The Important Thing…
Hey everyone! This is my first Ranger's Apprentice Story! I'm on vacation right now, but since I'm so into Ranger's Apprentice a small one-shot couldn't wait. This just popped up in my head yesterday, and I just had to write it down. This is my first Ranger's Apprentice story so I hope I don't mess up. Especially since I'm only at book 8 right now. Pardon me. ^^" Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this one-shot and I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave a review after you read this. Onto the story I'd say!
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice.
There it was. The finish line. He'd been travelling for a few days just to get there, and now it was but a few metres away from him. Silently -as he was trained- he made his way over, making sure to not even wake up the dog that lay in front of the door. He grinned because of it. He knew the dog was widely known for noticing -and stopping- anyone who came to close to its owner.
The in darkness covered man grinned. He'd trained to dog himself, but even then he was the better of the two. As if on cue the Jack Russel looked up, its intelligent head looking from one way to the other. It seemed to sniff the air. After a while, after seemingly not noticing anything wrong, it lay its head back down, taking a deep breath before getting back to sleep.
The man now made its way over to the living room. He knew this place well, it had the same structure like all the rest. Living room, two adjacent bedrooms and a kitchen. Clean and welcoming as the fire still burned in the fireplace, although it desperately needed a new block of wood to keep it going. The man shrugged. Because of all the excitement of getting here at last he wasn't cold at all. So he didn't bother saving the last desperate sparks that still lit the room. He'd only wake up the dog, and he hadn't left his horse in the castles stables to get a head start only to now lose it just for some extra warmth. It was hell to get through that dog! So once more he shrugged and made its way over to one of the bedrooms.
Jenny sighed deeply as she felt someone lay down beside her. She didn't panic for she knew well enough who it was.
"Hey Gilan." she greeted her husband as he snuggled up against her. "I see you've gotten passed Dent?"
Gilan grinned as he pulled her closer to him. "Did you ever doubt I wouldn't be able to?"
"No." she replied.
He noticed she was barely awake so he let her doze off again. He wasn't sleepy at all, the excitement of getting back home, into the arms of his beloved had made the adrenaline surge through his veins.
"DidyouknowthatBaronArald…?"
He had to fight back a chuckle. He'd been surprised the first night he'd heard it, but now after three years of marriage he'd gotten used to this cute talking.
"What about Baron Arald?" he whispered, tightening his grip around her, placing a kiss on her shoulder, his hands tightly around her abdomen.
"He's…" she sighed.
Gilan smiled against her shoulder. She talked in her sleep and he found it just plain adorable. One more thing that pulled him towards her without her trying to. From the moment they'd met a week before Halt's marriage he'd been crazy about her. Her happy ways of going, her confidence as she strode through life…she was amazing. And her cooking, God her cooking!
"MustnotforgettotellGilan…"
His eyes widened for the slightest moment. Did she just mention telling him something?
"What do you have to tell Gilan?" he whispered in her ear as his curiousness took over from him. Never before had he tried to get answers out of her when she was asleep, but it seemed important enough. And something important was something he needed to know. And heck, she'd said his name right? So it wasn't against the rules that he asked her about it, right?
"Something…Important." she mumbled, turning around so that she was now facing him.
He frowned. She wasn't helping him at all, not even a single, small clue about what was going on in her mind. He regarded her facial expression. Her blonde hair fell into her eyes and he carefully pushed the stray strands away. God did he want to know what she was talking about!
"Jenny?" he tried to speak up. She sighed in response.
"Yes?"
"What is it you wanted to tell me?"
She sleepily opened one eye, but closed it soon after.
"Was I talking in my sleep again?" she mumbled, snuggling closer to him.
"Yes. Something important." he urged.
But she had fallen asleep again. He knew how tired she was after a day's work, but she was killing him! Damn! He was a Ranger! Used to either knowing everything or getting the truth out of everything and everyone! And now his own wife was keeping something from him, and because she was asleep he didn't dare to wake her. Damn. Why couldn't he just wake her up? If she'd been an enemy he'd slapped her around the face a few times and then he'd get his answers almost immediately. Well if she'd turned out to be a guy at least. He wouldn't hit a woman.
The hours dragged on and he battled in his mind over the possibilities. They all brought with it bad news, and he hoped it wasn't that. He was about to fall into desperation when his Ranger instincts took over, telling him to only focus on what he knew. The facts he'd been granted with. He sighed, sleep was starting to take over and the only facts he knew was that it was important and that she had to tell him. Oh, and that she was somewhat reluctant to tell him, as if his possible reaction caused her to worry.
Standing up quietly -without waking Jenny- he stood up and walked over to the kitchen. He needed coffee. Now.
He sat at the small table, sipping his coffee, trying to keep the sleep at bay as he went over the facts for thousands of times. He gave up after a few hours. The coffee didn't help in keeping him awake. It wouldn't after spending a whole day and half a night on horseback just to get home more quickly. Annoyed about his own limits he stumbled to bed. Once more holding his wife in his arms he sighed deeply and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
The sun shone in his eyes as the curtains were pulled back.
"It's a beautiful day sleepy head!" he heard Jenny say.
Grumpily he sat up. He had slept for but a few hours, and he still felt tired as hell. Add to that his curiosity that had reached his peak and you get the wreck Gilan was at the moment.
"Jenny~" he whined, standing up and walking over to the kitchen where she was preparing breakfast.
"What's wrong?" she asked as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, his head leaning heavily onto her shoulder.
"What is it you have to tell me?" he asked, tightening his grip around her.
She noticed. And he noticed how nervous she suddenly was. She twirled out of his grip and place their breakfast on the table.
"Well…" she started, suddenly flushing. But then she stopped. "Hey! How did you know I had to tell you something?"
"You said it yesterday!" Gilan whined, alarming the dog who rushed in.
"Down, Dent." Jenny said calmly. The dog immediately silenced down and jumped onto the couch where it regarded them both closely.
"Is something wrong?" Gilan tried, alarm bells going off in his mind.
"No, no." Jenny hushed him. "It's nothing bad."
"I hope." she added.
He looked down at her confused and worried. "Tell me."
"Well…" she started once more. "It's something really important so…" she turned to him, slightly shy. "Promise you won't freak out?"
Gilan blinked a few times after which he forced a smile onto his face. "I promise."
Jenny walked over to him and took his hands in hers. They were tall and strong, the hands that had protected hundreds of people and taken perhaps an equal amount of lives. It didn't matter. The man before her was kind and trustworthy. He only did what he thought was right, so she couldn't blame him for any of his actions of the past, or those he'd make in the future.
She looked up to him.
"I'm pregnant."
The world stopped spinning. Time froze in place. Gilan's eyes widened as he looked down at his wife. The girl he'd fallen hopelessly in love with.
"Pregnant?" he repeated. "You mean…We're going to have a baby?" he asked, taken aback.
Jenny nodded, somewhat hesitant. Then before she knew what was happening she was enveloped by his arms and lifted up into the air.
He twirled her around a few times -a goofy smile on his face- and then kissed her full on the lips.
"That's fantastic!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly.
"You're going to be a great mother." he said dreamily as he put a hand on her belly.
"And you're going to be a great dad." she replied as he bent down and leant his forehead against hers.
"A curious dad." she added soon after realising how childishly he'd acted just a few minutes ago. Whining like a little kid.
He nodded with a grin. "No secret will get passed me."
"Poor thing." Jenny sighed, though with a smile present on her lips.
Ooooooh I had soooo much fun writing this! I hope I'm not too off seeing I haven't finished reading the whole series! Well either way I hope you've enjoyed reading this little one-shot. Please leave a review before you go! I really like getting reviews and this is my first Ranger's Apprentice story! ^^" So. Review!