Rosewing (9) (The Underground Kingdom) Read online

  Rosewing (9)

  Steve Elliott

  Copyright Steve Elliott 2013.

  All rights reserved

  This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  I was in a boat, in the middle of a storm. The waves were crashing against the hull and I was being tossed around like a cork in a disturbed bathtub. Suddenly, I heard this voice …..

  "Stephen, wake up!" it said, forcing me to surface into consciousness. The voice belonged to Tracey, my gorgeous fairy lover, who was shaking me rather forcefully.

  "What ……. what is it?" I asked, groggily. "What's going on? Stop doing that! I'm awake!"

  "I don't feel well," she confessed. "In fact, I feel terrible."

  "What's wrong?" I questioned, my anxiety levels peaking. The One (fairies) are a particularly hardy race and were hardly ever ill. "Is it a headache?"

  "No," she told me. "I feel sick. In the stomach."

  "Could it be something you ate last night?"

  "Hardly. We all had the same thing, remember, and you're not sick, are you?"

  "That's true. I wonder what's causing it? Do you want to go to the hospital?"

  "I don't think it's that bad yet. Go and get Quina for me, please."

  "Good call. She's an ex-doctor, after all. She should have some ideas."

  I jumped out of bed and hurried to Quina’s room. She was staying as an impromptu guest and had been resident with us for some time. I urgently banged on her door and, when she opened it to stop the noise, I dragged her without ceremony back to my room.

  "What's going on?" she questioned, sleepily. "What's happening? I was sound asleep."

  "Sorry about that," I apologised, "but Tracey is sick and needs your help. Take a look at her for me, would you, please?" By this time, everybody else, including Zen, Trix’s pet wolf, had crowded into the room, curious about the fuss.

  "Tracey’s not well," I explained to all and sundry.

  "It's not serious, is it?" Thorn asked, anxiously.

  "Quina will let us know," I replied, anxiously watching her clinical examination of Tracey. Quina peered into Tracey's eyes, felt her pulse and ran her hand over Tracey’s lower abdomen, and shook her head.

  "What is it?" I worriedly interjected. "What's wrong with her?"

  "I can't find anything physically wrong," Quina soothed, "but, of course, I can't tell much from what I've done so far. Give me a second, and I'll try a bit of spiritual enquiry. No distractions, please." So saying, she sat beside Tracey, took one of her hands and slipped into a meditative trance.

  I suppose I should explain that Quina, as well as being a medical doctor, also dabbled in the alternate side as a psychic healer – the ‘dark’ side of the Force, according to the orthodox medical establishment. Ironically enough, that was exactly what the alternate healing side called the orthodox medical people. It'd be nice if the two opposites could combine together to form the best of both worlds but, due to the dual entrenched bigotry, I believed that day to be a long time coming.

  Impatiently, I waited for Quina to return to us with information about Tracey. Quina had this ability to waft herself into the spiritual realms where she could contact any living person in their non-corporeal form. Quite impressive, really. I wished I could do it. Very handy in situations like this, you know. The spirit side of us often had more knowledge than its earthbound version. What was taking so long? I mentally protested. My beloved Tracey, the person I loved most in the entire world, was ill! I suppose I should qualify that statement. Tracey and Thorn were the two people I loved the most. I hadn’t been able to separate them in my mind and, thanks to the genius of Phil, the eccentric bio-engineer, my personality had been downloaded into two identical clones to allow me to have access to both of my paramours. A weird arrangement, to be sure, but it seemed to be working quite satisfactorily. Tracey and Thorn appeared to be happy and I felt ecstatic. What the devil was Quina up to? It'd been ages! Okay, perhaps the time lapse just gave that impression, but still …….. I fretted and fumed as I waited for Quina’s return. I couldn't bear to think of Tracey suffering. That was the trouble with being in love. You took the other person’s problems so personally.

  After what seemed to be an eternity, Quina blinked and arrived back among us. She yawned, stretched and rubbed her eyes.

  "Well?" I asked impatiently. "Did you find out anything?"

  "Oh yes," she replied. "Oh dearie me, yes."

  "Are you going to tell us at any stage, then?" Thorn demanded. Quina glanced around at us all, a huge smile on her face.

  "This may come as a bit of a shock," she announced, "so prepare yourselves."

  "For heaven’s sake, Quina," I cried, "stop teasing and tell us!"

  "I'm not teasing," she replied, frowning a little.

  "So, let us know, already," Trix insisted. "What's wrong with my mother?"

  "Nothing's wrong," Quina replied. "She’s fine. In fact, she's more than fine."

  "And what's that supposed to mean?" Thorn queried, exasperated. "I swear, Quina, if you don't tell us something soon, I'm going to slap you!"

  "Look, everybody calm down!" Quina commanded. "Tracey is in excellent health and there's nothing wrong with her."

  "Then why am I feeling so sick?" Tracey demanded.

  "The explanation is simple, my dear girl," Quina told her. "Your reactions are normal ….. for someone who’s pregnant."

  Chapter 2.

  This bald statement of Quina’s found itself greeted by a profoundly shocked silence.

  "Pregnant?" Tracey gasped.

  "She can't be!" I stoutly maintained. "It's impossible!"

  "And why is that?" Quina asked, arching an inquisitive eyebrow.

  "Because she’s a fairy and I'm human!" I asserted. "We’re two different species altogether. It just wouldn't work!" Quina started to laugh at my emphatic statements.

  "This isn't funny!" I spluttered.

  "Oh, I beg to differ," she chortled. "You're forgetting one important thing, Stephen."

  "And what's that?" I demanded.

  "You're forgetting that you're presently embodied in a fairy clone," she pointed out, smiling at my obtuseness, "therefore, biologically speaking, you are of the same species."

  "God, you're right!" I admitted, sheepishly. "How dumb am I? Even after all this time, I still think of myself as mainly human."

  "Are you absolutely sure about this pregnancy?" Thorn queried. "I mean, you couldn't possibly be mistaken, could you?"

  "I saw the baby's lifeline connected to Traculimna," Quina replied. "No, there's no mistake."

  "A baby in the house!" Trix breathed in wonder. "I can’t wait! Zen and I volunteer to do the babysitting."

  My mind reeled. Against all odds, I’d become a father! And Tracey was …. well, a mother. Well, duh! The first moments of a lifetime child-rearing panic began to make themselves felt. What if I get it wrong? I had no idea how to raise a child. What's the first thing to be done? What do babies eat? I had a vague idea you were supposed to feed them strained peas and apple jelly or something. And then they grew up to be uncontrollable teenagers! Would I be able to survive that?

  "Stephen, are you okay?" Thorn asked, shaking my arm. "You're just standing there with your mouth open."

  "It's all come as a bit of a shock," I answered, regaining my senses. "I mean, a baby! I never thought ……… It's so unexpected! I never dreamed …….."

  "Does it make you happy, beloved?" Tracey asked, looking up at me with anxious eyes. "I’ve never considered a child in our relationship. It's not going to change matters between us, is it?"

/>   "Don't be silly!" I exclaimed, sitting on the bed beside her and taking one of her hands. "We'll be a true family now. It'll add further depth to us and besides, we’re knee-deep in free babysitters." Tracey smiled at my weak joke as I bent down to kiss her.

  "I love you," she whispered.

  "Right back at you," I rejoined. "I can't think of anyone who'd be a better mother."

  "I don't know about that," she murmured. "Motherhood is such an awesome responsibility. I'm not sure I'm up to it."

  "Of course you are," I emphasised. "It's me I’m worried about. I don't know the first thing about being a father."

  "You'll do fine," she encouraged, patting my hand. "And any time you don't feel up to scratch, Arugohumna can take over as the father."

  "Is that a nasty comment about my femininity?" Thorn demanded, stepping up to the bed and facing Tracey. "You'd better take it back if it is!"

  "And just what do you intend doing about it, anyway?" Tracey enquired, a mocking smile on her face. "You can't hit me, you know. I'm an expectant mother."

  "That's cheating!" Thorn exclaimed. "You're taking unfair advantage of your situation!"

  "So, sue me!" Tracey answered, poking out her tongue. "Be prepared for a lot more of this in the future, too. I have years of insults to catch up on."

  "I can see this baby thing has a downside," Thorn grumbled to herself. "Traculimna is bad enough now, but can you imagine what she'll be like with no fear of retaliation? She'll run amok! No one will be safe!"

  Chapter 3

  Of course, no one could get back to sleep after the news, so we all met in the dining room to discuss matters.

  "We'll have to make a baby room," Tracey declared. "And get a crib. And baby-proof the doors and cupboards. And baby clothes! We have to buy baby clothes!"

  "For heaven's sake, Traculimna, slow down!" Thorn commanded. "You're getting way ahead of yourself! First of all, we can't decorate a baby room until we know if it's going to be a boy or a girl. Secondly, we have plenty of time to plan everything."

  "Exactly how long does it take?" I wanted to know. "I'm not all that familiar with fairy anatomy. Human women take about nine months. Is it the same here? Please tell me it's not longer than that."

  Quina smiled at my nervousness. "Luckily for you, Stephen, the One have different physiological workings," she explained. "The average here is less than three months."

  "Nine months?" Tracey asked, astonished. "Nine whole months? How do they stand it?"

  "It's a tiring time for them," I frankly admitted. "Honestly, I don't know how they do it. If it was all left up to the fathers, the human race would have died out generations ago."

  Thorn made us all cups of tea as we sat around discussing what to do next. "Let's start to think of names," Trix offered, eagerly. "How about Trixabella?"

  "A bit awkward, if it's a boy," I teased.

  "I didn't think of that," she frowned. Then she brightened. "Maybe it'll be twins! One boy and one girl."

  "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Trix," Quina asserted, "but there’s definitely only the one."

  "Shame," Trix pouted. "Two babies would have been so much more fun. I could mind one and Zen could look after the other one."

  "I'm not sure that Zen would be the best babysitter," Tracey gently contradicted. "What does he know about raising babies?"

  "He's the smartest wolf there is," Trix boasted. "I'm sure he'd work it out."

  "We'll see," Tracey compromised.

  Tracey became a minor celebrity soon after. Fairy babies were fairly rare – the birth rate among the One being quite low, totally unlike the human race – so any impending arrival was greeted with celebration. We had initially thought of keeping the whole affair under wraps, for awhile anyhow, but decided in the end that Tracey deserved the general pampering that was sure to follow. And follow it certainly did. Our house became a pathway to a continual flow of well-wishers and admirers who all came with their congratulations and little gifts for the baby and the expectant mother. Tracey took it all in her stride, but I could see that she felt flattered and enjoyed the attention. It became a little annoying for the rest of us however, because the endless visitors left us with little privacy. But it was all in a good cause, so we put up with the inconvenience and spent our time making cups of tea and providing biscuits for the callers.

  One night, as Thorn and I were in bed, rehashing the day's events, she posed a very odd question. "Stephen, do you mind?" she asked, out of nowhere.

  "About what?" I questioned, puzzled.

  "About my sister, I mean," she elaborated, although the elaboration she provided was decidedly scanty.

  "More information, please," I requested.

  "She's going to be a mother after all," Thorn shrugged, "and I thought that my you of you might be a little disappointed in me."

  "Why on earth would you think that?" I questioned incredulously, after I’d deciphered her comment back into understandable language.

  "I've been around humans enough to know that building a family is one of their top priorities," she explained. "They all seem to want to do it. Traculimna is doing it with her Stephen and I thought you might be disappointed that we haven't."

  "Hey," I told her, taking her hands, "nothing could be further from the truth. It's true that most humans do have families, but that doesn't apply to everyone. Believe me; I'm completely happy just being with you. Anyway, we are a family. It's just that, instead of the usual father, mother and baby combination, we have one father split into two; one mother with a sister so close it's almost like having two mothers; a yet-to-be-born baby; an adopted adult elf ‘baby’; and one wolf who probably thinks he was simply born as a smaller, differently-shaped One. I mean, isn't that the definition of a normal family around here?"

  Thorn laughed and I kissed the palms of her hands.

  "So don't let it bother you again, dear heart," I informed her. "I'm perfectly happy the way things are. We'll raise Tracey’s baby together as one big extended family. You can be a mother by proxy and I'll be a surrogate father. It’ll all work out, you’ll see."

  "Of course it will," Thorn agreed, gently touching my face. "How can it not? I almost feel envious. This baby will be surrounded by love from all sides."

  "You mean that you don't feel like that now?" I asked, hugging her comprehensively and fondling her neck. "I know when I'm being insulted."

  "You silly thing!" she giggled, slapping me playfully on the back. "Unhand me, you molester! I want to keep my maidenly virtue intact."

  "Struggle all you like, my dear," I mock-growled. "It's time to surrender your virtue to brute force."

  "Beast!" she squealed laughingly. "What's a helpless maiden to do? I suppose I'll just have to accept my fate and let you have your wicked way with me."

  "Clever girl," I informed her, beginning to kiss her all over. "Why fight your destiny? Just lay back and let it happen."

  "Lay back, nothing!" she resolutely declared, twisting in my embrace and flinging herself on top of me. "I'm not the type to ‘lay back’. If you want something done properly around here, you have to do it yourself! That's always been my motto. So, you molesting monster, relax and let me have my wicked way with you!"

  "Sounds good to me," I grinned. "The less work I have to do the better."

  "You lazy lump!" she yelped. "You have to do some work."

  "If you insist," I moaned wearily, kissing one of her fingers. "There! Is that enough?"

  "Oh, you!" she exclaimed. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that!"

  "You’re insatiable!" I chided. "There's no pleasing you at all."

  "Oh, I don't know," she purred, running her hands over my chest and down to my stomach. "I'll think you'll find that I'm fairly easy to please."

  "So you are," I admitted, with a surprised gasp. "It appears that I am too."

  "That what makes us a great pair," she whispered seductively. "We’re both easily pleased."

  "Thank goodness for that," I mu
rmured.

  Chapter 4.

  Tracey’s pregnancy progressed quite satisfactorily. Quina remained on hand to take care of any minor problems, and the weeks simply flew by. Well, for most of us anyway. As Tracey's figure ballooned, so did her irritation.

  "It's so awkward!" she grumbled as she tried to manoeuvre herself out of her chair. "Gods, I can barely move!"

  "You look marvellous," I soothed, giving her a helping hand. "You're more radiant than ever."

  "I feel like a pumpkin," she declared. "Just look at the size of me!"

  "A beautiful pumpkin," I told her.

  "But still a fat, bloated vegetable," she reminded me, determined to plumb the full depths of her misery.

  "You're nearly there," Quina announced. "Just a week or two to go. Have you any inkling as to whether it's going to be a boy or a girl?"

  "Not a clue," Tracey confirmed. "And I don't want you going off into the spiritual realms to find out, either! I want to be surprised."

  "Consider it done," Quina answered, holding up her hands defensively. "I promise I won't peek."

  "See that you don't," Tracey threatened, waving a pretend fist in Quina’s direction. "That's why I had Stephen decorate the baby room in neutral colours. We can add the gender touches later."

  "Can I get you anything, sweetheart?" I asked solicitously.

  "Hmmm, what haven’t I eaten so far?" she asked, thoughtfully.

  "Nothing at all, Mother," Trix interjected, with a mocking grin. "You must have tried just about every possible combination of every single food available. I mean, raw fish and raspberry jam with onions! Ugh! The poor baby! Imagine the state of its digestive tract!"

  "Hush up, scallywag!" Tracey reprimand. "My baby needs nourishment. Very well, so the assortment may have been a little odd, but it’s all good food in its way. That's what cravings are for, after all."

  "I've never seen cravings so exotic," Thorn interjected. "If that’s what hormones do to your taste buds, then you can have them all to yourself!"