COMPLETED Nellie Lovett (The Virgin Widow of Fleet Street) #Wattys2016 Sweenett

"I Love You...Goodbye"

"Toby, what if the baby is a girl?" Johanna teased the little boy.
"I'm sure the baby is a boy, Johanna." He replied and put his arms around his mum's tummy as if protecting the baby.
"I doubt it. If the baby is a boy, you win and I'll buy you anything you want. If its a girl, you come with us to Paris, what do you say?"
"I can't come with you to Paris." Toby scratched his head. Not that he didn't want to come. He only wanted to be with his mum and the baby when she gives birth.
"Well, what else can you give then?" Asked Johanna.
"I...uhm... I'll give you something like that!" He pointed at the frame hanging on the wall with different kinds of dissected butterflies in it.
"Deal!" Said Johanna giggling.
"You two are really funny." Elle said before she closed her eyes tightly. Contractions are becoming so frequent now.
"You, ok? Baby?" Asked Ben again. She gripped his hand tightly as the feeling subsided shortly.
"I'm fine... We better arrange the table for dinner." She said before she stood up.
"I got it." Said Ben and motioned her to sit again but she shook her head.
"Mrs. Perez told me to move around to help the baby move down easier." She smiled and took his hand as they walked to the kitchen together.
Johanna, Anthony and Toby were left in the living room, arranging the gifts under the Christmas Tree and talking about how they would treat the baby once its out.

"You sure you're ok, baby?" Benjamin asked his wife when he noticed she looked pale and was sweating a little in spite of the cold wheather outside.
"Yes... Just that our little one seems excited for Christmas too." She smiled and touched his worried face.
Ben kneeled in front of her and leaned his head on her tummy to listen to their baby.
"He's kicking me." He giggled.
"Excited to see the world, are you?" He asked and kissed her tummy, Elle's hand is on the top of his head as she looked at her husband lovingly. Benjamin is exactly as how she had imagined him to be when she was a little girl. The perfect father and husband, before Sweeney Todd replaced him for a little while of course.

"Maybe before New Year, you'll be with us already, son." He told the baby and it kicked again.
"For now, just relax inside and don't give mommy a hard time, ok?" The baby responded with a kick making him giggle. But for Elle, it was different, she groaned inwardly as the kick was followed by another contraction.
"Let's get moving, Ben. The kids might be starving." She said and pulled his hands up.

They celebrated the Christmas Eve warmly. The salmon steak and seafood lasagna Ben has prepared is perfect for the occasion. They also had cheese, caviar and a lot more finger foods. Elle managed to make a fruit cake which everyone enjoyed after the main course.
"Eat some more, baby." Ben motioned the fork with a slice of steak near her mouth but she shook her head. The kids are now gathered in the living room for the opening of presents.

Elle is starting to feel swollen inside and contractions kept on coming as they were having dinner. She just kept on drinking water and fresh juice to keep up with the group and not let them notice she barely touched her food. She didn't want to ruin Christmas Eve for them just because of her unpredictable moods.
"L-let's go... The kids are waiting." She gave him a reassuring smile and stood up from the chair to the living room. Benjamin held her back and she automatically leaned on his tall frame for support. At least she feels a little comfortable with him around.
They started giving their presents for Johanna and Toby as well as for Anthony.
Elle gave Johanna a gold necklace with her initials as pendant, while Ben gave his daughter the wedding ring Lucy had and gold bracelet matching Elle's present.
"Thank you...!" Johanna said teary eyed as she looked at the couple, that was the first time she had ever celebrated Christmas with her true family.
Toby on the other hand received a huge ship replica from Ben and a golden compass from Elle. The boy was teary eyed too when he looked at his loving foster parents. Like Johanna, that was the very first time he is celebrating Christmas with his family now. He embraced both of them and thanked them for all the things they both did for him from the moment Elle saved him from the warehouse and adopted him like her own up to that very precious moment.
Anthony received a pair of shoes and a "go signal" from the couple to propose marriage to Johanna which he did right away. Johanna said yes and wrapped her arms around her fiancée.