Who: Alice Liddell and Logan What: Talking about their upcoming child When: Recently Where: Doctor’s office Rating/Warnings: Low - possibly language but nothing I can think of other than that. Status: Complete when posted
Alice was a little nervous about this appointment and she reached out to grab Logan’s hand without even realizing it just for some emotional support. It might raise a few eyebrows that she’d asked him to come with her to these appointments and not Grog but - Logan was the father and Alice was determined that he be involved in their child’s life as much as he wanted from the very beginning. She was going to make this balance work out for everyone somehow. “You okay? No regrets about coming with me to this appointment?” She asked him quietly, turning halfway in her seat so that she could look at him more easily.
*** “I don’t mind it at all.” He kind of did, but he was here and he’d couldn’t have turned her down. This was half his fault, and she was nervous and probably a little scared. He could work with that. “I can think of worse things to have to deal with.”
At least it wasn’t a planned parenthood, though Logan would have enjoyed chasing off the protestors.
***
“I’m glad that we have a few minutes to talk before the doctor calls us back.” Alice said, swallowing and licking her lips before continuing. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I was hoping you’d want to come to all of the obstetrician appointments with me. Not just this one.” She paused, watching his face for his reaction. “If you’d be comfortable coming to them. I told you when I first found out that if it was yours I wanted you be involved.”
***
All of them? Logan couldn’t hide his surprise, but he took a breath for a moment before he responded, “All right. I know this ain’t gonna be easy for you.”
Fuck, would Morrigan want that too? Not that he minded but that was gonna get awkward… “Might be kinda… nice.”
*** Alice saw the surprise on his face and she tried to steel herself for him to say now but he surprised her by agreeing and she couldn’t help the relieved sigh that escaped her. Or stop herself from leaning over and resting her forehead against his shoulder. “Thank you.” No matter how much time she’d had to prepare she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to handle it if he’d actually said no. She’d have been able to find someone to come with her - Grog or a friend or one of her parents but she wanted it to be Logan. “I can handle it. Just knowing I’m not going to be by myself - I know I can handle it. And like I said - it’s just happened earlier than I would have planned on.”
She lifted her head up and gave him a small smile. “I hope it will be.”
***
Grunting, Logan put his arm around her and squeezed. “I know this ain’t gonna be easy on you. But you’ve made your choice an’ I’ll support it, an’ I know it’ll be a lot easier that you ain’t alone.”
No one should have to be alone during this unless they chose to be.
***
Alice leaned against him as he squeezed her. “I’m still scared I’m going to do something to completely mess this kid up somehow in the next 18 years.” Her dad had tried to tell her that she was being ridiculous about that but she couldn’t help it. And it didn’t help at all that he also kept telling her that every parent worried about doing something to mess up their kids.
“We still need to figure out if we want to find out the gender down the road before I go into labor.” That was a terrifying thought - labor. She’d made up her mind about that all on her own (sorry Logan). She was going to take whatever the hospital offered to help with the pain when that happened. That was one decision she’d decided all on her because it was her body that would be going through that.
***
“You will,” Logan told her straight up. “But every parent fucks up sometimes. As long as the kid is better off than you started with an’ ain’t some kind of bigoted monster, you’ll do good. And I think the kid already has a hell of a head start with a mom like you.”
Logan shrugged his shoulder, “I’m good with waitin’ if you are.”
***
Alice couldn’t help but grin at his bluntness. “You’ll be a part of messing this kid up you know. And if they start showing any signs of being some type of bigot I’m hoping you’ll help me put a stop to it right then and there before they get a chance to turn into a monster.” With or without his help she’d figure out a way to stop it.
“I was hoping you would be. I kind of want it to be a surprise. Something more to look forward to down the road.” Her career path was never set or certain so she’d gotten in the habit of giving herself things in her personal life to look forward to, little surprises that could pick her up. And this baby was quickly turning into one of those. A terrifying one but - still something she was looking forward to. Someone she was looking forward to.
***
“It’s got a good start, between me an’ you,” Logan promised. While they couldn’t control children, they could guide them and lead by example. It was generally the way he preferred it, along with a dose of tough love on occasion. Kid falls off the bike? Get back on an’ keep trying. Besides, the odds were it would have fast healing anyway.
“Ain’t what I planned on, but that’s life.”
***
Alice curled up a little bit in the chair beside his, laying her head gently on his shoulder as they waited for the doctor to call her name. “I never asked. Have you had kids before?” Maybe at least one of them would know how to change a diaper already.
“I’m starting to realize that life never goes how we plan.”
***
“Yeah, I’ve got a couple. And I’ve taken care of babies before. But usually, no one tells me I got a kid until they show up one day.” Which had happened on more than one occasion. Which was… incredibly annoying.
***
“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you face to face. About the baby. I should have I was just...freaked and knew if I didn’t tell you somehow that day I might lose my nerve.” Alice murmured, watching the door for a nurse to come and call them back. And praying that they didn’t try and assume that Logan was her father. Because that would be awkward as hell.
***
“Ain’t mad. Gave me a chance to collect myself.” Shock had been a good word for it. Some anger, mostly at himself and the OC. She certainly didn’t deserve any directed at her.
Since he wasn’t going to actually mack on her, that was a danger.
***
“Not exactly why you gave me your number after all.” Alice said softly. “I hope I didn’t get you in trouble with anybody.”
***
“Ain’t no one for me to get in trouble with,” Logan assured her. He was doggedly single at this point, even if part of him didn’t want to be, he’d been hurt one too many times to want to deal with that again. Keep things casual and fun. No strings.
One reason he was being careful with a couple of women - too easy to develop strings with them. ***
Alice heard a nurse call her name and she looked over to see a friendly faced woman standing at the door. “I guess it’s our turn. You ready?” There was a little tremor in her voice but she forced a confident smile on her face as she sat up straight and stood up.
***
“I’m ready.” Logan got to his feet, and squeezed her shoulder. “Come on, this ain’t scary at all.”