Deathbeds[✓]

2;6

Bishop felt like the floor opened up and swallowed him whole. There was an increasingly loud ringing in his ears and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the small child in her arms.

Bright amber eyes that mirrored his stared at him suspiciously.

"Bishop?" Anais whispered but Bishop hardly heard her. She said his name again desperately. His eyes flicked up to hers. "Do you... do you wanna hold him?"

Meekly he nodded, staring at the baby- his baby. Killian.

Anais handed Killian over and Bishop felt frozen. Something cold surged through his chest at the proximity of her and their child. He had a child. How long would it take for that to sink in? Something akin to fear and dread crept into his chest, icy cold and sobering.

He ran a calloused finger gently over the chubby cheeks of Killian's face. He looked like Anais but his eyes and hair color were his. Killian eyed him with a certain weighty reservation. Not cold just... calculated. Almost curious.

There was no doubt that this child was his.

Anais shifted on her feet and looked cautiously between father and son.

Bishop watched her, his jaw working as a sudden anger spike struck him. "How long did you know about this? Why didn't you tell me?"

Anais bit her lip. She knew he wasn't going to want to hear this. Bishop went to the small bed and laid Killian down. He whirled on her, expecting answers. The fear he felt made his heart hammer in his chest, his instinct of fight or flight making him want to take action.

"When I came here... after Alduin. A healer told me I was a few weeks along."

Bishop frowned. "You fought the World-Eater while carrying my child? You have been battling Yngvarr all this time with-" his voice cracked from his overwhelming emotions. His face set hard as stone. "You foolish little girl."

Anais' eyes narrowed. "I didn't know I was pregnant when I was in Skyrim, Bishop! You can yell all you want but that is the past! Killian is perfect and healthy now!"

"I could have lost both of you!" Bishop continued, seething. "How do you think that makes me feel? I would have lived a life never knowing I had a son!"

Bishop saw Anais break in a million pieces at his words. Her anger replaced with deep sorrow and tears brimmed her eyes. He clamped his mouth shut. The past emotions from his family were getting the better of him; the bitterness and resentment for the people that were his mother and father. He would never be like them. Anais was right; it was in the past. He had both of them here now.

Anais wrapped her arms around him and sobbed against his chest. Bishop relaxed and pulled her tighter against him, the anger ebbing away and a new startling revelation struck him. Despite how angry he was with her, he was enamored by the two of them. And that brought a deep-seated fear.

How could he keep both of them safe?

"I never know how you're feeling, Bishop. But we're both fine, and even better now that you're here," Anais sighed against him, her voice muffled by his chest.

Bishop pulled back and looked at the bed in the corner. "Why does he stay here?"

Anais smiled. "Pjetur is a great confidant and warrior. He and Solvi take care of Killian when I'm away. If Yngvarr knew I had a child, Killian would certainly be his target. He has it out for me."

"Why?" Bishop frowned. He suspected that much already, but hearing Anais confirm such made his stomach roil.

Sighing, Anais pulled away from him. "It's a long story, and I want to go home with my son and my love."