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Nova

Chapter 36: Birth.

(Wolfwood)

I don't how long it had been. A few hours I guess. I'd lost track of time, as I sat there, in the Healer's birthing room, holding Milly's hand.

With the help of the Healer she was having a calm birth, with very little pain. Her breathing was deep and long. Despite Milly's labor coming along smoothly, she still had a long way to go.

The Healer, a middle-aged human, held both of her palms over Milly's belly. Her eyes were half-closed and she seemed to sway a bit. The Healer's assistant, a young plant woman, Kat, stood next to her ready to help when needed.

I squeezed Milly's hand reassuringly as another contraction hit her. Her hand clenched tightly as it tore through her.

A light glow emanated from the Healers hands as she circled them around Milly's stomach. At this Kat moved down the bed to stand at the very end between Milly's open legs.

"Milly." The healer said, "With the next contraction... I need you to push. As hard as you can for ten seconds. Can you do that for me?" The healer smiled kindly.

Milly nodded, smiling back as best she could.

"Here it comes--" the Healer stated.

Through the next few contractions I held onto her hand saying encouraging words, holding her hand with one of my own and running my fingers through her hair with the other.

A lifetime seemed to pass for us. Everything... moved so slowly. I seemed to have forgotten how to breathe even though I spoke to her through every contraction. I stopped paying attention to the Healer and her assistant... and focused every fiber of my being on Milly.

And finally... it was over.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wolfwood? Let me introduce you to your children." The healer and her assistant stood on this side of the bed each holding on baby.

The Healer and Kat placed the babies in Milly's arms, one to each arm. Milly stared down at them her eyes brimmed with tears.

I leaned over the three of them and tenderly kissed the children's foreheads and Milly's mouth.

"Congratulations." Kat whispered and she and the Healer left.

(Knives)

The humans and Vash were all packed in the small birthing room gushing over the newborn brats. I really saw nothing interesting about the miniscule humans... one day they were going to get big and add to the human virus.

Kestrel had been one of the first to leave and was now sitting on a bench on the opposite side of the hallway. She was staring off into space.

"New life. It's a wonderful thing isn't it." Kestrel smiled quietly.

"Not human life." I muttered.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. This is you I'm talking to." Kestrel sighed, stood up and turned away, heading towards the door, "I'm going back to the hanger." She called over to her sister and cousin.

They waved as she disappeared into the glare of the suns and out the door.

(Kestrel)

"There is no middle ground with that idiot!" I muttered to myself as I stomped down the lightly populated street, "I don't know why I fell for that man in the first place."

Nothing but trouble.

I stopped in the shade of an alley to get a break from the searing heat of the suns. I sank to the ground with a sigh.

I'd been feeling very tense since this morning. Seeing Milly and Nicholas so happy from the birth of their children had made me forget it for a bit but now it was back... and much worse. I rubbed my forehead, using my powers to relieve some of the headache.

Standing, I headed further down the alleyway. I'd felt something suddenly... like a mental tug on my mind. It was pulling south towards Zeus Lake.

I figured it was just my sub-conscious telling me I needed to walk to ease the stress that my powers couldn't cure. It wasn't long before I'd left the city streets and had entered the wooded area of Lanoth.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, then letting it out slowly and not surprisingly feeling much better. The forest was quiet but for the soft chirping of the birds and the sound of a far off waterfall.

Walking a little slower than I had been in the city I let myself fall into a slight trance as I trudged closer to the lake.

Almost six months ago after Knives and I had had our fight I'd tried to push him into the back of my mind, but it was so hard as I saw him every day.

I led myself to believe that I was over him. But for some reason I couldn't stop thinking about him. I was even more aware of him now than I was before the fight. I was sure that he had caught my un-subtle looks at him.

I was still trying to figure him out.

Even so I'd grown a cold attitude towards him whenever we briefly 'spoke'. This led my sister to think that I was truly over him... but I think Legacy, the most observant and intuitive of us three, suspected that I really wasn't. I didn't speak to her of anyone else about it though.

I had such mixed feeling about him. Part of my wanted to hate him the other part wanted to love him. The two sides fought for dominance whenever I saw him. Neither side giving in nor giving up.

Even now they still fought... but now... one side was winning. The side that loved him. For some irrational reason I was falling for him again. And the thing that frustrated me the most was that I didn't even know why.

For about a month I had been trying to figure it out.

I knew that the first thing that had attracted me to him was the physical attraction... but as time had passed it had grown into something more.

A sense of respect had grown.

A need to be there for him. Because he seemed to have this inner turmoil raging inside of him. One night late in the evening I had come down for a glass of water and had seen him out on the back porch. He had been starting up at the stars... a sad, thoughtful, look on his face.

What could make him display such a face... I had never figured out. And he would never come to me with a problem.

I blinked covered my eyes with my hand as I stepped out of the trees and into the sunlight.

Zeus Lake stood before me. The wide surface of the water reaching for almost two iles. The sunlight glinted off the gentle ripples in the lake, making it sparkle like a million diamonds.

I plopped to the ground cross-legged and breathed in the cool air.

All my troubles seemed to be taken away with the soft wind. I could finally relax.

My sense of peace didn't last long. The strange screaming sound of an engine roared overhead slashing through the quiet.

A shadow accompanied the sound along with a ship like nothing I'd ever seen before.

The ship landed on the beach right in front of me.

I scrambled to my feet as a door on the side of the ship opened and two Saskanocs stalked out of the opening. I suddenly felt paralyzed. I could do nothing but stare into the black pools that were the Saskanocs eyes.

"Hillooo, Kisssssstril." One of them hissed.

I gasped and finally found the will to move. I turned to run but suddenly there were two behind me as well.

One grabbed me around the neck cutting off my airflow and ability to scream. It held me against its chest and I felt a sharp object enter my side... Abrupt darkness over took my vision, sending me falling away from everything. And everyone.

(Vash)

(Hours later)

Marcus looked out the window for the hundredth time in an hour, "Why isn't Kes' back? She should be home by now."

The door opened and everyone looked up expectantly. But only Legacy and Aria entered. Without Kestrel, "We checked Lookout Point--" Arai started.

"-- And we went to see her friends in Norris Village... no one has seen her."

"Where could she be?" I asked, "Do you think that she's in trouble?"

"I hope not..." Aria said, "But I tried to contact her by way of telepathy... I haven't been able to make a connection. Either she's asleep... or unconscious."

"I can't take this any more!" Marcus cried, "My baby is out there somewhere... injured and hurting! I know it! I can feel it."

"Dad I'm sure--" Aria began.

"No! I know she in trouble! I'm going to the authorities!"

"I'll go with," I said, "After we let them know about it we can do some more thorough searching! Anyone else?"

Everyone but Milly, Wolfwood and Knives offered to help. Milly was resting from the birth of the twins and Wolfwood wanted to stay with her just in case she needed him. Knives said nothing but after we had left I saw him following us from not far back.

So maybe he does care what happens to Kestrel.

We reached the Head Quarters of the Lanothian Peace Keepers.

Marcus went in and had a private meeting with the Head Peace Keeper, Not a few second before he went in he and the HPK came out, "It's funny that you should come now..." The HPK said.

"Why?" Asked Marcus.

"A young man and his friends came in earlier spouting a tale about lizards kidnapping a woman." He scratched his head, "I really wasn't sure what to think about it... you know kids... they make up stories."

I exchanged a look with Meryl. Both she and I knowing exactly what had happened now.

"That was no story." Meryl said, "Those 'lizards' as you say are real... those were the Saskanocs."

The HPK blinked in surprise, "Saskanocs?" His face paled, suddenly realizing his mistake, "Oh God."

He and everyone around him became a storm of activity as he ordered the governor called and the security blanket checked for recent intrusions.

I looked around suddenly noticing Knives gone. I popped my head out or the door to the HQ and saw Knives' retreating back. He was in a dead run, quickly disappearing into the night.

Later I found him... working on the ship. He was working at such a feverish pace that he didn't even seem to notice me. And continued to ignore me even when I tried to speak to him.

My thoughts that he might actually care for her were suddenly and made all too clear. He really did care. And right now... this was all he could do to show it.

I left then. But Knives never left... he worked all through the night.

...............

Thanks everyone for reviewing! Sorry if the responses are a little lame... I was pretty tired when I wrote them... But I'm feeling MUCH better now! Thanks for the well wishes!

And I'm REALLY sorry for the lateness of the chapter... I've been having a lot of computer problems... It's now only just the internet but I can use my brother's computer to update.

RR:

El Hustino: I've never read a fic like that either. Hehe. IT is indeed impossible! Something well written I hope.

KeNsHiNs GuRL: yay! XD

Rosebud: I find the "easy-going" scene a little hard to write, but I too enjoy them. Vash proposing probably won't happen till the sequel. I'm not really sure... it's an avenue I have yet to flesh out.

Neptune Butterfly: Oooo, what an evil band camp! Darn that thing for holding you captive! I shall send in my assorted minions to free you! XD Along with the Kuroneko Squad! Hehehehe.

Desmonia: I'm afraid had I actually written that six-month period into the story it would have been even duller. Hehe. It's all right. A review now and then is better than none. XD

Sakurasango: Is okay. Thankies, XD, glad to hear you like it!

Carri: I will try.

Cjflutterbye: Thankies. I tried to make it good. Babies are born! Ship off ground... Next chapter! XD

Hope-is-4Ever: Wonderful to have a review from you!