The oppressing silence as the three of us entered Grimmauld Place 12 was palpable. Sirius had hardly spoken a word to me ever since Enobaria had declared me fit for traveling, and even Remus remained deadly silent. We'd been escorted out of the Catacombs by a Draki Scout, and from there apparated back home. Truth be told I felt tired to the bone, and unable to even contemplate the enormity of the task ahead of me.
Should I tell Severus?
....Should I tell him I was pregnant? Could I jeopardize our future like that? Could I risk exposing him in such a manner? Would he be able to handle the truth? Could I?....
Those thoughts were whirling around in my head, blocking everything else out. There wasn't space for anything else. I knew Sirius was angry, and that he suspected something was wrong. That there was something I wasn't telling him. It angered him that I wouldn't confide in him. Remus, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought, refusing to meet my gaze when I happened to look his way. He seemed guilty, almost, which confused me. What did he have to be guilty about?
That question got answered sooner rather than later.
Once we walked in the door Sirius wasted no time in stalking away angrily, a scowl etched into his features as he disappeared upstairs. I was going through the motions, mechanically shrugging off my coat and putting it on a hanger. Remus was doing the same, and turned to also make his way into the interior of the house. Before he could start up the stairs however, I stopped him, taking a hold of his elbow and stopping him dead in his tracks.
"Remus..-" I said, unsure of what I wanted to say. My voice faded when I realized there was no way I could explain anything, no way in which I could ease his mind about what happened in Paris. However, it didn't take away the fact that I was grateful for his support. I had needed a friend and he'd been there for me. I would be forever grateful for his understanding.
"Look, Aurora...I-I can't do this. I won't choose a side in this matter" Remus said, passing a hand through his hair, clearly struggling with his sense of loyalty towards Sirius and his desire to be a friend to me.
Over the course of the return trip he'd grown more quiet and distraught, and although I didn't doubt his words of friendship of when he said I could always come to him, he seemed to have something on hiss mind that was bothering him. I wondered briefly if maybe it had something to do with Tonks.
"And I'm not asking you to" I said quietly, trying to organize my thoughts "I just wanted to thank you for being there for me when-..." my voice faded "...just...thank you"
I leaned in to give him a quick hug, and I saw his features soften as he returned the hug. He seemed to have lost weight, and I could feel the frailness of his body through his cloak. It worried me and I hoped he'd find a way to sort through his own problems. Maybe I could find some time to help him.... once I sorted through this pregnancy issue myself, that is.
Pulling away I stiffened when I saw a bob of mousy brown hair appear into view from the kitchen. It took me a few seconds to place it, because the last time I'd seen the perky little witch she'd been overly cheerful and exuberant, and now, Tonks was looking rather gloomy. And the look on her face only hardened as she watched me step away from Remus. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, zoning in on my hand, which dropped away from Remus's forearm.
Remus hadn't noticed her yet, but he saw my gaze flicker over his shoulder, and turned to see what I was looking at. His eyes widened when he saw Tonks, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, only to close it again as she turned around stiffly and stormed off
I wanted to apologize to Remus for putting him in this position, but before I could utter a word he was shaking his head, turning on his heel to follow the stubborn witch I knew he'd come to care about. It appeared as though I wasn't the only one struggling with relationship issues.
Instead of going after them and trying to mend things, I shook my head and turned around instead. They had to get through this on their own. It wasn't my place to start intervening. Maybe Tonks had misinterpreted the situation. Perhaps she was jealous. In any case, it didn't matter. I had my own problems to worry about right now and there was still plenty of things I needed to do before heading back to Hogwarts. Truth was that right now I could care less about returning to the Wizarding School. In fact I couldn't have cared less about finishing up my supposed 7th year if it weren't for the fact that it gave me the excuse to be near Severus. And even that would come to an end when the school-year was over. What I would do then was still a mystery, even to myself, but at the moment I had more pressing matters to concern myself with.
I still had an entire day before the weekend was officially over, and I planned to use every single minute of it. Snatching my coat from the rack I was out the door before I could change my mind. Heading out I gathered my bearings, deciding that it wasn't that long of a walk. Half an hour at most, maybe 45 minutes, and I could use the time and the familiar routine go clear my head.
So I headed off in the direction of downtown London. The streets and the crowds walking them became a blur of localized activity, my mind on a hundred and one different things as I found my way in the maze of criss-crossing streets and mile-long avenues. Crossing a park and starting off a winding street lined by trees I wondered if the person I was going to pay a visit would be happy to see me.
Dr. Henry Morgan and I hadn't seen eachother in like forever-and, what was even more important, he was a dear friend of my father....among other things.
Which meant he'd most likely wouldn't like being sworn into secrecy about my pregnancy without being able to tell my dad.
Stopping in front of a Victorian-style house, I wondered again if this was such a good idea. After all, I shared a past with Henry.
Pushing aside any remaining doubts my hands shook as they curled over my stomach in a protective gesture that was as old as time itself. My pregnancy wasn't showing yet, but the thought of life growing underneath the palms of my hands pressing against the layers of clothing was motivation enough to get my feet moving towards the door. Climbing the stone staircase leading to the front door I wondered if Henry would be able to help. After all I wasn't your average pregnant witch. I wasn't even 100% human. With my Tokrah blood and the elixir of the Philosophers Stone coursing through my veins I was a unique case, and someone like Henry wouldn't be able to resist the opportunities this presented.
Breathing inn deeply I knocked on the door, a rapid pattern of several quick taps followed by a series of slow ones. Immediately the door opened, but no one stood behind it.
I smirked. Even after all these years, he hadn't bothered to change the code.
The entrance hallway was dark, barely any light penetrating the gloomy twilight that reigned in the large space. Richly decorated, mostly with mahogany and dark cedar, middle eastern carpets and other exotic souvenirs were scattered around the main hall. The smell of incense was faint, and as I looked around and observed the mismatched decor I smiled. Henry had always been chaotic, and yet somehow it all fit in perfectly, all the perfect imperfections matching up to form a coherent whole.
"Was that the door?" a voice called from upstairs, followed by the noise of shuffling papers and a hurried footstep "Who's there? What do you want?"
The smooth baritone caused another smile to curl my lips upwards, and I remained standing in the middle of the hall as footsteps bounded down the stairs, before a man stepped into view as he hurried down the stairs.
I was shocked at seeing how much Henry had changed over the years. He didn't look at all like I remembered him. It was as if in my head I'd preserved the image of the young, 23 year old Oxford Med student who believed in Alchemy and was dead set in uncovering a society of Alchemists-who happened to actually be real. My father hadn't been amused when a young scholar came knocking on his door, demanding he explain his involvement in The High Council of Alchemists. No one had ever dug that deep, found that kind of information. But begrudgingly my father had to admit that the man wasn't out to uncover any secrets or expose our society....instead he wanted information. Knowledge. Henry's father had been an Cultural Anthropologist, one who'd spend his entire life convinced there was more to the world, that there was magic out there. Despite being publicly discredited and shamed he continued his search, instilling the same desire into his son. Henry firmly believed that his father hadn't been crazy, and besides perusing a career as a surgeon he also continued his fathers research, until eventually he found my father.
My father had come to respect him, accept that he was a bright young man with an insatiable appetite for historical knowledge, as well as the physical applications of medicinal magic...specifically potions. Of course he'd be attracted to the healing side of magic, as he was in the business of saving lives himself. The fact that he firmly believed that Muggle Medicine was as effective as Healing Magic and Potions amused my father greatly, but I could appreciate his drive and motivation. I'd witnessed the lively debates between my father and Henry, seen the passion in his eyes, the fire in his voice when he talked about something he believed in.
That man was still there, although he'd changed a lot since I last saw him. He was a lot older now, looking more distinguished. His hair, once a deep chestnut, now streaked with grey near temples, and a salt-and-pepper five o'clock shadow dusted across his strong jaw, his built lean for someone who was now in his late forties. It had been almost twenty years since I'd last seen him, and yet looking at his face, the only sign I could determine that proved he'd truly aged where the deeper lines near his eyes and mouth, his teal eyes flickering to meet mine. They widened in shock, his mouth opening as a startled gasp escaped him as he froze, one hand still resting on the balustrade that winded down the spiral staircase.
"Aurora" he breathed finally, looking stunned as he descended the last few steps, coming to stand before me "....It's really you"
"It's been a while, Henry" I said with a knowing smile as I peered up at the tall doctor, who easily towered a head above my 5'10 frame. Pushing 6'4 he was tall and lanky, and it was only emphasized by the dark blue long overcoat he was wearing. Brown breeches and dark loafers gave him an casual air, but his expression was serious, eyes questioning.
"That it has..." he murmured, eyes greedily taking me in.
I could only imagine what thoughts were going through his head. I hadn't changed at all. I still looked like I was in my early twenties, as I had been when we first met. Now he looked almost old enough to be my father.
"I know it has been a long time....but I need your help" I said quietly, trying to muster the courage to say the next words "I've got nowhere else to go, no one to turn to....you're the only one I trust"
Something gleamed in his eyes, something that reminded me of the past, but I tried to shove back those memories as I looked up at the man my father had come to admire and respect. He trusted Henry. And if my father did, so did I.
"Of course you can trust me, Aurora" he immediately answered, leaning in to touch y forearm, gently leading me towards the stairs. I knew we were heading to his study, and followed him without questions.
Watching the paintings hanging on the walls, the bookcases lined with row after row of books, specimens of animal origin stashed away in jars, maps littering every exposed surface, the house looked something like the secret lair of Indiana Jones, only there was way more material regarding the preternatural than any Muggle scholar would ever own up to. I had seen how excited Henry could get one fired up on a certain subject, and I'd seen his face light up like a Christmas tree hen my father showed him his personal library. Like a kid in a candy store, I remembered with a smile.
Entering his study I saw Henry had only grown more studious over the years, his desk a hurricane of papers an scrolls, books of every possible nature, from anatomy and physiology books to mystical creatures and medicinal potions clattering every surface.
"Please, please, take a seat" Henry told me adamantly, scattering a bunch of files as he sat down across from me.
Doing as he asked I sat down, folding my hands in my lap, unsure of where to start.
"I eh...have a favor of you to ask" I told him, looking up at him and shifting nervously as I thought of how to break this to him.
"Anything, Aurora" Henry promised without a second though "You only have to ask..."
"You can't tell my father about this" I blurted out "At least...not yet"
Henry arched an eyebrow, but nodded after only a seconds hesitation.
"There's...there's something I want you to do" I continued, praying I wouldn't loose my wits before finishing my request.
"I can't help you unless you talk to me Aurora" Henry pointed out with the ghost of a smile playing across his lips.
"I'm pregnant" I blurted out, hands clenching and wringing, the knuckles now a deadly white.
Henry froze.
"I'm sorry to barge in like this with that kind of news...but I couldn't think of anyone who'd have even the faintest idea of how to proceed" I mumbled incoherently as Henry leaned back into his chair, eyes taking me in anew, a slightly changed expression to his face.
"You're....pregnant" he mused, clearly stunned.
"Yes. I know that it shouldn't be possible.....but it's true" I tried to explain, my voice faltering as I remembered the blood, the pain, the fear of losing my child.
"You are certain? Absolutely sure?" Henry asked pointedly, fingertips pressing against one another as he leaned over his desk, obviously captivated at the thought of m condition. It figures the doctor in him would marvel at the discovery of my pregnancy, while the man was fascinated for other reasons, maybe even a tad bit reluctant to believe me.
"Absolutely" I nodded "I-I almost miscarried not long ago. I had no idea. And I don't know what to do. Of course you understand my predicament....?"
"Of course...of course" Henry breathed "With your condition and physiological anomalies it's no wonder you came to me. No one else would be able to interpret any findings they might have correctly....based on previous attempts to classify your genetic as well as magical heritage I don't think anyone's even speculated on the genetic anomaly that you present, let alone your abilities and powers..."
He was fired up again, raving on about a subject he'd had many a lively debate about with my father. Once they squared their differences my father had come to realize Henry might actually offer him an insight into the Muggle world which would have gone unexplored otherwise. Not only was Muggle medicine something completely foreign to Wizard Society, it was disregarded as useless and futile. But my father had come to hold Henry's insights and experience in high esteem, even admitting-begrudgingly, of course-that there were some aspects to Muggle technology which could be of some use to magical society.
"-Henry" I interrupted him, raising my hand to call his attention to matters at hand "...You'll help me?"
The look he gave me was answer enough. He was looking at me like I'd asked him if the Earth was round.
"But of course I'll help you, Aurora" he said in a serious manner, standing up and edging around his desk, coming to stand at my side. Placing a comforting hand on my shoulder he nodded in reassurance "Whatever you need of me, I'm here for you"
I sighed in relief. I hadn't known I was this nervous, or even this scared, if he'd refused my help. Now that he'd agreed to help me it was as if I could breathe a bit more easily.
"When do you want to get started?" he asked after a brief silence in which we were both lost to our own thoughts.
"How fast can you make all the necessary arrangements?" I countered, looking up at him with an eyebrow raised in question.
"Right now, if you're up for it" Henry answered promptly, offering me a hand, which I accepted gratefully, and pulling me to my feet.
"That fast?" I said, unable to hide my surprise.
"Over the years I've come to establish my own laboratory...right here" Henry shrugged, waving his hand around in a gesture that I guessed was to encompass the entire property.
"And you have all you need?" I inquired, a bit uncertain.
"Well I've got everything I need for some preliminary diagnosis and a few early tests....but I can make a list" Henry suggested.
"Yes, do that" I immediately agreed "Whatever you need, you'll have it. Spare no expenses. Once you have compiled the list, I'll make sure that you get it as soon as possible"
Henry opened his mouth to ask something, thought better of it, and closed it again. He knew I was being deadly serious. This was no attempt to flaunt my resources and wealth, or some childish whim to show off....this was the life of my unborn child we were talking about, and I wasn't about to take any chances.
Then he was taking me downstairs, guiding me to the room that held his personal library. I remembered lounging on the comfortable couch next to the fireplace, curled up as I listened to my father and Henry argue over medicinal properties of certain plants while I read a book. The wooden planks creaked as we walked over them, and my ears perked as Henry headed to a bookcase in particular, next to the fireplace.
"Please please please tell me there's some sort of secret passage to your underground lair" I whispered, unable to suppress the laughter that bubbled from my lips.
Henry smiled at me, a charming smirk which brought out the dimple in his cheek. I remembered that smirk. Funny how that hadn't changed, even though the passing of the years definitely showed in his eyes. With a small shake of his head he reached to the side of the bookcase, which was standing close to the fireplace. Instead of pulling back a book or nudging some sort of lever, he grabbed a cane, which hung from a display case mounted on the wall. It was old, maybe from the early nineteenth century, with an ivory handle carved intricately into the shape of a wolf's head. The detail was amazing, the polished oak of the walking stick a deep blue-ish green.
I snorted "Seriously? A cane?"
Henry's smile broadened. Then he proceeded to nudge the cane into a tiny opening in the floor, nothing more than a indentation in the wood, hidden by the nerve pattern on the wooden floorboards. I picked up a soft click as the cane slid home, and with a wink Henry twisted the cane a quarter of the way, releasing a series of hidden mechanisms which could be heard, the whirling and clicking noises muted slightly by the wooden floor. The fireplace itself was pretty large, and surrounded by three slabs of stones which fitted into eachother perfectly. Only now the center stone dropped away silently, while the fireplace itself also moved slightly backwards, maybe a meter, after which it clicked into place, it's fire still roaring merrily in the hearth.
"You've been reading way too much detectives....." I muttered under my breath at Henry's excited smile and knowing smirk.
"Impressive, right?" Henry asked, looking at me expectantly. His good humor was infectious, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling back at him.
This is what happens....you're an over 200 bloody years old witch and he's a surgeon in his late forties...and yet the two of you still get excited like a pair of children by some secret passage in an old Victorian-style house, my subconscious reprimanded me.
"Very" I agreed, cautiously following Henry as he made his way down the stone steps. He seemed familiar with his surroundings, and I knew he probably spent a lot of time down here.
My suspicions were confirmed when the staircase opened up into a large underground room outfitted like a medical laboratory. Muggle medical equipment was installed, but I also saw bookcases lied with specimen jars and potion ingredients. Books of mismatched origin lined numerous shelves, and I saw a computer terminal flaring to life near the back of the room. I tried to determine what some of the equipment was, and was surprised to find some state-of-the-art equipment there. Down one wall ran a long series of fume and flood hoods, intermixed with shelves that held autoclaves, centrifuges, pipettes, beakers, graduated cylinders. Along the other wall stood huge steel doors that hid massive refrigerators and freezers. I also spotted the dark glass of what I thought might be an incubator. Large wooden tables were interchanged with stainless steel ones, like some mismatched set of old and new thrown together. The far side of the room was lined with a row of workstations, holding genetic analyzers and thermal cyclers, as well as other machines I didn't recognize.The place was well-lit and several lamps illuminated Henry's workplace.
"What on earth do you do here?" I whispered, my voice filled with awe.
"I did my P.h.d in Evolutionary Biology...." Henry shrugged "And with everything I learned from you and your father I've been researching the applications of botanical ingredients in 21st century medicine"
The way he explained it caused me to smile.
"Like a modern-day Alchemist" I said with the hint of a smile playing across my lips. It figured Henry would get involved in a project like this. It was the perfect match of his fathers research and his true calling as a doctor. It might actually even pay off one day.
"Indeed....I suppose you could call it that" Henry said with a warm smile.
He was leading me to a section of his lab which looked more like a library than an actual laboratory, and I gave him a questioning look.
"Look I haven't really done any work on live specimens...only research. So I don't have certain pieces of equipment" Henry told me with an apologetic smile.
I quirked an eyebrow at him in question.
"But for now we'll have to make do with what I have. I mean I've got some basic stuff here and with your permission I'd like to get started right away" Henry said sheepishly.
"Of course, Henry" I said encouragingly, taking a hold of his hand and squeezing it briefly in reassurance "I trust you"
That seemed to steel his resolve, for he guided me to a long bench bolted into the wall. It had obviously been serving as a bed, for blankets and a couple of pillows were scattered across it, as if hastily thrown down and never really properly sorted.
"I-Eh....sometimes I get a bit carried away by my work and stay down here for some time" Henry said, smiling sheepishly as he passed a hand through his hair in a gesture that was very familiar.
"I see" I murmured with a faint smile crossing my lips. It seemed like old habits did indeed die hard.
"I'd like to start with an echo-cardiogram and an ultrasound if that's okay with you" Henry told me, as if unsure about the whole situation, still a tad bit hesitant.
"You're the doctor" I told him, sitting down on the bench and looking up at him expectantly.
He just nodded, and stalked off to rummage through a small storage area, where he emerged from carrying quite a few suspicious looking pieces of medical equipment. As he started setting it up I watched with interest. I'd learned a few things about Muggle technology in my 212 years of existence, and I recognized the machine used to do what Muggles called an 'echo'. I wasn't exactly sure though on how the procedure really worked, which put me on edge. He was muttering under his breath, running trough several scenarios and coming up with a plan of action as he worked. The determined set of his mouth and the flicker of curiosity in his eyes as he instructed me to unbutton my robes and lift my shirt in order to expose my stomach was enough to tell me that I had his undivided attention. I was a unique case, presented to him on a silver platter. The possibilities were endless. He was captivated and wanted to know more.
He got some sort of gel, which he then proceeded to place on my stomach. It was cold, and I sucked in a breath as he turned to some sort of computer, calibrating it and turning button and dials.
"I thought you said you didn't have any machinery related to...you know...treating actual patients?" I asked cautiously, breath hitching in my throat as Henry put on some nitril gloves and proceeded to spread out the gel on my lower stomach. The sensation was so foreign, so odd, it actually scared me a little. I'd seen enough Muggle movies to know what was going on, but actually experiencing it was different.
"I didn't....but a while ago a local clinic went bankrupt after an insurance scandal and they sold off a ton of equipment really cheap. I was lucky enough to buy a batch....hadn't thought of sorting through it until now though" Henry explained as he grabbed a rectangular device with a rounded edge that was connected to the computer by a long grey cable.
When he pressed the thing to my stomach I couldn't help the shiver that ran through me. Despite my insistence to know all about Muggle technology, I couldn't help the sliver of fear that wormed its way into my heart. Fear of the unknown, fear for my unborn child....it was becoming overwhelming
Henry seemed to notice my discomfort, for he stopped watching the monitor and instead focused those teal eyes on me.
"Everything all right, Aurora? This must all be very hard on you..." he seemed to think of something "I'm used to people who know what they can expect, but for you this is all new, all different. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to ease you mind"
He tried to explain how the ultrasound and echocardiogram worked, but my mind was elsewhere, specially since this was my unborn child we where talking about. I couldn't focus on the medical treatment or details of how the machine worked while my mind kept going back to Severus and the new life growing within me.
But all that faded to the background when Henry pointed to the small monitor. My breath caught in the back of my throat as the swirls and shades of black and blue came into focus, and Henry pointed to a bean-sized blip on the monitor.
"That's it, Aurora" he told me with a knowing smile as I looked at him wide-eyed "That's your baby right there"
I must have been looking at him like I'd seen water burn, for he chuckled, passing a and through his hair as my gaze remained fixated on the monitor.
But something caught his eye.
"...how long did you say you were along?" he asked me suddenly, his expression growing worried as he leaned in closer to the monitor, tapping the screen and fiddling with some dials.
"I-eh...I didn't" I murmured, my mind still trying to wrap itself around the fact that I was looking at my baby. It seemed so small. A tiny blip on the computer screen. But I could see the gentle curl of it's spine as the baby was curled up into fetal position, its arms and legs clearly identifiable. Tiny fingers and hand and feet etched into sharp relief as Henry mused something under his breath and zoomed in on the screen.
Thinking back to that night on Nysa and wondering if that was the night I conceived this baby.....or perhaps it was the night after Arthur Weasley's attack? We'd only been together twice....but something told me it was the night we spent together at Nysa, some deep dark knowledge taking root inside my brain. I did the math inside my head "A month and a half?"
Henry blinked, shaking his head
"Impossible" he told me "From the size of the embryo and fetal development I'd place it at at least double that. Three months maybe. I'm no OB/GYN but I can tell you that much..."
He used some terms I was unfamiliar with, but I wasn't about to ask as the reality of what he just said settled in, shaking me to my very core. It couldn't be. Impossible.
"Maybe your condition...." Henry mused, clearly unsure himself.
"Are you suggesting that the elixir is still affecting me? I wasn't even taking the bloody thing like my parents! How can it affect my unborn child?!" I hissed, suddenly angry. But it was fear that caused the sharp edge to my voice, fear of the unknown.
"You also couldn't have children, if I recall correctly"Henry said with a pointed look.
"Yes. My biological functions sort of went into hibernation after the accelerated growth spurt in my youth" I conceded, deciding that maybe taking my mind off of the impossibility of things and focusing on figuring things out was for the best.
"Any idea what could have caused it then? I remember you telling me you'd never be able to have children...." Henry said with a questioning look.
"Maybe...." I breathed.
"Maybe...what?" Henry asked "Look, the more you tell me, the more information I have on your condition, the better I can help you"
I nodded. So I started telling him about the Tokrah, about how my mother had explained to me about my mixed heritage, about the SoulMate thing and how I'd found mine at Hogwarts. How, eventually, despite the trouble surrounding the two of us, I got together with him, drawn to eachother like moths to a flame. I didn't need to tell Henry who it was. It didn't matter. At least not from a medical point of view. Henry listened patiently, and then nodded, as if something had indeed occurred to him.
"Maybe it's your Tokrah heritage that prompted this" Henry suggested pointedly, giving me a look.
"....what?" I whispered, unsure as to what he was getting at. Henry was one very smart guy, and maybe he'd noticed something I missed.
"If your mother was right about the SoulMate bond, then maybe that's what allowed for you to get pregnant" Henry started, shrugging "I can't say for sure, but maybe your body fought the hibernation caused by the elixir of the Philosophers Stone as soon as you found your SoulMate. It would make sense for some genetic mechanism to be embedded into your genes to start some sort of fertility chain-reaction inside your body once you found the one person you were biologically predisposed to be with....."
His voice trailed off,as if he was just now realizing the implications of what he'd said.
"You said this all starts once you kiss the person you're meant to be with?" my nod in response was enough to fire up the scholar in him, challenging his intellect and logical deduction "That makes sense. Kissing is an evolutionary mechanism designed to evaluate a possible partner. Survival of the fittest so to speak. It's been scientifically proven that kissing can trigger a hormonal response in the body. Maybe with the Tokrah it's stronger than that. Maybe there's a unique biochemical profile that matches someone else, and in turn a kiss triggers a bodily response allowing for pregnancy....."
"Henry-Henry!" I chided him "However interesting this must all be for you....you're rambling. This doesn't help me figure out a way to keep the baby. I almost miscarried, which means something isn't right..."
He was nodding again, sensing my fear.
"You're unique, Aurora; Not only because of your Tokrah blood, but also because of the influence of the Elixir. It makes you an evolutionary oddity. A single case which can't be replicated. A unique mix of shared circumstances which will not repeat itself. Maybe something caused your body to reject the fetus. The fact that you haven't aged suggest a strong genetic alteration. Maybe a mutation of sorts. And maybe your body hasn't been able to reverse-engineer it completely.....and that's what's causing all the problems" Henry explained, looking oddly fascinated as he looked down at me.
He sounded like he knew what he was talking about.
"So?" I asked, hoping he'd be able to provide some sort of comfort. Offer some kind of solution "Can you help me? Do you know how to fix this?"
Henry gave me a long look, obviously struggling with how much to tell me.
"No" he finally said "But you can be damn sure I'm going to try"
And something in his eyes, the determined expression on his face....
....told me he meant every single word.
****
NOTE: for those of you who love Ioan Gruffudd.....and who watch Forever...you know where to comment! :P :) :D
-Sam out