ZEDD - ONE MONTH LATER

Finally, we are completely unpacked and furniture moved into place. At least until Thomas decides he doesn't like it - again. Dar wipes the sweat off his forehead. "Done now, Zedd?"

I nod tiredly. "As far as I know." This was a lot more work than when Thomas moved into the palace with me, particularly since he's unable to carry much. Of course, the belongings of nine people plus odds and ends of furniture - it was a logistical nightmare, requiring every ship we own.

Dar and I head downstairs to the kitchen, both of us in dire need of a drink. Before we get there, however, the doorbell rings. Frowning, I wave Dar on as I change direction. A glance at my cuff explains why I wasn't notified - somehow, I've managed to turn the damn thing off. I turn it back on and open the door.

Mother and Father are on the step, but not for long. Mother gives me a quick hug and goes off in search of either the children or Thomas, I'm sure. I sigh. For all her support in the beginning, I've certainly become second class where she's concerned. Father speaks. "She's doing as I asked her to, Zeddic. I wanted to talk to you." I don't like the feel of this. "I heard that you were attacked on Earth."

Deciding to bypass the question of how he found out, I nod. "Yes, we were. Right after the ceremony."

"I know that your greatest concern right now will be keeping Tommy and the children safe. While you are more than capable of doing that when present, have you given any thought to if you have to leave for business? Particularly if you have to take Goldar and Scorpina with you?"

"Of course I have, Father! However, unless there's some kind of an emergency, I have nothing going - nor will I - that would require all of us to leave. Not even just Dar and I. And even though we're here where Thomas can get medical attention should he need it, he still prefers Pina to attend to him while he's carrying the younglings."

"And what's your plan if you do have to leave?"

Firmly, I answer. "I'm not leaving."

"Zeddic."

I exhale heavily. "I haven't decided yet. Thomas doesn't know all that many people here yet as we've never really stayed long enough."

Father nods, as if expecting this answer. "Your mother has voiced this concern several times in the last month. So, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to offer a few suggestions." I nod for him to continue. One, your mother and I could help watch out for and protect your family, either here or at our estate. Two, I have a few guards that have been with me many centuries that I trust implicity that I would be more than happy to loan to you if needed."

I consider his words. "Of course, I'll have to discuss it with Thomas."

"You definitely want to do that" he agrees. "Is there anything we might need to know?"

I fill him in on Thomas throwing the ball of dark power. "According to Pina, her best guess - after a lot of tests, scans and consultations - is that he was stressed enough to draw on the children's connection to me and my power. He's not been able to repeat it, but we all agreed that it would not be good for him or them to stress him to that point again."

We turn and head for the kitchen as Father comments, "Understandable. You know, Zeddic, if you needed help moving in, you could have called."

"Frankly, Father, that didn't seem like a good idea, given Thomas' mood swings lately. They're worse than when he was carrying Jacob. Not to mention that he's not thrilled with the idea of not being able to give birth at the palace like we did with the other children."

"Well, this is a rather unusual situation. I'm certain that he's very disappointed."

"You have no idea. Honestly, it's reduced him to tears more than once."

"Well as much as I hate to say it tears might at least be somewhat easier to handle than-"

"Zedd!"

"-that."

Cringing as my mate practically shakes the estate with his bellow of rage, I send a brief prayer to the powers that be that this isn't about the furniture.

Before either my father or myself can go find out what has set him off this time, Thomas beats us to it practically chasing Gina down while Mother tries to slow him.

"Problems, love?"

"Tell her to give it back now or else she's fired!"

Looking to Gina who has moved to the safety of my side, she fixes Thomas with a hard look that I know is more than likely going to get me in far more trouble than her when all is said and done. "What happened now?"

"The same thing that happened the last two times he threatened to fire me and then ended up sick as hell because you caved to his demands." Handing me the container of raw cookie dough, she pointedly ignores Thomas' growls of rage. "And unless you want him vomiting for the majority of the evening again I strongly advise you to man up and not give in this time."

"Hand it over, Zedd." Holding out his hand, he looks at me expectantly.

Arms crossed, Gina turns her gaze on me as well. "He's going to be in agony all night again if you do."

"Thomas, love, you know you can't eat this" I practically plead, seeing his fury mounting. "You were so sick the last time, we both spent the night on the floor of the bathroom."

"Damn it Zedd I can hardly stand to eat anything with any sort of taste to it lately and you're trying to keep me from having the one thing I can get down!"

"But you can't keep it down. Never mind even Scorpina has told you it's not good for you. Thomas, you know I will normally cave to whatever you want, especially while you're carrying, but this time I just can't as I can't stand the thought of seeing you suffer all night again and know it's my fault for disregarding your health."

"You're not disregarding my health!"

"Thomas it's just a few more months before the children are born. After that you can eat whatever you please and without the nausea and sickness that you get from it now. Love I will get you anything else you want or take you anywhere you want to eat."

"Forget it!"

Watching him slam his way back into the kitchen, the word 'traitor' definitely heard through his self-ranting, I heave a miserable sigh.

"I'm sure he won't stay mad for long, Zeddic."

"I know he won't, he'll probably be crying before he finishes his rant." Hating being the reason for his tears as much as I hate being the one to get caught up in his rage, I know in fairness it's neither of our faults, however I still can't help feeling to blame. Still in need of a drink and having to deal with my mate, I head for the kitchen with a sigh, Father right behind me. I pause outside the door at the conversation inside.

"Well then, why not just bake them then?" Mother asks reasonably.

"It doesn't taste the same" Thomas protests. "Besides, I should have been over this stupid morning sickness by now."

Gina sighs. "Tommy, we already talked about this. Sometimes it does last this long."

Mother suggests, "Well, have you tried substituting some ingredients to see what is actually causing the problem?"

Dead silence falls in the kitchen. Finally, Thomas says petulantly, "It won't taste the same."

I hadn't realized that Dar was still in the kitchen until he says, "Actually, brat, it might make it taste better as well as staying down. If we substitute some Eltarian things or even use an Eltarian recipe, that might help, too."

"When I was carrying Jax, I preferred sweet foods also. We have something similar to your ice cream that I wanted to eat by the tubful. The volume plus that much sweet often gave me a stomachache, but it was all I wanted. It helped a lot when I reduced the amount of what I'm eating as well as had a few other things too."

"Well, I'm still hungry now." The complaint falls just short of being a whine.

Dar sighs. "Gina, make him some scrambled eggs to hold him. I'll see about making him some damn dough."

I shake my head and move into the room. Thomas is sitting at the counter looking forlorn, with Mother next to him rubbing his back. "What's the matter, son?" she asks gently.

He sniffles slightly. "I'm so tired of everything. I'm tired of being pregnant. I'm tired of being so damn irritable. I keep taking it out on Gina and Zedd and it's not right, but I can't seem to stop myself."

Gina waves this off. "In spite of all your threats, Tommy, I know that you and Zedd won't actually fire me for looking out for you. You're just venting and you're taking it out on people that can handle it. It's not that big a deal. If you were taking it out on the children, it would be a different story, but you aren't."

Dar's pawing through a cookbook, obviously looking for something specific. Absently, he agrees. "She's right. You've never allowed yourself to attack the kids when you're upset. You always manage to redirect your anger to the adults and they understand. At least you still haven't started throwing appliances like Zedd did. That got expensive fast."

I grab a drink out of the fridge and hand one to my father as well. "And you haven't suggested that I'm going to go out and mate with others this time either."

Mother and Father look shocked as he shrugs. "I was really insecure about how I looked at the time, Zedd. Just like you were toward the end with Mara Jane. Not to mention that I thought that, since you'd taken to being on Earth so well, you'd decided that there was plenty of opportunity to have others and I wouldn't find out about it."

I pause, drink half way to my mouth. "Wait a minute. You didn't think that until Kira, Pina and Dar told you that they were taking you back to the palace to be spoiled before the baby was born."

He immediately turns a fierce red. "Actually, I'd had the thought for a while, Zedd. Remember, when it happened, I gave you several examples of women that had been hitting on you. I'd already been worried about one of them turning your head. I was fat-"

"Pregnant."

"Irritable."

"Uncomfortable."

"Cranky."

"Frustrated."

He sighs. "Put whatever spin you want on it, Zedd, I was a total bitch and you know it."

I shrug. "I still think I was worse, love. Attempted physical assault is worse than a basic misunderstanding."

Gina sets a plate of plain scrambled eggs in front of Thomas and he pulls a face. "Wish I could keep down one of Dar's omelettes" he says wistfully as he picks up his fork.

"Once you have the kids or your stomach stays stable for one whole week, I'll make you whatever kind of omelette you want, Tommy. Just let me know in time to get any ingredients that I'm missing."

As my mate settles down to eat, I mouth a thanks to my friend. Mother resumes her questions. "So what exactly is in this dough you want to eat so badly?"

Gina speaks up, allowing Thomas to continue eating. "Flour, sugar, butter, eggs and chocolate chips, mainly. He is right, in that the taste and texture are different when baked, but it's still the same things."

"And another one won't do?"

Thomas shrugs. "Haven't tried. That's the kind I want."

Gina already has the oven on and pans out when she retrieves the container of dough from the fridge. He watches her like a hawk as he continues eating. The female efficiently portions out the dough on pans and shoves them in the oven before my mate finishes his plate of food. She turns to my parents, a tiny bit of the dough on two spoons. "Would you like to try it?"

To my surprise, they both accept and Thomas watches jealously as they taste the offerings. Mother looks slightly revolted, while Father, much to my surprise, does not.

"This tastes good to you?" Mother questions, quickly taking a swallow of her coffee.

"It's not bad" Father says calmly. "I understand the attraction - especially if he's not able to tolerate many flavorful things lately."

"Thank you, Kerch! Finally someone gets it!" Thomas exclaims.

"I said that I understood it, not that I agree with you consuming large quantities of something that makes you ill" Father corrects. "After all, I can't imagine that kind of upheaval is good for the babies."

"Neither is getting no nutrition at all" he snarks back.

Father comes around the counter and looks Thomas right in the eye, speaking firmly to him in tones I haven't heard since I was a child myself. "Tommy, you know as well as the rest of us that what's good for you isn't always fun or tasty. If you were only having a little bit here and there and it wasn't making you terribly sick, I would absolutely back you up. But that's not the case and you know it. You, son, are taking advantage of your mate's desire to cater to your whims while you're pregnant. It's not good for you, it's not good for him, it's not good for your relationship and it's not good for the younglings. You're smarter than this. Stop acting like a spoiled child."

Mother hides her smile behind her coffee cup, even as Dar bends further into his cookbook and Gina spins to check the cookies to hide theirs. Knowing that Father is right, but still needing to defend my mate, I start, "Father-"

Thomas' quietly spoken words stop me. "No, Zedd. He's right. I have been acting very poorly. Gina, I'm sorry. Zedd, kalleimat, I am very sorry. I'm going to go lay down for a while."

He leaves the room, his plate thankfully empty. Once he's out of hearing range, I level a look on my father. "Was that really necessary?"

Father returns the look. "You have spoiled him so much that he's forgotten himself. Pregnant or not, this is not the man you married, Zeddic."

"It's temporary" I protest weakly. "Once the children are born, he'll go back to himself."

"He's much further gone this time than he was when he carried Jacob" Dar comments. "Maybe you should have Pina look him over later and make sure that everything's okay."

"He's probably due for another check anyway" I agree.