Double, Double, Toil, & Trouble

Special thanks to amer'raepotter for reminding me about Jez.

Thanks to:

Desilove

Kit-Pit

RueRajaram

SillyFairyGirl

Nightworld Fan

Veryviolinish

KarmaDash

Future Writer Girl

UnderTheAlchemist

Guest

Dire Heart

sprog101

xBlownxAwayx

Chapter Five:

The flight to Vegas was uneventful and luckily she'd been tired enough to sleep the whole way, but by the time they'd gotten to Thierry's mansion Mary-Lynnette was wide awake and worried. It didn't help that when she flopped on the fluffy mattress in hopes of trying to get rid of her sudden migraine, that she saw, out of the corner of her eye, a red haired pixie looking female tiptoeing towards her. Before she even had time to react, the gorgeous woman launched herself towards Mary-Lynnette. Instinct took over and she curled into a ball thrusting one arm around her belly and the other over her face in defense only to feel the bed bounce her up slightly and dip at the new body on top of it.

"You're Mary-Lynnette," the red head stated.

As it registered just who this petite red head was she slowly let her arms fall. Ignoring the wave of embarrassment at her reaction, she examined the girl beside her, thinking on how the playful, almost childish tone in her voice matched her appearance well. "Poppy?"

"For sure," she grinned happily. "So how are you?" she asked looking pointedly at her only slightly rounded belly. "God, how far a long are you again? Should you even be showing this soon?"

She shushed Poppy, but then shrugged and placed a hand on her belly. She didn't really know the answer to either of those questions.

"Don't worry, you and me we're gonna find them out," Poppy seemed to have read her mind. "Ash is downstairs helping Nielson unpack the limo, by the way. Just talk low, vampire hearing and all," she added the last part as if she just remembered Ash was a vampire.

"Well I'm sure I'm not too far along, the doctor said so," she started only to pause when Poppy nodded with exaggerated enthusiasm. The girl was desperately trying to get her to the point. Mary-Lynnette was pretty sure Poppy was more excited about the situation she was in than herself. "Well, it's odd really."

"Oh you're killing me. Spit out, I know something's off with the rhythm of your body. I can't believe Ash hasn't noticed, there are three heartbeats around you. So tell me!" Poppy hurried her with hand motions while, bouncing on the bed.

Mary-Lynnette swallowed. "I can feel them move and not just move, but like full blown kick, and that's not normal. It can't be."

Poppy nodded, highly curious as she put her hand to Mary-Lynnette's stomach without asking permission. It was a little awkward when she saw humans touching other human bellies, but when a vampire touched your stomach, you didn't move, you didn't protest, not even a little bit.

Then suddenly the fear she felt creeping into her disappeared as the seriousness on Poppy's face melted into a shocked expression followed by pure happiness as she felt the kicking. "That's not normal," she whispered, grinning from ear to ear. "At least not for a human gestation period, but clearly things are progressing. Ash is so daft, a stupid gorilla."

Mary-Lynnette smirked at the animal reference she always compared Ash too and shrugged. "I've kept him away from me as much as I could. It's really now easy either. Can males be in heat?"

Poppy cringed. "So no sex? Eek! I remember you asked, but I still don't really know. It's healthy for human females when they're pregnant. I'd be too worried to assume the same with a vampire pregnancy. Jez will be here soon; hopefully she can answer all the questions."

"Wh-who is Jez?"

"A vampire who had a human parent," Poppy supplied, shrugging nonchalantly.

"It does happen then?" Mary-Lynnette released a sigh of relief.

"Jamie told you it did. Hopefully-" she was cut off by the knocking on the door and before either had time to answer another red head came in.

Jezebel was almost the exact opposite of Poppy. Where Poppy was short and had an impish cuteness that was irresistible, Jez was almost animalistic in her appearance. Dangerously gorgeous, with a set of eagle eyes that saw everything, Jez was clearly a born hunter who'd been one for a long time. The way they carried themselves was like night and day and for a moment Mary-Lynnette felt frightened. She remembered how she first felt when she'd found out vampires existed, it was a fear she hadn't felt in a while, but clearly it wasn't dead.

Jez cocked her head to the side and frowned slightly. "You don't need to be afraid of me."

"I think I can't help it," she mumbled.

"I understand," she nodded, and then averted her eyes to Mary-Lynnette's belly. "You really are pregnant with twins," she added with an awe that made Mary-Lynnette blink.

"Haven't you ever seen this?" she asked confused.

Jez shook her head. "I've heard of it. I'm living proof, but lamia don't procreate with humans…normally. It's just not done. It's very looked down upon in the Night World," she paused and gifted the girls with a smirk to die for. "Luckily for you we're different."

"If you don't know anything about it, how are you going to answer my questions?"

Jez blinked rapidly and turned her attention to Poppy. "So that's why you asked me here? I thought you just wanted have a girls night with the new pregnant addition. I can't answer anything for you, unfortunately."

Mary-Lynnette felt a stinging in her eyes as tears pooled down her cheeks suddenly. "What the hell?" she cried. "I never cry," she whimpered.

Poppy patted her on the back. "Baby hormones are pregnant hormones."

"I just want to know if they're healthy or if I'm going to die from this," Mary-Lynnette managed through sobbing gasps.

"They sound healthy."

The door burst open, hitting Jez in the back. "What have you done to her?" Ash's voice was soft, but anyone could hear the warning in his tone as he eyed both Poppy and Jez.

"Oh, Ash, nothing. I'm just emotional. You guessed it, that time of month and all."

His ever changing eyes shifted towards her, taking in her appearance and for a second his eyes rested on her stomach before lifting back to her face. He smiled gently, nodding as he started to leave.

Did he know? Had he figured it out? Should she just tell him?

"Ash…" Mary-Lynnette called, seriously thinking about spilling everything.

"Yeah babe?"

That cute, playfully boyish smile he gave made her voice catch in her throat and she licked her lips. Shaking her head she shooed him away with her hands. With one last smile he carefully shut the door.

She released a deep breath and pressed her hand to her frantic heart beat.

"I think he knows and is just waiting for her to tell him," Jez supplied, folding her arms across her chest as she turned from the door and glided towards the bed to sit at the edge.

Poppy shook her head. "Nah, Ash is pretty dense."

"He looked at my stomach and Poppy he's not as stupid as you think he is," Mary-Lynnette informed her, hoping the defensive tone wasn't too rude.

Poppy shrugged. "Maybe not originally, but if you've been withholding sex when he's finally had you after a year of being away from you, he isn't thinking right. Trust me, as a soulmate that's had to wait, I know!"

"Did you stop thinking when James was around you?" Jez asked surprise. "I was under the impression you were a brat."

Poppy scowled and looked at Jez with accusation in her eyes. "You've been talking to Phil. That dirty twat…Phil, not you Jez," she added.

"Um, who's Phil?"

"My witching twin brother," Poppy snorted with outrage.

Mary-Lynnette frowned. "Did you say bitching twin?"

"Nope, I said witching. We're witches too. Oh! I could do a spell for you!" Poppy started, happily pouncing with excitement.

Nausea nearly took her breath away at the movement and before she even had time to think, Mary-Lynnette leapt from the bed and darted for the bathroom. Unfortunately, she hadn't had much of an appetite and had chosen not to eat anything on the way here. Dry heaving into a fancy white toilet was definitely not how she wanted to spend her afternoon.

To be continued…

It took long, I know, and this chapter is short. I'm working on the next chapter now. Already got about a page done…look for the magic gone wrong in the next chapter, for sure this time.