Heart of Stone Ch. 12

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Caroline drove home and Mary napped in the passenger seat. She told Caroline an abridged version of who Darren Rathbun was. What she couldn't explain, to herself or anyone else, was what Maggie was doing with him. Mary wouldn't put it past the slimy little man to kidnap Maggie, but she also couldn't rule out the idea that the abrasive woman had been on his side the whole time. Either that or someone else was. Mary couldn't stand the thought of that. There were very few people who knew she was going to London, only one who knew she was in that particular shop. If Miss Marple were the one untangling the threads, that's all it would have taken. Unfortunately, Miss Marple had never encountered Darren.

Mary took a short walk and ate a light dinner before going to bed. She intended to nap until it was time for Aiden to wake, but her body seemed to have other plans. When she finally woke up, he was laying next to her, reading by candlelight.

"You could turn a light on you know." Mary said, moving to snuggle against him.

"I know, but you were sleeping so soundly." He gathered her into his arms and kissed her forehead. Mary snuggled close and relaxed against his warm body.

"I can sleep anytime, I'd rather spend time with you." Mary yawned and struggled to wake up.

"I appreciate that child." He kissed the top of her head. "What did you do with your day in the city?" He hadn't been happy about her going. Even though he hadn't come right out and said he was worried about her health, she could tell from the way he looked at her that he was concerned.

"The usual things, had lunch, did a little shopping. I got you something." Mary looked up at him, a little smile in her eyes.

"Me?" Aiden chuckled softly. "You know I need nothing I do not already have." Mary squirmed away from him and got a shopping bag from the closet. Aiden sat up curiously.

"I didn't know what color to get." Mary reached into the bag and pulled out two baby sleepers, one in pink, one in blue. Aiden's eyes widened. "But I figured when the baby comes-"

Mary didn't get to finish her sentence, Aiden roared with joy and swept her up into his arms. Mary threw her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She giggled and held on tightly while he spun around.

"Aiden, stop!" She laughed. "You're making me dizzy."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his mouth found hers softly and Mary melted against him again.

"You are certain of this?" He asked, his eyes sparkling in the dim light.

"That's the other thing I did in London. I saw a doctor, and had it confirmed." Aiden's heavy brows drew together slightly. He pulled back from her but left his hands on her waist. "Aiden-"

"I know it is necessary. You've told me this, but it is difficult for me to let go of the idea of other females providing support for each other during pregnancy and childbirth." His arms tightened possessively around Mary again.

"If you were human or if I were a gargoyle that would probably be enough, but with us being so different I want to make sure everything is alright, or as alright as it can be." Mary slid forward a little and he wrapped his wings around her.

"It bothers me that another has been so intimate with you." He said. Mary lifted his head and looked into his eyes.

"I've never thought of going to a doctor as being intimate." She was genuinely surprised by the comment. She pressed a little closer against him. "This is intimate." His arms tightened and Mary relaxed into him with a little sigh.

"How will you tell this doctor about me?" Mary knew what he meant.

"He already knows you." Aiden lifted his head and looked down at her. "I went to see Nigel because I knew he could be trusted with your existence. I'm lucky that he's an obstetrician."

"I am not certain if that makes me feel better or worse." His eyebrows were drawn together again.

"I hope you can become comfortable with it. He's coming here on Friday, he has a few questions for you." Mary kept her head against his shoulder.

"Me? What could I tell him?" Aiden asked.

"I think it's more about gargoyles, things that I wouldn't know. I don't even know how long your females are pregnant." Mary laughed softly.

"Eleven months. How long are human females pregnant?" One hand stroked gently over her back.

"Nine months." Mary laughed and then got quiet.

"Something wrong dear one?" He unwrapped his wings so that she move back. Mary could see concern in his eyes.

"I'm just worried about everything. What if the baby doesn't survive? What if it does? I don't know the first thing about being a mother, except that I don't want to be like my aunt." Aiden leaned forward and kissed her, his lips teasing hers until Mary relaxed again.

"You will not be like your aunt. Maureen and the others will help you, and if you have wakened Esme by then, she will help as well."

"You HOPE she will." Mary said.

"She will." Aiden said firmly. "If she is not inclined to on her own, I will command it." His face was impassive, as if he had made a comment about the weather.

"I'm curious what you mean by that, but I need to get something to eat first." Mary squirmed off of his lap. Aiden reached out to pick her up but she stepped back and grasped his large hands. "Nigel said I could walk around, I'd like it if you came with me though." She smiled up at him and he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"How could I refuse such an invitation?"

Mary could feel Aiden watching her carefully as she walked down the stairs, and she wondered if she should have kept the news to herself a little longer. If he was going to worry about her walking down to the kitchen for a snack it was going to be a very long few months for both of them. Mary found some beef stew in the fridge and started it heating. Just the rich, meaty smell made her stomach growl loudly. Aiden chuckled and moved in behind her. Mary blushed.

"It's you're fault you know." She laughed and leaned back against him. One of his large hands covered her lower tummy. Mary looked up at the little smile on his full lips, she couldn't resist smiling herself. "And I think you're proud of yourself."

"Of course I am. A male is always proud of the children he makes with his mate, even when they are still inside her." He kissed her lightly. Mary kept one of her hands over his and stirred with the other. When it was ready she sat and ate enough to quell the worst of her hunger before questioning him about Esme again.

"If she's from a different clan, how will you command her to do anything?" She asked.

"Certain clans had higher prestige than others. Of those that are left, mine has the highest rank. Even before, we were ranked third of all the clans in existence." He took a tentative taste of gravy that was left in the pot and shivered, a grimace on his face. Mary wasn't sure why he had started tasting things she ate, but he hadn't found much that he could tolerate. The only thing he seemed to enjoy were apples. Aiden pulled his chair over to the table and chose one out of the large bowl. He ate half of it in a single bite. "Of the ones who are left, I have the highest position."

"Who decided which clan was better?" Mary finished half the bowl quickly, then ate more slowly. "Was it just by which one had the most members?"

"No." He ate the other half of the apple before answering her. Much as he seemed to like the flavor of apples, his teeth weren't made to eat them efficiently. He wiped juice from his chin. "It is hard to say how it was decided, but the order was in place long before I was born. Territory was a part of it, so was the status of those we protected. But, the clans who were most powerful had the greatest number of peaceful ties to other clans. That way they had access to all the skills they did not possess themselves. Perhaps it was a kind of wealth." He chose another apple. Mary knew that the six that were in the bowl would be gone by the time they went back upstairs.

"It surprises me a little that it was based on alliances." Mary said, considering after how it sounded. "I mean-"

"You believed us to be warlike." Aiden smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry." Mary felt a blush heat her cheeks.

"Perhaps I have not told you enough of that side of our culture." He stroked her cheek lightly. "Besides, we can be very warlike and often are within our own clans. Those of us who were ranked highest learned that to alienate other clans was a threat to our very existence. The lower ranked groups had yet to learn that lesson."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Mary heard the doorbell ring around four o Friday and knew that it would be Nigel arriving. Caroline had gone out for the evening so Mary had been stretched out on the sofa, reading and trying not to think about Darren and the implications seeing him again would have. She ran her fingers through her hair, relying on Maureen to show him into the library. When he walked in, there was a young woman with him that Mary didn't immediately recognize.

"Mary." He kissed her cheek lightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. Even the nausea isn't as bad as it was when I came to see you." She smiled.

"Good. Keep eating according to your cravings for the moment. You remember Miss Sinclair?" He gestured to the young woman and she smiled at Mary. As soon as she did, Mary recognized her as the nurse.

"Yes of course." Mary said. "Please come in and sit down. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you at first."

"Not a problem, we didn't exactly meet in social circumstances." She sat down in one of the wing chairs. Mary was trying to think of a polite way to ask Nigel why he had brought the nurse when he began asking questions.

"I got your blood test back and you are indeed pregnant, just as we thought, but there was something unusual in the blood typing. You're medical records list you as A-positive. Do you happen to remember when your last test was taken?" He asked.

"No. Why? Is there something wrong with me?" Mary vaguely remembered a time when she was in elementary school that she'd had blood drawn. The doctor had been trying to convince her Aunt to let him do a more in depth study, but Patrice wouldn't hear of it. The memory was too vague to even mention though. She couldn't remember how old she was or even why the test was taken.

"Nothing at all that I can find." He smiled reassuringly. "All the counts and chemistries came back absolutely normal, but the type could be one of the reasons you were able to become pregnant with Aiden's child to begin with."

"Nigel-" Mary started, her heart beating rapidly.

"I've told Miss Sinclair everything because I need a nurse who knows all the details. You can be assured she will not break your confidence." He said. Mary was not entirely convinced, but at that moment she didn't have much of a choice. "Do you think that Aiden would agree to give samples as well?"

"I don't know." Mary said. "You could ask him, he won't be up for a couple of hours though."

Mary, Nigel, and Miss Sinclair – Jenna – chatted about everything except health and babies over Maureen's roast chicken and mashed potatoes while they waited for the sun to go down. After a pleasant meal, they relaxed in the library in comfortable conversation. It was almost possible to forget the extraordinary reason for the visit.

They were laughing amiably when Mary heard Aiden coming down the stairs. She heard him pause and realized that Maureen had probably intercepted him in the hall. The three of them fell into a nervous silence. Mary could tell Jenna was trying to cover her uncertainty about what she had gotten into.

"He looks imposing. Just get to know him a little." Mary said. She stood and walked into Aiden's arms when he opened the door. He held her close, as he always did in those first reunion moments.

"Are you well this evening, child?" He spoke softly next to her ear while his arms were around her.

"Yes. I'm glad you're awake." She murmured. Mary always missed him when he slept, but in the last few days those hours apart loomed larger in her mind.

"As am I, dear one." He stood slowly and walked into the room.

Aiden greeted Nigel and Mary introduced him to Jenna. She thought she noticed Aiden keeping his body between Mary and Nigel, but she told herself that she might be overly sensitive. Nigel explained why Jenna was there when everyone had taken their seats again.

"But Mary is well, and so is the child." Aiden said when Nigel explained about drawing more blood. He put his hand over Mary's and held on, as if he were about to sweep her away. "Why should I allow you to injure her for the sake of curiosity?"

"Aiden!" Mary was shocked and embarrassed.

"That's a fair question. I need a more accurate result because I'm planning for the future." He turned to Mary. "I realized I said something to you that I've never said to another patient of mine when I said I wasn't sure you would bring this pregnancy to term. The fact that this child exists and that you are as healthy as you are suggests that you have the same chance as any other mother that I see. That being said, I'm not at all certain that attempting a natural delivery would be safe for you or for the child."

"How else are human children born?" Aiden relaxed his grip on Mary's hand.

"There is a surgical procedure that's used in cases where natural delivery would put the life or health of mother or baby in danger. Doctors sometimes use the same procedure to avoid complications before they arise." Nigel spoke without a hint of nervousness. That alone put Mary at ease.

"The mother survives this?" Curiosity was creeping into his voice. Mary got the sense that his curiosity would have to be satisfied before anything else happened.

"The vast majority of the time, yes. Survival rates for mothers and babies in distress are certainly higher than before surgery was available. I need to know more about Mary's blood because if this becomes necessary and she needs a blood transfusion, I could kill her by giving her the wrong type of blood." A silence bloomed between them.

"I can see the wisdom in that, but I know of no painless way to take blood from a living thing." He shook his head slightly.

"Jenna, did you bring extra supplies?" Nigel asked over his shoulder.

"Of course." She said. "Shall I get them?"

"If you would, please." Nigel turned back to Aiden. "I'm going to have Jenna use the same procedure on me, so that you can watch."

Nigel rolled up his sleeve and Jenna drew a tube of blood as Aiden watched.

"That is all?" Aiden asked after Jenna removed the needle from his arm.

"Yes." Nigel held the gauze over the tiny wound until Jenna put a piece of tape over it. He carefully labeled the tube with his own name and 'Not for Testing'. "It's not perfectly painless, but it's very close."

"The amount you take will not harm Mary or the child?" Aiden asked.

"No. I will need to take twice that much, but it's perfectly safe." Nigel answered, putting his sleeve back in place while Jenna took care of the used needle.

"You are willing to do this, Mary?" Aiden asked.

"I don't mind at all." Mary squeezed his hand and pushed up the sleeve of her sweater. Aiden watched closely as Jenna changed her gloves and prepared Mary's arm. Nigel began to ask Aiden questions about gargoyle physiology. It was something that Mary had never considered, aside from the external, visible things. She was surprised at how like human beings they were. Apparently, Nigel was too.

"You're more like us than I thought." Nigel made notes.

"YOU are more like US." Aiden corrected.

"You're right." Nigel smiled. "I keep forgetting your kind was here first."

"You were?" Mary asked.

"Yes." Aiden smiled. "We watched human beings change and progress. At first we thought of you as little more than animals, but as time went on we could see the value of forming alliances with your kind."

Jenna disposed of the needle and carefully labeled the two tubes of blood with Mary's name. She took out two long swabs with a plastic cover over them.

"If I you would open your mouth please." Mary did and the inside of her cheek was swabbed.

"What is that for?" Aiden asked.

"A DNA sample." Nigel read the confused look on Aiden's face immediately and explained what DNA was. "Would you let me take samples from you, too?"

"Why would you need to?" He asked.

"As a doctor, I need to know how Mary's pregnancy is possible. I know it sounds like curiosity, and in some ways I suppose it is." Nigel looked away, gathering his thoughts. "I spend my free time in the study of magic. There is no scientific explanation for it and I don't expect there to be. This pregnancy crosses into the realm of the scientific, and I have to explain it to myself."

Aiden was silent, considering Nigel's words. Mary could feel her heart starting to beat faster, although she couldn't completely explain to herself why. Aiden had never intentionally hurt anyone, and she doubted he would deny her and the baby medical care.

"I will allow this, but if you wish to collect my blood I doubt such a small instrument will pierce my skin."

"I thought of that." Nigel said. "I've brought needles in several different sizes. If you want to stop at any time, just say so. I think we should start with the DNA sample first."

Jenna changed her gloves and asked that Aiden open his mouth. She hesitated when she saw the sharp teeth that were so well-concealed behind his full lips. To her credit, she let that uncertainty only paralyze her for a heartbeat. She closed the cover and put Aiden's name on the envelope.

Nigel started to examine Aiden's right arm. Mary knew that none of his veins were visible through his skin as blue lines, like they were in a human. There were a few places that were slightly raised though. He felt several places on the inside of Aiden's heavily muscled arm before Jenna applied the tourniquet. Mary began to see a faintly throbbing pulse in the crook of his arm.

"We're going to assume that you're circulatory system is the same as ours because we've no information to the contrary, so this should be over in one stick." Nigel said, half for Aiden's benefit, half for Jenna's. "If you feel any undue pain let us know." Aiden nodded and sat still.

Jenna looked for a way to get the needle between the fine scales that covered Aiden's skin, but didn't succeed. She tried another size, but had the same trouble.

"I'm sorry." Jenna said. It was clear that she was getting progressively more nervous.

"My skin is much thicker than Mary's." He smiled gently. "Perhaps if one of you would tell me what to do, I could do it myself."

"I'd rather not have it come to that." Nigel pulled on a pair of gloves and selected a needle that was much larger than the first two. Mary was nervous just looking at it, but Aiden didn't flinch. On his second try, Nigel hit a vein. He drew more of Aiden's blood than Mary's, but it was labeled in a similar way.

Jenna packed all the samples into a small cooler and left immediately after thanking Mary for her hospitality. Nigel explained she was carrying them to the lab. For another hour or so, Nigel asked more intimate questions about gargoyle diet and gestation. Aiden answered all of them and asked some very pointed questions of his own about what Nigel's role was in Mary's care, and exactly how he carried that out. By the time Nigel departed, he had more information and Aiden was more comfortable with Nigel being involved. In all, Mary considered it a good evening.