Against the Odds

A/N: Here’s the second part of the chapter I promised you! I really hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! :)

***********

The rest of their time at the Emerson’s was spent much the same as their first day; in a state of relaxation and ease. The house was full of laughter and fun for the three days they were there but before they knew it, their escape from London for Christmas had come to a close and they were headed back into London.

But the holidays weren’t quite over yet.

Though Alex and Harry had spent the previous New Year’s Eve at a low key celebration at Matt and Charlotte’s townhome, this year the decision was made to go out; to live it up, to enjoy ringing the New Year in in style.

Eugenie’s boyfriend Jack was managing a new club in Mayfair and Eugenie had invited them all, Matt and Charlotte included, to be VIP guests at the New Year’s party the club was throwing that year. Though Harry had worried that maybe it was too much, too soon for his wife, Alex jumped at the chance. She was ready to be out, to let loose with their friends, to drink wildly expensive champagne while wearing a somewhat wildly expensive dress, and most of all, to kiss her husband at midnight surrounded by falling confetti and glitter with Auld Lang Syne playing around them.

Alex very nearly glowed that night as she got ready, slipping into the black Stella McCartney dress that she’d bought while shopping with Charlotte the day before. She’d pinned her hair up, done her makeup a bit darker than usual, and as she slipped on the final piece of her ensemble - a pair of beautiful diamond earrings Harry had given her for her birthday - she knew she looked amazing. A fact that was confirmed for her when her husband laid eyes on her as she stepped from the big walk in closet of their temporary apartments at Clarence House.

“Oh. Holy. Shit.” Harry’s lips parted and his eyes widened as they moved down her body.

Alex’s lips pulled into a smug smile. “Oh yeah?”

“Jesus,” Harry shook his head. “I think...I think I’ve changed my mind.”

She blinked, momentarily confused. “Changed your mind?”

“I don’t want to go out,” he said in a low voice, his hands moving to her waist.

Alex smirked. “I suppose you want to peel me out of this dress instead?”

He nodded slowly and his hands rounded her waist, pulling her up close against him. “Absolutely. And then bend you over the dresser and take you while you’re wearing just those earrings and those sky high heels you have on.”

Alex’s cheeks flushed with heat at his words. “Well...I can’t say that I’m opposed to that idea…”

Harry grinned. “Yeah?”

Alex leaned into him as her arms snaked up around his neck. “Well, I rather enjoyed when you did that very thing on when we were on that yacht for New Year’s Eve two years ago.”

“Oh Jesus,” Harry groaned, shaking his head as the memory washed over him. “Now I’m going to be thinking about that all night.”

She giggled and then leaned up on her toes to kiss him softly. “Good. You’ll be nice and worked up when we get home.”

“Alex…” he groaned again.

“Come on, Captain Wales,” she laughed, kissing him again before pulling back and stepping from his arms. “Let’s go tell our daughter good-bye and then go meet our friends. I’m ready to drink too much champagne and have a damn good time.”

“Fine,” Harry sighed as he turned and reached for his suit coat from over the back of a chair, though he was still smiling. He slid the coat on and adjusted his shoulders in it. Befitting the occasion, he wasn’t wearing a tie and the neck of his white button down was undone down to the second button and he looked so incredibly sexy that Alex stalled for half a second, nearly changing her mind and asking him to bend her over the dresser right that moment. But with a deep breath in, she held firm and grabbed her clutch and they stepped from their room, headed down the hall to say goodnight to Emma, who would be happily staying the night with Camilla and Charles.

It looked like Harry wouldn’t be the only one worked up by the end of the evening.

**************

The paps were waiting out front, clued in to the presence of the young royals by Eugenie, Beatrice, and Dave’s arrival shortly before Alex and Harry’s.

“You okay with this?” Harry turned to Alex, taking her hand as he checked with her one more time before they exited the vehicle.

“I can handle the paps,” Alex laughed with a slight roll of her eyes. “Come on, Sussex. Take me inside.”

Jack’s club was everything Alex had been imagining when she jumped at the chance to go out for New Year’s Eve. Situated on the top floor of a building in the heart of Mayfair, it was large and modern, offering a bar the spanned one entire wall, a dance floor, an array of private tables surrounded by low couches, and best of all, floor to ceiling windows that offered stunning views of London.

It reminded her of her early days with Harry, when they would go out with their friends and his cousins, when they would drink a little too much and dance and laugh with everyone late into the night. She wasn’t sure they’d actually been out like this since their engagement. Between wedding planning and then all that had occurred after the wedding, it wasn’t something that had been a priority.

But they were out tonight; with lively spirits and ready to dive into some fun.

There was already an open bottle of champagne on their table when they arrived and Beatrice, after hugging and kissing both Alex and Harry hello, wasted no time in pouring Alex a glass while Jack pulled a beer from a bucket for Harry. They had barely had time to greet everyone else before there were two more arrivals to their party, Ben and Mia.

“Doctor Ben!” Alex grinned, leaning in to kiss his cheeks after hugging Mia hello. “I’m so glad you came.”

“You’re still insisting on calling me Doctor Ben?” he chuckled before accepting a beer from Harry.

Alex laughed. “I’m sorry. Does it bother you?”

“Nah,” he shook his head and gave her an easy smile. “I’m just grateful that you and your husband still speak to me after the torture I’ve put him through over the last six months.”

“Ha!” Alex laughed again and nodded. “He was fairly convinced that you were trying to kill him slowly there at the beginning. But you know, now that he has the full use of his leg he’s pretty grateful. Plus, he rather enjoys talking shit to you about the fact that you’re former RAF.”

“Oh, please don’t get them started on the armed forces showdown,” Mia groaned, shooting Ben with a playfully narrowed gaze. “They’ll be trying to out insult each other the entire night.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing, love,” Ben teased, putting an arm around Mia and grinning down at her.

Mia just rolled her eyes and giggled before turning back to Alex. “Where’s Matt and Charlotte? I thought they were coming.”

“We’re here!” Charlotte called with impeccable timing as she and arrived hand in hand with Matt. “Sorry we’re running a bit late.”

“I feel like we apologize for being late way more often now that we have a kid, ”Matt chuckled with a shrug and once more, the group was pulled into a round of greetings.

***********

Four glasses of champagne later and forty minutes away from midnight, Alex and Harry were definitely having the amazing time they’d set out to have. Even though the club seemed to be at max capacity and everyone knew that there were definitely some cell phone photos snapped of the table of young royals and their friends, it wasn’t anything that any of them were going to put a damper on the celebratory feel that surrounded them.

“See, I told you that once they got started on insulting each other’s respective branches of the military, that they wouldn’t stop,” Mia groaned, motioning towards the group of men standing across from where they sat in their private area, engaged in lively banter.

“Matt has never even been in the military and he’s in on it,” Charlotte snickered, watching her husband’s head tip back in laughter at whatever was being said in the group of guys.

“I really love that Harry’s found such a good friend in Dr. Ben,” Alex said.

“Dr. Ben,” Charlotte snickered and then took a sip of her champagne. “Tell me, Mia...do you play ‘doctor’ with Dr. Ben?”

Mia nearly choked on her champagne. “Jesus, Charlotte. I am not answering that.”

“Come on!” Charlotte protested, reaching out and pushing lightly at Mia’s shoulder.

“No way,” Mia shook her head.

“Fine,” Charlotte pouted. “At least...tell us this. Is it good?”

Mia giggled and relented with a roll of her eyes. “I mean, of course it is. Look at him.”

“Fantastic,” Charlotte grinned and nodded, pleased to have extracted information. “Congratulations on the great sex, Mia.”

“Ha!” Alex nearly fell backwards with her laughter. “Well, I think it’s fair to say that’s Charlotte’s toasted.”

“Oh fucking bite me,” Charlotte shrugged. “Like you never wondered.”

Alex laughed. “Come on. I…”

“Want to know what I wonder, Alex?” Charlotte interrupted, her lips curling up and her eyes dancing mischievously. “When are you going to give Cooper a cousin?”

Alex let out a snort of laughter as Mia turned surprised eyes to Charlotte.

“Cooper already has a cousin,” Alex countered. “Emma. Remember her?”

“Oh you know what I mean,” Charlotte waved a hand in the air. “But fine. Play it that way.” She smirked and then turned towards the group of men containing the very men they had been talking about. She cupped her hands over her mouth, allowing her voice to travel farther when she yelled out, “Wales! WALES! SUSSEX!” He turned towards them, visibly chuckling at a drunk Charlotte waving him over. “Wales!” she sang out as he moved in closer, his eyebrows lifted in curiosity. “Tell me. When are you going to knock up your wife?”

Harry’s eyebrows shot up and a choked sort of laugh fell from his lips. His gaze moved to his wife; her cheeks were flushed pink but she met his gaze head on, sipping on her champagne, even as her lips curled up at the side. He chuckled, shook his head, and cleared his throat as he turned back to Charlotte. “Well...I suppose I’ve got some time right now.”

“Nice,” Charlotte grinned. She lifted her glass to him and he clinked his beer to it, more than amused. She took another sip of her champagne and then stood from the couch. “And now that I’ve sufficiently embarrassed everyone...I’m going to make my exit. Come on Mia,” she reached down for Mia’s hand and tugged. “I brought up babies so he’s going to want to try and feel her up now.”

“Oh my God, Charlotte!” Alex squeaked and shook her head, feeling her cheeks getting even warmer as she watched her friends move away and Harry moved in next to her.

“Yeah, she’s tanked,” he grinned and leaned in so his lips were close to her ear and he didn’t have to talk loudly over the music. “And also right. I do want to try and feel you up.”

“To be fair, you’ve been wanting to do that all night,” Alex’s lips twisted up as she turned her eyes to his. “Even before she brought up babies.”

“True. But you know that only makes it worse.”

“Mhmm…” Alex sighed and bit her lip as she looked up at him. “You weren’t kidding were you? You would do it right now if I asked, wouldn’t you?”

“What? Knock you up?”

“Yes.”

“Alexandra,” Harry chuckled and moved his hand to her hip, sliding her closer to him on the couch. “If you asked me right now, we’d be home and making a baby before the clock struck midnight.”

“That’s in like, twenty minutes,” Alex teased.

Harry lifted his eyebrows in a playful challenge. “And?”

“Harry…”

“Do you want me to?” He asked, his voice dropping lower and the noise of the room seeming to die out around them. “Right now?”

“Should I even test you to see if you’re kidding?” Alex teased, even as she tried to calm the way her heart raced at the thought; at the idea.

“You know that I’m not,” Harry chuckled as he moved his hands up her arms, over her shoulders and up her neck before cupping her jaw with soft fingers. “But you also know as well as I do that we’re not leaving right now.”

Alex smiled softly up at him, loving how sweet and understanding and wonderful he was with her. “It’s about to be a new year. We always planned on trying this coming year. And we will. I promise, Harry. Just...not quite at this moment.”

Harry smiled in return and then and bent to kiss her softly, slowly. “Whenever you’re ready love. You know that.”

“Hey! Knock that off! It’s not midnight yet!” a voice called out, making them aware once again that there were other people around, that the club was noisy and a little rowdy, and approaching midnight very, very fast. Harry and Alex both turned to find Charlotte grinning at them and Matt standing behind her, trying his best not to laugh at the antics of his wife.

“Charlotte, I mean this from the bottom of my heart when I say this,” Harry called back as he stood from the couch and pulled Alex up with him. “But that was entirely your fault so you can kindly bite me.”

"No thanks," she retorted. "I'm married."

**********

Upon re-joining their group of friends, the focus had shifted to the countdown to midnight that was fast approaching. Sparkly plastic hats and feathery headbands with 2016 written across them in black and silver glitter were passed out among them and glasses of very expensive, very delicious champagne were poured to toast with as the clock struck twelve.

“Tell me love,” Harry murmured into her ear as they approached the one minute mark. “What is your New Year’s resolution?”

“Not telling yet,” Alex’s lips curled up at the sides.

“What? Why?” Harry laughed. “It’s not like when you make a wish on your birthday candles. and you can’t tell anyone or it won’t come true.”

“Fine then,” Alex teased. “What’s yours?”

“That’s easy,” he shrugged. “To make you happy.”

She felt her heart thump with his words and she opened her mouth to respond, to tell him exactly how happy he already made her. But her words stopped before they even began as the DJ broke into the music, announcing that they were just twenty seconds away. An excited murmur went through the crowd and couples began pairing off, ready to welcome in 2016 with a kiss.

“Now, I told you mine, so tell me yours,” Harry prodded, making her laugh as he returned to the topic of resolutions.

“Nope,” Alex grinned but shook her head as he pulled her to him, his arms moving around her waist.

“Now that’s not fair.”

Alex shrugged, playfully avoiding the question as the countdown suddenly began around them.

“Ten!”

“Come on...tell me…”

“Nine!”

“So impatient, Sussex.”

“Eight!”

His arms tightened around her and his lips dipped closer to hers and Alex swore she nearly forgot how to breath. “Will you tell me after midnight? After I’ve kissed you senseless?”

“Seven!”

“Maybe…” she breathed, her eyes dancing as she teased him.

“Six!”

“Alex...you’re killing me love.”

“Five!”

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You love it.”

“Four!”

His gaze dropped to her full pink lips. “Any chance you’ll let me kiss you early?”

“Three!”

Alex grinned. “Yes.”

“Two!”

Victory flashed in his eyes for only a moment before he pulled her tight against him, lifted her up so her feet left the floor, and took her mouth with his.

“One!”

She moaned against his lips and then, she was kissing him back with everything she had.

“Happy New Year!”

And in that moment, Alex couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so happy. She couldn’t remember the last time that she felt so easy and relaxed and carefree. Christmas had been wonderful with Harry’s family and hers, but this moment, getting back to this place with Harry where they hadn’t been for so long. Where they were just...happy. Where their life together wasn’t dictated by accidents, sadness, recovery or anything other than the absolute love and devotion that they both had to each other and to their beautiful daughter. There was absolutely nothing holding them back from anything they wanted. She felt it in her heart, her soul, and most of all, she felt it in the way that Harry was kissing her, the way they were welcoming in the new year wrapped up in each other.

“Happy New Year, my love,” Harry murmured as he reluctantly pulled his lips from hers, though he didn’t relax his hold on her, keeping her close and tight to him as her eyes opened to his.

“I love you so much, Harry,” she smiled wide and her heart leapt in her chest and before he could respond, she rushed ahead, unable to help herself. “My resolution...it’s not so much of a resolution as…I'm ready, Harry.”

The smile remained on his face even as his brows lifted with his confusion. “Ready?”

She nodded, lifted big, hopeful blue eyes to his, and said the words that leveled the room around him. “I want to make a baby with you. Right now.”

Harry’s entire body jolted to a halt. His heart stalled in his chest and his eyes flashed wide and his lips parted and his hands involuntarily tightened on her. “I...you want to...but…” He let out a shaky laugh and tried to pull it together, to remember how exactly he was supposed to form a sentence. “Darling, you said earlier...

“I said I wanted to wait until the new year,” she interrupted as she slid her hands to his cheeks, holding him as close to her as she could in that moment. “It's the new year, isn't it?”

“I...Jesus, Alex,” he shook his head, but he was already feeling his body start to come alive again. He could feel his heart racing and his blood pumping through his veins at the thought, at the idea, almost unable to believe she was handing him this dream of his. “Are you messing with me? Do you really want to…”

“Honestly Sussex,” Alex giggled. “After all the talk earlier, I really thought you'd have me out the door by now…”

“Alex…” His voice tipped serious and his eyes searched hers, putting all the teasing and joking to the side for the moment. He brushed a piece of confetti from her hair and then laid his hand gently on her cheek. “Alexandra...you really want this?”

She blinked at the rush of emotion that came with his words, the lump that rose in her throat. “More than anything.”

The words had barely left her mouth before he was kissing her again. His arms were wrapping tightly around her and his tongue was pushing into her mouth and Alex honestly wasn’t sure that he hadn’t forgotten where they were and wasn’t going to try and drag her down to the couch and try to make a baby right then and there.

“God. I love you,” he said fiercely, pulling back to say the words and then pressing one more kiss to her lips.

They were forced to pull apart to accept New Year’s wishes from their friends, to accept hugs and kisses and toast with a glass of champagne with everyone. But neither of them could think about anything but each other and the monumental decision they had just made. Neither of them could contemplate much else beside the overwhelming and primal urge that it seemed they had held at bay for so long and then finally let wash over them.

It took just a little over twenty minutes for Harry to find the chance for them to slip unnoticed away from their group. But once he did, he was a man on a mission, taking his wife’s hand and guiding them from their private area and out the backdoor of the club to the waiting Range Rover.

But they still weren’t alone. There were of course, two protection officers in the vehicle with them, but thankfully the drive back to their temporary apartments at Clarence House was short - only about five minutes. Though he was unable to talk to her, to tell her the way his heart was beating fast and furious in his chest, to convey the complexity of the emotions he was feeling right in that moment, he kept her hand held in his and expressed it the only way he could in that moment. His thumb swiped back in forth of over the back of her hand, he dropped soft kisses on her knuckles, and shared soft, knowing looks with her that only made him want her more - if that were even possible.

As soon as the car pulled through the gates and pulled to a halt in front of the entrance that would take them up to their apartment, Harry was opening the door and pulling Alex from the car with him. They bid their P.O.s a goodnight and then stepped inside through their door. Harry shut the door softly, locked it behind them, and then with a breath full of anticipation, he turned his eyes to his wife. His gaze met hers across the soft light of the foyer and then he was moving to her, wanting nothing more in that moment than to resume the connection with her, not being able to stand not to be touching her.

“I am so blown away by you,” he murmured, his hands sliding along her jaw and tilting her face up to his. “You have no idea how…” His voice wavered and he shook his head, though he couldn’t help but smile as he watched her smile up at him. “After all that you’ve given me, after all that you’ve brought to my life, after everything that you’ve been through…”

Her breath hitched and she blinked at the tears that rose unexpectedly. “Harry…”

“After all of that...after everything…” he continued, stepping closer to her and pulling her lips to his. She moaned against his lips and leaned into him, his words only increasing the incredibly desire she had for him. “I love you, Alexandra. And I want this with you right now more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life.”

She was up in his arms before she could even take a breath, before she could even think of responding to the words that made her want to cry. He groaned as her legs moved around him and her arms wound around his neck, holding on tightly as he moved them down to their bedroom.

As much as he’d thought that he’d be rushed and desperate for her when this time finally came, as he set her on her feet in their room, he found that in no way did he want to rush this moment. He was slow and sweet as he bent and undid the straps on her shoes and pulled them from her feet, tossing them to the side. He was soft and reverent as he found the zipper of her dress and pulled it slowly down her back. He wanted to savor every single second of it. Maybe it was mushy. Maybe it was overly sentimental. But really, when it came right down to it, he didn’t care. Though the practical part of him knew and understood that this was just a start, that making love that night didn’t necessarily mean she was going to get pregnant, the emotional part of him knew that it was one of the biggest decisions of their lives to start trying to have a baby, and he wanted to pay it all of the attention that it deserved.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t groan with lust when his lips when her dress fell to her hips and then to floor and the black, lacy bra and panties she’d worn underneath was revealed to him. It didn’t meant that when she pushed his jacket off his shoulders and to the floor and start to unbutton his shirt, that his blood didn’t pool south and make him throb with want. And it didn’t mean that when she pushed his pants down and left him standing in his boxers that he didn’t want to be inside of her so badly that he could barely stand it.

He stepped out of the pile of clothes at his feet and pulled her into his arms and towards their big, comfortable bed. He laid her back on it and moved in above her, his heart pounding as his lips and his hands moved to her.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice husky and heavy as he unhooked and pulled off her bra with soft hands.

“Harry…” Her breath came out in a rush as he lowered his lips to the swell of her chest, moving lower until he pulled a taut nipple into his mouth. Her body arched out against his. “Please…”

But he wasn’t to be deterred. He needed to love her more, to give her more, even though he knew that he could never equal what she was prepared to give to him. She moaned and gasped and said his name in whispered pleas as he seemed to cover every inch of her skin with his lips. Her fingers entwined in his hair as his mouth descended lower and lower. By the he pulled her panties off and then began to stroke his tongue against her most intimate of places, Alex was so worked up that it took her nearly no time at to come undone against his mouth.

And that was his kryptonite. Feeling and tasting her as she came apart for him urged him on, finally broke down his will to hold on until he felt he had given her enough to pay respect to what she was giving him.

He rose above her and his lips covered hers as he pushed down his boxers. For the first time in months, he didn’t have to stop and reach for a condom for the drawer and they would be both be lying if they said that the thought of that didn’t turn both of them on even more.

And then before she could beg him to take her, before she could tell him once more just how much she wanted this with him, he was moving between her legs and pushing himself inside of her, one long, slow, deep stroke that sent a tremor through her and nearly ended Harry before he began.

“God, Alex…I...” he groaned as he opened his eyes and found hers, the moment passing hot and heavy between them. His forehead pressed to hers and he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

“Harry...” she murmured as she wound her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him closer and deeper and making him moan. “If you want me to give you a baby...you’re going to have to move.”

He blinked in surprise at her words, his shoulders began to shake with laughter, and then right there in that moment, he fell in love with her all over again. And then, because she was absolutely right, he began to move.

He stayed close and tight to her, his forehead against hers, their chests pressed together, their gazes holding each other as he moved above her. He moved in long, slow strokes and pressed so deep that she swore she could feel him right in her soul.

It wasn’t long before she felt the burn start in her belly, that delicious tingle that told her that she was close. The look in her husband’s deep blue eyes, so close to hers, told her that he was right behind her, that it wouldn’t be long for him either. And for some entirely emotional and sentimental reason, the thought made her want to cry, made tears rise right in her eyes.

“Oh love,” Harry whispered, leaning down to kiss her softly as he pressed even deeper, as he worked even harder to bring them both to an end. “I know...I want it too. So badly, Alexandra.”

She whimpered and then her breath hitched and then her second orgasm hit her like a tidal wave. It surprised her with it’s intensity and she cried out into the room and it pulled Harry right over the edge with her. With a primal groan, his head dropped into her neck and he lost everything he had inside of her.

Harry was the first to stir, taking a deep breath and then turning his head slightly to press a kiss into the damp skin of her neck.

“Happy New Year, love,” he whispered, kissing her again.

She let out a soft, happy sigh and tightened her arms around him, not willing to let him go quite yet. “Oh Harry, I really, really hope so.”