Two months later . . .

"Rooooob!" I yelled, practically collapsing to the bathroom floor. I looked at the liquid on the floor and knew.

Oh, shit.

He came running in and saw me on the floor. "What - ?" Then he saw the water on the floor and repeated what I had just done.

He swiftly picked me up and carried me to the car, yelling for Kia to get her butt downstairs and into the car, since he was carrying me and all.

Luckily he's the kind of guy who keeps his keys in his pocket most of the time.

I guess you're wondering why I was in the bathroom alone, considering me being almost nine months pregnant. Well, Rob insisted that he go everywhere with me, including to the bathroom and in the shower. Taking a shower with him I didn't mind all that much, if you catch my drift. I draw the line, however, at going to the bathroom. I am certainly capable of pissing by myself.

But anywho, Kia hopped in the car right after Rob laid me down in the back seat. Kia was over me, telling me to breathe. Yeah, kid, you try doing that when you're having the most painful contractions ever.

Rob was driving, like, 90 down the road to get me to the hospital in time. Well, I didn't mind that all that much. In fact, that was one of the things that soothed me while I was in the car. Well, soothed me as much as I could be soothed.

He parked in the maternity ward parking lot.

Wow, they actually had one of those here? I never knew that.

Heh. The things you learn when you're about to give birth.

I just couldn't wait to get this over with.

Rob came around the other side as quickly as he could. He opened the door and picked me up again to carry me in to the ward. See, normally I wouldn't have him do this, since I have my pride and all. But, like I said before, I had horrible contractions and I honestly could care less right now.

Kia tagged along behind, making sure to stay close behind.

As soon as we got in, there were nurses and doctors rushing around us. Apparently, they all still knew I was "Lightning Girl". Unfortunately, those little pet names never go away.

One of the nurses ran to get a wheelchair. Rob helped me get into it carefully. Then they wheeled me into a room, telling me that Rob had to fill out the forms first before he could see me. When I asked them what forms, since I wasn't really in my right mind then, one of the nurses said, "Insurance forms, general information. He'll be in soon, dear."

Five minutes passed and Rob still wasn't here. Did it really take that long to fill out forms?

That was when the same nurse that had answered me before told me to lay back and loosen up.

I exploded. "Loosen up? Rob isn't fucking here, okay? When he gets in this room, I'll be relaxed."

But it seemed like the nurse got that a lot from maternity patients. She seemed unfazed. "I know, dear. But I need you to relax a little so I can give you some painkillers. And then I need to inject you with this—" she gestured to the needle in her other hand, filled with some sort of liquid, "—so the labor process will speed up."

Being the conservative person I am, I objected. "I don't want to speed up the labor."

"Dear, you're not thinking clearly right now. The contractions of a normal labor a near unbearable. If we speed up the labor process, the contractions will lighten, causing you less pain."

"Then what the hell are the painkillers for?" I demanded.

She sighed. I guess now I was starting to get to her. "The injection doesn't take effect instantly."

Right then Rob came in, looking exhausted all ready. He was about to come over to me and give me a kiss, I know he was. But that nurse dragged him out of the room to speak with him. Whatever it was, it had to be funny, since I could here Rob chuckling in the hallway.

When they came back in, Rob said to me, "Baby, I'm here. Just relax a little for me, okay?" He came and sat in the chair next to the bed I was lying in. He took my hand in his and kissed it. "It'll be over soon."

"It better," I breathed out. Just him being there, holding my hand, was calming me down.

Then it occurred to me that Kia wasn't in the room. "Where is Kia?" I asked nervously.

He squeezed my hand. "She's fine. She's in the daycare playing with a few other kids in there. Coincidentally, their mothers are also in labor." He smiled and kissed my cheek. He sat there and held my hand while they injected me with the crap the nurse was talking about. Rob talked me into letting them go with speeding up the labor.

Then the nurse said something that shocked me. "Your babies are very healthy, Miss Mastriani. And they are perfect size for labor."

I stared at her, my eyes wide. I looked at Rob and he had the same look of shock on his face.

"D-did you just say b-babies?" I asked carefully, astonished.

She looked at me for a second. Then it seemed to dawn on her what I was talking about. "Oh . . . well, yes, Miss, you are going to have twins. I thought you would have known by now."

Um . . . she was joking, right?

I mean, Kia was enough. And then the new baby plus Kia would all ready be more than I could handle. But twins? I don't know if I could do this.

Rob squeezed my hand again to let me know that he was there for me.

Oh, yeah. I had him. Just that thought made me smile. I had Rob, now, to help me raise them. I had Rob. And that's all I'd ever need.

- § -

They let me sleep for a little while when the contractions lightened. I had only slept about a half hour before I felt the contractions kick in again.

Even though they had given me that injection to speed up the labor, it still wasn't coming very soon. And it was starting to tire me out. With Kia the delivery was quick and simple. She was tiny at only 5 lbs. 4 oz., so it wasn't hard to deliver her.

But these kids . . . they just didn't wanna come out.

I let the doctors poke at me and stuff, since, at the time, I was just too exhausted to care.

Then I had this contraction that seriously felt like somebody jabbed a knife in my stomach. It was so painful that I actually passed out. I woke up a minute later, though, but it still hurt like hell.

And then I knew. I was going into labor . . . finally.

I received another passing-out-worthy contraction. I didn't pass out that time, though. I felt proud that I was strong enough to not pass out. Yes, little things like that can make me feel proud of myself.

Rob was with me the entire time. I wouldn't even let him leave to call my parents or siblings or even his mom. I feel bad about that now. But . . . well, they found out someway, since half way into the labor they showed up and were gushing. Okay, I lie, my mom was gushing. Rob's mom wasn't, but my mom sure was and let me tell you, it was just a tad bit embarrassing.

I made everyone get out, expect for Rob. I just couldn't have my family in the room while I was pushing two kids out. It just wasn't doing anything for me. Rob's mom I could stand and possibly my dad, even Douglas. But definitely not my mom. She was driving me insane.

So, yeah, I kicked her out. And everyone, since I really didn't want to make her feel bad or anything. And besides, the doctors didn't want too many people in the delivery room anyway.

I pushed so hard, I really did. I just felt like I didn't have the energy. So I did push as hard as I can. And when one of the nurses cried, "I can see the head!" I was motivated to keep going. Rob got up to see when the nurse said that. He got a pretty good view of my, ahem, birth canal. Then again, he's all ready gotten plenty of good views.

I suppose that wasn't really necessary though.

Then he came and sat down again and took hold of my hand. I think I must have crushed his hand during the whole process, since he kept rubbing it afterwards.

One kid down, one to go.

Rob held the baby, which they declared was a girl, while I gave birth to the second one. That one was a girl. Well, at least Rob gets one boy out of this. And I get another little girl.

Well, I have three kids as of now. Two girls and one boy. And I am only 24. Well, at least when my kids are teenagers, they'll have younger parents.

As soon as I knew my kids were fine, I collapsed back on the bed and succumbed to the exhaustion that suddenly overcame me.

- § -

I was strolling along the local county jail. I just had some weird urge to go there. Kind of weird, but whatever.

So I went there and asked the policeman that was behind the counter, watching a football game, if I could just look around back at the convicts.

He nodded and just told me to go right on back. So I did.

All of the people in there were your typical southern outlaws. I strolled down the aisle looking at everyone, who all gave me dirty looks back. I was starting to think that the urge I had was a fluke, when I saw him.

The guy who had broke into my house.

He looked completely different from everyone else. Almost ominous. Everyone else was so dark and he was . . . well, he stood out.

He looked up and saw me. His eyes almost glowed and were piercing. They bored into me to the point where it hurt.

I flinched at it. He blinked. And it was gone. Oh, I was still standing there, but he no longer looked different.

But he spoke to me. "Come to torture me some more?"

"What do you mean? You were the one that broke into my house."

He laughed. "Yes, I did. But I wasn't looking for things to steal."

Okay, I was confused. "Then what were you looking for?"

He chuckled again. "You and your daughter. I knew who you were, but your daughter . . . she's also different. You don't know it yet, but she is very powerful. Probably more powerful than you."

I gaped, my eyes wide. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He didn't repeat it. He was different again. Those piercing, strong eyes bored into me once again and I screamed out in agony. "Stop it! Stop!"

He laughed maniacally. "Never. I won't stop," he growled. "Not until I get my hands on you and your telekinetic daughter! You can run," he said, saying the phrase I had always thought was ridiculous, "but you can't hide!"

And then he slumped over, as if he had been asleep the whole time. As if nothing had even happened. But I could feel his eyes still on me. I could feel them boring into me and singeing my bare skin.

But wait . . . he wasn't sleeping.

Oh, my God. He was dead.

And soon you will be too, a voice echoed in my mind.

- § -

I bolted up in the bed. I was sweating profusely. The sheets were drenched and I was overheating.

That dream . . .

Yes, that's exactly what it was. A dream. Just a dream, Jess.

But it felt so real . . .

I could still feel those eyes on me. Boring into me . . . burning me . . .

Rob woke up, startled. "Jess?" he croaked. "What - are you okay?"

I blinked at him, then shook my head. He then noticed the sheets and looked at me. His face turned completely concerned. "Oh, no . . . you had a vision, didn't you?"

But I didn't even have to answer. He knew. He knew I had had a vision and it wasn't of the normal finding-missing-people variety. Oh, no, it was way beyond that.

Then I thought back to what he said to me in the vision.

Not until I get my hands on you and your telekinetic daughter.

Telekinetic? Was she really telekinetic? Was - ?

Oh, my God.

That would explain all of the weird things that have been happening. The stuffed animals in the play room, the napkin at dinner . . .

And she was more powerful me?

How had I not seen this earlier?

I didn't even feel Rob's arms come around me until I started crying. "It'll be alright," he whispered. "Everything will turn out alright, Jess."

But I knew, deep down, that it wouldn't. Not for a long, long time.