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Betrayal - Kaldur x Reader

Requested by athena-02 - a aqualad/kaldur imagine where the reader is pregnant with his child and she meets kaldur who is undercover (working with the light) but she doesn’t know he’s not on the light’s side. (She has powers and she is on the Justice team).

You found out after Kaldur had left the team.

The funny thing is, you didn’t think it would be a possibility, because it was just one night. One night of passion when you were both grieving over Tula’s death. Yet, here you were.

You were pregnant with Kaldur’s child, and you had no idea if he was coming back. With no way to contact him, you tried to keep your pregnancy a secret if only so you could keep going on missions with the team. You felt like you had to pick up the slack with Kaldur leaving the team. Besides, your atmokinesis was a valuable asset. The deaths of Jason and Tula gave you a determination to protect the rest of the team at all costs.

Unfortunately, your secret only stayed hidden for about three months.

It was in the middle of a training session. You were watching Wonder Girl and Lagoon Boy spar, having just taught them some new skills that would help them. They were performing well, but your focus was on something else.

You had some minor morning sickness with your pregnancy, but it was nothing you couldn’t ignore, but today the nausea kept getting worse. Swallowing it down, you tried to focus on the sparring match while taking deep breaths. You were trying so hard that you didn’t notice Nightwing beside you until his hand touched your shoulder.

“Hey, (Y/N),” Dick greeted quietly. You jumped a little in surprise, which didn’t help your nausea. “Are you feeling alright?”

Letting out a breath slowly, you gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine,” you answered, keeping your eyes on the sparring match. Dick looked unconvinced. You felt his hand brush against your clammy forehead. Pushing it away, you found you couldn’t keep your nausea under control any longer. “Excuse me,” you squeaked before sprinting from the room.

You made it to the girls’ bathroom just in time. Distracted as you were, you didn’t notice Dick followed you inside until he held your hair and gently rubbed your back. Tears fell down your cheeks as you gagged and hurled, your stomach aching from it all. Once you were done, you pushed away from Dick to go to the sinks. Dick followed you with a sad expression.

“(Y/N), can you tell me what’s wrong?” he asked with a seriousness that scared you. You shook your head at him, grabbing a paper towel and dampening it in the sink. Pressing it to your face, you sighed at the coolness of it against your flushed cheeks.

“Nothing wrong, Dick. It’s just food poisoning,” you answered calmly. You had rehearsed this excuse many times. Dick looked unconvinced, frowning at you.

“It’s not food poisoning,” Dick protested, taking your arm. “(Y/N), I am your friend, and I want to help you, but I can’t until you tell me what’s wrong.” He gazed at you with such frustration and desperation that you knew you had to tell him. You couldn’t let him keep worrying like this.

Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes. You didn’t want to see his reaction. “I’m pregnant.” You waited for his reaction, but when you heard nothing, you slowly opened your eyes to see Dick’s stunned expression. His mouth was hanging open, and despite how you felt, you gently put a finger on his chin to close it.

“But you’re only eighteen,” Dick stammered, finally recovering enough to speak. You looked up at the ceiling, trying to hold back your tears.

“Yes, I know that,” you replied in a soft voice as Dick continued.

“You’re a hero.”

“I know,” you said again, blinking back tears. A few escaped anyway.

“Heck, you don’t even have a steady income,” Dick remarked, shaking his head.

You snapped at him. “I know all that, Dick. It was an accident, okay?” A sob escaped you as you pushed him away from you. “It was one night where we were both hurting, and now I have to deal with the consequences.” Overcome with emotion, you sank to the floor, bringing your knees to your chest as you sobbed. Dick studied you for a moment before slowly sitting down beside you.

“(Y/N), who’s the father?” Dick questioned carefully, gently putting an arm around your shoulders. You looked at him through your tears, seeing the suspicion on his face.

You met his eyes before responding. “It’s Kaldur.”

Dick let out his held breath. “Shit,” he swore, running a hand through his hair.

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” you rant, sniffling through your tears. Dick studied you, trying to figure out if you knew the real reason Kaldur left the team.

“Have you tried to contact him?” Dick asked, desperate for information. Kaldur had requested you would not be told the specifics of his mission, knowing you would go after him if you knew the truth. Considering your condition, it was even more vital that you didn’t know.

You let out a heartless laugh. “I’ve talked to Aquaman, even Lagoon Boy about trying to get a message to him, but they both say they don’t know where he is. Heck, I’ve even gotten a hold of Garth, but he doesn’t know either.” Dick let out a silent sigh of relief before getting up to kneel down in front of you. He put his hands on your face to make you meet his eyes.

“I’m going to help you through this, (Y/N). I promise you,” Dick stated sincerely, feeling a sense of duty when it came to you. Besides being your friend, Dick felt he had to take care of you for Kaldur’s sake. After all, he was the reason Kaldur wasn’t here to help you through this.

“Thank you, Dick,” you whispered as he pulled you into a hug. You hugged him back tightly, relieved by the fact that someone knew and you weren’t alone.

A month later, you were flying the bioship towards the secret mountain base where the Kroloteans were hiding. It was decided Batman and the others would enter the base while you stayed with the bioship. Once news of your pregnancy became common knowledge, Dick was forced to take you off any active mission. You fought with him about it, which was why you were allowed to fly the bioship for this mission.

Hovering in camouflage, you watched as Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin dropped out of the ship to slip secretly into the base. Superman, Superboy, Aquaman, and Lagoon Boy remained in the ship, waiting for Batman’s signal. You laid your hand on your small baby bump, wishing for the safety of everyone. It was a comfort to you to know that you could jump in at anytime if something should happen.

You felt Aquaman’s eyes on you. Meeting his gaze, you gave him a tight smile before gazing back at the ground. He was about to approach you, but Batman’s signal stopped him. You sighed in relief as they dropped out of the ship. You haven’t spoken to Aquaman since your pregnancy had become common knowledge. Part of you was afraid of what he would think, it couldn’t be good considering you were pregnant with his missing prodigy’s child.

Rubbing your hands together, you tried to calm down. The fear in your heart quickened your heart beat as you couldn’t stand the thought of not being down there with them. You were powerful, you could protect them.

Before you knew it, the signal to pick up the heroes came through, and you landed the ship. They came barreling up the ramp with Batman ordering you to take off and get as far away from the base as you could. You did as he ordered, surprised when the base blew up moments later. The shock wave rattled the ship, but everyone was okay.

After you picked up Superman, who was caught in the blast trying to save the Kroloteans, you set a course for home. No one spoke about what happened in there, but you felt everyone’s eyes on you. Lagoon Boy gave you a particularly nasty look. Self-conscious, you ducked your head down and focused on getting everyone back to the cave as soon as possible.

Once you arrived, you found yourself being dragged off to the waterfall room in the cave by Batman, Nightwing, and Aquaman. You had this sense of dread as they guided you down the hallway as if they were going to give you some bad news. Thinking it was about your participation in the missions, you started developing arguments to use against them.

Dick guided you to a chair in the room before kneeling down in front of you. You looked at him curiously, glancing at Batman and Aquaman for an explanation. Batman gazed at you blankly while Aquaman looked at you with sympathy.

“(Y/N), there is something you should know,” Dick began uncertainly. He bit his lip, looking passed you to find the words to say.

“Is this about my participation in the mission? Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t pilot the bioship,” you interrupted, narrowing your eyes at him. Dick shook his head sadly, frowning at you.

“No, it’s not that. You were great on the mission…” Dick lost his words, glancing at Batman. Batman stepped forward, placing a hand on your shoulder. The tiniest amount of fear found it’s way into your heart as he spoke.

“We found Aqualad,” he said simply. Your eyes widened in surprise before your brow furrowed in confusion.

“What do you mean? He didn’t get on the bioship with us, did he?” you asked, the fear growing in your heart. Your blood ran cold when a thought crossed your mind. “Kaldur isn’t dead is he?”

“No,” Dick answered quickly, standing up and holding his hands out like he was professing his innocence. “That’s not it.”

You looked at all three of them with scared, exhausted eyes. Laying a hand on your baby bump, you sighed slightly at the knowledge Kaldur wasn’t dead. “What do you mean then?”

Surprisingly, you found Aquaman kneeling down beside you. He took your hand. “(Y/N), Kaldur’ahm has joined The Light. He was the one who blew up the base.”

“You’re joking,” you chuckled with mock humor. The blood drained out of your face when their expression remain grave. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

Aquaman just looked at you with sorrowful eyes. “I am so sorry, (Y/N).” Suddenly, it was hard to breath like a giant weight settled on your chest. It crushed you, making you gasp for breath.

“He wouldn’t,” you choked, tears slipping down your cheeks. Aquaman gripped your hand tightly while Batman did the same to your shoulder. Dick simply stood there, watching you in horror. “He couldn’t.”

Batman knelt down next to you, keeping his hand on your shoulder. “You need to calm down, (Y/N). You’re creating a storm in the room.” Hearing his words, you noticed the room had darkened greatly as wind swirled around the room. You focused on slowing your breathing, taking one deep breath after another.

“Think about your child, (Y/N). You need to calm down for them,” Aquaman soothed, brushing your hair out of your face with a gentleness that made you burst into tears. You expected his disappointment or hatred, not kindness. The room slowly returned back to normal.

Suddenly, you felt Batman’s hand slip off your shoulder as Aquaman drew you into a hug. He let you sob into his shoulder. Batman left the room, gesturing for Dick to follow him. Dick complied with the guiltiest look on his face.

Aquaman held you for the longest time, letting you cry all your tears. Once your tears were mostly spent, he drew away from you to meet your eye. He took both of your hands in his.

“I want you to know I take responsibility for Kaldur’ahm’s actions. There are things I should have said, should have done, and I apologized to you for it.” He glanced down at your baby bump before meeting your gaze again. “You have my support for whatever it is worth to you.”

You smiled at him, the ache in your heart hurt a little less, easing the blow of Kaldur’s betrayal. “Thank you, Aquaman.”

“Please call me, Arthur,” Aquaman insisted, smiling back at you with a warmth that lightened your spirit.

Though, your mind struggled to comprehend Kaldur’s reasons. You couldn’t believe he would join The Light, but maybe he was pushed too far by Tula’s death. Maybe it was your fault. Swallowing hard at the thought, you wondered if by sleeping with him you caused this. You and Kaldur were growing close before Tula’s death, but you weren’t officially dating or anything of that sort. Did you push him too far?

Aquaman seemed to sense your thoughts. “It is not your fault, (Y/N).” You nodded unconvinced. “Do not blame yourself for Kaldur’ahm’s decision.” Nodding your head again, you pushed those thoughts from your mind. You focused on thinking about your baby, and the team. It worked for the moment, but those guilty, haunting thoughts hung in the back of your mind.

Two months later, you found your baby bump growing bigger to the point where you couldn’t wear your costume anymore. Dick had taken you off missions completely, much to your displeasure. However, he started letting you run the computer systems as a compromise.

Your baby was healthy, and happy within your body. Dick would come with you during your check-ups for moral support. He held your hand when you saw the baby for the first time, and when you first heard it’s heartbeat. While you were grateful he was there, you found yourself wishing Kaldur was in his place.

Over time, you blamed yourself for Kaldur’s betrayal. While everyone told you it wasn’t, you knew it had to be your fault. After all, you slept with him when he was grieving for his former love. He was probably imaging you as Tula. He probably wasn’t attracted to you at all. Of course, there was the part of you that was guilty because Kaldur didn’t even know you were carrying his child.

Those thoughts would usually come when you were at the cave. You endured the disgusted glares from Lagoon Boy, and the sympathetic looks from everyone else. It always made you self-conscious to the point where you started wearing over-sized sweaters to cover up the baby bump.

It all came to a head during the mission where the team had to protect a satellite launch. Dick decided to go on the mission, leaving you to run the computer alone. You didn’t mind, though you thought it was odd he wanted to go along. Part of you wondered if it was because Artemis was joining the mission.

Seeing Artemis again was as awkward as your interaction with everyone else. She stared at your baby bump, even though it was hidden under your sweater. It made you want to cry, but you kept a fake smile on your face. For some reason, you got this impression of guilt from her, which was confusing to say the least.

Then before you knew it, you were watching Dick carry Artemis’ lifeless body off to the medical bay. The look on his face told you everything. You started to approach him, but he shook his head, nodding towards the computer. Frowning slightly, you obeyed focusing on the computer with tears in your eyes.

You didn’t know the circumstances of Artemis’ death until you joined the rest of the team in the living room. The team seemed to be waiting to pounce onto you.

“What are you doing here?” M’gann snapped as you entered the room. You looked at her, surprised while brushing away a tear with your sleeve.

“What?” you asked back softly. At this point, you only knew Artemis had died, but not how. Everyone’s eyes were on you.

“You don’t belong here, (Y/N). Not when you’re carrying that murderer’s baby,” M’gann replied coldly with tears in her eyes. Zatanna and Karen tried to hush her, but she wouldn’t stop.

Glancing around you, you felt isolated from everyone for no one would meet your eye. “I’m sorry,” you whispered as your heart broke. You felt the baby move within you. Wrapping your arms around your belly, you hoped it wasn’t hearing what was being said. However, M’gann wasn’t done.

“You’re sorry!?!” she shouted with such malice that you flinched. No one moved as she flew towards you. “Kaldur’ahm, the father of your baby, murdered Artemis and you’re sorry!”

You froze at the news, trying to meet someone’s eye for confirmation that it wasn’t true, but when no one looked at you, you knew it was true. Your heart shattered into a thousand pieces as a weight pressed down on your chest again. Struggling to breath, you tried to speak. “I…I…”

The room darkened as wind blew through the room. Knowing what was happening, you tried to control it. You breathed deeply, thinking about the baby to stop your powers, but it wasn’t working this time.

However, M’gann wasn’t done. “Get out of here, (Y/N)! We don’t need you here to betray us the second we turn our backs!” A sob escaped you when no one came to your defense. Knowing it was your fault, you fled the room to enter the zeta tubes. You didn’t pay attention to where you went for your only thought was to escape.

Kaldur, Artemis, Wally, and Dick were in the Bludhaven docks to give Artemis the secret identity as Tigress to join Kaldur undercover. Artemis was already wearing her magical necklace, and they were ready to go in a few minutes. Dick took Kaldur aside to give Wally and Artemis some privacy to say goodbye.

“Kaldur,” Dick began softly, the guilt on his face making Kaldur frown in confusion. “There is something you need to know.”

“What is it?” Kaldur asked carefully, glancing at Wally and Artemis before returning his gaze to Dick. Kaldur found it strange to see his friends again after being with The Light so long. He struggled with the undercover work, but the thought of you helped lighten the burden. You were in his thoughts daily as he wished he could have given you a proper goodbye.

Dick bit his lip uncertainly. “It’s about (Y/N).” Kaldur’s heart skipped a beat.

“What’s wrong? Has she been harmed?” Kaldur demanded, his voice trembled a little from fear. He didn’t know what he would do if you had been harmed in some way.

“No, (Y/N) is pregnant, Kaldur,” Dick admitted.

Kaldur took in a sharp breath, his eyes widening as his heart froze in his chest. He stumbled back a step. Dick grabbed his arm, keeping him upright.

“Kaldur?” Dick asked gently as they both drew Artemis and Wally’s attention. “Are you okay?”

“The child is mine?” Kaldur gasped, gazing at Dick with startled eyes. Dick narrowed his eyes at him.

“How dare you suggest that? Of course, it’s yours,” Dick growled. Dick understood he was shocked, but that didn’t mean he could suggest you slept around. It was bad enough what everyone else thought of you, you didn’t deserve that from Kaldur.

Meanwhile, Kaldur was trying to comprehend the idea. He knew you slept together once, but it couldn’t be. “Is she alright?”

“Yes, she’s fine,” Dick stated, smiling in relief. “The baby’s healthy too.” Dick pulled a picture out of his pocket. “Here’s a ultrasound photo. I thought you would want to see it.” Kaldur slowly took the photo while Artemis and Wally joined them.

Kaldur stared at the photo, taking in the silhouette of the baby’s face. His heart melted as his body ached for you. For some reason, even though your relationship was only beginning before he left, he found himself growing closer to you with each day that passed. Gazing at the photo of his child, Kaldur silently promised he was going to come home to you.

“We’d better get going, Kaldur,” Artemis suggested. She squeezed Wally’s hand one last time before letting go.

“Yes,” Kaldur said reluctantly. He tried to hand the photo back, but Dick refused.

“Keep it,” Dick insisted before giving Kaldur a sad, ashamed smile. “And for what’s it’s worth, I would have never asked you do this, Kaldur, if I knew about (Y/N).”

“It’s alright,” Kaldur replied softly, his heart breaking. He slipped the photo into a secret pocket in his armor. “We are making the world safer after all.”

Dick coughed, whispering lightly. “Yeah, I guess we are.” With that, Kaldur turned slowly around with Artemis, disappearing into the shadows. Dick and Wally stared after them for a long time.

Running a hand through his hair, Dick sighed with exhaustion. “When did this become so hard?” Wally frowned at him, narrowing his eyes.

“You always knew it was going to be hard when you first suggested this, Dick.” Wally snapped coldly. “So, everyone thinks Artemis is dead and Kaldur is a traitor, what happens next? I can’t imagine any of them forgiving us, especially (Y/N).”

“Wally, you know we can’t tell (Y/N). She’ll go after him, and it wouldn’t be good for her or the baby,” Dick argued, ripping off his mask to rub his eyes. Wally opened his mouth to respond, but Dick’s phone rang before he could speak.

“Yeah, it’s Dick,” Dick answered the phone while Wally glared at him. Suddenly, Dick’s face paled. “Wait, slow down, M’gann said what to (Y/N)?” Wally’s face softened with concern as Dick pursed his lips in worry. “Okay, where is (Y/N) now?” Dick hung up the phone after the person answered.

“What’s wrong with (Y/N)?” Wally asked with concern in his voice.

“M’gann blew up at her, and (Y/N) ran out of the cave,” Dick explained before hurrying away. “She was very upset when she left, I don’t know what she will do.”

Dick and Wally exited into the open air, seeing the storm brewing above them. “(Y/N) is in control of her powers, isn’t she?” Wally asked worriedly. Dick frowned before breaking out into a run.

“We better find her quickly,” Dick ordered as Wally zipped away to search. Dick swore under his breath, pulling up his wrist computer to search local security cameras. He hoped with all his might that his words about you being fine wouldn’t be proven wrong.

The zeta tube dropped you into a city. You ran until you couldn’t run anymore. Your powers were spinning out of control as rain poured down on you. Lightning stuck across the sky, the turmoil above reflecting the chaos in your own heart.

You found yourself sitting in an alley somewhere, your legs unable to run anymore. Gasping for breath, the pressure in your chest came back. The weight was crushing your lungs, shattering your heart. You felt the baby move within you, but it felt distant somehow as your mind focused on comprehending the pain.

The guilt ate at your heart as if you murdered Artemis yourself. After all, you knew it was your fault Kaldur betrayed the league. You pushed him too far by sleeping with him while he was in love with Tula. Wind howled around you as you sobbed. Part of you wondered if he knew you were pregnant, even so, you bet it would have no effect on him. He wasn’t the Kaldur you fell in love with, you destroyed that version of him by being a whore.

You felt like the team had every right to turn against you, you broken Kaldur, so you couldn’t be trusted. Curling into yourself, you sobbed heavily. All you wanted to do was protect people, but you ended up destroying them instead.

Eventually, a man, stinking of alcohol, approached you through the storm. “Why is a pretty thing like you out here in weather like this?” You lifted your gaze, feeling your power rocketing through you, mixing with your pain and desperation.

“Go away!” You screamed as a large gust of wind blew through the alley, throwing the man away from you and out into the empty street. He ran away, screaming in terror. You felt your heart break a little more, knowing you deserved his fear with you being a monster and all.

You lost track of time as your heart was shattering. The storm only grew around you, but it didn’t effect you. Laying a hand on your pregnant belly, the baby moved again probably terrified of the pain you were feeling.

Eventually, Wally and Dick found you after you had fallen into shock with no more tears to shed. Dick was concerned when you didn’t react to their presence at all. You knew they were there, but you couldn’t bring yourself to talk to them. Besides, you were waiting for Wally to reject you too. After all, you, in part, were responsible for Artemis’ death.

You were aware of Dick carrying you in his arms, whispering words of comfort that couldn’t reach you through the walls you were hiding behind. They brought you to a place with bright lights, and you were laid down on a soft surface of some sort. Then, a prick to your arm, and you found yourself slipping into blissful darkness.

Over the next few days, you found yourself able to function again. You were able to push passed the guilt of Kaldur’s actions, and focus on keeping yourself and the baby healthy. Dick stayed by your side as much as he could, and when he couldn’t be there, Wally took his place.

One of the main reasons you recovered like you did was because of Wally’s support. You expected him to hate you for what Kaldur had done, but Wally treated you the way he always did. There was a sadness about him, but it didn’t feel like the grief you would expect from him. You didn’t question it as you regain your courage.

However, it took both Dick and Wally a lot of arguing to convince you to come back to the cave. In the end, the only reason you came was because Dick was coming with you, and he threatened to put Superboy in charge of the computers. You could just see the disasters now.

That was how you found yourself in the hanger bay, replacing worn wire in the computer system. No one was around, so you didn’t feel like you had to wear your sweater to hide your pregnant belly. Kneeling on your sweater next to the computer panel, you were trying to find some of the worn wires.

You didn’t know that while you worked, Bart and Jaime had arrived with a tracking device that was to lead Kaldur’ahm and The Light’s goons straight to the cave. Therefore, you didn’t notice when Kaldur rose from the water behind you.

Kaldur knew he had a mission to complete, but he didn’t expect to find you. His breath was taken away at the sight of your beauty. You were just as beautiful as you were when he last saw you. It took him a moment to notice your pregnant belly. Kaldur froze at the sight, his heart warming at the idea of his child within you.

Shaking his head, Kaldur frowned as he realized he would have to change his plans to accommodate for you. His mind whirled to find a way to protect you. Making a decision, Kaldur silently approached you from behind.

Meanwhile, you were oblivious to Kaldur’s presence. You found the wire you needed to replace, taking it out with a sigh. Placing your hands on your aching back, you stretched only to feel a presence behind you. You glanced over your shoulder to see who it was.

“(Y/N),” Kaldur whispered as your eyes met his. Your heart stopped making you rub your eyes to make sure he was real.

“Kaldur?” you asked, struggling to your feet. You started to smile at him until you noticed the Black Manta uniform he was wearing. He stood there, waiting for your reaction. Your blood ran cold. “It’s true, isn’t it? You really did join the Light.”

Kaldur gazed at you sadly, feeling the change in air pressure. Your powers activated without you noticing. He stared at your round stomach before moving back to your face. “Yes, it’s true, but none of this is what it seems.”

“What do you mean?” you snapped, tears falling down your face. Kaldur frowned at the wind that started blowing through the room. You secretly reached for your phone, pressing the Justice League emergency alert button.

“(Y/N), I need you to calm down,” Kaldur soothed, taking a step towards you. The room darkened as your power grew. “Our time is limited, especially since you just called the League.” From the corner of his eye, Kaldur watched one of the shadows shift behind you.

“I’m giving you a chance to run away,” you warned, your voice hardening as the tears continued to fall down your cheeks. You let your phone slip out of your hand, the emergency alert sent. Thunder roared through the room. “But if you don’t take it, I will fight you.”

Suddenly, cool metal slipped around your neck. You gasped as you felt your powers disappearing. Touching your neck in panic, you felt a inhibitor collar around your neck. A horrible odd feeling came over you, the baby moved within you as if it felt it too. Kaldur ran towards you as you spun around, lifting an elbow to strike whoever had placed the collar on you.

A woman in a tiger mask, Tigress, caught your elbow, twisting it behind your back. You cried in pain as Kaldur reached you.

“(Y/N), please stop,” Kaldur begged quietly, bring an injection gun to your arm Tigress held. You struggled, not listening to Kaldur as you feared for the safety of your baby. “This is for your own safety.”

You gasped at the sting of the chemical entering your body. Suddenly, you lost the ability to stand leaving you to slump forward. Kaldur caught you, picking you up in his arms. Losing the feeling in your whole body, your eyes watered in fear as your head fell limply against his shoulder. Tigress picked up your sweater, and wrapped it around you gently.

“Please don’t hurt our baby,” you whimpered. Your eyes were falling closed. You were slipping into unconsciousness. Kaldur broke into jog making your head bounce against his shoulder. You felt his lips press against your ear.

“You both will be fine, I promise you,” Kaldur whispered, his heart breaking at the idea you thought he was actually going to harm you. He pressed his lips against your forehead as you finally lost unconsciousness. Kaldur jogged a little faster, hoping to have you safely on his ship before going back into the cave to complete their mission.

Reaching his ship, he moved quickly to the small medical bay. With the utmost gentleness, he laid you onto a bunk. He grabbed a blanket from the shelf above it, and tucked it around you. Kaldur paused to gaze at you, resting his hand on your large belly. He smiled when he felt the baby kick against his hand.

“I am so sorry, (Y/N),” Kaldur breathed, pressing his lips against yours for a quick moment before he turned to run out of the ship. He had a mission to finish.

You woke to bright lights, and voices. The odd feeling of not being able to use your powers still hovered over you. Panic filled you as you tried to move your arms and legs only to find them restrained against the bed you laid on. Your baby kicked as if to prove it was alive, allowing you to relax at bit. Fighting against the restraints, you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“Miss (Y/N), please calm yourself so I may continue the medical exam,” a strange man said soothingly. “I need to ensure you and the child are healthy.”

“Who are you?” you gasped, tears stinging your eyes as you glanced around the medical room. “Where am I?”

“I am Black Manta’s personal doctor, and you are currently on his private vessel. Now please, calm down,” the doctor answered as he pressed a blood pressure device on your finger. You tried to relax, but the fear of being in the Light’s hands left you shaking.

The doctor ran other tests varying from shining a light into your eyes to drawing blood from your arm. You were lost in your own thoughts, worrying what was going to happen to you. However, you found yourself a little comforted by the fact the doctor was making sure you and the baby were healthy.

Just when the doctor was preparing to run an ultrasound, a door opened from somewhere in the room.

“Ah, Kaldur’ahm,” the doctor greeted. You raise your head in an attempt to see him. “I was just about to do an ultrasound if you care to join us?” Kaldur appeared at your side, his eyes meeting yours. His eyes held a reassurance that calmed you like nothing else.

“I will,” Kaldur replied, keeping his eyes on yours. You didn’t understand how you felt so safe with him right now, considering he murdered Artemis. The thought made your heart ache as you gazed at Kaldur. He must have sensed your thoughts for he shifted uncomfortably.

The doctor was oblivious to everything simply smiled. “I will be lifting your shirt now, Miss (Y/N),” he announced. You jumped when the cool air touched your bare belly as your shirt was gathered under your breasts. Feeling Kaldur’s eyes on your enlarged stomach, you turned your head away from him. Your face burned with self-consciousness.

Everyone was silent as the doctor squirted the warm gel on your belly, spreading it around. You closed your eyes as you felt Kaldur free your arm. He gently touched your hand before backing away.

Despite everything, you found your hand catching his. You opened your eyes to find a surprised look on Kaldur’s face. His face softened as he entwined his fingers with yours. The doctor activated the machine, and the sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room.

You couldn’t see the screen since you were laying down flat on the bed, but you watched Kaldur’s reaction to it. His mouth dropped open as the grip on your hand tightened. A sparkle grew in his eye when he dropped his gaze down to you. The look of absolute adoration on his face allowed for false hope to grow in your heart. You almost believed he was his old self, and he didn’t betray the team. It made you almost believe he actually loved you.

“The baby is healthy,” the doctor informed happily. “The inhibitor collar doesn’t seem to be affecting the baby as we feared. Do you want to know the gender?” Kaldur looked at you, raising an eyebrow to let you make the decision. You bit your lip before shaking your head.

“Alright,” the doctor accepted, taking a photo of the ultrasound before turning the machine off. The doctor clean off your belly before lowering your shirt. Kaldur’s hand remained in yours as the doctor reported the results of the exam. “Both (Y/N) and the child are well. My only concern is (Y/N)’s blood pressure is a little high, but I’m assuming it may be caused by current circumstances.”

Kaldur frowned with guilt while you narrowed your eyes at him. “I understand,” Kaldur answered, squeezing your hand as if to pass some hidden message. You didn’t understand it. “May I take (Y/N) to our room now?”

You froze when he said “our room”. A wave of pleasure flowed through your body while your blood ran cold at the idea. You hated how conflicted you were.

“Yes, but make sure she rests with her feet up. It will help lower her blood pressure,” the doctor responded, turning away from you and Kaldur to clean up the rest of the room. Kaldur walked towards your feet, freeing your legs before moving to free your other arm. He helped you sit up, and gently lifted you onto your feet.

You eyed him with a mix of relief and confusion as he took your arm to lead you slowly out of the room. Your legs were difficult to move at first due to being restrained, but your legs recovered as you walked. You headed out of the room, and down several corridors. Kaldur and you passed many Black Manta guards along the way. They made sure to knowledge Kaldur as if he was their leader. The idea of it made you sick.

Finally, Kaldur guided you into a small bedroom with a double-sized bed. He pushed you inside before he locked the door of the bedroom. You gulped, trying to hide your apprehension at being alone with him. Hurrying to the other side of the room, you tried to put as much distance between you and him as you could.

“Why did you do it, Kaldur?” you demanded, your voice weak as you tried to gather your courage. Kaldur sighed, bring a hand to rub his eyes before turning to face you.

“As I said before, it is not what it seems,” Kaldur replied, taking a step towards you. You flinched, making him frown.

You squeezed your eyes shut to hold the tears back. “Then, tell me the truth,” you gasped when you suddenly found yourself in his arms. His lips brushed against your ear as he explained everything.

After he finished, you found yourself sitting on the bed in shock. Blinking rapidly, you tried to comprehend all the grief and pain you had felt during the last six months was for nothing.

Kaldur knelt down in front of you, grasping your hands to wait for your reaction. He studied your face with a nervousness that you had never saw in him before. You were so conflicted, you could only think of two things to do.

Pulling your hand out of his grasp, you slapped Kaldur across the face. You hit him hard enough for a hand print to blossom on his cheek. He started to react, but before he could you sealed your lips to his. Kaldur gasped in surprise, returning your kiss with vigor.

You both broke apart a moment later. “I expected a more verbal reaction,” Kaldur chuckled, bring a hand to his cheek. You laid your hand over his.

“It’s one that you deserved I think,” you remarked, glancing down at your enlarged stomach. Your face grew serious. “But what are we going to do now?”

Kaldur sighed, leaning forward to rest his forehead on yours. “I was able to slip Nightwing a flash drive containing the plans for a rescue mission. You are to leave with them.”

“I’m not leaving you,” you argued strongly with an edge of desperation in your voice.

“No, (Y/N),” Kaldur answered firmly. He stood up to tower over you while gripping your shoulders. “You have to protect our child, and you cannot do that if you remain with me.”

“But I can’t leave you here,” you snapped with tears sparkling in your eyes. You couldn’t leave Kaldur in danger alone. Sure, he had Artemis, who was in disguise as Tigress, but you couldn’t abandon him.

“You must, (Y/N). I cannot complete my mission if I do not know if you and the baby are safe,” Kaldur pleaded, his eyes filled with worry and fear. “Please, (Y/N).”

Gazing at him, you knew he was right. You would have to leave if to protect your baby. “Alright,” you gave in, standing up to wrap your arms around him. He returned the hug tightly. A gentle smile broke onto his face when he felt the baby kicked through the contact of your bodies. “Just promise me you’ll come home to us.”

“You have my word, My Love,” Kaldur whispered into your ear as you laid your head on his shoulder. Your heart warmed at the pet name. He pulled away from you a moment later, gesturing towards the bed. “You should rest now.”

A playful smiled danced upon your lips as you took his hand. “Will you be able to rest with me?”

Kaldur blushed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “I do not believe the doctor will approve.”

“Well, I believe he said something about resting with my feet up,” you teased, laying seductively on the bed. “We could manage that.” Kaldur smirked at you before eagerly climbing onto the bed with you. Nevertheless, the night was very “restful” for both of you.

A few days later, the team initiated the rescue mission. Kaldur knew of their arrival, making sure to kiss you goodbye before unlocking the inhibitor collar around your neck. The feeling of your powers rushing to you was one of the oddest things you had ever experience, but it felt good.

You couldn’t speak as you stared into each other’s eyes. Every time you opened your mouth, nothing could be said. Kaldur seemed to understand, kissing you deeply before laying his hand on your baby bump. The baby moved within you as if reacting to it’s father’s touch. Your heart broke for you realized this may be the last time you see Kaldur alive.

“Go, and be safe,” he whispered, slipping away from you. You struggled, only moving when Kaldur gave you a gentle push. Taking one last look at Kaldur, you turned to run out of the bedroom, that had been your home the last few days, and into the corridor.

You took a deep breath before running down the corridor. Kaldur had forced the instructions into your memory by repeating them over and over again. Honestly, you loved how concerned he was, but it was ridiculous.

Nevertheless, you found yourself sprinting down corridors while avoiding Black Manta soldiers who were around. The alarms started going off when you were halfway to the place Kaldur said the team would be. You jumped at the sound, distracted to the point where you ran straight into three Black Manta soldiers.

They tried to stop you, knowing who you were to Kaldur, but you used your powers to blow them away. Using your powers felt amazing after so long, but you couldn’t focus on it as you started to run again.

Eventually, you ran into Superboy, who was actively searching for you while dressed in a Black Manta uniform. He was surprised by your sudden appearance, but he scooped you up before sprinting towards the docking bay. You insisted you could walk, but Superboy just grunted at you.

After helping the team escape by using your powers to distract Black Beetle, you found yourself sitting back in a seat on the bioship with the rest of the team. Dick hovered around you, concerned for your health. You brushed him off, trying to control your emotions. In your mind, you kept thinking you had left Kaldur in danger and you hoped it wasn’t a mistake.

Months passed as you neared your due date. With each day, you worried about Kaldur and whether he would ever get to see his child. However, you distracted yourself by preparing for the baby’s arrival.

Wally and Dick were a great help. They insisted on coming with you to lamaze class for they both wanted to be there for you during the birth. Since you knew the truth, you understood they felt honor-bound to do so, even if the idea of childbirth made Wally pass out.

It was a week before your due date when Dick informed you of Kaldur’s plan to reveal how the Light and the Reach were playing one another, thus blowing his cover. You argued that you should be allowed to come on the mission, but Dick refused since you were so close to your due date. He said Kaldur would never forgive him.

As it turned out, it was good you didn’t go on the mission anyway for the morning of the mission your water broke.

The pain wasn’t bad, so you kept it a secret until the team left for the mission. You knew if you told, Dick and Wally would stay with you and you needed them to be with Kaldur. They had to help Kaldur.

Once the team left for the mission, you finally went to the hospital.

You expected to go through labor alone, but much to your surprise and relief, Aquaman, dressed in regular clothes, appeared in your hospital room an hour after you had arrived.

“Aqua…Arthur, why are you here?” you asked as you paced your hospital room in a hospital gown. Your back was killing you, and your contractions were about seven minutes apart.

“(Y/N), do you really believe we would let you go through this alone?” he answered simply. Suddenly, you had a sharp contraction. You almost collapsed, but Aquaman caught you, guiding you to sit on the bed. “Breathe through it, (Y/N).” Focusing, you took deep breaths as you waited for the contraction to pass.

The pain eased. “Please tell me that Dick and Wally aren’t here? They need to help Kaldur,” you gasped between breaths. Aquaman sat down next to you, taking your hand.

“No, they are still on the mission. It is only I here today,” Aquaman reassured softly. You sighed, closing your eyes for a moment to thank for Dick and Wally’s absence. “Nightwing suspected something was wrong and message me to check up on you. Sensing what may have happened, I came here without informing them.”

You squeezed his hand before meeting his eye. “Thank you,” you whispered with tears in your eyes. The pain from the contraction faded away, leaving only your aching back behind. Without you saying so, Aquaman let go of your hand to massage your lower back. “Did you hear anything yet?”

Aquaman shook his head sadly. “No, but it is still early,” he replied, his massage soothing your back like nothing else. “Let us focus on you now, (Y/N). We have to trust them to know what to do.”

“I know,” you agreed reluctantly, closing your eyes. You took a deep breath. “You don’t have to stay with me. I’m sure you had more important things to do.”

He chuckled, smiling at you when you looked at him. “At the moment, you are my primary concern, (Y/N).” You gave him a small smile as another contraction gave way. Aquaman coached you through it with expertise that you realized must have come from experience. He must have helped his wife, Mera, through the birth of his own child. Knowing you were in good hands, you prepared for the trial ahead.

Hours later, Kaldur found himself running down a hospital corridor towards your room. He had finished the mission, exposing the Light and the Reach’s plans, thus breaking their alliance. After arriving back with the team, he was shocked to learn you went into labor. Changing into surface-dweller clothes, he zetaed to the hospital before the rest of the team could exit the bioship.

He reached your room, out of breath. Pausing to stare at the closed door, Kaldur found himself too nervous to go on. Luckily, Kaldur didn’t have to chose for the door opened on it’s own.

A nurse smiled at him as Kaldur stepped aside to allow her to leave the room. She leaned back into the room. “You have a visitor,” she called before sending Kaldur another smile. “You can go in.” Kaldur swallowed hard, stepping into the room.

You were sitting up in the bed with a bundle in your arms, cooing to it softly. Kaldur’s heart glowed at the sight of you, healthy and beautiful as ever. You raised your head, your eyes brightening at the sight of him. He was about to approach you when he noticed Aquaman was sitting in the chair beside your bed.

Kaldur stared at him, fearful for his reaction. However, a smile broke onto Aquaman’s face as he stood to meet Kaldur. “Congratulations, Kaldur’ahm,” Aquaman’s voice boomed with joy and relief. “I am glad to see you returned safely.” Kaldur’s eyes widened when he found himself encased in a hug from his king. A moment later, he let go of Kaldur to gesture towards the door. “I will be outside if you need me.”

“Thank you, my king,” Kaldur whispered, unable to raise his voice. Aquaman simply clapped his shoulder before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. Kaldur turned towards you, slowly walking towards you. “(Y/N), are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Kaldur,” you reassured, glancing down at the bundle in your arms. “Better than fine.” Kaldur sank onto the edge of the bed, staring at the bundle in wonder. You noticed his nervousness, holding out the bundle to him. “Do you want to hold her?”

“Her? It is a girl?” Kaldur asked, timidly taking the bundle. You guided his arms to make sure he supported the baby’s head while nodding at him in confirmation. He moved the blanket out of the baby’s face allowing for him to see his daughter for the first time.

She was beautiful. “She has your hair,” Kaldur noted with a gentle smile. You nodded, brushing a finger against the baby’s head.

“She has your face though,” you mumbled, sighing when the baby yawned. Kaldur grew more confident, leaning forward to kiss your lips while keeping the baby steady. You returned his kiss tiredly. “I’m glad you are safe, Kaldur.”

“I am glad you and the baby are well,” Kaldur admitted, gazing at his daughter with love. His brow furrowed as a thought occurred to him. He looked back up at you. “What is her name?”

You gave him a small, tired smile. “I was waiting for you to decide.” He smiled back at you before glancing down at his daughter. She opened her eyes to gaze at her father with curiosity.

“Well, I always liked Assana,” Kaldur suggested, looking at you for approval.

“Assana,” you wondered, leaning forward to gaze at your daughter. “I think it suits her.” You grinned, kissing Kaldur’s cheek. Both of you stared down at your daughter with love. You laid your head on his shoulder as you yawned.

“You should rest,” Kaldur suggested, turning his head to press his lips against your forehead.

“Maybe later,” you replied, closing your eyes in peace. “I just want to enjoy the moment right now.” Kaldur hummed in agreement as you both simply enjoyed each other’s presence. You never felt as complete and satisfied as you were right at that moment with the knowledge of a bright future glowing about you.

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