He walks over to her as she looks up at him with sad eyes. He reaches up to her face as he hands cuff her face. He could see she was conflicted, determination in her eyes but he watch her give in. Placing her hand over his as she enjoys his warmth.

He pulls her close, resting his forehead on hers. He smiles small as happiness fills him. After all this time of trying to forget all about her, she was in front of him. Missing him just as he was missing her. He looks at her, he notices the ring on her finger causing his heart to tug.

"I miss you so much." He tells her in a hushed tone.

If he wasn't touching her right now, he wouldn't believe his eyes. Mercedes look up at him. She bite her bottom lip, the ones he so badly wanted to taste. Not being able to in three months was unbearable.

"I'm so fucking sorry dekta. I didn't mean to make you cry or hurt you. I'm a fucking idiot and I don't deserve you-"

He was caught off by her lips. He kiss her deeply as if this was their last time together. He cherishes the taste, kissing her so passionately but slowly. Tilting his head, their tongues greet one another. Their kiss was long as if they never wanted to pull away from one another. A knot feeling forms in Alexei's stomach. Her hands drop to his arm before softly pulling away.

"I forgive you, Alexei." She tells him.

Alexei looks down at her. Gripping her chin a pout forms on her lips. There was something off about her and he can tell. He tilts his head to the side as her eyes meet his. Hearing footsteps, he looks to see Damien holding a napkin to his nose with Natasha behind him.

"What's going on?" Alexei asks them.

The two begin to stutter, unaware of how to answer him. As they begin to speak over one another saying nonsense, Mercedes speak up.

"I'm pregnant." She says.

Alexei snaps his head to her before looking down at her stomach. He drops his hands from her face as he hesitates to touch her shirt. Slowly as he takes in a deep breath, he pulls it up. He look at her stomach and while it was small, it was certainly not flat as her stomach usually is.

He notices her stomach poking out forming a shape. He takes a step back, removing his hands from his shirt. Mercedes licked the bottom of her lips as Alexei begins to look pale.

"Fuck, he's going-"

Before Damien can finish his sentence Alexei faints. Falling onto the floor as Mercedes gasped loudly. Natasha facepalms as Damien rolls his eyes.

❍

Alexei retched into the toilet as Damien just leans on the doorframe scrunching up his nose. After waking up and the three trying to explain to him, he automatically felt sick to his stomach.

Kids.

Babies.

Raising them. Taking care of them. Parenting them. It was all too much. The thought of changing a diaper caused him to rush to the bathroom. He couldn't believe his ears. Him being a parent.

"Alexei, this is just embarrassing. It's not like she has twins. Well, it could be a possibility-"

Alexei throws up even more causing Natasha to take Mercedes's hands to walk them out of the room. Alexei flush the toilet as he sit down on his bum, he was freaking out more than ever. So many thoughts, so much anxiety.

He leans his head back as he runs his fingers through his hair.

"She can't be pregnant. I pulled out every time."

"She's not on birth control?" Damien asks him as if it was weird to even ask.

"She was a virgin."

"How many times did you two, you know?" He asks hinting at Alexei.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know? I lost count after the fourth time."

"Fourth time? Fucking hell, Alexei. You're like a horny dog." Damien cursed as Alexei's eyes widen.

"My father can not know about this shit. Do you understand me, Damien?" Alexei says pointing at him.

"Yeah yeah, listen we only bought her here because some guys were following her. I didn't like that so I thought it would be safer with her here. And she didn't want you to know."

"She didn't want me to know! She's fucking pregnant with my child and... fuck." He quickly rushes out before hovering over the toilet again.

"Alexei, you honestly need to get your shit together."

❍

Alexei sits on the other side of the bed as his eyes struggle to look at Mercedes. She sits across from him, crisscrossing her legs. The awkward tension fills the room as he clears his throat. Mercedes looked up from her fingers to him.

"When did you find out about... it?" Alexei asks unsure of how to even asks her.

Mercedes bites her bottom lip before pulling it out. She sighs quietly. "A few days ago. I have irregular periods so I didn't think much of it until I had cravings and I notice my stomach and then I took three pregnancy tests. All came out positive. And I went to the doctors-"

"Are you going to keep it?" Alexei asks her.

Mercedes scoff quietly. "I'm practically three months pregnant Alexei. She or he already has a heartbeat." She tells him.

"Three months Mercedes? How did you not know?"

"They said it was called denial pregnancy. It's really common apparently." She says as tears forms in her eyes.

Alexei sighs quietly as he places his hand on her leg.

"I'm sorry, it's just... I don't have good relationships with kids." He tells her.

"I... I know you do bad things, Alexei. And I just don't want anything to happen to me or the baby-"

"No one is going to touch you or our child. You can stay here or with me but I suppose you would like to go home to your grandmother soon." Alexei guesses as he let out a big breath.

"She thinks I'm out on vacation for a month. Are you going to come to visit?"

"Mercedes, I'm never leaving your side. I'll go back with you." He promises her.