A/N: Yes, I'm back! Shock! Blame the Star Wars fandom for my lack of updates, but don't hurt them, I need them still! Thankyou to everyone who kept reviewing, you helped me to get back into writing TP stuff again. :hugs: Thanks for all the positive feedback too!

Oh, and just a note, THIS NOT A KN STORY. Sorry if you were hanging out for one, but I simply don't believe in that ship.

Disclaimer: If I was Tamora Pierce, you would be paying me a lot of money, as you're not, I think that clears that matter up.

A Father's Pain

Part 2: Prologue – 7th February, 463 HE

Something was going to happen soon, you could almost feel the edginess hanging in the air along with the late snows. Piers shifted, trying to shake off the uneasiness he was feeling.

A hand suddenly appearing on his shoulder made him start slightly. Turning around, he saw his wife smirk slightly.

"It's not often I can sneak up on you," she informed him.

He shighed. "I- I'm just... worried."

"About Kel?"

Piers nodded hesitantly.

"So am I," this time it was Ilane's turn to sigh. "The pregnancy has been so hard on her, and the healer hasn't told her this yet, but she thinks that-" Ilane opened her mouth to finish the sentence, but the words stuck in her throat. "That there's a chance... that she won't survive." She stumbled over the last words, tears leaking from her blue-green eyes.

"What!" Piers eyes widened in horror. "When do you find out about this?"

"I was just talking to the healer now, that's why I came to find you," she answered softly.

Wordlessly, Piers took his wife in his arms, and both of them prayed desperately that their daughter be all right.


Kel wasn't happy. In fact, she now was reviewing every Yamani, Scanran and Common curse she knew and was applying them to the man who had put her in this position. Wasn't easing the pain though. When she'd felt slight cramps in her abdomen, she hadn't thought anything of it, after all, she wasn't due for another six weeks or so yet.

Then those cramps had begun to intensify, and come at regular intervals. She'd then finally admitted she was in labour and found the healer.

That had beeneight hours ago now, and the pain had officially gone off the scale.

Another contraction rippled through her body, and she growled a Yamani curse under her breath as her mother held her hand. Well, no, that's not strictly true. Rather, Ilane was having her right hand pulverised by the death grip her daughter had it in.

"I can't believe you went through this so many times, Mama," Kel panted as the contraction waned.

"Once you see your children, you'll understand why I did," Ilane told her, wiping her forehead down. "And if I didn't, I wouldn't of had you."

"Lady Keladry," the healer, a middle-aged woman by the name of Evanlyn, interrupted. "The first babe's ready to come out, ye need to get ready to push." Kel grimaced.

Another fifteen minutes of intense pain beyond anything Kel had ever imagined, and her first daughter was born. No sooner had Evanlyn's assistant whisked the child away to be bathed, then the remaining baby let it be known that she wanted to join her sister.

But this wasn't going to go as easily. Evanlyn saw it immediately, the child still hadn't turned the right way around. And if it couldn't be turned... the healer's hands shook. She was strong with her gift, she wouldn't be able to save Lady Kel if that child didn't turn.

She tried to turn the babe, but nothing worked.

So another 7 minutes after the birth of Kel's elder twin, the younger twin joined her sister. And they were about to lose their mother.

Ilane's skin was now as white as her hair. What Evanlyn had been so worried about had indeed happened. She was about to lose her daughter, just when said daughter should be learning to joys of motherhood.

Kel's eyes fluttered open as her father snuck in behind the healer and her helper, each of whom were carrying an infant girl.

Evanlyn offered Kel the elder of the twins first, while the younger was handed to Ilane.

Kel looked at the girl she held in her arms, then at the one nestled in Ilane's expert grip. They both had small wisps of dark brown hair covering their heads, and Kel could see that the elder of her daughter at least, had eyes that were in between that of her grandmother's green-blue gaze and her father's blue, and her own nose.

Ilane then let Kel hold the younger girl, while she and Piers took the eldest. This one looked more like the girl father than her sister, expect for the eyes, that looked more like Kel's dreamy hazel ones.

It's not fair that I can't see them grow.

"They're beautiful, Kel," Piers said, breaking the silence. "Have you decided on any names?"

She nodded weakly. "Kiana and Elesia," she said quietly, gesturing to the eldest and youngest girl respectively. Evanlyn then took over, trying to bolster Kel's failing health.

"Mama, Papa," Kel started, ignoring the healer's efforts, realising that she was dying anyway. "Please take care of them for me. Promise."

Tears were now falling freely from both parents.

"Of course we will," Piers told her in a thick voice.

"Thank you, I love you both," she replied softly. "And you two as well," she said to the twins in an even softer voice. Then she stopped breathing.

In that moment, two infants cried for a loss neither of them understood.

A/N: Replies from the prologue:

Scottish Wish: Thanks! I'm not going to spill entirely, but let just say I like Yuki, so I won't make her that mad... And I'm no K/N'er.

FanFictionFantom: Thanks for reading! But please read the note at the start of the chapter, I don't write K/N.

Ossini: :looks sly: Wait and see!

Darth Tater: LOL! I know, It's rather obvious... subtlety isn't always my strong point. And besides, the mere thought of KJ generally drives me even crazier than KN. Thanks for reading!

CherishGrace: Thankyou! Yes, I know I should continue it, and I never meant to leave this fic behind, but the Star Wars fandom distracted me. :hangs head in shame: I won't abandon it again.

Menelien: Thanks! On Kel's parents, I figured that while yes, they are very laid back, the society they lived in was not. That and it's Piers who's more worked up, which can be put down to parental overprotective-ness over a daughter, especially when it's the youngest daughter, when it comes to guys.

KatYoukai: Still reviewing my stuff? Let it be said I love loyalty. :grins: Thanks! Suspence is fun to write... although some of the larger bits are relatively obvious. Oh well, I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve for this... :cackles: Sorry about the long hiatus.

Stabler.Dinozzo.Fan: ... Not Telling! That would be spoiling it.

Lady Pirate Nancy Kington: Thanks! No, not Neal. Much as I love him, I don't like him with Kel.

Queen Tigress: You'll find out soon...

Poppy Ewan: :blushes: Complying... over eight months later... sorry.

Faithful Haven: Thankyou!

zblueice137: Thankyou, I hope it lives up to expectations!

sum random: Very true. Congratulations on helping to kick this procrastinating author back into TP writing. :grins:

gatermage: Yes, some things are pretty obvious, but not everything will be quite so obvious... and all I'll say is that the father is NOT Neal. :evil cackle:

Think you know who the father is now? I'll reveal who it is in the next chapter anyway though. Review people! I love them!

Misha