COMPLETED Nellie Lovett (The Virgin Widow of Fleet Street) #Wattys2016 Sweenett

All of Me

Chapter XXIV

Nellie woke up to find him sitting beside her bed, his forehead is resting on the back of his own palms holding her hand. The sun was shining so brightly and she wondered what time it was. She didn't want to wake him up but she stiffened when she felt her stomach turning upside down again. Morning sickness, she groaned.

"Elle...?" Slowly, he lifted his face and smiled at her.
"Goodmorning." He kissed her hand he was still holding.
"Shave, will you?" She was surprised by what she suddenly said before she covered her mouth with her other hand when she felt like throwing up.
"Oh!" He lifted her to sit down and rubbed her back with his hand.
"Is it still like this every morning?" He asked as he moved his face to look at hers.
Nellie just looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He was amused that he grinned.
"What's funny about it?" She demanded.
"Pregnancy becomes you." He smiled and touched the tip of her pointed nose with his index finger. Nellie's eyes grew wide in surprise, then she pushed his hands away from her.
"Are you not going out?!" She shouted at him.
"You said you can't stand to be without me, love. So I stayed here the whole night."
"You, dirty old...!" She covered her mouth again but even before she can jump out of bed, the devil cupped her in his arms and before she can protest, she was already by the door of the bathroom inside her
bedroom. He even opened the door for her and stayed behind her as she threw up.

The water from the faucet just continued running while she held her aching stomach and kept on puking. When she felt like there's nothing else left inside of her, she breathed hard and calmed herself. The devil behind her held her forehead and pulled her against his tall frame as he started patting a cold towel on her face and neck.
"Feeling better?" He asked gently, his nostrils inhaling the overwhelming lavender scent of her wild hair. Nellie nodded. When he was about to carry her again, she pushed him and continued.
"I can walk... G-go out now." Sweeney just looked her in the eye.
"You look like a crook. Get a shave will you?" She continued and went out of the bathroom.
"Stay here Elle, just stay here. I'll get your breakfast." He spoke before he disappeared. Nellie just sat down on the edge of her bed trying to figure out if it was right to let him stay in her house. The man is still getting in her nerves, although she can't deny the oddly comfortable feeling when he's beside her as well. She touched her tummy, as if doing that can give her clear judgement of the situation.

"Wot are you two doing?" Nellie asked as she walked near Sweeney and Toby. They were hanging the blankets to dry.
"Mornin' mum!" Toby smiled so happily at her and waved before he ran forward to embrace her, Nellie combed his hair with her palm before she kissed his forehead.
"Dad and I did the washing already." He raised his hand towards the hanging blankets as if he was introducing a play. Nellie coughed loudly, she had to held her chest to calm herself.
"D-dad?!" Her eyes grew wide at Toby who was still smiling happily at her, then she turned to the devil himself. He too, was grinning but he wasn't looking at her, and when he did, he just slightly raised his shoulder as to dismiss what her furious eyes were asking. Nellie went beet red making Sweeney laughed.
"Your son is bored, love. So we played while washing the blankets. He wanted to play house but it wasn't as if I can be the "mum"." He even raised his hands and quoted the last word he spoke with his index and middle fingers swiftly moving down.
"So he started calling me Dad. Not a big deal really, Love. No reason to be bothered at all. Right, son?" He combed Toby's hair the way she did awhile ago.
"Yes, dad." Toby winked at him, making her even more furious.
"You...!" She stamped on her foot angrily and pointed her finger at the devil, she saw Toby stiffened in horror when she suddenly shouted and glared at both of them. Nellie breathed hard and gritted her teeth.
"I told you to shave, have I not...dear, "husband"?!" She quoted the last word as well, but with her fingers on the side of his tummy, pinching him until he groaned aloud in pain. Then she kicked the front of his leg making him twist in pain and reached for his aching bone where the tip of her shoes landed.