What Could Have Been

Chapter Two: Lines Drawn in the Sand

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"What is going on?" Bray questioned as he was drawn from his room and hurried to look over the railing at what was causing all the noise. He froze as he saw Amber step in-between Lex and Pride and then watched Amber tumbled to the ground, he took off down the stairs with Tai-san and Alice on his heels.

"Amber." Pride muttered as he took a step back just as the other three gathered around them. Alice gently grabbed Pride's arm and pulled him back, as Tai-san moved to help Amber to her feet and Bray pushed Lex towards his room. The former Eco looked at her for a long moment before he freed himself from Alice's grasp and turned towards the exit of the mall. All the while Cloe just stood with her hands covering her mouth as she watched in horror.

"Cloe, why don't we see if Ellie needs help with lunch?" Alice offered as she walked to the girl's side, "Amber just needs some peace and quiet." She added with a forced smile as she ushered the younger girl towards the stairs.

"Are you in any pain?" Tai-san asked as she gently guided Amber so that she was sitting on the base of the fountain. Amber just shook her head no as she placed a hand on her stomach as Bray came to her side and kneeled in front of her.

"I'm okay." Amber promised as Bray placed his hands on her knees, "I don't know what I was thinking."

"You aren't the one that needs to explain anything." Bray dismissed as he rose to his feet and turned his attention back to the doorway that Lex had disappeared through. He gave Amber a once over before he placed a kiss on her forehead and headed towards the room.

"It may look like we need to break up two fights today." Tai-san mused as she stood and helped Amber to her feet.

"It's beginning to feel like old times." Amber joked as the two headed towards Tai-san's room. The pair stopped in the doorway and listened to Bray and Lex's headed discussion.

"How am I supposed to know what got Tofu boy all bent out of shape?" Lex defended a she plopped down on his bed and paced his arms behind his head, "Maybe his favorite plant died or someone ate his furry friend."

"Lex." Tai-san scolded as she shot her husband a look before she moved into the room and pulled out the stool from her vanity so that Amber could sit on it.

"Pride isn't one turn violent for no reason." Amber pointed out once she was seated.

"Come on Bray, you have to admit that you've had the urged to punch nature boy in the face." Lex pushed, "I mean I know I do, and he was never involved with my woman." He added.

"Do you want to get punched for a second time today?" Bray questioned, "Because you are the only one that I have the urge to hit at the moment."

"Let's just say that Pride and I had a little disagreement over how to handle those who betrayed the tribe."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Bray asked not sure that he wanted to know the answer.

"May isn't going to be a problem anymore." Lex shrugged as Tai-san took a seat on the end of he bed, "I got tired of waiting for your mind up about her and took matters into my own hands."

"We agreed that it wasn't fair to punish those who went along with the Chosen." Amber interrupted.

"Those who went along with the Chosen, not those who sold us out."

"Is Trudy going to be next on your hit list?"

"No, she had her brat to worry about and I can give her that. May was looking out for herself and it costed Dal his life." Lex disagreed.

"What did you do?" Tai-san demanded as turned to face her husband.

"I did what they did in the old days."

"You can't just tar and feather people, Lex." Amber shook her head in disbelief.

"It was molasses." Lex corrected, "I came to you two first and you said that it wasn't fair to pass judgment on May because we wouldn't do the same thing to the others."

"We wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt." Bray insisted, "People can do bad things when they're scared for their lives."

"May wasn't afraid. She knew what she was doing, she wanted to get the in the Guardian's good graces." Lex shook his head, "I was tired of waiting and to be completely honest I saw your way of punishing people and how well that worked out."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You decided that the Guardian was insane and that meant that he couldn't stand trial, then you let Luke off to live with his guilt. Where are the two of them now? The Guardian was playing you the whole time and ever kidnapped your woman and the blue haired freak is who knows where."

"You need to make this right with Pride." Bray ordered, he knew that there was no arguing with Lex about this because they were just going around in circles.

Lex just stared at him for a long moment before he gave a slow nod, "I am not going to apologize because I didn't do anything wrong." He added as Bray held his hand out for Amber and took her hand, before the two left the room.

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"I don't even know why I am surprised." Bray confessed once the two were in their room, "Lex is the same person that he was when we all met." He added as he moved to the box that rested on the wall across from their bed, "He's just gotten better at covering it."

"I don't agree with the way he went about it, but maybe we should have held May accountable." Amber reasoned as she took a seat on the bed.

"Amber." Bray started as he stopped opening the box that contained a crib and turned his attention to the blonde.

"The others joined the Chosen for their own reasons; Cloe and Patsy are children and were terrified, Salene had her unborn child to worry about and Tai-san did what she did to protect the tribe." Amber explained, "Trudy may have been the Supreme Mother, but she was clearly brainwashed and worried for her daughter."

"I think that you're angry at May for the part she played in Dal's death." Bray insisted as he joined her on the bed.

"She betrayed us to the Guardian to try and gain favor with the man." Amber sighed, "She is the one that ratted Patsy out to Luke about being a spy. She manipulated Salene and Ryan and that ended with him being taken away."

"May is a survivor and that is what she was doing. I think that we need to remember that everyone went through difficult things during the Chosen's reign."

"I just wish that Dal was here especially now." Amber confessed as Bray wrapped his arm around her and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I happen to be an expert in this field." Bray smiled as he tried to lighten the mood.

"You delivered one baby three years ago." Amber playfully shoved Bray away from her, "I think there needs to be more than one of anything to be considered an expert."

"We will see in a few months."

"Tai-san has offered to act as my midwife. She's been reading up on the subject and even has some herbs that might help manage the pain during labor." Amber responded as she leaned back on the bed, "Trudy also brought up an interesting idea too."

"What would that be?" He questioned as he pulled Amber to his side, so that she was laying her head on his chest, "Did she offer to set the crib up for us."

"We have plenty of time for that now that things are finally calmed down. I even think we could get Jack to help out with that if we bring up the idea of needing a Godfather." Amber mused.

"What did Trudy want to do?"

"She wanted to organize a baby shower, like the adults used to do. She thought it would be a good way of celebrating the Mallrats being reunited." Amber answered as she tilted her head so that she could see his reaction, "It would be coed."

"I think that is just what we all need right now." He agreed as he placed his arm on her slight bump.

The couple had fallen into a comfortable silence, when there was a knock at the door before Trudy pushed the curtain back and entered the room, "Everyone's gathered in the café for a meeting. It got around what happened to May." Trudy announced with a frown.

"Let's go face the lions." Bray sighed as he slid from the bed and lead the way out of the room.