Between Generations

Chapter 29

The car screeched down the streets of Paris. Marinette clutched her stomach, trying to suppress cries of pain. She could feel Adrien's gaze burning into her, averting from her and the road. She sucked in a deep breath. She had to be brave, like her mother.

The hospital could be seen in the distance. Adrien swerved to avoid a red car. It honked at him as he sped past it, and the driver stuck out a finger into the night air. Moonlight beamed silver onto Marinette's swollen stomach. She clenched the hem of her shirt in her fists over her belly.

Sirens could be heard behind them as police cars started their pursuit of the speeding car. Adrien's hands tightened even more on the wheel, driving any color left out of his fingers. "Come on, almost there..." he murmured as he swerved around another car. Flashes of blue and red flickered inside the vehicle. The police were right on their tail.

A jolt of pain shot through Marinette's body when the car ran over a pothole, causing them to bounce. She cried out.

Adrien reached his hand over to squeeze his wife's. "Everything's going to be okay."

He breathed out a sigh of relief when they saw the hospital approaching. He pulled up to the emergency entrance of the large white building. Doctors waiting by the glass doors rushed out.

Adrien parked the car and reached out with his other hand to Marinette's. He leaned closer to her, and desperately held his green eyes onto hers. "I love you. I know you can do this. I know we're in a terrible situation right now, but we can pull through. We will pull through. For our son. We've been through everything, thick and thin, villain after villain, you and I. The only thing that matters right now, is that you and the baby are safe, and healthy. That's all I want."

"Adrien..." Marinette rested her hand onto his cheek. "He's going to attack us at any second. How will we ever get our baby to safety? He'll want to take it too. As the offspring of two magical superheroes..."

"I don't know, Mar. But right now, let's focus on bringing our baby into the world."

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"Oh my gosh! Little Hugo is coming!" Alya shrieked with delight, bouncing in the waiting room seat. Nino shushed her, gesturing to the sleeping boy in his arms.

"How do you know it's going to be named Hugo?" asked Rose. She and Juleka shifted in their seats as one of their adopted children played with a teddy bear on the floor.

"I have a hunch," Alya winked.

The waiting room was nearly full of Adrien and Marinette's friends. Alya and Nino cooed over their two month old son, while Nathaniel and Chloe cradled their twins. Chloe's yellow designer jacket was replaced with a faded yellow sweater and white V-neck.

"Honestly, I don't know why we had to come," Chloe said playfully. "It wasn't as if it was our baby." She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

Nathaniel chuckled softly. His red hair was short to a standard cut, revealing his bright eyes, overflowing with love when he gazed at his wife. "Chloe, it may not be your child, but it is Adrien's."

Chloe giggled. She rocked her baby daughter.

Suddenly, Adrien came into the waiting room. His eyes were wide and he was sweating. "You guys shouldn't be here."

"What are you talking about? Of course we should. It's your baby!" Nino cried out, clapping a hand on Adrien's shoulder. His son cooed softly in his other arm.

"No. No." Adrien's voice shook, nudging Nino's hand off. His breath grew ragged and shaky. "You need to get out of here." He gazed around the room, his eyes resting on all of the babies in his friends' arms.