Author: Cendari

Summary: Takes place approximately 4 to 6 months after Will's taken command of the Titan

Insinuations (1/1)

Sam and Maddie smiled identically evil grins at Will as they pickedup their cards. "So, Will, how's married life treating you?"

Sam queried, peeking at him over her hand.
Will smiled indulgently back at the two of them as she tossed his bet into the pot. "Absolutely perfectly. Why, are you hearing otherwise?"

Maddie chuckled huskily. "You could say something like that," she replied as she tossed an outrageous amount of credits into the pot.

"All right, what are you two up to now?" Will demanded suspiciously. The two of them had been behaving like absolute angels
during their entire stay with them on the Titan. That was his first clue that they were up to something. His next was that they always seemed to be whispering with each other and Deanna up until he walked into the room. Between those two rather large hints, he knew something was up.

"Absolutely nothing, Will. Cross our hearts," Sam swore innocently, a guileless gleam in her eye.

He might have fallen for it if he didn't know that there was also an unholy mischievous twinkle hiding behind the innocence. "Mm-hm. And I'm the wizard of Oz, Sammie dear, if you think I'd believe that. What has Deanna been saying to you?" he demanded point-blank, their poker game forgotten.

"You'd have to ask her," Maddie deflected.

"Yeah, Will. Ask Deanna if she thinks there's anything missing in your marriage, or in your lives," Sam added.

"You know, Sam, did Wesley seem to be avoiding you on his last visit here, or was it just me?" Will knew he had his mark when Sam flushed. "He looked like he was spending an awful lot of time with Maddie."

Maddie's stunned gaze shot to him, and he felt a moment's guilt for using her to get back at Sam, but it was erased when he remembered how they had conspired against him. His triumph, however, was shot when he realized that they'd all laid their cards down and Sam was leaning over the table, raking the sizable pot towards her.

"What the devil?" he muttered under his breath. Then he realized the twins had merely been conspiring to distract him so his game would be thrown off. It had worked, too.

Deciding to call it quits for the night, and to retire to his quarters where a beautiful siren awaited him in their bed, Will gathered
his earlier winnings and shot the twins a jaunty salute. "Night, girls. Don't stay up too late."

When their identical glowers reached him, he was already halfway out the door, chuckling to himself at how easy it was to bait them.

Much, much later, Will remembered the girls' comments and after much hemming and hawing, chose to confront Deanna and see if their insinuations had any credence. "Deanna?" he asked the dark-haired woman slumped beside him on the bed.

"Hmm?" she asked sleepily.

"The twins were talking tonight."

That phrase alone was enough to break Deanna out of her tired stupor. "And what, precisely, were they saying?" she asked carefully.

"They suggested I ask you if you think anything is missing from our marriage or our lives."

Deanna froze as she came up with all sorts of ways to strangle and hurt her beloved, meddling granddaughters and simultaneously tried to bluff her way out of it. "Will, I have no idea what you're talking about," she lied.

He, however, he who knew her so well, immediately saw through it, damn him. "Deanna, you're not even looking at me. You know exactly what they're talking about, don't you?"

"Maybe." She was trying desperately to save face and they both knew it.

"Why don't you just get it over with, Deanna?"

Deanna blew out a long breath. "Will, have you felt anything...different over the last few weeks? Even before the twins came
on board?"

Will thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, yes. Deanna, are you - ..."

"Will, I'm fine," she assured him, chuckling a little in the face of such male obtuseness. "Will."

"Deanna, for gods' sake, just spit it out!"

She slowly leaned closer and watched his eyes widen as she whispered something meant entirely for his ears. His jaw dropped, his eyes bugged out, and, for the first time in a long time, was absolutely speechless. Deanna twinkled at him as she watched him digest the information slowly, savoring the absolute and total shock when she had
whispered those two little words in his ear:

"I'm pregnant."

And thus ends Part 2 :o)