Shattered Illusions [complete]

[Tycho Auriville]

"Future gymnast, maybe," Ty grinned, still marveling at the concept that there was something alive inside of Anna. Of course they'd all known that, pregnancy implied new life - but it was one thing to know and another to be aware.

He laughed at an unexpected skim beneath the weight of his hand, pressing back a little. "Exploring her world in there. Gonna be a shock when she gets out here; big upgrade."

[Anna Fernandez]

Anna nodded, putting her hand next to his, trying to feel it herself from the outside. "I can't even imagine meeting her - or him - for the first time." She sat back, resting her head against the seat. "January seems so far away...

"...and also not nearly enough time!" She laughed. "Does that make sense?"

[Tycho Auriville]

He nodded, moving his hand away after a moment to give her more room to track the little movements, though he stayed bent close as though if he stared hard enough he might be able to see something shifting.

"I remember when I got my first dog," Ty mused, eyes casting back to a different year. "Seemed like there was a million and one things to get ready before we could pick him up from the pound. And a kid's gotta be a thousand times more complicated."

He paused and frowned, shaking his head at Anna aplogetically. "Not that your kid is a dog, obviously. It's worse than that, in the... best way possible. I mean, a dog is, what? That's nothing. Not really a big commitment in the grand scheme of things, but a child? That's huge, that's for life - and yeah, they pretty much make the same messes for the first couple years but then kids grow up, they get... well, they get more complicated and make more trouble than dogs, for sure, but..."

Crash and burn, crash and burn, abort, abort. Tycho scrunched his face and cleared his throat. "I'm sure your kid will be great."

[Anna Fernandez]

She laughed, moving her hand around a bit, and then relaxing, pushing down against the seat to shift to a more comfortable position. "I think she fell asleep while you were digging that hole you're in."

Anna winked. "I know what you are trying to say. I hope she'll be easy to paper train, though."

[Tycho Auriville]

"Just smack her around a bit, always works," Tycho said with a deadpan nod. Before Anna could practice the advice on him he raised his hands in surrender.

"Only kidding. That stops working as soon as they go to school and you have to hide bruises - ow!" he laughed and rubbed his arm where she'd landed a digging knuckle punch. "Yeah, see, just like that. A couple of those and potty training will be a snap."

[Anna Fernandez]

"Awful," she sighed, rolling her eyes at him. Anna raised her fist again threateningly. "There are more where that came from, so behave yourself. I have six brothers after all, I know how to throw a punch."

She giggled, giving him a friendly shove instead. "Thank you, for this." She indicated the view. "I needed some air."

[Tycho Auriville]

Tycho shrugged and followed her gaze. "I'll put the gas on your tab."

This was nice, just sitting with a comfortable ease together. It came as simply as solitude, a natural order to being with Anna that Tycho hadn't felt outside of old friends from high school who'd known him since he was a scrawny teenager.

But he didn't want to jinx it by letting the silence fall from graceful to awkward, a transition as quick to cross as a skipping stone, so he reached out and unhooked the dangling tree-shaped air freshener from the rearview mirror and cupped it in his hands. A liquid orange glow leaked from the spaces between his fingers, furnace rich hues of fire that molded into the tanned lines of his skin.

"Here," Tycho said, and when he held out the little tree on it's string it was of burnished gold and caught the sun like a charm. "You can hang it in the nursery. Or, I dunno, pawn it for a college fund or something. Congratulations on the baby."

[Anna Fernandez]

She held her hand out gingerly for the gift, still amazed at his ability - one she had not fully understood the day she'd met him at the taco stand. Once he'd placed it in her palm, she could feel the weight of it, so very different from a cardboard air freshener.

Anna held it to her nose, wondering if it still contained a scent of pine, but beyond a faint whiff it had no odor. She looked at Tycho, realized what she was doing, and put her hand down, blushing a little. "I couldn't help it... it is so amazing, what you can do."

She lifted the golden tree a little, and added, "Thank you for this, I will treasure it."

[Tycho Auriville]

"It's a neat trick," Ty compromised, watching the liquid warm shades of gold turn in the air, held aloft in Anna's hand. He'd never been one to dwell on his ability - it wasn't an earned skill so much as a twist of fate - but the wonder on her face made him smile, a curl of unexpected pride filling his chest.

The air was still and weighty. Ty tapped on the back of the seat, the Springsteen bass still caught in his blood. "Comes in handy around Christmas - I'm a real hit at tree trimming parties."

[Anna Fernandez]

"I bet," she chuckled, tucking the tree into the purse at her feet. Anna sat back against the seat, a sudden yawn overtaking her.

She covered her mouth with a hand, and smiled. "Guess I am a little worn out. Un poco." She snuggled as best she could into the seat, looking over at Tycho. "Don't judge me if I fall asleep. Growing a baby takes it out of you."

[Tycho Auriville]

"Well, since you've been so nice I'll try not to hold it against you," he said, hand naturally bumping gently against the crown of her head as she settled back in her seat. He let it rest there for a moment, just barely brushing the silky, dark waves and then with a clearing of his throat that he willed to translate to his head, Tycho straightened.

The driver's door shut and he started the truck, resting his weight against the wheel for a moment as he looked out at the vast stretch of California valley before them, starting to take on the lazy rose and almond hues of the hour.

"Better head ba--" the words faded as Ty turned to see Anna already down for the count, her face propped against the passenger side. She looked peaceful, even in the awkward position and he watched for a moment as whatever thoughts played across her eyelids made her lips jerk up in an instinctive smile. Good dreams, then, or maybe nothing at all except the wash of refreshing slumber.

With quiet ease Tycho leaned over and carefully tugged the seatbelt across Anna's chest, fastening it for the ride home.