bakerstreet | We're a family now

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We're a family now

the "Starting a Family" meme

Nature is no respecter of persons, my friends. Whether it be childhood friends, newlyweds, or one-night stands, a single decision or accident can change everything, and there will be three people instead of just two.

Congratulations! The characters in these threads and those who reply to them are now expecting babies, no matter what their unique situation may be. Of course, depending on the characters, this might go over like a lead balloon. But wait! Even if the decision to have a baby was made and was consensual, the process is no walk in the park. There is lots to do...and only nine months to do it. Nine potentially drama-filled months.

HOW TO PLAY

Comment with your character, preferences, etc.
Not all options here are fluffy and happy. Some are potentially angsty or possibly triggering. Tread lightly. Be sure to mention what you want and what you don't want.
Reply to others.
For this, male characters can get pregnant because why not.

PROMPTS

How'd It Happen: What led up to this event? How are you in this situation?

Realization: There's a wrench in the works...or maybe it was expected, but you're just realizing you're pregnant.

Positive Reaction: Yes, after all this time and planning! You're finally ready for a family.

Negative Reaction: Oh, no. This is terrible. You're in no position to take care of a child!

Freak Outs: But...how? You're a human, she's an alien, how -

Deciding What to Do: If this wasn't planned, there needs to be a plan of action now.

Keep it Secret: You're attempting to keep your pregnancy a secret from your partner. This is only a bandaid for the bigger problem.

Telling Others: The other people in you two's life have to know at some point.

Drama: No one wanted you to have a kid and the anger is palpable.

Morning Sickness and More: Everything hurts and the mornings are hell.

Learning: If you're in a technologically advanced society, you may get to see an ultrasound. Otherwise, there are folk remedies that can be tried.

Manipulation: One of you is using the prospect of a child to bend the other to their will and make them stay.

My Body is a Cage: The person carrying the baby is having a decent amount of discomfort, mentally and physically.

Showing: It's a secret no longer with an expanding stomach.

Support: The partner who isn't carrying the child should do their best to be there and help out...

Overprotective: ...but to a degree. Don't act like the partner carrying the child is made of paper.

Getting Ready: The house or apartment or castle has to be babyproof.

Heart to Heart: It's time to talk about the big changes before the happen. Where do the two of you stand?

It's Happening: THE BABY IS COMING.

Rough Going: Childbirth is still a dangerous affair and there's no smooth sailing for you. So pace if you're lucky, scream in the bed if you're not.

Bad End: Not all new beginnings last. Sometimes, they become unhappy endings.

Coming Home: Finally, parents and baby get to settle down.

Getting Used to This: Well, maybe settle down. There's still crying in the night, feedings to do, diapers to change...

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[ In truth, they were fortunate this hadn't happened sooner, that it hadn't happened after so many reckless fumblings in the dead of night (and a few secret rendezvous during the day). It would have been disastrous then, while a war was waging and they were unwed, most completely aware of the growing affection between them.

Now, they are wed, King and Queen in the North, ruling side-by-side as equals. Some might even say the Seven blessed them with keeping her from falling with child before that. Sansa, however, has plenty of unkind things to say about the Seven now that she's no longer a foolish, hopeful child but a woman grown. A woman with a life growing inside of her according to Septa Alina, a kind and happy woman who is nothing like the Septa Mordane who helped to mold her. She'd been patient enough to endure Sansa's silent astonishment and then her fearful tears, promising not to make mention of either ever again.

As she sat in her chambers by the fire, her gaze is fixated on the flames as they dance in the hearth, her hands wringing in her lap. She'd abandoned her review of the numbers and the status of their food stores, too distracted to pay them too much mind. Jon would find her eventually, she knew that much and she wondered if he would be as uncertain and fearful as she'd been when she tells him. Or would he feel what she feels now as she sits there, distracted? A feeling that comes so rarely to her now, a feeling that had been beaten, manipulated and raped out of her for so long.

Would he feel the fragile, hopeful joy that curls around her heart now? ]

[It's still odd to him now, after many moons that his childhood fantasies came true. Winterfell is his, though he continues to insist that it belongs to Sansa first but she treats him as an equal, a Stark like her who has just as much right to be there as she does. For a bastard boy who never quite belonged and was never let to forget it, and scolded even for his games with Robb, it doesn't come naturally to him. Leadership never has, people tell him he's great and they pledge their loyalties to him, lay down their lives when he asks it and he is only doing what is right. It's not any more special than that and while WInterfell may be his home, has always been what he thought of when he pictured home, whenever someone addresses him as 'my lord' he almost looks around to see who else is there.

He may have dreamed of being declared a Stark but he definitely never thought to marry a woman like Sansa, much less Sansa herself. It was probably as much of a surprise that Sansa let him touch her, join her in her bed, love him in return after the things she'd been through. Jon would have been perfectly content if she'd never been ready for it, had never wanted anything except to hold his hand and fall asleep with their clothes on. He'd been prepared for a lifetime of celibacy once, and it wouldn't have been that bad to spend the rest of their lives like that, so long as he knew she was happy and safe.

That is also to say that he's not at all upset with or complaining about their sex life, how sweet it is to hold her and how she makes those breathy noises when he puts his mouth on her. Children hasn't really been on his mind, though people ask him from time to time if the Queen is expecting and he usually stops those conversations with a cold look. Jon imagines the gods will bless them with a child if they want, though he's never known the gods to be especially kind to either of them.

Perhaps Arya will have a few with Gendry and they'll name those children heirs to the North if they must.

Eventually his finishes with his tasks for the day, making his way to their chambers for the night. The people of Winterfell know well enough by now that when their lord and lady retire, it's best to leave them alone until dawn unless it's truly dire. Jon still bars the door behind him, out of habit from before their marriage and in case anyone does forget the unspoken rule and tries to enter their room without much warning and sees something they should not.

He crosses to press his lips against her hair, leaning over her chair.]

You seem quiet tonight.

[ For a few days time, she'd been feeling unwell in the evenings, fatigued and nauseated with little appetite. It was years of practice, years of being forced to smile and look content that made her able to keep that hidden from those around her. Jon may have more clearly noticed if her spells hadn't hit her during the hour they rarely saw each other, right before supper as both were wrapping up their day's task.

She had gone to the Septa and Maester finally, although deep down she thought she knew the answer. She knew the facts of life, she knew what happens when a man lay with a woman. And she knew her own body... They only confirmed what she was afraid of. Except that fear, had slipped into something sweeter.

When he comes into their chambers, she feels a flush come over her and she nods at his words, knowing she'd been virtually silent at supper tonight. She reaches out for his hand so he will not move away from her yet.] Jon... I have something I must tell you.

[Jon is not always the most observant of how people around him feel, if the several daggers to the chest are any indication of how badly he can misjudge a situation. Another reason why children aren't at the forefront of his mind. They'd come together for months with no child, perhaps he came back more different than he thought. As if the nightmares and the way it feels like he is a part of Ghost, as much as Ghost lives in him, isn't enough. Maybe the lord of light took that away from him too.

He's concerned, though he knows if it was something truly dire, he would've been informed already. It's nothing to do with Bran or Arya then, or the safety of their hardwon family keep. Mouth set into a thin line, he nods and moves to kneel in front of her chair, instead of moving to pull his own over.]

What is it, love?

[ She'd known the news for over an hour now and yet she had not thought on how she might tell it to him. For all that her mind raced and wandered and dreamed, she had not thought of the words to say. Jon was better with speeches, rallying people around him... She was better with the more subtle things.

This news was good news, she thinks. Although she realizes they never once discussed the possibility of it nor their feelings on children. They'd both lost their proper childhoods, it was strange to think they may be able to give one to their own child. For a moment, she is distracted, a faint smile curving her lips at the happy thought. Hope dares to stir within her again, fighting against fears that wish to quell it.

She looks to him as he kneels and she reaches for his hands, her voice soft.] I... [ Her expression goes almost amused for a moment as she battles her nerves.] You are going to be a father.

[Without thinking, acting on instinct, he rocks back on his heels, his eyes dropping immediately to her stomach as if he expects her to be swollen with child already even though she wasn't last night. Women and childbirth is not something Jon can claim to be an expert on, having only ever observed them from a distance. Lady Catelyn never let him anywhere near her when she was having her children. He can't even begin to guess how far along Sansa is now.]

Truly?

[Cautiously, he reaches out to brush his knuckles against her belly, staring at it for several long moments. He's seen many things in his life, impossible things that stalled him in his tracks but she seems to have managed to completely shut his brain down.]

You're certain?

[ His reaction is impossible to decipher, even for Sansa who has a knack for such things. It seems he goes through the same emotions as she had, moving away from her startled by the news only to move to touch her barely rounded belly hopeful? She isn't certain.

Her eyes watch his hand, unable to look at his face in the moment, uncertain of how she feels and almost afraid that this news might upset him somehow, an irrational thought but it seems that those kinds of thoughts have come more and more lately. ]

Septa Alina told me so. And the Maester agreed.

[His eyebrows pull together for a moment before he starts to laugh, because he'd seen Sam today and the man who claimed to be his best friend didn't breathe a word about this. Perhaps he knew that Sansa would want to tell him herself. That this was a moment that needed to happen between a man and his wife.

Still chuckling under his breath, he surges up onto his knees to gather her face between his hands. Jon traces her cheekbones with his thumbs.]

I didn't think-- [He doesn't know how to finish that sentence yet. He didn't think he could have children. He never expected to have a family for himself. Has never thought of himself as a father. Shaking his head, like shaking off the negative thoughts and worries and the sudden unexpected fear that he won't be any good at being a father, definitely not like Ned Stark, he leans in to kiss her softly.]

This is wonderful.

[ His laughter eases the tension in her shoulders she didn't know she had, it's a salve to wounds she's tried so desperately to ignore. For so long, the last thing she wanted was to have a child because it was all Ramsay wanted from her (beyond his perverse delights). Too many times he whispered with his hot, sickly smelling breath that he would put a baby into her eventually. A son, an heir for himself. For so long, she'd hoped for nothing to come of that, for so long the idea of having a child sickened her.

Now, it was almost a shock to feel any different. Despite the tiny hope she had felt before, she hadn't allowed herself feel... happy. And here is Jon, laughing and kissing her, telling her that is wonderful. And she realizes it is wonderful. A smile finds its shape on her lips and she nods, as if she's starting to believe that herself.]

Are you happy then? [ Sansa isn't usually one who needs affirmation from anyone but her mind is at war with herself and for a moment, she desperately needs someone to guide her towards the proper emotion, towards excitement and not dread or worry. ]

[Jon kisses her again as an answer, because yes. It is a good thing and he's happy about it. Just surprised, that's all and he hasn't even begun to worry about what could happen or what their child will be like or how he will handle being a father. How could he possibly live up the example that Ned Stark laid down for them? He doesn't think he's half the man as Lord Stark was. Those fears will come later, after they've celebrated.]

Growing up-- I never thought I'd have a family of my own. I didn't want to make any more Snows in the world. [Which a child of his would've been, if he hadn't married a noble lady like herself, if she hadn't given him the name he'd been secretly yearning for for years.]

You've given me so much, Sansa, and now this... I'm happy. Did Sam say how far along you are? Are you tired? Can I get you anything?

[ Her hands move to hold his face, to touch him with a tenderness she only reserves for a special few, a tenderness that struggled to exist after so much cruelty. It is a quiet and patient thing, delicate and well-earned. And the smile she gives him is a sad one, the idea of how much he loathed his own station in life and the part she played in that...

It was in the past now, she'd done all she could to mend that hurt.] Almost a month. [ She says with a softer smile as he fusses after her.] I am... well, food seems to refuse to stay with me and the smell of the stables makes me want to faint now.

[There'd really been nothing to forgive her for, even when she insisted on it, because they were children when they left Winterfell. He'd been so certain that the only option for him in life was to be a brother of the Night's Watch and earn his honor there and that he'd never miss a woman's touch or his home or the feel of his own child in his arms. Uncle Benjen and Maester Aemon were right, that he was a green boy who didn't know anything back then and now it feels like he knows too much. But maybe he never really would've shrugged off the label of bastard if he hadn't had gone the path he did. His brother humbled him, taught him what really mattered in life, just as much as the Free Folk did.

Jon moves his hands to her shoulders, like he's still testing out whether or not she's truly alright. She seems fine, a little tired but now he knows she's with child. That changes everything.]

Should I bathe then? I fear I've been around the horses all day.

[ She was a foolish child, led by the bitterness of her heartbroken mother. Catelyn may always be a point of contention between them. Sansa can see now, perhaps even more clearly once she has a child of her own, how unfair it was for her lady mother to deny Jon love as she did. She also knows that pride can be stronger than sense, she has seen it time and time again. She is in many ways is her mother's daughter but she has also grown and she loves Jon more than he may ever realize, hopefully making up for the years that she did not.

Her hands slide down to touch his arms, her expression serene for a moment before she laughs.] I did not want to say anything but... [ she wrinkles her nose up at him, playfully. ]

[It takes Jon a moment to decide if she's joking or not, frowning a little at her before he nods, and moves to stand. If his lady wife says that he stinks and that he needs to bathe or else she'll faint, then he must do it immediately. He pulls his fur cloak from his shoulders, even though he'll have to go back out of their room to find a maid to get the water for the bath. It definitely smells of horses though, and the offended garment is tossed to the other side of the room, as if that will help keep her from smelling it.]

We should send ravens to Arya and Bran in the morning. They should know first.

[ She hadn't meant to make him frown and for a moment, she thinks she's made him cross. A few months ago, such a worry would have made her heart secretly race with panic. Now, she only feels slightly uneasy and keeps to her seat, her hands moving to her lap once again, perfectly poised.

She may not be the little bird she once was but she is not made of stone either, the longer she has been able to settle in this new life, the easier it is for past trauma to haunt her. But each time Jon shows her kindness instead of cruelty, those fearful thoughts find their way to her less often. And no matter what, it does not keep her from voicing her opinion or being herself, Ramsay and Lannisters did not break her.

She tilts her head at his words, nodding in agreement soon after.] Yes. [ She takes a moment before she speaks again.] I was only teasing you before.

[Jon can count on one hand the number of times he's actually been annoyed with her since they gave in to their desires and each time, he's made that fairly obvious. He loves her more than anything, but she can be so contrary and so frustrating sometimes that he shouts back at her. They're wolves, sometimes they just need to snap and snarl at each other but never really do any damage.

He looks at her confused now, utterly unsure if she means the bath or the babe. Joking about a child seems a little too far, even for her but Jon still hesitates for a moment before he returns to her.]

You're certain? I don't want to make you feel sick.

[ More often than not, it is she who loses her temper with him. They are both strong-willed but ultimately fair like the man who raised them. But she has much more difficult time forgiving like her lady mother. However, she would forgive Jon just about anything, not that he has done much to truly anger her. It is true, sometimes wolves just need to snap at one another.

Of course, she would never joke about anything as serious as this but she does not realize she needs to clarify.] It is the smell of the stables that make me feel sick, not you or the smell of it on you. [ She offers him a steady smile.] At least not yet.

[She's going to have to keep from teasing him too much over the next nine moons, because he's going to worry and fret over every little thing now.]

You'll tell me the instant it does? [Jon doesn't look entirely convinced she isn't sickened by the smell of him right now. He's certain that he always stinks compared to her. Spent too much time on the Wall and at war and got comfortable in that life. He might have to start bathing before he ever comes to her at the end of the day from now on.]

[ She nods but looks far more amused than fretful than before. He is so much more considerate than she supposes most men are with their wives.] Are you going to fuss over me like this until this baby comes?

[To his credit, he looks sheepish for a moment before he nods. Jon doesn't remember Ned Stark being overly protective of Lady Catelyn whenever she carried her children, but he was so young for most of her pregnancies and never her favorite person to begin with. Who knows what the last lord and lady of Winterfell were like behind closed doors, away from prying eyes and nosy children.

He touches her shoulders.]

You're carrying my child. I think I'm allowed.

[ For all that she is fiercely independent, she cannot help but look pleased at his answer. Of course, she might find it grating later but for now, she thinks it sweet and charming, his concern for their newly discovered child ignited in an instant.

She reaches for one his hands and moves to bring his palm to her lips for a gentle kiss.]

Yes, I suppose you are.

[His other hand finds her belly, drawn there as if a moth to a flame, unable to help from touching and marveling. If his fussing doesn't annoy her, this new habit surely will, but he can't stop. He's going to be a father. If he wasn't already the luckiest bastard in the seven kingdoms, then he is now.]

Would you like a feast? To celebrate the good news.

[Jon notoriously does not like feasts as a general rule. Probably from all the years he spent excluded from the high table at them because of who his mother was (and most importantly, was not) but he knows that she likes the songs and dance.]

[ There was a time she loved nothing more than a lively feast. It was an excuse for her mother to do her hair up nice and to stay up late, hearing stories of old romances, princes and princesses and love. Then she went to King's Landing, her father was murdered and feasts became a source of agony, an opportunity to be tormented by the Lannisters. Her return to the north didn't change that, Ramsay used feasts as a chance to torture an humiliate her.

It was only now that she was lady of Winterfell that feasts slowly found their way back into her good graces, that they gave her enjoyment instead anxiety. Still, at his question, she shakes her head.] Not yet. [ She knows that such news should not be celebrated so soon... ] I want it only between us, perhaps our family too, for now.

[Jon looks surprised for a moment but nods anyway. If that's what she wants, then that's what she will get.]

Ravens can be intercepted, [So perhaps they won't tell Arya and Bran for some time yet. The gods only know if a raven would get to Arya before Sansa gave birth, much less get her back to Winterfell. He doesn't think that Bran will make the journey north, no matter how much warning he gets.]

We could go tell your father. In the crypts.

We're a family now

jon snow | got | ota

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