⇾𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈𝐈

Chapter Thirty-Eight: In For a Treat

March 13, 1967

Donna's POV

I woke up in the middle of a field. I had no idea where I was. I stumbled to my feet. All around me were flowers. Lots of them. They all went up to my waist. I

was wearing a white, flowy dress. It accentuated my stomach more than anything I'd willingly put on.

"Donna?"

My head whipped around, my hair tossing over my shoulder as I caught a glimpse of two familiar faces. Faces I only ever saw in my dreams--my mother and father. I breathed out a sigh of relief.

I knew I was dreaming. I did it often, pretty much any night I fell asleep without the help of my sleeping pills, which I hadn't been taking because of a little fear inside me that it could harm the babies in some way.

Usually, these dreams went one of two ways. They could either terrify me awake or help me through the night. There wasn't any way of knowing how they were going to go out until it was already happening. So far, this one looked promising. That didn't always mean anything, though.

My parents extended their arms out then. I gladly let them pull me close for a hug, my mind being put blissfully at ease immediately.

When we finally pulled back, my mother placed a tender kiss on my forehead and they began to talk to me like this was nothing more than a conversation between two parents and their daughter.

"I'm pregnant," I told them tearfully after a moment. They both smiled. Their smiles were haunting. They were merely a ghost of a smile. This didn't bother me. I was just happy to be talking to them at all.

Even if it wasn't real.

Suddenly, the fate of the dream became apparent. All at once, I became overwhelmed with unbearable pain in my stomach. I wanted to scream, but suddenly I couldn't. I was just left there, writhing in pain.

The scene around me began to fade until I was left in nothing more than a black box.

I shot up in bed at nearly 2 AM, tears falling from my eyes. Next to me, John stirred.

"John?" I asked sheepishly.

When he heard me, he rolled over so he was facing me. He got a worried look in his eyes.

"Donna--?"

I broke down. "I can't do this, John."

"Do what?" He asked, struggling to sit up so he could put his arms around me.

"Have a baby," I said. "It hurts too much. I'm not strong enough."

"Hey, love," he said consolingly. "You are strong enough."

"No, I'm not."

"Hey, look at me." He cupped my face in his hands, pulling back so that I was looking him in the eyes properly. "I know that this wouldn't have happened if you couldn't handle it. Am I right?"

I was still crying so I couldn't find the words to respond.

"You're so strong. It'll all be okay. It's not going to be easy, but you'll get it done. Hell, we'll get it done. We'll make sure these children have the best life."

"You mean it?" I blubbered.

He chuckled. "Of course I do," he responded.

I nodded finally, taking a long, slow breath to try and calm myself down. John went to lay us down, but I reached beside the bed for something to pull over my head and he decided to do the same. After a moment, we were both clothed and he laid us down.

He pulled me close, holding on tight to make sure I knew that he was always going to be there, no matter what.

"I love you, John," I murmured when I was settled comfortably into his chest.

"I love you too," he responded to me in a whisper, tracing patterns on my back under my shirt, knowing that that would help with the pain he knew I was in.

~~~

"What do you think they are?"

I looked up from the notebook I was writing in and looked at John, who was sitting across the table. He had been looking over a newspaper and sipping on some coffee, but now he was looking at me.

"What?" I asked, having no idea what he was asking.

"Boy or girl?"

"Oh, uh—." I looked down at my stomach. "I'm thinking maybe a girl and a boy," I answered.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, a curious glint in his eyes.

"Call it instinct," I responded, tapping him on the nose jokingly. He giggled. "What about you?"

"Both boys," he said thoughtfully.

"I hope you're wrong."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Can you imagine me arguing with two stubborn boys?" I asked, wrinkling my nose.

He balanced his head on his hand. "Hmmm...I see you arguing with a miniature John. I see that look on your face. The one that always drives me out of my bloody mind." He gave me a cheeky look.

"Of course you do."

He lips curled upward in a satisfied smile and he reached over to take another muffin off of the plate in between us.

"It's two boys," he said sillily.

"No, it isn't," I responded stubbornly.

"See?" he said. "There's that look!" 

~~~

John left to go to the studio at noon. He'd convinced the rest to have the session earlier than usual so that he could come home and be with me for the evening. He'd noticed early on that I didn't like being alone all night. He hadn't had to ask me to see it.

I was bored again five minutes after he left. As I usually did when I was alone and bored, I picked up the phone and began to call Trixie. I hadn't called her since we'd last gone to Liverpool. I wasn't even sure she knew it was twins. So much had happened between then and now that I didn't even know anymore.

The phone rang a few times before she picked up.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey, Trix," I said optimistically.

"Donna! You sound a lot better than the last time we talked. Geez, when was that?"

"Last time we were in Liverpool, wasn't it?"

She laughed. "Something like that."

"I'm sorry, there's just been—." I looked around at my homely prison. "A lot going on."

"Yeah? Do share."

"Well, uh—to start," I began. "What was the last thing I told you?" I laughed nervously.

"Last big thing was that you're pregnant," she confirmed. "How are you feeling now that the first trimester is over?"

"Well, I think nows a good time to say...it's twins." I looked down.

"It's what?" she screeched and I jumped slightly before falling into a fit of giggling.

"Yes, twins. Two babies instead of one."

"That's amazing," she said excitedly. "How far along are you now?"

"Sixteen weeks," I responded. "We should find out the genders next month." I smiled to myself.

"That's awesome! I can't believe that!" She still sounded shocked.

"Honestly, I can't either," I admitted with a laugh.

"Well, what else has happened? I need to know everything!"

"Oh, boy, are you in for a treat."