Dropped in a Forgotten Spot

If there was ever a place more lovely that this, Mairen wasn't sure she could have pointed it out on a map. Murano, perhaps, was the most beautiful place she had ever visited - although she didn't have a very long list to choose from. Admittedly, she didn't fully understand why they were on holiday when such an important moment was about to occur for them. But Esme was loving it, if her flying across the beach was any indication. Never had Mai loved Theodore Rookwood more than when he had looked up one day whilst playing with his daughter, catching sight of the redhead as she slowly made her way down onto the beach proper, and lifted his sunglasses to just beam at her across the sand.

Could you die of happiness?

Their little unit wasn't quite appropriate, given they weren't married and his family hated her nearly as much as her mother hated him. Not that her mother particularly seemed to like Mai herself, anyway. But Theo had told Brea off spectacularly, as she had always wished she could have done, and that had set her in high spirits before their trip. It helped, too, that she knew the end of her nine months of waiting would come incredibly soon. Thus, she was happy to find herself settled on a daybed with her back against a pile of pillows at one end. A craving for something Mediterranean inspired her off of the plushy surface.

Roaming into their kitchenette, she reached out to the little radio sat there for them, tuning it to a local station mainly for curiosity's sake. With the music playing, Mai slowly crossed the tiled floor, and began digging through the refrigerator. "Esme?" She called over her shoulder. "Are you ready for lunch, pretty one?"

(OOC: It's a bit naff. I'm sorry.)

When Augustus had offered the villa, Theodore had not even blinked. Refusal was not an option. They both needed to get away. So, packing up their things and leaving his family behind them, Theodore, Mairen, and Esme took to Europe. Behind them, they left preparations for a wedding, Hogwarts, and a United Kingdom invariably falling into some sort of turmoil. Basking in the sunshine, listening to the rolling tide and relaxing in the only company he needed, however, robbed Theodore of all concerns.

He had never read so much in his life, either. Or, well, not since school. But this was different. This was for pleasure. Laid prostrate in the sunshine, his book suspended in the air, Theodore devoured all of the words on offer to him. On the bedside table in his and Mairen’s room, a small stack of paperbacks was developing and he had been to the local shop twice in the last week for something else to read. He was getting a lot better at reading Italian as a result.

Esme, too, was experiencing new things every day, it seemed. She also seemed happier in that setting, though Theodore supposed it was the consistence of his and Mai’s company. She was entirely, completely comfortable and happy. So was he. So, too, Theodore hoped, was Mai. Regardless, their baby girl was. And that was enough for him.

Speaking of, she scampered off, hot on the heels of the redhead. Theodore looked up from his book and smiled before letting his head drop back down, his focus returning to the lines on the page.

“Ready!” Esme declared, once she reached the kitchen properly. “What is it?” She asked, coming to stand beside Mai, her eyes widening curiously.

[That's okay! You didn't put what I expected anyway so it's fab regardless. :* ]

Mai turned over her shoulder, grinning at the little brunette behind her. "Well," she returned, reaching out a hand to brush down Esme's hair with her fingers, "that's up to you today."

She gestured towards the fridge and left Esme to peruse it. Peeking around the doorframe, she waited for Theo to look up before speaking. "Getting bored yet?" She queried, tilting her head to the side. She knew that her time off of work wouldn't last forever, and Merlin knew that the new little one wouldn't either.

It would have been great, story wise, if one of those moments happened where, by thinking about something, a cue of sorts was given to the little one in question. But Mai was not that lucky. No fantastic story of that sort would be told by either herself or Theo. Of course, that didn't mean they wouldn't end up with a different sort of story. When Esme gave some sign as to what it was that she wanted, she shook her head at him and turned back to the kitchen, leaving him to it.

A good five minutes later, she was still wandering about in the kitchen, taking out plates upon which she would serve lunch. A sudden pain in her stomach surprised her, but as the weeks had gone on, such occurrences had become less bizarre. Merlin, she couldn't imagine how people did this more than once.

Releasing a disapproving sigh, Mai continued with her task, setting down one plate after another. When the last one met the edge of the counter, she let out a surprised cry, and the plate in question crashed to the floor, shattering. Now that was unusual. A rush of shock fluttered through her and, oddly, as she stepped away from the destroyed plate, her eyes watered. One hand reached for the counter and the other fell to her stomach. "Theo? It broke."

“Never!”

The Rookwood’s grin was lopsided and carefree, one which he hadn’t worn since long before, certainly, Esme’s living memory. He was entirely at peace. There was no where else in the world he wanted to be. He was half tempted, though bachelor he was not, to do what his uncle had done and purchase a property somewhere in Italy. He knew that once reality came calling, he would yearn for the sunshine and the gentle way of life he had so quickly gotten used to.

Esme wanted fish for lunch. And, although she had developed a taste for rather more exotic dishes, she could be satisfied with tuna salad sandwiches which Theo, himself, called out for. After lunch, he imagined, he’d take the little girl back down to the beach and convince her to build sandcastles with him. It was as much about letting her forge memories as it was allowing him to make his own. Despite having a taste for sunny destinations, as a child, Theodore had never been allowed to play on the beach with even as much as a third of the abandon Esme did. He was making up for lost time, in a way.

For all of his relaxing, lounging around like a cat in the sunshine, Theodore was still alert to danger. Not all of the anxiety he had lurking within him could be banished by a holiday. As soon as he heard the sound of the crockery hitting the floor, the book was abandoned and he shot to his feet, immediately pushing inside to find out what had happened. Esme had frozen mid-twirl (she was, after all, harbouring the desire to become a ballerina) and looked up at him when he entered, confusion rather than fear shining in her eyes.

“It’s alright, a stór,” he murmured, his hand coming to rest briefly on the top of her head as he stepped past her to get to Mai.

“I noticed,” he quipped with an easy smile, producing his wand from his shorts. He flicked it in the direction of the plate and the pieces dutifully reassembled themselves. It was only then that Theodore realised what she meant. “What, now?” He asked, his stomach lurching with a strange mixture of excitement and fear. “Really?”

Don’t panic, Millie had given him one titbit of advice with a wry smile. If there was one thing he shouldn’t do, it was panic.

This man had faced Death Eaters. He had faced murderers, kidnappers, smugglers. Every kind of sinful individual he had crossed paths with. He had kept himself a live in a house of madmen as nothing but a small slip of a child. He had endured great pain, great suffering. He understood the fine line he trod between good guy and bad. He had done despicable things, too. Blood stained hi hands. He had faced nearly every horror a person could.

And yet, at the prospect of his child entering the world, against perfectly sound advice from a woman who was rather an old hand at this sort of thing, he panicked.

“What … what should I do?” He asked, his mind immediately wiping itself of all of the instructions he had been given. “Do I … is it safe to apparate? Do I need to set up the floo? Do we have a portkey? Esme get your coat!”

“But daddy—” She frowned at him confusedly.

“Or a jumper, at least!” He amended in a clipped voice. “What …. Mai … what do we do?”

He was telling Esme that it was alright, but Mai knew better. When it finally hit him, she dropped a thoroughly terrified look on him in return. "No," she returned sarcastically, surprising herself. "I'm just panicking for no reason."

Frowning deeply, she looked down at the floor again, guilt hitting her immediately. She was about to apologize when Theodore lost his shit mind. Passing Esme her most bizarre look yet - a mix of exasperation at Theo and apology towards the girl in question - Mai faltered. "Th-Theo," she attempted, reaching out towards him just as he turned to his their daughter. Her fingers found the edge of the counter again and she let him continue rambling until she just couldn't anymore.

"Theo! Do you seriously think apparating - in other words, squeezing ourselves down - in the middle of this is a good idea?" She asked, disbelieving. "Honestly! Okay, Esme, I have to get to a hospital. Your new brother is very impatient. Grab your coat and shoes before your daddy passes out."

She tossed him another frightened look after the little girl left the room, reaching towards him again. "Why... the hell did we think coming down here right now was a good idea? Merlin.. But yes. We have a portkey. Keiran prepared it before he left his position at the Ministry, remember?" Moving past him, Mai started searching for the bag that she had prepared a week or so earlier. "Shoes, Theo!"

Finding the bag, she dropped it on the bed as another pang ran through her torso, forcing out a gasp without her willing it. It hadn't been terribly far, given they had previously been of the right mind to plan for such things. Now? She wasn't sure they should be allowed to parent anyone with the mess they were currently in.

Oh Merlin. This one is properly mine. Not that she didn't love Esme just the same. But she had full and complete responsibility for this one. There was no getting out of it. She would never have dared say such a thing aloud in front of Theodore, of course, given what had happened with Esme. Except she realized she had done. She had murmured it under her breath, and although she liked to think that Esme hadn't caught it, she was still in the same room as Theodore and it was far less likely that she had gotten away with it as far as he was concerned. Mai stopped and turned to face him, eyes wide and ashamed.

Was it her fault if fear still lingered? They were... promised, so to speak. And Esme called her Mum sometimes. But she couldn't help but worry that she would be closer to their boy despite everything - despite her trying not to be, not to play favorites. Neither Rookwood would forgive her for it. She was convinced of that much. But there was no stopping it now, and no more time to prepare for it.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I didn't mean- ah! - ..We have to go," she decided instead, shaking her head. They could deal with the other things later. This baby absolutely refused to give her the time just then.

Mine. It didn’t hurt. It didn’t. It didn’t. It did. Merlin, did it ever. The pain that clenched at his heart gave him the presence of mind to relax for a moment. The panic that had overwhelmed him ebbed away, replaced with the dull, overwhelming feeling of disappointment. In that moment, he had so many things that he wanted to say. He had some choice opinions on the notion of family by the virtue of his own being naturally as toxic as it was. He couldn’t trust his voice, though.

Let it go, Theo, a familiar Scottish brogue rang off in the back of his head. Baldric. Of course, of all people, he’d counsel the slightly wayward Irishman to keep his cool. Irritation flared and Theo wanted to find Baldric and ask him whether he could stomach such a comment from someone he loved about the one person in the world he held above all others. He wanted to shake him until he got the truth. But then, Theo had to remind himself that it was just his mind. Baldric wasn’t really there, offering advice.

It was advice he needed to heed, though. He set his jaw and grabbed his jacket off of the chair in front of the vanity. He donned it shakily and found a pair of soft slip-on shoes which he shoved his feet into. Hurrying Esme along with a softer touch, he pulled a jumper over her head and offered her a pair of shoes to pop her little feet into. Then, in what he would later reflect on as a slightly pointed gesture, he scooped her into his arms and, with the hand he had spare, took up the handles of the bag.

The Portkey was one of those sickening adventures that children never seemed to enjoy. Theodore felt Esme bury her head in his neck as the trio were lifted into the vortex that would convey them to the hospital. A quick spell had set their destination. Then, they were landing in the maternity ward and the chill was palpable in comparison to the Italian heat that, only moments ago, they had been enjoying. Theodore felt absurd, especially because he’d not had the sense to change his sunglasses for his regular specs.

Pushing the glasses on top of his head, Theodore set Esme back down on her feet and took her hand. He looked about, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. He remembered the last time he was here. The feelings of that day all came rushing back at once and Theo almost felt winded. He tried to focus and kept his breathing shallow.

“Come on,” he murmured, his hand finding the small of Mai’s back. “Better get us checked in.”

There was something Mai had always hated about herself. She didn't have a very good mastery of her own brain-to-mouth filter. Whatever she thought typically came out if she wasn't thinking too hard about it. And right then, she definitely was distracted. Perhaps some people thought it was courageous to just say the things she wanted to. Maybe the hat had gone by those standards. Because right then, she felt awful. Evil. And utterly undeserving. How was she supposed to be a good mother if she was likely to say something that offended her family?

She felt guilt and disappointment in herself as she often did - to the point where she didn't really think, she just felt. Where she would later forget why she felt the way she felt until she wondered why she hurt, and then it all came rushing back. The feeling got worse when Esme came back. Mai couldn't even look at them. But they had to go. She had no choice, she had signed herself up for this.

Her feet landed once they reached St. Mungo's, and Mai just wanted to vomit. Never did she want to apparate again. She didn't even want to think about how they would get home after everything. She also didn't want to think about whatever conversation she and Theodore would have to have later about what she'd said.

His hand found her back and she turned towards him, needing whatever he was willing to give during the whole fiasco that was bound to occur throughout the rest of the day. Merlin, wait, how long would this take? Oh, goodness.

After Theodore checked them in, at which point Mai's fingers had curled around a section of the fabric of his shirt, they moved her to a room along one of the halls. From there, the waiting game was set to begin. For the most part, Mai was quiet. She couldn't cover up the sudden pangs, of course, but she did her best. And she did respond if spoken to. But at that point, Mai wasn't sure if she was terrified or excited or just too guilty, still. She almost felt bad about the fact that Esme was there at all, given the circumstances. Who was going to watch her if Theo went in with Mai? Maybe he wasn't planning on doing so. She couldn't blame him, really.

Finally, she could stand it no longer. Turning her head towards the Rookwoods, she felt oddly helpless. Is this what Esme's mother had felt? Their son would take Theodore's name, yet she herself had failed to do so thus far. Did it matter? Mai didn't know. Her eyes fell to the little girl, who undoubtedly felt confused about the whole thing. Without glancing at Theodore, Mai extended a hand towards Esme, hoping he wouldn't say anything. Once the smaller hand settled into her own, Mai offered her best attempt at a reassuring smile.

"I know this probably looks scary," she began gently, "but it's for the best, I promise. It'll be fine, no matter what." Mai nodded along with her words, feeling oddly better for it. "I love you. You know that, right?" Her gaze finally flicked to Theodore, as if he would understand without her saying it that she meant the both of them.

Theodore Rookwood was, technically speaking, a father of two. For the births of those children, he had been unequivocally absent. For the death of one, he had also not been there. It had taken place in the stark halls of St. Mungo’s. A life had lapsed – a life he had helped to create – and he’d not been there. What truly jarred at his heart was the fact that he couldn’t remember the boy’s name. He had no clue what Hallie had done for him insofar as a funeral was concerned. He had not even looked into his face and been able to perceive the sort of man he could have been. He’d run from the moment. He’d hidden from the hell that had been brought down upon his reality and had chosen to deal with his grief without his wife, dooming her, too, to that fate. With that, so too their lives together lapsed.

St. Mungo’s at a chance to redeem itself. In the coming hours, it could fill his world with a new life. It could give him a chance to make right the mistakes of the past. He knew nothing could truly fix his mistakes. He knew that one day, when Esme had the whole truth laid out before her, she would struggle to meet his gaze and move the sudden loathing from her heart. She’d turn to Mai, then, he hoped, and seek some sort of explanation where he had none. He had failed her from the very beginning, from the moment she’d lit up a spark within her mother. He’d failed them both from the beginning, in truth. Every day he toiled to make up for his mistake in leaving her, knowing that he should have been stronger, should have walked away. He should have tried to make a life with Cressida, and with their daughter.

But he hadn’t. He’d taken the easy road, one that had been fraught with punishment for his sins. And yet, his life had been on an upward curve since his little girl had re-entered his life and since he had met Mairen. Inexplicably, he’d found a happiness that he could only write off as a pipe dream as a child, something that other people experienced that he could only hanker after. He would have splendour to console himself with, and heirs. That was what he had been told he’d have. His uncle’s sardonic reminder was that, if he was ever lonely, the soft touch of a woman was only a sack of gold away. There was no real love to be had. It didn’t exist for Rookwoods. And yet here it was. Waiting for him. If only he wasn’t so stubborn.

Stepping forward at Mai’s words, trying to shove away the increasing disquiet that he felt welling up, boiling within him, he leaned down and pressed his lips gently to her forehead.

“My teacher said that it’s okay because it means I’ll get a new brother or sister,” Esme supplied chirpily, glancing round at her father for reassurance.

“That’s right, love,” he smiled, touching his knuckles gently to her cheek.

“I love you,” Esme replied, smiling widely at Mai. “Do I get to pick the name?”

“Only if we run out of ideas,” Theo chuckled, reaching down to scoop her up. Esme let her head rest on his shoulder, a content smile on her face.

“Can she be called Daisy?”

“Daisy Rookwood?” Theodore raised an eyebrow, smirking a bit because, despite himself, he did quite like it. “You want a sister, hm?”

“I don’t mind,” she shrugged. “Mai, can you tell? My teacher said sometimes you can tell.”

“Your teacher is full of—”

At that moment, the Healer entered the room and offered the family a broad smile. Theodore bounced Esme idly, his other hand reaching down to settle on the top of Mai’s head, his fingers curling back loose bits of hair from her face.

“Is there anywhere Esme can go for the duration of proceedings?” He inquired.

“Erm,” Theo looked down at Mai and bit the inside of his cheek before supposing that, really, the only people that would be content to take her on such short notice would be the Hayeses. He nodded and the Healer disappeared to go and Floo the couple. It was probably right that Esme shouldn’t stay with them – as loathe as Theo was to let her go.

They said their goodbyes and Theo murmured that he wouldn’t be long before heading out into the corridor to meet Millie who looked … tired? Was that the word at hand? It didn’t seem articulate enough.

“It doesn’t matter,” she told him curtly, taking Esme into her arms. “Hello gorgeous. How was your holiday?”

“Kegs at home with the squids?” Theo checked, trying to meet the witch’s eyes.

“Yeah,” she breezed, her gaze focused on Esme. “C’mon, let’s go and get some supper, baby.”

Shaking off the weird feeling that something was wrong, Theo returned to the delivery room and took hold of Mai’s hand before dropping another kiss to the top of her head.

“I love you.”

When Esme returned her sentiments, Mai reached out and poked her nose as a gentle smile lit her face. Her eyebrows lifted, though, when Esme suggested a name. It wasn't a bad one, to be sure, but Mai certainly knew. She hadn't realized that Esme never heard. Perhaps, after she told Theodore, she had expected him to do so. Then again, she hadn't done a lot of planning during their holiday. That wasn't necessarily her greatest plan.

Mai's shoulders tensed when the healer walked into the room, her gaze shifting towards the wall across from her. The man spoke in a way that made the situation sound like a court case, and work was certainly not something she wanted to think about right then. Why Theo looked at her, as well, was beyond her. He should have realized by now that she didn't have a very deep pool of people to fish from. But he was right, either way. She wouldn't have suggested anyone else.

She offered a goodbye to Esme and eyed the healer warily until Theo returned. In truth, she wasn't sure why she was so nervous. She just was.

When he came back and said those all-important words, she was able to relax a little. She still felt pretty bad, though. She shouldn't have thought it, much less said it. Guilt forced her gaze downwards until it settled on their hands. Regardless of the way he seemed to think of himself, Mai couldn't help but wonder if she really deserved him. Perhaps she hadn't done much that would mean that she didn't deserve him, but she surely hadn't earned it, either. And then she had said something awful, almost in front of Esme herself, and it was horrible. So perhaps she actually had done something wrong.

The hand that had absentmindedly settled on her stomach flinched and she sucked in a breath as another flash of pain surprised her. Part of her really just wanted to cry. She felt guilty enough, and scared enough. But Theo had near lost his mind at the very suggestion that it was time, and she doubted it would help him if she really started to panic visibly.

Instead, she just squeezed his hand and hoped that it would be over much more quickly than she expected it to be.