A/N:Two words on the portrait drawn by Martha Wayne are most puzzling. What do they mean? Sammie is in her sixth month of pregnancy and she suddenly comes down with a mysterious illness. Tim is with the Titans talking to new recruits, and one of them is from a far different place. Does he hold the key to Samantha's mysterious illness? And a girl from Tim's past just can't let him go.
Neptune's Daughter
By
Part 1: Feeling Off
Samantha Clark stared into the mirror at her swelling belly. It was growing a little faster than she expected. The was always the case with multiple births, though this wasn't the first time she had been pregnant. She stared at her belly and thoughts of the one she lost came to her. That was last year, before she met Tim. He was so different than the other person, the one she met on the each on Devlin's island. He told her he would love her forever, and take her to see his home, but he never did. Then he abandoned her when she lost the baby due to Devlin's insistence that she stay the way she was. He gave her something that caused her to become sick, and she bled. She ran to the beach calling for her lover, and when he came and saw what had been done, the man just laughed at her then swam away. She didn't understand why he wouldn't take her with him. Samantha became bitter then, not carrying what Devlin did to her, until Tim came along, a naïve boy of 15 who showed her more love than anyone ever did. He freed her from that life, and now she was carrying his twins, despite the fact they had not been wed yet. Tim was working to get special permission for them to marry, so their children would grow up to have a father, a name they can be proud of. As she scrutinized her belly, something else caught her eye, a white spot on her arm. What was it? Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her children's voices in her head.
~Mommy, I'm hungry!~ Caine said.
A second voice whispered in the background.
^All right my little ones,^ Samantha replied, but her own stomach had not woken up yet. She was feeling a bit off. She hadn't gone to the pond today. The water yesterday had been too warm to swim in, and the water also was looking less than clear. She would have to speak to Alfred about that, if there was any way to make the water cleaner.
Samantha headed down to breakfast and sat at the small café table by the window instead of eating in the dining room.
"Good morning Miss Samantha," Alfred said as he placed a bowl of hot cereal with honey and nuts in front of Samantha. "Are you all right? You are looking a little pale."
"I'm all right, just a little tired," Samantha answered. "Where is Timmy?"
"Master Timothy has gone to Titan's Tower," Alfred explained.
"Titan's Tower? Who are the Titans?"
"They are fellow heroes who Master Timothy works with from time to time."
"I never heard of them. Will they protect my Timmy?" Samantha took a few bites of the hot cereal that Alfred placed in front of her.
"They always do their best in protecting each other, Miss."
"Where is everyone else?"
"Master Jason has taken Ms Sasha to Dr. Leslie Thompkins for a check-up. She was having indigestion, which caused Master Jason to suddenly . . . "
"I can imagine. It must have been a false alarm," Samantha said, as she pushed her unfinished bowl away.
"Are you not hungry, Miss Samantha?"
"Not really."
"You must eat for the little ones."
"I . . . I can't."
'I understand, Miss. I have just the thing."
Alfred pulled out fresh mint, along with other ingredient to make Samantha a soothing drink for her stomach. He added ginger and fennel. "Here you are, Miss."
Samantha took a drink. "Mmmm, that's good."
"It should help your stomach and satisfy the little ones' hunger."
"Thank you, Alfred," Samantha sighed. "How long is Timmy going to be gone?" Samantha was having a hard time with Tim being away for any period of time.
"I . . . "
"Hey, Alfred," Dick came into the kitchen. "Barbara's been having cravings. Can you recommend an all night seafood place?"
"Well Master Richard, the closest all night seafood place . . . "
"Pennyworth!" Damian came storming into the kitchen. "Where is Drake? That idiot was supposed to help me bathe Titus. He was the one who let him outside in the rain and he got all muddy!"
Dick and Damian started to argue over who was first, ignoring the fact that Samantha was even in the kitchen.
"ENOUGH!" Alfred stated with a loud bark to voice. Everyone was stunned into silence.
"Now, Master Damian, Master Timothy is not here, and to answer Miss Samantha's question, Master Timothy is not expected to return for a few days. And Master Richard . . . "
"What, Tim's not here?" Dick questioned.
"Excuse me, Master Richard, what did I tell you about interrupting people when they are talking."
"Um sorry, Alfred," Dick said sheepishly.
"As I was saying, you may want to ask your father with regards to the all-night seafood restaurant. I believe he has taken Miss Selina Kyle to one very recently."
"How do you know?"
"You do not forget the odor of shrimp that easily."
"Okay, thanks, but what is this about Timmy not being here?" Dick asked.
"As I stated Miss Samantha, Master Timothy is with the Titans and will be back in a few days."
"Oh great, now how am I supposed to get Titus his bath."
"Quite simple, Master Damian," Alfred stated. "You take him into the shower with you."
"Well, I could have done that," Damian scoffed. What he really wanted was Tim to do it for him as punishment for letting Titus outside in the rain.
"Don't worry about it, Little D," Dick tried to sooth his little brother's ruffled feathers. "I'll help you with Titus after I get Barbara what she wants."
"Grayson, you better marry Gordon!"
"I'm already planning to," Dick ran out to find Bruce to ask him about the all-night seafood place.
Damian left the kitchen in a huff, and went to take care of Titus before he got mud all over his drawings in his room.
"I apologize, Miss Samantha, that was most rude of them."
"It's all right Alfred," Samantha stated. "I think I'm going to go upstairs and lie down."
Samantha left the kitchen and went back upstairs to her room. She stared at Tim's door from across the hall then closed her door. She went over to the mirror once more and pulled up the sleeves of top she was wearing. There were a few more white spots than there were earlier. She hadn't told anyone about them. She just hoped when Timmy came home, the spots would be gone.
Continues with Part 2
