A/N: Shout out to NoVacancyMind for betaing this!

The hum Victor gave made Jefferson jump.

All but pressed up against the man's back, the Hatter demanded, "What?! What is it, what's wrong?!"

"Well, I've been debating how to tell you, but…" The Doctor arched a brow and offered him a frown. "You're standing in my light."

"Doc!"

"What? You are." He carefully eased the long sleeve of Arista's nightdress up to the unconscious woman's elbow. "And frankly, you're hovering is unnerving, so if you don't mind, please. Give me some space to work."

Jefferson bristled, but stepped back. He forced himself to take a seat at the table a few feet away. Arms crossed and leg shaking, he swallowed thickly. "Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like she's a fucking corpse, Victor!"

The man in question's brow rose. He looked pointedly back at Arista, who hadn't so much as twitched. Even when he checked her heartbeat (slow, but steady), or checked her blood pressure (again, a bit on the low side, but nothing to worry about). It was strange seeing the usually vibrant woman so lifeless. "You must admit she's taken on the appearance."

The Hatter glared harder, hoping to burn holes into the back of his skull. His gaze however, was unable to stay heated as the Doctor pulled out a needle. Anxious, he shifted and squirmed up a bit straighter. "What's that for?"

"I'll need a sample of her blood." He set it on her stomach.

"Why?" The portal jumper furrowed his brow as his friend pulled a tourniquet from his bag. Dread curled in his stomach. "I thought doctors examined, that's what made them different from healers."

"I have to examine her insides as well as her out. I'd request a urine sample-" At Jefferson's disgusted scoff, Victor amended, "But she's not exactly in the state for that."

For a few moments, it was quiet between them. Victor took the opportunity to tie the thin strip of fabric around the mermaid's bicep. Behind him, the Hatter held himself a little tighter. Wincing as the needle slid into Arista's skin, Jefferson looked away from them. His eyes focused on the little pin board she had put up just east of their window. It was scattered with pages ripped from books, just like the one she had kept in Rumplestiltskin's castle. If she didn't get better, she'd never see any of the strange places or creatures she had been so fascinated with…

"There we go," Victor cooed, his bedside manner coming naturally to him as Arista let out a quiet whimper. "Easy does it, Ma'am. We're almost done now. There's just one more thing I want to check."

Arista blinked herself awake, but didn't have the strength to be surprised by the man's presence. The room behind him seemed unfocused, and the bright sunshine stung her eyes.

The Doctor took the needle away and undid the tourniquet. He arched a brow at the blood in the vail (he had expected something a bit more impressive than the thin red liquid), but simply put it in his bag without comment.

Jefferson's frown turned puzzled as the man pulled back the blanket. He watched as Victor laid his hands on her stomach and began to push above her pubic bone.

Arista squirmed under the touch, but didn't have the strength to push him away.

Curiosity won out over distress and the Hatter asked what he was doing.

"Just checking a theory," the Doctor replied briskly. Still he offered a reassuring smile over his shoulder before he covered her back up. "I believe I have all I need. Shall we?"

The portal jumper stood. Nervously fixing the lapels of his jacket, he asked, "So what's the diagnosis, Doc?"

Victor's grin widened. "While the weight loss is disconcerting, I don't see anything to suggest it's little more than an extreme case of first trimester lethargy." When Jefferson's (and more troublingly Arista's) expression remained blank, the Doctor sighed. "Congratulations, Hatter. She's pregnant."

The younger man's eyes widened to an almost comical state.

The maiden didn't so much as smirk. A crease formed in her brow, but she said nothing.

"Most women experience a phase where even everyday tasks can leave them tired. Given her, shall we say unique case, it's really no surprise she's experiencing a more extreme case of it." Victor snapped his bag shut and stood from the bed. His gaze turned to meet Arista's who was watching him wearily. "Sleep all you want, just get up to eat. Every hour if you can stand it, but at least six calorie heavy meals a day until you've regained the ability to walk." He looked back at the shell shocked young man. "She'll have to do exercises to build the muscles in her legs back up."

Jefferson nodded. A slow, painfully bright smile stretched over his lips. Carefully, he moved to take the man's place, and his wife's hand. After kissing it, he held it to his cheek. "Hear that, Ris?"

She nodded.

The Hatter chuckled. "Aren't you excited?!"

Tired and weak, Arista nodded a bit more enthusiastically. The motion made her headache. Worse, she had no idea what he was so happy about, but if Jefferson was excited, she wanted to be, too. She stroked his cheek and offered him the strongest smile she could manage.

When he smacked a firm jovial kiss to her mouth, it turned genuine.

Uncomfortable with the show of affection, Victor lifted his gaze to the ceiling and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, obviously she should avoid shapeshifting until after the birth, but if she follows my advice, I see nothing to suggest she shouldn't make a full recovery."

Jefferson barely heard him. Nuzzling his brow against his wife's, he kissed her once, twice, before he whispered, "I have to take him home, but I'll be back soon. I'll bring us something to eat, alright? Something special."

Arista nodded and kissed him again. Brushing their noses together, she touched their forehead and kept her voice just as low, "Come home soon?"

"I will." He laughed and stood from the bed. Looking to Victor, he moved to embrace him as well.

The man put a quick stop to that with a firm hand planted on the overly excited boy's chest. "No."

"Spoilsport."

Victor ignored his friend's barb. "It's time I returned to my studies."

"Nerd."

"I don't know what that is."

Jefferson smirked and brushed past him. Clapping him on the shoulder as he went, he strolled to the door with a definite bounce in his step. "Yes, you do."

Victor rolled his eyes, but followed him out of the cabin without complaint. After the portal was opened and the two of them leapt through it, the Doctor asked the question that had pressed at him since he realized just what it was that was troubling the ailing maiden. "You're really pleased?"

"What?"

"With her being pregnant." The Doctor tried and failed to word it delicately, "You realize the child could be...deformed."

The Hatter shot him a scowl. Heart beating faster than he would like to admit, he huffed. "Our child will be perfect."

"But will it be human?"

Jefferson's sharp expression dampened. "I...it doesn't matter. Human, mer...person, whatever. As long as it's healthy."

"What if it's neither?"

"What if it's both?" The younger man countered. His shoulders rolled uncomfortably, but his strides stayed long and confident. "Her mother is."

"Her mother uses magic." Victor reminded him with a scoff. "Who knows what that magic will do to the unborn halfbreed."

Offended, Jefferson spun on his heel. Shoving his accomplice, he shouted, l"Don't call my child a halfbreed!"

"There's no need to take offense!" The man stumbled but didn't fall. Just looked incredibly indignant as he shifted his bag from one hand to the other. "I'm just speaking from a clinical standpoint."

The portal jumper continued to sneer. "How about you speak from a more friendly one?"

Victor took a deep breath and forced his more pressing, and frankly overtly personal, questions back. A small smirk pulled at his mouth. Reaching out, he placed a hand on the Hatter's shoulder and offered it a squeeze. As fond as he could manage, he nodded. "I'm very happy for the both of you, Jeff. I just think you should take some precautions."

The younger man sobered out of his sour mood. Fidgeting fingers fiddled with the lapels of his jacket. "What kind of precautions?"

"Avoid shapeshifting."

He inclined his head. That was an obvious one.

"Avoid any excessive stress or strain on her body. Nothing too spicy to eat." The good Doctor's smirk returned, taunting and a bit smug as his hand fell. "Common sense is a necessity in these matters and I'm afraid you don't have much."

After staring at his 'friend' for a long moment, Jefferson offered him a stilted, "Thanks."

"Just saying. It might not hurt to have someone familiar with her condition around, or at the very least her other condition."

"She's pregnant, we'll get a midwife, big whoop."

Not unkindly, but certainly not with much sensitivity, Victor asked, "Do midwives in your realm have experience with halfbreeds?"

"Call my kid a halfbreed again and I'm gonna make you see black and blue instead of black and white." Jefferson jabbed him in the chest with his index finger.

The man simply arched an eyebrow at the finger. "I quiver with fear."

"Just get in the damn portal!"

"We're already in the po-" Victor choked as Jefferson shoved him through the familiar grey scale castle door.

Little over an hour later, after Lewis had been returned to a frantic Carol, Jefferson made a quick trip to the market. Arms loaded with as much food as he could manage to carry, he made it back to his tiny home. A wide smile stretched over his lips at the sight of his dozing wife.

Soundlessly, he put the groceries away. With a pot of stew simmering on the fire, the young man approached the bed. His fingers found hers. The woman wove them together in her sleep.

A smile tugged at his mouth. Jefferson wasn't sure it would ever happen; between the species difference, and the stress of their job, he was certain it would just be the two of them. That would've been enough. He could have been happy like that, he knew he could have been, but that didn't stop the wanting. The Hatter had always wanted children, since he was a child himself, and the idea of not having them had left a cold ache in his chest...but they didn't have to worry about that anymore. His smile blossomed. Leaning down, he placed a careful kiss to his wife's lips.

Arista's eyes peeked open. A soft simper pulled at her mouth. "You're back."

"Miss me?"

"Always."

Jefferson chuckled. Yes, he most certainly could have been happy with her alone. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Come on, time to sit up."

She shook her head as his hands slid under her back. "No, please-"

"You need to eat something." He kissed her again, quieting her before he lifted her up. "You said you would."

The mermaid glared. As he fluffed her hair, she shook her head. " Can't I-"

"No, Ris, you can't! It has to be now, please?"

"But I'm not hungry." His wife tilted her head, confused by how frightened he looked, by how his expression tightened at her dismissal.

"I don't care."

Stubborn, Arista sneered. When his hands moved to lift her again, she pushed them away. It was weak, but her tone was fierce, "I said no!"

Jefferson's bottom lip wasn't quite steady. "You'll starve."

"Don't be so dramatic," She grabbed her pillow and rested her cheek on it.

"Dramatic? Dramatic?!" The man shrieked. Throwing her pillow to the ground, he ignored her whine and fell into the bed beside her. He forced her into his lap and, paying no mind to her shouts and cries, yanked her nightdress up. His hand caught hers and slid it over her side. "Don't you think this feels rather dramatic, Arista?!"

The divots of her ribs made her gasp. Stunned, the mermaid eased her dress up a bit more delicately. The sight of her ribs and hipbones, sharp and pressing harshly against wan skin, made her flinch. With a shake of her head, Arista stumbled, "I...I didn't know..."

Jefferson kissed the back of her head. "I know you didn't, but you do now. So you have to eat, alright?" A plea entered his shaky voice, "Please, Ris. You'll die. The baby will die."

She only half heard him, but she recognized the note panic in his voice, and guilt pulled at her stomach. Leaning back in his arms, the young maiden sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," her husband pressed his lips to her brow, her cheek, her mouth. "We'll go slow, alright? You can sleep all you want after, but you have to wake for meals."

"Alright," Tears welled in her voice at how tight he held her, his arms sinewy and strong compared to her frail ones. "Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. How could I possibly be mad?" He grinned. Brow pressed tight to hers, he chuckled. "We just got the best possible news, I could never be mad."

Curious, she opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about, but didn't get the chance. Jefferson pressed another kiss to her mouth before he stood. "I got stew. It's on the fire."

She offered him an indulgent smile. "Smells wonderful, thank you."

At his wink, the mermaid giggled.

A/n: apparently doctors in the 1800s thought spicy foods were bad during pregnancy, so I thought I'd throw that in.