Oh my god... I'm pregnant. How the... I open my eyes mid thought and see the bold plus sing that means that there is in fact a baby on the way.
"Oh my god" I sigh near tears. This can't be happening it just can't.
"It's alright." He says softly "We can do this Love everything will be okay." I start to cry and he brings me to his chest.
"You know what they'll do to it, you know they'll" I gasp as I cry.
"I won't let them. I won't let them hurt you or the baby"
"How? You can't protect it from the games or-or"
"Shh." He comforts me, "That's why I joined the rebellion."
"What?" I gasp pulling back, "You did what?"
"They won't hurt you or our baby I promise Love. I joined them so we could have a brighter future."
"Are you insane?"
"To some degree" He laughs but I am furious.
"This isn't a game! I'm... And this..."
" I know but I want to protect you"
"You think this will help?"
"I did it before all this Love. During your first year mentoring."
"But-"
"Calm down"
"Calm down! I don't want to calm down! I just found out I'm pregnant and now this!"
"I know it's a lot"
"No you don't know Haymitch you're not in my shoes right now! How can you be so reckless?"
"I want what's best-"
"What's best? How is this best?"
"Look your tired and emotionally drained."
"Yeah I am and you're not helping!" I stand up. "I'll be downstairs tonight!" I storm out of our bed room and curl up on the couch in our living room.
I'm pregnant and Haymitch is in a rebellion. And then a new thought comes to mind. My mother.
She told me not to come back until I was expecting. Oh my god I can go home... But it's his baby too. What do I do?
Do I stay and have the baby here? Do I go home? This is too much far too much! I'm too far in this complex world. I just don't know what to do anymore. I start to cry now.
What the fuck should I do!? What's best? Nothing is best. This though continues to haunt me as I drift off into restless sleep.
Finally at midnight I sit up having made my decision.
I walk through the Seam, the darkness conceals me well. My hands rest protectively where my baby is. The dark cold spring night begins to whip my skin. I continue on my way. The moment I reach the river I sigh, "For you little one"
I jump into the cold harsh water and instantly feel the warmth as I regain my siren form. I swim off faster than ever. A sense of overwhelming freedom runs through me, and I'm surprised that my journey only takes me half a day.
I reach our domain and I first see my sisters and mother perched on the rocks. I Reach the surface and call out to them.
"Mother! Sisters! I'm home!" They all turn and dive into the water to greet me.
"Lassa!" They all jump on to me.
"girls be careful" Mother makes her way to me. "That is if..." I nod and smile at them all.
"Little Lassa's having a baby!" Nadia cheers Kyla gasps as they all embrace me again. My sisters my family! I'm home... So why doesn't it feel like home?
Each and every one of my sisters pat my flat stomach. "Oh Lassa!" Talise takes my hand "It's been so hard all these years without you"
Yara leads us all back to the rocks. "None of us conceived the night of the raid."
"But we did make quite a story" Maren complements the girls.
"Not as big a show I made," I smile laying my hands again over my baby.
"Oh tell us everything!" Vailea smiles. "What was it like being human?"
"It was a wonderful tragedy. Oh it was horrible the things they would do to one another! If you had seen!
"I've seen countless people die and just fade away from the rest of the world. But then there were people that made living worth it.
"I met so many wonderful people there! I... I even fell in love."
"You did what Lassa?" Mother questions me.
"I-... I fell in love. Mother if you were just to meet him, just to see him!"
"You mated with a human before?"
"Well... I wasn't pregnant mother"
"Were you trying to be?" I'm silent "Lassa, you know that love only leads to-"
"Loss mother? But we love one another!"
"And some day maybe not soon we will leave this earth. But we are a family Lassa. What were you thinking falling love?"
"But mother you don't understand. Humans thrive on hope and love"
"Yes and the humans-"
"You don't know them mother! I know them I've lived with them for twenty years I know them"
"You are not human Lassa!"
"But mother I-"
"No Lassa, maybe someday you'll understand our kind cannot love theirs"
"Then... Maybe I'm not part of our kind any more mother"
"Non-sense"
"No mother! Maybe I've had my killer beaten out of me!"
"Humans feed our killer instinct Lassa!"
"But maybe... just maybe I'm one of them now. Maybe mother but I know I love him. And he deserves to know his child."
"Lassa are you saying...?"
"Yes" I sigh I've just given up my family... for him and for our baby.
"Then leave us!" Mother shouts, "Leave us and never return!"
"With pleasure!" I shout diving into the sea and shooting through the water. At least I got to say good bye. I realize that I'm crying which make me swim faster.
It's now late in the evening. My return can now be cloaked by darkness.
I slip my way through the Seam but I stop as soon as I see Laurels house.
I knock on the door and Ralph answers, "Noelle! Oh thank god!"
"I was here, alright if anyone asks, I was hiding here because I wanted to avoid conflict with my husband. If he asked whether or not I was here and Laurel said no she was covering for me and if he checked the house I was out walking around. Am I clear?"
"Yeah, yeah, just hug me you little dumby." He smiles "Laurel she's here!"
"Thank goodness" Laurel runs into my arms. "I have half a mind to kill you!"
"I love you too" I smile.
"Where were you?" I tell her my cover story which she gladly listen to but persists. "I will tell whoever asks that. Now tell me where were you?"
"I was... In the woods but you will not be telling Haymitch am I clear?"
"I will kill you!" She sighs, "You can't be this stupid!"
"Excuse me? I came back"
"So what we were all worried sick and Haymitch looked like he was going to kill himself."
"... That might be because I'm pregnant" I mumble and shamefully look up at Laurel.
"I will kill you" She sighs sitting down.
"I'll kill him" Ralph laughs and I laugh to.
"Do you know what danger you could have been in? Do you know what kind of stress you might have put on your baby?"
"Laurel, I'm fine. But I think I have to go home before Haymitch calls everyone we know to tell them I'm missing. I'll come by tomorrow okay?"
"Fine" She smiles at me and hugs me, "Your having a baby!"
"I am. Night guys" It's now midnight I've been gone a whole day and the exhaustion finally kicks in from the quick speed. It took so long to get here to the districts but swimming to and from was easier now that we knew the route.
I head out of their cozy home and start on my way home. How am I going to get out of this one?
I reach our home and the door is unlocked surprise, surprise. I walk in and I hear Haymitch talking to someone.
"So she's been missing for twenty four hours?"
"Yes" I hear his distressed tone.
"Nope!" I shout entering the dining room. "Haymitch can't I be pissed at you avoid you completely all day and not have you call Peacekeepers?"
"Thank god!" He squeezes me tightly and I comfort him.
"You guys can leave now" I say to the two Peacekeepers. "Thanks I guess but we can settle our little argument" I wait to say anything until I hear the front door latch. "Come with me!" I say angrily storming up the stairs.
"You don't get to be angry! I've spent all day looking for you!"
"Yes when you know full well I can take care of myself!"
"It's not just you anymore!" We fly into our bed room. "I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt you or the baby! Why won't you let me?"
I start to cry I gave up my family for him but I can't tell him that, maybe someday but not now. I'm mad and tired and I don't want to think. "I don't want to lose either of you." He sits on the bed next to me.
"Don't you dare put yourself in trouble because I swear on my life that this baby will have a father." I start to cry harder, which is what my life is becoming, harder.
"Hey look at me" He says softer and as I do more tears come, "I'm not going anywhere. Now I can't say the same for you apparently."
"Not now!" I'm genuinely angry that he's laughing, I just gave up my family to be with you!
"Please just don't do anything stupid."
"Shut up!" I really want to hit him as hard as physically possible. "I'm not in the mood right now!"
He finally sees my real genuine anger."Okay we can talk more tomorrow alright?"
"... Alright" I sigh and stand up to sleep on the couch again.
"No" he takes my hand and doesn't let go. "Here"
"I'm still mad at you!"
"I know" I stands up and takes me in his arms. "Don't make me lock you up here"
I huff in defeat and without changing crawl into bed. When did real life turn into a living nightmare?
Right at about the moment your lovely mother decided to make you human, Hun! Just a quick reminder the poll is posted and I finally figured out how to get it to show up on my profile so check it out if you like any of my ideas! Thanks again lovely readers!