"You did what?" Billy was looking at me like I might be slightly crazy, but he loved me so what did that make him? I had just told him about the changes I'd made during my errands and he was taking it well. If 'well' was defined as considering having me tested for insanity, that is.
I rolled my eyes and stole the carton of noodles from him. We were having dinner in bed, Chinese food cartons scattered around us, it was a miracle my linens weren't a mess. "I changed my beneficiary to you, William Butcher, and you also have power over my unconscious body should it become necessary. If it helps you sleep at night, most of my fortune will end up going to animal rescue sites." I shrugged, and took a bite from the forkful of noodles I had in front of my mouth. Why was this so bothersome to him?
"Only your unconscious body?" Shit, my eyes met his and I had to remind myself how to chew. "Ronnie, I'm not sure I want all that responsibility." That caused my eyebrow to raise in warning. He wanted the responsibility to screw me, love me, and keep me safe, but not deal with my corpse or insurance? Really?
After swallowing carefully, I put the noodles down and took a deep breath, reminding myself to count down from ten so I didn't do something ridiculous like throw the carton at his head. "Billy, do you love me?" He started to open his mouth, but I stopped him. "That was more of a rhetorical question. I know you do. You love me, you want to keep me safe, and you don't want to think about the reality of me being human." He studied me intently as I went on. "I'm human, you remind me of that almost daily, it's why I can't meet with Homelander or the other supes without you or one of our team present, correct?" This time he nodded before I spoke again. "By that logic, even without outside interference, I WILL die one day. And when that inevitability happens, I don't want there to be any question of my expectations."
I shifted the cartons out of the way and curled up into his arms. His hands curled around my bare skin, his face burying in my hair, and I gave us both a few moments to calm down more.
"I love you, Billy, but you can't see every action I take as me saying goodbye or preparing for an early death." He went tense again, but I carried on. "People die, every single day, and I will too one day. Not that I plan on giving up the ghost anytime soon," I tilted my head back so I could look up at him. "I haven't had my fill of you, not nearly, and I won't go until we're both sick of one another."
His dimples peeked out and his thumb brushed across my cheekbone. "Planning on becoming immortal are you?" His lips met mine and we got lost in one another, and my surprise at my sheets not being ruined by our picnic was knocked aside, because I could care less about sheets, or stains, nothing mattered when Billy Butcher pulled me to him and our bodies joined. Nothing.
We were in the office the next Monday. Lesser known supes were due for appointments, and we were still waiting for his majesty Homelander to verify his availability so Billy and I sat together doing what was almost becoming a script. Billy would have to bring out bad cop now and then, with a more headstrong or arrogant supe, but more usual was compliance. Acceptance seemed more and more likely as each supe that week came and went.
As we were packing it in on Friday, happy to have had a full week with one another, and a weekend to truly get lost together, an email came in. I would have ignored it, but Billy's dinged as well. Homelander was willing to meet two weeks out, after checking with me, he confirmed it and we went home knowing that a face off was coming, but not knowing what else would come with it.
A few days before our scheduled meeting with Homelander, I had my head buried in the toilet as Billy stood in the doorway after I swore I'd kill him if he came closer. I swore, as I vomited hard and heavy, that I could taste food that I'd eaten as a child make a reappearance. My nose was stuffed up from the crying that vomiting forced me to do, and I knew I looked and smelled like death. I hated life and the world at that moment.
Then, once deemed empty, I felt fine. As though I hadn't just become intimately acquainted with the interior of my toilet bowl. I actually felt strangely good. Washing my face and brushing my teeth, I felt my stomach rumble and thought about how hungry I was. As if I hadn't thrown up everything I'd ever considered eating, I suddenly craved food. Lots of food. Greasy and filling food.
"Are you alright?" Billy cupped my chin and tipped my head back so he could look into my face fully. "Fever?" I shook my head and smiled up at him. "Ronnie?"
"I'm hungry." I chuckled. "Like really really hungry." Using both arms around his neck I pulled him down so I could kiss him, and then my hunger was diverted to another craving. Him. I wanted him. Naked and under me. Now. I was pulling his shirt off and unbuttoning his pants when his hands stopped me. "Billy." It came out a whining plea. I was burning with need for him. My skin felt like fire and that's when he turned me to face the mirror. Steam was actually coming off my skin. What the fuck?!
"Ronnie, I think we need to get you to the doctor." I could see and feel how worried he was, and I had to admit, this time so was I.
Ever been to the ER and you're sitting there thinking, maybe I should just go home? You're surrounded by gunshot victims, and knife wounds, and you think so I steam a little bit, at least my ear hasn't been bitten off like that guy's, right?
Oddly enough, Billy Butcher did not think that my skin steaming like a train engine was less worrisome than Mr. LacksAnEar. And so we sat, and sat, until finally a bored voice called my name. After dealing with triage and vitals, my internal temperature didn't seem to match the steaming skin temperature making Billy look very smug at his insistence that we stay, I was handed a cup to pee in. Now I could argue with the nurse about peeing in said cup, but what was the point? Not like I'm on drugs, I'm on birth control, at most the pee was going to show kidney issues, right?
Once that was done, we were led to a room and I was told to put on the truly modest gown provided and told that a doctor would be in shortly. Billy helped me with the gown and I started steaming more, forcing him to move away. Damn it. Whatever this was, I hope the doctor had a quick fix, not having Billy's skin against me- Damn it, the steam rose as I even contemplated him naked now.
"Oh, my," the doctor offered as he walked in at that moment. "That doesn't seem-"
I glared at him through the fog, and Billy chuckled. The doctor began a routine examination, asking the same questions that are asked a million times a day. When was my last period? Not a clue because my birth control stints it. How did I feel aside from the steam? Aside from puking up everything I ate, great. I could run a marathon or have marathon sex. That thought caused the steam to start up again. Shit. A nurse came to the door and gestured for the doctor.
I sighed as I waited, ignoring the doctor and nurse's animated conversation since I imagined it was something to do with another patient. When he came back in, he looked troubled.
"Miss-"
"Doctor," Billy corrected, but the doctor assumed he had a question so he stopped speaking. "No, Doc, Veronica-she's a doctor. Not a Miss. A doctor."
"Ah, yes, I apologize, Dr. Taylor." I nodded, thinking what the fuck? "Your urinalysis is complete and well-" I watched him gulp and felt a ripple of fear run through me. "When was it that you had your last birth control shot?" I told him and he nodded absently. "And before that?" I gave him the time before, the right time frame for that particular form of birth control. "Well, it appears that- You know that no birth control is a hundred percent effective, correct?" And he might have said more, but I was out. Darkness hit me hard and fast and I didn't hear another word until I woke up.
It was dark, which was strange, given that we'd gotten to the ER in the early morning, missing work. If it was dark, then I missed an entire fucking day. I blinked awake, trying to discern where I was. The mattress was crinkly, which made me assume, rightly that I was still at the hospital. I groaned. Did I imagine the doctor was about to tell me that I was- No, of course not, I just overheated from the steam. What was up with the steam? Did I miss contracting a fucking weird fever?
"Hey," I smiled at the sound of his voice. Billy was sitting close to the bed that I woke up on, and his hand took mine. "Glad you're finally awake, scared me shitless."
"Sorry," I turned to see him in the dim light he flicked on with a button on the side of the bed. "Don't know what came over me."
"Not everyday you hear you're gonna be a mom, Ronnie." Shit, fuck, shit. "Or that I'm gonna be a dad."
"So that was real?" I asked, shaking my head to clear it. "How?" I couldn't understand it. I mean sure, Billy and I were basically rabbits when we got together, but my birth control never failed, not so much as a scare since I started it.
"They're running tests." I nodded, and he smirked. "Guess you giving me full power over your knocked out body came in handy after all." I laughed in spite of how scared I was. Something wasn't right. Pregnant or not, why the fuck was I steaming? "We're gonna figure it out, Ronnie, I promise."
"Ah good, Dr. Taylor, I see you're awake." The doctor from the ER had returned. "Your pregnancy has been confirmed, there's another test I want to run. Hopefully it will explain the other issue you are experiencing." You mean steaming like a hot shower? I nodded. "Unfortunately this test can only be done once your pregnancy progresses to 15 weeks. And it has to be performed by an obstetrician." Great, a wait. "I've had the office compile a list of obstetricians in the area, so you can make an appointment. Once the doctor confirms how far along you are, they can schedule an amniocentesis. I think, I'm not sure, but I think the fetus is the cause of your-" he gestured to the warm air coming off of me like a street grate.
"The fetus?" Billy was staring at the doctor in disbelief. "Why would a human fetus do that?"
"Mr. Butcher," the doctor removed his glasses and sat down heavily on the foot of my bed. "I can't be sure the baby is human."