"Oh no!" Liz sat on the closed toilet seat in the small bathroom. This was the same room where, a couple of days prior, she had told Abe to, "get your damn hands off the door." As she sat, Liz stared at the strip that was the source of all her woes. "This can't be right." She moaned and stopped herself from reaching for another strip. "Stop mocking me," the fire starter hissed and reread the directions on the pesky test. "What's the point? Abe's already verified it." Liz covered her face with her hands. "All the tests in the world won't change the facts." Tears threatened as the young woman stared into space.
' Dammit! I can't have a baby now…it's the wrong time.' She considered her options. 'Red never has to know. I can get a leave and go to the clinic in town. They're discreet… no one ever has to know.'
Could she do it? Get rid of her own baby. Liz rested her hands on her still concave belly and took a deep breath. "I will not bring another freak into the world!" With those words, she made her decision.
The gray spikes of the wrought iron fence appeared to reach towards the stormy sky, like the fingers of a supplicant attempting to appease an angry god. Abe and John got out of the car and walked up to the box that would grant them entrance into a world more civilians were currently becoming aware of.
"Squeaky Clean Up Waste Management," John read, as a smile played around his lips. It was déjà vu. Here was the same dreary sky, along with the same sense of wonder as he entered a new territory. Well…now, not so new. John rubbed his belly as nausea threatened to overwhelm him. 'Somewhere, in that monolithic structure, Hellboy lurks.' John clutched the bars, "Abe, I can't do this…I can't face him."
Abe gently rested a webbed hand on the stressed man's arm, and was instantly assaulted with images of a small fetus, curled up, sucking his thumb. "Do not worry John T. Myers; I am sure that everything will be alright.' Abe gently caressed the trembling arm. "He's sucking his thumb."
John rested a hand on his abdomen. "You can see that?" Abe nodded. "You can tell that it's, I mean, the baby, he-he's a boy?"
"Yes, most definitely."
Pinks and oranges broke through the gloom as dusk began to settle into night. Silently, John stood taking in the large building, while Abe watched him.
John's hands caressed his bulge as if he was soothing the growing fetus within. "Is he okay? Can you tell if he…does he look human?"
Abe gazed skyward as he considered the question. "At this point, he appears to be. I do know that his life force is strong and he seems to be in good health."
"I guess that's all I can ask for, isn't it?"
"John…"
Myers held up a weary hand. "We might as well get this over with." Bracing himself, John stepped up to the optical identifier, thus initiating the process that would bring him closer to the heartache he had run away to avoid.
"Agent Myers, it's good to have you back!" Manning's warm welcome rang as phony as the man's 150 watt smile. John reached out and grasped the extended hand, and found his arm pumped briskly up and down.
'So this is what a well pump handle feels,' he thought wryly as his lips twitched. "It's good to be back sir." He watched as Manning stood at arm's length to take in his wayward agent. If he was taken aback by the longer than shoulder-length hair, the pretty face, and the obviously pregnant belly, he gave no outward indication.
"Your room is waiting for you," Manning said as he turned to walk away. "Once you get settled in, come and see me about work restrictions and current assignments." He took a few steps, and then suddenly turned back to John and caught up the startled agent in a hug. "It really is good to have you back. Hellboy has been a bear without you." He flushed, as if he gave away more than he intended.
John raised an eyebrow as Manning quickly released him, turned on his heel, and walked swiftly down the hallway.
Myers watched his retreating director. "Well, that was…interesting."
Abe's whisper was conspiratorial. "Do not let his gruff exterior fool you. He cares for you a great deal, as he does all his men."
"Even Red."
"Even Red." Abe turned to the agents that had come in with them and motioned towards Myers' bags. "Please take Agent Myers' to his room." As the agents moved to follow his orders, Abe gestured in the direction of the lab. "Let's go and have a look at the little one."
'Two hours.' John kept his head down as he wearily dragged himself towards his room. 'Why are my quarters the farthest from the infirmary? I know Abe likes to be thorough but…' He stopped to lean against the wall, and took a deep breath as the baby kicked him. "Please little one, not now. My back hurts, my feet are swollen… all in all, daddy's not having a good day." John closed his eyes, praying for strength while he rubbed his abdomen, and then winched as another kick landed.
"Freak." A gruff voice hissed. John stumbled, and almost fell to his knees before he caught himself.
'Why do they hate me so much?' He rested his cheek against the cold stone wall, and the baby kicked him again. 'It'll be alright little one. I just need to get back to my room and lie - Shit! I still have that meeting with Manning.' Sighing, he struggled to push himself upright.
"Well, well…if it isn't Agent Myers. At least… I think it's Myers."
John turned as two agents approached. He cringed as he recognized Richards and Brice.
'Of all the Bureaus of Paranormal Research and Defense in the world… they had to walk into mine,' he thought, and began to giggle.
"Yo, Myers," Brice, the shorter of the two agents sneered. "What's with all the hair?"
"Yeah." Richards joined in leering at Myers. "You look so pretty." He circled Myers, staring intently at the bulge. "Take a gander at the gut on that guy."
Brice reached for Myers, who stepped back, his hand coming up to cover his belly. "Please…just leave me alone."
Richards stepped up behind Myers. "If I didn't know better…"
"May I be of assistance, Herr Myers?" a soft accented voice inquired.
The three agents turned to see, a man, Myers assumed it to be a man, dressed in a containment suit. A million questions ran though his mind, but he said, "Yes. Thank you. Mr…"
"Krauss, Johann Krause."
"Mr. Krause."
Krause regarded the other two agents. "Brice, Richards! Do your duties not keep you busy, or do you need to be assigned additional responsibilities?"
"No, sir!" Brice responded through a clenched jaw.
"Dismissed."
The agents cast a hate -filled look at John, before moving quickly away.
"Thank you." John's eyes were dull with pain and exhaustion. "I'd better get…" His knees gave out and Johann barely caught him as he crumpled to the floor.
"Let's get you back to Abe, shall we?" He easily lifted the unconscious man into his arms.
Liz was on her way out of the complex when the buzz started.
"What the hell happened to him? He was only gone a few months."
"Did you see him? He's as big as a whale!"
"Well…not a whale but he's pretty big."
"Speaking of pretty… did you see all that long hair… and his face?"
"He'd give most girls a run for the money, I'll tell you that!"
Liz grabbed one of the passing agents. "Who is everyone talking about?
The agent, a fresh-faced young man, turned beet red. "M-m'am?"
"The gossip!" Liz shook the man. "Who are they talking about?"
The agent looked around as if seeking salvation.
Liz raised the temperature of the hand grasping the man's collar just enough to make him sweat. "Who?"
"John Myers!"
"Welcome back, John T. Myers." Abe's soothing tone was like a balm to John's soul.
"What happened?" John tried to sit up, but Abe gently pushed him until he was once more, lying down.
Abe ducked his head and sighed. "I'm afraid it was my fault. I was so eager to assure you of the baby's continuing good health that I exhausted you."
John waved him off. "It's alright Abe." Abe looked about to protest, when John reiterated, "It's all right!"
The accented voice, which John now recognized as German, inquired, "Is there anything else that you require, Herr Myers?"
John rolled onto his side to face the man. "Just answer one question… who are you?"
Bowing slightly, and clicking his heels, Krauss introduced himself. "Johann Krauss, Hellboy's keeper, at your service."
'Keeper,' John thought, 'that's the right word for it. Red needs a keeper.' "That used to be my job," he whispered.
Krauss nodded.
Liz barely contained the internal fire singing in her veins, demanding to be freed. She wanted to burn down the entire complex; she didn't care, as long as she could get to a certain agent.
'Did you see him? He's so pretty. Big as a whale. If he was a woman…' The thoughts twisted and writhed like so many poisonous snakes, snakes whose fangs sank deep into the young fire starter.
"If he were a woman, you'd think he was pregnant," Liz hissed. "I've got to see him!"
Johann bid the two agents farewell, and left to review the reports of the Bureau's most recent case.
John watched Abe putter around his lab until he couldn't take the silence any longer. "Abe?"
"Yes, John."
"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"
Abe continued his circuit of the lab. "What makes you think anything is amiss, John T. Myers?"
"Well…" John smoothed down the tails of his shirt. "First, you seem as nervous as a canary at a cat convention."
"What?"
"It's something that my Uncle Thad always says."
"Ah. I see."
"Yes. Second, you only use my middle initial when you're trying to protect or reassure me." John's voice softened. "It's not about Red, is it?"
Abe sighed and finally turned to face him. 'I wish I dared tell you my true feeling for you, John T. Myers,' he thought, watching Myers running his fingers through his hair.
Abe had loved Myers almost as long as the young man had loved Hellboy, so he too was familiar with unrequited love. He settled for being a good friend to both John and Red.
"It does concern Red, but not in the way you think."
Myers heart began to hammer in his chest. "It's Liz."
Abe nodded. "Elizabeth Sherman is pregnant."
Hellboy raced through the underground corridors of the complex.
'Myers is back.' Warmth that he hadn't experienced in a long time suffused his being. 'Damn! Why didn't the kid tell me he was coming back?' He continued, moving swiftly, stopping at Myers door. "Open up, Squirt." He waited. "Come on kid. I just want to say 'hi.'" The door remained tightly closed. The red demon sighed and punched in Myers security code- just on the off chance… the slide opened on silent hinges.
'Well, I'll be. Kept the same code. This has got to be a sign.' HB slipped into the room and looked around. He noted that everything was set up as it had been before John's departure. 'Still doesn't like anything on his walls.' Red grinned, and moved towards the closet. 'Same old Myers.' Red took in the neatly hung rack of dark suits, white shirts, dark ties and the neat rows of shoes. Bending, close, he took a deep breath, savoring the scent of the young agent.
"I've missed that smell," he whispered, and then backed out of the small space. Next, he moved to the chest of drawers, and opening one at random, rifled through the contents. "What the…" Red held up one of the loose shirts. "Kid, this ain't your size." He pulled out other shirts, looked at them, and then dropped them to the floor. When that drawer was empty, his pulled open another one. This drawer contained loose pants. "Huh?" Curiosity mingled with dread as the demon shoved aside clothing in another drawer, and stopped.
"Baby Myers. Ultra sound, three months." Red opened the goldenrod envelop and pulled out the picture. 'That's a baby…Myers' baby.' He gently ran the tip of his finger over the outline; suddenly he was seized with a burning fury. 'Myers' baby! He left me and got some broad pregnant!' Agitated, he paced as he continued to stare at the picture. 'Now he's back to throw it in my face. Damn him!' Red was furious. He shoved the picture back into the envelope, but it seemed to snag on something and wouldn't go all the way in. halfway in "What the hell?" HB pushed again, but the picture seemed to jam into another object that occupied the envelope. Pulling the picture out, and setting it aside, HB reached in and located the second object. 'Another picture.' He pulled it out.
'Oh my god!'
The picture was of a pretty woman, who was obviously sad and obviously pregnant. 'This must be the broad…' he thought, but then, he looked closer. The familiar set of the jaw. The sad eyes. The slender face.
"JOHN!" HB wasn't aware that he had spoken the name aloud. "John… how is this possible?" He had to get to the young agent, but if he wasn't in his room, then where was he? "Abe." Clutching both pictures, HB ran out of the room. "You have some mighty big explaining to do, Boy scout." HB was just turning the corner that led to the lab, when he heard a shout.
"Liz! Don't!"
Then he felt the scorching heat….
The MultiFandom MPREG Archive
We Welcome MPREG and Kid Fiction From All Fandoms
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.