Chapter Eight
Thankfully, Heather didn't take too long to come outside. I stayed pretty quiet during the trip to the hospital, and I hoped she didn't feel like it was anything she did. I just sincerely had too much on my mind.
Once we got there, Heather offered to stay with me, but I declined. I was nervous, but I didn't want her to think I needed her to hold my hand through everything. Despite the fact that when I was first led into a smaller room, enough pictures and diagrams littered the walls to make me want to vomit into the nearest trashcan or sink basin. I was one dry heave away from meeting my orange juice again.
My queasy stomach was only caused by being nervous. I knew the difference.
I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but the exams themselves were easy. It was basically just answering a bunch of health questions, questions about my daily habits, and doing what I was told to do. Height, weight, last period, the works. It was an adventure, finding all the places I needed to be. They had to have taken six vials of blood from me, for some test or another. Thankfully, it was all at the same time and they didn't need to keep sticking me.
I really appreciated how friendly this doctor seemed to be, since it wasn't Heather that was doing the exams. It mostly involved a whole lot of waiting, which wasn't my favorite part.
She saved the sonogram for last, since that would take the most time. I was also most nervous about that part. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep myself from watching it, despite how nervous I was to see the creature inside me for the first time. Proof, solid evidence of what I'd done.
For once, I wasn't overreacting. It was something I really wasn't prepared to see. No amount of mental preparation could have been enough to make this something simple. Not only did it look like a tiny human, but it was moving. Kicking its little legs, and squirming away from a decent picture. I couldn't feel it, but I could see it.
I just laid there quietly, struggling not to cry while the technician did her job locating all the little body parts and organs she needed to locate and snapping pictures of them. Getting her look at the baby and how it was growing, assessing its health in a thorough way.
She didn't once comment on my age, thankfully. Just going on about how great everything seemed to be going in there. I could easily tell that she loved her job, but I wasn't much for conversation. I was in the middle of going through something huge.
As corny as it sounded, I was amazed. Completely stunned how one night could result in this. One night, one moment. One lapse in judgement, one simple mistake, one decision not to take the precautions I knew we should have taken. If one decision had been made differently, this little creature wouldn't be there. It wouldn't exist.
I knew how babies were made, but actually seeing it in front of me was something unimaginable.
One part of him, and one part of me. Tiny, minuscule, microscopic parts of the two of us made this squirming little creature with a heartbeat. With fingers, with toes. It had been so, so busy in there, growing and building its own life source connected to me while I was stuck out here in denial. It knew exactly what to do. My body knew what to do. Taking my blood to make its own. Taking my nourishment as its own. Absorbing anything and everything I ingested. Turning from those two parts into its own person. Turning me from one individual person, into two separate people in the same body.
I'd been pregnant before, in the vision, but that had somehow been so different. That was something surreal in itself, just dragging me along for the ride. This was something I participated in. Something I was doing, building with the tools I'd been given, whether I realized it or not.
It was such an impossible thought, something out of some science fiction movie, but it was real. I was facing the reality of it now. Seeing the proof right in front of me for the first time. Seeing the proof, other than a swelling belly. Seeing the reason behind that swelling belly. It was something I just couldn't take lightly anymore.
Out of all of this, at the end of it all, I got my due date. The one date that would change my life forever, no matter what I decided to do with it.
October 10th. And the countdown began. With that countdown, the pressure really began to mount.
In October, there would be a separate living, breathing part of me out in the world. Something I did, something I made would exist outside of the cozy little spot it was in now.
Heather was still working when I was done with everything, and I really didn't want to just leave without filling her in, so I chose to sit. The closest seat I found to sit in was where I sat, a sturdy envelope filled with pictures in my hand. I wasn't even sure what I was supposed to do with them. I didn't even want to look at them.
I stared at the wall across the hall from where I sat. I felt sick in a cold sort of way, as the reality of it began to crawl over me. As much as I'd already faced, I now began to understand. I was in way over my head.
This was somehow way different than how it'd happened before. Much different. One, the baby wasn't half vampire. Which made it fragile. Vulnerable. Innocent, with no knowledge as to what it was being born into. As real as that part of the vision had been to me, this was far more real.
I tried to deny it, but seeing it today sparked something in me. A sort of protectiveness over this little life inside me that scared me. It scared me because I wasn't sure how long I could deny that. It changed me, seeing it, and I felt restless and numb at the same time.
I was aware when the seat beside me became occupied with a quiet sigh from the one that took it, but I didn't have it in me to protest or get up and move. I really wasn't surprised to see Carlisle here, and to be honest, I was okay with not sitting alone anymore.
"Are you okay?" He finally asked, no doubt noticing my blank stare at the wall.
"Huh?" I asked, glancing over. I gave a forced laugh, "I don't know how to answer that. Yes, and no. I guess."
"How do you mean?" He asked.
"Physically, I'm fine." I replied, "Everything is great, but.. I don't know. It's a big deal."
"Understandable." He nodded a little. Without replying, I reached over. Holding out the envelope of pictures to him. He took the hint, gently taking the envelope from me. I sat in silence as he opened it, pulling out the strip of pictures and looking through them.
"She wants me to come back in a few weeks." I muttered after a minute, "For a better look, and so she can tell the gender for sure. It's still a little early, but she thinks it might be a boy."
"Leandra, I'm sorry." He murmured, sliding the pictures back into the envelope.
"Don't." I shook my head, "I'm not ready to forgive you yet, so please don't tell me you're sorry. Because there's nothing I can do about it."
"I'm not referring to that, although it does apply." He replied and I finally fully looked over at him, "I'm sorry, because I know this isn't easy on you."
"I got myself into this." I said, "I can't even be mad at you for telling Heather and Mike, because they needed to know, and you kept me from having to figure out how to tell them. I'm just.." I sighed, sitting up straighter and leaning back, "So confused. Too much is happening all at once. After how long of nothing happening, but what else is new? It's always been that way." Shaking my head, I looked over at him, "Sorry. I don't know why I told you that. You didn't come back to listen to me whine about stupid shit."
"It's alright." He assured me, "I must admit, I'm just happy to be talking to you."
"Why?" I frowned, "After everything I've said to you."
"Everything you've said had every right to be said." He said, "You're absolutely right to be upset. To see you now, and how much you've grown, is far more than any of us could have asked for."
"That happens when years pass."
"I don't mean physically." He replied, "As a person, you've grown into someone to certainly be proud of."
"Yeah, well.." I muttered, "I'm not very proud of myself right now."
"Everyone makes choices, Leandra." He explained, "Both good choices, and some questionable ones. It's not our choices that mean so much. It's how we deal with the consequences of those choices that does."
I sighed, "Maybe, but if I had been smarter, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. That has to mean something too."
"Perhaps." He nodded a little, "But you are here. Taking responsibility for your actions and admitting that there was a mistake made. Although, I wouldn't exactly consider a life a mistake, no matter the circumstances." I looked over as he handed back the envelope.
"No," I said, "What I did was a mistake. Not the baby."
"I understand what you mean." He replied, and I nodded a little. Looking down at the envelope in my hand again, I lightly tapped it against my other hand. It felt heavier somehow.
"I have to see Andrew." I muttered.
"I don't recommend that." He murmured in reply.
"Why not?" I frowned, confused. Shouldn't he see these pictures too?
"He's.." He sighed, "Currently going through some things of his own. It'd be much safer if you gave him some space right now."
"What things?" I asked, "Is he okay?" I got the impression that he knew more about what was going on than I did. I hadn't seen him in days, and I was starting to get worried. Especially after what Carlisle had just told me. Was he sicker than I thought?
"He'll be fine." He replied, "He just needs time." I didn't like how vague he was being, but oddly, I didn't question it further. I just didn't have it in me to be difficult right then.
"Leandra." I looked over, up the other side of the hall at Josh's approach. He seemed tense, and I had a feeling it had a lot to do with who sat with me. He made it to my side, coming to stand with me as I stood up.
"You okay?" He asked me with a very obvious glance toward Carlisle.
"I'm fine." I assured him, "I haven't talked to Heather yet, so I was just waiting-"
"I'll wait with you." Josh insisted with a slow nod.
"You don't have to." I replied, "Thanks, but-"
"Have you texted her?" Josh asked.
"Yeah." I rolled my eyes a little, "She's probably busy. That happens at a place called 'work'. Speaking of work, aren't you supposed to be there?"
"I left early." He answered, "I didn't want you to be alone."
"I wasn't alone." I pointed out with my own glance toward Carlisle.
"You might as well have been." He countered, "Come on. Let's go get some lunch." For once, I wasn't sure about just walking away with him.
"It's alright." Carlisle said before I could debate too much, "I'll speak to Heather for you." That helped. I nodded a little.
"Thanks." I replied, ignoring Josh's look, "See you."
I just managed to see Carlisle nod in reply before Josh was leading me away by my shoulder. I couldn't really blame him, either, and I honestly wanted to feel a little guilty. I knew what he was scared of, so his behavior wasn't something I could exactly call him out on.
"Until Andrew starts feeling better," Josh muttered as we waited for the elevator, "I'll come with you to whatever appointment you have here."
"You don't have to do that." I replied, "He just wanted to talk."
"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" He countered, "I'm not sitting around to watch that happen to you again."
I shook my head, but didn't bother replying again. I refused to admit to myself that having that small conversation with Carlisle had actually helped. I just hoped that whatever talk they wanted to have later went as well.
The elevator finally arrived, and Josh's groan immediately pulled me from my thoughts and forcing me to pay attention. I was almost tempted to laugh out loud at who was in the elevator, being the cause of Josh's irritation.
"Dammit. You people are everywhere." He grumbled as Alice stepped from the elevator first, followed close by Jasper.
"Yeah." I answered before they could, "That's sort of their thing." It wasn't hard to see their amusement as well.
"We're just here to see Carlisle." Alice replied anyway, "Have you seen him?"
"Obviously." Josh said, "He's that way. Somewhere." He gestured vaguely behind him, up the hall.
"Thank you." She told him with a smile as if that had actually been any help, continuing on her way. Jasper only gave a nod, following her.
"You don't have to be so mean." I muttered to him, "I mean, I get why, but you can tone it down a little bit." He gave me a look, stepping forward into the waiting elevator. What was wrong with me? I followed Josh with a glance back, just in time to see Jasper looking back as well. I had the oddest feeling that he had very little to do with the way I could feel myself coming around.
Josh and I made it out without running into anyone else, which was probably a good thing, considering his mood.
I tried. So hard not to look forward to nightfall. I tried not to give in to that small, fragile spark of hope I felt the entire rest of the day, but there was little doubt. That small spark of hope was melting through the ice of my contempt and resentment.
Time moved suspiciously slowly for me, and that was a pretty big give-away that I was, in fact, looking forward to that night. I knew they wouldn't dare show up anywhere that Josh could see them. Probably in case he was able to talk some sense back into me.
Just in case, I waited. Sitting up that night, long passed when I heard everyone else go to bed. I just wanted to be careful. The window across the room was wide open, letting in a subtle breeze. The sweet smell of rain calming me like it always did.
Sitting so still, I felt a fluttering in my stomach that I hadn't felt in a long time. Instead of focusing on anything around me, I chose to focus on the one thing that would be sure to keep my attention. My bare, rounding stomach. Poking, pressing lightly over my stomach, trying to see if I could feel the little creature inside.
It was still hard to think about exactly how I'd gotten myself into this mess, no matter how hard I tried. It still seemed so surreal, despite seeing the evidence myself just a few hours earlier.
"Princess?" I jumped, looking over sharply at Mikah's quiet voice beside the window. Slightly embarrassed, I quickly gathered the bottom of my bunched nightshirt and lowered it over my stomach. Despite knowing he'd already seen it. He offered a small smile, but didn't mention it.
"Hi." I greeted quietly.
"Everyone's asleep." He told me, "And everyone else is out back." He was here to let me know it was safe.
"I know." I replied with a sigh, "I just wanted to be sure." I moved anyway, tossing back the blanket from my lap.
"I just.." He spoke again as I moved to stand up, "I just wanted to make sure you understand. We'll do what we can to avoid bringing up what happened before, but a lot of what we're here to talk to you about has to do with that."
"I know." I muttered, "You said that already."
"And.. Try not to freak out, okay?"
"No promises." I replied, stepping into my shoes. I moved for the door.
"Um." Mikah's hesitant call for my attention had me pause and look over. He gestured toward the window, and I understood what he was saying. That would be faster and easier.
"Right." I laughed a little, "I forgot." Instead of continuing for the door, I approached his side. With his help, we made it outside without a sound. The darkness out here was just as comforting as the breeze had been all night.
I couldn't help being nervous, though, as Mikah set me on my feet outside. What exactly had prompted them to come back? What would I hear tonight?
Out in the backyard, further from the house, we found them. Standing around in a group I recalled perfectly from my time spent with them, looking our way expectantly. Almost exactly like the other night. I was a little more prepared this time.
"Leandra." Carlisle greeted first, probably to test my mood. I wasn't even sure.
"Hi." That was a good place to start, right?
"I'm surprised she showed up." Emmett chucked next.
"Me too." I admitted, looking down, "But I said I would, so here I am."
"Emmett." Esme's nervous voice had me looking back up. Just in time to be wrapped in a hug. I yelped in surprise, but was otherwise stuck as I instinctively returned it lightly. I wasn't sure if I should be okay with this hug from Emmett, but whether or not I was okay with it, I was letting it happen. Even returning it, tightening my hold by the second.
It was the strangest thing, but somehow so familiar. I fought with my emotions, torn between wanting to hate this but also feeling like I'd been waiting for a hug like this for so long and I'd just been reminded of that.
Of course I started to cry. As hard as I tried not to, it was inevitable. I hadn't felt like this in a long time, and now that I was feeling it again, I didn't know how to keep from crying like a baby.
I wasn't sure if it was the way I actually felt, or if it had something to do with the pregnancy, but it hurt. A lot.
I pulled back, trying to play it off with a small laugh, but I knew it didn't work.
"I didn't mean to make you cry." Emmett laughed a little, but I shook my head. I couldn't speak yet without choking on a sob.
"You okay?" Mikah asked with a small laugh of his own. I was far from okay, an emotional wreck, but I just nodded. Hoping I would believe myself.
I managed to calm down a minute or two later, sitting on the damp grass.
"Okay," I muttered with a deep breath, clearing left over tears from my cheeks, "Now that I feel stupid, can we get this over with?"
"You don't need to feel stupid." Esme replied.
"But I do." I said, but I moved on, "So.. I have a few rules. I know Mikah said that whatever this talk is has to do with four years ago. I don't like thinking about that. I like talking about it even less, so let's just keep it simple." At the few nods of agreement, I went on, "And I didn't come out here to have my thoughts ratted out or whatever I feel changed, so none of that either."
The two in question gave their agreement, so I was satisfied. I wasn't asking for much.
"Good." I mumbled, "So let's talk. Why am I out here?"
"We'll start at the beginning." Carlisle offered quietly, and I looked to him, "Why we left." I didn't much appreciate that topic, but it was obviously necessary. I took a breath with a brief jaw clench, but I nodded. Preparing myself for the emotion of this specific topic.
"I know why you left." I muttered, "So I couldn't chicken out."
"Partially." Carlisle replied, "That was part of it, definitely, but there was another, more important reason." I frowned a little in confusion. What other reason could there be? "Almost immediately after you were moved in with Heather, things got more complicated regarding Jack, and the agreement we had with the Volturi."
I snorted, "How could things get more complicated? I never once saw Jack after I moved in with Heather."
"He figured it out." Alice murmured, "It wasn't hard for him to find out what we'd done, so he took the coward's way out. He ran while having others keep us off his trail."
"I'm not surprised." I sighed, "He's good at that."
"He is good at it." Alice agreed, "Because once he was gone, we never heard anything from him directly again."
That did surprise me.
"So he's still out there?" I asked, my surprise evident in my tone.
"That's not why we're here." Jasper immediately assured me, "Wherever he is, he's staying there."
Taking a deep breath, holding it as I closed my eyes and shook my head at the ground briefly. I'd thought sure that Aro had already taken care of him. If not Aro, than someone else. Anyone else.
"Okay." I muttered, sighing out that deep breath, "I haven't seen him, so I guess he's not so much a problem right now. If he's not the reason you're here, then what is?"
"Our job," Carlisle went on, "Was to ensure he stayed away from you. Guarding you right where you were was out of the question, because if he was already this close, it would only create an unnecessary risk."
"Good point." I had to admit. Waiting to protect me until I was already within his reach had proven to be stupid several times.
"It worked out." Mikah murmured, "Because I knew I wouldn't have been able to stay out of your life if we'd been close."
"None of us would." Alice added, her eyes on the grass.
"Especially not if we'd have known what you were going through." Mikah went on, "No chance in hell."
I did appreciate that.
"So..?" I prompted, "That still doesn't tell me why you're here now."
"We really did want to see you." Alice said, "We were just waiting for a less selfish reason."
"That reason was Aro." Mikah told me, "He wanted an update. He thought you'd do better seeing us first."
"He was right." I admitted next, "But I haven't even thought about him since I saw him last. I'm not any more interested in joining him now than I was then. Probably even less now. I mean, I still have my gift. That never went away, but I've grown up enough to know how to control it now. I spent enough time in my head to get that damn thing under control."
"I see." Carlisle nodded, "That is probably best in your condition."
"Yeah." I muttered, looking down briefly before I looked back up, "But Mikah said there was something else. Something he couldn't tell me, because it wasn't his place."
The way everyone looked to Carlisle told me it wasn't something easy. He took a breath, sighing heavily, and that only made me nervous.
"A few weeks ago," He began, "Jacob decided to return. Just to catch up with Sam, and to see how everything was going around the reservation." I nodded a little, letting him know I was following so far.
"With the wolves." I said anyway, "So.. When you all left, Jacob went with you?"
"Ness was too young to leave behind." Edward answered, speaking to me for the first time, "He wasn't willing to be away from her, so he decided to come with us." That made sense.
"Sam had been expecting a few more recruits." Carlisle went on, "One, maybe two that were nearly old enough to phase for the first time. Needless to say, our arrival back in town accelerated that."
"That's how it usually works." I recalled, and he nodded.
"It wouldn't be an issue," He murmured, "If one of those new wolves wasn't someone you knew." I frowned in thought. The high school I attended had a lot of kids that had moved into town from the reservation, so it wasn't a total surprise, but who would I know enough for it to be an 'issue', like he pointed out?
"Who?" I asked, still confused.
"One of them was Andrew." He answered quietly, and I blinked in surprise. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?
"Andrew?" I asked, "He's one of them? Wait.. Are you sure?"
"I'm afraid so." Carlisle replied, "We weren't sure until we overheard Zack mention that he wasn't feeling well. We needed Jacob to confirm."
"That's why you wouldn't let me go see him earlier." I understood now, "I just.. He was fine. He was fine until the day I last saw him. The last day at the school. You're telling me that between that day, and now, he..?"
"It comes on fast." Edward said, "Especially when it's forced forward."
I had to sit back down. I was fine talking about Aro. I was even fine talking about Jack, but this was a little much for me to handle. I couldn't imagine Andrew being anything other than one of the best friends I had.
"H-How?" I frowned, "I still don't get it. Andrew has always lived in town. He's not like them."
"His family moved to Seattle when Andrew was three years old." Carlisle explained, "His mother was very sick, and they needed to live closer to a hospital that could support her. Unfortunately, she passed away when Andrew was only five years old, and Andrew's father thought it best to move back here to help him cope. Considering his maternal grandparents lived on the reservation."
How did I not know this? More importantly, how did they know this when I didn't?
"How long until I can see him?" I asked next.
"He's in very good hands." Carlisle assured me, "They've handled this type of situation more times than I'm sure you're aware of, but I would give it a few weeks. At least."
"Weeks?" I couldn't help being disappointed.
"His entire life just changed, sweetie." Esme murmured, also speaking for the first time tonight, "I'm sure he would appreciate time to understand everything a little better." She had a point.
"Maybe I can just call him then." I muttered, "Not to pressure him or anything. Just so he knows we're all okay over here. I'll do what I can to keep Zack from bugging him, too."
"I'm sure that would be fine." Carlisle nodded, "And deeply appreciated."
"I just hope he doesn't forget about us."
"I highly doubt that would be possible, Leandra." Edward replied.
"Wait.." I frowned now, "Does this mean that this thing is gonna be like him?" I pointed to my stomach.
"It's possible." Carlisle replied, "But there is a way to tell for sure. Once it's born, I can safely tell you whether or not the baby has the gene. Until then, I wouldn't worry too much about that. It shouldn't affect the pregnancy at all." I took a breath, nodding a little.
"Speaking of which," Alice spoke up, "Have you decided what you're going to do?"
"Not yet." I muttered, looking down, "I mean, I know. I know what I should do, but I don't want to decide on anything yet until I know what Andrew wants."
"Understandable." She replied, "I just don't want you to make this harder than it has to be." By her tone, I knew she expected me to get mad, but I couldn't really get mad this time.
"I know." I sighed, "Believe me, but no matter what I choose, I also know that it's just going to get harder either way."
"No matter what," Esme murmured, "You won't be alone."
I didn't know how to reply to that. As much as I wanted to argue with that, it would be breaking my own rules. Bringing up the past, no matter how it was done, was breaking my own rules. So instead of arguing, I just let it be.
It was silent for a moment, as I sat there listening to the breeze. I felt them watching me, probably waiting for me to speak. I watched the grass, my hands idly ripping at it as I tried to think straight.
"This is so weird." I finally mumbled, "I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. Like I shouldn't be out here. Like it should be over. I was done. Now it feels like I'm right back where I started."
I knew they could tell I was getting upset again. Even without looking at them.
"It was supposed to be over." I muttered to myself, shaking my head, "What am I even doing out here? What are you even doing here?" I glanced to them, but looked back down.
Alice spoke up, "Aro-"
"Aro." I grumbled, "Aro is the reason I was sent here at all." I stood up with a sigh, "No. It's over. I'm done. I'm not playing that game anymore. You tell Aro.." I hesitated, calming my tone, "Tell him I'm done. This is my life now. I've moved on, and I'm not going back to that."
They obviously didn't know what to say, looking to Carlisle.
"I'll do what I can." He replied quietly.
"Thank you." I muttered. I actually appreciated that.
"Incoming." Emmett muttered, and I looked up, "Mike's noticed you're gone."
"Crap." I sighed, looking back toward the house.
"We'll return tomorrow night." Carlisle told me, "If there's still more you'd like to know." They had to go. I understood that. I nodded in response, taking a breath. I had to admit. It did go well tonight. As long as my rules were followed, I'd be willing to talk to them again.
I looked back toward the house as the back porch light flipped on at the same time the door opened. Glancing forward again, they were gone. I accepted that.
"Leandra?" Mike's frantic voice calling into the dark backyard had me turn fully around.
"Yeah." I called back, "I'm right here." I slowly made my way back toward the house as I clearly heard his deep sigh.
"What are you doing out here?" He asked once he spotted me coming forward from the darkness.
"I couldn't sleep." I replied, "And it's nice out here, so I figured-"
"You scared me, kid." He admitted, watching me ascend the porch steps, "I thought you'd run off."
"I don't run off." I pointed out, "Don't worry."
He took a heavy breath in, sighing it out, but he wasn't mad. He reached an arm out, "Come here." I accepted his hug, smiling a little.
"Sorry I scared you." I muttered, returning his hug lightly.
"No," He replied, "I'm the one that should be sorry. I was too hard on you the other day, and I'm sorry. I am sorry."
"It's okay." I said, "I get why you were so mad."
"That doesn't excuse my behavior." He shook his head as he pulled back to look at me, "Not in the least. I just saw your future being tossed in the trash, and I hated that image."
"I know." I muttered, looking down, "But Zack talked to me about what you said. It doesn't seem so bad now."
"Really?" He honestly seemed surprised.
"Really." I sighed, "I mean, if I get to choose the family it goes to, how is it bad? I guess I was thinking about it all wrong."
He sighed again, "Leandra, I don't want you to make this decision based on whether or not you think it would make everyone else happy. As much as I'm rooting for the adoption solution, this is your decision. Your life. You're the one that's going to have to live with whatever you choose. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if we had put Josh up for adoption."
"Was that an option?" I asked, surprised.
"We were both so young." He replied, "Of course we considered it. In the end, she couldn't bear to let him go, so we went with it. Of course I wasn't going to bail on her, but I didn't understand where she was coming from until the day he was born. I do want to point out, though, that your situation is totally different. Heather was already long out of school, and essentially living on her own. She had the basic life experience she needed to make a decision like this." I nodded. I understood what he was getting at.
"I just.." He went on, "I don't want you to feel pressured by others anymore. It was wrong of me to lose my cool like I did. I guess what I'm saying, is that no matter what you choose, we'll always have your back."
"Thanks." I couldn't help smiling a little. That helped.
A/N: Another chapter down. I think this one went a little better. :)
I apologize for this one taking awhile. Little KNeu has been taking most of my focus these days. He rolls onto his stomach, gets mad that he's on his stomach, and gets even madder when I help him. Or he rolls onto his stomach, but keeps going, face planting into the chair. It's been interesting trying to keep one eye on him at all times.
THANK YOU! To my AWESOMELY AMAZING reviewers! I'm so glad you guys seem to be enjoying the story so far.
I'll be working on chapter nine extensively, so it might take a bit of time, but I'll try to keep the wait short. :)
Until nine, my friends!