~Chapter Twenty-Eight~
A Twist of Fate
Rose was thoroughly exhausted by the time she left the gymnasium with Puck. After their lesson, he swiftly turned back into Owen and went back up to the Castle to assist Xanatos with work, leaving her to trudge out of the Castle alone to catch a cab to Emily's apartment. When she hailed one down, she slid into a cab seat which smelled heavily of smoke and rested her head against the window, barely able to keep her eyes open. Luckily the anti-nausea pills were working wonders on her, but wasn't taking away the uneasy dread of her failure from the time spent training with Puck.
The hour they had trained with each other was nothing short of a disaster. It was packed full of magical lessons that gave her a splitting headache, and as much as she was wanting to make herself useful for Puck, Avalon and the Clan to fight away the powers of Hel and her insanely evil parents, she failed. Horribly. There wasn't a single area of practice of magic that she didn't choke at.
At the start of the lesson, she had a hard time getting the hang of shape-shifting. Puck said that all she had to do was think about the person, thing, or creature she wished to become and then will her form to become that thought. But no matter how long or much she concentrated on doing that, nothing would happen. Absolutely nothing. This puzzled Puck greatly, as no Third Race member couldn't shape shift, and he didn't know what to make of it.
"It's almost like… you have invisible shackles placed on you and your Human body." He mused at her. "And it's stopping you from using those shape-shifting capabilities."
Rose merely shrugged at his thought, not really knowing how to respond to that. She did not feel 'shackled', as he so kindly put it, to her Human form in any way, shape or form. She was born Human… grew up a Human and was in the only body she's ever had. It was the magical being that felt new to her, but in strange ways, though she's always had the capabilities.
Puck then shrugged at his own thoughts, said that he would try to figure it out later, and they moved on as if it was nothing to worry about.
Next, he began to teach her how to transport herself through a portal; which was where things really went downhill. She felt ridiculous trying to magic herself through space on the Earth-plane in the Gymnasium, and felt like she was about to split her body into two or crap herself by the amount of mental pushing he said to do to make it work. When she gave herself a massive headache and was sweating with nothing remarkable happening, she almost gave up.
After a half-hour of working on it, she finally portaled herself, but not where she meant to. Originally, she wanted to transport a few feet by the weights, but to her and his shock, she ended up inside the pool (which was in a completely different gymnasium room) by complete accident. It would have been an exciting accomplishment because she portaled somewhere, had she not nearly drowned.
Rose knew that if Brooklyn were there and saw what happened, he would have lost his mind with worry. How she ended up in the middle of the enclosed indoor pool, underneath the cover, with no way out was beyond her comprehension. But yet, it was so horribly scary. Being immersed in dark waters, with no way out, suddenly felt like she was stuck in her icy-nightmares or in the East River, where she and Brooklyn nearly drowned; and she panicked.
Her panic broke Puck away from his cheering, and threw him into a serious 'uh-oh' moment. He quickly found out what was happening when she wasn't resurfacing and instantly portaled her out. When she crashed down, soaking wet, choking on water and gasping for breath at his feet, he didn't push her any farther on portaling.
"That attempt was a start…" He told her as he helped her dry off; while making sure that she was okay and breathing normally. "But I'm going to say that we're done with portal practice for now, at least until we are down on the ground and you don't have a high building to potentially portal out of on accident. Now that I know you can move between rooms, I don't want to find you splattered on the New York streets below because you accidentally portaled out of the Eyrie Building. And I really do not want to be the one that has to explain what happened to you, and why that happened, to your preciously protective Gargoyle mate. He will rip off my face and male-hood if I let anything bad happen to you, that I am positively sure about."
She almost laughed at his joke, but knew it to be true as well. Brooklyn wouldn't stand by and forgive Puck for allowing him to have her get hurt or die, but the fact that she did portal into a completely different room without meaning to, did unnerve her as well. The walls of this gymnasium were so small now; so easily breakable that she didn't dare try again either. At least, not as high up as they were.
She shuddered at the thought of portaling out of the tallest skyscraper in Manhattan, free-falling to her death by accident. But then, a small relief coursed through her at his words. His concern for her getting hurt… even if he worried for his own well-being was at the center of them… made her think that perhaps Hudson was wrong. Puck perhaps wouldn't let anything bad happen to her out for fear of what Brooklyn would do to him if he did. Even if it was to protect himself overall, it was still a start.
When she was dry, they then moved on to her shielding abilities, which ended up being a flop as well. At first, Rose had produced a few impressive shields, and Puck was enthralled and giddy by her success. But when he asked her to fill the entire room up with her shield, she passed out. When she came to, Puck looked exhausted as well and called it a night.
Rose sensed slight disappointment from him over her poor performance, but at the same time, she had to tell herself that she did a lot of things which was difficult for any Third Race member to do for the first time. True, they were younglings when learning the skills and abilities, but she tried not to let that detail get to her too much. They decided to meet together and try again tomorrow night, after he ordered her to get a full night of proper sleep. He then turned into Owen and left her alone in the Gymnasium so he could help Xanatos with some work; and dryly told her not to fall in the pool again as he walked through the doors.
Rose gave him the middle finger from behind his back, but he sensed it. And for the first time Owen barked out a laugh that shook the walls, making her laugh out loud as well. Now as she sat in the taxi cab thinking about the session, she came to the conclusion that perhaps the night hadn't been such a disaster after all, and he didn't think any less of her.
Fifteen minutes later, the cab dropped her off at Emily's and it brought her back to the present. After she paid the driver, and got out, it took everything for her to walk inside and try to not look like a zombie. When she arrived at Emily's apartment door and knocked, her best friend opened the door and blinked in surprise at her.
"Hi… uh… oh wow. Holy crap, Rose! Are you okay? You look like hell!"
"You're the second person to tell me that today." Rose grunted, stepping past her not bothering to be let in. "But all the same, nice to see you too."
Emily stayed silent and watched her enter the home.
"I didn't mean to say it that way." She said more gently, shutting the door behind her. "You just look really tired is all."
"Oh I am." Rose chuckled. "But I'm used to it by now, so it's all good."
There was a mirror next to Emily's front door and decided to give herself a quick peak; quickly realizing what Emily was seeing. She truly did look like hell. Her eyes were sunken slightly, her body was a lot skinnier than usual, her arms had bruises all over, and since she was wearing a tank top they were more obvious.
Seeing them at the same time Rose did, Emily gasped out in horror.
"What are all these bruises from?!" She demanded.
Rose sighed, too exhausted to tell her while standing, she walked in the apartment further to find the nearest chair to sink into, which ended up being a contemporary half-dome type chair in her living room, and faced her.
"I was practicing sword fighting with Hudson last night and got pretty banged up. Then I was practicing some of my magic with Puck right before I came over, and it was exhausting. So yeah, that's why I have bruises everywhere and am beyond exhausted, but I'll live."
Emily continued to gaze down at her with wide eyes. "And… sleep? Been getting any of that?"
"Some." Rose said heavily, then looked up at her and smiled. "I'm good, Em. I promise. You and Chris go to dinner and have fun. Don't worry about me and Katie, she and I are going to have a blast."
Emily opened her mouth to argue, but was cut off, when a high-pitched squeal was heard from her three-year-old daughter. "AUNTIE WOSE!" Katie ran across the hallway and slammed herself into Rose's sore chest, making her grunt out in pain.
"Oh, Katie honey, be careful. Auntie Rose is…"Emily began to reprimand, but Rose pulled Katie up onto her lap and waved Emily off.
"No, she's okay, she didn't hurt me."
Emily sighed and couldn't help but smile as well. If Rose said that she was okay to still watch her, then that was good enough for her.
"How are you doing baby girl?" Rose asked Katie, pulling back to look into her little face.
"Good. Are you here to pway with me?" She asked, grinning brightly, and was clutching the Aurora doll that she and Brooklyn got her for her birthday.
"I am." Rose told her with a grin, then looked up at Emily, who had moved across the large open living room into the kitchen to attend to Katie's macaroni and cheese dinner. "I'm so happy that she likes this doll."
"Yeah, she loves that thing." Emily replied, stirring the packaged cheese into the soft noodles. "Seriously, she hasn't put it down since you gave it to her."
"Good." Rose said with a smile. "I'm glad she loves it! Which… I can't believe she's turning four in a week!" She then turned to Katie and baby-talked, "That's just crazy to me!"
"Oh I know." Emily said, placing some food in a small plastic bowl for Katie, with carrots, grapes and a small water cup on the table. "It's gone by so fast to me too."
Rose smiled and watched as her best friend waddled over to get some napkins from their pantry, then picked up Katie in her arms and carried her over to her booster seat at the table. She placed Katie in front of her food, picked up the noodles and blew on it to help it cool down.
Emily waddled back, stopped at the end of the counter and placed a hand on her swollen stomach, groaning out slightly.
"Hey, you okay?" Rose asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.
"Fine." Emily laughed, waving her off and walking over with the napkins. "I've been having more Braxton-Hicks contractions lately."
"Those are pretty normal for you though, right?"
"Yeah, they are, but they are just getting stronger, and because I've got four weeks left till this little man's due date, there's just very little room for him anymore."
"Do you think you'll go into labor early with him like you did with Katie?" Rose asked, putting down Katie's macaroni and cheese, and watched her take a large bite for her small mouth. But snorted a laugh, when most of the noodles fell down the front of her shirt instead.
"I don't know." Emily said, grabbing a napkin to help pick up the mess, as Rose walked over and grabbed a bib for Katie; then put it around her neck. "I have a feeling he might. But we'll see. I would kind of like to get past Katie's birthday first before we deal with another one, but hey, I'm not in charge of those kinds of things. He'll come when he wants to come I guess."
"Are you excited?" She asked her, sensing a bit of distress in Emily's face and tone.
"Um… yeah, I am." Emily answered slowly. "It's just, things are kind of stressful right now. I'm nesting like crazy and I just… I hate this house for a family. It's great for bachelor's or singles and barely makes the cut for a married couple, but for a young family with a second child on the way? I don't think so."
"Well, that can be changed." Rose said positively. "It's not anything permanent, plus the baby will be sleeping in your room for the first little while. You've still got time"
"I know, but… ugh… that's not all." Emily sighed, moving her curly blond hair behind her ear and sunk into the chair next to Katie at the kitchen table, looking downright upset.
"What's up?" Rose asked, sensing her distress.
"I don't know, Rose. I am just feeling a little bit lost and torn on what we should do, I guess. Chris is all for moving to Oregon and really wants to take that job… but…"
"You don't?" Rose asked. "It sounds like a really good opportunity for all of you."
"I know, and it would be." Emily said. "I just don't really want to leave New York."
At this, Rose sighed and shook her head.
"Why not? What truly is here that's worth staying for, Em? Everything you said before was right. Rent is astronomical here, living arrangements aren't ideal for a young family, and living here doesn't give Katie much opportunity to have a childhood like a life in the suburbs can. Plus, Chris' family will be around to help out. It'll save you guys money, the job will be a pay raise. I mean, all of these reasons are all positive. I really don't see why-"
"What about you though?" Emily asked, looking like this had been bothering her the last little bit, and silence passed between them for a few moments.
"What about me?"
"I can't leave you here…"
Rose snorted, trying to hide her own emotions. "Oh Emily… yes you can, I'll be just fine…"
"We've been best friends for five years." Emily said, her eyes swimming with tears. "Since my family is insane, broken, and spends more time in jail than out of it, you've been all I've had since college. Since your Nana and Pop died, and you've gone through what you have with Kevin, we've been each other's family and support system. The idea of leaving you here, all alone, just feels… wrong."
Tears welled up in Rose's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away and cleared her throat.
"I won't be alone."
"Oh… I… I didn't mean that." Emily sighed. "Of course you aren't, not with Brooklyn and the Clan. But…"
"I get what you're saying." Rose cut in quietly. "But just keep an open mind, all right? That's why you and Chris are going out tonight, to discuss things more. So don't worry about that or me, just go into this decision with a clear mind and think of what's best for you and your family. Everything else will fall into place I'm sure, and you and I can talk about this later."
Emily stared at her for a long moment, but Rose shrugged her gaze off by helping Katie eat her macaroni and cheese. After a moment of silence, Emily heaved herself up and mumbled, "I'm going to check on Chris."
Rose didn't say anything to her as she waddled past her and walked up the spiral metallic stairwell to go up to their bedroom. Katie's small bedroom was across the hall, and even though this place was a two bedroom, it didn't feel like it. The bedroom was more a large closet with a small window with bars on the outside of it.
She didn't blame Emily for feeling so worried. With a newborn coming into their lives, there just wasn't enough space for them all to grow in this loft style apartment. And that would be hard. Hers and Brooklyn's apartment was big enough for a baby or two, and if it was more Gargoyle, then it also had the huge Castle to run around in, and plenty of fresh air for its wings. But still, she didn't think about the reality of what to expect with her own child coming, and it was suddenly a lot to consider. She hadn't thought about it, and she suddenly had to look away from Katie's messy eating and swallow down nervous bile.
Minutes past since Emily went into their bedroom upstairs, and when her nausea wave passed, Rose encouraged Katie to take bites of her dinner by 'feeding' her doll, Aurora, first. Seeing them together, Emily smiled sadly and tried not to cry again. She couldn't help but let the water work come when brushing her teeth, but this idea of moving was tearing her apart. She knew it was best for their family, but Rose was also family and for a long time, they were all each other had.
As if sensing her, Rose looked up and saw Emily watching them from above. She was sporting a nicer maternity dress and flats, with her hair and makeup nicely done; and smiled as she watched Rose and Katie interact. They were the best of friends, and her daughter truly idolized Rose. Another reason why thinking of moving across the country was so devastating to her. She sniffed her tears away, blaming her emotions on her hormones, as her husband opened the master bedroom door, looking and smelling very nice.
"We need to get going if we are going to make our reservation time." Emily told him.
"I'm ready whenever you are, babe" Chris responded, fixing his wrist watch. They started to descend their sketchy spiral stairwell which suddenly moved slightly, so he quickly grabbed onto her wrist to keep her steady, and she looked back at him in gratitude. When they reached the floor, Emily then turned to Rose, who could see that she had been crying a little bit, but was trying to hide it.
"Thanks so much for doing this, Rose. I know you two will have an awesome time tonight."
"Of course we will!" Rose said happily, trying to keep the mood light as she gave Katie back her plastic spoon so she could feed herself. "Katie girl and myself are gonna party it up in here and ya know, bust a move and raise da roof."
Emily snorted at her 'wannabe' swagger humor. "Well don't party too hard. Katie's bedtime is at nine, and help yourself to whatever you want to eat or watch. You're family, so you know the drill how we roll around here. Chris and I will probably be out till eleven or midnight. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, that's not an issue at all." Rose said, waving her hand to usher them out. "You kids have fun and don't worry about us, we'll be just fine."
Emily opened her mouth, but Chris placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her towards the front door. "She knows. She's just being a protective mama but doesn't need to be." He then quickly grabbed his wallet and car keys from the kitchen counter, then walked over and gave Katie a kiss, as Emily hugged her and then Rose.
"We'll see you later Katie bug, be good for Auntie Rose." Emily said, kissing her daughter.
"'Tay mommy. Love you."
Chris then gave her a kiss and hugged her tightly. "Love you baby girl. Have fun."
"Love you too, daddy."
Chris then moved over to where Rose sat and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Bye Rose, thanks again."
"You're welcome, anytime. See ya guys later, enjoy yourselves."
"What? Us have fun without kids?" Chris asked sarcastically, as they opened their front door. "Oh we will. Thanks again!"
With that Chris and Emily walked out the front door, locked it behind them and Rose was alone with Katie. The three-year-old looked up at her with her big baby blue eyes and smiled sweetly at her, melting her down.
"I've missed you bug." Rose said, watching her eat the macaroni and cheese all on her own as she stayed silent and continued to drop most of it on her bib again; Rose chuckled and knew Katie felt the same.
When she was done eating, Rose cleaned up her bowl and swept up the spilled macaroni that was all over the wooden floors, then did their dishes as Katie pulled out a blank sheet of paper with crayons, laid on her stomach on the floor, and started to doodle, singing to herself. She smiled at her as she did so, and looked around the loft-style apartment. It was a nice place, high ceilings, pipes and brick everywhere. All of the floors were wooden, and Emily had placed curtains on the high windows. Their kitchen and living room were all one space, but on the side of the living room wall, Emily bought a shelving unit, placed it on its side and had totes all full of kid toys and activities, including art. It was an easy place to put things back in, organized, and Katie knew where to help herself.
She was still singing softly to herself when Rose walked over to her, sat down, and together they colored pictures. When she was with Katie, even though she was a young child, Rose felt like life was simple again. She could color a picture, goof around and simply have a good time without worrying about anything. She glanced over at Katie, who returned a large, toothy smile, and just like that- they silently enjoyed each other's company in silence and Rose got to see life through the eyes of an innocent child once again.
An hour passed, five pictures had been drawn and colored, they played with all of her princess dolls, still on the living room floor, had an ice cream cone and had just barely made beaded necklaces before Rose got Katie dressed in her pajamas to begin the 'winding down' process of the night. The sun was down at this point, it was getting close to Katie's bedtime, and her mind instantly went to Brooklyn. Now that it was nine, she wondered if he had read her note yet.
"Okay, five more minutes." She told Katie softly, gently running a brush through her fine blonde curly hair. "Then we are going to go potty, brush teeth and go to bed."
"Can I pweese stay up with you?" Katie begged, and Rose smiled, melting.
"I already have let you stay up, baby girl. If I let you stay up much more your mama would be really upset with Auntie Rose." Rose then side-hugged her. "But I've had fun with you."
Katie's body visibly sagged and looked disappointed. "Otay."
Rose snuggled her tighter and watched what she was doing. Her little fingers were carefully putting a ton of red beads on a stretchy line of plastic thread and she cocked her head to the side in interest. Katie made her a pink and purple necklace, made herself a rainbow necklace, and then one for Emily and Chris, all in different colors, but was now working on a fifth one.
"Who's necklace is this gonna belong to?" She asked her curiously. "Is it gonna be for your dolly?"
Katie giggled. "Nope."
"Then who is this one for?"
Katie held it up, looking very proud at all the red colors on it and grinned at Rose. "It's for Bwookwyn. I made him a wed neckwace, because his skin is wed. See?"
Stunned that Katie remembered seeing Brooklyn's stone form yesterday, the wedding photos from her apartment, and even the fact that she talked to her about him being her 'red guardian angel,' was incredible to Rose. Katie then handed the necklace to Rose to have her tie it off.
"Yes, I see." Rose said in awe. "It's very good, bug."
"Will Bwookwyn like it?"
"Yes." Rose said with a gentle smile. "I think he will absolutely love it."
"Is Bwookwyn coming to see me?"
"I…" Rose started to say, tying off the red beaded necklace and was stunned. She couldn't believe Katie knew he was real even though she hadn't yet met him. And even though she knew he looked different, she still wanted to meet him. "I actually don't know if he will come, bug, I hope he does. I invited him, but you might already be in bed asleep if he does."
"Ah… if he does, can I pweese meet him?" Katie asked softly, leaning into Rose and rubbing her eyes; yawning. "Pweese Auntie Wose? I want to meet Bwookwyn."
Rose gave her a kiss, placed the necklace down and picked her up in her arms. "Yes, I'll let you meet him. But for now, let's get you to bed. You're tired"
Katie didn't argue with her as she yawned again, laid on her shoulder, found her thumb to suck, and seemed to lose energy as Rose carefully climbed the rickety metal staircase, taking her all the way up to the upstairs bathroom. Rose helped Katie brush her teeth, let her go to the bathroom, and then was nearly run over when Katie ran into her small bedroom, giggling. Rose laughed, and followed after her, looking into the room. It was perfect for a three-year-old since she slept in a toddler bed still, which didn't take up as much room, but the room was tiny for an adult and a twin-size bed would barely fit.
Rose clicked on the lamp as Katie snuggled into her covers with her Aurora doll and listened sleepily as Rose read her a few princess books, and sang her a few songs. After about ten minutes of a bedtime routine and singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' she looked over at Katie and saw that she was out like a light. Smiling, Rose carefully put the books away, kissed her good-night and clicked off the lamp.
In the darkness, Katie had a nightlight that was lighting her room with soft images of water and fish. Rose slowly and quietly shut the door and stood on the other side of her bedroom door taking in the silence for a moment and gently placed her hand on her stomach. It felt right to be a mom, and more than anything she was excited to have these moments with her own child.
Smiling to herself, she quietly walked out of the dark hallway and descended down the rickety staircase. The moment her feet hit the wooden floor, her connection to Brooklyn awakened the very same minute a soft tap was heard on the slider door by the kitchen. She gasped, looked over and saw her mate standing on the tiny balcony outside the slider doors, the space barely bit enough to hold a set of Emily's planters. Brooklyn was smiling brightly at her, waving, and had his long red wings tightly wrapped around his shoulders to fit in the tight space.
Rose grinned in excitement and took off running across the room to let her mate inside. She unlocked the door, slid it open, and instantly Brooklyn swooped in and scooped her tightly up into his arms; spinning them around in a circle. They both laughed happily as he did so, but he slowed down until he stopped spinning around, set her down and crushed his lips down to hers; kissing her passionately.
Rose giggled against his lips, he then slid his lips down to her neck, as she tugged him into a tight hug, holding him close to her. She ran her fingers down his back and into his long white hair.
"Hi babe!" She sighed. "I love you! I'm so glad you're here!"
"I love you too! I'm glad I'm here too." He whispered, kissed her deeply again and then pulled away and gazed deeply in her eyes.
"Thanks for coming," Rose said softly. "I take it that you got my note?"
"I did, and thank you for letting me know where you were. I remembered that you were babysitting the kiddo tonight, but I appreciate the courtesy reminder anyway."
"You're welcome." She took his claw in her hand. "I just didn't want you to worry when you saw I wasn't at the Castle anymore."
He smiled at her, reached his free claw back and closed the sliding door, then let her lead him from the kitchen to sit down on the couch in the living room. When they got there, Brooklyn looked around Emily's tall living room and whistled quietly.
"Wow, nice place. I brought Emily home once, but I dropped her off in the alleyway back when we were first dating, and have never seen inside. They want to move from here?"
"Yeah." Rose said, sitting down on the couch and bringing him down with her. "The space down here is really cool, but doesn't really work for a growing family. The bedroom's upstairs are really small and with the baby on the way, Emily wants something different that can accommodate their growing family. But we'll see what they decide, she's pretty emotional about the idea of moving."
"Makes sense." He said softly, cuddling Rose closer to him, smiling. "She's not the only one."
Rose looked up and saw that he was looking at her with sympathy. She instantly blinked away any emotion and shook her head at him, placed her legs over his cuddling into his chest and looked up into his eyes, trying not to think about it, but he caught her.
"You don't need to hide with me, Rose." He whispered. "I know the idea of losing Emily makes you really sad."
"I'm not hiding anything." She said, trying to keep her voice steady. "It does make me sad, but I'm just choosing not to focus on it right now. That's all. I would like to be happy and enjoy my night with you instead."
"Yeah?"
"Definitely." She said, coming closer to him. "You're here with me now. That makes everything better."
Brooklyn chuckled, lowered his lips to hers and kissed her gently again while holding her tightly to him. "I feel the same way." He paused and then pulled away. "So how has tonight been with the kiddo?"
"It's been really good." She said softly. "She and I played with her princess dolls, colored pictures, and made necklaces." She held her pink and purple beaded necklace up to him. "This is mine. Jealous?"
"Actually I am." He said, touching it gently. "Where's mine?"
"In her arms." Rose laughed. "She made one for you and wanted to give it to you herself."
Brooklyn froze slightly at that, and looked down at her with wide-eyes. "Seriously?"
"Yeah, seriously. Katie really wants to meet you, so much so, I might go wake her up in a second so she can. She wanted to give you the necklace, and who am I to say no?"
Brooklyn placed a claw against his chest and she could see him melting. "Oh, wow. That is really thoughtful and sweet of her."
"She really is a sweetheart… but uh… you can meet her later." She said, kissing the side of his face, getting his attention again. "Right now, I want to be alone with you and remind you that you're mine."
"Am I now?"
"Yes." Rose whispered against his neck, still kissing him, and a small growl came from him- the feeling instantly mutual.
"You know, I dreamt about you and what we did this early morning all day today." He whispered in a low and sexy voice, pulling her over his waist. She spread her legs and straddled his waist; pressing her pelvis to his while wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Did you now?" She breathed.
"Yes." He breathed back, his lips inches from hers. "In my dreams, I could still smell your sweet scent, feel every gorgeously sexy and luscious inch of your body against mine, the incredible feeling of us moving in union with each other, the glorious taste of you on my tongue… and oh Rose, I wanted to do it again, and again, and again."
A heat built in between her legs at his words and anytime they spoke about making love with each other, it seemed to go that way. Brooklyn pulled on her backside, pressing her against him and crushed his lips to hers. She moaned happily as he kissed her deeper, but after a few seconds, she cupped his beak and pulled away a few inches.
"I did too, babe… I loved last night, but I gotta tell ya that I could barely move when I woke up this morning."
Brooklyn snorted out a laugh, but a gaze of longing flashed in his eyes. Though he felt bad for making her sore, it turned him on slightly. "Hmmm…sorry about that."
"No you're not." She laughed, leaning down so they were chest to chest, and lowered her lips down to his again.
"You're right, I'm not." He breathed back with a smile, and kissed her, only coming up to speak. "As long as you're healthy and not actually hurt, being sore from rougher sex is hot as hell and tells me that I did a good job in pleasing you."
"Oh, that you did." She whispered. "And uh… you can do it again, if you wanted."
With a devilish grin, he growled in pleasure, cupped her backside, making her legs spread apart more widely and pulled her roughly against him. They both moaned loudly as their mouths opened to each other's, tongues dancing in a heated dance, and his claws ventured up the back of her tank top meeting her bare skin.
"No matter how much I experience these feelings… no matter how much I feel you..." He whispered against her lips, running his talons gently up her spine, making her shiver and arch into him with a pleased moan; he smiled brighter at her reaction. "I'll never get tired of it, Rose. Your beauty takes my breath away. You, my love, all of you amazes me and leaves me wanting more of you. I love you more than I could possibly begin to try to say and describe with words."
"So don't speak then, let our bodies do the talking- they did an outstanding job earlier this morning." She whispered as his claws played with the back of her bra; his groin hardened under her pelvic weight.
"Hmmm. Yes, they did." Was all he said as he kissed her neck again. Unlike last night, he was going to take her, nice and slow."Where's Katie?"
"In bed, asleep. We can play around as long as we are really quiet." Rose answered him, lowering her fingers lightly and playfully down his chest, abdomen and then towards his loincloth. He raised an eye bone at her and both smiled cheeky smiles.
"You like having fun, don't ya?"
"With you? Yes…" she breathed, and groaned when his lips pressed against her extended neck, then grazed lower towards her cleavage, and she chuckled. "Do you want to piss Emily off by making love on her couch?"
Brooklyn snorted at her question, raised his head up, and looked confused.
"Umm… is that a trick question? Because yes, I always want to make love to you… but here? Uhh… I'm going to go with, no. Not really, no."
"Why not?" Rose fake pouted. "It could be a blast."
"Because I like my private regions… and I think you do too." He said with a grin. "But pissing off a pregnant Human female with a known temper, by fooling around in her home when we should be watching her child, doesn't sound fun or the smartest thing to do."
Rose clicked her tongue seductively. "Too bad." She then reached up a hand and tugged her long hair out of her messy bun, shaking her curls out slowly, making his eyes grow large. "I was going to suggest we get really freaky... and just not tell her until later to get a good reaction from her. I mean, as long as we are quiet and don't wake up Katie, I don't see anything wrong with it. More than anything, I see it as a challenge I was willing to accept… but… apparently it's too much for you."
Brooklyn growled, crushed their lips together and shot his claws up into her long curly hair, kissing her madly.
"When it comes to making love to you, nothing is too much for me. Challenge accepted."
"Hmmm… good answer." Rose mused, letting him turn her to lie down on the couch, and pulling him down on top.
"Can't get enough of me, huh?" He breathed as he pressed himself to her, beginning their foreplay, and she laughed, wrapping her arms and legs around him.
"Nope, never"
"Good answer." He mocked.
"Beast."
He chuckled more deeply at her teasing remark, but then was kissing her again, passionately, madly and running his body over hers. The couch groaned under their weight but they didn't care. Brooklyn ran his claws up her abdomen, gave her breasts a nice squeeze, before he wrapped an arm around her head.
"I'll show you what this beast can do." His groin hardened more against her and she moaned out in pleasure, the heat in between her legs growing more hot.
"Ohhh yes, baby, yes. Give me all you've got."
"Always." He whispered back, and loved how sexually vocal she had become, and already, he was beyond turned on by her. Growling deeper and pushing himself down upon her beautiful body, their tongues danced heatedly, louder moans about to escape from them when suddenly a small voice cut through the room.
"Auntie Wose?"
Rose gave a small shriek, Brooklyn gasped out a curse word, lifted his head up and quickly crawled off her, as Rose bolted up into a sitting position. Looking around the couch, she saw Katie peering down the stairs at them, holding onto the iron bars of the small landing.
"Katie?" Rose gasped breathlessly, quickly fixing her shirt and touched her heart. "You startled me honey. Is… is everything okay?"
"I had a bad dweam." She said softly.
Rose looked over at Brooklyn who was staring up at her, almost afraid to move out of fear of scaring her more, if she was scared of him. Rose couldn't tell yet.
"Okay baby… I'm coming." She stood up, walked around the couch and then came up the stairs. When she reached her, Katie was still kneeling on the small stair landing, but wasn't looking at her, her eyes were glued on Brooklyn. Rose slowly reached down and picked her up.
"Let's get you back to bed."
"Who is that?" Katie suddenly asked, and Rose froze. She looked from Katie and then down at Brooklyn, who obviously looked nervous. But from how much Katie talked about him, she decided to give it a quick shot. "Well uh… that is Brooklyn. He's come to say hello to you."
"He's Bwookwyn?" Katie asked quietly, still staring down at Brooklyn, who was looking back at her; still afraid to move so he didn't startle her.
"Yes, honey. That's him."
Katie gasped, looked from her down to Brooklyn once more, then kicked and thrashed to get down wordlessly. Rose let her down, and watched as she ran away into her room, leaving a dread in her chest. She looked back at Brooklyn, not wanting him to feel bad for her reaction.
"Just… give me a second, I'll talk to her."
"No, don't force her to see me." He said quietly. "I… It's probably best if I leave, actually."
"No, please." Rose begged quietly. "Honey, please don't go."
But Brooklyn stood up and went to make his way out of the room, not saying a word to her, and she could feel how upset he was. Another human who was scared of a Gargoyle by how they looked.
Typical. She heard him say in his mind, and her heart sunk even more. His thoughts were bitter and it didn't seem to matter the age of a Human anymore- he was tired of the constant rejection.
Torn, Rose wanted to check on Katie, but her mate was upset. The minute she turned to go to Katie, she came sprinting out the room holding the red beaded necklace that she made for him and blasted past her running down the stairs, almost falling a few times.
"Katie! No- wait, honey wait!" Rose called after her, taking the winding staircase after her, mentally telling herself to tell Emily that this staircase was a safety hazard.
Brooklyn turned at the ruckus, and watched, with wide-eyes, as the small blonde-haired girl tore across the living room towards him. He blinked in shock and stayed where he was, letting her come to him. Katie's footsteps slowed the closer she got to him, but then stopped completely when she was within five feet of him. Rose froze by the stairs and held her breath, praying that this went well, and that Katie wouldn't be afraid of him. She wasn't afraid over his stone form, but in flesh, it was a bit different.
Rose obviously thought he was beautiful, but would he be to a three-year-old? It could still go either way.
Brooklyn was seeming to hold his breath as well, kept a claw on the wall he was holding and slowly lowered himself down on his knees, to come to her eye level and then offered her a small, but kind smile. Nobody said anything, and Rose wasn't sure who would speak first. Katie was slowly entering her 'shy' mode and was clutching her Aurora doll tighter for comfort.
Seeing her discomfort, Rose slowly tip-toed her way over to her, when Katie slowly stepped forward and held the red beaded necklace out to him, and she froze again to watch the interaction. Brooklyn's eyes flew up to hers in amazement at her movements, who smiled tenderly at this special moment, and then he looked back at Katie.
"Is… is this for me?" He asked her softly. Katie quickly nodded, still wordlessly and was barely looking at him, but her hand was steady holding the necklace out to him. Rose crept forward, got on her knees and gently placed her hands around her shoulders.
"It's okay." She whispered in her ear. "You don't need to be nervous, he's our friend." At Rose's words of encouragement and support, Katie stepped closer to him and urged the necklace closer to him.
He slowly raised a claw up and took it from her, looked down at the necklace and smiled even more brightly.
"Thank you." He told her with great enthusiasm, meaning every word. "This means a lot to me. Now I get to look just as cool as you and Aunt Rose."
Katie finally cracked a smile, giggled and it was the most beautiful sound in the world to them. Brooklyn placed the necklace on, adjusted his long hair and now the red-beaded necklace rested over the metal one that held his wedding ring.
Tears filled Rose's eyes, she side-squeezed Katie and then kissed her head. "Good job, bug." She whispered, amazed by this moment and how emotional it was to her and Brooklyn.
"Are you Bwookwyn?" Katie suddenly asked and both were amazed by her bravery; and his gaze softened even more at her little voice.
"I am." He said. "And you're Katie?"
Katie nodded, smiling still, and was giggling slightly. "Yes."
"Very nice to meet you." Brooklyn grinned at her, then pointed a talon at her doll. "And who is that? Is that a princess?"
Katie nodded and snuggled the doll tighter, but was looking into Brooklyn's eyes now, still smiling at him.
"Wow!" He said with quiet enthusiasm. "She looks just like you, are you a princess?"
"No." Katie giggled, getting more talkative now. "This is Awowa."
"Oh… Princess Aurora?" Brooklyn asked. "From 'Sleeping Beauty'? Is she your favorite movie princess?" Katie giggled and nodded again, as he continued, "I like that movie too. She is a pretty princess who likes to sleep, and there's a really cool dragon part at the end."
"That dwagon is Meweficent!" She gasped in amazement that he knew.
"She's pretty scary, huh?" He asked, and Katie nodded at his words. "Yeah, she is a pretty scary Fairy, but you know what? I think it's pretty cool that the prince wins at the end and saves the princess!" Brooklyn said, still speaking to her in hushed excitement.
"Yeah, they get mawwied." Katie giggled, and Brooklyn grinned, looking at Rose.
"Yes, they do!" He said, winking at Rose. "But Katie I gotta tell you this… I really think that the dolly looks just like you. Are you sure you're not princess Aurora?"
"No, I'm Katie." She laughed and stepped closer to him, getting more comfortable with him.
His eyes raised to look into Rose's again, and she couldn't help but let her tears fall down her face, and she silently cried. This moment was a lot bigger for Rose than he realized, seeing him interact with a young child. How natural he seemed, how kind he was, but not only that, but how innocent a child's eyes and heart was to see him as the angel he was, and not a monster like the adults saw. Brooklyn kept his attention on Katie, talking about princesses, but held a claw out to the side to take her hand and offer her some comfort. When she took his hand, and their thoughts merged, hers into his and his into hers, they both were feeling the same way; and it was taking everything for him to not start crying as well.
Minutes passed, and both Katie and Brooklyn had become the best of friends to everyone's relief. Rose had slid into Brooklyn's side as Katie stood in front of him, telling him all about her princess dolls. He listened with great intent and allowed her to explore his face as she spoke. She was touching his beak, then reached and he let her touch his horns on top of his head.
Rose tried hard not to laugh, as he let her be curious, but when Katie was bored; she moved onto his wings.
"Awe these youw angel wings?"
Brooklyn laughed, pulling Rose closer to him and shook his head. "I'm not an angel, Katie. I'm a Gargoyle, but yes, these are my wings. I glide in the air on them."
"What's a Gawgowle?"
Brooklyn chuckled again, spread his wings out, making Katie gasp, and let her explore them further. "Well, Gargoyles protect people. We help bring bad people to the Police and make sure everyone else is safe from danger."
"And safe fwom bad dweams?" Katie asked in awe, taking his velvety wings in her hands and touching them.
Brooklyn opened his mouth, looked down at Rose silently, and then back at her. "Uh, yeah, I guess. We do try to make sure people feel safe at night so you have good dreams, absolutely."
Katie grinned at him and then to both of their shocks, she stepped forward and gave him a hug.
"Thank you." She said softly.
Brooklyn froze, looked at Rose in awe at this moment and Rose couldn't help it as more tears fell down her face. She leaned into his shoulder and wiped at her tears. He carefully patted Katie on the back, who then pulled away from him, sat in Rose's lap and gave her a hug.
"Auntie Wose?"
Rose sniffed, laughing at herself as Brooklyn smiled tenderly at her. "Yeah babe?"
"I like him. I still think he's the pweetiest angel I evah saw."
At this Brooklyn blinked away a few of his own tears, and looked away from them, but she could feel his happiness.
Rose kissed her forehead. "Me too, bug. Me too."
Rose and Brooklyn found their way back to the couch a short time later, turned on the television quietly and held hands while Rose held Katie against her chest, rocking her back to sleep. But, to their surprise again, Katie pushed away from her and wanted to be held by Brooklyn. He glanced over at Rose once for permission, and when she nodded, he smiled and took her into his arms and let her rest against his chest. Within five minutes, Rose looked over to see Katie's cheek smashed up against Brooklyn's shoulder, and she was completely asleep.
Rose gently prodded him, telling him that she was asleep, and together they silently walked up the stairs together with him still carrying her, and helped put her back in her bed. When they reached her bedroom, and seeing just how small her room was, Brooklyn handed Katie over to Rose, since she was a lot smaller than he was, and watched his wife re-tuck Katie back into bed.
When Rose quietly exited, shut the door and turned to him, both of their eyes were filled with tears and the situation spoke for itself. Yes, one day, it was possible for Humans and Gargoyles to get along again and to have peace between their kinds, and yes, they both would make amazing parents.
Brooklyn pulled her into his arms, and together they hugged and held each other tightly. With her arms tightly around his neck, he scooped her up to straddle his waist and then walked her to the stairs. However, instead of using them, since they were really tight for him, he catapulted the twelve feet down and landed hard on his feet. He walked them over to the couch and then silently lowered her to the sofa, carefully staying over her and then kissed her lips. The relief, amazement and happiness flowed through them as they kissed; and when he pulled back, he grinned happily down at her.
"That was…" he blew out air. "That was incredible, Rose, I can't believe Katie actually took to liking me! What a sweet little thing! Perhaps there is a hopeful future for us and Humans after all."
"Ohh, of course there is!" Rose whispered, kissing him back again; pulling on his lips, before letting go. "I know there is a bright future for you and your Clan, and for us."
"I agree." He whispered back, kissing her lips. "I love you so much, Rose."
"I love you too."
"Man…" He sighed, pulling her up to sit down and set her down on his lap, wrapping his wings around them. "I know that this is a sore topic for us… but… we would make freaking awesome parents. It feels so natural and so right, you know? I couldn't help but just… stare at you when talking with Katie, and imagine little kids of our own." He paused and she froze, anxiety building in her chest. "I… I know that it's pretty much impossible for a Gargoyle and Human to conceive, but… I think I'm ready to try other options with you. Once we deal with Kevin and all that crap first, that is, but this night really makes me want to adopt children with you, or get a dog to start or… whatever you're up for, but I want to have a family with you. Whatever that family looks like, I don't care. I just want it with you."
Rose swore she couldn't breathe at his words, and tears filled her eyes again. Now was the time to tell him, and his wish to have a family with her was more than perfect.
But was he actually ready to find out that it was possible for them to biologically conceive a child? And that they had?
She was about to find out.
"It's funny you should say that… actually." She said softly.
"What do you mean?" He asked her, and she sat up to look into his eyes.
"What if… I told you… hypothetically speaking here- that it was possible for us to have a child together? Biologically?"
He froze and stared down into her eyes, his face stuck in shock. "What?"
"Hypothetically speaking." She emphasized again, wanting to ease him into it. "Meaning… if we could pipe dream here. What would you say if I told you that I was carrying your child? Would you be excited? Nervous? Terrified? Or... all of the above?"
Brooklyn's eyes never left hers as she asked this, and a sudden fear crossed his face.
"Um… well… if we could, I would be…uh... " he paused and then huffed out a sigh. "Well, honestly, I would be elated. To have a child that is ours is more than I could have ever asked for. To be a father to a child that you and I made together…" He paused, sighed heavily and then looked sad. "But it's not possible. I haven't wanted to bring this up, because I know that it's never been done between Humans and Gargoyles, so it makes us both sad. I know you want to be a mother and I want to be a father, but it's not meant to be, Rose, I'm sorry."
"But what if it could happen?" Rose pressed again. "Would you be okay with it?"
"Of course I would." He said softly, caressing her face. "It would make me the happiest Gargoyle… but with it would bring a lot more stress and anxiety for me. There's so much unknown about a Human carrying a Gargoyle's DNA. Would it be more Human or Gargoyle? Would you be safe through it all?" He paused, and then ran a claw through his white hair. "Not only this, but there's still Kevin! And, and, Hela, the Draugr…! All of these things would make me worry for your safety that much more."
"But without them in the picture?" Rose asked softly. "You would be okay with it?"
"Rose…" He sighed. "If you were pregnant right now, I would be elated, beyond happy, but yeah, the timing would be absolutely awful. It would be so bad, especially since you would be way more vulnerable and if Kevin ever found out or Hela…" He shuddered and shook his head. "The thought of losing you is unbearable. Adding a child on top of it, our child, would be too much."
Rose stayed silent and closed her eyes, she didn't know if she could tell him now because he was right, the timing was horrible. But it happened...she was already pregnant, and he deserved to know.
"Why did you ask me this?" He suddenly asked her, and when she opened her eyes, he was looking at her. She didn't know how to move, how to open her mouth to speak, but he saw the look in her eyes and he adjusted himself to better look at her.
"Rose?" He asked again, this time his tone very serious.
She took a deep breath. It's now or never, Connelly.
She gently took his claw in her hands, kissed it, and then guided it under her shirt and placed it on her abdomen, forcing her tear-filled eyes up to gaze into his shocked ones.
"Because I…uh, well we are… um..." She whispered shakily, sobbing now- both in joy and in nerves, and took a deep, but ragged breath. "We are expecting a growth in our family, Brooklyn. That's why I've been so sick these past few weeks. I've suspected this for... some time, so yesterday, I took a test and saw Doctor Sato, as you know. Well, today he confirmed the test results and I…" she paused and watched as he paled a great deal. "I'm pregnant, Brooklyn. We… we actually are going to have a child together. It's not impossible for a Human and a Gargoyle to conceive, because well... it... it's happened with us."
Silence passed between them for at least three minutes, and he might as well be a statue for as still as he was sitting. She waited patiently for him to respond, but so far, she didn't know if he was even breathing.
"Brooklyn?" She asked, reaching out to touch his beak, and at her touch, his eyes flashed back to life. His breathing kick-started and he was hyperventilating now, but still wasn't responding. "Brook… talk to me and tell me what you're thinking."
"Are you serious?" He suddenly gasped out, reaching out to touch her face. "Is this a joke? Are you messing around with me, Rose… please tell me the-?"
"No, I'm not messing with you, Brooklyn. I'm telling you the truth." She said, trying to remain calm, and jumped into the only explanation she could give him. "When the Draugr attacked me three weeks ago; that's when I started feeling ill, remember?" He nodded shakily, and she continued. "Well, when the nausea wouldn't go away after we did away with them, we've been thinking that it's something else. Right? A stomach bug or something, but those types of things go away after a few days? But this wasn't. So, I started thinking about other possibilities, and though I was in denial too… I felt something in our connection... another soul has tethered to ours, and I just… I just knew."
"How long have you known?" He suddenly whispered with tears in his eyes.
"By instinct?… one week. Actually known that I'm pregnant? One day. Doctor Sato came over and confirmed it today at the Castle. He wants to meet with me to have an ultrasound and make sure this pregnancy stays healthy, we're going to do that next Thursday. You can be there for that. He also gave me an anti-nausea treatment for my vomiting; which has already helped a great deal, and I feel… really… really good right now. I should start gaining weight again."
Brooklyn stayed still, getting lost in his thoughts, so she placed her hands on his beak and forced him to look at her. "I know the timing is… the worst possible time because of everything else going on, and for that, I'm sorry- I didn't know. But… I am so happy that we have this gift, Brooklyn. It's ours. This is our child!"
"How did this happen?" He asked softly, ignoring her words for a moment. "I mean we, I get the sex part, but I'm a Gargoyle and you're a Human. How is this possible? Did you stop using birth control or something? Did one session of making love matter more to it or not? The times we've used magic…? I mean…"
"I stopped taking birth control in April, and that is probably when it happened." She admitted to him. "But I didn't stop them on purpose, I swear. I think I forgot to take them when I was working way too much, wasn't sleeping, and it was before I knew the Draugr were haunting my dreams. I mean… I just forgot to take them, and because I too thought it was impossible for us to conceive, it didn't seem to be an issue to not take them. And as for how it happened… well… I don't know if it was my magic or not, or if it's because we really can get pregnant if I'm not on birth control. The other thing is, I am Third Race in a Human body, so maybe that's why, and it's not as impossible as we thought."
Brooklyn kept his eyes on hers, processing this news, and then slowly looked down at the claw that she placed on her bare skin. He opened his wings and then gently laid her down on the sofa. Rose watched him as he eased himself to the ground next to her and lifted her shirt up to better look if he could see anything. But, because she was so thin right now, both of them could see the slight bump and when she pressed his claws down on her upper stomach, to feel it's softness, then lower, and how hard it was; he froze and gaped at her.
"Rose, you're pregnant?" He whispered, finally letting it sink in and she nodded with tears falling down her own face.
"Yes."
"We are going to have a child?"
"Yes."
"You're pregnant?!" He repeated, as if unable to process the news, and she giggled at him, nodding. He gently moved a claw across her stomach as if to see for himself, but since he wouldn't see much; she let him connect with her instead, finally letting him feel the addition to their soul bond. With a jolt of electricity, their bodies, minds and souls became one; their beating hearts in sync. She felt Brooklyn feel around, but as obvious as the daylight sun, there, deep within their bond and tethered to both of them was indeed a life. A small beating of a heart.
Rose gasped, having never heard the heart beat before, and though it was very quiet, it was there.
When she let him go, Brooklyn and her were both sobbing. He raised a claw up to his mouth and then rested his forehead down upon her abdomen, kissing it.
Rose was sobbing as well and gasped, "I've never heard the heartbeat before! This... this is really happening Brooklyn! And I know it's scary, but please know that I'm so happy that this has happened. Come what may, we'll get through this together because this little life is good and its ours."
"I am happy, my love." Brooklyn whispered, looking at her as if he was for the first time. "Gods, Rose, I... I have no words as to how happy I am right now. I heard the heartbeat too... there... there is a child in you! Our child! I can't believe it!"
"Now, I don't know what this baby will look like, nor do I know if it'll be more Human or Gargoyle, but…"
"That doesn't matter." He whispered, shaking his head. "Not to me. I just want you and it to be healthy, that's all that matters to me. You and this child… oh… Rose! I can't believe this… "
"I know!" She whispered with a smile, holding him close to her. "This was meant to be, just like you and I were meant to be."
"It's destiny." He whispered, pulling her body to his and she nodded. "You're really going to give me a child."
"Yes." She whispered back, letting him pull her against his waist again, straddling him. "You're going to be a daddy."
Brooklyn suddenly burst out laughing, crying, and whooping in excitement. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, shot up from the couch and spun her around the room. She didn't care to shush him, because his joy was more than anything she could have ever hoped for. He never set her down, as he spun her, but when he stopped he kept her straddled around his waist; kissing her wholly and passionately. Their lips and tongues met with such ferocious passion, she wanted to take him, here and now, on the floor.
"You sure you don't want to make love tonight?" She asked against his lips. "Yes, you've made me conceive, but we can still celebrate this joyous news."
"Can… can we still have sex while your pregnant?" He asked, suddenly stopping- his question sincere. "I… I never thought that we could. But… we have… we… oh crap. What we did last night… we've…"
"Yes we have had sex, my love. The cliffs, last night, and every night for months, we've made love while I've been pregnant, but it's okay." She laughed, understanding his fear. "Don't worry. Humans have sex all the time, pregnant or not. It doesn't hurt the baby."
"Well I'm not a Human."
"So? You and I are still compatible and I am not in agonizing pain after we make love. So why did you look so worried?" She asked him.
"Because Gargoyles don't usually mate after they've impregnated the female."
"Why not?"
"Well... safety for the egg being one reason..." Brooklyn said, and Rose laughed out loud.
"Oh honey, not to put you down or to be mean, but you're not that long…"
"That's not it, it's just that..." He paused, then snorted a laugh; giving her a raised eyebrow look. "Wow, thanks babe."
She grinned mischievously, making him laugh more, and said, "Oh don't get all bent out of shape on that comment. You please me by how big you are, I was just trying to tell you that the baby is protected and you won't get anywhere near it, I promise."
"I know." He grinned. "No, um, it's just that female Gargoyles don't get anywhere near the males after they get impregnated; so it's not something Gargoyles normally do, regardless of how much the males still want to. The hormones the females put off are still really attractive." He paused as she stared at him, this time, being her turn to have raised eyebrows at him. "I wouldn't know though, I've never been a mated male before I met you."
"Mmhm. Sure."
"It's true, I swear!" He laughed. "But when males mature, it's all conversations our elders and the leaders tell us about."
Rose snorted. "Sounds like a fun night, those poor leaders though- talking to a bunch of hormonal and horny teenagers…"
Brooklyn shrugged and laughed.
"Yeah, we are pretty bad when we first mature, but for us, sex is sex and is a conversation that is had on the night the males and females first hit maturity. The females have to understand their first blood cycle and us… why we want to suddenly jump the females and touch their bodies. It's a part of life, an important part of creation of our kind, a connection and intimate conversation between mates, and well… it just doesn't have the taboo that Humans put to it. That's just our nature, versus yours, even though it's the same for the most part."
"Yeah." Rose said with a smile, holding onto him tightly. "We aren't much different from each other."
"No, and this child of ours is a proof of that truth." He said, then kissed her gently, wholly and slowly. He then slowly lowered her to the floor, lifted up her shirt and gently started kissing her stomach. These kisses were modest, thankful, and truly meaningful; creating tears in her eyes again.
"You're going to be the best father." She whispered in a ragged breath. "I… I love you so much, Brooklyn. Thank you for giving me this gift to be a mother and for your love."
"I love you too, Rose." He gasped out with tears falling down his face. "Gods, I love you and I love this baby."
Rose held him tightly and kissed his forehead. "I know, I do too. And I know that this is scary timing, and just... scary in general. The future is uncertain and unknown, but, I have to believe that this is a gift to us and is good. I am choosing to also believe that my body will be able to carry this child in a healthy manner, and that we will soon be rid of Kevin and Hela… somehow." She looked up into his eyes, caressed his lips with hers and whispered, "This baby is a miracle and a blessing, Brooklyn."
He smiled, blinked more tears out and nodded.
"Yes, yes it is. I… you're right. The future is unknown and scary, but this will be a good journey for us, because like always, we'll take it together."
"That's right, and we will." She whispered, crushing her lips to his again. Moaning, Brooklyn rolled on top of her, being careful not to squish her, but continued to make out and kiss passionately. Minutes passed of them making out, when the small communicator staticked in his ear.
"Brooklyn, it's Goliath. Can you hear me?"
Brooklyn stopped kissing her, lifted up and pressed the button in his ear. "Loud and clear boss, what's up?"
"Are you with Rose at Emily's?"
"Sure am."
"I need you to meet me and Lexington at Union Square Park. There's a pretty heavy gang presence here. We'll need as much back up that we can get."
"I'll be right there." He said seriously, sitting up off of Rose. When the communicator clicked off, he helped Rose to her feet, and gave her a tight hug. "Sorry. I gotta go."
"I understand." She said softly. "Em and Chris should be getting home soon anyway."
"What time did they say they'd be out till?"
"Close to midnight," she said, and then glanced over at the clock. "And that's in a half-hour, so I don't anticipate being here much longer. Em will bring me home though, or I can meet you in the alleyway somewhere? We can go back to the Castle if you wish, I don't mind sleeping over again."
"Let's do that." He said, kissing her lips softly. "I know you work on Monday, so I'll make sure we are home so you can get to the hospital more easily. But for now, let's stay at the Castle."
"Okay."
"Plus now I gotta tell the Clan that we are going to be parents." He said happily. "But don't worry, I'll be sure to wait until you're there with me."
"Sounds like a plan… but I feel like I should warn you. Xanatos, Fox and Owen already know." She said, wincing slightly. " They were there when Doctor Sato told me the news today. Part of me worried by them knowing, but they would have found out anyway. I… I hope you don't mind."
Brooklyn nodded slowly, and looked torn.
"Hmm… yeah, I mean, that's not ideal especially with Xanatos' past sick obsession with mutating genetics with that bastard, Doctor Sevarius." He said in a growl. "But it'll be fine. As long as they don't plan anything shady against you and this baby, then I'm alright with it. It's kinda hard not to live under one roof and not find out about each other's lives anyway."
"I agree." She said. "Well, get going and help Lex and Goliath, we can talk about this later."
He nodded, and then pressed a second earpiece into her hand.
"Take this and call me when you're off. If we are still busy, ask Emily to drive you to the Castle, if not, I'll be here to bring you home." He then kissed her deeply, ran his claws down her long hair then cupped her jawline, before pulling away. He gazed deeply into her hazel eyes and melted into her.
"And to think that I would never love you more than I do, you find some incredible way to prove me wrong." He whispered. "I love you, Rose. My sweet and beautiful wife, my mate. I am so happy that we are going to have a baby, whether Human or a Gargoyle, or mixed, I don't care as long as you and it are healthy. I'm just so happy. You've given me everything I've ever wanted, and more that I didn't think was possible. I'm so thankful for you and for our love, Rose."
"Me too, I love you too." Rose said, smiling at him endearingly. Unable to stay any longer, especially with Goliath needing his help, he slid his claw out of her hand, slowly backed away from her while wrapping his wings around his shoulders and walked towards the sliding door.
When he had the door open, he looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. "I'm so happy, Rose. But… I have one last question."
"What's up?" She asked, following after him.
"Are you sure it's mine?"
At this, Rose scoffed, crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at him, making him smirk.
"I'm pretty sure it's yours. Who else's would it be?"
"I don't know." He then laughed. "Samuel had the hots for you. Maybe he… AH, hey!" Brooklyn ducked down just in time as Rose hurled her sandal at him, and it hit against the door, rattling it.
"Kidding!" He laughed while looking up at her. "I was kidding! I love you! Mercy!" She ripped her second one off, and held it over her head ready to throw it, right as he grabbed a nearby pan to hold up as a shield, both of them smiling at each other.
"Take that back." She teased him.
"Okay, okay, I take it back." He laughed. "I know the child's mine, silly woman. I was only teasing you."
Rose lowered her sandal. "Good, because you're the only one who has been inside of me."
"What? No side boyfriend during the day? Are you sure?" He teased again, holding the pan up to his face and backed towards the door. "Samuel only lived a few floors beneath us. It would have been so easy for him to…" He stopped, dropped the pan and tore through the door, with a laugh and shut the door as she chucked the shoe, again rattling the glass. But seeing Rose pick it back up and take off after him, he spread his wings and jumped off the balcony, laughing hysterically.
Seconds later, she ripped open the door and chucked her shoe at him with all her might. It flew through the night, passed his head and he barked out a laugh so loud it echoed through the night.
"Yeah you better glide away, you great big chicken!" She yelled out with a laugh, still hearing his laughter. Watching after him, she smiled and felt a slight tug on her soul bond and instantly let him in her mind; the humor evident in his mind voice.
Your shoe just fell into a tree and scared the piss out of a cat. I hope you didn't like that shoe, cause I ain't getting it back for you.
I know, I can live without it. But it was supposed to hit you in the head, or your balls, either one I would have been happy with. Their voices suddenly became more distant with their connection as he flew away, so Rose closed her eyes and pushed it out with her magic to keep connected with him, and she heard more of his laughter.
Hey, those are precious gems! Don't hurt them! Rose then laughed so hard at the comment, she thought she would pee herself, and he laughed back. I love you, Rose, baby… I was kidding. I will find your shoe, I promise. I also trust you and know this child is ours. I just… I am in shock still, but I'm so very happy with this news. This is now making the list of our top 10 nights together.
Where is this night sitting compared to the others?
It's tied with the night you married me, accepted my engagement gift, our first kiss, when I first locked eyes with you. All are so close to the top, I can hardly place them. Every moment with you has been the best, my love. You and this baby are the greatest thing to ever happen to me, Rose, no doubt about that.
Tears sprung up in her eyes and she felt him hug her through the bond. And you are the greatest gift to me too, Brook, I love you so much.
Not as much as I love you.
She laughed to herself, then thought, No, and I've proven that to you tonight. I'm giving you a child, there will never be more of a competition, so I win this battle and all to come.
Silence, then his voice said, You and your damn competitions…
She snorted, and she swore she heard him laugh too. Sorry… I know how much you hate to lose.
I haven't lost, not with you. I've won and keep winning. I'm one lucky Gargoyle.
And I'm the luckiest woman. She then took a deep breath, let her mind fill with silence and then said, Well, as much as I want to keep chatting… I need to get inside to be with Katie and you gotta focus to help Goliath. I'll see you soon. Please be safe, babe.
I will. He said softly. Please be safe too, I love you, and I love our baby.
Me too. Oh! Guess what this means now? She asked him, smiling brightly.
What?
We can start picking out our own fun names for it before we actually give it a name. Silence again, and then she heard him chuckle.
Hell yeah… the Terminegger 2.0. I've already named it.
Rose laughed out loud and shook her head. I don't think I will actually have an egg… or I hope not. I don't think my body will like that at birth...
Yeah… I do feel really bad for all females for getting stuck with that part. But we can talk about that later. Until we know more, it'll be Terminegger 2.0. Deal?
Rose snorted out a laugh, rolled her eyes, and then nodded to herself.
Deal.
With that, she closed off the connection, placed the communicator in her short's pocket and stared into the peaceful night sky, giving her self a minute to love this life she's been given. The moon was full, the air was warm and energized with goodness, and tonight was the start of a new future for her and Brooklyn. They were going to be parents, and have the family they've always wanted together.
Happier than she ever thought was possible, she eased herself into the sliding door and went back to the couch to watch television quietly. Emily would be back in a half-hour or so, since it was nearing midnight, and her heart was reeling with happiness. From the positive interaction tonight between him and Katie, to his reaction to her pregnancy, it validated her that they could do this and have a baby together. The first of its kind, and she only hoped that what her and Brooklyn started could be the start of peace and spark of change between the Humans and Gargoyles. It wasn't much to go on, but it was at least a step in the right direction.
Kevin watched Brooklyn leave Emily's apartment, and watched his ex-wife, Rose, stand on the balcony for a few minutes before she turned around and entered the home, sliding the glass door behind her. He lowered his binoculars, and smirked darkly. He had been tailing her red Gargoyle lover the last little bit, since they all floated between Rose's new house and the Castle, and was mapping where they went at what times. But tonight he followed him here, to Emily's house, and then left Rose all alone.
It was the perfect trap and truly a moment he wasn't expecting to fall perfectly into his lap.
Rose was babysitting the little brat of Emily's he always detested, who in return, never seemed to like him either. But Rose was there alone. It was almost too good to be true, and a twist of fate in his direction. He had moved onto his plan B to bring Rose down and take her to Hel, since the first plan with the Quarrymen failed. But this time, he recruited a few demon slaves to help in the process. Now that Rose was in that apartment all by herself, it was the perfect time to attack. Once he had her, then he could deal with the Gargoyles when the sun came up.
Easy. It was too damn easy and hardly a challenge for him, especially for the two blood-thirsty Draugrs that were given to him to use whenever he needed them.
Kevin smiled evilly and laughed. Rose was a fool, had always been a fool, and Brooklyn was one too. They had let down their guard, and because they have, they've left themselves wide open for him to attack, and now, he was tired of playing around. He was ready to end the game.
Hela and Demetrius had given him an even better reward if he did bring her in alive anyway, and he was ready to cash that prize in.
With a snap of his fingers, icy darkness spread out all around him on the neighboring rooftop to the apartment, and instantly, two newer and more unruly Draugr males, given to him to use for his purposes, portaled in from Hel. They were gnashing their sharp teeth and pacing behind him excitedly; like two rottweiler dogs waiting for their go-ahead to fight and attack.
"Bring Rose to me alive first." He whispered to them through his black respirator mask. "Then you may do what you wish with the child."
The two Draugr looked at each other with hungry smiles at the thought of feasting on a child. A soul so young and pure, flesh so young, it was truly like dessert for dinner. They spread their long-bat-like wings, and instantly took off like bullets towards the apartment.