Chapter 26

            I pushed the buggy. I wasn't getting used to this house wife thing. I definitely wasn't used to the back pains I was getting. My stomach had swelled to a full pregnancy. It was so full that it caused my back to hurt at times. It also caused my breast to swell up.

            Now, let me tell you about my breasts. They aren't just big, there are huge. They are quite huge actually. I always had them large for my age, and once I was a woman I looked like some hooker with implants. Now that I was pregnant they nearly doubled in size. And, here I was forced to grocery shop. Who grocery shops? I don't. That damn husband of mine claimed to be too busy to help me out. I'm just releaved that he believed the child was his. I only prayed the baby came out looking like me and not like his father.

            I wasn't alone however. My also expecting sister was along with me. Her husband had taken their first born to a ball game today. How cute was that? It made me think how my child was going to be raised. It was going to be a home of lives and a broken dreams. Perhaps I could have him stay at Kerry's often. I'm sure he and his cousin would get along quite well.

            "Oh, this does wanders for hair," Kerry said. She put a shampoo bottle in my buggy.

            "I really don't need this," I said. "I have shampoo already."

            "Not for you, Rip," she replied. "It's for the baby."

            "Oh, that's right, how foolish of me."

            "My God, Sindel Rip Raptor," she sighed. "Have you done any research on becoming a mother? You're almost due and what do you have to show for it other than your big belly?"

            "I have a house," I replied. "With a room for him….Alright so I have a big house with a lot of rooms for the kid."

            "Hmp, that's for sure," she commented. "Cray surely knows how to make sure you live comfortable. At least you don't have to clean that house. I certainly wouldn't want to."

            "Yea, that god." I looked to the side. "Say, you don't mind bringing these things back to the house for me do you?"

            "Uh, why? Are you going somewhere?"

            "Yea," I replied. "I'm going see Sabra. I had made her promise that I'd go see her. But, can I ask you another favor?"

            "If Cray is home and he asks where I went, please don't tell him I went see her," I replied. "You don't have to understand why. All you need to understand is that he really doesn't need to know about it. Okay?"

            "Yea, sure, no problem."

            "I'll stop by at your house on the way back."

            "Alright, see you sis."

            I can't say that Kerry wasn't disapproving of me marrying. She was quite thrilled at the idea. Kerry never got to a good start when she moved out of the house. She married very young, younger than even I me. She and her husband had lived in a trailer house for the longest. They could barely support each other let alone their first child. Dad wasn't nearly going to help them out with it either though.

            They each got them a good job now and a decent house. Their child is about to finish middle school and now they're expecting their second child. Kerry and I had already discussed the issue with our children, being they were going to be born about the same time. We promised they would spend a lot of time together. We even choose name for them. Kerry said I should name mine Grae. I agreed to it as long as she named her daughter Karen. And, if it just so happened the sexes were different then the names would go with the name.

            It was nice that Kerry and I were able to talk about things like that. We were two totally different people. We were the siblings that could almost never find a common ground. Our views on life never met. It wasn't like it was because I had it worse of than she did or vise versa. We both had it pretty rough growing up. It was just our minds adapted differently. If anything we shared the fact we were both mothers. That was enough to form a sisterly bond.

            "Whoa, bash girl, you sure grew sense the last time I saw you," Rat Trap chuckled.

            "It's not funny," I said. "It's a pain in the ass."

            "I bet it is," he replied. I began to walk forward. "Umm, Rip," he said.

            "Uh?"

            "You may not want to go in there."

            "Why not?"

            He lowered his head. "Copper is in there. He came in not long before you."

            I sighed. "My brother is in there right?"

            "Umm, yes he is."

            "Well, I need to talk to my brother," I said. "If Copper doesn't want to stay in the same room with me, then he can live the one I am in."

            I walked calmly into the room. No one noticed I was in just yet. Streaks and Copper were busy in idle conversation. Streaks was talking excitingly about his space trips back and forth to earth. The kid was gonna turn 16 soon. I smiled. He has so much joy in his eyes. More than what I had at his age. He was growing up, but he was taking it at a pace that he could handle.

            Poke.

            "Eh?" he turned around. "Ah! Sis!" He gave me a big hug. I hadn't seen him in a long time. I hadn't seen Copper sense that last time either.

            "Ittai! C'mon, I missed you too," I said. "But, gentle alright!"

            "Oh, sorry, sis," he said, letting go. "Whoa!" He looked at my stomach. "Jeez, look at you! I really have been in space for too long! This is so cool! Do you know what it is yet?"

            "Umm, I'm sorta waiting it out when the time comes," I replied. I saw the flash of gold start to walk away!

            "Hey, c'mon Copper you don't have to leave!" Streak said. "Just because Rip showed up doesn't mean you have to leave! She doesn't stay long anyway. She can't with the jerk watching her every move."

            I saw Copper twitch.

            "Hey look, I know what!" Streak said. "Ya'll wait here. I'm going to go get the others! Sabra did say this was a meeting after all. It's been awhile sense we've all been together. Even Silvy is here for this! I'll be right back!" He took off running.

            "Eh...Streaks…" It was too late he was already out the door. What was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to say. I knew if I tried to explain to him what really happened right then that he wouldn't want to hear it. "Hi."

            He twitched again. Was he even going to talk to me? Had he even looked at me yet? "You making it?" Another twitch. "Fine," I said. I cracked my back and went to sit down. It hurt to be on my feet like I was. I was going to drop within the next week and I knew it. I looked up at him. His back was still turned away from me.  I wander if… "Did Keensan give you my message?"

            "Would you stop talking to me?"

            "And will you look at me?!" I demanded. "My God, Copper! I never knew he could be so….ignorant!"

            "I learned from the best didn't I?"

            "First off I can't believe you would believe Cray's word over mine," I pointed out. "And you didn't even here my word!"

            Copper's body twitched.

            "Do you honestly think I'm happy?" I demanded. "Everything I do right now I am forced to do it because he black mailed me into marrying him. I'd kill him right now if it weren't for this faction. I have to take that advantage and get him to sphew everything out so Rat Trap and Sabra's plan can be a success. Besides, I can't do much now anyway when…I'm….grrrr!" I snapped around. "Would you all stop watching! This has nothing to do with ya'll!" The sound of  a few body hitting the floor came to our ears.

            "Rip, stop trying," he said. "Stop trying to justify yourself. I saw that tape alright! That tape was dated before you and I…"

            "Tape, what tape?!" I demanded. I had it. I stomped to him and made him turn around. "What's tape Ookami?! I don't remember any tape. It there was a camera in somewhere then I would know. And even so  how could you have seen it if I was with him after us? My gawd, you of all people should've known that I was a freaking …."

            "A camera doesn't lie."

            "Why are you being so damn ignorant?!"

            "Copper listen to her!" Sabra ran in. She came to my side. "You are being ignorant! Damnit, you were not there when she came her that night. Cray made her assassin again! He forced her to marry her, or he was going to kill her brother and you! You would've done the same to protect her at the time wouldn't you?! You didn't see her that night. Well, I saw her! I saw that every hope left in her was torn from her body and she forced to carry our burdens on her shoulders! Just so she could protect us! Don't you understand, she's suffering right now, so we can each have a chance of life. She gave her chance Copper Ookami! You could at least try and appreciate what she's doing."

            Copper and I both looked at her in astonishment. Sabra was sticking up for me. I smiled. Thanks Sabra.

            "And now look at her Copper, look at her!" She yelled. "I said look at her damnit!"

            Copper looked up at me with his eyes.

            "What do you think is going to happen when that child is born?!" she demanded. "What's going to happen if it comes out looking like his father not his mother?" There was a long pause.

            "Sabra, please stop," I said. "It's alright. You don't have to defend me. If Copper wants to be closed minded about it all then let him. I already have more than what I deserve just to have a friend like you. Besides, there's nothing that can be said to change anything. Cray is my husband. That's how it is. It can't be changed."

            "It's not fair though Rip!" Streak yelled. "It's not fair for either one of you!" He ran up to me. "That's why we're starting this rebellion. So, that we can happy. So you can be free. You deserve that Rip! You deserve better than Cray. Not that I'm sure Copper is all that good now with his hard head, but you do deserve better than what you have!"

            I smiled and rubbed his head. "I'll kill Cray one day," I said. "When I am assure all of you will be safe when I do so. Besides, it's not easy to assassinate anyone with Grae Ookami Raptor about to bust from me."

            "But Rip…"

            "No buts," I said. "I'm alright."

            "Liar!" he yelled. "You are not alright. I don't care how much you smile about things, you are not okay!"

            "Stop yelling, you're making my head hurt," I said, stepping back.

            "Eh?" he questioned. "Sis, are you alright."

            "Would everyone just leave me alone, and stop screaming," I said. I held my head. "It's too much for me." I sighed. "I'm going home. I don't feel well."

            "Rip, do you need me to look at you?" Sabra asked.

            "No, no," I held up my hand. "Don't touch me. You people just leave me alone. I just want to go home. It is much quieter there. I have no information to help our plan anyway."

            "I think someone should drive you home," Sabra said. "You look very pale. In fact I do believe someone should drive you to the hospital right now."

            "Why the hell would I need to go to the hospital?!" I demanded.

            "Because Sindel Rip Raptor," she stated sternly. "I do believe you are going into labor."