Monday's were the day's everyone hated. It meant work or school. It was the start of the week that just made the public grone in exasperation.

I may be weird but I loved Monday's. I don't necessarily mean that I loved the day in itself but that I loved my job.

I started to work as a freelancer for the Freedom Fighters sometime after the first war. The jobs I got hired for normally were along the line of transportation. I was the one who was called to transport any object or person from one place to another while giving extra protection if needed.

It was the most fun that I ever had. When I started working in the Underground, I locked myself into a room with every map I could get my hands on and poured over them for two weeks. I then proceeded to go around Haven City and made a more updated maps of every nook and cranny I could find. That little endeavor took three weeks and pissed people off.

So, I went a little overboard with the maps

Ever since then I love my job. I love the places I got to go, the people I got to meet, and the things I got to do. I ignored everyone's complaints and used what I learned to do my job more efficiently.

Now, now I hated my new desk job. When i got to my new desk at the newly rebuilt fortress this morning, I realized that all I can do is read reports on the manufacturing of new maps and looking for any miniscule mistakes to send over to the production manager.

It completely ruined Mondays for me.

It was nearly lunchtime by now and I started to play some sort of game on an old clunker of a computer that came with the desk. The game being minesweeper, I clicked away without caring if I pressed on a mine or not.

Then a butt appeared on my desk. This butt belonged to a black haired man clad in blue armour. This armour was different from the old version though.

It was less clunky for the most part. A lot of the metal framing was tossed away and replaced by a ferm cloth that could stop at least three bullets if shot in the exact same place. It also had a built in helmet that, with a push of a button, could retract and detract. This helmet did not have the old face plate which made the person more noticeable.

I didn't acknowledge the man and kept playing the extremely boring game. The man scooched closer.

"How are you today?" His voice sounded like sugar.

I only hummed my response.

"Thats wonderful. Well," he continued with his sweat ad day voice, "I was wondering if, when lunch comes around, you want to go to that nice little sandwich place a few blocks away?"

Again, only a hum was his answer.

"Great! The place is amazing. They give you just about anything you want. They even heat up the meats if you ask. I mean, that's the only kind you can have untill you stop breastfeeding so yeah. Anyhow, three minutes 'till lunch. Do you know what you're gonna ask for? I think I'll get some thick yakcow steak strips with some muse cheese melted on top. Did you know that you could milk muse'? I sure didn't. Also I …"

At this point in time, I held my hand up. He stopped mid sentence and looked cross-eyed at my hand. Seeing as I could finally talk, I spoke in an indifferent voice that probably showed how bored I was as the game I played did.

"What are you so hyper about Kaden?"

He rolled his eyes and prodded me in the nose. "Do you realise that this is the first time that we ever been in the base together. We hardly see each other on the job, unless you count those times we bump while going separate ways, and you ask me why I'm hyper? I'm not hyper, I'm excited!"

I sighed and turned to turn the computer monitor off. "Okay then. How about lunch? Yours is normally at one and it just became noon."

He waved off my concern. "Traded lunch times with a pal of mine. He didn't mind much 'cause of a new girlfriend. Now, are we going to go or not?"

As he spoke, he got to his feet with one hand on his hip and the other stretched out to me. I glared at it for a moment then crossed my arms shifting my weight in the seat I was in. I was still facing the now black computer screen.

"Do I have a choice?"

He gave me his most winning smile, forcing me to face him in suspicion. "Now, we both know you don't."

This time, without saying a word, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from my comfy chair. He practically dragged me with vigor in his step.

"So, what are you gonna git to eat?"

I thought long and hard about that question. When I came to my decision, I stole my wrist away from Kaden.

"Pickles."

He gave me a weird look then placed his now empty hand on my back as if leading me.

As we walked, we talked about our exciting day back from our long weekend. His day was nice; he got to go on several small missions. Each having to do with the rebuilding of Dead Town.

I told him about my wonderful day with maps and the very old computer.

We got to the new sandwich place and he got his stake strips with cheese and I got three pickles. Since we only got thirty minutes to have lunch, we immediately walked back home. During this stroll, a question popped in my head.

"Why are they rebuilding Dead Town?"

Kaden had just taken a huge bite and tried to talk around his food.

"Oh, don' 'ou 'mimber da frince da du uneroun posly ad?"

I stopped and stared at him in amazement. "I didn't understand a word you just said."

He growled and gulped down the bite, only pausing to massage his throat. "I said, don't you remember that Prince of Mar the Underground supposedly had?"

"Oh, yeah. What about him?"

"Well apparently, the Prince wasn't a child like the Underground spread around. He was a teenager. He refused to take the throne when it was offered but also refused to formally give the city up either. So now, he has a lot of say on how the city's ran.

"He came in two weeks ago and demanded that Dead Town be revised." Kaden continued. "So, Governor Ashelin sent a bunch of construction workers and FF out to do just that."

I swallowed the food in my mouth so I could ask, "why the FF? And did you see the Prince?"

"First: the FF was called in because of the excess MH and bodies that are laying about. Second: I did. Have you herd all of those rumors that are flying around?"

"Yeah, they say that Jak is because of his ties to the annihilation of the Baron, MH leader, and the dark makers in a span of two years. It just rumors though."

Kaden shook his head at me. "Nope, all true. He even took the last name Mar. I saw him walk into the Governor's office that day too. They seemed pretty chummy and she saluted him on his way out."

By this time we had reached the front door to the base. I paused in mid step and blankly looked at the statue of the great Mar in the center of the lobby. Jak Mar, that was his full name. He was the Prince of Haven City. I was…

Kaden stopped to watch me and then looked at the statue as well. He hummed thoughtfully and rubbed his chin. "I guess that makes your kid royalty, huh?"

Leaving that last thought hanging in the air, we said our goodbyes and went separate ways. I went back to the desk and sunk into the cushy chair that I had been given.

Jak was the Prince. He had more power than I previously imagined. So if he ever found out, he could take the baby away without so much as a warning. He could make me give up all rights with the backing of his heritage. Hell, if that wasn't enough, even if he couldn't get the rights hear, Jak could just take my baby while I'm sleeping and take him to that city of wastelanders, Sparges.

I nod on my thumb nail before a voice sounded from the back of my head.

'You know, you aren't going to tell him anyway. So why worry about it?'

'And hope to the precursors that the boy looks nothing like his father! No, that won't work. I need to make sure he never sees the child.', I thought back.

'Why not move back to Kras?'

'But, Kaden loves it hear.'

'And?,' it argued. 'If Kaden loves you as much as you seem to think he does then he won't even care. He'll just be happy that he has a good girl and a handsome baby boy.'

'Kaden and I aren't together.'

'For now, no.'

I went to argue back, but Ashelin appeared out of thin air and started to shake my arm. She looked worried and when she spoke to me, it sounded like how one would address a child.

"Tammi, are you alright?"

I blinked twice then forced a smile. "'M fine, just bored out of my mind. I guessed I spaced out."

She smiled warmly at me and straightened. "I was wondering if you wanted to get a ride home with me tonight. Kaden's gonna be out late."

"Ok. That's fine." I continued to give her my false smile in hope that she wouldn't see through me.

She didn't; she only patted my shoulder and began the walk back to her office. I sighed and turned on the computer monitor. The only way I was going to get Jak out of mind was to work.


The week there after went by slowly, somewhat like the snails slow incline up the hill. I had to stare at practically the same thing every day. If that wasn't enough, I kept having the same nightmare of that man shrouded in black. I would wake up and fight to catch my breath until I released that I've yet to have my child.

I also started to have trouble talking to Kaden. The fact that I wanted to suggest moving back to Kras with him knowing full and well that he loved Haven City for some strange reason made me feel like I was somehow raining on his parade.

Another week passed and it went by fast. I had all the same problems plus the ever growing fear of having to go on that mission with Jak. The only difference was the nightmare. The figure now had the symbol of Mar tied on its neck and got so close that I could hear it breath.

I tried to hide my fears and anxieties from everyone, and for the most part it worked, but Kaden saw right through it. He started to drag me over to his place to stay. I started to feel better when he did but it only drove this gilt that plagued me each time I remembered that I wanted to leave Haven.

I couldn't help but realise that this all started when Kaden and I went clothes shopping. When I was forced to see that my life was changing from my pregnancy and I could no longer hide it.

The next week started.

Monday: I woke up crying. I went looking for Kaden and when I found him, I cried on his shoulder for a hour.

Tuesday: I refused to eat. I felt so sick to my stomach that even a cracker would send me over the edge.

Wednesday: I didn't go into work because of a small panic attack. I was lucky that it happened in the shower because if Kaden saw, he would have not gone in eather.

Thursday: I didn't say a word. I thought that if I said anything, I would start crying. Though I know that in itself was from the mood swings one experiences when pregnant.

Then it was Friday.


I don't really have much to say about this chapter that doesn't involve the words of another. Only a few word, and they are: 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!'

Ya git it?!

Anyhow, jakfan: I have to tell you that you helped me think a lot about this chapter. Yes what you said would help Tammi with her anxiety, but she must suffer! That and Jak is sorta responsible, if he's hit in the face with whatever he need to be responsible for. And not a soft pat, no. More like going at top speed on a zoomer then smack you while passing kind of hit!

Anon: At least Jak and her have something in common.