Disclaimer: Still not mine.
Author's Note: Sorry the last chapter was so short - I simply could not resist the temptation to leave a little cliffhanger. In my defence, we all knew what Shalimar's answer would be, though I considered having her refuse, just to see the look on Brennan's face, but, in the end, I couldn't do that to him. This chapter will be longer, I promise.
Author's Note II: This story - and I suppose 'A Little Problem' - are set after the Season Two finale, 'Lest He Become', but Adam and Emma did NOT die. Nicholas Fox is still around and in contact with Shalimar.
Words in / / = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics.
*
Chapter 5.
Ten weeks later.
"Alright, Shalimar, I need you to hold still for me." Adam instructed as he spread the gel over Shalimar's stomach.
"It's cold!" She complained. She turned to Brennan, who was trying to hide a smile. She found something to grumble about at every check-up. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing." He said hastily.
"Shh." Adam put a finger to his lips as he moved the scanner through the gel, turning on the monitor so that they could hear the faint heartbeat and see the images from the scanner on screen.
"Is everything okay, Adam?" Brennan was worried. "The baby's heart is beating awfully fast."
"Everything's fine, Brennan." Adam reassured him, turning the monitor around so that the couple could see the monitor. "Have you two thought of any names yet?"
"We've decided." Shalimar told him. "Alexis if it's a girl and, if it's a boy, that is, if you don't mind or anything, we want to call him Adam." She finished on a rush.
Adam was touched. "I would be honoured." He sounded slightly choked up. He moved the scanner around for a moment, waiting until the image on the monitor was clearer.
"I can just see grey blobs!" Brennan complained, straining his eyes in a vain attempt to make sense of the grainy images. He tilted his head to the left. "It looks a bit like a big peanut if you look at it like this."
Shalimar scowled at him.
Adam chuckled as he examined the scan images, smiling at what he saw. "I can assure you, Brennan, your first born will *not* be a peanut." He looked up at them. "So, do you two want to know the sex?"
"Yes."
"No."
Shalimar looked up at her fiancé in surprise. "Don't you want to be able to get prepared for him or her?"
"No!" Brennan protested. "I want everything about the birth to be a surprise, I thought that you would too."
"Alright, you two." Adam interrupted before an argument could break out. "There is an easy way to solve this problem."
They looked up at him.
"Out!" Adam ordered.
They exchanged a bewildered look.
"What do you mean, Adam?" Brennan asked, thoroughly confused.
"I want you to leave the lab." Adam explained patiently. "While you're gone, I will tell Shalimar what you are having - on condition, that is, that she agrees not to tell you." He fixed the first of his children with a stern look.
"I won't tell him." Shalimar promised, lifting three fingers to her forehead in a mock salute. "Feral's honour."
"Very well. Brennan, out!"
Before he could utter a word of protest, the elemental found himself being ushered out of the lab and the door shut firmly behind him.
* * *
Emma found Brennan sitting next to the pond.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him gently. "I thought that Shal was supposed to be having her first scan today. Why aren't you in the lab with her?"
"Adam kicked me out."
"He what?" Emma was incredulous. "It's your baby, Brennan, you have a right to be there!" She looked angry.
"It's not like that." Brennan assured her hurriedly; remembering the last time Emma had confronted Adam. "Shal wants to know the sex of the baby. I don't. So Adam is going to tell her while I'm out of the room."
"You don't want to know the sex?" Emma was dismayed. "How am I supposed to know if I'm shopping for. . . what are you going to call him or her?"
"Alexis for a girl, Adam for a boy."
"Shal picked the last one, didn't she?" Emma asked, knowing the answer.
"She threatened to kick my ass across Sanctuary if I didn't agree." Brennan told her in a low voice, trying to sound solemn. He laughed when he saw that Emma was taking him seriously. "I'm teasing you. Shal and I both wanted our son to be called Adam."
Emma laughed in return before returning to her grievance. "How am I supposed to know if I'm shopping for little Adam or little Alexis? I can't ask Shal! It wouldn't be fair if I knew before you did." She whined.
Brennan was unable to suppress a laugh at her downcast look. "I really don't mind you knowing, Em."
"Really?"
"Just don't tell Jesse. At least you can keep a secret. It will never be a surprise if he finds out!"
"Agreed." Emma said happily. "I can't wait for the wedding." She exclaimed, jumping to a new topic. "Are you nervous? Only two more weeks of bachelorhood. Wow!" She paused, the enormity of the situation hitting her. "By this time next year, you'll be a husband and father."
"Yeah." Brennan looked very pleased with himself. "I'm going to be a family man."
* * *
"So, are you nervous?" Adam asked, pressing a hypospray to Shalimar's neck. "This should help with your nausea."
"Thanks." Shalimar scowled. "I thought that morning - or, in my case, morning, noon and night - sickness was supposed to have disappeared by now."
"From what I know of feral pregnancies, the nausea is a permanent feature for the full nine months."
"Great." Shalimar looked less than ecstatic at the prospect.
"So," Adam prompted her. "Are you nervous about the wedding?"
"It's weird, but I don't feel nervous at all. It just all seems so. . .right."
Adam squeezed her hand. "I'm happy for you. Are all the wedding arrangements on track?"
Shalimar laughed. "You'd have to ask Emma. She's taken over the entire organisation of the ceremony and the reception - I think that she was disappointed when she found out that Brennan and I wanted a small wedding but she's really thrown herself into the preparations. She must have missed her calling - she was born to be a wedding planner! She even got Jesse to agree to being fitted for a tuxedo, but she lost the battle of the top hats."
A vision of Jesse in a tuxedo and top hat filled Adam's mind and he let out a snort of laughter. "Let's be thankful for small favours. What's she dressing you in?"
"Oh, I picked my own dress." Shalimar told him. "Poor Emma is in a panic trying to find something old, something knew, something borrowed and something blue for the day." She paused, and bit her lip before continuing. "Adam, about the wedding. . ."
"Yes?"
"I'd like. . .that is, I want. . .Adam, I'd like you to give me away." She blurted out.
"Oh, Shal." Adam, speechless for once, folded her into his embrace. "Are you sure?" He asked her gently, releasing her so that he could look at her face as she answered. "You don't have to. Won't your father be. . ."
"Yes, he'll be there."
"Wouldn't you prefer that he. . ."
"Adam." Shalimar's expression was deadly serious. "Up until a few months ago, I hadn't seen my father since I was ten when he had me locked up in order to 'fix' me. He still acts like my mutation is a sickness, or a curse. You have been the only real father I have had since I was eleven years old. You were the first person to accept and love me for who I am. Adam, you saved my life! Please, I want you to do it."
For the first time in a long time, Adam felt tears of joy prick his eyes.
"Shalimar, I would be honoured."
TBC.
*
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Next up: The Wedding.
Author's Note: Sorry the last chapter was so short - I simply could not resist the temptation to leave a little cliffhanger. In my defence, we all knew what Shalimar's answer would be, though I considered having her refuse, just to see the look on Brennan's face, but, in the end, I couldn't do that to him. This chapter will be longer, I promise.
Author's Note II: This story - and I suppose 'A Little Problem' - are set after the Season Two finale, 'Lest He Become', but Adam and Emma did NOT die. Nicholas Fox is still around and in contact with Shalimar.
Words in / / = Thoughts.
Words in * * = Italics.
*
Chapter 5.
Ten weeks later.
"Alright, Shalimar, I need you to hold still for me." Adam instructed as he spread the gel over Shalimar's stomach.
"It's cold!" She complained. She turned to Brennan, who was trying to hide a smile. She found something to grumble about at every check-up. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing." He said hastily.
"Shh." Adam put a finger to his lips as he moved the scanner through the gel, turning on the monitor so that they could hear the faint heartbeat and see the images from the scanner on screen.
"Is everything okay, Adam?" Brennan was worried. "The baby's heart is beating awfully fast."
"Everything's fine, Brennan." Adam reassured him, turning the monitor around so that the couple could see the monitor. "Have you two thought of any names yet?"
"We've decided." Shalimar told him. "Alexis if it's a girl and, if it's a boy, that is, if you don't mind or anything, we want to call him Adam." She finished on a rush.
Adam was touched. "I would be honoured." He sounded slightly choked up. He moved the scanner around for a moment, waiting until the image on the monitor was clearer.
"I can just see grey blobs!" Brennan complained, straining his eyes in a vain attempt to make sense of the grainy images. He tilted his head to the left. "It looks a bit like a big peanut if you look at it like this."
Shalimar scowled at him.
Adam chuckled as he examined the scan images, smiling at what he saw. "I can assure you, Brennan, your first born will *not* be a peanut." He looked up at them. "So, do you two want to know the sex?"
"Yes."
"No."
Shalimar looked up at her fiancé in surprise. "Don't you want to be able to get prepared for him or her?"
"No!" Brennan protested. "I want everything about the birth to be a surprise, I thought that you would too."
"Alright, you two." Adam interrupted before an argument could break out. "There is an easy way to solve this problem."
They looked up at him.
"Out!" Adam ordered.
They exchanged a bewildered look.
"What do you mean, Adam?" Brennan asked, thoroughly confused.
"I want you to leave the lab." Adam explained patiently. "While you're gone, I will tell Shalimar what you are having - on condition, that is, that she agrees not to tell you." He fixed the first of his children with a stern look.
"I won't tell him." Shalimar promised, lifting three fingers to her forehead in a mock salute. "Feral's honour."
"Very well. Brennan, out!"
Before he could utter a word of protest, the elemental found himself being ushered out of the lab and the door shut firmly behind him.
* * *
Emma found Brennan sitting next to the pond.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him gently. "I thought that Shal was supposed to be having her first scan today. Why aren't you in the lab with her?"
"Adam kicked me out."
"He what?" Emma was incredulous. "It's your baby, Brennan, you have a right to be there!" She looked angry.
"It's not like that." Brennan assured her hurriedly; remembering the last time Emma had confronted Adam. "Shal wants to know the sex of the baby. I don't. So Adam is going to tell her while I'm out of the room."
"You don't want to know the sex?" Emma was dismayed. "How am I supposed to know if I'm shopping for. . . what are you going to call him or her?"
"Alexis for a girl, Adam for a boy."
"Shal picked the last one, didn't she?" Emma asked, knowing the answer.
"She threatened to kick my ass across Sanctuary if I didn't agree." Brennan told her in a low voice, trying to sound solemn. He laughed when he saw that Emma was taking him seriously. "I'm teasing you. Shal and I both wanted our son to be called Adam."
Emma laughed in return before returning to her grievance. "How am I supposed to know if I'm shopping for little Adam or little Alexis? I can't ask Shal! It wouldn't be fair if I knew before you did." She whined.
Brennan was unable to suppress a laugh at her downcast look. "I really don't mind you knowing, Em."
"Really?"
"Just don't tell Jesse. At least you can keep a secret. It will never be a surprise if he finds out!"
"Agreed." Emma said happily. "I can't wait for the wedding." She exclaimed, jumping to a new topic. "Are you nervous? Only two more weeks of bachelorhood. Wow!" She paused, the enormity of the situation hitting her. "By this time next year, you'll be a husband and father."
"Yeah." Brennan looked very pleased with himself. "I'm going to be a family man."
* * *
"So, are you nervous?" Adam asked, pressing a hypospray to Shalimar's neck. "This should help with your nausea."
"Thanks." Shalimar scowled. "I thought that morning - or, in my case, morning, noon and night - sickness was supposed to have disappeared by now."
"From what I know of feral pregnancies, the nausea is a permanent feature for the full nine months."
"Great." Shalimar looked less than ecstatic at the prospect.
"So," Adam prompted her. "Are you nervous about the wedding?"
"It's weird, but I don't feel nervous at all. It just all seems so. . .right."
Adam squeezed her hand. "I'm happy for you. Are all the wedding arrangements on track?"
Shalimar laughed. "You'd have to ask Emma. She's taken over the entire organisation of the ceremony and the reception - I think that she was disappointed when she found out that Brennan and I wanted a small wedding but she's really thrown herself into the preparations. She must have missed her calling - she was born to be a wedding planner! She even got Jesse to agree to being fitted for a tuxedo, but she lost the battle of the top hats."
A vision of Jesse in a tuxedo and top hat filled Adam's mind and he let out a snort of laughter. "Let's be thankful for small favours. What's she dressing you in?"
"Oh, I picked my own dress." Shalimar told him. "Poor Emma is in a panic trying to find something old, something knew, something borrowed and something blue for the day." She paused, and bit her lip before continuing. "Adam, about the wedding. . ."
"Yes?"
"I'd like. . .that is, I want. . .Adam, I'd like you to give me away." She blurted out.
"Oh, Shal." Adam, speechless for once, folded her into his embrace. "Are you sure?" He asked her gently, releasing her so that he could look at her face as she answered. "You don't have to. Won't your father be. . ."
"Yes, he'll be there."
"Wouldn't you prefer that he. . ."
"Adam." Shalimar's expression was deadly serious. "Up until a few months ago, I hadn't seen my father since I was ten when he had me locked up in order to 'fix' me. He still acts like my mutation is a sickness, or a curse. You have been the only real father I have had since I was eleven years old. You were the first person to accept and love me for who I am. Adam, you saved my life! Please, I want you to do it."
For the first time in a long time, Adam felt tears of joy prick his eyes.
"Shalimar, I would be honoured."
TBC.
*
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Next up: The Wedding.