Time is of the Essence - Part 6

A couple months had passed since Kyle and Eddy swapped into their own parents’ bodies, and Kyle stared at the positive pregnancy test in his trembling hands, a mix of emotions swirling within him. Relief that they had succeeded in preserving the timeline, but also fear and uncertainty about what lay ahead.

"Uh… David?" he called out softly, his voice shaking, "Can you come here?"

Eddy appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, his expression concerned, "What is it?"

Kyle wordlessly held up the test, watching as understanding dawned on Eddy's face.

"Oh," Eddy breathed, his eyes wide, "So it... it worked?"

Kyle nodded, tears welling up in his eyes, "Yeah. I'm pregnant. With... with myself."

Eddy crossed the small bathroom in two strides, pulling Kyle into a tight embrace. Kyle buried his face in Eddy's chest, letting the tears fall freely now.

“You know, this got me wondering,” Kyle sobbed, “What if this was meant to be? What if Mom has really been …me this whole time? And Dad has been you?”

"Kyle, that's... that's insane," Eddy said, referring to his brother by name, "We can't be... I mean, we're not really..."

But Kyle could see the doubt in Eddy's eyes. The same thoughts had clearly crossed his mind too.

"Think about it," Kyle pressed on, his voice trembling, "What if this was always how it happened? What if we were always meant to go back in time and become our own parents?"

"I... I don't know," Eddy said slowly, "It seems impossible, and yet..."

"And yet here we are," Kyle finished softly. 

They stood in silence for a long moment, the weight of Kyle's theory settling over them. Kyle's hand drifted to his still-flat stomach, where he knew a tiny version of himself was growing.

"If it's true," Eddy said hesitantly, "then we're not just pretending to be Mom and Dad. We *are* Mom and Dad."

Kyle nodded, his eyes wide, "And that means... everything that's happened between us..."

"Was meant to happen," Eddy finished softly.

They stared at each other, the implications of this realization sinking in. All the discomfort and guilt they'd felt about their intimate encounters suddenly took on a new light.

"So when we... when we made love..." Kyle trailed off, his cheeks flushing.

"We were just fulfilling our destiny," Eddy said. He reached out to cup Kyle's face gently, "We were always meant to be together like this."

Kyle's hand moved from his stomach to cup Eddy's cheek. "David," he whispered, using their father's name again.

Eddy - David - leaned into the touch.

"Cara," David murmured, leaning in to capture her lips in a tender kiss. 

Cara melted into the embrace, all the hesitation and guilt she'd felt before evaporating. This felt right, like coming home. She wrapped her arms around David's neck, pressing her body flush against his.

David's hands roamed down Cara's back, coming to rest on her hips. He pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Tears sprang to Cara's eyes, "I love you too," she breathed.

"God, I love you so much," she continued, “And I’ve realized that I …love being a woman… “

Cara's words hung in the air between them, heavy with implication. David's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't pull away.

"You... you do?" he asked softly.

Cara nodded, her cheeks flushing. "I do. At first it was so strange and uncomfortable, but now... I can't imagine going back. Like this is who I was always meant to be."

David's hands tightened on Cara's hips. "I... I think I understand. Being in Dad's body, it just feels natural now. Like I've finally grown into myself."

Cara's hand drifted to her stomach again. "And now we're going to be parents. Real parents."

"We're going to raise ourselves," David mused, a hint of wonder in his voice.

"It's crazy, but... I'm actually excited!"