Psh. Pretty sure this chapter makes it 40,000. Sheesh. So much for a quick little story that wiggled itself into my mind on an airplane.

I'm never flying again.

Even before Tag had seated himself next to her, plucking awkwardly at his clothing, Piper had felt something was wrong. Van was on her other side, also looking uncomfortable. The sly glances, the short sentences and the overall gloom had all been suspect. Anna and her Indian sat across from them and despite, the retelling of their spectacular Easter vacation, neither seemed enthused. Brady stood apart from the adults, occasionally picking up some trinket of Tag's with interest.

"-so glad you're finally feeling better," Anna was saying.

Piper nodded, as Van threw a haphazard arm across her shoulders. "The raw meat seems to be helping." He chuckled, "she even gets all growly when we don't feed her quick enough."

Anna chuckled, Charles' look turned sour, which Piper pointedly ignored.

"Yep. A baby-on the way, a mouthy-teenager and a wolf who serves me meat on a silver platter." She leaned back, or at least tried to, pretending to revel. "Don't mind me here, I'm just living the dream."

Tag rolled his eyes, "Speaking of dreams, have you been having any?"

She scowled, remembering tearing into the white, bloodied rabbit. Her stomach, or perhaps the pup growing inside her, growled. "None since that last jem."

"That's good, it was probably just a projection from the pup."

Piper scowled further, "I'm having a baby, Tag, not a litter."

He chuckled just as Charles finally broke in."Anna said you're refusing to have the baby here. You know it's not safe in a human hospital."

"Yes, I know."

"You need to stay here, our doctor has done this before. She isn't some wet-behind the ears, sleep-deprived nit-wi-"

"Quit being an Idiot, Indian. Why do you think we're here."

He looked surprised at that, good. "I'm not risking the baby. This is the only place capable of delivering the child of-" Piper nearly winced, "My child."

Anna looked relieved and still anxious. "I'm just happy you're back."

"I'm not back," she clarified, "Just staying long enough for the chord to be cut and to blissfully ignore anything in relation to Aspen Creek." She softened, "Except you all, of course."

Tag coughed as Anna and Charles shared some private glance. It all felt a bit like junior high, again.

Fighting away the unease, Piper glanced toward Brady, who was sitting at the picture window. He was starring into the wooded trees just beyond Tag's backyard. Wonderment was clear on the boys face and Piper figured this was his first experience with nature.

She chuckled, "It's a little different than Suburbia, huh?"

He turned back, "You mean where they tear out the trees and name streets after them?" Brady glanced back toward the forest, "Yea, it's pretty different."

Piper couldn't help smiling at him. The kid was a pain in the ass, after her own…well, ass. "You know, there's this thing called a door right beside you." Brady glanced over, "It's crazy, but I'm pretty sure it leads out to that forest your drooling over."

Anna smiled but still managed to look anxious. The Indian was stoic.

Brady shrugged, "I'm fine."

Tag shifted again, glancing everywhere but in her direction.

She sighed, "Brady, be a good teenager and go play in the woods while I interrogate these nice puppies."

She watched his eyes glance from one friend to the other. After a moment, he nodded, throwing open the door. Piper was unable to mask the smile that formed as he ran into the forest, the wind slashing through his clothes and hair.

Turning back toward them with narrowed eyes, she said. "Is someone going to explain why Charles looks constipated?"

His pinched face took on an air of hesitance, glancing toward her swollen stomach. Piper rolled her eyes, "I'm pregnant, not mentally retarded, what's going on?"

"We're just worried for you, Piper," Anna began. "All of Bran's past wives haven't…well, it's not going to be as simple as you're saying."

She nodded, realizing she had already received their worried vibes loud and clear. Piper had been inquiring more what made them twitch with every floorboard creak or shift uncomfortably.

"I know-"

Tag interrupted, "I really don't think you don't. Everyone might want to be optimistic, but I'll be blunt. Your chances of surviving this are slim to none."

"Again," Piper said, "that's-"

"Just listen to them Piper."

"Charles, if you and the rest of your firing squad would shut up, Piper would tell you what we're planning."

"Thanks Van." She turned toward them. "I'm actually not planning on surviving the labor." They all looked outraged. "I mean, I hope I do, but I told Van, if I'm looking like I'm going into that yonder light, that I want to be changed."

"WHAT!" Anna flew off the couch.

"I wont abandon my child," she justified. "I was abandoned, I would never…It isn't an option."

Tag and Charles had clearly gotten a better grasp on the idea, they both were nodding. "It may work," Tag agreed. Charles pulled Anna back beside him.

He glanced toward her and Van, looking bleak. "Da' will kill you for it," he said.

Both Piper's rage and heartbreak resurfaced. She pushed away his image. Bran had left her. He had convinced her he'd loved her, taken her and then left her in complete despair. But then again, Bran had given her a gift. Piper rubbed her stomach, she wouldn't take a single second of it back.

"Bran will have to deal with whatever I decide, I'm not changing for him."

"I wasn't talking about you," Charles clarified, nodding toward her right, "If Van changes you, whether he kills you or succeeds, Da' will kill him."

"He'll have no right to do that!"

Tag chuckled, "There's no logic in love, dove."

Piper ignored him, ignored the harsh cut of the word.

"Bran will have to get over it," Van determined.

The silence grew between them, the unease of her own churning feelings almost made Piper forget her original train of thought, that is, until Anna began to awkward twirl a piece of hair.

"Are you going to tell me why you're all acting like virgins on prom night?"

The woman's blue eyes opened wider, "what do you mean?

"Don't ever play poker, Anna."

She sighed and with the motion Piper watched her deflate. Charles wrapped an arm around her and sealed his face.

"We planned on getting you here and convincing you into staying until the birth…"

"And?"

"We didn't want to tell you before we had a chance to explain how dangerous having Da's child would be anywhere-"

"Okay," she interrupted, "enough with the buttering up, what happened?"

Tag spoke, simply saying, "Bran is back."

And with those three words the floor fell out from the world.

"Oh, shit."

I feel like this is more of the Piper we know and love.

GETTING SO CLOSE TO THE END.

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