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A month went by in the same routine. I spent the day alone and Anubis would visit me at night, sleep by my side, and be gone in the mornings. Sometimes he stayed with me for breakfast, or if I was lucky, half a day.

By this time I was about two months along. Due to Mrs. Brown's nausea potions, I could eat as much as I wanted, and as a result, my stomach started to expand a bit. Anubis was positively gleeful, I on the other hand, was getting a bit cranky. I couldn't get full, I couldn't stop gaining weight- and I knew for a fact I was bigger than I should be-and I was constantly irritable.

Anubis, for his part, was trying to be supportive, I knew that. He told me I looked very lovely even when I knew for a fact that I did not. He brushed my tears away when my hormones got to be too much. When I was too overbearing, he rode it out. At times, I wanted to strangle him for not yelling back at me, but in the end, I was-mostly-very grateful for him.

"Sadie," Anubis called.

I groaned and rolled over in bed. I don't care what he did; I wasn't getting out of these blankets today.

His head appeared in the door and I burrowed deeper down in the bed.

"Sadie," he said in amusement, looking down at me. "Are you really trying to hide from me, on the bed? The one place you are guaranteed to be?"

I glowered at him. "'m sleepy and I'm not moving!"

He laughed, "I take it you're worn out from yesterday? Physical exhaustion?" he teased.

I could feel my face heat up. Yesterday we had gone to Anubis's special pocket of the Duat, and on the way there I was fine, on the way back I had nearly passed out from exertion on the way back down. About halfway back Anubis had taken pity on my and let me ride between his shoulder blades in my cat form. I was very out of shape apparently. In fact, I was still feeling sore in my thighs and shoulders, despite the fact that I had been sleeping for about ten hours.

"I don't get it!" I finally exclaimed, sitting up and wringing my hands when Anubis sat down on the edge of my bed. "The first time we went I didn't have any problems-"

"You weren't two months pregnant the last time we went," Anubis said patiently. "Gods require a lot of energy to grow and you physically exerting yourself, even a little, is more tiring than it would normally be."

I growled and flopped back down. "I hate being lazy," I whined. "It drives me insane. I want to run and fly and move…but at the same time I want to sleep around and eat none-stop."

Anubis chuckled, "I'm sorry you're uncomfortable."

I threw a pillow at him and he caught it easily, raising an eyebrow down at me. "Really Sadie? You really want to do that? You can't run away and I am much stronger than you."

I crossed my arms, "you can't get me."

He smiled serenely, then before I could even move away, he lunged forward and pinned me down. No matter how hard I squirmed or twisted, I couldn't get up. Finally I stopped and panted, trying to catch my breath.

"So easily tired out," he teased, leaning down to kiss me. The second his lips touched mine an….idea popped into my head.

I suppose there can be more than one way to get a little exercise, I thought mischievously, wrapping my legs around Anubis's waist and holding him to me tighter, deepening the kiss.

He stiffened slightly, "Sadie," he murmured. I tangled my fingers in his hair and pulled him closer.

"Mm, I want a little attention," I purred, trying to sound seductive.

He raised an eyebrow, "aren't you getting enough?"

"Not that kind of attention," I said breathily.

He looked confused for a moment, before the realization set in. An evil grin spread across his face, "How cute, you're horny-"

"I am not-!" I said in indignation.

"Oh, alright," he said with mock innocence. "Then I guess I can go-"

"No!"

He smiled deviously, "well now, you want something?"

I nodded, my cheeks turning pink.

"Hm, whatever could my lady be pining for? Oh, if only I knew-!"

"Anubis!"

He laughed and slid his hands down from my shoulders to my breasts, rubbing them. I arched up and glared at him. He knew what I wanted and he was teasing me!

"Oh, am I forgetting something?" he said innocently.

I snarled and wrapped my legs around his waist, pinning him to me. He paled and I rubbed up against him slow and hard until he was quite eager.

"Now then," I purred, "do me properly, please."

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I think I was too rough, I though, looking down at Sadie fondly. She was curled in a ball, fast asleep. Amazing what a little 'attention' could do. Sadie was practically purring, her breasts, hips, and spine decorated with love bites.

Perhaps those were a little much, I thought guiltily. My guilt died quickly though when I looked down and saw what she'd done to me.

"Territorial much?" I teased gently. She didn't even stir.

Of course she didn't, I thought amusedly. Our walk tired her out yesterday, several rounds of sex today polished her off. She shouldn't be up for a little while.

I petted her hair and kissed her one more time before gathering my cloths and returning to the hall.

"Anubis?"

I looked up from the scroll I was studying. Master Julius was in the doorway, watching me work. Guilt flooded my mind. I always felt awful when I looked at him now, thinking of the secret I was keeping from him, tucked into the Duat.

"Yes?"

He rubbed his neck. I tried to ignore the fact of how imposing he looked, even when I knew he wouldn't hurt me. Would he though-? If he knew what I was hiding in the Duat? Who I was hiding-?

"I just wanted to say, thank you," Master Julius said, jolting me from my thoughts.

"I didn't-what?"

He gestured to a chair next to my bed. "May I?"

I nodded cautiously.

He sat down and studied me with a look of fatherly affection, which only made the guilt worse. For a fleeting moment, I wanted to break down and tell him everything. I wanted to beg forgiveness for impregnating Sadie, for disobeying and sneaking around with her, to ask him what to do-but then I remembered I couldn't. Asking forgiveness would imply that I regretted it. I didn't regret a single moment I'd had with Sadie, even the tough ones.

"You've been working very hard," Osiris stated, bringing my attention back to the present. "Perhaps a little too hard."

I had been prepared for a stern lecture on not letting my duties slip, not this fatherly affection and concern.

"What?"

He spread his hands. "You have been working very diligently since I have come back, and for that I'm proud of you, but at the same time…I think you might be over-working yourself, Anubis."

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "You've been working so hard that you barely have time to sleep, and I respect that you want to help, but…you're starting to look a little worse for wear."

I blinked and looked at my reflection on the vanity across my room. I guess my cheeks were a little hollow; the sleepless circles under my eyes seemed a little darker than usual. Maybe I was stressing a little.

"What do you want me to do? Stop working?"

Master Julius shook his head. "Of course not. You're a vital part of the hall, it can't run without you. But…perhaps you could take a small vacation from your duties?"

I frowned. Take a break from my duties? What was I supposed to do if I wasn't running the hall? Sadie-

Sadie!

"Is it mandatory that I stay in the hall?" I asked hesitantly.

Osiris frowned, "where would you go?"

I shrugged, "spend some time with a friend."

He raised an eyebrow and I crossed my arms in response. "It's very offending that you think me incapable of making a friend."

"I-no-of course not! I just never thought…" he trailed off, realizing he was making the situation worse.

I tried to look offended, despite the fact that he was right. I didn't have any friends. If Sadie hadn't literally walked in and forced her company on me, I'd be stuck with just Nico. I don't think that counted as friendship though-getting bored every few years and trying to kill each other, with varying degrees of success.

"I suppose you can go…wherever it is…" he said slowly.

"Thanks," I said, sliding off the bed. I had clothes already at the temple; I really didn't need to bring anything.

Osiris opened his mouth as if to say something, but I dissolved into the shadows before he could. I didn't want to have to lie if he asked me where I was going.