Shayera shook her head as she chuckled, "I'm sorry but could you repeat that? I could swear that you just said that I was pregnant."
"You're five weeks pregnant," he repeated in a dry tone. She slowly sat down and covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm glad you're taking this so well," he sarcastically added.
"How am I going...will they use this against me?"
"Most likely yes," He quietly answered as he sat across from her. "I suggest you tell John now so that he knows. Most likely he'll have to testify on your behalf to confirm what you say and to be a character witness for you."
"I will tell him when I'm ready. I have to let this sink in too you know?" She bit her lip as she was in deep thought.
She was happy, truly she was very happy. Yet the timing couldn't be any worse. She had always desired to have a child but right now just wasn't the desired time.
She swallowed as she dropped her head into her hands, "What kind of mother can I possibly be? I shouldn't be allowed to have a goldfish let alone a child."
"You're the one who wanted one didn't you?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow. "Or did you change your mind?"
"No I never changed my mind about that. I still always wanted one but that doesn't mean I know how to raise one and the timing isn't that great either," she stated with a sigh and then muttered. "Why me, better yet, why now?"
"Shayera I want to know something. Did you suspecting that you were pregnant play any role in you asking John to get married?"
"Partially, the possibility just got me thinking. The proper Earth protocol is to be married first and then have children. I didn't know for sure then and I wanted to get married before I found out."
"You're burying yourself in a deep hole right now," Bruce stared at her as she nervously looked back. "If you want my help, you'll have to tell me everything and I mean everything."
"I answered your questions truthfully Bruce."
"The easy questions you answer without a second thought. When it came to more personal things in your life, you started to shut the doors. You need to let me in. Or will I have to go to John and ask him about your life?"
"He doesn't know anything about my life on Thanagar or in Fate's Tower. All he knows is that I'm Shayera Hol, former Hawkgirl, and disgraced lieutenant stripped of her rank and honor. All he knows about me is from the time I came to Earth until now."
"Do you feel that's wise?" He asked her sincerely.
"No," she quietly admitted as she shook her head. "It's not right but I don't know if I can trust him with stuff like this. I also don't think he'll understand either. My life isn't some fairytale Bruce. Hell even nightmares wouldn't begin to explain what I've done throughout my life. I did things, horrible things...there's a reason why I became a lieutenant of the Thanagarian Empire after all. They just didn't see me and decide to give it to me because I looked cute."
"You're haunted by your past and plagued with guilt. That's why you can't talk about it. When you want to we will," he gently placed a hand on her forearm. He understood. Since he was eight, he understood people like her. Dark pasts weren't something a person could just share lightly with others, especially not a marred military past.
"Bruce I just have one question," he gave her a curt nod. "How can I have that human choranic gama-whatever it is in me if I'm not human?"
"Human chorionic gonadotropin," Bruce corrected her. "Thanagarian and human DNA is nearly interchangeable save for a few extra and differing genomes on the Thanagarian side. For you it would be called tCG or Thanagarian chorionic gonadotropin. It gives off the same secretion as hCG. It's the same hormone, just a different name for a different species."
"How do you know that about my DNA?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Remember that fight against Sinestro where you split your head open when he knocked you to the concrete?" She nodded. "DNA is in blood."
"You took a sample of my blood off the ground?" She asked in shocked and slight anger. "Why did you do that?"
"I wanted to see if Thanagarian and human DNA were truly compatible to make a child."
"Well I didn't know that before, thanks for the knowledge," she sarcastically retorted. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Sorry I've been a bit on edge."
"Also you better hope that you never need a blood transfusion," he said. "Human blood is incompatible with Thanagarian blood. Unless your child has your blood type, instead of a human's, than you have no living blood donors. The same goes for organs."
"Fantastic," she grumbled as she stood up. She decided to cut to the chase. "So are you going to help me or not Bruce?"
"I'll try to help but Bruce Wayne will only be able to do so much without it becoming illegal. He's not a lawyer after all, just a rich playboy billionaire."
"I know. Thank you for helping me Bruce," she began to walk towards the staircase.
"Shayera," he called to her and she silently turned around. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you think that you were pregnant?"
Shayera expression softened as she spoke, "The first thing that clued me in was when John got me Chinese takeout a week ago. I got sick after eating eel heads."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, "That would seem normal for anyone that ate an eel head."
She lightly chuckled, "Yes perhaps for you humans it is. Thanagarians tend to show pregnancy symptoms rather early on. I wouldn't have given it a second thought if it wasn't for the fact it kept happening. I'm having a hell of a time trying to keep any food down. Even if this damn morning sickness wasn't getting to me, I've been too tired to get up to watch the sunrise. I'm never tired in the morning like that."
"I suggest you get some sleep and try to eat something," Bruce said to her. "The fatigue isn't going to go away you know."
Shayera nodded, "I know. It'll only get worse as things progress. Unfortunately I have monitor duty in about thirty minutes and I have to fly back to Metropolis."
"You're not going to get teleported?" He asked her as he placed his cowl back on. "You should be conserving your energy if you're not eating or sleeping."
"Last time I got teleported I nearly threw up all over Superman on a League mission," she lightly smirked. "So I'm somewhat stuck with flying whether I have the energy to or not."
At that Batman frowned, "You shouldn't be going on any League missions. Anything could happen to you."
"Thanagarians fight during war while pregnant. I can handle League missions with easy," she assured him as she placed her hands on her hips. "I'm not worried. I know the extent of my durability."
"You are a full Thanagarian but you need to remember that your child is half-human," he pointed out to her.
Shayera bit her lip for a moment before responding, "I know that Bruce. Look, I can't debate this with you. I have to go."
Shayera rolled her eyes as she ascended the staircase. She knew Bruce had good intentions but she still didn't need or want to be patronized. She knew what her body could and couldn't handle. Perhaps the child wouldn't be as strong or durable as a full-blooded Thanagarian but there was no way a half-Thanagarian would be as weak as a typical human. Especially not a child of hers.
Shayera sighed as she closed her eyes and shook her head. She then slowly opened her eyes as she looked forward with a light frown.
Even her own assurances still couldn't stop the little nagging voice in her mind. What if something did happen to her or even worse if something happened to John? Shayera bit her lip. She knew John would be beyond devastated if something were to happen to her; it would be even worse if he didn't know she was pregnant and she ended up gravely injured or even killed. Though Shayera was more concerned over the possibility of something happening to John than to herself. She also knew she could never raise a child, let alone a baby, on her own.
"Miss Hol," Shayera slightly jumped as Alfred put a hand on her shoulder. She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed that she had exited the Batcave and was in the manor.
"Sorry Alfred," she quietly said to him with a small smile. "I got lost in my own thoughts."
"I noticed," he curtly nodded. "I was asking if you wanted any chamomile or peppermint tea at all. I'm not sure if you are prone to heartburn but if you are than I would advise avoiding the peppermint tea. Though I wouldn't suggest ingesting caffeine on an empty stomach either Miss Hol. Morning sickness can be rather finicky that way. It typically is worse when the expecting mother has an empty stomach."
Shayera's eyes widened a bit before she slightly tilted her head, "Is this where Bruce learned his detective skills from?"
Alfred lightly chuckled, "Not at all Miss Hol, I never was or will be a detective of any sort. I must apologize in advance but I overheard your conversation with Master Wayne."
Shayera lightly shook her head, "It's ok Alfred. You don't need to apologize."
"I must say Master Wayne was rather drab in his felicitations so I shall be the first to formally and properly congratulate you Miss Hol," Alfred said with a small smile as he bowed his head to her.
Shayera softly smiled at him, "Thank you Alfred. You're too kind and good to me whenever I'm here. You're even too good for Bruce."
"I can assure you that I remind him of that daily," he quipped with a smirk. "Master Wayne tends to need a humility check from time to time."
"I'm sure you do a fantastic job at it too," she chuckled. "I would take your offer on the tea but I don't think I'd be able to hold it down honestly. I haven't been able to keep anything down the past two days."
"Madame Wayne had a rather bad case of morning sickness as well when she was pregnant with Master Wayne. Chamomile tea with a plain bagel tended to help her the majority of the time."
Shayera lightly nodded, "I'll keep that in mind Alfred. I'm sorry I can't stay longer but I have to get back to Metropolis. I'm already running late."
"I best not keep you then," Alfred nodded to her. "Safe travels Miss Hol and do remember to take care of yourself."
"I will don't worry. Thanks for your advice Alfred."