He didn't see Harry again for a full week until the day he decided to accompany Lucy on her daily trip to the market to get fresh vegetables and sometimes fruit if there wasn't any left in the house. His appetite had been growing and after being told that he needed to eat enough for himself and the baby by a few older women he had met in the market, he had been doing just that.

He was busy trying to pick the best apples when he saw him a few feet away surrounded by children and in his arms, a tiny baby girl while the mother watched with a smile on her face. For a second he wondered if it was his daughter, but the thought disappeared as soon as Harry gave the baby back to her mother and she walked away towards a man who wrapped an arm around her waist.

He continued watching him and smiled when he saw him buying beverages for every single one of the children surrounding him, never batting an eyelash at the price until his smile faded away as soon as they made eye contact with each other. He tried to hurry up, seeing Lucy standing on the other side too focused on what she was doing to pay him any attention. He was half expecting Harry to approach him, but when he looked up Harry was already gone.

Two weeks later he sat in his bedroom on a rocking chair Liam had gotten him as he rubbed small circles on the top of his belly. The room was almost dark with just a candle near by illuminating the space near Louis where he had been busy making sure he had enough money for future expenses. Liam had already gotten a job and after an argument, he hadn't allowed Louis to get one telling him that he shouldn't work when he was already too pregnant and Nick had stopped working for them.

He let out a loud sigh trying not to freak out, knowing that sooner or later all the money he had managed to steal from Howard before leaving was going to run out and he and his child would have nothing. He tried to get up and go to bed when he heard someone at his window, making him stay still, part of him expecting for whoever was out there to be Harry. He waited for a few more minutes and when nothing else happened he sighed and tried to get up, getting startled when the window was finally opened and Harry walked in as if he owned the place.

"You're back." Louis blurted out without thinking first, but last time he had been in his bedroom was three weeks ago.

"I am." Harry answered before he smirked, "Did you miss me?"

"Why are you here?" Louis avoided his question, wanting to stop him when he started going through the papers he had been working on earlier that night, "Leave those alone and get out of here."

"You're running out of money." Harry stated, looking at Louis straight in the eye before his gaze trailed down to his belly.

"That is none of your business." Louis fired back.

"It is when you're carrying my child. What are you going to do when you finally run out of money? How are you going to support our child...you're going to end up in the streets." Harry finally dropped the papers and took a step closer to Louis.

"I don't see you helping me out. You keep calling it our child, can't claim him or her when you don't help out at all." Louis snapped, expecting him to walk away but Harry stayed on his spot not saying anything.

Harry stayed quiet longer than necessary, seeming to be thinking about it and just when Louis thought he wasn't going to speak anytime soon, he finally spoke up surprising Louis.

"Marry me." Harry said, finally making eye contact with Louis in the warm and dim room.

"What?" Louis stumbled a few steps back, hating how quick Harry was to catch him and steady him again.

"Marry me. If you do you'll never have to worry about money ever again, you and our baby will be safe and you won't have to worry about whether they won't have warm clothes or go to bed hungry. All you have to do is say yes." Harry pleaded already getting desperate seeing how big and how closer to his due date Louis was getting. He didn't have much time left.

"You're crazy." Louis took another step back, "I just widowed...I– I finally am free from that bastard and I'm not going to fall into the same trap again."

"You're saying that like...like you're so sure I'm like him. I am not, I am nothing like that man. He was an old bitter bastard...I am not him." Harry raised his voice, then lowered it again when Louis looked towards the door with a nervous expression.

"Still...my answer is no. I'm not going to go through this again." Louis looked away and when he looked back, Harry was already closing the window again disappearing into the dead of night.

He started rubbing small circles on the side of his belly knowing that as much as he wanted to give a family to his baby, he couldn't marry someone he wasn't in love with. Not again when he had gone through hell for years after losing his Edward. He didn't know what Harry was really like and if he was going to treat him and his child right. He didn't know and it scared him no matter how much he liked Harry.

He loved the way he would look at him as if he was the most rare and precious stone. Liked the way he would touch and fuck him into the mattress until he was chanting his name, having to bury his face on the pillow to keep himself from making any noise. He loved the way he was so gentle with him and his belly, afraid of hurting their baby. Their baby, because it was their child they had created together no matter what the circumstances had been back then.

He looked one more time at the papers knowing that soon he wasn't going to have enough for the rent and was going to have to move out to who knows where. He didn't want his child to be born in the streets where he was sure he was going to end up if he didn't do something fast.

Without thinking he rushed to the window and opened the door, immediately shivering when he stepped outside into the balcony trying to find him. He stayed there for a while hoping for Harry to come back and when he never did, Louis had no choice but to go back inside already freezing and hoping for him to come back. That night he went to bed trying to convince himself that he had made the right decision, doing it solely for his baby when he only wanted the best for him or her.

When Harry never showed up again and he couldn't find him in the streets no matter how hard he searched for him, Louis started losing hope and even more when he had gotten a cold after that night. He would lay in bed with a slight fever and unable to stop coughing no matter how many remedies Lucy would give him. Almost a week later when it was nearing the end of january was when he was finally strong enough to get out of bed and accompany Lucy to the market after insisting that he felt fine.

"Louis, are you sure you feel fine? You look a little pale." Lucy worriedly said, seeing him laying down on the bed with his hands on his belly and a worried look on his face.

"I– I think the baby's finally moving, i– it never did until now." Louis said, feeling the small flutters then smiled because at least his child was alive.

"And soon it will start kicking up a storm." Lucy fondly told him, helping him get up when Louis motioned for her to do so.

"It won't stop, must know something I don't." Louis chuckled, getting interrupted when he started coughing.

Lucy was quick to get him water and when Louis was fine again, she left him alone so he could change into clean clothes. He ate a quick breakfast that consisted of oatmeal and bread then together headed out to the market bundled up well enough to resist the cold weather. While there Louis couldn't help but keep an eye out for Harry, hoping to see him and tell him he had changed his mind. He had gotten a few clothes for his baby when he finally spotted him and without thinking, followed him trying to catch up to him when Harry only kept walking faster.

He slowed down when he saw him going into the same alley they had met last time knowing it was a dead end. The closer he got the more he had to stop to catch his breath after a coughing fit caused by the exertion of having walked too fast. He was just about to turn the corner when he heard grunting noises, making him furrow his brow and almost scared to get any closer.

He knew those noises were Harry's, and when he heard a woman moaning he felt his blood going cold. He called his name as he turned the corner, hoping to be wrong but froze on his spot when they came into view. There, with some random prostitute's legs wrapped around his waist, stood Harry looking right back at him with wide eyes.

It was clear they were doing nothing but kissing, and Harry was grinding against her. It still was enough to make his chest ache, even though they weren't together and he had rejected him the night before. He held on tighter onto his baby's clothes and turned around, wanting to get out of there but stopped when he started coughing again having to hold on to the wall.

He heard shuffling then Harry ushering her away, hearing the clinking of coins making him feel sick. He started walking away, hoping to lose him in the crowd. He felt the hot tears threatening to spill over as he wiped them away, hating himself for feeling the way he was feeling. He and Harry were nothing, they weren't together so he had no right to feel the anger and betrayal. He only walked faster when he heard his loud steps behind him as he followed him until he made it to the crowded plaza.

He ducked behind a stand, seeing him looking around for him, still looking a bit flushed and sweaty. His lips trembled when he realized that woman had seen Harry like that when he was the only one allowed to do so. She had made him feel good when he thought he was the only one that could do so. How wrong he had been, he wasn't the only one in Harry's life when Harry was the only one in his. The only man he had ever been with, not counting his dead ex husband when he had been forced in the most brutal ways. He had no right to feel that way, but he couldn't help it when Harry had been the only one to make him feel good at the same time he made sure he was cared for.

He waited until he was gone and once he was out of sight, he turned around and searched for Lucy until he found her. She was still picking goods when he did and after a while they went back home where he helped her put them away. He then helped her with dinner, wanting to learn how to cook, just wanting to get that image out of his head knowing he would never see him again. Later that night after dinner, was when he finally went up to his room to take a bath after he had insisted on getting it ready himself. It was no use when Lucy insisted, saying it could hurt the baby. Louis didn't argue after that.

He made sure to lock the door to the balcony before heading to the bathroom where he slowly got in the tub. He closed his eyes, putting a hand over his belly, feeling the small flutters once again making him smile and forget all about his problems even if it was only temporary. He opened them then lifted his head up when he heard the click of a door opening, thinking it was either Liam or Lucy but when it went quiet again, he went back to his old position and tried to relax.

After making sure he was and felt clean, he finally got out before the water could get cold and after he had started coughing again. He changed into his nightgown then made his way back to the bedroom yawning as he did so. He was rubbing small circles on the side of his belly where he could feel the tiny fluttering.

As soon as he stepped into his bedroom, he almost let out a scream when he saw him sitting there at the foot of the bed with the baby's clothes in his hands. Louis wanted to snatch them away, not wanting him to touch them with his dirty hands and did so as soon as Harry looked up at him. He was wearing new and expensive clothes as far as Louis could tell, and his hair was wet just like his own.

"How the hell did you get in here? Leave. Now." Louis glared at him, and when Harry said nothing, he walked up to the door and opened it waiting for him to leave.

"I'm not leaving. We need to talk." Harry said, not moving at all and seconds later lay down on the bed getting comfortable.

"No we don't. Now leave, I'm tired and I would like to go to bed." Louis opened the door wider, starting to shiver but he just wanted him gone.

"Louis, close the damn door and come to bed." Harry said in a tone that said it wasn't open for discussion and when Louis did nothing, he got up and yanked the door out of Louis' hold slamming it closed.

Louis started protesting as soon as Harry grabbed him by the arm and made him walk to the bed until he was sitting just where Harry had been sitting minutes before. He yanked his arm out of his hold and when Harry tried to get his hair out of his face, Louis slapped his hand away. He then crawled towards the middle of the bed laying down on his side and pulled the covers over himself to try and avoid Harry just wanting him gone.

"She meant nothing. I– It was just a way to relieve stress and you...you weren't making things easier." Harry hurried to explain and when Louis didn't acknowledge him at all, he moved to lay down next to him wrapping an arm around him, "It doesn't excuse it–"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, you're free to do whatever you want just like I am." Louis said, wanting to turn around and hide his face on his chest forever where he for some reason felt safe.

"Then why are you giving me the cold shoulder, kitten? You're the one who said no when I asked you to marry me, we could have been married by now." Harry tightened his grip around Louis when he started squirming, and it wasn't until he heard his sniffles that he realized he was crying.

He quickly sat up and climbed over him to be on his other side facing him, seeing how red his eyes already were with the light of the oil lamps illuminating the bedroom. Louis only cried harder feeling like a fool for believing that one day he could be happy when that wasn't the case. When he felt Harry's arms around him he finally hid his face on his warm chest taking in his scent, the scent he had grown used to in the little time he had spent with Harry. That's how he fell asleep, with a set of strong arms wrapped around him keeping him and his child from any harm until he woke up again in the middle of the night to find Harry still awake.

"I can feel our baby moving, they're not that strong but I felt them." Harry whispered as soon as he noticed Louis was awake. His breaths weren't even anymore and his heart was beating a little faster getting worried when Louis started coughing.

He set his left cheek on Louis' forehead, finding him a bit feverish and when Louis whimpered, he started getting worried. He kicked the covers away from them, hoping the cool air would help him, but when Louis started shivering he went into panic mode wanting to get up and get him a doctor but didn't want to leave him alone. He tried to reach for the glass and the water but all he managed to do was push the glass making it fall to the floor where it shattered, feeling Louis flinching at the loud sound.

"M'cold." Louis muttered, getting closer to Harry searching for the warmth he knew he could provide.

"Louis...love, you need a doctor." Harry said, then finally got up leaving Louis alone in the bed. Louis curled up into a ball as he made his way to the door not caring who would see him, he just needed to get the doctor for him.

He ran downstairs getting stopped by the man he knew as Liam, and not too far behind him was the same girl that had helped Zayn, holding two cups in her hands.

"What are you doing here?" Liam asked, taking a step forward while Harry held his ground.

"I don't have time for your questioning, Louis needs a doctor and I'm going to go get it for him. You should have taken him to see one!" Harry snapped, seeing the girl quickly putting the cups on a table before she ran upstairs to Louis while Liam took a step back then ran upstairs.

Harry ran as fast as he could to his horse where he had left him tied up in the stables, knowing no one would ever hear or find him there then rushed towards the palace not wanting to waste anytime. When he got there he left his horse with one of the stable boys then went to find the family doctor, unable to trust a random one when Louis' life and their child's could be in danger. He found him with Niall and Zayn, and upon seeing his face, both men along with the doctor knew something was up.

"Your royal highness," The doctor greeted him, "Is there something wrong?" He asked.

"I need you to come with me. I need you to see someone, he's ill and is pregnant." Harry rushed out, seeing him nodding then leaving the room to gather the necessary things.

"Louis is ill?" Niall asked as he furrowed his brow, seeing the state Harry was in. Too worried for his own good.

"Yes. Zayn, I need you to come with me and Niall please make sure to let the maids know I want three bedrooms ready now. Louis and his friends are coming here, I won't let him be away from me any longer...his due date is getting closer." Harry said, then walked away when he saw the doctor and Zayn following him.

When they got to the house, Harry walked in without knocking, taking the doctor to Louis' bedroom while Zayn followed. When they got there, he stayed outside guarding the door. It was his duty to provide a bit of safety for Louis and the future prince or princess. He looked up when he heard someone coming out of the room, seeing it was the same man that had sent them on their way back in Doncaster.

"He's the Duke of Cambridge, isn't he?" Liam asked, and when Zayn nodded he let out a loud frustrated sigh at the mess his best friend was in.

"He wants to marry Louis and bring that child into the world the proper way. That child will rule under his or her own right and to do so, Louis has to marry Harry before he gives birth." Zayn said, seeing the glares Liam was directing his way.

"He won't if he doesn't want to, I will not let your prince force him into something he doesn't want." Liam said, flinching when he heard the loud coughs coming from the room.

"Harry will not let his first or any of his children be born bastards, he'll be damned if he does. He only wants what's best for our future ruler." Zayn retorted, and when Liam said nothing both of them stayed quiet waiting for the rest to come out.

Thoughts? :)