just_muse_me : Life
Duela Dent
Batman
641 words
Jonathan worried far too much.
Duela Dent-- that would shortly change to Crane, she reminded herself-- smiled at the thought. Routine tests could have been done at any hospital, but Jonathan had insisted on having it done under the supervision of the Crane family. He'd also subjected her to more tests than were routine, she was sure.
A small, small part of her worried. Did Jonathan think that something might be wrong? Had he noticed some oddity in her symptoms early on? Was the dizziness she'd felt at first an indication that something might be wrong?
Duela tried to force her worries away. Jonathan had advised her to keep calm. It would make the tests easier to read if he didn't have to try and factor in high stress from her. Besides, it wasn't good for the baby if she let herself get too worked up too often. The majority of this trip was to get her away from the hustle and stress of Gotham, to let her relax.
That was another reason why her parents weren't here. She wished they could be, but that would be too volatile a situation. Her father's temper and her mother's nerves combined with a strange place and the Crane family? That was a disaster waiting to happen.
Besides, they wouldn't have wanted to come anyway.
Duela took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes to try and relax.
Jonathan worried too much, she assured herself. The tests were to reassure him that there was absolutely nothing that could go wrong. He was going overboard but only because he cared. Her parents didn't matter. She'd lost them long ago, and if she lost them again over this... She would live with that. It would be easier the second time around, easier with her own family surrounding her. She would do things right.
Her child would never know what it was like to sit up all hours of the night, listening to two people who were supposed to love each other scream. Her child would never the depths of fear in someone's eyes that Duela had, never feel that powerlessness to help a parent. Her child would never be abandoned, not by either parent. She would get it right where her parents had failed. She'd repeat what they'd gotten right-- she was confident, after all, and assertive and able to defend herself-- but she wouldn't repeat their mistakes.
She tapped her fingernails against the table, waiting. Every second was another for a new worry to crop up. Not only did she worry about her child, but there were the faintest traces of nerves about meeting more of the Crane family. One was assisting Jonathan, she knew. The head of the Crane family, one Edward Crane. She felt half desperate to prove herself to the entire Crane family, to prove that she deserved her Jonathan, but none of them worried her like this man did.
Did he have the power to refuse the marriage? Would Jonathan let him? It wouldn't be the end of the world, she thought, if she couldn't marry Jonathan. As long as she didn't lose him.
Though, she took another deep breath and then let it out, she tried not to worry. They would be fine. She'd make a fine impression. At the very least, she was good at making decent short-term impressions. As long as she kept her temper checked and her need for Jonathan's approval quiet, she might be able to appear less than damaged by her own parents, might be able to appear like she could provide a stable home for Jonathan and their child.
Her hand flexed, the nails eager to drive into her palm to relieve her anxiety, but she restrained herself. Duela couldn't help but wonder how much longer she'd have to wait.
Batman
641 words
Jonathan worried far too much.
Duela Dent-- that would shortly change to Crane, she reminded herself-- smiled at the thought. Routine tests could have been done at any hospital, but Jonathan had insisted on having it done under the supervision of the Crane family. He'd also subjected her to more tests than were routine, she was sure.
A small, small part of her worried. Did Jonathan think that something might be wrong? Had he noticed some oddity in her symptoms early on? Was the dizziness she'd felt at first an indication that something might be wrong?
Duela tried to force her worries away. Jonathan had advised her to keep calm. It would make the tests easier to read if he didn't have to try and factor in high stress from her. Besides, it wasn't good for the baby if she let herself get too worked up too often. The majority of this trip was to get her away from the hustle and stress of Gotham, to let her relax.
That was another reason why her parents weren't here. She wished they could be, but that would be too volatile a situation. Her father's temper and her mother's nerves combined with a strange place and the Crane family? That was a disaster waiting to happen.
Besides, they wouldn't have wanted to come anyway.
Duela took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes to try and relax.
Jonathan worried too much, she assured herself. The tests were to reassure him that there was absolutely nothing that could go wrong. He was going overboard but only because he cared. Her parents didn't matter. She'd lost them long ago, and if she lost them again over this... She would live with that. It would be easier the second time around, easier with her own family surrounding her. She would do things right.
Her child would never know what it was like to sit up all hours of the night, listening to two people who were supposed to love each other scream. Her child would never the depths of fear in someone's eyes that Duela had, never feel that powerlessness to help a parent. Her child would never be abandoned, not by either parent. She would get it right where her parents had failed. She'd repeat what they'd gotten right-- she was confident, after all, and assertive and able to defend herself-- but she wouldn't repeat their mistakes.
She tapped her fingernails against the table, waiting. Every second was another for a new worry to crop up. Not only did she worry about her child, but there were the faintest traces of nerves about meeting more of the Crane family. One was assisting Jonathan, she knew. The head of the Crane family, one Edward Crane. She felt half desperate to prove herself to the entire Crane family, to prove that she deserved her Jonathan, but none of them worried her like this man did.
Did he have the power to refuse the marriage? Would Jonathan let him? It wouldn't be the end of the world, she thought, if she couldn't marry Jonathan. As long as she didn't lose him.
Though, she took another deep breath and then let it out, she tried not to worry. They would be fine. She'd make a fine impression. At the very least, she was good at making decent short-term impressions. As long as she kept her temper checked and her need for Jonathan's approval quiet, she might be able to appear less than damaged by her own parents, might be able to appear like she could provide a stable home for Jonathan and their child.
Her hand flexed, the nails eager to drive into her palm to relieve her anxiety, but she restrained herself. Duela couldn't help but wonder how much longer she'd have to wait.