Say "Hello" (Aidara)

[Sira]

Timestamp: Fall 76, 511 AV Sira could not believe what she was feeling. It was... it was truly miraculous. Sira had not even considered the possibility of what she sensed now ever happening, yet she felt it and she knew.. she just knew it would work. Sira was on watch duty, pretty much an everyday thing for her with her bulging belly and it being so close to the expected birthing date. It was a day time watch, and Addy was on duty at the infirmary so Sira had been occupying the time by watching the hustle and bustle of the road below as the people of Wind Reach prepared for another long winter. The people were bringing up the last of the crops from the Thunder Bay settlement so there was a lot if activity below even if it wasn't the most interesting. It was during this time that Sira felt it... a sort of presence in the room with her. A mind, though one much different than her own. Not godly, nor alien.. pure was the best word to describe it. And innocent. Normally Sira didn't just feel the minds of others, she had to be actively trying to link with them to feel anything, so what was it she was feeling. Sira did link with it, and the responses she got from the foreign mind were strange.. she couldn't understand them. They were very peaceful thoughts, however, and very simplistic. It, whatever it was for she had not immediately figure it out, seemed to be sleeping very peacefully. Sira found herself filled with peace as well just listening to the mind, and it was quite enjoyable. The fall had posed several challenges to Sira and Aidara's relationship, and it was good to feel something so peaceful. Sira found herself no longer paying attention to the road, instead leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. She didn't drift off, per se, but when she finally came to at least a bell later she could tell how long it had been by the sun's position in the sky. She didn't care about that though, it was what disturbed her that piqued her interest. She had felt something in that mind.. a murmur, a pulse, a flicker of thought, and the exact same time Sira felt the baby move. Sira sat up suddenly and stared at her belly. "It’s not possible, is it?" The baby moved again, and once again Sira felt that tiny flicker across the link she had established. "It is the baby!" Sira jumped to her feet, unsure of what to do at first. She didn't know why she was freaking out, it was just a baby. Her baby. But it was amazing! Sira had secretly been jealous of Aidara for the last season for her ability to see or touch the child or whatever it was that her gnosis allowed her to do. The very notion was silly since Sira actually got to carry the child, but that didn't seem all that special to her. But this link, the mental connection to the baby, that was special. Of course Sira realized right away that she was going to share the experience with her love. Sira wouldn't keep something so special from Addy. She even tried to contact the healer right away, but the intense focused feeling Sira got when she reached for Aidara's mind told Sira the healer was probably busy saving somebody's life and shouldn't be disturbed. I guess it's just you and me then, Sira whispered quietly to the baby's mind. She waited tentatively, not sure if she would get any sort of response. She was disappointed when the baby stayed silent, not expecting it to really say anything back, but the fact that she could talk to it directly was just... incredible. Oh, I have so much to tell you my darling! I'm Sira, I'm your mother. The baby's mind remained peaceful, though Sira liked to imagine that it had understood her. I wonder if you are a boy or a girl. I think a girl. Definitely. Oh do you want to see what mommy looks like? I can show you that, that way you'll know me as soon as you're born. Sira closed her eyes, pulling up a mental image of her own reflection in a mirror, which she sent across the link as carefully as possible, not wanting to startle the baby with the sudden flashes that she would usually send Addy. And this is your other mommy, Aidara. Addy's image, much more beautifully portrayed than Sira's self image, was also shared with the unborn infant. Sira waited after the images were sent to see if she would get any kind of reaction. Then she felt the murmur across the link and the baby moved again. It still seemed at peace, happy, and that made Sira happy as well. "I can't believe it, this is so awesome." Well, darling, I guess I can tell you a little about mommy. That way you can get to know me early. I'm a wind eagle kelvic, and I live in Wind Reach with the Inarta. Images were sent gently into the baby's mind as Sira spoke, sharing her minds eye with the baby. I've lived here all my life, and it's a wonderful place to live. You are going to have the best life ever, I promise. I can't wait until you get here. You've probably heard this a thousand times through my belly but I love you so much. Mommy loves you so much, and so does Addy! Sira placed an affectionate hand on her belly before continuing. I can fly, and Addy flies with me. When you are born we'll take youbin rides all the time, and you'll grow up to be an amazing endal. Or maybe an Avora if that's what you want, but you will have everything you could possibly want so it doesn't even matter. And you are going to be smart, and grow up strong and beautiful. And... It went on like that for some time, Sira leaning against the wall staring out the window at the road below as she chatted with her child, telling her all about life from her earliest memories in the nursery, her training as a yasi, the day she became an endal. Sira even shared with the baby the secret that all wind eagles kept. When her relief finally arrived Sira was quick to get to her feet, thanking the endal profusely as she hurried out the door and shifted, flying back to the city. Sira quickly made her way to the infirmary, fully intent to catch the healer as she was getting off. When she arrived Sira waited at the exit, twiddling her thumbs and shifting back and forth on her feet impatiently. "Hurry, hurry, hurry Addy," she muttered under her breath. When Addy came around the corner the first thing she would see was Sira, who instantly came barreling toward the healer as if she was going to tackle her.. which was probably a scary sight considering, in Sira's eyes, she was the size of a blue whale. Her face was streaked with tears of joy as she wrapped her arms around her lover and squeezed her hard, planting kisses all over her face before finally calming and just holding her close. I love you so much, Sira whispered across their bond, still not letting the healer go as she buried her face in the woman's shoulder. It was then that Addy would feel the third mind join them, though it was silent. The mind was peaceful, happy, and warm. It was infectious, and Sira let the mind fill both of them as they held each other. After a chime Sira's voice whispered across the bond, Addy.. Say hello to our child... Word Count1313

[Aidara]

With a life full of luxuries, it was sometimes hard to pick one favorite thing over another. Addy really enjoyed the freedom her new Caste gave her even though she had been benefiting from Endal status by riding her sisters coattails for so many years. Not only has she been living in a georgous aerie for as long as she could remember, but now she was on the verge of moving into an even more beautiful, larger space. Life was good. However, there were a few passions that Addy held above all others. One such was food.

Sira thought that her lover was busily saving lives when in reality the tiny woman was elbow deep in bread dough, kneeding it slowly as she yammered on with Chef Davoid.

“No really, I don’t mind helping. It is really a nice break from the same tasks, day and night.”

“But Aidara… this really isn’t something you should be doing, as an Endal.”

Waving one flour covered hand at the agitated chef, Addy plied a dimpled smile. “I want to learn. I want to help. Yes, the infirmary is important but both Keah and Miquel are there and so far no one has been shot on the archery range today.” That brought a laugh from the both of them, the healer shaking her head as she continued to smooch the dough between her hands. “Those injuries make up most of our ‘business’. Needless to say, rainy days are slow all around. Though winter is coming and that means colds.”

Put at ease by Addy’s gentle manner, the Chef glanced around at the semi-bustling kitchen before wiping her hands on her apron and plopping down onto the stool next to Addy. “You know, making bread is one of my favorite things.” Reaching over for a hunk of dough as well, Chef began to roll and stretch it over the floured countertop.

“I’m going to have to profess to little cooking experience. I mean, unless you consider throwing together dried and salted meat with some greens over a camp fire cooking.” The dough was sufficiently pliable and Addy handed it off to an assistant before starting on another loaf sized chunk. “I’ve always wanted to learn more. How easy it would be to whip up exactly what I wanted instead of having someone else do it?”

“When you’re feeding an entire city, you’d be surprised how much I’d give to have a meal made for me.” Shaking her head, the Chef chuckled as she expertly molded the dough into loaf shape.

“I’ll make you dinner.” At the skeptical, disbelieving glance from the Chef, Addy turned on her stool and drew her brows together in mock anger. “I’m serious. I’ll make you dinner.”

“Like what, may I ask? I have to warn you that I have high standards.”

Taking a moment to ponder this question, the healer punched her dough a few times as she gnawed at her bottom lip. A few assistants had stopped to listen to the conversation, the novelty of having a down to earth Endal in their midst causing more than a few to stop an stare.

“Fish, I think. Freshly caught, because I can make that happen you know.” She laughed and winked before continuing, “And it would be cooked over an open fire.” As the Chef’s face resumed it’s skeptical expression, Addy held up her hand to stop any protests. “Hear me out.” When she received the aquescent nod, a smile bloomed and she twisted on her stool, leaning an elbow on the floured counter as she turned her gaze to the Chef, drawing herself up as if she was ready to tell an epic tale.

“Picture: The stars and the moon hanging right above your head, so big and swollen with the light of the night that it was as if you could just reach up and pluck the stars from the sky. The ground is cold but the blankets are warmed by the fire, which crackles softly nearby, the silence of the surrounding forests only punctuated by sharp snaps as the wood gives way to coals and the impatient hooting of an owl nearby.” The kitchen had grown silent, the only sounds being those of gurgling pots and the clinking of plates and utensils as they were set out. Otherwise, everyone strained to hear Addy’s words.

“It’s rustic, surrounded only by the necessities. The pans are old and caked with the burned remnant’s of meals past, the meat fresh but bland. If there is soup, it’s either too hot or too cold, seasoned with whatever had been found on the hunt that day, crushed poorly and added to the broth along with the left over meats in hopes of incising some flavor into the stew. When the meat is cooked, it’s charred and tough, but the heat of the flames bringing forth the sweet juices. Left too long, they would sizzle away but that is where the art comes in.” Another few punches to the dough.

“If done correctly, the stew finishes at the same time as the meat, both taken from the fire and portioned among your camp-mates. The meat is hot, almost too hot to eat but you do so anyway, burning your fingers and you lips as you bite into the steaming deliciousness of the fresh kill, juices dripping down your chin as you devour the smoky, charred meal. Hunting may not be glamorous, but there is nothing better than the full, warm feeling of fresh food in your tummy before you curl up in your furs next to the fire to sleep.” As she finished painting her picture, she lowered her voice to just above a whisper, delighting in the way that her audience all seemed to simultaneously lean in to catch her quieted words.

Chef Davoid was almost drooling, seeming to snap out of a trance once she realized that Addy was done speaking. She took a moment to kneed her dough, seemingly thoughtful before she turned back to the healer, her face serious. “I might have to take you up on that offer.”

Smiling and handing her most recently prepaired bit of dough off to another assistant, Addy clapped her hands together in excitement. “I will show you how good food can be cooked over an open…” And Sira was there, anxious in her mind. Startled, Addy didn’t finish her sentence and was instead staring off into the distance as she tried to locate her lover. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like her bond with Sai; at least not as far as she knew. Sira and Addy could communicate and even transfer images between her minds but they had yet to discover a way to turn that bond into a mental radar.

“I’m sorry, I’m going to have to go.. Sira…” Seeming to understand that something important had happened, the Chef waved the little healer away even as she stood to leave the kitchens. Worried over the anxiousness that Sira was evidently transferring over their connection without even realizing it, Addy quickened her pace down the corridors. Sira would think she was at the Infirmary and had most likely gone there; her love was predictable, always assuming that Addy was where she was supposed to be, though this was hardly ever the case.

Rounding the corner, the little woman was not surprised to find Sira pelting head long at her. “What wrong-" She started to ask before Sira’s joyous voice echoed loudly through her skull.

I love you so much. Addy.. Say hello to our child..

“WHAT!” Eyes immediately flew to Sira’s stomach, which still stretched beyond what looked normal for any human being. “The child came? Where is it? Why did you leave it? How…” And then, when she stopped long enough to take a deep breath, that gentle pressure on her mind registered. Sira hadn't given birth, how foolish of her to assume so... what she had done was something just as amazing, however...

Open mouthed and wordless, Addy clapped a hand over her heart while the other one moved to cover her lips in shock. She can hear us? Not realizing that she had used the feminine, Addy removed the hand from her heart and gripped Sira’s hand tightly.

How ever did this happen? Still not having spoken directly to the childlike presence in her mind, Addy instead prodded it gently. Having touched their baby with her gifts multiple times before, she was not surprised to feel a warm welcoming recognition wash through her. Maybe the child couldn’t speak, but it definitely knew who she was.

Eyes filled with tears turned to lock with Sira’s as her hand slipped down to cradle the bulge of her stomach. “I want to talk to her.” She whispered, almost not daring to speak louder in case her request just wasn’t possible. It seemed as if the whispered entreaty would hurt less if denied.

[Sira]

Sira didn't have to wait long for Addy to arrive, though to her it seemed like an eternity with how excited she was. The fact that Aidara had thought Sira might have had the baby was quite amusing to Sira. Like she would dare have the child without Addy there talking her through it every step of the way. There was no way she would let anyone else help her with the birth, it was going to be Addy or the baby wasn't coming out. Simple as that. Besides, Sira didn't even know how to have a baby. Did it just fall out? Did she need to reach in and grab it? Sira really had no clue. In her short time as a Yasi there were many lessons Sira simply chose to skip over, sex education being one of them. She had already lost her virginity, what was the point in wasting time on learning about it? At least, that was her logic when she was a.child. Sira embraced Addy warmly and could feel the excitement in her when she finally felt the presence of the baby in their minds. She can hear us? How ever did this happen? Sira didn't miss the feminine references Addy inadvertently made and wondered if the healer might know something, but Sira didn't question her on it at that moment. It was a time for bonding, not for questions. Or at least not those sort of questions. When Addy probed the baby with her mind and it reacted Sira let out a small gasp and tears welled in her eyes. The baby knew her! Sira had been worried that the baby wouldn't recognize Addy as its second mother, but her fears were instantly washed away in that moment. "I want to talk to her," Addy whispered which only made Sira hug her all the tighter. "Then talk to her." Sira's response was matter of fact, but it was said with a tenderness her voice rarely held. Sira took Aidara's hand in her own and held it for moment before placing it on her belly. Talk to her. You can feel when she listens. Sira was referring to the way the baby would move whenever she spoke to it, as if in response to her words. She could feel the baby's reaction in her mind as well, but combined with the physical confirmation it was an experience she would never forget and didn't want Addy to miss. Say hello, Addy. The baby did move when Addy spoke to it, and Sira smiled knowingly at her lover. "Let's go somewhere more private." Taking Addy's hand Sira led her away from the infirmary, not the most relaxing of places to talk with your baby. At first she headed for their aerie, but at the last second Sira veered down a hall that would lead them in a different direction. If Aidara didn't realize where they were going from the path they were taking her nose would tell her soon enough when it was met with the enticing smell of freshly cooked food. Sira was hungry, she hadn't eaten since earlier that morning, and both her and the baby demanded food. When they arrived at the kitchens Sira ordered up two helpings of food for herself, plus whatever Addy wanted, before leading her to one of the more empty areas so they could talk and eat in peace. After Sira had taken a few bites she finally answered Addy's earlier question. "I don't know how it happened, really. I was on watch and then I felt the most peaceful feeling in my mind. It bells before I realized where it was coming from, and then we spent the rest of my shift talking. Well.. I talked anyway. I don't know if the baby can understand me.. but it felt so good just to talk. It was.. wonderful. You should try it."

[Aidara]

TAddy was completely out of her league. As Sira explained this new connection, the little healer could only sit with her mouth hanging open, green eyes wide in shock.

“When… will these surprises stop?” Her strangled whisper was a bit breathy, as if she just had a huge weight thumped down onto her chest. Sira watched her expectantly, the excitement of the moment bringing a dark flush to her cheeks, her lips parted as she almost panted in anticipation; it was a very…sexual display that had Addy’s heart thumping. But now was not the time for such things…. Especially with the baby watching.

“Oh goddess. We won’t be able to … have sex” She whispered, her hand going up to cover her mouth so that the sound was pushed away from Sira’s belly. Green eyes darted quickly to the bulge as she spoke as if the baby was pinning her down with it’s invisible gaze. “She’ll know! Our daughter can’t know about that even before she is born!” The very thought of their child engaging in intercourse seemed to supremely offend Addy, who was one of the most promiscuous women around, as if she suddenly had morals that had to be up held. “…or Son.” This was added as an afterthought, as the little woman realized she had been referring to their child in the feminine.

“A son would be worse! What if he got everyone pregnant! I’m not ready to be a grandmother!” Backing away from Sira with a wild look to her eyes, Addy kept moving until her back pressed up against the wall and she had no where else go.

“I don’t think I’m ready. I don’t think I can do this. I don’t think I can talk to him…her…”

[Sira]

Sira was more than a little surprised by the healer's reaction. It was not at all what Sira had expected, just the opposite in fact, and poor, poor Aidara was about to feel the wrath of a pregnant woman scorned. Her hormones were a wild thing. One moment she was loving, tender, and wanting to share her sweet moment with the person who was dearest to her, and the next... A switch flipped in her head, and Addy could see it in Sira's eyes. The healer hadn't wounded her, as her words tended to do when spoken wrong, but had enraged the fiery kelvic. "What the petch are you talking about, Addy!? Of course it will know when we're having sex!" Sira ignored all the turned heads that had been drawn to her shouting, continuing to vent the volcano of anger that had suddenly welled within her. "The baby feels everything that happens to me! It's inside me, Addy, it always has. That doesn't mean it knows what's going on. It's just a baby, Addy. And it wanted to hear it's mother!" Furious, Sira turned and stormed out of the room and down the first corridor she could find. Sira didn't know where she was going, she didn't care. Why couldn't Addy ever react the way she was supposed to!? Something always went wrong, even with the good news! When she felt the baby move and sensed a tremor of discomfort across their bond Sira suddenly stopped. She can feel my anger too! Sira took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and tried to calm herself. Why was she angry anyway? Addy was just surprised, it wasn't that big of a deal. It's okay, my darling. Mommy is okay, I promise you, she whispered across her bond with the infant. How could I explode like that!? Especially now, when the baby is so connected to me? Sira sunk to her knees right there in the hall, drawing a curious look from a passing dek who didn't dare approach the endal unless called for. Tears filled her eyes once more, this time of sadness, and the kelvic leaned against the wall and wept. Hormones were a funny thing. Non-pregnant Sira would never have cried in public, especially over something like a simple misunderstanding, but pregnant Sira couldn't take the emotional roller coaster that was her's and Aidara's relationship. Sira cried, and that was how Addy would find her if she came looking, on the floor leaning against the wall crying her heart out.

[Aidara]

Everything was happening at once, it seemed, as her emotions flew fast and hard through her body. Addy felt like she was twisting and writhing where she stood, unable to contain such quick fluctuations without simply bursting at the seams. Her fears were irrational, her anger was misplaced, her confusion overwhelming and the guilt at knowing she wasn't really this child's mother in anyway was painful.

There was a keening sound from nearby. Glancing up sharply, Addy looked towards where she had last seen Sira but she was no longer on her bed. Instead she was standing over the healer yelling something. Wait, standing over?

Belatedly she realized that she was crumpled on the floor, her knees having given out at some point during her torrents of emotion. Her brows came together as she glanced around as if confused to where she was; that was when she noticed the little puddle on the floor in front of her. Oh god, had she wet herself on top of all of this? Hands shot upwards to cover her face in shame when she felt the warm wetness on her cheeks. Was she crying?

The keening sound was her! Sobs wraking her chest as she fell to the floor, triggered by Sira's anger. Only then did her lovers words penetrate the wildfire emotions that enveloped the little woman.

"...It wanted to hear it's mother!"

"That's the problem! I'm not it's mother!" Her voice was a rasping sob, the tears that had momentarily stopped flowing freely once again down her cheeks. Addy didn't know this was the reason why she was so upset until the words had left her mouth, a truth she didn't even know she felt. All triggered by Sira's sudden discovery.

It was an overreaction, of course, but when did Addy ever not overreact? That was the downside of having access too or being in contact with multiple other peoples emotions, thoughts, feelings. At some point, it was inevitable that one would loose track of whose feelings were whose. In Addy's case, when her emotions did separate themselves from the jumble that was Sai/Sira/Addy, it was because they were extreme and almost out of control. By the time Addy realized what she was feeling, it was usually too late and her was already too far gone to stop herself short.

Pulling her knees upwards and into her chest, she buried her face against the slightly dirtied cloth of her bryda. The fabric quickly drank up the tears, the wet spot growing out from her kneecaps, staining the milky chocolate color a dark brown, almost black.

"I'm not it's mother." Addy whispered again inbetween gulping breaths once her tears had slowed. Wrapped in her grief, she had lost Sira; if the woman had come to embrace her in a warm hug, the healer hadn't noticed. Finally lifting her eyes to find her love, scared at what she was to see in her face, Addy bit back another sob.

"I can't talk to it."

[Sira]

Addy found nothing when she finally looked up, nothing at all. There was no angry Sira, no sad Sira.. Sira was gone. The last thing the kelvic heard before she had stormed our of the room was Addy proclaiming herself "not the mother." It was more than Sira could take, and so she had left, stormed off in a furious rage. Through winding halls and crowds of Inarta she stormed until finally the kelvic collapsed in tears against a wall. A few people paused to stare at her, and one or two dared to approach, but Sira shooed then all way. "That's the problem! I'm not it's mother!" At first those seven words had only served to feed Sira's fury. How could Aidara, after all they had been through together, say such an awful thing? But then it began to dawn on her, and Sira began to understand. Gods, Sira.. that's what is wrong. She's not it's mother. NO!! The psychic shout rang out across the room, across the city and all the way across their bond. Addy heard the shout in her mind as plain as day, so determined and full of purpose. Sira lifted herself from the ground and began back the way she came. She found her way back through the halls and back to Aidara who was still on the floor. Sira walked straight up to the healer, grabbing her hand. Sira didn't embrace her, she didn't tell her it was okay, she didn't even pull Addy to her feet. Instead Sira lifted her shirt and placed Addy's hand on her belly. Whether Addy liked it or not the kelvic opened a link between the three of them, Sira, Aidara, and their unborn child. "Now you tell it what you just told me!!! You look deep inside your heart and think long and hard, you feel its mind, you feel it with your hand, and you tell OUR BABY THAT YOU AREN'T IT'S MOTHER!!!! DO IT!!!" Sira paused as the baby began to stir once more, probably reacting to all the emotions flowing that were now being shared between the three of them. Addy could feel with her hand as the baby moved inside the kelvic, and could feel its distress and confusion. Tears now streamed freely down Sira's cheek, and she continued in a much softer voice. "Do it... Do it, Addy, and break our child's heart before it's even born.... ..or.. you apologize to your child. You tell it how much you love it. And you tell it that you ARE it's mother and NEVER, EVER say anything so terrible ever again. ....if.. if you can't do that, then.. then.. get out of my sight."

[Aidara]

The both of them were passion embodied, flying off the handle whenever they just couldn't control their emotions anymore.

Caught up in her own distress, Sira had been gone for chimes before Addy noticed. The silence hadn't meant anything except the explosion that would eventually come would be even worse. The second those seven words slipped from her lips, Addy knew that they were truly how she felt, but at the same time so very wrong. But which emotion was true? Which part of this horrible feeling of not-belonging was Addy's actual feeling on the baby and what was her life long struggle to actually be a part of something more?

But here it was, the "something more" waiting expectantly for her to say hello and she turned it away, shunned it even, because suddenly she couldn't be a part of it?

NO

The shout that tore through her mind nearly ripped away her consciousness with it's force. Whether she intended to or not, Sira left no other thoughts in the healers mind than that single word and the emotions that had come with it; Anger, pain, and denial. As close as she had been to admitting to herself her own mistakes, Addy reeled from the sudden change. The edges of her vision blackened as her head continued to vibrate with Sira, even swaying where she sat and only remaining upright by catching herself on her elbows and remaining semi-propped up.

By the time the angry Endal stormed back in to confront her, Addy had a tenuous grasp on her consciousness. The tears had dried on her cheeks, her eyes red and puffy even as the green hues beneath long lashes glowed brightly; it was safe to say that Addy did not cry prettily at all and looked a horrible mess. As Sira towered over her, the little woman could do nothing but gape, still astounded by the ferocity in which she had attacked her mind; there was an unspoken agreement between all those able to access another's mind that they would never use it to hurt. Whether intentional or simply caught up in her rage, if Addy had been new at this talking-with-her-mind thing, she would be out cold. Only twenty three years of communicating (in a way) with her sister via mind had allowed her to grasp the edge instead of falling over into the darkness.

"Eh... ah..." Seemingly the ability to converse had disintegrated into unintelligent sounds with that angry mask towering over her, Addy had little time to process the fact that Sira had left her and stormed off, only to yell and come back. The last time Addy had stormed off, she had been away for most of the day to cool off... Though, it was extremely clear that Sira hadn't cooled off.

When the taller woman reached down and grabbed for her hand, Addy couldn't help but flinch. Regretting it immediately and thinking it was only going to add fuel to the angry fire, the woman instead sat herself up and let her hand be extended where ever Sira wanted it to go.

To her belly. And Addy felt the baby kick.

"Sira, I..." But she was cut off as the furious Kelvic woman laid out the demands and the decision she was to make.

The choice was easy... buuuut the anger and pain that Sira had slammed into Addy's mind had mingled with the guilt and hurt to burst into flames within the healer. Erupting like the volcano on which they lived, Addy surged to her feet and, with her hand still on the swell of the baby, got into Sira's face as much as she could, green eyes hard and glinting.

"An ultimatum? After everything we've been though, an ultimatum? I have one not-so-little doubt and instead of... of letting me work it out, you practically push me out of your life? So quickly, Sira? So easily?" Pausing, as the words came out in a tight clipped tone, Addy heaved a few shortened breaths before continuing. "How dare you."

Locking her eyes on Sira's ferocious golden ones, Addy refused for once to back down. If Sira had taught her anything, it was her own self worth and a measure of self-confidence that had taken the woman a long way from the girl she was when they first met. The hand that Addy kept on the bulging stomach was almost in defiance as she stared the furious woman down; though Sira could technically rip Addy to shreds with the smallest thought and amount of effort, that didn't seem to phase her one bit. Right here, right now... they were both as human as could be.

Though she hated to be the first one to break their gaze, as it was a significantly submissive gesture, Addy looked down to where her hand rested, and the small developing child beneath the fingers. When the baby kicked, however, her carefully constructed and tenuously grasped composure instantly unraveled.

Without a second thought, Addy did what Sira had been asking all along. It was a simple matter of sturing the sleeping lake of her power within her mind, grasping a strand of it and diving down into the depths that was Sira/baby. It was slightly different than when she moved to heal someone from within, but not too difficult a change, as the little woman was a firm believer in the fact that the body and the mind were tightly connected. This child grew within Sira's body, so it would be a simple feat to, with their Endal ability to connect their minds and speak, to reach their baby as well.

Though she had, in the few seconds before contact, tried to prepair herself for what was to come... when the sudden and unrelenting waves of acceptance poured over her, Addy nearly lost herself. Sira had said true, that the child loved them and wanted to meet it's mothers, but it wasn't until Addy felt the unconditional love and acceptance radiating from the tiny being growing within her lover did she believe it. Adults were complicated things, twisted by their world and experiences, while this child only knew the love it felt for the two people who had been present in it's life thus far.

It was that simple, and that was all it took. Though she could have spent hours sitting and trying to feed every emotion she could to the child, talking to it while waiting and hoping it would talk back, that simple exchange had let Addy discover what she needed, and now knew herself a mother more strongly than she had known anything else, except maybe that she and Sira were meant to be. Afraid to lose herself while still submerged in the childs consciousness, Addy sent a rush of her own love and comfort to the baby before she withdrew.

Dropping her hand from the warm flesh of Sira's belly, Addy shifted from foot to foot as she searched for her words; no apology was offered, nor any explantation of what transpired. The tears that had dried on her cheeks were re-wettend by the tears of happiness that now leaked from her eyes.

"It was always between me and the baby." Her voice was slow, and had lost all of the tight anger; the volcano had blown it's self out. "I was scared to... have invested so much of myself and my love into something that could so easily shun me and call out the farce. I could just have easily not been it's mother; there is no blood between us." One shoulder lifting in a light shrug, Addy kept her eyes on her feet, like a disciplined child. "I wouldn't have been able to survive that." Though she could have embellished, she didn't.

[Sira]

Sira didn't say anything when Addy tried to fight back, when she tried to stand her ground. This was not a battle Addy could afford to win, she had to lose. The ultimatum was probably just an empty threat. Sira and Aidara both were very dramatic people, but their differences lay in how their drama usually played out. Addy usually fell apart, wallowing in self pity and making everyone want to comfort her until she worked it out. Sira was the volcano, the one with the explosive temper who could tear through anything in her path, so when Addy exploded back at her Sira held her ground. And when Addy relented, when she did what Sira asked and conceded defeat, they were both victorious. Addy realized what Sira and the baby had known all along. Apologies weren't necessary, but neither was the explanation the healer began to offer. Sira didn't need an explanation, she understood. She got it. Addy had been right. But Addy was wrong, because Sira was right and Sira was always right....... In specific instances involving the exact topic they were discussing. It didn't matter how right Aidara was, she was wrong, and Sira was right. Because Addy was the baby's mother, and that was final. But it wasn't over. The baby stuff was over, sure, but Sira noticed something else that needed to be dealt with. She loved Addy, loved everything about her, but there was something that no matter how much she loved it just had to end. "Addy, stop it." Sira's hand rose, her index finger lightly pushing against the bottom of Addy's chin until the healer let her eyes rise to meet with Sira's loving golden irises. Sira's voice was not harsh, but unusually tender. "You don't have to do that around me. You are the woman I love, my Endal, the mother I love, and the only person in this petching mountain that I respect. You are my equal. You've seen the world through my eyes! I don't care what kind of fight we've had, you can always look into them, and they will always be filled with love for you.. even when they are angry." Sira leaned in and gave her love a soft yet passionate kiss, one of those lingering pecks that are just filled with emotion. Her face remained close for a moment and she brushed her nose against Addy's cheek before drawing away. "I love you, Addy. Even when I'm mad, don't you ever forget it. Sometimes I just have to give you a good screaming though. You'd do the same for me."

[Aidara]

"Yeah, I suppose I would." Managing a grin, Addy allowed her chin to be lifted so that she and Sira could meet their gazes. It was an extremely intimate moment, not that Addy wasn't used to intimacy, but the whole loving-more-than-myself thing was new. The fierce passion and strength in Sira's eyes as she gazed down at the crumpled little overly-emotional healer on the floor was almost too much. Embarrassed by the blush that crept into her cheeks and spread down her throat into her chest, it only made the color deepen.

"I do love you, Sira but... enough of that!" Yanking her chin out of the Kelvic's grasp, Addy plied her dimples in order to soften the action; she hadn't meant it in a rude way... but enough with the mushy, and she said so.

"Soon we're going to be drooling and holding hands everywhere. Ugh. What will people think of us? Of me? That because I've got a baby and a woman that I have lost my touch?" The thought seemed to honestly offend her. With a huff, Addy was on her feet and straightening her clothes, wiping the tried tears from her cheeks. "We can't let that happen, now can we?"

With a smile, Addy reached out and rubbed a gentle hand across the bulge of Sira's belly. "Well do our baby right. I know we will.... but how about some food, eh?"