A/N: I cannot explain why I wrote this. I think sometime after Feste and I started writing about the Glorie twins, this idea popped into my head as a 'what if' scenario, and then a week or so ago I was trying to pass the time whilst iced in at my house, and this happened.


Terence had been oddly quiet all day. Well, Terence was always quiet, but not like this. He was distractable, which never happened, and frowning. Something was wrong. But so long as people were looking and expected Gawain to be a knight and Terence to be a silent squire, Gawain couldn't ask him what on earth was wrong. So Terence's unknown bother festered all day and Gawain's worry festered exponentially, until at long last they returned to their quarters at the end of the day and Gawain was finally able to shut the door and round on his squire.

"What's wrong with you?" It was sharp, but only because he'd been waiting so long to ask.

"W-what?" Terence asked, frown not leaving his face.

"There's something wrong, I can tell, what is it?" Gawain crossed his arms. Terence didn't scowl or roll his eyes, he only took in a breath and looked away. Suddenly, Gawain's worry turned to alarm. Terence was good at guarding himself. He didn't just give up like this unless he was shaken. And he just didn't shake, ever. "Terence?" Gawain asked again, tone growing softer, but even more concerned.

Terence was shifting his weight, looking at the ground. He drew a breath, but bit down on his finger, still frowning and avoiding eye contact. Gawain didn't move, and didn't say anything. After a long while, Terence took a long breath and crossed his arms. Quietly, he said,

"Eileen is pregnant."

Gawain didn't move for a moment. After a moment, he blinked and half-smiled, confused. "Oh, well, congratulations, then," He let out a nervous chuckle, "That's… that's good, isn't it? …Come now, lad, you'll be a natural, there's no reason to-"

"We aren't married, Gawain!"

Gawain scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, of course you are, I was there."

"In Camelot!" Terence snapped, then quieter, "we're not… Gawain, I'm a squire. As far as anyone else is concerned… if they find out…" Realization was slowly dawning on Gawain's face. "If they find out that Eileen is with child, she'll be ruined, and God forbid they find out that I am the father, there'll be hell to pay!"

There was a long, cold quiet while Gawain's mind whirled and Terence chewed frantically on the crook of his finger. Gawain glanced down at him, and suddenly he realized why the man had been so off the whole day.

"You couldn't have been more careful, could you've?" Gawain only realized how heartless it was until after it was out of his mouth.

"Oh you think it happened on purpose? We thought that-" He tossed his hands in a helpless gesture. "God, this shouldn't have happened… five years, nothing has happened, but now-"

Gawain was frowning in confusion. "You haven't slept with your wife in five years?" He asked, bewildered.

"Of course I have!" Terence growled, "It's just never… never led to this," He said, running his hands through his hair. Gawain quirked an eyebrow.

"Pretty impressive, actually…" he mumbled under his breath. Terence glared.

"Gawain, this is serious! She's… she thinks she's nearly three months along, she could start… showing, soon." He shook his head, rubbing his brow. "I don't know what to do."

Although completely taken off-guard by the situation, Gawain suddenly felt for Terence. Here was a man who loved his wife, who was marvelous with children and devoted to his family. He'd just received news that should've set him smiling and bouncing with glee until no one could stand him, but because of the hand he'd been dealt in life, all he could do was chew on his lip and frown and worry because it was the wrong place and the wrong time.

"Well…" Gawain said, unsure but needing to help, somehow, "She could always go to Avalon. Lorie and your father could look after her."

"Oh, yes, and just abandon everything she has at Camelot?" Terence had obviously thought of this.

"Say she's visiting family. Which, she is."

"She doesn't have any family, so far as anyone else is concerned."

"Why not a visit to Orkney? She's been friends with my family for ages. I'll have Lynet send an invitation for formality's sake, if you like… Consider it a retreat from court life."

"For nine months, Gawain?"

"I'm trying to help, Terence," he said. Terence groaned and sat down.

"I know, I know, I just…" He sighed into his hands, staring. "We've… we've always wanted children, you know," he confessed at length. "She'll never admit it, but Eileen is horribly jealous of you and Lorie, because of the twins. And… I have to confess I've imagined what it'd be like, what those two would be like as cousins." Gawain smiled at the thought, but sadly. "I just… Terence hit a fist against his seat. "Dammit, Gawain, sometimes I hate being your squire."

Gawain wasn't even hurt by it. Sighing, he sat down next to Terence. "We'll figure it out, lad. And I am sorry, about how… restricted both of you are in this. You should be able to celebrate, and I'm sorry you have to hide. Just… have faith, eh? I want to help, if I can."

Terence nodded, face still in his hands. After having a very long think, he turned his head resignedly. "How quickly do you think you could explain all of this to Lynet?"

Gawain stood, going right for his writing desk. "I'm not sure, but I'll start now."


It took nearly a month to make arrangements, and Eileen was already having to depend on over-embellished dresses to distract from the fact that she was gaining weight. But soon it would become too obvious not to notice. Thankfully her status as Lady gave her an excuse to ride in a carriage, because when she'd even mentioned riding a horse, Terence had nearly burst an artery.

Terence usually wasn't reduced to the same gruntwork as the castle staff, but when they were moving Eileen's last bags out of her chamber, Gawain piped up, "Terence, grab the last of it, will you?" as he shooed the servants away. Terence frowned.

"What?"

Gawain glanced suggestively at the door. "I'll make sure no one bothers you," He said quietly, "Now go and say goodbye to your wife." Terence nodded and sobered, thanking Gawain quietly as he slipped by.

The door clicked behind him when Gawain closed the door, and then it was just Terence and Eileen and… well, the third one didn't have a name, yet. Wordlessly, Terence came over and took her hands. "I… I'm sorry that this happened like this," he told her. "I'm sorry it happened now,"

"Terence,"

"I suppose it's probably my fault,"

"Terence,"

"We should've been more careful, tried to-"

"Terence!"

He finally looked up, and Eileen was smiling at him, her face glowing with a new layer of telling chubbiness that set his heart racing. She lifted a loving hand to his cheek. "Don't be an ass, dear."

He laughed suddenly, holding her hand to his face. Yeah, that was the woman he married. "Let me see?" he asked her quietly, looking down at her. She smiled and smoothed her dress back against herself. Underneath all the skirt, he could see that her stomach was just slightly fuller than he remembered. Lovingly, he cupped the bump and got down on his knees. She only smiled at him as he kissed her stomach and pressed his face against her. "You be easy on your mother, you hear me?" voice cracking because he'd called his wife a mother. "I love you, and I'll see you soon." He kissed it again, and stood. Eileen didn't say anything, because her throat was too tight. "Soon," he said again, taking her face in his hands. The storybooks never told you how kissing got sweeter and better with the passing of years, of life between two people. When their lips broke apart, he took her hand to his face again, and savored it.

"You take care of yourself too, daddy," she said. Terence looked up suddenly at the name, and had to blink a few times. He nodded, and she smiled because she saw that he couldn't speak. He pulled her into a hug and she hugged back just as fiercely.

Gawain said nothing when they came to the door and Terence still looked like he was choking on something, and if Eileen wiped at her eye, he definitely hadn't seen it. The ginger knight's heart jumped just slightly when he hugged her goodbye and felt how far along she actually was, images of small Terences running about in his head. "Good luck," He told her, kissing the crown of her head.

"Thank you, Gawain, for everything." As she rode away, she shared one last look with her husband, who had to work incredibly hard to look like a lowly squire.

When the carriage had disappeared in the distance and the rest of Camelot strolled around immune from the knowledge that their family would soon be growing, Gawain put a hand on Terence's shoulder and turned him around. "Come on then, dad." He thought that Terence would elbow him at least, but instead the squire only walked on, expression blank until he asked,

"…You think it'll be a boy, or a girl?"

Gawain laughed. "We'll, I think we'll find enough excuses for you to go home in time to find out."