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roosterforme · 1 month

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The Younger Kind Part 55 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley can't get enough of the adrenaline rush that is accompanying his special mission, but he has reached the point where the excitement doesn't outweigh his desire to return home. Every day feels the same for you, until one of them starts to feel much worse.

Warnings: mentions of blood, pregnancy topics, potential pregnancy complications, swearing, angst, fluff, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4300 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

Every day was the same now. Every morning started out with a hopeful feeling in your chest. Your engagement ring was still noticeable on your finger, although you figured that would fade with time as it became a permanent fixture. At first, you woke up to the delicious feeling of being pregnant and engaged to Bradley, but when you rolled over to reach for him, the rest of the bed was cold. The covers were untouched. His pillow was still in the exact same place you left it when you made the bed yesterday.

Tears stung at your eyes. You knew exactly how many days he had been gone, because the updated number was practically all you could think about. The days had become a week. Then two. And now that hopeful feeling was starting to vanish only to be replaced by dread almost immediately after you cracked your eyes open.

You whispered, "I miss you," and climbed out of bed without even looking at the vacant side now. You started to dress in your scrubs without a smile on your face, and then you went into the bathroom which was completely silent. You thought that if you just had an inkling, the barest idea of when Bradley might be returning, you'd feel much better, but you had no clue.

You and Noah had only had one brief conversation with him over the phone. The connection had been pretty bad, and you knew someone was sitting right there with him monitoring every single word. He'd told you that much before his personal phone had been taken away from him the day he arrived. You had to pause as you put toothpaste on your toothbrush, because the tears were going to start if you didn't get yourself under control.

Bradley had hung up a few post-it notes around the house for you and Noah to find. Most of them were reminders of how much he loved you, but the one on the bathroom mirror took your breath away every time you saw it. It said April 25th with a heart around it. And above that'd, he'd drawn a crown. The fact that you had no idea how much of your pregnancy he was going to miss threw you off every single time. You ran your fingers over the note, but you didn't move it.

"Mommy?" Noah called out, and you heard him jump down from his bed. It was so obvious how much he missed his dad; he was extra clingy with you right now, even shedding a few tears now when you tried to drop him off before you went to work each day.

"I'm in the bathroom," you called out as best you could with your toothbrush still in your mouth. You opened the door so he could come in with you, and he immediately wrapped his arms around your thigh.

"Is it daycare today?"

You spit out the toothpaste and rinsed your mouth. "Yes, Sweet Noah. You have daycare today."

"I want to go to the park with you and Daddy."

That sounded so perfect, you wanted to scream. "As soon as Daddy comes home, we can all spend a whole day at the park. But not today." You didn't even want to tell him that you had to work an extra hour and a half and as a result would be picking him up later than usual. You agreed to cover some extra shifts all week long even though you were tired enough that you'd been passing out in bed right after Noah went to sleep each night.

When he sniffed and looked up at you with watery eyes, you could barely handle it. Bradley had been gone for less than three weeks, but you were already getting a little desperate. You knew you would feel like a failure if you reached out for help at this point, even though Natasha and Penny had both been texting with you to check in. Bradley even had Tracy emailing you in case you needed anything, and you couldn't decide whether you had to make more friends to get him off your back or simply be appreciative that he cared enough to set things up.

"I know," you whispered to Noah, running your fingers through his soft curls. "But we can make ants on logs later. And we can take Skittles for a nice walk." When you said her name, the pup appeared in the bathroom doorway, her brown eyes also a little sad without her favorite person at home.

"I'm hungry," Noah murmured against your scrub pants. You bent to scoop him up into your arms and carried him to the kitchen where you got breakfast ready for everyone. It was going to be a long day for you, and you'd been so wrapped up in your feelings, you almost forgot you were going to have to see Casey.

You groaned at the thought of her, and you immediately lost your appetite and scraped your eggs into the dish on the floor for Skittles to enjoy. After you packed yourself a lunch and got Noah ready, you realized you were kind of running late. Everything felt ten times harder when you had to do it all yourself.

"I don't know how Bradley managed," you whispered as you zipped down the block in your car. A soft smile played at your lips as you thought back to how adorably hopeless he had been when you first met him. He hadn't eaten a good meal in probably months before you started babysitting Noah for him. At least he could cook a little bit now, even if he still couldn't figure out how to use his phone.

When you took Noah inside his daycare, Casey's eyes were immediately glued to your ring as it shone in the sunlight. She slid the clipboard to you and watched you sign Noah in while you held his hand. Then you knelt down and kissed his cheek and whispered, "I'll pick you up later. I love you."

He smiled, and then you let Casey walk him inside. You stood there long enough to make sure he started to hang up his bag like you always did, and when she walked back out into the lobby, she was smirking. "Did Bradley leave you? He hasn't been here in weeks."

You rolled your eyes as you said, "He's deployed. We've been over this before."

She held up her hands in mock surrender. "I'm just saying, it kind of looks like he left you and Noah in the dust."

"In what world would that man leave Noah?" you practically shouted.

"That's true," she replied with a smile. "Bradley would never leave his adorable son, but I could see him ditching you and your make believe baby."

You rubbed your temples and took your phone out of your pocket to check the time. You'd barely make it to work before the first patient if you didn't leave right now, but you couldn't help yourself. "I'm done, Casey. I've had enough. Which of the owners is here today? Because I'm not going to listen to you talk to me like this for one more minute."

Her face went ghostly white and she muttered something that you couldn't quite make out. "Speak up," you snapped. "Or apologize to me and don't bother talking to me again unless it's completely necessary."

"Sorry."

"Great," you told her loudly. "Have a great day, and when I pick Noah up later, just keep your mouth shut."

You took in the stupid looking expression on her face before you turned to leave, storming out the door and across the parking lot to your car.

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It didn't take Bradley long to get used to the sleek controls and seductive design of the sixth-generation fighter jet that everyone appropriately referred to as Shadowhawk. By the second morning on base in Yokosuka, Admiral Palmer was singing Bradley's praises. He showed up early and did as he was told, hoping to spend as much time in the air as he could each day.

It was an adrenaline rush every single time. He was going substantially faster than he ever did in a Super Hornet, and all of his readouts were being recorded. He had to pass a quick physical and stress test every morning before he was allowed to fly, and then he was hooked up to monitoring equipment and let loose. He and Shadowhawk were flying the same loop far out over the pacific ocean at insanely high altitudes, and each time he fell a little bit more in love with being in the air. He could maneuver through rolls and dive into an attack formation faster than he could even imagine.

When he was flying, it was easy enough to focus on the task at hand. He knew if he wasn't one hundred percent focused, it would be dangerous. He might not snuff out the launched missile in time with his flares or his guns. He might lose sight of his targets. But as soon as he had any sort of mental reprieve, he was thinking about you and Noah and Skittles and his bungalow tucked away on a side street in Coronado.

"Fuck," he muttered as he unloaded from Shadowhawk one day just as the sun was setting. He was drenched in sweat and exhausted, and all he could think about was taking a shower with you before dragging himself off to his king size bed that always smelled like wildflowers and falling asleep in your arms. He let the peripheral staff detach all of the cables and heart monitor from his flight suit before he found an officer who spoke English. "Is there time for me to make a phone call tonight?" he asked.

It was about three o'clock in the morning in California, and he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to Noah, but he was dying to hear your voice. He knew he'd wake you up, but the ache was so strong, he absolutely needed to if he could. He'd been allowed to make exactly one call so far, and that was already more than two weeks ago.

All he got in response to his question was a quick shake of his head. "Tomorrow," she responded. That's what they told him every day. The lack of communication felt like a prison sentence at times, but there wasn't much he could do but accept it. All of the data they were collecting as well as Shadowhawk itself were considered proprietary and top secret. He practically had to sign his life away every day before he was allowed to touch the thing.

"Tomorrow," he repeated. "But will it actually be tomorrow? Or does that mean a week from now?"

"Tomorrow," she said more firmly, and he thanked her quietly before heading up to the tower to debrief with the admirals. There wasn't much else he could do.

The next day was a lot more of the same, and the routine was starting to grate on his nerves now. The aircraft still felt incredible, beyond his wildest dreams. He was still happy to be here, but at the same time, he was ready to go home now. They weren't giving him any updates on the progress of this assignment or when it might end, so he just decided to approach Admiral Palmer directly.

"Sir, I'd really appreciate a ten minute phone call, if that can be arranged." Once again, it was the middle of the night for you, but Bradley needed it.

The older man eyed him closely and cleared his throat. "It's a liability, Lieutenant. I'm sure you can understand that."

Bradley felt his fingers flex into fists at his sides. "Sir, someone would be monitoring me the entire time. And I'm just asking to talk to my fiancée and my son. That's it. Any time of any day."

The answer of, "There's no guarantee," did not sit well with Bradley. He had to bite his lip until he was tasting blood to keep himself from talking out of order, but he was sure the other man could read the frustration on his face and in his posture. "Maybe a very brief call, but we could be wrapping up our preliminary testing on Shadowhawk any day now. Either way, I'm sure you'll be able to finish out this temporary assignment like a professional."

Bradley swallowed down every retort that came to his mind, saluted Admiral Palmer, and left for his tiny room in the barracks. But another week passed, and Bradley knew there was no end in sight. And perhaps no phone call either.

-------------------------

"Is this normal though?" you asked Natasha over the phone one night after Noah was in bed. You'd thought about taking a long bath, but you were so tired from working late almost every day, you could barely hold yourself up. You were already in bed at 8:45 with your phone pressed to your ear. "I haven't heard from Bradley in almost a month."

The words made a lump form in your throat. It was actually twenty-two and a half days since he'd called. You needed to hear his voice. Noah was asking for him nonstop, and he had missed your most recent checkup with your obstetrician. The whole thing had been such a blur during your lunch break without him there, and you wanted to show him the new ultrasounds.

"Well, I don't think this assignment is exactly normal, you know?" she replied. "On a regular deployment, you'd be able to talk to him almost weekly. But this is something else altogether."

You made a soft sound. There had to be a way to make the time pass faster. If you didn't have to get Noah by six o'clock every day, you would try to pick up more hours at work. Maybe this weekend you could start cleaning up the extra bedroom that you and Bradley decided would become the nursery. You already promised Noah that you'd take him shopping for a Halloween costume, so at least that would entertain him for a little while.

"Thanks, Natasha," you murmured to Bradley's best friend.

"Hey, if you need a little break this weekend, I'd be more than happy to come over and play with Noah on Saturday or Sunday," she said, and you sighed in relief.

"That actually sounds fantastic. I'll call you."

You ended the call a minute later, curling up in a ball of exhaustion as you tried to imagine where Bradley was and what he was doing. You were tired now as you tried to do the math to determine what time it was in Japan. Was he sixteen hours ahead of you? Something like that? You yawned and fell asleep with your phone on the pillow next to your head.

Then you heard your ringtone blaring in your ear, and you almost fell out of the bed as you realized your phone was so close to you. RESTRICTED CALLER. "Oh my god," you gasped, trying to answer the call while you saw that your battery was down to four percent because you never plugged it in. "Bradley?!"

"Princess."

"Bradley!" You climbed out of bed, your body immediately shivering as you were exposed to the cool air. Your nerves were frayed as you plugged your phone in and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Baby. I'm so sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay!" you said, your voice sounding more like a sob as you sat on the floor. "I've been so worried about you."

His voice was a deep, familiar rumble as he said, "I've got five minutes. Tell me everything."

"We miss you, Daddy," you said, rubbing your hand low on your belly which was starting to feel a little tender as you got closer to thirteen weeks along. "Noah asks for you all the time. The baby looked good at the last appointment. But your best friend, Skittles, is barely holding it together."

"I missed your appointment," he said, his voice strained with emotion. "I should have been there."

"It's okay," you whispered. "We're doing okay." But you weren't. You and Noah thrived when you had his attention. You felt loved when he was home to hold you and whisper plans about the future until you fell asleep each night. "I just thought you'd be able to call more often."

"Me too," he said in a tone that sounded both annoyed and resigned.

"Do you know when you'll be home?" you asked in as hopeful a voice as you could manage.

"Soon, Princess. Soon. Now tell me everything about your appointment."

You gave him more details as you shifted around on the floor, and you told him that Noah painted a picture for him. Then you heard someone on his end of the call telling him that it was time to go, and you wanted to scream that it wasn't enough. But instead you let the tears fall down your cheeks, thankful that you at least knew he was safe.

"I love you, Bradley."

"I love you too, Princess. I'll be home before you know it."

You dried your tears and climbed back into bed, and even though you weren't able to fall asleep again, you felt so much better. Your imagination drifted to thoughts of the baby in the nursery, all of you curled up on the floor for story time together. You would start getting the room ready this weekend.

On Saturday, you took Noah to the Halloween warehouse store that seemed to pop up overnight. "You have to hold my hand," you reminded him as he reached for every single display in the crowded store. There were so many aisles, this would probably take up your entire morning with him. He was keeping a running list of options that he liked for trick-or-treating, and you had to keep reminding yourself not to check the price tags. You'd put whatever he wanted on your princess credit card and call it a day.

"Mommy, let's all be dinosaurs," he said, pointing to a costume in his size.

You glanced around the area and said, "They don't have any in my size. Can we pick something else?"

"I want you and Daddy to dress up, too," he whined, and you didn't want to have to tell him that you weren't sure if Bradley would be home in the next week and a half to accommodate that wish.

"Well, I will definitely dress up with you, okay? Let's pick something out where you and I can match."

But he wasn't going to be deterred. He was demanding that all three of you match along with Skittles. You walked around the entire store twice before you found an option that he agreed upon, and you were smiling as you gathered the costumes in all of the necessary sizes. "This is perfect, Sweet Noah," you said as you looked at the costume for Bradley and laughed. You just hoped he would be back in time to wear it. If not, maybe you could ask Maverick.

The sky was starting to look overcast, so you took Noah home for lunch and didn't feel too bad about keeping him inside for the afternoon, especially when it started raining. You set him up with his array of coloring books at the kitchen table and then went to investigate the extra bedroom. Nobody ever slept in there, so it was a bit dusty. There was basically no furniture besides the bed and an old desk, but it was cozy and perfect for what you had planned.

Your muscles were sore from standing at work, and you were so tired, but you started moving the bed anyway. You'd have to tell Dr. Kelly and the others that you were pregnant soon. It was time now, but you kept putting it off, enjoying the secret that only you and Bradley really knew about. Plus it still got under your skin a little bit when you considered that other people would have a knee jerk reaction to the timeframe of when you got engaged compared to when you got pregnant.

"It's none of their business," you whispered to yourself as you walked to the kitchen to check on Noah every few minutes. Then you went back to the bedroom and cleaned, moved things around and took measurements. "How big are cribs, anyway?" you mused before looking up some dimensions online. "Pretty big."

It took some creativity, but you thought you'd finally sorted out where everything should go. Then you moved Bradley's random junk from the closet to the attic, wiping the sweat from your face with each trip. You kicked your way through the boxes where you'd found the USB drive with the video he made with Meredith. At first you grimaced and thought you might cry, but then you remembered the way he had smashed the stupid thing to bits in the backyard. You wanted him to come home. You needed him to.

"Mommy?" Noah called out, luring you back into the kitchen. You were a mess, and when you noticed how much he was yawning, you silently rejoiced.

"It looks like you could use a nap," you said as you kissed the curls on top of his head. He scrambled up into your arms and hugged you, such a tiny reminder of his dad, and you carried him off to his room. After a few stories, he was asleep as the rain picked up a little bit, and you knew this would be the perfect time to take a shower.

You moved Skittles' bed into Noah's room temporarily, and coaxed her in with a treat. "Keep him company in case he wakes up," you whispered, and she walked around in a circle on the plush cushion before settling in. Her crooked, purple bow made you smile. Everything in this house made you smile and think about Bradley. You knew he'd have even more ideas about a theme for the nursery, but you started to scroll through some inspiration online as the shower warmed up for you.

The water ended up feeling better than you anticipated. Your shoulders were sore. Your hips were sore. Every part of your body was aching. It seemed it didn't matter how much you were sleeping, you were still exhausted all day long. Maybe Dr. Kelly would reduce your hours and give you a break. You thought about sneaking home one afternoon a week to take a long nap before going back out to pick Noah up. Then you thought about how Casey hadn't said a single word to you since you told her you were going to her boss. Then you smiled.

You were squeaky clean when you got dressed again in some old sweats and headed to the kitchen. Your stomach was growling, and you desperately wanted some coffee. "One cup is okay," you whispered, turning on Bradley's fancy machine while you made yourself a snack. You'd been meticulous about how much caffeine you were drinking, and Bradley helped by bringing home only decaf from the coffee shop. You downed the cup, and it was hot and delicious, and almost immediately you had to pee again.

Your doctor told you that was normal as the baby grew and started to stretch things out. You passed Noah's bedroom door where both he and Skittles were still sound asleep as the rain splattered against his window, and then you went to the bathroom. When you wiped, the toilet paper caught your eye, and your hand started to shake. Pink. Blood. Just a little bit, but there was blood.

"Oh no," you gasped, a dizzy spell overtaking your body. You'd read about this in your textbooks, and you knew it could happen, but you'd blocked it out of your mind when it came to yourself right now. You didn't want to be an example. You had to grip the toilet seat with one hand to keep steady as you wiped yourself again. There was more blood, a little bit less pink and more red this time.

Your own breathing was too loud. It was echoing through your mind and through the bathroom, and you wanted to throw up. You eased yourself onto the floor and started to panic. The baby. What if something was happening to the baby? "No," you whispered, trying to ground yourself. Using the edge of the tub, you pulled yourself slowly to your feet, your head spinning more with every inch you moved. "No," you said louder.

When you were standing on your own, you had yourself almost convinced you'd imagined it. You didn't feel bad. You were just a little sore. There couldn't be anything wrong. You reached for another piece of toilet paper and wiped, but the result was the same.

Where was your phone? Who were you supposed to call? You walked around in circles around the house while your heart thudded a sickening rhythm in your chest. You paused, unable to locate your phone and convinced you were going to throw up. After you backtracked to the extra bedroom, you found it and unlocked it.

Natasha's name was right there in your recent calls, and you tapped on it before you could even fathom what you were going to tell her.

"Hi," she said brightly when she eventually answered. "Want me to come over and play with Noah so you can take a break for a little bit?"

"Please," you gasped. "Please come over. Right now."

She must have sensed something in your voice, because hers turned serious as she assured you she was on her way. While you waited for her, you wiped yourself again and again before you made yourself wait in the living room instead of the bathroom. When she walked inside with dripping wet hair and concern on her face, you said, "Noah is still napping. I need to take myself to the emergency room."

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Get to the hospital, Princess. This kind of scenario is very real and has happened to me. I will tread as carefully as I can. Please don't scream at me. We will hear from a doctor in the next chapter. Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 56

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childlikegoblinqueen · 5 months

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SCOM WRITING NOTES:

The Sweet Child Universe has its own Coffee House AU!

Maybe it is me being nostalgic for my barista days, but I really enjoy the headcanon that Hunter would take a job at Robin's Roast as a barista.

It is the type of work that is very task oriented and focused, but it provides small comforts for those you serve. Coffee is life.

I keep saying that this phase of SCOM is all about Hunter taking control of how his story is told by the public as Willow's due date closes in, and a whole new book of unwritten pages and experiences will be placed before him.

If he's going to be stalked by the media, he is going to make sure he is doing things that make him happy and help heal the damage done by Belos that remains ten years later -- lest others try to re-write a part of that.

So, while the entire stint making specialty drinks with intricate foam art -- and some of the weird requests for his autograph -- exhausted Hunter greatly, he did enjoy just doing some menial tasks that made people happy and encouraged them to donate to a good cause.

Also, he got to see Willow chill and relish in her own accomplishments outside of his drama and her difficult pregnancy.

There's a bunch of personal stuff in here. It is February in SCOM universe. I recall really, desperately trying to cling to anything that could be ME outside of what was happening in my own body. Literally all anyone wanted to talk to me about was my pregnancy or how my size (4’11 with a tiny frame) and the fact that I was carrying twins meant I’d definitely be delivering early (I didn’t!) and how difficult having one newborn was and that the two would be too much for me. (It was nuts but I have no frame of reference for anything else.)

Willow isn’t having twins, but it is a high risk pregnancy. As we know, Hunter feels VERY responsible for the complications Willow is having, but he's determined to face whatever is needed with her! I recall work shopping this fic with a mutual and they mentioned that they'd seen fics where Willow gets pregnant and Hunter freaks and runs... and I just don't see him being like that?

As Loz AKA @probablyhuntersmom has noted in multiple Metas, "Family" and "Our Family" are keystone phrases for Hunter. He's got his found and chosen family now, and he's about to start one of his own. He's in it for the long haul, and though the fear that coming from abuse would perpetuate the cycle still lingers, there's a lot more there now.

Hunter knows he wants to be a loving father, but outside forces are shoehorning him into a narrative he's realizing FINALLY isn't fair, because his own story is much more complex, and by the Titan's will, he's going to knuckle down and stick by Willow no matter what. Because this is what he's always wanted.

Unfortunately there are some who have given into wild conspiracy theories that Hunter had something to do with the disappearance of this crazy biotch.

#hunter noceda #the owl house #toh fanfic #spotify #sweet child o mine #willow x hunter #willow park #toh hunter #huntlow #a03 fanfic #fan fiction analysis #fan fiction writing #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #the owl house hunter #the owl house fan fiction #scom hunter #tw pregnancy complications #tw pregnancy

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flatbstanley · 4 months

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From Taylor’s prayer journal:

Oh God, why are You doing this to me? Are You trying to punish me for thinking about leaving Justin? First I find out that I’m pregnant, even though it’s the absolute last thing I need right now. And five seconds after that, Alan calls to say that Kelly’s in the hospital with severe pre-eclampsia.

She wants to stay on bed rest for as long as she can so the baby can grow and have the best chance of being born healthy. But I remember the horror stories I've heard about that condition. How everything can go downhill so fast. How you can have a stroke even after the birth, when you think you should be fine.

Please, Lord, keep Kelly safe. Alan needs his wife, and Jonah and Isaiah and Brielle need their mom. And God…I need her too.

[A/N: I'm back, y'all! I can't promise daily story updates because I've just started my final semester of my masters, but I will post as able!]

#santoro family #character: taylor santoro #character: kelly moreno #character: alan moreno #tw pregnancy complications

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rosemaidenvixen · 11 months

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What's something you feel about Jlaire that you think isn't a widely accepted headcanon in the fandom?

[Keep in mind all of the following is my own personal headcanons about Claire and Jim's relationship and if you disagree or have different headcanons they are just as valid]

tw: mentions of pregnancy and pregnancy related health complications

I've seen a lot of adorable art of future Jlaire kids, but I feel like having kids would be a major point of disagreement for Claire and Jim.

I can easily see Jim as someone who wants to have kids and is eager and enthusiastic to be a dad, but I headcanon Claire's feelings on starting a family to be a lot more lukewarm.

Claire loves her parents and has a good relationship with them now, but worries a lot about perpetuating the controlling behavior that her own mother inflicted on her. And she's not certain that becoming a mother is something she really wants.

This is the biggest disagreement they have in their relationship and the closest they come to breaking up. They're only able to overcome this obstacle with a lot of good communication and support.

Because "I don't want kids" is a complete sentence and a valid desire, so is "I don't want to sacrifice my career, education, and ambitions to become a full time caregiver" and Claire feels the latter more than the former.

So when they do have kids, when they're both adults after a lot of time and communication and making completely certain that this is something they both want, they make a plan that allows Claire to keep up with her magical studies and training to become a full fledged master sorceress with Jim being the stay at home parent. Claire goes out to work and school while Jim stays home and handles childcare and housework, with a rotating supply of baby sitters on call in case he's summoned for Trollhunting duties. And after Claire comes home chores and childcare are fifty fifty between them, plus days where Grandma Barbara/Grandpa Blinky/Uncle Toby takes care of their child for a while to give them a break.

It's still a lot of hard work, but they settle into a dynamic that works for them and allows their family to be happy and healthy.

I also headcanon (in the case of troll Jim) that while a human and a troll hybrid like Jim can have children together, such a pregnancy is very high risk. So Claire and Jim either create a birthstone, which would allow them to have a biological child without Claire being subjected to the health risks and potential complications of a hybrid pregnancy, or they adopt.

#tales of arcadia #trollhunters #jim lake jr #claire nuñez #troll!jim #jlaire #toa headcanons #rmvspeaks #relationship dynamics #tw pregnancy #tw pregnancy complications

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goddessofroyalty · 2 years

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Hey uh… story prompt? If you like it, I mean. I’m sorry if not, and it’s totally okay of course! But maybe Viktor post delivery, but it was a difficult one so he is either delirious, in a lot of pain, or shivering from blood loss. Just some good old fashioned hurt/comfort with Jayce taking care of Vik and the baby and Viktor trying to hold it together but he’s really scared of dying now. If death is in the cards or not in that scenario I leave up to you of course. I just enjoy the way you write them so much and you asked for prompts so, uh… yeah. Thank you for writing in general. You really made me feel less awkward about liking mpreg, honestly.

~V⚙️🔩

Try this again on the right prompt. Also AO3 link.

Tags: mpreg, post-childbirth, birth complications (Viktor’s fine at the end though)

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Jayce feels Viktor’s hand twitch in his own that is holding it, waiting for his partner to wake.

He squeezes back as Viktor’s eyes flicker and open and Viktor groans.

“Jayce?” Viktor asks, his voice scratchy.

“I’m right here,” Jayce promises, shifting over in the hospital chair to be closer. “How are you feeling?”

Viktor seems to consider the question for a minute.

“Sore,” he settles on. “What happened?”

“They rushed you into surgery right after he was born.” Jayce doesn’t fully know why either. It had been clear the birth had been difficult for Viktor. And it certainly hadn’t helped Jayce’s anxiety how Viktor had been wheeled from the room almost as soon as their son had been born, leaving Jayce with the nurses and their new child.

Viktor was back now though and awake so surely whatever the danger had been had passed.

“Ah,” Viktor says. “I think I do remember that.”

He takes his hand from Jayce’s to brace himself as he adjusts to sit up in the bed, hissing as he does.

Jayce moves closer to help him up. A hand against Viktor’s back and chest to stabilize him, moving the pillows to help support Viktor once he is seated.

“The doctor’s said you should take it easy,” Jayce says, pulling away to give Viktor space while being close in case he needs anything.

Viktor nods stiffly, his eyes tightly shut and muscles tense as he licks his lip.

“Do you need a drink?” Jayce asks because he can tell Viktor isn’t comfortable and the doctors had mentioned he would be dehydrated from the anesthetic.

“No. Ah- Can I have my child?” Viktor asks, his voice soft.

“Yes of course.” Jayce hadn’t wanted to just hand their new son to Viktor he case he had a difficult wakeup from the surgery. But if Viktor wanted to meet him than Jayce would get him for him.

“Thank you,” Viktor says softly as Jayce carefully picks their son up from the hospital crib, still terrified he will somehow hurt him, and brings him over to Viktor.

Viktor weakly reaches up to accept their bundled child.

Jayce helps to keep him supported as Viktor brings him close. Only letting go once Viktor seems settled with their son in his lap, Jayce sitting on the edge of the bed to be close to them both.

“He’s apparently a perfectly healthy boy,” Jayce says. Unable to help himself but reach out to stroke his son’s cheek as he talks about him. Their son finally able to see the person who carried him for the first time. Viktor had rushed out earlier before he had a chance.

“I- good,” Viktor says, his voice uneven and Jayce figures it is just from the anesthetic.

Viktor curls down around their son, his shoulders shaking as he lets out weak sobs.

“Hey,” Jayce says, resting his hand on Viktor’s shoulder in what he hopes is comfort. “What’s wrong?”

He gets that being able to hold their child is emotional. The wave of love something Jayce himself had never felt. But there is something about how Viktor is that makes Jayce feel like there’s something else as well.

“I… don’t feel right Jayce,” Viktor says, his head still bowed to their child.

“Do you want me to get the doctor?”

“I- please.”

“Of course.” Jayce would do anything to help Viktor feel better. “Do you want to keep holding him while I do or-“

“It is probably safer if you take him back,” Viktor says because his hands are shaking as he weakly tries to sit up again.

“Okay,” Jayce says, moving to help Viktor sit up and gently take their son back. Pressing a kiss to Viktor’s head as he does. “You’ll be okay alright?”

Viktor doesn’t say anything just winces as he relaxes against the pillows.

Jayce puts their son back into the hospital cot to go get the doctor but picks him up as soon as he returns. Holding him as the nurses showed him as the doctor examines Viktor.

“Is he okay?” Jayce asks, when he sees the doctor’s brows furrow.

“He will be but I might see if surgery can fit him in and put him on an antibiotic drip for the next couple of days,” she says. Which doesn’t sound good and Jayce can see Viktor’s eyes tracking patterns on the ceiling while listening.

“Okay,” Jayce says because there isn’t anything else that can be said.

He moves closer to Viktor once the doctor leaves to go organize what they need. Reaching out to take Viktor’s hand in his, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles.

“Is there anything you want me to do?” Anything that could make Viktor more comfortable or the situation better at all.

“No,” Viktor says with a weak shake of his head.

“Okay. Do you want to hold him again?”

“I might drop him.”

“No you won’t. I will be right here to make sure of it,” Jayce promises, bringing their son over to Viktor.

Viktor clearly isn’t still sure but he weakly lifts his hands to take his baby. Just as promised Jayce keeps his hands in place, holding Viktor’s hands in his own as Viktor holds their baby.

He can feel the tremors in Viktor’s hands for it.

When he looks at Viktor’s face all he sees is pale exhaustion.

He wonders if there is anything he can do to get Viktor into surgery sooner.

“Jayce,” Viktor says after a couple of minutes of just holding their son.

“Yeah?”

“Can you get me one of the extra blankets? I’m cold.”

“Sure. Do you want me to take him while I do?” It would be harder, of course, to balance holding their fragile newborn son while getting the blanket but Jayce doesn’t want to make Viktor feel like he’s at risk of hurting their child either.

“I should be okay for a minute,” Viktor decides after thinking about it.

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

Jayce gently pulls his hands from under Viktor’s to get the blanket that is thankfully folded up on the vacant chair in the room. Viktor is starting to shiver by the time Jayce is covering him with it.

“I’m going to go get the doctor again,” Jayce says, gently running a hand through Viktor’s hair. He knows birth isn’t easy but it doesn’t feel right for Viktor to be this weak.

Viktor nods weakly at it. Letting Jayce gently take their son from him to place back into the hospital cot.

Jayce goes to get the doctor and ten minutes later Viktor is being wheeled back into surgery. Leaving Jayce alone with their newborn son again.

“He’ll be alright,” Jayce promises their son as he holds in in his arms to give himself something to do. Even if he feels like he’s trying to reassure himself as well. “He’s not going to leave us that easily.”

Two hours later Viktor is wheeled back in. A collection of tubes connected to him.

It takes him even longer to wake up than it did the previous time.

“How are you feeling?” Jayce asks when Viktor’s eyes flutter open again.

Viktor just winces and shakes his head.

“Just focus on resting.” They don’t need Viktor to push himself harder than his body can currently handle just so Jayce can talk to him.

Viktor nods before drifting back to sleep. Leaving Jayce to watch the IVs slowly drain into his partner and care for their child. His only company the nurses and doctors that come in to check Viktor’s vitals.

Viktor eventually wakes again as Jayce sits by his bedside trying to keep their son settled.

“Jayce?” Viktor asks. The color looking at least slightly returned to his skin and eyes more focused.

“Right here,” Jayce says, same as when Viktor woke up from his first surgery. He hopes it won’t happen a third time. “Are you feeling better?”

“A little,” Viktor says, turning his head to look at Jayce and their child, smiling weakly at them. “How has he been?”

“A little unsettled,” Jayce answers honestly. “I think he’s worried about you. Or maybe he’s just picking up on my worry.”

Viktor gives a hum at it. Reaching out with his hand to touch his son. Jayce immediately bringing the baby closer so he doesn’t have to stretch as far.

“Sorry for worrying you.”

“Don’t. You don’t need to apologize Vik,” Jayce says, trying to fight the tears gathering in his eyes. Viktor doesn’t need to know just how worried he was. “I’m just glad you’re okay. You are okay right? Do you need me to get you the doctor again?”

Jayce would. And he would continue to do so until Viktor was better.

“No. I think I’m okay now,” Viktor says before wincing as he tries to shift. “Ah, I mean I just need to rest.”

“Okay. Tell me if you need anything.” Whatever it might be Jayce would get it.

“Your hands are already full as is,” Viktor says, with a nod to their child in Jayce’s arms. “I am sorry I’m not of more use.”

“You already did enough,” Jayce says. Viktor had carried their child for nine months and the toll from their birth was the reason he was still in the hospital bed with all the cords attached to him. “I can take it from here.”

“Not entirely I hope,” Viktor says. “We are partners are we not?”

“We are.” Partners in Hextech. Partners in life. And now partners in parenthood. “Once you’re better though.”

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tchaikovskym · 7 months

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It's like I've been silent in my mind during this whole day because I assisted in a paramedic training/simulation today and it messed me up, so I'm going to tell you all about it, so you get a slice of messed up too:

It was about pregnant people emergency C-section because of cardiac arrest of the mother

If a pregnant person goes into cardiac arrest, you're pretty safe to assume that the baby is dead. No matter what.

If a pregnant person (with a big belly) goes into cardiac arrest you have to do an emergency C-section of their dead baby in 4-5 minutes

The C-section is necessary, because otherwise CPR is ineffective, since the uterus is pressing down on the abdominal aorta and vena cava

Usual gynecologist performed incision is a horizontal incision at the bottom of the belly; the emergency incision made by paramedics goes from the belly button down

The same large incision goes for the uterus, pretty much damaging it forever

During the process, bladder and intestines are possible to be cut too, but that's okay, because there is no time to think about it if one wants to keep the person alive

Once you get to the amniotic sac, you can puncture it with the scalpel (or scissors), or just put your hands there and tear it apart, it doesn't matter

Once again, you do not pay attention on not hurting the baby in the amniotic sac, because the baby is most probably very dead.

You get the baby out like whatever. Gynecologists have a special maneuver, but it's an emergency, you have a time restriction, and you have to yank the baby out.

Once you've done that clamp and cut the umbilical cord and just leave the corpse wherever

Hooray you've performed one of the worst medical procedures I've ever heard of

If the circulation of the person you're saving gets back on, you put towels in your previous incision. Like frotte towels.

At the end of it all you have a patient with a dead baby, huge permanent scar, a very high possibility of having lost the ability to get pregnant again, a possible inability to normally poop or pee for a while (because of the cut intestines and bowel), probably an infection of some kind (no time for proper sterility in this procedure), pain, and well, whatever the effects of regular CPR are

#tw medical #tw pregnancy complications #tw death #my med student coworker told me shed quit medicine if she ever had a patient like that #and we both agreed that we'd rather die than be resuscitated in a scenario like this #tw cpr

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cynical-mystic · 2 years

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ZKMonth22 Day 30: Denial

Katara went to Zuko’s room before the coronation to make sure he was healing properly. This is what she told herself; she was actually just going because she wanted to see him before he took on the persona of the Fire Lord. She didn’t know how, but she knew it would change things between them.

Just as she rounded the corner to Zuko’s room, she saw someone else, someone with dark hair and a dark robe, slip into the room before she could. Somewhere deep in her bones, she knew she was too late. For what, she had no idea, but something in her broke when she saw the tails of the other girl’s robe disappear into Zuko’s room.

She found she couldn’t help herself; she creeped over to the door, straining to hear what the two were saying.

When the girl, obviously Mai, demanded Zuko never break up with her again, it felt like the floor had been pulled out from under her. Before she could reveal herself, she clutched one hand to her mouth and slipped away. Her feet took her to the garden Zuko had shown her, the one where he’d fed turtle-ducks with his mother and had been pleased to find they were still there.

Finally, once she was alone, her legs gave out, causing her to crash to her knees at the edge of the water. She stared at her reflection in the pool and ached.

Later, when her marriage to Aang was falling apart and Zuko’s relationship with Mai had somehow survived and thrived for over a decade, Katara couldn’t help but ache. For so long she’d shoved it away, refusing to let it affect her relationship with Aang and upset their family dynamic, but when Aang began to turn away from her the few nights he was even home, the pain in the depths of her heart reared its ugly head and forced her to pay attention to it.

When the letter from Zuko came, her heart leapt; when she broke its seal and scanned the first few lines, her heart sank. She packed up Bumi and Kya, as she refused to leave them in the negligent care of the Air Nomads on Airbender Island, and went to the Caldera as quickly as she could.

She was almost too late.

When she got there, sending Bumi and Kya with a servant to their room, she found Zuko in his, the door open, him kneeling next to the bed Mai was laying on, their baby crying a room over with its now-mandatory wet nurse. The sobs coming from Zuko were more heart-wrenching than anything Katara had ever heard before.

She rushed to Mai’s side, pulling water from her pouch, covering her hands with it and beginning her examination. Zuko ignored her, head on his arms, weeping into the immaculate bedspread. When she realized she was just in time, Katara took a deep breath and called on the one ability only she could perform, the one she’d convinced Aang not to outlaw because to outlaw it would be to publicly reveal its existence: bloodbending.

Katara felt for the blood that was still ceasing to flow in Mai’s veins and tugged, stopping the bleeding by healing her, pushing her heart, forcing it to beat, praying it would work. Hoping the slight woman had enough blood left to sustain her, that she’d eaten something during labor that would lend her body the strength it needed. She worked the blood through Mai’s body for several agonizing minutes before she felt the other woman’s heart begin to beat on its own.

Katara breathed a sigh of relief, but didn’t stop working. From a different pouch at her waist she pulled a tincture she kept for these situations. It consisted of manjistha, olive leaves, and garlic. She unstoppered the bottle and bent a few drops from the concentrated mixture, holding them in the air with one hand while with the other she opened Mai’s mouth and lifted her tongue to bend the drops there, where they’d enter the bloodstream the fastest. As Katara helped the tincture work its way into Mai’s blood, the other woman coughed and began to breathe, but remained unconscious.

At the edge of her awareness Katara saw Zuko shoot up, but she focused on moving the medicine through Mai’s blood and making sure no infections lingered in her blood.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Katara deemed Mai to be stable and gave her a different tincture to keep her asleep so she could heal.

“Katara,” Zuko’s voice snapped her attention to him, as it always had.

“Yes?” she asked, tucking her bottles back into their pouch and not looking at him.

She was aware, of course, of what she’d just done. What she could now never hope to have, even if it would have been in the distant future.

“Thank you.” The sincerity and relief in his voice ripped through her.

All Katara could do was nod and leave the room to check on her children.

inspired by the following poem:

#zutara #zutara month #zutara month 2022 #zutara month april 2022 #zkmonth #zkmonth22 #zutaramonth #zutaramonth2022 #fanfic #zutara fanfic #tw pregnancy complications #trigger: pregnancy complications

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occultapples · 2 years

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/ I had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right... and lo and behold! I was correct. /

#big rip #tw pregnancy complications #tw low fertility #tw trouble to concieve #landyn was perfectly fine with the news though #he doesnt want kids #BUT HES GETTING EM ANYWAY #Lepacy #gen 1 basegame #bobapplesimblrlepacy #Percy Reese #Landyn

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i-did-not-mean-to · 11 months

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Oooh not the same anon but an angsty Legolas x elf wife reader where they lose their baby or toddler, or that Legolas is left with a dead wife and a baby/toddler like his own father was left with him 👀

Dear anon,

First of all, thank you for your ask.

I could try that (I say try because I am not sure I could actually pull it off psychologically) but I want to reiterate that this is a very sensitive subject for me.

Details under the cut. TW: miscarriage/loss of baby/character is widowed by spouse dying in childbirth

I do not want to be in a situation where I put pressure on myself to write something that you don't want to read because you've expected something else.

Let me be very clear: Pregnancy is the one subject that makes me physically sick to even think about.

If I was to write something about losing a baby or losing a wife to childbirth, it would be gruesome. There would be no regret for the baby, there would be no sadness. It would not be bittersweet or something like that. It would be hard, and dark, and cruel.

If I was to write that, Legolas would not be like his father. He'd throw the accursed creature into the sea or near enough as makes no matter.

I need you to understand that I cannot force myself to write pregnancy as something good or beautiful or magical or cleansing or wisdom-inducing. If you are looking for something like that, I beg you to find another writer.

I was very serious when I used the words suicidal thoughts and despair.

It would not be angsty. It would be dark and probably disturbing for people who do like pregnancies and babies.

Lots of love,

IDNMT

#ask #IDNMT answers #Anonymous #CW pregnancy #TW pregnancy complications #TW triggered by the subject

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cottageivyplays · 1 year

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uh oh! this baby is coming early!

mynta called jordan to let her know, and also to say that theyre staying the rest of the time at work (like 2 hours) in hopes of a promotion bc their power is out... they did not get the promotion

#ts4 #ts4 gameplay #not so berry #sims 4 gameplay #nsb #ts4 nsb #sims 4 not so berry #nsbgen1 #also they definitely arent supposed to be able to go into labor at work but my mods ma #*made it possible #theyre now glitched to wear a hospital gown to work lmao #anyway along with the money i was scared to make them leav early bc i have death turned off for the pregnancy mods #however it is possible to lose the baby so i didnt wanna chance it by going home first #if that type of stuff ever does happen in my game btw i wil tw it #also dont worry there are no negative thijngs that happen bc of this #tw early birth #tw pregnancy #tw pregnancy complications

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roosterforme · 1 month

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The Younger Kind Part 56 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: When Bradley finally gets word about a return date, he has no idea what he's about to walk into at home. You tried your best to take care of things by yourself, but your visit to the hospital shows you how much you need someone with you for physical help as well as emotional support.

Warnings: mentions of blood, pregnancy topics, hospitals, mentions of miscarriage, swearing, angst, fluff, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4100 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

You managed to get in the car even though Natasha was protesting. "What's wrong?" she asked at least a dozen times as she tried to call an ambulance for you. But you just told her you could drive yourself to the hospital to be checked out. You thought you said the word pregnant to her at some point, but you weren't really sure. Nothing was making very much sense right now.

There was traffic on every road as dinnertime approached. Everyone else was going out for the night, perhaps for a family meal at a restaurant. You saw kids walking along the sidewalks with their parents, and you started crying. You didn't like leaving Noah to wake up from his nap with Natasha suddenly there instead of you. She would take care of him, of course, but it might confuse him. You didn't see what choice you had in the matter though, as your mind was flooding with worst case scenarios.

What was happening to the baby?

You sobbed as you ran through a yellow light to try to get there faster. What if it was already too late? You were educated enough to know that there were about a million different things that could be going on right now, and they ranged from innocuous to horrifying. Maybe you did something to cause some minor bleeding. Or maybe the baby was already gone.

"Please, no," you gasped as you parked at the hospital and walked quickly through the increasingly dreary weather to the emergency entrance. Your phone was vibrating in the pocket of your sweatpants as you headed right for the desk and blurted out, "I'm pregnant, and I'm bleeding."

The exhausted looking nurse looked up at you and said, "Please have a seat in the waiting area, and I'll come get you when I'm ready for you."

You blinked at her. "I'm bleeding," you repeated in a harsh whisper. "And I'm pregnant."

"Yes," she replied with a nod. "I'll be with you in just a minute."

You took a seat and cried, afraid to use the bathroom in the waiting area, terrified to see more blood when you wiped yourself. Anytime patients came to see Dr. Kelly, you made sure you took care of them right away, especially if they were bleeding or upset. You couldn't stand the tears that would well up in a child's eyes along with uncertainty and fear.

But then you got it. It only took you a minute to understand that if there truly was something wrong with the baby, then there was nothing they would be able to do at this point.

Your phone was ringing again, and it was Natasha. As the nurse came to retrieve you from your seat, you texted her and let her know you made it to the hospital and to focus her attention on Noah. You were shaking again as the nurse took your temperature and blood pressure, and you wanted to scream at her to do something more than check your vitals. You needed an ultrasound. You needed a doctor. You needed someone to focus on why you were bleeding.

She handed you off to another nurse, and at least he smiled sympathetically at you and said, "We'll get you checked out in no time." But you could barely walk, and you felt his hand wrap around your bicep to keep you upright as he guided you into one of the many rooms in the emergency medicine corridor. "I'll get a doctor right in here, okay?"

His voice was calm, emulating what you tried to do at your own job, and he left you a gown to change into. Once he was gone, you put it on, afraid to check your underwear as you settled onto the narrow bed. The room smelled sterile, and the fluorescent lights were making you nauseous, but he was true to his word. You started counting to yourself, trying to keep track of how much time had passed without panicking, and a few minutes later, a doctor appeared in the doorway.

She spoke your name, and when you nodded, she introduced herself. "You're pregnant?" she asked you evenly as she reached for some latex gloves. She reminded you a bit of Dr. Kelly, and you immediately felt a little bit calmer.

"Yes. About thirteen weeks along, and I just started bleeding like an hour ago." Your voice broke on your words, but you tried to keep it together. "I'm a pediatric nurse, so I'm not completely proficient in obstetrics, but can you give me an ultrasound and check? I need to know if the baby is okay."

"Lay back so I can see what's going on here." You did exactly as you were told as your heart pounded and panic rose within you. The baby was already so loved; you and Bradley were both looking forward to the due date. Sure, you'd been a little scared of the unknown, but the idea of miscarrying had you sick with worry.

If Bradley were here right now, you knew you'd feel so much safer, but if the baby was gone, your preference would be to deal with this yourself. The disappointment on his face would be too much to bear. You'd rather never look at him again then have to see how sad he was going to be when you told him. If you had to tell him.

You ran your thumb along the band of your engagement ring as the doctor gave you a quick examination. "Have you had vaginal intercourse in the last forty-eight hours?"

"N-No," you sputtered. "My fiancé is deployed. He's in Japan."

"Did you masturbate?"

You shook your head; you were so tired, you could barely clean up after dinner each day, let alone get yourself off. "No."

She pulled the gown down again and said, "It's most likely just your cervical tissue reacting to something, but let's get you taken back for an ultrasound to be sure."

"Thanks," you sobbed, letting your palm come to rest on your belly as you closed your eyes and tried to stay afloat in your own terrible thoughts. "I just want to know if I'm still pregnant."

------------------------

"Finally," Bradley muttered, running his fingers through his hair as he walked through the hangar with his helmet in his hand. Six weeks was a long time to be away from you right now. Too long, really. He had kind of fallen in love with flying Shadowhawk, but nothing compared to sharing a bed with you and reading bedtime stories to Noah. And he was itching to see the newest ultrasound photos.

He'd been confined to the Naval base at Yokosuka except for one day when the weather was too unsafe to let him fly. He took a short trip back into the city, chaperoned of course, but he was allowed to visit a bookstore. He ended up buying eight books for Noah and the baby, and he couldn't wait to show them to you. And he'd be able to do that soon, because he finally had a return date. If he did his math right, he'd be home in time to take Noah out to get candy on Halloween, as long as he wasn't delayed.

With just a few days left flying Shadowhawk, he really let the throttle tilt. He could hear Admiral Palmer warning him about his speed over the crystal clear comms, and he smiled before he responded. "Yes, sir. I'll ease off." But he didn't until he made a beautiful loop through the air. He was getting used to the ridiculous pressure on his body now, and when he got to San Diego and switched back to his Super Hornet, he was going to miss this feeling. He couldn't wait to try to describe it to you.

He knew what was coming. He was anticipating hours spent looking at his own flight data with the officers, but when the time came, he just felt antsy. The sixth-generation fighter had been moved back into the hangar for storage. He'd taken his last flight. His bags were packed, and he was ready to go home, but he had to pretend to be interested in what came next: at least fifty admirals sifting through data before anything would be determined. Bradley hoped these jets would eventually come to find a home with the US Navy, but it would be years from now if they did. He had done his part, and he wanted to be let loose again.

When he woke up on the day of his departure, he signed a final set of privacy forms before his phone was returned to him as he was ushered out to a car waiting to take him to the airport. He couldn't leave soon enough at this point. All he could picture was your face and Noah's, happy to see him home again. He could practically feel your body in his hands, and it was the only thing he wanted.

Once he settled in for the short ride, he turned his phone on to find that he only had a tiny bit of battery left. Without even checking to see what time it was at home, he called you. He'd let his phone die talking to you right now if need be, and then he could charge it later. But you didn't answer. That was okay.

"Princess, I'm coming home. I'm on my way to the airport in Tokyo right now, and it's a ten hour flight. I think I'll be landing after midnight, so don't worry about getting Noah out of bed to come pick me up. I'll get an Uber or a taxi. I can't wait to see you, Baby. I love you."

He ended the call, and as soon as he started to investigate all of his missed text messages, the phone died. He was dropped off at the airport with barely half an hour to spare before his flight was scheduled to leave, and that's when he realized he didn't even have his phone charger with him.

"Fuck," he muttered, rooting around in his bag but coming up with nothing. Maybe it got lost in his room in the barracks when he dumped his bag out? Maybe it was in his duffle which he checked at the airline desk. Regardless, he didn't have time to try to buy a new one, because his flight was already boarding by the time he found the gate. After questioning the flight attendants as to whether or not they had the type of charger he needed, he gave up hope, tossed his phone into his bag and tried to sleep for as much of the ten hour flight as he possibly could. He would be home with his family soon enough.

------------------------

You played the voicemail message from Bradley over and over again, but you could barely understand a word that he said. It sounded garbled and fuzzy, and it kept cutting out. He said something about being in Tokyo and something about Noah, and then he told you he loved you, but that's all you could figure out for sure.

"Can you understand what he's saying?" you asked softly, holding up the phone for Natasha to listen to it pretty much as soon as she walked through your front door in her uniform. "I've been trying to decipher this all day."

She took it from your hand and listened to it on speakerphone and then listened again with it pressed to her ear as she made a face. "Hang on," she muttered, playing it a third time.

She'd been staying at the house with you since your overnight visit to the emergency room. She had essentially been doing everything for you and Noah so you barely had to lift a finger after work each day. You wouldn't have been able to do it on your own, but every time you tried to thank her, she told you it was no big deal and that Bradley was her best friend. You were afraid you were eating into her time with Javy, but she just rolled her eyes and said, "Hoes before bros."

She listened to the message one more time before she said, "It kind of sounds like he's coming home? And he's going to arrive after midnight? And he's getting an Uber from the airport?"

Your heart beat faster. "Do you think he means tonight?"

Noah came running into the living room with a coloring sheet in each hand and Skittles bounding after him. "Aunt Natasha!"

"Hey squirt," she said, picking him up and flying him around the room. She turned back to you and said, "Hopefully it means he'll be back tonight. Let's just leave the porch light on after dinner in case." Then she hauled Noah off to the kitchen where she started cooking while you took a shower.

Dr. Kelly had immediately cut your hours back for which you were so thankful. She was very understanding when you talked to her. Tomorrow was Halloween, and it was Saturday. The plan was for Natasha to wear the costume you originally bought for Bradley, but if he arrived home tonight and was able to function tomorrow, maybe he'd want to go out to collect candy himself. You were just aching to see him at this point, and now your skin was tingling with the anticipation of him holding you.

After you ate, you tried to clean, but Natasha said, "I'll clean up after Noah's in bed." And then she sent you to the couch with a blanket while she and Noah took Skittles for a long walk down to the beach. You fell asleep there shortly after they left, and you weren't surprised that you ended up in your bed even before Noah was in his for the night.

You let Natasha take care of everything while you tried to text Bradley again. You'd been trying all day, but he hadn't responded to a single one of them. You checked to see which flights were currently on their way from Tokyo to San Diego, and three of them were arriving late tonight. Honestly, the garbled voicemail had you on edge all day long, making you more exhausted than usual. You fell asleep hoping that he was on one of the flights and that he would be home soon.

And then you woke up to a loud voice coming from the living room. You jolted in bed, throwing the covers off of you in alarm before you realized that the voice was familiar.

"Princess? Baby, it's me! It's Bradley. I didn't want to scare you."

"Bradley," you gasped, jumping out of bed and grabbing at your nightstand until you could get your footing. "Bradley!" you called out a little louder.

"It's me, Baby," he answered. "Is Nat here? Why is her SUV in the driveway?"

You nearly collided with his best friend in the dark hallway, and when you both made it out to the dimly lit living room, you saw him standing there. Tears filled your eyes as you raced for him, and he picked you up into his arms and cradled you against his big body while Skittles whimpered at his feet.

"Daddy," you whispered, aware that Natasha was standing right behind you. "I missed you so much."

He kissed along your neck and your cheek and all of the parts of your face that he could reach as he said, "I love you. I love you so much. I missed you and Noah and the baby." He ran his nose along the shell of your ear and said, "Hey, Nat. What are you doing here? And why are you holding my mom's antique lamp?"

You turned to glance at her over your shoulder where she was indeed standing with the lamp in her hand at her side in her ratty old shirt and lounge pants. "I was making sure you were really you and not an intruder."

He laughed. "You were going to beat the shit out of me with a lamp?"

"Absolutely," she said with a yawn. "Welcome home." Then she turned and went back to the extra bedroom leaving the two of you alone.

Bradley's lips were on yours immediately, and even though you knew you had so much to tell him, you let yourself enjoy the indulgence of his kisses. You whimpered against his mouth and brushed your fingers softly through his hair. "I'm assuming we need to talk," he murmured. "You wanna tell me why she's here?"

You nodded and whispered, "Let's go to the bedroom."

He left his bags on the floor and carried you there immediately, setting you on the unmade bed and dropping down next to you. The room was pretty dark, and you curled up against his body, getting as close to him as you could. You inhaled his scent and soaked up his warmth, finally feeling better than you had in over a month. All of the fear seemed to wash away as he said, "I'm sorry I only left you that one message, but my phone died, and I can't find my charger. Nobody on my flight had the right one either, because apparently my phone is as ancient as I am."

You laughed softly. "I like vintage things, remember?"

"I do recall that," he replied easily. "Is tonight the first night Nat slept here?"

You took a deep breath and whispered, "No. She's been staying here for about a week to help out. Ever since I started... bleeding."

"Bleeding?" he echoed, his arm wrapping around you a little tighter as you nodded against his neck and tried to gather your thoughts. "Princess, what happened?"

His voice was alert and strong yet worried and cautious, and you told him, "I went to the bathroom last week, and when I wiped I was bleeding." His sharp intake of breath had you scrambling as you said, "The baby is okay."

"Are you okay?" he asked, gently rolling you onto your back to get a better look at your face. "Fuck. I should have never agreed to go away." He ran his big hand across your forehead and down your cheek. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," you promised as you cried for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I was just so scared," you admitted, your voice barely a squeak. "I was so scared the baby was gone."

You realized Bradley's fingertips were rubbing soothing circles against your side as he whispered, "I'm sorry I left. I'm so sorry I wasn't here to take care of everything. Please, tell me what happened. Tell me everything."

--------------------------

Bradley got you cuddled under the covers, and he turned the lamp on so he could better see your face. You looked beautiful if not exhausted, and he was so grateful for his best friend being there for you. "I guess I overdid it a little bit," you admitted. "I took some extra hours at work and started getting the bedroom ready for the baby. I just wanted the weeks to pass quickly, you know? When I started bleeding, I called Natasha, and she came right over. She's basically been here since then."

He kissed your nose. "What did the doctors do?"

You closed your eyes and whispered, "They checked me over. Every inch. And they found that I needed progesterone shots. They caught it just in time, so maybe it was good that I ended up there."

Bradley felt like an idiot, but it didn't matter as long as you were okay. "What's the progesterone for exactly?"

You smiled as you snuggled closer to him. "It'll make my uterus better for the baby. Safer. The injections are pretty common, and I only need to get them a few more times. But I'm tired of all the needles, and now I can kind of understand how some of my own patients feel."

Bradley laced his finger with yours and asked, "And you're sure you're okay? Perfectly safe and healthy?"

"Yes. The baby is, too."

He kissed your forehead as he realized he was crying. "Just as long as you're okay, Princess. I love you." You nodded as you fell asleep, and he knew how badly you needed to rest. After he turned the light off, he held you against his chest and tried to make sense of everything.

You and the baby were okay. Your doctor and the staff from the emergency room were monitoring your blood work every week now. You were getting injections in your thigh which were making your leg sore and bruised, but it was helping the baby. As much as he'd loved flying Shadowhawk, he regretted his time away from home a little bit more now.

When you rolled away from him around six o'clock, he had barely slept. Carefully, he extracted himself from the bed, and Skittles came trotting right over to him. He picked her up and straightened out the wrinkled clothing he had been wearing for way too long, but when he walked out to his kitchen, he found Nat was already there. She turned to face him as Skittles started licking his face, and he walked right into her arms for a hug.

"Thank you," he whispered, letting her hold him while he cried. "Is she really okay? She told me she's fine."

She rubbed his back and said, "Mostly. I think. She is stubborn, Bradley. When I got here, she drove herself to the emergency room before I even had a full grasp of the fact that she was pregnant. She told me to stay with Noah until she came home, and when I told her I'd get Javy to come stay here while I met her at the hospital, she yelled at me."

"That tracks," he said softly. He thought about how you stood up for him and Noah and fought alongside him for custody. Even after you got hurt. Even after he hurt you.

"She was terrified that you'd be upset about a potential miscarriage."

Bradley felt like she slapped him in the face. "Shit," he grunted as she released him from the hug. It wasn't like that kind of thing could usually be prevented. He would have been sad, yeah, but only because he was so excited. He wouldn't have been upset with you though. Not at all. "I'll talk to her more about that when she wakes up." He scratched his head and set Skittles down. "Did you clean my kitchen?"

"Yes," she replied evenly as she switched on the coffee maker. "And if you try to thank me for anything I did, I swear to god, I will fucking key your Bronco. I did it for her, because she needed help."

He caught himself before he could thank her again, too afraid to find out if she was telling the truth. She probably was. "I'll make sure she's getting all the rest she needs. She will not be lifting a finger around here."

"That's what I like to hear," she said, patting him on the chest. "Now, I'm going to take one of your travel mugs full of your overpriced coffee from your fancy machine and head back to my place. I'll call you later, and I'll stop by tonight to hand out candy to your trick-or-treaters while you take Noah around the neighborhood."

"Shit, I guess I need to go out and buy candy and costumes and everything."

As her coffee brewed, Nat said, "It's all been taken care of. The bags of candy are on top of the fridge."

Bradley glanced in that direction and said, "You have to let me repay you, Nat."

She grabbed the travel mug and pulled her keys out of her pocket, brandishing them in his face. "Fuck around and find out, Bradshaw. You will not thank me, and you will not pay me back. You'll just let me come over and play with Noah at least once a week now while you take care of your wife-to-be. Those are my terms. Have a nice day."

"Okay," he called out, following her to the door to make sure her key went directly into her own ignition where it belonged. Then he got to work, pulling up some recipes on his phone; he was going to attempt to be the best dad and almost husband in the entire world, because that's what his family needed.

------------------------

If you have been through any of this kind of shit like I have, I'm sending you a hug. It's stressful and scary, and not something you should have to deal with alone. Bradley is home and ready to be the absolute best. Thanks to @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 57

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