Diana had Alice wait in her bedroom. As Diana walked her inside, Alice noticed the vase with gladiolus flowers on the nightstand. As she stared at it, Diana made her way to it, picking a few of them. Diana then got behind Alice and put them into her hair. Alice smiled brightly, fighting back her tears.
"Thanks."
"I'm so glad my son found you." Diana beamed.
"Well, I would say I found him." Alice scoffed.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you both found someone you love with your entire mind, body and soul. That's rare."
Diana kissed her cheek and told her that Pierre would come get her when everyone was ready. As the sun started to set, Jamie and Cory went to work, turning on the lights and lighting the candles. Cory then took his place by the tree as Jamie waited on the patio for Alice to take her photos. Esther and Diana stood alongside the path as Tom walked down the steps, chuckling lightly hearing the shutter of Jamie's camera. He then stood next to Cory and clasped his hands together, fiddling with his thumbs. He glanced over at Cory and grinned.
"Are you nervous at all?" Tom asked.
"A little bit. You?"
"Probably a little bit more than you then."
The two laughed together and Tom felt his heart stop hearing the patio door slide open. As he turned to look, he saw Alice and Pierre, arm in arm, making their way down the steps. Tom caught Alice's eye and the two smiled brightly at one another, feeling their worries wash away. Jamie followed them along, capturing every moment possible. As soon as she reached the tree, Pierre kissed her cheek and took his place next to Esther. Tom put his hand out to Alice and she took it. She stood across from Tom, holding his hands, not ever wanting to let go. She then noticed the gladiolus flowers in his suit pocket and bit down on her lip, cursing to herself as a few tears escaped her eye. She chuckled lightly as Tom reached up towards her face, wiping the tears away. When she glanced up at him, she saw the tears in his eyes as he smiled down at her.
"She's here with us." He whispered.
Alice's bottom lip quivered as she couldn't hold back the wave of tears that flowed down her cheeks. Tom leaned forward to kiss her cheek when Cory put his hand between them.
"Not yet, Tom." Cory whispered, smirking.
Everyone shared a laugh before Cory began the ceremony. Shortly after, Pierre presented the two with their rings. Tom placed hers first and then Alice went. She struggled a bit and the two laughed as she finally managed to slip the ring on.
"I got you now." Alice teased, making everyone laugh.
"Now, do you, Thomas William Hiddleston, take Alice Sherbrooke to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do." Tom's voice wavered.
"And do you, Alice Sherbrooke, take Thomas William Hiddleston to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do." Alice beamed, squeezing Tom's hands.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," Cory announced. "Now you can kiss her."
Tom hurriedly took Alice's face in his hands and pulled her into a kiss as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing them against his back. All the others clapped for them as the two shared a sweet and tender kiss. As they pulled back, the two gazed into the other's eyes and smiled brightly.
"We did it." Alice whispered.
"We did. We made it work."
"I'm your wife."
"I'm your husband."
The two giggled before sharing another kiss. When they pulled back, Jamie whisked them away to take photos of the two of them. Jamie captured their moments of laughter, love, and happiness before they all ate the meal Diana cooked for them outside. Tom and Alice then stood from their table and began to dance as Cory turned on his speaker and played some music for them. Tom held her right hand as his right arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him. He splayed his fingers against the open back of her dress, sending shivers down her spine. Alice rested her left hand on his shoulder and the two slowly swayed as they kept their eyes on one another. He then pressed his forehead against hers. Alice tilted her head up as his lips brushed up against hers, feeling his breath on her cheek.
"I didn't say it before but you look absolutely stunning, darling." Tom whispered.
Alice blushed as Tom kissed her sweetly. When she pulled back, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest. As he placed both arms around her waist, he turned his head to look down at her and inhaled sharply seeing the gladiolus flowers in her hair. He pressed a kiss to the top of her hair as they continued to sway as the others joined in.
Cory then came over to Tom and tapped him on the shoulder. Tom smiled brightly and excused himself from the dance, leaving Alice confused. She then watched as Tom, Cory and a reluctant Pierre walked over to a table. Cory turned off the music and everyone looked on as Tom cleared his throat.
"Now, we are all aware that Alice dances and sings almost every night at her cabaret show. I have seen her perform several times. I, too, am a performer yet she has never seen me perform as well. So what better way to show my beautiful bride that I can perform... just like her."
Alice furrowed her brow as Cory went scrolling through his phone. After a moment, the instrumental version to "I Will be Yours" by The Mavericks began to play and Tom started to sing the lyrics. Alice's eyes widened as the three of them all began to break out into a simple, choreographed routine, with Pierre and Cory singing during the chorus. Alice laughed loudly, covering her mouth with her hands as she watched on with content. She was surprised with Tom's ability to sing as she had never heard him before. After a moment, Cory grabbed Jamie as Pierre led Diana onto the grass from their tables. Tom then rushed over to Alice and took her in his arms, spinning her around. They all danced together and when it came time for the spoken lyrics of the song, Tom leaned close to Alice's ear and whispered.
"Darling... I will never leave you... Since the day I laid eyes on you, I have been... And always will be... Yours."
Tom pulled back to continue singing with Pierre and Cory, smiling down at Alice as she giggled, holding back her tears. When the song came to an end, Tom dipped Alice down and pressed a kiss to her lips. He pulled her up and she began to clap along with the others.
"Remember. I will always be yours." Tom whispered.
"And I will always be yours no matter what happens." Alice blushed.
By the end of the night, Tom and Alice thanked everyone for their collective efforts in making the best wedding possible. Alice and Tom decided to save whatever money was left over from their wedding fund and skip a honeymoon. As Tom and Alice returned to their apartment, Tom picked Alice up into his arms. She shrieked as she wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling as he made his way up the stairs. When they reached the door, Tom stopped and chuckled nervously as he glanced down at Alice.
"The keys are in my pocket," He told her. "I didn't think this through."
Alice laughed loudly as she reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys. She turned the lock and opened the door. She pushed it open and Tom walked into the apartment. When he set her back down on the floor, he locked the door behind them and hurriedly wrapped his arms around her.
"What do you want to do now, wife?" Tom raised his brow.
"I think I'd like to make love to you, husband." Alice smirked.
"That can be arranged."
Alice giggled as she raced down the hall to their bedroom with Tom following after her. She held up her dress as she ran, trying not to trip, feeling her hair fall out of its curls. Moments later, the two were laying on the bed, naked, holding on to one another as if their lives depended on it. Alice dug her nails into Tom's back as he thrust inside of her. The two moved together in perfect harmony as their moans and cries filled up the bedroom. Alice bit down on her lip as Tom pressed his forehead against hers, furrowing his brow. Tom choked back his groan as he rolled his hips, feeling Alice clench around him. His thrusts faltered for a moment, feeling her cum around him. She threw her head back into the pillows and gasped several times before going silent for a few seconds. She then inhaled sharply and cried out as she tightened her legs around his waist, pulling him in even more. Her eyes widened as she lifted her head to look down between them, feeling him move erratically as he raced to reach his own climax. Within a few moments, Tom gave one final thrust before cumming. He took Alice's face in his hands and kissed her deeply as his hips bucked every now and then, riding out both of their orgasms.
The two felt their muscles relax as their chests heaved with every breath they took. Tom allowed himself to press his weight onto Alice. Despite being heavier than her, Alice loved feeling his body press down onto hers. The two shared a few slow and tender kisses before pulling back. Tom wrapped his arms around her ribs and rested his head against her chest. Alice giggled lightly as she ran her fingers through his hair, taking note that it had grown out a little bit. She noticed curls started to form and she smiled brightly, remembering how he first looked when she met him. His curls had come down a little below his ears and he had stubble around his upper lip and chin that trailed off towards his jaw.
Tom pressed several open mouthed kisses along her chest and breasts before picking himself up and rolling onto his side of the bed. He smiled brightly as Alice followed after him, cuddling up against his chest. Tom wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers up and down her spine, doing his best to soothe her as she relaxed against him. She gazed up at Tom and blushed as she smiled up at him, giggling.
"I love you, Tom." Alice spoke, her eyes welling with tears.
"I love you, Alice." Tom replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
*2 Months Later*
Alice was at the theater in the dance room getting her things ready to choreograph one of the numbers with another dancer. Alice was listening to the music through her headphones, marking out the moves as a few of the other dancers started to enter the room to warm up. As one of the male dancers walked by, Alice caught a whiff of his cologne and gagged softly. She placed her hand over her mouth and widened her eyes, hoping that no one saw her. She swallowed hard and after a few moments, she found herself gagging again as she caught the scent once more. She took a few deep breaths before walking over to other choreographer and talking through the dance.
As the other dancer was talking, Alice felt herself gag once more as she turned away, feeling herself dry heave.
"Alice, are you okay?" The dancer asked.
Before Alice could even speak, she began to gag once again. She placed her hand over her mouth and rushed out of the room. She ran down the hall and her eyes widened spotting Cory and Esther walking in her direction. Alice ran into the bathroom and knelt down in front of a toilet, retching into it. Hearing Alice vomit, anyone else in the bathroom quickly made their way out. Alice panted heavily as she sat up on the floor, holding onto the toilet seat. She heard a few people enter the bathroom before they knocked on her stall door.
"Alice, it's me." Esther said.
"And Cory."
Alice chuckled lightly as she told them to open the stall door. Esther stepped in and knelt down next to Alice. She then reached over and flushed the toilet.
"Are you sick?" She asked, pressing her hand to Alice's forehead.
"No, I'm fine. I woke up feeling fine."
"Maybe it was something you ate?" Cory furrowed his brow.
"No. I just had some fruit and a granola bar." Alice replied.
She then felt another wave of nausea and vomited into the toilet as Esther held her hair back.
"We can see that." Cory scrunched his face together.
Alice groaned as she felt her stomach settle, sitting back down on the floor as Esther flushed the toilet. Alice wiped at her mouth and they helped her to her feet. They walked with her to the sink, letting her wash her hands as Cory got her a stick of gum to chew quickly before the rehearsal.
"Alice, can I ask you something personal?" Esther asked.
"Sure." Alice scoffed.
"Have you been having sex without protection?"
Alice slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder at Esther, furrowing her brow.
"Um... yeah. W-Why?"
Esther raised her brow and Alice's eyes widened as she shook her head.
"I'm not... no. I'm not!"
"It's a possibility." Esther retorted.
"I'm not pregnant."
"Oh, my god, you are pregnant!" Cory exclaimed happily.
"No!"
"Well, if you're not pregnant, why did you throw up?"
"I smelt this guy's cologne and it was so strong I just kept gagging. I could taste it, too! It was gross." Alice explained.
"And you've been having sex without protection how often?" Esther raised her brow.
Alice opened her mouth to answer and stammered as she realized the truth.
"I can't be pregnant." Alice whispered.
"You two go back to the dance room. I'll go out and get you a pregnancy test. When rehearsal is over, you're taking it." Esther instructed.
"Fine." Alice sighed.
By the end of the rehearsal, Esther stepped into the room to watch the progress being made. Once it was over, Esther walked over to Alice as she was getting her things together. Alice saw the plastic bag in her hand and took a deep breath, nodding her head. As soon as everyone had left the theater, Esther, Alice and Cory made their way to the bathroom. Esther pulled out the tests and handed them to Alice.
"If it's positive, you're making a call to your OB GYN." Esther told her.
Alice walked into the stall and took the test. As she took the test, Alice remembered the times she had done them before. She found comfort in knowing that even when it had been a no or when it had been a yes, Tom was there by her side ready to support her and take care of her. He was always ready and willing to guide her through whatever change occurred in their lives. The three then stood by the sink, waiting for the test to give an answer. Cory had his arm wrapped around her waist as Esther leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. When the timer went off on Cory's phone, Alice jumped as she tightened her grip on the test.
"Take a look." Esther said softly.
Alice swallowed the lump in her throat as she turned over the test in her hands. She peered down at it and stared at the test, seeing the answer.
"Alice? What does it say?" Cory asked.
Cory and Esther shared a look as they directed their attention to Alice. She was silent and remained as still as possible, staring down at the test.
"Alice? Are you alright? Don't scare us like this." Esther spoke.
"I am pregnant." Alice whispered.
Esther smiled softly as Cory wrapped his arms around Alice from behind. Alice slowly felt herself begin to cry as she shook her head.
"What's wrong?" Cory asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.
"I can't. I can't be pregnant." Alice gasped.
"Why? Isn't this what you and Tom want?" Cory furrowed his brow.
"We never discussed getting pregnant after Phoebe. We never talked about it. I can't be pregnant. I just came back here to work."
"This won't interfere with your work." Esther chuckled lightly.
"I just started working here two months ago. I just came back after being away for a year. I can't work here if I'm pregnant. I can't do that you guys."
"Alice, you have nothing to worry about. We can-"
"I can't dance if I'm super pregnant. We just started rehearsing for the new routines. We start performances in a few months!" Alice interjected.
"Listen to me, " Esther spoke calmly. "We're going to do what we planned on doing when you got pregnant before. You can still choreograph and dance and sing in the show but we'll have someone else learn your parts for when you start to show a lot. That way you'll only choreograph and you can take time off to take care of the baby."
"Really?" Alice furrowed her brow.
"Yes, really," Esther caressed Alice's cheek. "Do you think that this is the first time I've dealt with a pregnant performer?"
Alice fought against the smile forming on her face as Esther placed her hands on her upper arms.
"I would never tell you to stop working completely. Now, go call your OB GYN and make an appointment to confirm everything." Esther continued.
"And you have to tell Tom." Cory added.
Alice took a deep breath and nodded her head. When Alice returned later that afternoon, Tom welcomed her back, embracing her tightly. Alice gasped and quickly pulled back from the embrace, causing Tom to furrow his brow.
"You were supposed to be back a while ago." He commented.
"Um, I know. Some things came up that Esther wanted to discuss about the routines."
"How is it going with the choreography?"
"Good," Alice replied. "I have to talk to you."
Tom cleared his throat as he could see the tears in Alice's eyes begin to form.
"Okay. Let's sit down."
Tom and Alice sat next to each other on the couch. Tom waited patiently, bracing himself for whatever Alice needed to say. She took a moment to gather her thoughts together as she fiddled with the ring on her finger. As she opened her mouth to speak, she found no words were able to be spoken as she began to sob, allowing the tears to fall into her lap. Tom quickly wrapped his arms around Alice, pulling her to him. He cradled her head to his chest and hushed her, pressing several kisses to the top of her head.
"It's okay, baby. I got you. Whatever you need to tell me... I'm here to listen. I'm ready." Tom whispered.
Alice pulled back and furrowed her brow. She then began to cry even more and shook her head as Tom laid his hand on her knee. After a moment, Alice wiped her tears away as she gathered herself together. She panted softly as she bit down on her lip, turning to reach into her bag.
"I have something for you." She gasped softly.
"Alice, please tell me what's going on. I hate seeing you like this."
Alice concealed the test, holding it in both of her palms.
"I know we haven't talked much about it since... what happened but... close your eyes."
Tom did as she said. He then felt her grab his hand and rotate it so his palm was facing up. She placed the test in his hand and asked him to open his eyes. Tom looked down at his hand and felt his heart race in his chest seeing the pregnancy test.
"I'm pregnant, Tom." Alice smiled sadly.