A/N: This is the second update. The order is not in which is posted in my profile. The order of the chapters is all jumbled up and is based on which chapter (or theme) I wrote first.
Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: OOC, LANGUAGE, SENSITIVE (POLITICAL ISSUES), LEMON/LIME
PAIRING: Serph x Argilla
Chapter VI
Theme 4: Children
Argilla looked at herself in the mirror. She frowned. She did not like what she was seeing. She scratched the back of her head tentatively, "Hm…They seem…bigger…" she spoke to herself.
"What seems bigger?" a voice from behind her spoke.
She smiled as she saw his reflection, "Nothing Serph."
He raised an eyebrow and she turned to face him, "Nothing…Really…"
He seemed unconvinced and so he walked over to her and asked, "I know that that's not true. Why don't you just tell me?"
She sighed; she really was that transparent, wasn't she?
She sighed, giving up and pointed to her chest, "Do these…look bigger to you?" she asked innocently, her query valid and honest.
He blushed at the question and even more so at where she was pointing. She was bent forward slightly, accentuating her voluptuous chest, pointing at her breasts. He blinked as his eyes were transfixed at the aforesaid lumps of sensuous flesh, considering her question carefully.
Hm…
She growled, "What are you doing!?" she yelled, interrupting his thoughts, "I asked you a question damn it!"
He blinked again and raised his eyes to meet her angry and blazing pink eyes. He blushed, "Um…well…I really can't say for certain…"
Her face fell. He hated it when she would see that. So, to rectify the mistake, he spoke once more, "But…if you would like, I could give you an…examination." he finished honestly, innocently. She blushed, "You perv!"
He blushed as well as he caught on. He then grinned and grabbed the woman by her hips, pulling her closer to him, leaning his face closer to hers, and whispered seductively, "Seriously. I can…give you a…physical…thoroughly…" he finished sensuously, his husky voice and low tone sending pleasurable jolts within her body.
She clung to him, her hands on his forearms and shivered, "You…you perv…" she finished meekly.
He smiled, "But…you like it anyway."
She grinned, "Yeah…I do…"
xxxxx
Another week had passed since Serph's strange talk with his lover. He blinked; everyone had been assembled at the Strategy Room. All, except her.
They had been waiting for the last half an hour and so far, she had been a no-show. Already, he could feel the agitation of his comrades.
More specifically, he could feel Heat's irritation. He sweat-dropped; his hot-tempered teammate had always been like that.
Or had he?
And then, there was Cielo. He was groaning away, mumbling how annoying it was that he had been dragged unceremoniously from his peaceful sleep for a meeting that hadn't even begun!
It had already been half an hour…!
And Gale?
Well, Gale was as stoic as ever. There had been not an ounce of change in his countenance. Serph was glad though. It was in these sorts of moments that he really valued Gale. He was calm and wouldn't cause a riot.
Unlike his other two companions…
"Sorry I'm late guys."
His silver eyes snapped into attention as they focused on the pink-haired female who had just walked through the door. He raised an eyebrow as he beheld her slightly paled skin. What had happened?
What took her so long?
That was the question that he wanted to ask her.
She had never been late. Ever. Argilla was one of his most reliable soldiers. To her, her duty had come first. That was why he had been totally surprised to find that such a diligent and consistent soldier be suddenly absent; or in this case, severely late.
"You're late soldier." Serph deadpanned firmly.
The female looked at him with steely eyes, "Won't happen again sir."
"You're right." he replied coldly, "It won't."
"…" Argilla nodded, not wanting to argue any further.
"Well, everyone's here now, what's the deal?" Heat drawled, bored, as he crossed his arms, looking unfazed at Serph.
xxxxx
Argilla walked into her room and walked over to her bed. The briefing had just ended and she just couldn't wait to sit. She didn't feel exhausted, but she just wanted to rest for a bit and gather her thoughts.
She blinked as she thought of it. Curious really, a few months ago, she had never felt this way…But now…
She snapped her head up as she heard her doors open and then close once more. She bit her lip as she saw Serph in front of her, looking at her with the same pair of silver eyes.
"What happened today?" he asked solemnly.
She shook her head. Would he really want to know? Perhaps it was better if she said nothing. It was a dumb reason anyway. Plus, it could result in more than just a reprimand if he knew the reason.
"Nothing." she replied nonchalantly.
He sighed, "Not this again. Just tell me." he told her firmly, almost irritated.
She bit her lip harder; if she told him…he might…
"I…I couldn't get up in the morning."
There. She told him.
There was no excuse for that. Why?
Because it was as plain as day what her reason was for being late; laziness.
Complete and utter laziness.
"Explain." he told her, sitting on a chair in front of her. He wanted to know the whole truth. It wasn't just what she told him that made the facts. It was something else. Argilla wasn't the type to be shirking about.
She sighed; she hated it when he prodded her with statements like those.
"I…I just couldn't get up. My body…felt so heavy. For some reason." she replied honestly. She then wished that she had said something else. Whatever it was she had said, absolutely sounded as if she were making an excuse to cover her lack of efficiency.
"I'm not making it up Serph. I just…" she trailed off with a sigh, "I'm telling the truth."
Serph nodded, "I believe you."
He stood and sat beside her, holding her hand gently in his while his eyes pierced hers, smiling, "Maybe it's fatigue. We've all been very stressed lately."
Yes. That was both true and an understatement. They had just won the war. And the only thing left to do…was to ascend to Nirvana. And now…
"You should get some rest Argilla. Take a few days off and remain here." he told her gently. She snorted, "And let you guys have all the fun!? No way!"
He chuckled at that as his hand came up to cup her cheek affectionately, "I knew you'd say that."
xxxxx
Another fortnight had passed. Argilla groaned. She had been like this for a few days now. She was getting really annoyed now. For the last two weeks, her symptoms had worsened. She had found it most difficult to get up in the morning…
Well, that was what first had happened…
She thought that it was just fatigue. But now, she wasn't so sure. For the last few weeks, not only had she failed to turn up punctually for their meetings but she had also suffered from physical changes.
She growled at herself as she remembered it; she didn't know what was wrong with her. She had been continuously throwing up for the last few days. She had not told Serph about it. She didn't want him to worry.
Besides, this was a woman's problem. Hence, she could solve it on her own. At first, she had first speculated food poisoning but the tox-screen proved negative.
So, that was why she had taken it upon herself to visit the infirmary; without Serph's knowledge of course.
And now, she was awaiting the results.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the physician entered.
"Well," Argilla began a bit impatiently, "what's wrong with me? This crappy thing has been making me miss training for the last couple of weeks!"
The physician shook her head, "The tests are…inconclusive."
She blinked; "Say what?"
How could that be?
The doctor sighed, "We had detected nothing that would indicate harmful substances in your body. Your blood sugar is fine. There are no toxins in the body…Brain patterns are fine. Heart is strong…The organs are functioning efficiently. There is no physical trauma…No nothing."
Argilla glared at the woman. She didn't sacrifice her valuable time coming there and coming out of there empty-handed!
"It can't be nothing! There has to be something amiss."
The doctor brought her finger to her chin in thought for a moment before replying, "Hm…there is something."
"And that is?" Argilla was getting angry. First she said it was nothing, then, it was something! Which was it!?
"Your body had been creating more hormones than normal."
"Why?" No. The question would be; 'what does that mean?'.
The doctor nodded, "It could be for many reasons. Your atma for one."
"My atma?" she asked, confused. The woman nodded, "Yes. The atma forces the body to transform. It causes a lot of strain. Estrogen is the chief female hormone. I believe that its production can help with the body's coping mechanism with the sudden invader."
"You mean the atma?"
"Right."
She understood, 'I think.' she thought with a small scratch on the head. The doctor believed that her body was still adjusting to the atma. She closed her eyes and groaned. Their atmas had arrived a few months ago…Yes. The physician's explanation about her condition did seem viable.
"Is there anything that…we could do?"
The doctor shook her head, "Well, everything seems to be in order within your body. So, I suggest plenty of rest and less stress. But, if you want, we could keep you here for further observation."
She paled at that; if she stayed there, Serph would find out! No way! It was completely out of the question!
She shook her head and laughed nervously, "No. It's alright. I suppose I'll go home. Thank you." she said in haste before muttering another hasty "thank you" and then hurrying out of the door.
xxxxx
She groaned as she felt him kiss her neck from behind. She had just gotten back from the infirmary and was pleasantly surprised to find him in her room.
And as soon as she had entered, he had latched his hands on her hips and had proceeded to kiss her sensuously. She groaned and leaned back to his touch…His hands traveled onto the fabric of her uniform and began to peel it from her slowly…
She could feel her body beginning to heat up as his hot tongue caressed her skin amorously, "Serph…" she groaned.
As he had her now completely bare, his hands traveled over to her chest and fondled her breasts appreciatively, "Hm…you're right." he whispered naughtily.
"W-what…?" she asked a bit confused and disoriented as he continued to touch her, driving her mad.
"They are getting bigger…" he responded, giving her earlobe a naughty lick.
She stiffened, bigger breasts…?
She suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" he asked, confused as she pulled away from him. She blinked and waved apologetically, "Erm…You gotta go now. I'll…aa…see you tomorrow?"
Before he could protest, she had shoved him out of her room, "Sorry…I'll aa…make it up to you tomorrow! I promise!" With a quick kiss on the lips, her doors slammed shut in his face.
Serph blinked. What just happened?
xxxxx
Bigger breasts?
Argilla paced to and fro within her room, 'Maybe that's a symptom of this…disease too…'
A disease?
Well, it was most probably a disease…
She then thought of Serph. She pouted; poor guy. He had been wanting to make love, hadn't he? Oh well. It was going to have to wait. This was more important.
'What if this thing…spreads?!' she thought frantically. She could infect other people! What if it was…contagious?!
xxxxx
"I-Is that even possible?" she asked in total disbelief, gaping at the doctor.
She could not believe what this doctor had just claimed.
The doctor shook her head, "There is no denying it. Take a look at these…These were taken to get a look at your readings."
Her chest tightened as she looked at the pictures.
There was a lump within Argilla's abdomen.
"Ack! What the hell is that?!" she shrieked.
The doctor, ignoring her patient's outburst, pointed at the aforesaid lump, "See this? This had attached itself along your uterine wall…"
"W-what is it?" she stammered in total disgust.
The doctor shook her head, "That is what we had been disputing about. But I firmly believe that it is a parasite."
"A…a parasite?!!" she squealed, "A parasite?! How the hell did I get a damn parasite!?" she yelled frantically, making a disgusted face.
She took a moment to calm down and then continued, "Can it be removed?" she asked in a calm voice.
The doctor shook her head, "Unfortunately, it's too small for us to reach…We have no equipment to do it."
Her face fell; there was no way to remove a little parasite?! What kind of a hospital was this anyway? Well, she had better not say anything; otherwise, they might start to use unsanitary utensils on her.
She shivered at that thought.
'S-scraarry…'
"What about poison?" Argilla asked hopefully.
The woman shook her head, "At this stage it is too early to speculate anything. If we have you ingest anything of that sort, it would most definitely harm you as well."
"So, what now?" Argilla asked, worry etched onto her features.
"For now, we wait and see." was the unfavorable reply.
"So what happens then?" she asked, whining a bit. She needed to know; was she going to die? Or was she going to live…? Was she going to die a slow and gruesome death…? Or live a dull and painful life?
The doctor sweat-dropped, "For now, the only thing we could do is to observe."
"And?" she urged. For Christ's sake, there had to be something else they could do other than "observe" her.
"And…nothing."
"Nothing!?" she asked in total incredulity. She was kidding; right?
She sighed, "If the parasite grows again and proves to be a malevolent force in you, we would have to operate. But…it would be risky. There is a 70 chance that…you won't make it. That is why I am refraining from operating."
Argilla's face suddenly drained from its color. She was…going to…die if she tried to remove it!?
"Will…will this thing kill me?" she asked worriedly, feeling disgusted with herself.
"As of now, there are no signs of it harming you. In fact, it had created a small tube that is connected to you."
Argilla blinked, "Connected to me…?"
She frowned, "What the hell does that mean?"
The doctor nodded and continued, "The tube is used as a feeding stem. It eats whatever you eat."
Argilla stifled a gasp of surprise; parasites were supposed to do harm…but this one…
The doctor chuckled, "This is an interesting specimen. It takes its nourishment from you and does not expend you in order to live, which is the standard definition for the word 'parasite'. This one just seems…to live symbiotically with you. For some reason…"
"Just like my atma…" Argilla trailed off.
"Is it…contagious?" Argilla asked, worriedly. If it was, then, she would have herself quarantined. She didn't want Serph to be involved.
The other woman shook her head, "I don't believe so. If you are worried about your partner, then don't."
Argilla let out a breath of relief. At least she wasn't contagious…That was a good thing.
"Males do not have the space to accommodate the parasite. Only females do." she explained. Oh. So that was why. That was why Serph didn't have it.
Argilla let out a breath of relief; at least Serph was out of the question. But what about other females?
"But…? From female to female…?" Argilla asked.
The other woman shrugged her shoulders, "As of now, the parasite is still in its infantile stages. It is not ready for reproduction. I just do not know how long its lifespan is…So, I really can't say conclusively…"
'Eeek…!'
There was that sentence again.
There was that word again. Inconclusive.
Oh well. Go out and come back in a week.
'Yeah…go and come back in a week, check if I'm still alive and breathing by then…If this thing doesn't burst out of me and eat me or eat me from within!' she thought with a shiver.
She walked out of the infirmary with a quivering breath and a shaking countenance. A parasite…But thankfully, it wasn't contagious.
Her heart stopped.
'W-what…what the hell…?!' she thought in shock as she saw other women walking towards the infirmary with…swollen bellies…?!
Her pink eyes dilated abnormally as she scanned each and every one of them…They were all huddled forward, probably hiding their identities. Some had bigger bellies than others…
'Oh my God…!!' she thought, panicking. 'They look like they're going to explode!' she mentally shrieked.
'What…what the fuck is going on here?!'
There wasn't a question about it.
The disease…or this parasite was getting out of hand! It was becoming an epidemic! 'W-will I turn out…like that!?' she thought, utterly frightened.
"Ack!" she screamed, running from the scene.
xxxxx
Argilla opened her eyes slowly, moaning. Where was she…? The last thing that she remembered was being in a place of pure light…
She groaned; her head was pounding relentlessly that she failed to perceive anything else other from the searing pain. Her hand came up to caress her head and she moaned, "Oh God…"
"Don't." a gentle voice told her, followed by a warm hand on her own.
She slowly opened her eyes and was met with gentle silver eyes. It was him. He was there, with her. She smiled, "Oh…Serph…W-where…are we…?" she spoke slowly, her voice husky and coarse.
Serph shook his head, "There is…plenty of time…later. Sleep." Before she could object, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. Once more, she slumbered.
A day had passed and there, Argilla stretched her arms and legs. She opened her eyes and for the first time, scrutinized her surroundings. She raised an eyebrow; this wasn't her room. More specifically, this wasn't the infirmary.
She slowly sat up, "W-where…am I…?"
"Good morning."
She stiffened as she heard a voice coming from the doorway. She smiled, "Serph…!" She stood and gaped at him, "Where are we?"
He chuckled, and pointed to the room on his left, "There's the lavatory. Use it. Your uniform's been prepped. We'll talk then."
She nodded.
An hour had passed and Serph held her hand, leading her through the unfamiliar halls. A moment later, they were within an office. She raised an eyebrow; the office had…bottles of…liquor?
'Highly inappropriate…' she thought with disgust.
A moment later, she was met with her teammates; Gale and Cielo. Wait a minute. Where was Heat?
xxxxx
She sat on a chair by the dining area. It was all too much to take in…She was…She was in the supposed Nirvana. Wow. This was a shock…She didn't expect it to look the way it did…It was so…
It was a wasteland.
And then…there were Heat and Sera missing. She sighed and closed her eyes painfully; they were having so many problems that she didn't know where to start…
Her hand unconsciously traveled to her stomach. She raised an eyebrow as she felt a slight bulge. When did that happen? She sighed; right. Her strange parasite.
Well, she really didn't have the time to think of it right now. Her doctor at the Junkyard had told her that it was living symbiotically with her after all, so, there was no risk of it killing her. Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw her teammates sit down, "Hey guys." she said cheerfully, "So, what's the plan?"
Cielo groaned and placed his forehead on the table, "We're going to de sewers ja?"
Gale shook his head, "We need to in order to gain access to Karma City."
Right. That was another problem. This place was…completely different. Two worlds of two different peoples. The demons…and the humans. She was surprised that they, possessors of atmas, had been allowed refuge. Well, Serph and Gale were probably good negotiators.
Oh well.
"We leave at first light." That was Serph's voice. She shrugged her shoulders; she really couldn't care any less. The sooner they find Heat and Sera, the better.
xxxxx
Another three days and three nights had passed and Argilla was panicking. The bulge in her stomach had grown to such an extent that it could not be concealed by her corset. She bit her lip as she inspected herself at the lavatory. Cold sweat was beginning to form all over her body. What was happening to her!? She was turning into some sort of monster! Aside from her atma, that is…
'Just like those women!' she thought hysterically, panicking.
She suddenly felt a lump in her throat, "Oh shit…! What the hell am I supposed to do now…?!" she moaned painfully, panic beginning to sink in within her skin.
"You alright?" a muffled male voice spoke from the other side of the door. Argilla's throat became dry, "I…I'm fine…!"
How was she to tell him this now…?
'Would…would he think me a…freak!?' she thought frantically, letting her imagination run away with her. What if he decided not to love her anymore?! What if he decided to just…leave her?
What then?
What if he told her that she was…undesirable…?
She let out a staggering breath; no. She would hide it for as long as she could. Quickly, she donned on her pajamas and then her robe. Fastening the knot of the robe firmly, she looked at herself again. Yup. No bulge.
Good.
All she had to do now was to not get Serph in the mood. Ever.
That shouldn't be too hard.
She left the lavatory and saw him sitting on the bed, reading, "Hey." he spoke gently, closing the book, "You were taking so long, I thought…that something…happened." he spoke slowly.
She chuckled; actually, she chuckled every time he spoke.
Serph wasn't the speaking type and every time that he would, he had to do in a slow and almost drawling fashion.
She smiled and got under the covers, "Well, Serph. Let's get to bed. We have an early mission tomorrow." Without letting him respond, she lay down and closed her bedside lights, turning to her side, away from him and said a quick, "goodnight".
Serph blinked; not even a kiss…? What was going on? She was never that eager to sleep…But he shouldn't press her. She was right. Another mission awaited them tomorrow.
xxxxx
They had just gotten back from a hunt. Serph was satisfied; he had learnt new mantras…He was pleased that his comrades had had their full meals and were steadily learning their mantras. Argilla too. She was very valuable to them when it came to mantras. She was their best magic user after all.
But…He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something going on with her that she hid from the rest of them. He would find her at times, spacing out…
He could only wonder as to why that was…
And then, there were their problems in the bedroom. Not that he was being a pervert…or was he being forceful. He wasn't pressuring her either…but…there were times wherein he would feel as if…she were pushing him away…or that she avoided his advances. That was what had gotten him confused. She never used to do that before. Heck, before, she would be the one coming onto him! Not the other around!
And now…
He was going to have to speak to her about that…
"Ey mon…" Cielo said, interrupting his thoughts. He turned to their blue-haired teammate and realized that his comment was aimed at Argilla.
"Yeah?" she asked gruffly, crossing her arms.
Cielo scratched his head, "I don't want to offend you mon…but…maybe you had better cut down on de meat eh?" he said, pointing to her stomach.
Four pairs of eyes, including her own, followed Cielo's finger's trajectory and there…They all beheld her bulging belly.
Argilla blushed beet red and she immediately turned around, cursing at Cielo under her breath for exposing her. Ignoring the snickering from behind her, she quickly made a hasty inspection of her abdomen.
Her eyes widened and her mouth hung agape. Cielo wasn't kidding; her belly was protruding and the fact that she had just devoured and had come back from a hunt…exacerbated the situation. She groaned; she must look…really disgusting. The skin of her engorged belly was peeking proudly from the edges of her corset, exposing the layers of skin…and…fat?
Eww…
"Argilla?"
Serph's voice immediately startled her. But even after hearing his voice, she did not turn around, ashamed.
She merely shrugged her shoulders and went back towards the exit. "Let's get outta here." she told them nonchalantly, walking away.
"Uh oh…I tink she's mad ja?"
Gale rolled his eyes, "And whose fault was that?"
xxxxx
Night had rolled in and this was it.
"Argilla? We have to talk."
Argilla stiffened but remained calm, "What about?"
"About us."
Okay…so it was about that issue…
"What about us?" she asked coyly, clearly playing innocent. Or ignorant. Whatever he wanted to think; it was all the same to him.
Serph was getting irked. She wasn't even looking at him and was overly focusing on her rifle. He frowned and firmly yanked her to her feet, making her drop her rifle on the table. There, their eyes met and he spoke calmly, albeit, seriously, "Why do you keep rejecting me?"
She said nothing, not knowing what to tell him.
He was getting irritated and there, pulled her closer to him, "I said…" He stopped suddenly as he felt something bump against his abdomen. Argilla froze. Not this again…
His eyes left hers and looked down. There he felt the slight bulge in her abdomen. He said nothing and slowly let one of her arms free in order to inspect her pajama top. He heard her slightly whimper but he did not relinquish his hold on her and there felt her abdomen's bare skin. He froze as his palm and fingers glazed over the smooth skin, "What happened?" he slowly asked, his eyes once more flying up to meet hers.
She sighed and looked at him with defeat clearly written in her eyes, "That's what I wanted to hide from you…I've…I've had a parasite within me for months now Serph. The doctors at Muladhara couldn't remove it…And…now, my parasite's gotten bigger…I…I don't know what to do. I didn't want to tell you…or to make love with you because…you'd know and…I really don't want to add to our problems…"
Serph had no idea…So this was the reason why she had been avoiding him.
Without words, he embraced her gently. They needed to see another physician. There was no more dillydallying. She had to see another doctor ASAP.
He released her and looked into her eyes, "Get dressed. We're going to a physician."
"Now?" she asked incredulously.
He nodded, "Yes…Now."
xxxxx
He frowned. She could no longer fit in her uniform. Her stomach had grown too large for the simple and tight-fitting corset. So, he just had her dress in her pajamas and in her robes. On the way, as they were making their way out of the building, they were stopped by Roland, "Oi! Where are you two off to in such a late hour?"
Argilla looked down, ashamed and said nothing.
Serph looked at Roland with a cold demeanor and asked calmly, "Where is your infirmary? Argilla needs to see a doctor."
Roland's face became serious as he heard Serph's words and he quickly stole a glance at his female companion, "Is it that bad?" he shook his head; this was no time for questions, "That way. First door on your left."
With a hasty "thank you" the two rushed passed Roland.
Serph held Argilla's hand tightly as he led her through the hall. They reached the aforesaid room and he opened the door for her. She entered and so did he. They were met by a few nurses and a physician.
Serph told them of their concern and immediately Argilla had been prepped for a physical examination.
He waited for them to finish. He ran a hand through his hair as he continued to wait. He stood up when his name was called and there he followed Argilla's attending physician and followed her.
A moment later, he saw his lover lying on the bed. He walked over to her and held her hand. They smiled at each other and turned to the doctor, "Well, what's the status of her parasite? Can it be removed?" Serph asked seriously.
The doctor was obviously taken aback by what he had said and he could only wonder why.
"P-parasite…?!" the doctor stammered, obviously aghast. The nerve of these people! Coming into her office at this time of night, only to ask her to perform a…an abortion!? What type of doctor did they take her for?
'To regard a human life as a…parasite…' she thought, shaking her head.
She glared at the silver-haired man, "Is this a common practice for Avatar Tuners?!"
'Avatar…Tuners…? Common practice…?' thought Serph, confused.
Argilla paled but remained quiet; what was this doctor saying?! Didn't she care about saving her patient's life?
The doctor shook her head, "You barge in here in the middle of the night for a child abortion…?!"
The two Embryon members were taken aback. Child…abortion? What was she talking about?
Serph shook his head, "Child abortion…? What?"
"Don't feign ignorance sir! I am not stupid!" the doctor said, glowering at them, most especially him, "I've seen young people like you two…Making a mistake…creating human life and then, just going to discard it like it was…some common trash!"
Serph was taken aback once more and raised his palm, asking her to halt, "We are not asking you to kill a human being. We're here to ask you to cure my…my mate. She has a parasite that is growing within her belly. I thought your tests had confirmed that." he spoke calmly.
Here, the doctor flared, "Sir," she began sarcastically, "calling your child in your mate's womb a parasite is not a way for you to create an excuse to get an abortion."
Argilla paled, 'What…? What child?'
Serph's silver eyes widened; child!? His mate…was having a child?!
"What child?" the two confused Embryon members asked simultaneously. The doctor stared at them both, dumbfounded; were Avatar Tuners stupid?
She rolled her eyes, and pointed at Argilla's swollen belly, "The parasite that you've been asking me to remove! What else!?"
Serph looked at Argilla and then at the other woman again, "T-that parasite…is a child? A…a half-formed…human being?"
The doctor gaped at them, "You two…don't know anything…do you?"
The two Embryon members shook their heads. Argilla sighed and spoke, "My physician…back at Muladhara…told me that…that this," she said, holding her belly, "is a parasite…It could possibly be my atma…but she wasn't sure…She was the one who told me that…it was…a parasite." the pink-haired woman slowly finished, casting her face down.
The doctor sighed, "Roland told me that you people aren't…from around here…I think, some things should be explained…"
Silver and met pink and then, simultaneously, they looked at the older woman before them and both nodded.
xxxxx
After an hour and a half of biology and a bit of ethics classes, the two were in their room once more, in complete silence.
Serph looked at his mate, who stared at the wall. He smiled weakly and there stroked her belly. That caught her attention as she now looked at him with a faint blush on her face, "Serph…we're going to…have a…a baby…?"
"It would…seem so…"
They both had learnt that a child…was a symbol of a man and a woman's love…their union…They both felt horrible as they listened to the explanation…And to think that they thought of it as a parasite…
For shame…
At least, they had not done anything that might have endangered it…
Argilla sighed in contentment. So, that was the reason why she felt no ill feelings towards her parasite…her baby…It was a part of her…a part of Serph. It was…the most beautiful thing that she could ever imagine…
With the life that was growing within her, there was no other way to express love…When their child was born, she and Serph would continue to live…as long as their child was alive, they would live too…
And then, he would pass that on as he had children of his own…
She supposed that death really wasn't all that significant. It was but a phase in life…in one's existence. They would continue to live on within their child and within their child's child and so on and so forth…
It was a beautiful thing…A never ending cycle…It was truly a miracle.
She suddenly froze as her mind drifted from pregnancy's poetic aspect to its more practical implications.
"But I…I don't know anything about parenting…!" Argilla suddenly blurted out, her face expressing nothing but anxiety.
He chuckled, "Don't worry. We'll figure it out."
She smiled, "Really…? You won't disappear on me…even when I get…big?"
He chuckled, "Never."
"And fat…?"
He held her hand in his and again responded firmly, without hesitation, "Never."
She laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder. She had no worries now. Serph would be there for her and for their parasite…erm…baby. She suddenly stiffened.
Right.
They had another problem. And much more pressing than others. She blushed and murmured, "Um…I can't fit in my uniform anymore…What will I wear for the mission tomorrow?"
xxxxx
FIN
A/N:
ABORTION: The opinions expressed here pertaining to the issues of ABORTION is of a fictional character's set on a fictional setting and is not necessarily congruent with that of the author.
MALE PREGNANCY: Some of you may have issues with this piece as being sexist. I am aware of the very first human male to being pregnant (Mr. Lee Mingwei). Yes, technically, it is possible for a man to be pregnant. This is called the Ectopic Pregnancy; which is pregnancy from a place other than the uterus. Technically, it CAN be done, but in my fic, I am only expressing my views on this as a traditionalist, conservative and a naturalist.