Father of Mine - for scifi_muses

[open_flame]

Character: Liz Sherman
Fandom: Hellboy
Rating: PG -13 (language)
Word Count: 600
Setting: Hellboy II (on the trip to Bethmoora)
Prompt: scifi_muses vol2.week21
Jack Skellington: [singing] Just because I cannot see it, doesn't mean I can't believe it!
AN: Liz and Abe discuss the ramifications of Red becoming a father.

He’s stable for now. The quite beeping of the machines nearly drowned out by the sounds of the plane we…well, stole. Manning’s going to shit a brick. I don’t care, and I doubt Abe or Johann do, either. Red would be egging us on if he were awake, I’m sure.

“How is he?” Abe asks me as I collapse down in the seat. I stare out the window, pretending I didn’t hear him. “Liz?” he repeats as he extends a hand towards me.

I have my hands folded over my stomach, almost afraid to touch it. Touch…him…her. I wonder if Abe can see that. Boy or girl. I wonder if they’ll have my eyes or Red’s. I wonder if the stone hand is… genetic. Is the temper? Damn, we both have tempers, bad tempers.

I wonder if…Ow…horns. I hope it doesn’t have horns. That would hurt like a son-of-a…

“Liz?” Abe’s gentle voice breaks me from my thoughts.

“Fly the plane, Blue.” I don’t look at him as his webbed fingers rest on my stomach over my own hands.

“Both of them will be fine, you know.” He smiles…I think it’s a smile. It’s so hard to tell with him…wait…

“What?!” I turn my head quickly and fight back more nausea. “Both?”

“Twins.” Abe says as he pulls his hand away.

Fuck!

“Wonderful.” The sarcasm drips off my words as I fight back more tears. Two…babies and I might be…alone to raise them both. I swallow a bitter laugh. Maybe this is fates cruel joke. Nuada comes and takes him from me, before I can even tell him that he’s…

“What are you so afraid of?” Abe is honestly confused. For a psychic he sure is thick sometimes.

“You’re kidding.” I wrap my arms tighter around my middle and pull my knees to my chest. “You have met Hellboy, right?” I drop my head as my hands start to shake. Can’t let it out here. Fire eats oxygen and…this whole plane will go up if I let it out here.

I wonder if they’ll have the fire. My fire. Is that genetic? God, I hope not.

“This is exactly why I’m confused by your worry.” Abe continues. “Red possesses all the positive attributes of an excellent father figure, does he not?”

“A childish slob who worries more about his cats and his television shows than the woman he claims he loves is an excellent father figure?” My head rolls to the side as I look back at Red, lying there unconscious. Lying there…dieing.

“Those flaws notwithstanding, Red is everything a father should be. He is brave and caring, he is loyal, he is honest, forgiving and he loves you more than his own life. He will do the same for his children. Liz, you know this. It may be difficult for others to see, but you know it’s there. You’ve always known. Just as I have, just as Trevor did when he decided to raise Red as his own son.” Abe doesn’t look at me, and I don’t look at him. We don’t have to. I know he’s right, and he knows I know he’s right. He doesn’t even need to touch me to see that. Smart-ass fishman.

“Look at this way,” I swear Abe’s smiling as he speaks. It’s impossible, but…it’s something in his eyes. “At least he’s not Myers.”

I’m glad Red’s not awake to hear me laugh so hard that I can hardly breath; he always teases me when I do that. Always.