The Crown (Prince Harry fanfic #5)

Chapter Five

December rolled around and Christmas came through, which the couple spent with his family. The new year rolled in and without lack of events during a few days, Harry planned a holiday to Nissi Beach in Cyprus, just a few days to relax. The media constantly followed Lucy, more than usual, and it was only bound to get worse. Lucy showed now, only slightly with her body type. With the dresses Lucy tended to wear, it wasn't noticeable. The media never stopped. When the wind blew, the paparazzi pushed against each other, all in the hope to get the best picture.

Holidays happened a lot when you were royal. However, Lucy didn't like to take them. Half the time she didn't feel like she deserved them, when she already lived a very comfortable time, and the other half of the time, she didn't want to go. She was focused on her duties. It was good because at least Lucy enjoyed what she was doing.

This holiday ended up being fine for Lucy because there weren't events planned anyway. Then because she longed for some warmth. The cold and rain never had effected Lucy before, but Harry noticed that winter had started to take its tole on his wife.

Nissi Beach in Cyprus was beautiful with crystal blue water and white sand. The perfect place for him and her to be. Many other tourists were on the beach, but with the bodyguards and couple blending in with swimming suits on, no one knew the difference. Lucy spent most of her time in the water, splashing around. When she was in the ocean, Lucy felt connected to the whole world.

Harry joined her in the water, splashing around. His eyes looked to the shore, but no one watched them. If someone did, anger would've built him. Even the thought made him angry. No one noticed them, which was still a new concept with him. Like when he stood with Lucy, Harry somehow became normal. Harry didn't feel normal with Lucy, with his heart beating quickly and eyes watching her.

At night, Harry and Lucy were back to their younger days. The bodyguards excused themselves always, finding fun elsewhere. Their hotel room was private with a beach view, but they didn't look out the window much. After all, their time was spent doing other things, which was how they would soon enough be parents.

In the morning, the sun rose, awakening them. However, the last thing they wanted to do was sleep. The married couple would hibernate once they reached London again, when they would spend their days under the covers in their bed or at events. For now, they just lied there with the sun rising.

Harry's fingers trailed absentmindedly across some of Lucy's scars. He believed these were from the shooting, now, many years back. But the scars could've come from all the injuries Lucy had in her life. There had an attempted stabbing, two years back, and that could've caused these specific scars on her arms. But there had also been where Lucy was mugged or when someone set fire to her work place. Yet, Lucy hadn't been in hospital for the past two years. She did well. Neither of them wanted her to go back.

"What are you thinking about?" Lucy asked her husband.

Sighing, Harry shrugged a little. "The baby is due in June, but the first baby is usually late, so early July. It seems so far away."

"It'll go by quickly," she said. "It seems like forever now, because we just lay here. It's holiday; we can do whatever we want. But when we get back to London, everything is going to be a blur. Everyone will be watching."

Harry nodded. "There's a lot we have to do. Like the nursery and a baby shower."

He felt Lucy recoil for a second at the phrase baby shower. His wife was never for the cute and fluffy things, and a baby shower was just that. Lucy wasn't one to stand around and have people dote on her. She had gotten lucky throughout her royal career that she had yet to be in the center of any of those things. Sometimes, she went to them, always with Eugenie or Beatrice though; she never went alone.

"We'll have to tell the dogs they'll no longer be the babies of the house," Harry said.

"Mellie has never been the baby of the house, and Eggsy just follows her around because she the alpha." Eggsy, a pug, was the older of the two dogs and had been there first, but when Mellie, a protective German shepherd, was given to the couple as a newlywed present from the President of the United States, she ruled the house. Eggsy had never been smartest dog and Mellie put him to shame. She was perfectly trained.

"Who's going to break the news to Eggsy?"

Lucy shrugged. "We know Mellie will protect the baby before us."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, "she does love when William's kids come over."

"We're going to have to baby proof everything," she said.

That was going to be no easy task in Harry and Lucy's Kensington Palace apartment. With all the travels of Harry and Lucy, together and separate, there were gifts given to them around the home. Some of the stuff wasn't exactly child-appropriate with weapons and interesting art paintings. Also, there were many sharp and breakable objects, from statues to sculptures. Harry and Lucy liked to remember where they had been.

"We're going to need help for that one," Harry admitted, "and the nursery. I don't know where to start with that."

"We'll have to choose a room for it."

"We have many; we'll just have to move things around."

Lucy brushed her blonde hair back and looked at Harry. A smile crossed her face. "Look at us, being all adultish."

"We're finally grown-ups, having a kid." Harry's face slowly turned into panic. "Let's just talk about it now," he said, "what if we're bad parents?"

"Good thing we have nannies." She smiled at him and then lied on his chest again.

"We'll need to interview nannies," Harry said. "I don't want someone too serious. I mean, we're the parents and we're being parents to the child. That's what we both want. And when we're not there, the nanny will be. But I don't want the nanny too serious or too mean. Someone who is respectable and responsible, but nice and creative."

"Mary Poppins?"

"Mary Poppins."

"We're adults." Her  voice was sad.

"You're supposed to sound excited."

"This was the last time we're going to be vacationing alone for a long time. We're at a beach resort. We're watching the sunrise. We spent our night acting like horny teenagers. And now we're talking about nannies and nurseries and baby-proofing." Lucy listened to his heartbeat. "Here comes baby."

Harry stayed still for a second. "Did you honestly just say horny teenagers?"

She nodded.

"I don't think we were--"

"Harry, you know what you did last night. Don't try to deny it. I was there."

"Did you enjoy it?"

Lucy blushed. "Yeah."

"So I can do it again?"

Lucy's blush deepened. "Yeah."

Harry was very proud of himself.