A Bounty Hunter's Bundle

The Journey

The next day, after Valkyrie had fallen asleep against Lincoln's lower abdomen, he jerked awake to find his mate was gone. His mate, who was pregnant, and unattended. Judging from the staling scent, the Bounty Hunter had been gone from before dawn.

"Lincoln!!?" Valkyrie screamed, lurching to his feet and grabbing his twin swords. Right when he was about to grab the door, it flew open to hit him in the face. Lincoln prowled in, frowned at him, and whipped at the sweat on his forhead.

"Valk, you okay?"

"Where were you!" Valkyrie cried, trying not to be over protective but failing hopelessly. Lincoln responded in just the opposite way as well.

"Uh...since when are you my fucking mother, and have to know every where I go?" Lincoln scathed, crossing his muscled arms. His black shirt was partially plastered to his tone core with sweat, and Valkyrie had to force himself to look away to not get distracted.

"Since, you are pregnant."

"A little running ain't gonna hurt no baby, so don't tell me what I can't do." The Bounty Hunter snarled back at him, actually baring his teeth. At once Valkyrie dropped the subject. Lincoln was a man who was proud of his independence. Knocked up or not, he needed his space.

"Get ready," Lincoln responded after a long moment, "I stopped to get some horses on the way back. We leave today."

"But Lincoln! You need rest!"

"No, I need to kill a tyrant you dork, now pack some weapons, but nothing more than you can't carry." Lincoln turned on heel and strode towards the bathroom. The warrior, unable to help himself followed.

He still had to talk to the king. To report to the king to boot that the baby was dead! Not that his mate was keeping it! He shook his head though as a plan formed. He'd send word to the castle everything was taken care of, and that they had set out. By the time he returned, the tyrant would be killed, and by then there would hopefully be a swell in Lincoln's stomach. Upon seeing that, see how much the baby was developing, and knowing the tyrant was dead, the King would hopefully not kill them both.

But worry plagued the warrior, and he leaned against the door as he said, "Lincoln."

"What?" The smaller man snarled, his hair starting to get ridiculously curly again.

"Katarin wants the baby dead. It was my order to kill him or her." Lincoln stopped in his tracks, and jerked his head to the warrior.

"What?"

"Katarin. Wants. Baby. Dead."

The Bounty Hunter took a lethal breath and pinned Valkyrie with the most terrifying stare he had ever seen. He put a hand to his belly, "King or not, he is not to decide what the fuck goes on in my body. If I want to have a baby I will. Though it seems like  reality still that you fucking knocked me up!" His voice rose in anger, "I will never kill my off spring! I am the last one in my family left! And I won't let another die!" He ripped off his shirt and threw his daggers to the ground. "Get out I want some privacy."

Valkyrie purred though, "You sure about that? I hear sex helps....." a dagger was thrown at his head, and he dashed out--getting the hint. If he thought Lincoln was sour and moody when he first met him, Valkyrie was in for a surprise. The pregnancy was doing no help to the Bounty Hunter's fierce personality.

*****

Lincoln leaned back in the bath with a heavy sigh, and shut his eyes as he submerged his exhausted body. Tyrant. Killer. King. Mate. Baby. He had too many things go on in his life right now--especially the fact he was knocked up.

"How did you even get in me...." he hissed softly to himself, sitting up and studying his toned stomach through the slightly rippling water. A pang of fear then trounced through his heart. How the fuck would the damn thing get out!?

Without knowing it he had screamed for his mate. The warrior unable to get in because of the lock kicked down the door. "Lincoln are you all right!?" Valkyrie cried, kneeling down beside the tub, and taking both sides of the Bounty Hunter's face.

Lincoln gripped his mate's wrists, gasping. He had never had a panic attack before. Never felt this afraid of anything. "Valkyrie how!"

"What Lincoln, how what?" The warrior's stunning blue eyes searched the smaller mans for everything and anything.

"Baby...how...how am I going to get it out," his voice hitched. Valkyrie was a massive man, and though he was tiny compared to the warrior, and considered himself small, he was average male size--his family on the bigger size as well. He knew genetics, that was going to be a big baby.

Valkyrie kissed him soothingly, "It's okay Lincoln."

"No it's not! Because I highly doubt it's going to come out my ass! Baby's just don't come out asses!" He screamed, his voice in hysterics as tears streamed down his face. "Tell me how we are going to get it out!?"

"I know a new type of medical practice...." the massive warrior paused, his thumbs softly stroking Lincoln's face, "There's this new surgery they are trying for in need mothers. It's called cesarean."

"Explain it to me! I don't want an ass baby! Besides he or she could get sick!"

"It's were they go in, and surgically remove it."

"Cut me open! And what tie me down! Valkyrie, any type of surgery is dangerous! You can't be serious it's only medieval times! That's not going to happen successfully for a long time!" The warrior was silent.

"Valkyrie you know how it's going to come out, don't you." Those blue eyes looked away and at the floor.

"Valkyrie, tell me, now." Lincoln snarled, and the warrior looked to him with a pained expression.

"Lincoln," he hissed softly, "You have to keep an open mind."

"With what now! You going to tell me I'm gonna throw the damn thing up! Baby's are a bit big to come from a wind pipe!"

Valkyrie winced, and shook his head, "Lincoln just think about it once. What other way seems logical. What other way is close to were the baby is currently, and won't get the baby sick when they come out."

The Bounty Hunter frowned, and then looked at his lower extremidies. For the second time in his life, his eyes rolled back in his head and he feinted. The warrior caught him at once, but didn't hoist him from the tub right away and take him to the bed.

Instead, Valkyrie kissed his sodden forehead then grabbed a bar of soap and made sure his mate would be clean for when he awoke so they could leave. After ward he dressed Lincoln, in his favorite might-night black apparel, with his dark faded green leather trench coat, and laid him on the bed then--the broad rimmed hat and cross bow beside him.

"Oh, Lincoln, I pray this doesn't change your mind on the baby," Valkyrie hissed as he finished preparing himself. Afterward he made some food that would last the journey, but would be notorious enough for his pregnant mate. Finally sat down and finished the letter, right as Lincoln woke.