Zelda almost gagged as she stepped into her brother's room. The stench of sweat and vomit assaulted her sensitive senses and she put a hand over her mouth to try and fight off adding to the smell. "Zel?" Link's shaky voice broke her heart and she stepped to his bed warily.

"When'd you start using again?" she asked as she sat by her twin, noticing the knotted ties keeping him there in the bed, the iv in his arm, and his terrified eyes.

"I thought he'd keep it a secret," Link whined. "I didn't want you to find out."

"He didn't tell me Link," she sighed as she touched his face gently. His skin felt clammy against hers and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry Zel," he said hoarsely. "I'm going to stop I promise..." Zelda leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his temple.

"You are going to stop," she said firmly, "otherwise I won't let you near my baby." With that she stood up, going back to Ike who leaned on the doorframe. "Is he going to be okay? Can he do this?" she asked and Ike nodded as he took her hand and pulled her from the room.

"The important thing is that he suffers through it, sorta negative reinforcement. A clinic would give him something to help through this, I'm not and he's seeing for the first time exactly what this shit's doing to him. He's not going to wanna touch that stuff when he's done with my rehab." Zelda leaned on him, drawing comfort from his warmth.

"He looks so miserable," she sighed heavily as she lost herself in Ike's calming presence.

"He is, but it's for the best," Ike said as he wrapped her up in an embrace she could only describe as loving. "Now, don't we have a plane to catch?" Zelda looked up at him and gave him a nervous smile.

"I don't know if I can," she said and he chuckled.

"Zelda if anyone here can make amends for years of ridiculous hatred it's you I mean-"

"Ike," Zelda laughed lightly as she buried her face in his chest. "I can handle apologizing for ages of bullshit, I don't know if I can meet your mother." Ike laughed, a warm hearty laugh that peppered Zelda's skin with goosebumps.

"She is going to love you, trust me."

XxX

Zelda sat in the passenger seat of the dark blue rental car as Ike drove expertly through the decent sized town's five o'clock traffic. He pointed out various landmarks as they went, her eagerly turning her head like a tourist. "That's the park," Ike said, motioning to a colorful slide and swing set amidst a walking trail, "my mom used to take Mist and me there when we were kids. We'd play on the playground and she'd walk and gossip with her friends." Zelda smiled as a girl with bright blonde hair leapt onto the monkey bars, a green haired boy right on her heels. "The park isn't far from home," he said as he turned into an older neighborhood. Zelda smiled at the decent sized houses, none of them too big of fancy. Ike pulled up in front of an older house, the only one on the block that had neatly trimmed rose bushes along the front walk. "Here we go." Ike parked and looked at her. Zelda tried to smile, and judging by his grin she must've made more of a grimace. He got out and moved to her door.

"Ike," Zelda whispered furiously as she climbed out of the car, "I can't do this. I can't. No one's parents ever like me and I know what she's going to think the second she sees me. I'll just be the snobby bitch that isn't good enough for you and-"

"Calm down," Ike said with a chuckle as he pulled her into a hug. He made her walk to the front door and paused as he kissed her gently. "My mother is going to adore you, I promise. She's going to show you a thousand baby pictures of me, tell you every embarrassing story she can think of, and make you eat more than you want. Trust me, it's going to be fine." He pulled his arm from her and opened the door, taking her hand just as Zelda thought she might try to go back to the car. "Mom?" he called out as they stepped into the most charming living room Zelda had ever seen. The couches were cream colored with a dated floral print and decorative pillows at the armrests, the coffee table was littered with cooking magazines, and the TV was turned to a black and white movie channel.

"Ike Greil you were supposed to call me when you got into town how am I..." a woman stepped into view from what had to be the kitchen, a soft pink apron around her waist. Even if it weren't for the dark blue hair so much like Ike's, Zelda would recognize the kindness in her smile anywhere as she chastised her son. She turned her eyes to Zelda and her eyes widened in shock as a hand came to her lips. "Ike honey, why is the princess of Hyrule in my living room?" she asked in a low whisper.

"Mom," Ike grinned as he moved his hand to the small of Zelda's back to pull her closer to him and also bring her closer to Elena, "this is Zelda. She's my girlfriend and the woman carrying your grandchild." Zelda gave her a nervous smile, unsure what to do as Elena moved forward.

"Welcome to my home dear," she said as she wrapped Zelda in a warm and loving hug. Zelda let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and returned the hug gently. "You're so beautiful!" Elena said with that kind smile as she pulled back, pushing Zelda's hair back to look at her ears. "My goddesses those ears... I hope the baby has them."

"Me too," Ike said with a grin and Zelda smiled as Elena stepped back.

"Come girl sit down!" Elena took her hand and led her to the couch. "When I was pregnant with this one," she pointed at Ike who blinked innocently at them, "my feet hurt and were swollen everyday. Every single day."

"But you love me so," Ike said and Elena rolled her eyes.

"I would love you more if you would've told me who exactly you somehow tricked into bed with you," she jabbed with a smile and Ike slapped a hand over his heart.

"You wound me Mother!" he declared and Elena shrugged.

"Cry me a river," she said as she eased Zelda onto the couch. "Now you stay here and I'll bring you this amazing tea I drank twice a day while I was pregnant with both of my babies. I blend it myself from this recipe that's been passed down for generations in my family. Takes care of all the aches and the nausea." Ike moved to sit by Zelda and Elena shot him a look. "Don't put your feet on my coffee table."

"Yes ma'am," Ike said seriously as he sat. She turned to leave the room and Ike put one boot on the edge of the coffee table, shooting Zelda a wink as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Zelda leaned into him, angling her head up for a kiss that he was obviously more than happy to return.

"Now then," Elena came back into the living room and Ike pulled his lips from Zelda's guiltily. "No need to stop on my account, it's a bit obvious that you two have done more than that." Zelda blushed violently and felt Ike shaking with silent laughter. "So we don't know what you're having yet?" she asked and Zelda shook her head.

"I'll find out at the next appointment."

"Good! Some women don't want to know but I always did and I'm glad you do too!"

"Oh I want to know so I can have everything planned out and ready," Zelda said and Elena nodded.

"Have you guys talked names yet?"

"Not really," Ike said as he rubbed a soothing thumb on Zelda's shoulder. "Where's Mist? I thought she was on break?"

"She's out at her friend's house. Don't you scowl at me young man, you've done your fair share of vanishing acts in the past. Mist is growing up and you need to get over it." She turned her eyes to Zelda. "Ike's always taken his responsibilities very seriously, it's a character trait he got from his father, but it does bring up my next question."

"Mom," Ike's voice held a warning.

"Are you two thinking about getting married?" Elena asked, ignoring the warning.

"Mom come on," Ike sighed and Elena threw her hands up.

"It's a legitimate question Ike!"

"To be honest," Zelda interjected, "we're still figuring it all out." Ike squeezed her shoulder gently and cleared his throat.

"Weren't you making a tea Mom?"

"Oh yes!" Elena moved into the kitchen and Zelda turned to Ike.

"See I told you she would hate me!" she whispered furiously and he shook his head with a soft chuckle.

"Oh she adores you," he kissed her nose before resting his forehead against hers. "She's just mad at me for not doing what she thinks I should do now that she's met you."

"She wants us to get married," Zelda said and Ike nodded, their noses rubbing lightly. "Well she obviously doesn't quite understand I mean we haven't even said-"

"I love you," Ike's voice was soft, and Zelda's heart pounded against her chest as she tried to figure out if he was finishing her sentence or saying it.

"You know," Elena came back into the room with a tray holding three steaming mugs, "I have some old photo albums you have just got to see. Ike was such a cute baby."

"I was chubby," Ike said as he turned his eyes from Zelda, who was still trying to figure out what he meant by his words. Ike grabbed a cup of coffee, handing Zelda the tea.

"You were not! You were adorable," Elena pulled out a photo album from the bookshelf and held it out to Zelda. "I'm warning you now the Greil bone structure will probably win." Zelda took the album with a smile, mind still on Ike's words as she opened it. On the first page was a tiny bundle wrapped up in blue blankets, a blue cap on his head, and an adorable grumpy newborn face poking up from the sea of blue.

"'Ike Greil, seven pounds eight ounces, nineteen inches long.'" Zelda looked up at Ike who smirked. She turned the page, a giggle escaping her lips at the next photo of a very tiny baby with unmistakable blue fuzz already poking up. "Oh my goddesses Ike you were so tiny!" She looked back to Ike, wondering what their baby would look like.

XxX

Ike smiled from his newfound spot in the recliner, watching Zelda and his mother pouring through the albums. Zelda awed over every picture of him, and Elena told her every story behind every photo. He watched them, mind roaming over what he had said to Zelda. Those three little words had caused him pain and heartache before, and he vaguely recalled a night filled with copious amounts of alcohol where he had sworn never to say the cursed words again. Zelda looked up at him, laughing as she showed him a picture of him in his tuxedo for prom, and he realized with a jolt that he meant it. A grin came to his lips as she listened to Elena list everything they used to try and get his spiky hair to stay down.

"We tried everything I swear!" Both of them laughed and Ike shook his head as he felt his phone buzz. He pulled it from his pocket, an eyebrow arching at the unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Hi Ike it's Rosalina," her voice sounded frazzled and Ike smirked.

"What's up Rosalina?" he asked and Zelda whipped her head to him.

"How exactly am I supposed to keep the king from killing me when he finds out where you are?!" Ike's eyes widened as he looked to Zelda. "He keeps demanding to see her and I'm running out of excuses."

"Rosalina calm down," he said with a wink to Zelda before moving into the kitchen. "Tell him I've taken Zelda on a romantic two day trip, just me and her, no phones..."

"And when it's blasted all over the news and Internet?"

"Then I'll deal with him, feign innocent. Tell him I told you all sorts of romantic bull about roses and candles, things that make you say aww."

"He's going to fire me," she said and Ike chuckled.

"Zelda won't let him. Bye Rosalina."

"Ike?" Zelda stood in the doorway of the kitchen and he felt his heart flip. "Everything okay?"

"I didn't realize," Ike said as he stepped closer to her, "that you didn't tell anyone where we were going."

"I told Rosalina and Sheik."

"You didn't tell the leader of the Crimean fan club?"

"He wouldn't have approved of any of this," she sighed and Ike smirked.

"Is it evil to admit that I love to piss him off?" She laughed and shook her head.

"I love doing it too."

XXX

a quick update! Huzzah! Happy Leigh! A special shout out to my awesome review leaving badasses Kilron, Karrington382, concisponci, and my guest known only as E (you sir are not an idiot and I am glad I kept you up). Until next time (which should also be pretty quick) let me know what you think! Much love, Leigh