Blackfire is...

"Pregnant?!"

You can't believe it, but that's what your wife exclaimed from inside the bathroom. According to the low-tech form of testing--in which Blackfire had to urinate on a plastic stick--she is indeed pregnant. And according to her and your sister--the only two in the know about this--Blackfire has been showing the usual signs of a pregnant Tamaranian female.

"Didn't you notice what she's been snacking on?!" Flashfire asks you as she holds up Blackfire's food tray. Partially eaten bits of orange vegetables remain.

"They're called 'carrots', right?" you ask her.

"Yes," she replies. "And this, too!"

She holds up a glass of finished something. You recognize it as a mix of chocolate milk and mayonnaise.

"And these are signs how...?"

"We don't have carrots on our planet!" she reminds you. "Or chocolate milk, or mayonnaise. This is unnatural! A completely unnatural appetite is sign #1, and she's been snacking on these for weeks!"

"And now I think I'm showing sign #3," Blackfire says as she sits down on the couch.

"Sign #3?" you echo. "What about #2?"

"That was this morning," Blackfire says. "When I was really itchy for half an hour, remember?"

"Oh yeah... I just thought you had dry skin, or had been exposed to something and were developing a rash."

Blackfire rolls her eyes as she pulls off her long boots. She then starts massaging her legs.

"This is sign #3," she explains. "My legs are sore and starting to feel numb."

"Are you sure it isn't from the itching?" you ask. "And as for sign #1, there are many things only native to Earth that we like to eat."

"But the Mayo-Chocolate mix is something I came up with," Blackfire says. "A random combination out of nowhere is only possible if my taste buds are changed by the pregnancy. Sign 2 is real because I haven't been near any plants in the last week, since i've been doing almost nothing but snacking, and sign 3 is real because i've barely done any physical activity today, so there is not reason for me to be weak-kneed."

"Okay, okay," you concede. "Are there more signs?"

"Not at this point," Flashfire says. "From what Mom told me, we have one more Tamaranian month before Sign #4 and 5 appear, and after #5 then it'll only be about another Tamaranian month before the baby comes."

"Okay, what is #4?" you ask.

"I believe i heard the Earth term for it on television," Blackfire says. "They call it the 'baby bump'. Basically, it'll appear as if my stomach has grown. This combined with #3 means I won't be able to walk for the last month or so of the pregnancy."

"So? you can fly!"

"#5 is mood swings," she quickly replies. "I can't fly if I can't keep focused on happiness! For that matter, since my emotions will be constantly shuffling, I won't be able to do much of anything when it comes to powers."

X'Hal dammit, why didn't you ask about this stuff before implanting your 'seed'?!

"Well, before it's too late," you say, "when it finally comes time to have our baby, what will that be like?"

Flashfire and Blackfire pause for a moment.

"Well," Flashfire says, "let's just say you'll be grateful that her powers will be disabled by the modd swings."

You practically fall to your knees and pray to X'hal then and there, hoping he blesses you with strength to handle the next few months.