Title:
By: Mizu-chan a.k.a Vannila_Fox

Disclaimer: The Song Of The Lioness, all trademark and related indicia are property of Tamora Pierce. ( The Immortals included.)

Author's Note: Now, this is mostly about Alanna.

Last Chapter: There still wasn't anybody there, so she walked around, and found a door. It was partly hidden by heavy red curtains, but she opened it, and found herself in a very strange place. It was a circular room, and the floor had runic symbols on it, which she couldn't recognize. In the middle, there was a pillar, and all around, there were diferent doors. She came out of a red and gold door, with gilded patterns. Across the room, there was a plain wooden door which looked rugged and like it would open into an abandoned hut. Then there was a silver door, with white flowers and orbs. There was a solid gold door, with heavy patterns, and a black door, with silver snakes. there were a lot of doors, and there was even one which was made out of plants, entirely, and another made up of what looked like clouds.

^*^*^ Lirael looked around, and opened the door she came out of, again. It opened into Shakith's chambers. She loked around, and put things together. "Mynoss.." she said, pointing to a door. "Mithros." she loked towards the gold door. "The wave walker... the great goddess... the crooked god... The graveyard hag... Gainel.." she murmured, loking towards different doors. She loked at the door right beside hers, which was glowing, throbbingly, faintly. "The Dark God..?" She turned to it, and pushed it open.

Alanna moaned as Thayet lectured her again on how she should be getting ready, she's been nine months along already, and so on. They were having their lunch, along with their old friends, in Alanna's room. Earlier, she had taken stomach pains, and Duke Baird had ordered her immediately to stay in bed. Eleni and Maude had even come in from Pirate's Swoop, to be her midwife. "Thayet, I think she's understood it, since the seventh time you had said it." Gary told her, laughingly. Thayet was about to say something, when Alanna gritted her teeth and took shallow breaths. "Maude... Eleni...AAAAhhhhh!!" she screamed as a particularly huge contraction swept over her.

Maude bowed to the people in the room and ushered them out. "Go! Go!" She closed the door, and sounds of encouragement from Eleni came from inside, along with moaning from Alanna. Everyone waited anxiously, and were pacing. Half an hour later, there was a particularly loud scream, followed by the sounds of a baby crying. Everyone looked at each other anxiously, but smiles were in their eyes. Maude opened the door a few minutes later, wiping sweat from her forehead, and smiling tiredly. "She's alright... Mistress Cooper's cleaning her up..."

Everybody went in quietly, and smiled at the scene. Alanna had fallen asleep cuddling her baby, whom she held against her pale face. The baby looked around at them, eyes glittering. They were shining as brightly as her mother's, and locked onto Jon, as if knowing who he was. He looked back uncertainly. She had a few tufts of black hair sticking out. Alanna opened one sleepy eye, and smiled. "She's beautiful." she whispered, and held her out to Thayet. But all of a sudden, she started crying, even to whoever she was passed onto. But she stopped when she came to Jon. Theyu stared at each other for a while, and the baby's head was cocked to one side, as it eyeing him up. Earning her approval, she laughed and gurgled, holding out her arms.

Thayet loked at him, and Gary and Raoul cuddled the baby, loking like two very gentle giants. "So, Alanna, what will you name her?" Alanna smiled weakly. "I have no idea... but George and I discussed it once... he said, if it was a girl, he would call her Faith..." Everyone nodded their agreement. Jon walked forward, and handed faith to her mother. "She does look something like Faithful..." he commented, stroking the baby's head. She smiled up at him, as did he. "Congratulations, Alanna." She smiled. "Thank you." Everyone came over, diferent thoughts running through their heads. Raoul and Gary were slightly suspicious, and weren't that ignorant. They had seen the scene that the two, plus Faith had made, and felt that it should have been frozen in time. It looked like the perfect family. "Oh... Thayet, do you mind if I write to Thom? I'm sure he's busy being in The City of the Gods and everything, but please?" Thayet shook her head firmly. "No way, woman. I'm writing to him. You rest." Alanna smiled and nodded. "Thanks."

Thayet was slightly jealous, although she pushed it away, she still held an annoyed sort of feeling. She knew what Alanna and Jon had gone through, and what they felt. Besides, she didn't remember George having black hair. But she smiled and congratulated her, before Eleni shoo-ed them out and told Alanna to get some sleep. Alanna looked at Faith, and smiled in contentment, slipping into the world of slumber. Faith gurgled and fell asleep soon after.

"I can't believe Alanna is a mother of two now! I mean... it was like just yesterday that she was still Alan the Page." Gary said, smiling. "Did you see Faith's eyes? They were like they took amethysts and stuck them on her face!" Raoul commented. "Yes. It is fine... the dress I made for her will match them so well!! And surely, we need to have a banquet in the baby's honour..." Everyone looked at Thayet, and Jon took her shoulder. "Thayet, dear, did you get drunk?" Thayet laughed and walked away, murmuring to herself about cribs and a baby's room, and colour themes.

The three guys loked at her retreating back wierdly. "What's happened to her?" Jon shrugged, and the three of them entered his study. Gary stood at the door, looking serious, and Raoul sat Jon down. "Alright Jon, out with it. What's up with you?" Jon pretended to look innocent. "Up? What's up? I don't understand." Raoul rolled his eyes. "Out with it." Jon sighed, and flicked balls of his gift into the corners. "What do you want to know?" he asked them tiredly, slumping into his chair.

Gary and Raoul sat in front of him. "Faith... is she your child?" Jon blanched. "What?!" Gary held up his hands in defense. "Just asking!!" Jon shrugged. "I don't know. I think... I'm not sure." Gary and Raoul looked at each other. They had anticipated a flat out denial. But now he sounded like he was as old as ever. "Jon. She has black hair like yours." Jon nodded. "I know that." Gary and Raoul comforted him. " If she is yours, what will you do?" "Do? What do I do?" "Clearly, when she grows up she'll have the gift. Alanna has the gift. George has the gift. You have the gift. She definitely will have the gift as well. What if it's blue?" "Blue? But if she has the gift, it would have to be a mix of her parent's!" "Jon- you forget, that the Conte line is a dominant gift, even if it comes from the mother." "Oh... perhaps it'll be so purple, and with mine and the Dominion Jewel... its going to stay that way?"

Gary and Raoul shrugged. "We'll only be able to find out in time Jon, only in time." Jon nodded.

A/N: SOOOOOOO.... R&R. Finally, the baby is born...and Faith is her name. Her name would've been Alianne only if she had been named by George, and if Thom had been born. Tell me what you guys think! I recieved your reviews for Chapter 3, and I must say I'm really sorry. I didn't take any of them as flames, they were all constructive criticism. I hope this clears everything up, well, mostly anyway. You see, I haven't read any of the Protector of the Small books. I've only read Lady Knight. AndI have NO idea what Alanna's kids names are, or Thayet's kids. But I'm gonna sort of alter the later chapters to include Kalasin (Is that her name?) And Roald. And maybe Thom as well. Again, I'm really so sorry, everyone. ANd thanks so much for pointing that out. Its nice to know that people are reading this!