I admitted my fears and Kee accepted them, the same as he’s been accepting of everything else. How did I get so lucky?
“Oh, my gods, there they are,” Kee squealed, and Dian smiled as he looked at the screen. He didn’t have a clue what he was looking at but Kee was happy.
“For the moment, it looks like you’re having the one,” Doc said, pointing at a line on the screen. “A big one, but you can see the spine along here – he or she appear fully formed.” He moved the wand across Kee’s belly. “There’s one hand, and then down here we have a foot. Both with five digits so that’s all good – no hint of claws yet but they may come later. I don’t know a lot about gargoyles, Dian. Are they born with wings or do they appear later?”
“We’re having a gargoyle?” Resting his elbows on the bed, Dian peered more closely at the screen trying to reconcile the image with a three-dimensional baby.
“I believe so.” Doc made a few clicks on a keyboard. “Bear in mind, I’ve never seen a gargoyle young, but the head size, the length of the limbs and the two small protuberances I am seeing just here…” He pointed on the screen. “This little one has wings, or at least the potential for them. Pixies are always finely boned, shifters can be bigger, but the shifter type here is a smaller one and this baby is larger than average.”
“Oh, my gods.” Kee clapped his hands with excitement. “We’re going to have a mini-you. That’s amazing. Our own little gargoyle.”
“He or she won’t be a pretty baby,” Dian warned. “Gargoyles never are. And they’re not likely to develop a human form until they are at least ten years old.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Kee’s outburst shocked Doc and Dian. “You are such a Debbie-downer on your own species, Dian. I could hit you sometimes. This is our child – created out of our love. And you’ve got the gall to sit there and tell me they won’t be pretty. To me that little mite in my belly is a freaking miracle. Look at their little smushed nose, and those cute eyebrow ridges. Look at them. Look real freaking hard and tell me you aren’t amazed at how perfect they are.”
“I just…” Dian looked at the screen. Paranormals weren’t out when he was born and because his features would never pass as human, he’d been hidden away by his parents for most of his childhood. He’d never even met a human until he was in his mid-twenties, determined to forge a life of his own. But looking at the gray blobs on Doc’s screen… the rush of warmth, protectiveness and love that filled his body… Dian’s eyes filled, and he sniffed as he tried to blink away his tears. “You’re right, mate of mine,” he said softly, “they are beautiful. A true miracle.”
“Did you want to know the gender?” Doc asked. “I’m fairly sure this little one will let us see.”
Dian looked at Kee – it was his decision.
Kee nodded. “I want to know. We have so much to prepare for… we’ve got nothing done for the nursery or anything like that yet. An idea about color charts would be a good start.”
“I would get a move on,” Doc said, manipulating the wand over Kee’s belly again. “I am not sure how much bigger a gargoyle baby is than a shifter for example, but from the measurement’s I’ve taken, you are due anytime in the next two weeks.”
“A gargoyle pregnancy is six months. It’s only been… it’s been…” Dian stopped. He had no idea when Kee had actually conceived.
“Weeks,” Kee said. “A natural arctic fox gives birth within 50 days – it’s been seven weeks since claiming, I think, seven or eight, so we’re close to that now. A pixie, because they are magical, can be born as early as three weeks after conception. I remember my mom telling me I was born earlier than the due date she’d worked out.” He patted his belly fondly. “I’m not sure I want this one getting much bigger inside of me.”
“That is something we’re going to have to keep an eye on,” Doc agreed. “I’d suggest coming back here in two days, so we can see how much your little tyke has grown in that time. Based on what I’m seeing here, I’d say we’d be looking at scheduling his birth for next week.”
“His? You