Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 21:58:35 GMT -7
It had been six weeks after Cypress and Harley reunited, and she was starting to get adjusted. She had met, and gotten to know, everyone in the camp. She helped pitch new tents, cook food, and chop down wood for the fires. She wanted to help in any way possible during the day while Cypress was talking with his comrades about strategy. But in the end, like it had been before Ariadne's death, Harley and Cypress went back to their tent and talked, or wrote, about their day. They would then get up the next day and do the same day. It was a nice routine, and Harley had gotten her strength back up pretty quickly. Things were finally starting to settle for the couple after the hectic three years that they endured before.
Harley was getting used to things, but all of a sudden, she started feeling sick. Not the type of sick that lingered, but the type of sickness that was sporadic. One moment she would feel fine, but the next moment she would feel nauseated and throw up. She wondered if it was something in the food, and she stuck to that theory. She didn't tell Cypress because she didn't want to worry him, especially with how busy he was. The sickness had lasted for a few days, with one night she had to get up from her and her husband's bed to throw up in the woods.
She decided that she was going to see the camp doctor. Doctor Aid had been a doctor in the Capitol, and he had a lot of equipment that was quiet professional for a makeshift camp. Harley had communicated with him before, introducing herself and him talking about what he did and where he came from. She hadn't visited him since she first met him because she didn't need to. During her lunch period, she wondered off to see Doctor Aid since she wasn't hungry anyways.
He had one of the biggest tents in the camp, so it wasn't hard to find. When she entered, it was empty except for her, which wasn't surprising since Cypress made sure everyone took care of themselves in the camp. She smiled and waved when Doctor Aid saw her. Since she couldn't say hello, that was her normal greeting for everyone but her husband, in which she greeted him with a peck on the lips. "Have a seat," he told her. She nodded and did. "What seems to be the problem with you today, Aspen?" He asked, and she sighed. She took her pad and pen out of her pocket and wrote her symptoms on it. She turned it around. Nausea. Vomiting. Cramps. Lightheaded. For about a week on and off. It read. She looked at him, and he shrugged. "It could be anything, really. But when was the last time you had your period, if you don't mind me asking?"
She knew what kind of question that was. It was a pregnancy question. She immediately set the notebook down beside her. But Harley was almost forty and hadn't been able to get pregnant in the past thirteen years. She was almost guaranteed that her being pregnant wasn't possible. She then remembered that she couldn't remember having her period since she came to the camp. Had she missed it and didn't realize how her symptoms connected? She shook her head at the doctor. She was in a confused state. Could she really be pregnant?
Doctor Aid had smiled at her. "Well, there's one way to tell if you're pregnant for certain, and that's with technology," he said reassuringly. She grabbed a scanner that was only about a foot tall and a foot wide. It was slim and looked easy to carry. "This is a pregnancy scanner. One click run through and it'll say if you pregnant or not! It's the only thing I grabbed for expectant mothers though, but I'm glad I grabbed this!" Harley was hesitant, holding her hands over her stomach. She was in shock and denial, but she also felt a spark of hope. She slowly lowered her arms beside her and stood up. He lifted her shirt partway up and flashed the tablet. It was bright and she had to close her eyes. The man looked at the tablet and smiled. He looked up at her. "Congratulations, you're going to be a mother." Harley took a step back. How was that possible? She smiled, but how would Cypress take the news? Her smile quickly turned into worry. She was older, and she didn't have a stable home. The doctor also didn't have anything to help her birth the baby, so she figured the rate of her dying at childbirth was high. Oh god, she thought. She was so happy, and yet, she was extremely worried.
She nodded and shook the doctor's hand. She then walked to her supervisor and wrote that she wasn't feeling well and if she could have the day off. Her supervisor gave her the okay. Harley walked back to the Emerson's personal tent. She held her stomach, knowing that it was quiet possible that there could be another addition to their family. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she had another miscarriage or stillborn though. It might break Cypress.
Harley fell asleep in her tent and was woken up when she heard Cypress enter it. She assumed it was dark outside. She sat up on the bed and smiled at him. She was always delighted when he came home. Instead of the usual hello kiss that she gave him when he came home, she got out her notepad. I have to tell you something wonderful, was all that the note said. She wanted him to sit down beside him before she wrote him anything else. Harley also wanted to tell him without writing anything, or try her best to convey the message without writing anything. She was frightened at the news, but she was also delighted. She wondered if Cypress would feel the same way. WORD COUNT: 1018 TAG: @cypress NOTES: Hope this is okay!
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 10:02:01 GMT -7
Cypress was still working in the same camp, still fighting for the same goal with the same people, but everything had changed. Every day started off with a kind of hope and joy that he hadn't felt in years. He smiled at everyone, as often as he could. He had never been a distant, sour man, but the shift was still very obvious. At least, it was to him. The camp had always felt like a temporary place to him before. It was a necessary placeholder on the way to crafting their rebellion, and everyone here was just working toward freedom. But now, with Harley by his side again, the camp was starting to feel like a home. Sure, it wasn't the place he might have picked for a home, and it wasn't the place he'd stay when the battle was done, but it was a home nonetheless. Any place with Harley could be a home for him.
They had told each other everything, and now it was almost like they were back home in District 7. Harley fit in to the camp seamlessly, weaving in between tasks and people as if this was what she'd always done. He'd explained to her about the aliases everyone used and had chosen Aspen for herself. It was her middle name, and like Cypress' Alias, probably wouldn't do much good since he'd made himself pretty infamous back home, but she'd embraced it anyway. Everyone loved her, but that didn't surprise him. No one could help but love Harley, and he loved watching her in the camp. She'd filled out a little too in the short time she'd been here, now that she was actually eating a healthy amount. One day, Brand had been talking to him about the next provisional shipment, explaining that Burgler's caravan had been delayed after a narrow escape from Peacekeepers. Cypress had nodded, saying they'd have to ration what they had, but his eyes had been transfixed by Harley. She was tending a cookfire with a few others, smiling at something someone had said. The light from the fire played on her creamy skin, and he felt like he would be content just to watch that image the rest of the night.
"You're worse than a sixteen-year-old farmer pining after the mayor's daughter," Brand had said, shaking his head. Cypress had just laughed and admitted that it was true.
Every night, he got to come home to Harley, and every morning he got to wake up next to her. They didn't get to see each other much during the day, but he relished the brief moments they could. Today, he was hoping for a chance like that as he made his way back to their tent. There was still about an hour before dinner, and he'd just finished meeting one of Jet's newest recruits. The man was in his late sixties at least, but what he lacked in youth he made up for in fervor. He introduced himself as Blaze, the nickname he'd already picked for himself, although Cypress had already heard about his actual history and name. He liked Blaze, and was still chuckling to himself a little about the encounter as he entered his tent.
Harley was already inside, sitting up from the bed. The sight of her only widened the smile on his lips, and he closed the flap behind him as he stepped in. She smiled back, and instead of standing up to kiss him, she reached for her pad of paper. He could see the energy in the way she moved, and any thoughts of Blaze and the camp immediately left his mind. He sat down beside her and read the note she turned his way. "One day I might get tired of wonderful news," he said, kissing her forehead, "but today is not that day. What is it?"
WC: 645 Tag: @harley
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2017 10:58:48 GMT -7
Harley, in the past few weeks, hadn't seen Cypress so happy in a long time. He was so positive, though with the news she brought to him, she wondered how he would react. She knew it would be positive, but they both knew that she was getting older. The risks were plentiful, and even if the baby survived the pregnancy, she might not. Harley would give up her life for their baby to live. She would've given up her life to save Ariadne, and when she thought Cypress was dead, she would have traded her life too. The brown-haired woman would always put herself on the line first, and in a way, she was glad she was taken by the Capitol rather than her husband.
At this point, she was shaking. She was so nervous, but she couldn't help but be delighted. Almost fifteen years had passed since she made this announcement, and the happiness was definitely there. She looked at Cypress, and she was even more proud of him after everything he told her. He was the strongest person she ever knew, and raising an army to fight the Capitol was something that confirmed it. He built something beautiful in the midst of his dismay. Harley wished she could tell him how much she loved him and how much she was proud of him, but she hoped he already knew.
The woman reached for his rough hand.Instead of placing it in hers as she normally did, she put it on her stomach, his palm facing towards her. She held it there and smiled. She knew the baby wasn't old enough to kick yet, but she picked up her pad of paper besides her. Since she couldn't speak, she needed to confirm it for him. She didn't want to leave him confused, as that was the last thing she wanted. You're going to be a father, she wrote and turned it towards him. She grinned largely. Harley couldn't help but be happy, but distress loomed in the back of her mind. She would do anything to keep this baby alive, even if she had to die. It might be a choice Cypress would eventually have to make, but she didn't think about that right now. To her, this was an amazing moment between her husband and herself.
She can remember the last time it happened. She was twenty-five and Cypress was twenty-six. They were so close to having another child and giving Ariadne a little brother. After two miscarriages, she had carried out the baby for the full nine month, but in the end, he had become stillborn. Harley remembered how angry Cypress was, but she wasn't mad at him for it. It was how he handled grief. Harley was heartbroken, but she just had to keep going like she normally did, especially for Ariadne. But Harley hadn't been fully prepared for the outcome of the situation this time, whether the baby ended up being alive or not. It would be a long journey for the two of them, and if the past repeated, it might be for nothing. WORD COUNT: 505 TAG: @cypress
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 8:27:09 GMT -7
Harley's nervous excitement was passing over to Cypress, peaking his curiosity. He could have immediately started making guesses in his head as to what it was, but the anticipation was enough on his own. When he'd told her the tale of what he'd been doing, there had been a mixture of triumph and sadness. For Harley, she seemed to have only gone through pain, from being an avox to her escape to living alone. It would have been surprising to most people that she could come out of it all whole and strong, with the same pure heart. It didn't surprise Cypress, but it made him proud of her. Now, if she had some good news to share with him, he couldn't wait to hear it.
Harley took Cypress' hand and pulled it to her stomach. He looked down at his own hand, knitting his brows together a little in confusion. Was she sick? A sickness would probably spread like wildfire through the camp, though they'd been lucky so far. Was the camp food not agreeing with her? He had thought it was, but if she needed something else, he would get it himself. His eyes clicked back up to her face, and of course the smile he saw there dispelled either of his initial two thoughts. Something good. But what? Then the realization of it was dawning on him even before she started to write.
You're going to be a father.
"A father," he said softly. Initially, joy bloomed in Cypress' chest and he smiled widely up at his wife. A father. They were going to be parents. For eighteen years, he'd had a child and a purpose in this life that seemed to exceed all others. The three years he had been without her had left a hole in his heart, but to be a father again felt like a rare blessing. He remembered holding Ariadne for the first time after she was born. She was so small that she could fit snugly inside of his two hands. He'd gotten to witness all of those firsts - first smile, first steps, first words. He had someone to teach, someone to sit on his lap while he read her stories or comforted her after a hard day. He'd gotten to witness the growth of a girl with Harley's beauty and his stubborn independence. Now, he'd get to witness another melding of their two beings into one perfect child.
But then, in the instant following such unbridled joy, he remembered their boy, stillborn. He remembered their other two children, who'd never even made it far enough to have a chance. He remembered the pain on Harley's face, remembered tearing apart a room in their house meant for another child, remembered his own loss. He couldn't hope for a healthy baby. Life had thrown too much pain the Emersons' way to allow them this joy, unless it was dangled only to be pulled away again. For six weeks, everything had felt perfect, and now this threatened to take everything away. Cypress pulled back his hand and stood, taking a few steps from the bed and facing the blank tent wall so that she wouldn't see what was on his face now.
It was more than just the possibility of losing the baby. He'd handled that pain before, knew its sharp edges. Harley herself was in danger though. They were in the middle of nowhere, struggling to keep both the rebellion and themselves alive. Their only medical help was Doctor Aid, and while he was a good doctor, he was without a fair bit of the technology he needed to actually save lives. He'd done well for what they needed, but had he ever even witnessed a birth? Would he know what to do if he was missing some of the drugs and fancy equipment he was used to having? One crucial missing item or drug could mean she wouldn't make it. More than all of this, Harley was older. She was past the age where women easily birthed children, and now pregnancy was a risk to her health. He knew it had to be. They'd decided to give up trying to children after their boy, and the possibility of getting pregnant again had left his mind. He hadn't even thought to use contraception when she'd come back to him, but now he realized what a fool he had been. Of course she still had the ability to get pregnant.
Cypress ran a hand through his auburn hair, which had grown longer than he usually kept it. He didn't know when he'd be able to look back at his wife. She'd told him this was wonderful news, but he was terrified - for her and the baby. She was the optimist and he was the realist, though right now he wished he could pretend otherwise for her sake. "I can't..." he began hoarsely, then cleared his throat. "Harley, I just got you back, and I can't lose you now. You're not safe enough here." There was too much uncertainty. If there were complications down the road, if it ever came to choosing between his wife and their unborn child, Harley would want him to choose the child. He knew that without question. And Cypress? He loved being a father, had loved watching his daughter grow, but Harley was his other half. If he only had her and nothing else in the world, he would be satisfied. He didn't want to have to make that choice.
WC: 921 Tag: @harley
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 11:29:55 GMT -7
Harley wanted to just be happy with Cypress. That was all she wanted, and she knew he wanted the exact same thing. The moment his face lit up, she thought that he would be happy. Maybe there would be no doubts and they could just play it by ear. But as fast as his face lit up, it was gone. Harley wanted to grasp that moment with him, to stay positive through this whole experience. She wanted to tell him that everything would be okay, but instead of embracing her with joy, he walked away in anguish, taking his warm hand off of her stomach. She assumed he was already mourning the death of their unborn child. Her face turned solemn. She remembered a time when Cypress always told the bright side of things. He used to speak of stories that both her and Ariadne were excited for. He had started to get back to the same way he was before until she made the announcement.
He might not have been, but Harley was thrilled that she could still even get pregnant. The feeling of a child in her stomach again gave her hope for the future, whether the Capitol or the Rebels won. Whether it would live or die, she was thrilled to have the feeling of a child in her stomach again. Cypress' actions of learning about the news made her feel betrayed. He might have walked away to give himself a minute, but it didn't give Harley any reassurance. She looked at him, even if his back was turned towards her. She was confused yet frustrated with how Cypress couldn't even look at her. She could never be mad at her husband, but this was the closest he got. She couldn't tell him to turn around or stay on the bed with her. She didn't have that option like Cypress did. All she could do was let out a simple sigh as her lip quivered.
She grasped the notebook as she listened to him speak. When he spoke, he still didn't have the audacity to turn around to face her. Her heart felt like it was tearing in two. Harley could understand a lot of things Cypress did, but not even looking at her when she told him he was pregnant just made her feel so alone. He spoke of her not being safe enough at the camp, but she wasn't going to leave. She would refuse if he made her go somewhere where they were separated again. He had an army to deal with, and now he would deal with his pregnant wife. Harley felt more like a burden to Cypress than he probably meant it. Her breathing became heavy. She hadn't felt this angry since she was forced into silence at the Capitol.
Harley couldn't believe Cypress. She had been so proud of his bravery to stand up to the Capitol, but when it came to his newly pregnant spouse, he couldn't deal with it. She didn't care if he wasn't happy, she could deal with the disappointment in his eyes. But now, she couldn't even see his face. She calmly set down the notebook she was holding on to and walked out of their tent. She didn't write anything or give him any warning, but rather if he wasn't going to face her, she didn't want to face him either.
She walked towards the rushing river, needing some fresh air to cool herself off. Harley was never the type of person to get angry, and even now she wasn't mad. She felt disappointment, frustration, and confusion. The woman also felt heartbreak, which was a terrible feeling to her. She loved Cypress more than the world, and it confused her why he would act like this. She believed that this was a good sign. She knew that they swore off having another child, but maybe this one would make it despite all odds against the Emerson's. She finally stopped when she got to the river and took deep breaths. The woman always tapped her thumb against her thigh when she was frustrated, and that habit never changed.
As Harley thought about everything that was happening, she had to choke back her tears. She was just as frightened as Cypress was. She would be the one to lose her life if things went awry. She would be the one to lose the child in her stomach or birth a possible stillborn. Harley was terrified. Along with the baby and herself, she might lose Cypress to the war. His army was ready to fight at any time. If he died, she might face the possibility of birthing the child herself. She put her head in her hands, feeling lost. If her child would live and she had to die, so be it. She already made her decision. After Ariadne dying and Harley unable to do anything, she decided that if it came to it, there would be no hesitation. She would save her child no matter what. WORD COUNT: 846 TAG: @cypress
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 12:32:14 GMT -7
Cypress knew it was wrong to turn his back on Harley, now especially when she couldn't talk to him like this. He was just so afraid, and if she could see his face, he felt like it would be even worse. He'd have to see her disappointment, to watch her joy evaporate in front of his eyes and know that he had been the cause of it. He didn't know if he could handle that on top of everything else. It was selfish, but maybe if he had a moment to compose himself, to come around to some sort of better reaction, he wouldn't be disappointing her.
For most people, the news that they were going to have a baby brought more joy than almost anything else in the world could. New life was normally far more exciting than it was terrifying. Each time Harley had gotten pregnant before, Cypress had been beyond thrilled - even the fourth time. Being a father the first time had only made him want to be a father even more. But that had been back in District 7. He knew District 7 almost as well as he knew himself. If anything had happened to Harley or the baby, he knew where to take her and was confident that they would be alright. If he didn't have enough money for something, he had friends that would lend him money. They helped each other back in District 7, and that more than anything is what made him miss his home.
The camp wasn't an unhelpful group of people, but they were still mostly strangers. They came from all over the nation, with various degrees of ability and skill. He didn't trust them like he did the people back home. If anything went wrong during the pregnancy, he couldn't just ask for a little more money or take her to a hospital. If anything went wrong, they only had Doctor Aid right now, and at the base of it, he was a Capitolite. He was good and had done good things for the camp, but it would be hard for Cypress to fully trust him with something as important as his wife and unborn child. With Harley at 41, out here between the districts, so many things could go wrong. He just didn't want to lose her.
Behind him, Cypress heard Harley get up and walk out of the tent. He turned toward her, but all he saw was her back disappearing beneath the flap. He should follow her. This was never how they acted with each other. They were honest and upfront with each other, and they talked about everything. Well, almost everything. Before Ariadne had been reaped, there were fears and desires for revenge that Cypress had kept to himself. Above all, he had wanted to protect his wife and daughter, and to do so in District 7 meant to keep thoughts of rebellion to himself. He had seen far too often what happened when people weren't careful, and even admitting those thoughts to Harley or Ariadne could have planted seeds of the same in them. He had never wanted that, although it seemed like Ariadne had come to her rebellious notions on her own.
Cypress wanted to keep this fear buried under the surface just like he had all of those others. Back then, he had been able to simply not speak of them, to turn his attention to his work and his family. He had known it was the right thing to do to protect him. But he couldn't hide these fears from Harley, especially when he had hoped that now he wouldn't have to hide anything from her. Now, he was finally acting on those impulses for justice that he'd squashed down for so many years. He couldn't hide the fears for her safety, but neither could he push her away. What was done was done. She was pregnant, and nothing could change that now. If it were possible to choose to get rid of it, he wouldn't want that either, not ever. So where did that leave him? Where did it leave them?
Guilt settled in the pit of Cypress' stomach, and after picking up Harley's notebooke, he pushed himself out of his tent. The camp was busy, either preparing for dinner or winding down the day's activities. Harley had already disappeared, and he had no way of knowing which way she had gone. His eyes settled on Scarecrow, a tall, lanky boy of 19. He headed toward the boy, who was tending a cookfire not far from the Emerson tent. "Have you seen Aspen?" he asked, trying to regain the normal calm he had in the camp.
"Aspen?" he repeated nervously. He said most things nervously, but at least he had a steady hand with fire and food. "She er, well she uh went toward the river, Mr. Alias sir."
Normally Cypress would have reminded the boy that it was just Alias, but instead he only nodded and went in that direction. He'd let his pregnant wife go off alone, not only physically but emotionally. That wasn't how a good husband kept his wife safe. He set his jaw and walked through the camp, toward the river. He hoped she hadn't gone far, and let out a breath of relief when he spotted her. Even from behind, he could see the pain written across her body, pain that hadn't been there before he'd reacted the way that he did. He didn't know how he was going to fix this or if she even wanted him around right now - but no. He couldn't believe she'd really want him to leave, and he really couldn't be alone right now.
"Harley," he called out to her, having to raise his voice a little because of the rushing water. He stopped about two paces behind her, close enough to touch her. He wanted to, and knew it was only a matter of moments before he'd give in to that, but for now he knew he needed to do more first. For now, his hands remained at his sides, one hand holding her notebook and pen. "Harley, I'm sorry."
WC: 1033 Tag: @harley
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 16:29:45 GMT -7
She knew he was going to follow her, just as he always had. Without her voice, Harley didn't know how to express herself, and she knew running away from Cypress was wrong. But she couldn't help it. She needed to take in a breath of fresh air, to think about what had just happened, even if she was by herself just for a minute. Lately, being by herself was the last thing she wanted. She was alone the past two years, and being close to Cypress was fantastic. But after what had happened, for the first time since she came to the camp, she wanted to be alone.
She held her stomach, feeling the brush of the long grass against her legs. If the baby was to come out healthy, she wondered what they would name him or her. The thought of that put a faint smile on Harley's face. If she could just hold a child of her own one more time, that would be good enough for her. Harley heard footsteps behind her. She knew it was Cypress. At a time like this, she wished they were back in District 7. They could have the safety of knowing that there were so many people to help them out. Now, though, they were in the middle of the woods with mostly strangers. For all they knew, one of them could be an assassin from the Capitol. Her heartbeat pumped faster and faster the closer Cypress came to her.
Harley was frustrated with herself as well. She was frustrated that they weren't more careful the night she came back. She was frustrated that she wasn't able to tell her husband how much she loved him. She was frustrated that she opened the door to the Peacekeepers that frightening day two years ago. She was scared of the future for once in her life. She had always been so certain with Cypress. They were each other's rock and they could get through anything. But the thought of him dying in battle, or her dying from childbirth, or the baby not being able to live made her whole body tremble.
She turned towards Cypress and really looked at him. The dark circles under his eyes were more present than before. He looked more aged, it wasn't in a bad way, but in a hardened way. His eyes were darker than they had been. She could see that stress was taking a toll out of him. Ever since Ariadne had died, their lives had taken a spiral downhill. Harley had been taken away, Juniper dying, and him being hunted by Peacekeepers day and night. No wonder he was so worn. But she could still see the young man she married all those years ago. She placed her hand on his neck and smiled at him, indicating that she wasn't mad. She had so many emotions going through her head, but anger wasn't one of them. She needed to let her feelings of frustration go.
Her eyes darted to the pen and paper in his hand. She grabbed it gently from his hand and started writing. Her writing was shakier than usual. She contemplated what she was going to write. She choked back tears once again, knowing that crying wouldn't help anything. It never did, in her opinion. Once she was done writing, she turned it to him. Please don't leave me. It read. She knew the pad was shaky from her hands, but she couldn't help it.
Harley then went in to hug him, dropping the paper and pen. She held him gently. She didn't want him to go anywhere. She felt selfish for asking him not to leave her, but she was just too scared. She didn't want him to go to war. She didn't want him to send her somewhere else. She didn't care if she died, as long as they were together these next few months. She couldn't lose him, just as she assumed that he couldn't lose her. It was different though, because if Cypress died from the war and Harley had died from childbirth, nobody would be left to raise the child. And that terrified her the most. WORD COUNT: 704 TAG: @cypress
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2017 18:51:32 GMT -7
Cypress let out a breath of relief when Harley turned to face him instead of keep her back turned. Things were always so much clearer and easier when they were just looking at each other. While they were separated, he had almost forgotten how powerful moments like these could be. They knew each other so well that a lot could pass in a look. He watched her take him in, keeping quiet as she did so, then come closer to him. He might not deserve the forgiveness she was giving him with these simple gestures, but he was glad of it anyway.
Harley slipped her notepad from him, and he glanced down to watch her write with shaky hands. Despite his sorrow at missing the sound of her voice, this method of communication made the words Harley did write mean more. She was more careful with what she chose to say, in order to avoid writing constantly, and so that made what she did say even more special. When he saw what she had written with shaking hands, it felt like a punch in the stomach. Please don't leave me, she'd written. Leaving her was the last thing he wanted to do, but what would he be promising by agreeing?
Instead of waiting for his response, Harley hugged him, and he held her tightly. "Never," he found himself saying before he'd even given himself the opportunity to think it through. "I'll never leave you, Harley. Not again." Cypress closed his eyes, breathing in his newly pregnant wife as he thought about the promise he was making to her. It was made, and couldn't be unmade - but he knew she deserved this, at least, from him. He needed to support her, to be with her, now more than ever before.
New life, new possibility. For Harley's sake, he needed to be optimistic, because it was too late to turn back now. They should have been more careful the night Harley had returned, but it would be such a miracle to hold a baby of his own in his arms again. Cypress had given up that dream when Ariadne was young, and when she was gone, the thought of it being a possibility had never crossed his mind. Luck and good fortune weren't on the Emerson side - perhaps until now. Perhaps they would get a second chance at being a family while they tried to give all of Panem a second chance. Everything could go wrong - he could lose his life, or Harley's and the baby's - or it could go right. As scary as bringing a child into this world was, they could have a second chance at being parents, and that of course was a wonderful thing.
It seemed impossible for Cypress to leave Harley when she was like this. While he was off on some recruiting trip or mission, he could constantly be worried about the health of her and the baby. He couldn't lose either of them while he was away, unable to be there. So did that mean he took her with him? Or did that mean he didn't go? It might be a combination of both. He might have to send others in his place, something that would be difficult for him. To the people in this camp and the people still in the districts, Alias was a leader. He'd taken on the position out of necessity, not out of desire, and it was true that most leaders stayed behind to plan and strategize. That had never been the kind of leader he was, though. Even back in District 7, he would never ask something of someone on his crew that he wasn't willing to do himself. That was the kind of leadership they were used to here, so he wondered what that would mean now to change it. Would they still follow him? Or would they choose another leader? That wouldn't be the worst, he supposed, because maybe there was someone better equipped to lead this than himself. The worst case, though, was that everything would fall apart. He couldn't let that happen, but he knew that Harley wouldn't let it either.
Cypress pulled back, just enough so that he could see her face again. He brushed back her dark hair with his fingers, letting the tips of them linger on the side of her cheek. He smiled, and it was a smile of tentative joy, of reserved happiness. He kissed her lips, gently and briefly, trying to speak to her without words, as she often had to do for him. There were many plans to make and things to talk about, but for now, he needed to be the husband and future father that she deserved. When he pulled back, he dropped to his knees in front of her. He put one hand on either of her hips and kissed her stomach. Through the fabric of her clothes and her skin, he hoped to somehow reach the tiny child inside. "Little miracle," he said, softly. "Your mother and I want to meet you so much. We're going to make you a new world."
WC: 858 Tag: @harley
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2017 12:14:52 GMT -7
Harley hated asking so much of Cypress. Before, when the two lived in District 7 with their daughter, she never asked anything of him. She wanted him, more than ever, to still be that same man who went after his desires no matter what was holding him back. But now, she knew she was the one halting him from his army before she came to the camp. She jumped back into his life and told him not to leave her. She felt so selfish for asking him just to sit on the sidelines this time. Harley wanted him to pursue his dream, his army, more than anything. She wanted to help him grow it and become a real threat in Panem. It was all for the sake of their daughter and his sister. She knew she shouldn't just tell him to stay with her, but she couldn't help it. Harley just didn't want him to die, especially not when she was pregnant again. He had so many people to look out for, and now that Harley was pregnant, she knew that his priorities might change. As much as she wanted to tell him not to focus his priorities on their child, she couldn't help it. It's what they've always wanted.
She remembered a time when they wanted to have multiple children. They were so hopeful back then, and the two of them even built extra rooms for their future children. But when it came to be that Harley seemingly wasn't able to bare a child, those rooms were empty and used for storage instead. She remembered when Ariadne went into the games, Harley couldn't bring herself to go into her room until she came back. Even after she died, she never went back into her room. This child was something that Harley cared about more than anything now. She wanted everything to be okay with Cypress and herself and the child, and she wondered if that was too much to ask. In the past, it always seemed like it was. The Emerson's could never catch a break, but she hoped, just this once, that things would turn out okay.
It was too late to turn back though. Cypress promised that he wouldn't leave her. She wished she could take the papered words back, to tell him not to worry about her and to pursue the dream of his army. She couldn't imagine what kind of a position he was in. He held the world on his shoulders, from commanding more and more people every day, to finding out his wife is pregnant and that it might kill her. She understood why he reacted the way he did now. She didn't know how much stress he was going through or how he could handle it all. Harley was so glad she was back with him, but she wondered if her return was good for him. He had done all of this for their family. She knew that if she went to District 13 rather than Alias' Army, things wouldn't have been different. But right now, Harley could deal with what could have happened. She had to stay grounded with her husband and deal with the harsh yet delightful reality.
He then knelt and kissed her stomach. She grinned with joy. The two of them would be parents again, and she knew that this was a good thing. A new world, she thought to herself when he said it, wondering what that could mean. There were so many questions to ask, so many things to plan, but right now, she wanted to have this moment with him. He seemed so hopeful now, and so did Harley. If she had gotten pregnant 10 years ago, she wouldn't be hopeful at all. But the fact that she was pregnant now was a miracle itself.
She knew that they needed to figure out what to do though, and though she let that moment linger, she bent down and grabbed her pad and pen. She started writing again. What are we going to do? it said. There weren't very many supplies in the camp for her, but she didn't want her husband to abandon it. Maybe they would have to be separated, though she would beg him not to leave her side. Eventually though, something would need to happen. She remembered her last four pregnancies, where she was pretty sick but still worked despite her condition. Would she experience the same sickness from before? She figured it might be worse. But she didn't let herself get down about it. She needed to stay hopeful more than anything now, and she hoped Cypress would stay hopeful as well. WORD COUNT: 785 TAG: @cypress
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2017 11:56:02 GMT -7
More than anything, Cypress wanted to hold on to hope. He wanted to hope for another child, for his wife to continue to be healthy before and after. It felt like the biggest hope though, one that could break either of them. If this was ten years ago, before this rebellion and before age was a problem, he could have held that hope a little better. They would have agreed to stop trying by then, but at least they'd had the right kind of support then. A rebel camp in the middle of nowhere was no place to have a baby. A rebel who had a responsibility in causing great pain to his family had no right to be anyone's father. A man still trying to make up for his great mistakes was not deserving of joy. But that didn't mean he didn't want it.
The moment he talked to this unborn child for the first time was bittersweet, but its sweetness lingered in the forest air. This would be the place where he'd accept his child, wouldn't it? Surrounded by trees was where the best things in his life had always happened, where most of his life had unfolded. The trees were like old friends, like the ones he had left back home. both plant and human. But the moment finally ended, and Harley bent down to retrieve her paper and pen. He stood again as she started to write, watching her graceful letters take form on the page.
"Everything we can," he replied after he read her words, meeting her eyes. He knew that wasn't the answer she was really looking for, but he didn't have the answers now. The possible options swirled around in his head, but he didn't know how to settle on one path. They'd use Doctor Aid as much as they could, of course. He might be able to trust Everett with keeping an eye on Harley when he couldn't, if the boy could bring himself up enough to do so. He knew that Harley was a reminder of what Everett had lost forever, but he was also home. He was the person that Cypress had confessed himself to in Harley's absence, the one who actually knew who he was. Beyond those two things, what could they do?
Cypress pushed himself to really think on the question though, and started listing some of their options. "I'll ask around to see if someone has a doctor they trust in one of the nearby districts. You can get a full check up there, and we'll have to find a way to get you there throughout the pregnancy," he started. "Doctor Aid can fill in daily. We can get vitamins on supply runs, and drugs - I don't think you'll be the last pregnant woman in this camp, so I can convince them to understand the need. And when the time comes for it, we'll... well, maybe we'll get lucky and sway a good midwife to our cause." He smiled a bit. "As for you, Mrs. Emerson, you need to take it easy. You need all the rest you can get, so no long work shifts or stressing about this rebellion. You're going to hate how careful I'm going to make you be, but it's a small price if we can both get through this in one piece." He put his hands on her waist, pulling her a bit closer to him. "And we're both going to hope."
WC: 580 Tag: @harley
|
|
Deleted
Relationship:
Occupation:
HG Status:
Last Online:
May 3, 2024 3:41:44 GMT -7
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2017 9:02:59 GMT -7
Harley had always loved listening to Cypress' voice. It was one of the things that drew her to him when they were younger. He was a smart man, and the way he expressed himself through words was something that she loved about him. She knew, for Cypress, that actions spoke louder than words, but she had always loved engaging in conversation with her husband. Whether it was a simple 'I love you' or a story he used to tell on his trips to the districts, she loved hearing him. She wanted to speak back to him, to engage in the conversations that they used to have. But she couldn't have it all. She would trade her voice and being captured in the Capitol one-hundred times over if she could just keep this baby alive. That was all she asked. She wanted her husband to be happy and her child to come out alright.
It felt strange, to be alone again in the woods. When she was only a teenager, she used to practice swinging an ax with Cypress on their days off. They were more than just sessions of learning how to be a lumberjack, but during those times, she fell in love with Cypress. The two standing in the woods outside of the camp felt nostalgic more than anything. There weren't noticeable differences from the woods outside of the camp to the woods in District 7. The only difference was the rushing river below them.
She listened to him speak about the precautions they should take to ensure that she was safe. She hated being this vulnerable and weak, but she knew that it was for the better. Harley wondered if the army would see Harley as Cypress' weakness, and that was the last thing she wanted. She needed to work, to be able to contribute to the cause. As much as she wanted this child more than anything, she also knew that she couldn't sit around and take rations without putting in as much work as everybody else. Harley had never been the type of woman to sit on the sidelines and hope that everything would turn out in her favor. In the past, her words spoke louder than her actions, but now, she had no choice but to have her actions be louder than her words, just like Cypress. She knew that he made this army because his words weren't enough. She couldn't have had a better husband.
He wanted to do so much for her, and she was grateful that he was dedicated to their child as much as he was dedicated to his army. Though their lives had been unfortunate since Ariadne's death, things were finally looking up. She had her husband back, and now she was pregnant. Maybe the world would be bright for the little Emerson coming their way. She had to stay positive no matter what, and though she was usually a realist, she couldn't afford to think that way with their child. She had to think of the best outcomes.
Harley nodded towards Cypress, smiling and taking his hand. She couldn't get over how proud she was of him. He had so much on his shoulders and he handled it so well. He had always had a plan, and now was no different. Life had took unexpected turns for the Emersons, for better and for worse, but she couldn't help feeling joy for the things that had happened in the past six weeks. Against all odds, she found Cypress without realizing it was him. Against all odds, she was able to get pregnant. Against all odds, she wanted this baby to live and their family to be okay. WORD COUNT: 621 TAG: @cypress NOTES: End of thread?
|
|