The Crown (Prince Harry fanfic #5)

Chapter Seventeen

Now it was July. Lucy just wasn't overdue; she was overdue. The doctor affirmed that everything was okay with the baby and with Lucy, in which the baby could stay in there as long as it wanted. That wasn't good news for Lucy. It was hot in London, with humidity. She was never chilled for a second. Her still was stretched everywhere. Her clothes didn't fit at all, not that she wanted to wear them anyway. She just wanted the baby out already. Uncomfortable did not begin to tell how Lucy felt.

And then it was full swing of tourism in London, since it was the summer. Lucy felt like that just raised the temperature outside. With all the bodies in London, it somehow got warmer. Then Lucy wasn't allowed to leave Kensington Palace much anymore. She no longer did events, and with the baby due at any moment, the last thing the monarchy needed was a picture of Lucy's waters breaking.

"I have an idea," Harry said as Lucy lied on the cool ground of the kitchen with five fans pointed at her.

"Hmm?" Lucy didn't open her eyes or her mouth. That involved too much effort. She would've been too hot.

"It's going to suck getting to there, but once we're there. I think you'll like it."

Lucy peeked out from under he eyelashes. "I'm listening."

"An hour outside of London, two more hours on back roads."

"The beach?"

"Our personal beach," Harry corrected. "Given by Granny, when she was yet alive. She knew how much you love the water. It'll be cooler there with the breeze, and you can go in the water."

Lucy groaned a little. "I can fit into any swimsuits. I can't-- I don't want to. It'll be all..." she didn't finish. She just couldn't finished.

"Are you in?"

Lucy sat up slowly. "What's a little bit more discomfort?"

Happily, Harry got a personal car, one that was unmarked with tinted windows. This gave privacy to the couple as they tried to evacuate from London. No bodyguards were to go with them, and it was mostly for Lucy's comfort. Bodyguards tended to cause Lucy stress, even Tony gave her stress. Granted, it was the small things that bothered right now, because she had a hard time holding the big things.

By the time they reached the beach, they would only a have a few hours of fun in the sun before the sun started to set. Neither of them were bothered by this. They still had the ride out there and the ride back. Then there was the walk on the beach, they had time. There were snacks in the back of the car and both had enough water. Lucy just didn't need to worry about anything.

The car parked a mile away from the beach, and it was an uneven walk to get to the sandy shore. Both of them were willing to do it.

As soon as Lucy got out of the car, she felt free. The smell of the ocean whipped around her. No longer was the air humid. It was just slightly warm. With the wind, Lucy was finally chilled for a second. She shivered with a smile on her face. The walk to the beach did end up being a while, a good thirty minutes, with Lucy taking a few breaks to drink water. Harry waited patiently.

Once their feet hit the sand, Lucy wished she had the ability to run. She would've gotten to the water as quick as she could. She wanted to put her feet in the ocean. That was all she wanted. The rolling waves lapped against the shore, and it was beautiful. As Lucy looked across the water, she was at peace.

Her feet sunk into the sand with every step she took, making it harder for her to walk. Lucy held up her bulging belly. Her body was unbalanced. Harry gave her space to waddle through the sand, ready to catch her if she tripped. Harry helped Lucy take off her shoes before she got to end of the shore, when the water finally met the sand.

"Go ahead," Harry said. "Be free."

Lucy kissed him, and then was free. She placed her feet into the water, and it was cold. Lucy felt free, like she could swim anywhere, like she could do anything. The water meant so much to Lucy, when her whole life was locked with land. The water dissipated from her feet, but was back a few seconds later, again and again. Lucy stepped forward. Water threatened to knock her down, but she stayed standing.

"Are you going to join me?" Lucy called from the waves.

Harry took off his shoes and shirt, running toward the water. He started splashing around. He sploshed Lucy with the waves. She let out little yelps and tried to move away. She hit the sand again as Harry ran through the water. He loved it as much as she did. Lucy rejoined him in the waves when he calmed down. His eyes looked over the waves, as the ocean seemed to go on forever.

When the sun started to set, Harry helped Lucy to the sand and sat down beside her. He put around his arm around her, as she shivered. The temperature cooled. The wind continued. Lucy leaned into him. The sun went behind them, but colored the water softly. At least their eyes didn't burn. The waves lapped in yellow, with orange and purple hues. The world started to go to sleep.

"Next time we come, there will be a child with us," Harry said.

"Don't ruin this moment for me," Lucy grunted. Turning to Harry, Lucy started to kiss him. He tasted like forever. He was forever. "Thank you."

Harry ran his fingers over her skin. "You're welcome. I love you." He leaned down to kiss Lucy again, but she pushed back.

"I need you to be calm, because you're driving. I can't drive. You have to drive. You have to be safe. Do not make me stressed. That'll make everything worse."

"What?" Confusion wrote across Harry's face.

"I'll call on the way there, but I need you to be calm. I have to be calm. I'm doing the real work."

"I'm confused, Luce."

"It'll take a while to get back to the car, and I know it'll take a while to get back to London, back to Kensington Palace. I need you to be calm, okay? We have time. We have lots of time. Children don't just magically pop out of ones body."

Harry's face fell completely. "You're in labor?"

"Yeah, he's coming."