⇾ 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐀 𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐘? | 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈𝐈

↠ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

George smiled. "If it's as obedient as me, it'll listen. If it's as disobedient as you, then I wager your personality is about to backfire."

Alexandria's mouth fell open. "You've got that all backwards!" she said incredulously.

"Okay, let me get in that bathroom and finish getting ready!" George said, fully ignoring her accusation. "Better not smell in there, got it, missy?" He ruffled Alexandria's hair jokingly and slipped past her and into the bathroom before she could respond.

She watched him as he disappeared, and when he was gone, she mumbled, "bastard," rubbing her belly again as she walked off to the kitchen.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Alexandria pulled her crimson velvet jacket around herself and tucked her head down. She'd insisted on wearing the jacket despite how warm it was outside, telling George that she needed a way to cover up her stomach. Even if her belly wasn't distinct enough to prompt a real pregnancy rumor, she didn't want anyone to look at her and notice that she was gaining weight at all.

George kept a close hold on his wife's arm, looking dapper in his navy suit. As expected, their hearing today hadn't gone the way they hoped. They had each been fined two-hundred-fifty pounds, charged ten guineas each in court costs, and both were given a year's probation. And as upset as they both were, they were relieved to have this whole experience over with. They were beyond ready to pay their dues and put this all behind them.

George dodged questions, gave vague answers, and forced himself and his wife through the crowd and into their car. Derek Taylor sat in the driver's seat, ready to whisk the Harrisons away. And he did, nearly before George had even closed the door behind them.

Alexandria slumped her head forward against the seat with an agitated groan. "I should not be going through this," she said. "Not when I'm—." She stopped, remembering that Derek was in the car with them. He certainly did not know about her pregnancy, and she wasn't too keen on letting him in on the secret right now. "Not when I'm so tired," she said as a pathetic cover-up.

George rolled his eyes with a silly grin and reached over for her hand. "It's all right," he said. "We'll get you to bed as soon as we get home, love."

"Good," Alexandria huffed. "I'm exhausted. And hungry. When do you plan on feeding me?"

"Christ, you're so needy," George mumbled.

Alexandria curled her hand into a fist and rammed it into the side of his leg. "You did this," she practically growled. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and leaned her head against the back of the seat in front of her again. "Think I'm feelin' a bit ropey. Let's get home quick, all right? This whole thing's got my stomach unsettled."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Alexandria slept straight through the afternoon. For a few hours after they got home, George relaxed in the sitting room with Derek Taylor, sharing a notable amount of scotch as they chatted.

Alexandria emerged from the bedroom at five-thirty to find George slumped in a circular, woven chair that he had always loved and Alexandria had always hated. A cigarette dangled from his lips, and every time Alexandria caught a whiff of the smoke, she nearly gagged. She'd developed a distinct aversion to them ever since she'd gotten pregnant. It was like her body knew the harm they could cause and made sure she stayed as far away from them as possible.

George's eyes flicked over to the door when he spied her coming through. He saw her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Put that damned thing out," she was saying.