Chapter 5 is up, surprised to see so many new reviewers and take that as a sign that you're all afraid I'll abandon you all along with this story, makes me feel loved. Savour this one because chapter 6 is still trying to be thought up so be patient with your poor author and you should all know that these chapters are steadily getting longer so be happy!
AquaKaede: It's through their bond as life mates and the pregnancy that makes Sarah more dominant and the reason they are surprised is because the Numbers have no knowledge on the reproductive ways of their race and just assume its the same as humans (that and the little hint I dropped in here about why they're so surprised). Thanks for the review and if you like this story then you should check out "Inevitable" by TattooTanith, the inspiration for this story.
Nonchalant187: Yes ma'am and hopefully your opinion doesn't change in a negative aspect on the story and that's good to hear because Sarah is going to really come out of her shell.
Lil Scream Queen: Your wish is my command faithful reviewer! Love to hear from a fan who appreciates my work!
quintin grey: I'm set up a poll but have yet to decide the sex of the baby, hopefully the new behaviour of Sarah will be explained in this chapter for you.
I do not own 'I am number four' or any of its characters.
"Jane, can you get the door?" Sarah yelled from the kitchen before sighing at the lack of response and washed off her hands before going to investigate, picking up the loric knife as she approached the door, her eyes wary as she peered through the secret peep hole before relaxing and opening the door for John, Adelina and Marina. "Hey guys, what's up?"
"We came to visit and make sure you're both ok," John said awkwardly, still trying to wrap his mind around the situation but the important thing that rang out for him was that they needed to make sure the pair were safer than safe since Jane was the first female loric to actually get pregnant so they didn't know what to expect except the unexpected.
"I'm just making lunch," Sarah said, gesturing them in before closing the door and locking it securely before going back to the kitchen and picking up where she left off while they made themselves comfortable. "Jane should be around here somewhere, she's been acting strange lately so just be careful and don't stare whatever you do."
"Pregnant warrior, not about to provoke that," John said teasingly while Marina giggled.
Adelina gave the two a reproachful look before looking at Sarah. "How is she?"
Sarah exhaled slowly as she set down her knife to think. "It's difficult to put it into words to be honest but she's not not ok."
"Um," John said awkwardly at the odd answer before Jane walked in, ignoring them all as she went to the fridge.
Sarah bit her lip as she went back to making lunch before blanching when the scent of sardines reached her nose and swallowed hard.
"Hi, Six," Marina said brightly before faltering at the lack of response and looked at Sarah, who gave her apologetic expression.
"Are you ok, Sarah?" John asked with a frown when he noticed the change in Sarah's skin tone and the strained expression on her face.
"Hm? Yes, I'm fine," Sarah said delicately, managing a smile before glancing along the counter when Jane set down the pack of sardines and jar of pickles.
"I see," Adelina said lightly, leaning back slightly from the smell of the sardines before grimacing when Jane pulled out a blender.
Sarah nodded grimly as she chopped faster and finished the sandwiches and set them on plates for the three before taking her own and retreated to the table, leaving them to watch in horror as Jane dropped six sardines into the blender followed by almost as many pickles before finishing off with a generous amount of chocolate sauce before she put the lid on and turned the machine on.
"Oh my god," Marina said as she covered her mouth, suddenly feeling her appetite run screaming for the hills at the sight of the churning contents of the blender.
John swallowed hard, suddenly understanding why Sarah had been so pale. "You're not going to eat that, are you?" he asked weakly before cringing at the look the pregnant loric sent him and nearly fell off his chair as she stared him down dangerously. "S-Sarah?"
"You're on your own," Sarah said bluntly over a mouthful of sandwich, firmly keeping her back to the kitchen. "And yes, she will drink all that."
Marina and John retreated instantly while Adelina ate her sandwich, just as disgusted but as the last female Cêpan it was her duty to endure and be there for the pregnant loric and she steeled herself as the blender was turned off and Jane sipped from it thirstily.
"Jane," Sarah said warningly, disapproval on her face and in her tone.
Jane scowled heavily but got out a glass and poured some of the mix into it before starting to drink again, glaring at the back of her mate's head the entire time.
"She's actually drinking it," Marina whispered, disbelief and horror on her face, unable to believe her eyes.
"Its cravings," Adelina explained as she watched grimly. "The body needs certain minerals and vitamins and craves particular foods that have what it needs, generally the foods are fine on their own but most have the habit of combining them together and just having them all at once."
John covered his mouth as he dry retched at the sound of slurping from Jane as she drank. "I'm never getting Rebecca pregnant if this is what happens."
"You need to for the good of the loric race," Marina pointed out, her eyes clearly laughing at him.
John shot the younger loric a dirty look before smirking. "When you find your life mate you'll be the female loric in the relationship so get a good look at what YOU will be going through."
Marina blanched and covered her mouth again as horror dominated her expression.
Sarah rolled her eyes at the two, she'd been just as horrified when she'd first seen Jane make up the diabolical concoction, she smirked slightly as she thought back to that day.
Flashback:
"Jane?" Sarah called as she padded through the house, looking for her beloved, before hearing the sound of the blender in the kitchen and headed towards it curiously, peering into the kitchen and stared as Jane dropped a pickle and sardine into the blender before emptying a fifth of the chocolate sauce bottle into it as well before putting the lid back on and starting it up again. "W-W-What are you doing?"
Jane started at the unexpected voice and looked up at her human lover and smiled meekly. "I was thirsty."
Sarah's eye twitched with disbelief. "You do know those are pickles, sardines and chocolate sauce, right?"
Jane blinked and looked down at the ingredients before looking back up and nodded blankly before turning off the blender and licked her lips in anticipation before pouring some out and into a glass, sipping it and groaning from relief before seeing the disbelieving expression and blushed before offering the glass. "You want some?"
Sarah felt her stomach rebel and clamped her hand over her mouth before running to the bathroom as fast she could and just made it as she threw up with disgust, barely feeling the bafflement and hurt from her mate through their bond as she vomited. After several minutes of on and off vomiting she regained her composure and flushed the toilet before washing out her mouth and then splashed some water on her face before bravely heading back to the kitchen. She blinked when she saw it was empty and cleaned up, dry retching at the smell from the blender as she washed it thoroughly and set it to dry before going to find Jane and hesitantly headed for the bedroom and looked around before peering into the walk-in robe and stilled when she saw her crying. "Jane, what's wrong?"
"Y-You hate me," Jane sobbed into her knees. "You think I'm disgusting."
Sarah stared before crouching down next to the loric, ignoring her struggles as she hugged her firmly. "I don't hate you, I love you and I think you're beautiful, I just don't know why you're drinking that disgusting...thing."
Jane hiccupped as she sniffled, giving up her struggles. "I just want to, I don't know why but I just want to so much and it tastes yummy."
Sarah blanched slightly and swallowed hard at the thought of that monstrosity of a concoction being referred to as 'yummy'. "What if it's bad for the baby though?"
Jane hesitated before crying again. "I don't know what's happening to me, Sarah! I just wanted it and it didn't work in a sandwich but the blender was just there and you never use the blender so I thought it would be better than the sandwich, I'm sorry!"
Sarah softened and nodded, rocking her mate gently as she cried while she tried to figure out something sensitive to say and tried to figure out why Jane was so bent on drinking that stuff before straightening and then groaning, her eyes closed as realisation slapped her mercilessly. "No, I'm sorry."
Jane sniffled and looked at the younger woman uncertainly, her eyes questioning silently as she sniffled and hiccupped through her tears.
"I don't know about lorics but humans get cravings when they're pregnant and eat strange foods like what you're doing, it's just something they do because of the hormones," Sarah said apologetically, suddenly feeling horrible, if someone were to march her off a bridge at that moment she'd go straight to the bottom from the weight of the guilt in her gut. "So it's not your fault, it's just hormones."
Jane nodded uncertainly as she sniffled again. "So it's ok? The baby is ok?"
Sarah grimaced but nodded. "Yes, it's ok, and the baby likes it and wants it too."
Jane relaxed, relieved, before feeling the grim disgust from Sarah and winced. "You don't like it though."
"No, not one bit, but it's your pregnancy cravings, you're the only one who'd like them and I'll try and deal with it but just don't offer me any and I love you, Jane, I really do, but please have something normal before coming near me after you drink that stuff," Sarah said pleadingly, her face apologetic at the hurt on the loric's face before it changed to understanding and Jane nodded. "Thanks, babe."
Jane nodded again as she snuggled closer, relaxing with a sigh as Sarah held her.
End Flashback:
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"
Sarah jolted out of her thoughts at the yell in time to see John duck a glass as it smashed against the wall and she ducked a fork quickly, she zoned out for a few seconds and World War III had started in her kitchen. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing!" John spluttered as he hid behind a chair, terror on his face as Marina took cover under the table fearfully.
"You must've done something to upset her," Sarah said pointedly before wincing and dove for cover as a spoon hit the table where she'd been a few seconds earlier.
"I AM NOT UPSET!" Jane roared furiously, glaring bloody murder at anyone who dared to look at her before throwing a knife at the table when John poked his head up, narrowly missing him as he jerked back behind the chair at the last second.
"Ok, babe, you're not upset," Sarah said quickly as she hid behind the couch, inhaling and exhaling slowly, hoping Jane got some of her calm through their bond as she closed her eyes, it was a jumbled mess on Jane's side again. One second everything would be fine and the next Jane would go ballistic and their bond would fill with a whirlwind of emotion that gave Sarah headaches. "Think about the baby!"
Adelina raised a brow at the screech of fury as she continued munching on her sandwich passively, not bothered by the enraged loric and the missiles she was launching at her mate, Marina and John. She couldn't figure out which was worse, the disgusting cravings or the terrifying and hormonal mood swings of a combat orientated loric.
"Jane, you need to calm down," Marina said firmly before yelping at the sound of something metal hitting the top of the table.
"I AM CALM!" Jane shouted angrily, looking for something else to throw before stumbling slightly and grimaced before regaining her anger as she hefted a carving knife.
Adelina frowned at the grimace, her eyes sharp as she looked at the tensed muscles before carefully setting down her sandwich. "Six, don't move," she said quietly, her tone serious.
Jane rounded on the Cêpan, ready to sharpen her tongue on her before faltering at the serious look in the older loric's eyes and went still, looking around uncertainly for danger before grimacing when her stomach cramped again.
"Adelina?" Marina said uncertainly, peering out from under the table, glancing at the spoon that was embedded in the table in front of her by a scant three inches.
Sarah sat up quickly as the whirlwind of emotion slowly faded from her bond and she looked at Jane worriedly as the Cêpan circled around to her briskly, her face serious as she rested a hand on Jane's abdomen. She scrambled up quickly and went to her beloved, holding her hand as they watched the Cêpan intently.
"Sarah, help me get her to the couch, quickly," Adelina said suddenly, drawing Jane's arm over her shoulders before she could protest and Sarah didn't question the order as they got the confused loric to the couch while John and Marina emerged from their hiding place worriedly.
"Easy," Sarah said soothingly as she laid Jane back on the couch, stuffing a cushion behind her head quickly, trying to squash down her own nervousness as Adelina put her hands back on the budding bump, concentration on her face. "What's wrong with her? Is it the baby?"
Jane swallowed fearfully, gripping her lover's hand tightly as she waited, her confident warrior side abandoning her as she waited and prayed the news was good before grimacing at the slight burning sensation to her lower regions.
"Jane? Jane, what's wrong?" Sarah asked instantly, feeling a twinge that wasn't from her body.
"Nothing," Jane said firmly, pushing the sensation away, she could deal with that later; right now the baby came first. She yelped and protested when Adelina slipped a few fingers down her pants before withdrawing them to reveal them smeared with blood and she felt her blood turn to ice. "W-Wha-."
"There's a chance you're miscarrying, you need to stay still and calm," Adelina said bluntly as she rubbed her bloodied fingertips together.
Sarah stared at the blood before looking at Jane quickly as the loric started to hyperventilate, fear and helplessness in her blue eyes. "Isn't there something you can do?"
"No, all we can do is wait and hope," Adelina said as she stood up and went to wash her fingers off.
Jane's mouth worked silently, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at the back of the Cêpan before looking up at her beloved, her eyes pleading for her to do something but saw the same fear reflected in the hazel eyes as she was held tightly. "Sarah..."
"You just need to stay calm and still, everything is going to be ok," Sarah whispered, kissing her forehead gently before going back to holding the loric tightly, praying the baby would be ok. "Just stay calm and still for me."
"Is there anything we can do?" John asked uncomfortably, desperately wanting to do something to help the pair, not used to seeing this side of Jane as she buried her face in Sarah's chest, her fingers twisted in the white blouse as she trembled.
Sarah shook her head, inhaling and exhaling several times to regain her composure. "N-No, I can handle this."
"We'll clean up the kitchen," Marina said quietly, already using her telekinesis to mend the less destroyed glasses and plates while Adelina finished her sandwich and started washing up.
"You don't have-," Sarah started before getting cut off.
"We'll handle it, you just focus on her," John said firmly as he started pulling the cutlery out of the table.
Sarah nodded before sliding onto the couch next to Jane, adjusting her hold so they were more comfortable, and she started to stroke the blonde locks shakily, she needed to calm Jane down for the sake of the baby. "Everything is going to be ok," she whispered and felt her heart ache at the replying whimper.
"I-I'm s-s-sorry," Jane whispered tearfully before breaking down into soft sobs, Sarah had told her to calm down for the sake of the baby and she'd ignored her and now she might lose their little miracle.
"It's alright," Sarah said soothingly, tentatively resting her hand on her mate's abdomen and felt Jane flinch and rested her forehead against hers. "Just relax and stay calm, you just scared the baby with your yelling and anger, you need to let them know it's safe again."
Jane cried harder into her lover, she was a horrible person, she'd frightened her own unborn baby, she wasn't fit to be a mother.
Sarah winced at the thoughts she was picking up and tightened her hold. "Marina, can you get the plum coloured blanket from the bedroom for me? It should just be on the chair in there."
Marina blinked but nodded and quickly hurried towards the bedroom and came back a minute later with the blanket and unfolded it before throwing it over the pair and helped Sarah tuck it around Jane respectfully as she cried.
"You're both safe, you always feel safe with this blanket to hide you and so will the baby, you're not a bad mother, Jane," Sarah said comfortingly as she smoothed the blanket over a shoulder gently before wrapping her arms around the loric as she continued to cry. "Baby is safe in your tummy, say it with me, Jane, the baby is safe, where?"
"In my tummy," Jane whimpered, twisting her fingers in Sarah's blouse as she repeated the chant, gaining a small amount of comfort from it. "The baby is safe in my tummy, the baby is safe in my tummy, the baby is safe in my tummy."
Sarah nodded as she listened to her beloved repeat the same seven words over and over, slowly calming down as she emotionally exhausted herself, reduced to mumbling scant words after forty minutes before she finally dropped off into unconsciousness. "Will the baby really be ok?" she asked softly, not looking up at Adelina.
"We'll know by tomorrow morning at the earliest," Adelina said quietly, her eyes sharp, taking in everything. "Let her rest and if she wakes up, have her eat something heavy but no moving or showering until tomorrow, just to be sure."
"Can you stay the night? Just in case something happens?" Sarah asked pleadingly, finally looking at the Cêpan and hoped she agreed.
Adelina was silent for a long minute before finally inclining her head. "I guess we could stay the night and make sure nothing happens, or be here if something-."
"Nothing is going to happen," Sarah said firmly, needing to keep thinking positively as she adjusted her hold on her pregnant lover, being careful not to wake her.
"You need to be prepared in case something does happen," Adelina said bluntly, her eyes showing slight sympathy but seriousness, they needed to be aware of the reality that it was a possible the pair might lose the baby.
Sarah stiffened but nodded, it was just for show though and everyone knew it, she was anything but prepared if Jane miscarried, she didn't even want to acknowledge the possibility of it; it was too painful and put a painful lump in her throat. She couldn't afford to think like that, she couldn't afford for Jane to sense her thinking like that.
"Perhaps I could do something?" Marina offered uncertainly. "One of my legacies is healing, I don't know if it'll work since I've never used it like that before but I'm willing to try if you'll let me."
Sarah nodded instantly, not listening past the word 'healing' as she looked at the loric, ignoring the disapproving look Adelina sent her charge about possibly giving false hope but she didn't care as long as there was something that could be done that didn't make her feel useless. "Please try."
Marina nodded as she rubbed her hands together to warm them up as the familiar icy feeling started to travel up her spine as she knelt in front of the couch, watching Sarah shift Jane so the loric's abdomen was exposed before she gently eased the loose top up. She stared at the slight curve in the older loric's toned middle, she'd only see Jane's abdomen through her fishnet top and it had always been muscled and toned, it was unnerving to see the tiny odd bump and made her hands tremble slightly at the thought that there was a tiny life in there, the future of their race.
"Deep breaths," Adelina said quietly, seeing the tremors.
Marina closed her eyes as she inhaled and exhaled deeply, feeling her hands steady after a minute before she opened her eyes again and looked at the uncertain Sarah.
"Please be gentle," Sarah pleaded, tightening her hold on Jane's sleeping form gently.
Marina nodded before gently resting her hands on the bump, feeling the slightly taunt skin under her fingers and suddenly felt that her hands were too calloused to touch the smooth skin before focusing as the icy sensation from her legacy travelled into her hands and out her fingertips. "Keep her still," she murmured as she concentrated, hoping she was doing this right.
Sarah held her breath as she waited, not even daring to twitch in case it interfered with the young loric's legacy, eyeing the glowing blue aura Marina's hands had taken on. She somehow tensed even more when Jane shifted against her, her forehead creased and her head twitched. "Easy, babe, shhh," she whispered, barely audible, as she watched her mate shift for a minute longer before falling still with a soft sigh. "Sleep."
Marina relaxed after five long suspenseful minutes, sitting back heavily with a long exhale, her eyes absent as Adelina crouched down next to her.
"Marina," Adelina said quietly before shaking her charge gently. "Marina."
"Yeah? What?" Marina asked as she regained her focus before looking up at her Cêpan and then at the anxious Sarah. "I did what I can, all I can say now is to wait and see."
Sarah nodded reluctantly, some of the hope dimming in her eyes as she settled back down again before fixing Jane's top and tucked the blanket around her once more. "Thank you for trying at least."
Marina nodded, sympathy in her eyes at not being able to say anything different from her Cêpan about just waiting until morning.
John shifted silently in the kitchen, quietly washing the dishes as he listened and wandered in his own thoughts. Jane had been the first other Number that he'd met, they'd searched for the other Numbers together with Sam and Bernie Kosar, hunted mogadorians, she'd been there to listen when he'd found his life mate and he'd listened when she'd told him that Sarah was her life mate. He'd also confided in her that he and Rebecca were trying to get pregnant, eighteen months of trying, and it was starting to get disheartening for them both. Despite the weight of their entire race resting on all of the Numbers, Luke was the only one eager to start reproducing while Nine and his life mate were the only one to have a child. The rumour was though that Number Eight and his life mate might be trying casually as well. Ella and Marina still hadn't even found their life mates and everyone, except Luke, had accepted that Jane would never have any children after she'd told them that a particular fight with mogadorian had left her unable to reproduce even if she'd wanted to, which raised even more questions about how it was possible for her to be pregnant. But if Jane didn't miscarry now then her child would be the second baby of the next generation and need to be protected the way Nine and his family were being protected, he'd need to speak with the others about it if Jane didn't miscarry during the night.
"Three months," Sarah murmured as she watched Jane sleep, caressing her cheek softly. "Only three months and there's already trouble, I thought I'd only have to worry about keeping Jane from sneaking out to go fighting mogadorians, not...this."
"Listen to your instincts, they will guide you," Adelina said calmly, a knowing look in her eye as she watched the couple on the couch. "I'm sure you've noticed them."
"Noticed what?" Marina asked, confused.
"The instincts that surfaced through their bond from the pregnancy, they guide Six while guiding Sarah separately," Adelina explained cryptically, seeing the only human in the room nod slowly as she thought.
"Jane keeps telling me I've become more dominant and assertive lately," Sarah commented as she thought over the past few weeks. "And that during that mogadorian fight a few weeks ago I somehow managed to stand my ground against one of them and I wasn't afraid, I was-."
"Enraged," Adelina said lightly before nodding. "That's your instinct and it hasn't steered your wrong yet while Six's instincts and hormones make her much more compliant and submissive but only to you, they also make her more cautious about what situations she puts herself in with the baby."
"They aren't doing a good job since I caught her trying to sneak out three times," Sarah muttered with a frown before looking at Marina when she giggled.
"It will get stronger," Adelina said reassuringly at the sight of the frown.
Sarah nodded disbelievingly before settling down on the couch with a sigh, refusing to leave her mate while Marina went to help John finish cleaning up the kitchen and Adelina went to watch the security monitors for trouble as the day wore on.
"Sarah...Sarah!" a voice said sharply, startling the woman out of her thoughts after what felt like a few seconds and she looked up at John.
"What is it?" Sarah asked with a scowl.
"Dinner," John said bluntly, gesturing at the clock and watched his former love interest's eyes go to it and widen before she looked out the nearest window quickly to see that night had fallen. "You've been daydreaming for hours."
Sarah blinked before rubbing her sore eyes and shifted with a grimace at her stiff muscles. "Ow," she grunted before looking down at the still sleeping Jane. "Do you think I should wake her for dinner or just let her sleep?"
"Let her sleep," Adelina said lightly from the kitchen as Marina finished slicing up the meat before loading it onto the plates. "If she wakes up she can eat but until then, let her rest."
Sarah nodded reluctantly and shifted to get up before looking down at the hand firmly fastened on her shirt and settled back down, shifting the sleeping form with a sigh as her stomach growled hungrily. She looked up when she smelt food and saw Adelina holding the plate and smiled appreciatively as she took the plate and ate carefully, trying not to disturb Jane as the loric shifted to get more comfortable, tightening her hold on Sarah's blouse. She watched the others sit down at the table, eating silently so as not to make any unnecessary noise that might wake the slumbering loric.
When they'd all finished eating, Marina collected Sarah's plate before helping wash up with John while Adelina returned to the security room to keep watch. After the kitchen was cleaned up, the two lorics made themselves comfortable in the armchairs, getting blankets from the linen closet Sarah pointed them to as they settled down to sleep, ignoring her offers to take her and Jane's bed so they could at least be comfortable.
Sarah sighed tiredly as she settled down, rubbing her sore eyes again before settling down with her pregnant mate, kissing her forehead softly before falling back into darkness as sleep claimed her.
In the Morning:
Sarah groaned as she was jostled awake and opened her eyes groggily; still foggy with sleep, and blinked silently at the blue eyes looking back at her.
"Morning, sleepy head," Jane whispered, she'd been awake for an hour and had seen Marina and John crashed in the armchairs before watching Sarah sleep silently and kissed her softly.
"Mmm~ morning," Sarah murmured, waking up a bit more and tightened her hold on the loric gently, pulling her closer. "How are you feeling?"
Jane swallowed nervously and looked back at her lover silently, her eyes no doubt showing her fear and nervousness as she watched as the last of the sleepiness fled from Sarah's face as she sat up a bit more and she appreciated the tight hold that was the only thing keeping her so calm.
"Its morning, Adelina will check again and make sure you and the baby are ok," Sarah said reassuringly, stroking the blonde locks soothingly as Jane curled up against her, appreciation flashing through her eyes before being consumed by uncertainty and fear. "The baby is fine though so there's nothing to worry about."
"Try not to speak too soon," Adelina said quietly, startling the pair at the unheard appearance, she'd heard the two talking from the security room and come to investigate, she ignored the disapproving look from Sarah. "When you're ready."
Jane shifted uncertainly and looked at Sarah before nodding and almost changed her mind when Sarah slipped off the couch so Adelina could reach her and she swallowed loudly and laid flat on her back as instructed and clutched her lover's hand as the Cêpan's hands touched her tender abdomen. "Please," she whispered, her eyes squeezed shut and felt soft lips touch her entwined fingers comfortingly.
"Deep breaths," Sarah said softly, kissing the fingers again as she tried to distract the loric from the activity on her stomach with little success as the grip on her hand tightened steadily until she silently swore her fingers were being crushed.
Adelina concentrated, shifting her hands carefully, ignoring the whispers between the couple as the tension steadily rose, even waking Marina and John, and they all watched and waited silently for her verdict before she finally opened her eyes and sat back with a sigh.
"Well?" Sarah asked in a strained voice, her upper arm twitching from not pulling away at the pain in her hand and dearly hoped Jane let go soon before her fingers fell off. "Is the baby ok?"
Adelina smiled and nodded as she looked up at the couple, genuinely happy for them as Jane relaxed visibly, relief in her eyes as she released the breath she'd been holding, rubbing her abdomen with her free hand affectionately and no doubt making all kinds of silent promises that this would never happen again. "Six?"
"Hm?" Jane said absently as she rubbed her belly protectively before looking up at the Cêpan when she didn't answer. "What?"
"Now that we all know the baby is ok, I'll take care of your life mate now," Adelina said delicately.
Jane blinked before looking around at her mate and saw her face buried in the armrest of the couch, her shoulders shaking and she squeezed the hand in her grip gently. "The baby's ok, babe."
Sarah nodded silently, holding back a whimper at the added pain to her hand from the squeeze, trying to figure out how to get Jane to release her already before giving a muffled whimper when calloused hands pried Jane off her and she withdrew her hand instantly, guarding it against her chest as she took short breaths.
"Hey!" Jane said indignantly when her hold was broken and glared at John murderously. "Why did you do that?"
John raised a brow before helping Sarah up, revealing her bruised hand, her index and pinkie fingers sticking out at unnatural angles as the woman took short breaths through the pain.
"What happened to your hand?" Jane exclaimed at the sight of the deformed appendage.
"You were holding it too tight," Adelina said bluntly as she carefully inspected the damage. "Like I said, I'll take care of your life mate now."
Jane's mouth worked silently, disbelief on her face as they led Sarah away. "S-Sarah-."
"It's alright, Jane," Sarah said in a strained voice, managing a small smile to try and reassure her partner. "The baby is alright and that's what matters."
Jane struggled with herself at the words as Sarah disappeared towards the bathroom with Adelina and Marina before feeling herself get swamped by guilt and regret, she'd hurt her life mate...she'd never felt so low before.
"It wasn't your fault," John said calmly as he sat down in an armchair across from Jane. "And she doesn't blame you so don't look like you just ran over someone's kitten."
"You've obviously never hurt your life mate, otherwise you wouldn't say that," Jane muttered as she pulled the blanket up a bit more. "I swore I'd protect her and never hurt her in any way-."
"It was an accident and she doesn't care because there's something bigger in play, you need to think about the baby," John said firmly, his eyes stern and wasn't surprised at the glare of defiance he got back. "Adelina and Marina will fix her hand and then you can stop feeling bad about the whole thing because it'll be like it never happened."
Jane scowled heavily, not even bothering to put up an argument.
"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about," John said quietly, his gaze serious as Jane glanced at him and eased off her stubborn attitude for a second to listen. "Since you're pregnant you won't be able to defend yourself, it'll be up to the rest of us to keep you, the baby and Sarah safe-."
"I don't need a babysitter," Jane said shortly, her eyes dangerous.
"But you do need someone to protect you, so we're going to relocate you and Sarah somewhere else before the mogadorians get any closer, we can't risk you being captured. And before you open your mouth to argue, think about what would happen if the mogadorians did catch all of you, they'd slaughter Sarah and wait until you gave birth before experimenting on your child to try and figure out our weaknesses," John said bluntly, seeing the proud loric flinch and fear flashed across her face, her hand gripping the blanket covering her belly.
"JOHN!" Sarah bellowed furiously, getting the images from her beloved about what was going on in the other room and she was not pleased that her former boyfriend was tormenting and scaring her mate. "GET AWAY FROM MY WOMAN!"
John raised his hands in mock surrender at the yelling. "I didn't touch her!"
"THEN KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT!" Sarah shouted angrily before yelping when Adelina cracked her fingers back into place before Marina started to heal them gently.
"Fine, but you're still being relocated!" John yelled back bluntly. "For the sake of the baby!"
"Don't you talk about my baby!" Sarah said dangerously as she stomped back into the room, her eyes murderous to the point that John stumbled out of his armchair to get some distance from the dangerous looking female. She glared at him as he backed away slowly while she made her way around the couch to crouch down by Jane and her expression changed the instant her eyes fell on her and she kissed her softly. "Are you ok, babe?"
Jane nodded silently, lost in her thoughts at what John had said, bringing a whole mountain of situations and dangers to light that she hadn't considered before but now she had a lot of thinking to do, she rubbed the tiny bump in her middle protectively, she did have more than just herself to take care of now after all.
Reviews keep me happy and I want a MINIMUM of 5 for chapter 5, just because everyone else's reviews add up to 5 doesn't mean you can't review! Yes, I've turned into a review whore but I work damn hard to earn those reviews so pay up...joking, kind of...review. I also put up a poll on what sex Sarah and Jane's baby should be so everyone please vote, its anonymous and I'm interested in your input.