Surprise! I know. -- Kiernan

[kira]

Kira was content enough in the moment. She'd just discovered that the man she was seeing (because she still wasn't sure if 'boyfriend' was the correct term) had a twin brother who was just as damned good looking... Not that she'd ever mention that to Kier for the sake of his brother's well being. She wasn't sure if Kiernan even realized he was being possessive and jealous when he did it... And rather than pissing Kira off... it actually gave her the warm and fuzzies. God help her. She knew what was happening on her end and it was only probably the most terrifying experience in the damned world.

She was falling in love with the man.

Huffing, she grabbed the first jar of sweet pickles she could find off of a shelf, paused... turned back towards the shelf and grabbed a bigger one before setting the other one back. And then she paused again and grabbed a second jar just to be on the safe side. She headed for the cash and paid the cashier there with a friendly smile before she put everything into the back pack she had taken with her and started strolling from the store.

And that was when Kier's truck pulled up beside the bike she was driving. "What the hell, Kier?" She asked, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm pretty damned sure I can handle going to the grocery store late at night. I can tie my own boots and all." She said, pointing down the length of one leather clad leg to the boot on her foot.

OH YEAH. SHE'S WEARING ALL LEATHER. PANTS, JACKET AND BOOTS.

[KIERNAN O'FARRELL]

Kiernan logged off the computer leaving it to shut down on its own as he shoved his feet into boots pulling on one of the hooded sweatshirts instead of bothering to go up to his room and get a real shirt. His mind spun with the new information he’d gotten there in it and he grabbed the keys to his truck heading out and starting it up using his code to get through the gates and have the place locked behind him as well as he headed into town trying to think which store she’d be at for the pickles she wanted. He would be finding Kira and she would not be riding the motorcycle back if he had anything to say on the subject.

Ignoring the red lights when there wasn’t traffic rolling through since it was late at night he headed for the only place he knew of that was 24 hours and seeing one of his bikes parked there he pulled up beside it climbing out and shoving the door shut as he laid eyes on Kira. For a moment he had to wonder if Logan was just screwing with his head or maybe wrong, but Logan didn’t have reason for these kinds of jokes and she had fairly ripped his brothers head off for getting close to saying something. It added up the way she’d been feeling and things from what he knew of the situation for women and he believed his brother was probably right and himself now that he put the thoughts together.

Moving toward her as she spoke he glanced at her foot then back up at her face coming to a stop in front of her and crossing his arms. ”When the bloody hell were you plannin to tell me?” he demanded his accent thicker with the anger rumbling through his voice and figuring she should know damned well what he was talking about since it was her keeping secrets.

MEL/KIRA :: DONE

[kira]

Oooookay. He looked pissed off. What the hell did she do this time? She couldn't recall accidentally shooting someone or setting off some kind of plastic explosive in a place that she really shouldn't have. But the moment that he spoke up, she went pale. And she knew, even if he had a doubt in his mind about whether or not he was right, it would have been confirmed right then and there with the look on her face.

"Your brother is going to be limping for the next month straight by the time I'm done with him." She said, pushing past him and heading back for the bike. "What'd he do? Wait for the moment that I was logged off and just scream to the top of the roof that I'm fucking pregnant?! Well surprise Kier! Merry God Damned Christmas!" She huffed as she snagged the helmet off of the bike. She fully intended on getting on the damned thing and heading right back to Kier's place where she would probably lock herself in the fall out shelter and not talk to him for days if she could help it.

Right after she tracked Logan down and made sure that he couldn't have children.

[KIERNAN O'FARRELL]

Watching her face as he asked his question he saw the way she went pale and knew it was really true not just a bunch of things that added up to a coincidence. Honestly he was floored by the news but not about to let it show right now because being pissed off was a stronger emotion in him at the moment since she hadn’t bothered to tell him about the baby at all and he couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be until she either disappeared leaving him out of a second child’s life or was just faced with the “well I’m going to be showing soon so better explain to the idiot what’s going on.” situation.

”Leave him out of this since it’s not really an issue with him right now so much as me Kira.” he growled and followed her movements shaking his head. ”No…we were talking and I told him he was an uncle, he assumed I meant you and couldn’t figure out why you’d be mad at him for telling me something I already knew. You know since most women would actually tell the man that he’s going to be a father.” he said reaching out to snag the helmet from her hand his eyes narrowing. ”One? We’re not done talking. Two? You’re driving the truck back.” he said not about to take no for an answer here.

MEL/KIRA :: DONE

[kira]

"To hell he's not an issue! How about we go with the fact that you didn't even tell me you had a brother? You want to talk about people not telling people things!?" She was being irrational in the moment and some part of her brain knew that, but she was pissed off. She was more upset at the moment that she wasn't going to get the chance to tell him this bit of news on Christmas morning like she'd been planing on doing.

And then he dared to insinuate that she wouldn't have told him he was going to be a father in the first place. She contemplated hitting him in the head with the damned helmet right then and there, but then, to her shock, he snagged that out of her hands and told her that they weren't finished talking and that she wasn't riding the bike anywhere. So rather than hitting him with the helmet... She hauled off and punched him in the face instead. "Vy polnyy idiot ! YA nichego podobnogo ne suka! Kak vy smeyete ?" The Russian swearing and cursing had begun. She was officially pissed.

[KIERNAN O'FARRELL]

”I thought I didn’t have a fucking brother anymore, me ma told me he ran off not that she pushed him off to another country but that he chose to go so as far as I cared I didn’t have a brother. Things are different now that I know his half of it and none of this is our current issue which is you keeping the news that I’m going to be a father again from me.” he said his tone close to a snarl and his volume rising. If either of them were thinking clearly he knew the fear behind the anger would be obvious in the way he was reacting right now but seeing as neither were clear headed that could wait for later.

Waiting for some response to what he’d said about her not riding the motorcycle since he knew she wouldn’t like that a bit but ready to stand his ground on the matter and win that fight. He wouldn’t be letting her put herself or the baby at such a risk so long as he was with her and that was just all there was too it. Taking the hit because he had expected words not thrown fists his own hand clenched into a fist though he resisted using it as she swore at him in Russian. ”tú swear mhaith i dteangacha eile ag dom dul ceann ach tá mé fuilteacha go maith ag dul a dhéanamh i gceart ar ais ag tú Kira. tá sé fucking bullshit go raibh mé a fháil amach as mo dheartháir ina ionad sin de tú, tá mé an ceart chun a fhios Tá mé ag dul a bheith ina athair arís tá tú díreach chomh dona le Morrigan ach amháin ar a laghad, a dúirt sí liom!” he growled right back using his own language and knowing she’d understand it since she’d understood before.

MEL/KIRA :: DONE

[kira]

"Well then to hell with your brother!" She said, throwing her arms up in the air in disgust. She knew his brother wasn't the issue in the least at the moment, but she was flaming pissed off and needed an outlet. It was almost like she needed something to yell at him about in turn for him yelling at her at the moment because she knew she was guilty as hell in the moment. But she was planning on telling him. She just hadn't told him right away. And damnit... this wasn't the way it was supposed to happen!

Yep. She had definitely let that fine Russian temper get the best of her as she had hit him. All she could do at the moment was glare at him. She was beyond pissed off. But a moment later, something he said to her in Gaelic clicked in and the fight instantly fled her body. "I..." She said, her voice deadly calm, which might have been even more dangerous than when she was screaming at him. "Am nothing like that bitch." She hissed at him. But she forced herself to take a breath and look at it from his perspective. "Is that what you think, Kiernan!? That somehow I'm like her and I wasn't going to tell you? Or that I was going to take your own child away from you? Are you insane?" She asked. She threw her hands up in the air for the second time. "I was waiting, Kier. I was waiting for Christmas morning! This was supposed to be the other half of your Christmas present you stubborn ass!"

She huffed again and started pacing in front of him, getting herself worked up to hell and back. "Because clearly a woman who would travel all the way to Ireland, find a man's son, give his son a Christmas present, get updated photos of him and come back home just to give him them is nothing. Most women do that? Right?" She wasn't thinking of what she was ranting about as she was ranting. "The fact that I did all that and have stayed here and been completely loyal to you from the moment I stepped foot onto your property means nothing. The fact that I trust you means nothing. The fact that I was willing to stay with you means nothing. Oh, and I suppose the fact that I do shit for you that I wouldn't do for any other man means nothing. Or the fact that I love you!" She cut herself off and clamped a hand over her mouth.

Oh God... had she just said that out loud...?

[KIERNAN O'FARRELL]

Kiernan rolled his eyes as she said to hell with his brother, that really was an argument for a whole other time and preferably one he’d have after he talked to the man and got more information. He hadn’t left him out to lie to Kira about having a brother he’d thought his brother didn’t want to be his brother anymore and it was a whole different situation and a whole mess that still needed properly cleaned. Right now the mess he was faced with was worse, the fact that she hadn’t told him about the baby bringing up old fears about being pushed out of his child’s life. Only now it wasn’t morrigan pushing him away from Bren it was Kira not even telling him about the baby that was theirs at all. Of the two he’d rather know and have a fighting chance than be in the dark and never realize what he was missing out on.

His face could take the hit, he wasn’t worried about it though it had hurt he wouldn’t lie. He knew Kira could throw a punch, knew she could damned well take care of herself in any situation but so far it hadn’t been his face she’d felt the need to hit. He wouldn’t react to that though, fighting her that way wasn’t something he was going to do. Listening to her he lifted an eyebrow at her hissed words and had to wonder what made her any better since she hadn’t told him at all. Half tempted to interrupt her questions about what he “thought” to fill her in on how very little he knew thanks to her not telling him but bit his tongue in a literal sense to avoid it. Hearing her say she was waiting for Christmas morning though made him pause as he let the words process past his anger. ”Christmas…You were going to tell me for Christmas as a present? Kira…this kind of news? Isn’t something you wait on for that long. Not when you know the hell I go through just to see the son I already have. This I would have rather known when you found out, would have rather known when you even considered it as an option because this? Is a big fucking deal to me and you know it.” he said his own brand of calm now as he spoke explaining what should have been obvious. As a present it was amazing news but he didn’t need a Christmas present at all let alone to be made to wait until then to be told this.

Watching her pace he crossed his arms again the helmet dangling from one hand as he did so still not planning to let her get on the bike once they’d settled at least enough of this to think about getting home. ”Never in any of this did I say that was nothing kira.” he corrected her though she continued to rant. Listening he found himself calming down enough to think a little more clearly, no longer “fly off the handle” pissed but still really unhappy about being kept in the dark on this matter even if she’d planned to tell him later. Hearing her final words though stunned the man speechless as he just looked at her a moment. ”Do you mean that Kira, what you said? Or is that just…something that came out while pissed ant ranting at me?” he asked after a moment of total silence between them. ”Because if you don’t mean it I’ll feel a right fool tellin you that I love you right back and that even though I’m pissed for not knowing before now this is the best news I’ve heard in years.”

MEL/KIRA :: DONE

[kira]

She sighed at him. "Yes, I was going to tell you as a Christmas present, you ass...." She muttered even though the fight was slowly draining from her. Christ. How the hell hadn't she just stopped to think about what this would all look and sound like to him? Maybe some part of her had been afraid of telling him. She knew that probably was a good case of it in the end. She knew that he loved his son or he wouldn't go through the efforts that he did to see him every year but... Really, at this point, what was she to him other than just some woman who shared a bed with him? She knew how he felt, but did he even remotely feel the same? "I'm sorry..." She said, the unfamiliar sting of tears in her eyes. She was going to blame the whole teary eyed thing on the hormones too, damn it.

And then she just went and blurted that she loved him out. God. Could she just crawl into a god damned hole and die now? Would that be okay? Her shoulders slumped and she brushed at her eyes angrily, trying to rid herself of the tears. She wrapped her arms around herself in more of a comforting state to herself than a defensive pose. She felt pathetic and she didn't like the feeling one bit. "Yes I meant it..." She muttered, not at all able to meet his eyes in the moment. But what he said next had her jerking her gaze up to his in sheer surprise. "I... You... Really?" She asked, looking more than just a little bit skeptical.

She blinked at him for a moment and then took a few steps towards him until she was standing directly in front of him. "I was going to tell you, Kier. I'd never keep something like that from you forever. And the last thing I wanted was to tell you and then have something happen. I couldn't get your hopes up like that only to watch them crash and burn." She sighed at him. "But I think this backfired on me twice as badly." She admitted.

[KIERNAN O'FARRELL]

Kiernan reached up to rub a hand along his jaw as she said she was toing to tell him for Christmas and called him an ass. ”Well 1) I didn’t know that and 2) like I said I don’t want to wait for a holiday for big news like that…I’d rather know this kind of thing when you find out.” he said needing her to understand that. He wasn’t trying to be a dick and ruin how she’d planned to surprise him but he needed to be honest with her and upfront about this kind of thing. He was more used to it being something he had to fight for and going about it this way? Yes he would have been pleasantly surprised at Christmas to find out from her, but he’d also have had his doubts and fears even then when she was the one who told him as a surprise and present. Hearing her say she was sorry he sighed and shook his head, ”I’m sorry too…about getting so pissed and acting like an ass storming up here to confront you…but it just pushed that wrong button in me to know you’d kept it from me you know?”

He’d been feeling more for her than just the thing with sharing a bed and not wanting to be alone. Those were nice things yes along with the amazing sex but they weren’t everything and lately he’d been questioning what else there was to it because normally having someone around even when he wanted company like this wasn’t normal. He wouldn’t put up with half the stuff or do half the things he did for anyone else but her and that meant something. Watching her wipe at the tears he chose not to comment on them though he did want to reach out and wrap his arms around her. He didn’t want her to cry now or ever. Lifting an eyebrow at her question of “really” to him he nodded, ”Yes really. You know me well enough to know I don’t say things I don’t mean.” he said seriously.

Watching as she stepped closer he listened to her as she spoke and sighed reaching up to lightly touch her cheek. ”Clear headed I know you’re not the sort to do that Kira, but my first reaction was to worry that I was back to where I’d been with Morrigan in this…that I was going to be pushed away and not allowed to get to know our kid. It’s a trained reaction or something to flip my shit and think I won’t be involved and I’m sorry.” he said and his lips quirked in a smile. ”We’re having a kid together…and that’s…it’s bloody amazing Kira.”

MEL/KIRA :: DONE

[kira]

She sighed again. She got the point now. "Well don't go thinking I'm a baby making machine either." She commented, smirking at him a little bit, feeling just a bit better in the moment. "But I will say... if there happens to be a next time at any point in the future, I'll tell you immediately. Regardless." She said to him. And she meant it. Even if it was just an inkling of a feeling, she'd tell him what was going on immediately. She never wanted him to feel like she was just going to up and leave him in the dark. She cared about him way too much for that now. She knew what Morrigan had done and, while Kira had found Kiernan's son to be absolutely adorable and she had been civil with the woman in question, there was no love lost between them. Kira just didn't understand how the woman could do what she had done to Kiernan, even with what she knew about his past.

"I do know you well enough to know that." She murmured. But it was kind of a surreal moment. They'd shied away from the mention of emotions for so long now that Kira was kind of surprised to just hear the words from his mouth. Not that she was complaining in the least. "I get it." She said, offering him a small smile and then laughing when he said that the fact that they were having a kid together was bloody amazing. "But you..." She said, poking his chest. "Are not taking away all of my fun." She told him quite seriously. "I would never be so reckless as to put our baby in danger and you have to trust me to know what I can and can't do." She told him. "Otherwise, I'm just going to get pissed again and hit you." She winced a little looking up at him. "And I'm sorry about that too... Are you okay?" She asked, giving him a guilty little smile.

[KIERNAN O'FARRELL]

Kiernan chuckled and shook his head at her words, ”Never said you were Kira.” he said easily not planning on acting like she was one. They hadn’t planned to get pregnant, least he didn’t think she was the sort to do something like that besides it wasn’t like she needed the baby to keep him around or anything anyway. He nodded to what she said glad to know they wouldn’t be in this situation again any time in the future if they had more kids. ”Thank you.” he said seriously and let go of the last bits of anger he was holding onto. He didn’t need to be angry at her anymore, he understood now why she’d done it and she understood why he’d freaked out and finding out she hadn’t told him. Staying focused on it and holding onto the anger or things like that would do neither of them any good right now since this wasn’t actually something to be angry about once you got past the issue that set him off.

Nodding to her when she said she did know him well enough to know he’d not say something he didn’t mean, it was good that she knew that because others learned that lesson the hard way normally. He would be lying if he said he’d planned to talk about how he felt toward her, if he said he’d even planned to face it. But saying the words he knew were true and letting her know? It seemed right. He nodded as she said she got it and smiled when she laughed lifting an eyebrow and glancing at the finger she’d poked him with then back to her face. Listening to her he sighed, his fingers tightening around the helmet in his hand as she talked about knowing what she could and couldn’t do and getting pissed enough to hit him again. ”I trust you to know and I wouldn’t dream of taking away your fun because I think you being bored would be the death of me…But you need to understand that I’m going to worry whether you like it or not. There’s not a thing I can do to protect our child right now other than by protecting you so sometimes I’m gonna say dumbass things or do jackass things like taking away the keys to a motorcycle or asking you not to do something that’s dangerous. It will happen and you’ll want to punch me or you’ll actually punch me…either way the only reason I’m doing it is because I want to make sure both of you are safe.” he explained and chuckled when she asked if he was okay. ”Oh I’m fine…not the first time I’ve been punched and surely not the last.”

MEL/KIRA :: DONE

[kira]

She definitely hadn't planned on getting pregnant anytime soon. She was still young. She still enjoyed kicking ass and taking names a little too damned much. The idea of being pregnant and having to watch out for herself just that extra little bit had pissed her off when she had originally found out about the baby, but once she'd had the time to think about it and come to terms with it, she knew she could do this. It was nine months out of her life that she would be carrying the baby and she knew damned well that Kiernan would be there every step of the way. She could do it. It was probably the most frightening prospect she'd ever had to face in her life... but she could do it.

She had to smile a little at him when he admitted that he was going to wind up saying and doing stupid things. "Then fully expect me to call you a dumbass from time to time." She commented, patting his cheek playfully. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close for a moment, unable to help herself in the moment. He truly was an incredible man and it hurt her, in a sense, knowing everything that he had had to endure. But then, she supposed that that was something that just happened when you loved someone. It was terrifying, but it was incredible all at the same time. "I'll try not to aim for the face in the future. Your face is too pretty to be beaten up." She smirked a little.

She pulled back and looked at him, planting her hands on her hips. "Now. Helmet, Kiernan." She said, pointing to it in his hand. "I'm not a crazy driver and there's next to no traffic out here at this time in the morning. I'll be just as safe on the bike as I would be in the SUV. In fact, it's a bigger god damned target than the bike is." She said. "More metal to hit." She smiled at him, knowing she'd probably only be amping up his fears in the moment. "And you'll be following me all the way home. I'll be fine."

[KIERNAN O'FARRELL]

Kiernan had to wonder if she was even okay with this, she hadn’t gone behind his back and gotten rid of the baby or something like that so he had to assume she at least planned to have the baby. Actually having heard her talk about telling him as a Christmas present and things he realized it was stupid to really even think since you didn’t do that if the baby wasn’t a welcome surprise right? He couldn’t believe it, he was going to be a father again. Kira was having his baby and he loved her and…he couldn’t figure out when it all happened but he didn’t think the when was important because it had happened and it was amazing in his mind. A smile started forming on his lips as he thought about it, one of his rare genuine smiles as he realized the amazingness of this news and the woman before him.

Hearing her he chuckled and nodded, ”Fully expected and I even suspect your fist may contact some part of me again at some point.” he said honestly since he really wouldn’t surprised if it came to that again when he was being overprotective of her and their baby. Slipping his arms around her he held her close careful not to whack her with the helmet as he did and chuckled again at her comment about not aiming for the face in the future and how it was too pretty to be beaten up. ”Aww you think I’m pretty.” he teased not caring at the moment that pretty was a girly term because she’d said it first and he couldn’t resist the chance to tease.

Looking at her as she pulled back and watching the way her hands came to her hips before she demanded the helmet from him. Glancing at it in his hand he lifted an eyebrow and looked back at her not really too into the idea of giving it back and letting her ride the motorcycle anywhere. ”The SUV is basically a tank shaped like a regular vehicle. It’s reinforced and lives up to my standards of safe which you know I take seriously. The bike would get you killed if we’re going with your attack theories so how about I keep the helmet and you take the SUV keys?” he said attempting reasonable to start with instead of all out fighting from the go on this topic. ”You’re right in that I’ll be following you home though so let’s trade keys and head home.”

MEL/KIRA :: DONE

[kira]

She had to smirk when he said that he fully expected her fist to contact some part of his body again in the future. He was probably right if he planned on playing the whole overprotective father-to-be for the next eight months. It was going to drive her crazy. For a woman who was used to looking after herself and taking care of everything on her own, taking orders from someone else and relying on them for some sort of sense of security wasn't really in her list of things to do. But then, she supposed, in a way, she had already been relying on him for that sense of security. Damn the man... She had to laugh a moment later, however, when he said she thought he was pretty. "Careful there or I'm going to start recording you saying all of these things to use against you at a later date."

She paused a moment and looked up at him. "And look at you right now... you're just all smiles." She grinned at him right before she pat his cheek. She needed to do something to wipe that grin off of his face because... honestly... he was just way too damned attractive when he smiled like that.

"Kiernan..." She growled in frustration at him. "Get this out of your head right now. I'm not driving the God damned Titanic around everywhere I go for the next eight months. I figure we still have a ways off for the zombie apocalypse so, until it hits, I'm not driving something that looks more suiting to be mowing down zombies." She commented. "That thing is clunky and slow. I'd have a much better shot at getting away unscathed on a motorcycle that'll dart in between traffic. And besides that, in a few months I'll be too much of a whale to ride or look this damned good in leather." She huffed. "One last ride on the bike back to your place. One. That's it. And then I swear to you that I will be a good girl and forgo riding until after Kiernan Jr. is born."