A/N: Happy Thanksgiving to my US readers! I wanted to get this chapter up as I'm leaving for vacation for a week, to travel back home to visit my family, so I'll be unable to get to my computer while I'm away. I hope you all have a blessed week and I'll be back with more updates next weekend!

~Seirenia


Chapter 22
You Sang To Me

The cool October air was swirling around gently. Rich red and yellow leaves were dancing through the air happily. Sariel and Elliott were cuddling on a blanket in the grass beneath a large pomegranate tree near the farmhouse while Leon, Chris, Lia, Belle, and Sirius were playing nearby.

Sariel was nestled against Elliott's chest and he was lovingly rubbing the small bump in her abdomen that was their growing child. He was resting his chin on her left shoulder, and his left hand was holding a copy of Romeo and Juliet. He was softly reading the play aloud and Sariel's eyes were closed as she enjoyed the intimacy of the moment. She laid her right hand on his and smiled brightly. The amount of love he poured into both she and their unborn child was amazing.

Elliott slipped a bookmark into the pages of the book and lowered his arm to his side. He wrapped Sariel in his arms and gently hugged her. He pressed a kiss to her left cheek and threaded his fingers with hers.

"How are you feeling, darling?" Elliott purred.

"Pretty great, actually. I haven't thrown up in a couple of days, so I'm hoping my morning sickness is done." Sariel replied.

"When we leave for the city, I'll drive if you'd like to rest, beloved." Elliott purred again.

"That'd be nice. Thank you, baby. I can't thank you enough for how much you've been helping Linus and I the last few weeks. It's moments like these, though, that I treasure deeply. I love you, Elliott." Sariel proudly stated.

"I love you, my darling Sariel. Any moment I spend with you, I treasure." Elliott purred.

"Even the gross icky ones when I'm throwing up non-stop and you're holding my hair?" Sariel teased.

"I treasure those the most. You are my wife, I should be the one to comfort you when you feel ill, or when our unborn child and hormones are wreaking havoc on your body." Elliott cooed.

"You're so hopelessly romantic. I love it. Thanks for letting me wear your shirt. I'm getting fat." Sariel bemoaned.

"Beloved, you most certainly are not." Elliott stated indignantly.

Think we should tell the boys I'm pregnant?" Sariel asked gently.

"A distinct possibility, though they may smother you with affection. I shall do my best to prevent your demise." Elliott laughed.

He unwound Sariel from his embrace and stood behind her. He took her hand in his and gently pulled her to her feet. He spun her towards him and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed a tender kiss to her lips and stroked her back.

Sariel took a step away from Elliott and slipped her silver flats onto her feet. She was wearing one of Elliott's white dress shirts and she rolled the sleeves up again, tightening them on her slender arms. She was donning a pair of light blue skinny jeans. Her dark red hair was bound in an elegant five-strand mermaid braid.

"You look beautiful today, darling." Elliott whispered.

"Only today? Aww man." Sariel playfully pouted.

"Ah, you wound me, Rinn." Elliott playfully clapped his hand over his heart.

"Will a kiss make it better?" Sariel asked gently.

"I would reason it never hurts to try." Elliott purred.

Sariel smiled brightly and brought her lips to Elliott's. As she broke the kiss she nestled her head against his chest. She giggled when he hefted her into the air and started carrying her towards her friends.

"Hey, Rinn!" Leon called out.

"Morning!" Sariel chirped.

Elliott sat her down and smiled when Lia ran to him and hugged his leg. He rustled the small girl's hair and turned his attention towards his wife and their friends. He laughed when Chris threw a football to Leon and pelted the man in his back.

"Holy donkey balls, Scott! I know you like my ass, but jeez!" Leon barked out.

"Papa! No bad words!" Lia called out.

"Yeah, Leon, what your daughter said." Chris laughed.

"Hey, Thing One and Thing Two, got a hot minute?" Sariel queried.

"For you, Rinn? You can have two hot minutes." Leon chortled.

"Aunty Rinn, why are you wearing one of Uncle Ellie's shirts?" Lia asked inquisitively.

"That's what I want to talk to you about." Sariel cooed softly.

The trio closed in on Sariel and Chris smiled when Lia bounded over to her Aunt. They were enjoying the morning while Penny was babysitting their newborn twins, Genevieve Hope and Remington Gage. Lia was over the moon with joy at having both a brother and a sister.

Sariel climbed onto the porch and curled her legs beneath her. She took Elliott's hand in hers and laced their fingers together. He rubbed her left arm and shoulder with his left hand and pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

"Do you know when Ginny and Remy were born, how Daddy and Papa knew you were having a brother or a sister?" Sariel asked gently.

"Yep! They showed me pictures and we talked about it a lot." Lia responded happily.

"You asked me why I'm wearing one of Uncle Elliott's shirts. Look at my tummy and tell me what you think." Sariel stated.

She lifted the hem of the dress shirt and revealed her abdomen. The larger shirt easily disguised the growing bump. When looking at her bare skin there was no feasible way to deny Sariel was, in fact, pregnant.

"Oh my god, Rinn! How far along are you?!" Leon squealed joyously.

"Little over thirteen weeks." Sariel replied sweetly.

"You're having a baby, Aunty Rinn?" Lia asked gently.

"I am. The baby is growing in my tummy just like Ginny and Remy grew in Becca's tummy." Sariel answered.

"Can I touch your tummy?" Lia asked sweetly.

"Of course, Princess. Thank you for asking," Sariel lovingly stated.

Lia gently reached her small hand towards her Aunt's stomach and felt the small, yet firm bump. She squealed happily and rubbed her hand over the skin. She pressed a tiny, gentle kiss to the bump and smiled up at Sariel.

"Hello, baby. My name is Lia and I'm gonna be your friend! I love you, little baby." Lia stated sweetly.

"Oh, Lia." Sariel whispered as tears formed in her eyes.

Leon and Chris walked over and they each took turns feeling Sariel's growing stomach. They hugged her to them closely and they each kissed her forehead. Leon had tears in the corners of his eyes as he gazed at his surrogate sister fondly. He knelt in front of Sariel and started talking to her bump.

"Hey, little baby. I'm your Uncle Leon. Your Mom is one of the strongest, fiercest, most loving people I've ever met. I promise we're always going to be here for you, and that you're getting the best set of parents a kid could get." Leon whispered gently.

Sariel was crying happily as her closest friends radiated love and happiness to her, Elliott, and their unborn child. She rubbed the tears from her cheeks and laced her fingers with Elliott's once again. She leaned against Elliott and smiled softly.

"Have you told anyone else yet?" Chris asked.

"Technically Maru and Harvey were the first to know, as they confirmed the tests. I told Elliott on his birthday, and now you three. We're driving up to the city later today because I'm finding myself in need of maternity clothes. I plan on telling Mom, Dad, and Things Three and Four about the pregnancy there." Sariel answered.

"I swear on my life, and my children's lives, Leon will not spoil your secret. If I have to lock him in the basement and steal his phone, smartwatch, and computer, I'll do it." Chris vowed.

"I appreciate that Chris, but I don't think he'll give me an issue, will you, Dragon?" Sariel inferred.

"Nope. You kicked my butt the last time I spoiled a secret. You're pregnant, that means you have pregnancy hormones. You're crazy." Leon playfully teased.

"Yeah, uh huh. I love you too, Le-Le." Sariel teased.

"Ugh! Why do you hate me so much! Blah. Stupid nickname." Leon grumbled and pouted.

Sariel giggled and smiled brightly at him. She laughed when he suddenly tickled her sides. She, Chris, and Elliott busted out into heavy laughter when Sariel accidentally kicked Leon in his groin as she flinched away from the tickles.

"Fucking hell, Rinn!" Leon whimpered.

"Dude, that's what you get for tickling a ticklish pregnant woman. No sympathy here." Chris chortled.

"I hate you. Traitorous bastard." Leon groaned.

"I'm so sorry, Leon!" Sariel exclaimed.

She hopped off the porch and gently hugged Leon. She scooped him into her arms and helped him stand. The deep pout on the man's face made her feel bad until he flashed her a smile and hugged her.

"It's okay, I've had worse. I love you, Rinn." Leon purred.

"I love you too, Leon." Sariel replied sweetly.

"Have your cravings been manageable?" Chris gently inquired.

"For the most part, yeah. Went through a two week period where I wanted to eat nothing but Fried Mushrooms and Cake. That was rough." Sariel gagged as she spoke.

"And you didn't kill Elliott by starving the poor man to death?" Leon asked.

"He is capable of fending for himself, as sad as that is. I've been craving Mediterranean food lately, thank god. I'm looking forward to going to the city later, as I can hit the Farmer's Market and hopefully get some ingredients for cooking to tide me over through the worst of the cravings. Speaking of, do my boys need anything while we're there?" Sariel inquired.

"Nope, we're good. Thanks for thinking of us!" Chris answered.

"Darling, it's nearly ten. You're due to see Harvey at ten-thirty. Shall we?" Elliott inquired softly.

"Yep! We can drive over, all our luggage is in the back of the truck. I need my purse though." Sariel sweetly replied.

Elliott kissed her and bounded onto the porch and darted inside their house. As he exited he slung Sariel's gray purse over his shoulder. He held Sirius' leash in his hand and whistled for him.

Sirius bounded up the stairs and sat by Elliott's heels and patiently waited for his leash to be clipped to his harness. He gently swished his fluffy tail on the porch as he waited. Eventually, Elliott finished locking the door and clipped the leather leash to the pooch's harness.

"Sirius, come!" Sariel gently commanded.

Sirius immediately stood and gently walked to Sariel, carefully dragging his leash behind him. He hopped off the porch and stood at Sariel's feet. When she picked up the leash he moved to her right side and waited for her to move.

She gently led him towards the truck and opened the door for him. She patted the floorboard and smiled when he jumped into the cab. She hung his leash on a hook and unclipped it from his harness. She gently tugged the door to his crate open and giggled when he climbed into it and licked her hand. She secured him and shut the door before moving to the passenger door and climbing into the truck herself.

She carefully buckled herself in making sure to loop the lap belt under her abdomen. She beamed when Elliott climbed into the driver's seat and started the ignition. He slipped her purse from his shoulder and nestled the bag between the two of them. He plugged her phone into the charger and did the same for his. The soft chime from the truck letting them know BlueTooth had connected signaled Elliott to start streaming a playlist on his phone.

The soft notes of a piano started filling the cab and in the recording, Elliott began softly singing. Sariel turned her head towards Elliott and saw the soft smirk on his face. She giggled and kissed him.

"I take it you approve of the music selection?" Elliott quipped.

"I love it! Thank you, baby!" Sariel replied sweetly.

"There's a few songs featuring Leon and Chris as well. I had Sam and Sebastian help us record everything and mix the audio. There's a special song too, but that's for later in the drive. Let's get you and our little one over to Harvey." Elliott spoke softly.

They made the rather short drive towards Harvey's Clinic. Elliott got out of the truck first and led Sirius to the shady knoll around the corner. He looped Sirius' leash around the lamp post and quickly turned and crossed back to Sariel and opened the door for her.

The air inside the clinic had a sterilized smell to it. The bright halogen lights overhead bathed everything in a bright white light. The rather typical, uncomfortable blue chairs were lined up in several rows. Harvey was behind the counter and waved to Sariel happily.

"Good morning, Sariel. Go ahead and have a seat, I'll be with you in just a moment." Harvey called out.

Sariel nodded and made her way to one of the chairs. She sat down and pulled one of the worn magazines into her hands. She idly flipped through the pages, not bothering to read any of the articles. Her shoulders were tense and her right foot was tapping out a rather nervous drum beat.

"Lia, are you nervous?" Elliott whispered.

"Nope." Sariel lied.

"You've sped through reading a magazine and are trying to drum with your foot. Are you certain, my love?" Elliott purred.

"Mmhmm." Sariel lied again.

"Darling, I know doctors make you anxious. Would you like to talk about why you're nervous?" Elliott whispered.

"Just… scared there's something wrong with the baby." Sariel whimpered.

"Rinn, even if there was, I would weather that storm with you. I meant every vow I made to you when we married, and I still mean them nine months later. I will still mean them until I day I draw my last breath. Our love is great enough we can face any storm, but we have to face them together. I love you with all of my heart." Elliott whispered into her ear.

"I love you too, Ellie. You always seem to know just what to say to make me feel better." Sariel replied lovingly.

She smiled when Elliott wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He tipped her chin up slightly and kissed her softly. He cupped her cheek and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.

Harvey popped out of the door and ushered them into the back exam room. He scribbled a few notes on his clipboard as Sariel strode past him. He followed behind Elliott and entered the exam room.

"Maru, could you join me in the exam room, please?" Harvey called out towards the small in-patient room.

"Of course, Harvey. Just a moment." Maru's calm voice replied.

The slender, ruddy-haired woman knocked softly on the door as she entered the room. She pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled brightly at Sariel and Elliott. She immediately washed her hands and slipped on a fresh pair of gloves.

"Alright Sariel, go ahead and step on the scale over here, please." Harvey called out.

Sariel obliged and slid off the exam table. She stepped on the large digital scale and waited for the monitor to report her weight. She frowned when she saw it was 122.

"You're right at one-hundred twenty-two pounds, Sariel. That's excellent! How has your morning sickness been? Are you still working on the farm every day? How often are you eating?" Harvey questioned.

"Today it was okay. I've been doing some on the farm, not a lot though. Thankfully I have Linus, Elliott, Leon, and Chris to help. I'm trying to eat three to six times a day. Three if they're regular meals, six if they're smaller or I'm snacking." Sariel answered.

"Alright. What's a typical meal for you?" Harvey questioned again.

"Oatmeal for breakfast. Sometimes with fruit, sometimes plain. Salad for lunch, and potatoes and chicken or beef for dinner." Sariel recounted.

"I see. I'd like you to try and work in some more fruits and vegetables if you can. Even something as simple as whole juices will be acceptable if you find drinking them to be easier than eating them. You're remarkably healthy, so I'm not overly concerned with your health right now. Do either of you have any concerns?" Harvey softly asked.

"Rinn has fallen prey to several migraines as of late. Is there anything you can do to help that, or anything we can do to curb them?" Elliott countered softly.

"Indeed. I'll fill you a prescription for anti-nausea medication. Take it with two Tylenol, and a small cup of caffeinated tea or coffee. I highly recommend talking to Emily about Yoga and Massage Therapy." Harvey stated.

"Will the anti-nausea stuff work for morning sickness, too?" Sariel asked.

"Absolutely. Are you ready to hear your little one's heartbeat?" Harvey inquired.

Sariel and Elliott each nodded. She laid back on the exam table and pulled the hem of Elliott's shirt up to her bosom. Goosebumps formed on her newly exposed skin from the cool air. She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled weakly when Elliott threaded his fingers through hers.

She gasped and shivered as the cold ultrasound gel was squirted onto her stomach. The thick, clear, goopy gel drove Sariel crazy. Her breath stopped when she saw the image on the monitor in front of her.

Maru expertly operated the ultrasound machine, taking precious time to scan the growing baby. Harvey dropped the lights in the room and felt a tear in his eye as Sariel and Elliott saw their child for the second time. A rapid whooshing sound echoed in the room and Harvey smiled when he realized Sariel and Elliott understood what they were hearing.

"Rinn! That's our baby! Oh beloved, thank you." Elliott called out with tears in his eyes.

"Sariel, they look amazing. All their measurements are perfectly where they should be. Your baby's heart rate is 160 beats per minute, currently double your own, Sariel. I'll print some new images for you to have. Congratulations you two." Maru lovingly stated.

Harvey flipped the lights back on and handed Maru some paper towels to wipe the ultrasound gel up with. As she finished, he ran a warm washcloth across Sariel's lower abdomen, effectively removing the remnants of the gel. He took the newly minted sonogram pictures from Maru and handed them to Sariel.

"Currently, I see nothing wrong with you continuing work on the farm. I'll see you back here in three weeks, for your 16-week appointment. As always, if anything changes, call me immediately, or come into the clinic. Go ahead and head up front, I'll get your prescription ready for you." Harvey stated.

Sariel and Elliott nodded and made their way back to the waiting room. Sariel quickly shoved the sonogram photos into her purse when she saw Sam and Jodi in the waiting room. Her eyes went wide when she caught a whiff of Jodi's normally pleasant perfume and she turned and bolted towards the bathroom.

"Rinn?" Elliott called out as she ran past him.

She slammed the bathroom door shut and internally cursed herself as she upended the contents of her stomach into the porcelain toilet basin. Nausea surged through her, urging her to heave everything she'd consumed in the last year into the toilet. She finally finished and drew a shaky breath into her lungs. She flushed the toilet and stood at the sink, splashing chilly water on her sweat-covered face. She drew in a few more breaths through her mouth.

She opened the door and bumped into Maru who was holding a small travel toothbrush and toothpaste. She handed them to Sariel and motioned for her to set about her task. She obliged and felt infinitely better as she exited the bathroom.

"Thank you. Jodi's perfume." Sariel weakly stated.

"We'll tell her you're having a migraine. Would you like a ginger soda and some crackers?" Maru asked sweetly.

"That would be awesome." Sariel groaned.

Maru turned and entered the private door for the reception desk. She opened the small mini-fridge beneath the desk and pulled a chilled non-alcoholic ginger beer from the machine. She opened the storage box next to the fridge and pulled a small box of club crackers out. She exited and handed the refreshments to Sariel.

"Thank you." Sariel stated.

"Here, let me get you an antiemetic injection. Hop back in the bathroom really quick, I'll just be a minute." Maru called out.

She disappeared into the medicine storage room as Sariel slipped back into the bathroom. She immediately typed out the note she'd be giving a 4mg dose of Zofran to Sariel, due to morning sickness, and prepared the injection. She exited the storage room and gently knocked on the door.

Sariel dropped the box of crackers into her purse and cautiously opened the door. The wave of relief that washed over her when she saw Maru was enormous. She backed away from the door and let the younger girl in.

"Okay, Sariel, lower your pants just a bit and turn towards the mirror. You're gonna feel a decent pinch, I'm sorry." Maru stated.

She scrubbed her hands clean and withdrew the loaded syringe from her pocket. She expertly cleaned and disinfected the skin of Sariel's upper gluteal area, and pinched the skin performing a Z-track injection. She carefully administered the medication and left a small bandage over the injection site.

"All done. That should help. Harvey should have your Zofran tablets ready up front by now." Maru whispered.

"Thank you, Maru. I appreciate it." Sariel stated.

Sariel exited the bathroom and made her way back to Elliott. He was holding a white paper bag that had her name on it. She smiled and sat in the chair next to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Rinn! Is everything alright?" Elliott asked cautiously.

"Yeah, sorry, this migraine is killing me. Super sensitive to smells. Jodi's perfume hit me like a freight train." Sariel heavily implied.

"Ah." Elliott replied.

"Maru gave me an antiemetic injection though, and some ginger soda and crackers, so that should help. Are we done here?" Sariel asked happily.

"Indeed, darling. I got you some Tylenol for the trip." Elliott purred.

"Thank you, my love! You take such good care of me." Sariel happily chirped.

Elliott stood and bade Harvey, Jodi, and Sam farewell as he looped his arm around Sariel's waist and led her outside. He free Sirius from his post and helped him into his crate. He quickly climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. He checked on Sariel and was pleased to see she was consuming the soda and crackers with ease.

He started the playlist of songs he'd made for her once again and started on the drive towards Zuzu City. His thoughts mostly stayed focused on the road and driving, but he occasionally caught himself thinking of Sariel and their child. He smiled when he noticed about an hour into the trip Sariel had fallen asleep. He turned the air conditioning in the truck down just a little and focused on making the trip safely.