𝔴𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡 𝔰𝔲𝔫 ⟡ ʀɖʀ2

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟷𝟹

Nathan is the first person to come up to us, a bit spooked by the way my face was looking at the moment and the blood that I hadn't bothered to clean yet from my nose.

"Oh shit, you okay, partner?"
"I'm just fine, Nate. How's everything going?"
"Well... It's fine. The usual I suppose. You both seem--- Seem super happy right now, what's goin' on?"

We just look at one another for a moment before we just allow a shrug to roll through our shoulders together. He squints a bit before he shakes his head.

"Stop holding your tongues, I heard you took Sel here to the doctor, what happened there?"
"Eh, she'll be alright in 'bout thirty three or so weeks."
"Thirty three weeks? What? Are you... You contagious, ya know no one here wants to get sick and die."
"She ain't sick, Nathan. She's pregnant."
"Shut the fuck up... This a joke right?"
"I ain't jokin' ya, fucker. She's pregnant. Doctor said so himself."

He shakes his head once more but his smile is slightly turning upright more and more. "You're  joshin' me right now. You're fuckin' joshin' me. Fuck off. Fuck." He brings me into a tight hug, all the back patting and everything in between. "Fuckin' told you, what is gonna happen will. So happy for you both. Can't believe it, you're 'bout to have the most amazin' kid, so much love with all these fellers if he or she is born with us."
I was hoping that wasn't going to happen, I would rather us be outta the gang by the time this baby arrived but who knows, we could be in some other country with all these bastards before we even got close to freedom.

"You guys gonna tell the others?"
"Here soon, yeah."

It was crazy to think that we were going to be parents within the next coming months. At least it was nothing deadly, nothing but worry was upon me and yet, here we are. Now here comes Miss Grimshaw like a bat outta hell, needing to know exactly what was going on.
"Selina! You're back, what's the diagnosis?"
"A baby."
"A what now?"
"I'm pregnant."
"Well I'll be a whore in a church filled with non-sinners, you're pregnant! Everybody, Selina is pregnant!"

So much for making it a fun little thing for everyone, but here comes the whole lot of gang members, don't think I've ever had so many men pat me on the back, swear to god I'm gonna have a bruise in the morning. Arthur comes up with a grin on his features like he's proud about something.
"Mr. Morgan. All I can say is thank you. Truly."
"You ain't gotta thank me for nothin', boy. You deserve this. A baby. Gonna be a hell of a pa and ma, tell ya that, and shit, you gonna be a better dad than John over there."
"Hey!" John is quick to call out when he hears the other speak down on him.
"Oh keep ya trousers on, John, only pokin' some fun. But anyway, kid, you two, knew it from the moment I saw her that it wasn't for me. But for one of you fellers, took a closer look and just felt like you needed it a hell of a lot more. Congratulations to the lot of you."

Then here comes another back pat, Arthur's is stronger than the rest and I hear Charles musing about teaching our baby about nature and respecting wildlife, Javier about fishing, Bill is going on about how our kid is going to torture the hell out of an O'Driscoll one day, Hosea talking about feeling like a grandpa now with all these babies coming into view, Abigail raving on how she's gonna knit us baby clothes and telling Jack about his own little playmate. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for this child to be born into this gang. I just wasn't sure, back and forth thoughts, just all I could think of.
My gaze diverts up when Hosea tells Dutch about the news, he comes walking over like he's gonna smack me silly. But instead, he pulls me into a surprise hug. I've only been hugged by Dutch one other time and it was when he found myself and Nathan alone in the middle of nowhere. Barely eating, holding onto life by a thread. I wasn't expecting him to hug me now over an expanding camp. "Ah, my son! So fuckin' happy for you right now. Gonna bless us with yet another amazing Van der Linde gang member. Bet he'll be a handsome devil."
"Know it could still be a girl, Dutch. Obviously we won't know till they come but---"
"I gotta feelin', son. Got a feelin' in my gut. Has to be a boy. Gotta be."

Think a lot of it had to do with the fact that Dutch wanted it to be a boy so he could help raise him and turn him into a monster like the rest of us. I've thought this over so many times and how I didn't want to be with this gang by then. Not at all.

"Alright Dutch, we'll bet on it one day. Right before Selina has 'em, alright?"
"You're on!"

He brings me into yet another hug before letting me go and motioning for Hosea to come with him. They were still planning on going after Angelo Bronte feller back in Saint Denis. The one who took little Jack. I knew that I was going to be a part of this assault, just wasn't sure when it was. It made me more nervous to head out and do these gang things with the risk of dying. Especially thinking about going for the bank there too. Just crazy, who knew, maybe Dutch would think against putting me out there. But he'd need all the guns he could get.

I just hoped that I could make it outta these events alive.