Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Fifty

Diana closes her eyes, her arm over them as she and Alaric wait in a hospital room. Meredith had left them in there after mumbling something about the scan and something or other. She hadn't really explained anything as she left them. Leaving them both to worry over whatever it is that she'd seen. Alaric lets out a breath as he leans on his knees. Meredith walks back into the room and gives Alaric and Diana a smile. Diana lowers her arm and glances at the woman.

"As I told you, this is not my specialty" Meredith offers. "But I saw something on the scan...." Diana sits up a little, alarmed now. "So I asked a colleague in Obstetrics to take a look...."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing" Meredith is quick to tell them. "Nothing is wrong...."

"Then what is it?" Alaric asks.

"Urm...it's twins" Meredith offers. "You're having twins" She turns the screen towards Diana and Alaric. "See...here's one" she points to the screen. "And here...is the other one"

"Twins" Diana whispers. "Twins" She repeats staring at the screen, Alaric takes her hand.

"Diana, you're a twin yourself..." Meredith reminds her. "There was a higher probability that this would happen for you"

"Twins" Diana repeats again. Meredith looks between the two of them.

"I'll let you two have some time to process and....yeah" Meredith then leaves the room. Diana takes a shaky breath and looks at Alaric.

"What do we do?" Diana asks Alaric.

"What do you mean 'what do we do'?" Alaric counters.

"Twins! Twins!!"

"Diana, you're panicking"

"Uh-huh! Join me, won't you?!" She panics at him and then nods a little. "Okay, what do you say we keep one, and then just like have like....an option on the other one?"

"We can't split them up"

"Why not? We could give each of them half a medallion, and then years later, they'll find each other and be reunited. I mean, that's a great day for everybody." Diana tells him, Alaric gives her a look.

"Diana..." he starts. "Eva" he reminds her. "Look what happened when you were split you up..." She takes a shaky break and nods. "We can't do that to our children"

"But we are not ready to have two babies" she argues weakly as she stares at the scan.

"That doesn't matter," Alaric tells her, she takes a breath and nods a little. He knows it's just the shock of the situation, she's just freaking out because it's new and it's scary. "Listen to me" he squeezes her hand and she sniffles slightly as she turns her head to him. "I don't care if it's two babies. I don't care if it's three babies. I don't care if the entire cast of 'Cheaper by the Dozen' comes out of you. We are keeping them all, because they are our children" She starts to smile.

"Okay," She whispers warmly. He relaxes a little. "I'm sorry, it's okay...you're right" He leans closer and presses his forehead to hers.

"We can do this," he tells her, she nods.

....................

The lake house is bursting with energy and people. Everyone close to Diana and Alaric is already gathered and waiting on the couple. Alaric and Diana walk into the lake house living room and are immediately greeted by streamers and party horns. Alaric laughs a little and shakes his head, but he is happy, seeing them all together and it not being a life-threatening situation.

"Congratulations" They all state together. Diana smiles a little as Derek blows on a party horn.

"You guys" Diana states softly as she looks around all her friends gathered, her family. She and Alaric share a look, he nods. Now they know. Now they are sure about their future, they've decided to tell everyone about the babies. Plus it will take some of John's threat away. "Urm...actually we....have some other news to share, seen as you are all here anyway" Diana starts. "I'm pregnant" she admits, the whole room falls silent as everyone processes that. Diana sighs a little noting all their expressions. "Okay, they are less happy about this" Diana points out, Alaric hums and nods in agreement. Jenna steps forward and lets out a breath.

"You're pregnant?" Jenna asks her, Diana nods. "Is that why he asked you to marry him?"

"No" Alaric answers. "I was planning to do that anyway...." Jenna nods a little.

"You know...There are ways to deal with this" Jenna starts, that line filled with implications.

"I'm keeping them," Diana tells Jenna. "We are keeping them...it's my body, my life, my choice..."

"Diana, you are 19 years old...you have your entire life ahead of you" Jenna argues.

"My life is with Ric" Diana counters. "And this is what I want...." She and Jenna share a look, Jenna sighs and then rubs her head. Diana glances around the others and sighs. "Thank you, all of you, for your support, it really means a lot," Diana tells them all sarcastically and then heads out the back of the lake house.

...............

Diana sits on the dock, her legs crossed, her hands in her lap holding her sonogram photo. She supposes it was too much to expect them to be 100% okay with this whole thing, and Jenna did make a point, but Diana's been through all of that and more in her own head. This is what she wants. She is sure of that now. Elena takes a seat at her side and lets out a breath.

"If you say this is what you really want" Elena starts. "Then I am here, at your side, and will support the crap out of you" Diana glances at her.

"This is what I really want" Diana assures her, Elena nods.

"Alright, then I'm here" Elena promises. "Is that it?" Elena asks motioning to the sonogram photo in Diana's hand, Diana nods and holds it out to her. Elena cocks her head and then looks at Diana. "It's..."

"Twins" Diana whispers. "Yep" Diana takes the photo back and takes a deep breath. "It's not like we planned this to happen" She admits. "It just did...and I freaked out, of course, I did...but I am sure about this, about him, about them, about my life with all of this" Elena nods and leans into her side.

"Your kids will be my nieces or nephews" Elena comments. "And my step-siblings" Diana laughs a little.

"That's not true" Diana counters.

"Yeah, it is" Elena turns to her. "Isobel is my biological mother, married Alaric, step-father, he's now marrying you....brother-in-law...." Elena explains.

"Oh, gods" Diana states. "That's...kind of horrifying" She teases, Elena chuckles and nods. "Oh...and because we're biologically cousins...they'll also be your first cousins.....once removed, I think"

"Our family is so screwed up," Elena tells her, Diana hums in agreement and then laughs.

"I'm marrying your step-father" she states utterly amused by the whole thing, Elena starts laughing with her.