(no subject)

[stbethadettes]

"What's happening?"

Nobody's answering her goddamn questions. Fucking Sister Ober and the woman with the bun and glasses are just staring at the screen.

"Is... is something wrong with my boy?"

Sister Ober -- even more stoic and stony-faced that before, if that's possible -- turns to her again. "I'm afraid so. Your boy is a girl."

It's like she's not even speaking English; her words make about as much sense to Beth as the German the other woman was speaking.

Her mouth opens in surprise, and as she stares down at her belly, it seems like a whole lot longer than it must actually be before the meaning of the words sinks in. "...What?"

But it's the Sister's turn to make demands. "Where did this child come from?"

Beth unconsciously shrinks into herself a little.

She wants to cry. For the first time in years, she wants to cry. It's not a boy, and she'd been so sure. But she doesn't know any doctors or scientists to make up something believable about. She also knows what happened to most -- if not all -- of the sperm banks after the plague so there's no thinking fast there. She has no fucking clue what she could say that Sister Ober would believe.

All she knows is she can't tell the truth. "I..."

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[no-real-hero.livejournal.com]

"From me."

She can practically read the thoughts on Beth's face; before Sister Fucking Nun and her knightelettes in shining armor can do or say anything, she takes just one step forward toward the crossed halberds keeping her at bay.

"I'm her ex-girlfriend."

Think fast, Hero. Think fucking fast.

"I impregnated her."

[stbethadettes]

It's a damn good thing everybody turns to look at Hero beyond the Swiss Guard halberds, because Beth does the only thing she can at this particular time: look shocked as all hell.

"Young lady," Sister Ober tells Hero, "I've taken a vow of chastity, not stupidity."

[no-real-hero.livejournal.com]

And I never had to take a vow to be chaste or stupid, bitch. Creative fucking writing major: if there's one thing they teach us, it's to think fast.

"There's still semen frozen in sperm banks, okay?"

So far, so good. "And the plague only killed spunk with Y chromosomes."

And that's all absolutely true.

[stbethadettes]

The only thing Beth's grateful for is that Sister Ober doesn't turn to look at her again before trying to pick apart Hero's story.

The halberds part, and the Sister takes a step toward Hero. "But the global power outages destroyed most of those samples... and I was led to believe your country's amazons stupidly incinerated what few facilities remained operable."

[no-real-hero.livejournal.com]

Now that this shit's started, there's nothing to do but see it through. Glad that the chicks with sticks have stepped out of her way, she faces the nun fully.

"Not before bogarting a few samples for themselves."

Yeah, that's true too. Still, she doesn't even look toward Beth. No, this is her ace in the hole and it's the one thing she's banking on to help them out of this fucking place... now they know the baby's not a boy.

[stbethadettes]

For Beth, it's almost like watching a tennis match. Her eyes dart back and forth between Sister Ober and Hero, and she's sure Hero's effort won't be successful.

Clearly still not convinced, Sister Ober holds up her hand. "And how did you get your hands on one?"

[no-real-hero.livejournal.com]

"Guess."

Reaching to her midsection, she pulls open her jacket and shirt, baring what should be her left breast.

All that's there is a ragged ugly scar that sure as fuck speaks loud enough all by itself.

Behind Sister Ober, she sees the look of shock and dismay and everything all over Beth's face, but there isn't much she can do about it. The past is the past, and it's none of this nun's business to know shit about it. None of her fucking business in the least.

[stbethadettes]

She can't help it.

Beth's not a bad liar, but she just can't keep from reacting here, from looking completely horrified. If all the women present turned to her for confirmation of Hero's story right this minute, she still wouldn't have been able to keep the emotion off her face.

Hero's an amazon. A fucking amazon.

For fuck's sake, she even chopped off her own breast. Not even the chicks who tried to burn down the church when Yorick was here were hardcore enough to do that.

Sister Ober is clearly surprised herself, and there's a pause before she speaks again. "I see."

"Please." Beth hears the little waver in her own voice, and she hates it. "Please don't take my baby."

It's mostly meant for the other women, but she can't keep her eyes from going back to Hero, buttoning her shirt back up.

Turning around again, Sister Ober looks at Beth. "We are looking for a child conceived immaculately... and I trust you will forgive me for saying that yours was anything but."

Biting back I could've told you that, you dumb cunt and Then give me my damn clothes and let me go now, Beth shifts uncomfortably on the small bed.

[no-real-hero.livejournal.com]

Well, that's kind of a relief: they don't want her niece (I can't believe I'm gonna be a goddamn aunt!) after all; she moves to Beth's side.

(It's not as bad as you think. Once we're out of here, I'll tell you the whole story. Trust me, just for a minute.)

There's no reason Beth should trust her, but they've already planted the partnership lie and the only thing to do is see it through. Again, she turns her attention to the bitch in black and white.

"So what happens now?"

She needs to know for all their sakes: hers, Beth's, the baby's... and Yorick's. He's the one who sent her here. She wonders if he had any fucking idea what he was getting her into.

[stbethadettes]

"We are not monsters, girl." Beth manages not to snort scornfully at Sister Ober's words. "You and your partner may be on your way." Pulling out a single key on a key chain with a little gold cross connected to it, the Sister holds it out to Hero. "Please accept this with our sincerest apologies. Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord. You and your family will be in my prayers."

Beth can't look at her. She can't look at Hero.

Turning, she notices the ultrasound image still frozen on the all but abandoned screen to her right.

It's her baby. A girl.

And so much bigger and developed than that tiny, blurry little thing she and Spike saw when they went to visit Doc.

Folding her knees up as close to her chest as possible, she rests her arms on them and brings her hand up to her face, the side of her thumb pressing into her bottom lip.

It's the only thing that keeps her from crying.