The next night when the clan awoke, Broadway went down to fix the clan's breakfast first. Goliath was going to assign patrols but later on after breakfast. Elisa stopped by to see how Brooklyn was first thing.
"How are you doing?" Elisa asked.
"Well, my arm's better if that's what you mean?" Brook replied as he took the bandage off his arm.
"We found out that Brooklyn was pregnant last night, Elisa." Angela said.
"I know, Angela. It's exciting, right?" the woman stated.
"You knew and didn't tell him or us, Lass?" Hudson asked.
"I found out only the night before. When Brooklyn had gone to Dr. Sato for answers as to why he was gaining weight and illness symptoms." Elisa explained. "Dr. Sato called and told me about it."
"How did he find out?" Lex asked.
"When I told him my symptoms and what Ray had done to me, Sato wanted to do an ultrasound on me." Brooklyn explained. "Yeah, he didn't expect to find me carrying a live baby, but when I said I felt something moving inside my stomach, he wanted to take a look. I tried to tell you before patrol last night, but Goliath overrode me."
"I'm sorry, Brooklyn. Starting tonight, you are not patrolling with us." Goliath declared.
"I know and understand." Brooklyn replied.
"So, how is the little one tonight?" Elisa asked. She was ever curious.
Brooklyn felt a little movement inside his belly and rubbed it. "Well, it seems to be up and ready to go too." He smiled. "Probably hungry, like I'm getting."
"It's so hard to believe you're going to be a father soon like this." Angela declared.
"I still felt uneasy about knowing about it. Yeah, Angela, I agree with you. This child is going to change all our lives." Brooklyn said.
"But it's bringing new life to the clan." Lex pointed out. "Our own baby to take care of."
Brooklyn's grin faded for a moment. Was he referring to having the baby raised like how they were? Well, there were enough young gargoyles here that the child could be raised communally. All the adults would be its parents. But Brooklyn also wanted his baby to know that he was its biological father/parent. The child probably would know in time anyway, considering it will have his beak and horns, his looks mainly. Skin color was still a guess right now. He had no clue who the mother was.
Melina had been the only woman he had seen among the humans who had kidnapped him. He hoped the baby wasn't part human but there would have been no other way that he knew of that he had fathered his child.
Ray had done something spectacular to make this pregnancy happen. Brooklyn was both mother and father to the little one that he didn't know about.
Broadway summoned them for breakfast soon after and they went to it. Elisa too. She had a little time to kill. Goliath was glad to have her there.
At breakfast, the Xanatos' were there too. Fox was looking at Brooklyn from across the table. She was trying to get a look at him to see for herself if he looked like he was carrying a child. It was a little far to see at the moment. She would talk to him later.
Brooklyn just enjoyed having his clan around him to help him celebrate having the new baby on the way. His life had been so lonely for so long, then his kidnapping happened, making him lonely all the more being away from them, and his long journey home. He had had pregnancy symptoms while traveling and not known what was going on. For a month since being home, he had been sad all the more for what happened to Elaine. He wouldn't forget her but now he had something more positive to focus on. This baby would be his life until he ever found a mate.
He was at the stage where telling the sex would be easier too. Brook needed to start thinking of a name for it too. He could wait and be surprised, but how often could gargoyles ever find out what they were having before the birth? Never before. He thought of finding out before the birth so the baby wouldn't continue to be called an 'it.' That's what happened with all other babies while being carried by their mothers until their births.
After breakfast, Goliath set about assigning patrol duties. It was better to get it done while there was still plenty of night left.
Broadway and Lex were together. Goliath and Angela were together. Hudson and Bronx were staying behind with Brooklyn. Goliath also determined that someone needed to be here with Brooklyn at all times. He wasn't to fight anymore unless he absolutely had to.
This made the red Second feel like an invalid. He was pregnant, not disabled. It would still be a while before he couldn't do much more. He was only five months along. If he was carrying an egg, then he would be much larger at this point, but he wouldn't be having an egg and the live baby had to be carried for more months than typical gargoyle pregnancy.
Hudson and Bronx headed to the tv room after the others departed. Elisa had to leave to work too. Goliath and Angela would accompany her.
Brooklyn was still stumped about what to do with his time. "Well, it's just you and me, little one." He told the baby. He just decided to go read some more to pass the time.
He was headed to his room to grab a pregnancy book and maybe go to the library to read. He wanted a homey atmosphere for himself this night. On the way there though, he ran into Fox.
"Hello, Brooklyn." Fox greeted.
"Oh, hi Fox. What's up?" Brook replied.
"I couldn't help but know of your condition. I just wanted to see for myself about it if I can?" she explained.
"What about it?"
"I just want to take a look at your belly. Nothing invasive." Fox said.
Brooklyn looked at her strangely. "I am seriously pregnant, Fox. Don't ask me how cause I don't know how. Just that my kidnapper found a way to do it," he declared.
"I understand. Scientists can do all sorts of things when they put their minds to it, though impregnating a male was totally unheard of. Breeding males but with a female was the only thing to be concerned about before." Fox explained.
"I get that. But it was forced on me. I didn't volunteer for this. But now that I know what's going on, I won't depart with it for anything." Brooklyn retorted.
"I see." Fox said and she could indeed see the rounding of the red male's stomach. He had always been so skinny to her eyes. With this condition, she knew all too well that he was only going to get bigger in the belly. At least he would have a real reason for gaining weight. He would need to gain weight accordingly in the coming months as the child grew. "Listen, Brooklyn, I know you'll have questions and feelings in the coming months about the pregnancy. You can feel free to come to me with anything regarding it since I've been pregnant myself."
"Thanks, Fox." Brooklyn replied. "Right now I'm just going to go educate myself on pregnancy."
Fox smiled. "That's good to know. Parents-to-be need to do that more often. Are you going to find out the sex?"
"I don't know yet. Still thinking about it."
"Well, no gargoyle likely ever knew the gender of their baby before they were born." Fox stated.
"The females lay eggs, Fox. And a ten-year incubation. So, no. None of our kind ever knows until Hatching Day. But I might." Brook replied to her.
Brooklyn then went to his room to get a pregnancy book and went to the library to read some more. There was so much he was interested in. He was glad that Fox had said he was welcome to come to her though.
The more that Brooklyn read the more that he was intrigued by it all, but eventually, he began to get sleepy too. Just the pregnancy taking a toll on him again. He soon fell asleep. He was lying on his side.
The clan soon came back from patrol and awoke him for lunch. Brooklyn had no idea of what could happen in the future. But he would make sure to protect his child with everything he had.
After lunch, the young gargoyles wanted to watch a movie together and Brooklyn was invited for it. He liked the attention. Hudson watched too, but Goliath had gone to the library to read.
The movie they were watching was Peter Rabbit. It was a cute movie. Then there was Bambi and Hercules too. When it came to Hercules, Brooklyn couldn't help but start crying when the baby was stolen from his parents.
Brooklyn was sitting on the couch just above Lex. Lex felt the teardrop on his head. He felt his head and it was the tear. He looked up and his red brother was crying. "Brooklyn, what's wrong?" Lex asked.
Brook looked down at him. It made the others glance at him too. He sniffled, "Oh, just when the baby was taken from his parents and how the parents felt." He explained.
"Yeah, it was sad, but he's in good hands now with the adoptive parents." Angela stated.
"I know. I don't know what's wrong with me." Brooklyn sobbed.
"I bet I know. It is hormones, Lad. The pregnant females were often emotional during pregnancy." Hudson explained. "You're not female, Lad, but you being this way makes you act like one of them."
His brothers couldn't help but smirk a bit.
"Don't go teasing your brother, you hear now, lads?" Hudson declared. "The lad has been through so much."
"Yeah, we know. But to think that he's part girl right now does seem a little funny." Broadway smirked. Then he got a smack on his chest. "Hey! Angela." He was shocked she did that.
"Don't make fun of him in his condition." Angela scolded him.
That made Brooklyn smile. For once, Angela was standing up for him. He couldn't help it that he felt like this right now.
They continued to watch the movie and laugh at some of the actions in it. Brooklyn still wished Angela felt the same for him. It would happen someday when he found the right girl. He stroked his belly so he didn't feel alone.