isobel m. macmillan (impossiblecase) wrote in valesco,
@ 2008-12-25 19:13:00

Entry tags:

Archie omg
She should become a bloody auror or something, the way she'd been able to avoid her boyfriend. If she could even consider the man she'd barely seen for more than ten minutes at a time within the past few weeks. Well, if she remembered the date, she could give you an exact timing, because the avoiding had begun at the same time she found out that she was pregnant with his child.

Izzie knew, she knew deep down that it was a horrible, terrible thing to do. Absolutely terrible, and it had made work, life, and her relationship with--everyone miserable. She was glad that Ulrich was home because he was the sole sibling she could actually talk to and deal with. And--she hadn't even told him. As much as she did love her brother, it just wasn't something she herself was ready to admit, and maybe a part of her would feel tremendously guilty if Archie wasn't the first to know.

Though, she'd be perfectly find with him finding out after the child was born. Because then she wouldn't have to deal with any of the madness she was sure was going to occur when he did. If he did---no, when.

Isobel had even taken her avoiding as far as spending Christmas with her family. All of them. She had never seen so many Eggs in one room, and she'd made up some lie about how no significant others were allowed because of family tradtion, even though Eloise had brought along her latest catch--some brilliant healer on the verge of curing dragon pox. In any case, it had been a miserable day and Izzie had only been home a mere ten minutes when there was quick rapping on her door, and she froze. No, nooo, no, no---

She flinched when the knocking began again, and Isobel kicked off her heels and hurried over, trying to come up with a lie to send Archie home. Looking through the peep hole, and she sighed before pulling the door open, "I'm exhausted." That technically wasn't a lie, she hadn't been able to do anything these past few weeks.

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takeachance
2008-12-26 01:51 am UTC (link)

"Isobel!" Archie yelled, rapping on the door with one hand. He waited about two minutes before raising his hand to knock again. "Isobel, I know you're home. I have--presents!"

These past few weeks had really thrown a curveball at Archie. He couldn't understand how Izzie had gone from appearing at least marginally certain to accept his proposal to avoiding him like he was a carrier for Dragon Pox! Fearing that she'd finally decided he was nothing more than the mean old Ministry man who had desecrated her studio and then seduced her, he tried to do everything he could in order to make things right with her. Which he was confident would have worked, had he only been able to see her. Isobel's power of evasion were legitimately magical, and he had taken to half-heartedly attempting to follow her, just so Archie might have a chance to... fix things.

Which is why he decided that he might as well camp out on her stoop all evening, if that's what it took. He'd already had her presents, and it was Christmas. And he should be damn angry, considering she'd all but abandoned him without a word! But Archie conceded that he cared far too much about Isobel to let some petty (he hoped it was petty) squabble (was it even a squabble?) ruin something that potentially had a very solid future (DID IT STILL?)

He was about to knock again when she opened it, looking rather worse for the wear. Annoying feelings of guilt swept over him when he took in her appearance, but Archie decided to stand his ground. "I won't stay long," he said, gently easing past her into the room.

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impossiblecase
2008-12-26 02:21 am UTC (link)

Isobel stayed at the door and watched Archie enter with her gifts. She contemplated leaving the flat, and she probably would've had she left her shoes on, but now she was stuck and--there was that stupid nauseous feeling again. She'd read (yes, she'd--started some research) that morning sickness occurred at all times of the day, but she'd been lucky enough to have it only in the morning. This nauseous feeling was the guilt she'd been suffering with since she'd found out she was pregnant.

Pregnant. Pregnant. No matter how many times she had said that to herself, she still couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that she was growing a little...person. Not a thing, she had been calling it a thing in her head for some time now, a little person inside of her and it was absolutely, undeniably, definitely terrifying. Beyond belief, it was the scariest thing she'd ever thought about, and Izzie couldn't recall the last time she thought about having a child, and now she was having one by accident and---

Her eyes welled up with tears as her mind whirled around these ideas, again. Probably the millionth time thinking about having a baby had made her cry within the past sixteen days, and Izzie hurriedly shut the door and rushed into the kitchen, fingers pressed against her mouth to hold back the hysterical whimpers she was about to release.

Oh--oh, stupid---hormones! Hormones and---being absolutely miserable, that helped too.

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takeachance
2008-12-26 02:32 am UTC (link)

Well, she hadn't screamed, or yelled, or thrown things thus far. That had to have been a good sign, right? Archie was walking determinedly forward until he reached the coffee table, placing the stack down on the flat surface.

"I'm not exactly sure what to make of these past few weeks, Isobel," Archie began, slowly, staring at the coffee table and trying to brace himself to turn around and actually face her. He was trying to think of why she might have avoided him for so--oh, Merlin. What if it was something like she was leaving him for another man! Oh, dear. Oh, no. That was--that was no good, it did no good to think like that.

Oh, but what if she was!

He puffed out his cheeks as inconspicuously as he could manage and steeled himself to turn around, and--and be stern if the occasion called for it. Which--he could do, right? Archie was enough of a man to deal with this sort of thing. Whatever "this sort of thing" happened to be...

At least, he hoped he was.

But when Archie finally did turn to face Izzie, her back was to him, and she appeared to be--was she crying?

"Isobel?" Archie asked, current train of thought flown from his mind as his eyebrows knit together in both astonishment and concern. "Are you--is--everything... all right...?"

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impossiblecase
2008-12-26 02:48 am UTC (link)

"I---I---I'm fine!" she let out in a shrilly voice, covering her face with her hands to try and force the tears back. Maybe she could jinx her eyes shut so that she couldn't cry anymore; that would be incredibly counterproductive to her desire to see, but it would stop these infernal tears from making it more than obvious that something was wrong with her. "I---I---I'm--"

Oh--oh how could she say that? How could she say that being pregnant was wrong? Well, actually, it was very wrong because she had not planned on having a baby, was not married to the baby's father, and--and---but it wasn't wrong, it wasn't the baby's fault, it wasn't. She could at least give it that.

"I---" It! She hadn't found out the sex! She'd just called her--their baby an It. She was a terrible mother already and the baby wasn't even born! The thought made her chest hitch once more and Isobel let out something like a wail, slumping into a chair and dropping her head on her arms. This was miserable, this was absolutely miserable and she had no one to talk to and she had no one to help her and, "I'm---"

She peeked up at Archie as she realized that she did have someone to help support her. Archie, of course, was the baby's father and--telling him that she was pregnant was going to change everything. It was going to change everything about them, and they'd finally become a relatively normal couple, and she didn't want to lose that. She was his Egg, damn it! How could she have gone and ruined all of this?

"I'm----I'm pregnant."

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takeachance
2008-12-26 02:55 am UTC (link)

...

He--who--that was--

...

Unexpected...?

...

"Oh," he said, faintly, staring at Izzie with an expression that was not-quite-comprehension. Or, more aptly, absolute, endless confusion.

"Your--presents--I brought--presents," Archie whispered, one hand gesturing vaguely to the table behind them. No, did he really just tell her he bought her presents after she had told him that?

"I mean!" he said, panic rising in his voice as he attempted to snap out of his stupefied stupor. "W-w-w-when did you find out...?

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impossiblecase
2008-12-26 03:33 am UTC (link)

Oh. He'd said--oh. Oh. And--and then he started talking about presents and---and---"Idontcareaboutpresents!" she shrieked over his question. Isobel shot to her feet, staring up at Archie with complete disgust and confusion and.

And!

"I---I tell you that I'm----pregnant and you talk about-----PRESENTS?" she let out, hands balling and going up to hit him, but she couldn't even--she didn't want to look at him, but at the same time she did because now someone else knew and she wanted to talk to them and she wanted Archie to tell her that it was going to be okay, but obviously he was too concerned with bloody Christmas and---

--and!

"You! You can just! You can just go and I will take care of it---him---or her by my--self!" she shouted, turning with a flourish, but Izzie didn't make it out of the kitchen before she whirled around again with her hands shaking by the side of her head, "AND DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE BECAUSE I WILL KILL YOU!"

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takeachance
2008-12-26 03:43 am UTC (link)

WELL, THIS WAS GOING VERY BADLY INDEED.

"Isobel!" he cried, wringing his hands together nervously. All right, admittedly, he probably should have said something a bit more supportive than "oh," and he was probably going to rot a thousand times over in some hell or other for mentioning Christmas presents in the same breath, but--but she just said that she was pregnant! He'd never--this was--WELL! THIS WAS THE FIRST CHILD HE'D EVER--oh, holy--Merlin, she was pregnant!

But why--why would she avoid him! Granted, he was terrified, and he probably would have fainted if he hadn't had anything to eat today, and he would have been lying if he said that running out of her flat screaming wasn't a perfectly appealing idea within the first twenty seconds of processing that information, but he was here! Blathering on about Christmas, but--well, it did only come once a year! Even--if your girlfriend told you she was... pregnant on that day--oh his various deities, pregnant.

Archie took a deep breath, willing his mental processing to slow the bloody hell down and begin assessing the situation with the calm rationale he prided himself on possessing.

"When did you find out? Is--that what you were sick about? Why were you avoiding me? Is the baby a girl or a boy? How--how old is the baby? Why didn't you tell me sooner! When--ISOBEL!" His eyes flew open and Archie's expression turned panicked. "We're not married!"

They weren't married. This was--this was a child conceived out of wedlock. Oh, dear. Ohhh, dear.

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impossiblecase
2008-12-26 04:48 am UTC (link)

Isobel's mouth pursed into tight line, and she nearly started to hold her breath, like she used to during the tantrums she'd throw at her parents' feet, or when she didn't want to listen to them anymore. It was--seriously, seriously an attractive reaction to all of this. If she just held her breath, he would stop asking questions and throwing out insane concerns and---

Did he just exclaim that they weren't married? That it was something they should be concerned about more than anything? It certainly seemed that way, with how his eyes were nearly bugging out of his head at the thought. Married! That was what he was concerned about! How could he even think of marriage when they had to figure out what to do with this baby! Or with---it---and---

"THAT IS NOT WHAT'S IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW!" she shrieked, dropping back down into her chair. Oy, she was sore, and her back hurt, and she felt like throwing up again and this time she was pretty sure it was morning sickness (WHO THE HELL NAMES THIS STUFF?) because she felt no more guilt about hiding this from Archie and---why couldn't she just, you know. Not be pregnant? That would be so much easier, and---and she should totally not be stressing out like this. Nope. She'd read it in a book.

Isobel tilted her head up with a harsh glare toward Archie, though she was slowly trying to catch her breath. He needed to stop this nonsense and just---sit there. All she wanted him to do was sit there and not say another word until she could figure out what the hell was going on, and going to happen.

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takeachance
2008-12-26 04:57 am UTC (link)

He probably shouldn't be doing this to exacerbate the angry pregnant lady, should he?

No. No, he really should not be, because she was carrying his child, and he loved them both, and he could--be calm. And rational. And calm. And--and rational. Yes, he could be. He just had to remember how to breathe and make his mind work at the same time. Archie used to be good at that, didn't he? Before he found out Izzie was pregnant. B.C.

Before Conception.

Not daring to take an actual deep breath in front of her to further prove just how badly he was panicking and reacting, Archie tried to make do with a mental one and dropped down on his knees next to Izzie's chair, where she all but refused to look at him.

"Isobel. Isobel. It will be all right." He hesitantly laid his hand on top of hers, lightly, so if she chose to shake it away, she could. All right, all right. Truly important details that were imperative to Archie's knowledge... "How long have you known? And why were you avoiding me? Just so you wouldn't have to tell me?"

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impossiblecase
2008-12-26 05:36 am UTC (link)

In, out, breathe in and out. Isobel looked down at Archie with a pitiful expression and sighed, looking away and up and to the side and every other direction to avoid looking at him. There was the guilt, again. She had no real reason to have not told him, other than she was scared out of her mind and could not think straight for more than a minute, if that.

Feeling ridiculous yet again, tears began to leak out of her eyes again and she shrugged nervously, gripping onto his fingers.

"I---I was---scared," she finally admitted, managing to look Archie in the eyes. God, he was going to hate her for keeping it for this long, she would hate him. Well--no, Izzie didn't think she could honestly hate Archie, but she would certainly be mad for a long period of time and--her jaw began to tremble as her few tears began to turn into something like a sob, "Two--two weeks. I---I ruined Christmas!"

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takeachance
2008-12-26 05:53 am UTC (link)

It seemed like his heart was finally returning to normal. Only his Izzie could get it into her head that she'd ruin Christmas, of all people, and of all things.

Archie raised his head to kiss her forehead, laughing just a little. Well! The world seemed to be spinning back onto its axis. Of course, he was scared out of his mind, and his whole life had been altered forever, but his mental state definitely appeared to be coming back. And there was absolutely no way he could tackle this if he continued to rave like a lunatic.

"Well, I know now. And I understand you not telling me, because the important thing is that you did, eventually."

He probably wouldn't have had such an immense conniption if Isobel hadn't been avoiding him for such a long time, but being that he would never find out he was pregnant, and never have to face a gestation period of nine months in which his body was contorted into all shapes and sizes to house a small human being, he figured that she was entitled to some irrationality. "And now you definitely won't be alone. We needn't talk about it now, if you don't wish." Archie squeezed her hands with a smile.

By this time next year, they'd have a child. Oh, holy Merlin. A little boy or girl to buy presents for that he or she probably wouldn't be able to use and a day he or she would probably sleep through, anyway, but-- they'd have a child. All right, he lied. There was no way his head would ever stop spinning from this.

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impossiblecase
2008-12-26 02:07 pm UTC (link)

Izzie's breath hitched as she tried to stop her tears, and she listened carefully as Archie accepted her revelation and--okay. He wasn't mad at her, he was actually laughing. Probably a bit at her, but Isobel was just going to pretend he found something else funny. Getting annoyed at being embarrassed really wasn't worth it at this point.

Her grip on him hadn't loosened, and she nodded a few times, blinking away what she could and now, that everything was out in the open and she wasn't holding what felt like The Secret on her shoulders, Izzie just wanted to lie down and sleep for a week. Probably wouldn't be able to, though, and she looked down at Archie.

"I just want to sleep," she admitted, sniffling. She turned to him a bit, knees pushing against his chest, and for a second Izzie noticed how proposal-like his stance was. She bit the inside of her cheek, but push those other terrifying thoughts away. "If--if I tell you about Christmas at the Eggs, you'll fall asleep too."

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