Eridan and Sollux didn't stay much longer at the ball before they decided it would be best to head home. Once they were safely back at their hive they both peeked in the nursery to check on Psiion's cocoon to find it just as they had left it. Eridan decided to catch up on some reading while Sollux figured he would get some work done on the computer. Amid his work he decided to open up Trollian and send a message to the new Empress herself.

TA: why are you doiing thii2?

As he suspected, he didn't get an immediate response back. It wasn't until several hours later when the Trollian tab began to flash with a response. He maximized the tab and checked his new message.

CC: I'm so sorry Sollux. I know t)(is seems so )(orribubble but you )(ave to sea it from my perspective. W)(ile I am planning on reworking t)(e entire system of getting material to t)(e Mot)(er Grub, w)(at you and Eridan )(ave done is completely unprecedented. But as t)(e new Empress I can't just let t)(ings like t)(is go so easily. The trials are still a valid part of our society and culture. I am not trying to punis)( either of you and I reely am rooting for your little one, but I must set an example.

TA: but why GZ?

CC: W)(at do you mean?

TA: ii mean he'2 had iit out for ED ever siince he found out he wa2 pregnant. Iit'2 liike he'2 hellbent on de2troyiing our grub2. Ii2 he liike that around all grub2 or ju2t our2?

CC: Grubs? Like more than one?

TA: there would have been. ii don't want two talk about iit. There'2 only one.

CC: Sorry. 38(

CC: I'm not s)(ore to be )(onest. I've never seen )(im around any grubs before. I'll talk to )(im. I )(ave to go now. Please let me know w)(en your little one comes out of t)(e cocoon.

Sollux sighed and pushed his chair away from the computer. He decided to check in on Eridan and found him curled up on the couch reading. "We lied to the Empreth," the yellow blood said as he sat down beside his matesprit.

"We had to," Eridan responded defensively. "Now we'll have more time to prepare Psi." He put his book down and sat up on the couch. "We still have plenty to do in the meantime."

"Like what?" Sollux asked.

"Remember what Kan said?" Eridan replied as if the answer should have been obvious. "When Psi comes out of the cocoon she's not goin' to want to live in a cave anymore. We need to change her room into somethin' more suitable for a troll."

"At leatht I won't be doing all the work thith time," Sollux leaned back against the couch and stuck his forked tongue out at Eridan.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Eridan demanded.

"It meanth that I wath the one that wath moving around all thothe rockth to make the room look more like a cave in the firtht plathe. Pluth I had to lug in that pool," Sollux said.

"I'm sorry, I was too busy bein' pregnant to be able to help you move around a bunch of rocks," Eridan spat. "Next time you are preparin' to push eggs out of your nook I'll be sure to ask you to help with the heavy liftin'!"

"Chill out drama queen," Sollux chuckled and patted one of Eridan's ringed hands. "I wath jutht teathing you. I know you couldn't help latht time." The Gemini grinned at how riled up Eridan had become. "Tho what do you think we should put in there?"

"She'll definitely need a recuperacoon," Eridan said automatically.

"Okay, what elthe?" Sollux asked. He was suddenly relieved Eridan was much better off than he was financially. Setting up Psiion's room was already sounding expensive and they hadn't even scratched the surface.

"Book shelves?" Eridan suggested.

"That thoundth good," Sollux agreed. "We should go ahead and put a dethk in there too. She could do wriggler activitieth like coloring and stuff at it."

"Maybe I should be writin' all a' this down," Eridan said and stood to go find a pen and paper.

The pair spent about two weeks changing the room around the little grub cocoon. The rocks, pool, and humidifier were exchanged for a 'coon to sleep in, book shelves stocked with various types of books, and a small plain desk. A toy chest was also moved in as well as a few stuffed animals. Most importantly, Psiion's favorite doll, Mr. Seahorse, was placed right beside her cocoon. Everything was all set.

They tried to make the time pass by going about their lives as if they weren't waiting for something life changing to happen. Which was incredibly difficult. One day they had Karkat and Terezi over for dinner to help take their minds off things.

"I just still can't believe it," Karkat blurted out during a lull in conversation at the table.

"What? That ED cooked the food and you're thtill alive? Sollux snickered. Eridan shot him a look and made a show of shoving a forkful of the food into his mouth. Terezi giggled at the palpable tension.

"No, I've had Ampora's cooking before. It's surprisingly good," Karkat corrected. "What I just can't get over is that you two fuck wits somehow managed to reproduce. This has to be some kind of doomed timeline or something for the spawn of you two to somehow get unleashed into this world. Either that or it's a sign of the apocalypse, right? Is a meteor going to come crashing down on us now that a troll that came solely from Eridan "Higher Blood Than Thou" Ampora and Sollux "I'd Fuck A Husktop" Captor is about to walk among us on this planet?"

"Are you finished?" Eridan asked flatly.

"I think I'm entitled to express my feelings of 'what the fuck' about this situation," Karkat responded.

"Have you two heard anything back about our new Subjugglator?" Terezi inquired.

"In a way," Eridan answered vaguely.

"Like how?" Karkat asked.

"In a way that doethn't really mean shit ith what ED meanth," Sollux elaborated. "FF thaid that she checked into it and that GZ'th valueth and opinionth are in line with the betht interetht of the Empire. Whatever the fuck that meanth," he said while stirring his fork around his plate of food.

"What the fuck?" Karkat asked dumbfounded.

"Exactly," Eridan sighed.

"You said she told you she's on your side though?" Terezi asked. "That she doesn't really want to kill your grub?"

"Yeah which kind of maketh thingth more confuthing?" Sollux grimaced and rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses.

"Either way, we lied to her," Eridan said. "We lied about how long Psi's been in that cocoon to buy us more time. As soon as she sheds that thing she's supposed to go for her trials. We wanted to at least prepare her or somethin'," Eridan added the last part quietly.

"How in the hell are you going to prepare her for the trials?" Karkat asked skeptically. "You think any of us had preparation?" he gestured around the table.

"Well, no, but maybe if we could just teach her some things…"

"If she's strong, she'll make it. Otherwise she's unfit to be a troll," Karkat found himself saying mechanically. A moment later his red eyes widened in realization and he looked at the hurt expressions of his friends. "Oh, shit I'm so sorry. I don't know why I, of all trolls, just said that."

"It's hardwired into us," Terezi answered. "Because I had the same thought. And so did you two probably," she gestured in the direction the sounds of Eridan and Sollux's voices had been coming from. "It's no wonder Feferi is going through with the trials."

"Yeah but she'th different right? She doethn't believe in doing harm to low bloodth tho why would it matter if only the thtrongetht contribute to future generationth. She thaid herthelf that sheth reworking the meaning of culling," Sollux said.

"I don't know, Sol, but she seems dead set on this bein' the way things are goin' to be workin' when it comes to Psi so we have to just hope for the best," Eridan sighed. An uneasy silence descended over the table as the four of them thought over the valid point Sollux had made.

After the dinner was over, the guests had gone home, and the dishes were washed, Eridan and Sollux began getting ready for sleep. For Sollux, his routine consisted of three things: brush teeth, remove glasses, and remove clothes. For Eridan it was a bit more complex. First, he would wash the product out of his hair then wash his face. Next, he would apply a face mask and dry his hair while he let it set in. Finally, with his hair dry and face rinsed he would brush his teeth, undress, then slip into the 'coon with Sollux who was already half asleep.

In the middle of the day Eridan was brought out of his sleep by what he thought was the sound of the door creaking open. When he opened his eyes he could just make out the blurry shape of the door but without his glasses on it was hard to tell if it was ajar or not. Truth be told, he couldn't even remember if it had been shut at all before they had gone to sleep. He focused for a moment but couldn't hear any other sounds or make out any blurry movements. The violet blood let his eyes fall closed again and repositioned himself against Sollux's back.

A scuffling sound across the floor had Eridan's earfins flicking to attention and a light thud against the recuperacoon had his eyes shooting open. Sollux merely scrunched his nose and turned a little more when the impact caused a ripple in the sopor slime. Eridan tried his best to stay calm as he blearily scanned the room for an intruder. Still not finding anything he steadied his breathing and closed his eyes to collect himself. The next thing he heard was a small grunt followed by a little voice that whispered, "Hi."

Eridan opened his eyes immediately and was met with the mismatched red and blue eyes of a toddler sized troll. "Psiion!" he breathed in astonishment. She smiled brightly showing off her sharp teeth and double fangs. Just as quickly as it had come, smile vanished and was replaced with a look of fear as she slipped back down the edge of the recuperacoon. Eridan leaned forward, jostling Sollux awake, to catch a glimpse of Psiion landing on her backside on the floor.

"What the fuck ED?" Sollux groggily asked.

"It's Psiion," Eridan answered quickly.

"What?" Sollux questioned in his sleep thick voice. Before Eridan could answer Psiion had gotten back up and lifted herself to her tiptoes to pull herself up to the edge of the recuperacoon again. Sollux was suddenly met with a pair of eyes identical to his own. He jumped at the unexpected sight.

"Daddy!" Psiion chirped excitedly when she saw Sollux.

"Thiion?" Sollux asked. Eridan was already climbing out of the recuperacoon and pulling his robe on hastily. By the time Sollux was climbing out and throwing his own robe on Eridan had already gathered the excited little troll into an embrace as he fawned over her every detail.

"Look Sol, she's got both our horns," Eridan told his matesprit through an enthusiastic grin. "I can't believe it! She's really here and she looks like an actual troll." Sollux noticed Mr. Seahorse on the floor near the recuperacoon and picked the doll up to bring it over to Psiion.

"Let her breathe ED," the yellow blood said as he held out Mr. Seahorse for Psiion. The young troll smiled wider when she saw the offering and grabbed hold of the doll to hug him close. Eridan gave the child some space and stood back up from where he had been crouching.

"I guess we aren't gettin' any more sleep today," Eridan said.

"I don't think tho," Sollux agreed. He stooped down and picked Psiion up to hold her against his hip. "We need to get you drethed don't we?" he said to her. It suddenly dawned on Eridan that the child was indeed naked after having just emerged from her cocoon.

"Drethed," Psiion repeated back causing Sollux to frown and Eridan to laugh.

"No sweetie," Eridan grinned. "It's pronounced 'dressed'."

"Drethed!" Psiion repeated, her tongue stumbling over her larger fangs.

"Oh no," Eridan sighed at the realization that his wriggler may actually have a lisp.

Sollux shot a glare over at Eridan and carried Psiion back to her room. "Ath I wath thaying, we need to get you drethed," he said irritably and sat the wriggler down to pull open a drawer to find an outfit for her to wear. Once she was successfully clothed Sollux scooped her back up. "Are you hungry?" he asked turning to look over at Psiion's face. She nodded enthusiastically and reached out with a hand that wasn't busy holding her doll and planted it on Sollux's face near his temple. She seemed to be driven by curiosity to know his features with exploration because next she grabbed one of his pointed ears. "Watch it," he warned, and she eased up on her grip.

The two adult trolls ventured out to the meal block with their little one. While Sollux looked through the food selection with Psiion still on his hip Eridan got a pot of coffee going and sent a group message to Kanaya, Karkat, and Terezi letting them know the news.

"Thtop that."

"Stop what?" Eridan asked but as soon as he looked over he figured out the answer. As Sollux tried to pick through the pantry random objects kept being psionically picked up and floated in the way while Psiion giggled away by his side.

"Need some help Sol?" Eridan asked in a smug tone. Sollux rolled his eyes and set Psiion down beside him.

"Jutht make thure she thtayth out of trouble," Sollux lisped continuing his search. Eridan guffawed and proceeded to find something to hold Psiion's attention while Sollux found some suitable food for the young troll. Sollux eventually emerged with a jar and a spoon and brought them over to where Eridan sat with Psiion on the couch attempting to play with her with Mr. Seahorse. "I'm pretty thure Kanaya thaid thith would be good to feed her."

Eridan held onto the doll and scooted over for Sollux to sit down beside him. He took the spoon and jar from Sollux and turned toward Psiion as he opened the jar. "Are you ready for somethin' to eat?" he asked as she watched his movements with interest. Eridan dipped the spoon into the food and handed it to Psiion. She gripped the utensil awkwardly in her small hand and stared at it with wide red and blue eyes. She moved it experimentally then broke into a delighted grin and giggled as she flung the mushy brown food directly on Eridan's face. The Aquarius sputtered and flailed back a bit as Sollux laughed hysterically at his matesprit's misfortune. Eridan yanked his glasses off to clear the lenses and shot Sollux a glare before taking the spoon back from Psiion.

"That is not how we use spoons," Eridan reprimanded the wriggler. She reached her little hands out after the utensil and made grabbing movements.

"Thpoon!" she called out.

"Let me get thith ED," Sollux said with confidence. The spoon was suddenly lifted from Eridan's fingers and floating back towards the jar of food to reload. Psiion watched the spoon in awe as it floated towards her emitting a soft blue and red glow. "Open up for the food," Sollux instructed in a sing song way. Psiion opened her mouth as the food approached. When it was close enough she bit down on the spoon and ate the contents of it happily.

"Well at least she's eatin'," Eridan sighed. He kept reaching up to touch his face and hair to make absolutely sure he didn't have any food remnants on him. Sollux noticed the movements out of the corner of his eye and paused the spoon on its way to Psiion.

"I think you missed a thpot ED," the Gemini said.

"Where?" Eridan asked worriedly. Sollux took the opportunity to launch the contents of the spoon at Eridan's face.

"Right there," he laughed. Eridan frowned and wiped the food off with his hand then flung it back at Sollux. Psiion giggled wildly at her guardian's antics and cheered, "Thpoon!"