The Unexpected Turn

Liara paced up and down her living room waiting Gage, it hade been a month since her recovery of her poisoning that almost casued her death. Alot had happened in that including her recovery of the event.. England had fallen into chaos and the ministry was now run by Vinzent. The take over was swift, the people thought she has ababdond them.. by the time she returned it was to late. The damage had been done and England was forever changed. Civil war had broken out. She had intended to fight the war and get her county back, the heck with it, she couldn't stand by much longer even though she was advised to rest to heal after all the damage to her from the poisoning.

However fate it seemed wanted to add to the chaos, or at least she thought... she believed herself to be pregnant, though a part of her hoped it was side effect of the poisoning that was showing the symptoms but to be sure she made a pregnancy test potion. she was now pacing even though she should be resting, she could not remain still she was much to nervous. If she was Pregnant she would be nearly two months now, which would mean she was with child durring her poisoning.. Not to mention this was quite unexpected..

Rubbing her hands together to ignore the trembling she glanced at the potion and then at the time, lightly thinking if she had gotten Gage to make it she would have been told the results by now... it wasn't the best quallity she still had to wait 15 or so minutes..

"Should have just got a muggle one" she muttered continung to pace and fidget with her nervous hands.

Gage stepped into Liara's place through the floo, the swirl of soot complementing his own flurry of thoughts. The Headmistress allowed him clearance to come and go from the castle at will to be with Liara, especially after the events of the past couple of months. The wizard would have proposed they relocate into the magical school. However history showed time and time again that despite the ancient institution's fortifications, it could still be infiltrated. What's more, Gage was certain there were a few pureblood fanatics' children there. He wasn't about to put Liara or a student in such a situation. It was a nearly-safe assumption that Liara's home was decently fortified.

Despite the civil war brewing on the outside, things were going well for the wizard. His Master-level potioneering education was going well, and teaching at Hogwarts was still his favorite occupation thus far. Those adhering to bloodstatus were none too fond of him, but Gage hardly cared. What's more, in a few short months Gage would finally be able to refer to Liara as his wife: they were finally planning the wedding they'd been hoping for for so long. It was to be a private, family-only affair. This suited Gage just fine. There was a twinge of fear at the thought of possibly being left at the altar a second time, but the wizard knew it was an irrational concern. His 'secret' relationship with Liara told Gage all he needed to know about her love for him.

The wizard lost his footing and gravity instantly flung him to the waiting couch. Some days Gage managed to do it on purpose and in a way that didn't hurt his leg. This was not one of those days, but he snickered it off anyway. "Honey, I'm home!" Gage called comically, grunting as he pulled himself off the couch and dusted the soot from his robes. He only just then realized that Liara was pacing...

In true Gage Hall fashion, he immediately picked up that something was off. Deep concern tinged his features and tainted his voice. "Everything okay? You should be resting..."

Liara quickly grabbed the potion vial and hide it behind her back, thinking for sure Gage would know what it was and start asking questions. she had hoped the potion would be done before Gage arrived but alas it seemed the fates were against her.

At his question Liara tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. It would do little good for Gage to think she was having a heart attack. Oh she didn't know what to tell him just yet, if she was with child.. was everything okay after what happened with the posioning? Or if she wasn't what was wrong with her, the moments she felt she would faint only luckily to catch herself.

" Oh I am fine dear.. really Just restless, resting all the time with all thats going on. You know me.. I hate feeling useless" She said, she wasn't lieing persay. What she said was the truth, she just falsified the priority of things. It was a method of lieing she rather liked... as it wasn't really lieing, came with her job sje supposed. Only one who had a record of calling her out on it was her Dad... but that was when she was much younger.. Now ironically enough, Gage might be the only one able to catch her decites, if he paid close enough attention.

Which now that she thought about it would terribly easy... hiding the potion behind her back and looking terribly like a dear caught in headlights. She mentally cursed herself for not vanishing it or illusion it somehow.. So she pulled her best cheeky face, she could try and distract him.. he loved games, so rather then try to hide the fact she was hiding something... Why not tease him with it... Until she get the answer of the dang thing.

"Was just waiting on a surprise..." she said with a smirk. Ah ha.. the bait she knew he could not refuse.. 'I got impatient... hence the paceing and why you are the potions expert and not I.." she said now pulling her best innocent face.

"

It didn't take a rocket scientist to tell that Gage had startled Liara. The prankster in him smirked. At the same time the wizard was concerned. Liara seemed nervous about something... or possibly upset. And with her in her recently-recovered state, that just wouldn't do.

"You aren't useless, Liara. Not a bit," Gage tried to reassure her, gently resting his hands upon Liara's shoulders. Bestowing his trademark eagle-eyed gaze upon her, he was able to deduce that something else was afoot. For one thing, she was hiding something behind her back. Secondly, the look on her face told Gage that Liara hadn't been expecting him home quite so soon.

While attempting to riddle out the conundrum, Gage was suddenly distracted by the cheeky expression Liara now had on her face. He couldn't help but grin in return. The distraction worked like a charm for he was now incessantly curious as to what sparked this sudden change.

A chocolate eyebrow raised. "Surprise, huh?" Gage smirked. Impatient and pacing he understood loud and clear, but what did potions have to do with it? "That innocent look isn't getting past me, this time," he chuckled. "So... are you going to tell me what the surprise is, or do I get to guess?" The wizard was more than willing to play along and enjoy the antics. If her nerves were over something the likes of which a game could be made, then surely Gage had been on maximum alert for nothing... right?

Liara mentally sighed in relief and gave Gage a smile, she was glad he went along with her, it might not be fair stringing him along like this... but she wasn't really any good when it came to sensitive matters of her health like this. If she had to tell him she would but only until she was sure... and not have him find out a second before.

The potion behind her back was still swirling bright colours, blue meant no baby , and pink meant Yes of course.. It was very distinctive, not many other potions looked just like it, very bright floresent colours...

She slipped the vial up her sleeve just in case he managed to peek. Just ten more minutes and then she would have the answer.

"Since you don't have Terri helping you, you can guess as much as you want" She said using her free hand to catch his and kiss it.. The possibitly of having a child with Gage wasn't bad no of course not, but the timing of it all scared her.. Her poisoning and the war going on... Not a good combo.

Then there was the thought she was not pregnant and this whole thing with her health as of late would hit another mystry... It was something she really really rather not go through again.. Watching Gage work to help her with out rest day in and day out.. All the worry...

Really the worst thing is if she is with a child and there is still something wrong... perhaps that was what making her so nervous.

"You'll never guess" she muttered leaning into his touch, and giving him a smirk to keep up aprearence's.

Gage did in fact try to peek to see what she had hidden behind her back. He saw a slight bulge in her sleeve, but that was about it. The wizard’s curiosity leapt about threefold. What was it?! It had to be something good... and Gage wanted to know what it was – badly! At least this wasn’t something negative.

The wizard pulled a face of mock hurt when Terri was mentioned. “Aww, c’mon! She’s brilliant at guessing games!” he chuckled. Fingers of the caught hand tried to caress her face. Before she could slip her hand away from his, Gage pulled her hand to him and reciprocated the affectionate gesture.

“Oh? That sounds like a challenge,” Gage chortled. “Hmm. Let’s see...” He put on a pensive face, kissed Liara, then thought a little more. “A surprise... that’s making you restless... and is why I’m the potions buff and not you...? Hmm...

“Ah! I’ve got it: we’re investing in a mini-bar! ... And the blender’s sprouted legs and walked off again, the bloody git,” Gage joked with a wide grin.

Liara gave a smirk as he whined about Terri "Exactly Terri would make it too easy" she pointed out. Though her face softened as he returned her affections, she wondered how he would take the news if she was with child.. regardless after what they went through she was sure he would take it in stride. she only hoped everything was alright..

She chuckled at his joking attempt, she even murmured a spell and conjured a walking blender, that ran right passed them.

"Close my dear, but no cigar.." she said tilting her head and looking up at him. How innocent this whole thing seemed, making it out to be harmless.. when it could be a serious matter, she had to admit she did feel guilty... she wasn't entirely sure how to go about it though...

Her eyes glance over at the clock on the wall, a few more minutes left before she would reveal the answer. "Next guess?" she prompted using her free arm to wrap around his back and rest her head on his shoulder. All the while keeping a tight grasp on her sleeve so he couldn't sneak it away from her before she wanted him to see.

Gage couldn’t help but laugh at the running blender Liara conjured. He watched it until Liara spoke again, and his eyes snapped back to hers. “Aww. And here I was hoping for a mini-bar!” he replied. That jovial smirk was still eternally on his face.

When Liara glanced at the clock, his eyes curiously followed. Gage wondered what the time had to do with anything. Was it a clue, or was she just curious on the time? “Next guess, hm?” The wizard set his cane aside and wrapped his arms around her – it felt like heaven. He twisted his neck and gave her a kiss on the forehead while he thought. What in Merlin’s name was she planning?

“You made something with the leftover sauce from dinner a couple nights ago, and you need me to tweak it a little because it’s being uncooperative?” he asked, grinning, tilting his head away so he could look at Liara better.

Liara laughed and shook her head still leaning on his shoulder, " You are not very good at this my dear, but there probably is a sauce in the kitchen you could tweak.. if you like" she said glancing at the clock and her heart started to beat a bit faster. Almost there, any minute now, she hoped anyway.. she wasn't sure but she was starting to feel a little dizzy.. so it was a good thing she was already hanging on Gage.

She tired to ignore it to continue the game. "Come on Gage, no more silliness, you get one more guess" she said with a smile still on her lips though she closed her eyes for a moment as the worst of the dizzy spell passed.

"Make it count" she said as she moved to kiss his cheek and her free hand start fiddling with his dark hair.

"Maybe in a few minutes," Gage murmured in regards to the food in the fridge, reaching up to caress Liara's cheek. He felt a slight change in Liara's hold on him but decided not to pay it any heed. The wizard also noticed her looking at the clock again. Oddly, between those two things, he was more focused on her fascination with the time.

Gage turned so Liara could kiss him on the cheek, and did the same in return. "Well," he began, putting on his best Healer-type voice, "I'm not sure I can guess why, but it seems as though whatever this surprise is, it's got you so excited as to make you dizzy. And that's precisely the reason I advised bedrest." The words were gently spoken, but with the formerly joking tone set aside.

"Only thing I can think of is that maybe you did another test just to make sure everything's okay, and all's still fine." That would indeed be a nice surprise, why she was restless due to being bedridden for the amount of time she has been... and it even sort of covered his potioneering prowess, too.

Liara looked away slightly when he voiced in that healer tone he noticed her dizzy spell. he was right getting worked up was probably what was causing it.. "Your getting warmer..." she muttered with a smile.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, and then a timer clicked off and her heart sped up again. "I hope you are right" she said trying to smile at him but now much to nervous. She brought her other arm out from behind her back and let the vile slide into his hand with out looking at it.

"You tell me Dear, I want to hear it from you" she said swallowing avoiding looking at the bright pink vile in his hand. She was certain he would recognise it right away. "Though I suppose whatever the answer is... you'll advise bed rest anyway.. concidering.." she said oddly trying to sound amused in after thought while she still didn't know the truth.

Gage rubbed Liara's back as she took a deep breath. He tried to figure out what it was Liara was worried about, but knowing her and what they'd both been through in the recent past it could be just about anything. The wizard startled slightly at the sound of the timer. When Liara brought her arm out from behind her, Gage immediately sought the hand that belonged to it.

... he hadn't quite anticipated a potion vial being placed into his hand. What was this? Gage smiled at Liara's comment about bed rest. "Any sort of rest would probably do you some good about now. Wish I had known or I would've come home soo..." the wizard trailed off as he suddenly got a good look at the bright pink contents of the vial. Curiosity and surprise nearly made the wizard's eyes turn the size of tennis balls.

Gage knew exactly what the potion was by the color. He held the bottle up to the light and gently swirled the contents. Blue eyes glanced between the potion and Liara. There didn't seem to be anything awry in the potion's composition, but how could it be? "According to this... you're pregnant," Gage answered finally, leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead and then on the lips. There was a smile on his face a mile wide, even though he had more questions than he could answer. What if she was pregnant during her poisoning? Gage had been more focused on saving Liara's life. He didn't know she was pregnant, therefore he wasn't exactly mindful of such things. For now, though, Gage wasn't about to spoil the moment.

He slid the potion in his pocket, and scooped Liara into his arms. "So. About that bed rest..." Gage chuckled, turning toward the direction of their bedroom.

Liara felt her heart bouncing seemingly everywhere in her chest when Gage revealed the anwser, she was relieved, yet even more worried now on what that meant. They were having a baby.. Yet Gages reaction was just perfect, His wide smile and affection was just what she needed. No Frantic questions, or worries. 'Oh I knew it" she said softly.

She smiled, amused at his continueing insistance to bed rest, she stroked her hand through his hair once again when he picked her up but she hoped he wasn't hurtuing his leg doing so. "If you say so doctor, but only if you join me"" she said a small smirk on her face. besides she refused to go anywhere with out him for today... Just for today.

She kissed him and tilted her head, "So you surprised?" She asked since she didn't think she had actually surprised him in a while, positively anyway. She was sure when she was poisoned she was was casuseing him many surprises, though painful ones with her near deaths. This new life was much better, if everything was alright anyway, she would hate to see his face if it wasn't..

Gage had completely forgotten about his cane. As a result his footsteps were more careful and even slower than usual. He would likely regret it in the morning, but he didn't care. A smirk tugged at his lips in response to Liara's comment of joining her in bedrest. "Staying with you is all part of my master plan," Gage chuckled, then murmured a spell to push open their bedroom door.

“Very surprised,” he murmured, depositing her onto her side of the bed. Gage hobbled over to his side using the bed’s footboard for support. “I have questions and concerns, too, but they’re tomorrow’s problem,” the wizard added, sliding into the bed beside her. Gage wrapped one arm around Liara and placed his other hand on her abdomen once he was comfortable. “We’ve been through so much... I think we both deserve at least one day’s worth of uninterrupted joy.”