Chapter Four - Maternity Leave, Pt. 2

"Look what I found. This portrait was done in the classical style - my mother must have commissioned it." Orm held out the portrait to her.

She peered down at it to find the blondest, bluest-eyed chubbiest baby.

"Oh! You were a little chonk too!" She grabbed the portrait, "I'm keeping this!" It was going with her own albums.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, eyeing the laptop in her well, lap.

"Oh, finding all that old college stuff got me thinking. I'm curious what's being offered nowadays."

"Do you think you would ever finish your schooling?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, I don't know. But I certainly don't have the time. And will have even less time once the little one comes along!" She snapped the laptop closed. "I've been cooped up too long - need some fresh air."

They were taking a walk along the beach when loud chittering caught their attention. Out in the water, three noses peeked out: her dolphin pals.

"Hey ladies, what's up?" She listened closely to their chittering. She turned to her husband. "Apparently the dolphin-shark debate is not very resolved."

He appeared embarrassed. "You're right, I can't talk to fish."

"We can resolve that later, right now there's an attack on a vessel."

"Pirates?"

"Pirates. Let's go - oh." She stopped. She couldn't. "Uhhh, sorry ladies, but Aquawoman can't Aquawoman right now... But, we could send another Atlantean in my place." She turned to her husband.

"Me?"

"No, the Brine King. Yes you!"

"What?"

"Babe, you're a warrior. Go kick some pirate ass!" She threw a few air punches for emphasis.

"But we've only ever done your rescuing missions together!"

"So? Now it's your time to shine! Go get 'em, Babe. You put the 'Orm' in 'Storm'!"

He did not look impressed. Even the dolphins had things to say about that.

"Oh come on, I'm hilarious! And you love it! Now go get 'em!" She playfully slapped his butt to get him going. "Go on, follow the girls."

The girls chittered as if to say, "Come on, get going. Those pirates aren't going to stop themselves!"

Orm nodded. "I'm going to need my armour..."

And so became their new ritual, which actually worked out quite well. While being Queen of Atlantis was constantly kicking her ass and making her want to look for an actual job, there was one part of it that she enjoyed, and even thrived at: being protector of the Land and Sea.

That's right, Aquawoman was still very much in business. Of course, now with her pregnancy, that would have to change for a while, and her superhero stuff had to take a back seat. But that issue appeared to be solved as Ocean Master took over her duties for the time being.

But of course, that didn't mean mishaps would take a back seat too. In fact, there was rather a flurry of activity that she couldn't participate in.

After that first mission, Orm even worked his tech magic and added a little camera into the front of his helmet so she could watch and 'be present' on missions. The only downside of this was that she couldn't watch her hot warrior hubby in action.

"YEAH! KICK HIS ASS!" Atlas screamed in her ear from where they were watching the footage back at the lighthouse.

She sighed wistfully. "I'm a bad influence."

The other downside of this arrangement was that Orm got to have all the fun while she had to sit it out, but for good reason. She lived such an active lifestyle, it was tough to just sit still. She was looking forward to being able to get back to it, which meant after the baby arrived, so win win!

"I hate being on the sidelines." She could hardly sit still, as they had already established.

Tom nodded. "You always did." It was what had driven her to use her Atlantean abilities for good and help others in the beginning.

"YEAH, GET THEM ORM!" continued Atlas, following it up with a killer battle-cry. "WHOO YEAH! THAT'S MY BROTHER!"

Orm threw a door open, revealing some very frightened sailors. Frightened sailors, who quickly became confused.

"Aquawoman?" they asked.

"Clearly not," said Orm. "She is my wife. She cannot be here right now - we're having a baby!" Her adorable husband was so excited he was sharing the news with total strangers in the middle of a battle. "So she sent me instead. I am Ocean Master, King of Atlantis."

The sailors exchanged a glance and spoke to each other in their language.

"What language are they speaking?" Orm asked her.

"Uh, my Japanese isn't great, but I'll try." She stumbled her way through, saying - hopefully - the equivalent of, "Hi boys. I know, probably not who you were expecting. But you're safe now!"

And even though she couldn't be part of the action at the moment, this was still her favourite part of the job, and the part she was the best at. Protecting both the Land and the Sea the best way she knew how: by busting some heads.

She would do some cage fights as well, Orm always joining her and cheering the loudest. "YEAH! THAT'S MY WIFE! GO AURELIA! I LOVE YOU!" It was sweet and she always showed off and flexed her muscles just for him. For now the roles had reversed, with him doing the ass-kicking and her doing the sideline cheering.

One thing about being on the sidelines was that she really appreciated the nine month break from the job. Being Queen of Atlantis and the One True Ruler chosen by Poseidon the Sea God himself based on some ancient prophecy by King Atlan had never sounded small, and she could now confirm that it was not small, not in the least. There were so many people counting on her, so many people she couldn't let down. Even Poseidon the Sea God himself.

Honestly, what was her life? A superhero and now Queen of a legendary underwater kingdom that most humans still didn't believe in even though she had opened it up to them? It all sounded crazy but it was all very real for her. This was her life now and it was wild.

And so the cycle continued, with Orm taking over her duties both as ruler and Aquawoman, while she, with the further along she went in her pregnancy the more she could excuse herself from her duties and just kick back and relax.

When she started showing her baby bump, Orm literally cried. And by the time nine months rolled around, she was massively round, only able to waddle everywhere. She was on the tiny side hight-wise, but Orm was easily six feet, so she had a suspicion the baby got their dad's height.

"I feel like a whale." Honestly, with how small she was in general, and how round she was now, she felt like a big ball that would roll away if she tipped over even slightly.

Orm chuckled as he helped her into bed. "Well I have always thought whales beautiful, majestic creatures, so that makes you the most beautiful of whales."

"Good answer." She heaved a sigh of relief as she leaned back against the pillows, while Orm climbed into bed and supported her from behind. They lay that way in content silence for a while until she broke it.

"Hey Babe?"

"Yes?"

"You know how I was saying that I can hardly sneeze, laugh or cough now without peeing a little because of the intense pressure on my bladder."

"Yes..."

"Well, I just did none of those things, and it feels like I'm peeing - like a lot." Only it wasn't pee, and she figured she knew what was happening.

It took a moment for it to click before Orm sprang from the bed, early sending her flying off it herself. "Oh my gods - is it time?"

"I think so..."

"Are you feeling any pain?"

"Not really - OH YEAH NEVERMIND!" A huge surge of pain hit her suddenly. She had faced a lot of pain in her time as a warrior, but nothing quite like this.

"ATLANNA! TOM!" Orm raced out of the room.

"DON'T LEAVE ME!" she screeched.

He came running right back, continuing to scream for her parents from her side.

Moments later, Atlanna and Tom flew into the room.

"MUMMY!" she wailed, in agony now.

Atlanna took her into her arms. "Come on, my darling, it's time, let's get you to the water."

It's time! The baby's coming! We'll meet baby Curry-Marius in the next chapter! :)

As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)