Chapter 16

"But I'm scared!" Ebony yelled at Lex as they made their way back to the mall through the sewers.

Lex laughed.

"Never thought I'd hear the mighty Ebony admit that one!"

"It's different now! There's the baby. I might be hardened to this world, but he's not!"

"You seem awfully sure it's gonna be a boy!"

"Maybe it's just easier that way."

"What?"

"Well, this baby is the only thing I've got left of its father. Maybe it's just easier to believe that it's a boy and that he'll grow up just like his dad. Well, his biological dad!"

"Y'know, I never saw you as the sentimental type."

"Things change."

"Yeah."

The two walked on in companionable silence for a while until they reached the sewer entrance to the mall.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," Lex sighed. "Not exactly the healthiest atmosphere for a growing rugrat!"

"So why were you down there then?" Ebony quipped as she emerged into the Mall basement.

"Ha ha!" Lex replied, following her. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah," Ebony smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder as he turned to face her after securing the sewer entrance. "And thanks for caring."

For a moment, Lex looked as though he was about to say something, but then he changed his mind and headed towards the stairs up to the main foyer of the mall. Ebony frowned, as if puzzled, then hurried after him. She caught up with him beside the phoenix fountain.

"Lex, is everything okay?" Ebony asked, grabbing hold of Lex's arm and spinning him round.

"Huh? Yeah, fine, fine. Everything's fine," he tried to pull away, but Ebony's grip on his arm tightened.

"No, it's not, I can tell," she replied. "What is it? Is it me? Is it because this lot all think you're the father of this baby? What?"

"No, it's nothing to do with what anyone thinks!"

"Then what? Are you still angry that I won't go back to Liberty?"

"No, although the way things have been going here these past couple of days I still think it would be a good idea!"

"And I still say the journey itself would be more of a risk than staying! At least here we have some sort of security system!"

"In Liberty we wouldn't need it!"

"You don't know that!"

"I'm willing to bet my life on it!"

"Then go! Be my guest! I won't stop you!"

"Not without you!"

"Why not, Lex? You want to go, I want to stay; sounds simple enough to me!"

"I'm needed here. There's no reason for me to go if it's not to look after you and the baby!"

"You don't have to look after me, Lex!"

"Yes, I do!" Lex yelled. "I can't not! I want to look after you. Not just now, not just until the baby's born, but after that too."

Ebony fell silent, her hand still resting on Lex's arm.

"Lex," she said quietly. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I want to protect you, look after you, provide for you. You and the baby. I know I can't replace Jack, but I can be a good husband to you and a good father to your baby. If you'll let me?"

Ebony couldn't speak. She just looked at Lex as if any moment now she was expecting him to turn round and say he was only joking or messing around. He didn't. He just looked back. He couldn't replace Jack, that was true, but he was right when he said he would make a good father. Ebony's mind was a blur with confused thoughts. She hadn't heard from Jack in over three months, almost four now, and in this world that usually either meant he couldn't come back, or he didn't want to. She couldn't raise a child on her own. She knew Trudy would parade the fact that she managed it if Ebony were ever to admit to such a thing publicly, but in truth, both Trudy and Amber had had help with their offspring: they had had a tribe full of friends around them to help. Ebony had only Paul, who wasn't proving to be much good with the current infants of the mall, and Lex. Perhaps it would be better for the baby if she did accept his offer.

"You know that I would treat your child as my own, Ebony," Lex said, gently. "As far as I, and for that matter that lot up there are all concerned, the child you're carrying would be mine in all but blood, and me and... I mean, Paul and I, are the only ones who would know the last part of that."

"Might get pretty obvious if this kid grows up and starts wearing bad Hawaiian shirts and overhauling the mall's computers and security system!" Ebony laughed, looking at her feet. "I just wish..."

"I know. I can't replace him, but I'll try to fill the gap the best I can."

"I know you will," Ebony looked up, brushing a stray lock of hair away from Lex's face. "And I'm grateful. Really, I am. I just miss him, that's all. Jack was a huge part of my life, I can't just forget him as if he never existed."

"You're talking like I'm dead!"

Both Ebony and Lex jumped at the sound of a familiar voice from the doorway. Ebony spun round to face the newcomer and there, on the other side of the grill, was Jack. In his arms he held his daughter, Hope. Beside him stood Alice and another young woman neither Lex nor Ebony recognised. Ebony froze for a moment, her face a pale, ashen shade, then collapsed into Lex's arms.

****

"I think she's coming round," Salene's voice drifted through to Ebony's mind.

"Who'd have thought! The great Queen of the Locos collapsing into a quivering heap because the guy she thought she'd got rid of turns up again!" Ellie's whining attempt at sarcasm came through clearer.

"Shut up Ellie!" four voices snapped in unison.

"Well, why else would the Bride of Zoot pass out?"

"Maybe because she's pregnant!" Ebony heard Lex reply.

"Hardly a surprising state for that tramp! She should have been more careful!"

"Watch your mouth, Ellie!" Jack's voice hissed.

"What for? Stating the truth?"

"I don't see how that's the truth," Lex's voice replied before adding pointedly: "she was only ever with one guy the whole time she was in Liberty. And no, it wasn't me!"

"And some choice of guy that must of been!" Ellie countered, determined to have the last word. "Where's he been all the time she was here, if he wasn't you?"

"I was looking after a dying friend," Jack was heard to reply. "That okay for you, Ellie?"

Silence.

Thud.

"Will I pick her up?" Ebony heard an unfamiliar voice join the conversation.

"Leave her," Alice sighed. "She'll have a stiff neck when she comes round, but that's no more than she's being to us right now!"

"Huh?" Lex queried.

"Pain in the neck, Lex," Jack explained. "Still hating my choices, Alice?"

"No, even though she is my sister, I can see your point now!"

Ebony's eyes fluttered open to see Salene bending over her on one side, holding a cold cloth to her forehead, and Jack and Lex on her other side, watching anxiously. Behind the boys stood Alice, holding Hope, and the other girl who had arrived with Jack and Hope. At least the other girl wasn't Jetta, that was a start, but what reason could she have for travelling all this way with Jack? Ebony sat up and looked around. She was on the bed in Jack's old room.

"Um..." Ebony said, uncertainly, glancing at those around her.

"It's okay," Salene replied to the unasked question. "Ellie and I were the only ones who came out to see what was happening. The others don't know about our new arrivals, yet, or your reaction to them."

"Thanks," Ebony smiled. "Although I wonder how long the latter will last once goldilocks wakes up!"

"It'll last, if she knows what's good for her!" Alice replied.

"How are you feeling?" Lex and Jack asked together before stopping abruptly and glaring at one another.

"A little overwhelmed, actually," Ebony smiled sheepishly and looked down at her swelling stomach.

"Can I get you anything? Water? Some fruit?" Salene shrugged, unsure what to do.

"I'd like a little time alone, if that's okay," Ebony replied, quietly. "Just me and Jack."

"Jack and I," Lex corrected as he got to his feet. "We'll leave you two to catch up then."

"And I guess I should take my annoying little sister with me!" Alice sighed, then turned to address the girl Ebony didn't recognise. "Morgaine, would you do the honours?"

"Certainly," Morgaine replied, kneeling down and scooping Ellie up into her arms. "Where shall we go?"

"Back to Ellie's room," Salene replied, answering for Alice. "It's the same one as before, but she shares it with Luke now."

"I'd heard!" Alice commented, dryly.

"Well, Luke's out just now so we shouldn't be disturbed there until we've got you guys sorted out with the sleeping arrangements. Alice, you're room's still free, and pretty much as you left it, but we'll have to pick out somewhere new for your friend."

"Tai San's room is free," Lex spoke up as they left the room.

"I thought you wanted that kept the same until she came back?" Salene frowned.

"I don't think she's coming back, Sal," Lex replied. "If I thought she was still out there somewhere, I wouldn't have... Well, never mind. It doesn't matter. Not any more. I'll go start clearing out the room."

The girls watched as Lex headed off in the direction of Tai San's room, then started towards the stairs, carrying Ellie with them.

Back in Jack's room, the couple listened as the sounds of their friends' footsteps and conversation died away into silence.

"So," said Jack, moving to sit on the edge of his old bed and covering Ebony's small hand with his own. "Where do we go from here?"