You're My Ugly Pineapple

Chapter twenty two

(A/N: I apologise for taking so long with the new chapter, I had no motivation or ideas to work on this story, but the fact I still get comments from you guys asking to finish the story is a pretty good motivator. Don't mind if my writing style has changed/improved, I'm taking a writing course now and it has been two years.)

A few months passed with weekly visits to my shrink and, over time, life finally began to feel normal again. Other than the occasional drama over egg snatching, Buck and I were starting to settle a little. I got my sparkle back, and even started to join him on his daily watch, helping keep some semblance of order in our under-the-ice paradise. 

Months passed, and then years, and the stress from the earthquakes and losing our kits was soon forgotten. Hours with my therapist turned to hours in my garden, adventuring with Buck or working at making our house feel a little more like home. For once in a long, long time. Things started to feel normal. Well, as normal as can be down here. Buck soon started up a rivalry with a family of Dakotaraptor's, pissed off at us for foiling their plans to steal eggs from the other, less linguistically inclined, dinosaurs. I helped where I could, swinging from vines and jumping around with Buck, sharing witty banter and throwing eggs between the two of us, depending on who was being targeted by the Dakotaraptor's. 

But soon, I had some news that would shake the both of us to our very cores. 

Five years after the earthquakes, five years of work and therapy, and I was late again. And, soon, it was obvious it wasn't because of stress. 

A visit to the doctor only confirmed my suspicions. After coming to terms with the idea that we might never have a family of our own, I was pregnant again. 

I sat at home after the visit, weaving some new, smaller hammocks while I waited for Buck to get home. What would I say? Would he be excited? Scared? I wasn't sure how to feel myself. Scared, worried.... but mostly excited. How couldn't I be?

"Darlin! How was the doctors?" Buck called, swinging in through one of the windows, landing with a thud in his hammock. I laughed at him as he repositioned himself, gazing at me, his eyes poking up over the edge.

"So? Just some bad berries or something?" He asked, hopping down onto the couch beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I could smell the day on him- dirt, sweat, leaves and just a hint of blood. 

"No, well, umm...." I trailed off, running my paw along the edge of the hammock, weaving an end in. Buck looked down, an eyebrow raised in confusion, before something clicked.

"You mean..." 

I beamed up at him, resting a hand on my belly. "I'm pregnant, Buck..."

His eyes widened and a massive smile slowly spread across his features as he scooped me up into his lap, breathing me in, his nostrils flaring as he breathed in my scent.  

"Really? You're not joshing me?" He mumbled, pressing his face into the fur on my neck. 

"Really... you're going to be a daddy," I smiled, brushing my claws through his fur, scratching softly. He trilled quietly, pulling away to pepper my face with kisses.

"Let's hope we have better luck this time.." He sighed, resting a hand on top of mine, caressing it with his thumb. 

I nodded quietly, curling up in his lap with a soft whine. Both of us were going to be scared, excited of course, but scared. The doctor had mentioned I was at a slightly higher risk this time round, but as long as I was safe and relaxed, everything would be fine. Especially during the first few weeks. As long as I followed those rules, there was no real reason to stress,

Buck doted on me like nobodies business, even worse than Manny was when Ellie was pregnant. Difference is, instead of every kick being mistaken for labour (probably because they weren't big enough to kick yet), every bout of nausea or little annoyance sent Buck into a (quiet) panic. The doc ordered that I was to strictly stay at home for the first few weeks, to make sure that the babies developed enough that they'd survive the stress of everyday life down here. I hated it, I hated being stuck inside all day when there were adventures to be had. But I couldn't risk the life of my kits, not again. Not like last time. 

So, there I sat, stuck inside or in the garden, filling my time with preparations, gardening and arts and crafts. While Buck wanted to be there for every second, being the sole protector of this world is hard work, and chaos stops for nobody. For his own peace of mind, he'd given Ava an order to keep an eye on me, whether that meant sitting next to me while I gardened or sticking her head through the window while I sat and wove baskets and hammocks for the kits, she always kept a watchful eye on me. It was like she could sense the change in me, that a switch in her brain was flicked when she smelt the pregnancy hormones on me. 

Both Buck and I's instincts started to kick in after a couple of weeks, and the urge to nest was nearly unbearable. Even Ava started bringing in chunks of soft moss and down feathers she'd found, placing them softly at my feet with a happy clack of her beak. The baskets I'd woven were starting to be lined with a beautifully soft layer provided by Ava, like miniature birds nests. I couldn't help but be touched by the gesture, and curious if she had ever had children of her own. If she had, she would have been a wonderful mother. If she hadn't, well, at least she had those motherly instincts for when she eventually did.

Life once again full into routine, and for once, I felt truly safe. Despite those nagging Dakotaraptor's, and an impending sense of doom starting to overwhelm me, I truly felt comfortable. Maybe this would last, for once!

What I didn't know was, in only eight or so months, there would be an impending collision that would send our entire lives flying off course.