Chapter Text
Lownote woke up slowly after reaching behind him and turning off his alarm. The resting angel in his arms stirred gently with a soft hum. He smiled as he's given a gentle kiss. His wife held his hand over her pregnant belly. Their matching rings glimmered in the dim morning light. The golden wedding rings with black gemstones glittered in unison.
Her silk hair was tied up in a messy bun for bed. Her back against his chest and curled up sweetly in his arms. Her pretty blue eyes still foggy with sleep but looked up at him with love. He'd always wag his tail subconsciously as he hugged her tighter.
He still can get over how big his hand is in comparison. Briar is getting close to popping in a matter of weeks. The baby is likely going to be rather small, maybe pop child size. Which was roughly half the size of a newborn funk baby. The scanners had determined their baby was a little girl. On his nightstand already was a generated photo. Based on several scans, genetic probability from them both, it was a computer generated best guess on what the baby may look like. Granted it was more for fun than a 100% fool proof prediction. He wasn't sure if it would even work. With them both of two different genres they had to wait till they uploaded Pop data into its database. The first photos they received were monstrous when they hadn't realized the computer couldn't process his wife's features.
But he already had fallen in love with the possible face of his daughter. The silly round face with big purple eyes. She was orange like him too, only she had Branch's darker navy hair, but she had red and maybe some of his purple highlights in her hair like him. She may have loose curls that looked so cute in the prediction photo.
His Snuggalug chittered from its bed above them. Briar got up carefully with her pregnant stomach. It always amazed him how even now she's still so determined to get up herself and try to do stuff. And he'll admit she's an absolute trooper. Unless it's on the ground, she's not bending over or down for shit. Anything on the floor was dead to her and the world. Aside from that she determinedly will waddle all over the funk ship or bunker if she could. She just takes breaks now to rest her sore feet. She hasn't complained about any pain, which was scary in its own way.
Briar was definitely a member of the royal family in a matter of soul. Being Cooper's main provider and caretaker growing up as his big sister in the orphanage. Cooper was a very very clumsy man no matter how many reminders or prevention methods were used. Similar in fashion Essence is messy, she tries her hardest not too but you could always tell she's been somewhere because she'll leave a mess. Quincy and Briar however share a tendency to somehow hurt themselves. Quincy in perhaps lapse of judgment or curiosity tends to hurt himself in unexpected and expected ways. Like when he was certain four 50 gallon tanks could hold his weight. Briar could take a tumble off a cliff and be fine, however she has sneezed and dislocated a rib before.
It's whenever she's not active is she ever actually hacked somehow. Especially with her brother's back in her age their soon to be born daughter's life. She tries to go see them all routinely though that can be difficult. Especially John who travels about and hardly stays in one place. Or Bruce who has his pen life way out in Vaycay Island.
Briar started breakfast. Only in pregnancy has she fallen back and relented to these strange automatic devices. She doesn't fully trust them despite her husband's countless reassurance before. Though in all honesty Lownote must admit it's bland in comparison to her real cooking. She was making two fruit smoothies from the fruit synthesizer and making waffles in the fabricator. She loves waffles more than ever lately and blames it on the baby. Though she still grimaces pipping in the grey sludge that the machine makes into food.
He wonders if the baby could tell the difference? He likely won't learn so until they're much older. His mother already sent earrings for them as well. Pink diamond studs in the shape of hearts. Every Funk troll got their piercings young. It's a very common practice especially for little girls or high status families. She also sent big hoop earrings but he and Briar didn't want those on their baby just yet.
“Any plans today?” Briar asked him rubbing her eyes before taking a smoothie.
“Not really baby…
Lownote perked up hearing the door say there was a delivery for them. Truthfully he's been waiting for it awhile and Briar could see that. He giddily opened the box to pull out two watch-like devices with a flat screen face. He helped his wife put it on happily explaining it's a transporter of sorts. With God bog she's gotten this close to her due date travel is a hassle. This makes it faster and is 100% a- ok for the baby.
So now she could visit her brother's in the blink of an eye. He could see where she was with a quick check and vice versa. They could send messages, share pictures, and even each other's pulse. Their rings could automatically do that last part. But Briar wasn't about to shut him down by being technical or not picking.
Briar let him ramble on and on about all its features before he excitedly moved to one side of the living room. With a careful press of a button he phased out of reality and suddenly was in front of her.
He exclaimed with a loud Ta-da as she giggled and applauded him. Ok that did look like fun and she let him set her to a preset point. That way at a push of a button they'll just phase to each other whenever. She waddled carefully in front of the door and smiled at him. Lownote waited when she phased out, and waited. His face dropped in alarm as he quickly checked his device. Her wrist watch was active but he wasn't seeing her…
He called her name once, then twice than a third as panic set in. He hit the emergency button as he tried to phase her back to him. An Error pop up lit up his screen as he kept trying as he called emergency support from the suppliers. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was a god damn level A pilot and engineer. There has not been a mishap in any form of teleportation based travel in years if not centuries.
Where the hell was his wife and child?!