b o n u s
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[watch for time stamps]
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5 weeks along
Ares pushed the last box to the side, closing the front door of the house and locking it.
"Dinner time Reecie?" Alette asked, holding Carino in her arms.
He nodded, "Sit down darling, I'll warm it up," he said.
She raised a brow, letting Carino jump out of her arms.
"You need to rest, Alette," he said, his tone strict.
She laughed, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist, "I'm barely a month along my love, I think I can warm up some dinner."
He looked apprehensive, so she leaned up, placing her hand on the back of his neck so that she could kiss him.
"I'm perfectly fine Ares, I promise," she said, and then, just so that he would believe her, she stuck out her pinky finger.
His face broke into a smile as he linked his finger with hers.
"Let's get some dinner baby," he said lowly, kissing her atop her head.
They walked to their kitchen and opened the mostly empty fridge to grab the food that Grams had made them.
They had only moved in a few days ago, spending the last two weeks packing up and bringing everything to their new place.
There was very little furniture in the new place, and their family had been dropping off food so that they didn't have to worry about cooking.
"What did Grams make?" Alette asked Ares as he took the lids off of the containers.
"All my favourites," he replied, giving her a smirk.
She narrowed her eyes, "Favouritism," she huffed playfully.
He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her; the two worked in tandem to warm up dinner and then they walked with their plates to sit down on the makeshift table and chair they had.
Before Alette could sit down, Ares pulled her onto his lap.
She meant to give him a stern look, but her face softened when she saw his eyes on her stomach.
"I still can't believe it," he said, his voice quiet and filled with awe.
Alette placed her hand on his, "Are you...are you still feeling okay with it?"
Her voce had a hint of uncertainty; she had told him two weeks ago, and he had been very happy at the time, but she wondered if he felt differently now that it had sunk in a little.
His eyes flitted up from her stomach and matched hers. He cupped her face, gently placing a kiss on her forehead.
"I am..." he swallowed, "So beyond happy, I can't even begin to explain it," his eyes were light, a small smile on his face.
Her shoulders sagged in relief, and she cuddled even closer to him.
He picked up his plate of food, loading up his spoon and giving her the first bite.
"Are you okay? Your centre just opened up and you were so excited for it," he stated solemnly, "You'll have to take a step back."
She chewed, swallowing before she cleared her throat, "We didn't really plan anything that happened to us Reecie. It all kind of...fell into place as we went. I know I'm young, but honestly," she bit her lip, trying to stifle her grin, "I am so excited. I can work for a few months, and then I'll take my leave and work from home. Perks of being the boss," she wiggled her brows.
He shook his head, smiling as she gave him a bite of food.
"When do we tell everyone?" he asked, as they fed each other dinner.
Her doctor had very recently confirmed that she was in fact pregnant based on her blood test results, and they would go get an ultrasound in the upcoming weeks.
"I'm not sure yet," she said, looking hesitant, "I want to wait until the first trimester is done at least. We can ask the doctor how everything looks."
He could feel the apprehension rolling off of her in waves; he was terrified too.
He wanted her to be okay and he wanted their baby to be okay.
He wrapped his arms around her as she tucked her head in his neck, "We'll figure this out, hm?"
She kissed his neck, sighing, "I love you, Reecie."
He kissed her head, feeling his heart beat under the palm of her hand as they sat in their new home.
"I love you, my angel girl."
8 weeks along
Alette and Aresius sat inside the examination room, waiting for the ultrasound tech to return.
Her doctor had recommended an early ultrasound, just to ensure everything was how it should be.
The door opened, and Alette sucked in a breath, trying to steel her nerves.
"Alrighty, we're ready to get started! Can I have you lay back and pull your shirt up for me?"
Alette lay down, pulling her loose sweater up. She clenched her hands to stop them from shaking as the technician placed the cold gel onto her belly, chattering about what she was doing and what to expect.
Ares sat on a chair beside where Alette lay, his face pale; this was really happening.
They matched eyes for a moment, their hearts beating fast.
They smiled.
The tech placed the probe on her lower belly, moving it around.
A very faint sound filled the room.
Alette gasped and Ares sucked in a breath.
Their baby's heartbeat.
"Well congratulations Mom and Dad, that's the heartbeat!"
It was very faint, but it was the most beautiful sound Alette had ever heard.
The tears she had been holding back slipped out, and she swallowed, daring to glance away from the screen and at Ares.
She wished she hadn't looked at him, because it made her cry harder.
His eyes were glossy with tears, his face completely coated in shock.
The tech quickly explained a few things, pointed some stuff out on the screen, and then left to get them the pictures from the ultrasound; she knew that they needed a moment to be alone.
"Ares," Alette whispered, her face overcome with emotion.
He unfroze, immediately moving forwards and grabbing her hands.
His heart was pounding so quickly, he felt as though he might pass out.
He brought her hands up to his lips, placing a kiss on them.
"W-We're going to be parents Alette," he said, his voice an incredulous whisper.
She laughed through her tears, "We're going to be parents!"
10 weeks along
The sun shone brightly through the large windows. There was a cool breeze in the air; the flowers in their backyard danced in the wind.
It was, by all accounts, a great morning.
Alette couldn't enjoy it though, because she sat on the floor of her bathroom, throwing up in the toilet.
Ares held her hair back, reaching over to grab something to tie it up with.
He winced as her body shuddered with another heave.
He rubbed her back as she finally lifted her head up, her eyes teary.
Her morning sickness had started at the end of last week, and it had progressively gotten worse. Their recent morning routine had consisted of Alette running to the bathroom, and him following behind to pull her hair out of the way.
He helped her up, guiding her to the counter so that she could brush her teeth.
Placing the toothpaste on the brush, he pushed some hair away from her face.
"Shower?" he asked, gently.
She rinsed her mouth out, nodding wearily.
He kissed her forehead, lifting her nightdress at the hem. He pulled it off, discarding it into laundry basket.
He bent down, kissing her stomach gently. He slid off her underwear, and then his own shirt and boxers.
Turning on the hot water, they both stepped into the large, walk-in shower.
"Want to sit?" he asked her.
She shook her head, "I'll fall asleep," she mumbled, stifling a yawn.
He nodded, letting her lean on him as he wet her hair.
He meticulously washed her hair and her body, paying close attention to her sore chest, and massaging the knots on her back.
Once she had rinsed off, she kissed his chest, grabbing a washcloth to wash his body.
"I love you, my Reecie," she said softly.
"I love you, my beautiful wife," he replied, leaning down to give her a slow, languid, kiss.
She blushed, feeling more awake now, "S-Stop that, we have to finish showering."
He raised his brow, "That's not what you usually say when we're showering together."
She narrowed her eyes, collecting some water in her hand and splashing his already wet face.
He chuckled, rinsing off before grabbing a big towel to wrap her up in. He grabbed a towel for himself and then led her out to the bedroom.
He haphazardly threw on a pair of pants and a t-shirt, grabbing some clothes for her to wear.
He dried her off, applying moisturizer on her body.
His hands stopped, his fingers stroking the swell of stomach.
"It grew overnight," she commented smiling, her hand on top of his.
He nodded, looking completely dazed; her stomach definitely looked way bigger this morning.
He placed a chaste kiss on her belly and finished helping her dress.
They spent the morning together, sharing affectionate touches as they made breakfast and ate in their newly decorated home.
Alette chastised Ares for bullying their cats first thing in the morning and he pouted at all of the attention that she gave them.
Life was beautiful for the two, and they could hardly wait for the new member of their family to join them.
12 weeks along
"Everything looks good at this moment in time Faye, just make sure you're taking your prenatals, eating all your meals, and doing some light exercising," her OBGYN said.
She nodded, looking apprehensive, "The baby's fine?"
She knew her mother had complications with her pregnancy, and she herself had mild ovulation problems.
Ares held her hand tighter.
The doctor smiled gently, "Everything is perfectly fine right now, the baby seems to be okay. You can come in for an earlier check-up, call me if you have any questions, or come to the emergency room in the event that you feel anything is wrong," she placated.
Alette nodded, "Okay, t-thank you," she conjured up a small smile and the two walked hand-in-hand back to their car. Ares opened the door for her, buckling her in before he sat in his own seat.
They drove in a silence, Alette's anxiety still radiating off of her.
He wanted her to feel okay, but it wasn't that easy.
He couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it all must be for her, not only physically, but also mentally.
"Darling?"
She looked over at him, swallowing before she spoke.
"Lovebug?"
He cleared his throat, his eyes on the road, his hand gripping her thigh.
"You're alright?" he asked, his tone neutral.
She sighed, "I'm just...nervous. That's kind of a given at this point but," she placed her hand on his, "I just want everything to go smoothly," she finished.
He grabbed her hand, giving it a kiss.
"You tell me what you need from me Alette," he said seriously, "I'm here baby, always."
She leaned over, kissing his bicep, "I love you, Ares."
They settled into a slightly more easy silence before Alette spoke.
"Reecie?"
"Angel?"
She peeked over at him, smiling, "Ice cream please?"
He glanced at her, his lips lifting into a smirk, "Already on my way, darling."
She laughed, her heart feeling lighter.
She was afraid, she knew he was too.
But they were excited.
And they would get through it all together.
16 weeks along
Alette smoothed down her sweater, feeling her bump under her hand.
"Ready?" Ares asked her, as they walked towards Grams' house.
She wrapped her hands around his arm, beaming, "Yes! I'm so excited."
He chuckled kissing the top of her head as they rang the doorbell.
Ever since she had started showing, she wore even looser-fitting clothing to hide her stomach.
She had wanted to wait to tell everyone; now that she felt more secure in the fact that the doctor thought the baby was healthy, she was excited to share the happy news with their family.
"Hello!" Grams threw the door open, leaning forwards to hug Alette, and Ares.
"Hi Grams," Alette beamed, walking into the house.
"Good evening Grams, how are you?" Ares, his voice as serious as ever made Ada smile.
She patted his arm, "So much better now that you two are here, it's been," she pretended to think about it for a second, "Fifteen days since you came to visit."
Alette giggled, hooking her arm with Grams' and walking into the kitchen.
Ares held the small gift bag in his hand, following behind them.
They sat in the kitchen, Ares grabbing Alette a glass of lemonade.
She smiled shyly, thinking about how it felt like only yesterday that she nervously asked him if he wanted some lemonade in this very kitchen.
"How are you two?" Grams asked, sitting back in her seat.
They shared a look before Ares cleared his throat, "We're great," he replied.
Alette smiled, "We brought you a present Grams," she said, her voice soft as she held back tears.
She was already feeling as though she was going to start sobbing.
"Oh?" she furrowed her brows, "What's the occasion?" she grabbed the bag from Ares' outstretched hand.
Opening the ribbon at the top, she reached into the bag and pulled out a small bundle of white coloured yarn.
Ada furrowed her brows and Alette cleared her throat, "Will you make me a sweater Grams?"
Ada smiled, "I would love to as always, but," she smiled playfully, "There's not enough here to make a sweater for you, my precious girl."
Alette shook her head, unable to hide her smile any longer, "Not for me."
"For the baby."
Ares' words elicited a gasp from Grams, the yarn falling from her hands and onto the table.
"W-What..." she looked at the two of them, her eyes wide.
Alette let out the tears she had been holding in, and nodding, "We're having a baby, Grams."
"Oh my goodness!" she barely could get the words out through her tears, hurriedly wrapping her arms around Alette.
They hugged for quite a while before Grams moved to give Ares a hug.
"I am so happy for you two," she said to him, "I am so proud of you two."
They sat for the next few minutes, Ada firing off questions, and Alette's tears flowing.
The sound of steps echoing in the hallway interrupted them, and a few moments later, Sylvester's large figure appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.
The smile on his face fell as he observed the tears in his niece and mother's eyes.
"What happened? What's wrong?" his tone was dark, full of promises of suffering for whomever had caused his family to be upset.
His eyes flickered over to Ares, and Aresius cleared his throat, "Everything is fine, there's..." he glanced over at Alette.
"Uncle Syl...we," she swallowed, the contagious smile back on her face, "We're having a baby."
His eyes widened and he immediately braced a hand the chair in front of him.
"You..." he looked positively shocked, "A baby?"
She nodded, "You're going to be a great-uncle, yay!" she cheered, her voice low and slightly hesitant.
It took a moment for him to recover before he rounded the table and pulled his niece in for a hug.
"Congratulations, my Faye," he kissed the top of her, his eyes watery, "This is amazing news, how are you? You doing okay?"
She laughed through her own tears, hugging her uncle tighter.
He stepped away from her, looking at Ares searchingly, "Congratulations Adler."
Sylvester clasped him on the shoulder, "You're alright?"
Ares' lips lifted slightly, "Never been better."
Sylvester chuckled, "Good to hear that, we would've had problems otherwise."
Alette laughed, and they all sat back down at the table, talking, eating dinner, and spending the evening together.
Only a few days passed before she told the next person the exciting news.
"You never come visit anymore, Bow Tie," she complained, handing him a cup of coffee, as they stood in her new kitchen.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry Bee, life's been so hectic," he replied, pulling his hair into his usual bun.
She hid her smile, knowing she was only joking and then cleared her throat, leaning under the counter to grab a gift bag.
"I got you a present because I missed you so much," she told him, pushing the bag towards him.
He raised his brow, "You're so weird," he mumbled, grabbing the bag.
She narrowed her eyes, reaching over the counter to pinch his arm.
"Ow!" he rubbed at the spot, grinning, "I was kidding, Bee, you're so violent."
She stuck out her tongue, before pointing at the bag, "Open it!"
Ares walked into the kitchen, pocketing his phone; he came to stand beside Alette, also staring at Tai.
"You guys are scaring me," he said, eyeing them apprehensively.
"Just open the present Tai, you're so dramatic," Alette laughed.
"He's been spending too much time with Jerryl," Ares said.
"Going to tell him you said that," retorted Tai, as he untied the ribbons on the bag.
He peeked into it, his brows furrowing, "What's..." he reached inside, grabbing the shirt that was in the bag.
He unfolded it slowly, his eyes flitting over the words on the front, "Best...uncle ever?"
His voice sounded confused, but it only lasted a second before the shirt fell out of his hands.
"What? What?" he looked at the two, his face coated in surprise.
"She's pregnant, you're going to be an uncle," Ares said, sharing a look with Alette.
"And also maybe...the Godfather?" she asked, biting her lip.
Tai shot out of his seat, laughing incredulously and gave Alette a hug.
"Are you kidding? A baby?" he pulled away, smiling widely, his eyes shining.
Alette laughed, nodding her head; he could hardly believed that his little sister was going to have a baby and that he was going to be an uncle.
"You guys want me to be the Godfather?" his eyes looked teary.
Ares' lips lifted into a very rare smile, "You'll be sharing the job with someone, but yeah, we would love it if you were the Godfather."
Tai laughed happily again, congratulating the couple.
The very next day, they invited Jakob over for dinner.
Ares had seen him almost everyday, but he knew that he wanted to be sitting down when he told him the news.
Alette's phone rang and she picked it up, just as Ares led Jakob to the back deck outside.
The back garden was illuminated by all of the lights that Alette had put outside.
Ares leaned against the wood of the deck, overlooking the garden, and Jakob stood beside him.
They didn't speak for a few minutes; that wasn't anything new for them, the two were usually silent.
Aresius, with his heart pounding, cleared his throat.
"Are you free?"
Jakob looked at him raising a brow, "When?"
"The rest of your life?"
Jakob narrowed his eyes at him, checking his head for injuries, "Why?"
His voice was cautious; Jakob was usually on edge, but especially at Adler's cryptic words.
Adler turned to face Jakob, just as Alette walked out to the back deck.
"We were wondering if you were interested in being the Godfather?" Ares asked Jakob, his tone serious.
Jakob, not understanding yet, "Godfather? For wh-"
His eyes widened a fraction, "Really?"
Alette smiled, nodding.
He stepped back, "Do you need to sit down? Did you need anyth-"
Alette giggled and Ares shook his head, hiding his smirk.
"Wow uh..." he cleared his throat, "Congratulations Ms. Faye," he turned to Adler, scanning his face.
"Congratulations Adler," he stepped forwards, and with one more step, he gave Adler a hug.
Alette would have blamed the hormones for making her cry, but something about Ares and Jakob's bond had always made her feel sentimental.
The next day, Alette and Josephine sat in the backyard; Alette had set up a cute picnic in the yard, and they both got dressed up to hang out, talk, eat food and look cute.
The day had gone pretty well so far, but she was now struggling to hide her belly, especially after eating.
"Reece?" Alette called, waving her hands to catch Ares' attention as he washed some dishes in the sink.
Ares walked out to the backyard, and Alette held out her phone, "Will you take a picture of us, lovebug?"
Ares nodded and crouched slightly, getting the two in frame.
Josephine moved closer to Alette and the two of them posed.
"Count us down Reece?" Aletted prompted, and he nodded.
"Okay, on three say, Faye's pregnant."
"Faye's pregna- what?" Josephine's head whipped around to stare at Alette.
"Faye? What? Oh my God really?" Josephine threw her arms around Alette, hugging her tightly.
"I'm ugly crying, I can't believe it," she sniffled, "I'm going to be an aunt!"
Alette laughed through her own tears, "You're going to be an aunt."
They pulled away from their hug and Josephine smiled at Ares, clearing her throat and lowering her voice to match his deep tone "Congratulations Adler, you've secured a wonderful deal."
Ares rolled his eyes, his eyes shining at her teasing.
Josephine squealed again, her hands finding Alette's belly, "There's actually a little baby flower in there, are you kidding? This is the greatest thing ever!"
She looked at Ares and then back at Alette, "Thank you for not keeping this a secret. Still mad at you about the wedding. I was supposed to be the maid of honour."
Ares chuckled, "You would have had to fist fight Jerryl for that title."
Alette laughed, turning to Josephine to answer her questions about the baby.
Josephine left a little while later, promising that she would be over soon to go baby shopping.
Ares made Alette sit down while he cleaned up from their picnic.
Though he hated the fact that this meant that she could cuddle with the demon cat and his son, he didn't want her moving around too much.
Once he was finished, they went upstairs to get ready for dinner.
Oscar and Selina had invited them to dinner, and Alette was excited to tell them the news.
It didn't take long before they were out of the door and on their way to Oscar and Selina's house.
Parking outside, Ares grabbed the gift bag in one hand, and wrapped his other arm around Alette's waist.
He had always found a way to touch her, whether it was brushing her hair back, or grabbing her hand.
That habit had increased by a tenfold after she had told him she was pregnant.
He truly could and, would, never be able to keep his hands off of his wife.
Alette rang the doorbell, hearing the commotion from inside.
The door swung open and Oscar grinned, opening his mouth to greet them.
Before he could get a word out, Rowan ran forwards.
Ares knew he would jump on Alette to hug her, so he moved forwards, catching him first.
"Hi Uncle Adler!" he beamed, wrapping his arms around Ares.
"Hi, Row, you okay?" he asked the boy, who nodded excitedly.
Still in Ares' arms, he leaned over to hug Alette, "Hi Aunt Faye, I missed you!"
She kissed the top of his head, "I missed you Row Boat!"
"Should we maybe let them inside the house Rowan?" Selina piped up, laughing at her son.
With Rowan still in his arms, Ares and Alette stepped into the house.
Ares let Rowan down, just as Alette leaned over to kiss Lucia's head. She had her mother's curls, but looked a lot more like her father as she grew up.
"What's in there?" Rowan asked excitedly, his eyes on the gift bag.
"Do we not buy you things, son?" Oscar said, smiling exasperatedly.
Selina chuckled, smacking Oscar's arm, and ushered everyone into the living room.
"It's just a little surprise for everyone," Alette said, sitting down and avoiding Selina's watchful eyes.
She had a feeling that Selina had a hunch about what the surprise was.
"Cool!" Rowan grabbed the bag and opened the ribbon, pulling out the small baby onesie that was inside.
His brows furrowed just as Selina gasped.
"Aunt Faye....this is really nice, but it's not my size. I still love it though," he said hurriedly.
Selina's eyes watered and she threw her arms around Alette, just as Oscar laughed breathlessly.
"Can you read the front of that, Row?" Ares asked him, and Rowan looked down at the words.
He was a good reader for being 7-years-old, so the two of them knew he would be able to read what it said.
"Lit-Little cousin...little cousin?" Rowan read it out loud and then looked around confused, "Who is this for?"
Ares cleared his throat, "Aunt Faye and I are having a baby."
Alette nodded, wiping her tears, still holding onto Selina's hand, "You're going to have a baby cousin soon!"
His eyes widened, "Really? A baby cousin?"
He jumped up to give Ares a hug, before he went to Alette, "This is so fun! I'm so excited!"
Alette and Selina laughed at his excitement, and Lucia squealed at all the noise.
Oscar gave Ares a sly look, "You going to be able to hold your baby or you're going to wait a few months?"
Ares gave him a dry look and Oscar smiled, clapping Ares on the back.
"Congratulations man, I'm happy for you both," he looked over at his own wife and kids fondly, "It's the greatest thing in the world. Scary, but...amazing."
With the happy news, the two families enjoyed their dinner, Rowan chattering about the new baby, and Lucia refusing to leave her Uncle Adler's lap for the entirety of the meal.
Alette sighed at the sight.
Soon enough, that would be her everyday view.
They left Oscar and Selina's house that evening feeling elated, and Alette was glad she had someone to go to regarding her pregnancy.
They woke up happily the next morning and lay together, basking in the sunlight before getting up to prepare some breakfast.
They were inviting Zion, Karter and Jerryl for breakfast, alongside Tai and Jakob.
Ares took over the breakfast making duties, keeping an eye on Alette as she took care of a few smaller things and set the table.
Alette smiled fondly at her husband's concerned looks, "I'm okay, gorgeous, I'm fine."
She could see his body deflate in relief slightly, but he still refused to let her do too much work.
The guys arrived just as they finished getting all the food on the table, and Ares went to get the door.
Alette beamed at the thoughtfulness of all the guys.
Jakob never showed up to their house empty-handed, and today, Zion, Karter and Jerryl held flowers and pastries too.
Tai handed Alette a book that she had been wanting to read, and gave her a side-hug, asking her if she was doing okay without attracting too much attention.
They all sat down to eat, and in the middle of their breakfast, Ares cleared his throat.
They all turned to look at him and Alette had to try and stop herself from giggling at how much the scene looked like a business meeting.
"I wanted to ask if you would be willing to take on some more responsibilities, I will be busier in the upcoming months," Ares started.
The concern on Zion, Karter and Jerryl's faces' was endearing.
"Is everything okay Boss?" Zion asked, looking at the two of them worriedly.
"Everything is okay, Zion," Alette piped up.
Ares nodded, "I'll be busy because of the...baby."
Zion gasped.
Jerryl choked on his pancake.
Karter's eyes widened like saucers.
"A child?!"
Alette laughed at Jerryl's shock; the surprised silence was finally broken as he jumped out of his seat with a hoot, and Zion followed close behind.
Their screams scared the cats, so Alette bent down to pet their heads, her eyes watering at the sight of Ares' friends excitedly trying to give him hugs.
"Congratulations, Ms. Faye, how are you doing?" Karter spoke lowly to Alette.
She smiled, "Thank you Karter, I'm so excited," she replied before Jerryl caught everyone's attention again.
"Question?"
Ares raised a brow in response to Jerryl.
"Does this mean I can call you dadd-"
Jakob smacked him upside the head before he could finish.
Tai leaned over and smacked the other side.
"Ow," Jerryl winced, rubbing his head, "How is Ms. Faye supposed to feel safe raising her child in this violent environment?" he asked.
"Don't be gross then," Zion piped up grinning, because watching Jerryl be made fun of was his favourite past time.
Jakob cleared his throat, "Let's finish breakfast."
Alette shook her head, grabbing Ares' hand and smiling.
The two shared a look, feeling absolutely thrilled that everyone now knew.
20 weeks along
"Alette?" Ares locked the front door behind him, discarding his shoes and holding the flowers he had brought in one hand, and his files in the other.
He heard noises in the lounge and his brows furrowed; he picked up his pace, stopping when Grasso walked towards him.
Instead of his usual hissing, he meowed and walked in front of Ares, leading him to the lounge.
His heart pounded; if the cat wasn't hissing at him, something was wrong.
He ran into the room, feeling his chest ache with fear.
"Alette?"
She was sat on the sofa, wrapped up in a blanket. Tears were streaming down her face, and they only increased when she saw him.
"Baby? What's wrong?" he picked her up, holding her close to his chest, "What's wrong, darling? Are you hurt? Are you in pain?"
She sobbed into his neck and he rubbed her back, looking around the room to see if anything was amiss.
He let her cry, holding her tightly, until finally her sobs turned into sniffles.
"R-Reecie," her voice was filled with sorrow and she pulled away to look at him.
"What's wrong, my love?" his voice was gentle, and he leaned over to grab a tissue to wipe her eyes.
She looked down, "I...I miss Mama and Papa," she sniffled again, shifting in his lap so that she could put her head in the crook of his neck again.
Realization dawned on him when he recalled the date; her parents' death anniversary was in two days.
He kissed the top of her head and she sniffled again.
"I w-wish they could have been here to see our baby. I wish they c-could help me and tell me that everything was going to be okay. I j-just miss them so much," she sobbed again.
He kept his arms around her, knowing that comforting her physically was the best thing he could do.
Reaching forwards, he grabbed her water bottle that was on the table and unscrewed the cap.
He didn't know how long she had been crying, and he didn't want her to be dehydrated.
She seemed to have run out of tears, and she let out a yawn before she took a sip.
Her stomach growled and he frowned, "Have you eaten?"
She nodded, taking another sip.
Her stomach growled again.
"Are you hungry?" he asked her softly.
"I want...I want cookies," she said, and then her eyes watered up again.
His eyes widened, "I'll get you cookies baby, I'll get them right now, it's okay," he said quickly.
She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks again, "I want the cookies that Mama used to make," she tucked her face back into his neck and cried some more.
He leaned back on the sofa, completely lost at what he could do.
She had been struggling with all of the changes she was going through mentally and physically. She was also dealing with work on top of that.
Soft snores pulled him out of his thoughts a few minutes later and he stilled, realizing she had fallen asleep slept.
He carefully stood up, holding her tightly and walked upstairs to their bedroom.
Placing her on the bed, he brushed the hair off of his angel's face and tucked her in.
Making sure she was fine, he made his way back downstairs; the cats were perched on the stairs.
"She's fine," he muttered at them, and as though they understood, they purred and took off towards their bedroom.
He shook his head, letting out a breath and then picking up his phone to dial a number.
It rung twice before the call connected, "Hello precious boy!"
He cleared his throat, "Hi Grams, how are you?"
"I'm wonderful, how are you? Faye is fine?"
"We're fine, I just..." he swallowed and then, "Do you know how her mother used to make her cookies?"
Ada paused, a small smile on her face, "Turn on the video call, I'll tell you what to do."
He breathed a sigh of relief, and Ada sent a thanks up to the heavens for giving her granddaughter such a wonderful human being to share her life with.
Ares turned on the video, keeping the volume down, and took out all the ingredients he needed.
He had promised himself a long time ago that he would bring Alette the whole world if that were what she wanted.
She was growing their baby and working so hard.
Baking some cookies was a small feat in comparison.
24 weeks along
Alette said goodbye to her colleagues, ending the video call and turning her laptop off.
She stood up, re-filling the water bowl for their cats; she giggled as Grasso stood in front of it, blocking the water from Carino.
"Be nice, Grasso Adler," she tutted sweetly, scratching the tops of both cats' heads.
Rubbing her belly gently, she walked to the kitchen, warming up some dinner for herself.
Everyone wanted her to take it easy, so they had been coming over often to drop off food. Whether it was Tai's family, Selina and Oscar, Grams or Josephine's family.
They had plenty of stuff in the fridge.
Deciding to warm up some of the rice and chicken cutlets that Tai's mom had made, she picked up her phone, sending a picture to Ares.
Though he hadn't asked for a picture, just whether or not she had eaten dinner, she knew he would appreciate the picture proof.
He would be home after dinner because of a case, so she sat in the lounge of the house, flipping on a movie as she ate.
Her hand drifted to her belly subconsciously and she smiled.
"Hi little baby," she mumbled.
She had only spoken to the baby a handful of times so far because it felt kind of...odd.
She had always thought that kids and pregnancy would all make sense when the time came.
That she would be a natural at it.
But so far, through all the joy and love, there had been a lot of uncertainty.
That was normal, she was going through a lot, but it did make her wonder if she would be a good mother.
Raising a human wasn't exactly an easy task.
"I love you," she said, "So much already. I promise I'll be the best mama I can be."
Saying the words out loud made her feel better.
She would love her baby and try her hardest.
Finishing up her dinner, she cleaned the kitchen quickly and walked upstairs.
Walking into their large closet, she felt nerves creep up for an entirely different reason.
The nerves were mixed in excitement though.
She grabbed the box that she had hidden away. She ran her fingers over the nude coloured box from her favourite store, opening it and moving away the tissue paper.
She had gotten the piece designed to fit her changing body and now that she saw it, she couldn't wait to see it on.
She quickly went to take a shower and dry her hair. Putting on some moisturizer all over her body, she slipped into a robe.
Walking back into their closet, she pulled each of the pieces out of the box.
She carefully put each intricate piece of lace on; the white lace with embroidered flowers had caught her eye on the store's website, and she had been so excited to purchase it.
Surprising Aresius with a new set had become a very common occurrence for the two of them, and while they hadn't been too intimate ever since she had gotten pregnant, she knew that that closeness was something they both missed.
Once she was finished, she stood up to look at herself in the body-length mirror.
Her heart fell.
The see-through, white lace bra and panties were littered with pastel embroidered flowers.
It was a beautiful set, truly, but she couldn't admire the beauty of it.
Because all she could focus on was how different her body looked.
How her arms had gotten bigger, how her cheeks had gotten bigger. How swollen her legs and feet looked. The angry stretch marks that had increased in number as her belly swelled.
Abruptly turning away from the mirror, she discarded the items, slipping into comfortable pair underwear and one of Ares' shirts.
Tying her hair up and keeping her tears at bay, she climbed into bed, wanting to not think about it any longer.
She ended up falling into a light sleep, but woke when she heard him rustling around.
She blinked her eyes open and he kissed her forehead.
"I didn't mean to wake you, darling," he said softly.
She shook her head, "It's okay, how was work? You ate?"
"All good darling, let me just change, I'll be right back," he kissed her again before he walked into their closet to change.
She lay back, closing her eyes for a second before they shot open.
She hadn't hid the box.
She groaned internally, hoping he was too tired to notice anything and just grabbed his clothes quickly.
The door of the closet swung open and shut her eyes, hoping he would think that she was asleep.
She felt him lie down beside her, and clear his throat.
She sighed peeking an eye open; he was propped up one elbow, the white thong hanging off of the pointer finger of his free hand.
She turned red, reaching out to grab it from him but he held it out of reach.
"Darling?"
"I was...I was doing the laundry."
"Oh yeah?"
She nodded, glad that it was dark in the room so he couldn't see her red cheeks.
"These look clean," he drawled, then kissed her jaw, "Should we get them dirty?"
She swallowed, feeling desire course through her veins.
She nodded breathlessly and he smirked, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. He bit her bottom lip, his other hand moving to take the comforter off of her.
She broke off the kiss, "W-We can keep this on," she said.
His brows furrowed, and he kissed her forehead.
"Are you cold darling?"
She almost wanted to lie, but she knew that he wouldn't believe her.
"I..." she swallowed, deciding that if she couldn't talk to her husband about something like this, it wouldn't bode well for their relationship.
She closed her eyes.
"I look different."
There, she said it.
When her admission was met with silence, she opened her eyes to see him looking down at her; she couldn't gauge the look in his eyes.
He cleared his throat, "You look different?"
She nodded, "I'm...my body looks different."
He cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheekbone, "You're pregnant Alette, of course your body looks different."
She closed her eyes, not wanting to cry again.
She didn't blame him for not understanding; she was feeling insecure, and the fact of the matter was, he thought she looked unbelievably beautiful.
He had noticed how her body changed; it was hot as hell if he were being honest.
"I look bigger now Reece and I have stretch marks and I just," she sighed, "I feel not so good about myself. I'm so happy about the reasons why my body is changing, just not loving how the changes look."
He paused, "Do you trust me?"
She furrowed her brows, nodding slowly.
He nodded along with her, slowly inching the comforter off of her.
She held her breath as he took it off, leaving her in her underwear and large shirt.
He stood up off the bed and walked to the closet, grabbing the rest of the set.
Once he returned, he grabbed her hand and helped her stand up.
His fingers brushed at the hem of the shirt she was wearing, "Still fine?"
She began to nod but he shook his head, needing a verbal confirmation.
"Still fine, Ares," her voice hand begun to take a shyer toner.
He lifted the shirt up and off of her, holding eye contact.
He grabbed the lacy white bra, hooking it over her shoulders and clasping it closed.
He then handed her the underwear, staring only at her face.
She got the hint and grabbed the panties from him, changing into them.
He turned around while she changed; her heart felt as though it would explode.
Once she was done, he grabbed her hand and walked her to the floor-length mirror.
She stood in front of it, seeing all the sights that she wanted to avoid seeing.
He stood behind her, kissing the top of her head, then her shoulder; he walked around and kneeled in front of her, kissing her stomach.
She felt her eyes water.
"Alette Faye, the moment I met you, I felt as though I had seen all of the most beautiful things in the world in one room."
She swallowed; the adoration in his eyes was unmistakable.
He kissed her stomach again, grabbing her hands in his.
"I know the changes are difficult, I'm proud of you for being so strong. You're creating life darling," he looked at her stomach lovingly, "You're magical, Alette Faye Adler."
She smiled, her tears tipping over.
"Your body is beautiful. Your body is beautiful when it holds me after a long day. When you cook my favourite meal, when you arrange my files the way I like. Your body is beautiful because it allows you to be successful, to be smart, to take charge of your workplace. Your body is beautiful because it allows you to plant your favourite flowers, and bake for all of our friends. Your body is strong, your body is resilient," his said the words so passionately, she felt weak at the knees.
He continued.
"Your body is beautiful because it's growing our baby, nurturing it even before the baby is here," he kissed her stomach again before he stood up.
"Above all else though," he cupped her face in both hands, "Your body is beautiful because it's yours."
"Aresius," she placed her hands on his chest, feeling so overwhelmed at the love.
"Your body is yours; it holds your heart, mind and soul, and it is so," he kissed her deeply, "So beautiful."
She sobbed, wrapping her arms around him.
"I love you," she told him, leaning up, "More than anything. I love you so much, my heart."
He met her halfway and let her kiss him as she pleased.
Her kiss became more intense, and his hands slid down her body to her thighs, lifting her legs up as she hooked her arms around his neck.
He walked her over to the bed and laid her down gently.
Kissing a fiery path down her torso, he showed her just how beautiful her body was to him.
26 weeks along
Alette and Ares sat cuddled up on the sofa watching a movie. The cats laid by Alette's feet, sleeping.
"That was a very bad plot twis-" Alette sat up, gasping.
Ares sat up with her, his eyes concerned.
"Alette?"
She looked at him, her eyes wide, "A-Ares," she grabbed his hands, placing them on her stomach.
"The baby," she whispered, the shock coating her tone.
Ares looked confused, but it transformed into surprise when he felt the undeniable movement.
They stared at each other, their eyes big.
The baby was kicking.
Ares felt the small movement under his palm again and he shook himself out of his reverie, leaning down to kiss her belly.
"Hel-" he cleared his throat, "Hello."
He tried not to sound too awkward as he spoke; he didn't want to give his baby the wrong first impression.
Alette placed her hand over Ares' as he kissed her stomach again.
"I love you, my little flower."
It really was unfair, they way this man made her feel.
With a huge smile on his face, his lifted his head up, giving her kiss.
"I love you, my Alette."
28 weeks along
"You two still don't want to know what the baby's going to be right?" her OBGYN asked.
The shared a look before Alette shook her head, "We want it to be a surprise!"
They truly didn't care.
They just wanted their baby to be healthy.
"Sounds good to me," the doctor chirped, and then flipped through her papers before her face became more serious, "Everything is feeling fine? No strange pains? No spotting?"
"N-No it's been...okay," she said, "Is something the matter?"
The doctor gave her a small smile, "Nothing too worrying, your blood pressure just errs on the side of high."
Alette bit her lip but the doctor smiled consolingly, "Just manage your stress, I know that's a hard thing to ask of someone, but maybe less working and more relaxing. Doing some very, very light walking might help, nothing too intense."
Ares swallowed, his heart pounding in fear, "Will...will Alette be okay? And the baby?"
The doctor sat back in her seat, "The baby looks completely fine at this moment, but high blood pressure, caused by or leading to stress can be very difficult during birth and even beforehand."
Alette placed her hand on her stomach, her heart beating faster.
She shared an anxious look with Ares, and he squeezed her hand tighter.
They anchored one another even on the darkest of days; they hoped that would reign true for this as well.
32 weeks along
"It looks perfect lovebug!" Alette said happily, staring at the nursery around them.
They had decorated it very plainly; with some creams, greens and whites. The window in the room let in the most beautiful light, and Alette was so happy with how it all turned out.
"Is there an update on the furniture?" she asked Ares.
He put the hammer back in the toolbox, shaking his head, "Still two more weeks to go. It's in shipment."
She nodded, "There's time, it should be okay!"
He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her softly.
"I love you, my darling."
She sighed in his arms, kissing his chest, right on top of his heart.
"Do you want to sit down-"
A loud hiss cut his words off.
He turned around to glare at the Fat Bastard
"I'm going to put you out on the streets."
"Aresius Adler!"
He turned to look at Alette, slightly sheepishly.
She shook her head, laughing lightly before resting her face on his chest and closing her eyes.
He looked down, making sure she couldn't see him, and then stared at the Fat Demon.
He lifted his hand slightly, flipping him off.
"I saw that," Alette murmured, her eyes still closed.
Grasso meowed, strutting away.
Ares sighed.
37 weeks along
"Jerryl keep your goggles on before you poke an eye out," growled Ares as he held up the welding torch.
"But they don't match my outfit," he whined.
Ares rolled his eyes, putting the torch down and standing back from the final piece.
The guys had gathered at Jakob's garage and were finishing up the crib.
Ares had sat with Alette while they were initially looking for cribs, and he had been beyond glad that she liked some of the metal ones.
He told her that he ordered it, but he had actually been making it himself for their baby.
After a lot of research and guidance from professionals, he had started. He wanted the crib to be completely safe for their baby.
He had ordered a small bassinet, which was going to arrive tomorrow.
She had plans to spend time with her friends tomorrow and would be out of the house, which meant that he had enough time to set it all up for her.
"Done?" Zion asked, grinning at Ares.
He nodded, feeling overjoyed and apprehensive at the same time.
He would be a father soon.
Jakob cleared his throat, "Turn around."
Ares raised a brow, noticing the sly looks on everyone's face.
Other than Jakob.
His face was expressionless.
He obliged, taking his gloved off and turning around.
He heard rustling, creaking and a lot of not very quiet whispering behind him.
It went on for a few minutes before he was finally allowed to look.
A brand new rocking chair greeted him when he turned around.
His eyes widened a fraction.
Jerryl cleared his throat dramatically, "Because Jakob is in love with you, he had this made for you guys."
Ares swallowed, walking closer to the beautiful rocking chair.
It was all white, and had vines and flowers carved into it.
He looked at Jakob who gave him the ghost of a smile.
"Got your back. Always Adler."
37 weeks along
"Can I open my eyes now Reecie?" Alette asked.
"Almost baby, one more second," he replied, making sure she stood properly in the doorway of the room.
"Ready," he told her, taking the blindfold off.
She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light.
When she finally looked at the room in front of her, she turned around to stare at Ares, her eyes wide.
"The furniture came?" she asked excitedly, still not completely understanding,
He nodded and she happily walked forwards, going to the crib.
Her fingers touched the metal and then she sucked in a breath noticing the vines that were delicately engraved into the crib.
They matched the vines that her husband had engraved into her rings.
She turned around, launching herself at Ares.
She held him tightly, "I-I can't believe you made this."
He chuckled, "I hope the baby will like it."
Alette laughed through her tears, "It's so beautiful, so so beautiful."
He then pointed to the rocking chair, "From Jakob."
Her eyes widened, "Really?"
He nodded and she walked to look at the beautiful chair.
"Jakob's already excelling at Godfather duties," she commented merrily.
Ares snorted, "I won't tell him that, his ego is big enough."
39 weeks along
They walked hand-in-hand in the fields, close to their house.
The sun was beginning to set, and the wind blew calmly over the trees.
Alette winced as she felt another sharp pain on her side.
"What's wrong, my love?" Ares asked.
"Just hurts again," she said, rubbing her belly, knowing that she was very close to her due date.
They walked back towards their house, slower than before, and Alette winced the whole way along.
The sharp pains felt unbearable.
She took the first step to get up onto her porch before she felt a small rush of water.
She halted, her face losing colour.
Ares stopped alongside her, "Alette, you're fine?"
She swallowed, "I-I think we need to go to the hospital."
His eyes widened, "What's wrong? Are you hurting?"
She shook her head, clutching her belly, "I...I think baby lovebug is here," she said, a faint smile on her face.
Ares, staggered slightly, his whole body in shock.
She gasped as pain tore through her again, and had his arms not been around her, she would have fallen over.
Her pain made him snap back to reality, and he quickly guided her to the car before running into the house and grabbing the hospital bag.
His mind was racing, his heart gripped with fear.
He made his way back to the car and they drove to the hospital.
Alette had assumed that her contractions would come at a delay, but she shook her head at her own ignorance.
The pains she had been feeling all day were probably early contractions and she had ignored them because she thought it was too early.
Her eyes were scrunched in pain as he drove, and he quickly made a call to Grams through the car screen.
They arrived at the hospital and he put his car in park before helping her out and grabbing the bag.
His anxiety was stifled by the adrenaline; he needed to make sure she was okay.
"My...my wife's having a baby," he sputtered the words out to the closest nurse.
He had booked a room for her to stay in for birthing and recovery, and he was glad that all that had been taken care of because he felt like he was completely incapable right now.
They got her set up in the room, and he helped her change into the gown just as her doctor entered the room.
"Hi Faye, Adler," she nodded, "Let's take a quick look."
The doctor made Alette lay back, but that was when her eyes fell onto her underwear.
They were still wet from the when her water had broken, and had a slight spotting of blood.
She looked at the nurse, "Get a tech in here, and prep for birth. Get Dad all sanitized and ready too," she pointed at Ares.
"Faye, I think you're ready to have your baby now," she smiled.
Alette clenched her teeth as she felt another contraction, "Is everything o-okay?"
She could barely get the words out.
"You're ready to push in just a few Faye, everything is fine."
Ares got sanitized to step into the room with her, just as her doctor got everything ready to go.
The baby was a little early, and both Alette and Ares wished with everything in them that their baby would be okay.
Ares held her hand as the doctor monitored the baby's heartbeat.
His heart hurt at all of the pain on her face.
Then, the doctor stood back, everyone at the ready and she instructed Alette to breathe in.
Then she began to push.
Ares felt dizzy; Alette gripped so tightly onto his hand that he couldn't feel it anymore.
He couldn't really feel anything anymore.
"I-I c-can't," Alette sobbed as the pain tore through her.
She had been too late to get an epidural.
Ares snapped into action, "You're doing so well, darling, so well," he encouraged her, feeling his eyes get teary at her pain.
"One more push Faye, I see the head, come on mama!" Alette gritted her teeth, feeling the most terrible pain she had ever felt.
Ares held his breath.
And then the room was filled with loud cries.
The baby was here.
The baby was placed on Alette's chest and it was then that Ares' tears slipped out.
Alette sobbed, her shaking hand holding her baby close to her.
She looked up at Ares, both their faces covered in tears.
The cry of her baby was somehow the most beautiful thing that Alette had ever heard.
"A-Aresius," she swallowed.
He leaned down, pressing his lips to Alette's forehead.
The baby was cleaned, and they moved Alette to the recovery room.
When it was finally time, the baby was put into Alette's arms again before she looked at her husband.
"Do you want to hold?" they both were still teary eyed, and Alette's pain hadn't dissipated.
She felt nothing but bliss though.
He swallowed, taking a seat on the bed; he looked at the little bundle in his wife's arms.
His baby.
Alette carefully manoeuvred the baby into Ares' arms, feeling the tears spring back up.
Aresius Adler had wondered whether or not he would ever be able to love someone as much as he loved his wife.
He didn't know if he was capable of that kind of emotion.
But as he stared down at the small, round cheeks of his baby, his heart flipped in his chest.
He bent down, placing the softest kiss on the baby's head.
"I love you."
He whispered the words to the baby, and then looked at his wife, "I love you, my Alette. Thank you."
She leaned over and kissed his bicep, wiping at her eyes.
Soon after, Grams and Sylvester walked into the room, followed closely by Jakob.
Everyone else had wanted to wait to come and see the baby; they didn't want to crowd the hospital room.
Grams cried when she saw the little mass of blankets, and Sylvester wiped at his own eyes.
"Congratulations you two," he said, giving Alette a kiss on her head.
Jakob stared at the little bundle, his eyes light, "Doesn't look anything like you Adler. That's good."
Ares shook his head, feeling too sentimental to think of a comeback.
Alette held the baby close and Grams cleared her throat.
"Well then...what's the name?" she asked smiling.
Alette and Ares shared an affectionate look before Ares cleared his throat.
"Ardelia Floret Adler."
Their beautiful baby girl.
1 week old
After a little while in observation, both Alette and baby Ardelia would be returning home.
They had spent the last few months trying to get the cats accustomed to baby sounds, and after she had been born, Ares had brought home her blanket, hoping that they would get used to the smell.
Ares held the baby seat in his hand as Alette unlocked the front door.
The cats immediately greeted her and she bent down, giving them small squishes, "Hi babies, I missed you so much!"
Ares held the carrier up higher just as he noticed Grasso's eyes on it.
Grasso looked at Ares.
Ares glared at him.
Grasso hissed.
"If you hiss at my daughter again, you're done you little sh-"
He stopped when Alette gave him a look.
She smiled; seeing their baby in their home felt surreal.
But she was here.
And their whole world felt a little more complete.
4 weeks old
Alette stirred when she heard the baby monitor.
"Go back to bed darling, I've got it," Ares spoke up immediately.
Even in her sleepy state, she smiled.
He used every chance he could get to spend time with the baby.
Alette fell back to sleep for almost ten minutes before she shook herself awake and pulled her silky nightdress down as she walked to the nursery that was attached to their room.
She paused at the door, leaning against the doorframe.
She smiled at her little family.
Aresius sat on the rocking chair, holding Ardelia in his arms and talking softly to her.
He smiled softly when he noticed her.
She walked over to them and Ares held the baby out to her.
Holding the baby in her arms, she sat down in his lap, her back against his chest.
Ardelia, as though knowing that food was nearby, opened her mouth slightly.
Alette laughed and Ares moved the strap of her nightdress down.
Ardelia latched on, and Alette closed her eyes, leaning back.
Aresius tightened his arms around his girls, feeling as though his whole life was a dream.
A dream that he could have never envisioned when he was younger.
"I love you, Aresius Adler, thank you for being mine."
He kissed Alette's bare shoulder.
"I love you Alette Faye, my forever girl."
The held each other close, feeling every happy feeling that existed under the sun.
Alette, Aresius and baby Ardelia.
♡♡♡
hello my friends <3
long time no see - i hope everyone is doing well
this chapter is very very rough, i'll be editing it in the future - i had left you all waiting for too long though - i hope you enjoyed it, i'm not a professional at any of this, so i did the best research i could to make sure stuff was accurate - let me know if there are any questions/comments/concerns
welcome baby Ardelia - i had so many names to choose from, and i ended up loving this one (it's been on my baby list for a long time now) it means means blooming meadow (i believe, not 100% sure on that) - i might end up using some more names soon, this is only baby #1 after all
i have 1-2 more bonuses planned for Ares and Alette, not sure when i'll get to them, but there's a few more things i want to write
thank you so much for reading, thank you to all my new readers, i have been very bad at replying to comments (because some of them aren't fun so i avoid them for the sake of my mental health) - thank you for all your love, you're all wonderful
please take a second to vote on the chapters
take a break, you deserve it
with love always xxx
unedited.