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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Kerlo comes home to find Jo unexpectedly back from Pandaria, and she brought some surprising news with her! ~2900 words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Jo Sparkwire stands in the spare second bedroom in her and Kerlo's home in Stormwind. The time is approaching for him to return home from his work with the 7th Legion. She walks around the little space, numbers and measurements nearly floating around her head, so intent is she on the study. There are plans to be made here, she thinks, dropping one hand to her stomach in a gesture of protection.
"You already have a family," she whispers to the life growing inside her that she can't yet really feel. "And we're so eager to meet you. You'll see."
And one of that family should be arriving any second now, if her clock wasn't dropping time.
Precisely on time, in respectable gnomish fashion, even though he has no idea anyone is marking said time, Lt. Kerlo Quarterflash of the 9th Expeditionary Unit enters his home, rifling intently through a handful of mail. He doesn't seem to find what he's hoping to find, and so with a little sigh, he sets the pile on a pristine end table by the door. From the look of the townhouse in general, it would seem he's been tidying almost compulsively: a new habit, to be sure.
Jo tilts her head at the sound of the door closing, a soft, dreamy smile coming to her face. She abandons her room-planning to move over to the door and call in deceptively casual voice, "Kerlo, sweetie? Is that you?"
Kerlo screeches to a halt on his way to the kitchen cabinet, then does a military-crisp 180 degree turn before bolting toward the stairs. He takes them step-over-step rather than bringing his trailing leg to rest on each one, which, as they are human-designed stairs, is the gnomish equivalent of taking them two at a time.
"My spark…" he exhales as he sees her, eyes shining behind his wire-rimmed spectacles. "Have I gone mad with longing? Am I hallucinating?"
Jo giggles and lunges for him as soon as he reaches the top of the stairs, impatient to be in his arms. "My flash. It's no hallucination. I'm here from Pandaria, and I might… um… I might be here for a while. Depending on a few things."
She gazes up at him in adoration. If he's worried about bad news, the shining anticipation in her eyes and the hopeful smile on her lips may put his heart to rest. There's something she isn't saying, but from her manner it might be the best news Azeroth has ever heard. The Old Gods have decided to get along with the Titan races? All the plagues of the world are cured? Who can say?
"That's wonderful!" Kerlo says, looking down at her with utmost confidence when he sees her expression. "The Alliance and Cobalt have stabilized the situation so quickly? Come, let's get you something to eat. Have you eaten?"
He tugs on her little hand, drawing her toward the stairs.
"Oh, um, not exactly, just something came up…" Jo lets him draw her down the stairs, a faint blush causing little spots of rose on her cheeks. "I'm sure that's right around the corner, given Cobalt and what clever people the Alliance have sent there. However, my things were more of a personal nature. Do you recall our… experiment? I know we had to interrupt it for the Pandaria mission, but… the experiment we were working on up until that point."
It may only be sexy to gnomes to refer to these matters in such a way. Or gnomes and nerds?
"Of course I do," Kerlo, the gnerd, says with a gleam in his eye. He is gnome enough to put two and two together quickly, and his eyes widen. "We've produced results already??"
Ah yes, results, the most intimate and precious thing in the world.
"Results, yes," Jo says, beaming, and then a touch of uncertainty comes into her expression. "I know you were hesitant about the serum, and… and… well, maybe you were right to be. But… I'm not having triplets."
"Oh thank the Light!" Kerlo says, his eyes tearing up a little. "My darling!"
He lifts her into a fervent embrace. Being that he's a front line warrior type and rather tall for his species, and that she is a wee mage, his embrace is overpowering enough to expel the air from her lungs, and verging on testing the limits of her skeletal elasticity, before he moderates himself and lets her go.
"My darlings," he corrects himself, setting her down and staring at her midsection as though he has x-ray vision. I mean, who knows what sort of lenses he has in those glasses, to be honest.
Jo gives a little oof as he hugs her, but it's the happiest possible oof. When he lets her go she starts laughing uncontrollably, holding her arms up as if to make it easier for him to see her insides.
"It's not more either," Jo says, gasping a little for breath as little tears of joy light her eyes. "Twins, Kerlo. We're having twins. The healer said."
Kerlo gapes at her, joy still radiating, but a hint of worry creeping into his expression now.
"Oh my," he breathes. "But… but you're so small." Military man that he is, he immediately transforms his anxiety into Decisive Action Plan. "We must keep you here, have a specialist on hand at all times. I can take medical leave…"
"Oh, do you think we need to? I mean, it's still early days, I can't even be three months in yet…" Jo bites her lip, suddenly worried herself. "The healer did say there was danger in multiple births, but Tadget was fine with three, right?"
Tadget, who was dramatically more physically fit than a soft little mage. Who required new technology to be developed to ensure the safety of mother and children. Who took leave from the 7th Legion for over a year to recover. Yes, Jo, she was fine with three.
Kerlo is thinking literally all of this. But he also sees Jo's expression, and his instinct to reassure tempers his need to Protect.
"I would simply… feel better," he says, a truth, if not a complete one. "Remember, darling, my spark of life and joy, that the last time I had a baby she was taken from me. The trauma is largely healed, and the situation was very different, but it is only natural that a return to imminent new fatherhood might call up some exaggerated anxieties about child loss. I believe it would help me stay within reasonable lines of mental health to have you nearby and under constant medical supervision."
"I suppose it's true I shouldn't be in the field," Jo says reluctantly. "If for no other reason, I don't know any gnomish healers that are deployed to Pandaria. But I wouldn't want to interrupt your work, love, I know it must be terribly important." She squeezes his hand. "I'm not going anywhere, that I promise. These little ones, they'll know you from their first breath."
Kerlo exhales in relief. "If you prefer that I continue my work, I shall," he says. "In truth, given my recent promotion it would be an awkward time to absent myself from training. And so long as I know that you are here and safe and watched over, I shall be able to focus. But if you ever do need me here, say the word, hm?"
He reaches down to lay a protective hand on her belly, though there is little evidence there yet of their "experimental results."
"We'll have to think of an additional boy and girl name now," he says, "in case we end up with two of a kind. Also as possible backup names in case we're mistaken at first about their gender, as sometimes happens when children are too young to tell us. Did your medical examination reveal any predictions along those lines?"
"They've said it's too early to tell for sure," Jo sasys, resting her hand on his and gazing into his eyes. "Right now it's just the barest feel of their little souls. They said… it feels like a boy and a girl. But we'll know for sure once they grow a little more. We should have names ready. Maybe backup names after your parents, or mine?" Jo's happiness falters, just the slightest bit, showing the edges of worry, "The healer also mentioned that I might not want to tell everyone yet. Until they grow a little more, and we see they're… they're alright. But they will be, won't they? People have twins all the time."
"Well… not all the time," Kerlo hedges. "But the most important part is… the one bringing them into this world is you. Jocoza Sparkwire. You're the most courageous, capable, resilient person I know. The most important hero in the world. And their father is no slouch either. I think they have a better chance of coming easily into this world than any other souls I can imagine."
Kerlo gives her a reassuring squeeze, more gentle than the last one.
"I hope you're right," Jo says, as they reach the bottom of the stairs. "Do you think Natlee will be happy? When… how… what… do I tell her? I want her to know this is an addition to our family. She'll always be a part of it."
Kerlo frowns slightly. "Hm… or should I be the one to tell her first? Both so she can feel more free to express any resentment and I can more directly reassure her that she isn't being replaced?"
"Maybe that's good," Jo says, biting her lip. "I think things were going well with her and I, before I went to Pandaria at least. I'll want to start meeting up with her again, now that I'm back. That is, as long as she isn't still out on the Speedbarge. I kind of expect that's not the best place for me to go, if we want to keep me safe and sound."
"I'll get a message to her," he says. "It'll be good for us all to be together for a little while, I think." He smiles, tucking a strand of Jo's hair gently into place. "One happy family."
"One happy family," Jo says dreamily. "There was a time I would never have imagined this could happen. I expect for you as well. I'm so happy we found Natlee, so that pain at least could turn to happiness. She's been doing really well in Cobalt, too, traveling all over helping people. She has such a good heart. Which, speaking of Cobalt… I'll hold off on telling anyone but Bran until Natlee knows. It would be awful if she heard secondhand."
Jo tugs Kerlo towards the kitchen, and continues, "I brought back some Pandarian food, if you didn't eat on your way back? Dumplings with this chili sauce I just adore, and this really unique tea. Admiral Fallon hated it." She says this last with the same tone of delight as the previous sentence.
"Oh, yes, I'm most curious about their cuisine. I hope I'll get to visit one day - though, perhaps not, as usually I am only sent places that are in dire trouble. I'll content myself with whatever they decide to bring to Stormwind."
Jo smiles at Kerlo and heads over to the counter where a little basket rests. She starts setting out little trays of dumplings — cool now, but the interior is still good — and a small stone tea set. "Maybe you will, even if it's peacetime. You're allowed to travel after all, for personal reasons. There might come a time when Pandaria is simply a place a person might go for a pleasant week's vacation. Right now, there's a bit too much war going on, but I'm hoping our people will be able to take care of it soon. Convince the Horde to get their fingers out of things, stop the hozen, shore up the pandaren against the mogu, all those things."
She pauses, and rests a hand on her stomach again, that same dreamy look coming back into her eyes. "Maybe by the time these two join us."
"Mmm," Kerlo says, a dreamy look coming into his lavender eyes. "A weekend in Pandaria… just the five of us. Oh, tea as well? I do love tea."
"Yes, it's got the most lovely aroma," Jo says brightly. "A bit like hay, I suppose. It's barley. I hear they have other types as well, but this is very popular in Paw'don Village."
She pours out a small, steaming stone glass to Kerlo — the benefits of being married to a fire mage — and awaits his opinion.
He closes his eyes and inhales the steam for a moment.
"Oh, lovely," he declares, and takes a careful sip. He nods approvingly. "I hope they'll be importing this in large quantities," he says enthusiastically. "Or Cobalt decides to get into the smuggling business. I've become a bit tired of all the tea blends I've been rotating through the past few years."
"I do hope we'll have more trade," Jo nods eagerly. "Not only tea, but the most interesting things there. Try the dumplings…" Energy flares at her fingertips and they steam on their trays, "and I bet the clothes will influence what we're seeing here in Stormwind. And they have this interesting tradition of unarmed fighting as well, maybe the 7th will see that as a thing to learn about."
"Ohhh… perhaps we can get some pandaren to visit and do a training session with us! We do have regular drills in unarmed fighting - as getting disarmed is a very real possibility in many situations, and we cannot all conjure fire from the air - but as it is not a tradition per se, and seen more as a last resort, I suspect the pandaren would have much to teach us."
"I could potentially lend some of Cobalt's pandaren now, if that might be of interest," Jo says, considering. "They're Wandering Isle, and not Pandarian, but they trained under someone called Master Shang Xi. For Pandaria, we should definitely contact the Tian Monastery. They seemed very friendly and very willing to teach outsiders."
Jo pauses. "Do you think our children will be mages or warriors? I do hope they'll be engineers, either way. I should probably prepare some challenging mind-teaser puzzles for the nursery, to keep them occupied."
Kerlo laughs gently. "They'll almost certainly be engineers," he says. "Hopefully not siege engineers, at least until they're grown. Remember, though, we have months yet to prepare the nursery. We can get advice from other gnome parents whose children turned out highly functional."
It might be that he is politely and specifically saying, not Tadget.
"Yes, that'd be a good idea," Jo nods earnestly. "I don't know all that many gnome parents, mostly Tadget and Finn, but Joanie seems to be doing well. I can talk to her family for advice, too. And Natlee is closer to childhood than I am, so I can discuss with her… uh, what not to do. You know, maybe that's not a great idea. I don't want to bring up painful memories at a happy time. We'll figure it out, though… there's definitely room in there for a good Gnomeregan-style bunk bed, but probably we won't want them elevated off the floor until they're good at jumping, don't you think?"
"It's safe to lay a baby down anywhere until they learn to roll over," Kerlo says. "Then you have to strap them down just to change their diapers." He chuckles a bit wistfully.
"I'll make good and secure harnesses," Jo nods firmly. "That's something I can do, an early gift. And we should… we could set up play dates, once they're aware of other children. The triplets and Nish's, obviously, though they'll be a touch older. Little Dane will be a few years older already, too, but… there's also the Hazan daughter, the Atley children and the Fallon children. The next generation of Cobalt Company and friends. Did you ever think, five years ago?"
Kerlo chuckles. "I have become accustomed to rapid change, I think," he says. "The surprise to me would be if things were remotely the same from one year to the next! It is still a bit strange that Natlee reappeared suddenly as a grown woman, but that is an unusual circumstance where it's logical that my perception of her had no chance to evolve."
"I am so sorry Collee did that to you," Jo says, reaching forward to take his hand. "It wasn't fair, and as much as I'm happy we ended up together, I wish she would have stayed, would have made you happy. I want you to be happy, and I want you to be loved. Because I love you." Jo pauses, and her voice warms as she continues, "For these two… let's call them Cobalt and Claret for now, until we know for sure?… you'll have the chance to watch them evolve over time. I don't intend for either of us to miss a single thing."
Kerlo's eyes go all warm and soft as he gazes at his tiny brilliant wife.
"To see the whole of it…" He tears up a little. "And with you. She could never have made me as happy. I wish she had left my little girl when she went, but … I'm not sorry she's gone. I can't even imagine what the future might bring for us, but I know it will be the best part of my life."