"Omigosh! Kia!" Raya jumped out of the car, needless to say that is was still in motion, and ran up to her. Raya helped her stand and then pulled Kia into her, embracing her tightly.
But Kia didn't hug back.
"What's wrong? Kia?"
Before Raya could say another word, Kia burst out into tears and sobs, flailing herself back into Raya's arms.
Cye passed them soon afterwards, but Raya told him to continue on with a wave of her hand. He shrugged, picked up his daughter, and walked into the house.
"Kia! What's wrong? Tell me, please!"
"Raya, I don't know what to do-"
"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong!" Raya pulled Kia back from her and eyed her with worry.
Kia sighed and dried some of her tears, then moved to sit back down on the porch stairs, "You promise to keep this a total secret?"
Raya nodded, her worry growing that much deeper.
"I..." Kia forced herself to look away from Raya's clear with anxiety eyes, "No, I can't. I don't want to burden my problems on your back."
"Kia, please tell me! I want to help you, really! I promise that I won't tell anyone that you don't want me to tell!"
Kia heaved a great sigh, "Fine. I'm... I'm pregnant-"
"That's great!" Raya paused as she glimpsed at Kia's 'I'm not done yet' expression, "Isn't it supposed to be?"
"Not if I'm pregnant with Sage's child!"
"Sage?"
Kia nodded.
Raya suddenly grew deathly silent, "How?"
"I came back here on Friday and Sage was the only one here 'cause Rowen and Natsuki took Ayame to the beach or something. I guess that you can say that I still like Sage, so one thing led to another and... well, I'm pregnant."
"Does anyone know?"
"I told Sage, but he didn't do anything to help me. I think he is mad at me and... Raya, I don't know what to do!" She started crying again.
"Kia, calm down." Raya moved to sit down next to her, "You can't accomplish anything by crying. First of all, are you absolutely positive that you are pregnant?"
Kia nodded, sighing slightly to calm herself down just a notch, "I took one of those at home tests and it showed positive."
"What?" Raya started to laugh lightly.
"It's not funny! How do you think everyone else is going to react to this!?"
"Those tests aren't 100% accurate. Tomorrow... or later today, I'll take you to see my doctor and then we can really determine if you're pregnant or not, okay?"
Kia sniffed and nodded, "I don't want to lose Rowen."
"What do you think you were doing with Sage anyways? I'm sorry to say this but you deserved it. You're both married and not to each other!"
"... I'm sorry,"
Raya exhaled, "Apologies can't change anything. Now, c'mon, let's go inside and forget about this for the moment." Raya stood up and started to walk up the porch.
But before she could get to the door, Kia ran in front of her and pressed her hand against the door, preventing Raya from opening it, "Wait a minute, Ray. You promise that you won't tell Rowen or Natsuki until otherwise?"
Raya smiled, "Of course I won't. This is a very serious subject we're talking about, Kia."
"Good." Kia sighed, gaining some lost strength and confidence and followed Raya into the house.
"Raya!" Natsuki ran up to her long lost cousin and hugged her. "This is so amazing! I can't believe you're here!"
"I know! I missed you a lot!"
Kia looked glumly around the room. Her daughter and Aoi, who was now about 3 and had shoulder length gorgeous red locks and emerald green eyes, were playing with dolls. Rowen and Cye were talking off in another corner of the room. Not seeing Sage there, she went off into the kitchen.
She found him there, leaning against the wall and looking out the window. His back was facing her, but from what she saw, it looked like Sage was weeping.
"Sage?" Kia slowly walked up to him.
No answer.
"Sage, please talk to me."
"What do you want me to say, Kia?" He turned around fixing his eyes on hers. "We can't change anything."
"I know, I know, but-"
"But what? I don't know about you, but I don't even want to know what Rowen and Natsuki are going to say about this when we tell them that we fucked up big time."
"... you don't have to put it that way."
"But that is what it was, Kia! We had unprotected sex. That is why you are pregnant."
"Okay. You and I need to settle down. We aren't going anywhere with this."
Sage exhaled through his nose and calmed his tension only a bit.
"Raya said that-"
"You told her!?"
Kia hesitated, "What was I supposed to do when she hugged me and I burst out into tears?"
Sage quieted.
"So I told her and she said that those at home tests aren't 100% accurate. She is going to take me to see her doctor." Kia exhaled heavily, ready to leave their conversation at that.
"Kia..." Sage started to slowly walk up to Kia's side.
"What, Sage?"
Sage put his hands on her shoulders, "Kia, I'm really, really sorry."
Kia started crying softly again, and Sage took her into him, wrapping his arms around her.
"No matter what happens, Kia... know that I'll stand by you through everything."
***
"Yeah! I'll get the tea in just a second!" Rowen walked into the kitchen, but stopped dead in his tracks as he lighted his eyes on Sage and Kia. Sage had Kia's waist pressed against the kitchen counter while he kissed her, his arms wrapped tightly around her lower back.
He back stepped, completely shocked, "Let me try walking into the kitchen again..." he slowly turned around.
Kia immediately broke away, "Wait, Rowen! It's not what you think!"
Rowen whipped around, "Then what was it, Kia?!" His tone grew suddenly hoarse.
Kia was left speechless. Her eyes drifted away from Rowen's and to the rest of the room. There she found Cye, Raya, Ryo, Aoi and Ayame - all staring at her. "Rowen... please-"
"Please what?! I should have known that you two would end up like this!" he rudely cut Kia off, then locked his eyes with Sage, who was still standing in the kitchen, "And you! What the hell do you think you are doing?" he pierced his dark blues into Sage's violet ones.
"What's going on?" Ryo stood up, demanding an explanation.
"Please, Rowen, Sage... calm down," Raya uneasily spoke up, looking softly to the two of them.
Rowen stole a glance at her for only a second, then he turned his upset and thoroughly confused eyes back to Kia, "I want a full out explanation of this," He slowly narrowed his eyes.
Sage sighed and looked towards the floor, "I guess now is the time, Kia..."
"Sage, should we tell them?"
"Yes!" Rowen shouted, "I want to know!"
Kia slowly met eyes with Rowen, "Okay. Rowen, please... sit down."
Rowen crossed his arms across his chest and stormed over to the couch, sitting down next to Natsuki.
"What the heck is going on?" Ryo looked to Rowen and Sage and back again. "When did Ro and Sage start fighting?"
"Ryo, just shut up!"
"Everyone, please settle down. I'm not going to say anything until everyone is calm." Kia looked once to all the people who had made there way into the family room.
"Ayame, honey, will you please take Aoi upstairs and go and play in your room?" Raya gestured to her. "I'll get you when we are done talking... okay?"
Ayame and Aoi nodded slightly, indicating that they both understood what was going on. Ayame stood up and grabbed Aoi's hand, leading her to and up the stairs.
When they were both out of sight, Rowen turned his gaze to Kia, "Kia..." he exhaled deeply, "Tell me what the heck is going on between you two."
Kia moved next to Rowen and sat down in front of him on the floor. She tried to reach for his hands, but he wouldn't let her touch him. So she settled to folding her hands in his lap. Before speaking, she closed her eyes, "Rowen... first of all, I'm so sorry. My apologies can't be put into words for they are too deep."
Sage silently moved closer to the group, folding his arms across his chest and closing his eyes. He didn't want to look at Natsuki or Rowen when Kia was done saying what she had to say.
"Rowen... I... I-"
"Just tell me already!"
"I came here two days earlier than when you got the letter. I expected to find you, but you weren't here and well, to put into simplest terms... I'm... I'm pregnantwithSage'schild!"Kia heaved the last part of the sentence into one word.
The whole room went silent. Tension in the room went from suffocating to nauseating as it shrouded every person.
Rowen blinked in shock, "... Wha-what?" he couldn't believe his own ears.
"I'm pregnant and... and Sage is the father," Kia replied again, looking anywhere but into Rowen's eyes.
"No... you can't be..."
"Sage?" Natsuki suddenly spoke up, giving him an exasperated and worried look, "Is that true?"
He sighed, trying to delay the time before he nodded his own head.
But before Natsuki or anyone else had the chance to blink, Rowen jolted out of his own seat, jumped over Kia and bolted towards Sage.
Sage didn't even have the chance to move out of the way, for Rowen had grabbed him by the neck so fast, that even time itself could have gone backwards.
Rowen pressed Sage's neck up to the wall that lay behind him and stared threateningly into his eyes, "Sage! What the fuck is wrong with you!? I'm gone for only a day and this happens?!"
Sage tried to respond, but his voice box was smothered too deep into his throat.
"Rowen! Stop it! Let Sage go!"
Rowen didn't even hear the complaints made by his friends as he was into an emotion that stifled even his hearing. His heart was pounding so hard, that he thought it would pump right out of his chest - but he didn't know how to slow it down. All he knew was that he was holding Sage up against a wall by his throat, "You..." He physically realized what he was doing to his best friend. Rowen immediately let go of Sage and fell backwards a few steps. He soon came to a proper state of mind. "Gods, Sage! Why?!"
Sage stumbled forward and placed his hand on a nearby table to hold himself from the loss of oxygen. He squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to soothe his throat.
But Rowen wanted an answer, "Sage, tell me, dammit!" He walked forward until he was next to Sage again. "Why?!" His rage was taking over his body again and he didn't even realize that he was pulling back his clenched fist.
"Rowen!" Kia ran forward, grabbing Rowen's hands and slightly pushing him away from Sage, "Don't hurt him! Please!"
"Why shouldn't I? He-" Rowen stopped dead in his breath as he watched Kia's eyes slip back to Sage. Getting even further into his anger, he grabbed a tight hold of Kia shoulders, almost making her look to him, "Never mind about him! Kia, you betrayed me! You and Sage really screwed up this time and I'm never going to forget it! You cheated on me!"
Kia felt her heart skip a beat. She knew that she was probably going to take the blow from Rowen for Sage, but she didn't care. All she could do was close her eyes and wait, grimacing with the thought that her own Rowen would hurt her.
Rowen soon realized what he was doing. Looking at Kia's face as she waited for him to hit her, made Rowen calm down. He exhaled sharply and let go of her shoulders - well, it was more of a push. "Kia... hugging and kissing can be exceptions, but doing what you did to get pregnant by Sage behind my back... I can't believe it would end like this."
Kia looked to the ground, "Rowen... it doesn't have to end."
"Yes it does!" Natsuki butted herself into the conversation, "This has to end right now! I don't even want to see you looking at Sage, Kia!"
"What?" Kia looked behind her and met eyes with the enraged Natsuki.
"I agree," Rowen responded, keeping the grim tone in his voice.
"You too now, Rowen?" Kia ran her eyes back to him, "I said I was sorry and I'm sure that Sage is too!"
"I don't care about Sage!" Rowen yelled back, "Sorry can never undo what you did!"
Kia was getting frustrated, "But... but Sage-" Kia didn't get the chance to finish her sentence before Rowen slapped her hard across the face.
*****
So... what do you think so far?? Torturing, eh? Do you think Rowen should of slapped his wife?? Yay or Nay? Please take 2 minutes just to fill out a review!