Chapter Sixteen

I know, I know, it's been a long time.

Dr. Greg Votrem is just a character I made up.

Raven dropped the test in the sink, in shock. Her whirled with thoughts as she tried to process this.

A baby. She was going to have a baby. Well, her and Harry, it took two people to make a baby.

How could this happen? She was always diligent to do the contraception spell before they ever did anything.

She put her face in her hands. That one night when her and Harry had awoken up, her picking up on a naughty dream he was having about her and they ended up doing it. She had completely forgotten the spell, and apparently, so had he, because he hadn't mentioned it.

There was a second test in the box and she took that one two, just in case the first one was wrong, but it came up positive as well. She would have to get it confirmed by a doctor of course.

She flopped on the bed. What would Harry say? They had only just gotten married and he already had two kids. And then there was another fact. She was half demon. She hadn't even known she was capable of having children, due to what she was. There were medical tests she could have had done, but she had never done them, deciding she didn't want to know unless she decided to get married.

So how would the child turn out? With her being half demon, and Harry being half, uh, whatever you wanted to call him, the child would be odd. What if it had health problems or something?

Harry's two other kids turned out fine, nothing wrong with them, but then Ginny had been human.

She got up and ran to the bathroom and lifted her shirt. Her tummy poked out ever so slightly, but that was likely not the baby, and more the result of the Chinese food everyone had gorged on last night. Probably loaded with sodium…

She paced around her room. She was nervous about telling Harry. She would wait until he came back, she didn't want to tell him over a phone call. And then they could talk to Artemis about getting care and making sure the baby would be okay, since she couldn't just go to a regular doctor and ask for a prenatal exam to make sure her part demon baby was growing fine.

She needed some tea so she went downstairs to make some. Steaming mug in hand, she found Robin and Starfire in the living room, watching TV.

"Hello, friend Raven," said Starfire while Robin smiled at her.

"Hey," said Raven sitting on the couch.

"What is the matter?" asked Starfire.

"You look a bit pale…er," said Robin.

"Nothing," said Raven, monotone. She didn't want to tell anyone else before she told Harry.

"O and K," said Starfire, not looking like she believed it.

They watched TV, well Raven pretended to watch it but really her mind was running various thoughts.

Had to tell Harry.

Must eat healthy. She didn't have much problem with that, but sodium loaded Chinese food probably wasn't something to start eating all the time.

She didn't smoke or drink, no problem there.

Artemis had a PH.D in just about every medical subject, but she would need a different doctor, preferably, one that wouldn't freak out over demon babies. Artemis was smart and great, but she didn't really want him birthing her kid and seeing her hoo-hah and all that. She had to live in the same house with him…

She would have to stop working after awhile. She couldn't go chasing after trolls with a giant belly.

She would have to buy new clothes eventually. Great, she would probably end up looking like a beached whale.

She had heard load of people say how pregnancy affected hormones and caused some women to go ballistic with anger. How would this affect Rage and Anger? Would one take over and send Harry sailing out the window over some minor offense?

And holy shit…she would have to learn how to change crappy diapers…

Harry came back from his surveillance mission. When he came in, Starfire was wandering through the foyer, looking dazed. Artemis was coming from the living room.

"Hey, Artemis."

"Hi, you're back a bit earlier; Raven wasn't expecting you until noon. She went to town to get some more herbal tea I think."

"Oh," said Harry.

He sat on the couch and pulled out his phone to text Raven but Starfire wandered in. "Harry," she said in a small voice.

"What's up Starfire?" asked Harry.

Starfire sat on the other end of the couch and fiddled with her hair. "Um, I just wanted to ask something. Hypotheoryetical."

Harry looked at her blankly. "Huh? Oh, you mean hypothetical?"

"Y-yes," said Starfire. "Hypothetical. Just a random question. No particular reason."

"Ok?"

"Now, nothing has happened, but, let us just say something very terrible was to happen to friend Raven, very terrible…would you want her to tell you?"

"Well, of course," said Harry.

"You would not be the angry at her? If the terrible thing was out of her control?"

"Of course not," said Harry, realizing where this was coming from. Starfire must not have told Robin about Aleric raping her yet. Nobody had told Harry, Starfire not wanting others to know, but it wasn't hard to guess and now Starfire was trying to work up courage to tell Robin. "Listen Starfire, I wouldn't be angry at her. Sometimes terrible things happen to people, and you can't be angry with them as it's not their fault. I would not be angry with Raven and I would want her to tell me so we could work through it together."

"So you would prefer to hear from her, not someone else?"

"Yes, from her," said Harry. "Unless she was, say, hurt, and unable to tell me. Other than that, I would rather hear it from her, as she would have nothing to fear from me."

Starfire nodded and said nothing for a moment. Then she lunged across the couch and flung her arms around Harry on impulse.

"Thank you, friend Harry," said Starfire, her voice choked up. "You are a good man and I am very glad friend Raven has you."

"Th-thanks," Harry managed to get out, his air supply cut off from the strength of the hug. He panted Starfire on the back while she sniffled into his shoulder for a moment and then quickly zipped off and up the stairs.

Harry gasped for breathe, hearing the front door opening and Raven in, holding a bag from a shop in town.

"Oh, Harry, hi," she said, looking a little excited and nervous. "Why are you all red in the face?"

"Starfire hugged me," said Harry, getting up and hugging and kissing Raven.

"Yes, the hug of suffocation," said Raven.

Harry went to grab a small duffel bag from near the door. "Let's go upstairs, I need to unpack."

"Okay," said Raven, twisting her hands.

They went upstairs, Harry unpacked his few things and sat next to Raven and leaned in to kiss her. "I missed you sweety."

"Me too," said Raven, kissing him back. "I, uh, I have something to tell you."

"What?" asked Harry. Raven fidgeted with the end of her sleeve. She had never been so nervous, except for when she had to tell Harry that she (she thought) killed her team mates.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out in her monotone.

Harry just sat there for a moment, blank faced. Then he looked confused, then surprised, and then elated. He suddenly jumped up and pulled Raven up with him, and grabbed her in a hug, swinging her around. "Really? Oh, Raven, I'm so happy!"

He kissed her.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're happy."

"What, you thought I wouldn't like it?"

"Well, you've got two already and we never made definite plans about us having any."

"Raven, I'm going to be a father again! Of course I'm happy. And it's with you! Oh, Raven, you're not unhappy about it, are you?"

"No," said Raven. "I'm just shocked. I wasn't expecting this so soon. I'm just nervous. I've never had a kid before and I don't have a lot of experience with kids in general!"

"It'll be fine," said Harry, clasping her hands. "I promise you. And you have me, you're not alone. Wait, how did you get pregnant?"

"Well, when two people love each other-"

"No, silly, I thought that spell worked."

Raven looked down. "I'm sorry. That one night you had that dream and we woke up and ended up doing it. I just completely forgot."

Harry smiled. "Well, Raven, I am very happy to be a father again." He placed his hand on her belly, imagining when it would be round and he could feel their child kicking. "You'll be a wonderful, mother."

"I hope so, I'm not so good with children."

"It changes when you have your own child. Motherly instinct kicks in. And besides, you can't be that bad, Coral loves you."

"But I don't even know to hold her. Holly says you don't hold children by tucking them under your arm and lugging them off like a sack."

Harry snorted. "Don't worry, I'll teach you, and they're baby books you can read. We've got nine months to prepare."

"I suppose. I'm half demon remember? Gestation could be longer, or shorter."

"Well, we better out figure that out, get you to a doctor."

They eventually decided to use a doctor recommended by the Justice League. Plenty of people knew of Raven's demon heritage in her own universe (in the super hero circles anyway), so it likely wouldn't be such a shock to whoever ended up being there doctor.

She told the others about her pregnancy and got an appointment setup, via Cyborg. She wouldn't need to go until she was twelve weeks along, or unless something seemed wrong or just off.

"I thought they would have me come sooner," Raven told Harry. "Something terrible could be happening in there for all I know." She poked her stomach.

"Raven, it'll be fine," said Harry.

Everyone had been very happy to hear of the coming baby, even if it was a bit soon.

Starfire had finally told Robin about what had happened to her he was as supportive as possible, infuriated with Aleric of course, and wishing he could go rip the man's testicles off and make him eat his own balls. He told Starfire she wasn't dirty and that it hadn't been her fault, and she wasn't less of a person because of it. He only wished he had been able to stop it.

Raven started to get sick in the mornings. Well, all day really. She could only stomach toast and tea. Even the smell of other food could send her running for the toilet.

"I'm dyyinng," she moaned one morning to Starfire, hearing her enter the bedroom. Harry had left early to get medicine at Diagon Alley, leaving Raven sleeping peacefully, pretty much the only time she didn't feel queasy. She had awakened, got out of bed, started feeling extremely nauseous as usual and was now worshipping the porcelain god.

"Oh, friend," said Starfire entering the bathroom just as Raven let out a heave of vomit into the toilet. "The earth medicine did not work for you?"

Raven wanted to cuss her out and say, "No it didn't damn bloody work, otherwise I wouldn't be spewing my insides into the toilet." But that wasn't a nice thing to say to your friend. And besides, she was too busy puking to say anything.

"Holly and Artemis will be back from Haven tomorrow, and Holly says the fairies have some of the medicine to help with the sickness of morning."

"More like all day sickness," moaned Starfire.

"I wish we had some plornebdem," said Starfire.

"Huh?"

Starfire began describing some hideous worm on Tamaran that was you were supposed to grind up and swallow. It sounded disgusting and Raven heaved some more and the thought of eating worms.

"It generally works even with the worst cases of the sickness of morning," said Starfire.

"I'm not eating worm bits," said Raven. She leaned against the wall, sweating.

"Oh, you poor thing, you must eat something. It is not good for the bumgorf," said Starfire handing her some tissue to wipe her mouth with. "I do not see how you have anything left to throw up."

"I can only manage toast mostly," said Raven. "And not much either. Although Harry is being very awesome and trying to tempt me with anything that he thinks might work. And bringing me tea all day. He didn't even complain when I accidentally threw up on him yesterday. Help me up please, my powers seemed drained because of this and I get dizzy sometimes when I stand."

Raven felt extremely weak and Starfire helped her to the bed where she collapsed and slept for another hour. Harry awoke her. He had stopped by Diagon Alley and gotten some wizard medicine that was supposed to help. They would have gotten it earlier, but it was made with some weird herb from South America and they had been out.

"Hey, sweety," said Harry, gently waking her.

"Hi," mumbled Raven. Harry leaned down to kiss her and Raven covered her mouth. "Puke breathe. I'll spare you that."

"Okay," said Harry, kissing her forehead instead. "Here, drink this. It's supposed to help."

Raven felt extremely nauseated and the green murky fluid in the bottle Harry helped did not look appetizing. It looked like liquid squirties in a bottle.

"It's looks awful, but it's supposed to work really well."

It tasted terrible but within minutes, the queasiness lessened a bit.

"You want to eat something?"

"No," said Raven. "I'm tired."

"All right, maybe in a couple hours." Harry got into bed and Raven cuddled up to him and he rubbed her back gently and Raven slept for another hour. She awoke, feeling better and Harry ran downstairs to get some toast and tea for her. Raven wobbled to the bathroom to brush the nasty taste from her mouth.

She sat up in bed and was able to eat most of the toast.

"The lady said it works better after a few doses," said Harry. "Pretty soon we should get you eating full meals. You and the baby need nutrition."

"Well, at least I'm not eating worm bits," said Raven, drinking her tea. Harry raised an eyebrow. "Oh, it's some nasty morning sickness cure they use on Tamaran."

"Yes, I notice Starfire seems to like weird foods, and you know, she was drinking mustard earlier, in the kitchen. Took the lid off the bottle and put a straw in and started sucking it down like it was a milkshake. And there was awful lot of large bottles of mustard in the kitchen. I guess she went and bought them earlier. And she had that weird worm thing with her…"

Raven snorted. "Yes, she loves mustard. You should see her when she's having, ah, lady problems. Sometimes she gets all weepy and then sits in front of the TV with a plate of brownies drizzled with mustard."

Harry made a face. "Ugh."

"Yeah, and you think that's bad, you should see Tamaran food. Sometimes it's still wiggling when they eat it."

"Oookay, mental note, never visit Tamaran."

"Not without a supply of normal food," said Raven. "And the worm is named Silkie, just so you know. Well, I brushed my teeth, so about that kiss you wanted earlier."

Harry kissed her and rubbed her arm. "I'm glad you feeling better."

"Yeah, I don't feel like my insides are about to come flying out. Hopefully my powers will get stronger."

"Throwing up weakens them?"

"Well, not normally. I've had the flu before and they didn't go away. Now I can barely use lift the remote." Raven made it hover and it then flopped on the comforter.

"Is it the baby?"

Raven thought for a moment. "I don't know. I mean, it could be because of that. But I have no idea really. This is the first time."

"Well, your baby is quarter demon so maybe your powers drain to help the baby grow or something?"

Raven shrugged. "We'll see, but I don't like it. It makes me feel helpless."

"Well, you're on leave now. So no fighting trolls or anything for you."

"I have to find other stuff to do for the next few months."

"Geesh, you just barely managed to stop throwing up, and you're already worried about what to do the next few months?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I guess could go get you some pregnancy books to read."

"Yeah, go do that."

"Now?"

"Yes, now! I have so much to learn."

For the next three days, Raven read and let the medicine work its full magic. Now she could eat properly, and even better, eat downstairs with everyone else at the table and not worry about projectile vomiting on someone.

And her and Harry went for walks a lot.

Raven started sleeping bad once or twice a week. Eerie dark dreams where something was following her around, and she couldn't see it or make it go away. She assumed it was the fear of being not being a good mother maybe.

Harry went to visit his kids one Friday evening, a week before Raven's 3 month appointment.

"Harry, I need you to watch them next Saturday," said Ginny. "I've got to meet with Benjamin and discuss all this divorce crap. I need to leave by noon."

Raven's appointment was at eleven thirty. There was no way they could get back in time. They were going to her old dimension.

"I can't come until probably around one," said Harry, bracing for the anger to follow.

"Why? I can't take them with me."

"Can't you just reschedule?"

"Why can't you just reschedule!? Or is your new wife more important? What the hell is so important you can't be here for them?"

Harry sighed. "Ginny, she's pregnant, she has a doctor appointment, okay? I'm going with her."

"You're having another kid? With her!"

"Yes, I'm having a child with my wife!"

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "You haven't been married that long. You married her because of the baby didn't you! You couldn't keep your pants up and she couldn't keep her panties on? That's a good example to set to your kids. Just get married when you realize you're about to pop a mistake out."

Harry stood up, gritting his teeth, trying to keep his temper under control before Ginny flew off the handle even more and started saying he couldn't see the kids anymore. But he wasn't about to just sit and let Ginny spout shit about Raven.

"May I remind you, Ginny, that we slept together before we got married. But you didn't have any qualms about that, did you, just because you couldn't keep your panties on and I couldn't keep my pants up? And also-" he knew he was treading dangerous ground but his anger pushed him on "-you cheated on me, and left me for some other guy, who you are now divorcing. What does that tell James and Molly, huh? I never even once thought about cheating on you! So don't sit there and insult me and Raven, especially because we are having a kid. And we did not get married of a baby. We got married because we loved each other. So don't you ever say anything about her again! You wouldn't want to hear any crap from me if you got remarried again and had a baby with some other man, would you?"

Ginny just stared at him for a moment, her face reddening slightly. "No. I wouldn't. Sorry. I shouldn't have said any of that. But-are you still going to be around for Molly and James?"

"Yes, you know I will. They're my babies too. I'm not going to abandon them ever. They're not like-like toys. You don't just toss them out when you get a new one."

Ginny folded her arms. "Fine, I'll call and say I'll be late. But Harry, I don't want them going over there to visit you."

"Why?" asked Harry, steel in his voice. She better not start trying to keep them from him again…

"I don't feel comfortable with suddenly presenting them with a new step mother, and a new sibling. It might be a little overwhelming. And I don't know anything about her."

"She's not a troll, you know. She's not going to be the evil stepmother."

"Yes, but at the moment, how about you just keep visiting the kids, and leave it that. With Benjamin and me getting divorced, they might have a not so nice view of step parents in general at the moment. I don't want to send them over to see you and they end up hating her and then it ruins visits forever. We can just wait a bit."

Harry and Raven had discussed that and came to the same conclusion as well.

"Ok."

Harry left that night and went back home to Raven, who was in her PJs and watching some horror movie on the TV.

Harry told Raven everything that had happened.

"Yes, I know, eventually we have to meet. I just hope they like they me," said Raven, snuggling up to Harry.

"They will," said Harry, draining a can of soda he had been drinking. "We'll just give it time, since Ginny's in the process of divorcing that prick. And you're pregnant right now, I don't want to stress you out."

"I am not that delicate," said Raven, narrowing her eyes at him. "Just because I got pregnant, I am not suddenly a little flower in danger of wilting."

"I know…"

They started fooling around and before long clothes were tossed to the side and Harry couldn't remember what he had done with the soda can. They were entwined naked on the bed, and Harry was kissing Raven's neck, when he suddenly heard some wet slobbery crunching and he looked up, wondering what the heck it was. Somehow, that worm thing Starfire kept as a pet, (Cyborg had brought it) was in the bed, and chewing up the soda can like a potato chip.

"What the heck!" yelled Harry.

"Bad Silkie!" shouted Raven.

"How'd it get in here? And why is it eating the soda can?"

"I left the door open earlier, it must have been hiding under the bed." Raven got up, annoyed to have been disturbed during love making by Starfire's pet. She put on a robe on and went to the door.

"Out! Go eat Artemis's loafers or something. We're busy."

Silkie scootched across the floor with an air of vague shame and Raven opened the door enough for it to slip out. She shut it. A second later they heard something that suspiciously sounded like a soda can being thrown up in the hallway.

"Starfire can clean that up later."

When Raven's appointment arrived, they used a stone to get to her dimension, arriving at the newly rebuilt Titans Tower. Traveling to different dimensions while pregnant wasn't very pleasant. Despite the medicine working and allowing her to eat, it didn't work for traveling to other worlds. Raven started to feel quite sick and had to throw up in the grass.

Harry just felt slightly nauseous from the trip helped her up to front door and Cyborg buzzed them in.

"The doctor will be here soon, ooh, Raven, you don't look so good."

"Yeah, I got sick," she glowered.

"Well," replied Cyborg. "The Tower is pretty much the same as it used to be, so you can go to your old room and freshen up. I don't really have the whole tower furnished fully, so obviously your stuff is not all in there, but the bathrooms and everything work. I'll let you know when the doctor arrives."

"Okay," said Raven, her throat getting thick.

Cyborg had rebuilt the tower pretty much exactly the same. The furnishings in the main areas were even almost the same. They were in the living room and could see Jump City through the huge glass windows.

"It's almost like nothing happened," said Raven, looking around.

"Brings a lot of memories back?" asked Harry and Raven nodded.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Well, would you like a tour after I go use the bathroom?"

"Yeah, sure!"

Raven found her old room, it had a simple bed in it, and a chest of drawers, but it was nothing like how it had been in the old Tower. No creepy items laying round or shelves of books. She went in the bathroom and found it was stocked with base essentials.

One of the annoying things of pregnancy was having to pee all the time. Like, seriously, she was sure her bladder had suddenly shrunk to the size of a bean. What the heck? She thought this only happened much later in pregnancy.

She did her business and brushed her teeth and then gave Harry a grand tour of the place. The doctor finally arrived, well recommended by the Justice League.

His name was Dr. Greg Votrem and he appeared to be in his thirties, with brown hair, average features and blue eyes.

"Just call me Greg," he said cheerfully. "I'm part of the Justice League now, although my abilities aren't for fighting."

"Oh, what do you do then?" asked Cyborg.

"I have the power to ease and cure anxiety and depression in people, just by touching them," said Greg. "I became a doctor, so I could better use the power and help people with other problems too. I can also ease stress, so the Justice League decided I'd be a good addition. You know, they have stressful jobs-" he laughed. "-and if there was ever a situation where civilians were suffering from PTSD, I could help with that."

"Wow, that's actually very interesting," said Raven.

"Yeah, so they called me and told me a member of the Titans was pregnant, but I don't really know much about you guys," added Greg. "I mean, I've heard of you, but I don't know much about you."

"Well, I'm Cyborg, so my ability is pretty obvious," said Cyborg gesturing at himself.

"And I have to ability to levitate items, feel thoughts and emotions, stuff like that."

"I'm not part of the Titans or Justice League, but I have blades that come out of my hands, and I can self heal," said Harry.

"Well, cool, so I was told you're pregnant Raven, and you needed a doctor, so let's go to the infirmary."

"It's all set up," said Cyborg. "So I'll see you guys later."

The check up went fine. They got to hear the baby's heart beat and everything appeared to be good.

"Now, I need to ask you," said Raven afterward. "I am half demon, and Harry, as you heard, is not a, normal human. Can you foresee any complications? Will the pregnancy be longer or shorter than nine months?"

A weird look flashed over Greg's face when she mentioned the half demon part. What? Didn't he already know? He technically worked for the Justice League, wouldn't they have given him a file on her, a basis of medical facts?

"I don't remember seeing that in your file…" said Greg. "You being half demon."

Raven wanted to ask if he even bothered to read it, but she bit it back. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no!" said Greg. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you. You're Trigons daughter right?"

Raven sighed. "Yes."

"Well, I've never dealt with a case like yours. But the baby seems fine and normal, and to be following along human standards of pregnancy. It seems to be developed to the point of a normal three month baby, so I am assuming that it will a regular forty week pregnancy. But you must let me know at any time if something happens that's not right, irregular bleeding, any sickness, cramps, the usual…"

"Okay, I understand," said Raven, and Harry nodded.

"So, there will be another check up in a month, unless you need to see me earlier, and by month five, we can figure out if it'll be a boy or a girl!"

"Great!" said Harry. "Five bucks it's a boy," he whispered to Raven, while Greg packed up his stuff.

"Five bucks it a girl," whispered Raven.

They traveled back home via the stone, (cue more vomiting).

"Next time, how about he comes here," said Raven.