Some stomach bug

[Darragh Kirkby]

Something was up. Darragh had learned long ago to trust his gut. It told him when someone was lying and when a situations were about to go south, what was good and what wasn't, it was something he trusted. And his gut was telling him something was wrong with his friend Sienna. 
The court had received her letter that she was ill, but he had thought that she would be back in a week or two. It was going on a month now and still no sign of the little redhead. 

To say he was worried was an understatement. So, on his day off from Hewitt house, and after telling Angus where he was going, Darragh decided to make a house call. He wanted Sienna to look him in the eye and tell him what was really wrong, or to see with his own eyes how ill she was. Call it his paranoia kicking in, he called it friendly concern. The two had grown up together in the court, he was certainly a concerned friend. 

Only those she trusted knew about her family home that had been rebuilt, and Darragh was one of those people. He was bundled in the cold winter air, his cheeks already had a slight pink hue to them from being out in the cold as he'd made the walk over to the Rousseau manor.  Arriving at the door, he adjusted his old on the covered basket he'd brought with him full of things he hoped would make Sienna feel better.  He knocked on the door, and then waited. Unable to help himself as he bounced on the balls of his feet impatiently. 

Sienna Rousseau

[Sienna Rousseau]

Sienna would be hauled up in her room still, holding a pillow against herself as in this place there was no one here to judge her for her emotions and she had plenty of them. Even if the cards life had dealt to her, she managed to overcome them all and be valuable to the rogue court for what she had learned over the years but nothing prepared her for what would come from the days she spent in the arms of a man she liked. Of enjoying just not being Sienna the maid or cook or whatever she was tossed into, just being a noble lady and enjoying her time with a man who changed her life now.

At the door, a single servant would open it, a middle-aged woman who would great him and usher Darragh in and out of the cold. "The lady is up in her room if you wish to surprise her, she's in bed per the doctors orders," the women told him truthfully, giving him a bit of a smile. She knew that he was welcome here and would take his coat for him and go to brew some tea and coffee- she also wanted the Lady of the house to stop hiding and hoped her friend might shake her from whatever funk she was in.

Inside the manner it was warm, made of a mix of woods but it was kept rather simple per Sienna's desires since she rarely was here and never saw the need to over decorate. Darragh easily could find the steps that lead upstairs, Sienna's door being the only one that was closed but also have a fresh bucket outside for her should and when she would have need of it.

[Darragh Kirkby]

When the door opened, Darragh smiled at the older woman. Glad to know she recognized who he was. He came in, shrugging off his jacket and handing it to her. Sensing no lies, he felt a bit more at ease. If only for the moment. She was bed ridden? Concern was clear on his face and he nodded appreciatively to her. "Thank you." He told her before he started to make his way up the stairs. He wasn't as familiar with Sienna's home, but he managed to find her door just fine. 

He eyed the bucket that was outside the door, and bent down to pick it up. Intending on bringing it in with him should she need it. He rapped his knuckles on her door, waiting for a response. If he didn't hear one, he'd slowly turn the knob and peak his head in, his blue gaze instantly going to her curled up form on the bed. Shuffling in quietly he'd slowly walk over, and put the basket and bucket down before going to sit on the edge of the bed. "Hey you..." He asked gently. She was hugging that pillow and the concern was clear on his face. Wanting to help her in anyway he could. "How are you feelin' Sie?" He asked gently. Refraining from reaching out and rubbing her shoulder. 

[Sienna Rousseau]

Sienna had her face pressed against the headboard, occasionally she was crying or at least until there were no more tears. She was confused and alone and wishing for a mother, her mother, for the first time in a long time. It took her a fair bit to even notice the different footsteps and then the knock at her door, "Come in?" she called out.

Her face then went a little pale, shit. She pulled herself up some in her bed, keeping the pillow firmly against her front as her heart pounded in her chest, "What are you doing here? Is everything ok?" she asked him, not overly used to visitors in her home. Only a very select few knew about her home and he was one of them. The question made her laugh, pushing her hair from her face, "Like crap. I'm not getting any better and I'm pretty sure it's going to get worse," she told him with a dry laugh as she would pat the spot next to her.

"Don't worry I'm not contagious just...it's a woman thing," she told him with a shake of her head. Easiest way to say that and most men never delved deeper into that and she was hoping that would be the same with him. She knew she had been absent from the court for a while but she was not even sure how to approach this topic with them or what they would say about it.

[Darragh Kirkby]

Darragh staid back as she sat up, holding that pillow to her front. He frowned slightly and kept looking at Sienna with concern. Was she okay? Aside from the red rimmed eyes and maybe the tired and slightly pale look about her she seemed okay. But he also wasn't a doctor. For all he knew she could be highly contagious and had just given him whatever sickness ailed her. 

"Everything's...fine." He said slowly, not wanting to bring up of the fact Carys still wasn't home from her latest mission and that he was beginning to grow concerned. Sienna didn't need to worry about their queen though, she needed to work on getting better. He kept his blue gaze steady on her as she told him how she was and his frown only deepened. He tilted his head to the side at her explanation. A woman thing? He face now looked at her in confusion. "A month is a long time for the monthlies Sie...." He spoke slowly. Her original letter had said two weeks, and her she was staying longer.  He could only assume "Woman thing" meant her monthly bleeding, but for it to last this long? What else could it be?

He stared at her for maybe to long. Trying to piece together what the matter was. There was the bucket, the letter, she was bedridden, the pillow... She'd been holding it to her stomach when he'd come in as well... Slowly his blue gaze drifted down to stare at it. As his body suddenly tensed and his eyes jumped back to look her in the eyes. "Sienna..." He said slowly. "You can tell me anything, you know that right?" He said cautiously. 

[Sienna Rousseau]

So far she had managed to avoid anyone from the court but then again there was only a couple of people who knew where she would go if she was avoiding people and being found out about anything and he of course knew. She grew up with him so of course, he did.

"Women's bodies are weird," she quickly said. Not a lie it was the truth on that one, they were really funky and weird and could carry and grow multiple children in the span of a few months, totally weird. She would pull the blanket up about her a bit more to cover herself up some more, she was in her nightclothes and that really did not hide much from the imagination at all.

"How's everything at the court? Have I missed something?" she asked him then, wondering if maybe something was happening and she was needed- sick or not she would try.

His staring though made her feel odd though and then he spoke again and her face went even paler than before. How could it be noticeable? She had a pillow in front of her, she couldn't look *that* bad could she? She squirmed them, "Yes I know Darragh..." she told him and she knew it was true but she didn't want to say it. How could she? She would pull the pillow to her tighter, "You already have an idea with what's wrong with me don't you? Do I look that bad or is it just that noticeable?" she would ask him, wanting to hear what he thought first.

[Darragh Kirkby]

Sienna’s answer wasn't what he was wanting. Even if it was the truth , she was deflecting and it wasn’t making that uneasy feeling going away anytime soon. He pursed his lips, his chin turning down some as he fixed his bright blues on her. “Fine...for the most part.” He said slowly. “Carys still isn’t back yet....I’m starting to grow a bit worried.” He confessed. Speaking of the Rogue Court Queen. She held just as much power in the underground as the actual Queen of Tresteria did, and she was a friend. A dear one at that. Darragh didn’t want to think too much into her disappearance but….she should be back by now.

He arched a brow at her, was she really asking him that? “Uuuuh-” He started. A small laugh coming from him with a slight shake of his head. He blinked and leaned back a bit to study her. “I’m no expert on Women’s bodies Sie.” He said, but none the less, he was looking her over. “I honestly don’t know what’s wrong with you, love. You’re sick from what I can tell, you look exhausted, your eyes are red rimmed from crying, and you keep hugging that pillow as if-” He stopped then, his jaw going slack as it hit him.

As if she was hiding something. Something she didn’t want Darragh to see, and he didn’t think it was the fact she was in a night gown. He stared at her more, the gears turning in his head. She’d been gone a month, at first two weeks but now it was longer, and those were red rimmed eyes from tears. Why would she cry, did her stomach really hurt much? Why didn’t she have a doctor here around the clock? It’s a woman thing…

They said women had a glow to them when they were with child. You could sense something different, and maybe it was because he was a mystic, and could sense the supernatural change in her, or it was because he was so used to studying people that it finally clicked for him.

A baby.

Sienna was going to have a baby. That was why she hadn’t been a court. He didn’t know if she was with anyone. If she had, she’d never mentioned it, and if his guess was right, there was someone else that would have some explaining to do.

A dark expression crossed over Darragh’s features as he felt an overprotectiveness begin to settle around him. This was little Sienna, a woman he considered to be a sister. “Sienna…” He said quietly. He leaned in closer so his eyes were level with hers. “Are you….are you with child?” He asked her. Boring his eyes into hers so he would know if she was lying to him or not.

[Sienna Rousseau]

“She’s still not back? What could be keeping her away from the Court for so long?” she asked, her brows furrowed and pressed together in worry over that. What was going on with the Court Queen? She needed to talk to her soon because she trusted her more than the King. The king who scared her but she also respected.

Now she let out a little chuckle at him claiming to not be an expert, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips, “Mm so does that mean you don’t have a lady love?” she asked, a gentle ribbing on her part to him. It took him a moment though, the words and puzzling it out and then he stopped talking. Sienna looked away from him then, her fingers gripping the pillow tighter as if it could continue to protect her secret.

The silence was nearly deafening in the room to her, her heart pounding and her stomach aching more as she had to pull out one of the peppermint candies she had stashed on the bed and popped it into her mouth. This sickness needed to stop! She was tired of feeling ill all the time and nothing really settling with her.

The sudden expression chance on Darragh was quickly noticed but then he was leaning in closer and she struggled to meet his eyes now. The look on his face actually scared her a little bit because right now her perception was off and she feared he was angry at her.

Slowly she nodded, her green eyes looking up into his as she couldn’t stop the tears rolling down her cheeks again, “Yes…Its…its why I’ve been gone and so sick,” she told him softly. Was he angry with her? Upset? Disappointed? Maybe he was all of those things when it came to her and her current condition but she wouldn’t know until he told her.

[Darragh Kirkby]

Darragh shrugged his shoulders at her question. She knew about as much as he did on Carys’ whereabouts. As far as anyone knew, she was away on a mission. One, that if you asked him, shouldn’t have taken as long as it was apparently taking. It was concerning to him, making him worried. If he didn’t think Xilas would retaliate, he might have asked him if he’d heard from her.

His lips quirked up into a slight smile at the mention of his own lady love. He’d certainly had one once upon a time, but she’d also thoroughly destroyed him and made him literally sick to his stomach with the lie she’d told him. And it was because of that lie, he kept anyone of romantic interest at arm's length. Not letting them get close at all for fear of experiencing that sort of pain again.

“Nah, C’mon Sie, you know me.” He said playing it off with a small chuckle. One night stands sure, permanent was a no. The way Sienna responded to him as he leaned in, was enough of confirmation to him that he’d guessed right. She was pregnant and didn’t want anyone else to know about it. Her tears were further confirmation, and his expression softened as he looked at her. “...Why...didn’t you tell me sooner Sie?” He asked quietly. He might have been able to….what? Help? Do...Something, surely. And where was the father? Who was the father? “Does….the father know?” He asked slowly.

[Sienna Rousseau]

Sienna shook her head some, “I hope she comes back soon,” she told him with a sigh at that. It would be better if she came back because Sienna could talk to her and not Xilas who would scare the life out of her.

This was her first romance, her first dalliance and damn it all she had strong emotions towards the man who had fathered the babes in her belly; even if she was terrified right now as she looked to Darragh while he soused it all out.

“I know,” she told him with a small smile before her head would dip down. She held the pillow tighter as her head shook while droplets fell to the soft pillow, “Because I only just found out…I thought I was just sick…and maybe gaining weight due to the parties but then I just kept getting ill,” she told him as she shook her head, “Not yet…I…I don’t know his last name. It’s stupid, so stupid. I spent weeks with him, just never crossed my mind to find out his last name because I was enjoying just being carefree for the first time like that without an agenda,” she told him, wiping her face. He probably thought she was stupid or an idiot; possibly both.