We belong together

Chapter 1

I'm pregnant....... no, no, no, no, no, no, no. hmmm. I'M PREGNANT. Uh not like that either"

Marisa Coulter was pacing back and forth in her bathroom, panicking about something she never wanted. She knew it was something her husband Edward Coulter wanted; motherhood wasn't for Marisa though.

About two months ago was when she believes this started, the time Edward went away for a month, and she spent every waking moment with Lord Asriel Belacqua.

"How am I meant to tell Asriel and HIM?"

The golden monkey just shrugs his shoulders. "This is your mess Marisa, I did warn you that this could happen, and you didn't listen" the dæmon said to his human in a nasty tone.

Marisa raises her hand to hit her dæmon till a knock on the bathroom door startled her.

"Marisa, are you ok darling?" The male voice didn't sound concerned.

"Yes Edward, I'm fine. Just looking for something then I'll be out"

Edward let out a big sigh "Something has come up in the church, they want me to fly out immediately. I don't know when I'll be back"

A sigh of relief came over Marisa, she knew when her husband does return, he will see his wife with a big belly. She flings open the door and as loud as her body would let her, she yells "EDWARD, I'M PREGNANT"

Edward didn't respond to his wife.

"Alright, with that done, now I need to tell Asriel"

Marisa gave it a few days to tell her secret lover about her news. She's hoping Asriel doesn't jump off the deep end and walks away entirely and leaves Marisa with their child.

"I'll write a letter, but I won't have it address from me. I don't need the whole of London knowing this"

A few more days went by, no word from Asriel and still no word from Edward. Usually when he goes away, he calls or sends a telegram to his wife to let her know that he arrived safely to his destination. Just then the bell to the lift was going off. Marisa wasn't expecting anyone. To her surprise it was Asriel.

"I came as quick as I could Marisa, are you seriously pregnant?"

Marisa could see the servants that were working that day being nosey trying to listen in on their conversation.

"Let's go into my study, we won't have ears listening to our conversation there"

As soon as Marisa shuts the door, Asriel is all over his lover. "I can't believe you're pregnant Marisa, how are we going to get around your husband...... You have told him, right?"

"Yes Asriel, I have told him"

"And he never suspected anything?"

"I'm not sure... I don't think so"

"Good"

"GOOD? IS THAT ALL YOU CAN SAY ASRIEL?"

"Well, what do you want me to say Marisa? I don't want an abusive man raising my child"

"That won't be a problem, cos you will be taking it. I never wanted to be a mother Asriel; I don't want to be like my mother"

Marisa let her emotions get to her. Deep down she did want to be a mother, but being someone's mother scared her, she didn't have the best relationship with her own mother. Asriel tried to comfort his lover, Marisa winched away, she didn't want to be touched.

"I'm going to leave you be Marisa. Let me know when you are ready to talk again"

Marisa didn't contact Asriel, being alone with her unborn child is all she wanted.

Just when she thought everything was going well, a letter from the Magisterium came. Thinking it was from Edward with word of his trip. It was the complete opposite.

Mrs. Coulter,

We are sorry to say that the airship your husband was travelling on was attacked by forces against the Magisterium. We are saddened to say he did not make it and we are very sorry about your loss.

Hugh McPhail

Marisa was sad over the news of her husband passing. It now means its one less thing she has to worry about when her child is born.

She waited a few days to tell Asriel the news of Edward passing.

While out on a walk to the Royal Arctic Institute Marisa is approached by a woman. Usually this doesn't happen as Marisa is usually ignored by the same sex and it's the men that had always approached her. After a few seconds Marisa suddenly remembered seeing this lady at the church.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband Marisa"

Marisa looks at this lady and puts on a fake smile

"It's so sad that your husband left you pregnant. How will you ever cope? I'm sure the Magisterium will take extra care of you and that child"

The smile grew into a frown, Marisa didn't want the Magisterium to be anywhere near her unborn child. "They are already taking great care of me and my child" before the woman could say anything else Marisa walks away and waves.

"AGGHH why did I have to pick today to walk somewhere? I hate when people stop me and talk about Edward" The monkey just looks up to his human, knowing what to say but just didn't want to hear his human yell at him or hit him for speaking the truth.

Marisa sorta had an enjoyable lunch at the Arctic Institute. On her walk home Marisa walked past a baby shop, in the window was a crib full of pink and blue bears. Not knowing the gender of hers and Asriel's child, she kept on walking.

Not long after Marisa got home, she started to get sharp shooting in her stomach, she knew straight away something wasn't right. She had a servant get a doctor to come to the flat straight away. Trying not to cry as that's a sign of weakness in her eyes, Marisa waited anxiously for the doctor. In the back of her mind all she wanted was Asriel to hold her hand and tell her everything is alright.
The doctor arrived very quickly and checked Marisa. The doctor mentioned stress and had told his patient to be on bed rest and to be on her feet as little as possible. "I'll be back in a week to check on you Marisa. I'll see myself out"

Marisa was mad, "I'm not stressed" pulling at the poor monkey's fur "I'm fine and so is the baby"

The golden monkey pulled faces as the pain his human was causing him.

The pain didn't go away, so Marisa decided it was the city life that was causing this and went to hers and Edwards second home out in the country. Only a handful of servants were brought along and only worked half days so if Asriel comes around they can be alone together.

After settling in and having the servants set up/clean everything that needed it, Marisa decided to sit in her chair that sat under a huge window overlooking the whole yard and a big oak tree. Marisa thought back to all the times her and Edward would come to the country, and he would always say how he wish they had children so he could make them a swing and hang it off on the big oak tree branches. Little did she know that would happen but Edward it's not Edwards's child.

Marisa started rubbing her swollen stomach, thinking of a life with her child. She pictured her and Asriel chasing a small version of them around the big open yard, star gazing and teaching their child all the constellations. All happy thoughts, even her daemon wanted this to happen, to play with this new human's daemon. Marisa closed her eyes trying to make this dream real, then realised that she isn't ready for this child.

The golden monkey approached his human with his little paw ready to touch Marisa's stomach. Sensing this, Marisa quickly grabbed his wrist.

"Don't! we don't need to be getting attached to this thing"