An Earthbound Angel Ch. 33: An Attack on the Phantomhives
Hello again my faithful lovelies! I'm so sorry that it took so long for me to update, but I have more new stories and have just recently gotten a job for the summer. I will try my hardest to keep up with my stories as much as I can from here on out. We're getting towards the close of the season so hang on to your seats for the rest of the ride. I am curious to see what my lovelies think will happen and encourage any thoughts you might have. Okay, so that was all I wanted to get out, so let's get on with the magic.
RuffRabbit1998: Well hello lovely. It's nice to actually put a name with the reviews that are left behind under Guest. I hope to hear more from you in the future.
L0n3W0lf36: Hello again lovely. It's always nice to hear from you. Thank you so much for your compliments for this story. To be frank, I didn't expect this story to become this popular when I first posted it, nor did I expect for me to be sucked into the story while writing it. I'm just glad that you like it.
Micky-Moo: Hey lovely, good to hear from you again. I actually haven't thought about this scenario myself, but we'll see when we get there. Thank you so much for your review.
AnimeBunnyLover: Hello lovely, it's nice to hear from you again. I am happy that you love the story, but I apologize that it is getting hard for you to follow. :( But hopefully it will be clear shooting from here on out. I would also like to thank you for your advice. I have never been pregnant so I've been looking up general time estimations for the symptoms. Actually hearing a first hand account makes it much more authentic for the story.
Now that that is done, let us get on with the quote.
"You should keep your distance from me if you want to live. My place is in the shadows, yours in the light. We walk opposite paths, Aberline. It's best that you remember that."
-Ciel Phantomhive
On with the story!
o0o0o0o0o0o0o An Earthbound Angel o0o0o0o0o0o
Almost three weeks had passed since the abbey incident and my pregnancy was progressing marvelously. My symptoms progressed with bigger breasts being the first. Both Malphas and Pheobus didn't mind that part. My next symptoms were feeling bloated and having a new baby bump. I wasn't so keen of the first one, but just being able to feel the physical evidence of my baby was enough to make up for it. As soon as the bump formed, everyone was clamoring to my side to be able to feel it even if the baby wasn't kicking yet. The third week was my best week out of the whole bunch when it came around. I found that my energy was making a quick comeback along with the disappearance of the tenderness in my breasts and my morning sickness. I almost felt like jumping for joy when I woke up and I was no longer wanting to puke my brains out. However, there was a new symptom that I didn't know how to feel about. Lately I have been craving to be intimate with both of my mates. Malphas was all too happy to comply, but he held himself back in fear of hurting Magnus. Pheobus on the other hand didn't have much time with me. So, when Ciel and Malphas were going into town for a job for the Queen, I had them drop me off at Pheobus's parlor. Malphas didn't want me out of his sight, but when Ciel told me of the next job, I grew wary about it. Everything about it screamed like a trap and of course Ciel would not believe that the Queen would do anything to set him up. In the end I said no to joining them. Figures that when they wanted me to join them now that I would say no. That is how I found myself stepping in through Pheobus's door to the room he had for living clients.
"Undertaker! I'm here!" I called out as I shut the front door behind me.
"Ah, Ariel, it's nice to see you luv," he greeted me, emerging from the doorway that led to the preparation room. Just the sight of his warm smile was enough for me to launch myself into his arms and snuggle my way into his chest. He chuckled at my actions while his arms came to wrap around me. "You came just in time for lunch."
Instead of letting me walk on my own to the kitchen, Pheobus swept me up into his arms and then proceeded to carry me.
"Pheobus," I laughed, my arms moving on their own to wrap themselves around his shoulders. "I can walk on my own."
"Let me spoil you Ariel," was all he said. "It is rare that I get to see you."
Guilt was the first thing that popped up at his words. I knew that he had work to do while I was focusing on fixing my relationship with Malphas as well as decorating Magnus's room. I never wanted Pheobus to feel like I had forgotten him or that I was neglecting him. I knew he had already told me that he understood and was fine with how little time I spent with him, but I couldn't help but feel the guilt every time.
"Shh, luv," he whispered into my ear while his nose ran against the shell of my ear. "I don't feel like you've been neglecting me. I can feel how much love you have for me. I can also feel how much closure you need with your demon after what happened at the circus."
Like always, he knew just the words to say to ease my worry. the relief was enough to bring tears to my eyes.
"You are so good to me Pheobus."
"You are just as good to me."
With those words I came to a decision. I would sit down with him and really get to know him besides knowing that he was a shinigami and and an undertaker. He seemed to feel my determination through our bond, and a smile softened his face.
"Why don't you go to the kitchen and get yourself some tea and cookies while I finish up then I'll meet you in the sitting room," he suggested. I stretched up on my tip toes to peck a kiss to his lips that he quickly turned into a brief sweet kiss by wrapping his arms around me and dipping me slightly.
"You are such a romantic," I giggled softly while we touched our foreheads together.
"Only for you luv."
He gave my forehead a kiss before he set me back on my feet and urged me on my way to the kitchen. I followed his gentle nudge and made my way into his homey kitchen where I set about making a cup of my favorite blackberry tea as well as some sandwiches to go along with the jar of cookies that Phoebus kept stocked always. Once everything was situated on a tray, I carried it out to the sitting room where I settled down to a cup of tea and half a sandwich. I was alone for only a few moments before I felt Pheobus press a kiss to the top of my head then came around the loveseat so that he could sit beside me. He helped himself to a sandwich from the tray, placed his cup of tea on the little side table beside the couch, then picked up my feet so that he could place them on his lap.
"How has your pregnancy been progressing luv?" he asked me while one hand trailed up my calves up to my knee then back down to my ankles.
"I feel like it has been progressing so quickly," I admitted with a scared yet excited sigh. "I feel bloated yet my breasts have gotten bigger and I have a slight bump. Though I have gotten my energy back and I'm not running into the bathroom to throw up in the morning."
As I neared the last symptom, I found myself holding it back. I'll tell him later.
"I can feel that my time to see Magnus is coming up quick, but what I want to talk about is you."
His hand froze on my legs at my words and his beautiful eyes widened a fraction, the only signs besides his feelings through our bond that showed his surprise, before his hand continued its caressing of my legs.
"That is the first time anyone has wanted to get to know the real me," he admitted softly, small bursts of happiness, love, and joy exploding through our bond.
"And I mean it," I assured him with a small smile and a peck to his cheek. I made sure to grab another half a sandwich and the jar of cookies so that I could maneuver myself so that I was sitting on his lap. Almost automatically his arms moved so that one arm wrapped around my back while the hand of his other arm came to rest on my slight baby bump. Even though Magnus was not his child, he was still excited and protective of the life that was growing inside me.
"What was your childhood like?"
"I was born during the reign of King Arthur Pendragon," he recalled while his hand started to rub soothing circles against my belly. "Sometime during the late fifth century."
"As in the King Arthur," I gasped in shock. It was during this little outburst that I forgot that he was telling a story. However, Pheobus seemed more amused with my reaction than mindful that I had interrupted him.
"Yes, the King Arthur," he chuckled.
"That would make you fourteen hundred years old."
"Has it only been that long? It feels longer."
It took a few more moments for the information to sink in, but when I was able to get past it I encouraged him to continue.
"I was born to Lady Camellia of the royal court in secret and was raised the child of Lady Camellia and Sir Alfred. From a young age, I was taught how to fight and hunt. I was, in short, groomed to become a knight as was expected of the children of nobles. Because Sir Alfred was already a knight, I was taken in by him to become his page at the age of seven. I became like a servant to him and worked serving meals, cleaning his clothes, and carrying messages for him. When I was training then, I only used wooden weapons and swords so that we won't seriously injure the others."
Pheobus paused there for a moment as if he was thinking of something that brought a small smirk to his lips.
"I think it was more for my opponents benefit than mine. I would always dodge out of the way in time, but my sparring partner would always leave with fresh bruises."
With that comment said, he went back to his tale.
"I was one of the more lucky ones who could train in their own house instead of venturing from home. It was through him that I learned how to behave in the art of chivalry. When I reached the age of fifteen, I was given the title squire. Instead of worrying about his food and menial tasks, I was given the tasks like taking care of Sir Alfred's horses, cleaning his armor and weapons, and accompany him to the battlefield. It was then that we would actually fight with real weapons. I remember being so excited to prove my worth to Sir Alfred in battle and strove to quickly hone my skills in horsemanship, jousting, and fighting from the saddle. It wasn't long before I saw my first battle. Sir Alfred was wearing his crest with the other squires and I forming a small semi circle behind his horse. We were all scared yet excited to finally be seeing some action. The other knights beside Sir Alfred were right beside him as we all waited for the signal to advance."
By now I was completely entranced by Pheobus's tale that I could only watch his face through his tale while I munched on his bone cookies.
"Everything was so calm...but that was when everything turned into chaos. The enemy was advancing quickly and our knights yelled for us to fight back. When the other squires were almost frozen in shock, I unsheathed my sword and plowed into the enemy. That seemed to snap them out of being frozen because they joined me in rushing forward. To be completely honest, I hardly remember my first battle. Everything seemed to be going past in a blur and my body fell back on acting on instinct. When an opponent would attack, I would either block, parry, or dodge. The battle seemed to go on for days when it was only hours and our side was the ones who emerged victorious. Once all of the opposing army was gone, I started to regain my bearings and looked to see that I was covered in a vast amount of blood from my enemies. After the battle, we were all taken back to Sir Alfred's home where we could all wash and rest. It was after that day that I began to notice a lot of people began acting different around me. Before the battle, everyone greeted me warmly and loved being in my presence, but had grown to fear me in only a small amount of time. I thought it was because the people around me had only seen me as a playful person who wasn't bloodthirsty when they fought to coming back covered in blood. The years passed and before I knew it, I was dubbed Sir Pheobus of the house Dragonmoore. I was twenty-one and I was loving the life that I had found for myself, but my happiness was short lived. I was venturing back home to speak with my mother when I heard her arguing with Sir Alfred."
From the way his body slightly tensed underneath me, I knew that what came next was something that still caused him some pain.
"I wasn't one to walk between two fighting people so I waited outside the doors until they had finished, but what I had heard from the room put that from my mind.
"How could you have raised that demon spawn?!" Sir Alfred shouted.
"He is my son!" Camellia argued. "You raised him as your own for one and twenty years! Do you feel nothing for him?!"
Without thinking, I barged into the room asking what they were talking about. Sir Alfred looked beyond mad and mother was close to tears. It was then that I learned that I was, Cambion, the offspring of a human and a demon. Apparently, all of my enhanced abilities and black fingernails were traits I received from my father. I felt so angry and confused that I could feel a change happening in my body, I turned to look in a mirror and my heart just about stopped. My normally blue eyes were now a glowing red and my canine teeth had lengthened into fangs. So many thoughts and feelings were racing through me that the only thing I could ask was the identity of my father. It turned out that my father was none other than Asmodeus, the King of Hell at the time."
"Wouldn't that make you..."
"Yes, that would make Malphas and I half-brothers."
I couldn't help but be floored with this information. How long had he known that the was related to Malphas? Would he sit down and talk with him? Well, it would be more would Malphas sit down and listen? While the questions were jumping about in my mind, I could feel Pheobus's uneasiness with what came next, so I thought it better to change the topic.
"Thank you for sharing that with me but maybe we should stop the story there," I suggested with a smile while I stared up into his beautiful chartreuse eyes. Relief was one of the most prominent emotion through our bond when the words left my lips.
"Thank you luv," he sighed. I pecked a kiss to his lips while I moved to straddle his lap. During his story, I couldn't help but imagine him as a fierce warrior and I couldn't help the warmth the image had started between my legs.
"Remember how I told you the symptoms I was having?" I asked to which he nodded. "Well, I left one out. I am also felling very...amorous."
For good measure I leaned forward so that the last word was whispered in his ear. His hands immediately went to my hips where he gripped tightly.
"But this time, I want to be in charge."
xxxxx Lemon Warning xxxxx
Hey guys, I know some of you are uncomfortable reading these parts, but this is a rated M fanfic. It is implied in the rating. Anyway, I posted this warning so that people who read on cannot say they weren't warned.
"Ariel," Pheobus voiced huskily. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I am Pheobus, so just sit back and let me take care of you."
I gave a nip to his ear, right between his earring on his earlobe and the bar in his upper ear. His breath hitched slightly as I pulled away and stood from his lap.
"Strip for me Pheobus."
"I am loving this new side of you luv," he growled, standing to do what I said. If he liked me being forceful, then he'll love this.
"On second thought, let me do it for you," I purred while I slipped my hands up his chest so that I could peel off his black jacket then start to work on the buttons of his white shirt. As each button came loose, my hands roamed across his bare chest that had a low rumble starting in his throat. I looked up from under my lashes at him to give him a smirk just as I undid the last button holding his shirt closed. I then slid my hands over his shoulders and sides to remove the garment from his body. Just from our bond alone, I could feel how his senses were singing with the stimulation I was giving him by ghosting my hands over his skin and the way I was looking at him. For good measure I rose in the air to press a lingering kiss on where his pulse was the strongest that had his breath catching in his throat for only a second. Just that one second was enough to make me immensely satisfied that I could get a reaction like that from him. From there I trailed my fingers lightly down his chest with my lips following closely until my fingers hit the zipper of his pants while my lips pressed kisses down his stomach to the start of the v of his hips. The muscles of his stomach quivered under my touch while a slight moan left Pheobus.
"Don't hesitate to voice your pleasure Pheobus," I teased him with a smirk, looking up at his blazing dual green eyes.
"Where did this come from luv," he managed to get out in a husky tone.
"I'm not entirely sure myself," I admitted while I gripped his zipper. "But I don't hear any complaints."
With that I unzipped his pants and his penis all but sprung free from his pants, already at half mast.
"No undergarments Pheobus? I also see that I seem to be doing a good job."
All I got was a deep groan that showed just well I was doing. Another smirk appeared as I helped him out of his pants and boots until he was bare before me.
"Alright Pheobus, sit down and I'll give you a show."
His eyes did not leave me as I reached around my back to undo the laces that led my dress together then let it slowly come in front of me to reveal the sleeves of my chemise that came to hang around the tops of my arms. It slowly sighed down to my feet and I gingerly stepped out of the pooled clothing until I was left in only my chemise. As soon as he saw that I wasn't wearing the required undergarments, his eyes darkened.
"I could say the same thing to you luv."
By now his eyes were blazing with fire and he was what I assumed to be fully erect. Hmm, I could have some fun with this... Biting my lip, I eased the straps of my chemise down my arms while I watched the garment fall then looked back up from under my eyelashes to meet Pheobus's eyes coyly as I let my chemise fall to the floor. Now nothing covered my nude form from view and I could tell Pheobus was enjoying it. For good measure I let my hands glide down from my shoulders to my feminine heat, let my fingers run across my petals, and then trailed my hands back up to my breasts to cup them. I kneaded them slightly followed by pinching the peaks that had me letting out a moan. Pheobus shifted in his seat and I couldn't help but feel pride for myself. Using my angelic grace, I strutted up to Pheobus's lap and put a leg on one side up by his hip on the sofa while my other leg stood on the ground between his legs.
"Did you like my show Pheobus?" I asked while I leaned closer towards his lips.
"Yes," he groaned, happy to claim my lips. Almost immediately he wanted to take control of the kiss and his arms made to come up to wrap around my waist, but I was quick to break away from his kiss and placed his arms back at his side.
"We'll have none of that darling," I scolded him lightly. "I'm in charge, remember?"
He reluctantly let me have the reigns again and my first step was to let my hand wander down to his penis. A little hiss left him at the contact and I took that as a sign to wrap my hand around his whole shaft. Slowly I pumped my hand up and down then looked to Pheobus to see if I was doing it right. A soundless moan contorted his face in pleasure which led me to gripping his length with slightly more force and speeding up the pumping of my hand.
"That's it luv," he encouraged with his eyes closed, his hands wanting to move to my hips but keeping them at his side as per my wish.
"You can put your hands on my hips," I told him as I leaned forward to nibble around his ear piercings. His hands all but flew to my hips where he held on with a slightly strong grip that showed how much he was holding back. To have better stability under me, I moved so that I was straddling one leg while I continued to stroke his penis in a hard, fast pace. I then moved to kiss Pheobus when I felt my heat rub up against his strong leg deliciously. I moaned into our kiss as I began to rock my hips against his leg while I continued pleasuring my mate. Almost too soon I could feel my end nearing while Pheobus was close behind. However, I was the only one to explode because my hand stopped while I caught my bearings. A loud groan left Pheobus at this and he looked into my eyes heatedly.
"If you don't hurry up Ariel, I will take control, promise or no," he warned me in a voice that sent delighted shivers down my spine.
"Don't worry Pheobus," I assured him, moving about so that my legs were on either side of his lap so that my core hovered above his now straining erection. Carefully I lowered myself onto him until he hit very deep inside of me. I gasped at the feeling while Pheobus growled softly. I let myself adjust to him before I started rocking my hips against his. His arms then moved to wrap around the small of my back and his lips trailed down to my chest where he left searing kisses against my skin. Now I didn't even care that he was taking control as he began to thrust up into me at the same time I was moving my hips.
"Someone could come in and see us luv," Pheobus pointed out against my ear. That only served to make me more aroused.
"I don't care. All I care about is you shooting your seed inside of me."
I knew that I normally wouldn't say things like this but for some reason, I was craving the feeling of the warmth that filled me when Malphas or Pheobus reached their end inside of me. I could feel Pheobus twitch inside of me that had me nearing the end again. Pheobus was right with me and I gripped onto our bond so that we both felt our pleasure as well as each others.
"Ariel," he groaned into my shoulder while his hips sped up under me that told me he was really close to his end. I in turn moved my hips faster to get closer to my own release. When we finally did reach our climax, I sunk my teeth into Pheobus's shoulder while he gave an almighty roar while he filled my insides with his warm seed. When the haze of our lovemaking left me, I stared in horror at what I had done to his shoulder.
xxxxx Lemon Over xxxxx
"Oh Pheobus," I gasped in shock. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what-,"
"It's alright luv," he chuckled while placing a kiss on my forehead. "You marked me. How could I not be happy right now?"
"But it's so deep and red," I protested while I ran a finger against the wound. A gasp of pleasure left him at just the slightest touch. All I could do was stare at him with wide eyes. Wasn't it supposed to hurt instead of inducing pleasure?
"Come luv, let's head up to rest," he suggested as he swept me up into his arms. "Unless you have other plans?"
For the rest of the day, Pheobus and I had many rounds of lovemaking and only paused to eat. By the time we went to sleep, we were both exhausted and we snuggled into each others embrace. It was nice to have this peaceful moment with him given I couldn't spend as much time as I would like with him. That night I dreamt of Pheobus and I sitting in a field of flowers with Malphas beside me and a beautiful baby boy in my arms with inky black hair and bright blue eyes. Magnus, I thought happily when I realized who exactly the child was in my arms. Just the feeling of complete and utter peace and happiness I felt when I had my mates and child with me was enough to bring tears of joy to the corners of my eyes. That in turn put me in a good mood the next morning and a few days after that. Pheobus seemed to have sensed something was going to be going on with Malphas and my brother so he had me stay a few days at the parlor, not that I was complaining. It was late one night after the both of us had taken a bath and I was brushing through my hair when loud banging could be heard from the parlor door downstairs.
"Who could that be?" I asked Pheobus, stopping my brushing so that I could listen better.
"I don't know luv, but I'll go check it out," he assured me with a kiss to my head. "I won't be but a moment."
When he left I continued to brush my hair and had managed to get through all of it when I heard his message through our bond.
Hide Ariel. There are men from the Yard here who want to take you in. I don't trust them to be careful with you so I'd rather not risk it.
I made sure all of my things were well hidden then made myself invisible under Pheobus's bed. Thankfully I was naturally slim or else me with my cantaloupe belly wouldn't have fit underneath the bed. While I lay on my back, my hands automatically went to rub circles in my belly to soothe Magnus. Almost as soon as I got settled under the bed, the bedroom door burst open with such force that it banged off the wall as several pairs of feet stomped into the room. Wow, I would have thought the Yard would at least be a little considerate towards Pheobus. They all but trashed the room searching and they did not forget to look under the bed. However, because I was able to get in the middle and I was invisible, they left the space alone to rejoin the group.
"I don't see her boss," the Yard member who had searched under the bed voiced.
"Alright, we can see you're not harboring her," the man who was in charge of the search drawled out in thinly veiled disbelief. "But if I get word that you had her all along, I will not hesitate throwing you in prison."
Pheobus said nothing as the group left and I felt my breath catch in my throat. What in the world was going on?! Why were they looking for me?! Was it something to do with Ciel? All sorts of thoughts like those flew about in my mind, but were stopped in their tracks when Pheobus said that it was safe to come out. His first reaction was to hold his arms out to me, no doubt feeling my panic at what had just happened.
"I'm afraid someone is trying to frame your brother," he sighed into my hair. "It seems the queen has turned on her precious Watchdogs."
"What is going to happen to Ciel?" I voiced in concern for my older brother. I knew I was in good hands with Pheobus, so Ciel was the only one to worry about.
"I'm not sure luv. All I know is that you are going to be safe here in my arms."
A small smile rose at his words while I burrowed into his chest.
"Shall we go up to bed Pheobus?"
His only response was a large smirk before he swept me up into his arms and carried me over to the bed. After a few rounds of lovemaking and the rest of the time talking, I fell asleep with Pheobus curled around me like a protective cocoon with his hands resting on or around my belly. I was warm, comfortable, and safe until I felt a sharp pain in my mouth. It was only enough to bring me to the place between waking and sleeping so I rubbed my jaw then settled back to sleep. I had just gotten comfortable again when it felt like one of my teeth were ripped out of my mouth. A sharp cry left me as I bolted up which startled Pheobus awake behind me. He was immediately in fight mode when he woke, but calmed down slightly when he saw that we were the only ones in the room.
"Luv, what is it?" he asked in a voice thick with sleep. I could feel part of me melt at how deep his voice was, but the pain in my mouth was getting worse whenit felt like another was pulled out.
"I don't know. It feels like some of my teeth were pulled out."
"Let me look."
He carefully opened my mouth so that he could look around at my teeth.
"There are no missing teeth that I can see," he drawled out in thought while he looked.
"Then why-,"
My breath was literally knocked out of me when I felt something lash out against my chest that soon followed around my head, shoulders, upper arms, and close to my stomach. Given that the phantom attacks lasted for a few hours, I wasn't that worried until the attacks got near my stomach. Magnus, I shouted in my mind when I felt the attacks get close. Pheobus grew worried and panicked when the attacks continued to happen and he held onto me as my body flinched with each "hit". There seemed to be a reprieve after a few hours that had me passing out into Pheobus's arms. I had a bit of a restless sleep until the hits picked up again and I slowly began to become hopeless as to how to stop this. Why is this happening? What is going on? Pheobus tried his best to soothe me, but there was only so much he could do without stopping it from the source. If it's not happening to me and Pheobus is alright...the only one who could have this happening to would be Malphas. Wait?! Does this mean that he's getting tortured?! Now not only was I agonizing over the pain and the nearness of the blows to my stomach, but I was worrying about Malphas's safety.
Malphas, I sent through our bond. Please make it stop.
Ariel...can you feel this?
I have been since it started last night.
I could feel his horror at the realization that he caused me that much distress for a long period of time. Almost as soon as I mentioned it, the pain stopped. A sigh of relief left me that had me sagging into Pheobus.
"It's stopped," I breathed out.
"Thank god," he remarked. "What happened? Has that ever happened before?"
"No. I think it was something to do with Malphas. He knew what it was and managed to get it to stop."
He still looked worried about what had happened but he nonetheless laid us back down on the bed so that he could curl around me again. It took some time for me to calm down, but I was able to get back to sleep.
Thankfully I was able to sleep through the night then on through the morning. Now that I had the time to calm down and relax, I felt a little bit better. The morning sunlight filtered in through the window that roused me from my peaceful sleep. I wonder what was going on earlier. What could Malphas be doing that would allow bodily harm to come to himself? I could feel Pheobus wake up behind me with the way his arm twitched around my side and the way his chest and stomach moved with the deep breath he took in. He let it out through his nose as he nudged his face under my hair so that he could kiss the base of my neck.
"Good morning luv."
"Good morning Pheobus," I returned with a smile. "What do you want for breakfast?"
"I don't think so luv," he chuckled against my hair. "I'm doing the cooking. Don't think I didn't notice Magnus's aura getting stronger or your stomach growing."
Absentmindedly I rubbed my stomach in thought only to feel a slight movement under my hand. My eyes furrowed in confusion as my other hand came up to rest on my stomach along with the other. Pheobus noticed my unusual behavior so he raised himself up on his elbow to look down at me.
"Luv, what are you-,"
"Shh," I insisted at once while my hands rubbed my stomach. Almost immediately I could feel that movement again. It's...What I felt was Magnus moving arond in my belly.
"He's moving," I whispered in shocked awe.
"What?"
To answer his question I took his hand and placed it over my belly just as another kick happened right under his hand. He was confused until he felt the kick right underneath his hand. The confusion was quick to morph into surprise and joy at the feeling that had his eyes twinkling merrily.
"I thought you weren't far enough along yet," he whispered in awe.
"I'm not supposed to be," I admitted with a confused smile. "My pregnancy must be progressing along quicker than anticipated."
He let out a hmm of thought as he continued to rub my stomach and I sent a message to Malphas.
Malphas, Magnus has started to kick! I might be closer to the due date than I thought.
I could immediately feel the shock at the news that soon gave way to joy.
He's kicking? That is wonderful. It is too bad that I am not able to be with you right now. I would love to feel my son kick against my hand.
Undertaker is doing that right now.
Then came the flame of jealousy towards Pheobus that I expected. I let out a sigh that had Pheobus's head turning towards me.
"What's wrong luv?"
"Malphas is being unreasonable again."
"No surprise there," Pheobus muttered. My eyes widened in shocked surprise at his remark that gave way to laughter that had my shoulders shaking and my lips to stretch in a smile. Pheobus himself couldn't help but chuckle along with me while I could feel Malphas's unhappiness through our bond.
Relax Malphas. I'm sure this will be settled soon and then we can go back to the manor together along with Ciel.
I bet if Malphas would have been anyone else, I swear he would have grumbled at my words when he slowly trickled out of my mind. Pheobus and I cooed over Magnus for a bit longer before the both of us got out of bed and ventured downstairs for breakfast.
"How many guests do you have today?" I asked Pheobus as he bustled about cooking.
"You are not helping me prep my guests luv," he denied at once when he caught my meaning behind asking.
"But I want to help," I protested.
"Luv, there are a million things that can go wrong from letting you prep a guest. For one, the heavy lifting is not good for Magnus. Two, inhaling the chemicals really cannot be good for him. Need I go on?"
I pouted at his verdict yet I was happy that he cared so much for our safety. I was so lucky to have him as a mate.
"No," I sighed, getting up from my seat to skip to his side. "But thank you for worrying about us."
I stretching up on my tip toes to peck a kiss on his lips that had him ignoring the food and wrapping his arms around me.
"Of course luv. You and Magnus are my world. I couldn't imagine living without the two of you."
I pecked one last kiss on his lips then made him focus back on the food so that it wouldn't burn.
"To answer your question, I have a handful of guests. However, it shouldn't take me long to prepare them. Why don't you take a book and read in the parlor while I work then when I'm done, I'll come join you."
"Alright," I agreed reluctantly. "But I want a dance later."
"And you shall have it luv."
We both ate our breakfast in comfortable silence before we separated to do our different tasks. I brought out a tea tray to the coffee table then ventured over to the bookshelf that Pheobus had sitting by the fireplace. Titles like Oliver Twist and The Strange Case of and Mr. Hyde were lined up followed by A Christmas Carol. My fingers trailed the spines of the books until I pulled A Christmas Carol off the shelf and settled on the loveseat to read. It took a few minutes to get into the story, but before long I was immersed in the world of Ebenezer Scrooge during Christmas. I found it curious how Scrooge was visited by his dead partner and I wondered how ghosts would look if I were to meet one. Would they be white and transparent like how they are depicted in the story, or would they still be full of color yet transparent. Better yet would they still look like the did in life? Those thoughts stayed in my mind as I continued to read on. When I reached the part about the Ghost of Christmas Past, I was eager to read about Scrooge's childhood. Why had he grown to be so spiteful and bitter to the world? From what I could tell, he was very lonely during his childhood and reminiscing had him crying. Then came his sister who brought joy to the boy's life that had me smiling. At least eh had some joy in his life. The last vision had my heart breaking slightly. He had a lady love to call his own yet she left him due to his greed. I myself thought that if you truly loved someone, you would stand by their side despite what happened. I could sympathize with his pain from losing his love and I could see why he became so bitter. If someone said they would stay with you forever and then leave you for somebody else, no pain save the loss of a child could come close to losing a lover. I just hoped that I would never have to experience either, I thought to myself as I rubbed my belly before moving on to the next part. Not long after that, the Ghost of Christmas Present arrives to take Scrooge all over London to show him the lives of different people. The first gathering that Scrooge observed was the family of his co-worker Bob Cratchit who had a very sparce Christmas dinner with his older children coming back from work in hand me down clothes from their parents along with the youngest, Tiny Tim. Tiny Tim had my heart the minute I read his description. A sickly and crippled child who would not live to see the next Christmas. That was just too much for tears to start falling down my cheeks. Unfortunately for Pheobus, that was right when he walked into the room. His immediate reaction to my tears was to rush to my side and place me on his lap.
"What's wrong luv?" he asked in a rush while he pulled some of my hair back form my face.
"Tiny Tim," I said, holding up the book I was reading. Relief was quick to wash over his face as he buried his face into my hair.
"Do not scare me like that luv," he sighed. "I thought you were hurt."
I only sniffed while I wrapped my arms around his waist.
"What about Tiny Tim is making you cry?"
"He won't live to to see the next Christmas," I told him sadly. "I just thought that his mother is going to have to live with the pain of losing her child."
"You're scared that you would loose Magnus," Pheobus realized with wide eyes after taking in my tear stained face. I said nothing and instead just lay my head against his chest. "Luv, you won't have to worry about losing Magus. You have the King of Hell at your beck and call along with me. You also have a small horde of shinigami who would lay down their lives for you."
His words were enough to calm me along with his hands running up and down my back.
"You're right Pheobus. I am so thankful and happy that I have all of you in my life."
He pressed a kiss to my forehead that trailed down my nose then down to my lips to share sweet kiss.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o An Earthbound Angel o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
There we have it my lovelies. What do you guys think of Ariel's taking control? I had a stroke of inspiration when I was listening to Simon Curtis's "Flesh". I also want to know what you guys think about Ariel being closer to her due date. When do you think Ariel is going to have Magnus? Do you think she is going to have Magnus during the Paris trip or before the London fire? I would love to hear what you guys think and I'm sorry for the long delay. Anywhoo, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this chapter feel free to leave a review or shoot me a pm. Remember, reviews are magic!
-White Wolf