We're having a baby, Baby! [Marjorie]

[Incandesa]

When Imogen's period didn't come on time for the first time since she was twelve years old, it was the last bit of confirmation she needed to confirm her suspicions that she was pregnant. She had already been experiencing a sensitivity to smells and slight morning sickness like other pregnant women she knew in the village. All that was missing was a baby bump for absolute confirmation. It was hardly a complete surprise. Arcturus had been very enthusiastic on their wedding night, and frankly every night afterward. They hadn't been using anything to prevent a pregnancy, so it would have been more surprising if she wasn't pregnant. Still, it was a big development in their relationship.

"I'm pregnant," she said to herself in the mirror. It didn't feel real, like a dream, but the more she repeated it, the reality sank in. "I'm pregnant with Arcturus' baby." There was a flutter of nervous excitement in her heart. "We're...We're going to have a baby..." Imogen didn't know whether or not to be happy or terrified at this revelation. On the one hand, she was going to be a mother, and with the man she loved more than anything in the world. On the other hand, there was a little voice in the back of her head, however irrational it was, that whispered in her ear that Arcturus would leave her over this, that he would never commit to being a father. It terrified her, and she fretted about it until dinner time.

That night, she paced around the dining room table after she laid out all Arcturus' favorite foods (though there was a noticeable lack of alcohol). She dressed in a lighter green gown that was just a tad bit more revealing than her usual attire, something she knew Arcturus would adore. Some silly part of her hoped that this would entice him to stay. How was she supposed to do this, to potentially scare away the one man she most loved in her life?!

Imogen was fretting so much that she didn't even notice when Arcturus came into the room; she simple kept on pacing and biting her lip.

[Marjorie]

Arcturus

Imogen didn't need to wear anything special or revealing to catch Arcturus' eye. He was drawn to her because she was a part of him. His resonance. His other half. Marriage was a construct of the southern peoples of the world... it was not a thing that Starstriders practiced, though it was something that Arcturus learned the importance of to other cultures during his hundred years of travel among them. Leave it to fate to have him wonder the southern reaches for a hundred odd years, only to marry a girl he found living practically next door to his own home. She was a skittish, flighty, shy little thing when he found her... and only slightly less so now. It didn't matter though because in the still of a silence, her soul spoke to him, he heard the resonance even threw her fear and doubt, and it wad enough for him. He had married her because it was what she needed, when for him, with a sound in the silence, they had been bounded more tightly and more deeply than one could be with vows or words.

He in many scenes of the word didn't really exist among the starstriders either - he likely looked more male than female to them, but physically, his people didn't have gender or secondary sexual traits - leaving him sometimes lacking or searching for understanding when faced with gender roles and biases in other communities. It didn't matter when he found Imogen though, because in her he found completion. For her, he was patient, kind, willing to do anything.

Before he even came threw the door of their home, Arcturus thought he felt the way that Imogen's energy was disrupted - fear, worry, insecurity - things that had always plagued her for as long as he'd known her had welled up to a near insurmountable level., When he stepped threw the door he was all but smacked in the face by it, when he saw here there, pacing so furiously she didn't even notice he'd come in. He could smell - hot dishes of meat, thick with heavily spiced sauces, the heat of which often burned the mouths of southerners... His favorite foods, dishes from his home, tugged at his longing for others like him... and yet, nothing tugged at him stronger than his connection Imogen. Nothing existed that could separate him from her - not even time or distance.

"Imogen," Arcturus said gently, but his distress was very evident in how strongly his second voice came threw - like an overlapping harmonious sound over and under his words, "Imogen, what's the matter?" He came quickly to her side, stopping her pacing by getting into her path and reaching out strong arms and hands toward her, pulling her into him as her pacing steps carried her toward him.

Arcturus was huge standing next to her - easily three times Inogen's size, for she was not only shorter than him, but slight... and Arcturus had arms that beat steal into submission, hands that worked the forge, and a body built for the hunt. She was tiny up against him, as he held her with such care against him. She fit perfectly into all of the right spaces, up against him. The missing peace to his puzzle. The one that made him whole.

[Incandesa]

When Arcturus took Imogen into his arms, she naturally eased into him, as if the majority her worries simply melted away. They hadn't all left, but her heart was no longer in danger of popping out of her chest. Arcturus always had that effect on her when he held her like this. In his huge arms, she felt safe and protected. She supposed it had something to do with their resonance or soulmate bond, or whatever it was he called it. Imogen didn't quite understand the full specifics of it all or how much Arcturus could "sense," but she knew that he believed they were tied together by destiny, even if she couldn't sense it. She wished she had the same level of certainty about them that he always seemed to have.

She nuzzled him and took a deep breath to quell her fear before looking up at him with a smile. "It's nothing to be worried about," Imogen said, as much to herself as she did to him. "I've just been worrying about some rather silly things. You know how it is, Arcturus. I'm sure I'll calm down as soon as we eat." It was technically the truth. Being pregnant was supposed to be something to be happy about, not fearful, and the rational side of Imogen's mind knew Arcturus would be absolutely thrilled with the news when she got up the nerve to tell him.

Still, Imogen's hands clung to his clothes with a white knuckled grip. How was she going to tell him?

[Marjorie]

Arcturus smiled warmly when Imogen eased into him. She said they would be fine after they ate, but she was still clinging to him - she hadn't moved toward the table, and he hadn't any desire to eat in the face of her suffering. He took a knee, as Imogen still stood leaning against and clinging to his clothes. Their difference in height was such that even down on one knee, he was nearly eye level with her. He held her tightly to him, but was so very gentle not to crush her with his grip - which he very well could do if he'd wanted to.

"It is not silly," Arcturus said softly, real pain and concern in his voice,"it wounds me to see you so." It was worst than a physical ache, it was like his soul was bleeding. "Please," he was nearly pleading, "tell me what is troubling you. Can I do anything to ease your worry?"

It was as Arcturus pressed his cheek against Imgen's and kissed her just behind her earlobe that he noticed it. Uncertain, he took in a deep breath threw his nose. A predictor's sense of smell was uncanny, and even so far removed from the days of hunting the icecaps with their bare hands, no one would doubt that Starstriders were apex predators. Inogen smelled... different, but he couldn't place it exactly. "Are you ill?" He took in another breath threw his nose, then shook his head in the negative. "No, you're not sick - are you? There's a change though..." He pulled back from her enough to look her in the face. There was nothing but love and concern for her in his expression when he did so. "Imogen, are you alright?" His growing alarm, concern, confusion - uncertainty caused a change in his vice. Soft overtones and undertones wove around his words, his second voice, always a cue to the fact that he was experiencing strong emotions of some kind. It was the only thing that made his uncontrollable second voice even loud enough for other species to hear.

[Incandesa]

"What? No, I'm not sick. Or well, I guess it depends on what you define as sick," said Imogen, quickly. She could hear now the Arcturus' rising panic as his second voice grew louder. Seeing Arcturus' concern made Imogen want to put him at ease as well. They were after all part of the same soul, and where he wished to comfort her, she wanted to do the same for him. It was enough to bring her out of her own head and put her focus on the present moment rather than the frightening future. "It's just, umm..."

She pulled him back into a hug and hid her face in his shoulder. Her cheeks burned bright red. "I... I-think-I'm-pregnant." The words just flew out of her mouth so quick and soft that she could barely comprehend them herself. "I-I-I mean I won't be sure for a couple of months *hick* or anything, but *hick* there's been a few signs here *hick* and there. " Half way through her sentence, Imogen began to cry. She didn't really know what brought it on, perhaps the stress of the situation or maybe it was a side effect of the baby, but she couldn't seem to stop it.

[Marjorie]

"Imogen," Arcturus said very gently, all the distress leaving his voice - and yet his second voice was growing stronger, with joy. "This is wonderful news!" He kissed her cheeks, her tears splashing against his face.

Arcturus stood, lifting Imogen easily in his arms and settling her in a chair at the table lightly. "I wish you wouldn't fear and fret that every little thing will chase me away. Other half of my soul, my Resonance," he always said that word - that title - with reverence, like a prayer, like a promise, and she was the thing he worshiped with that word. "I love you beyond words and thoughts and meanings. There is nothing that could make me want to be parted from you."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her thoroughly. Arcturus slid one of his hands over the curve of Imogen's hip and across her stomach. "And I love this little peace of the both of us, given life."

[Incandesa]

"I'm *hick* I'm sorry," said Imogen, trying to get her words through her sobbing. She hated how irrational she was, how she was being even more irrational than usual because of the baby. "I just *hick* feel like a big old *hick* fat mess today." She used her sleeve to wipe up her tears.

However, when he kissed her, she finally seemed to calm down again. His declaration of love, not only for her, but also their child, meant so much to her. She put her hand on his over her belly. "We're going to need to prepare quite a bit, aren't we? I'll have to start pulling in extra hours at my father's inn to make up for how much I'll be missing when the babe comes. We'll need to update the spare room and buy baby care supplies and find a midwife..." It was daunting just to think about.

[Marjorie]

"It's ok," he said gently, calming as she started to calm.

"You don't need to work extra hours," Arcturus said, "if I made one extra trip down into Connlaoth soon, and my regular one in the fall, I'd make enough that you wouldn't have to work extra at all... and I can bring home anything you need or want for the baby.

"I have enough made now to make it worth both trips," he smiled warmly at her, but then paused. Realizing something he hadn't considered before.

"Starstrider blood is stronger than that of mortals," he said gently, worried that Imogen would get upset with what he was about to tell her. "Our children will be as if they were pure-blooded decedents of my people." Arcturus watched her carefully for her reaction.

"Our infants don't breast-feed..." He looked down at his own chest, she would understand the gesture - his people didn't have breasts or mammary glands, indeed they were not really mammals. "We don't - can't, we blood-let." He paused again briefly, and then added to make sure she understood, "Our child will have to nurse on my blood."

[Incandesa]

"I'll come with you then," Imogen suggested. The two of them routinely traveled south to sell Arcturus' wares, and overall it was a bit easier on them both. They hated to be separated, and Imogen could pass for a Connlaothian, so customers felt a bit more comfortable with her around. Besides, the baby would likely be coming mid to late winter anyhow, unless Arcturus' species had different birthing periods than hers.

However, at his statement that their baby would have to feed on his blood she was a bit crest fallen. Imogen know his species was different than hers sexually. They didn't even have separate genders (which still honestly confused her). The blood thing was rather alarming, but what really upset her was the idea that she would never nurse her baby like other mothers. It was such a little thing, but the thought of not being able to do it seemed gut wrenching. It felt like she was somehow neglecting her baby before it was even born. Like she couldn't properly provide for it.

She worried her lip a bit more before asking, "Does it have to only be your blood?" Perhaps they could share the responsibility, even if only a little.

[Marjorie]

Acrturus nodded. "I would very much like that," he agreed. He never wanted to be parted from her for long, and she wouldn't be so far along when they returned if they left in the next week or so. They would be back inside two months. Soon enough to give them months to prepare. It didn't occur to him that other species tended to have shorter gestational periods than his own, and so he didn't mention it to her.

"No," Acrturus said gently, brushing his long slender fingers threw her hair. They were rough, calloused from work, but his touch was always light, and careful with her. "You could feed her also, you would just have to be careful not to give too much. They can have veracious appetites."

[Incandesa]

Imogen was relieved. Even if it wasn't much, she would still be able to feed her baby, even if it involved giving up a bit of her blood. It was better than nothing. She kissed Arcturus softly. "I'll be fine, Arcturus," she said. "I highly doubt our baby will outright kill me. I may feel a bit drained afterwards, but not outright dead."

It was at that moment her stomach began to grumble. "But it seems our babe is a bit hungry right now," she giggled. She turned to the food on the table, but the strangest thing happened. Imogen found herself drawn to the extra spicy foods that Arcturus preferred rather than the safer nonspicy food she had set aside for herself. Usually, that food would burn her tongue for days, but now it seemed to be bursting with flavor. She ate a bit too quickly and had a slight coughing fit. Even though her mouth burned as usual, it wasn't so bad if she could taste the kinds of flavors she was experiencing now. The baby sure seemed to know exactly what it wanted its mother to eat.

[Marjorie]

Arcturus kissed her back. He would make sure of it, of course the child wouldn't harm her purposefully but it would be expectant of a proper feeding from it's own kind, and not able to adjust to the needs or instincts of hers. He let it go at that for now though. She could feed the baby, she would still be able to feel the bonding in the blood-letting, but he would have to make sure she was careful about it.

Smirking lightly, Arcturus scooted Imogen's chair in for her so she could reach the table properly. He took his own seat across the small table from her. He watched her eat with no small amount of shock. Though he did not interrupt her meal choices. He did however pour her a glass of milk from the pitcher and set it down beside her plate. She might need something to negate the heat, or settle her stomach.

He piled his own plate high - being nearly three times her size and having a significantly higher metabolism, he always had eaten near twice as much as she did. And this... it was certainly a treat. Often, she'd make one or two dishes special for him, but a whole meal was a great deal of extra effort made. "This is wonderful," he said after tearing some of the meat from his fork and swallowing it whole.

"I was thinking," he said, "if we leave in three days we'll be back before winter, and I'll have enough new goods by the spring thaw to go back again."

[Incandesa]

While Imogen did enjoy her new found taste in food, she was grateful for the glass of milk provided. It did help a bit, but her stomach was not used to having so much spicy food and she still felt a bit nauseous from consuming so much. She would need to lie down after this.

At the mention of leaving in the spring, Imogen was confused. "Arcturus, don't you think that's cutting it a bit close? The baby will be here in summer, and I'll be the size of a house by spring time. It would be very difficult to travel. If we're not careful, it could be born in Connlaothia and we'll never hear the end of it from my parents." Imogen could see it now. Her mother had begged them for a grandchild to hold in her arms, and not being there for the birth would be a grave insult.

[Marjorie]

Now Arcturus was the confused one. "Spring, no but... the baby shouldn't come until late spring, and the earliest."

When she was done eating, Arcturus lifted her gently and carried her off to their bed. He set her down gently on the soft mattress. Their bed was rather huge to fit Arcturus comfortably, and it nearly looked like Imogen could get lost in it alone. "I didn't realize that... do you usually have such short pregnancies?" He had always just assumed that the women of the south simply didn't show for the first few months of their pregnancies - wasn't that the way it was with his people also? Yes, he nodded to himself, it was.

"I should hope the baby doesn't come so soon," he'd seen a few sickly babies that were born too early, usually, they died. Arcturus knelt beside the bed and rested the side of his head on her stomach. "Now you listen to your opo, little one," he said quietly, speaking to the small life growing inside of Imogen, "and don't you come out before it's your time. Your bibi and I want you to be strong and healthy when you join us out in the world." He lifted his head and then crawled into the bed beside Imogen. He curled up around her.

[Incandesa]

A few days after, Imogen and Arcturus headed out to sell Arcturus' weapons. The journey itself wasn't very long, and fortunately the only major symptoms of her pregnancy at this point was her change in diet and morning sickness. Unfortunately, Imogen's morning sickness was a regular problem, and each day after she woke up, she would go outside, empty what little was in her stomach, and need to lie down afterwards for at least an hour.

Often, she would keep to her rabbit form to reduce the weight Arcturus had to carry when he wished to carry her along with their supplies, but frequently switching between the two forms was exhausting. Sometimes, she would spend an entire day as a rabbit, which gained the pair of them some rather odd and confused looks from strangers.

At one point, Imogen was resting in her rabbit form after a particularly nasty bout of vomiting when one of the fellow patrons at the inn they were staying at noticed her bright green eyes. "That's an unusual rabbit you have there, fellow," the man remarked. "Strange eyes there. One might say they're bewitching even. I don't suppose you'd be willing to part with it for a few extra coins now would you? It's make an excellent specimen for a few intellectuals I know." Alarmed, Imogen hid under Arcturus' shirt and quivered slightly.

[Marjorie]

"No," the word came out harshly, the overlaying tones of his second voice making it sound like a thread and an outrage. "She's not for sale." He slid one of his hands up under his shirt, to pet her reassuringly.

Arcturus' lip twitched, as he realized the man probably thought he was over-reacting. "I'm sorry," he said more gently, "I shouldn't have shouted, but she's not for sale." He shrugged at the man's confused look and then walked past him, further down the road.