Expiration Date // Short Story

Daddy's Gone

(A/N: So my idea for this short story is to actually link it with my mother's day fanfic which is in the chapter before this. This is set 4 years before the Mother's Day fic [2012] but don't worry if you haven't read it, I will make sure that this story makes sense on its own. Enjoy!)

---Jonas---

The plate clanged against our marble flooring, followed by a shattering and a short scream. I rushed in to the kitchen where I saw Iris standing open-mouthed and staring at her feet. When I came in her worried gaze shifted to me.

"Ahh.. I'm so sorry Jonas, let me clean it up." She offered, stooping down to start picking up all the big pieces of china glass.

"No, Iris let me-" I said, worried my newly wedded wife would cut herself.

"Jonas, I have survived 18 years trapped in a rebel orphanage with a crazy, abusive boyfriend, and spent the next 2 years of my life living with the Society, battling rebels and forever worrying that someone would see my 'Expired' Date. I'm pretty sure I can handle a broken plate." She practically spat at me, needing to catch her breath after the speech. "Sorry Jonas, I didn't mean to snap at you. Besides, it's father's day, you need to relax."

"But I'm not a father, Iris." I joked.

Iris went to sit down, clearly out of breath and out of physical energy to stand up. It seemed as if she was sweating too. How ironic, a rebel orphan who spent her whole life running, suddenly feeling tired after standing up for a few minutes. "What's wrong?"

I could see that she was nervous. She did the thing where she wouldn't look me in the eye and was twisting her fingers around each other. "Jonas I-" she suddenly choked up. 

"Hey, hey, hey. Iris, if you need to tell me something then I'm listening. I'm not going anywhere." I sat down next to her, holding her tightly in my arms. Tears rolled down her face at this point. She wiped her eyes and I gave her a napkin to blow her nose in to.

"Jonas I..." She started, and I could see the thought process in her mind, I could see her trying to formulate her words correctly. She finally looked me right in the eyes and finished her sentence, "I'm pregnant."

I stayed next to her for a few moments, stunned, not being able to say anything. 

Then, I felt the most wonderful rush of joy ever. It was like a wave, no, it was like a tsunami of happiness that drenched my brain and my whole body. I smiled, only then realising that my mouth was hanging open. 

"That... that's wonderful Iris! Cheer up bub, we're gonna have a child!" She smiled through her newfound tears of joy.

"We're gonna have a child." I said again, the words finally hitting me head on. I was going to have a son, or a daughter. I didn't care what it was-

I was going to have a child. 

We were going to create someone's life, a whole new human not yet stained with humanity's weaknesses and flaws. Our very own baby, and it was our responsibility to give it the best chance in life possible. 

"Which is why we cannot stay in America." I said, jumping up from my seat.

"What?! Are you mad, how do you suppose we leave, let alone be welcomed in to another country?"

"Vienna found a way, then so will we." I turned back to look at Iris. "I will not let my child grow up with an Expiration Date, I will not let our baby be ruined by these marks on our wrist that define our future. I want him, or her to have the best chance to prosper and do everything we were never able to do." Iris smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "Good, we leave in 3 hours-"