-One month later-

It was Aisha Rozen, the events planner and the head of the Local and Foreign Relations department who had called Iason's attention in the eve of one of the most chaotic mornings. The discussion had been brief but Iason could see where it came from. So up until now all they heard were rumors of Riki's conception with nothing to go on except Raoul's regular results and Iason's words from that day several months ago that was still fresh and kicking in their minds.

"Seriously…you've got to be fucking kidding me," Riki stared at Iason from where he sat on the balcony now comprising of a cushion oval sofa a table set and bird bath decorated by various floral ornaments.

After Iason agreed to leave Hades to it this was what the devil come up with but Riki loved it and Iason was given most of the credit for it. At best it, it was the best idea Hades had ever devised with the Balcony as his personal lounge and entertainment, access to the daily news and constant contact with Katze to keep him up to date with the Ceres' situation, he had no need to leave…well at least not as frequent, that is, as before. With respect to that Jupiter had constructed a holographic shield claiming that too much sun was bad for him when they all knew that that wasn't all that shield could do.

"There is no freaking way I'm gonna let anyone see me like this." Riki who was in the middle of evening snack rejected indicating with his fork to show what he meant.

Iason sighed staring at Riki's stomach as he always did whether he was certain Riki was aware of it by now compared to before it was far bigger occupying most of Riki's lap blocking the Riki's entire view of his nether regions. By now he was brimming with curiosity desperate to know what was inside but Riki had strongly refused taking the ultrasound up until now passing it off by saying he wasn't ready for that at the moment. Again his wardrobe had change but only slightly. He still kept most of the modified suits made by Raoul mostly wearing them when he went out to conceal his pregnancy, revealing only what would have been there if he wasn't carrying but at other times such as being in the privacy of their own home he wore mainly loose hanging garments such as an over sized shirt and plain slacks where the full brunt of his pregnancy was evident.

"You really want someone to see me like this?" he asked incredulously before dropping the fork and staring at him as though he had come to a crude realization, "You sadistic son of a bitch,"

"Riki," the head of the Syndicate fell to one knee in one graceful movement that Riki tried to ignore, "believe me I'm a lot more selfish than you give me credit for. I would rather not but please think of this rationally. do you really believe that you'd be left in peace if you weren't seen at least once," he commenced the act of resting his head against Riki's stomach to listen to the tiny heart pulses beating away.

On a night long ago he had learnt that Riki too could hear them. That he too knew that it wasn't just one little beauty that resided in there waiting. Riki watched as Iason's eyes glowed a dull chrome blue an act by now he was familiar with and as though on cue, as if they could hear him silently beckon to them, he would feel them kick before a dull glow shun through the fabric strewn over his stomach almost ripe with life.

He knew that Riki feared the Ultrasound due to the fact that the results would be more than what he was emotionally ready to bear. But so did he and he was certain that he Riki could feel it. They had long grown aware of the fact that they could feel each other's emotions as distressing as that was but there none the less.

"This is just gonna be one time right?" Riki question as the glow in the Blondie's eyes faded back to inexistence.

"Yes and the next you will see of them is after delivery," Iason stated his eyes fixed on Riki's stomach the way it had always had since it was just a small bulge, resting a hand and caressing it gentle only aware of what his was doing when Riki's stomach started to glow on contact.

"Guess they already know who their father is," Riki sighed as he reached for his cup of tea knowing fully well Iason would be doing this for a relatively long time.

-...-

Hades sighed as he walked behind his master's to Raoul's lab mindful of all eyes that were on them many of which was not altogether pleasant. Though he hadn't been a furniture for long he was well aware of the fact that it was uncustomary for the assigned furniture to leave the home and that aside he in no way resembled a furniture in fact the only thing remotely similar to it was his intellect and even that was above standard. He was never schooled on how to behave when he let Iason's private residence so he wasn't certain if he was doing something wrong or not.

The looks they received made him wander if there was something wrong with the way he walked or possibly his expression.

As though he could read his thoughts Riki glanced over his shoulder at the nervous Furniture, "Face forward dumb ass. Don't let them get to you; half of them are just jealous anyway."

"Yes but-," he was about to explain the whole concept of furniture being named so for a reason.

"But nothing Hades…god you piss me off sometimes," Riki sighed almost laughing at how timid Hades seemed almost like a child that was seeing the outside world for the first time staying close to his parents and walking far away from person he didn't know.

"You can stop the needless fidgeting now we're here," Iason announced as he too glanced back the furniture as he glanced around nervously

================…==================

Aisha watched as Iason stepped in with his pet and who he assumed to his new furniture in tow. He wasn't surprised to see the mongrel in all his toned and well defined glory or what it should have been. If all the updates he'd been given was anything to go by Raoul had worked wonders for the mongrel to be presentable to public eyes. Speaking of which Raoul was the one who had called for the meeting to be held in his lab unknown to them the reason why especially since these past few days the pair Iason and Raoul had grown far more secretive.

"Lets not delay shall we I have a meeting in two hours time," Iason breathed meeting the eyes of his fellow Blondies all gathered for the momentous occasion.

"Point taken," Raoul was the one who spoke before issuing a few instructions for Riki to use the bathroom and utilize the change of clothing that his furniture had brought with him.

Saved from being the source of scrutiny for much longer, Riki and Hades made a quick exit.

After watching him vanish all eyes fell on Iason who joined the in silence as he took a seat by the table which was left vacant just for that purpose.

After a moment's silence Silbert one of the more complacent ones amongst them spoke up rather hesitantly as though he wasn't certain if he should ask or not, "as I am certain that he should be showing by now exactly how much so am I to expect," Jupiter alone knew how much he hated surprises.

Iason was silent for a moment not entirely sure how to answer and so he didn't, "I apologize but you're going to have to be to the judges of that."

The sight which hit them all as Riki reentered draped in one of his oversized shirts and slacks stumped them into mortified silence. He was huge and that alone seemed like an understatement. Riki stood and let them take it all in red with both rage and embarrassment as his eyes bore holes in the wall.

Possibly half an hour later when he was seated next to Iason where he felt safest at the moment, the babies seemed to be either sleeping or bored, as the Blondies simply at this point stood and stared at him. Some had even taken to paving the room restlessly, or still sit stone stiff staring in disbelief or if you were Aisha sat there with his hand on his stomach, still beside himself at the prospect that it was actually real.

"Exactly how many is he carrying?" Aisha questioned never quite seeing something quite like this.

"We don't know as yet-," Iason responded following every move Aisha's hands made.

"But we'll be finding out. Jupiter had grown impatient she has been making demands and she wants results," Raoul intervened his eyes following the furniture who left to hide in the bathroom away from preying eyes until his master summoned him.

Iason cupped Riki's mouth from behind with a gloved hand, purely on instinct, saving them all from a reel of profanity.

"It would be unwise to kill the messenger, Raoul is simply following order. I'm sure Jupiter has her reasons," Iason explained to his glaring lover, "and lest you forget she had been patient until now. And what better time to do it, other than while we're actually here? Look at it this way the sooner we get it over with the better."

Riki rolled his eyes but remained silent when Iason drew his hand away, "fine but hear me well I'll be need a god damn stroll through Mistral Park after this."

"So I take it that's a yes then?" Raoul questioned with a raise of his brows.

Riki shot him with a look that could maim and kill, "be grateful that I'm pregnant…be very grateful."