Chapter 1 - Symptoms and Possibilities

Her period hadn't come for two days, but Athena Cykes was not in the slightest bit concerned. It was usually like this. She could regulate her hearing and she could control her emotions but apparently having a strict period cycle was beyond the powers of the universe. It often happened that no matter what her period calendar app told her, she was always one or two days out – early or late.

It was when she woke up a week after she was supposed to get her period that she started worrying. The day when the period would come might be irregular, but it would always start during the night or early morning so that she always knew she had it when she woke up. It wasn't great for the bedsheets but she argued, despite her husband's objections, that she couldn't always help it. She knew he was slightly annoyed, even though he didn't tell her – she could hear it in his heart.

When she woke up, the bed was clean.

Not for the first time, she was glad that Simon didn't have the ability to hear the heart like she could. If he could hear the worry in her heart, she knew it would make him worry just as much, if not more. It was also a good thing that he wasn't in the bed with her at the moment. The smell of breakfast cooking told her exactly where he was. Her stomach rumbled at the smell and she moved to grab Widget off of her bedside table but stopped short of touching it.

She was all too familiar with Widget's tendencies to betray her true feelings and thoughts, no matter how hard she tried to keep a straight face and a clear mind. Simon would be concerned if she walked out with a dark blue Widget, blurting out her exact thoughts. But all the same, it would feel weird not to wear her little companion around her neck. She didn't know why she felt so ashamed to wake up worried about something insignificant – but was it insignificant? Surely Simon would brush it off, telling her not to worry, but something was nagging her at the edge of her mind.

Reluctantly, she left Widget on the table and walked out to the kitchen, bleary-eyed with crazy bed-hair.

'Good morning, Athena.' His low voice sent a thrill through her body no matter how many times she heard him greet her in the morning. Athena reached a hand up to play with the white part of his hair – her favourite tone of his two-toned hair. He smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair before his eyes widened in slight concern. Grey locked with hazy blue.

'Where's Widget?' Athena was never successful at trying to hide something from Simon – he was too quick. 'What's wrong, Athena?' His voice sounded stern but underneath, his heart shouted out in concern. She might as well have worn Widget – it really made no difference now. She looked away, her hands on her hips.

'My period still hasn't come and it's been a week. It's never been this late.' Athena always kept Simon up to date on her cycle – despite his original protests, he found it useful to track her moods. She could never suppress them well when he was around and so he liked it when he knew why she sometimes over-reacted. He studied her for a moment and then, a smile touched Simon's face.

'Well, we have been quite busy lately, don't you think?' A blush spread over Athena's face, a glint of pleasure in her eyes.

'Hey! It wasn't always my idea to do it every time.' Her smile was mischievous. 'I believe I recall you begging- '

'That's not the point, Athena.' She loved it when he blushed – it was rare, but she loved it. He looked furious that he had let himself blush. He cleared his throat. 'Do I need to take you back to sex ed classes? Unless you can tell me, right now, what happens when two people have unprotected sex?' His eyes were sharp and inquiring as he looked at her, but Athena could hear his heart flutter ever so slightly.

'Huh? …No way. You mean I'm…? No way.' A big smile broke out on Athena's face as she leapt into Simon's arms. He laughed softly, his voice betraying the sound of pure joy in his heart.

'We won't know until we test it. After breakfast, we'll go out and get some tests. But first, Athena, you need to eat this delicious breakfast before it gets cold.' Athena nodded vigorously – she was starving.

Breakfast had never tasted so good.

9:00 am on the second Saturday of the month. Every month of every year since she got her first period, Ema Skye could rely on her body's strict calendar to be prepared for when the blood and the cramps hit hard. It never failed her. When neither of these things happened at 9:15 on the second Saturday of this particular month, Ema knew what the reason was. Even her fiancé knew that something was different.

'Ema?' Klavier Gavin mumbled to his fiancée, expecting to slowly open his eyes to see her facing him in either peaceful sleep or post-sleep bliss. Instead, she was sitting on the edge of her side of the bed, staring into space with her back to him. His eyes snapped open and he rolled over to her side of the bed and put his hand on her back.

'Schatz?' She turned her face to him, her teal eyes were filled with tears – Klavier's heart pounded with concern. He looked at the date on the calendar hanging up on the wall.

'Isn't it the second Saturday of the month?' Ema nodded, a tear sliding down her face. Klavier looked at the clock on the bedside table.

'Shouldn't you be doubled over in pain, ordering me around, maybe staining the sheets with your blood?' She nodded again, stifling a sob as a small smile broke out on her face.

'You aren't taking contraceptives, are you?' She shook her head, the smile slowly growing. With some effort, Klavier moved to sit beside her, holding her hand.

'K-Klavier… I-I think I might be…' A small sob escaped her lips.

'Are you saying what I think you're saying, liebling?' Klavier didn't want to jump to conclusions but Ema seemed sure. She cleared her throat.

'Well… scientifically speaking, since I haven't gotten my period when I always do, it's pretty much conclusive that I… am probably…' She couldn't help smiling.

'Pregnant?' Klavier finished for her and Ema nodded again, beaming. Klavier cupped her face, his fingers wiping away her tears of surprise and joy. He placed a hand on her slim stomach and she placed her hand on his, her engagement ring cold on his fingers. He kissed her wet lips as their hands rested - never wanting to let go or forget how perfect this moment felt.

'Ema.' He said in a low voice as their foreheads touched gently. 'I told you I was amazing and now there's proof.' She pulled away and rolled her eyes. Klavier laughed. 'Ok, ok. But I'm being serious now…' Her teal eyes met his in a serious gaze.

'How can I possibly beat such a beautiful wedding present?' That earned him a playful hit on his arm and a snog.

It had been a year. 12 months and 12 times that Maya Fey-Wright wished she hadn't seen or felt her period. 12 months of trying. It was emotionally exhausting – all the pleasure and intimacy to be so cruelly rewarded with her blood each month. They had both been checked – there was nothing wrong with either of them. Just time and patience. After a year, Maya's patience was running pretty low – the elders in Kurain Village had told her numerous times that her mother had had no trouble falling pregnant at all. Her self-esteem and hopes for a family and an heiress to the Kurain Tradition was slowly diminishing over time. She loved nothing more than Phoenix, their relationship, his touch and his adopted daughter, Trucy, but she still wanted more. While Trucy was very much their daughter, she still wanted the feeling of a child inside her, carrying the child, giving birth and caring for a person who had come from her blood.

However, this was the last thing on her mind when she found herself staring into the toilet, the remnants of last nights' dinner having just exited her mouth. She sobbed. She always sobbed after she vomited. Phoenix was beside her, holding back his wife's long hair with one hand and soothing her as he rubbed her back with the other. She started dry-retching when there was nothing else to throw up. She hated the taste of vomit in her mouth.

'Water, Nick. I just need water.' He dashed to get her a cup of water as she dry-retched again, her stomach hurting. He came back just as she finished but before handing her the cup, warned,

'Sip it, slowly. Don't make yourself sick again.' Maya nodded weakly, she was pale and sweaty. She sipped a bit of cool water, the disgusting taste in her mouth washing away. Phoenix flushed the toilet to Maya's relief – the sight of her own vomit was making her feel sick again.

'We didn't have chicken or anything with the potential for food poisoning last night.' Phoenix put his thinking cap on. 'Has there been a stomach bug in the village?' They had been married for four years but Maya was still Kurain Master. She would often stay there for the working week and come back to Phoenix for the weekend.

Maya shook her head and sipped some more water. Phoenix suddenly moved to one of the drawers in the bathroom and pulled out a pregnancy test. They had stocked up on a few since they had started trying, always replenishing the stock when they ran out in the hope that just one day... one time…

Maya paled again as she saw it, shaking her head. 'You can't be serious, Phoenix. A year of trying unsuccessfully and one morning I just happen to be sick? I doubt it. I shouldn't get morning sickness – my mother didn't.'

'Well you are one of a kind, Maya. At least try it, for me?' Maya sighed with a smile. She would have given up trying much sooner if it hadn't been for Phoenix's gentle encouragements. She could always count on him to never give up on her. He knew how much she wanted this and he wanted it just as much. Not to mention the fact that since he had quietly mentioned it to Trucy, she had been pestering him for little brothers and sisters ever since. He held out the test and Maya reluctantly took it with a huff.

'I am only doing this because I know you'll never stop asking me to do it otherwise, Nick.' That was enough for Phoenix.

Something had been off with Mia since the day started. They had been able to come to work together for once and Diego took this opportunity to drive his beautiful sports car. They walked into the Law Office and each to their separate small offices but all the while Mia had complained.

'Your car smells weird… like new car smell.' Diego had had his car for at least a year.

'Can you smell dumplings?' She asked as they walked from the carpark to the Office Building. There were no food places in sight.

'Has the office always smelt like cheap air freshener?' She whispered as they made their way down the hallway of the office to their separate offices. Diego frowned. He couldn't smell anything unusual. It was unlike Mia to notice smells so much – often Diego noticed it before her. He watched her walk into her office but she did not comment on anything.

He walked into his office and sat down in his comfortable office chair, switching on his computer and sighing at the stack of files on his desk. It was going to be a long morning.

Lunchtime couldn't have come sooner. Diego had managed to sort out the stack of files on his desk just as Mia had knocked on his door.

'Hey, do you want to eat lunch together in the park?' She crinkled her nose slightly. 'It smells like a dusty library in here – how many files do you have?' Diego just looked at her, stunned. Mia looked apologetic. 'I'm sorry, Diego. I don't know what it is, but I can't help but smell everything. It's really weird and kind of overwhelming. I think I just need some fresh air.'

'Of course, Kitten. I'll grab my lunch – I was just finished with these files anyway.' Mia was relieved – she knew Diego would understand. Hand in hand, they walked with their lunches out of the office together down to the park. Mia couldn't stop yawning as they walked.

'Are you alright, Kitten? You look a little sleepy? Been working too hard?' Diego's smug attitude won a smile out of Mia as she stifled another yawn.

'I haven't actually been that busy, but I'm so tired. And I definitely got enough sleep last night, because I was actually alone in my bed – no one to interrupt my precious beauty sleep.' Diego was about to protest but simply smiled.

'I don't remember hearing you object to me staying over or… interrupting your sleep, as you so delicately put it.' He winked.

'Oh, there were no objections to be made, Mr. Armando. It was quite… pleasurable. But it was hard for me to get to sleep for a couple of nights afterwards.' Mia could be so cheeky – it drove Diego wild.

'I don't know how you managed, kitten. If you ask me, however, I'd say you're almost inviting me to stay over again.' Mia ignored the heat racing through her body, with a lot of effort. It was not the time or the place. She politely coughed with a cheeky look at Diego and they continued walking to the park and sat down at their usual bench. Mia yawned again before opening her lunch container, full of a pasta salad. Diego quietly munched his sandwich as Mia ate a pasta spiral before trying not to spit it out on the pavement in front of her.

'Ugh. I don't know what it is, but I can't stand this pasta. It just doesn't taste right.' She frowned at the container. 'It's not like I put anything different in it. It's… weird.' She closed the lid and crinkled her nose. 'And the smell is overpowering.' She sighed. 'I suppose I wasn't really that hungry after all.'

They sat in silence as Diego awkwardly ate his sandwich while Mia watched the pigeons flock at their feet. She then watched people passing them by – an old lady with a loaf of bread, teenage lovers holding hands, a mother pushing her baby around in her pram….

Diego had stood up by now while Mia was still sitting and watching the mother - who had now stopped the pram and play with her baby, scrunching her hand up and opening it again, wiggling her fingers before smiling and pushing the pram again.

'Mia.' She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Diego. Concern was on his face. 'I'd been saying your name at least five times.'

'Sorry. Lost in thought. I'm glad we… you had lunch here. You know how much I love the fresh air. I wish I could have stomached something. Oh well… shall we head back to the office now?' Diego nodded, the look of concern had mostly faded but she could still see it in his eyes. He held out his hand and she took it, standing up. Hand in hand, they walked back to the office in comfortable but thoughtful silence. They were still hand in hand as they walked into the office and down the hall, before parting at their separate offices. They both paused in their doorways, both staring at the floor.

'Diego, I-'

'Mia, I-'

Having spoken at the same time, they laughed.

'You first, Diego.' He laughed.

'Alright, Kitten. All I was going to say is that I've been thinking.'

'So have I.'

'Now, now, Kitten. We don't want you thinking too deeply and furrowing that brow on your pretty face.' He smirked and Mia rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. 'I've been thinking about your… symptoms. Sensitive smell, change in taste, fatigue.'

'I was thinking about it too! I was running them through my mind and the only thing I could come up with was…' She stepped closer to him.

'I'm pregnant.'

'You're pregnant.'

She had half-whispered it, he had said it in a low voice. A small giggle escaped Mia.

'We've really got to stop talking at the same time, Diego.'

'Well I can't argue with my pregnant girlfriend.' She swatted his arm.

'Hey! It's not confirmed yet!' She was still half-whispering as she glanced down the hall, afraid people would hear her barely audible speech.

'Well then, we better grab some tests on the way home after work.' He smiled and walked into his office, leaving Mia smiling at his doorway.

A/N: I'm a little sad at myself that the Klema part is so small, but I'll make up for it in the future, I'm sure. I have big plans for this story – multiple chapters and follow all the couples, etc. However, now that you have potentially loved this first chapter, I may only get one more up before I go on hiatus due to university…. Sorry about that…

But! If you have any ideas for where this story could go, message me or leave it in the review and I will make a note :D