#choice fandom

           There’s nothing but silence from the other side. Leo has been sitting outside her door every chance he gets, he never realized how much he had hurt her until now. He knows things are complicated, but he at least wants things worked out between the two of them.

           She’s sitting on the floor, on the other side of the door as she hears him sigh and get up to leave. She wants to let go of the past, she wants to be with him, but he’s hurt her repeatedly and the fact that his wife comes back to the palace today, doesn’t make anything better.

*          *

           “Thank you, Bas.” Katie says as he places her bags in the suite that her and Leo share. She sits down on the bed, taking a deep breath, finally relieved to be home.

           Looking around the room, she notices it seems emptier than she remembers. Opening the dresser, she sees that Leo’s clothing is gone. Frantically, she opens the other drawers and closet doors before realizing that he hasn’t been in the suite for a while.

           An envelope on the pillows catches her eye.

           Katie,

                       I’m sorry to do this to you but I’m just not ready for a family. I don’t regret Asher but I just can’t do this. You deserve Leo, he’s better and more stable for you. I’ll set up an account to put money in to help out with Asher. I wish you the best.

                                                                                               -Damien

           Tears fall onto the letter as she starts to cry. She reads it over and over until the tears have made her vision too blurry to read it any longer. She runs her fingers through her hair, pushing it off of her face. Her mind is racing and soon she feels herself start to hyperventilate.

           “Katie, what’s wrong?” Leo says, walking over to her with the sleeping newborn. He couldn’t stand Damien, to be honest he couldn’t stand his wife right about now, but he didn’t blame the baby. Plus, Leo wouldn’t admit it, but Asher was pretty adorable.

           He places the baby in the bassinet before sitting down next to her. She wipes her tears before looking up at her husband. She then watches him read it, his face grows angry before he tosses the letter to the floor.

           “I can’t believe him.” He shakes his head.

           “What am I going to do?”

           “We’ll figure it out, we always do,” he shrugs and gives her a small smile.

           Katie looks up at her husband, his blonde hair hasn’t been cut in a while and it’s shaggier than it’s been in years. She starts to think of everything they’d been through and just how much she has been taken him for granted. She places a hand on his leg, looking up at him, but instead of the reaction she wants, he gently grabs her hand and puts it back on her leg before standing up.

           “Where have you been sleeping?”

           “I moved down the hall.” Leo rubs the back of his neck, “If you’d like I can move back in to be here to help with Asher.”

           Her eyes light up, “I’d really appreciate that.”

           He nods before leaving the room, leaving Katie alone again.

           I’ll be fine. Leo will stay and raise Asher and everything will go back to normal.

*          *

            Weeks go by and everyone at the palace can sense the hostility of the new Cordonian king. Liam’s stomping around, snapping at staff and biting off diplomats’ heads. He has been breaking trade agreements and severing peace treaties which is causing concerns throughout the palace as well as the kingdom.

           “Are you sure everything is okay, brother?” Leo asks.

           “Maybe you should ask your estranged wife that instead of me, eh?” He slams the stack of papers he’s carrying on the desk before flopping down in his chair.

           Leo stares at his brother, waiting for him to come to his senses.

           “And fuck you for dropping this shit on my lap. Did you really hate me that much?” In the heat on the moment he swings his arm out, causing a stack of papers to fly off the edge of the desk.

           “We done with the tantrum?”

           He lets out a deep sigh, “Yes. No. I don’t know. I’m just so pissed off at Riley.”

           “Care to elaborate?” Leo sits down in the chair across from Liam’s.

           “She asked me to stay away until this was all settled. She didn’t want the stress affecting the baby. I tried to be understanding, but she’s talking of moving to America. With my child. That little girl is just as much mine as she is hers.” A few tears trail down his cheeks, “This crown has taken so much, I don’t want to lose my family too.”

           “Things always work out. We wouldn’t be Rhys men if they didn’t.”

           “Oh really? So, Damien leaving, Katie trying to make a blended family with you and Madeleine getting tired of waiting for you, is things working out?” He smirks.

           “I hate you,” Leo jokingly spits at his brother before leaving.

*          *

           “Leo? I wasn’t expecting you.” She steps back, allowing him room to enter the estate.

           “I think it’s time you and I talk about a few things.”

           “Oh? And what would that be?” Her hands lay protectively over her belly.

           “Please, let’s sit. A woman in your condition shouldn’t stand.”

           The two make their way into the sitting room, Leo sits on the sofa while Riley sits in a chair that she has made her own. Her pillows, footstool and own side table in there. Maxwell set up a TV in the room which Bertrand hated, but allowed it for the future heir.

           “I didn’t think Bertrand would ever out a TV in here.” Leo chuckles.

           “Bertrand wasn’t too keen, but he wanted another area I could relax in since the doctor said to start taking it easy or she’d have to put me on bedrest.”

           “Bed rest? What’s going on? Does Liam know?”

           She hangs her head low, “No he doesn’t. And he doesn’t need to.” She has a little less than a month to go, she doesn’t want him worrying more than he already is with running a country.

           “Is this even his daughter?”

           “LEO!” Riley yells.

           “I mean you’re keeping him away from her. Why? This is just as new and special to him as it is you.”

           “He didn’t show any emotion when she was diagnosed.”

           “Seriously? If you don’t know that that’s how Liam is, you have a lot to learn. He’s stoic. He doesn’t show emotions in front of people.”

           “I’m not just people.”            “No, but you are the one person he doesn’t want to look weak in front of. The day you basically banned him from coming over here, he’s had every book, article and case study about her condition brought to him. He’s done more research than most medical students on this. He has three of the best doctors on call to examine her after birth to give her the best care.”            Riley begins to cry, “I…I...didn’t know.”

           “How could you? You shut him out. And now he’s biting everyone’s head off and damn near close to starting a war because he misses you that damn much. You have someone who loves you and wants to be a family and you’re over here trying to do it on your own when you don’t have to.”

           “I…”

           “He’s just as scared as you are. Lean on each other. Before one of you ends up pushing the other one away for good.”

           “Leo…”

           “I know I’ve yammered on enough. I just needed to say my piece.”

           “Leo!”            “I said I was done.”

           “My water just broke!”

           “Oh. Uhm,” panic coats his voice.

           “Hospital. Now.” She’s bending over, clutching her side, trying to control her breathing.

           Leo puts an arm around her, helping her to the limo where they instruct the driver on where to go.

           “This is not the type of bodily fluids I thought would end up in my personal limo.”

           “Ew. Really, Leo?”

           “Sorry.”

           “Leo.” She’s breathing in and out the best that she can, “Call Liam.”

*          *

           “Lady in labor coming through!” Leo shouts as he walks Riley over to a wheelchair and as he pushes her down the hallway.

           “Seriously?”

           “Would you rather I just hit them?”

           She rolls her eyes before she lets out a pained sound from another contraction.

           “Ms. Brooks, how are you today?” One of the nurses says. When Riley first came to Cordonia, Liam had a special medical team hand-picked to not only handle Riley during her pregnancy but also to be the staff when she went into labor.

           “I have a tiny human trying to get out of my vagina, how do you think I am?”

           “Oh boy,” the nurse whispers to Leo as she begins to wheel Riley back to the maternity ward.

           “Get Liam here NOW!” She growls at Leo before they turn the corner.

*          *

           Riley’s laying on the hospital bed as the doctor examines her.

           “Please let me push,” she practically begs, Leo presses a wet towel to her forehead.

           “We just need to wait a little bit longer, Ms. Brooks. It’s not time yet.”

           Before Riley can spit out something sarcastic, the door flings open and a flustered Cordonian king comes rushing in. His face is red from running around the entire hospital and his suit is misbuttoned while his hair is a sloppy mess.

           “Liam!” Riley says as he hurries over to her bedside.

           “I’m so sorry I’m late.” He kisses her hand, “I had to change suits because I didn’t want to wear the one I had been wearing all day and then I couldn’t find the right shoes to go with it. I didn’t want to look a mess to meet our daughter. Then I left but had to turn around because I left something and I couldn’t find a driver so I just drove here myself. I didn’t miss anything, did I?”

           Riley smiles as she pulls him closer before kissing him to shut him up.

           “You didn’t miss anything. You’re right on time. Though you could rebutton your shirt.”

           He looks down, shaking his head before adjusting his attire.

           “What did you leave that you had to go back for?” Leo asks.

           “Oh!” He pulls out a tiny black box, “Riley, I’ve been waiting a long time to do this. Since I first saw you, I knew you were the one for me. I’m not doing this just because of our current situation, I’ll still be here for you and our baby girl even if you say no, but I just have to ask.” He opens the box to reveal an emerald shaped diamond on a simple rose gold band, “Will you marry me?”

           A huge smile breaks out on her face, “Yes! Yes, I will.” She pulls him in again for a kiss but is interrupted by a painful contraction.