Ever After

bonus - maxon and america

america

"America!" Lucy is quick to run back into the room, her eyes wide and grin wider.

I sit up from the bed, rolling my eyes. She wouldn't be smiling if I was sick. "See," I retort to Maxon at my bedside, "I'm fine."

When Lucy sees Maxon at my side, she stills. Then she clears her throat. "Your majesty, I have to ask you to leave."

"What?" Maxon scoffs. He takes my hand, eyes full of disbelief. 

"I'm being serious," Lucy says. She's fighting a smile, trying to keep herself in check. 

He looks between us. "But... but America is alright, right?" 

Lucy nods. "She's fine. I just need to speak with her privately."

I shove his shoulder. "Go! You have meetings anyway."

He sighs, turns back to me and kisses my lips quickly. "I'll be back within the hour," he promises, "if not sooner."

"Maxon." I roll my eyes. "I'm fine. Lucy said so herself. You can stop worrying."

"You're sick."

"I'm fine. Get out of here."

He sends me one last glance, then whisks from the room. I sigh in relief, flopping back onto the bed. 

"He's so anxious, I swear," I complain to Lucy. 

She giggles. "He should be."

I snap my eyes back to her. "You said I was fine!"

Lucy is at my side so quickly that I don't even see her feet move. She kneels down and grasps my hands, her wild smile finally overtaking her face.

"America, you're pregnant."

My breathing stops. Like, actually stops.

"What?"

"You're pregnant! I had them run it twice, because sometimes the tests are wrong, but it came back positive again! You and Maxon are going to be parents!"

I grip her hands too tightly. I can tell by the way she winces. "Mer? Is this... this is good, right?"

I let go and cover my mouth. "Oh, my... oh, no..."

"It's not?" Lucy's tone dropped. Her shoulders slumped. "America, what's wrong?"

"I can't even handle being queen yet, Lucy!" I wail, "Maxon and I... we're so busy, we barely have time for each other.... how are we going to handle a child? This... oh, I don't want to hurt it..."

Lucy swallows. "Oh, I see." She set a hand on my shoulder, smiling sadly. "You're scared."

I take her hands in mine again, sitting up to face her. "Lucy, this is... this is a good thing. An amazing thing. I've always wanted kids, I... I want that with Maxon, but right now? We're not ready."

"America, did you ever think that maybe you're never ready?"

I look up at her quizzically, so she continues. "It's something my mom used to say. She and Dad had me long before they thought they should have, but she always believed that there was never a good time to try and have kids. It simply happened. Whenever it did, you had to be grateful. Otherwise, there's always going to be a reason to push it off."

I grip her hands tight. "Have you and Aspen... have you talked about it?" They'd been married just a few weeks prior.

She grins. "We have. We decided that whenever a child comes along, we'll welcome it. This kind of thing doesn't happen when it's convenient, Mer."

I smile back at her, but she's not done. "This... miracle, I guess you could say, it's not terrible timing. You're young. You still have time to have the large family you've wanted, and I know you and Maxon are scattered right now, still trying to pull yourselves together as king and queen, but I will do whatever I can to help. I'm sure Marlee would, too, even though she's got one on the way now. Your kids will have family in us. Because we're family, all of us, and our kids are just going to join that pot. Whatever happens, we know we have each other, and our kids will grow up with that knowledge, too."

I can't help the tears now- but they're happy, grateful tears. Marlee was a few weeks short of birth. She could pop at any day now- which was why she wasn't around. Carter wouldn't let her leave the bed. 

"I love you guys," I manage, and I bring Lucy as close as I can. 

She giggles. "We love you too. Want me to call for your husband?"

I sigh, trying to imagine Maxon's reaction, but I can't. Will he have the same reaction as me? Will he be angry?

I shake my head. "No. He's in his study. I'll go see him."

Lucy nods. "Alright. If you don't mind, I'm going to find Aspen and tell him the news."

I wink. "Make sure he knows not to say anything to Maxon until I get my hands on him. Aspen and his loud mouth will spill the secret."

Lucy laughs. "Oh, yes, he would."

***

As soon as I walk in, Maxon is by my side. "Dear, you're supposed to be resting." He nannies me into a chair, hands not leaving my sides as he coaxes me down. 

I roll my eyes, and as soon as he turns to go back to his desk, I stand and wrap my hands round his torso. 

"America, you're going to-"

"Maxon, do I ever mention how much I love you?"

He chuckles, the motion shaking my body. He turns in my arms and faces me. "You mention it every now and then. If you're trying to convince me you're fine, it's not going to work. You should get some rest."

I step back and take his hands in mine, my serious expression silencing him. 

"America?"

"Maxon, listen to me."

"Of course, love."

"I-" I swallow- "I'm pregnant."

It takes two seconds for my words to register, and one second for me to be in the air, spinning in my husbands arms, his laughter echoing in my ear. 

"America!" He sets me down and kisses me senseless as I stumble and laugh. "Oh, darling..."

"Maxon, are you... you're crying!" He laughs again, burying his face into my hair. 

"Yes, dear, I am. I'm just... I'm so happy."

I laugh, dismissing every thought about his anger being an issue. He's positively overjoyed. 

Aspen runs into the room, arms wide, Lucy trailing behind and struggling to slow him down, and tackles both of us into a hug. "Oh, you two!"

Maxon laughs. "It looks like everyone knows."

I shake my head, pulling Lucy into the group hug as Carter enters the room just after her, a grin on his face despite Marlee's absence. 

"No, just our family."