More Than Forever

Two Weeks Later

        "I know what my dear needs. Some hot chocolate." Maura smiled as she lowered herself to Niall's bed. "My poor baby is ill." she then frowned and kissed Niall's forehead. He sighed and half smiled, "I'm so glad I'm here with you."

"Aw, why the sudden attachment to Mama?"

"Well, I have something I'm deathly worried about."

"Hmm? Tell me." she placed her cool hand on his, which comforted him very much.

"Well, Zayn wants to adopt."

"Adopt? A puppy right?"

"No....a kid." Niall blushed.

Her eyes widened, "You just got married though."

"I know. Mum, I cannot be a father now. I....I don't even know what to say to him. I don't want to disappoint him like I did before." 

"Honey, I am sure Zayn will understand." 

"I'm scared." Niall sniffled.

"Don't be scared. You two are married. You have to learn to communicate and agree and disagree on things. It's marriage life."

               Zayn arrived back to Maura's house with Greg about an hour later. Niall was still lying in bed with his fever and sore throat. He smiled when Zayn stepped in, "Hey, babe."

"Hey. How're you feeling?" Zayn asked.

"I'm fine. Just sleepy. Mum gave me some cough medicine."

"You need to sleep then. I'll come back later."

"No. Wait. We need to talk."

"About what?" he chuckled.

"What you said to me."

"What I said....?"

"Two weeks ago."

"I said a lot two weeks ago."

"Bloody hell, Zayn!" Niall shouted.

Jumping, Zayn cringed at his husband's tone of voice, "What's wrong?"

"The adopting!" 

"Oh....look, I think I sprang that on you too soon."

             "LISTEN to me. Niall is talking." Niall put his hand over Zayn's mouth and sighed, "I want to do it."

"You....what?"

"I want to do it. I want to do it but I don't want to adopt."

"But a surrogate is so much more expensive."

"Not if we use the girl I want to use."

"Who?"

"Someone who I haven't seen in a while....someone who you may not want to use?"

"Just tell me, babe."

"Ali."

"Ali? Really? You think she would agree to this?"

"Yes. I think she would." 

Silent, Zayn blinked away the bluriness. He took in a deep breath, "You're asking her."

             However, Niall put off the asking. He was too nervous to do. Maura tried to console him but he avoided her and pulled away, "I can't!" he shouted then grabbed a beer from the fridge. Maura grabbed it, put it back, and replaced it with a juice. Sighing, Niall stubbornly drank it, "Thanks, Mum."

"You don't need to get drunk right now and I don't think you need to have a child yet either. Have you and Zayn thought this through? Have you considered whose sperm will be donated?"

"EW! MUM!"

"Well, have you?!" she exclaimed.

"No!"

"That's something you must thing about. You have to have a sperm."

"Only one?"

"Of course, Niall."

"Uh....I guess his?"

"You don't want this child's blood in you? I think it would be darling to have an Irish baby."

"I dunno." Niall muttered and sat down at the table.

                Maura joined him, "I think you and Zayn should take a lot of time and think about this. It's a huge step." 

"I know....I thought that too."

"That's why you need to wait a while before deciding. You just got married. Enjoy each other's company first. Trust me. You'll need that."

Wincing, Niall shrugged his shoulders, "I'm scared to say that to him. I've already nearly ruined our marriage."

Sighing, Maura just shook her head, "I think you were too young to get married. Don't have Mama for that but I think it's true." 

"I think you're right." Niall whimpered and wrapped his arms around her, "Just hold me, Mum. Please. Just hold me."

"Oh, Niall!" Maura gasped and rubbed his back, "Don't cry! Don't cry!"

"It's like everything is good one minute and the next day it's ruined again! Why?!" 

"I dunno, sweetheart." she kissed his cheek and stroked his hair, "Come on. You need a nap."

"I need a drink."

"No. A nap. Come on now." 

"Mum...."

"Yes, dear?"

Niall said nothing. He just collapsed on the sofa, started sobbing, and held his arms out for his mother. "Oh my poor baby!" Maura frowned and took him into her arms, cradling him, and rocking him, "Mama is here. I'm not going anywhere. Just cry as long as you need to. I'm here."

             Niall ended up taking a three hour nap. When he woke up, he saw Maura was sitting on the edge of his bed, "I want to share something with you."

"Mmm?" Niall sat up against his backboard. He ran his fingers through his hair and gazed at her. He had bags beneath his eyes and his eyes were blood shot. Smiling, Maura opened Niall's baby book, "When you were born, my mother told me to be the best mother possible and I told her I was already a mother and I knew what to do. She said no. You know how to be a mother to Greg but Niall is a completely different person. He will need different attention. So....I said what do you mean. She said Niall will be special. Niall will be unique. Niall will belong to you. Well, it took me forever to figure out what the bloody hell that meant!" she laughed. Niall laughed a little too. "But....when I took you to audition for the X Factor....I found out. I was scared for you. I was scared of seeing your heart broken....you feel that way with Zayn. You're scared....but....you want to please him and make him happy. Now, I did some thinking while you were asleep....anytime you decide to have a child, it is going to be scary. Trust me. There is no way around it no matter how old you are.  I promise that."

             Sitting up, Niall cleared his throat, "So you're saying....I should....treat Zayn the way you treated me at the X Factor?"

"I'm saying....when your heart is ready....have a baby that looks like this." she handed over a picture of Niall in his blue jumper, touseled hair, and a huge pacifier in his mouth. Grinning, his cheeks turned pink, "Thanks, Mum. I'm slightly confused but....I feel better."

She warmly smiled, "How about you ring Zayn?"

"I think I will. I miss him."

"And one more thing."

Niall looked up at Maura. She was gazing into his eyes, "I'm not always going to be here for you, Niall. You need to learn to work out your problems with Zayn without flying home to me."

Frowning, Niall's pupils dilated, "Mum, what're you saying? You're not going anywhere." 

Maura sighed again, "Well, you don't know that. Anything could happen." she shrugged. Niall kept his gaze on her, "Mum."

"I'm sick, Niall."