"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
Artemis shook his head. "No. Thank you, but this is something I need to do on my own." He squeezed Holly's hand once, then let his hand fall to his side. Slowly he made his way to his parents' bedroom. He stood in front of the closed door and stared, unable to lift his hand to knock.
He pictured them, his mother on her side of the bed, reading a novel, and his father on his side, flipping through a newspaper. How was he supposed to walk in and tell them he was…?
He couldn't even think the word. He'd pushed the thoughts out of his head every time they tried to enter, unable to cope with the reality of his situation. But he had to do this now, and the sooner he told them, the sooner he and Holly could plan their next move.
Artemis knocked once, tentatively, then again, louder this time. "Come in!" his mother's voice sang out.
Artemis made sure to tread carefully, avoiding the vine pattern on the floor. Step on a vine, count to nine. He knew it was foolish to believe in such superstitions, but still. The last thing he needed was bad luck.
His parents were as he imagined them. His father acknowledged him with a nod before returning his attention back to the newspaper. His mother, on the other hand, placed her thumb in her book and let the pages close around it, giving her son her full attention.
"You're home late," she noted. "Butler said you had something important to tell us."
Artemis nodded. "There is something I need to tell you. Both of you," he said pointedly at his father, who begrudgingly folded his paper and set it on the table beside him. He waved at his son to speak.
Artemis took a deep breath. "Recently, I have not been feeling like myself. Perhaps you have noticed." Angeline gave a slight inclination of her head, undoubtedly recalling instances where Artemis had snapped at her or complained of ill feelings.
"Well, Butler convinced me to seek a medical opinion. When he was unsatisfied with the inconclusive results we were given, he suggested we go belowground, just to make sure I hadn't contracted a fairy disease, which, as we are all aware, can happen under certain circumstances."
Artemis Sr. sighed heavily at the reference to the Spelltropy incident. Angeline laid a hand on his forearm.
Artemis dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to look his parents in the eyes when he delivered the news. "The doctor in Haven, he found… I… I…" He closed his eyes and braced himself for the words he kept repeating to those he loved most yet seemed to be even harder to say each time.
"I'm pregnant," he said, his voice just above a whisper.
Silence. Then, Angeline's thumb slipped out from the pages of her book, which slid off the bed and onto the floor, starling all of them when it hit.
Artemis looked from parent to parent, gauging their reactions. His mother's face contorted in a mix of emotions, but his father sat stone-faced.
Finally, Angeline spoke. "Arty, how did this happen?"
"Holly's magic…" Artemis began.
"Of course!" his father exploded. "Of course it was the fairies and their magic! Our whole lives revolve around magic, and lately it seems to be leading to more harm than good. Look what it got us this time! Our son, our son is pregnant! How will they ruin our lives next, by taking our twins and surgically implanting wings on their backs and casting a hex on them, causing them to only speak in rhymes? Those fairies are pure evil through and through, the whole lot of them."
"Father, Holly's magic was just trying to protect her," Artemis protested. "Otherwise…"
"You know, I had almost come to accept the fairies," Artemis Sr. interrupted. "I trusted your judgment, so I thought I could learn to trust Holly at the very least. I know how fond of her you have grown, so I wanted to accept her. But now… Now I don't trust any of them. I can't even trust my own son's decision to associate with them."
"Father, you're making this out to be a big conspiracy theory," Artemis said, struggling to remain calm and in control. "Just because there have been several instances with maniacal fairies does not mean they are all bad. You of all people should know that, from all your past experiences with less than desirable individuals. You dealt with a wide range of thugs and crime lords. But just because there are some groups of bad people doesn't mean all people are bad. The same goes for the fairies."
"I just don't think I can deal with this anymore," Artemis Sr. said quietly. "I thought that when I returned, our family could be normal, but we've become anything but. This is the last straw for me."
"Timmy," Angeline said. "You can't mean that. Holly saved your life. She saved all of our lives in one way or another, multiple times. Now you're going to turn your back on her and your son just because of something neither of them could control?" Angeline opened her arms to her son. "Come here, Arty."
Artemis embraced her, inhaling the smell of her perfume, the floral scent relaxing the panic threatening to overcome him.
"Timmy, your son needs our support. I am going to support Artemis and Holly through all of this. I may not understand or like these circumstances, but Artemis and Holly are the reason we are all here together. He never gave up or turned his back on us, and we are not going to do that to him."
Angeline's strong resolve seemed to seep into Artemis. He pulled away from her and went to stand by his father's side of the bed. "Do you remember when you were recovering and you asked me if I would take my chance to be a hero when the moment came? At the time, I didn't know the answer. But I found out through my time with the fairies that I would take my chance to be a hero, even when there was nothing for me to gain. So I am asking you now, Father. Will you take your chance to be a hero? This is it." He lowered his voice. "I need you," he said, hating how weak he sounded but knowing he could do nothing about it. "I need my father to help me through this. Please."
Artemis Sr. lifted his gaze to meet his son's pleading eyes. He sighed, his stony composure giving way to a small smile. "I've always wanted to be your hero," he said softly. "Although, I didn't think it would be at a time like this. But I am so proud of the hero you became to this family, and I hope I can be half that hero to you."
Artemis felt tears pricking at his eyes as he smiled back. "Thank you, Father," he said, wrapping his arms around him. It was the first time he had hugged his father, really hugged him, in a long time.
Artemis Sr. realized this too, and he held his son closer. "We'll get through this, son," he whispered. "It may take me a while to come to terms with it all, but I will try. And no matter what happens, I will support you."