Soon enough the day came and Emilie was going to give birth.
She was more than terrified but so was her husband, he worried day and night for his wife's health,
For example whenever Emilie had a grumpy face the designer would automatically ask if she wanted or needed anything.
Her answers were mostly "No I'm fine, don't worry." but there was one exception:
She insisted on Gabriel staying in the room whilst she gave birth. And the husband didn't mind much except that he was absolutely horrified even if he saw her in the slightest bit of pain, so obviously the designer wasn't looking forward to this.

"Gabriel, it will be fine."  Emilie whispered as she laid her hand on top of his and forced a tiny smile onto her face.
"No...no...why me? I mean seriously me? I'm such a loser!!! I'll pass out, oh god no...why not your mother? Or my mother? Or at least someone who knows a tiny bit about giving birth, NOT ME EMILIE NOT ME! I don't even know what's happening right now, are you okay? Any contractions or whatever the fuck they are called?"
"I'm okay." She laughed. "And yes I do have 'contractions or whatever the fuck they are called'."
"Hilarious. My cluelessness is just embarrassing at this point."
"It isn't, you're very much entertaining me which sort of numbs the pain...b-but I-I can tell you t-that the c-contractions are c-closer t-together..."
"So...that means..."

The young woman smirked before giving her husband's hand a little squeeze and with that he immediately knew what she was trying to communicate.

"Oh okay fuck woah Emilie wait no I'm not ready for this, do you need a doctor? Obviously you do! I'm stupid, I'll go get you one stay there! I mean you can't even move so-...sorry my love."
And with that Gabriel rushed to call someone who could help because clearly his wife needed A LOT of help.

"You there!!!! Room 32!!! My wife she-she needs a doctor!" The designer shouted to which a bunch of doctors and nurses looked up at him and after a moment of dead silence they followed him back. (I mean sprinted back to the room as if they were running for their lives)

"Em?" The quiet young man exclaimed in fear as he saw his wife who was clearly in a lot of pain. "Are you okay?...Dumb question sorry...please don't die!" Gabriel begged since he had no clue what to do so he could only watch what the doctors did. And everything looked utterly painful. So for the most part the designer was looking at the floor trying to hold back his tears as he heard his wife yell, scream, and shout at him.

"She's fine, you're fine, everything is fine! Gabriel stop thinking you idiot!" He mumbled to himself throughout the whole birth but somehow after repeating this sentence for the 345th time Emilie also had enough of it.
"Shut up! Oh my fucking lord Gabriel! Instead come here!"
"I-...are you sure my love?"
"It's best if you do what she tells you to." A nurse suggested as she saw the clueless man's worried expression which was in a lot of doubt and fear.
"Exactly!" Another nurse reassured, so with that Gabriel slowly walked over to his wife's hospital bed.

"Emil-"
"Gabriel!" She spat cutting him off and not allowing her husband to speak at all "you fucking-...oh you bastard!"

The young man went speechless from 'that'.
What was he supposed to say anyway?!
No one knew.

"Don't worry she's not actually mad." The kind nurse said again "she's just in a lot of pain and blaming it on you...which is fair I'd say."
"R-right...so what do I do??"
"Nothing, just agree with whatever insult comes out of her mouth and tell her she's doing good. The baby should be out soon!"
"G-great...Emilie my love you're-...doing great I assume? I mean hopefully."

~
~
"She was doing great..." Gabriel smiled as his mind continued to linger on these past memories which unintentionally made him happy "...she was doing so well."
~
~

"There, there, there, your lovely little daughter." Said one of the doctors holding the newborn, and everyone immediately smiled, well everyone except the actual mother who took one look at the little baby and mumbled.
"Fucking bastard ripping me open."

Everyone gasped.

"My love that was a bit disturbing." Gabriel whispered before turning towards the doctor who handed him his beautiful new born daughter. And now the designer smiled with happy tears in his eyes as he saw the tiny baby in his arms. She look so precious and fragile that he even feared to move the slightest bit. So instead the young man stayed exactly where he was and looked over to his wife "She looks-"
"Oh I swear to fucking god if you tell me I look like 'that thing' I'll divorce you without hesitation."
"Emilie! Don't call her 'that thing'! Plus she looks wonderful, just like you."
Gabriel smiled as he leaned closer to the blond woman and handed the baby to her.

It took Em some time to like what she was seeing but after a minute or two she did feel a weird sort of feeling which made her unable to let go of the child.
And now whenever anyone would ask told hold the baby she vigorously shook her head.

~

The grey haired man sniffed as he remembered all of the good memories which were not often talked about. And Nathalie as well got emotional by the end of the story.
Just like her boss she also had a few tears hanging there in her eyes which would fall any second. And they indeed did once she blinked.
"That sounds wonderful...b-but if you don't mind me asking...what happened to-...Alice?"

Gabriel sighed taking a deep breath and also rubbing his teary eyes.
"Well..." He whispered slowly looking away from Nathalie and into the other direction "she disappeared, and I know it sounds foolish but I was and still am convinced that since our parents didn't like her they took Alice away just so that Emilie would be pressured once again and she'd feel worthless without a baby causing us to~"

~

"Gabriel! Look at me!"
"No Emilie! NO! I will not do this again! I don't want a second child!" The designer yelled before slamming his fist down onto the table.
"But...fine...then we don't need to have a kid...just at least show a bit of interest in me!"
"I would if this wasn't all playing out to get you pregnant!"
"It is not!"
"IT IS! I know it is!"

The whole room went silent, and now the husband and wife stared at each other embarrassed.

"Okay...maybe it is...but you haven't even looked at me for days! Am I worthless now?!"
"You're not worthless, I'm just scared. And I don't want to repeat the past....you having to carry a baby and then suffer with giving birth, that whole stuff is so complicated."
"Well not for you!"
"BUT DO YOU THINK I ENJOY WATCHING YOU SUFFER!?!" Gabriel yelled making Emilie take multiple steps back and shut up for a little while.
She thought of what she was going to say next but before the blond woman could've reacted her husband had already pulled her into a warm embrace. "I love you Emilie, and I would never mean to make you upset, but I think we're better off with no children."
"But-..."
She wanted that son. The perfect baby boy everyone would cherish.
And unfortunately enough for Gabriel she got what she wanted.

~

"Oh...I'm so sorry...I didn't know this." Nathalie apologized as she now watched her boss get up from the bed and walk over to the balcony, there he glanced down to the garden where Emilie's statue glowed in the moonlight.

"It's alright, not many people know...I just hope you won't judge me after this."
"Judge you? For what? You did nothing wrong."
"Well...maybe...but I still blame myself for everything." The designer spat aggressively and now his grip got tighter around the railing to the point where the little metal details on it deformed a bit. "I could've done better and found who or what took Alice but no!...I was dumb and instead I just left that in the past.
Now I may or may not have a daughter lost somewhere in the whole wide word without even knowing that her actual father has been thinking about her for 22 years."

"It's never too late to search for her."
Nathalie suggested with a smile as she walked over to her superior and laid an arms on his shoulder.
"Yes but...would she want to see me, or would she even remember me? Probably not..."
"I'm sure you could explain everything that happened and she'd understand."
"Would she? Would she understand why my family only wanted a son? Would she understand why I let her go so easily? Would she understand that I'm the most wanted villain in Paris?!"
"...maybe leave the last fact out...I don't think anyone needs to know that." The young woman smiled as she without a warning wrapped her arms around Gabriel and snuggled her face into his chest "...by the way...can we please go inside, I'm freezing."
"Yes of course." He smiled whilst picking up the assistant and carefully taking her back to bed. "...you know...you remind me of Emilie a bit."
"Pardon?"
"I mean the way you feel-NOT IN A WEIRD WAY! I-it's just both of you are...well...quite small...but that's not bad, it's easier to hold you then."
"Oh...tell me more." She smirked after the designer placed her down onto the soft cushions whilst he himself laid next to her, but Nathalie didn't like space between them so she fixed it by making it disappear.
"N-Nathalie w-what are y-you d-doing?"
Gabriel asked worried as his assistant now was on top of him, looking down at the grey haired man as if he was her prey.
"I'm listening."
"I-oh well alright then...y-you're both very quiet and shy. Maybe even a bit antisocial...and...and I must admit if I'd close my eyes right now I could probably imagine her very clearly."
"Wanna try?"
"Wha-what no! That'd be wrong on so many levels!!"
"But don't you miss her?...Think about the stories you've told...you have definitely earned to be with her, and it's fine, I wouldn't mind you pretending to feel me as another person. As long as you're happy."

The young woman smiled as she now felt her superior's hands pull her close, and she without hesitation kissed him.
Of course this took Gabriel by shock since Emilie would've never done something like this but the designer didn't mind, in fact he realized that he very much enjoyed this. So before he could've held himself back the grey haired man reached up Nathalie's shirt which caused her to pull back for a second.

"My love? Did I mess up!" The designer asked without even noticing that he called her a sweet nickname that caused Nathalie to blush like never before.
She couldn't even reply for a second as the name 'my love' took her by complete surprise.
It was really cute but coming from him sounded utterly attractive, and hot, so without a warning the assistant kissed him again.
"P-please continue whatever you were doing before...darling. I enjoyed it very much." Said the young woman as she teasingly bit her bottom lip which tempted the designer even more.
Now he simply couldn't wait to touch her again, that wonderful delicate skin she had and her perfectly rosy lips which tasted sweeter than honey.

To be continued-