Icy wasn't one to cry, but for about the hundredth time in those few months she let the tears fall, she did so in the privacy of her own room. She didn't quite understand why she was crying herself--and that only made her angrier with herself for exploiting such weakness--she didn't even want the baby. So why? Why was she so upset to hear that, because of her neglect the past few months, the baby may not be born alive. And if it did come out alive that it would probably sustain some mental of physical disability. Icy remembered the doctors mentioning some sort of disease but couldn't recall which. To be completely honest with herself she didn't really want to know. She was once again at the point of ignoring the problem until it faded away...or in this case surfaced and became painfully undeniable. Not only would she have a reminder of the wizard but a reminder that she had failed as a mother before she'd even laid eyes on the kid as well. Her attacker was truly gift that kept on giving--more like a sickness that kept returning and she just wanted out of the whole thing. At one point Icy could recall having herself totally convinced that this was all just some horrid dream that she'd soon wake up from and then get back to her life 或者 an illusion spell of sorts that would soon fall away and she'd feel much 更多 at ease. But like every other instance the truth surfaced and she had no choice but to face it. She was a mother, a shitty one at that, and her baby wasn't going to a pretty sight upon delivery--dead 或者 alive.

There came a knock at her door. Icy had half the mind to tell the knocker to just leave. Before she could even open her mouth Darcy waltzed her way in. "I sent Stormy to the store, she's going to get 你 some medication that will help with your morning sickness and that is 安全 for the baby."

"Does it really matter if it's 安全 for the baby? They 说 it would come with...complications anyhow." Icy replied.

"Is that what they said?" Darcy asked.

"No, I'm making shit up to screw with you. Yes that's what they said!" Icy snapped.

Darcy pulled her sister into her arms so that her head rested against her chest. She began lightly running her hands through Icy's hair in some attempt at a soothing gesture. Icy hadn't the slightest clue as to how Darcy learned to be so comforting. All these years Darcy had really only displayed gestures of the most unkind sort, when did she become a saint. "You want to talk about it?"

"No." Icy answered rather abruptly. "It's not like 你 can fix the baby." She added 更多 to herself.

"Not about the baby, Icy. About you. About waht happened that night" Darcy corrected.

"No." Icy mumbled again.

"Come on Ice...you and I both know that your 最喜爱的 topic to talk about is yourself." Darcy pointed out with a hint of a smile--mostly at the use of Icy's nickname. A smile that was not returned.

"Not anymore." Icy answered.

"And why is that?" Darcy questioned.

"Because..." she let the word hang there for a moment, still not entirely sure of how she wanted to finish. "Because I don't like me anymore." Her voice had risen to something of a shout--a shout that had a slight hitch in it. She wasn't going to cry in front of Darcy. "Because I let him do it. I'm weak. I'm filthy. I LET HIM DO IT!" She yelled again, this time the unshed tears weighted heavy behind her eyes. Icy bit her lip (hard enough to draw droplets of blood at that) and just like that she had let Darcy bait her into talking.

"That's not true." Darcy muttered.

"What isn't true?" Icy asked sliding herself out of Darcy's embrace and back into the corner she found herself in prior.

"Any of that.You're not weak. 你 说 it yourself, it was three against one. Do 你 know who they are? They're the Wizards of the Black Circle; they catch witches and faeries for a living. They knew exactly what to do and how to do it. I don't even think Bloom and her mighty dragon 火, 消防 could have outlasted them." Darcy explained. Icy made not attempt to respond. "You're not filthy either. I know 你 well enough to assume 你 didn't just let him 'do it'. I can imagine he didn't get out completely unharmed."

At this Icy couldn't help but smile as she pridefully recalled spitting in his face. "Of course he didn't." She 说 at last.

"Exactly. You're not filthy. You're not weak. 你 didn't let him do anything.Don't ever say that again." Darcy stated 更多 firmly. "Now come downstairs, Stormy and I were talking about seeing a movie tomorrow and 你 are coming with us."

"You can't tell me what to do." Icy mumbled with not much fight, truth be told a movie sounded nice. "Fine I'll come, but I'm picking the movie."

"Fair enough." Darcy answered. "We'll go as soon as Stormy gets back. "And about the baby. Just give it time, see what happens. 你 don't really think your the first person to have complications do you? If 你 actually keep going I'm pretty sure your doctor can solve a good deal."

"Maybe." Icy responded.

At that moment Stormy burst through the door. "I tried my best I really did! But I saw this pair of studded sandals and I really wanted them so I may have spent the money on those instead." She put on her most angelic smile.

Icy wrenched the pair of 鞋类 out of her youngest sister's hands. "Why did 你 trust her with the money Darcy?"

"Don't worry about it, we can just pick up the meds along the way, I guess." Darcy muttered.

"Can I have my shoes back?" Stormy asked.

"No." Icy answered. "Consider them your gift to me as an act of sympathy."