The Unexpected Journey-A Prince Harry Fan Fic

Chapter 114

Taking little time to change, Harry and Maddie were very soon being shown to a private waiting area where the family was to be escorted. Will and Kate were already there, checking in and settling paperwork. Charles and Camilla were on their way from Clarence and the Middletons were en route.

"We beat the press," Maddie smiled as they situated in the private waiting room; referring to their camera-free entrance.

"Barely," Harry nodded towards the window, noticing a few photographers that were now stationed across the street.

"Well..." She sighed. "At least they made it in before they made it here."

"True," Harry smiled to his wife just as the door to the room opened. "Hey!" Harry's smile widened as his brother stepped in.

"Hey there," Will hugged Harry first, their eyes meeting in excitement before he turned to hug and kiss Maddie. "You two made it here fast."

"Well, it was either hang out here or go for a run and Maddie's avoiding that like the plague," Harry winked at Maddie as she scowled at him.

"Fair enough," Will shrugged. "Do you want to come back? Kate's in the room and nothing's really happening yet." Maddie smiled wide with a bit of a timid nod.

"Is that okay with her?" She asked, not wanting to intrude.

"Of course," Will motioned for them to follow him. "She sent me out to find you." Maddie followed Will through the doors, Harry right behind her with his hand at her waist. It was a short walk from the waiting room to the room where Kate would labor and deliver the newest addition to the family—but Maddie couldn't count the security personnel that lined the hallways on both of her hands.

Will nodded at the protection officer standing just outside the door to Kate's room and the three of them passed by with small smiles.

"There she is," Harry grinned wide at his sister, dressed in a long gown and socks; looking stunning as usual.

"Hi," Kate looked up from her spot on the bed with a beaming smile as she waved them in. "Come in, come in."

"You look beautiful," Maddie leaned to kiss her and Kate squeezed her hand.

"Ugh, thank you," her eyes flashed with a bit of nervousness, a dose of anticipation.

"How are you doing?" Harry leaned to kiss her, hugging her close for a moment.

"Good," she nodded, smiling up at her husband. "We're still pretty early on in it, but your brother wanted to come over."

"Well you can't be too careful, right?" Harry shrugged, siding with his brother on this one; knowing that were it his wife, they just might have checked in weeks ago.

"Actually..." Kate laughed lightly, letting it go.

"Is there anything we can do for you? Anything you want?" Maddie couldn't help but watch the glow that passed from Kate to Will. "A magazine or a treat or..."

"No," Kate shook her head, her hand moving over her round stomach. "But thank you. That's very sweet." And then Kate moved, her brow furrowing and her hand tensing against her stomach; her breath changing. She reached for Will's ready hand and met his eyes.

Harry took a complete step back as a contraction washed over her. Maddie smiled lightly at the concern that was etched across her husband's face and, quite subconsciously, held her breath until Kate relaxed in the bed.

"Okay..." She exhaled slowly, her hand massaging her stomach. "Okay. How far apart was that?"

"Six minutes," Will answered quickly, his eyes glancing at his watch.

"Okay," she nodded, a small smile pulling at her lips. "Well, we're getting closer."

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"Please tell me..." Harry sank into the chair next to Maddie, across from his father, with a crooked grin. "That the two of you aren't talking about work."

"We're not talking about work," Maddie turned a straight face to him before tossing a wink at Charles.

"You're talking about work," he sighed heavily, bringing his hands together in front of him.

"We are," she smiled, her hand reaching out to rub his back. "We've been here for three hours and Kate's still in there. So we're talking about work."

The private waiting room was much fuller than when the two of them arrived. Charles and Camilla, having gone in to see the soon-to-be parents, were now sitting across from Maddie, relaxed and at ease. The Middletons were also there. Though the entire group had cycled into the room to see the expectant parents, as things progressed, they were keeping to the waiting room; with the exception of Carole and Pippa who were in with Will and Kate, presumably keeping her company and assisting as the labor wore on. And the crowd outside was growing by the hour.

"We're talking about Madeline's first visit to The Trust next week," Charles spoke up, his voice low as he smiled to his son. "We have meetings lined up, a bit of an exhibition for you and the cameras. And then the work begins."

"We're launching The Delphinium Project sometime in September," Maddie brought her husband up to speed. "Starting with the layouts, the building so that we're prepared to plant in the spring."

"Yeah?" Harry lifted his eyebrows, his pride overtaking any bit of irritation he might have brought with him. "The launch will be your first solo?"

"Yes," she nodded and smirked. "Does that make you nervous?"

"For you?" He laughed. "No. Not at all. You could do the US tour all on your own and be fine."

"Ha!" Maddie's eyes flashed wide as she laughed. "You're losing your mind."

"A little bit, yes," he pinched his fingers together and took a deep breath; glancing around the room. "I think I'm going to see if they have a deck of cards around here and talk James and Mike into a little action."

"Have fun," Maddie patted his back as he rose to his feet.

"You're going to stay here and do business?"

"I am," she smiled at her father-in-law who watched the two of them with amusement.

"Enjoy," Harry leaned to kiss her cheek and spun towards the male Middletons; his hands clapping together as he went about his mission.

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"How is she doing?" Maddie smiled sweetly as she took a seat next to Pippa. They were moving into hour six and Pippa had just come back into the waiting room, leaving her mother with Will and Kate. Maddie hadn't really seen Kate's younger sister since her wedding to Harry a little over a month ago, but she found her sweet and soft-spoken.

"She's..." Pippa thought for a moment, her concern for her sister clear on her face. "She's tired. Things are not progressing quite as quickly as they would like."

"Charles did say that Diana was in labor with Will for sixteen hours."

"Wow," Pippa smiled and shook her head. "He was always a stubborn one, no?"

"Exactly," Maddie grinned.

"Anyhow, I think they are going to break her water soon."

"Ah," Maddie nodded, knowing enough from Ella to understand what she was telling her. "Poor thing."

"Yeah," Pippa sighed back into her chair. "But Will's doing great, very helpful. So that's nice."

"Yes," Maddie agreed. "Listen, we're sending out for food, would you like something?"

"Oh thank you!" She brightened at the offer. "A salad would be lovely."

"Great." Maddie smiled and nodded towards the staffer who was taking orders. "Let's get you taken care of."

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Not too long after they finished lunch, just after Maddie had taken Harry and James down at their made up card game, their slow, monotonous day took a sharp turn.

Pippa had come back from Kate's room five minutes earlier with a nurse who explained that they were monitoring both mom and baby and, because of some of the numbers they were getting, they wanted to try to move things along with assistance.

They were prepping to break Kate's water and begin an IV of Pitocin—a drug designed to speed up and intensify contractions. She explained that it was a routine procedure and that they should all be meeting the new member of the family fairly soon. The nurse smiled and returned to the labor suite while Pippa slipped into easy conversation with her father. Harry exhaled as he turned back to the cards, back to Maddie and James. Shuffling the deck in his hands, he adjusted in his seat and began to deal them out.

When the door to the room opened again, Maddie's eyes scanned the cards in her hand quickly before turning to see who it was. And when she saw Carole with wide eyes and a frantic sort of expression, Maddie nudged Harry and nodded towards the door. He turned to look just as Mike rose to his feet.

"What is it?" He made his way to his wife.

"She...They..." She took a deep breath, turning to her husband, taking his hands. "They broke her water and when they did, something happened." The room came to a halt at Carole's words; faces turning, conversations halting.

"What happened?" Pippa moved towards them.

"The umbilical cord, it..." Carole gulped back a breath as she looked from her husband to her daughter and back again. "It moved into the birth canal and..." She was cut off as the nurse, the same from before but with a much more serious expression, stepped into the room, the door closing sharply behind her.

"What on earth is going on?" Charles's voice was heavy as he addressed the nurse, moving to join the other two grandparents in their concern. She was quick to offer a comforting expression and an explanation.

"She has a prolapsed umbilical cord," she looked from Charles to Mike to Carole. "What that means is that, when breaking the water, the umbilical cord slid down into the birth canal before the baby could. This is something that occasionally happens during labor and is not incredibly uncommon." Maddie took a breath and reached for Harry's hand as he stood from his chair. "However, because any pressure against the umbilical cord would cut off life support to the baby, we are no longer going to be able to delivery him vaginally."

"Oh," Carole gasped slightly, her hand moving to her lips as she took it all in; balancing concern and relief.

"They are prepping her for an emergency Cesarean Section right now. The aim is to get the baby out as quickly as we can so that we don't see a dip in his vitals." Harry's hand squeezed Maddie's. "I'm going to head back there now and I'll be out with any additional information."

And just like that, she was gone; concerned family members of all ranks and files left watching as the door closed behind her.

As the minutes clicked by, the wall clock keeping an ominous tone, the room remained considerably more tense than it had been before. While Mike kept his eyes trained on the door, Carole paced back and forth in front of him. All Maddie could do in the moment was sit with her family, remain calm, and hold a place for their worry. Though Charles remained cool and collected on the outside, his younger son was not as graceful with his uneasiness. He leaned forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, with his hands clasped together in front of him, occasionally bringing a finger to his mouth to bite at a nail. Maddie's hand ran lovingly up and down his back, trying her best to sooth the tension from him. When her hand ran over his shoulder, he turned his face towards it, catching it in his hand and kissing her palm. He was still with her, even though his thoughts were with his brother and his family. Maddie smiled warmly and looked to Charles and Camilla who sat across from them.

"So..." She spoke to Charles. "What is it you would like to be called?"

"Sorry?" He raised his eyebrows to her.

"Do you want to be called grandpa? Or Papa? Or Papi?"

"Well," he leaned in a bit, his face softening at the thought. "Camilla's grandchildren call me Grandpa Charles." His hand reached for his wife's. "But I've always been quite fond of Papa."

"Papa it is," Maddie's smile warmed and the mood was light for the briefest of moments.

And then the door swung open, drawing all attention forward and Will stepped through, still dressed in scrubs. There was a collective, audible swoosh as the room turned to him, searching for the kind of news he was bringing. Maddie's heart jumped in her throat at the look in his eyes; knowing instantly that his presence was not to bring good news.

There were tears in his eyes and defeat etched across his brow and he seemed lost. The room came alive in commotion. Carole was on her feet, Charles right behind her and Maddie's hand dropped to the seat next to her as Harry moved to his brother in three quick strides.

"What is it?" Harry was the first to speak.

"They kicked me out," Will turned his eyes to his brother, his hand grasping to Harry's arm; a desperate need to lock onto something stable. "Something...I don't know. Something happened and they pushed me out..." Maddie felt tears well in her eyes as she moved closer, her fingers clutching at her throat. She felt Camilla's hand on her arm; comforting, concerned.

The same nurse returned to the room in much the same state as Will; completely solemn as she stepped into the room. She nodded to Charles, to Carole and then turned her body so that she was speaking mostly to Will, but including the rest of the family. With a deep breath, she began to explain Kate's condition.

"During the Cesarean Section the surgeon noticed an inordinate amount of bleeding. He very quickly, and correctly, identified a clotting disorder we know as DIC," she took a breath. "While it is incredibly serious, it was caught immediately and they are now taking steps to counteract it. I'm not going to lie to you, Sir, your wife is in critical condition right now. They may have to perform some procedures in order to save her. I know that the two of you met with the Doctor's before and went over some paperwork..."

"We did," he nodded, his eyes wide as his voice took on a pleading tone. "Please. Do whatever you need to do. I..." His eyes shifted to Kate's mother who was clutching to her father with desperation. She nodded, unable to find words, and Will turned to the nurse. "Do whatever you need to do."

"Yes Sir, of course," she nodded. "If you would please, I need you to come with me to sign a few documents and then..." She allowed the tiniest of cracks in her armor. "And then if you would like, I would like to take you back to meet your son."

"My son?" Will's eyes flashed wide and Maddie wanted to cry at the way the emotions kept knocking into the people in the room.

"The baby is..." Carole couldn't finish her sentence, a sob in her throat.

"The baby is fine," the nurse nodded to the room. "He's healthy and happy and the nurses are taking excellent care of him while the surgeons take care of his mother." She turned to Will then, her hand falling to his arm. "There is nothing you can do for your wife right now. We are doing everything that needs to be done. I will keep everyone in this room apprised of their progress and I will find you in the nursery the instant there is any news. You can't help her right now. But what you can do, what you should do is come with me and see your new baby. His mother cannot hold him and comfort him right now, but his father can."

Will nodded, tears building in his eyes, and sniffed. "Okay. Yes. I can do that. I...Carole?" He looked to his mother-in-law who stepped forward to kiss his cheek.

"You go meet your son. I'll stay here and meet him when Kate does." Her voice broke and Maddie saw Kate's brother James turn away from the group.

"Okay," Will wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and turned to Harry, his eyebrows lifting in question. Harry nodded in answer; neither of them able to leave the other until their entire family was safe and out of harm's way.

Maddie watched as Will hugged Mike, as he kissed Carole, as he stepped into his father's arms and then, with a shuddering intake of breath, he followed the nurse from the waiting room. Harry kissed Maddie's cheek, unable to meet her eyes for fear of cracking, and followed behind his brother. He would be at William's side when he heard the news; whatever it was.

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Harry didn't say a word to William as they were escorted through the corridors; that wasn't why he came along. William had signed the papers and now they were being led to the nursery. Harry couldn't even begin to find words to meet the gravity of this situation, but then again they had never really needed words in moments such as these. Despite their rivalries—sibling, military, royal—nobody understood one like the other. And right now, in this moment, Harry understood that William needed him there, not necessarily his words.

And that was good, because Harry was at an absolute loss. Every time his mind would get close to wrapping around what was happening, what could potentially happen, it pulled back; seeking protection. He couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in his brother's head and he couldn't keep Maddie's image from popping into his own.

The nurse came to a stop outside two big doors and swiped her card through the reader and for the first time in a long time, Harry noticed the security that walked with them. And he thanked God that they were forced to be covered so much. He couldn't imagine the disaster that might unfold if the press somehow managed to get into this moment. It made his heart clench angrily in his chest just thinking about it.

"Right this way," the nurse smiled sweetly and motioned towards a corner to a small private room. And when they stepped through the door both men stopped in their tracks. "Here he is, Baby Boy Cambridge. Your son."

"My son," Will repeated the words, in absolute awe of the thought, the reality, the tiny little boy that was bundled up in the tiny little bed in front of him. Harry's hand moved to his brother's shoulder, squeezing it tight. The older turned to the younger and for just a moment they were grinning, they were celebrating, they were giving this moment the due gravity, the amplification it deserved.

William was meeting his son.

"Can I just..." He waved towards the sleeping little boy, suddenly completely unsure about his role, about his allowances.

"Yes," she smiled knowingly. He was most certainly not the first father who suddenly didn't know what to do. "He's your son, Sir. You can just pick him up." She waved both men closer and they went, watching the tiniest one as they moved. "Have you held a baby before?"

"Yes," he nodded. Hundreds, he guessed.

"You know, studies have shown that skin to skin contact is really good for them right after birth," she smiled as he moved closer, his fingers reaching down to stroke the baby's cheek. "When we can, we lift the babies straight to mommy's chest but we've found that daddies are starting to get in on it and reaping the benefits."

"I should take off my shirt?" Will's eyebrows lifted, waiting for a snarky comment from his brother that never came.

"I'll pull the curtains on the window," she moved to secure the space, wanting to allow this famous father the same respects, the same moments as all other fathers.

Harry's eyes stayed on the sleeping little boy, his nephew, with instant adoration. Will unbuttoned his shirt, moving to the rocking chair in the corner of the room as the nurse scooped the baby up with expert ease.

"Here we go..." She moved to the chair, pulling the blankets back from the baby, who stirred awake at the cold. And then, with a smile she put one future King into the arms of another. "You should talk to him. He'll recognize your voice," she nodded encouragingly and then stepped away. "I'll just give you some time. If you need anything, I'll be right outside this door."

"Thank you," Will met her eyes with sincerity and a smile. And then she was gone. And his focus shifted entirely. "Hello there," he cooed, amused that his voice altered so naturally; soft and soothing. The baby stretched his arms out, his little fist wrapping around William's long, outstretched finger. And both men melted. William kissed his little round cheeks, the top of his head. "I know it's been a long day but you're here now." Harry pulled up a chair and sat next to his brother, entranced with the baby in his arms; already in love with the little guy.

"He's a tiny little nipper, isn't he?" He grinned wide, leaning closer.

"He is," William nodded. "He looks just like her..." He drifted; his voice, his mind.

"And there was great joy to be had in the Kingdom," Harry joked, pulling Will back to this moment, the moment he could control.

"Yes," he chuckled; snuggling his son closer and inhaling. He rocked him, cuddled him; silently checking toes, counting fingers. "Now this slightly scary man is your Uncle Harry."

"Hello little man," he waved, his fingers wiggling in the air. "I'm not nearly as scary as I look."

"There are all kinds of people waiting to meet you," Will's voice caught in his throat, the day catching up with him; his eyes welled with tears. He was exhausted; emotionally and physically. "Your mum especially..." His voice faded and a heavy silence settled over the room as he gulped at the lump in his throat. "She's had a long day too but she'll be so happy to finally hold you and..." He pulled his eyes from his son, seeking his brother and Harry could see the crack, the break in his resolve. "I don't know what I'll do if..."

"Don't." Harry shook his head once; firm.

"If something happens..."

"Stop." Harry's hand fell on Will's arm, taking the authoritative role usually reserved for the older brother. His eyes narrowed and he commanded. "You can't do this now, here." His eyes shifted to the baby, his lips curling up as he looked to him. "He can hear you. You're his dad."

William nodded, sucking his breath in and blinking a few times. Harry was right; absolutely right. He took a deep breath, gathered himself, and turned his entire focus back to the baby. "I was wrong. Your Uncle Harry really isn't all that scary."

"Thanks," Harry huffed with a grin; relaxing slightly.

"Do you want to hold him?" William offered.

"No," Harry smiled wide, clearly lying. Of course he wanted to hold the baby. "He should bond with his mother before he bonds with me. And he will." His hand squeezed Will's arm as Harry moved in closer, speaking to the baby then. "You and I will have plenty of time to bond when I'm teaching you how to drive your parents nutty."

"Wonderful," William shook his head, smile in place as he pulled the baby up to him, kissing him and holding him tighter, before settling him back against his chest. At least they had this, at least there was this little bundle there to draw all of the angst from the brothers. Harry relaxed his hold on Will and sat back in his chair; the tick of the clock becoming more noticeable.

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Harry and William were still with the baby when the news came. He had fallen asleep against his father and both were afraid to move for fear of waking him so they sat in a quiet room, both of them reflecting on this moment, this significant, wonderful moment and all that always came to mind with such things—their roles, their life, their mother. And when the nurse stepped into the room, Harry held his breath; his entire body on alert. And then she gave them the news that allowed him to breathe again.

Kate was out of surgery and headed to recovery. Kate was on the mend. With transfusions and a hysterectomy, her life had been spared and, as long as there was no infection, no side effects, she would be able to go home in about a week with her wonderful, perfect little boy. She had some harsh realities to face when she woke; the inability to have children, a bit of an extended hospital stay, some long term effects that were only yet to come to light. But she was on the mend.

Though there would be great sadness that would come as a result of this day, though there would be sorrow to be felt, grieving to be done, in that moment, with that announcement, there was great joy to be had. And it could be felt between the two brothers, seen on their faces as they chose to step past the sad news and rejoice that their family was still whole, that they weren't holding onto a son who would have to face life without a mother.

The nurse took the baby from Will, wrapping him up as Will pulled his shirt on. She was taking the two of them to Kate's side where they would wait until she woke up. She offered to keep the baby in the nursery, but Will wanted to take him with. And there was no way she would deny him that in this moment.

As Will was lead off in one direction, Harry made quick work in the other. With a hug and kisses to the new father, Harry was off. He knew he was no longer needed in this moment of Will's life. Though Will thanked him in that quiet way he had, Harry was needed elsewhere.

The waiting room was alive with relief at the news and when Harry stepped through the door, all he could see were smiling faces. But his eyes locked with hers. The room swarmed around him, wanting news about the baby. What could he say?

He was perfect. He was sleeping. He was doing well. He was on his way to wait for his mom to wake up.

And when the questions had been answered, the curiosity swayed for a moment, Harry stepped from the group and moved right to her. Even during this last hour, when Kate had held court with his concerns, Maddie's face, her voice, her warmth, had been ingrained in him.

"Uncle Harry..." Maddie held her arms out to him, ready to hug him close, to reconnect. But Harry wouldn't be content with that. He stepped right into her arms and, cupping her face in his palms, he kissed her; deep and intense and drawing a blush to Maddie's cheeks. He wrapped his arms tight around her and kept her close, even when his lips moved from hers, kissing her forehead and Maddie could see it in his eyes; everything he had felt over the last few hours.

He had been worried. He had been terrified. He had been strong.

And he had thought of her the entire time; what it would have been like to be in his brother's position—worrying about Maddie like Will had worried about Kate, holding their baby while his mother fought for her life. He had gone there in his brain for only a moment, but the moment was enough. And all he wanted to do was to hold her near to him, even now that the crisis had passed.

As a group, they had decided to wait for Kate to wake up before anything else happened; before an announcement was made about the baby's birth, before anyone else met him. They all wanted her to be awake, to be able to hug her mother and hold her son before they moved forward.

It only felt right.

It wasn't terribly long, relatively speaking, before she was waking, before she was able to meet her son. Within an hour, she was smiling at her new bundle of joy. She was in pain, exhausted, but so thankful for her precious little gift.

Because it was late, because it had been such a long, hard fought day, the family cycled in to see the baby, to see Kate, in pairs. Mike and Carole, Charles and Camilla, James and Pippa, and finally Harry and Maddie. They all cycled through, spending only a bit of time before they left; wanting to allow the new parents and the new baby a chance to rest and begin recovery. And of course they would be returning after everyone had some sleep, after Will had told Kate the news, after they had grieved, after they had rejoiced their new addition.

As Maddie and Harry finally slipped out of the hospital, hand in hand and completely in love, the announcement had been made. They smiled sleepily and offered waves to the crowds of people, taking the flashes from the cameras as they slipped into the car. The peals of bells were tumbling from The Abbey, the sound of a 41 gun salute thundered into the air for the baby boy.

And the fascination with Arthur Charles Michael Spencer had begun.

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The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon by the time they made it home from the hospital. They were too tired to speak much, too tired to reflect on their day, on all that occurred. But they were too shaken to let go of the other. He held her hand in the car, she slipped her hand into his pocket as they walked, and as they made their way up the stairs, his hand rested on her shoulder. They needed the contact, the strength.

Once in their room, they tugged off their clothes, dropping them to the floor and pulling on pajamas. They brushed teeth; sloppy and quickly. While Maddie washed her face, Harry drew the drapes and slipped into the crisp sheets, ready to sleep till noon—with plans to return to the hospital sometime the next day. When Maddie emerged from the bathroom, he was settled into bed; mere minutes from slumber. Stalling in the doorway, she watched him, her heart and her smile warm. It had been such a long, emotion-filled day for both of them and, in being there for other members of their family, she wasn't sure she had really processed all that had occurred, all the emotions it had evoked. And watching him, her husband, as he laid so peacefully—waiting for her—it drew so much to the surface.

As though he could sense her, he peeled his eyes open, lifting his eyebrows to her with a smirk. "What are you waiting for?" He patted her pillow next to him.

"I don't know," she shook her head, her voice filling with emotion; tears tugging at her throat. "I really don't know why I'm waiting anymore."

He realized instantly that she wasn't talking about climbing into bed and going to sleep. "Madeline..." Forcing his eyes open wider, he made great work of pulling his brain closer to awake. "Are you okay?"

Blinking back tears born of sleepiness and a chaotic day, Maddie nodded and met his eyes. Her eyebrows lifted with hope, with an innocent sweetness. But it was her words that hit him in the gut. "Tell me again why we're waiting two years..."

She caught him. His face softened, eyes sweet on her. With a slow shake of his head, he held her gaze. "I don't know." Their reasons seemed to be eluding him in that moment.

"Me neither." She whispered. Their eyes held, their hearts thumping, breath heavy and the room was saturated with sentiment. Maddie didn't know if she wanted to cry or if she wanted to crawl into bed and make love to him until the sun was directly overhead.

Harry was the first to blink, the first to pull it together and snap out of the daydream his mind had drifted to. "Madeline...come here. Come to bed." He sat up and tugged at the blankets.

Maddie pushed from the doorway, climbing into bed next to her husband who instantly pulled her to him. His hand linked with hers as he kissed her. It was so soft and sweet and slow that Maddie thought he might be trying to lure her to sleep. When he pulled back, his fingers caressed her face, tucking back hair, tracing her lips. And with a great big breath, with a resolve he was surprised he had, he moved back a few inches.

"The North Pole." He squeezed her hand in his as he exhaled.

"Sorry?" She breathed; caught up in her sleeplessness, his kisses.

"The reason we're waiting..." He smiled, dropping a kiss to the top of her hand. "The North Pole."

"The North Pole," she repeated, sniffing as she nodded—saddened.

"And..." He moved back to his pillow, pulling her with him as he laid down. "And we wanted to give you some time, to grow accustomed to this life." He waved his hand out at their room as Maddie cuddled close to him; tucking up under his arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

"But what if I don't want to wait anymore. What if I tell you I'm accustomed. I'm comfortable and situated and I don't need two years to..." She leaned up, turning to look at him, her eyes wide with excitement.

Harry took her face in his hands and pulled her mouth to his; passion and love pouring from him to her. The way his lips moved against hers, the way his tongue tangled into her mouth, pulling her into him, the way his hands wrapped around her and held her to him...it was so firmly planted in a place of desire and adoration.

"Wow..." Maddie breathed when he pulled away from him; her gut clenching when she saw the dark seriousness in his eyes.

"There is no one on the planet that wants a baby more than I do...A baby with you..." His hands moved to her hair as his eyes searched her face, his emotions unsteady in his heart. "And tonight after all that happened..." His voice cracked. "Baby if you want a baby, I...fuck, I'll give you a baby." His thumbs stroked her cheeks. "You know that. You know that." He held her eyes for a beat, a moment before he broke, pulling her head to his chest in a hug; his lips pressing to the top of her head. "I know you're doing well. I know you're strong and resilient and confident and...I know you're comfortable." He kissed her again, his hands stroking down over her arms, her shoulders. "But Maddie it gets worse. It gets...ugly. And what happens if you're pregnant when it does? What happens to you? What happens to me? When the press turns on my pregnant wife? Jesus Christ. I don't even know what I'll..." He shook his head. "We don't have to wait two years. I'll do this now if you really want to. If you really want to. But you're tired and emotionally spent and...I..." He looked down at her, at her sweet smile, her kind eyes as she stretched to look up at him and his eyes welled up.

"I what?" She whispered.

"I love you," he let out a shaky breath. "That's it. That's..."

"I love you too," she placed a kiss on his chest before she twisted in his arms and moved to look down at him; her fingers rubbing lovingly at the scruff on his face. "Thank you. For looking out for me and protecting me and wanting everything to be..." She smiled, dropping a kiss to his lips. "Thank you for doing that."

"It's the very least I can do," his hands ran into her hair, massaging her scalp. Their eyes met and held and Maddie let out a sigh born of resignation and realization and...exhaustion.

"The North Pole?" She asked.

Harry's lips turned up slightly as he nodded. "The North Pole."

"Okay," she sighed again, settling back into bed, tucked next to him. They situated against each other; his arm around her, her leg thrown over his. And they finally closed their eyes, letting their bodies take over and push their minds to slumber.

Just before they drifted off completely, Maddie grinned wide and, without opening her eyes, she called out to him. "Harry?"

"Hmmm?" His eyebrow arched softly over closed lids.

"Do you want to go for a run?" She couldn't help the snort that came with her giggle—anymore than he could help the way his entire body chest shook as he laughed; loud and wide.

And when the laughter finally faded, Harry kissed her upturned lips once more and they both fell asleep; tangled up in each other.