"Sky, I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant? But we only just — "

"— I know."

"That soon?"

Wu chewed on her bottom lip and contemplated the wall, stalling. She had already known for some time, but to admit it to Sky would truly be forcing herself to confront the reality of what she was saying.

"Lotus Blossom," he insisted, using her formal name.

"It's yours, Sky." He looked bewildered. She locked onto his gaze, her eyes serious. "And I know I don't look it yet, but I'm sure. Call it Spirit Monk extrasensory powers." She looked at him expectantly.

His eyes dilated and a darkness filled his face. She could guess what he was thinking. After losing a child once…

Wu had expected this. She took his hand, which he resisted, and pressed it against her abdomen, holding him so that he couldn't pull away without hurting her.

"Sky," she said, "Listen to me. I don't expect anything from you. I – I want you to continue with your work. I can take care of myself. And the baby."

Sky sat down, his hand still over her bare stomach, stunned. "You could sit on it for a few days," she said, and then paused to quell the rising tears before continuing, "But I won't stop you if you leave now." Her hands released his. "If you go now, I can still forgive you."

He rose. Her heart leapt into her throat. It became hard to breath. He looked at her for one long still moment, and in her mind she ran through every possible goodbye: "Take care, fare well," a torrent of pleading tears, anger, resentment… Nothing came out. His arms reached out and captured her.

"I made a promise," He said into her thick, scented hair. "Whatever happens, I'll be here. Anything else would be unbearable." His arms folded around her body and she cried into his embrace. He held her protectively and murmured comforting words. "Thank you, thank you," she said gratefully, again and again. "Thank you."

After a few long moments her sobbing slowed as her grief and gratitude became spent expressions. She wiped the tears self-consciously from bright eyes and looked at Sky. Tentatively, he asked, "Sooo…. I'm going to be a father again?"

"Yes."

"I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"

"Not yet."

"How do you feel about this?"

"Personally, I'd like to spend the next week cleaning out Hou's wine cellar and afterwards I was thinking I could take on the entire Horselord army to constructively work out my frustration."

Sky cracked a weak smile as he rubbed his temples distractedly. "I was hoping I would have had, ah—a more active role in the conception of my child."

Wu raised an eyebrow. "Well… we could still make up for that," she suggested.

"I think we'd be obliged to."

He leaned down to kiss her, and bite gently down her neck, leaving wet and pink marks against the golden skin. He held her hand tightly, and she relinquished her sight for the deep scents of his thick hair and warm skin. Clothing evaporated as they came together, disappearing beneath the heat like morning dew beneath the sun. Their lovemaking was sweet and somber, akin to the ritual dance of swans and courting mandarins.

Content and satisfied, her back pressed against Sky's bronzed and muscled body, she was loathe to break the warm silence that they cradled between them. But they had to deal with the Guild sooner or later… and better to break the news now while she was on a roll.

"I'm still going with you," she said, turning to face him with her jaw set in a way that brooked no challenge.

"Absolutely not. There is *no way* I'm letting my *pregnant wife* anywhere near those ruffians!"

"Who says I'm going near any ruffians?" she asked, pointing a finger at his chest, "and you can't bring down the Guild alone."

"I'll find a way. I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll find it."

"I've already made arrangements for you to take over the Eastern Gate's guild house."

"What! When did you—"

She loved it when he sputtered and tried not to smirk, but Sky wasn't fooled. His arms wrapped around her, and his gaze was mockingly-stern. She couldn't move. Slowly, insistently, his fingers began digging into her bare sides and the curve right beneath her shoulder, where she was most vulnerable. "Oh, noo, no…stop!" she gasped, tears running down her face as she laughed, her sides splitting from the tickling. "Alright, alright. I yield! It… it was the highest position I could get Lian to buy without arousing suspicion. You have to start somewhere…" she paused for air, squirming playfully in his arms, "But Black Whirlwind will meet you on the inside as your subordinate. Lian's paying him a good amount of gold to keep his mouth shut, though you should probably still keep a watch on his drinking."

He looked at her with both admiration and admonishment. "Shhhh," she said, touching her fingers to his lips before he could speak. "I promise you: I won't get between you and the Guild. I'm too much public of a figure already and any appearances I make would just jeopardize your standing in the Guild. Not to mention interrupt the politics of what you're trying to do. I'll be at the Red Lantern when I'm in town. You can visit me there under the guise of seeing a courtesan."

They smiled at each other. Everyone had been very amused to find out just how interesting some of the friends were that Hou had from the days when he was a champion fighter in the Phoenix Gate arena. Sable Pearl, the proprietor of the Red Lantern had been smitten with the bandy-legged winemaker since the day they met in the arena, and hadn't forgotten him since.

Sky's hands traveled admiringly down his lover's breasts. Wu slapped at him and pulled up the blankets. "Hey! Up here! I expect to hear from you nightly when I'm in town," she said, "and I'll be dividing my time between Kang's flyer, the Prosperous East, and the Imperial Palace. The child is due in around New Years, so I think you'd be able to slip away during the festivities to see us before we leave. Come spring I'll be accompanying the surveyors to Dirge to try to begin the rebuilding."

"Is there anything you don't think of?" he asked, tugging insistently at the sheets.

"I try to avoid contemplating Black Whirlwind's infamous drunk, naked, and screaming attack."

Sky groaned. "I really didn't need that image in my head. And you," he said, grabbing her hands and pulling the blankets away, "are going to help me change that!" Squealing, Wu kissed the bridge of her husband's nose lovingly, and together, they vanished into the sea of sheets.

End.