Archive of Our Own ^beta

Theotokos
Small as it may be, the house always felt too big on the days following Gabriel’s departure, so Marie had learnt to keep herself busy. One morning found her in the middle of food preparation, smoking fish so that it would keep well during the winter months, but the smell felt unusually offensive today, bringing her on the verge of nausea. Pressing her hand against her mouth, she worried that the fish had gone bad already… until it hit her: she hadn’t bled in weeks.

Oh-

Smiling hesitantly, she laid a hand on her belly, and prayed harder than ever.

Hush
How badly she wanted to tell Gabriel, when he came back a few months later, but the brotherhood elder had strongly advised against it. Life was so fragile, he said, especially in these early stages. The fight against the Daemon Lord had taken a heavy toll on Gabriel already, and while the birth of a child would bring him much joy, he would probably lose his mind if anything were to happen to the unborn baby. Better safe than sorry.

So she kept quiet, and banded his wounds, hiding her blooming belly under the most loose-fitting dresses she could find.

Sweet sorrow
So beautiful, so delicate, so terrible. Her little baby boy. Marie laid in awe of the tiny creature snuggling against her, marveling at the perfection of his existence. He was frowning in his sleep - Marie smiled and lightly smoothed his knit eyebrows.

Gabriel would be so proud.

As for a name… she’d always liked Trevor. She whispered the name tentatively, nuzzling the baby’s forehead; it fit him.

The midwife entered the room, an uneasy expression on her face. “The Brotherhood elders are here. I asked them to come back later, but-”

Curious, Marie sat up straight, holding her son close.

Shatter
Pan had tried to tell her something before leaving, but she couldn’t hear him over Trevor’s cries. The midwife brought her a drink that would “ease her sorrow”; Marie drank it between sobs and fell into a dreamless stupor.

She woke up with the nagging impression that something was missing. Her fingers lingered over her soft belly-

Empty.

The image came back with a vengeance: the elder, prying Trevor out of her arms.

The pain hit her with such force that she feared she would lose her mind. Surely this was God’s punishment, for doubting Gabriel in the first place.

Slumber
She set to wait next to the timber stock. The place held great significance for the two of them; it seemed only fitting that everything would end there. It wasn’t until Gabriel arrived, though, wearing a strange mask, that she saw the truth behind the brotherhood’s prophecy: the man she’d once loved was no more.

Don’t be afraid. Pan’s voice rang in her ears, clear as day now, but she was ready. There was nothing holding her back; the brotherhood had taken everything away from her.

She just wished they would be reunited, someday… Somehow.

Wait for me, my loves.