Beauty and the Beast

17

Down in the kitchen, Stevie was just staring at the fridge and Lindsey swoops down to her abdomen. 

"Can you tell Daddy what you want for breakfast?" he pauses for a moment and presses his ear up to her stomach. "Pancakes and strawberries that sounds like the perfect breakfast." 

"Pancakes with Strawberries in them? or plain Pancakes with Strawberries on the side?" Stevie snorts out a laugh and she grabs the eggs, milk, and butter from the fridge. 

"Both." Lindsey hands her the Strawberries.

She mixes up the batter and she's at the stove flipping pancakes when she hears the servants of the castle bustling around. Lindsey's in the dining room while Stevie's cooking and she listens with the best of her ability. 

"Uh-oh, why is the master in the dining room?" It's Chip.

"I don't know kiddo." Christine sighs.

"Hey Chip, come sit with me." Lindsey's got a happy timber in his voice.

"Mommy, I'm scared." Chip whines as Stevie bites her thumb and stifles a giggle.

"Go, he won't bite. I'm going to go make breakfast." Christine tells them. 

Stevie just turns to look at the entrance of the kitchen and watches as Christine goes about her day. 

"Lindsey made coffee?" She mumbles pouring herself a glass. "And cut strawberries. What is going through his head?" 

It was then that she turned and Stevie and Christine locked eyes. Christine's hands came to her mouth. 

"Oh, my God! You came back." She gasps.

"I came back." She nods. 

"Oh thank God, it's been miserable here. When you started living with us, it was like you brought light back into our lives. And it's been dark, and gloomy here love. He cried all of the time, and he locked himself up in your room wouldn't eat anything. Just strumming a melody on his guitar." Christine hugs her. But as soon as they hug Christine gasps and her hands find her stomach.

"Please tell me this isn't the only reason you came back," Christine begs.

"No, it's not the only reason. I had always planned to come back, sometime in February. But my dad got sick so I had to stay a while longer. Christine, this is my home now and we're all a family." Stevie grins. 

"Oh, I missed you. So this is exciting when are you due?" Christine questions.

"End of September, beginning of October." Stevie nods.

"Lindsey's 36th Birthday is October 3rd. What are the chances?" Christine asks.

"It's possible. I hope he won't mind if the baby is born on his birthday." Stevie shrugs. 

"He can be selfish at times, but by how giddy he is I take it he's excited." Christine grins helping Stevie finish off the pancakes. 

"He's so excited. I got here last night and I snuck in. He was sleeping in my room and this morning when I woke up he was playing his guitar and he grabbed that stupid mirror thing and before he could see me, I told him I was there. When I announced my pregnancy he was so happy. I've not seen that man that happy." Stevie's hand falls to her stomach.

"I think this is going to be good for all of us. I want a baby. There's going to be two new babies running around these halls and I want one." She pouts. 

"I thought you told me that you and John were going to try in the new year." Stevie sighs loading up a tray with plates of pancakes. 

"We are but we haven't had any luck." Christine shakes her head.

"I'm sorry, here I am not even trying for a baby and ending up with one. But you can share them with me, I'll allow it." Stevie smiles as Christine grabs the other tray and they get ready to go out to 'serve' the food. 

"Do you know what it is?" She questions.

"No, I do not. I'm not finding out. But Lindsey thinks it's a little girl." Stevie smiles.

"What do you think it's going to be. John wanted a little girl but I had a feeling it was going to be a boy. I never told him though." Chris smiles.

"I think it's going to be a little girl. But I don't want to give him false hope in case it's not." Stevie smiles. 

***

When Stevie and Christine walked into the dining room. Chip was playing with Max on the floor. Lindsey was babbling about something, and Mick, John, Sarah, Sharon, and Margi were looking at each other exchanging a weird look. 

"Christine he's going on and on and on about how Stevie's pregnant and she's back, I think he's gone crazy. " Mick says not breaking eye contact with John. 

"I am," Stevie says as Chip gasps and sprints over to her and wraps his arms around her stomach. 

"You really are back!" Chip asks.

"I am really back. I don't plan on leaving for a while now." Stevie ruffles his hair. 

"Your belly is round like Sarah's is." He points out.

"It is. It's not as round, but it's round." Stevie chuckles a little bit. She's showing, that is if she's wearing her normal clothing, as it's tighter around her stomach then the forest green silk nightgown that she was wearing. 

"This baby. It is Lindsey's I hope." John crosses his arms.

"Of course it's Lindsey's," Stevie growls slamming his plate down in front of him. 

"Alright, sorry." He holds his hands up. 

"Now, let's eat breakfast. I'm starving." Stevie smiles sitting in her spot at the other head of the table across from Lindsey. 

***

As the day goes by Lindsey finds himself in the garden. Stevie hadn't been feeling well and she had gone to lie down and he was going to be present her with some fresh flowers picked straight from the garden.

"So Lindsey, are you excited that you're going to be a dad?" Sharon asks when he enters the garden.

"I am so excited. I really want a little girl." Lindsey smiles going over to the lilies and snipping off a couple of the pastel-colored flowers. Lily the dog, on his heels. 

"Really, I thought you'd want a boy. Don't all men want a little boy?" Sharon inquires.

"Maybe, but I...I don't know, I just want a little girl that I can love and protect. I know I can do that with a boy, but a little girl...I mean a little clone of their mother. That's all that I want." He shakes his head.

"What if they're a mini clone of you?" Sharon sighs leaning up against a trellis.

"I won't let that happen, Sharon. I...I don't like who I am when she's not here. I don't like the anger and sadness. She makes me happy and I hate yelling at her and everything. I blame my family, really I do. I wasn't a wanted child and I never had much care or love from them and then I was just thrown into the role of ruler and I need her to admit that she loves me so I can be the king that I want to be...the King that she deserves." Lindsey sighs looking at the lilies. 

"You are, and you will be. I promise. I'm sure things are going to change around here." Sharon pats his back and Lindsey makes his way up to the castle.