Back to the future, but no movie ending yet...

[strippernameserendipity]

Claudia had been absolutely relieved when it worked. She didn't know how Loki had pulled it off, given that her time there would have really changed things, but except for the time that passed, everything was pretty much the same. Well, it had been once Gabriel calmed down. But after showers and a lot of other things she'd missed, things were finally settling down. The Warehouse was still ecstatic that she was back, which had some interesting side-effects, but nothing like on of its bad moods, and once the portal device had been permanently destroyed, she was given some time off.

And that was spent pretty much eating, sleeping, and making it up to Gabriel for her absence. At least, it had been until she woke up this morning to race to the bathroom and throw up. It wasn't bad, as things went, but she had no idea why she would be sick like that. If she'd eaten anything, well, surely she would have noticed that it was off, even if her senses had gotten inured to some scents in the past.

Comments

[strippernameserendipity]

"Better than talking about family, since you get huffy," Claudia said, shrugging. "And the village women pretty much banned me from weaving and cooking when I showed no skill in either. I never did hear how you ended up having an entire village of Norsemen worshipers and all of that."

[lotsoflaughs]

"I stepped in when their not-so distant ancestors needed a hand," Gabriel says with a shrug.

Then he gives her a sunny look. "You could always look into going to Civil War re-enactments to actually participate and work on learning some of that cooking. Work your way back in time."

[strippernameserendipity]

Claudia shudders at his suggestion. "Once was enough, thank you very much," she said, primly.

[lotsoflaughs]

"Where's your sense of adventure?" he teases. "Did you leave it behind in the nice cold stream for bathing in?"

[strippernameserendipity]

"You didn't nearly get shot by someone whammied into thinking the war was real," Claudia said, simply. "Neither Steve nor I want to repeat the experience."

[lotsoflaughs]

"The thing that caused that is locked up. That particular instance can't happen again," Gabriel points out tiredly.

[strippernameserendipity]

"And I've ended up going through not one but two completely different time portals, not to mention Joshua's bubble," Claudia said, simply.

"I really do try not to tempt the universe to screw with me."

[lotsoflaughs]

"It's called being prepared and maybe having a little fun while working on doing so," he points out. "Go get some food."

[strippernameserendipity]

"I feel like one of the luckiest people alive, most of the time," Claudia said. "But I think you have a lot to do with it."

She stood, and started heading towards the kitchen to have some toast. If that stayed down, then she could consider real food, but one never knew with stomach bugs.

[lotsoflaughs]

"It's not everybody who gets an archangel spending a ton of time around them," he points out with a grin as she leaves the room.

[strippernameserendipity]

"Considering the current supply, I'm glad to be so blessed," she said over her shoulder.

The time at the park went as nicely as could be expected, and they went out to a late breakfast and enjoyed the day, thinking nothing of how the morning had begun.

That was, until the same thing happened a few days later.

[lotsoflaughs]

"Another stomach bug?" Gabriel asks skeptically from the doorway of the bathroom.

[strippernameserendipity]

"You tell me," Claudia said, sighing. "It shouldn't be happening."

After the last time, she doubted Gabe would be letting her have so much as the sniffles in his presence. She wasn't sure she wanted to know how badly he'd lost it when the dumbass couldn't get her back immediately. Although she did enjoy hearing of his perfectly timely demise.

[lotsoflaughs]

He walks over to her and rests his hand on her forehead, intending to fix her up--and freezes.

"Did he, uh, happen to use any Enochian around you, by any chance? Specifically while the two of you were occupied."

[strippernameserendipity]

Claudia tries to think, remembering that last night. "Maybe once," she admitted, before looking up at his face. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

She didn't like that he looked like there was something really bad going on.

[lotsoflaughs]

"Once is all it takes," Gabriel grumbles, taking his hand off her forehead and taking a large step back. "Bad news is, he's moved up the time table by a lot. Good news is, Joshua and Claire are actually alive to see the next generation as produced by you."

Hell yes he's keeping some space between them.

[strippernameserendipity]

Claudia's forehead wrinkled as she tried to understand what he was saying. "What- you mean I'm pregnant?"

That was possibly the scariest news she'd had in a while. It was beyond crazy to think that Gabriel's past doppelganger had... "We're having a baby?"

[lotsoflaughs]

"That's generally how things work, yes." Allow him this chance to cope with snark. "He may have been making sure we didn't keep putting it off until it was too late."

The only reason for this he could really think of.

[strippernameserendipity]

Claudia give him a weak glare at his snark, but stood up, giving him his space as she went to rinse her mouth and try to wrap her head around things. "I guess. Or he wanted to make certain I didn't forget...never mind. Are you...?"

She didn't know what to think. Other than that she wasn't going to give up this chance, inconvenient as it might be. There had been plenty of times when they'd talked about having children, well, a child, since having a brood of nephilim would really be painting targets on all of them. "Bumping up the timetable isn't completely bad."

[lotsoflaughs]

"No, it just gives us the chance to panic a little sooner. Along with bumping up the timing of you threatening to do terrible things to me for causing your state," he says with a small smile.

[strippernameserendipity]

Claudia shakes her head a little at that, crossing over to him. "It's...I'll be fine. I've got you to hold my hand, right? Not going to go fly off an panic because you're going to be a dad, are you?"

She didn't really give him much of a chance to answer before drawing him into a soft kiss.

[lotsoflaughs]

Gabriel presses harder into the kiss as he pulls her closer. She clearly wasn't that invested in getting an answer.

[strippernameserendipity]

Honestly, right now, she just wanted to curl around him and be happy. There would be plenty of time to panic and/or blame him later. And call the doctor even though she had no doubt that it would be as easy a pregnancy as an archangel can make it.

[lotsoflaughs]

It's still not exactly going to be a barrel of laughs.

They're in the bedroom in a moment's thought and Gabriel pushes her onto the bed and follows her on, still attached at the lips.

[strippernameserendipity]

Since this was pretty much where she wanted to be, anyway, she wasn't complaining at all, instead sliding her hands inside his clothing, seeking more. Forgetting the not-quite-bad news in favor of repeating the actions that brought it along was a great idea.