Chapter 2

Pyrrha knocked on the door to the hotel room. After a few seconds it opened to reveal Glynda. "Oh, hello Pyrrha." Glynda smiled.

"Hi Glynda." Pyrrha said. "Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"Of course." Glynda replied. She gestured into the room. "Come in, come in."

"Is Raven here?" Pyrrha asked. "I'd like to talk to her too."

"Over here." Raven called with a wave from the couch. Pyrrha sat down beside Raven and Glynda sat down beside her. "What's up hon?"

"It's about Nora." Pyrrha replied.

"Oh, where is she?" Raven asked.

"Is she okay?" Glynda asked. "The sedatives wore off, didn't they?"

"Wha...oh, there were no sedatives." Pyrrha laughed. "Blake was joking. It was just the placebo effect. She had a few too many pancakes for breakfast and she's sleeping it off."

"I take it this isn't about her stomach ache." Glynda observed.

"No, this is something a lot more...more…" Pyrrha struggled. She let out a long breath and slumped on the couch. Raven draped an arm around her while Glynda took her hand.

"What happened?" Glynda asked.

"Nora...Nora wants a child." Pyrrha sighed.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that." Glynda said.

"Neither was I." Pyrrha shook her head. "A-and to be honest, I'm not opposed to the idea. It was certainly a little out of the blue, but Nora has never asked much of me. She has given me so much these past few years."

"What's the issue then?" Raven asked.

"Nora wants to do things naturally." Pyrrha explained. "She wants to carry, she wants to know the father, and she doesn't want to be artificially inseminated."

"And considering the people we know she knows, there's only one person she could have in mind." Raven noted.

"Yes, Nora wants Sun to father her child." Pyrrha confirmed. "And...I'm having difficulty arguing against it."

"Sun is a good man." Glynda declared.

"Nora's closest friend, besides Yang maybe." Pyrrha nodded. "And we have entrusted him with her care many times, both before and after our relationship began. A good man, a healthy individual, he would make a good father...but I just...I don't know how to feel."

"How does Sun feel about this?" Raven asked.

"We haven't spoken about it yet." Pyrrha admitted. "I plan to as soon as possible, but he's still recovering from last night."

"Take your time Pyrrha." Glynda suggested. "This is a big move, for all of you. You should all be completely comfortable with this, every step of the way."

"I want to make Nora happy Glynda." Pyrrha sighed. "I know she already is, but before everything went wrong, she had another life ahead of her, a marriage, a man she loved, a man who could give her a child. Losing all that hurt her more deeply than any therapy can reach. If I can make her just that much happier by doing this for her, by helping her achieve her dreams, I will, even if I'm a little uncomfortable with some aspects of the situation."

"Whatever happens, whatever you decide, I will support you." Glynda declared.

"I'll do my best to help however I can." Raven promised. "I know my experience has been far from ideal, but maybe you can learn from my mistakes."

"Thank you, both of you." Pyrrha smiled. "This has just been new and confusing and I just needed to talk about it, to get it out of my head."

Glynda and Raven hugged Pyrrha from either side, Glynda kissing her on the temple. "We're a family Pyrrha, and we love you." Glynda said. "No matter what, we'll always be here for you, Nora too, and should it come to pass, even Sun."

Pyrrha and Nora were eager to speak to Sun, but even by dinner he was still too out of it for a serious discussion. It would have to wait another day. Most of the wedding guests caught a late night flight back to Vale. They were all on the same flight, but Nora was basically comatose after midnight and Sun slept the whole way as well. Yang and Winter were not on the flight, the pair heading to Mistral instead for some of what Yang termed "Winter's business stuff." Pyrrha had wanted to discuss things with them as well, but it would have to wait.

Despite Nora being her usual hyper self by dawn, Pyrrha slept in a while, finally waking mid-morning. After a shower and getting dressed she made the call that had her so nervous. She dialed up Sun and waited as it rang, secretly hoping he would still be too hungover to answer. "Yo Pyrrha." Sun answered after a little longer than usual.

"Sun, how are you feeling today?" Pyrrha asked.

"Much better." Sun replied. "I'm still a little achy but I think the hangover from hell is over. Sage mixed up some health shake thingy, tasted like shit but it helped for whatever reason."

"That's grand!" Pyrrha cheered. "Do you have any lunch plans?"

"Nah, nothin'." Sun answered. "Why?"

"Nora and I have something we'd like to discuss, and it's best done in person." Pyrrha explained.

"Ah, sure, okay." Sun said. "Uh...where did you have in mind?"

"That little coffee shop on the boardwalk." Pyrrha replied.

"Amber's?" Sun asked.

"Yes." Pyrrha confirmed. "They make lovely slices, and their chicken wraps are to die for."

"Sounds like a plan." Sun agreed. "What time?"

"We'll be there by one, so no pressure." Pyrrha answered.

"Alright, see you then." Sun said.

"See you later." Pyrrha said. "Bye." She ended the call and took a deep breath. She gazed out the window and spotted Nora meditating in the gazebo. It was really happening.

Pyrrha and Nora arrived early, securing a table and ordering drinks as they waited. Sun showed up exactly on time and the trio ordered lunch, chicken wraps for Pyrrha and Nora, and a toasted sandwich for Sun. "So what's up?" Sun asked.

"You were awesome at the wedding!" Nora cheered.

"Ah, yeah, that was fun." Sun laughed. "I should be angry at the whole 'drugging my drink without permission' thing, but if Sage was the one doing it I really must have needed it. Guy's normally straight-laced."

"Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked. "Any side-effects?"

"Apart from shirtless, shiny dancing?" Nora added.

"Just the worst hangover of my life." Sun replied. "So enough dancing around it, what's on your minds?"

Pyrrha froze up, allowing Nora to take the lead. "Can we borrow your baby maker?" Nora asked. Sun choked heavily on his drink, and it was all he could do to spit it back into the cup rather than all over the table. Pyrrha hid her face in both her hands as Nora stifled a giggle.

"Hold up, hold up." Sun coughed. "What?!"

"I want a baby, but we don't have the right equipment." Nora explained.

"What Nora is so eloquently trying to ask is...we would like to have a child...naturally." Pyrrha explained.

"By naturally you mean…" Sun started.

"Booping!" Nora exclaimed.

"Yes...that…" Pyrrha sighed.

"I...well...I...are you okay with this?" Sun stammered.

"There is no one else we could trust with this." Pyrrha declared.

"But are you okay with this?" Sun insisted.

"I won't lie, I'm not entirely comfortable with this specific situation." Pyrrha admitted. "It's new, it's different, it's...a lot to take in." She grasped Nora's hand. "But for Nora...I want her to have this Sun. But that's up to you."

Sun took a deep breath and reclined in his chair, looking a bit lost. "This is really happening?" He asked. "This is what you want?"

"Yep." Nora confirmed. "Unless science has gone too far and Pyrrha can grow a weiner, you're the only guy I would ask."

"I...don't think I'm ready to be a father Nora." Sun sighed.

"That's okay." Nora shrugged. "I'm not asking you to be a father. I just need a little help becoming a mother. What comes after is up to you and Pyrrha."

"Uh...can I think about it?" Sun asked.

"Of course!" Nora exclaimed. "I know to you two it's complicated and scary and all that. I understand, and I'll wait for you, both of you, until you're okay with this."

"Nora…" Pyrrha started.

"Pyrrha, it's okay to not be okay with this." Nora cut her off. "It's okay for you to say no. It's okay for both of you to say no. I can't have everything I want. I'm okay going to a sperm bank...eventually. It's just that I want everything to be normal, natural, loving. If I can help it, I want my kid to know who their daddy is, even if they aren't really their daddy so much as their uncle or weirdo friend who jumps around buildings for fun."

"I know Nora." Pyrrha sighed. "I just want you to be as happy as possible."

"And I love you for that, but you don't have to force yourself into something you're not really ready for just for my sake." Nora said. "We're all gonna' take our time, think about everything, maybe buy some books, watch some movies, ya' know, family stuff, see how things feel. And at any point, someone can say yes or no, and we're all gonna' accept that, even if it's a little painful, okay? I love you, both of you, and I want to do this, but only if you both can feel 100% the same about it, okay?"

"Okay." Sun nodded.

"Yes." Pyrrha said.

"Goody!" Nora cheered. "Now where's lunch? I want to try one of those slices too!"

Sun got home with one hell of a weight on his mind. There was no simple way to think about the situation. There were so many questions, personal, emotional, even legal. He needed advice so he called Sage. "Hello Sun." Sage answered.

"Yo Sage." Sun said.

"Hmm?" Sage asked.

"Need your advice on a doozy." Sun replied.

"Shoot." Sage said.

"Nora wants my baby." Sun explained. "I don't know what to do."

"Jerk off, then make a decision." Sage advised.

"Fuck, why didn't I think of that?" Sun laughed.

The next day Winter and Yang got back from Mistral, and Pyrrha arranged to meet with them the day after that. She wanted to speak with Winter about Nora's plans, and knew Nora would probably want to talk to Yang about it. They met up at Solstice Modeling HQ where Yang was posing for some shots promoting a video game. The office was equipped with a few basic sets and a green-screen, but most of the shoots were on-location. When Pyrrha and Nora arrived Yang was in front of the green-screen, posing in a black and tan ensemble with thigh-highs, a skirt and a jacket, all of it hugging her curves in a way that left little to the imagination. Pyrrha headed for Winter's office while Nora peeled off toward the shoot in progress.

"Hey Nora." Yang said when she spotted the new arrival. She held her pose for another shot.

"Ooh, who's this?" Nora asked, approaching the girl behind the camera. She was dressed simply in a red and white sweatshirt and black capri pants. A black beanie covered her pink hair and partially obscured her face.

"That's May." Yang replied. "She's filling in for Velvs. May, meet Nora."

"Nice to meet you." May said, turning away from her camera to shake Nora's hand.

Nora stopped short of May and looked her up and down. "She's a cutie." Nora said.

May blushed and pulled her beanie down to cover more of her face. "Alright Nora, she's still a little bashful." Yang said. She looped her arm around Nora and guided her towards the break room. "I'm sure we'll beat that out of her soon enough but take it easy on her for now."

"Yang, that outfit looks so cool." Nora observed. "Totally impractical, but really cool."

"My range of motion isn't great, but damn I look good." Yang laughed. She leaned against the break room counter while Nora took a seat at the table. "So what brings you in today? You and Pyrrha aren't scheduled."

"Pyrrha needed to talk to Winter about...something...and I wanted to talk to you." Nora answered.

"Oh?" Yang raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

"I decided I want to have a kid." Nora replied.

"Well, either Pyrrha secretly has a cock, or there's more to it." Yang joked.

"Yeah, I want it all to be natural, so I asked Sun to be the father." Nora explained. "He hasn't decided yet, and Pyrrha hasn't exactly agreed to it either, but I'm hoping. If not I guess I could just go to a sperm bank or something."

"You want Sun to knock you up?" Yang asked. Nora nodded. "I can see why Pyrrha would be hesitant, but I'm a little surprised he didn't agree on the spot."

"Yeah, me too." Nora sighed. "He's my best friend, and there's no one else I'd trust with this. It's just...he didn't seem too enthusiastic about it."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." Yang shrugged. "Sun's like me with a dick. The difference is he doesn't have parenting experience. Except for the Neptune thing, he's been pretty carefree until now. So he's probably just a little scared. I think once he's gotten used to the idea of fathering a kid he'll bend over backwards for both of you."

"If things go to plan I'll be the one bending over backwards…" Nora giggled.

"Good one." Yang chuckled before adopting a teasing tone. "So, Sun's your best friend." Nora nodded. "Then what am I?"

Nora snapped stiff and cast her eyes downward. "You...I...Yang…" Nora struggled. She looked conflicted and scared and started tearing up.

Yang rushed over and wrapped Nora in a hug. "Hey, hey, what's the matter?" Yang asked. "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just curious." Nora mumbled something inaudible into Yang's shoulder. "Hmm?"

"You're...my big sis." Nora said meekly. Yang stared at Nora for a moment before grinning and tearing up herself. "I didn't wanna'...I don't wanna' try to replace…"

"Silly, you could never replace Ruby." Yang said. They hugged again, tighter this time, while sniffling.

"Does this mean we can get matching tattoos?" Nora asked.

"Hah, we should all do that." Yang laughed. "We should probably ask Blake first though. She has enough trouble covering up the ones I already have."

There was a knock at the office door. "Come in." Winter said. She glanced up from her paperwork as the door opened. "Hey Pyrrha." She finished what she was working on and set it aside. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Nora." Pyrrha replied. "She wants to have a kid, carry and all that. We haven't worked out all the details yet, but she wants Sun to be the father."

"You're okay with that?" Winter asked.

"I'm okay with her having a kid." Pyrrha replied. "The whole Sun thing...I'm not sure yet. I just want to make sure everything will be taken care of, whatever circumstances we face."

"Parenting leave is part of everyone's contracts." Winter reminded her. "So is child care and insurance."

"I know, but there's a little more to it." Pyrrha explained. "This is Nora we're talking about. She's...unpredictable...as it. With the hormones and everything associated with pregnancy, who knows what she'll get up to."

"True, but I wouldn't be too worried." Winter said. "She's still Nora. She won't do anything...too destructive."

"She's a wrecking ball." Pyrrha groaned. "And she'll be an even bigger one."

"Maybe she'll spend less time buzzing around the shoots." Winter shrugged.

"You know she'll want to do a pregnancy shoot." Pyrrha warned.

"I've already planned for it." Winter declared.

"Of course you have." Pyrrha sighed.

"It was only a matter of time before someone got pregnant." Winter explained. "A few of the companies we work with make maternity gear."

"As long as you don't mind having a hormonal Nora running around." Pyrrha said.

"I think we already do." Winter laughed. She suddenly turned serious. "I can tell there's more on your mind."

"Yeah...there is." Pyrrha sighed. "I want to...I want to make sure her future is secure. I know she's got money, I'm not worried about that, but…"

"But?" Winter pressed.

"If anything happens to me, I want to make sure Nora's taken care of." Pyrrha said. "I know you're all good friends, and you'll support her no matter what, but if the worst ever comes to pass, I don't want her to have to raise the child alone."

"I assure you, no matter what happens, I'll see to it that everything is taken care of." Winter promised. "We're not just friends here, we're family, and I truly mean that. Whether the problem is big or small, I'll be here to help, and I'm sure the others will be too."

"Well that...that's a weight off my mind." Pyrrha breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're so...understanding."

"I still scare you, don't I?" Winter accused.

"Honestly, yes." Pyrrha admitted. "I know you're super-nice, but you have that steely businesswoman vibe about you. I can't help but be intimidated."

"Would it help if I let my hair down and took my top off?" Winter smirked.

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "What has Yang done to you?"

"Heh, Sunsemination." Nora laughed.

"Oh God yes!" Yang cheered. "How about Sunpregnation?"

"Oh it's perfect!" Nora exclaimed. "You're the best."

"Hey you two." Pyrrha said as she entered the room. "How's it going?"

"Great!" Nora cheered. "We came up with some sweet names for the situation." Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "How does Sunpregnation sound?"

"Yang, you're a terrible influence." Pyrrha groaned. She tried to look serious but soon burst into a fit of laughter. "That's hilarious!"

"Does that mean you're okay with it?" Nora asked. "The plan, not the name."

"I...I…" Pyrrha stammered. "I still need some time, okay?"

"No problem." Nora said, her smile never dipping. "Hey, can we stick around to watch the rest of Yang's shoot?"

"Sure." Pyrrha agreed. "But you have to promise not to hit on May."

"I won't lie to you." Nora said. She and Pyrrha just stared at one another.

Pyrrha sighed. "Fine."