5/30 Issue: The Heartbeat of a Nation

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Slarti
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5/30 Issue: The Heartbeat of a Nation

Post by Slarti »

Timelined a few days after Pre-Pre-Proposal.

Rogue: Rogue stared at the spot of blood pooling in the crease of her elbow and couldn't decide if she was more fascinated or nauseous. Blood never bothered her before, so she was trying to fight the feeling by forcing herself to deal with it. "Ah don't wanna tell people yet. There's a high chance o' miscarriage f'r most people, but f'r me?" She looked up at Tony, slightly pleading. "Only people close t' us who c'n keep a secret?"

Tony: "Whatever you want." Tony gently took a tissue and set it in the crook of her elbow before taking her wrist and folding her arm up. He sat back down beside her on the wide seat, sliding his arm around her shoulders. "It's not like I can tell Hope, and I know your feeling about Sebastian, so he can wait."

Rogue: She leaned into him and closed her eyes, breathing through the queasiness. "Do y' think Hope'll be mad? Ah know she wasn't super thrilled 'bout us in th' first place." This still all felt very surreal to her. None of this was what she had planned, but here they were, and she felt oddly calm about it all.

Tony: Tony urged her to rest against him and kissed her cheek. "It's Hope, of course she'll be mad, but then she'll calm down and when the baby is here she'll love her little sister or brother." The whole situation felt surreal to Tony as well, but he was mostly excited.

Rogue: Rogue smiled at the kiss and laid her head on his shoulder, trying not to yawn, but losing the battle after a moment. "Which y' hopin' for? An' don't y' give me that cliche answer o' not carin' so long as it's healthy, 'cause Ah know y'll love our baby regardless. But which do y' think y'd like t' be a daddy to more? Y' have a daughter, but y' didn't get t' do th' growin' up stuff, so y' kinda get a clean slate t' choose."

Tony: He gave her a squeeze. This pregnancy was already being hard on her between the nausea and fatigue and general weirdness. "I think I would do better with a boy, because I could warn him everything not to do," he chuckled. "What about you?"

Rogue: That made her laugh and she moved her head to crack an eye and grin up at him for a moment before settling again. "Ah'm not sure. Ah think Ah'd do really well with a boy, but since Ah didn't get th' lovin' as a little girl, Ah'd love t' be able t' do that. Not sure how good Ah'd be at all th' girly stuff like dresses an' bows 'cause Ah've never had much practice, but... It could be fun. Frilly."

Tony: "Unless she's a tomboy. And hanging around me, she just might be," he said with a grin. "I suppose I might get a little overprotective of a girl..."

McCoy: Hank bustled back into the room with his tablet, still tapping away when he stopped in the room and took in the president cuddling one of their former students. Life was strange. "The blood test results are definite, with elevated hCG levels."

Rogue: Rogue was about to answer Tony when Hank came in. She sat up and swallowed hard at his news. Definite. She looked down at her abdomen and placed a hand on it. "So... what does that mean? Ah mean, Ah know what it means, but what now? If Ah took th' inhibitor off, would Ah miscarry? How long 'fore we know it's safe an' that won't happen? C'n we hear th' heartbeat? ...Just t' be sure it ain't a mistake?"

McCoy: "Yes, it means you're pregnant, Miss Rogue. Congratulations." He pushed his glasses back up his broad nose and chuckled at the barrage of questions. "Right now if you took the inhibitor off it's unlikely there would be any harm to the embryo. It's still quite small, so we may not be able to pick up a heartbeat quite yet." He checked the tablet. "According to my calculations, you're at about five weeks."

Tony: Tony did some fast mental math and smirked. Five weeks? "Happy birthday to you, sweetheart," he laughed, giving her a squeeze. "I gave you a bonus gift."

Rogue: "Y'.. Wait..." She took a moment to look at Tony, confused. "Paris?" Rogue laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "Ah love you." As much as she hated to admit it, a baby beat Iceland. Then what Hank had said caught up to her and she frowned at him. "Are y' sure? Ah.. Ah wouldn't hurt it? Should we test it while Ah'm here t' be checked, just in case? Hank, y' know how much this terrifies me."

Tony: "I love you." He smiled, then amended. "Both of you."

McCoy: "Currently, the embryo is forming its neural tube and consists of little more than a head and a tail - which does not imply a later likelihood to have a tail." He gave the happy couple a grin at his own joke. "The placenta is forming as well, and should serve as a buffer of sorts between you and your child. Currently, as the embryo lacks skin for your powers to react with, I would say it's quite safe."

Rogue: Rogue gave Tony a smile and reached up to cup his cheek. "We love you." She wanted to laugh at Hank's joke, she really did, but with as nervous as she was, she couldn't bring herself to. "What 'bout when it does have skin? Then what? An' when does that happen?"

McCoy: "The epidermis is forming now, and will continue to form over the next few weeks, but while the skin forms, the fetus will also grow a layer of.... fuzz, let's call it, which should insulate it." He whipped off his glasses for a polish. "Frankly, as the infant will be encased in its amniotic sac and separated from your internal organs - if your powers even extend to your internal organs - then it should be perfectly safe until delivery."

Tony: "And then what?" Tony was relieved that McCoy didn't seem to think her powers would be a cause for concern, but he was just as worried for Anna Marie as he was the baby. "Would she need to wear the inhibitor for delivery? Or would a c-section be necessary?"

Rogue: "A c-section?" Rogue hadn't even contemplated that and her eyes went a little larger as she looked between the two men. Hank had helped ease her fears a little for during the pregnancy, but now Tony was making her worried about things she hadn't even thought about yet. "If Ah'm gonna have a c-section, Ah'd hafta be wearin' mah inhibitor anyway, so why would Ah hafta be cut open?”

McCoy: "I believe President Stark may be borrowing worries. Yes, you had best wear the inhibitor either way, otherwise your invulnerability may make delivery more difficult than it need be. Or, as the baby shares half your DNA, perhaps your abilities will accept the baby and protect it as they would you. It's hard to say. Mutant pregnancies are delightfully varied."

Rogue: She frowned at Tony and gave him a light thump to the thigh. "Makin' me worry. Tsk." Rogue tilted her head, contemplative. "So, y' sayin' Ah might be able t' hold mah baby without fears? An' Ah mighta been able t' do it all along?" She wasn't sure how that made her feel. Maybe if she had known, she and Sam could have tried.

Tony: He made a face at the thump and gave her a light squeeze. Tony had sat up all night reading every study and medical journal on mutant pregnancies, while also learning the usual pregnancy symptoms and stages. He needed more coffee. Possibly scotch.

McCoy: "It's entirely possible, yes. In a few weeks, we could run genetic tests on the fetus and determine if it carries the X gene as well, and how that gene is expressed. Then we might know more."

Rogue: "Oh. Oh wow. Ah had no idea y' could do so much just durin' pregnancy. That's amazin'. Ah'd love t' be able t' know if Ah hafta worry'r not." She looked over at Tony and reached up to brush his hair back from his temple. Rogue knew he never got in bed with her, but she had hoped he'd at least caught a nap on his couch. "Sugah? Penny f'r y' thoughts?"

Tony: "I'm thinking... should I have genetic testing? Determine if Hope's X gene came from me? Wouldn't that increase the chances that our child is a mutant?" He looked over at her with a smile.

McCoy: "In theory, yes, her active gene and your recessive could increase the odds of an active gene in the child, and perhaps some generalizations could be made from how your recessive gene was expressed in Hope, but it's all guesswork." He appreciated Stark's curiosity, but Google doctors would be the death of him. "And yes, we can perform several tests in utero."

Rogue: Rogue was trying to comprehend all of this, but her brain felt so fuzzy, so she took a second to just close her eyes and let it process. "If Ah'm understandin', y're sayin' there's a chance a child Ah bear, even though Ah'm a mutant, won't necessarily be one, too? Ah thought it was kinda a given f'r a mutant t' have a mutant baby." She opened her eyes to look at Hank, "When's th' earliest we c'n test f'r all that?"

McCoy: "There's always a chance that the child could be a baseline human, particularly with a baseline human parent," Hank cleared his throat and looked at Stark. "No offense meant, of course, Mister President."

Tony: Tony just smirked. "None taken, Doctor McCoy." He held Anna Marie close and took her hand with his. "I'm a prime example of baseline humanity, after all."

McCoy: "Indeed," he chuckled. "Amniocentesis is usually carried out between the fifteenth and twentieth weeks of pregnancy. Doing it any earlier than that increases the chances of miscarriage I'm afraid."

Rogue: "Amnio...what?" There was that word. Miscarriage. She shrank a bit, pressing close to Tony. "Is that th' testin' f'r th' x-gene?"

Tony: Tony gave her a squeeze and swallowed. "So, we can't do that for at least ten weeks. What do we do until then?"

Tony: "Amniocentesis involves taking a small sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus. As the fetus produces the fluid, it contains the child's DNA and can be tested." He realized he'd scared Rogue and tried to give them a reassuring smile. "Until then, there's nothing to do but wait. If it makes you feel better to inhibit your powers, by all means do that. It shouldn't cause any harm."

Rogue: Rogue scoffed a little. "That's what y' said 'bout th' patch..." She shook her head and tried to take a breath. "What kinda things do we need t' watch for t' be able t' prevent a miscarriage?"

Tony: "I didn't make your patch, babe." He laced their bare fingers together to hold her hand on her thigh. He had already read all about miscarriages as well, but he'd learned his lesson to stay quiet.

McCoy: "Yes, well, in my defense that was some time ago and there have been advancements since." He sighed and pulled off his glasses to wipe them again. "Some cramping and even bleeding is often normal within the first few weeks of pregnancy, but if it's intense or prolonged I want you to call me."

McCoy: He gave them a long, considering look. "I could attempt to check for a fetal heartbeat, but I'm afraid at this stage of pregnancy we'd need to use a vaginal ultrasound."

Rogue: Rogue held Tony's hand tight and nodded at what McCoy was saying, making mental notes about what she'd felt already and what she shouldn't feel at all. "Um. Ah mean..." She looked over at Tony and wrinkled her nose. "Ah wanna hear th' heartbeat, but... Ah dunno. Whaddya think, Tony?"

McCoy: He noted the wrinkled nose and cleared his throat. "It's perfectly safe," he assured her.

Tony: "That's up to you," he said. "If you're not comfortable with it, we don't have to do it."

Rogue: "Yeah, but..." Rogue looked from Hank to Tony and back again. "Ain't that weird f'r you?"

McCoy: "For me? No. I'm a professional." He grinned, showing pointed teeth.

Tony: "Give me the instructions and another night to study up and I could do it myself if that makes you feel any better?"

Rogue: Rogue gnawed on her lower lip. She really wanted to make sure everything was okay, but this was all so new. "No, Ah don't want y' doin' it, Tony. Y'd try an' make it dirty." Not that she would blame him. "Are y' certain we'd be able t' see it'r hear it?"

McCoy: "So long as I can locate the fetal pole, which is the first visible sign of a developing embryo, I should be able to detect the heartbeat. However, if you would prefer someone else perform the vaginal ultrasound, such as Doctor O'Keeffe, then by all means..."

Tony: Tony leaned to give her a grin. "I'd make it more interesting, that's for sure."

Rogue: "Shh!" She was fighting a twitching grin, though. "Ah think... Ah want... Ah need t' know th' baby's okay. Is that th' only way t' do that right now?"

McCoy: "That would be the most conclusive method, yes. It allows the probe to get closer to the developing embryo than by more typical and topical means, at this stage."

Tony: "Stopping now," he said, freeing his hand to pretend to zip his lips.

Rogue: Rogue made a noise of frustration and grabbed for his hand again, but didn't take her eyes from McCoy, so smacked his wrist while searching. "Then... Okay. Ah need to know or Ah won't stop worryin'."

Tony: Tony caught her hand and held it, this time resting their joined hands on his thigh. "Then I guess we'll do it, doc."

McCoy: "Very well, I'll go prepare the ultrasound machine.” Hank picked up his tablet and ventured back into his lab.

Rogue: "Tony, what if there's no heartbeat? What if Ah've already failed our baby? What if it wasn't there t' begin with an' th' tests're wrong?" She tore her eyes from the doorway and shifted in the seat, pulling her leg up so she could face Tony with her whole body. "Y'll still love me, won'tcha? If Ah ... If our baby... If it's mah fault?"

Tony: "Anna Marie," he whispered it, taking both her hands and meeting her eyes. "Of course I'll still love you. I've got firm plans to love you for the rest of our lives if you'll let me." Tony studied her face, a soft smile on his lips. "Like the big guys said, let's not borrow trouble. We'll let the big blue guy do his thing, and we'll hear our baby's heartbeat." It made him swallow a little roughly, too, but he managed to get the words out.

Rogue: Rogue took a shaky breath and nodded. "Firm plans? Not shiftin' on a bed o' sand? Written in stone?" She held his hands tight, hoping he was right. "Ah love y' so much an' Ah don't ever wanna be th' reason y' sad." One day, she would have to be, but she still didn't want to. All she wanted right now was to hear their baby's heartbeat. To know for sure that it was there and safe.

Tony: "Written in stone," he confirmed. "Whatever happens with the baby, it's not your fault. You can't control your powers. I get it." He nodded at the bracelet on her wrist.

McCoy: Hank wheeled a white and chrome machine into the room and nodded at the table. "There is a gown on the table and I'll give you another moment to change." He decided it was pointless to ask the president to leave the room, so he nodded and turned back to the lab.

Rogue: "A gown," she mouthed at Tony in slight horror. This just got more and more awkward. Rogue put her hand on her abdomen and took a slow breath, trying to remind herself it was important for the safety of their baby. She stood up and started to strip, eyes on the paper gown while she shimmied out of her shorts. "Are y' scared, too, or is it just me bein' silly?"

Tony: "I'm nervous, but I have faith that things will be fine." He wasn't feeling as confident as he sounded, but she needed him to be right now. He tried not to watch her strip, but gave up and took her shorts from her to fold them onto the chair. He stepped up and took her hand to help her hop onto the table.

Rogue: Rogue gave him a grateful smile and she pulled him to stand between her legs before she laid down. She brushed his face with her thumb and searched his eyes. "No matter what happens. We'll be alright." Rogue kissed him softly, then moved to lie down on her back, ready to count the holes in the ceiling tiles.

Tony: "We'll be fine." He bent to kiss her again once she settled on the table. Tony took her hand.

McCoy: Hovering at the door, Hank decided that was long enough and came back into the room, humming under his breath. "Alright," he said, wheeling the machine over and setting it up. "I understand that this can be awkward, but I need you to relax."

Rogue: Rogue made a face and grumbled a little, then took a breath and tried to force the relaxation to happen. "Our baby," she murmured to herself, then met Tony's eyes. She scooted to where McCoy directed her and put her knees over the special arms at the edge of the table. "What happens if y' cain't find it," Rogue heard herself asking as if she were a million miles away from herself.

Tony: Tony held her eyes with a little smile, ignoring all the movement at the end of the table. "Our baby." He held her hand to his mouth and kissed the back.

McCoy: "I'll keep looking." He was busy doing just that once the probe was in place. He scanned the screen, looking for the tiny, telltale tube in an equally tiny sac. "Right now, the embryo is about the size of a pumpkin seed, so it may take a moment."

Rogue: Rogue winced a little at the movement of the probe, glad to have Tony's rich brown eyes to focus on. "She's a pumpkin seed?" The thought of that made her a little teary and she sniffed. "Don't stop lookin', Hank. Please."

McCoy: "I won't." He methodically scanned her uterus until finally he caught sight of something interesting, tapping the screen and focusing his efforts in that area.

Tony: Tony didn't move, but he couldn't stand this silence any longer. "You know, doc, I could set you up with a holographic interactive screen, maybe upgrade the sensitivity of the optics..."

McCoy: "Mmm." Hank made polite noises, then paused. "Aha." He held the probe in position and turned up the volume on the machine to reveal a fast beat.

Rogue: A soft sob escaped her when she heard the rhythm and she clung to Tony's hand, tears wetting the paper covering on the table below her. "Tony," she whispered.

Tony: Tony bit down on his lower lip, feeling his eyes getting hot. "He sounds strong," he said, glancing down to see if he could see anything on the screen. Unfortunately it was facing the wrong way.

McCoy: "The cardiac activity sounds good and development appears normal." Hank hummed to himself. "One hundred fifty beats per minute. Within normal range." He looked over his spectacles at them both.

Rogue: The sound was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard and she wanted to hear it forever. "So... So, she's okay? She's real? This is real..."

McCoy: "The embryo is very real, yes." He gave her a kind smile, remembering all the troubles she'd had over the years. "You're pregnant. Congratulations, again. The heart rate is healthy, so development is progressing normally. The chances of a miscarriage once a heartbeat has been located are less than ten percent at six weeks."

Tony: Tony blew out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and felt hot tears spill over. He kissed her hand again, pressing his lips against her skin.

Rogue: Rogue laughed and cried at the same time, raising her free hand shakily up to catch Tony's tears. "We're gonna have a baby."

Tony: "We are. We're going to have a baby." He laughed, more tears coming despite himself.

McCoy: He let them have their moment before speaking. "I can send you a recording of the heartbeat if you'd like. There's not much to see yet, but if we do a more traditional ultrasound at twelve weeks I can send you away with your first baby photos."

Rogue: "Please!" That news was almost as good as hearing the heartbeat that confirmed it. "First baby photos?" Rogue gave Hank a watery smile, "Ah couldn't think of a better photographer f'r her first photos."

McCoy: "Thank you, Miss Rogue." He gave her a smile and began the process of powering down the machine. "I truly am happy for you," he said, "both of you," he added.

Tony: Trying to pull himself together, Tony nodded his thanks to the blue doctor. He was going to be a dad, again. This time, everything would be different.

Rogue: After cleaning the rest of the goo, she sat up and threw her arms around Tony's neck, full of joy. "She's gonna have th' best daddy," she murmured in his ear between sniffles.

Tony: The doctor wheeled the machine away while Anna cleaned up and he caught her in his arms. Her words made him swallow and the tears overflowed again. "You're going to be a fantastic, beautiful mom." After a moment, he moved to give her a teary kiss.

Rogue: Rogue kissed him back, breaking to take a shaky breath since her nose was stuffy now, then kissed him again. A mom... She pulled back to look at him, beaming. "Ah'm gonna be a mom," she said after a moment, tears streaming down her cheeks again. "Somebody's gonna call me mommy..."

Tony: "You are," he said with a smile of his own, bringing his hand up to wipe at her cheeks. "I can call you mommy in the meantime," he laughed, feeling a little breathless. Tony rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. "I love you so much, Anna Marie," he whispered. "You've... you've made me the happiest man alive."

Rogue: She laughed with him, completely elated. "Ah cain't wait t' see y' holdin' her in y' arms while Ah count her tiny fingers'n toes." Rogue swallowed hard and licked her lips. "Ah love you, too, Tony. More than anybody knows. Y're a dream come true. Ah don't know what Ah did t' deserve you an' a baby with y', but Ah'm not gonna question it." She tilted her head to give him a soft kiss, then settled her forehead back on his, content in the moment they were living in.

Tony: "We're a family now." The words were sinking in as he said them and it made another wave of tears spill over. "Thank you for giving me a chance. Thank you for being you, and letting me love you." He returned the kiss and then hovered close, their foreheads pressed together, noses bumping. He couldn't remember ever feeling this complete before. "I can't wait to meet him."

Rogue: A family. Rogue took a shaky breath and swallowed hard, but the tears won again. "A family," she repeated. "Y' deserve so much, Tony. Thank y' f'r bein' mah family an' givin' me th' best birthday present. Nothin'll top this. Not ever."
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