Gwen
Gwen nodded in satisfaction as Gandalf sent them back into their world. She patted her now very pregnant stomach and looked at Mordred.
"So, how about we drop the kids at the mansion and then go out for dinner?"
Mordred
"Sounds good to me," Mordred said.
"Prof still speaking to us? I'm impressed."
Gwen
Gwen grinned.
"Well, he's speaking to me."
She kissed his cheek.
"I didn't attack a teacher."
Mordred
Mordred groaned.
"Don't remind me. I'm just sorry I didn't kill the bastard."
Gwen
Gwen rubbed his back gently.
"Well, thank you for doing that for me. Anyway."
She flipped out her car keys.
"We'll take my car, I'll go in, take the kids to Meg and Will, then we'll go, ok?"
Mordred
"Sounds fine to me."
Mordred gathered the kids and they got in the car, driving to the mansion.
Gwen
Gwen took the kids in and returned moments later and hopped back into the car.
"Mmkay, where do we wanna eat?"
Mordred
"Italian?" Mordred suggested as he pulled out from the curb.
"We get Chinese a lot."
Gwen
"Sounds good."
Gwen flipped the radio on.
"Seems like we keep the Chinese place in business."
Mordred
"Yeah, I know," Mordred said.
"We should cook more."
Gwen
"We should go grocery shopping more then."
Gwen looked out the window and pointed.
"How about there?"
Mordred
"Looks good," Mordred said.
He slid into a parking space.
Gwen
Gwen slowly got out of the car, cursing her swollen feet and sore back.
"Next time, you get pregnant."
Mordred
"I think being male makes that an impossibilty," Mordred said.
He helped her into the resteraunt.
Gwen
"You're lucky," Gwen grumbled.
They were seated and given menu's.
"Could you like any drinks?"
"Um, just a glass of water for me, please."
Mordred
"Guinness," Mordred said blandly.
He presented his fake ID when requested, before the waiter moved away.
"I'm starved, love. What about you?"
Gwen
"Agreed. I mean, Hobbit food is nice, but I don't know... not very advanced? I guess that's the word."
Gwen looked up as their waiter came back and set their drinks in front of them.
"Are you ready to order?"
Mordred
"Yeah," Mordred said, closing his menu.
He ordered briefly.
Gwen
Gwen ordered and the waiter took their menu's and left again.
She leant back in her chair and rubbed her stomach gently.
"Mmmm, good to be home. Well, in New York."
The waiter returned with their meals shortly.
Mordred
"I know," Mordred said.
"Hmm...do we have any plans? We need to buy some baby stuff..."
He forked some pasta into his mouth.
Gwen
"Well, we have a lot of stuff from Eavie and Bry, because let's face it, they're not exactly babies anymore."
Gwen cut into her chicken and took a delicate bite.
Mordred
"That's true," Mordred said.
"Skipping to another dimension makes time fly here."
Gwen
"Yeah, so they're about... what... two and a bit? Because we spent all that time in Middle Earth before..."
Gwen chuckled.
Mordred
"Yeah, something like that," Mordred said.
"God, this plays havoc."
Gwen
They finished their meals and paid, then headed back to the car.
"So, what about we get a video, then go home and enjoy some more alone time?"
Mordred
"Sounds good."
Mordred drove to the video store.
"What do you feel like seeing?"
Gwen
They hopped out and went inside.
"I'm not too fussed."
Gwen let her eyes flick over the videos.
"Hmmm... I vote something funny. I don't want to think tonight."
Mordred
Mordred flicked through the comedies.
"Bruce Almighty?"
Gwen
"Hmmm, yeah, why not?"
Gwen picked it up and they rented it and headed back to their house.
Mordred
They settled down to watch the movie. Mordred had made popcorn and he cuddled Gwen as the movie started. He kissed her neck lightly.
Gwen
Gwen sighed in contentment and then leaned against him, placing his hand on her stomach.
Mordred
Mordred smiled as he felt the baby kick.
"Love you, Gwen."
Gwen
"Love you too."
Gwen paused then stood up.
"Should probably go get the mail from the box."
She kissed his head.
"Be back in a second."
Gwen slowly opened their door and walked outside. She was halfway to the letterbox when a lightning bolt struck her and threw her four metres into the air, and she landed with a thud, face down on the driveway. Blood pooled from between her legs.
She never even had time to scream.
Mordred
"Oh god!"
Mordred 'ported to her side.
"Oh god, oh f*ck."
He ran back inside and dialled an ambulance.
"You have to come! My wife's been struck by lightening, and I think she lost the baby!"
Gwen
Gwen moaned in pain.
"Mordred..." she whispered.
"Stay calm, sir. Where are you?" the voice on the phone asked.
Mordred
Mordred quickly gave the address.
"For god's sake, please hurry!"
"A unit has left already..."
Mordred left the phone dangling as he ran back out to Gwen.
Gwen
The ambulance arrived and carefully placed Gwen on a stretcher and put her in the back of the vehicle, driving quickly to the hospital.
"Stand back, sir."
Gwen was wheeled away from Mordred.
Mordred
Mordred sat next to Gwen's bedside and sobbed silently.
They hadn't been able to save the baby.
Gwen
Gwen opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times. She felt... different.
"Mmm."
She looked next to her.
"Mordred."
Mordred
Mordred looked at her through teary eyes.
"Thank god you're awake, cariad."
Gwen
"Yeah..."
Gwen looked down.
"Is the baby ok?"
Mordred
Mordred's mouth worked silently for a few moments, then he shook his head.
Gwen
"What do you mean, no?"
Gwen struggled and sat up.
"Where... why not?"
Mordred
"They...couldn't save the baby," Mordred whispered.
"She...was too hurt."
Gwen
Gwen opened her mouth, then closed it, tears leaking out from the corners of her eyes.
She nodded slightly.
"Oh."
Mordred
"She..."
Mordred bit his lip.
"She had dark hair. And your eyes."
Gwen
"Can I..."
Gwen shook her head.
"Can I go home yet?"
Mordred
"They want you to stay here for observation," Mordred said.
He dragged his hand across his face.
"She...oh god, Gwen, she *breathed*, and then she died. We need to...need to name her. So they can put it on the birth and death certificates."
He buried his face in his hands.
Gwen
Gwen turned and looked away.
"You can do it. I... I just want to sleep."
Mordred
Mordred kissed her forehead gently.
"You do that. I'll...go take care of things."
He got up and left.
Gwen
Gwen bit her lip as she squeezed her eyes shut.
God...
Mordred
Mordred signed papers, hand shaking slightly.
He just wanted to hold Gwen in his arms and weep. But this had to be done first. He just hoped it would be over soon and he could go back to his wife.
Gwen
Gwen rolled over and held her stomach with one hand, drifting off to sleep again.
Mordred
Mordred nodded dumbly as the hospital chaplain tried to talk to him about funeral plans.
"I can't...I can't say anything till Gwen's feeling better."
Gwen
Gwen writhed slightly on the bed, reliving the events of the evening.
Mordred
Eventually, Mordred managed to get away and headed straight back to Gwen's side.
"How you feeling, love?" he asked gently as he sat back down at her side.
Gwen
"Tired."
Gwen kept her eyes closed.
"Just tired."
She reached for his hand.
Mordred
Mordred took her hand and kissed it.
"Love you, cariad."
Gwen
"Love you too."
Gwen thought for a moment.
"What did you call her?"
Mordred
"Bridgette," Mordred said.
"The name's from a goddess of the Old Religion...she's a Catholic saint as well. Goddess of battle and light, because if she's ours, she'd be a fighter."
Gwen
"Nice."
Gwen held back a sob.
"How... how are we going to tell the kids?"
Mordred
"I...don't know."
Mordred held her hand tight in his.
"I just don't know."
Gwen
Gwen nodded and her mind went curiously blank.
"And after all of that, I never did get to check the mail."
Mordred
"Not important," Mordred murmured.
Gwen
"Hmmm."
Gwen looked away again, eyes closing.
"Just need to sleep."
Mordred
"You do that, love," Mordred said.
"You need to rest."
Gwen
Gwen rolled over and drifted off to sleep, still clutching Mordred's hand.
Mordred
Mordred kissed her hand gently.
Goddamnit, this wasn't fair.