Author's notes: This is just a simple little one shot that I thought I'd finally write... Not sure if I want to place it in the main story or not. ^_^ Enjoy!

~ Cathy

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Time Line: about 3 months before Erdric’s Death

Aryun sighed as she burrowed her face further into the pillow, groaning when she felt the bed shift.

                “Aryun love,” she heard a soft voice whisper, fingertips tangling in the hair at her temple.

                “Leave me ‘lone,” She muttered, her face pressing tighter into the pillow. “Dun feel good…”

                “Aryun love, I know, but remember Xristis is supposed to check you out?” The soft voice whispered. “Do you feel well enough for it?”

                Aryun sighed, her arms hugging her pillow. “Yeah, I suppose.” She felt his hands gently caress her back, kneading her muscles.

                “Well, get up. I don’t think Xristis wants to come in and see you curled up around a pillow…” the voice gently laughed at her. “And showing off a fair amount of skin too… my shirt’s wrapped almost under your breasts, love.”

                “Dun care.”

                “Doesn’t matter, Aryun love, you’ve got to get up.” Hands gently pulled away the pillow, making Aryun’s head thump upon the bed.

                She opened her blurry eyes and glared at the blur before her.

                “Now, Aryun love, don’t glare so.”

                “Erdric, leave me alone… I want to sleep,” Aryun groused as she sat up, rubbing at her tired eyes.

                “No, I won’t leave you alone. You need to see what’s making you sick with that headache.”

                Aryun sighed, still rubbing at her eyes. “I feel so damned tired…”

                Erdric smiled gently at her, slipping beside her to pull her into his arms. “You look tired, love. After Xristis is finished checking you out, how about we take a nap together?”

                Aryun frowned against his shoulder, her eyes closed. “Don’t you need to be on the battle field?”

                “They don’t need me at the moment… and I’d like to stay with you for awhile. I’ve not had a chance to curl up with you as one of us is always some other place.”

                Aryun nodded the frown going away as she sighed again. “I just don’t like feeling this exhausted. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this bad before…”

                Erdric laughed gently as he kissed the crown of her head. “I like it when you’re sleepy. You’re cuddlier.”

                Aryun snorted, but didn’t complain. As she leaned against him, she felt herself doze off, falling into a light sleep before Xristis arrived.

                Erdric chuckled, wrapping his arms firmly around her as he gently rocked her, humming to himself.

                There was a soft knock upon the door before it opened to revealing frosted green hair and pale green eyes regarded the pair on the bed with a smile. Walking inside, Xristis closed the door behind him and approached the bed with a soft chuckle.

                “I told you she was exhausted, Xristis. She was sick this morning, but she didn’t want me to call you. So I did behind her back, and she finally agreed when she was half asleep,” he laughed as he brushed a kiss across the crown of her head. He smiled as he gently ran his fingertips across Aryun’s bare sides were his shirt had ridden up, making Aryun’s face frown slightly. “Aryun love, wake up.”

                Aryun’s blue eyes fluttered gently before opening to regard the two males in front of her.

                “’m up,” she murmured against Erdric’s shoulder.

                “So, Aryun what seems to be the problem?” Xristis asked as he sat beside her on the bed, his hand gently taking hers.

                Aryun glared at the healer. “’m sick.”

                “Well, I can see that, but that wasn’t the question. It was ‘what is the problem?’” Xristis asked carefully, his fingers taking her pulse.

                Aryun sighed and leaned more against Erdric. “I’m tired – all the time. I’m sick half the day, and have a massive headache the other.”

                “Does anything else besides your head hurt?”

                Her face tinted a light pink as she looked up at Erdric.

                Erdric took pity on him when she buried her face in his shirt. “Her breasts are tender. She cries when she lays on them are they’re touched.”

                Xristis thought a moment as he gently drew up the shirt Aryun was wearing and gently placed his fingers against her belly, fingertips kneading into the flesh to feel deeply. They slipped beneath the band of her undergarments, pressing inward and, finding what he wanted, he kept a gentle pressure there, feeling the edge of the roundness.

                “Mind if I ask a personal question impersonally?”

                Aryun made a noise in the back of her throat.

                “I’ll take that as a yes. Do you know the last time you bled?”

                Aryun blinked at him, uncomprehendingly. “What are you saying?”

                Xristis smiled slightly. “Aryun, it’s impolite to answer a question with a question, so be a dear and answer mine since it was asked first.”

                Aryun thought for a moment. “Two months… but I think it has to do more with stress…”

                “Think again, O Feathered One, you’re going to be a mother.”

                Aryun’s tired eyes grew impossibly wide as she turned to look at Erdric’s startled face. Her mouth moved, but she could not voice what she thought.

                Erdric’s fingertips gently touched her cheek before the trembling fingers slid into her hair, his thumb caressing her lips. “Aryun love,” he whispered softly before he pressed his lips to hers in a tender, loving kiss. His hand slipped down upon to rest upon her belly as he slowly pulled back from her sweet lips.

                Aryun still looked bewildered as she finally found her voice. “How…?”

                Xristis laughed at her. “I don’t think the child has been conceived by a miracle. You evidently sleep with Erdric every night and sometimes in daytime in a very non-platonic way!”

                Erdric laughed lightly, a happy sound that lightened their hearts. “Aryun love, don’t look so upset. This is a blessing.”

                “But… I’m supposed to be sterile…”

                Erdric’s hand cupped her cheek, a soft smile playing around his lips as he kissed her nose. “Aryun love, let us deal with that later.” His hand slipped lower, settling upon the soft skin under her bellybutton.

                Xristis laughed at the two and at how smitten Erdric was. “Let’s not complain yet, Aryun. This is truly a gift if you were sterile.”

                Aryun felt Erdric’s slender hand lying against her belly, and she shook her head. “I don’t feel it… I thought I would know.”

                Xristis laughed at her, a touch hysterical, even as Erdric chuckled.

                “Your body is letting you know, Aryun love,” Erdric murmured against her temple as he held her closer.

                “It’s not used to it, so you’re going to be sick. Not every woman hears a click and says ‘Now I’m pregnant,’ Just doesn’t happen that way.”

                Aryun sighed at the laughing men. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

                “You’re so easy to tease, Aryun, truly!” Xristis took her hand in his, gently squeezing it. “We will all be here for you, so you don’t have to worry about anything, and if you’d like, we can keep it quiet for a while. Nara and I are the only two who need to know for future reference.”

                She smiled at the mention of the fortune-teller.  “No, we shouldn’t be quiet, but be sure of whom we tell… After all, with Faxon having spies everywhere now, we must be more cautious.”

                Xristis sobered and looked at the Regent’s face, noting that a little of his joy had left. He placed his free hand on Erdric’s arm, giving a small squeeze. “She’ll stay within Zenthia, Erdric. He will not be able to touch her.”

                Aryun felt Erdric’s arm tighten around her, holding her more securely against his chest as his voice whispered gently, “I know.” She turned in his arms, ignoring the pounding in her head, and wrapped them around her neck, holding him as tightly as she could against him. Her hands threaded through his hair before she pushed her face into the crook of his neck, her nose gently nuzzling his skin.

                Erdric sighed gently, wrapping his arms fully around her as he pulled her into his lap. “Aryun love, will you stay here in Zenthia, or would you prefer to spend your pregnancy in Vasi’shan with your kin?”

                Aryun started and pulled back, taking his face in her hands. “With you!” she cried without hesitation. In a much softer tone, she said gently, “Wherever you go, Erdric, I swore I would follow… and I will stay here… This is my home now.”

                Erdric gave a sad little smile. “But this has never been your home…”

                Aryun nodded. “But I make it my home… Living with Tyral and Lethe was never… home…” She shook her head slightly. “My home was with my master, Nicodemus, however long dead he may be, and I’m ready for a new home right here with you, Erdric.” Tears welled in her eyes and started to spill down her cheeks, as she gently stroked his face with her fingers. “Do not send me to Vasi’shan… I will only be content wherever you are.”

                Instantly, Erdric wrapped her up in his arms, gently rocking her. “Love, don’t cry. I would never willingly leave your side ever.” He nuzzled his face into her hair as she cried into his shoulder and neck. “Love, don’t cry, love. You’re making me cry as well…” Tears started to slip down Erdric’s own face as he stroked her hair and back, gently rocking her. “I would not be able to live without you, Aryun love. I would die if you were not here.” He kissed the crown of her head, holding her as tight as he dared, before he gave a watery chuckle. “Aryun love, you’ll cause your headache to grow worse.”

                She pulled back and Erdric allowed her. She gave a soft laugh as well as she tried to wipe off her cheeks with the back of her hand.

                Erdric gently caught her wrist, wiping her tears with his own fingers.

                “It also makes your nose run, which is most unladylike,” Xristis said gently as he gently rubbed Aryun’s back, his healing hands kneading her muscles.

                Aryun, after wiping Erdric’s tears off his face, settled closer to him, her head pillowed on his shoulder. “I’m willing for that nap now, Erdric, unless there are places you must be...”

                Erdric smiled gently and slipped up further on the bed, gently lowering her down first after he drew her arms from around him, catching the saddened look on her face. He turned his blue-green gaze to the healer and nodded. “Many thanks, Xristis… I’m sure Nara would wish to know, just please make sure that we’re not disturbed until tomorrow.” He turned a soft smile to Aryun, his fingers gently stroking her cheek. “I’ve my bonded to attend too, and she wishes for a mutual nap.”

                Xristis laughed gently, his hand gently settling upon Aryun’s belly. “Be sure and sleep on your left side, and get as much sleep and well balanced food into your system, but seeing as you have about another month or so left for the first part, you may not want to eat.” He turned a stern eye on Erdric. “Make sure she eats something, and doesn’t exhaust herself again.” His smile turned into a feral grin. “And I’ll be more than willing to take care of those meddlesome advisors you two both seem to have hovering. Bad form to badger one of my patients.”

                Erdric clasped his forearm gently in his hand. “Thank you very much, Master Healer.” He smiled at the healer before he released the forearm, slipping over Aryun’s body so that she could lie against him on her left side.

                Xristis smiled at the couple before he quietly walked out, setting up a barrier against the door. He paused for a moment, and then laughed.

                “I pity this child if it’s a girl… Erdric is already overprotective… However, I think I’d like to see an overprotective bastard Erdric in full motion… It’d be funny…”

                After cracking his knuckles in a very ungentlemanly manner, Xristis practically skipped down the hallway, more than eager to take care of meddlesome advisors that had run his patient to exhaustion…

                Halfway down the hallway, he paused, thinking again about Over-Protective-Bastard-Erdric. He tilted his head before he started to laugh hysterically.