Yay chapter 6 is finally here. Sorry it sucks but I had serious writers block! I also want to say that I would like to update once a week and have at leat one review before I do!

-Shem-

The baby kicked, and I felt it. When Ila called for me I was so worried. Once she put my hand on her stomach I felt nothing but joy! That night as we ate, it kicked again and I proudly had everyone feel. Mother cried and Japheth asking hundreds of questions, Ham on the other hand showed no emotion and did not want to feel. Ila looked a little hurt but I knew she understood that he was not trying to hurt her.

Ham had retreated to the reptile deck more now and was rarely seen at meal times. I tried to talk to him but all he ever did was ask about Ila and Mother. He wanted to know how they were and how the baby was. I felt genuinely bad for my brother, but not as bad as Mother. She thought his misery was her fault that she should be with him, comforting him. I would tell her that he does not want that but she never listens.

"Can't you just speak to her?" I asked Ham as he helped me with the boat.

"She never listens to me." Ham replied.

"All Mother wants is for you to acknowledge that she still exists and is your mother." I told him.

I stared into my brother's eyes and all I say was emptiness. He had retreated so far into his anger that I could not see the old him anymore.

"If it is what she wants, I will tell her I am fine." Ham said, defeated.

"But you are not fine Ham. You are far from fine." I pleaded with my brother.

"I am Shem and I am the last thing you need to worry about. You have Ila and a baby that need you, I will be fine." Ham told me.

"I do worry about them, all I do is worry. I can tell Ila is getting tired of my fretting but I cannot help it." I confessed.

"She knows she can take care of herself." Ham whispered.

S S S S S S S S

-Ila-

"Pinch the fabric here and then stich." I told Japheth.

I was trying to teach Japheth how to stich a dress. It close to Mother's birthday and Japheth wanted to make her something special. Mother has been so upset lately and Japheth being the sweet boy he is decided he wanted to show her that he loves her.

"Like this?" He asked.

I picked up the garment and accessed it. His stitching was neat and the pattern was all align. It was perfect.

"Japheth, this is perfect. Mother will love it." I told him.

He grinned widely and ran off to hide the dress. I laughed to myself.

"Watch yourself Japheth." I yelled out to him.

"What is that boy up to now?" Mother asked me, walking into the Hearth.

"Mother please announce yourself." I said putting my hand on my chest.

Out of nowhere I felt a strange pain in my stomach. I grabbed Mother's arm and called out in pain.

"Something's not right." I cried.

"What is it?" Mother asked me calmly.

"I don't know it hurts." I cried.

"Sit Ila." She said helping me to the floor. "Where does it hurt?"

"My stomach." I replied in between sobs.

Somehow Shem must've heard me because he came running in a second later.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his face full of worry.

"Ila's feeling some stomach pains." Mother told him.

I was hysterical at that point. The cramps were worse now and they weren't stopping. Shem was holding my hand tightly, telling me that everything was going to be fine.

"I need to get her to your tent so I can check her." Mother told Shem.

"Fix it now!" I yelled at her.

Out of options, Mother grabbed a blanket and covered me with it. I squeezed Shem's hand with all of my might as I felt Mother's hand feel me.

"You are not dilated and I cannot feel the baby's head." Mother said.

"Then why is she in so much pain?" Shem asked.

"I believe it is just false labor." Mother told us. "It is no problem."

"No problem!" I yelled at her. "I feel like I am dying, how is that no problem?"

"Ila calm down, she did not mean it like that my love." Shem whispered into my ear.

Before I could reply I felt another stab of pain.

"Ow Shem, make it stop." I cried.

Shem wrapped me in his arms and rocked me. He whispered soothing words into my ears as I cried through the pain. As the pain began to ebb down, I finally began to calm down.

"Here Ila, try to eat some broth." Mother said, handing me a bowl.

Shem took it from her and helped me drink from it. Once I finished the broth Shem helped me up and into our tent.

"How are you feeling?" Shem asked me, smoothing my hair.

"The pain is gone, but I am exhausted." I said exhaustingly.

"Then rest your eyes love." He replied.

And that is exactly what I did.

S S S S S S S S

Flashback

-Shem-

I couldn't remember how long I had been working on the ark, chopping down a tree so that I could strip the bark and use the wood to add to the ark. It had been 5 years since Father began building the ark and in the past year I had finally become old and strong enough to really help. At fifteen I was tall and very strong, strong enough to be a man Father told me.

"Can I help?" I heard from behind me.

I turned around and saw Ila looking at me shyly.

"Company would be nice for now, but once I get the tree down I will need another set of hands." I told her.

In the 5 years since we found her, I had grown more in love with Ila with each passing day. She was beautiful, especially her eyes, they were big and soft; I always felt comfort when I stared into them. It had taken about a year for Ila to fully recover from the attack. Now she was fine and healthy, able to run and help about the ark. She couldn't walk for a while and she would flinch when someone who wasn't Mother got too close to her, even me! When I asked Mother why she said it was fright from her attack, but I heard Mother and Father talking one night and she told him that one of the raiders had defiled Ila before she was cut. The thought made be red with rage, but I never got to upset since I did not want to scare Ila.

"You are quiet when you work." I mused.

"Sorry, just thinking." I told her. "Move back."

I moved back with her as we both watched the tree fall. Once it was down, I handed her a large knife.

"Here," I said handing it to her, "Peel back the top bark layer while I cut the branches off."

"You are awfully demanding today aren't you?" Ila said jokingly.

"I'm nothing compared to how Father is." I told her. "All he does is bark out orders without looking at me. I do not know how he does it."

"He is Noah." Ila said blankly.

I let out a snort and continued on with my work, talking to Ila about this and that. Minutes passed, then hours and before long it was getting dark outside.

"We should go back." I said to Ila.

"What about the wood?" She asked me, whipping sweat from her brow.

"I can send some Watchers to get it." I replied.

I looked at Ila again and saw she had some dust from the bark on her cheek. I took a few steps closer to her and gently rubbed it off with my thumb. She looked up at me with her big brown eyes, and without thinking I leaned down and touched her lips with me. She was shocked at first, but after a moment she began to kiss me back. I dropped my axe and captured her face with my hands as her arms snaked around my neck. We kissed for as long as we could before we both needed air.

"That was…" She mumbled.

"Incredible." I finished, capturing her lips again.