Chapter 28
After an uncomfortable night sleep, Mai slowly found herself waking up. Her whole body felt stiff and achy, not to mention thoroughly un-rested. Wearily she opened her eyes and stared down at the chains binding her to the wall not so far behind where she'd been sleeping. It was hardly the most welcoming sight in the world, but she was slowly starting to get used to it. Sighing heavily, she sat herself up and glanced over at the other two. Téa was still asleep and the female Kaiba was sat with her head rested against the wall, staring absently up at the ceiling.
'You okay?'
'Yeah, just thinking.'
'About what?'
'About how all six of us are going to get out of this.'
'Six of us?' Mai frowned.
'Yeah,' she nodded, glancing across at her, 'six of us.'
'You're counting the babies too, aren't you?'
'Of course.'
'Come up with anything good?' Mai sighed again as she shuffled backwards and leant her own head against the wall.
'Nothing which doesn't involve us all staying here for at least another twenty-four hours.'
'Because of the thing round your ankle?'
'Got it in one,' she gave an exasperated sigh. 'It's an impractical drawback, but at least the guys know to basement hunt for us now.'
'Huh?'
'I spoke to Tristan last night.'
'How?'
'Through our shared dream.'
'Shared dream? But... how; I thought your powers were being blocked.'
'They are, so my guess is that Tristan somehow pulled me into it, but I can't be completely sure; neither of us really know how shared dreaming works,' she tilted her head in thought. 'Not that it matters, the important thing here is that they'll have a rough idea where to start looking for us now. Although they don't know about...' she stared down at her bump, 'Taylor kind of woke me up before I had the chance.'
'Taylor?'
'Yeah,' she smiled strangely, 'that's what I've named her.'
'You named her Taylor?' Mai wasn't totally sure she believed she was actually having this conversation with Kaiba.
'It's Tristan's surname, but it's also non-gender specific, so I figured it would make a nice name for her.'
'Okay… who are you and what have you done with the real Kaiba?'
'I am the real Kaiba.'
'Then being in Piper's body must seriously be screwing with your head.'
'Why? Just because I've already named my future daughter already?' She lowered her head and shrugged. 'I seem to remember you having Jo's name picked out from the beginning.'
'That was different. For a start I'd already met her and secondly, I wasn't you.'
'Geez, thanks Mai,' Kaiba rolled her eyes.
'You know what I mean.'
'Whatever,' she shook her head. 'So any thoughts on yours yet?'
'Mine?' She frowned, staring down at her own bump. 'You know, I really hadn't thought about it. But then again I did promise Joey he'd get to name the next one.'
'So we can expect something incredibly Silkoneon then,' she rolled her eyes again, 'either that or Valentine.'
'Valentine?'
'Think Crovell Lutoni and you'll get it.'
'Like you can really talk,' Mai laughed and shook her head.
'Who said I was trying to,' she shrugged again. 'I was just pointing out the fact Wheeler is hardly known for imaginative names.'
'And you base that on the naming of his son?' She cocked an eyebrow at her. 'You know full well the reasons behind that.'
'Yeah, well, whatever.'
There was a long silence and Mai found herself studying the female Kaiba, not totally sure if the conversation between them really was as weird as it felt. After all, if Kaiba were anyone but Kaiba their conversation would have been completely normal, not to mention justified. But it was Kaiba she'd been having the conversation with, it didn't matter if he was trapped in Piper's body or not, he still shouldn't be having conversations like this. She sighed and shifted her gaze towards the metal tables. She'd known from the beginning there was a reason she kept thinking of the female Kaiba as a she, it was to make situations like this almost normal.
'Do you think they'll find us soon?' Mai forced herself to break the silence.
'I don't know,' Kaiba shrugged for a third time. 'I don't even know if I want them too. I mean, if I'm going to be stuck here till tomorrow anyway, then them getting here today really isn't going to be much use to me. In fact the only good thing which could happen if they find us early is getting to watch them break the guy who's done this to us into a million pieces. Or getting them to take this damn thing off my neck and letting me do it,' she laughed. 'I think I would enjoy that.'
'Now that's an honest answer if ever I've heard one,' she grinned. 'You think we should wake Téa up?'
'What would be the point; it's not like there's much she can do awake anyway.'
'So why aren't you still asleep?'
'Same reason you're not, I guess.'
There was a momentary pause.
'Think he'll be back to feed us soon?' Mai shifted her gaze towards the stairwell.
'God I hope so,' Kaiba pulled a face, 'you wouldn't believe how hungry I am.'
'I know what you mean,' she laughed, 'but at least you're not carrying one of Joey's offspring.'
'Thankfully. What the hell do you see in that blond idiot anyway?'
'This coming from the guy dating his best friend?'
'Whatever, Mai,' she smirked, rolling her eyes, 'whatever.'
They didn't have an aversion to daylight exactly. In fact the gentle rays of the sun felt good against their skin. The problem was they'd been up all night and now they were exhausted. The night had brought them a whole new world of experiences. It had started with the hunger. An unbearable, seemingly unquenchable hunger which drove them from meal to meal feasting until somehow they eventually managed to feel full.
Once they were, they'd stalked their way back to their nest and a new instinctive urge overtook them. A desire for each other. The experience was base, animalistic and wild, but that was exactly how they wanted it to be. As morning arrived their urges found satisfaction and they'd curled up next to each other for a day of well earned sleep. This new life clearly had a lot in store for them and they were both excited for it to begin.
In so many ways it was strange just how natural it all felt. As though their lives before had been nothing more than a dream waiting for them to wake up to this reality. It felt as though this forms they had now and these lives they would live because of it had always been theirs; waiting just below the surface of that other existence for the right time to emerge.
It was a good feeling and one which allowed them to sleep completely in tune, to the point where their breathing rose and fell in syncopation. They dreamt of nothing. They didn't need to dream. All they needed to do was wait for their hunger to return and then... then their new world of experience would start all over again.
