I got some no's and some yes's for Nero's POV so this chapter is half and half. Enjoy!
Nero's POV
"Come on, Theodore," I rush. "Her training with Wing ends in three minutes! We have to be done by then!"
"We just need to add your ornament onto the mobile. All the others are on," Pike tells me with a smile.
I fasten the framed picture onto the string in the middle. Just as I pull away, Raven opens the door yawning.
She breathes in sharply when she sees the main teaching staff standing in her bedroom. "Why is everyone here?" she asks. "Max, you know I'm not a people person."
"That's hardly a way for a soon-to-be mother to be talking," Colonel Francisco jokes.
Raven gives him an icy glare before giving me that same glare. "Back to my question," she says sharply. "Why are you standing in my bedroom?"
We all step aside so she can see what we set up. Her hand moves to cover her mouth as she chokes on a sob.
A yellow crib is in the corner with lavender blankets. There's a fancy diaper changing station next to it that is purple. The crib is full of stuffed animals that the heads of the teaching staff picked out. There's a stuffed white cat- courtesy of Ms. Leon- a big black teddy bear armed with a pretend water balloon- thanks to Colonel Francisco- an old gray owl with spectacles- Pike was very insistent on that one- and finally- from me- a little, tan dog with floppy ears.
My favorite part, however, is the mobile. Ms. Leon, Colonel Francisco, Professor Pike, and I all made too ornaments- one representing our special characteristics and one something about Raven. I made a special one for the center also. Ms. Leon's ornaments are a glowing collar and the Russian flag. From Colonel Francisco: a machine gun (I find it sad that a baby will have a mini machine gun hanging over her bed but that's Colonel Francisco for you) and a grappler. Professor Pike gives her some small blueprints and (my second favorite) a pair of glittering katanas.
For my part, I made a cut out of a mother, father, and child and I also made a red heart. The other ornament I did was the photo from the sonogram. (A/N: totally stole that from the New Normal when they hang the sonogram photo on the tree)
Tears form around the edges of Raven's eyes. "I'm not gonna cry," she orders herself, "This is all hormones." She looks at the mobile and then back at us. "I especially love the mobile. It has so many memories stuffed into ornaments. The flag, for example, reminds me of my living on the streets before the Glasshouse and of Dmitri and Tolya. I've used my grappler and my katanas more times than I can count. Plus, I love the little things that scream your names. Oh, and the sonogram photo . . ."
She chokes on another sob and I wrap her in a hug. "Do you like it?" I ask her quietly.
"Max, it's perfect." She wipes her eyes on my shirt. She turns to face the others, "Thank you so much. It means a lot to know I have people like you and Wing and . . . Henry." She seems to consider before she says Henry. I wonder if something happened. She picks up on my wonderment and adds, "Maybe even some of the other students too."
Raven yawns and I say, "You should get some sleep. I'm glad you liked the surprise."
I watch as she crawls into bed before I exit the room.
Raven's POV
3 days later.
I can't stop thinking about Henry. He was looking at me while I was changing! Plus, I'm pregnant. That's really creepy.
Could it just be my imagination? I ask myself. No. I'm positive that he was looking at me. He doesn't seem like the type of guy who'd do that, though.
I scold myself for thinking too much. I'm overreacting.
My mind moves from one unfortunate topic to another- I'm starting to show. A few students are already looking at me differently when I walk by- especially Otto, Laura, Shelby, and Nigel. Franz too, but he's different. I don't know how, he just is.
More people are watching me than usual, however, so I'm assuming more has spread overnight. It's not a feeling I'm comfortable with. I'm used to working in the shadows; I should start climbing on the ceiling- like I did when I was Otto's bodyguard during his first year.
As soon as I see an empty hallway that's exactly what I do. I move back out to the busy hallway using the pipes. It's amazing how no one ever looks up.
I get to Max's office and pull open the door, only to find him in a meeting with Colonel Francisco. "Should I come back later?" I ask him.
"No," he replies, "I could use your input on the situation at hand."
"What's up?" I lean against the door and fold my arms over my chest.
"One of the Henchman seems to be too clever and intelligent to continue in the Henchman stream. It's his third year but we're considering bumping him up to the Alphas," Max explains.
"If his mental capacity is too great for the Henchman stream you should send him up. I'm sure he'll be thrilled about that," I tell them.
"I'll continue watching him and get back to you," Colonel Francisco says as he leaves the office.
"You can't lock me up like this, Max," I frown. "I'm going to kill myself if I have nothing to do for the next seven and a half months."
"Maybe you could start teaching some of the smarter Henchman and fit Alphas lessons like you give Wing. You could probably do that for a month," he replies after thinking for a moment.
"It's a start."
"Fine. I'll work on it."
Yes, I know. This was a pathetic ending. The rest of the chapter was good though so please review!
