Title: The Smell of Things

Author: Kathea

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own anything even remotely related to Anne Bishop's wonderful world of Witch. I promise to put the toys back when I'm done.

Summary: Missing scene of when Marian tells Lucivar that she's pregnant.

Spoilers: Set at the end of before Queen of the Darkness and after the Prince of Ebon Rih.

AN: I always wondered what Lucivar's reaction would be so here is my take.

Lucivar landed lightly on the balls of his feet, bracing for the impact on the hard stone of his eyrie. He could hear Marian's light voice coming through the open window as she sang while she cooked. Lucivar grinned at the thought of his wife. His wife, the phrase still boggled his mind. He sniffed the air, his stomach rumbled at the smell of braised beef, before a new scent registered and he called in his war club and went on alert.

Cloaking himself in an ebon-gray sigh shield Lucivar advanced silently towards his home. His nose said that there was someone different, someone new in his home. A flurry of feelings assaulted his mind, all of them coming from Marian. Her light singing warred with the confusion her mind emanated. Why would she be confused, Lucivar wondered. He eased around the corner and carefully peered into the kitchen. The smell was strongest here. It was wrapped around Marian in a way that made Lucivar instantly think of Luvthian's black widow webs. If his mother was involved again, he'd…not dwell on it right now since there was an intruder in his home.

Stepping fully into the kitchen, Lucivar dropped the sight shield and growled at the kitchen's lone occupant.

"Who is in my home?" Lucivar said. He was riding preciously close to the killing edge, even Marian could sense that.

"What?" Marian shrieked startled by her husband's sudden appearance and dropped the bowl of cake batter she was stirring.

"There is someone else here," he replied sniffing the air carefully. His nose flared when the scent became more defined. "Another man is here." Moving on quiet feet, Lucivar closed in on his wife sniffing her neck and shoulder as he got closer. "Marian, why do you smell like a male other than me?" he asked in a silkily sweet voice. Marian's eyes flared wide at her husband's implication.

"Because, you great dolt, I'm pregnant!" Marian snarled back. "And look what you made me do, that's my favorite bowl." She crossed her arms over her chest not looking directly at him.

"You are what?" Lucivar asked in a tiny voice.

"I'm pregnant and I was going to tell you tonight but somebody got home early." She turned on him then full of anger at having her plans ruined. She stopped when she saw Lucivar's face drain of color and the large man start to topple back. "Mother Night!" Marian yelped and tried with all the strength of her purple dusk jewels to keep Lucivar from crashing to the stone floor.

Sataen Marian sent a thought thread directly to him.

'Yes, child.' Was the dark tinged reply.

'Can you come to the eyrie? Lucivar kind of…'

'What? Is he alright?'

'He passed out.'

'I'll be there momentarily.'

True to his word, not but a few moments later, Sataen was barging through the front door of his son's home. He found them in the kitchen, a completely unconscious Lucivar and Marian kneeling beside him. His nostrils flared wide at the smell coming from Marian and he smiled as everything became suddenly clear. He rushed to his son's side, cradling Lucivar's face in his hands; Sataen sent a gentle spear thread.

'Lucivar. You need to wake up now.'

'Huh?' Came the confused reply.

'Wake up, son. Marian has dinner ready. Nap time is over.'

"I don't take naps." Was Lucivar's groggy reply. Sataen smiled carefully at his son. Lucivar however had eyes only for his wife. He plucked at his father's sleeve. "Dad, guess what?"

"What that's son?" Sataen replied trying to keep the grin off his face.

"I'm going to be a father." Lucivar said smiling broadly before springing to his feet and gathering his wife into his arms. "I'm going to be a father!" He kissed Marian soundly before bending down to kiss her flat belly.

Suddenly Sataen found himself in a bear hug from his son. Lucivar pulled back his eyes suddenly wide with realization. "I'm going to be a father" he said in a breathy whisper before promptly fainting again. He transferred his son from the floor to his bedroom and locked eyes with his daughter-in-law and they both fell into a fit of giggles.

"Too bad Jaenelle wasn't here; she'd have blackmail for ages." Marian said before doubling over in laughter.

Sataen could only shake his head before embracing Marian and his grandchild.

The End

AN: It didn't go where I thought it was going but I liked it anyway. I didn't know Sataen would be in it but he showed up and asked to play so…And screwed up my formatting so pardon the single quotes they should be asteriks.