Entry tags:

!complete, cindy cendrillon (cinderella), garrus vakarian

Who: Garrus & Cindy Vakarian
What: An eventful first ultrasound, let's just say
When: Today
Where: OB Office
Rating/Warnings: Medical pregnancy-related things
Status: Complete!

It was always interesting in the waiting room of the ob-gyn. You had the mom who was about to pop (clearly more than eight months pregnant), the mom who was where Cindy had been the first time - meaning, shifting there nervously with three positive pregnancy tests stuffed into her purse. You also had a few rambunctious kids, the mom who was over the whole ‘glow’ of pregnancy and the hemorrhoids, gas, heartburn, and fatigue (plus she’d used the restroom three times in the last ten minutes). Finally, of course, there was the chatty old grandmother who Cindy distinctly avoided. She sat in a chair next to Garrus away from most of the action - really, she was fine here just reading a magazine and patiently listening for her name to be called.

But the eight-week ultrasound was kind of a big deal. She wasn’t bleeding or anything, so it would just be a check to make sure everything was healthy and going fine. Hearing the heartbeat was what she was especially excited about, though having a camera or whatever shoved up her twat was less than appealing - it seemed invasive, but she was assured that if they went this route she’d just feel some pressure and that was it. Besides, vagina-vision was totally worth it if it meant seeing and hearing the baby.

“God, I have to pee,” she announced quietly, squirming, but a full bladder was necessary - placement of it mattered, or something, who knew. But the doctor’s instructions were to arrive here ready to piss like a racehorse and so Cindy had followed those instructions to the letter, drinking damn near a gallon of water with her breakfast this morning.

Interesting was a word he’d used too - Garrus thought about commenting how uncomfortable the vibe of this waiting room felt (what an experience, right?) but rightfully silenced himself. He wasn’t the one about to be subjected to uncomfortable medical probing and tests. And to think, visits like these would be constant in their future. Might as well embrace it, but spirits.

Why was this old lady here again? Someone tell him she was a one-time thing, please and thank you.

“Try not to think about it,” he suggested, arm draped around the back of Cindy’s chair - he couldn’t focus on looking at a magazine, too anxious. Hence the relentless tapping of his foot. “You’ll have a victorious visit to the bathroom once it’s over and we’ll go get you something to eat afterwards?”

Make sure pregnant wives remained sufficiently throughout the ordeal. That’d make them happy, right? Today’s hopes and dreams were answered shortly, however, when a nurse in scrubs came out with a board and briefly contemplated the last name. “Cynthia Vakarian?”

Cynthia, eh? So formal.

Oh, barf. The last time this hardcore fairytale princess went by her full name was when she and Garrus were in Georgia for a visit and her stepmother was being all ‘proper’ and shit. “Cindy,” she corrected politely, standing up and reaching for Garrus’ hand. Yes, time to face the music and lie down on her back with all her stuff on display. It was definitely true that the doctor should have bought her pancakes this morning first before poking around in her lady bits, damnit.

But she was easily set up on the crinkly paper over the cot in the examining room with all the ultrasound equipment right here - and now she was kind of nervous, since obviously this was the first time she was even doing this. Vitals taken and checked, all the preliminary stuff - then she was told the doctor would be right in. Great. She’d just chill where she was.

“Kind of weird to think the nugget has arms and legs and forming organs and stuff, right?” she said. Well, little buds where the hands and feet would be - but still. That was fast. “But yes, food after this. Brunch. Early lunch. Something with bananas.” Too bad banana liquor was out.

Something with bananas, whatever she wanted and desired he’d get for her. Garrus was present as long as she wished; he never knew if there was a procedure he’d ever like her to step away from, but if he he could be there then you’d damn well bet he will. Mostly to hover and circle protectively, and step in if something had her too uncomfortable or the doctor turned out to be a twat.

Not that Cindy would ever have a problem voicing her, ahem, opinion on anything.

He sat next to her on a stool, taking her small hand into his - human, five digits, smooth skin and warm. “Your wish, my command,” he promised. “You’ll have to eat for three now, you know. You, me, and...it?” It. Really. That sounded informal. “Should we have a nickname for it?” Little Blob, maybe? He’d seen ultrasound images before. It was an accurate description.

Though he was sure he’d be smitten with his Little Blob the moment he saw it on the screen.

“Little Blob?” Cindy laughed, turning her head so she could look at Garrus in all his human glory. Sometimes it was strange to see him back with the dark hair and blue eyes she’d known before he changed, but honestly, she loved him no matter what face he had on. “I think I’ll just go with Nugget - like, nugget of gold. Not the Chicken McNuggets made of chemicals.”

Gross. She hadn’t experienced any cravings for meat yet, or any strange cravings at all, so she was just kind of going day by day now. Mostly she just wanted fresh things like normal - fruits and vegetables, though she’d cut the morning fuel that was super-charged coffee out of her diet and went with decaf instead. Or just good old-fashioned flavored water, delicious.

Cindy was determined to be as healthy as possible throughout her pregnancy, though she was looking forward to those times where she’d just shovel in fattening shit when she felt like it because she was making a person, okay, that was tough work. “Or, you know, Littlest Vakarian. That’s a mouthful.” It was impersonal, but not terrible - hopefully the baby would understand they just didn’t know the sex yet, so that was why.

And here was the doctor! After some discussion, it was decided they’d go with the wand up the vag sort of thing, for a better look than an outside perspective could provide. That was fine with Cindy. She was pretty excited to have the best view possible on the screen.

“I’m liking Nugget,” he agreed, mouth upturned into a half-smile. Less impersonal than blob, and he could see the nickname sticking throughout the years. “But alright, looks like we’ll get this show on the road?” Garrus squeezed her hand reassuringly, and once he laid his eyes on the contraption they were going to shove up her womanly cave, he might have winced a little.

Mostly because of the size and width, but they did the pleasure of applying that medical lubricant (it was warm, how considerate) for a smooth slide in. Sexy, right? Not, but this was science and a way to get the best view of what was forming in utero this early and to make sure everything in that vicinity looked right. With the lights dimmed, they could see the images on the screen next to them change, darkness with those indescribable white strokes coming into play.

But when he saw the doctor’s brows raise up high, his concern did the same. “Huh,” she said, rather pleasantly. “Gonna wiggle this around a little more to get a better view - might feel some pressure - but yep, looks good, and…”

Garrus quirked a brow of his own as she pointed to the screen with her free hand. If things looked good the what was that look for? He didn’t like it. There was a bomb that was about to be dropped and his mind scrambled for the possibility of what, until -

“There’s two sacs,” explained the doc. “Clear as day, see? Two heartbeats too. Congratulations, you’ve hit the twin jackpot.”

It took him a moment to register what she meant by ‘two sacs.’ ‘Two heartbeats.’ ‘Twins.’ Their newfound nickname for their spawn suddenly became plural as it multiplied. Now it was ‘Nuggets.’ At least he didn’t faint but spirits, with that look on his face you could tell he was either speechless or was about to insert his infamous foot in his infamous mouth and say something senseless.

Wait, wait. Hold the fuck on - what did this crazy lady mean, with all this talk of two sacs and two heartbeats?? Cindy was just as stunned and it took a second or two for her brain to even kickstart again. Get to work, brain!

“So, we’re...like...we’re having twins?” she asked dumbly; it was difficult to fathom because it also meant she was having twins, as in, having to be the one to push out two babies from a hole that she didn’t even want to think about expanding.

She looked at Garrus, then back at the doctor. Aaaand to Garrus again. “Holy shit, we’re having twins!” Cindy was grinning through, overcome by emotion and hormones that were no doubt ricocheting off the charts, like how pregnancy hormones did. “Does that mean - okay, wow. Sorry, we just didn’t expect this at all.”

“Understandable, but things look good and you’ll be fine. Of course you’ll need extra tests, extra monitoring - for that, we can direct you to a specialty clinic for parents having multiples. Just keep in mind that you will get bigger, quicker,” the doctor added, chuckling.

There goes that word again. Twins. As in two screeching little nuggets coming into the world and how was it even possible to care for two at once, when he’d seen from his closest friends how difficult it was to handle only one at night keeping them up? The diapers, the teething, the feedings - he expected to be exhausted at all times with just one, but.

Two. Two.

Was there a brown bag in this room he could dry heave into? No, but there was a trash bin to consider. Maybe later or not all depending what was in it.

“Twins,” he echoed weakly, running his fingers past his hair and then scrubbing his palms down his face for sobriety. It felt like he was having an out of body experience. “Okay, twins, we can manage.” Probably not. Maybe. Garrus didn’t know. “Can we - are there pamphlets we can have? Do you recommend any specific books on this? Are there special classes we can take? Should she even be walking?”

One might think it was Garrus going into labor with how tight he was holding Cindy’s hand.

They could manage, definitely. It may not seem that way now, but once the news sunk in and Garrus got drunk off his ass or whatever he needed to do, everything would seem a lot more conquerable. Cindy didn’t have the luxury of killing brain cells to absorb the info but she’d find a way. Maybe by calling up the one or two friends who knew she was pregnant and just flipping the fuck out.

“Walking? Honey, I’m fine,” she sounded amused then, because what the hell?

Not to worry, the doctor had heard these kinds of reactions (and these types of questions) many, many times in the past. “The pregnancy will be considered ‘high risk’ but that’s typical with all mothers carrying multiples, even if they’re young and healthy like Cindy. Though I assure you, Mr. Vakarian, your wife is fine to walk and carry on as normal - like I said, there will just be extra monitoring and extra tests. Extra doctor’s visits too.”

Cindy was great with all that. Yes, more tests and more lying on a cot like this, sure. If it meant having healthy babies, she was all for it. “Can we - I’m guessing you do have pamphlets here?” Hey, it was something.

“Of course,” the doctor nodded. “Let me go get you some material, and write down some recommendations for specialists and classes for you.” With a warm smile, she removed and trashed her gloves (good, because we knew where those had been) and left the happy, shellshocked couple for a few moments.

Yes, yes, all that sounded like an excellent idea. Recommendations for things, more doctor’s visits to ensure everything was fine, that sort of thing - because the words high risk strung a chord in him, and it was entirely possible he’d be up all night researching this kind of pregnancy and absorbing as much knowledge as he could. And maybe some financial calculation, now that everything they were thinking of getting had to be doubled. Like college tuition.

“Twins,” Garrus repeated again - like a broken record but nevermind him too much, the shock was still ever present. Mixed with happiness, the kind that could wreck you from the inside out. “Wow. We knew - we were told the chances increased with those drugs but - to actually...”

Satan’s Piss. He’d have to call Neal and drag him out, those amino acids be damned.

While she was still indecent with knees wide open, Garrus dipped his head down for a wholesome kiss. “Your hips, I have no doubt they’ll be amazing at supporting not one but two of my offspring at once.”

“How sweet of you to say,” Cindy snarked, returning the kiss - and giving her darling husband a tweak on his human-shaped nose. At least she could close her legs for the time being, they’d gotten to see and hear what they needed. Strong heartbeats? Two babies? Well, that was a surprise.

They still hadn’t told their families yet, wanting to wait a few more weeks, but this was sure going to be interesting news when the bomb was dropped. “I’m going to be as big as a house,” she groaned - honestly, she was having images of Violet the gum-chewing blueberry from Willy Wonka. Maybe not purple, but she’d have to be moved onto her side and rolled from room to room. “Promise you’ll still love me when I’m huge.”

She found Garrus’ hand too, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “And if we have to rob a bank to pay for their college educations, then so be it.” They’d do it Mr. and Mrs. Smith style.

Big wasn’t a size associated with Cindy. He had a hard time picturing it, really, and he worried that perhaps her petiteness could make the pregnancy that much more miserable but only time would tell. Good thing he couldn’t go gray anymore, either. Surely he’d be quietly stressing out as the months progressed. Often times twins had a habit of coming out early, he heard, and so tiny they needed extra time in the hospital for weight moderations and increases.

Whatever happened, though, he was sure they’d handle it - together. Garrus wasn’t going anywhere; he’d be there for the three of them ‘til the end.

“I don’t doubt you’d be tempted,” he laughed, capturing those tweaking fingers to kiss because the woman was a goddess. Really. Cooking two of his children there, that really was something. “I’ll try and make sure we don’t resort to that level of desperation. The little nuggets will be the first grandchildren on either side. They’ll be spoiled. They won’t ever miss a thing.”

He feared the amount of packages incoming when Nightingale heard the news. Prenatal supplements and other things had already been delivered to their door, and he expected a lot of Pinterest projects to be thrown their way.

Leliana was undoubtedly the cutest - but it was just that Mama Bird was always looking out for her. Cindy appreciated that one constant when a lot of her life had been so topsy-turvy while she was undercover with the FBI. “Little nuggets,” she repeated, liking the sound of that. Man, this was a lot - but you know what, it was a hell of a lot better than being invaded by aliens again. Been there, done that. “It’s true, they’ll be so spoiled and showered with love - plus adorable, I mean, how could they not be.” So she was biased, whatever.

Returning to the examining room, the doctor had the requested pamphlets - Twins, Triplets, and More the ‘more’ part of that was kind of terrifying) - and Cindy sat up, immediately taking a pamphlet to leaf through. “It says here that I need an extra six-hundred calories a day,” she informed her husband.

Better make it a side of pancakes with those post-appointment bananas after all.

“So add chocolate on everything you eat,” concluded the turian-in-disguise, sifting through the booklets with class schedules, events, that sort of thing for all those pregnancy preparations. “Guess you’re going to be ordering a big lunch after this, aren’t you?”

Oh, look, there was even a class dedicated on how to properly swaddle and change diapers, what a world. Maybe he needed a little more hands on practice with Niko, or hell, even Wisdom’s kid. Not that either of them were in that swaddling age anymore anyway, but Garrus figured he could hone the skill of wiping ass and applying powder a little more.

Considering that his challenge increased by needing to do it to two babies, possibly at once. Their multi-tasking skills were going to be challenged, that’s for sure.

But once the appointment wrapped to an end, they were gifted with - aww, wait for it - their first ultrasound images with texts and arrows added, spelling out ‘baby 1’ and ‘baby 2.’ His earlier assumptions were correct - he was smitten with a set of blobs already. With a side of nausea due to nerves.

Aw, their little nuggets. Cindy was pretty smitten as well - she didn’t have a ton of experience with babies, but maybe she could piggyback on Garrus’ adventures with Niko and Amelia. None of her other friends had kids - Sharon moved away, took Viv with her, and being Auntie Cindy there (buying the occasional gift, doing the occasional sitting) was about all the practice she’d gotten. That could change though.

“Big lunch,” she confirmed, looping her arm around her husband’s. Everything still felt so surreal but she was definitely happy about everything, don’t get her wrong. “Something with pasta. Lots of carbs. We can take it to go, so you don’t have to watch me eat.”

Then she’d start booking appointments and getting them into classes meant for parents of multiples - it was never too early to begin practicing for the arrival of their two favorite blobs.

Carbs it was, whether it be pancakes or pasta or both, he wouldn’t dare judge. Garrus laced their fingers and held her close, dropping a kiss against her temple. “I kind of do want to watch you eat, won’t bother me a bit,” he promised. If she could shovel the food down her mouth without having the symptom of nausea, that’d be great. Far more pleasant for her.

Better take those small victories down the road while they could, too. It was going to be one hell of a stretch getting those two nuggets properly baked in there, but he also couldn’t wait.