Appetite for Mars: A Steven Adler X Mick Mars Tale

Chapter 33: Take me to Your Heart, Feel me in your Bones

A/N: Wherein Steven and Mick must part for a month, though neither want to....

I wake up with a start, and quickly realize that I'm in the hospital.... oh yeah, 'the scare'.... really terrifying, I thought I was gonna lose my babies...thank God they are ok...wait, according to my watch, it's ONLY about 2 am. Well shit!

I glance and see Mick is asleep, though he seems restless. I HATE the fact that in mere hours or with in the time frame of today...I must leave him. I start crying silently, as I can and all 3 of my unborn are now apparently awake AND kicking me, but gently as if they know I'm a mess.

I just want to savor every moment I can look at him, at my heart...at Mick. I feel as if I'll never get to see him again and I know that's not true, I know it...great, now I'm frustrated because I am EXHAUSTED and I can't sleep and then i am thinking of the fact that I must leave my boyfriend and my friends behind, well not just friends but my family behind.

My thoughts only make me cry harder, but I have a hand clamped over my mouth to muffle any sounds I make. I want my boyfriend to sleep...Another hand is on my stomach, my children still kicking away.

"Please," I whisper, "I want to sleep...I don't wanna go anywhere...I hate this, I asked your daddy to be strong basically and I CAN'T be."

I try and close my eyes and drift off, I TRY. I can't...I need Mick...and funnily enough, or not because Mick since we've been an actual couple and really maybe even before there were signs...he's so in tune with me, which is why suddenly Mick wakes up and despite being groggy at first, his eyes widen noticing my state, his own eyes immediately filling with concern as he gets out of the cot and manages with out a word, to lay in the bed with me....and wraps me and our children in his embrace as best he can...I sob, even harder....and I can't stop. Mick blows me away with the following:

"I woke up because I had the feeling.... that Stevie, you NEEDED me. I need you to talk to me, try and talk to me, though I know why you're upset...but still please. I want to try and help you." Mick's voice is very soothing and gradually I calm down, well actually it doesn't take that long.

"Mick...I want to sleep...to rest, I don't wanna go anywhere...I asked you basically to be strong, but I feel its not right that I can't be." I whisper, I feel him press a gentle kiss to my lips.

"Steven Adler, I'm your partner...that's what I am supposed to do...to be your strength when you have none. I've never in my life been so in tune with someone as I have YOU. Though yes, I am struggling, and this will be hard.... we can overcome this, we can, and we WILL." Mick soothes me for quite a while, I don't know an hour...two and again I fall asleep....and awake in the daylight....my departure growing ever closer.

Now I have been discharged and all of us have gathered at the bus, my stuff has been loaded...but we are all lingering, Mick has me sitting down of course as Slash has Nikki sitting down as well. Nikki and I are having a discussion our partners looking on and Mick and Slash both are taking polaroids, and I am touched! We'll have the memories.... moments frozen in time.

"So, your baby started kicking?" Nikki nods, smiling but tearfully as I know he doesn't wanna see me go. "OOH, can I feel?!" I can't help but get excited.

"Sure, you can!" Nikki says gently as I gently place my hands on his swollen stomach and the baby kicks at my hands, making me laugh.

"Strong baby! Really kicking a lot."

"Yes, they are, Slash and I decided we're gonna wait till birth to find out the gender. Mick said you and him discussed doing the same?" Nikki questions.

"Yes, but I really feel there's more than one girl...I could be wrong, we will see!" I take my hands off Nikki's stomach and place them on mine and muse, "Ya know your kid is gonna be a sexy motherfucker as Slash has repeatedly and I DO mean repeatedly has told us all!"