Zelda woke up, unsure of the time and how long she'd been asleep. With a whine she sat up, a hand going to her slightly bulged stomach. A fond smile came to her lips as she thought of baby photos of Ike, silently hoping their child had his beautiful hair. She stood up on shaky legs, wondering where Ike was. As she ran her hand through her hair she went to the shut door, turning it with a sigh. What she saw made her freeze midstep. There, in the middle of the hallway, Link was walking with Sheik, their fingers entwined even though it was obvious he didn't need any support. Deciding to be the evil younger by two minutes sister, Zelda cleared her throat and watched them whirl with wide eyes.

"Zel!" Link beamed at her and she met him halfway, them embracing tightly. "Hey now," Link took a half step back and touched a gentle hand to her stomach, "this bump is new."

"Ha ha," she slapped away his hand and he beamed at her. "How're you feeling?"

"Better," he said with a nod, his eyes flicking down from hers to the floor. "Sheik's been helping me a lot." He cast his eyes her way and Zelda would have had to have been blind to miss the blush that crawled up the bodyguard's cheeks.

"Good," she said with a knowing smirk. "Have you seen Ike?"

"He's actually at your desk doing your job," Link said and Zelda's eyes widened.

"He's what?"

XxX

Ike chuckled politely at the joke just cracked by the lord of douchedome he was currently speaking to, doodling in the margins of the paper littered with phone numbers for him to call. He had almost every call done, and he'd be done by now if it weren't for this current guy talking his ear off.

The door of Zelda's office opened and he glanced up from his random squiggles, giving Zelda a wink as he responded to the terrible joke poised by the lord. "Well this has been delightful, but I'm afraid I have to go, I'll pass on your regards and well wishes to Zelda. Uh huh... Bye." He set the phone back on the base and looked back up to see Zelda still standing there looking shocked.

"Hey beautiful," he said as he leaned back in her chair. "Did you sleep good?"

"Very... a little birdy told me you were in here doing my job," she said as she stepped into the office and Ike smirked as he held up his doodled on paper, a dozen numbers crossed off.

"I don't think I'm doing much other than calling and hearing from lords that I'm wonderful and they're so happy."

"You're getting your ass kissed already," Zelda said with a laugh and Ike nodded.

"I don't know how you stand it," he said and she shrugged.

"It's been that way my whole life," she remarked and he pushed the chair back from the desk a little, his hands patting his lap invitingly. Zelda smiled and sat, him wrapping his arms around her.

"I've done what I can, but apparently some things a ruffian like me can't do," he said and she laughed as she leaned on him. Ike couldn't help his hand running over her stomach, a smirk coming to his lips at the little bump.

"We'll find out soon what we're having," she remarked and he leaned his lips to her stomach, kissing the fabric gently.

"As long as they're born happy and healthy, I could care less what we have."

"I thought all daddies wanted a daughter to spoil," she said and he shrugged.

"I can spoil a boy just the same," he remarked and narrowed his eyes as she wiped a hand across her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Just..." she motioned and sighed. "Hormones," she said after a moment and he chuckled.

"When's the insatiable stage? That I can't wait for," he winked and she playfully slapped at his stomach.

XxX

The King of Hyrule sat in stunned silence as the lord he was currently on the phone with oozed praise of Ike. The lord droned on and on, how polite and funny the man was, how great a choice Zelda had made, every word was positive and the King had no idea how to process that. His thoughts strayed to his late wife, sick and dying of an inoperable brain tumor, how an experimental treatment came up in Crimea, how he had sent her there... how she had found what she had always wanted a month before death took her from him. A world weary sigh left his lips as he sat back, trying to come to terms with what he knew.

He had known his wife wasn't completely his, he'd watched the way she'd watched other women. He knew sending her to the distant land away from him was the coward's way of coming to terms with losing her. He knew, the second she called and told him she wanted a divorce he refused to sign, that he had lost her. Not to another man, but to the past president of Crimea who was also at the clinic battling breast cancer. It almost broke him, he loved his wife and wanted her to be happy. He had considered calling the woman who had fallen for his wife and getting the peace treaty centuries overdue. Pride had stayed his hand, petty jealousy led to his wife dying in the foreign land, her last moments spent in the woman's arms.

The King of Hyrule ran a hand over his face as he thought of the Crimean his daughter had inadvertently drug into his life. He hated himself more than the boy, hated the constant reminder of his own foolishness. With a quick jump to his feet he decided something, vowed it to himself like the goddesses themselves had demanded it of him. He would accept the child in his daughter's womb, and he would accept who and what made up half the child's life.

XxX

Zelda sat on Ike's lap as he called more numbers for her, a smile on her lips as his deep voice rumbled past her ears. She had her head tucked under his chin, his hand absently running up and down her arm as he listened to whoever he was talking to. There was a sense of contentment hanging heavily in the air, Zelda realizing just how lucky she was all those nights ago. Her brother had wanted her to find a man for a night, but she had found someone who could hold his own at her side. As he leaned forward to hang up the phone the door to her office opened, Zelda tensing at the sight of her father.

"Hey," Ike greeted him casually, his hand protectively on her arm.

"Hello," her father's curt nod surprised her. This was as nice as he'd ever been to Ike. Surely finding them cuddled up in her office wasn't the best sight for him. "I was thinking about hitting the golf courses in the Mushroom Kingdom in a few days... How's your golf game?"

"Rusty... but I wouldn't mind a refresher," Ike said carefully and Zelda sat there in stunned silence, not quite believing what was happening. Her father only played golf with his closest friends, he had never even taken her. She watched her father's face, stunned by the quick smile he shot at Ike, before he nodded.

"I'll set it up... I have several spare sets of clubs if you'd like to borrow them. Or, if you'd like, we can go down to the golf shop here in the capital and get you set up."

"I'd rather borrow a set first," Ike said with a smirk as he sat back in the chair. "That way if I'm just that bad it's not wasted money."

"Fair enough. Meet me in the sporting room after dinner and you can pick a set... Goodbye," he nodded once again and was gone, leaving Zelda sitting there stunned.

"What just happened?" Ike asked after a moment and she laughed nervously.

"I have no idea."

"Maybe your dad's been body snatched by aliens," Ike said and she shook her head with an eye roll.

"Wish that would've happened ages ago... Maybe he's warming up to you?"

"Well when hell freezes over the heat has to go somewhere," Ike said and she laughed as she slapped his stomach gently.

"Be nice," she chastised and he shook his head.

"I kinda like where not being nice has gotten me," he said with a drop in his tone that made her tense slightly.

"Not in my office," she warned and he gave her an innocent look.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" he exclaimed in an innocent voice she didn't believe for a second. "But," he added, his voice dropping once more, "if you're thinking what I think you're thinking then we should really get back to your room."

XXX

I'm sorry this update took forever. Writer's block and all... Anyway, special thanks to all of my amazing reviewers last chapter! Let me know what you think. Much love, Leigh.