?”
“How about we elope?”
“What?” Travis laughed, looking around for the hidden camera. “You can’t be serious? Not after all the planning?”
“I am, Trav. I’m going to be riding the bench for the next several weeks, so getting any actual cake tasting or invitation buying done is going to be difficult. Will Judge Bentley come to the house?”
“If I promise him some of my mama’s tamales, he might. But what about the wedding you’ve been planning?”
“Dakota,” he corrected. “She’s been doing most of the research and planning and arranging. All I’ve been doing is giving my final approval on things.”
“See, this is good. She can continue in your place, and we can still have our wedding in September like we planned.”
Wes shook his head. “No, I’ve had an epiphany. I don’t want to wait. I want to be married to you before the baby gets here. We can still have a big party celebrating both the baby and our marriage in September if you’d like. But, the rest? It can’t wait.”
“Well, when you put it that way, when the hell can we get you home?”
Continues here.
Author’s End Notes: I *heart* Terry Goodkind. Just sayin’.
