The Crown (Prince Harry fanfic #5)

Chapter Nine

Returning to the event at the art centre, Lucy stood beside Harry again. He glanced back at her briefly before continuing his conversation with a woman and her husband. Tony stood close behind Lucy now, which Harry picked up on easily. Once the line was gone, he would've asked but for now, the line went on.

When the line ended and Harry and Lucy were in a private setting of the art centre, Harry whispered to her, "Everything all right?"

"It is now."

Harry swallowed, knowing there was a conversation for later. "How was the toilet?"

"They have a beautiful restroom." Lucy cleared her throat. "On the way back, that was where it became... eventful."

Suppressing his curiosity and concern, Harry looked out to the crowd around him. Throughout the night, his mind wandered over to his wife, of course. Tony was close to her the whole night, which made him feel as if Lucy was safer. Yet, Tony was next to her when he usually wasn't at these events. The trip back from the toilets had been eventful indeed.

Once the couple got into the car to return to their apartment at Kensington Palace, Harry asked, "What happened?"

"At home," she responded. Lucy's hand rested on her bulging belly.

The drive from the art centre was a twenty minute long drive, which was in silence. Harry watched his wife carefully, for any signs of distress. There was none. Lucy was content looking outside. Her breathing was normal again. Eventually Harry took Lucy's hand in his, holding on. She squeezed it. Curiosity still pulsed through him but he clamped his mouth shut until further notice.

The doors closed to their Kensington Palace apartment, it wasn't even five seconds later when Harry stopped inside the home and looked at his wife. "What happened?"

Lucy sighed and took off her shoes, letting them fall to the ground. "Be calm."

"That doesn't make me feel better."

"I know, and I say it to please me because I know you won't be calm after I say it," she said. "You're going to get into a hissy fit, and Tony dealt with it. And don't give me a look that you warned me, I swear to God, Harry."

"I--" Harry stopped and chose to his words. "Please tell me what happened."

"Promise?"

"Not even possible, knowing you."

"Everything is okay. I'm okay. Our baby is okay. It's okay."

"Luce--"

"Fine."

Lucy had walked into the kitchen and started making herself food. Harry leaned against the island and waited. After a second, Lucy began to speak. She knew it was best to tell Harry everything and she did, giving insight to what happened. She spoke about the situation and tried to calm down Harry when he became angry. Both of them knew it was going to happen, but it didn't take long in the story. His anger just built throughout the story. Harry tried to interrupt to say that he would hunt down the paparazzo and make him pay. This peaked Lucy's anger, telling him to be quiet about it. Harry pushed the anger back inside of him.

Harry always tried to protect Lucy, when she didn't need or want it. There was a difference with the child, that was all, but it didn't matter too much. He paced around the kitchen as Lucy continued to make food. He went on a rant. Lucy nodded along until Harry breathed for a second. She spoke softly to him and clearly, without anger in her voice. She hoped to calm him down. Harry went on another rant. Lucy didn't blame him for being angry; it was natural to be. But it did bother her how he let it control him. No one was perfect. Harry's protection grew over her since he found out they were having a baby.

Once he calmed down enough and Lucy was already eating, she said, "Harry, I have something else to tell you."

He stopped. Anger built up in him again.

"It's nothing bad, but rather..." she shrugged.

"Luce?"

She stood and he came over to her. Lucy rested Harry's hand on her bulging belly, but no longer did their baby kick. "The whole situation managed to get the baby kick, but he's calmed down since, I guess."

A smile spread across his face. "He kicked?"

Lucy nodded.

Harry got closer to Lucy's belly, running his hands over it. The baby didn't kick again. Harry waited still, hoping his son would. "Was it wonderful?"

She shrugged. "It was painful. He took a few shots at my kidneys before squirming around and started kicking outward. He wouldn't settle down for a while."

His blue eyes continued to watch her belly in awe.

Lucy finished eating, and the couple went to bed. Harry watched Lucy the whole time but she barely glanced back at him. He made it to bed before she did, but he didn't try to sleep. Harry waited up for his wife. Eventually, she settled in beside him, pulling the covers up to her chin. Harry smiled at her.

"He's not going to kick on command, Harry," Lucy said tiredly. "Go to sleep."

"If you feel kicks," Harry said, "wake me up."

"If he wakes me up, I'll be damn sure to wake you up too. Either both of us get our beauty sleep or none of us." Lucy yawned and closed her eyes. Immediately, she fell asleep.

Harry waited up a little longer, first watching his wife and second turning his gaze to the ceiling. The paparazzi situation tonight wouldn't stand for him. The paparazzi were always after Lucy, but it was better for her than it ever was for Catherine. He was happy for that. But that still didn't make the situation any better. Harry knew the paparazzi wouldn't follow Lucy around forever or his children, but he still wanted to protect them. William and Harry worked hard before, when Catherine, was pregnant for more protection and more boundaries. Lucy was the one that sometimes had a problem with it; she had given media inside scoops in the past and they had left her alone for a little bit. She called it give-and-take. However, Harry didn't believe in that. It never worked for him before. And it only took one bad seed in the bunch to make everyone sick.

Slowly, Harry fell asleep. His mind still worked on the problem at hand, the paparazzi. Lucy wouldn't do anything about it but he would. Though, he could already hear her nagging him. Harry loved Lucy, but she didn't know this life well enough to know what the media would've done next.

"Harry."

His eyes snapped open. Panic run through him. Immediately, he rolled over and looked at Lucy. It was still dark in the room, still nighttime. Harry didn't know how long he had been asleep but he knew it wasn't long enough.

"Luce?" His voice was tired but he was ready to run for her. "What is it?"

"You asked me to wake you up if he was kicking?"

"Who?" His eyelids felt so heavy.

Lucy took his hand and placed it on her stomach. It was like little rolls, nothing too strong, as their child squirmed. Lucy's faced held no pain but a little annoyance for having been woken up. Harry was fully awake now. His hand smoothed at her skin over her pajama top. The child answered back, moving a little more. An ear to ear grin crossed his face. His excited laughter filled the room.

"Hello, baby." Harry bent his head close to Lucy's belly. "I'm your daddy. And this is your mum. Though, she was American, so you might need to call her mom. We'll figure it out later." Lucy let out a laugh with a roll of the eyes. "We're waiting for you. We're excited, but stay inside there a little bit longer, would you? We have a lot of stuff to do still, and you have to get a lot bigger." His hand ran over her stomach again. "Just know that we love you. We always love you."

The baby kicked back, as if to respond back.