Title: Help From Above or "I'm WHAT!?"

Fandom: Pet Shop of Horrors

Author: Jessi B.

shadowrider@blomand.net

Summary: Answer to the preggy Leon fic challenge on PSOH list ;)

Notes: Takes place at the end of the manga, D is gone, Chris is with relatives again. Tweaked slightly as I have made D & Leon lovers prior to D's vanishing.

Just finished (I have survived finals!!!) and am working on the sequal so re-posting some parts, or on some lists just now posting.


Help From Above or "I'm WHAT!?"
by Jessi B

Leon closed his eyes and sighed aloud as cool fingers moved up his heat skin, lips brushed his shoulder and he leaned into the touch, moaning softly as something penetrated his most secret place. He linked his fingers through the long nailed hands and whimpered, closing his eyes. Only when he opened his eyes again he was alone, staring at the now plain wall of his bedroom.

Gritting his teeth the blonde detective felt tears trickle down his cheeks. Standing he stripped off the sweaty clothes he'd been in for the last three
days. Ripping off bandages he stepped into the shower and turned the cold water on full force. The shower cooled the heat that seemed to be eating him alive. Steeping out he dried off and limped to the sink, brushing his teeth, he regarded the thin drawn face in the mirror and winced. Grabbing his razor he shave the fuzz from his face. He dressed without really looking at what he had on. Stepping over piles of ripped posters he made his way out and into the muggy L.A. air. He found his car and drove to the super market, bought cleaning products and a full family pack of black trash bags.

By the time Jill came to check on him three bags of trash were in the hall and the apartment had gone from its usual piled mess to an almost Spartan look. Jill silently handed him the food she'd brought and made sure he ate it.

"Leon...I know..." She began biting her bottom lip.

"No...no you don't Jill..." He whispered huskily, tossing the empty burger bag into a half full trash bag. "I need...to deal..." She nodded softly and finally slipped away, eyes worried. By evening Leon's apartment was sparkling. Exhausted he lay down again, praying for no dreams.

***

"Fu-Hsing!" The Chinese man being called slowly looked up from his calligraphy. Dressed in bright red robes embroidered with dragons he moved to catch his two pet bats as they burrowed into his sleeves. Kung-Ti, the great war god, burst in looking fearsome in his armor, close cropped beard and mustache sculpted around a strong hard face.

"Kung-Ti..." Bowing his head in soft respect he raised an eyebrow. "What may help you with..."

"Your Ds have hurt another of mine," The war god snapped, his eyes softened a bit at the stark pain that crossed the god of happiness' face. "I'm sorry, Fu-Hsing but it could be bad, his misery must have reached you by now..."

"Both of their misery has reached me..." A little bat peeked out to nuzzle his cheek and he turned into the soft touch. "And the other calls as well..."

"Other?"

"The child that lives within your warrior..."

Kung-Ti leaned against the doorway, eyes wide.

***

Lan Ts'ai-ho nodded and quietly polished his silver flute as the god of happiness spoke. Kung-Ti walked around the room in agitation. Lan Ts'ai-ho was slight youth and dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, his hair fell to his shoulders in a soft ebony wave. He had kept up with mortals more then most of the gods had, though as a simple immortal he had no official duties.

"We thought, that you might help us ease him into this..." Fu-Hsing murmured and smiled when the immortal handed a nectarine to him. His bats immediately moved to nibble on it.

"It will not be easy, My Lords, he is both male and human. A divine birth such as this is unknown to his time..." Lan said in his quiet musical voice. "Let me play a bit and I will think on the matter." Fu-Hsing, who had worked with the man before nodded and led the war god out. Kung-Ti opened his mouth to protest but stopped at the sound of the haunting flute music.

"We will do it your way," the bearded god relented.

***

"Fruit, sir?" Leon blinked at the fruit stand. It was beside the convenience store he favored for his occasional cigarette run. The fruit had taken over the old newsstand and they did look good. The Chinese boy running the stand seemed content whether he bought something or not, playing with a reed flute the youth seemed relaxed and the soft notes from his instrument urged Leon forward.

"Sure, why not?" The blonde smiled back and stepped up to pick up a couple of apples. "These look great..."

"They are, and fresh, I have a friend who grows them. She always has an excess..." The boy carefully bagged the apples Leon gave him and tossed in a couple of extra. "Take these as a gift, you're my first customer..."

"Thanks, kid," Leon smiled and moved away, munching on an apple. He felt lighter and the heat that was a constant now, seemed to cool a bit. Had Leon turned he would have seen the boy and his fruit flicker away, dark eyes worried.

***

"The pregnancy will harm him, my Lords," Lan said softly, a giant stork lay its great head on his thigh and he stroked it, eyes worried. "Already his body doesn't know where to put the energy...It must be contained..."

"How can we? Leon Orcot is not a god, nor a female..." Kung-Ti growled. He paced the area of Fu-Hsing's room.

"There may be a way..." Fu-Hsing murmured, standing. "I will return shortly, please excuse me..." He came back, almost an hour later with a peach pit in his hands.

"That's what going to help?" Kung-Ti asked doubtfully, he stopped sharpening his sword to regard the smaller god doubtfully.

"It is from Queen Mother Wang's tree," Lan murmured, lowering his flute. "The peaches of immortality..."

"Yes, and...?" The war god sighed impatiently.

"It holds a great deal of energy, the child's spirit and energies could be contained within..." The other god answered softly. Plucking a red silk string from his hair he bound the pit until the string, like a necklace, suspended it.

"Then, the final question is: how shall we tell him?" Lan Ts'ai-ho murmured, lifting his flute again he began to play.

***

"Who the hell are you and how'd you get in?" Leon Orcot's gun never wavered, even when he hit the lights and found an elegantly dressed man, an armored man, both old fashioned, and the boy from the street stand. The fact that they were sitting on the couch and calm despite the gun did worry him though.

"Mr. Orcot...We're sorry to intrude..." The elegantly dressed man said softly, in a tone that reminded him of D. "But we have much to discuss..."

***

"I...AM NOT...knocked up," Leon had been pacing the living room for the past half hour.

"I am sorry, Mr. Orcot. But you see, the Di family is a very old line of Chinese gods, after loosing their worship and respect they began to wander the lands, still possessing their powers, and bring about small justices and mercies..." Fu-Hsing began.

"Mercies?" Kung-Ti snapped. "They hurt and corrupted the best of my followers, this being one of many. Perhaps once they were just and loving but no more. I held hopes for this latest Di but..." The war stopped talking, turning away. "Still, they are divine, and as such Little D has left his seed with you, Orcot."

"In case none of have noticed, I'M MALE! I don't have proper child making equipment..." Leon snarled, turning on them.

"That is why we are here." Fu-Hsing stood and hesitantly extended the peach pit to the blonde. "This will contain the child's essence. The reason you have felt unnaturally hot at times is because the power is seeking a place to rest and form..." He looked relieved when Leon took the seed. "If...If you do not want the child...when the transfer is complete I will take it and raise it as my own."

"Ok, fine, just supposing I believe you...Why me? Why did this happen to me?"

"Because Count D cared very deeply for you," The god of happiness whispered. Nodding Leon let the other put the seed around his neck.

***

Lan Ts'ai-ho smiled gratefully at Leon who had brought him a mug of green tea. Lan had just finished putting sheets and blankets on the couch and settled to sip his tea, watching Leon sit in an armchair.

"How are you doing Leon?" He asked softly as the blonde fidgeted with the seed.

"Freaked," Leon answered truthful. "Listen, thanks for staying. You seem to kinda know what's going on and...the other two are a bit much."

"You sense their powers, as gods it is rather...overwhelming. And I thank you for allowing me to stay, it has been long since I could speak honestly with a human, the gods often forget I was human once..."

"How'd you..." The detective motioned vaguely.

"I was a traveling minstrel, I was told my music could make even the gods weep. One day a stork carried me away to the heavens and I was made the court musician and granted immortality for my talents. That was...many centuries ago." The youth turned away eyes dark and thoughtful. "And so many things have changed since then..."

" I bet..." Leon looked away then gasped as the seed in his fingers heated. The Chinese man stood quickly and moved to his side. The blonde tightened his fingers on the seed as the heat pulsed through it and was rewarded with a wave of pure love. He became aware of himself sometime later when he released he was laying on his bed with a cool cloth on his forehead. He tried to sit up and was pushed gently back and pillows were piled behind him so he could move slowly to a sitting position.

"Here, drink," A cool glass of water was pressed to his lips and he happily complied. "Are you well?"

"Yes...yes, better then ok..." Leon whispered, smiling. "The kid...it's...it's like I could feel it and...the kid's great, happy, curious..."

"Your child wanted you to know," Lan nodded, smiling as well. "I'm glad it made you happy, Mr. Orcot..." Leon didn't answer, instead he stroked the rough seed and felt an answering whisper of love of and need. His child...his and D's child. When he slept that night the dreams were happy memories of a dark pet shop.

***

"Leon, you can take more time off..." Jill said, eyes worried.

"I'm fine, Jill," Leon smiled, a real smile. His friend returned it, spirits rising as the blonde moved to his cluttered desk. Maybe, she hoped, he was. Somehow though she doubted it.

The cases were an almost a welcome distraction and Leon dove in with relish, but if anyone had watched him they would have noticed the way his hand drifted to stroke the odd necklace he wore beneath his shirt. A Chinese man arrived at lunch and waited for Leon to finish his file before they left for lunch.

***

"You truly enjoy your job don't you?" Lan asked, picking up his chopsticks. Leon nodded using a fork to eat his own portion of food. They were in a nice Chinese restaurant and Leon had, without meaning to, chosen an entirely vegetarian meal.

"You seem well suited to it," His companion continued, noting Leon's appetite. "No meat?" He questioned, voice casual.

"I'm used to D ordering and..." Leon paused shrugging looking away.

"I see," Lan murmured, touching Leon's hand slightly he turned back to his meal, heart heavy for the other man.

***

"Ugh," Not a morning person Leon stumbled out to his shower, Lan smiled. He offered Leon a bagel half with cream cheese when the other came back in. Their routine was simple, Lan Ts'ai-ho woke Leon in the morning and made sure he ate something then the detective left for work and Lan tidied up, played music, or just wandered out to explore the city. At lunch they met to eat and talk and then Lan called to make sure he got home at a reasonable hour. No one but Jill asked Leon anything, and he just rolled his eyes and said Lan was a friend. The Chinese man had a key to the apartment, tossed to him without a word one morning.

So life went by for over three months, until the morning Leon woke Lan pale shaking. The blonde glowed softly with power and looked sick. Fu-Hsing and Kung-Ti appeared when Lan blew a single sharp note on his flute. Leon was settled on the couch, a cool cloth trying to help his heated forehead. Fu-Hsing vanished again, reappearing with large ornate pot engraved with Chinese lions. He struggled to hold it and Kung-Ti moved quickly to take it from him, setting the dirt filled pot by the couch, near Leon's head.

"The seed must be planted," Fu-Hsing murmured, urging the man to sit. Leon hesitantly closed his fingers over the pulsing seed, carefully he took the necklace off and unwound the thread, smiling the blonde kissed the rough surface of the seed then carefully dug a small hole in the center of the pot with his other hand. The seed was planted into the rich soil with loving fingertips and the moment it was done the human was relieved to feel a brush of love from the seed, he relaxed and smiled weakly at his companions, wiping embarrassedly at his teary eyes.

"The child is strong," Kung-Ti said a few moments later when a green shoot sprang up. "All will be well, Warrior." The gods left after they were sure all present were fine. Lan helped Leon move the plant by a window and agreed to sleep in the blonde's bed so the other could watch the plant while he drifted off.

The plant was repotted a week later with the help of the gods and continued to grow rapidly until Leon was forced to take it to look for a place to put it as his meager apartment ceiling had become to small. Lan found a small place in Chinatown that had been a teashop. A tall fence in the back surrounded a garden where customers had been escorted to relax. Leon found that the place had been sold, to him, when he inquired. Shrugging he took the gods' gift and they moved the plant a few hours afterwards. The detective took a leave of absence and they moved into the apartment above the shop. He couldn't bear to leave the tree, now budding into blooms, for more then a few hours.

To distract the man Lan began employing him in several small fix-up jobs around the once shop. He also took the blonde out with him to look at various interesting odds and ends around the city, from antique shops to garage sales. It was Leon who jokingly said they should open up a used bookstore as he thumbed through a hardback Tom Sawyer. The immortal took to the idea and before the detective had fully figured out what was happening he was set to work clearing the shop and constructing shelves. All the while the tree grew, but it bore only one fruit when it finally lost its blooms four months after it was planted.

"I think we should do a coffee and tea area on that side Lan," Leon said, brushing shavings of the blueprints his roommate was working on. "Those other book shops have them, and some old armchairs scattered around..."

"A good idea," Lan Ts'ai-ho agreed, making notes. "It'll be an excuse to buy some of those chairs I've had my eye on." Leon grinned at the delighted Chinese man. It was using his nest egg and Lan never talked about his own accounts but he knew the man was spending a lot. The blonde tensed, eyes falling shut. Whispers were engulfing his mind, the little voice that had started from the tree seemed so much stronger now.

"Lan, the tree..." They moved without another word, stepping out into the garden. The tree was shaking though the wind was still. "It's time..." The
peach was as large as a basketball. The branches were bending low and Leon stepped forward to gently take the warm fruit as it separated from the tree. He felt his child just beneath fuzzy flesh and turned quickly to walk back inside. The gods were already there and a red silk cloth was spread on a cleaned kitchen counter. Kung-Ti set a small sharp dagger on the cloth and Leon settled the fruit down gently on the tables center, towels were piled around to keep it still as the skin shifted as the children moved beneath. Leon felt the dagger pressed into his hand by Fu-Hsing.

"Only you can make this cut, Leon, it will shift for you," The god murmured. With a shaking hand the blonde pressed the knife to the peach, liquid seeped under the first touch of blade and the cut slid smoothly without injury to the babe. Setting the knife away he pulled gently at the seemingly paper thin skin and gasped at his first view of the child, children, within. They were wet and curled together face to face. Their dark hair was plastered to their scalps and their dusky skin was covered with a see through goo. Leon just stood for a moment, dumbfounded, then he moved to help Lan scoop them up and dry them. As their noses and mouths were cleared they began to cry. It was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. Small eyes finally opened and the blonde drew his breath, checking the other child. Their right eyes were yellow, their left blue. Lan had gotten him through the preparations required for the 'event' and he was soon learning how to pin on tiny squares of cloth, paranoid of sticking the little ones.

"They're beautiful," Kung-Ti murmured, holding a sleeping baby to his armor-clad chest.

"There's two of them," Leon said finally, gently stroking his hand through the downy black hair on the twin he held. Lan smiled softly at the detective, patting his shoulder.

"It is lucky we were so well prepared, the can share the crib and we have plenty of everything else."

"Yes, Lan, as usual, you were right, happy?" The slender immortal chuckled. "But question time, they need birth certificates, social security numbers, and hell, I need a cover story."

"We will take care of such things, save the excuse," Fu-Hsing murmured, smiling as the war god let him have the child. "It shall be their birthday gift. Have you chosen names?"

"Yeah, Donovan, and the one you got is Duane," Leon whispered, kissing the babe's head. "Thank you, all of you."

"It is...nice to help bring happiness, and nicer to help right the wrong I have done you, Mr. Orcot..."

"It's not your fault, I wasn't enough to make him stay." Leon grew silent and watched Donovan sleep.

***

"So...all the sudden you find out this woman told the doctor you were her baby's father?" Jill asked after Leon had 'explained'.

"Yeah, here Lan, give me Duane, Don's all clean," Switching babies Leon started changing the next child. Jill wondered if she'd stepped in a Twilight Zone episode.

"And you kept them?"

"Yeah," Leon smiled and swept the baby up to his shoulder. "Say 'hi' to Aunt Jill, Duane..." The baby cooed and Jill melted, forgetting questions and taking the child.

"So...the bookstore?"

"It started as a...just kinda an idea Lan and I had and now with the kids...I think it'd be better to quit the force...at least for a while..."

"I guess I can understand," Jill murmured, tickling the baby's stomach. "Leon, he doesn't...where's his belly button?"

***

"I think it can be explained away like with Jill, birth defect." The blonde traded a wet clean child for a dry one.

"Yes, it seems reasonable enough," Lan agreed, drying Donovan and dressing him in a zip-up sleeper with feet, it was green, his brother's blue. Their color code for telling the twins apart, mixing them up would be a bit embarrassing, as Leon had pointed out. In the middle of feeding the children the phone rang and Leon proved his dexterity by holding the bottle with his chin and answering the phone. A tearful Chris was on the other end.

"Yes, of course, listen...shhh...it'll be ok, I'll pick you up. Tell them I don't mind, give them the phone." Within an hour's negotiation Chris was due in
a week, he wanted to be with Leon and the Count's warning to the boy were proving true. Now living among mortals was almost painful, they thought he was crazy. The explanation followed through the feeding and putting the twins to bed. Lan nodded.

"Leon I think I should move out," Leon was rinsing bottles in the sink and tensed. "Listen, I still want to be around and the bakery next door is renting a room above their store. You can use my room for Chris." He stepped beside Leon's now still form and met panicked blue eyes. "You can do this Leon, you don't need me."

"I...I want you here though," The blonde husked out, turning away.

"I know, and I am honored by this Leon, but you no longer need my support. You can face this challenge now."

***

The store was slowly taking shape, the twins sat in their playpen by the counter, which held an old-fashioned cash register, and played together or with Chris while Lan and Leon supervised workman or did work. A steadily increasing pile of books was amassing in the storeroom, ready to be shelved. Six months after the twin's 'birth' the shop was almost ready and the two men were doing stock. The door opened with a jingle and Chris ran in with his report card, talking excitedly with a friend. Leon smiled as they ran upstairs. Chris was happy and out of his shell, the twins were growing like weeds, and the store was almost ready. Life was unexpected and curvy but...he was happy. Shaking his head he went back to stocking.


end