A/N: Yay new chapter! Okay, so just a fair warning. This chapter is horrible. I couldn't fix it, I tried, and I think I just need to get it out of my system before I can move on. It's really short, and it's a horrible chaoter to return with, but it' what you get! My new goal is to write for an hour every morning, so we'll see how that starts working out. I've had some stuff go down in my life recently (backstabbing friends who I'm 90% sure got my boyfriend to break up with me as well as getting all my friends turned against me, yay for high school) but also graduation and new friends, so I think I'm okay. Anyways, just to sum up: new chapter, but it is really short and horrible, but I needed to get the ball rolling again, so I'll probably go back and fix it once the whole thing is done, which should be by the end of August (fingers crossed). Anyways! R&R!

I don't let Nik out of my sight again.

I sleep with him held so tightly to my chest that sometimes he starts crying and I loosen my hold, but only marginally.

I don't think Ren sleeps at all because he is keeping watch, and what little he does sleep, I know it is only when he knows for sure that Kishan is keeping watch for him.

One morning, I come out of the tent in a panic because I couldn't find Nik.

"Ren!" I call frantically, knowing that if I don't have him, surely my husband does.

"Right here, bilauta, don't worry," Kishan says, his back to me. "Ren is out scouting and asked me to watch Anik so that you could sleep longer, since he says you've been worried. Which I tend to agree with," he jokes, standing to hand me my son, his eyes twinkling.

I sigh, relieved. "Just hand him over," I laugh, taking Nik into my arms and cuddling him close. "When did Ren leave?"

"About two hours ago," Sunil interrupts. "He should be back in about an hour."

"Thanks. Is Nilima up?"

"Yeah, she's reading up on mythology in our- her tent," Sunil blushes.

I laugh at his discomfort, since we all knew that he and Nilima were living alone together, basically out of necessity, since Ren and I moved to Oregon.

"I'm going to talk to her, so no eavesdropping!" I tease. "But seriously, especially if you hear Ren coming, Kishan, warn me, okay?"

"That's fine...," he says dubiously. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all," I assure him. "Just a... surprise, of sorts."

I quickly duck into the dark blue tent and see Nilima look up from a massive tome, but I can't read it because the title is in Hindi.

"I seriously need to learn Hindi," I say, plopping down next to her to check Nik's diaper.

"It might make things more convenient, Miss Kelsey, but you function quite well with us to translate," Nilima says with a smile on her face.

"I have a very strange question for you, Nilima," I say cautiously.

"Yes?"

"How much do you know about childbirth?"

Nilima freezes for a moment.

"Well... in my village, before I began to work for Grandfather, all girls of childbearing age were trained in some fashion, the younger ones less, et cetera. So I know some, but not enough to deliver a child, I wouldn't imagine. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're going to have to," I say quickly.

"I'm sorry?" Nilima says confusedly. "I don't... what?"

I take a deep breath. "When we were in the Silvanae's grove, I saw one of them, right after we found Nik."

"Yes, you ran out, but there was no one there..."

"There was, it was magic. Not the most impressive kind we've seen either," I say pointedly.

"I suppose. You were gone for a long time, and Ren was frantic, what happened?"

"This is where it gets strange," I warn. "Ever since... I was in the hospital... I knew... it was a girl," I say haltingly. "The Silvanae, his name is Tarak," I say as Nilima starts at the recognition of the name, "and he told me that he could return my daughter to me. I couldn't- I've tried to move on, but I knew that I never would be able to, so I had... I had to follow him," I say, tears beginning to fall.

Nik begins to gurgle at me and I play with his fists for a moment before being able to continue. Nilima wraps an arm around my shoulder and I lean my head on her shoulder.

I take a deep breath. I won't be without her for long, she'll be home soon. I repeat to myself over and over to calm the tide threatening to overwhelm me. After a few deep breaths I sit back up and continue.

"He told me that I could have her back, Nilima. I never expected it, I thought that I had lost her forever, even though I'd never really known her. I couldn't help but run after him. Anyways, he told me that there might be a way. to get her back. He said that once we complete the tasks that were put to us, I could have her back. We could have her back. I asked him how that could happen, and he said that the Silvanae have special powers when it comes to children. He said that… if we complete our task, then he can- I don't quite know how he said it, but the extent of it was that I will be just as pregnant when we leave as I would have been if I had never lost the baby. So basically, I will be incredibly pregnant and will probably give birth immediately, or at least while we're climbing back down. And I'll need you," I finally finished.

"Ms. Kelsey, I… I don't know what to say. That is amazing, but how one Earth will we manage? The Himalayas are hardly safe for an infant; we would have had a large enough problem getting Nik down to safety… How will we do it?" Nilima asked doubtfully.

I pick Nik up and hold him close for a moment, terrified of what may come for him. "I- I know," I say shakily. "But I have to try. I might learn to hide my grief, but I'll never get over it. I will always cry at night, maybe some more than others, I will always feel like a part of me is missing. I was never supposed to be able to feel her inside of me, and maybe I could never physically feel her, but I felt her. I love her, and I just couldn't say no."

Nilima pulls me close and hugs me. "I know, Ms. Kelsey. And I will do everything I possibly can to help you. And you will get home with two babies, I promise," she says kindly.

"Okay, okay," I say, sitting up and wiping my eyes. "I'm being emotional and I need to get back to work. We will save whatever Durga needs us to save, and we will do it bringing everyone back home.

"No one, not one hair on any of our heads, will be left behind." she says, and the look in her eyes terrifies even me.