"I am not going to stuff the turkey again!" Megan pitifully whines as she stares at the large, lumpy, dead fowl that was placed before her as she sat at the bar. Altair rolls his eyes as he sits beside her, eating a chip while he shelled eggs for devilled eggs. On the stove was potatoes boiling, pasta, tea, and giblet gravy. Desmond grins at her and sets the stuffing beside the bird. Megan pouts. "If I throw up, it is going to be your fault." She mumbles under her breathe as she grabs a handful of stuffing and shivers before sticking it inside.
She turns green.
Altair almost doesn't make it out of the way of her as she covers her mouth with her clean hand and quickly walks over to the half-bath that was downstairs. She was starting to get sick with some of the easiest things. Just the smell of anything garlicky had her grabbing the nearest trash bin or fleeing to the nearest bathroom. While she was still on bed rest, she did get up a little which the doctors had assured was alright as long as she didn't do anything more than walking to the bathroom or getting a drink if she was downstairs already. Alex would try to carry her but most of the time she would walk herself down the stairs. Some days she would be tired and stay up in their room, waited on and made comfortable.
"Maybe she should go back to bed?" Ezio says as she retches, looking at Desmond. He sighs and turns the turkey around and finishes the job she had only started. He couldn't blame her for it, just something that seemed to go along with pregnancy. When she gets out of the bathroom, wiping off the water on her face, she turns to the bar and sees Desmond stuffing the bird for her. She gives him a sheepish smile to which he rolls his eyes at.
"Go sit on the couch, you've been on your feet to much already. Alex will kill us if he knew just how much walking around you've done since he left."
Megan groans. "He's being a fussy butt. It was nice at first but now it's annoying." She moans as she walks over to the couch and eases into the corner of it. She turns to face them and puts her feet up, grabbing a pillow that she had taken down with her under her knees. She rests her hands on her stomach that looked like she had swallowed a small beach ball. It was the oddest thing to see, her tiny frame coupled with her stuck out stomach. She had gained the normal amount of weight that one was supposed to but instead of it being dispersed evenly, it seemed to have just settled on her stomach.
"I wouldn't let him hear you saying that." Altair comments turning in his seat to look at her. She sticks her tongue out at him before scooting down and laying her head back on the arm.
"How can I be so tired?" She questions quietly, rubbing her stomach on the right side just under her ribs. It wasn't that it itched but that it seemed to be the favorite spot the unborn child liked to kick, especially at night. More than once she would be forced to stay awake from the child who didn't seem to understand that nighttime was for sleeping not trying to kick his/her way out. Alex on the other hand was able to sleep the night through, lucky bastard…
"Probably because you're creating life." Desmond responded and she snorts in agreement then eyes the bowl of chips.
"You don't need them." Altair says to her, one brow raised.
"Yeah, tell that to my body." Megan retorts as she continues to eye the chips. Last time she had even tried to each the sour cream and onion chips didn't turn out so well. She still liked the things though and would try and sneak them if she could get Leo to get them for her. Desmond chuckles and sews up the bird.
"Let's hope that you can eat any of the food tomorrow." Ezio jokes and Megan's eyes widen.
"Oh my god…"
As soon as Alex enters the house, he felt comfortable. Something was going on, he could feel it. Any time he left the hairs on the back of his neck would rise and stay that way. He didn't know if any of the other men could feel it but damn was it annoying. It had been that way ever since they had found out about the pregnancy. And Megan was getting annoyed with the by-weekly doctor's visits and the not being able to write because of not being comfortable was getting to her. Sometimes he would allow her to tell him what she wanted written but eventually her words would get strung together and he could no longer figure out where paragraphs were and when characters were talking. And the most worrisome to him was the insomnia. He knew it had something to do with the child but she wouldn't say anything, just smile and lay in bed and try to rest.
But he knew he could do nothing to help her other than try to keep her comfortable. He was finding that she was using the body pillow to be comfortable and relaxed than what she used to, and if he was true to himself knew that it annoyed him greatly. They were also converting the study into a room for Connor to take and the vacated room into a nursery. It was a slow process because Megan had so many different things that were in the study she needed and quickly their room was filling up with books and boxes. They were stacked against a wall, out of the way but were still there and noticeable.
As he comes into the living room he spots the woman in question sitting on the couch with a glass of sweet tea and a plate of baby carrots and ranch. She waves at him happily and the withheld breathe he wasn't thinking he was holding rushes out. She was safe and comfortable.
"I couldn't stuff the turkey so Desmond had to." She giggles shooting the man a look. The young Assassin rolls his eyes as he grabs the pot of boiled eggs to drain in the sink. "He also wouldn't give me chips."
Alex smiles and moves her feet so he could sit, replacing them in his lap. Behind him walks in the rest of the crew, loaded down with groceries to last them for some time if they were lucky. Even Megan had been eating more than her birds share of food, but he knew that it was because she had to.
"Well that isn't fair." He retorted with a smile and she sticks her tongue out at him playfully. He reaches over and ruffles her hair before stealing one of her carrots, popping it into his mouth. She fakes affronted and lightly socks his arm before returning to crunching on her carrots with vigor.
"How often was she on her feet?" Malik questions quietly as he sets down the few bags he carried and Altair snorts.
"Too often." Was the answer he received from the other Arabian and Malik hmm's. Connor puts down the bags he had and pulls out some toys that Megan instantly recognized.
"YOU GOT LIGHTSABERS!?" She sits up quickly, an excited look on her face. The men all give her a surprised look.
"You know what they are?" Shaun questions her, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Duh. And you need contacts." She comments with glee before adding the afterthought. She sets the empty plate down on the floor, motioning for the Native to give her the now opened toy. He does so with a sigh and roll of his eyes, smoothly walking around the side of the bar to do so. She eyes the purple at the top and, with a flick of her wrist, makes the plastic pop out while pressing the sound button at the same time. She gives a squeal of glee then taps Connor on the hip who jumps in surprise at the move. "Oh how I wish I could run around and have a lightsaber battle." She giggles swinging the toy around and making noises.
"You really know what they are." Desmond says as he pulls out a red one and rips the plastic off it. He walks over to the girl and initiates a play fight since she wasn't able to get up. She whaps him on his hand and he returns the favor by tapping her on the head.
"Course I do. I've seen all of the movies. Fave is R2D2, he's such a snarky little robot." She snorts as he 'pretends' to hit Alex's arm with force from her deflection.
"You're not to bad with one of those." Ezio comments and then he continues to look through the bags, pulling out a green one.
"Oh, you got a Yoda one?!" She stops the fight to stare happily at the toy.
"Ya know what; I think we found something that placates her." Leo comments with a small smile at the sheer joy that was on the girls face. He receives various forms of agreement and then laughter erupts when Desmond tries to sneak in another hit at Alex but the man takes the girls sword and forces it to collapse against Desmond's chest, knocking the wind out of him. He sits down on the floor hard as Megan begins to snort she was laughing so hard.
"Shut up Chewbacca." He winces as he rubs the spot, a glower directed at Alex who sat smugly with the toy resting on his shoulder.
"You're Chewey, I'm Leia." She snorts at him.
"Well who the hell is he?!" Desmond questions in a raised voice, pointing at Alex. Megan smirks.
"Han Solo." Desmond flops down on the ground with a groan.
"You just nerded all over him, you know that right?" Alex says with a short laugh and Megan rolls her eyes in his direction.
"Alex, what are you doing?" The question makes the man freeze, his hands stopping what they were doing. Megan turns to him with a sour and worn out look.
"Uh… Nothing." Megan raises an eyebrow at the answer before a grin spreads over her face slowly and she pulls the man down for a kiss.
"The gesture is sweet but not tonight. He's to active." She sighs out, playing with the hair at the base of his head. He nods and gives her a kiss on her forehead. "Two months is going to take forever." She quietly moans out as she turns and cuddles against the man.
Alex chuckles and pulls her closer, quietly feeling the same. He couldn't wait, the excitement was near suffocating. He takes a deep breathe, feeling the baby kicking against his ribs, and quietly thanks whatever deity that thought of bringing them all to this world and for Desmond having to stay up and deal with the damn turkey.
"She's not going to be able to handle much more of sitting around." Ezio comments as he swigs his beer.
"She was also eyeing the beers you got." Altair says with a chuckle taking a deep drink of his own beer. The group as a whole had sworn off hard liquors deciding that they were the root of all evil in the house, not to mention they often ended up with someone having their face drawn on.
"She misses drinking with us." Malik chuckles out as he finishes his beer, sets it to the side, and grabs his next one that was already opened for him.
"Yes, but for the growing child to be safe she cannot drink." Connor says taking a drink of water. He had sworn of all alcohol; mainly because he just wasn't a strong drinker. A few beers and he was gone, waking the next morning with a splitting headache and random women's numbers stuffed in different areas of his clothing. Shaun throws a wadded up dishrag at his head that hits with a wet 'plop'.
"We know that and she does as well. She knows that she doesn't have just herself to look after anymore." The Brit remarks, catching the rag when the Native throws it back at him.
"Can you imagine what that kid is going to think is right growing up with all of us loonies around." Desmond chuckles, bottle to his lips then takes a drink. The rest of the men give chuckled agreements.
"But the child will be able to defend itself very well atleast." Leo comments and the rest of the men spit out their drinks to the sides of themselves, coughing and hacking the remainder still caught in their lungs. They forgot about that.
"This is one screwed up family we have now." Desmond laughs out once he was able to breath.
"But it's a family." Altair comments quietly to Malik and they share a small, content smile. While the order was a brotherhood, this was a family. A crazy, completely insane one but a family none the less and it was more than the two of them could have ever imagined one to have been. The girl was the binding glue that seemed to have been missing. She was something to all of them and they were the same to her.
"Food…" Megan says practically drooling at the sight before her. The Assassins look dead on their feet but happy anyways, but she had a feeling that was more to do with the fact they had taken her large TV downstairs and were looking for Star Wars to watch. Desmond kept snorting as he read descriptions to movies he was looking at, waiting for them to sit back down. She turns to him and gives a slightly goofy grin. "You need to find Space Balls and History of the World, Part 1." Desmond gives her another surprised look as he pauses in his search.
"You are such a nerd."
"Yeah, and?"
"Come on, get your food and then you can have a nerd fight when you're sitting on the couch." Alex says with a roll of his eyes. Megan sighs and starts scooping small amounts of everything on her plate, steering clear of the things she knew would make her get sick (a longing look given to the deviled eggs). Once that was done she makes the short walk to the couch and takes her usual spot, tucking herself into the corner of the piece of furniture. Alex sits beside her, allowing her to stretch out and put her feet in his lap, and watches as she balances her plate on her stomach. She takes small bites of everything, waiting to see if her stomach would revolt or not, and Desmond begins Empire Strikes Back.
"Why are we starting with the fourth movie? Aren't we supposed to start with the first one?" Questions Leo.
"No, you start with the fourth one because it was the first one to come out." Desmond answers, stopping his shoveling of food to speak. Megan thumps the back of his head and he turns around to do "sea food".
Megan turns green and steps on the goofball on her way to the bathroom. Desmond, wincing from her stepping on his hand, is then pelted with pillows from the rest of them. Alex bonks him on the head with Megan's lightsaber and she exits the bathroom, once more wiping water off her face from cleaning it. She turns a glare on Desmond. "I hate you."
"Sorry, OW!" Desmond turns around and glowers at Alex. "Will you quit?"
Whap! "Nope."
Desmond rubs his head and moves away, trading spots with Malik who waits for the girl to return to her seat. Once everyone was settle Megan is handed the remote to press play and keep a hold of. They laughed and ogled and explained the movies, all the while enjoying themselves. Megan made so many trips to the bathroom to relieve herself that Malik just ended up moving away from the spot he was given so she would have an unobstructed route to the lavatory.
Once the Star Wars films were done they started up Space Balls. And then none of them could focus because of how much they were laughing, many drinks made their way out of noses to cursing and laughter. Even Alex shot beer out of his nose at the appearance of Yogurt and Megan saying the same lines. Once the movie was over Desmond grabs the remote from the girl, looking for a different movie altogether. What he settles on surprises Megan.
"Starship Troopers?"
"Yeah, it's awesome. It has giant bugs-"
"I know what it is just haven't seen it in forever. One of my favorites actually." Megan says with a thoughtful look before grinning at him. "Play it."
"Oh man I forgot how good this movie was." Megan grins at the television, wrapping the blanket around her tighter. It was already late and they had kept eating at various points during all of the movies causing the food that was laid out to whittle down to the bare minimum of anything or be empty. 'Wish we had some deserts or something. I'm craving chocolate like crazy right now.' Megan thinks, eyes darting to the spread and sighing. Alex groans as he gets up, picking her feet up off him and setting them down in his spot, and goes to the kitchen. She pouts momentarily before her attention is returned to the movie. The older Assassins mouths were dropped open in shock, surprise, interest? She didn't know other than it was comical.
And then suddenly there was a slice of chocolate pie in her face waiting for her to take it, causing her to go cross eyed before she does. She also takes the fork and Alex fixes their positions back to what they were. "Thank you!" She says then takes a bite, giving a happy whimper to which he grunts.
If there was one thing he knew, the girl liked chocolate: hot chocolate, chocolate candy, even chocolate coffee.
And now that he thinks about it, she hadn't had coffee since she found out she was pregnant. The lack of caffeine had to be getting to her seeing as she used to survive off of it. That may have been one of the factors of her sometimes grumpy mood. Alex made a mental note to get more candies for the girl as he focuses on the film.
Megan didn't remember going to sleep but somehow she was in bed, wrapped around her body pillow with Alex spooned behind her providing her with warmth. While this made her happy, something had awoken her. But what?
And then she feels it, the urge to have to pee. This really was the worst thing about being pregnant, the need to pee near every 5 minutes it felt. Megan disentangles herself form both Alex and the pillow and zombie walks to the bathroom.
Alex cracks open an eye when the light from the bathroom hits his face and turns over, closing his eyes. The door opens and the light infiltrates once more before turning off and she clambers back into bed. She splays over his back, giving happy noises as she nuzzles.
"Hey Alex."
He grunts and Megan rolls her eyes.
"Guess what."
"Too tired for guessing games." He mumbles and she gives an evil grin, making her move. His eyes snap open.
"How about now?" She questions as she lets him go and he turns over to her, the same grin mirrored on his face.
Yup, he was definitely getting her more chocolate.
Shaun, Connor, and Ezio give Megan and Alex withered looks as they sip coffee. Altair stumbles down the stairs before rounding the banister and stopping in his tracks, a decidedly exasperated look on his face.
"You're pregnant, how could you want to do that?" He questions and Megan just laughs.
"Increased sex drive can happen." She answers drinking her milk and causing the three in the kitchen to sputter on their drinks and Altair's look to turn into annoyance.
"God help us." Shaun mutters under his breathe as he cleans up his mess he made. Connor and Ezio make noises of agreement as they clean up their messes as well.
"You're all babies."
"No, the banging of a headboard against a wall for 3 hours is enough to drive anyone insane." Malik comments as he comes downstairs, yawning. "Not to mention it gives one nightmares." He adds with a shiver. Megan gives Alex a sheepish grin and Alex just takes a drink of his coffee, a smirk on his face.
Desmond comes down the steps next with Leo in tow, the blonde man yawning widely and scratching at his stubble. She had noticed he stopped shaving and could only imagine how itchy it was. Desmond gives her a flat, annoyed look. "How is 3 hours humanly possible?"
She just raises an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, yeah…"
Megan snorts happily. "Again, doctor told me that an increased sex drive is normal. So you all will just have to suffer." The Assassins groan as they get their various breakfast things and sit to eat or drink coffee/tea or just laze around until they were conscious enough for anything else.
"So what's the plan for the day?" Ezio questions her after his second cup of coffee.
"Well I have a doctor's appointment at 3 so I have free time before then. Might try to get some writing done. Think my publisher is getting annoyed with the stuff I had tried to get written but they turned down."
"Sounds fun. What about after the doctor?" Desmond asks. Megan taps her chin thoughtfully before shrugging.
"Dunno. You guys will be here by yourselves so…"
Leo gives her a puppy eyed look. "Why will we be by ourselves?" He questions pitifully. Megan laughs and pats his arm.
"I need Alex to drive me cause the doctor doesn't want me to be driving anywhere unless I have to." She answers him. He sighs and pouts, turning back to his coffee. "Hey, I know you guys will be fine. You all survived before without me so this will be nothing new."
"Ah, the freedom of life before…" Connor remarks with a smirk at the girl.
Oh good grief, I nerded all over this chapter.. -facepalms- I apologize so much for that but it was just what ended up wanting to be written. Though I hope you enjoyed it none the less. I just might nerd on other chapters cause the interaction between the characters has now gotten interesting. And I also have to get up early tomorrow (Thursday the 20th of June, 2013) because I have an interview-ish kind of thing at a beer store. Yay!
Thank you to all who've read the story so far. I re-tweaked the chapters and have cut it down to 36 and the Epilogue, so not much more. and I'm going to put a vote up on my homepage that will last until chapter 23 on the gender of the baby. And if you want, you can tell me in the reviews with a baby name is you like.
Now for the reviews for the last chapter:
Raychaell: Glad you love this story so much!
Prihnex: Oh hoh! You shall have to wait my dear to find out. Our little crazy person shan't be heard for some chapters.
As always, please review, pm, e-mail, tweet, tumble, or skype me. All info is on my homepage along with a new poll. Just scroll up to the top of this chapter and clicky my name under the story title. Bye bye till the next chapter!
P.S.: I have gotten hooked on Gackt Camui. He's the Japanese version of Johnny Depp, just 10 years younger. Not that Johnny Depp being 50 has affected the hormones of women around the world, oh no. The man is hot!