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Post by Elizabeth James on Dec 4, 2006 19:23:35 GMT -5
Elizabeth was exhausted. On top of worrying over the students and giving lessons, as well as preparing the next ones and checking on Darien every now and then and checking back with Emilia, she had just received a call from her brother. Apparently his wife had just had a baby, and now she was terribly ill. She was currently in a wizarding hospital, seeing as it was much easier and convenient. And the fact that their healing techniques were much more advanced and guaranteed. However, there hadn't been much of a change. She prayed Rachel would survive, as she had become much like her true sister, though she was only her sister-in-law.
But that wasn't the main thing that was bothering her. In truth, Lizzie just needed some fresh air and space. She was dressed in a long-sleeved cream sweater, covered by a nice, long white jacket that was buttoned. There was a black scarf around her neck, and black gloves adorned her hands. She was dressed simply and comfortably in black pants and black shoes that zipped on the sides and had a wide, short heel. Her hair was down around her face, spilling onto her shoulders and down her back as the wind lifted the locks of hair. No, today what was bothering Miss James was the news she had received only recently...
She was pregnant, and she wasn't sure how to tell him...
((Bring in Brae? ;] Or do you want to wait?))
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Post by Braeden Andrews on Dec 19, 2006 16:56:12 GMT -5
God, those Death Eaters sure knew how to make trouble. After recovering, Braeden had had to run about, doing all sort's of head teacher's jobs concerning the injuries - and in some cases, deaths - of both teachers and students, while Adeline remained in the hospital wing with Darien long after her own shoulder wound had healed. He often bitterly thought how she could be so unreliable and self-absorbed sometimes. He hadn't even had a chance to see how Elizabeth was doing.
He was currently searching for teachers, as most of them had papers and reports to sign about the attack and such matters. His search had led him down to the Courtyard, and, although he doubted many would be down here in the cold, it was worth a try. He found one person there, and it was Elizabeth James. Smiling, he made himself known, oblivious to to the worries swirling around Elizabeth's mind.
"Hey." |
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Post by Elizabeth James on Dec 19, 2006 17:21:33 GMT -5
Elizabeth jumped at the voice, head flying up to find none other than Braeden Andrews. Her heart stopped, then it began to race, as she struggled to find the words to say. She knew that saying 'hey, Braeden. Oh, by the way, I'm pregnant, and you're the dad! Congratulations!' Ha. Yeah, that'd be a great way to run him off...
Instead, she smiled weakly and spoke, her voice a little worn and weaker than usual. "Hey, Braeden. How have you been since... the attack?" She swallowed, forcing herself to breathe calmly. She took some deep breaths, also willing herself not to puke. Yeah, that'd be a great way to start this conversation... She was already showing a little, and further exams had revealed twins. She had nearly died... She offered the seat beside her for him to seat himself in. She sighed and said,"Braeden... Um. We need to talk..." She bit her lip a little worriedly, wondering what his reaction to all of this would be...
((xDDDD It might take a few more posts to get it all out, but yeah. Now it has been set up! Muahaha! >]))
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Post by Braeden Andrews on Dec 21, 2006 16:31:16 GMT -5
Jesus, would that scare the absolute shit out of him, if Elizabeth came out and said that. 'Hey, you're a dad. Could you baby sit for me in, I dunno, seven months?' Oh yes, fun, fun, fun.
"I've been good enough," the male sighed, sitting down next to her. He was in a strangely good mood, considering such circumstances- and that wasn't even counting the problems that he didn't know about, yet. "You know. I've had to deal with all sorts of paperwork and shit." He smiled softly. "But nothing's come along to shock me, as of yet." Oh wow. Was he gonna be blown off his feet at Elizabeth's news, then.
"Yeah, we do. I need you to sign these things, so if you'll come up to my office in a- in a bit..." He trailed off, looking at her curiously; not to mention worriedly. "What's the matter?" |
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Post by Elizabeth James on Dec 21, 2006 16:40:20 GMT -5
Elizabeth smiled and said,"Yeah. Paperwork can be quite annoying and time-consuming, but at least most of it has passed. Most of the students have returned to class, and only Darien is still remaining in the hospital wing... He hasn't woken up yet, though." Her brows furrowed a little in worry. He had become a pretty good friend to her as of late, almost like having her big brother there with her again.
She shook off the feeling and listened as he trailed off. "Um. Well, I'll come up and sign the papers, just... I think this needs to... Um, come first." She swallowed, feeling her heart racing. "Braeden... Um..." She paused, trying to collect her thoughts. She then allowed her eyes to shift away from them, now looking at a fountain. "Um, do you remember a few months ago at the teachers' party? Um, when we... You know." She still didn't look at him. "Do you remember that?" God, this was so hard... "Well, um... After that, uh, I noticed some things, and, uh..." Shiz. She couldn't say it. She couldn't look at him, but she had to say it. She whispered,"I'm... Braeden... I'm... I'm pregnant..." Now, she simply refused to look at him. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears.
What a predicament the young teacher was in...
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Post by Braeden Andrews on Dec 21, 2006 17:02:52 GMT -5
"Don't forget Adeline," he grumbled, scowling a little. "She hasn't left there, either." You couldn't blame the guy, though. He was still on painkillers, and he had do work. Why shouldn't she do something, too? It just wasn't fair.
"Okay." He nodded, a little unnerved by her complete seriousness. He nodded again, when she said his name. And then when she continued to mention the night of the party, he looked up. A lot of interesting things had happened during that night... Wondering vaguely where this was going, he waited for her to finish. Oh, and when she did... Jesus. It hit him like a ton of damn bricks.
"You what?" There was a silence, in which he stood up, a hand to his forehead. "You're... you're freaking kidding me, right?" But no, he knew. There was no way this could be a joke. |
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Post by Elizabeth James on Dec 21, 2006 17:20:20 GMT -5
She nodded, knowing what he was thinking. However, she knew that Adeline was far too concerned with Darien to focus on her work. Liz hadn't been hurt, just a few scratches and bruises, but now she had a lot more on her mind than just a few scrapes... She was carrying twins. Two babies were inside of her, and they were Braeden's, which is why she had to tell him...
Oh my. She had been afraid of this. She felt the tears slip out, trickling down her cheeks. She tried to stop them, but they just kept coming. She couldn't get a deep breath for the tears in the back of her throat, and she couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry, Braeden..." Her voice came out a little choked, muffled by the tears. She didn't even bother to wipe them away. "God, I'm so sorry... You... You don't have to worry. I can raise them... Lord knows my brother wouldn't let his nieces or nephews starve... I... I just had to tell you. You had to know..." She didn't open her eyes, taking a breath in and hearing the sob that racked her body. She put her face in her hands, hating herself for ruining everything for him... "I'm sorry..." It was whispered, barely audible... And she was. She was sorry...
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Post by Alexander Aindrea on Dec 21, 2006 18:06:52 GMT -5
Still standing, he had begun to pace, running his hands through his hair. He stopped however, at the first thing she said, and replied in tone that sounded close to being dangerous, "Don't. Apologize. To me." He couldn't have that. It wasn't, after all, as if she had brought this whole thing on herself, or even on purpose. It was alcohol, the name of which he cursed to hell and back. He wished he could hurt someone for this... but the only one he could blame was himself, and he did so, out loud. "It's my own fucking fault." How did he manage to make almost every woman he slept with pregnant? That was crazy shit, that was.
"Nooooo," he moaned. "I do have to worry. It's my damn-" He paused at the next thing she said, and then repeated it. "'Nieces or nephews'? What the heck? Is that plural?" How many of these babies should he be expecting? He shook his head, exasperated. This was twisted. What was going down? How long had Elizabeth known? Too many questions... |
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Post by Elizabeth James on Dec 22, 2006 9:59:52 GMT -5
His voice was dangerous, and she could hardly bear it. She got to her feet now, walking over to the fountain she had been staring out not long ago. She held onto the rim, forcing herself to not throw up. She took some of the cold water in her hands and splashed her face. Did he think this was easy for her?! Well, it bloody hell wasn't! She was the one that was going to have to keep these babies healthy while they were inside of her, and she was the one that was going to have to carry them for the full term. She was the one that was going to have to raise them, and dangit, she was the one that was going to have to give birth to them! She had no earthly idea what she was doing, and she was scared... God, she was scared.
Her back was to him now, and he kept speaking. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, feeling more tears slip down her cheeks. Why? Why had this happened? "Yes..." It was spoken just barely so he could hear, and it was weak. Her voice shook as she continued, both from the sobs and her fear. "Yes, Braeden, there are two..." She tried to take a deep breath, but it was hard, and she began to wish she had never told him to begin with... "I... I found out a couple of weeks... After the attack... Emilia helped, and I..." She shook her head, the tears falling harder now. She had screwed everything up... "I was afraid... I wasn't sure if I should tell you... But... I had to... Because you would have found out anyway..."
Her heart was racing, and it was hard for her to stand. God, she felt so weak right now. She felt so weak and vulnerable, and Elizabeth James never felt weak and vulnerable... "Look, Braeden..." She didn't even look at him now, instead she stared at the water trickling from the fountain. "You... You don't have to worry. I'm... already talking... to Emilia." The sobs were still coming, and she had to speak between them. "She's going... to help me with everything." She shook her head and said,"You don't even have to be there, okay? I know you don't want this. And I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news..." She had to stop, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she sobbed harder again. She lowered it and continued,"Just... You know now... That's... That's all..." She drew a shaky breath, eyes downcast as she turned to him. "I'm... I'm sorry, Braden..." She then turned and walked as quickly as she could back towards the castle. She didn't even expect him to stop her. Why would he? He must be so pissed right now... He probably hated her, too. The tears were still falling, and all she could think was how screwed up this was...
She had screwed everything up...
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Post by Braeden Andrews on Dec 22, 2006 10:25:38 GMT -5
"Two?!" This word came out in something close to a howl, and the male fell back down onto the bench again, hands shaking. Jesus Christ, man... two babies. One baby had nearly scared the shit out of him, but two... he thought his brain was going to explode. Too much was going on... he'd gotten into a relationship that he shouldn't have, his life - along with Elizabeth's - had been put in danger twice, and now he had children. Yeah- PLURAL.
Jesus. How long had he been in the bathroom for? This seemed to have happened in the space of only five minutes, and it was scary. Freaking terrifying.
He looked shocked. "You've known for weeks?!" It was then that Braeden noticed that he was yelling. Not only yelling, but yelling at a pregnant young woman with the risk of publicly humiliating her if anyone happened to wander past the Courtyard or anywhere near it. So he lowered his voice - thankfully - before going on. His next words, though, were said weakly, and by now he looked and sounded beaten. He was going to have to deal with all of this whether he liked it or not; he had lost a baby before, after all.
"No, I know..." he eventually said, tone of voice weary, volume quiet. "You had to tell me." Man, would he have been pissed off if she hadn't told him. That wouldn't have been a pleasant conversation, and that was for sure.
He shook his head, features still shocked and disbelieving. "No, Elizabeth." He repeated from previously. "I do have to worry. Do you have any idea how much danger this puts you in right now?" Way to go, Brae. She really wanted to know how much Death Eaters would want her now that she was carrying one of their enemies' children. Not. But it was the truth; these babies - these wonderful, new lives - came along with a shit load more trouble than they should. "So, whether I have to or not, I am going to worry about the three things in my life that I actually give a damn about."
Aw, er... sweet?
When she turned, Brae stood up immediately, and rolled his eyes up at the sky as if to ask the Gods to help him understand women a little better, and then rushed after Elizabeth. Taking her arm, he pulled her around so that she was facing him. "That is not all." And then... he didn't know what to say to her at all, so he fell silent. |
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Post by Elizabeth James on Dec 22, 2006 10:46:58 GMT -5
He grabbed her, and she closed her eyes as he turned her back around. She opened them, looking up at him. She was so scared, and it showed in those brown eyes of hers... Tears were still falling, and she had long ago gave up on stopping them. Now, however, she just looked up at him, and she nearly let herself falling into his arms and cry like a baby. But no, that wasn't going to happen. He was only staying because he felt responsible, right? He was only staying for his children, his unborn children, and he wouldn't want to have to comfort her, too. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she lowered her head slightly. It hurt a little to raise it to look up at him. She listened as he spoke, and she was reduced to silent tears once more.
"Yes... Yes, okay?! I've known for weeks!!" She looked up at him, and her eyes told everything. She was scared, damnit! She was scared out of her mind, and she didn't know what she was doing! There was untold amounts of fear and sorrow. She had never wanted to put him in this situation... He had been yelling, and she clenched her teeth, refusing to let herself start sobbing again. It was weak and pathetic, and if she couldn't stop these freaking tears, she was going to stop the sobbing, damnit! She looked up at him, willing herself to not let her voice shake, but she couldn't. Damnit, she couldn't! She was far too scared to be able to speak without her voice shaking, and it was obvious both in her eyes and in her voice.
"I know, Braeden... I know that it puts all of us in danger..." She drew a shaky breath, holding back the sobs. She had to keep her pride and dignity intact somehow, right? "You have no idea, Braeden..." She shook her head a little, closing her eyes for a moment as she drew in another shaky breath before looking back up to him. "God... I'm so scared... And there's nothing I can do about it..." She looked away, and his next words vaguely registered. She looked back at him, confusion adding to the swirling mixture already present in her chocolate eyes. "Three? What on earth are you talking about, Braeden?" Perhaps it was the sleepless nights, maybe it was just denial, but something was not registering in Lizzie's mind.
He told her it wasn't all, and she just looked at him, feeling the hot tears splash down freshly. "What else is there to say, Braeden? Do you want to humiliate me? Do you want me to leave and never see you again? What is it?" She was hurt and scared right now, and he just didn't understand... God, he was being such a guy. She looked away, finding it hard to meet his eyes. "Braeden..." She shook her head a little, closing her eyes and looking down. She wasn't going to let him see what was in her eyes now. Regret was just one of many. "What do you want from me, Braeden? What the hell else can I do for you, hmm?" She refused to look at him now, and she just wanted him to let her go. She just wanted to lock herself in her office and cry it out... At least Demon still cared.
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Post by Braeden Andrews on Dec 22, 2006 11:39:05 GMT -5
Sure, he'd stay for the sake of his children, but that wasn't just it. After all, when had Braeden Andrews ever been known for responsibility? He ran. When things got totally fucked up - which the almost always did - then he ran away. He'd move far away, change his name, and the people he was involved with would never see him again; he was good at hiding. But this was different. He wasn't running- so it couldn't just have been the twins making him stay put.
"No," Braeden shook his head. "It puts you in danger. I've always been in danger, and probably always will, but c'mon, woman..." He shook his head once more, and trailed off, as she said that she was scared, and then the thing afterwards. Speaking a little slower, the male said, "Yeah. Three things. Baby, baby, and Elizabeth bloody James." Yep; it was said roughly, but they were just about the only three things that mattered in his life.
"There's loads more to say." He frowned. He didn't want to humiliate her, and he certainly didn't want to drive her away, to never see her face again, to never hear her voice, to never... to never... kiss her lips. Truth was... all he wanted from her, however weak and needing it sounded, was her love. "I- I just..." He paused, spluttering slightly and looking for words. "What about us?" And then he dropped her arm. |
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Post by Elizabeth James on Dec 22, 2006 12:55:09 GMT -5
She just stared at him, very much confused at this point. Oh my. This was most certainly a situation that Lizzie did not want to be in. She didn't want to have already unwillingly given her heart to this man. No... That was supposed to be hers! She had locked it away and thrown out the key, for crying out loud! She had locked it away in a chest and thrown it in the freaking ocean! So why on earth did he have this effect on her? The tears had stopped falling for now, but her eyes were red now. She just stared up at him, his words falling on ears that were drinking them in. Honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know, but she had to listen. She had to know... There was no other choices possible for Miss Elizabeth James.
"You mean... You... actually care... about me?" It was more her trying to get it around inside her head, but if he affirmed it, it just might make it that much more believable. She stared up at him, almost like an innocent doe, but she was far from being a doe or being innocent. She just looked at him, finding herself unable to answer, and then he dropped her arm and asked about them. What about us? Yes, what about them? What was going to happen between the two of them? Those words hit her hard, and she was barely able to stay on her feet. "I... I... I don't know..." She looked at him and reached out for him as she lost her balance, nearly toppling over. She found herself holding onto his shoulders, and her heart raced even more. She needed to eat something... "I don't want to lose you..." It was whispered, barely audible, but just maybe he would hear it, because she didn't intend to repeat it...
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