Aeryn looks surprised to see me as I come back into our quarters. She probably thought she'd be rid of me for a little while longer. "That didn't take long," she said.
"We didn't want to be gone too long," I tell her. "Just in case."
I know she's annoyed. Well, you know what? She's just going to have to deal with it. We don't know exactly when the baby's due, and Aeryn could go into labor at any minute. I know she's sick of us all checking up on her, but it won't be much longer till we've got something else to worry about entirely...
"You have got to stop this. I'm fine," she says, and I can see her rolling her eyes. Actually, I'm surprised she hasn't all-out slugged me yet. She's probably been tempted.
I sit next to her on the bed, putting an arm around her. "So how's she doing?" I ask, and place my other hand on her abdomen for a moment, in case I can feel the baby kick. "Still practicing her Junior Peacekeeper skills?"
"All day," Aeryn nods. "She seems to have gotten tired of it, though."
"Makes it easier on you."
Another, more vigorous nod. "I can't wait to see what she's going to put us through when she's old enough to talk," she says, her voice half a groan.
"You think that's bad, just remember the teenage years," I say. Yep, I'm dreading that one.
Aeryn leans against me, putting her head on my shoulder. "We're going to have so much to explain to her," she says.
I'm aware. "You mean that her parents are fugitives and aren't even the same species?" I say.
"To start. There's so much we take for granted, and this baby is going to come into existence not knowing anything." She looks up at me, and she just looks so concerned... It's a look I've gotten used to. You should see Aeryn's Mommy Mode. She's gotten really into it the past few months. And believe it or not, it's really cool.
"Well, we've got her for a while, I think that'll give us enough time to explain why everyone gives Daddy weird looks when he says something and why Mommy has issues," I tell her.
"Oh, I am not telling her about that," Aeryn says. "She doesn't need to know *everything*."
I can do that. I can't think of any reason why this kid should know about my little trip to the dark side, either. "Deal," I say. Aeryn looks down to her stomach. "Go to sleep!" she says, and sighs.
"Busy girl," I say.
"You have *no* idea. I can't wait till she's born and you can put her down when she gets like this."
I know what Aeryn's really saying, the little hidden message she keeps putting into her words. She can't wait till she's born. I can't either. It's like when I was a kid, right before Christmas. You'd see the ads for all the toys and decorations going up months in advance, and then by the time Christmas Eve rolled around, it was torture waiting for the actual day just because you'd been waiting *so long*. Same principle applies.
"Well, we don't have too much longer to wait," I say, starting to play with her hair.
"No, we don't. As you and Zhaan remind me as often as possible," Aeryn said, looking at me as if the look on her face would make me stop worrying. That won't happen. I can tell you, I'm gonna be like the fathers on TV sitcoms during the delivery. It's already setting in. (That's probably when Aeryn's going to slug me.)
"Hey, can I help it if I'm concerned about my girls?" I kiss the top of her head.
"It doesn't help if you drive me insane in the process."
"Not if we go insane choosing a name first," I say.
Aeryn shakes her head. "Don't start." We've already been through this several times, and we've still got nothing.
"We'll have to do it sooner or later. How about... Aurora?"
"That's twisted," she says with a little laugh. "Really twisted."
"Hey, at least I've got a sense of humor about it," I say. Okay, true, I only suggested it to get a reaction out of her. No way in hell is she getting that for a name.
"If that's what you call it," Aeryn teases.
I can see that look on her face again, the one between annoyance and discomfort. "Is she acting up again?" I ask her.
She pauses for a second, then shakes her head. "I don't think so," she says quietly. "John? Call Zhaan."
"We didn't want to be gone too long," I tell her. "Just in case."
I know she's annoyed. Well, you know what? She's just going to have to deal with it. We don't know exactly when the baby's due, and Aeryn could go into labor at any minute. I know she's sick of us all checking up on her, but it won't be much longer till we've got something else to worry about entirely...
"You have got to stop this. I'm fine," she says, and I can see her rolling her eyes. Actually, I'm surprised she hasn't all-out slugged me yet. She's probably been tempted.
I sit next to her on the bed, putting an arm around her. "So how's she doing?" I ask, and place my other hand on her abdomen for a moment, in case I can feel the baby kick. "Still practicing her Junior Peacekeeper skills?"
"All day," Aeryn nods. "She seems to have gotten tired of it, though."
"Makes it easier on you."
Another, more vigorous nod. "I can't wait to see what she's going to put us through when she's old enough to talk," she says, her voice half a groan.
"You think that's bad, just remember the teenage years," I say. Yep, I'm dreading that one.
Aeryn leans against me, putting her head on my shoulder. "We're going to have so much to explain to her," she says.
I'm aware. "You mean that her parents are fugitives and aren't even the same species?" I say.
"To start. There's so much we take for granted, and this baby is going to come into existence not knowing anything." She looks up at me, and she just looks so concerned... It's a look I've gotten used to. You should see Aeryn's Mommy Mode. She's gotten really into it the past few months. And believe it or not, it's really cool.
"Well, we've got her for a while, I think that'll give us enough time to explain why everyone gives Daddy weird looks when he says something and why Mommy has issues," I tell her.
"Oh, I am not telling her about that," Aeryn says. "She doesn't need to know *everything*."
I can do that. I can't think of any reason why this kid should know about my little trip to the dark side, either. "Deal," I say. Aeryn looks down to her stomach. "Go to sleep!" she says, and sighs.
"Busy girl," I say.
"You have *no* idea. I can't wait till she's born and you can put her down when she gets like this."
I know what Aeryn's really saying, the little hidden message she keeps putting into her words. She can't wait till she's born. I can't either. It's like when I was a kid, right before Christmas. You'd see the ads for all the toys and decorations going up months in advance, and then by the time Christmas Eve rolled around, it was torture waiting for the actual day just because you'd been waiting *so long*. Same principle applies.
"Well, we don't have too much longer to wait," I say, starting to play with her hair.
"No, we don't. As you and Zhaan remind me as often as possible," Aeryn said, looking at me as if the look on her face would make me stop worrying. That won't happen. I can tell you, I'm gonna be like the fathers on TV sitcoms during the delivery. It's already setting in. (That's probably when Aeryn's going to slug me.)
"Hey, can I help it if I'm concerned about my girls?" I kiss the top of her head.
"It doesn't help if you drive me insane in the process."
"Not if we go insane choosing a name first," I say.
Aeryn shakes her head. "Don't start." We've already been through this several times, and we've still got nothing.
"We'll have to do it sooner or later. How about... Aurora?"
"That's twisted," she says with a little laugh. "Really twisted."
"Hey, at least I've got a sense of humor about it," I say. Okay, true, I only suggested it to get a reaction out of her. No way in hell is she getting that for a name.
"If that's what you call it," Aeryn teases.
I can see that look on her face again, the one between annoyance and discomfort. "Is she acting up again?" I ask her.
She pauses for a second, then shakes her head. "I don't think so," she says quietly. "John? Call Zhaan."