Aesa felt some shame at him commenting on her financial status. She didn't have anyone, but it wasn't for lack of trying. She sank down in her chair a bit, shamed at not being rich enough to have status in his world. She shouldn't be ashamed, but she couldn't help it. She straightened a bit more, glad to have surprised him with her view on things. "Prudish is boring." She was about to ask how they met, when Cicero stood. She hadn't expected him to give them time right this second. Was this because he knew what she wanted to talk to him about? The speed with which he left had her blinking a few times at his retreating back.
"He didn't want me to leave. I'm pretty sure he would have found a way to keep me here anyway. He's far too interested in some things." She sighed. When he indicated that the man would literally take her hand off, she looked down at his hand. "I try not to judge anyone on anything. As long as he's not assaulting me or raping me, I think... hope... I can deal with anything else." She got up and moved around the table to sit next to him. "So, you know he sat and talked with me some earlier." She waited for him to nod before continuing. "He told me part of why he agreed to help me or that was the impression I got.... is because he wants my future children."
Aesa looked up at Gerwulf studying his face. Trying to see if he already knew or connected it that fast. "He.... said I'm pregnant. And that means...." She took a deep breath, hoping he didn't freak out. "...it's yours. I told him I'd never give him a child of mine without the father's input. And that being you... and us not knowing if it will be one or multiple..." She shook her head. "I hate to drop this on you like this. It's so fast. There's nothing about this the way I would have wanted to tell you. Since he wants to finalize these deals, I felt like I needed to just tell you." She put her head in her hands. "Thank you so much for saving me. I am so sorry I put you in this position."
There was a reason why Cicero left, though he wouldn't have told either why. First was to get a dress ready, and second was to send people to break into Aesa's home to get her bike somewhere safe. Easy enough, as there would either be police or they could gather the information related to the vehicle at the site. Gerwulf's car, which was likely in impound by now or worse. As for Gerwulf and Aesa, once left alone, he grimaced in response to her words. "He'd not have stopped you if you had pushed. He is bound by hospitality as much as we are; Cicero is just bored. Like someone with ADHD, he will hyperfocus on you for a little while and then let you go." Gerwulf spoke from experience.
"He's not the type to force anything; he's been both man and woman as well as many things in between," Gerwulf said, before Aesa moved over to sit next to him. His food and drink were forgotten now that they were alone. "Okay? He did want me to clean up and give you time to speak. I thought he would have tricked you into doing something by now," Gerwulf stated honestly, acknowledging her words and then freezing when she spoke of why Cicero agreed. Mouth going wide as he gave Aesa an almost incredulous look. "He..." Gerwulf was about to say that Cicero didn't eat children, but caught himself as she continued.
"Okay... why?" He commented, then Aesa broke the news to him. "Um, what now?" Dumbfounded all of a sudden, as the life and death situation just became a little weird. "Hold on one moment, what do you mean it's mine? Haven't you slept with anyone else recently, or weren't you on... Now that I think about it, you didn't take anything," As if slowly putting everything together about their time together. However, it had only been one day, and there was no way for Cicero to prove that unless he did something with magic. "Look, I am not sure what Cicero told you. He wouldn't do anything to children as far as I am concerned. We're not wed, but I'll agree with whatever your choice is."
Gerwulf didn't know what else to do with this information. He was raised in a Germanic tribe of nomads, which some held customs from the northlands. This meant that women held all the rights to children outside of marriage, which were more like short-term contracts. If she kept the child, though, Gerwulf would do as he always would: provide a good amount of money so that they wouldn't want for anything. "No, it's fine. I brought this upon myself. I found you too late, and the only person whom I knew who I could get you to, in time, was Cicero. By the way, what do you mean by multiple?"
Aesa sighed not surprised by the question of if there couldn't be someone else. "I forgot to take it the morning before we went to the lake. I took it the day before." She sighed, looking up at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't meant cause this complication for you. I wasn't looking for kids either. Yet, it didn't feel right just telling him he could have the child without talking to you. Because to answer your question, no. I haven't been with anyone else in about... two months or so." She licked her lips nervously. "He seemed very interested in what I'd become and what my children might be." A nervous chuckle left her. "He said I might have a... litter instead of a solitary human child. Soooo... yeah... but let me backtrack a bit."
She told him the conversation she and Cicero had. About her womb and him not wanting to be misunderstood. The things he'd said to her about the situation. "I don't know what I want if I'm honest. I never thought I'd be a mother. But what if I agree to give whatever I have to him to pay off some of or maybe all of the debt and I end up attached by the time I give birth? And you said he wouldn't do anything to a child, but what about when they weren't children anymore? What about when they were adults? The idea of him working on them or doing stuff to them then makes me feel a bit sick at the idea."
When he said it was his fault for not finding her in time, she took his hands. "Hey. No. You got to me as fast as you could. You owed me nothing, Gerwulf. I owe you my life." She smiled at him. "You are a good man. And if I was braver I would have taken all of the burden, but I'm not a hero like you." Most people would call her a scum bag criminal with her record, but she didn't say that. "You saved me. You did the best you could do with the situation. Don't blame yourself." She leaned over and kisses his cheek. "Got any advice for negotiating with him? As far as you can with the agreement you all made?"
Still, it was only one day; perhaps Cicero was wrong. Then again, Gerwulf could count on his left hand how many times the aberration was wrong when it came to medical knowledge. "It's fine, just..." Trying to think of something else to say in this moment, reaching over with his hand to place it on her shoulder. "Cicero does that; experiments are his bread and butter. As for litter... well, I guess you're something that expects litter. Quadrapedal mammals," He murmured before Aesa went back through all that was said between Cicero and her.
"The deal can still be open until after the children are born, either way, unless you choose not to have children. You will have to bring them to term," Gerwulf thought, squeezing her shoulder slightly as he thought about her own attachments. Sucking in some air, Aesa was right, as soon as they weren't children, Cicero would treat them as adults who could deal with him. "He won't force them into anything when they get older, unless it's part of your debt," Revealing another chilling tidbit about their dealings with Cicero.
Nodding when she affirmed that it wasn't his fault, he felt that he could have gotten there faster. Though it was because he didn't have all the information at the time. "You're plenty brave. The issue is that this is not your world. Or at least it wasn't before. So you can't blame yourself for wanting someone to share your burden," He stated with a smile as he glanced over back at the closed door, then back toward her before she kissed him on the cheek. "Speak in literals, do not use metaphors or sugar coat, otherwise it will make it easier for him to bend the negotiations spirit with the letter. Anything he promises is binding, for better or worse. Lastly, he... no, he'll tell you himself. Just ask why he's feared, he'll try to scare you, he likes it when he gets a rise out of people. Remember, predator. Don't challenge him, try to be yourself, and you will be fine."
Aesa listened to his advice nodding. She hoped she could remember all that. "I don't know how to be anything or anyone else but me." She rubbed her forehead. "I wonder how long it'll take before I don't need the drugs. Or his help." She paused, then looked up at him. "Wait... you're a lycanthrope... doesn't that mean you could have turned me? Is there a reason why you didn't? Are the stories wrong or was it something else?" Did he not want to turn her? Did he not like her enough to be willing to save her that way? She wouldn't be mad if that was the case. He saved her. Either way. She wouldn't hold it against him.
"I've seen his eyes and felt the warmth in his chest, but he assured me he wasn't a dragon. Claims he's human." She sighed. "I don't think it'd be hard for him to scare me or get a thrill out of my reaction. And I'm guessing if I ask your opinion on what we've discussed so far, it would be against your agreement, right?" The next thing she wanted to ask him was about what had happened before. She knew what Cicero had told her about the wound from the gunshot, but he'd found her and she didn't know what Griffin might have done during the moments that she passed out.
"There were moments, after he shot me, and they were beating me that I blacked out. Did it look like they'd... touched me in any other way?" If so what if the pregnancy Cicero sensed was one of them? But that would have been hours, even that seemed fast for someone with the abilities that Cicero appeared to have. The age he projected. "I'm not sure how I managed to called you. I just remember coming to and crawling to my phone and calling you."
