And Then There Was You (Chris Evans AU)

March: Breakthrough

It had been four days since Chris and Daphne had discussed the doctor's findings during her procedure. Daphne has been relatively quiet, only speaking when necessary. She'd also chosen to stay with her parents for a couple of days, telling Chris to go back to work. And that's what he did to the surprise of the entire Jeffries family. But he knew Daphne needed time, space and wanted to make sure he did his part to aide in it.
  However, that doesn't mean his mind is in his work which could be dangerous for not only himself, his crew but also his patients. Thus the reason Chief Parrs has kept him behind at the station as much as possible.
Chris has gone by the Jeffries home whenever possible if only to spend a few moments in Daphne's presence. One evening he spots Adam on the front porch. "How are things today?" Chris asks as he joins him. He leans against a post, hands in his pockets.
Adam exhales a sigh. "She won't talk about it to either of us. She's a stubborn girl but this dam is going to break and when it does, I'm afraid of what it will bring."
Chris just nods his head as he's chewing on the corner of his mouth. He was afraid of this. She's retreated into herself with no sign of coming back. He knows it's time to take some form of action, to push her past the uncomfortable. Pulling out his phone he makes a call as Adam walks back into the house.

Daphne sits on the corner of the couch bundled in a blanket with a book. Her pain has decreased a little each day and she's been able to move around more. She's enjoyed the comfort of her childhood home with her parents. They've not pushed her to talk about things. She knows if she'd continued to let Chris stay with her he would've approached the subject numerous times whether she was ready or not.
She lifts her head from the book as she hears familiar steps coming closer to her. Seeing Chris she goes back to reading her book, even as he leans down to place a kiss on the top of her head. "How's my beautiful girl today?"
"Assuming you're talking about me, I'm fine," she tells him as she keeps her head in her book.
"Feel like going for a drive tomorrow?" He asks her although he's prepared for the no that he knows is coming her way.
"I think I'm just gonna stay here, but you go. Enjoy the day," she says never looking up at him. She doesn't realize her parents are behind her and can see the look of desperation in his eyes.
"Actually Daphne, your dad and I have an appointment that's going to take most of the day tomorrow. We'd feel much more comfortable if you were with Chris," Laura says revealing herself.
Now Daphne looks up. "Oh. Um okay I guess. But we can just go to my house."
Chris shakes his head. "Nope. I'm picking you up at 8:30 am from your house. Dress comfortable but nice."
"I'm not in the mood to go out, Chris," she tells him sternly.
"Don't care," he says. "We have a meeting with the wedding planner in Savannah."
She sits up straighter and looks him dead in the eyes. "I said no. Cancel it."
"You want me to cancel a necessary meeting for a wedding that's in just 5 weeks?"
"Cancel the wedding!" She tells as she gets to her feet and storms off to the back porch.
Chris exchanges a knowing look with her parents. "That's a start," he says as he goes to follow her. Laura tells him they're going out for a bit to give them privacy.

  The back door opens. Daphne expects to see a timid Chris come poking his head out checking to see if it's okay for him to follow her. Instead she's met with the confident filled six foot man striding right through the door way.
  Daphne turns her body further away from him as he just stands firm on the other side of the porch. He's not making a move to touch her or even be close to her. He's decided now is the time this whole thing comes to a head.
  "Go away, Christopher. I'm not doing this," she tells him.
  "Not doing what? What is this exactly?"
  Continuing to stare out across the yard, "I'm done. I told you. Cancel the wedding."
  "Ya wanna give me some type of reason, Daphne? You not wanting to go to a meeting isn't really reason for calling the whole thing off." He knows this isn't her reasoning but he needs her to break.
  "Back off. I said I want to cancel. That's the reason. Because I want to."
  "Fine. Tell me why you want to then."
  "I'm defective, Chris! Okay! Happy now?" She lashes out at him.
  'Here we go,' he thinks to himself. "What do you mean defective? You're not defective."
  Daphne turns in her chair to look at him. "I can't give you want you want! You were there, remember? Ninety percent chance.  Remember that!"
  "Ninety percent isn't one hundred, Daphne. There's still a chance," he tells her keeping both his tone and head level.
  Tears are beginning to pool in Daphne's eyes. "You're right. A chance to be disappointed every month."
  "That's not what that means, Daph. Stop and think for a second-"
  She looks back at him in disgust. "What the hell do you think I've been doing since you told me? My mind hasn't stopped! Just because I'm not talking to you about it doesn't mean it's not wrecking me!" She inhales a deep breath. "Why do I have a uterus except to grow a child? I'm suppose to have babies. They're suppose to be part you, part me. Now I find out there's practically no way of that happening so why should I even bother getting married, Chris? What's the point of it?"
  "The point is that I love you!" His voice is rising as he can longer keep himself in check. "I love you! I don't care if we can't have biological children. This marriage gives me my first desire: you. I told you that my future, no matter what it looked like, was with you. That hasn't changed." By now he's standing in front of her. Taking her hand and holding it to his chest with his own he demands she look at him. "You are what I want. Babies? Well they would be a bonus."
Cautiously she returns his look. "You say that now. What about in a year or two when those bedrooms are still empty? What then? You'll resent me for not being able to give you children."
"Come with me," he instructs her as he pulls her hand with his through the side gate. He unlocks the truck and helps her in.
"I'm not up for this, Chris, please," she begs.
"There's something you need to see. So sit back and relax."

  Pulling on to their property Chris shuts off the truck. He helps Daphne step down carefully. "I've not been out here in over a week. I can't believe how much has been done," she says.
  "Just wait." He takes her through the front entrance. They're met with freshly painted walls. "The kitchen cabinets are going in this coming week, along with the counter tops."
  "Chris, you're going to love living here. But it won't be with me," she tells him solemnly. "I'm serious. This, with us, needs to end. You deserve a guarantee of a family. That's not with me."
  His heart continues to break hearing her speak like this. He pulls her down the hall to one of the four bedrooms. She follows him out of obligation but can't understand what part of this he's not understanding.
  Walking into the room she's surprised to see a piece of artwork already hung.

  "Chris," Daphne whispers.
  "I came out here the day you went to your parents. Maybe just so I could process it all on my own," he tells her. "This room is suppose to be the nursery,"He comes up from behind her and holds her to his chest. "I don't know exactly what our family will look like but I know there's a me, and there's a you, and there will be babies."
  Daphne softly cries as she stares ahead of her at the verse. "I wish you could promise me that. Promise me that you won't hate me later when I can't provide that for you."
  He turns her in his arms. Holding her soft face in his calloused palms he places a gentle kiss on her lips. "I can promise you that. I can promise you more than that. My desire is you, Daphne. All of you, even what you call 'defective,' even though you're not defective.  It's you my love. Only you." 
  She returns his kiss and lets her head fall into his chest, sobbing. Everything has come crashing down all at once. She's had denial, anger towards herself. "But the acceptance will take time. Can you give me that?"
  "I'm going to give you the world, my precious Daphne," he croons to her softly. "But can we work on it while being married?" He asks with a smirk across his face.
  "Swing by in the morning at 8:30 and I'll let you know," she teases. "Stronger chance if you bring coffee."

~~~
  I know this one was shorter than most of the recent ones. Updates will be slower as I start a new job on Monday.
  Hope you're enjoying all the fluff.