"I'm pregnant."

An eternity seemed to pass before Kara moved, and all she did was look back out to the bathroom floor. She frowned, again her mouth opening yet she said nothing. I folded myself back up, resting my head on my knees as I hugged my legs.

"How many tests have you done?" She asked.

I glanced up at her. "Um, like, ten-"

"There's more than ten." Her voice went up a notch, which only made my anxiety worse.

"Ten of the blue ones." I held up a pregnancy test that was so clever it could tell you how many weeks you were already. Yes or no wasn't enough for some people. "About the same of the other type and a bunch of pink ones. The leaflet in the box did say you can get false positives and-"

"Elise, they're all positive."

"But there's still a chance that they're wrong. I googled it." I stop, get up and disappear into the toilet to empty my bladder of the last litre of water I had.

"I think First Response outnumbers Google." She says through the door. "That's a lot of pee for a lot of tests."

"You're telling me." I finish and sure enough, opening the door she is there. "Should I do more? I'm probably going to have to go again in like five minutes. I'll go to a different shop, maybe they have a more reliable brand or-"

"You've done enough. Maybe try a blood test next? An ultrasound?"

I say nothing and she lets me pass, now standing against the main bathroom door as if to block any attempt I might make to escape. Her concern, as well as about a million other new things makes me want to throw up. Again. I look over at her in the mirror as I wash my hands and watch her process everything which is exactly what I have spent the last like, four, maybe five hours doing.

"I'll come with you unless you want your Mum or even Cain to-"

"No."

"No?" She repeats cautiously. "To which part?"

"All of it." I decide with a shrug. "I mean, it could still be a false positive. It might not even stick. That happens too, right?"

"I hope not. Elise, stop." She turns off the tap, and takes a towel, covering my hands with it as she forces me around to face her. "It will be okay. Yes, it's unexpected and scary, but I know you can do this. You're going to have a baby. Congratulations!"

I don't respond as she hugs me, I can't. How is this something we are celebrating?

"What are you congratulating exactly? The fact I had sex, apparently four to six weeks ago? I also did it last night, should we get some balloons, maybe a cake?"

"Don't be like that. I know you're scared, and that's okay. I'm here for you, we're all here for you. This is a-" She starts gently, as it finally occurs to me, what this is.

"It's a fucking joke. Because the wedding visit didn't get the reaction they wanted, they do this. What I need is to go and sort out those bitches once and for all. This, this is taking it too far!" I decide.

My outfit changes, my sword appears. Anger and adrenaline flood my system like flicking a switch, overriding the paralysing fear I'd been dealing with all afternoon. I had a new focus as of course, The Fates would be behind this. No more, I was done being a pawn in their games.

There was a line and they'd really crossed it this time.

"Elise, stop. Just, think about this for a second." Kara attempts to soothe me.

"I am." Nothing has ever been clearer.

I wanted them out of my life once and for all.

"No, you're not." She scolds, pointing at me as the change in her voice earns my attention. "This is not thinking things through clearly. So you've been careful then, to make sure nothing like this happens? I'm sure you two have had lots of in-depth conversations about safe-sex, future planning, and use these?"

She flings a small plastic packet at me; a condom.

Funny.

"I have a thing in my arm. It's been fine since I was 16. I get checked regularly, it gets replaced every two and a half years just to be sure." I snap at her, not needing a sex-ed class right about now.

Mostly because clearly, it's too late for one.

"Right. Right. Do you track your cycle?" The authority in her tone grates on my nerves. "Please don't tell me you just think it all away and hope the powers we have will magically stop this from happening?"

"What cycle?" I point at my arm. "This stops that. I can't even remember the last time I had a normal period. And of course not, not really anyway. Anything else you want to know, Doctor?"

"Elise, implant or no implant, powers or not, you can't beat basic biology. You're not just a human anymore either, you don't know how well that kind of thing still even works on our kind."

"Well, it never happened with Apollo." It's a weak argument and I can see her thinking this over.

"And is what you have with Cain the same as it was with Apollo?" No. Not at all, but instead I just stare at my sword not willing to answer making Kara sigh. "I don't think The Fates can be blamed for this Elise, I wish I could make myself agree with you, but I can't."

"If they didn't, there's a chance they don't know." The thumping of the sword in my hand eases to nothing as I feel the saliva forming in my mouth, the burn in the base of my throat. "Which is even worse, because they can't find out."

"Don't worry about that now, okay?"

Slowly she takes my sword from my hand and I don't resist. That battle was over before it began. Kara places it against the wall behind her and as it leaves me, so does my fight as I slump back down onto the floor. I breathe through the nausea until it passes as Kara makes room for herself beside me.

"I know this isn't what you had planned."

"Ya think? How did this happen? Have we really been that stupid, and reckless and, and. Gods, Kara. I can't do this. We can't do this. We're not exactly parent material, you know. Alfie is only alive because he can fend for himself, did you see that houseplant on the dining table Mum got me? It's dead. And, the last time Cain was in charge of something, he managed to become one of the most feared leaders in your realm and we all know how that went!"

"Sounds like the kind of Dad your kid is going to need." She mumbled. "Sorry, but possibly true. Speaking of Dad, you need to tell-"

"No."

"What do you mean, no?" She frowns.

I sit up and slide away from her across the floor. "I can't. I don't- no. Not yet. I mean, I don't even know for sure."

"You don't believe that Elise and this isn't exactly something you can hide. You need to tell him. The sooner, the better!" Her concern hardly feels sincere when the order and authority fill her words.

"I will." Maybe. "I just, I can't right now."

"Please don't-"

We both freeze as Cain arrives at the apartment. Even now his presence alone had the ability to take over a room. He shouldn't be here, not now and I swear I nearly pass out as I held my breath. The subtle knock on the door a second later makes me jump, and Kara moves faster than I do. The bathroom is cleared of any evidence, and she's at the door before I can even stand up.

"Cain! What a surprise!" Kara shouts, sounding more like a ten-year-old girl than herself as she partially opens the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Raya called. Elise never showed tonight, and you've gone missing. Apparently?" He sounds amused, and I change my clothes back before crawling by to hide by the toilet. "Everything okay?"

"That girl of yours." Kara laughs; though I feel it's more like an impersonation of a hyena than an actual laugh. "Always late."

"Can you let Raya know then?" I cringe at the slight change in his tone and flush the toilet, making more noise as I close the door. "She sounded worried."

I don't look or say anything as I focus on washing my hands.

"Sure! Thanks, bye." Kara goes to shut the door, but he doesn't let her and I glance up at the wrong time.

He looks at me.

I look at him.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" He isn't talking to Kara this time.

I shut the tap off, grab a towel and smile. "Great. We better go, Raya, is waiting."

I am in Raya's living room a second later, Kara right behind me. I can feel her eyes burning into my back and ignore her, dropping beside my friend and reaching for the jug of something on the table. The thought of more liquid after my night so far makes my bloated stomach ache, but I pour the drink into the waiting martini glass.

"That's for me, Keiran is mixing up something new which I'm sure you'll like better than fancy fruit juice." She greets. "What took you so long?"

"Couldn't decide what to wear." I hold up my glass. "And I can change that, see now it's a party."

Kara sits opposite us, glaring at me. Of course, I don't change a thing about the juice mix, but they don't need to know that.

No one does.

"Did my little phone call work?" Raya smirks.

"I wasn't- nevermind. Sorry, I'm late. You can punish me by telling me all about your back pain and pregnancy cravings." I smile as Raya and Kara share a look. "All of it. Leave nothing out. Are your ankles swollen yet?"

"I'm not going-" We all stop as Penny's face appears on the iPad sitting in the middle of the table and I've never been happier to see her.

"Penny! You're in time for girls night." I greet too enthusiastically as Kara rolls her eyes.

"Girls night, without me? What!" She pouts.

"Tell us how your honeymoon is going, we want all the details!" I set it up so we can see all of us, ignoring the death glares from the other two.

"If you insist" She laughs, and over an hour later, she finally stops. "Enough about me, you girls all look beautiful! I almost wish I was there, but Coltons going to be back soon! Let's have a quick toast." She held up her wine glass to the screen. "To us. Life is coming together so nicely for all of us, what with my wedding, now Raya's new baby. Elise is finally with Cain, after well, everything, and Kara, an actual Queen now. Like what?"

We all clink our glasses before sipping our drinks.

"So, since it must be like Cupid's busy season, what about you Kara? Any Kings to Be, in your sight?" Penny rushes, eager for the gossip while she can get it. "If you get as sad as Elise was and start drooling over cartoon men, we will get Mum to organise some blind dates for you."

"Because that worked out so well, didn't it? Don't worry about me, Penny. I am a Queen after all." She huffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

The girls laughed.

"I guess that must keep you busy though, not a lot of time for other things." Raya seemed to think about that for a second.

"I don't, and anytime I feel like I might be missing out, I'll check in with you guys for a reminder on why I am enjoying my current status so much." She gives me a look, and I roll my eyes.

"Really? So how is Deimos." I managed to keep my voice neutral as her eyes widened before she glared at me.

"Deimos?" Penny repeated, leaning towards Kara as her face went bright red. "Oh, do tell!"

"There isn't anything to tell. I don't date other Powers." She stared back at me. "I like things to be simple. Uncomplicated. He knows where we stand with each other."

"Who said anything about dating?" Raya giggled.

"And on that note, are we going out or staying here all night?" I stand, needing the bathroom, again. "Let me pee, and we can go?"

"Yay! Girls' night" Raya, waves at Penny. "See you when you come home, Pen!"

The girls are waiting as I come out, and the second we're out the house Raya lets out a little woop. "This mama is going dancing!"

And we do.

Tonight we skip the usual places and go full civilian in some new trending nightclub in London. It's tucked away in a dark alley that makes it hard not be slightly paranoid about, but inside proves to be otherwise. I ensure our names are down for the VIP area, and the lack of anything non-human was a welcome relief. Avoiding Kara's constant disapproval of everything I apparently decided to do was nearly as exhausting as keeping up with Raya; which made a change. Eventually, though, I was just happy to lose myself to the crowd and the music, leaving everything else behind.

The last few weeks all hit me and tears mixed with sweat. Someone touches me from behind; hands that don't belong and I push away quickly. I see Kara not too far away with a guy I don't know, yet she dismisses him as she senses me and is back in front of me before I can blink. She looks at me over, and her smile vanishes.

"Go home." She orders.

"No. I'm fine. I just, I want to dance and-"

"Elise."

The crowd is too tight. It's too hot. The music that had kept my thoughts away now vibrated through my skull as a wave of nauseous hits.

"Look, just go find Raya. Drink some water, slowly, and take a break." Kara sighs. "Please."

"Fine." I pout and I know I am being ridiculous, I just can't stop myself.

Some fierce, dangerous warrior I am now.

By the time I find Raya at the lower bar that overlooks the main dance floor, it's nearly three am and she looks like she might just fall asleep there on the stool. If she did that, I would gladly lay down and join her.

"Hey!" She greets, faking her enthusiasm. "I just needed a sec."

I take a stool beside her as it becomes available. "My legs are aching in places I didn't know they could ache."

"I can't hear you," Raya shouts, the music apparently getting louder each time we attempted to talk.

I put my hand out and she takes it. We weave through the nightclub crowd until we reach the VIP area upstairs. It's quieter up here, cooler too now we're away from so many hot, sweaty bodies.

I am a hot, sweaty body and as I sit, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to move again.

"You haven't stopped, like at all. I wish I had your energy right now!" Raya hands me a glass of water as I curl up on the sofa in a dark corner, trying not to think about what else could have gone on here. "Are your feet okay? I'm concerned about those shoes."

"You're such a Mum." I tease.

For a second I forgot.

"Are you going to puke? You don't look so great." She frowns.

"Maybe. I'll let you know in a minute. My legs hurt. I've spent more hours on a battlefield and been in less pain." Tiny exaggeration, but I did hurt.

"You aren't dropping it low, low, low with Kara in heels that are taller than Livvy on a battlefield."

"True. Where is Kara?" I couldn't see her on the dancefloor anymore.

"She's somewhere with Meghan and some other Valkyrie. Didn't you see them when you were down there?"

No. I also hadn't even noticed their presence here either, so I lied. "Yeah. I just forgot."

"Everything okay with you two? Something clearly went down before you got to mine." Raya stopped, a cheeky smile on her face. "Is Girls Night officially over?"

She pointed to where Kara stood with Deimos, and she gave us a little wave.

"I think so." Keeping it simply my ass.

"Then why are we sitting here?" She groaned. "Please, send me home too. I'm tired. I'm deaf. I feel older than ninety per cent of the people here and I could go for some waffles."

No one is paying us any attention and even if we were seen to vanish most were going to be too drunk to really notice. A second later we're back at Raya's. It's dark and quiet; I can hear Keiran snoring from the direction of Olivia's bedroom. That's where Raya disappears while I go into the kitchen. I'm changed when she comes back in, pyjamas on and ridiculous heels gone. I smile as she lights up at the plate of waffles I have waiting.

"What do you need?" I ask her as she kicks off her shoes and swaps her jeans for sweats.

"Strawberries, chocolate, all the chocolate." She smiles as I grant her wish. "Oh come to Mama."

We sit on the counter in happy silence while she enjoys her waffles and I sip my cup of tea.

"So, waffle cravings?"

"Yes. I couldn't handle sweet foods with Olivia. Now I'd happily lick the sugar bowl." She pauses. "Maybe it's a boy this time?

"When did you start getting cravings?"

"About as soon as I could start to eat again without everything making me want to throw up. Keiran made waffles just after we found out. They've all I've been able to eat this whole time." She ate a strawberry, made a face and wiped the next one in the chocolate sauce before eating it.

"When did you find out, like how far along? Did you do it together?"

"Um, like nearly straight up. We've been kind of trying so I was doing the ovulation tests and a bunch of other stuff. Got my prenatal vitamins and all that. I found out the night you left, something stupid set me off on the TV and he suggested we do a test. I thought I was just worried about you, which I was too. But my boobs were super sore, and lots of signs were the same as before. You don't want to hear all the details." She laughed. "So, how's things with you?"

I did want all the details.

Help me, Raya.

"Nothing really. Just taking it easy since coming home and the whole Medusa thing." I shrug.

"I mean you only what, fought in another war, survived that, managed to keep Cain alive, started the other realm on the path for world peace and got home in time for the wedding of the year and got yourself a sword made by gods." She closed her eyes as she had another mouthful. "I really hope you are taking it easy. You deserve a break."

"Raya, I-" My throat closes up. The words disappear. "

"Yes?" She put down the plate, giving me her full attention.

My phone lights up beside me on the bench and I don't even look to see who it is. Raya does, and she looks at it for a second before coming back to me.

"Are you hiding?" She says as the call ends.

"No. What? That?" I shake my head. "So, tell me more about you. What have I been missing out besides waffle cravings?"

"Elise, I'm not Penny. Talking about myself is not going to distract me." Raya picks at the remaining waffle. "Things change, but sometimes you are still the same girl I met in that bunker. What has he done, or maybe what have you done, to make hiding here the better option?"

The phone rings again and we're both silent until the screen turns dark.

"Do I need to get Zane? He can normally talk some sense into you." She taunts, grabbing her bag to get her phone out.

"No. Nothing is going on. I'll go." I put my cup in the sink. "Thanks for tonight."

"Elise, I don't mean-" She starts.

"I know. It's okay. Everything is fine." I try to assure myself, and fail though Raya seems to buy it.

"I'm here if you need me." We hug, and a second later, I'm home.

It's dark.

Quiet.

I stand outside the bedroom door, unable to go in. Something moves behind me, a shadow flitting by the window and turning, it's only Kara. She holds up Cain's phone, before dropping it onto the coffee table.

"You didn't answer?"

"What are you doing?" I snap at her.

"Proving a point." She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Elise, you can't just avoid him and hope this is going to go away. He doesn't deserve that, and neither do you."

"Can you really just not? I've had like, five minutes to think about this!"

"I know, but I just have a feeling and this isn't a secret to keep from him. I'm going back, and before tonight I wasn't planning on returning for a month or so as I have some big things happening with the North. I can change it, it's not ideal, but I will. Right now though, I'm scared about what I might find when I do come back, whether that's in a couple of days or weeks." Kara sighed. "You know you two are better together, so please don't keep this to yourself. Even just, tell your Mum or Raya? Someone!"

"I will. I promise, just not tonight. Okay?" I practically beg.

She nods. "Okay."

"He's been so hung up on this fourth fate thing anyway. This won't help and besides, what if it's another trick from Medusa. Actually, what if it isn't poison, or what if it was and oh." New possibilities hit me, one right after the other. "Kara?"

I needed her to tell me I was being stupid, that this possibility hadn't already been tainted. She hid her hesitation terribly, yet walked over and hugged me tightly.

"She's fine. I feel it in my bones."

"She?"

Kara shrugged. "I'll put my guess in early."

She hugs me again and I fight the tears until she's gone, letting them out in the shower instead until I start to feel normal. Clean. My hands settle on my abdomen and when I get out, I inspect my body for a sign that something was changing, that inside there was something going on in there. It was the same old me, just slightly bloated, but the second time I turned to the side I decided I was imagining it. I felt slightly harder, beyond the muscles, and poking around further I couldn't even be sure if I was just imagining that too.

The urge to go to the toilet returned and deciding to do yet another test, I took my chances and crossed my fingers as I slid the cap back on the end of the test and removed all other evidence of what I'd just done while staring at the little test window as the result began to form.

Across the penthouse, Cain was sleeping. It would be easy to wake him up. Show him. Get him to sit and wait, yet I sat on the toilet and watched it form alone.

Two pink lines; bright, and defined.

Positive.