Choosing Life

Chapter Seventeen

Harriet leaned against the doorframe to their bedroom, smiling as she looked at her wife. Sammy wasn't wearing anything particularly special, just a blue striped shirt and blue jeans, but to Harriet, she looked stunning.

"What?" Sammy asked with a smile as she caught Harriet looking at her. "You're planning something aren't you, cap'n?"

"You know you don't have to use my title," Harriet chuckled as she walked into their bedroom. "Not in situations like this. Just like Harry and Uma, we're a team. We're equals."

"Well then, let me rephrase that question. You're planning something aren't you, my beautiful wife?"

"Only to kiss you, and I think you described the wrong person," Harriet said softly as she lightly pecked Sammy on the lips. "And...I wanted to talk to you."

"What happened?" Sammy asked, her easy going nature vanishing as she looked at Harriet in concern. "Is it Dad? Squeaky? Squirmy? Harry? CJ? Uma? Ryan? Claudine? Henry?"

"Whoa, whoa," Harriet told her, gently rubbing Sammy's arm as she looked at her. "If you try to list everyone, you'll run out of air. Everyone's fine, Sammy, as far as I know."

"Then why do you want to talk to me?" Sammy asked.

"I want a baby."

Sammy blinked, having clearly not expected that answer. "You...you want a baby?"

Harriet sighed. "I know it seems strange, especially since we both spent most of our lives looking after our siblings and basically being a mom, but...Harry's going to be a dad and I'm sure at some point, if CJ wants to, she'll be a great mom. It almost...feels weird not having someone to look out for now."

"Harriet, it's not strange at all," Sammy said, a small smile pulling at her lips as both women sat down on their bed. "I'm just surprised is all. Especially since most of us took a vow back on the Isle to never have kids."

"Sammy, that vow was made when we were all on the Isle. When we all thought there'd be no other choice but to live there for the rest of our lives and not want to bring more kids into the horror that was our home. But now, being in Auradon? Being married to you? Watching Harry and CJ grow up..."

The small smile on Sammy's lips grew bigger as she heard what Harriet was saying. "This doesn't have anything to do with the fact that Harry's going to be a father now is it? Baby fever as some of the AKs call it?"

"I mean, I won't lie. Hearing the words that Harry's going to be a dad is a little startling," Harriet said. "But at the same time I'm happy for him. He deserves this chance to be happy with Uma and their kid."

"I'm sensing another 'but' coming," Sammy said.

"I just...I want a kid," Harriet said. "I don't really have a rhyme or reason for it but I do. I want to hear the squeals of laughter fill our home, I want to hear you being called someone's mama, to hear Harry and CJ be called Uncle and Aunt. I...this might sound selfish but I want the joy of raising someone without the fear of them constantly being in danger."

Sammy looked at her wife and couldn't help the rush of love and adoration she felt toward Harriet. The woman had spent her whole life being a 'mom' to others, she could have been well within her right to say that she was done. That she never wanted to be a mom for the rest of her life and just spend it being the cool aunt to Harry's kids and CJ's if she had them.

But she didn't. Because that wasn't who Harriet was as a person, as a captain, as a wife.

"So I guess there's two questions that need to be answered," she said.