CHAPTER NINE

Even though I'm exhausted and I know I really should sleep, I do wait up for Amelia. I sit on the couch and stare into space in the vague direction of the door, thinking. Occasionally, I wonder why I'm not doing anything, like reading or something, but whenever I try to get up, I can't seem to muster enough willpower to move my legs. Tanya pads out of my room and hops up next to me, her grudge at least temporarily forgiven. I smile and stroke the tufts on top of her head.

She's warm and I'm so tired and comfortable and after a while, I slip into a doze...until the slamming of a door jolts me awake and makes Tanya growl. The lights flick on and I have to blink hard a few times before my eyes stop burning.

"Where is he?" Amelia demands from behind me as she dumps her purse on a chair.

I twist around. I can tell she's still angry, but it's a more quiet anger now...simmering, instead of boiling over. I choose my words carefully. "He was... really upset. When I came back, I convinced him to get some sleep and you guys could talk when you got home."

Half of her mouth turns up in a smile. "He got drunk, didn't he."

I don't answer.

She sighs and pulls some chapstick out of her purse, talking while she puts it on. "I'm sorry you had to see us fighting like that, it was - "

I start shaking my head before she even finishes her sentence. "It's okay, Amelia. Really."

She stuffs the chapstick back in her bag and combs through her hair with her fingers. It seems like she's trying to keep her hands busy. "I just...can't deal with it. With this. With him."

I don't know what to say to that...it's kind of bitchy. So I change the subject. "Where did you go?"

She shrugs evasively. "For a drive."

I leave it at that and stand up, my feet tingling as blood returns to them. "Talk to him, okay? He feels really bad."

She looks at me for a minute, almost in disbelief. Then Tanya jumps off the couch, curling around her legs and purring and Amelia softens. "I will," she says quietly, stroking Tanya's fur. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I walk towards my room, Tanya padding along behind me.

I close the door behind us, but the light shines through the crack under the door for several more minutes before it goes out. I climb into bed, too hot to get under the blankets and curl up. Tanya comes up too and nestles in the curve of my knees, resting her chin on my hip.

I rub her ears sleepily, eyes closing of their own accord. "Good girl."

She purrs.

(-o-)

I'm not sure how late I wake up the next morning. By the time I manage to pry my eyelids apart, all I can tell is that the sun is already up and streaming through my window. Tanya's curled up in the light, and though she opens an eye to look at me, she doesn't move a muscle from her warm spot.

I swing my feet over the side of the bed. I feel gross from sleeping in my clothes and my mouth feels like glue. I stagger out of my room, trying to head for the kitchen, but bumping into a wall by accident. Man, I'm tired.

Wood and Amelia's door is open and I try to look inside without...seeing anything I don't want to. But they're not there and the bed is made. Maybe they went out for breakfast or something. I hope so.

I pour myself a bowl of cereal, barely able to chew between yawns. Maybe I'll just go back to bed and go for a run later or something. Tanya, finally overheated from the sunbeam, emerges from my room and jumps on the couch, curling her tails around her. She's not supposed to be up there, but my voice isn't up to yelling.

I zombie-walk back to my room, managing to avoid the wall, but not my door, which I stub my toe on. The pain wakes me up a little, but not enough, and I collapse on my bed, pulling the blankets crookedly over myself.

Hours later, I wake up kind of sweaty. The clock says 2:16, but I don't hear any noises from the living room. Wood and Amelia still aren't back.

I take a shower and change into semi-clean clothes, knowing I should go for a jog but really not wanting to. I'll go in the evening, when it's a little cooler.

I eat and read and mess around on the guitar, but they're still not back. I'm starting to get a little worried...should I call them? Probably not...they most likely want to be alone. Still, it has been a while.

I text Melissa and finish my book and finally get so bored that I let Red out of his ball and let him run around while Tanya and I keep an eye on him. Maybe I could train him a little if I let him battle some of the wild ones, with Tanya stepping in when he can't handle it.

The sun sets and they're still not home. I go for a run, like I promised myself, but it's only a short one, less than three miles. Owen and Cheryl and their cat are standing by the door when I get back, seemingly expectant, as if they were waiting for me.

"Hi guys." I'm glad I have a shirt on this time.

Cheryl smiles, sober for once and Owen gives me a weird wink.

I've acknowledged them and that's more than enough. I start to open the door.

"Hey - "

I grit my teeth and turn back. "Yeah?"

"You...you have a Nonextant, right?" Owen's voice isn't slurred or anything, but he still sounds pretty out of it.

I nod cautiously.

"What if…" He fumbles in his pocket and pulls out a wad of bills. "If we pay you, would you make it fight? We're trying to get the gym running again."

I stare at him in disbelief.

He tries one of his charming smiles, but somehow, it's not quite up to par. "Come on, it's not like it'll lose. It's a lot stronger than anything else we could get. Whaddya say?"

I'm speechless for another minute. Finally, I get enough control of myself to slap the money out of his hand. It flies farther than I thought it would, but that just makes it all the more satisfying.

It lands near Cheryl's feet and the cat pounces on it, somehow gathering all the bills in its mouth. Cheryl takes them from it and glares at me. "What was that for?"

My skin is actually burning with anger. "They're not weapons," I spit the word out. "They're not toys. They can feel pain, did you even know that? I would NEVER make them go through that kind of torture, not for any amount of money, just for the entertainment of sickos like you. In fact, if I ever hear that you're making them fight again," I grab Owen's collar and bring his face level with mine, lifting him off the ground. "I'll put you in the arena myself and we'll see how you like fighting them. Got it?"

Owen swallows and nods. I drop him, turn on my heel and stalk inside, letting an adrenaline-fueled smile slide onto my face.

That. Felt. Good.

(-o-)

I make myself some dinner and watch T.V for a few hours, trying to ignore the silence that seems to fill the apartment. The kick-assy awesome feeling of standing up to Owen has kinda worn off and I'm just tired again. Man, what a waste of a day.

Suddenly, the door flies open and Tanya growls and leaps off the couch, using my lap as a springboard. I fall on my side, cursing away the pain and grateful that her paws only hit my thigh. Still, it's a couple of minutes before I can straighten up and smile sincerely at Wood and Amelia, who are standing in the doorway.

"You guys okay now?" I stand up, wincing.

They grin. Wood's arm is around Amelia's waist and if she were any closer to him, they would be the same person. I'd say that's a pretty definite yes.

"What happened? Where were you all day?"

Wood sweeps Amelia into his arms and she squeals and giggles. Then, still carrying her, he walks into the living room. "We talked things out. I apologized."

Amelia hugs his neck. She seems positively giddy. "Me too."

"And…" He puts her down and fumbles in his jacket pocket for something, pulling it out dramatically. "We are now officially married!"

"What?" I grab his arm and bring the piece of paper closer to my face. Sure enough, it's got Certificate of Marriage at the top and a bunch of signatures and other legal-looking stuff. "...What?"

"We went to a justice of the peace," Wood takes his wrist back and sets the certificate down ceremoniously on the coffee table. "This way, no matter what happens on August twentieth, we're stuck with each other."

Amelia waves her hand in a dramatic flourish. "That's right. As of today, I am Mrs. Woodrow Chamall!"

Wood grimaces at his name, but laughs. "For all the good it will do you."

"Which will be lots." She pecks him on the cheek. "Now, I'm going to go take a shower."

"I'll miss you!" He calls after her as she heads for the bathroom. She blows him a kiss.

He starts putting away the dishes, with his back to me. I'm not sure why he's doing it, but I'm not going to stop him. After a minute, he says quietly, "I didn't just do it for the baby, you know."

I lift an eyebrow, surprised. The thought hadn't even occurred to me. "I know."

"I did it because I love her. Because I don't want to wait. Because I don't want the next fight over dresses to ruin everything…" He rattles a couple of bowls as he puts them away. "And yeah, maybe there's a chivalrous part of me that doesn't want my kid to be born a bastard. But that's not the only reason I did it."

"Wood," I cut in before he can say more. "You don't have to justify yourself to me, okay?"

He smiles over his shoulder. "Who said I was justifying to you?"

I boost myself up to sit on the back of the couch. "So what's going to happen on August twentieth?"

He waves a hand. "Oh, we'll still have the ceremony and the reception and all that. It'll just be more of a party than a formality now that we're legally married."

"So...uh…" I rub the back of my neck. "You want me to go out to a movie or something? It being your wedding night and everything."

"No that's okay," He turns around and winks. "Why do you think we were gone all day?"

Ew.