Chlollie Fanfic: Beauty in the Breakdown XI: Baby Love
Hi, my lovelies! How've you been?
No, I did not abandon y'all; just been very, very busy this year with life and stuff. But I have been writing behind the scenes, and I'm happy to finally update the BITB series with the next instalment. Ladies & gents, I present Beauty in the Breakdown XI: Baby Love. Enjoy! And I still love comments! :-)
Awesome banner by chleansmile. Many thanks, Sunny! :-)
Title: Beauty in the Breakdown XI: Baby Love
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlollie
Rating: NC-17 (this chapter PG-13) New Series.
Warnings: A Re-telling of Chlollie post-Warrior
Timeline: Season 9
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Series Summary: With Oliver by her side, Chloe learns to let go, find peace, and fall in love.
Story Summary: Following the loss of their beloved baby, Chloe and Oliver find their way back to a place of love and hope
Feedback: …Always. :)
Previous works in the Beauty in the Breakdown series:
Chapter 1
“Honey?” Chloe called. “You’re just in time. Come taste this for me, tell me what you think.”
Oliver wandered into the kitchen and peered over his wife’s shoulder. “Is that pasta bake I smell?” he queried, sniffing experimentally.
“Completely homemade from scratch,” she announced proudly. “I even rolled the pasta myself.”
“No way!”
“Uh-huh. Followed nonna’s recipe to the letter, added a mystery ingredient of my own, and I’m pretty pleased with the results, even if I do say so myself.”
He inhaled the fragrant steam rising from the casserole dish and smiled. “God, that smells good.”
“Tastes even better.” She scooped a sample from the corner of the dish and blew on it gently before holding it out to him. “Chicken, sausage and penne pasta all baked in a creamy tomato sauce,” she said triumphantly. “Wanna try some?”
He gave her a lascivious leer. “Bella, I always wanna try your sauce.”
She giggled and smacked his arm lightly. “Stop it! Here, taste…”
She lifted the spoon to his lips, and he tasted the morsel she offered him, his eyelids drifting shut as he chewed with relish.
“Well,” she asked, her voice a mix of nervousness and expectancy.
Oliver swallowed, then opened his eyes and smiled. “Don’t tell nonna, but you just blew her recipe clean out of the water.”
Her eyes lit up. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. What’s the secret?”
“I added a mystery ingredient. A fourth cheese.”
“Huh. So we have parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar… and…?”
She grinned widely. “Emmental.”
Oliver stared at her in awe. “Where is my wife, and what have you done with her?”
“Told you I’d learn how to cook,” she said smugly.
“Hey, I take credit for that, because even you have to admit that your crazy cookery skills only kicked in when you started propagating my DNA,” he said smartly, resting a hand on her swollen belly. “How is my little girl today?”
“She’s fine,” she replied, smiling. “Not kicking so much as stretching and trying to find a little more elbow room.”
“And your feet?”
She wiggled her toes and grimaced. “Ankles are a bit tingly, since I’ve been on my feet for the last couple of hours.”
“Well, in that case…” Oliver swept her carefully into his arms and carried her through to the den. “You put your pretty feet up, my love, and I’ll serve dinner.”
Chloe smiled and stretched as he set her down on the sofa. “Mmm. I like that idea.”
Oliver kissed her deeply, his fingers brushing an errant blonde lock off her forehead. “Me, too. Be right back.”
***
Oliver hummed softly as he set the table for two. He smiled as he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, the happiness in his eyes gladdening his heart even further.
He looked like a man who had everything. And he did; a multi-billion dollar empire, a relatively quiet, life for someone in the public eye; super-powered friends on speed-dial, a beautiful home, a gorgeous wife, and a healthy daughter on the way, due in just a few weeks.
He was happier than he’d ever been. It was strange to remember just how close he’d come to almost giving up on it all.
***
Twelve Months Ago
“Something’s bothering you, honey. What is it?”
Oliver glanced over at his wife and frowned. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”
She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. “It’s my job to know how you’re feeling. And right now, I feel like you need to talk.”
He sighed. “Well, yes, kinda… but it can wait until tomorrow, don’t worry about it.”
“I knew it.” She began to sit up, and he immediately tried to stop her.
“Honey, we’re in bed already, and you look tired,” he protested. “It can wait. Really.”
“I can’t sleep if you can’t sleep, you know that,” she replied, turning on the bedside lamp. “Talk to me, honey. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
He made a wry face. “I don’t think you’ll like it.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” she replied. “Well?”
Oliver took a deep, ragged breath. “I don’t think we should have children, Chloe.”
Chloe fell silent for a while. “I can’t say I’m surprised you feel that way,” she said quietly. “But can you at least explain why?”
“After what happened last time, I think it’s too risky.”
“Oh, honey.” Chloe took his hands and squeezed them gently. “Losing our first baby was devastating, but you heard what Lola said; we can try again when we’re ready. And next time, we’ll do things differently; we’ll know when the baby’s on the way, so we can look after him properly.”
“But will I be able to look after you?” he asked. An image of her sitting in bed surrounded by bloodied sheets surfaced in his mind, and the crippling pain returned. “I don’t think I can go through all that again.”
“It won’t happen again, Ollie. We can do this.”
I’m not risking your life, not even for a baby,” he said. “Losing our first one was agonizing, but as painful as it is, I can accept it. If I lost you…” he paused and closed his eyes. “It would end me.”
“You’re not gonna lose me,” she promised.
He snorted. “I didn’t think we’d lose our baby, either. Look how that turned out.”
“There’s nothing to say it would happen again.”
“And there’s nothing it say that it won’t.”
“Life has no absolutes, honey; we can’t control everything!”
“Exactly!” he exclaimed. “I’ve lost my whole family before, Chloe. I’m not going to let it happen again.”
“And how do you plan to do that, hmm? Just never have sex with me again to stop me from getting pregnant?”
“Chloe-”
“Or have a secret vasectomy and leave me to wallow in ignorance and wonder why nothing happens month after month?”
“I would never do that to you!”
“We can’t let the fear of another miscarriage keep us from the life we promised each other, Oliver,” she said, cradling his face with her hands. “I understand what you’re feeling right now; you’ve lost your family before, and the thought of it happening again terrifies you. But living every day in fear of something bad happening is not the answer.”
Oliver sighed deeply. “I wish I knew for sure that nothing bad would happen,” he whispered hoarsely. “I hate not being able to promise you that everything will be okay.”
“No-one knows the challenges that life could throw up,” she whispered. “Remember what you said to me on our wedding day? No matter what storm we find ourselves in, we’ll weather it together, as one. But we can’t live our lives just waiting for the storm to hit. We need to grab it with both hands, and live life to the full.”
“Even if it means deliberately risking your life with a pregnancy?”
Chloe sighed. “Lots of women have healthy babies after a miscarriage.”
“I’m not married to most women.”
Chloe shook her head. “Oliver, you’re not going to lose me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And if we never have another child, we’ll never know the happiness we’d be throwing away,” she countered wisely.
He shook his head. “Chloe…”
“I’m not going to rush you, or try and convince you that having a baby will be good for us, nor will I do anything to force your hand,” she replied gently. “When you want to do this, let me know. Okay? All in your own time.”
He drew in a shaky breath. “What if I’m never ready?”
“Something tells me you will be, eventually,” she said with a smile. “But again, no pressure. Just say when.”
He wrapped an arm around her and buried his face in her hair. “I wish I had your strength and positivity,” he whispered. “And I know it’s been months since we lost the baby, but it still…” he sighed. “It really hurts.”
“I know, honey,” she said softly, stroking his back with gentle fingers. “It hurts me, too; but I refuse to let the pain of that loss hold me back.”
“How do you cope with it?” he asked honestly. She had carried their baby inside her. She’d had to watch as the young life slowly ebbed away. Yet she had so much hope in her eyes right tnow, and he wanted - needed - some of that positive energy.
“I remember our little Snow Angel with love,” she said, resting a hand on his cheek. “I see him-”
“Her.”
She rolled her eyes and smiled. “I see him or her frolicking with other babies in heaven’s nursery, waiting patiently until we’re ready to pick him up and taken him home. That way, he’s never really lost.”
Oliver nodded thoughtfully. “Never really lost,” he echoed, and smiled. “I like that.”
She returned his smile. “Me, too. And when the time comes, I look forward to the joy of carrying our child again, and finally getting to see him this time.”
Oliver raised a brow, and she rolled her eyes again and grinned.
“Or her.”
***
Chapter 2…
No, I did not abandon y'all; just been very, very busy this year with life and stuff. But I have been writing behind the scenes, and I'm happy to finally update the BITB series with the next instalment. Ladies & gents, I present Beauty in the Breakdown XI: Baby Love. Enjoy! And I still love comments! :-)
Awesome banner by chleansmile. Many thanks, Sunny! :-)
Title: Beauty in the Breakdown XI: Baby Love
Author: BabyDee1
Pairing: Chlollie
Rating: NC-17 (this chapter PG-13) New Series.
Warnings: A Re-telling of Chlollie post-Warrior
Timeline: Season 9
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Series Summary: With Oliver by her side, Chloe learns to let go, find peace, and fall in love.
Story Summary: Following the loss of their beloved baby, Chloe and Oliver find their way back to a place of love and hope
Feedback: …Always. :)
Previous works in the Beauty in the Breakdown series:
- Letting Go
- Taking Hold
- Reaching Out
- Falling In
- Feeling Good
- Private Chats
- Sacred Words
- Living Life
- ‘Fessing Up
- Snow Angel
Chapter 1
“Honey?” Chloe called. “You’re just in time. Come taste this for me, tell me what you think.”
Oliver wandered into the kitchen and peered over his wife’s shoulder. “Is that pasta bake I smell?” he queried, sniffing experimentally.
“Completely homemade from scratch,” she announced proudly. “I even rolled the pasta myself.”
“No way!”
“Uh-huh. Followed nonna’s recipe to the letter, added a mystery ingredient of my own, and I’m pretty pleased with the results, even if I do say so myself.”
He inhaled the fragrant steam rising from the casserole dish and smiled. “God, that smells good.”
“Tastes even better.” She scooped a sample from the corner of the dish and blew on it gently before holding it out to him. “Chicken, sausage and penne pasta all baked in a creamy tomato sauce,” she said triumphantly. “Wanna try some?”
He gave her a lascivious leer. “Bella, I always wanna try your sauce.”
She giggled and smacked his arm lightly. “Stop it! Here, taste…”
She lifted the spoon to his lips, and he tasted the morsel she offered him, his eyelids drifting shut as he chewed with relish.
“Well,” she asked, her voice a mix of nervousness and expectancy.
Oliver swallowed, then opened his eyes and smiled. “Don’t tell nonna, but you just blew her recipe clean out of the water.”
Her eyes lit up. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. What’s the secret?”
“I added a mystery ingredient. A fourth cheese.”
“Huh. So we have parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar… and…?”
She grinned widely. “Emmental.”
Oliver stared at her in awe. “Where is my wife, and what have you done with her?”
“Told you I’d learn how to cook,” she said smugly.
“Hey, I take credit for that, because even you have to admit that your crazy cookery skills only kicked in when you started propagating my DNA,” he said smartly, resting a hand on her swollen belly. “How is my little girl today?”
“She’s fine,” she replied, smiling. “Not kicking so much as stretching and trying to find a little more elbow room.”
“And your feet?”
She wiggled her toes and grimaced. “Ankles are a bit tingly, since I’ve been on my feet for the last couple of hours.”
“Well, in that case…” Oliver swept her carefully into his arms and carried her through to the den. “You put your pretty feet up, my love, and I’ll serve dinner.”
Chloe smiled and stretched as he set her down on the sofa. “Mmm. I like that idea.”
Oliver kissed her deeply, his fingers brushing an errant blonde lock off her forehead. “Me, too. Be right back.”
***
Oliver hummed softly as he set the table for two. He smiled as he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, the happiness in his eyes gladdening his heart even further.
He looked like a man who had everything. And he did; a multi-billion dollar empire, a relatively quiet, life for someone in the public eye; super-powered friends on speed-dial, a beautiful home, a gorgeous wife, and a healthy daughter on the way, due in just a few weeks.
He was happier than he’d ever been. It was strange to remember just how close he’d come to almost giving up on it all.
***
Twelve Months Ago
“Something’s bothering you, honey. What is it?”
Oliver glanced over at his wife and frowned. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”
She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. “It’s my job to know how you’re feeling. And right now, I feel like you need to talk.”
He sighed. “Well, yes, kinda… but it can wait until tomorrow, don’t worry about it.”
“I knew it.” She began to sit up, and he immediately tried to stop her.
“Honey, we’re in bed already, and you look tired,” he protested. “It can wait. Really.”
“I can’t sleep if you can’t sleep, you know that,” she replied, turning on the bedside lamp. “Talk to me, honey. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
He made a wry face. “I don’t think you’ll like it.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” she replied. “Well?”
Oliver took a deep, ragged breath. “I don’t think we should have children, Chloe.”
Chloe fell silent for a while. “I can’t say I’m surprised you feel that way,” she said quietly. “But can you at least explain why?”
“After what happened last time, I think it’s too risky.”
“Oh, honey.” Chloe took his hands and squeezed them gently. “Losing our first baby was devastating, but you heard what Lola said; we can try again when we’re ready. And next time, we’ll do things differently; we’ll know when the baby’s on the way, so we can look after him properly.”
“But will I be able to look after you?” he asked. An image of her sitting in bed surrounded by bloodied sheets surfaced in his mind, and the crippling pain returned. “I don’t think I can go through all that again.”
“It won’t happen again, Ollie. We can do this.”
I’m not risking your life, not even for a baby,” he said. “Losing our first one was agonizing, but as painful as it is, I can accept it. If I lost you…” he paused and closed his eyes. “It would end me.”
“You’re not gonna lose me,” she promised.
He snorted. “I didn’t think we’d lose our baby, either. Look how that turned out.”
“There’s nothing to say it would happen again.”
“And there’s nothing it say that it won’t.”
“Life has no absolutes, honey; we can’t control everything!”
“Exactly!” he exclaimed. “I’ve lost my whole family before, Chloe. I’m not going to let it happen again.”
“And how do you plan to do that, hmm? Just never have sex with me again to stop me from getting pregnant?”
“Chloe-”
“Or have a secret vasectomy and leave me to wallow in ignorance and wonder why nothing happens month after month?”
“I would never do that to you!”
“We can’t let the fear of another miscarriage keep us from the life we promised each other, Oliver,” she said, cradling his face with her hands. “I understand what you’re feeling right now; you’ve lost your family before, and the thought of it happening again terrifies you. But living every day in fear of something bad happening is not the answer.”
Oliver sighed deeply. “I wish I knew for sure that nothing bad would happen,” he whispered hoarsely. “I hate not being able to promise you that everything will be okay.”
“No-one knows the challenges that life could throw up,” she whispered. “Remember what you said to me on our wedding day? No matter what storm we find ourselves in, we’ll weather it together, as one. But we can’t live our lives just waiting for the storm to hit. We need to grab it with both hands, and live life to the full.”
“Even if it means deliberately risking your life with a pregnancy?”
Chloe sighed. “Lots of women have healthy babies after a miscarriage.”
“I’m not married to most women.”
Chloe shook her head. “Oliver, you’re not going to lose me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And if we never have another child, we’ll never know the happiness we’d be throwing away,” she countered wisely.
He shook his head. “Chloe…”
“I’m not going to rush you, or try and convince you that having a baby will be good for us, nor will I do anything to force your hand,” she replied gently. “When you want to do this, let me know. Okay? All in your own time.”
He drew in a shaky breath. “What if I’m never ready?”
“Something tells me you will be, eventually,” she said with a smile. “But again, no pressure. Just say when.”
He wrapped an arm around her and buried his face in her hair. “I wish I had your strength and positivity,” he whispered. “And I know it’s been months since we lost the baby, but it still…” he sighed. “It really hurts.”
“I know, honey,” she said softly, stroking his back with gentle fingers. “It hurts me, too; but I refuse to let the pain of that loss hold me back.”
“How do you cope with it?” he asked honestly. She had carried their baby inside her. She’d had to watch as the young life slowly ebbed away. Yet she had so much hope in her eyes right tnow, and he wanted - needed - some of that positive energy.
“I remember our little Snow Angel with love,” she said, resting a hand on his cheek. “I see him-”
“Her.”
She rolled her eyes and smiled. “I see him or her frolicking with other babies in heaven’s nursery, waiting patiently until we’re ready to pick him up and taken him home. That way, he’s never really lost.”
Oliver nodded thoughtfully. “Never really lost,” he echoed, and smiled. “I like that.”
She returned his smile. “Me, too. And when the time comes, I look forward to the joy of carrying our child again, and finally getting to see him this time.”
Oliver raised a brow, and she rolled her eyes again and grinned.
“Or her.”
***
Chapter 2…