A/N: ok so the last chapter I had Collie rather beat up and it made me kinda sad to do it but I wanted to give her a ray of hope so that's where Eddie came in, part of this chapter is also a slight embodiment of the 'everyone has scars it just takes the right person to accept them' line. Things will look up from here for the time being so please enjoy. Also a huge thank you to those who have reviewed! I wish you had accounts so I could thank you personally for your support but do know it is appreciated greatly!
~Chapter 5~
Nearly a year had passed since that fateful night at the Frankenstein place and the trio had settled into a smooth routine. Collie had been able to get a job at the tv studio helping with make-up and wardrobe. Even if she only worked a couple days a week she made enough to keep the three house residents on their feet. Magenta and Riff busied themselves with fixing up the castle or in Riff's case spending time in the lab doing the work and experiments Frank had never allowed, but he never ignored his sister for his work. Eddie had become a regular face in the house often staying with Collie for many nights then returning back to Denton for the rest of the week.
It was around 8 in the morning and Collie was standing in front of the full body mirror after a shower looking herself over. She had stopped dying her hair so it was now mousy brown and had grown to touch her shoulders, she wore less makeup now mostly favoring a little blush, eyeshadow, mascara and lipstick. Her back had healed amazingly, thanks to an ointment Magenta had given her the whip marks hadn't left scars but sadly it wouldn't heal the mark burnt into her skin. Collie had worried about what Eddie would think when he'd seen the mark for the first time but to her surprise he couldn't have cared less about it.
Turning back around so she was looking at herself from the side she looked at her stomach, it wasn't much bigger than normal but there was something different, she definitely wasn't as thin as before. She ran her fingers over her skin thinking carefully, they had been eating pizza a great deal (it turns out her Transylvanian housemates really liked cheese pizza) so maybe she was just gaining a little weight.
She shook her head before getting dressed hearing Magenta come into the bedroom.
"Collie I'm going to make a trip to town want to come?"
Collie looked over her shoulder as the other woman opened the door.
"Yeah I'll go, I need more…."
She trailed off making Magenta raise an eyebrow at her watching until the girl's face turned three different shades of green before she turned and emptied her stomach into the toilet. Magenta went to her friend's side holding her hair out of the way in one hand while the other rubbed her back. After a few minutes Collie was able to stop being sick and worked to catch her breath.
"Are you okay Collie?"
It took Collie a moment to nod.
"Yeah, just a bad spell but it's over now."
She stood up as Magenta did but as soon as she was up her knees gave making Magenta catch her looking at her worried.
"Maybe you should lay down."
Collie nodded and with Magenta's help laid down on her bed closing her eyes as her stomach turned cart wheels. Magenta bit her lip before taking a step away from the bed.
"You stay put and I'll go get you something to settle your stomach."
She waited for an answer but Collie had fallen asleep making her sigh and hurry from the room. She quickly made her way to the communicator in the lab, thankfully her brother was more occupied fixing the sink in the kitchen, and placed a call to Nation. After a long few minutes Nation answered her brow furrowing as she looked at her cousin.
"Magenta is something wrong? It's not like you to call so early."
Magenta shook her head but looked beside herself.
"I just needed to ask you something."
Nation relaxed a little and smiled.
"Alright I'll try to answer."
Magenta thought her words over carefully before taking a deep breath.
"How do you know when someone is pregnant?"
Nation didn't say anything for a long moment before shaking her head.
"There are a few ways, why? You're not thinking you are, are you?"
Magenta quickly shook her head.
"No! Oh heavens no! It's Collie, she was fine last night but I went to talk to her a little while ago and she seemed fine but out of nowhere she turned green in the face and got sick. I helped her to bed and she fell asleep almost as soon as she was laid down."
Nation sighed in slight relief before thinking over what she was being told.
"Well has she put on any unnecessary weight or missed her menstrual cycle?"
Magenta thought carefully, she had heard Collie complaining about her favorite sleeper not fitting anymore even though she couldn't have gained more than a couple pounds.
"She's put on a little weight but we haven't been eating healthy either. She was complaining a few weeks ago about her breasts hurting but she just said it happened from time to time with her period, I don't know if she's missed it or not."
Nation nodded with a small smile.
"Have her take a pregnancy test but to me it sounds like she maybe. Of course I could be wrong."
There was the sound of a buzzer that made her look over her shoulder.
"I've got to run Genta they're about to start the show. I'll talk to you later."
Magenta said her goodbye just before the communication was ended leaving her to think for a long moment then leave the lab to check on Collie. Collie was still sleeping in the bed snoring slightly, one arm hanging over the edge of the bed the other by her head, she gave a slight smile and covered her friend with the blanket before quietly left the room making the trip into town alone.
The first place she stopped was the drug store where she grabbed three different types of boxes labeled 'pregnancy test' like her cousin had said along with a couple tubes of the baby pink lipstick Collie loved. After the drug store trip she went to the grocery store and got things she'd need to make supper before returning to the castle. After putting away the groceries she grabbed the drug store bag and headed up to Collie's room, shortly after claiming their freedom Magenta and Riff had moved into Frank's old chambers giving Collie the old room all to herself, she opened the door to find the room empty.
Feeling a little worried Magenta checked the bathroom and a few other rooms on the second floor before going back down to the ballroom. As she drew closer she could hear a record player quietly playing Collie's coveted Little Nell record but the normal tapping she practiced to the bouncing swimming song was absent. Finally she opened the doors and found Collie lounging in Frank's throne with her legs draped over one arm, her bare feet tapping lightly at the air to the music, her eyes were closed and her head leaned against the back of the throne.
Magenta smiled softly and went to the record player carefully turning it off, so as not to damage the record, before sitting on the step in front of the throne waiting for her friend to realize she was there. Collie didn't open her eyes but got a sour look on her face as her feet stopped moving.
"Come on Riffy I can barely hear it! If you could hear it from the lab that's your fault!"
Magenta rolled her eyes but chuckled. Her brother hates it when Collie played her records to loud and often snapped at her about it. Hearing the feminine chuckle Collie opened one eye and cracked a smile.
"Oh it's you, I thought your darling brother came up to tell that I was being too loud again, anyway what's up Genta?"
Magenta handed her the bag deciding not to tell her about the tests. Collie took the bag and pulled out the three lipstick tubes smiling at the varying baby pink colors.
"Thanks Genta I was running low on my last tube! Hmm what are these?"
She set the lipsticks in her lap then took out one of the pregnancy tests looking it over with a raised brow.
"What the?"
Suddenly her brown eyes widened and she clamped her hand over her mouth making Magenta start to stand slightly worried she was going to be sick again.
"Collie are you okay?"
Collie didn't answer for a long moment before she swung her legs around to sit properly in the throne letting the lipsticks roll to the floor as she hid her face in her hands.
"How could I have been so stupid? The weight gain, my chest hurting, spotting but not bleeding for two damned months."
Magenta got to her feet and stepped over the spilled tubes to put her hands on her friend's shoulders before kneeling in front of her unsure what to say (because honestly she didn't know what half of what her friend said ment).
"Oh Genta what am I going to do? I'm 23 years old with no steady job or knowledge of how to take care of a baby, I'm not even married for god's sake! Oh no….what am I going to tell Eddie?"
Magenta moved her hands from the girl's shoulders to place one on her knee the other under her chin making her look up at her.
"You tell him the truth, if he loves you he'll be happy and help you. As for the rest Riff and I will help you, you helped raise Carol didn't you? It's the same idea except it will be your baby now. And Laura will want to help weather you ask her to or not."
Collie sniffled but gave a small smile until the doors opening made them look away from each other to find Riff in the doorway holding two thin necklace chains in his hand.
"Who says she has to keep it."
Collie whimpered at the words and broke into sobs making Magenta leer at her brother so he swallowed thickly and murmured an apology approaching them cautiously while holding out the chains to his sister.
"Cosmo sent these for the both of you, a little something he has been working on."
Magenta took the necklaces looking them over. One chain was sleek silver with a semi translucent grass green crystal hanging from it. The other was gold and had a similar crystal on it only this crystal was a little deeper in color, more like an emerald green. She raised an eyebrow looking at her brother as he took a silver chain from his pocket showing her a sapphire blue crystal.
"Portable communicators that can connect to any monitor communicator or other portable ones. He, Nation and Laura have ones that look like watches they wear."
Magenta nodded holding out the necklaces to Collie to let her pick which she wanted. Collie had calmed herself down enough to look at the crystals before picking the grass green one holding it in her hand.
"It's such a beautiful color."
Magenta gave a soft smile putting her's on then helping Collie.
"It's Transinite, a commonly mined crystal on Transexual, we use them for a lot of things but mostly they make good communicating devices."
Collie nodded once looking at Magenta's crystal then Riff's her brow furrowing.
"How come Riff's is blue and ours are green?"
"Because males wear blue Transinte crystals on our planet while females wear green ones, its ancient tradition. The shades represent class, the darker the color the higher the class so most royals will have black crystals since they are rarer, the most common ones are clear or faintly tinted blue or green and are given to the lowest class of our planet."
Collie reached out and gently took Magenta's emerald green crystal in her fingers looking it over.
"You guys couldn't have been bad off then look how dark Genta's is."
Magenta smiled rolling her eyes.
"Nation's is darker since she's older, her's nearly matches her eyes."
Collie looked surprised remembering how deep green Nation's eyes were.
"Woh so you guys aren't far from elite class then?"
Riff rolled his eyes at how fast the groupie was distracted when she had been sobbing minutes before about being pregnant.
"Our mother worked in the castle and was a favorite to the queen our father was a guard member so we lived rather fine lives. Nation and Cosmo were the same only aunt Pat was the queen's personal servant but Richard was a middle class citizen making Cosmo's crystal a rather pale blue whereas Nation's is deeply colored."
Collie nodded like she understood but Magenta could see there were a few things that didn't make sense to her human friend. Before she could explain more the doorbell rang and Collie went ridged like a scared cat.
"If it's Eddie I'm sick!"
Before Magenta could say anything Collie had dashed from the room to who knows where, the girl had been able to locate many hidden hiding places around the castle including Riff's favored one in the attic that he'd kicked her out if. With a sigh Magenta tucked her crystal into her dress and quickly kissed her brother before going to get the door. She opened it her normal reminder to Eddie that he didn't need to ring the doorbell ready on her lips until she seen it wasn't Eddie on the doorstep but Laura and Carol, the earlier wearing a large smile.
"Laura, Carol? What brings you both here? Collie just uh ran off to a hiding place you'll have to find her."
Carol looked at Laura who nodded letting her go search for her sister.
"She wanted to see Collie since she didn't work today and I came on Nation's part since she couldn't leave the studio, Cosmo wouldn't let her."
She rolled her eyes making her unable to see how her words made worry cross Magenta's face, she had talked to her cousin just hours ago and nothing seemed wrong then. Laura finally seen the worry in Magenta's eyes and waved her hands.
"Oh no no no no! Don't get the wrong idea! Everything's fine, she's okay Cosmo just doesn't want her goin' too far from where he can keep an eye on her right now."
Magenta opened her mouth to say something but the voice that sounded wasn't her's.
"What's the matter with her that Cosmo won't let her out of his sight? He hasn't done that since they were children or when she's sick."
Laura looked at the siblings and bit her lip.
"Maybe you two should sit down, this might surprise you."
The siblings shared a look but lead her to the dining room where she sat with Riff while Magenta quickly made some tea bringing it out in three cups. In the silence they could hear Carol running around still looking for Collie who was still hiding in one of her newly discovered places. Once the tea was passed out Magenta sat down beside her brother and they both looked at Laura who had regained her smile.
"Well you know that Nation has a condition that makes having children super hard for her right?"
Riff nodded.
"Yes she was told when she was 16 that her condition wouldn't keep her from getting pregnant but would make carrying to term near impossible. On Transexual they could have given her a medication once she was pregnant to keep that from happening but she refused."
Laura nodded.
"Exactly well after Magenta called her this morning it flipped something in her head and she realized she'd had some signs of pregnancy so she took a test and she's pregnant!"
For a long moment neither Riff or Magenta said anything then they both smiled.
"That's wonderful news! Natty has always wanted to be a mother! She'll be an amazing mom and Cossy will be a great father!"
Laura laughed at the nicknames Magenta used for the pair.
"If Cosmo heard you call him that he'd give you a death glare Magenta."
Magenta rolled her eyes still smiling.
"He always did. Oh Riff isn't this great?!"
Riff nodded a small smile on his lips as he looked at Laura.
"Give them our regards when you go back."
Laura nodded taking a drink of her tea.
"I will, Nation said she'd call you later to see how the new communicators are working."
Carol came into the room looking discouraged as she plopped into the chair beside Laura crossing her arms, for being 14 years old she acted a little childish but then again her older sister was 23 and was hiding who knows where from her boyfriend that wasn't even there.
"What's wrong honeybug?"
Carol cracked a smile at Laura's silly words before she went back to sulking.
"I can't find Collie anywhere! I checked her room, the ballroom, the lab-"
"You didn't touch anything in there did you?"
Carol looked at Riff and shook her head before continuing.
"She wasn't in any of the spare rooms or the kitchen or the back yard either."
Laura looked at Magenta raising her eyebrow.
"Why is she hiding anyway?"
Magenta got to her feet holding her hand out to Carol.
"Come on I have an idea where she maybe. I'll tell you when I get back you may want to be sitting down."
Laura nodded and watched as Magenta lead Carol upstairs and to a large pair of double doors at the end of the third floor, her and Riff's room. She let go of Carol's hand and pushed open the doors electing a squeak from the bed before the sound of covers moving sounded.
"Stop this Columbia it's only Carol and Laura!"
Collie heard her sister's name and poked her head from under the royal purple blanket on the bed and blushed.
"Oh."
She got out of the bed, fixing the covers, then went to the pair chuckling as Carol hugged her then whined when her stomach turned over again.
"Urg you two go on back down I'll be there in a second!"
Before either could reason Collie had dashed to the bathroom attached to the bedroom and slammed the door making Magenta sigh and look at Carol.
"Come on she'll be down in a minute."
Carol looked unsure but followed Magenta back to the dining room where Laura seemed to be waiting on edge to hear what Magenta was going to say. After everyone was sat back down Magenta looked at Laura.
"The reason Collie was hiding was because she was afraid you guys were Eddie, she wants to avoid him at the moment."
Laura seemed to go from excited and happy to rigid and protective in the blink of an eye.
"What did he do to her? Why does she want to avoid him?"
Magenta shook her head.
"It's nothing like that, he never raises a hand against her in fact I think she'd have his head if he did, since Frank she doesn't let herself be pushed around by anyone. But the reason she wants to avoid him right now is because-"
"I'm pregnant and he has no idea."
All eyes turned to Collie as she came into the room and sat down across from Laura crossing her arms. Laura looked at her cousin unsure what to say or think for a long moment.
"Are you sure Collie?"
Collie nodded getting to her feet again and pulled up her shirt turning to the side showing off the very slight change.
"I'm sure, I keep getting sick here and there, I haven't had a solid period in two months just a little spotting, and my breasts are getting tender. I was 90% sure but I took one of the tests Genta brought me and it's positive."
Collie put her shirt down and sat back down biting her lip waiting for her cousin's reaction. Laura didn't respond for a long moment before she gave Collie a small smile.
"Congratulations Collie, I'm happy for you."
Collie looked a little confused, she was expecting a huge blow up and really long speech from her cousin not open acceptance.
"You mean you're okay with it? I mean I'm happy you're okay with it but I was expecting a lecture on how I'm not ready and how I should have been more careful."
Laura smiled softly.
"Collie you're 23 years old, you're not a teenager anymore and you're more responsible than people first think. After what happened that night Carol came here I think you'll be a wonderful mother, you're not a kid anymore and it's not like you'll be doing it alone either I'll help and I highly doubt Magenta would leave you hanging and this Eddie if he's a respectable man he will be there."
Collie smiled brightly before looking at Carol who seemed to be angry and on the verge of crying.
"Carol? What's wrong?"
Carol looked at her sister letting a tear fall down her cheek.
"You're going to have a baby so now I'll never see you you'll be to busy! It's not fair."
Laura and Collie shared a look before the later stood and went to her sister gently wiping away the tear.
"Hey now you know that isn't true, if anything I'm going to need your help too now, you're going to have a little niece or nephew and I'm counting on you to be a role model to it as it grows up. I'm not going to push you away just because I'm going to have a baby."
Carol was quiet for a long moment before she hugged Collie's neck.
"Promise?"
Collie held her close.
"I promise."
Carol smiled releasing her from the hug letting her sit back down. After talking awhile longer Laura and Carol headed back to the studio and Riff went back to the lab leaving the girls to go back to the ballroom where Collie switched her record back on and sat on the throne draping her legs over the arm while Magenta sat on the step in front of her.
"That's a weight off my chest, I was worried Laura would be mad at me for this, she's always looked out for me so I thought she'd freak out on me I'm just glad she didn't, and Nation is pregnant to they'll be born close together."
Magenta nodded with a small smile taking a cigarette from her apron then getting up and walking to the record player looking at the small pile of records beside it as she lit the cigarette.
"Now all that's left is to tell Eddie."
Collie nodded looking at the ceiling before looking back at her friend.
"Hey Genta last time I was at the studio I heard Nation say things were going south after an incident involving a couple they had on the shows and that they were saying Dentonvale won't be around much longer."
Magenta took a drag from her cigarette blowing out a white cloud of smoke as she changed the records.
"Yeah Laura was telling us about that, she said Cosmo is thinking of him and Nation quitting before Farley made some idea that would put her in danger but they'd have nowhere to go except maybe out of the country."
Collie thought a moment then smiled.
"What if they came here? We have the room and Cosmo can make sure she's okay through her pregnancy and with Riffy's help maybe they can make something to help her to term."
Magenta finished her cigarette and stubbed it out on the floor smiling.
"Collie has anyone told you that you have some great ideas? It would help a good deal having them here and it's less stress on Natty."
Collie smiled sitting properly in the throne as Magenta sat on the arm taking out her crystal communicator and pressed a hidden button. After a minute a hologram of Nation appeared like it would on the monitor. Nation smiled seeing Magenta and Collie.
"Good to see the communicators are working. Laura just told us the news Congratulations Columbia."
Collie smiled.
"Thanks Nation, congrats to you too."
Nation smiled brightly making Magenta relax the nerves about bringing up the subject of them moving into the castle evaporating a bit.
"Hey Natty is it true what Laura says, Dentonvale is falling through?"
Nation's smile dropped a little and she nodded.
"Yeah unfortunately it is. Farley said he'd keep the four of us on but Cosmo already said that we wouldn't, the last show is tomorrow then we all head back to Germany."
Magenta and Collie shared a look before Magenta looked back at her cousin.
"You guys don't have to go to Germany you can stay in Denton we know a place that has more than enough room for you, Cosmo, the baby, Laura and Ricky and Carol too when she visits."
Nation's brow furrowed.
"And where exactly is this place?"
Collie smiled brightly.
"You guys can come and live at the castle with us! There's plenty of rooms and Cosmo won't need to worry about you all the time, maybe he and Riff can even find a way to help you through your pregnancy."
Nation looked shocked for a long moment then smiled tears pricking her eyes.
"Really? You three would do that for us?"
Both girls nodded before Magenta spoke.
"You're family Natty we wouldn't dare turn you away same with Laura. Tell you what Collie and I will come get you after filming tomorrow and we can get you guys settled in."
A few tears slipped down Nation's cheeks as she nodded.
"I'll go tell Cosmo, thank you all so much."
The communication ended making the girls smile at each other before Collie thought for a moment.
"What's in that room beside mine?"
Magenta thought for a moment.
"It's empty as far as I remember just a couple bookshelves maybe, why?"
Collie jumped up smiling brightly.
"I'm going to turn it into a nursery!"
Magenta rolled her eyes but followed her friend up to the room cleaning supplies in hand. They were just finishing cleaning the room when Collie got the feeling of being watched making her look over her shoulder to find Eddie in the doorway.
"Eddie!"
She squealed happily and dropped her dust rag and ran to him throwing her arms around his neck while his wrapped around her waist used to her enthusiastic greetings by now.
"The door was unlocked so I let myself in. What are you two dames doing cleaning in here?"
Magenta and Collie shared a look before Magenta excused herself and Collie bit her lip stepping out of Eddie's hold looking at her feet. Eddie's brows knitted together as he gently tilted her chin up to look at him.
"What's the matter babe?"
Collie took a deep breath closing her eyes.
"There's something I need to tell you."
Eddie stayed quiet and let her take her time to get the words out. Swallowing thickly Collie opened her eyes and looked into his eyes.
"I'm pregnant, Genta and I were cleaning out this room to turn it into a nursary."
Eddie didn't react for a long moment and when he spoke his voice was shaking slightly.
"A-are you sure?"
Collie nodded nerves building in her stomach, or was it sickness again, as she watched panic flit across Eddie's face.
"Yeah I'm mostly sure, I haven't had my period for about two months now and I took a test earlier it came out positive. Are you okay babe you look a little pale?"
Eddie leaned on the door frame shaking his head.
"Yeah it's just a lot to take in, two months really and you're just finding out?"
Collie nodded blushing a little.
"Yeah I mean I didn't know what to look for and I thought the spotting was just a really light period. It wasn't until the morning sickness kicked in today that Genta had the idea to ask Nation and get me a pregnancy test."
Eddie gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and put his hands on her hips kissing her forehead making her smile happy he seemed to be taking the news well.
"So you're happy about this?"
She turned her brown eyes up to look at him and he smiled again, it still wasn't in his eyes but she didn't notice, nodding.
"Yeah I'm happy babe. Is there anything I can help do?"
Collie smiled hugely and stood on tip toes kissing him before looking around at the room.
"I think we are done for today, after Laura and the others move in tomorrow she'll want to help pick colors and all that, I don't think we'll need much help until it comes to the crib."
Eddie only nodded making her sigh but smile taking his hand and leading him from the room for her own pausing hearing footsteps on the stairs.
"Night Genta! Night Riffy!"
There was a low grumble then a giggle.
"Good night Collie."
Collie smiled knowing she'd caught them at something before she led Eddie into her room closing the door. She quickly changed into her pajamas and laid down beside him on the bed falling asleep almost at once.