"...So we decided that, if we're going to do this, we're going to do it properly," Chise explained to Shannon.
"I agree," the fae doctor smiled at them; "And I'm glad to hear it. Your own biology presents an interesting and unique complication," she said to Elias, who was ignoring the examining room's chairs to hover protectively close to Chise, perched upon the side of the bed. "But even without that, there are enough other factors to consider with you, Chise, that I want to keep a very close eye on you. I appreciate you coming to me before you start in on the actual conception."
Chise blushed. "Well, I can't imagine that very many cursed Sleigh Beggies ever survived to be able to have a child," she murmured with a small self-depreciating smile.
"Not generally, no. You've been very lucky to have found a powerful protector who generally has avoided burning through your resources."
Chise wasn't quite certain if Elias was deliberately ignoring her pointed side glance his way, or genuinely hadn't heard her. She rather suspected the former.
"So! Let's take a look at you. We'll establish some solid baselines while you're healthy, and I'll do my best to determine whether or not your much-punctured abdomen still contains an intact uterus." She rested a comforting hand on Chise's shoulder at her crest-fallen look. "We might see if I can wrangle access to an ultra-sound at some point. But so far as I've been able to determine, you've always seemed to fully recover from your injuries, so I have no reason to believe that any one organ has sustained irreparable damage when the others haven't."
At Chise's slight smile she turned to Elias. "Now, this is going to take quite some time, so why don't you go and find something to do? Give us at least an hour. We'll find you when we're finished."
"But—"
"No buts!" She politely, but firmly, pushed him towards the door. "Give your poor wife some privacy!" She shut the door in his face, and turned to Chise, not missing her paleness beneath the warm glow of the Anthill's eternal twilight. "We'll just start with some questions," she said kindly, picking up a clipboard and taking a seat. "So. You've been having regular periods? Good. How many days apart are they? Twenty-eight? Perfect. And when did your last one start..?"
Elias insisted upon carrying her all the way home, of course, despite her protests that exercise was not only not detrimental but actually desirable. But she understood. She too felt a need to be as close to him as she could. Finally talking to Shannon had made it real, this step they were taking. It brought it out of the realm of "what if" and "maybe", and firmly into "we're going to". She wasn't having second thoughts, not precisely; but it was a big step for them to take. A huge step. A life-changing one, and that was if everything went well.
She was feeling a bit overwhelmed, and slightly frightened, and clung to her husband's neck as tightly as he did her.
At home, after a calming cup of tea (and some very deep breaths), she finally leaned back against his comforting warmth with a sigh. "So. It'll probably be a few weeks, our time, for her to get all the results of the tests back, and then, assuming everything still looks okay... We can begin."
"Mm." Elias paused. "And she has no idea how long the pregnancy might last?"
"No, not with you involved." Chise gently stroked his shirt-front. "With most fae-human pregnancies, a human mother still usually gestates for around nine months, since that's how long it takes for humans, and they're the ones providing the physical component. But you're a physical being as well, and no one has any idea what reproduction would look like for you. You're unique. So it could be the usual nine months, or nine days, or nine years. No one knows."
"And that's assuming I could—that it would work for us at all," he said, and fell silent, resting his jaw on his hand.
"Yes. Although, of course, that goes for any couple, I suppose."
"Mm." After rather a long pause, he sighed. "Well, without any further information, I suppose we can't count on having the better part of a year to prepare. Perhaps we'd better get things ready to go at this end first, in case it does end up only being nine days."
"I hope it's not, or if it is, that you make tiny babies! I don't much fancy trying to do nine months' of stretching in less than a fortnight!"
She had meant to lighten the mood, but failed rather miserably. It was a sobering realization, the risks of what they were trying to do.
"Chise," Elias asked softly, lowering his head to look her in the eye, "Are you sure about this? Even with a regular pregnancy, the risk to you would be great. With this—with us..."
"I know." She looked away, searching her feelings. Was this what she wanted? Truly? Or was it just that she thought that this was what was expected of her? By society, by the other mages? They had lost so many in the Great Wars. Even now, a hundred years and more since the last had ended, their numbers were nowhere near restored. And England expected that every man would do his part. And every woman hers...
But not Elias. He had never expected a family, a child; had never asked for more of her than her presence, her attention. She looked back to him, seeing the concern in his eyes, feeling the tension in his arms about her. This strange, chimeric being, this wonderful man, who had saved her, whom she had saved herself—she knew, she knew that this was right. For them, for both of them. True, there were uncertainties, so many unknowns. So many concerns. But the decision, the choice to have a child with him, to have his child, their child—that was not one of them.
They would have their child. She would have it. They would be careful; Shannon would watch her closely. But all would be well; she could feel it, deep in her bones, an abiding certainty that this was meant to be.
They would have a baby, and Silky would help look after it, and Ruth would become Uncle Ruth, along with Uncle David and Auntie Angie, and Auntie Alice, and Grandpa Lindel (and wouldn't he hate being called 'Grandpa'! Or would he? She remembered when she had gone to make her wand, when he had sent for "his granddaughter," and suddenly thought that he would love it). And Great-Grandmother Rahab. And their child would grow up with the king and the queen of the fairies of Albion as their neighbours, possibly even their godparents. They would have a family, a large, loving, extended family, and they would ride dragons.
And even if she did only have a normal, human lifespan, and passed away after a century or so, grey-haired and wrinkled, she wouldn't be leaving Elias alone.
Chise smiled up at her husband, her eyes shining, and embraced him tightly. "I'm sure," she said.