AN: So the next chapter! thanks to everyone who reviewed so far...it means a lot. And just to let you know, these aren't going to be in any particular order (this one takes place before the first Chapter in this collection). I will put them in some context before the story starts but, like I mentioned before, it would be best to read On the Edge of the Roman Empire just to keep everything in context :)

Standard Disclaimer Applies

Pregnancy Times Two

This takes place at the End of Part I plus two years. Valeria and Vanora are pregnant at the same time- Valeria with Lucia and Vanora with 10

Gawain shoved Bors, causing him to trip and crash into the wall as they ran down the corridors of the keep. Bors cursed and ran after his brother knight. He managed to catch up to Gawain and pulled his friend's hair sharply, causing Gawain to lose his balance. Gawain cursed and latched onto Bors' shoulders as he spun around to prevent himself from falling.

"NO! You've dealt with this before! I should go!" Gawain cried out anxiously.

"It don't matter how many times I've dealt with it, I'm not dealing with it times two!" Bors grunted back, shaking off Gawain and continuing his dash around the corridors.

"There he is!" Gawain shouted out with a hint of panic in his tone. He and Bors exchanged a glance before running towards their quarry, only slowing down in order to prevent the other from getting their first. They skidded to a stop at the same time, still grappling a little bit and slapping at each other's hands.

"Bors, Gawain." Arthur said a little warily. He had never seen Bors and Gawain act so…desperate. As two of his bravest and most loyal knights, he felt himself become anxious at their obvious nerves.

"Arthur, you have to let me go on patrol." They said it at the same time, which caused them to shoot each other a fierce glare.

"Ooookkkaaay." Arthur drawled out. "And why do we want to go on patrol when there haven't been any recent Woad incursions or missions from Rome?" Arthur felt his nervousness slowly turn into annoyance as the knights exchanged diffident looks. Apparently they didn't want to tell him.

"Erm, we can't ahhh let the Woads get too comfortable?" Gawain said, although it came out as more of a question than a statement. Arthur looked at Gawain skeptically and Gawain looked to Bors for some support.

"Right!" Bors agreed. "They get too damn comfortable and who knows what the dirty bastards will get up to next time we do have a mission from Rome." Arthur looked slightly more convinced and Gawain seized the opportunity.

"Besides, it'll be good to get out of the fort and see more of the countryside." Gawain continued while nodding his head enthusiastically. Arthur narrowed his eyes Gawain. Gawain suggesting that he needed to be out on the Island? Something was seriously wrong.

"Err…Right!" Bors agreed, slightly worried by the how Arthur's eyes had narrowed.

"Alright. Enough of this. What is really going with you two?" Arthur stared at them and to his surprise; both Gawain and Bors looked down at the floor as though embarrassed. "Gawain? Bors? Tell me now."

"You tell him." Bors said giving Gawain a shove.

"No you!" Gawain said shoving back. This went back and forth for a few moments, until Arthur was finally fed up with their antics.

"Enough! I demand that one of you tell me now!" He glared at the both of them for another long moment. "Gawain. Tell me now why you two are so insistent to go on this patrol." Gawain mumbled something and Arthur sighed in exasperation.

"Alright! Bloody…Vanora and Valeria are both pregnant and they're…well they're scary." Bors started out yelling, but by the end of his outburst, he was whispering. However, Arthur scoffed at this explanation.

"Come now, they're just women!" Arthur paused to give his knights a disappointed look at Gawain's undignified snort and Bors' groan of apparent agony. "Bors, I'm surprised at your attitude. Vanora has been pregnant before." Before Bors could answer Arthur turned to Gawain. "And Gawain, I'm disappointed in you. You missed most of Valeria's first pregnancy. Now is your chance to be with her to experience the miracle of life from the very beginning. Would you give that up to court death by patrolling for Woads?"

Bors and Gawain exchanged a look. They knew that there would be no point to just give Arthur a simple answer (although shouting 'yes!' loudly and repeatedly was very tempting); Arthur was painfully ignorant to the reality of living and dealing with women. They would have to explain. They were just thankful that none of the other knights were around to witness this. However, soon Galahad walked up and Bors groaned. Of all the knights to overhear it had to be Galahad?

"What are you talking about?" Galahad asked curiously. It wasn't often that Arthur looked so annoyed while Gawain AND Bors were…sheepish. The two Sarmatians glared at Galahad, but that only made the younger knight more curious.

"Gawain and Bors were just going to explain why they need to go on patrol so they could escape their pregnant…er…women." Arthur said a bit awkwardly. Galahad snorted in amusement.

"You two were serious about that?" He asked and laughed. He managed to smother his laughs when he saw the murderous looks he was receiving from his much larger brother knights. "I mean, of course you were serious. Go ahead; tell Arthur why you need to escape Vanora and Valeria."

Bors and Gawain looked between Arthur, who looked at them with a slight look of incredulity and patience, and Galahad who was smirking at them. They exchanged a look before they nodded at each other.

"Vanora's just sick all the time. I mentioned once that it was odd she was putting on so much weight when she couldn't hold down her food, she locked me out of the house!" Bors started. Galahad snickered at Bors' statement.

"When I can home from training the other day, Valeria was just…sobbing." Gawain continued. He shuddered. "I asked her what was wrong, and she said there was nothing wrong. So I got worried and figured that something was wrong with Felix, and she just…I don't know how else to say this." Gawain said and met their eyes seriously. "She went crazy. All of the sudden she yelled that I didn't care about her and only loved Felix…" Gawain trailed off and rubbed his hand over his face. "It took me nearly two hours to get her calmed down. Then I asked what was for dinner and she just started yelling." Gawain threw his hands up. "I didn't know what to do!"

"So the wanker brought her over to my house." Bors said with a growl. "Vanora finally let me back in, but she let them come in too." Bors gave Gawain a shove and Gawain glared back.

"How was I to know that you didn't know how to handle Vanora when she was pregnant!" Gawain exploded. "You already have nine children!" Bors growled and it looked like they might fight, but Arthur interrupted them.

"Bors! Gawain! Stop fighting, tell me what happened."

"They made us talk about our feelings." Gawain whispered. He and Bors looked at each other and then quickly looked away.

"What?" Galahad choked out laughing.

"We bloody well had to tell them what we're feeling! And listen for God knows how long about what they were feeling!" Bors exploded.

"It was never ending." Gawain added solemnly. "Talk about the sickness and how they feel so vulnerable and ugly and are we sure that we really love them and…" Gawain was interrupted by Arthur.

"Alright! Alright!" Arthur cried out, his face slightly green. He'd always thought that Vanora had to have the patience of a saint to put up with Bors and Valeria had always seemed so soft spoken and respectable. Who knew the evil those two were truly capable of?

"Well? Can we go? At least a quick trip to Londinium?" Gawain begged. Arthur cleared his throat.

"Yes, well. I suppose that we should check in with Londinium and see how things are going." Arthur nodded, fully decided. "Gawain, Bors. We leave at once." Arthur nodded at them and turned to walk away and pack his gear. He decided he would go too; he didn't want Valeria or Vanora to run into him and ask why he had sent their men away. He shuddered in horror at the thought of that possible confrontation.

"Yes!" Gawain crowed in victory. He pumped his fist in the air and turned to Bors who clasped his hand on Gawain's shoulder; his own show of happiness at their successful plan.

"All of our gear is packed?" Bors asked and Gawain nodded in reply like an eager puppy. "Let's go then." Bors said with a grin. They turned to go to the stables, but were stopped by Galahad.

"Who's gonna go tell Valeria and Vanora?" Galahad asked with a bit of a smirk. Gawain felt all the color drain from his face as he gaped at Galahad. Bors cursed loudly. And repeatedly.

"You tell them." Bors said, punching Gawain in the shoulder.

"No, you." Gawain said shoving Bors. Both men looked at each other assessingly for a moment, before they began to scuffle in earnest.

Galahad watched the scene amused. But he made a mistake was when he began to chortle at his friends; drawing their attention to him. Bors had Gawain in a headlock, but they both paused in their fight and, as one, lunged towards Galahad. Bors attacked the top and Gawain the bottom. Between the two them, they managed to overpower Galahad…

OOOoooOOO

At first Vanora thought that the knocking at the door was just her headache getting even worse. But then she heard some sort of shuffling and thumping and the distinct sound of a horse's bridle jingling and hoofs prancing away. She frowned and went to the door.

There on her doorstep was a trussed up Galahad, glaring down the lane. She looked in the direction he was glaring and saw Bors and Gawain riding away as though an army of Woads was after them. She sighed; she hated their childish pranks when she was sore, pregnant, and had a killer headache. She undid the gag that bound Galahad's mouth.

"What'd you do this time?" Vanora asked with a sigh.

"Alright, now don't be mad…"

Galahad learned that next time he should give Vanora bad news after he was untied.

AN: Review! Let me know what you think. I have a couple more chapters that I'm proofing right now, but any ideas that you have would be welcome