Fateful Realization
A/N: So here we go again with the crazy muse. This is my first attempt at writing a Tin Man fic that isn't Cain/DG. Let me know what you think!
"Maybe you're pregnant."
It had been a simple suggestion, a joke really. Az had been sick for a few days and DG was attempting to lighten the mood with possible explanations. After the eldest of the Gale daughters had shot down pneumonia, smallpox, and the bubonic plague—in most cases because she had no idea what these diseases were—DG had suggested pregnancy. Azkadellia had laughed it off along with her little sister until something occurred to her.
She was late.
"Sweet Ozma," she gasped.
"What?"
Az's eyes had been staring past her sister to the far wall while she thought, but now they were locked on DG's blue orbs. "I think I am."
"Are what?" DG asked confused. Her eyes grew wide when she realized what her sister was referring to. "Pregnant? You're pregnant?! Oh my God! Az, are you serious?"
"I don't know, but…it fits." She quickly made some calculations in her head and came up with only one answer. "That has to be it."
"Oh my God!" DG repeated throwing her arms around her sister. "You have to tell Glitch. Wait," she drew back and leveled a glare at Az, "he is the father right?"
"Of course he is!" Az hissed her eyes boring into those of her younger sister. "How dare you accuse me of being unfaithful?"
"Whoa there girl," DG laughed throwing her hands up in surrender. "I was joking. I know you would never cheat on Glitch. The way you look at him makes me want to vomit." Az swatted her playfully and laughed. "So when are you going to tell him?"
"I should make sure first," she surmised. "No sense creating a scene if there is no reason for one."
DG sent one of the maids in search of Raw who returned rather quickly with the Viewer in tow. After being sworn to secrecy, Raw confirmed that Azkadellia was in fact expecting. After a round of hugs and more oaths of absolute silence, the Viewer left the sisters to their scheming.
"So when are you going to tell him?" DG asked for the hundredth time. "This is so exciting. I can't believe I'm going to be an aunt!"
"I suppose I'll tell him tonight after dinner," Azkadellia said. "I'm going to be a complete wreck until then."
And indeed she was. All through dinner Az looked as though she was going to be sick. DG tried to keep attention away from her sister, regaling everyone with tales of the Otherside. She even managed to get Ahamo to share some of his own experiences from the 70s. Talk about entertaining!
"So you're telling me you never dropped acid?" DG asked incredulously.
Ahamo laughed. "I never had the urge…or the opportunity really. I wasn't part of that crowd."
"I thought everyone in the seventies was on acid," she mused. "You must have at least smoked pot?"
"Spitfire, I hardly think this is an appropriate topic for dinner," Ahamo dodged the question excellently.
DG smiled triumphantly. "I knew it! You were such a pot head," she said.
"Azkadellia, my dear, are you alright?" Lavender asked, thankful for a change of subject. While she enjoyed seeing her family reunited and acting as they used to, Ahamo had been correct. One's prior recreational drug use was hardly proper dinner conversation.
Az's head snapped up when she heard her name. "Yes I'm fine, just feeling a little under the weather I suppose."
Dinner continued without interruption, while DG continued to grill her father about his past. As the meal ended the Queen and Consort retired to their chambers after bidding their daughters a good night. Cain escorted DG back to her suite and Glitch and Az also retired for the evening.
"Are you sure you're all right Love?" Glitch asked when he and Azkadellia were alone. His vice sounded suspiciously like Ambrose at the moment; Azkadellia took note of it. It was good to know who she was dealing with at the moment.
"I'm fine," she repeated. Taking a deep breath, Az attempted to steady her pulse. "But there is something I have t tell you."
Glitch emerged from the bathroom wiping the water from his face. "Well I hope it is good news. After the day I have had, I could use some god news."
Az's face fell. "What happened?"
"Well I spent all morning meeting foreign dignitaries with the Queen," he explained. "You would not believe the audacity of some of these so called nobles! The duke of Illinova actually had the gall to question the legitimacy of the House of Gale! While in conference with the head of said House! Can you imagine…can you imagine…can you—"
"Ambrose."
"Sorry," he apologized. Az only smiled; even with his brain reinstalled he would occasionally have synapse misfires. Hence why those closest to him still referred to him as Glitch. "To top it off my newest invention was a miss. I don't know what could possibly be wrong with it."
"Poor baby," Az laughed as she climbed onto the bed behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder.
Glitch sighed, "But I digress. You were going to tell me something?"
'Oh yeah back to that.' "Well…remember a few weeks ago? After the celebratory ball?"
Glitch tilted his head slightly, trying to recall the occasion. It took him a moment to remember the events of that night, but she he did a slight blush rose to his cheeks. "Yes I remember it quite fondly. You looked absolutely gorgeous in that gown. I couldn't keep my eyes off you."
Az smiled. "I seem to remember you not being able to keep your hands off me as well. We barely made it back here."
Glitch turned himself around to look at his lovely wife. "I wasn't the only one. I seem to remember someone being awfully, how shall I say, vocal that night." The blush in Az's cheeks was the reward for his daring recollection. "I have great memories of that night."
"We have more than memories from that night," Az said, her hand immediately covering her mouth in embarrassment. 'Talk about letting the cat out of the bag!'
"What?"
Az met his eyes solidly. "Ambrose…I'm pregnant." It felt as though time slowed to a creeping pace. Az could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she watched for Glitch's reaction.
"You're…p-pregnant?" he mumbled. His face was unreadable as the news sank in.
"Yes," Az confirmed. When he showed no reaction she began to panic. "I know we weren't planning on having children right away, and I know there is still a lot of rebuilding of the realm to do and—" Before she could manage another hesitation Glitch leaned forward and captured her lips with his own, his hand cupping her cheek softly.
"We're having a child?" he asked. Azkadellia nodded. The smile started small and spread to encompass his entire face. He kissed her franticly.
"Does this mean you're happy?" Az laughed as he peppered her face with light kisses.
"Happy? Azkadee I'm absolutely exuberant. I'm ecstatic. I'm…some other word that means really happy!" He recaptured her lips and let his hand come to rest against her belly. "I love you so much."
Azkadellia let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "I'm so glad you're happy about this. I was a little worried."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just figured that since we hadn't planned any of this it would be a big adjustment."
"Of course it's going to be a big adjustment," Ambrose said. He took Azkadellia's hand and laid it on her stomach covering it with his own. "This child is a piece of both of us. It will have all of our best traits: your beautiful looks and my stunning intelligence." They shared a laugh at this. "She'll be absolutely perfect."
"She?" Az questioned.
"The first of the Gale line is always female," Glitch explained.
Az nodded feeling as though she had learned that at some point. "I think I knew that."
"Someone has not been paying attention to their history lessons," Ambrose smiled kissing her lips. "What a shame. You were always such a good student."
Az smirked. She pulled her husband further onto the bed and lay hovering over him. "Allow me to show you something I have learned. I assure you I am an excellent student."
So I'm sure some of you have noticed that I seem to have babies on the brain lately. Normally I would blame that on my muse, but I recently learned that my sister is pregnant again! So I'm going to applaud my muse with its new found power of foreseeing the future.
The conversation between DG and Ahamo was actually based on conversations I've had with my mom. She gets pretty upset when I call her a 'pot-smoking hippie.' I can't imagine why!