without recourse

[luminous_regnant]

Bella doesn't even know that Elspeth had plans to visit Downside until after she finds that Jane is offline, that wishing doesn't fix it. Elspeth is a grownup; Edward does not monitor her every minute of every day, does not report all her comings and goings to her mother.

It's Addy who tells her, uncharacteristically grave, after Bella makes the announcement that Aurum will be isolated until Elspeth finds a door. Elspeth rescheduled an appointment with Addy to go offworld.

And now Elspeth is not going to find them a door, because Elspeth is gone, might well stay gone till Jane is fixed, because time is only synced up due to Jane. And Bella cannot fix Jane. Elspeth might find a door after fifty years have gone by in Aurum.

Bella makes the revised announcement by brainphone to everyone except Jake.

Jake she tells in person. Jake she clutches by the shoulders while he sobs and shakes. Jake she offers to put to sleep so Elspeth will not come home to find him having done something regrettable. Because she will, eventually, come home. Jake she tucks into bed like she's his mother and sends into dreamless nothing so he doesn't have to suffer however long his imprint will be vanished where he cannot follow.

And then she goes to Edward and, because she is a vampire, she does not cry, but she does sob.

Comments

[pina_colada]

[Hah. 'Course you are. Empty nesters,] teases Kerron. [Due in, what, three weeks?]

[manofmyword]

[Yep! You are the first to know - well, third - blab it all over town or keep it a surprise, whichever makes you happy.]

[pina_colada]

[Come by Safesun after Rosalie slices and dices you, the local vibrant hybrid community'll throw the kid a party.]

[manofmyword]

[Will do!]

[pina_colada]

[Whatcha gonna name it?]

[temporal_affairs]

[Aedyt, since you're not using that one, if it's a girl, Payl for a boy,] supplies Nathan.

[manofmyword]

[And pumpkin, until they're taller than me or start complaining.]

[pina_colada]

[Good, munchkin was my adorable childhood nickname. But you better not have too many or you'll run out of cute words that end in -kin and have to call somebody "gherkin" or something.]

[manofmyword]

The Joker giggles.

[temporal_affairs]

[Are you unable to envision your mum affectionately addressing a small child as "gherkin"?] asks Nathan.

[pina_colada]

[On second thought,] Kerron says, [yeah, I can totally imagine that.]

[manofmyword]

[Who, me? Never.]

[temporal_affairs]

Nathan snickers both aloud and by brainphone.

[manofmyword]

The Joker hugs his sweetheart and beams un-innocently.

He continues going about his life. People can notice his pregnancy all by themselves. He'll worry about getting an appointment with Rosalie when Nathan says it's time to.

[taste_tester]

Addy notices when they cross paths at the northerly of the two African-continent capitals.

"Ooh," she says. "I wonder what's cooking."

[manofmyword]

"Wait 'n see," the Joker says serenely.

[taste_tester]

"I will do. I seem to recall you spent your last pregnancy female. Was the utter conventionality of it suffocating?"

[manofmyword]

"You know me," he says. "I'm just full'a surprises."

[taste_tester]

"Like a piñata," Addy suggests.

[manofmyword]

He laughs.

[taste_tester]

"When's a good time for a tasting?"

[temporal_affairs]

"When our little pumpkin is four days old, apparently," says Nathan. "Come find us then."

[taste_tester]

"You bet!"

[manofmyword]

The Joker hugs his sweetie.

[taste_tester]

"I shall see you then," says Addy, waving at the Joker's midsection, and she boops Nathan's nose and then strolls off.