Chapter 12- Confusion and Labor

The boys reached the boat and all agreed to continue on. Finally, they came to the beach and tied the boat to a tree. After taking a moment to gather their breaths, they headed back to the basket. All were tired, wet and irritable. Jay and Bray were the worse. Ved was ready to help push them into a fight when Bray's shouted, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Turning, Jack, Ved and Slade saw that the two boys were already in a push fight. Now came the verbal. "You think you're all high and mighty," Bray said as he paid no attention to the audience. "First you take me away from my son. Then you move in on my girl and act like MY SON is yours! You're nothing but a low-down creep."

"I have done all I could to make up for what I did in the city. I even HELPED Amber look for YOU!" Jay said pointing a finger at him. "What would you like me to do? Get down on my knees and beg you to forgive me? I'll rot in Hell before I do that. I owe you nothing."

"You owe me nothing! You ruined my life! Had you and your crazy tribe not come, I would have watched my son grow up."

"I have apologized for that, for all the bad things that happened afterwards. Grow up, Bray, and stop blaming me. I'm not standing in your way. Amber is in that house waiting for you to open up your eyes. Your SON is waiting for you to open your eyes." Jay turned away and started to head to the house. Before he got too far, he turned back around.

"By the way," he said, "you hurt her in any way and then you'll have me standing in your way." Finishing his threat, he walked back to the house.

After leaving Trudy, Luke went up to his and Tina's room. Searching through the closet, he finally found a cardboard box, his box. Inside was filled miscellaneous stuff- things from before the virus, while he was part of the Chosen and things he had gathered while on this island. He pulled out a pale blue blanket from the top of the box. From inside the folds, a dark blue box fell out.

Picking it up, Luke opened it. Nestled inside was a silver ring with two dolphins forming a circle. In the middle was a small sapphire. Everything had been going so well, Luke thought. In a couple of months, I would have asked Tina to be mine forever. Then we would have grown old together surrounded by the Surfers, our family. Michael has always thought I was his father, so that wouldn't be an obstacle.

Now, I have to tell Tina that the mother of her 'son' is here on the island. Not only that, she wants him back. Tina will be heartbroken. She'll hate me for ruining her happy life. I can't do it. I know I promised Trudy, but I can't do it.

Placing the ring back in the blanket, Luke held it to his face. Breathing deep, he imagined he could still smell Michael on it. Luke remembered the night Tina had come to him as if it was yesterday.

Knock. Knock.

The banging on the door just wouldn't stop. Luke had had a long day and all he wanted to do was sleep. Giving up, he wrapped a robe around his body and answered the door. There stood his second-in-command, Tina.

"I need your help," she whispered. She seemed to be panicking about something. In her arms was a bundle of cloth. Luke almost thought she was going to say she didn't know how to do laundry until a foot kicked out from under the blanket.

"Come in. Come in," Luke said as he took the baby from her. "Where did you get him? What's going on?" The baby was letting out the most terrible of screams. Luke soon found out when he felt something wet on his hand. Looking down, he realized the baby had wet his diaper.

"I can't do it," Tina said. "He's a lunatic. He came charging into my room, telling me I was to raise this child. He's not mine, Luke, NOT MINE!" Tina sank onto his bed when she had finished. Luke placed Michael on the bed next to her and began to change his diaper. Once he had finished, he picked up the baby and began to walk around the room with him.

"Who came to your room?" Luke asked, trying to get the facts straight. This baby was smaller than normal and deep down, he knew what was going to be said. He didn't want to hear it, but Tina was his friend.

"The Guardian! He said that the mother wasn't a true believer and the father tried to kill him. He wants ME to raise him. I can't. I'm not a mother. I don't know what I'm doing."

"You have to though. If you go against him, then you know what will happen. You don't want death." Poor Salene, he thought.

"Why can't you take him?" Tina asked. She stood up and walked away as Luke tried to hand the baby over to her. "You know what you're doing. I don't!"

"Because the Guardian believes Zoot wants you to raise this baby. You must follow his orders." This time, Tina took the baby when Luke handed it to her. "If you need help, you know where I am." Tina nodded her head and began to leave. She stopped at the door and looked back at him.

"Luke? If you ever find out who this child belongs to, you will tell me, right?" Luke swallowed as he felt his throat constrict. "Of course."

The bedroom door opening caused Luke to return to reality. Quickly throwing the blanket back into the box, he never noticed that the ring box had fallen back out. Placing the lid back on the cardboard box, he turned to see Re-Nee enter the room.

"I'm sorry Luke," she said. "I knocked and didn't get an answer. Would you happen to know where Tina is?"

"Uhh… I actually don't. Probably in the kitchen. Let me put this back and I'll tell her you're up here." Re-Nee nodded her head and watched as he put the box up. Hearing him kick something, she looked down at his feet. She couldn't help but smile.

So he plans on asking her, she thought. Plans of weddings and celebrations filled her head. Moving out of the doorway, she let Luke passed. Hearing him start down the stairs, she picked up the box. Inside held the most beautiful ring. I hope everything turns out well.

Checking to make sure she wouldn't get caught, Re-Nee opened the closet and placed the ring back in the box. She had just closed the door when Tina entered. "I heard you were looking for me," she said.

"You heard correctly. You had said you wanted to talk. Sorry that didn't happen last night."

Tina shook her head. "That's ok. You were busy doing leadership stuff…"

"That doesn't mean that I shouldn't have tracked you down," Re-Nee said, cutting Tina off. "Stop making excuses for me. Now, do you still need to talk to me," she said, getting back on topic.

Tina nodded her head and instantly launched into the story of what happened with Salene. By the end, she was shaking and crying silent tears. "I don't know why I feel like this," she said when she was finished. "I just feel like something bad is about to happen."

"I agree that she was acting strangely, but maybe being reminded of the horrible things that the Chosen did made her freak out?"

"Maybe. I just wished I hadn't said anything now," Tina said as she got up and paced.

"We all do things we regret later. You can fix it by talking to Luke or even Salene. Ask her why she freaked out, why she made up some excuse to leave suddenly."

"I don't know if I could face her. It's hard enough being in the same kitchen." Tina was now wringing her hands together. Re-Nee got up and grabbed her hands.

"Calm down. There is nothing to get upset about. Do what you think is best. BUT I really think you should talk to one or the other." Re-Nee waited until Tina nodded her head. "Now then…" she said as she began to talk of other things.

Talking to Luke hadn't help erase Lex from her thoughts. Even running into Salene in the kitchen wasn't helping. "Earth to Trudy," Salene said, waving her hand in front of Trudy. "You were saying…?"

Trudy shook her head to clear it. "I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Would your talk with Luke be one of them?" Salene asked, hoping Trudy would say something. All this waiting and uncertainty was killing her. Salene was disappointed when Trudy abruptly stood up. "I have to go check on Brady," she said as she practically ran out of the room.

Once she was out of Salene's eyesight, she slowed her pace some. In a few seconds she reached the playroom. The kids had awakened and were busy playing again. Bray Jr., Michael and Johnny were busy playing with the cars, while Mouse was busy reading a book she had found. Brady was still glued to Lex's hip. Trudy felt all her anger boiled up.

Going into the room, she walked over to where Lex and Brady sat. She stopped short when she heard what they were talking about. It was too late to leave without being noticed, so she waited until they did notice her. "Do you like Mommy?" asked Brady. Lex was a little startled. "Why do you ask?" questioned Lex.

"Mommy says you're a big baboon and that you hate her because of something she did when she was young. Is that true?" Lex looked up to think about it. He felt a smile when she saw Trudy looking at him.

"Hate is such a strong word," he said, looking at Trudy the whole time. "I do think she lies and she did a foolish thing." Lex laughed as Trudy's face contorted into anger.

"You son of a b…" Trudy began to say, but was cut off by Lex. "Tsk tsk," he said, wagging his finger. "There are children around."

"GET. OUTSIDE. NOW!" Trudy said, trying to calm herself. One. Two. Three... she counted to herself as Lex got up and walked into the hallway. Watching his cocky gait, she really blew her top.

"I HAVE NO IDEA WHY BRADY IS INTERESTED IN YOU, BUT I WILL NOT HAVE YOU BELITTLEING ME TO MY OWN DAUGHTER!" Trudy yelled as soon as they had gotten outside the room. Lex crossed his arms and smiled. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Trudy demanded.

"Are you scared that your daughter might actually learn you aren't the innocent person you portray?" Lex asked back. "Does she know that Salene practically raised her while you were pinning after Bray? Or the fact that you only started caring about her because you wanted to make Salene jealous and win back Bray?"

"What are you trying to do?" Trudy asked. "All that is in the past. Will you ever grow up!" Trudy cried.

"And you have? What did she say you called me? 'A baboon,' I believe." Lex laughed. Deep down though, he was cringing. Shut up! he kept telling himself. "As you have pointed out, Brady has taken a liking to me. One word and I think she'd believe what I have to say."

SMACK! The sound echoed down the hallways. Lex instantly grabbed a hold of Trudy and pushed her against the wall. The mirror right beside her shook with the force of the hit. Lex looked to see a bright red hand print on his face.

"I HATE YOU!" Trudy cried, trying to struggle free. "You are everything I have ever called you, plus the things I have yet to think of. You are a cocky, self-centered asshole!" With each word, Lex had loosened his grip on her arms, until finally he had completely let her go. "I hope you rot in Hell!" Pushing past him, she ran to her room.

Lex stood there looking after her. He had really messed up this time. Placing his hand against his face, he slowly rubbed his face. I'll say one thing, he thought. She sure knows how to pack a wallop.

After finishing her talk with Tina, Re-Nee had gone down to check on the laundry. After a couple of minutes, her humming was interrupted by the stomping of feet and the muttering of an angry man. "The low life. Who does he think he is? We've all made mistakes. He can't blame me for his own stupidness. I'm sure he's made thousand of mistakes."

"Tell me who and I can probably name a few of them," Re-Nee said as Jay came around the clothes line. He stopped to look and see who spoke. Realizing it was Re-Nee, he walked over to where she was standing. "Do you want to tell me who you were talking about?" Re-Nee asked.

"I think you can guess, but I really don't want to talk about it," Jay said as he grabbed a sheet from the line. The two of them folded in silence, placing each article into the basket at their feet. Finally, Re-Nee asked, "What's the deal with the boat?"

"The boat?" Jay asked as he came out of his trance. In those few moments of silence, all his anger towards Bray had disappeared. He would admit that he couldn't stand Re-Nee in the beginning, but with each conversation they had, he was seeing her more like a friend.

What is it about her? he asked. This morning alone, he had heard her talking to Amber. What ex-girlfriend would actually help the new girlfriend? In this case, not new but… Jay shook his head to get back to what Re-Nee asked him.

"The boat… Well, we need to let the water recede, but we do have it down by the beach. We didn't get much of a look at it, but it needs to be patched up. Mechanic wise, I don't know about that. I just hope Jack and Ved can figure it out."

"When it comes down to it, Guy can help some. He knows more about that than he let's on," Re-Nee said, placing the last item into the basket. Before she could bend down to pick it up, Jay had already gathered it into their arms.

"I had a talk with Ved," Jay said as they headed back to the house. Re-Nee made a sound that told him to continue. "I decided that I wouldn't leave without him." Re-Nee looked like she was about to say something, but Jay cut her off. "I also said told him that even if the boat was fixed before she gave birth, I would stay behind. Hope you don't mind another person hanging around the house."

"I…uhhh…" Re-Nee started to said, stuttering her words and trying to figure out what she was thinking. Does this mean that he wants to join the tribe or does he just want to hang around until the next available boat comes around to take the three… no, four of them off? She was saved from saying anything by a loud scream that echoed throughout the island.

"Re-Nee!" Tina yelled out the door. "It's Cloe. She's going into labor."