Xika von Lagon entered into the DEU and looked around, seeing as it hadn't changed since she had visited the time before. She had hoped something different would be there but nothing was out of place from the last time. She looked around for her brother, anxious to see him, but saw hide nor hair of him. I know I told Brantley to let him know... she thought.

"Xika." She turned and found Brantley waiting for her. "Sorry I was late."

"That's alright, although usually Silas comes and greets me himself. Did you not tell him I was coming?"

"I did but he said that he wasn't going to be able to come and get you. He hoped you understood."

"I guess I do... How have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. You've gotten more muscular since I last saw you."

"Well, your brother isn't one for slacking off in regards to training. He's ruthless sometimes."

The two of them chatted as they headed to Silas' barrack when they noticed someone was guarding the door.

"Oh, Undersquire Graygold... why are you in front of Silas' door?"

"I was told to guard it."

"Guard it? For what?" Xika asked.

"I'm not at liberty to say. I just know that Knight von Lagon requested me to keep anyone out that doesn't belong."

Xika and Brantley looked at each other in confusion.

"Is Knight von Lagon sick?" Xika asked.

"Not that I am aware of. I was not given any other details except for the fact that I was to guard the door and make sure no one went in unannounced... except for High Knight la'Kefroumpoi or Dr. Mitchell."

"Is there a way to ask if we can come in?"

Bijela sighed. "I guess... Hold on one moment."

She went into the barrack and closed the door behind her.

**********************

Even though she was told (through the door) that no one was allowed in, Knight von Lagon never actually said if she was supposed to follow that rule as well. The lights were off and it was dark inside the barrack. Odd... Usually there is someone else in here... Come to think of it, though, I haven't seen anyone from his barrack try to come in. She got to Silas' room and knocked on it softly.

"Knight von Lagon?" There was no answer. "Knight von Lagon, are you in there?"

The sound of a toilet flushed and a groan sounded from down the hallway. Bijela waited for her superior to come out at the end of the hallway. The shuffling sound of feet was heard before she saw him and then she made a face.

"Uh... Knight von Lagon?"

Silas turned to her quickly, trying to adjust his shirt over his... very large stomach.

"Undersquire Graygold, I thought I told you not to come in here." He growled.

The hallway was dark so all Bijela could see was the silhouette of her superior –which she was doubting if it was really him or not- so she squinted her eyes to try and get a good look.

"I know you did say that, sir, but I didn't really think it actually applied to me as well."

"How can I trust anything from you if you can't follow some simple directions?"

"I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again... um, but there are two people who want to see you."

"Who?"

"Knight Oakseed and a very handsome lady."

"Shit, it's Xika... Give me five minutes and then let them in. Tell them I'll be in my bed."

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. Just do what I ask of you."

Bijela was still confused but shook her head and went back out to Brantley and Xika.

"Knight von Lagon says he will see you but we need to give him a couple of minutes."

Xika sighed. "Thank goodness... I thought something happened to him."

"He doesn't exactly seem... well. He was in the shadows so I really couldn't tell but I think something is wrong with him. The fact that he's here at the barracks instead of training me or doing drills is quite unlike him."

"I have noticed that he's been acting strange."

Bijela figured it was about time she could let the two in and opened the door.

"He said he would be in the bedroom."

"Thank you."

The two of them walked back through the dark rooms and found Silas' room. Brantley knocked on it and heard a voice say for them to come in.

************************

Silas couldn't believe he forgot about his sister! And thank god for the bad lightning in the barrack or his underling would have seen his massive stomach. Bijela had left to give him time to get situated and hide his ever growing belly. Since the day before when Dr. Mitchell had told him that he would be harboring a dragon egg (for real) his stomach had almost doubled in girth. At first it had been a small paunch but now he looked like he had eaten a banquet table of food. He felt heavy and full all the time, not really hungry at all. There was a knock on the door and Silas rearranged the sheets to hide his belly and he told them to come in.

Brantley walked in first and then Xika behind him. Seeing her brother in bed, Xika ran to him.

"Silas! Are you alright? What has you so sick that you're actually bedridden?"

"Nothing to worry about, I swear. Just a bad case of food poisoning or something. I guess I ate the wrong kind of mushroom while on duty." He said with a sad excuse for a smile.

Brantley narrowed his brown eyes at his friend, knowing good and well that he was faking it.

"Don't worry about me, Xika; what brings you here?"

***********************

After what seemed like hours upon hours of talking and laughing and sharing things, Silas really, really, really had to pee. He had been holding it for at least two hours and although it wasn't that bad when it first started, he was about to piss all over himself if he didn't get up. But if he got up, they would see his stomach, and as they had been talking, he had felt his stomach stretch just a little more outward. He had already practically scared away his barrack-mates, so that was a good thing so that he could have the barrack to himself and all the little weird things that were happening to him would be confined to those four walls. But his friend wasn't as unobservant as his sister and he noticed that Brantley kept glancing at him from the side, probably remembering what had happened the night before with his stomach.

Finally, Xika and Brantley stood up and headed to Silas' door.

"I'm glad we got to spend a little time together... even if it was in your room while you were holed up in bed for some reason. Are you sure you're not sick?" his sister asked.

"I assure you that it's just working too much. The High Knight insisted I rest for a bit."

"But practically bedridden rest?" Brantley chuckled.

Silas shrugged. "According to everyone here, I don't know how to relax so I guess this definitely puts things into perspective."

Xika laughed as Brantley led her out of the barrack. Silas listened for the sound of the main door to close and then jumped out of bed as much as he feasibly could and headed to the bathroom to relieve himself.

************************

Brantley saw Xika off and made sure that she was far enough away to not see his smile disappear and the worry he had been holding in come upon his face. Silas had been his friend ever since they had entered into training for the DEU and it was true that his friend was a stick in the mud times ten, but he wasn't that bad. That and the thing last night with his stomach worried Brantley and so he went back to Silas' barrack. He didn't care about what Bijela said as he pushed her out of the way and opened the door to the barrack. Silas looked up from squatting on the floor as he tried to reach the pen he had dropped. Brantley looked at him in confusion for a moment as Silas willed his body to stand up. Once he stood, Brantley's eyes immediately went to Silas' slightly exposed stomach as Bijela stood in shock, her hands over her mouth dramatically.

"Underquire Graygold, did I not tell you to stand guard at the door of the barracks?" Silas growled. Bijela only nodded. "Then why the hell are the both of you inside the barrack?!"

"Silas, what happened to you?" Brantley asked, his shock so high he didn't even have the ability to hide it.

Silas adjusted his shirt but gave up when it just rode up the sides again.

"What does it look like to you, Knight Oakseed?"

"You look pregnant!" Bijela finally blurted out, unable to catch herself.

Silas just narrowed his eyes at his subordinate. "Right; what my undersquire said."

"What do you mean 'what my undersquire said'?! That doesn't make any sense either!"

"Before we go into the gory details, could someone get my pen off the floor? Please?" Bijela immediately grabbed the pen and handed it to Silas. "Thank you. Regarding this atrocity, I'm afraid Undersquire Graygold is correct. I am pregnant... not by choice." He snarled.

"Wh-wh-what do you mean?"

"Brantley, you look like you've seen a ghost. Why don't you go home and act like this is all a dream." Silas mumbled, pushing Brantley out of the barrack.

"But-"

"Go back to sleep!"

He shut the door in his friend's face and sighed against it when he looked up and saw Bijela watching him from the shadow of the rooms.

"Undersquire, if you please?"

"How... does it all work? I mean... do you give birth to it?"

"Uh... no... I'm working out the kinks."

"When my sister was pregnant with my nephew, I don't think she ever got as big as you are in such a short period of time..."

"Uh... are you planning on staying here?"

"Don't you need a guard?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"I am very confused as to whether I should be this alright with what's going on or if I should run to my own barrack and try not to sob from holding back fear of what's happening. How did it happen, sir?"

"It would be easier to just have you read it. There are recorded instances of this throughout the war between dragons and humans. Here." Silas handed her the book that Dr. Mitchell had let him borrow. "This has all the answer you may need."

"This is a book about elves."

"No, that's a book written by an elf." Silas leaned more into the door as he felt his stomach push out a little more. "Unless you plan on staring at me all day, if you're going to guard my barrack then do so. If not, please don't spread my condition to anyone. If you say something, I will know."

Bijela saluted her superior. "I shall guard the door with my life."

"That's what you said last time and look what happened?"

"Knight Oakseed is a lot stronger than I am and knocked me over."

Silas wasn't sure if he should be amused or saddened that she was saying it with such a proud looking face.

"Whatever... Just... Like I said, don't spread this around. I'm waiting for High Knight le'Kefroumpoi to bring me some news. If he comes, he's allowed in and I guess you and Brantley now as well."

"Understood, sir."

Silas sighed and pushed himself from the door and headed back towards his room.

"I'm going to take a nap."

"Yes sir."

Bijela finally left as Silas walked slowly to the bed. He was getting nauseous again and didn't feel like vomiting and trying to clean it up. He glared at his quite visible stomach now and poked it angrily.

"You're a pain in the ass, ya know?"

Nothing happened and he grumbled to himself even more as he got into bed.