carmen-dodger

[carmen-dodger]

[carmen-dodger]

At first I saw that the main blog hadn't been updated for a year than of curiosity I clicked your page, the fact that you guys have kept writing is such a testament to these great characters. I was a part of this rp a long time ago, I'll give you a hint my character was a Lou-ser. I visited out of curiosity and I am glad I did, you're awesome!

Thank you so much! That means a lot. We’ve definitely tried our best to keep our characters going. This is home for us.

[carmen-dodger]

I think you’ve always had that glowy thing. {Tyler grinned back at her.} How’re you feeling?

I’m feeling good. {She told him with a smile, squeezing his arm.} The morning sickness hasn’t subsided for me even though I’m in the homestretch, but Hailey says that sometimes it stays for the whole time for some women. {She shrugged a bit.}

But how are you? I don’t see much of you these days. I miss you. 

I’m a planet

[carmen-dodger]

One of the hotter planets, the hottest tiny human-carrying planet. You’ve got a Dodger in there, babe, our ego has to fit somewhere. { he kisses her and laughs } Please don’t hit me, you’re stunnin’.

I couldn’t be a happier planet, baby. {She said with a laugh, pulling his face towards her’s for a long kiss.} Or a more excited one.

I’m a planet

[carmen-dodger]

Well, I think you look beautiful, Carm.

{Carmen jokingly flipped her hair.} Why thank you. Am I doing that pregnancy glow thing? {She asked, rolling her eyes.}

I’m a planet

[carmen-dodger]

I’m a planet

It’s official

[carmen-dodger]

Holly...?

Good morning, Tulsa.

[carmen-dodger]

[carmen-dodger]

Rodney and Carmen Dodger, 7 months pregnant.

[carmen-dodger]

Listening to her ramble was one of his favorite sounds in the world, he followed her towards a little test that would change their lives forever. Rodney was completely silent, a rarity itself, his stomach twisting into knots of anxious excitement. He laughed as she turned to look at him, giving a subtle nod to say ‘yeah, I care.’

His hand squeezed hers as the moment approached like a runaway train. The road had been long and at times near impossible to bear. Even old girlfriends had known it would be Carmen to keep him centered and from doing something particularly stupid. They were more than best friends, more than partners, they were just more than. Without her, he would lose a piece of himself, and he always knew they’d find a way to each other. He had just hoped it would be on this side of life, and in the way that they had. She was his wife, and now…the mother of his child.

On the third count, he felt the reassuring lips on his before they turned and got the positive sign. It was complete stillness for what must have been a small eternity. He had once believed they might be forever tethered to tragedy, but here they stood, in the bathroom of their house reading a test revealing the greatest news anyone could ever receive, and it was more than happiness. Carmen and Rodney had found joy, which is far, far better.

“We’re gonna have a baby,” he whispered back before glancing over at her, his smile widening even more as he snatched her up and spun her around, cheering louder, “we’re gonna have a baby!”

We’re gonna have a baby. Joy was exploding within her, smiling wider than ever before as Rodney spun her around and the room echoed with laughter. This was it. This was the next chapter of their lives. It had seemed like forever in the making with many obstacles to overcome, but their bitter past is what made this moment taste sweeter, made them savor it more.

“Rodney, I love you more than anything. It never could have been anyone else but you.” She whispered as he set her down, smile still plastered on her face.  “This is my happiest moment. With you two. You guys are my forever.”

Take My Hand // Codney

[carmen-dodger]

[carmen-dodger]

“For what?” He replied, the new processing a split second after the last syllable left his lips and she was in his arms. “You’re late?! Like late late?” He lifted her and spun her around. 

There was no one else he wanted to navigate this crazy world with than her, his one true constant. Setting her down, his hand rested over her stomach, “okay, let’s find out. Together.” He kissed her once more, “I love you. You’re late! Fuckin’ hell. We could be—” Aside from their wedding, he wasn’t sure there was ever a time he’d been happier.

“Pregnant,” she breathed, finishing the sentence for him. “I’m a week late, I thought it was just taking it’s time, I - I don’t know why I didn’t think sooner that it could be - and now I - ” She laughed, her shaking fingers covering her mouth. Her eyes searched his, hand over his resting on her stomach. “I love you,”

“It should be ready by now. I took it days ago... These things are so convenient...” She blabbed as she lead him through the house and into the bathroom where she’d hidden the test in the medicine cabinet. Her mind was racing and her palms were sweaty with nerves. “It makes so much sense, it’s only week 5 and I’m so exhausted and the nausea is killer, that’s why I’ve called in the last few days...” Her hand searched for it on the shelf. “Also my boobs hurt really bad,” she told him as she let out a shaky laugh before realizing how much she’d been talking. She looked back. “I’m sorry. I’m just nervous. Do you care ‘bout that stuff? I mean are you alright with me tellin’ ya all that, because - ... I found it.”

Her eyes widened as her hand found it and all train of thought stopped. This was it. She reached for his hand with her free one, curling into him. “On the count of three...” She whispered, kissing him quickly on the lips before they both turned to look. She already knew. She could feel it in her bones. But this made it real.

Pregnant. 

She had planned to read it out loud but at the last second had found herself speechless. She processed in waves, excitement and fear palpable around them as she squeezed his hand tightly, looking down at her stomach.

“Rodney...”

Take My Hand // Codney

[carmen-dodger]

His hands found her hips as she reached him, capturing her gaze. There were days when he had resented their lives when it nearly took Carmen from him, but he knew why he fought and he could never waver. He knew the costs, and he had been reared to handle crisis as well as celebration. This was their world. “I don’t blame ya for havin’ doubts, for wantin’ peace, after all that happened.”

Leaning forward, he kissed her with a smile on his lips, “I’ll fight with you any day,” he teased, “we’ve got a lifetime of firsts ahead and a lifetime of being scared and upset and sayin’ stupid shit we don’t mean. I married the rational and irrational parts of you.” For as long as he could remember, he was sure of two things: how to lead and how to love Carmen Welch. His belief in both those things never wavered. He would fight for his Greasers and for his marriage until his dying day.

“Tell me somethin’?” He repeated, quirking an eyebrow, “should I be worried?” Her excitement was contagious and that deep breath was hard to take, as he wrapped his arms around his wife, joking “you don’t know any way to tell me somethin’ but to hack me off first. But I’m listening, Mrs. Dodger.”

He was hers. She was his. This was their perfectly imperfect life together and she would never trade it for anything. They balanced each other out in the best of ways and they kept each other sane. They knew every intricacy the other one had. They had shared secrets and experienced things - connected more -than any other couple could even dream of. And now was the time to start the next chapter of their life.

"I’m late,” she burst out, throwing her arms around his neck and exploding with excitement as everything tumbled out. “I’m late and I’ve been having some killer nausea and I thought it was just a stomach bug but now I’m not sure and I love you so much and I bought a test and I want us to find out together.”

Take My Hand // Codney

[carmen-dodger]

He picked up his fork, listening to her as he remembered their losses and how close they had been to losing each other. Tossing it down after she finished speaking, he had suddenly lost his appetite. “War makin’ things worse?! This is our fuckin’ lives, Carmen, we aren’t fightin’ for nothin’.”

Pushing his plate away, he shoved back from the table. “That is exactly the world our child will grow up in!” Rod shouted, his temper getting the best of him as it usually did. “I’m gonna train ‘im like my father trained me, and he’ll be a better leader than I am. That’s how it works, that’s the Dodger legacy.” He took a breath, he hated yelling at her, but to hear she couldn’t stand the only life he ever knew was unbearable. “I know, baby, I know you’re scared. But I promise we won’t bury our child, and you won’t bury me. Peace with the Socs ain’t gonna happen on my watch, I can’t let it. Not even for you…and I’d do anything I could do for you. Everythin’ I ever did as leader would be for nothin’, I’d be nothin’.”

As she listened to him speak, it was almost a comfort in a strange way. It was things she grew up hearing, things that were her constant. Simple and clear cut. No blurred lines. Socs were the enemy because of what they stood for and what they’d done to Greasers. There was winning or surrender, no in between, no draw. This was how she and Rodney were raised. This is what they stood. for. But that didn’t make the fear go away. Peace seemed like sunshine and rainbows when you had everything to lose to chaos. 

Carmen stood and crossed the room in seconds, her heart hurting for making him so upset. She reached up to cup either side of his face. “I’m sorry.” Her icy blue eyes bore into his. “I understand. I’m sorry for letting my fear get in the way... you know it isn’t like me. I’m having a mental break or something,” she joked. The blonde stood there for a second as a thought occurred to her and couldn’t help but let out a laugh. 

“This was our first fight in our new house,” she told him, and again, another strange thing had made her happy. Because she knew how many more they would have and she knew that every time afterwards they would work it out and make up. And suddenly she knew this was the right time to tell him, because what better time to tell someone potentially good news than when they were upset? She bit her lip and bounced on her heels, bursting with hope and excitement. “Speaking of firsts... I know I just pissed you off, but take a deep breath and listen because I have something to tell you...”

Take My Hand // Codney

[carmen-dodger]

Placing a kiss on her cheek, he followed her to the kitchen, “you can take more nights off, ya know. I like you bein’ here when I’m home. It’s not like you’d be bored, Momma always had plenty to do.” He laughed as he took the plate, “I can think of no better wife.”

He took his plate to the table, feeling her need to say something. Right as he was about to ask, she came out with it. Sighing, he took her hand, “I know you do, I didn’t mean that ya didn’t. You’re my girl, Mama Greaser, you’ve always been in my corner. There ain’t nothin’ to worry about, we’re better fighters than they are. I’ve trained a good lot, peace was never an option. Not for me, Carmen, not for me. I ain’t dyin’ until I’m real, real old and even then I’ll be beatin’ some Soc with my cane.”

She pushed her mashed potatoes around with her fork. “I hate them as much as you do.” She said quietly, not looking up. “And yes, you’ve trained the Greasers well, you’re right. You’re the best leader this town has ever seen. But I've lost people to them... We both have. And that’s the point. I can’t lose anyone else. What if war, instead of helping, is just making matters worse?” 

She didn’t want to look at him. What Carmen was saying went against everything she thought she believed in. But after so many losses... you only see the bad things war can bring and nothing else. “The thought of our child growing up in the world we did... training them up for battle... sending them off to a Rumble...” Her hand rested against her stomach subconsciously until she finally looked up at him. “I can’t stand it.” The blonde heaved a sigh. Things had been good for a long time with her, but that didn’t mean she was unaffected by the losses she had experienced in her life. She was forever changed by them. “I never thought I’d ever be sayin’ anythin’ like this...”

Take My Hand // Codney

[carmen-dodger]

 No feeling beat coming home to his wife. Whatever entitled Soc gave him hell or how exhausting the day, his best friend was waiting in their house and he had the entire night to spend with her. “Hey, beautiful,” he greeted, bringing her fingers to his lips, “it was alright, nothin’ special.” Glancing around the house, he smirked, “looks like you were busier than I was.”

Her eyes lingered over him as they always did. He made her so happy. “Just wanted to get a few things done around the house. I asked for the night off.” She shrugged a little. “Dinner’s on the stove. Meatloaf. I’m getting pretty good at this wife thing,” she teased with a wink, walking into the kitchen to hand him a plate.

Her stomach flip flopped as her mind wandered to where it wanted to go. She tried to think of a distraction. “So listen... I think we should talk about the argument from the party. I don’t want it to be this tense thing between us.”  As they sat down at the table she reached for his hand. “You know that I support you, right? I always will. I’m just so... I’m tired of fighting, Rod. Of worrying all the time."

Take My Hand // Codney

[carmen-dodger]

Take my hand

Take my whole life too