Fintan shook his head. "No."

Allison put her hands on her hips. "Well, it's true and you're going to have to accept it. Now what are we going to do?"

He sighed. "I believe that's your problem." He crossed his arms. "We can't tell anyone the child is mine. It would ruin my reputation."

Allison scoffed. "Your reputation is not the only one at stake here." She crossed her arms. "If people find out I'm pregnant, they'll put two and two together. I don't need that mark on my rep."

Fintan stalked to the door. "That's not my concern."

"How is this not your concern?" She grabbed her stomach. "You did this."

"Don't blame ME for YOUR foolishness." He gripped the doorknob with white knuckles.

"Right." She moved to stand right in front of him. "Because I'm the only one who can take the blame."

He opened the door. "Get out. Deal with your own problems."

Allison glared at him. "Someday this'll come back to haunt you." She stepped outside. "You're a father now. You can't just run away from that."

"Watch me." He slammed the door in her face.
————
Allison's screams echoed through the house. She lay on her bed in pain as Elwin knelt beside her.

"Alright, Allison. One more." He soothed. "Push."

With one final scream, the baby pushed out into Elwin's arms. It's soft whimpers filled the room as it blinked and focused on Elwin's face, which was shrouded by his ridiculous glasses. It cocked it's head.

Elwin grinned and looked at Allison. "It's a boy."

She accepted the tiny baby. "Thank you, Elwin. You may go." She barely even looked at the child. "And remember. You're sworn to secrecy."

Elwin clipped his bag shut. "I understand, but... might I ask why?"

She gave him a cold stare. "No, you may not."

He nodded solemnly and left the room.

Allison finally looked down at her infant son.
He had wispy black hair and quizzical royal blue eyes.

He opened his mouth and moved his tongue as if testing the muscle before meeting her gaze. "Mom?"

She raised a disgusted eyebrow at the infant. "No." She pulled out a yellow pathfinder and, despite being exhausted, leaped away.
————
Allison stumbled through the forest, cradling the baby in her arms. When she reached a clearing, she knelt down and lay the swaddled infant in the dewy grass.

The boy looked around in awe of his new surroundings.

Allison forced herself to her feet and dug out a blue pathfinder. "I'm sorry, Little One, but I wasn't meant to be a mother." She let the bitterness ring in her voice before glittering away.

The baby boy cried. He was alone in a cold unknown forest. His mother had abandoned him.

At the sound of the weeping infant, an ogress appeared out of the bushes.

The boy, happy to see he wasn't alone, stopped crying and reached towards the creature.

The ogress tentatively approached the infant and poked at it.

The baby grabbed her clawed finger and her heart melted. She knew ogres were supposed to hate the elves, but this innocent creature couldn't possible cause any harm. Not if it was raised right. She picked up the fragile thing and cradled it in one arm.

The King would have her head if he found the child in her care, but she couldn't leave it out here to die.

She bopped it on the nose with the tip of her claw. "How would you like to come live with me?"

The baby cocked his head and nodded.

The ogress giggled. "Well then, let's go home."