Sixtieth chapter if you count the prologue (which Fanfiction is doing). Picks up from where the last chapter left off, and is all about Ruth. By the end of the chapter, Ruth will finally be explained. I have long-debated whether or not I wanted to do this little story arc, fearing it could backfire, or drag out the story even longer than it needed to (as I never expected the story to last this long) but I finally decided that if I keep it short and simple, it could be done. So I'm doing it. And I guess I'll see what the reaction is. :)

Chapter 59

Ruth had known she would be coming, but even with the forewarning, she still wasn't ready for when she actually arrived. She fidgeted nervously with her claws for a moment when she heard the polite knock on her bedroom door, and took a few deep breaths to try and keep herself calm. She wasn't sure she could do this. Her husband was one thing, but to hide this from her...

The knock came again, quickly followed by a polite and gentle call. "Ruth, can I come in?" Sister Daisy called.

Ruth took one last deep breath, straightened the robe she wore over he clothes, then stood, turning to face the door. "Come in, Daisy."

Sister Daisy opened the door as instructed and calmly entered. She gave Ruth a very polite and happy grin, then closed the door behind her. "Hi, Ruth." she greeted sweetly. "Moroni said you were a bit under the weather."

Ruth couldn't help but snort at this. "I'm fine, Daisy, perfectly fine." she stated flatly. "If I could just get that into Moroni's thick skull..." she looked heavenward for a moment, shook her head, then sighed deeply, her frustration suddenly evaporating. "Look, I know he means well, but I really am fine."

"Well, let me just confirm that then." Sister Daisy said, stepping towards her. "Now, Ruth, Moroni commented that you have been more irritable lately, and physically tired."

"It's just stress." Ruth assured her, watching Sister Daisy closely as she came closer, but not too close, "From the rebellion."

"Yes, that certainly would account for it." Daisy agreed, looking Ruth up and down with a critical eye. Ruth watched her just as carefully. "Still...I think Moroni has enough cause for concern. All of this fighting and conspiracy is getting to everyone, but I daresay that assuming what you say is true..."

"And it is." Ruth quickly interjected.

"...then it's hitting you the hardest of all." Daisy continued undeterred. "Ruth, have you looked at yourself lately? You look so worn down...have you been getting enough sleep?"

Ruth wasn't sure how to answer that. "I'm not sure." she confessed truthfully. "Whenever I go to bed, I sleep like a rock, thankfully, but..." she shrugged, "you tell me."

"Well, you certainly look like you haven't." Daisy said, concern etched onto her features. "And this robe you're wearing...you must be getting very hot in that." She pressed her paw against Ruth's forehead, despite Ruth flinching slightly. "You're not running a fever though, not that I can tell...you aren't cold, are you?"

"Not...too cold." Ruth admitted, choosing her words carefully. "I just...prefer to wear the robe."

Sister Daisy gave the other mouse a critical eye at this comment. "Whatever for, Ruth?" she asked. "If you had been going around in only a nightgown all day, then certainly, I can see the logic, but here you are, fully dressed."

Ruth didn't reply, and instead avoided making eye contact with Sister Daisy.

"Ruth, what's wrong?" Daisy inquired. "Really, tell me."

Ruth hesitated. "Nothing's wrong, Daisy."

"Then why all the secrecy about it? You seem so...defensive about the matter, Ruth. Your poor husband is so worried about you, and I daresay he has enough on his plate already."

"Yes, he does." Ruth agreed immediately. "He doesn't have the time to worry about me."

Daisy blinked in surprise. "Ruth!" she exclaimed, "Your husband..."

"No, it's not like that, Daisy." Ruth quickly interjected. "I know he loves me, and I love him. Nothing about that has changed. But...he is the leader of all of this, and currently our only real hope of getting out of this confounded mess. He doesn't need me distracting him with trivial things!"

Daisy was silent for a moment. "What sort of trivial things, Ruth?" she asked, slowly and deliberately.

Ruth sighed, and again hesitated. Daisy got the strong impression that she was indeed hiding something. "I'm just...depressed is all, Daisy." she confessed. "This...this isn't the most ideal environment for...for...for anyone to be living in."

Daisy's expression softened slightly. "Well, I can certainly understand that, Ruth." she said. "But hiding that isn't going to help. If you need to talk, Ruth, then by all means, let's talk about it. Don't keep whatever it is that's bothering you bottled up inside of you."

Ruth was silent for another moment. "I'm just...frustrated at all of this." she confessed. "I can't stand the idea that we're...stuck. That we can't end this situation we're stuck in any faster. Suppose for a moment that it never ends? That this battle continues on and on, and that a day can never pass without you knowing how safe it'll be, and if tomorrow will be any better, and..."

She trailed off, close to tears now, but was trying hard to keep them in. Daisy softened even more at this, and wrapped a reassuring arm around Ruth. Ruth flinched, not expecting the arm, but otherwise did not object.

"Ruth, we're going to get out of this." Sister Daisy assured her. "One way or another, we will. We already have Methusael at a great disadvantage. We simply need to find the right time and place to strike and...well...finish it. It might not end happily for everyone, and certainly not peacefully, but it will end. And once it does, everything will go back to the way it was before."

Ruth was silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Of course." she said. "You're right, Daisy, of course you are, it's just...hard to remember to stay optimistic. And what I long most is to know when it will all end. It needs to end soon."

Daisy nodded in agreement. "Of course it does. And it will."

"But it's hard to know. And I need to know. Because if it doesn't end soon, what will I do when..." Ruth suddenly cut herself short, and fell silent.

Daisy, realizing that Ruth was about to say something important, turned to look at her. "Yes?" she prompted, wanting Ruth to finish the statement.

"Never mind." Ruth said quickly but quietly. "It's not that important."

"You sure?" Daisy asked, not convinced, and led Ruth towards her bed. "It's all right to tell me, you know. Here, let's sit down and..."

"No, no, I'll stand, thank you." Ruth quickly assured her.

"Fine, just tell me what it is that you aren't telling me, Ruth."

"Who says I'm not telling you anything?"

"I convinced that you are."

"I'm fine Daisy."

"I'm not convinced that you are." Daisy reached to undo Ruth's robe, "And I cannot believe you are happy wearing that robe. You must be terribly hot, so..."

"No!" Ruth suddenly exclaimed, and jerked away from Daisy, paws going straight to the robe to insure it stayed wrapped around her. Now a few paces away from Sister Daisy, she looked back at the fellow mousemaiden with an almost panicked look, breathing heavily.

Daisy looked at Ruth almost bewilderedly. "Why do you want to wear that robe so much?" she asked. "I can't think of any reason you need to keep wearing it unless..." she trailed off, making a possible connection, "...unless you're trying to hide something."

They were both silent for a long moment, the two looking long and hard at each other, but not really knowing where to go next. Ruth eventually relaxed, and let her paws fall to her sides.

"I'm not hiding anything." she promised softly.

Daisy raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Ruth's ears drooped as if in shame, but she stood by what she said. "I'm not." she persisted, then sighed. "I just...feel safer wrapped up in something, I suppose. Like a babe with it's blanket. It's silly, I know, but..."

"No, no, that's perfectly okay, Ruth." Sister Daisy assured her.

"I'm not hiding anything." Ruth reiterated.

Daisy was silent for a moment, then managed a comforting grin. "I know." she said.

Ruth was notably relieved. "Thank you, Daisy." she said.

"But..." Daisy continued, choosing her own words carefully, "...what shall I tell Moroni? I do not believe he will be convinced by this...less than enlightening conversation."

Ruth made a frustration motion. "What is there left to tell?"

"Well, you made mention of having trivial things to worry about." Daisy said. "Give me an example."

"Oh, no, Daisy, don't do that." Ruth said, seeing where this was going already. "Don't tell Moroni any of that. It's...it's not anything I need him to worry about." she paused. "Not yet."

"Not yet? Then when?"

"I don't know. Either when this whole situation is over, or...or...when it's too..." she trailed off again, again looking like she was withholding information.

"When it's too late?" Daisy guessed after a moment. When Ruth did not deny it, she went on, "Too late for what, Ruth?"

"Nothing." Ruth persisted. "Nothing that Moroni needs to concern himself with."

"Why, Ruth? Why are you keeping this from your husband?"

Ruth was silent for a very long moment. Just when Daisy thought she would reveal why, Ruth again shirked the question. "Because, I know him." she said. "How he'll react. It'll...it'll only distract him. It won't help him to know. He needs to be focused on everything about the rebellion. Not me. Don't get me wrong, it's nothing bad, and Moroni would mean well if he found out but..." she shook her head. "Daisy, he can't know."

"Can't know what, Ruth?" despite everything, Daisy remained patient. "Why can't you just tell me?"

Ruth looked away. "It's...it's really not that big of a deal, Daisy, nothing that concerns you." she persisted. "Really. It's nothing. Nothing at all. It's just...personal."

That settled the matter for Sister Daisy. "All right." she said in resignation. "I suppose I can respect that much. It's not something I need to butt my head into."

Ruth managed a weak grin. "Oh, Daisy." she said, knowing that the healer didn't mean anything by the comment. "Thank you for coming to talk to me, though. It did help in a way."

Daisy nodded, and headed for the door. "I'm glad I could be of help." she said. "But remember, if you ever want to tell me..."

"I'll remember." Ruth assured her. "But I don't think I'll need to anytime soon. Just...please tell Moroni he doesn't need to worry about me."

Daisy nodded, and exited the bedroom. Within that room, Ruth was relieved that it was over. However, outside the room, Daisy was more convinced than ever that Ruth was hiding something.

And she had figured out what it was.


Moroni had been pacing anxiously downstairs while Sister Daisy and Ruth spoke. When he saw the healer climbing down the stairs, signaling the end of the meeting, he quickly hurried to the edge of the stairs.

"Well?" he asked anxiously, wringing his paws in nervousness. "Is it bad? How ill is she? Will she live?"

"What?" Sister Daisy repeated, surprised, then couldn't help but make a laugh. "No, of course she'll live, Moroni! It's nothing as bad as that." she sighed, leaning on the railing of the stairs. "She's just...upset."

"Upset?" Moroni repeated, his anxiety in no way lessened. "In what way? How can I help?"

"You can help by leaving the poor thing alone, Moroni." Daisy said, stepping down the stairs so to face the mouse captain fully. "That's all she wants."

"But why?" Moroni persisted. "She must have a reason!"

Daisy bit her lip. "Yes, I suppose she does." she confessed. "And I don't know if it's an adequate reason, but I really don't think either of us should be questioning it, not in the state she's in, and not with things the way they are. She'll tell you when she's ready."

"Tell me? Tell me what?" Moroni wasn't about to drop the subject.

This frustrated Daisy. "It doesn't matter, Moroni." she persisted. "The important thing is that she's fine. Perfectly fine. She's just...understandably worn down."

"Understandably?" Moroni repeated. "How can it be understandable, if you claim she's fine?"

"Because she is fine, she's just..." Daisy threw up her paws in frustration. "Look, she doesn't want you to know, and I think I see why!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Moroni asked, taking offense. "You think that I don't care about my wife?"

"No, of course not! In fact, that's exactly the problem! Moroni, just listen to me. You need to give her some space! She's going through enough as it is already, and this rebellion isn't helping. Now I've told you, when she's ready for you to know, she'll tell you! But until then, do her a favor and act like you don't know. Because if you do...I don't know what she'll do, but it won't help."

"And how can you be so sure of that?" Moroni demanded. "She's my wife, Sister Daisy! I have a right to know what's bothering her! Now tell me what she told you!"

"All she told me was a bunch of attempts to avoid giving the straight answer." Daisy persisted. "She didn't actually tell me anything."

"She didn't?" Moroni repeated. "What good does that do any of us?" he paused, pressing one paw to his forehead, clearly frustrated, but trying vainly to try and keep his anger under control. "We can't help her if she doesn't tell me what's going on."

"On that, I agree." Daisy said. "But...trust me. For now, just...let her be. It'll help her get through it for now, at least until things in Angola calm down and return to some semblance of normal."

"But suppose for the moment that they don't." Moroni pointed out. "What if, heaven forbid, it drags on for even longer still. Or worse still, we loose the advantage we have and fall to Methusael? What then?"

"If we fall to Methusael, then I would imagine it wouldn't matter." Daisy argued weakly. "And if this continues on for too long...she won't need to tell you."

"And what does that mean?" Moroni asked. "Daisy, you clearly know something! Don't you try and hide it from me, too! I want to know!"

"I know you do!" Daisy agreed. "And by all accounts, you have every right to know, but at the same time...this is Ruth's problem. I can't make her decide to tell you if she doesn't want to you to know! Not right now, not in the state she's in! You know what a wreak she is emotionally! She's worn thin! You push her too hard and...and...plagues and pestilence Moroni, don't even think about it! It'll only cause more harm. Now please, just take my advice and back off. You'll find out, no matter what happens, when it's time!"

"Enough of being so cryptic!" Moroni said. He paused, the slipped past Sister Daisy and started upstairs. "I'll find out myself."

"Moroni, don't you dare force it out of her!" Daisy said, alarmed, turning to watch him climb up the steps.

"I don't want to!" Moroni persisted, looking back at the healer, almost apologetically. "But nobody is leaving me with much choice, and no adequate explanations to show for it."

He started on up the stairs again. Daisy watched him, the mousemaiden starting to panic.

"Moroni!" she called, to seemingly deaf ears. "Moroni!"

Finally, seeing she had no other choice, she finally stated what she had figured out.

And it was enough to stop Moroni dead in his tracks.

"Moroni, she's with child!"