Thanks to Phish Tacko for beta'ing this. Go read her stuff!

Ch. 39

"ALICE!" Tarrant called. "ALICE! COME HERE!"

Alice, who had been feeding Daisy, ran into the bedroom, thinking there was some emergency.

"What's wrong, Tarrant? Are you okay?"

"I am most certainly not okay!" Tarrant replied.

Alice now noticed that there were clothes scattered about the room, and that Tarrant was dressed in his shirt with a towel around his hips.

"Well what's wrong?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong," Tarrant lisped. Obviously he was angry at something. His accent tended to change when he was upset. He threw a pair of dark blue pants toward Alice, barely missing her head. "None of these fit!"

"What? First off, don't throw things at me," Alice said, annoyed. "Have some respect. Secondly, how can they not fit? You're only two months pregnant!"

Tarrant frowned. "I've outgrown them already." Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes.

Alice felt a pang of sympathy for her husband. He was more self conscious than he usually let on. She came over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You're not fat. You're pregnant. Likely with two babies. It makes sense that you'd show earlier than last time." She reached up and intercepted a tear as it rolled down Tarrant's cheek. "Come on, there's no reason to cry."

"Everyone's going to notice," Tarrant said sadly.

"So what if they do? They'll all be happy for you."

"But... Alice, what do I wear?"

"Hmm," Alice began looking through the pile of clothes on the floor. She pulled out a pair of black trousers with an elastic waistband.

"These will fit for sure. I think you wore these when you were pregnant with Daisy."

Tarrant pouted. "I was hoping not to have to wear those again so soon."

"Wear them for today and we'll go see Carlie and she can alter your clothes. Okay?"

"Okay," Tarrant said grudgingly. He slipped the trousers on, then began looking for a different shirt.

"Come get me when you're done. I'm just about to go give Daisy a bath, we can head out after that," Alice told him.

"Alright," Tarrant agreed.

Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe he was just overly tired. Tarrant wasn't really sure why, but the second that Alice left, he began to cry.

00

The walk to Carlie's house wasn't that far, but Tarrant didn't stop talking the whole way. Something about sunburn and his legs being tired... Alice had stopped paying attention about half a mile in. When they finally did arrive at Carlie's, Tarrant had a scowl on his face that would rival the Red Queen's.

"Hello, Carlie," Alice greeted her. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks. What's wrong with my little brother?"

Tarrant glared at her. "It's hot, I've got a sunburn, and my clothes don't fit."

"Okay, okay." Tarrant handed her the pile of clothes he'd been holding, while Alice slipped inside with Daisy.

"You do look like you got a bit burnt, love," Carlie noted as he brother stepped into her house.

"I forgot to wear sunblock. Now I'll be red for weeks!"

"I've got an aloe plant in the back room, if you want to pick some. The gel from it will make your sunburn feel better."

"Good. Finally something going my way." Tarrant wandered out into the back.

"What's his problem?" Carlie asked Alice, once the two were alone.

"Hormones, I think. Or he's tired or hungry. He gets crazy when he's like that. He's also upset that his clothes don't fit. I think he's grown a bit faster than he expected."

"I see." Carlie picked up one of the garments from the pile Tarrant had given her. "I can let these out a bit. Won't be a problem."

"Carlie!" Tarrant called out, interrupting their conversation.

"Yes, brother?"

"Do you have any food?

"Um, yes. You're welcome to whatever is in the pantry."

From the living room, Carlie and Alice could hear Tarrant rummaging around the kitchen. He reappeared near them a few moments later, holding a rather large sandwich that seemed to be made of very random things.

"What is THAT?" Carlie asked, eyeing the food suspiciously.

"Peanut butter, pickles, Swiss cheese, bologna, and mustard on rye bread. Oh, and there's some strawberry jam somewhere on there too."

Carlie and Alice both cringed.

"Ew," Alice said. "That's horrible."

Tarrant raised an eyebrow. "I can't help what the babies want, Alice!" He took a bite of the sandwich to demonstrate.

"There's definitely two of them?" Carlie asked.

"We think so," Alice replied. "At least, it seems like it."

"Ooh! Two more little nieces or nephews! Or both!" Carlie squealed.

Tarrant began to reply, but suddenly started to turn pale.

"Are you okay?" Carlie and Alice asked, simultaneously.

"Gotta go." Tarrant handed the sandwich to Alice and was out of the room, and in the bathroom before either his sister or wife could bat an eye. Seconds later, they could hear him being sick.

"Not again," Alice sighed. "Well, I'd better go check on him."