Hatchetfield and Friends

9 - Everything Is Not Okay pt. 2

Emma and Paul sat there in silence, Emma wondering if she'd broken Paul. He hadn't said anything, not a word. Emma never told him she loved him back, but she does. She knows that now. Paul is the one who made her whole, accepted her and all of her broken little pieces. She didn't realize it before, but she does. She wants to be with him, so badly it hurts. Emma loves Paul. And she broke him.

"Paul," she whispered. "Paul...I know this is sudden. I know it's a little crazy, but if I keep it, if we keep it, we can be a family?" It comes out a question and she winces.

"Emma, I-I don't even know what to say, I don't know where to begin," he replies, still not meeting her worried gaze. "I'm sorry you've been struggling with this."

"I'd been suspecting for a while, but I only found out today," she murmured, staring at her feet.

"Are you going to keep it?" He asks. "I mean, we aren't even officially a couple, are we?"

"I don't know, do you want to be?"

"I guess, yeah. I love you, Emma."

"I...I love you too. I guess...even though this world is shitty as hell, I would like to raise a kid, maybe have it become the president someday. God knows we need a good one, President Goodman hasn't seemed to do anything too great so far."

"Emma, if you want to keep it, hell yeah, let's do it."

"But, Paul, what if I'm a terrible mom? My mom was a fucking asshole, and so was my dad, so it's not like I've had any great examples. I had Hidgens when I was younger, but that happened when I was like...thirteen. By then I'd already accumulated my parents' assholeness. I never want to make our kid feel the way that they made me feel."

"First of all, Em, 'assholeness' isn't a word. Second, the fact that you said that already shows just how much you won't be like them. I know you'll make a good mother, Emma. And, hey, you know if we ever need a babysitter Alice or Bill will definitely come to the rescue, so we already have that figured out!"

"I mean, we could have Hidgens as a babysitter, too..."

"Oh, well, uh..."

"I'm kidding Paul! As much as I appreciate Hidgens, he'd make an awful babysitter. He'd both spoil the hell out of the kid and bring it to the brink of death."

"That is very, very true. So, you think we can keep the kid alive long enough to need a babysitter?"

Emma feels a smile spread across her face. "Mmm, I think we can manage it."

"Hey Emma?"

"Hm?"

"Jane would be proud of you."

A/N: Hey, I know it's been a while. It's like...November now and I haven't updated since September. So sorry about that. I know this chapter's for sure short, but I will be posting again later today, I just wanted to make a short little follow-up chapter to the first one. So anyways, see ya!