This is rated on just a hint of a theme, if y'know what I mean *wink, wink, nudge, nudge,* This was going to be a Mother's Day thing, but I was too late in finding the category for Underland Fics, oops. Enjoy!
-O-
Gregor yawned, and shifted his position under the covers, then cracked his eyes open. Not much greeted his line of vision, a flicker of torch or candle light. His gaze fell on another form next to him, he smiled. Luxa lay there, a slight smile on her face as she slumbered on, unaware of being watched. Gregor let his eyes trace the curves of her body for a moment, then with a huge sigh, he lifted himself from the bed, careful not to let it shake, it wasn't exactly Tempurpedic. To his relief, Luxa sighed, and continued her sleep.
Gregor hurried, and got dressed, Mareth wanted him to do a presentation in the arena with swords, and other random weaponry the older man wanted him to try out. The worst thing was he was going to be watched by children if he messed up at all, they would spread the rumor like wildfire, "And to think, you used to do the exact same thing, back in grade-school, hell, you did it up until you graduated," he chuckled inwardly. Indeed, he had grown up since he had left home. At twenty-one, he felt rather old.
He peered into a mirror on the wall, and rubbed his stubbly face, he would need to shave again soon. A few new scars dotted his forehead here and there, but they had come from working in the forge, tempering, and bending steel to his will, and avoiding the random bits of shrapnel that would fly, due to a failed experiment.
With another wide yawn, he exited the room, the red curtain swishing as he left.
-O-
"Ah, Gregor, finally decide to join the land of the living, did you?" Mareth joked, slapping Gregor hard on the back.
"Yeah, being dead is boring, you don't get to do all this fun stuff," Gregor rolled his eyes.
"I can imagine a few other things you can't do when you're dead," a sneer came from his right.
"Ripred! It's not funny!" Gregor scowled.
The large gray rat doubled over with laughter, he obviously thought his joke was funny.
Gregor kicked the rat in his ass, making Mareth gasp, only someone incredibly brave, or stupid would do that, or perhaps both.
"Boy, you just sealed your fate!" Ripred snarled, leaping at Gregor.
The two collided in midair, and began wrestling on the ground, mock fighting in a spurt of anger. If Ripred had been serious, Gregor would be gutted, but the two continued on, rolling around the arena, kicking up dust and moss. With a victorious noise, Ripred pinned Gregor beneath him.
"You...suck..." Gregor gasped.
"Who's your daddy?" Ripred grinned.
"Not you, asshat," replied Gregor
"Say again?" Ripred applied pressure on Gregor's neck with his tail.
"I hate... you..."
"Excuse me?" he added more pressure.
"You...are!" Gregor scowled.
Ripred rolled off.
"Honestly, you two," a smooth voice scorned.
"Oh, look who it is! My bond," Ripred sighed.
Gregor pulled himself from the ground, and looked at Luxa.
She was decked out in her training clothes, her hair pinned back in a bun. She was ready for the day. Gracefully, Luxa strode across the field, and wound her arm around Gregor's waist. He kissed her cheek.
"Ew, do that on your own time," Ripred made a gagging noise.
Luxa rolled her eyes, and stepped away from Gregor, giving her bond a light flick with her finger.
"Can we start now? The children are here," Mareth said, nodding to a small group of pale-skinned youth filing into the arena.
The children sat down on the moss, a few of the girls cringing at the thought of how dirty the arena floor was...
-O-
The demonstration was long, and somewhat boring, several of the kids fell asleep, heads resting on shoulders, and even other heads. When it was through, the sleepers were awoken, and given a stern telling off, though Gregor couldn't blame them.
Gregor sat on the moss, sharpening his sword, when Luxa knelt next to him, a happy, almost uncontainable happiness shining in her eyes.
"Hey you," he said, looking up from the grinding stone.
"I have something to tell you," she whispered.
"What?" he asked, intrigued by her luminous eyes.
"I'm... pregnant," she said.
At first, Gregor couldn't understand, then it clicked.
"You're... pregnant?" Gregor looked her in the eyes, she nodded, "Tha- that's great!" he exclaimed. They were married already, so there would be no complications of the governmental kind...
"Three months along," she said.
Gregor found grin, "Six more to go," he said, reaching his hand out to feel Luxa's stomach, there was not a sign of roundness yet, "Who else knows?" he asked.
"Vikus, and Ripred," Gregor felt his gut twist.
"God, I can almost feel the jokes Ripred's gonna tell," he shuddered.
"Do not mind Ripred, I'll take care of him," Luxa rolled her eyes.
"Pft, I have so many though!" a snort came from behind them.
"Ripred, go away," Gregor said.
-Four Months Later-
"What were you thinking?" Gregor strained to keep himself from shouting.
Ripred seemed to hunker down in his spot outside the hospital, "I really wasn't..." he muttered.
"You made her go into labor two months early!" Gregor scowled.
"She was bored, and wanted to go do something,"
"So you thought it would be okay to let her fight in the border skirmish with the cutters?"
"Well, actually..." he was cowed into silence with a flaming hot glare.
"Ripred, I swear-"
"Gregor," a nurse interrupted him.
Gregor looked up. The nurse beckoned to him.
"She's just down the hallway,"
"Thank you," Gregor said, rushing down the hall, to the room the nurse had pointed to. He burst into the door, and found a bed against one of the walls, a lone torch lit the room, illuminating the figure laying on the mattress.
Luxa lay propped up by pillows, and watching a bundle on her chest with shining eyes. She looked up, a long cut stretched across her forehead. She looked exhausted.
"Gregor, I think it's time for you to meet your daughter," she said.
Gregor walked to the edge of her bed, and peered at the bundle. A tiny face came into his view. She was perfect, her face was round, but would narrow out with time, her hair was a silvery brown, and very short, more like fuzz, her eyes, which were still baby blue and would turn green, were closed, resting from her hardest accomplishment yet in her short life.
"She's perfect," he whispered, then looked up at Luxa, "Just like her mom,"
"What should we name her?" Luxa asked, ignoring his comment.
"Lilliana," Gregor said, he had always thought it a pretty name, "Lilliana Ayla," he corrected himself. Ayla, hilarious, over sarcastic Ayla, who died saving the Underland seven years ago, it seemed rather fitting to honor her this way.
"I like it," Luxa smiled.
"As do I, now, will you scootch over so I may see the little ball of screams?" Ripred said from the doorway.
"Of course, though I think you may scare her," Gregor said.
"Nonsense, Gregor, put your face in front of her and see what happens," Ripred sneered.
Gregor leaned over his daughter, who opened her eyes to meet her father, then after looking him over with hazy eyes, gave a loud cry. He pulled back with a hurt expression, and Ripred let out a sneeze of laughter.
"Now, let me try," the rat put his front paws on the bed, and poked his nose over the blankets, and looked at the infant. A tiny hand escaped the bundles, and grabbed hold of a whisker, then Lilliana let out a small laugh, "I do believe I've met my new accomplice," he smiled.
Gregor rolled his eyes.
"Ripred, I think you mean to say you want to be her godfather," Luxa said.
"Mayhaps."
"She was born a bit too early, but, the doctor says she is healthy, and fit to go home," Luxa reported.
"Good," Gregor smiled, running his thumb over his child's forehead.
"Welcome, Lilliana, my new little partner in crime, I hope to enjoy doing business with you," Ripred grinned.
-O-
Happy REALLY LATE Mother's Day! :D