A/N: This chapter begins two and a half months after the last one. If you can't, or won't, do the math...Angel's four months pregnant as of now; the following people know: all X-Mansion residents, Natasha and Tara, Nanaki, John a.k.a Pyro, all brotherhood members, and the guys-Juilus, Jax, and Landon. Jean is still planning Tara's wedding and Natasha's current situation will be explained...in a bit. That said read the chapter and review. Thanks, y'all.
Chapter Six: Not Exactly...a DISASTER
Julius Kanteon flipped through the few tv channels, mumbling under his breathe, though the television had been muted. It stopped on some talk show about mothers who thought their daughters dressed too sexy; several of the girls brought back memories of his first meeting with Angel. He almost smiled before he heard the thump from the direction of their bedroom.
Angel was awake...again.
He'd thought he was doing them all a favor by switching with Natasha for the duration of her pregnancy. It would allow him to keep an eye on Angel and little Julian until he'd been born; the name had been his choice except he hadn't mentioned it yet. It had been a good idea until Angel started having sleep problems, child realted ones. Her motto ran along the lines of "If I can't sleep, you won't either".
"Your kid won't let me sleep, Juilus," Angel announced upon entering the living room. One of her hands rested against the growing bulge of her stomache. It was getting even more obvious how far along she was especially since she ate more often then Jax; a scary thought in itself. "I can't sleep at all and you're out here watching...talk shows on mute!"
Juilus sighed and motioned with one arm. "Angel, come over here," he said then waited until she'd settled on the couch beside him, wrapping a blanket around herself as though to keep from touching him. "You are aware this your kid, too, right?"
"Duh. Why else would I be swelling up like a hot air balloon?" Her voice was flat and serious.
"Stop using sarcasm. Julian shouldn't end up too much like you...I couldn't deal with another one of you," he said, shuddering at the thought.
"Julian?! We are not nameing our little girl Julian!" Angel was off the couch in an instant and glaring at him. "I refuse to let you name our daughter Julian."
"We're not having a daughter. It's gonna be a boy, Angel."
She laughed. "Don't hold your breathe, but fine. We can settle it in the morning when I go to my doctor; I'm far enough along they can tell the sex," she said with a smug smile. She retrieved her blanket then curled up beside him, although she rested her head against his shoulder this time.
I don't think I'm gonna live through another five months of this. Maybe I should move to Australia or at least back to Canada... Julius placed his arm around her shoulders and returned his attention to the tv. He was just beginning to enjoy the silence when Angel squirmed away from him and sat up.
"What's wrong now?"
"The baby kicked," she replied, resting one of her hands against the swell of her stomache. She stayed that way for a moment then placed his in the place of hers, watching to see his reaction when he felt it.
"I didn't know animal kicked," he mumbled, using the pet name he'd adopted for their baby. It was taken from the annoying toy his little sister had, modeled after some tv characters; the baby behaved about like an animal. "Does it do this often?"
"Sometimes. I didn't know if you'd want to feel her kick or not. Why do you have the tv on mute?" she asked, skipping onto a different subject as though their first was over.
Juilus shrugged, pressing a button to unmute the television. The sound blasted out even if it was a lower volume then was normal in the small apartment. "I was trying not to wake anyone up since you all have a huge problem with people waking you from sleep. Tara comes up growling and swearing," he said, remembering the first and only time he'd ever woken Tara up. It had nearly gotten him seriously injured.
Angel smiled and laid back down, wrapping her blanket around herself. "She was raised by Logan for the most part, what do you expect? The guy's woken up and stabbed someone for startling him...do you really expect her to be docile as a kitten when she wakes?"
"Go to sleep, Angel. You, too, Animal," he announced, patting the blanket where it rested over her stomache. She pushed his hand away.
"The baby is not a dog. Don't pet her."
"Good-night, Angel."
"Night, Juilus," she mumbled, quietly then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before curling up again.
Juilus shook his head and flipped the channel, mumbling something that was too quiet to be heard. He watched the tail end of some soap opera but none of it made sense.
"It's nice to see one of us can sleep," he growled with a glare at his sleeping companion.
Next Morning 10:45 a.m.
"I don't want to eat the damn eggs."
"Eat the damn eggs, Angel."
"I don't want the damn eggs!"
"Eat the damn eggs."
"You want the eggs so much? Fine! The damn eggs are yours!" Angel threw the plate before he had time to react. It missed his head, slamming into the wall behind him but in the process, threw the contents of the plate onto his head and clothes. Eggs slid from his shoulder into the sleeve of his trenchcoat; he glared at her.
"Angel Elizabeth!"
"Don't use my full name."
Juilus glared at her in silence for a moment then picked up a handful of his cereal and threw it. Most of it missed her, though quite a bit of it stuck in her hair by clinging to the long, unbrushed strands.
"Juilus Augustus!"
"You started it."
"I did not."
"Did, too."
"Did not."
Angel glared at him a few moments longer then picked up her glass of orange juice and poured it over his head. He threw another handful of cereal at her while trying to shake most of the orange juice from his hair; he ducked just in time for the banana she threw to miss. Things continued at this pace for awhile with the two young adults throwing food back and forth until the lock on the apartment clicked; someone was home.
"What the hell did you two do?!" Tara demanded, staring around the room after dropping her bag on the table. She looked rather shocked, but it was nothing compared to the expression on Jean's face when she entered a few moments later with Rogue and Nanaki. Natasha hadn't been seen much since her father had found out about her part time job; it hadn't been a pretty sight.
"She started it!"
"I did not! You know I didn't!"
Jean frowned and began pulling on a handful of her hair with more strength then could be healthy. There were streaks of gray in it that had begun with them and gotten worse once David was born; Santiago hadn't exactly helped. "This is terrible," she mumbled to herself, though the others could hear it. "The flower people will be sending flower samples over within the next half hour and you two have given new meaning to the term breakfast buffet!"
Julius looked down at himself then shook his arm until several globs of egg slid down through the wrist cuffed area. "I just wanted her to eat the eggs. Now I have to go before my boss has a fit about all my abscences, plus I still have to take a shower. Thanks, Angel," he called back, though his voice was without humor of any sort, as he headed toward the door.
"Your welcome, Juilus!"
"Am I the only sane one here?" Tara asked with a look around at her wedding planners.
"No." Celesta smirked in her direction. "Bye, baby daddy."
"Why are you covered in cereal and why did eggs fall out of his coat? I'm not even going to mention the orange juice..." Rogue crossed her arms and tapped one foot, waiting for an answer. Her voice had a big effect since Angel suddenly looked guilty and shrugged, studying the mess they'd made. Every form of possibility for breakfast, and some that weren't, were splattered on the walls, floor, and table.
"She doesn't like eggs," she said, simply.
"Who doesn't like eggs?" Jean demanded with a glare toward them; the front of the apartment was beginning to fill up with delivery vans full of flowers. This only added to Jean's hysteria. "They're here!"
"The baby. She doesn't like the eggs." Angel patted her stomache then began pulling cereal from her hair and putting them back in the bowl he'd been eating out of. She continued for a few moments then looked up. "Wait a minute...who's here, Jean?"
"The people that are going to help with the wedding," she replied, glaring in her direction as several people dressed in white entered with arms full of 'flower samples'. "Go take a shower or something. Your head's dripping with cereal and there's jelly on the side of your face."
"What's your point?"
"Her point is you look ridiculous. Go clean up, Angel."
"Fine..." She stuck her tongue out at Jean, a rather childish thing for a twenty-three year old with a kid on the way to do, then vanished down the hallway, mumbling to herself about 'old ladies with blue hair'.
Jean glared after her, ignoring the flower people. "I am not old and I don't have blue hair!!!"
Celesta looked thoughtful a moment then pulled out a couple strands of Jean's hair, studying them before she shook her head in mock pity. "Your hair begs to differ...it's getting a blue tint to it," she said with a smirk. Her attention went to Tara. "As for you and this wedding...take our advice, okay? ELOPE IN MEXICO."
"Huh..?" The others stared at her, stupidly except Tara who just shook her head, waiting to see what else would be said. It was sometimes rather funny when Celesta was out; this was one of those time, apparantly.
"Take the boy. Run off to mexico, that's over the border, and ELOPE."
"Your crazy."
She shrugged. "Of course we are; I'm here, aren't I? Nanaki wanted to tell you but didn't want to have to put up with Jean's reaction. Elope in Mexico, Tara....before this...woman gets anymore ideas," she repeated, emphasizing Jean and the millions of flowers with a tilt of her head.
Tara glanced around at all the flowers and the so-called beautiful white dresses that Jean had orders. She frowned, seeing a dress that she recognized; the wedding gown from Jean's own wedding. The thing was ancient. "Um...I'll think about that, Celesta...really think about it..."
Apocalypse's Current Headquarters...... 3:45 p.m.
"How did your mission go?" Apocalypse asked from his desk. He was seated with his would-be minions standing in front of him; none of them appeared too harmed except for the blood on the mall. It more then likely wasn't theirs.
"It went fine," Landon said, trying hard not to stare at the image before them. The sight of a grown man of around seven feet tall hugging and petting a fat white cat that was curled up in his arms. The guy didn't seem to be right in the head anymore since he sometimes spaced out and mumbled under his breathe; it usually sounded as though he were spellling his name repeatedly.
"Did everyone come back?"
"Yes."
Apocalypse nodded and continued to pet the fat cat. "What, Mr. Twinkletoes? Mr. Twinkletoes thinks something else is up...is it?" he demanded, sweeping their line with his gaze then returned to the head of the line on Juilus. "Juilus, Landon, I want you two to hang around. Everyone else is dismissed."
Oh, no. He's going to ask about the wedding or just about Tara and I'm going to tell him about the wedding. Dammnit...why does this stuff always happen to me?
The room emptied quickly until the only ones left were the two of them with their employer and his pet cat. Mr. Twinkletoes, as the cat was called, leaped onto the table and arched his back in a way that made most cats look skeletal; on this cat it looked like a fat cat still. Apocalypse watched him for a moment then waved his hand.
"Go do...kitty stuff..."
Mr. Twinkletoes obeyed his owner's voice.
Apocalypse spoke once the cat was gone. "I've been informed that you both are requesting a leave of abscene and that you, Landon, would like to take an almost permanent leave of abscene....explain that."
"I'm getting married and want to take some time off with my fiancee, Tara," Landon said, scratching the back of his hand as it began to itch. He tried to ignore the long scars that were still healing beneathe his finger tips; the scratching wasn't helping. "Tara and I have a lot to talk about, including uh...her family. Yeah, her family hasn't exactly accepted the fact that I'm marrying her. It's a little complicated so I wanted a leave of abscene to deal with them...and her."
"You make her sound like a hellish demon or those pesky X-Men..." Apocalypse got a far away look then abruptly lost it, calling his cat again. "Mr. Twinkletoes! Mr. Twinkletoes! Mr. Twinkletoes!"
He frowned, hating to add the next part. "Tara was raised by a member of the X-Men. Wolverine, or Logan, raised her after she and another child were abandoned with them....so in a way she is like the pesky X-Men."
"How long has this...Tara...been with the X-Men?"
He thought a moment but couldn't figure out the amount of years. "Tara was barely school age when she and Angel were adopted," he said, looking at Juilus who shrugged. He didn't think the two of them had discussed it very much.
"What's your reason for abscene, Julius Kanteon? You are aware this is a personal favor to your father, aren't you?"
Juilus nodded. "You and him remind me of it daily. My wife's pregnant..."
"You're not married, Juilus."
"My fiancee's pregnant."
"You don't have a fiancee, Juilus."
Juilus scowled in Landon's direction then returend his attention to their employer. "Fine. The girl I've been sleeping with off and on for the last five years is pregnant, my kid. Angel's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer..."
"If she was, she'd hurt someone," Landon mumbled then returned to his silent position. Juilus glared at him.
Apocalypse folded his hands and rested them on top of Mr. Twinkletoes's body. "How did you two manage to get one girl pregnant and another to marry you at the same time?" he demanded, glowering at them both, though he looked humorous.
"Dumb luck."
"I'm cursed."
"I believe the second. When is the child due, Juilus?"
"If he's born on time it'll be another five months..."
"When's your wedding, Landon?"
He shrugged. "We haven't set a date yet."
There was silence for awhile longer that was broken only by Mr. Twinkletoes purring and rubbing against their legs. Landon had to stamp out a sudden urge to kick or stab the cat.
"Juilus, when your female friend gets within two months of her due date, you can take leave for as long as she needs you. Landon, get me the date and we'll decide your abscence then," Apocalypse said, gathering his cat again after standing. He talked to the cat for a few moments as a normal person would to a baby then motioned them away. "You can both leave."
Juilus waited until they were outside to face Landon. "If she was, she'd hurt someone?!" he demanded, glaring at his friend.
"Is it true or isn't it?"
"It's true..."
A phone rang. Landon picked it up.
"Hello..? Hi, Tara.....Mexico?"
Julius stared at him until he hung up.
"Um..." Landon looked confused then shook his head. "She wants to elope in Mexico..."