Back to Lucy's POV
"Since we didn't get to do this the other night, we figured now would be a good time." Jason says as I hand each member of the family their gifts. The gifts that tell them that our worlds are about to get a little bit bigger.
"Hm, what's the occasion?" Aunt Selina sets down her mimosa, accepting her gift.
"No occasion. We just wanted to show you all how much we love you." I say, hugging Barbara as I hand her her box.
"That's code for you want something. Either that or you're moving out. Are you finally moving out?" Cassandra suddenly becomes excited, directing her jab towards her brother.
"You wish." Jason retorts, and I laugh as I wrap my arm around him. He returns the gesture, setting his hand securely on my stomach, a habit he's picked up over the last couple of days. "As you all know, I'm leaving for my first mission tomorrow. These are just gifts to thank you for your support and to hopefully encourage you to continue supporting us."
I feel my heart sink a bit as I'm reminded that Jason's first mission is tomorrow. He and the team are leaving tomorrow afternoon for Barbados, tracking a missing artifact that is crucial to the League of Assassins. Jason said that if the artifact made its way into anyone else's hands, the League's power would be jeopardized. Multiple countries would be plunged into war and very powerful and dangerous people would become tyrants. The mission came from Talia Al Ghul herself. Hundreds of assassins and various other rouges are perusing the artifact, making the mission relatively dangerous. While spending time with the League, Jason had made some prominent enemies within the assassin field, however he assured me they were no threat, and he would be home with me and the baby in no time. He might even make my twelve week scan.
I snap out of my thoughts as I hear the joyous sounds of my family as they begin to open their presents. I watch as they open their gifts agonizingly slow. I can feel my heartbeat in palms.
Kat is the first to finally discover what's inside the box, and she instantly lets out a loud squeal, followed mere seconds later by a similar squeal from Barbara and a shout from Dick.
"You're kidding?" Kody turns to Jason and I with a wide smile.
"Oh, this is wonderful!" Aunt Selina laughs, clapping her hands in delight.
"Holy shit, no way!" Cassandra exclaims.
"We better start baby proofing now." Tim laughs, shaking his head.
Damian remains silent, but I notice the smirk spreading across his face. He's excited even if he won't admit it.
Dick and Kody are the first to reach us. Kody takes me in her arms instantly, hugging me tightly, then pulling away to look at my stomach as if she expects to be the size of a watermelon already. Then, they switch, and before I know it, I'm off the ground in Dick's arms being spun in circles. I laugh as he sets me down and hugs me tight. Barbara is the next one to offer her congratulations, hugging Jason and I, then setting a hand lightly on my stomach. She looks on in wonder. Then, comes Tim and Kat. Kat nearly throws herself into my arms, squeezing me tightly and babbling on how she can't wait to be an aunt. I laugh at her excitement. Tim embraces me afterwards, holding me gently as if he's afraid he'll hurt me or the baby if he hugs me too hard. Cassandra steps up next. She embraces Jason first, then moves to wrap her arms around me.
"Congratulations, you have successfully managed to domesticate him." She jokes as she pulls away. I laugh at the joke.
Once Cassandra moves on, Damian steps up. He hesitantly wraps Jason and I in a short, but sweet hug.
"I suppose you'll make an adequate parent, Todd." Damian sneers as he steps away.
"Thank you?" Jason says, turning to me as I burst into a fit of giggles.
Finally, Bruce and Aunt Selina make their way to us, both with huge smiles on their faces. Aunt Selina instantly takes me into her arms, peppering multiple kisses to my face in excitement.
"Oh, kitten, I'm so happy for you. This is amazing. You'll be a wonderful mother." She says lovingly.
"Do you think Mom will be happy?" I ask, finally exposing one of my deepest concerns.
My mother and I have been working to have a somewhat normal relationship over these past two years. With Aunt Kathleen gone, Mom realizes that I need her more than ever. She was more than thrilled to try and step into her role as best as she could. She has also been working to calm her insanity, maybe even enough to be released from Arkham. I, along with Aunt Selina and Aunt Ivy, have been helping as best we can.
"Of course. She'll be happy, and your Aunt Ivy will be happy, and...your Aunt Kathleen would be so happy. She'd be so proud of you." Aunt Sel smiles.
I smile at the mentioning of Aunt Kathleen, however part of me darkens as well. I miss her more than ever at times like these. Times where I accomplish something so great, something she deserved to see. I know she'd be proud of me in this moment. She'd be beside me through all of this. I imagine she'd already have everything from the nursery to my baby shower planned.
"I wish she was here." I say quietly, trying desperately to keep the smile on my face.
"She is. She's always here." Aunt Sel places one last soft kiss on my forehead.
She pulls away from me, moving to embrace Jason as Bruce emerges in front of me. He pulls me to him, hugging me sincerely yet hesitantly.
"Congratulations." He says once we pull away. "You both will be amazing parents."
"Thank you, and you'll make an even better grandpa." I nudge him.
Bruce chuckles, and I can't help but isolate the nervousness in that chuckle. "You're making me sound old." He shakes his head in amusement.
"You're not." I say, then turn to face Jason, who still stands deep in Aunt Sel's embrace. "I'm scared." I blurt, turning back to Bruce.
"Understandable. He's very avid about this team. I have no doubt they'll be successful, but Jason can be blind at moments. Some days he fails to see the bigger picture. It's a mistake I'm guilty of as well." Bruce notes.
I sigh. "Help me keep him aware of what's going on?"
"I promise you that as long as I can help it, he will never lose sight of the bigger picture." Bruce smiles at me, and a wave of relief floods me. Something about Bruce making that promise, fills me with security. I know now that Jason will always be here.
"Stephanie, aren't you excited?" Barbara asks, noticing how Stephanie is the only family member who has not rushed to Jason and me.
"I thought you'd be the most excited out of everyone." Jason smirks.
"Oh, I was. I cried." Stephanie answers calmly.
"You've known?" Bruce ask.
Stephanie nods. "I was there when she took the test, and I'm the one who convinced her to go to Dr.Leslie and get an ultrasound."
Jason turns to me with mock hurt plastered on his face. "She knew before I did? She heard the heartbeat?"
"You were busy, and I was panicking." I shrug.
Jason laughs as does the rest of the family. We all make our way back to the couches, settling into relaxed positions, joking and laughing about our lives and what they are going to look like in seven months. Eventually, we land on the topic of childhoods, and find myself doubling over in laughter at stories of the Jason and his siblings when they were younger.
"You know what this means, don't you, Grayson?" Damian asks as we all find ourselves settling into a sleepy state.
"No, I don't, Damian. Enlighten me." Dick smiles, wrapping his arm tighter around Kody's shoulders. She nods off sleepily against him.
"You're next." Damian smirks.
Kody's eyes instantly snap open, and she tilts her head back to look at Dick. Dick laughs at Damian's jab as do the rest of us. Then, he shifts his attention down towards Kody, who wears a light smile, yet her face has drained of all color.
"Maybe." Dick replies, his eyes still focused on Kody, his blue orbs shining with hope and wanting.
"Maybe not." Kody says, adding to the joke, but I can tell her answer is 100% honest. Dick's eyes lose all color, and he nods.
I feel bad for them. For Kody more so than Dick. I know Dick wants children. He wants the chance to give a child something he didn't have, a stable home and a family. But Kody doesn't want that. The scar her parents left behind prevents her from believing she can be a good mother. She's too scared to even consider the idea of bringing a child into this world. It was so cruel to her for so long, and she doesn't want anyone, especially her child, to have to deal with the disappointment and pain that comes in life.
I pull my eyes off of them to find Jason starring at me intently. I knit my eyebrows together in a questioning expression.
"What?" I ask quietly.
"Let's get out of here. Go spend some time alone." He whispers, then pulls me to my feet.
We exit the room, promising to see everyone later at dinner and walk hand in hand down the long, silent hallways of the manor. We walk in comfortable silence back to our room, simply enjoying each other's company during the short walk. Once we make it back to our bedroom, Jason finally lets go of my hand, and I head deeper into the room while he plants himself against the doorway.
"Any particular reason you were so desperate to get away from them?" I smirk, crossing my arms and matching my husbands smug gaze.
"I wanted to show you how much I'm going to miss you." Jason answers smugly, and I raise an eyebrow
"Oh really?" I tease. He nods.
It doesn't take long for Jason to close the gap between him and I, and before I know it, his soft lips capture mine. My hands instantly glide into his hair as Jason hoist me into his arms. My legs waste no time, wrapping tightly around his waist. Jason's lips move desperately from my mouth down to my neck as he inches closer to the bed. I feel myself tilting, and I giggle as I fall into a world of bliss.
————Time Skip————
I can't help the slight tears that collect at the edges of my eyes as I watch my husband pack the last of his supplies. I purse my lips together in attempt to keep myself from falling apart, my hand dropping to run soothingly across my stomach.
"He'll be ok." A voice says as it emerges beside me.
My head slowly turns to find Kody. She stares blankly out towards Jason who is now being helped by Dick.
"I know he will." I focus back on the boys. "I just don't want him to get his priorities tangled."
"He won't. He's smarter than that. And I know deep down that Jason has always wanted a family. He's not going to give up his chance to have that." Kody says confidently. Her confidence is assuring.
I nod, letting the quiet seep into our presence. We don't speak for a minute, but I can't help the next thing that comes out of my mouth.
"Would you ever consider having kids?" I ask, despite already knowing the answer.
Kody stiffens at the question, then lets out a deep breath. Her eyes stay glued to Dick as she answers. "I don't know. If you had asked me this question six years ago, I would have told you no, no hesitation. But now...I'm not sure. Dick makes me feel like it's possible, but as soon as I feel as though I've made up my mind, something comes along and ruins it, whether its a memory or a pair of twin siblings. And don't get me wrong, I love the twins, but they only further enforce that fact that my parents never cared about me. They replaced me and Ben as soon as they got the chance. I wasn't enough for them, and if I wasn't enough for them, what makes me think I can be enough for my kids?"
I stand for moment, unsure of what to say and regretting the fact that I brought up the topic in the first place.
"Kody, that's not true. What your parents did is not because of you or who you are. You are more than enough in every aspect. Despite what you believe, you are one of the most compassionate and caring people I have ever met. Without you by my side, I can't tell you where I'd be. Any child would be lucky to have you as their mother." I place a hand on her shoulder, smiling.
She smiles in return, but the slam of the car trunk prevents her from speaking. We both move and focus our attention on the boys as they make their way steadily up the front steps towards us. Jason reaches for me, wrapping a heavy hand around my waist and collecting me into his chest. I bury myself in him, my head settling against his collarbone as my arms wrap around his neck. I hear footsteps approach from behind us, and I know the family is coming to say their goodbyes to Jason.
Jason presses a kiss to my temple, then pulls away and moves on to the rest of the family. I fall back, tears brimming in my eyes as I force a smile on my face. Although, the smile is forced, there is pride behind it. I'm proud of Jason, I always am, I always will be. I admire him for wanting so desperately to help people, for putting himself in danger to keep his family and his friends safe. I know the main reason he's doing this now is to provide a sense of security for me and for his child. I can't be mad at him for wanting to protect his child.
After Jason's said his goodbyes to everyone else, he returns to me, pulling me into another tight embrace. This one last longer, this one has more emotion. This is the last time Jason and I will be able to be like this for weeks. This is the last time he'll hold me for some time. We've never been apart for longer than a couple of days, to go weeks will be agony, so we have to treasure the last few seconds we have.
"I'm going to miss you." I mumble against him, taking a hesitant and trembling breath.
"I'll miss you, too. Take care of yourself while I'm gone. And if anything happens, call me, and I'll be on the first plane home." Jason replies.
"Be safe. Don't forget to call." I say in return.
Jason stays silent for a few seconds as we sway side to side. The action comforts me, calms me.
"I love you." Jason whispers between the two of us.
"I love you, too." I pull my head back in order to look into Jason's eyes.
He smiles at me with sad, yet hopeful and determined eyes. I nod at them, understanding them, then lean in, placing my lips against Jason's in earnest passion. He kisses back instantly, matching my passion with his own and setting off fireworks within me. My entire body warms as we connect, and I never want this kiss to end. Sadly, seconds later it comes to a bittersweet end, and Jason pulls back, leaving my lips cold.
"I love you." Jason whispers one more time before finally pulling away altogether.
He sends one more goodbye back towards the rest of the family, then begins to walk down the front steps. I twist my wedding ring anxiously around my finger, biting my lip as I watch him crawl into the driver's seat of the car. He waves, smiling at me as he closes the door, then speeds off down the driveway.
I lower my head, sighing once he's finally disappeared. A light hand collects me into warm arms, and I slump against Stephanie. She stays silent as we stand. She doesn't know what to say, so she just holds me. I appreciate it.
Finally, she speaks softly and hesitantly. "It's ok. He's going to be ok."
I smile against her. "I know." And I'm sure of that answer.
——————————
I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what to say, so I'm just going to leave this here.
Hello loyal readers! I hope you are all doing well. I hope you are all staying positive and healthy. How excited are we getting about this story? I hope you guys are having as much fun reading it as I am writing it. I wanted to update today in hopes to entertain you guys in this time. I really don't have much to say, but I would like to extend my gratitude as usual. I thank you all once again for everything you have done for me. I hope you know that your love and support does not go unnoticed. Again, I hope you all stay happy and healthy in this time.
Until next time