Chapter 9 is finally here! Wow, 262 days since chapter 8 was put up, sorry for the wait but life got more than a little hectic and it still is right now. I don't have much confidence in this chapter but it is better than nothing so review for improvements and to help me shake loose some inspiration for chapter 10 because I have no idea what to put next. To those of you who thought that I'd never continue this story, shame on you and I've proved you wrong.
KM Rune: Thanks for the review and you are on the right track but I seemed to come across a little vague so I'll try and clarify everything in a later chapter for everyone's benefit :) Hope you like chapter 9 and give your thoughts.
Zelda's Hero: Your wish is my very slow command, sorry for the wait, hope you're still with us.
StraightJacket xD : My favourite reviewer! I'm ahead of you on that one with a twist that should catch everyone offguard if I pull it off right.
Andddd to 'Guest' : Don't die, as far as I know dead people can't read and I need my readers alive and breathing and reviewing so I know that there's still hope for this story!
I do not own "I am Number Four" or any of its characters.
Sarah exhaled with a heavy sigh as she looked at the calendar and crossed off the last two days wearily before rubbing her sore eyes, the dark bags underneath them speaking volumes about her lack of sleep over the current situation and how hard her mate's words had hit home.
"It's not your baby," Jane said emotionlessly.
Sarah grimaced and shook her head to clear it of the memory that had plagued her for the last few days, she'd come up with numerous plans and strategies on how to handle the delicate issue but her confidence kept abandoning her whenever she faced the loric. She'd never been so uncomfortable around the other woman before than she was now, how was she supposed to treat her? How was she supposed to act after what her beloved had said?
"Sarah?"
Sarah startled out of her trance at the sound of her name and opened and closed her mouth several times as she looked at the object of her thoughts before forcing her voice to work as she gestured back at the calendar. "I was just, um, yeah...," she started before trailing off.
Jane grimaced at the jumble of words and shifted uncomfortably as an awkward and unpleasant silence descended between them, both sneaking glances at the other before looking back down again.
"Was there something you needed?"
"No," Jane said quietly, looking down at her feet as she picked at the loose thread on the bottom of her sweater.
"Ok...um, did you want to go catch a movie? I heard there's this new release playing in town and-," Sarah started before getting cut off.
"I don't really feel like going out," Jane muttered, still not looking up.
Sarah closed her mouth and nodded reluctantly. "What about something to eat? We're out of chocolate sauce though so I'll need to go to the grocery store to buy some more-."
"I'm not hungry."
"Oh...ok," Sarah said awkwardly, trying to figure out what else she could propose to break the awful silence. "What about a movie?"
"Watched everything already."
"Ok...then I'll go to the DVD Rental shop, what do you feel like watching?" Sarah asked as she got up and started searching for the keys. "Drama? Action? Comedy? What about a romance?"
"You pick."
Sarah sighed wearily at the less than helpful and engaging answer but nodded. "Alright, I'll pick then," she muttered as she pulled on her boots and coat before heading outside, exhaling slowly at the feel of the crisp cold air on her face after being in the warmth of the house before crunching through the slush to the car, eternally grateful that the vehicle had been fitted with snow tyres as she got in and cranked up the heater. She looked towards the house one last time as she turned the key in the ignition before reversing out slowly; hoping that her beloved's face might appear in the window but to no prevail as the window remained vacant and she pulled onto the road and drove away.
Jane shifted the edge of the curtain slightly as she watched the car disappear from sight completely before watching several snowflakes float through the air to settle on the ground gracefully before she turned her attention back indoors as another flutter from her tenant made her flinch. She sat back down in the comfy chair by the heater before pulling the hem of her sweater up to look down emotionlessly at the disruption to her life.
At the DVD store:
Sarah hummed softly as she listened to the song that was currently being played in the DVD store as she browsed the extensive collection before picking up a sci-fi and read the details before adding it to the others as she continued her browsing until the song ended and she headed to the counter. "Just these three, thanks," she said pleasantly as she handed over her choices.
The man smirked as he processed the DVDs. "You're into alien flicks, huh?"
"It's a classic, Alien from 1979, first of its kind and the entire franchise," Sarah said casually before blushing slightly at the raised brow. "Also the first movie about aliens that I ever watched that wasn't a complete waste."
"Yeah, it's hard to find a movie about aliens as sophisticated as 'Alien'," the man said with a grin before holding up the second movie. "Also a far cry from puppies, 'Marley & Me'?"
Sarah shrugged innocently. "I haven't seen it before but I've heard that it's good and Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson are great actors...and I happen to like puppies, Chad," she said loftily, glancing at the name tag briefly.
Chad laughed before holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Ok, ok, you win," he conceded before smirking at the last comment. "And last but not least, 'The Big Year', have you seen that one either?"
"Watched part of it but never got to see the ending," Sarah said briskly, thinking about how they'd had to cut the movie short for a Mogadorian hunt gone awry.
"Well you'll get to see the ending now and die a happy woman," Chad said teasingly as he put the movies in a bag. "And that comes to nine fifty."
Sarah handed over the change easily, having already calculated the total when she was picking the movies, before she accepted the bag. "Thanks, see you next time, Chad."
"You know it," Chad said with a grin before accepting the next customer's purchases.
Sarah shook her head as she stepped out into the cold again and shivered at the layer of fresh snow that was falling softly as she crunched down the street to her car and frowned when she made it to the corner before looking back and retraced her steps before turning on the spot. "I swear, I parked it right here," she muttered before feeling her eyes widen and her jaw drop as she stared at her car...literally buried under a mountain of snow. "You have got to be kidding me...I wasn't even gone that long!"
"Snow ploughs, dearie, they keep the streets clear but heaven help you if you've parked on the side of the street when they go past," an elderly woman said as she tottered past, a look of amusement on her face as she continued on. "Good luck, dearie!"
Sarah looked at her car with despair and felt her shoulders slump miserably as her eyes roamed the seemingly massive pile of snow. "I hate the snow," she muttered venomously before unlocking the vehicle and tentatively opened a door, stepping back when a clump of snow slid off with a plop, before she tossed the bag of DVDs inside and stepped back to try and figure out how to get her car out. "I really hate the snow."
Back at the house:
Jane fidgeted in front of the heater, bored out of her mind; she daydreamed wistfully of training with the other Garde, of sparring, wrestling and fighting with them, even in this frozen hell of snow and slush. She sighed wearily as she ran a hand over the swell in her abdomen; she'd done a little research on the laptop when Sarah had been out of sight about abortions and pregnancy termination. The entire thing was expensive and very noticeable for someone trying to stay off the radar. Then there was the nagging fact that she was one of the last members of a nearly extinct race and had a duty to boost their numbers, even though she had been sure as all hell that she would never have to worry about that duty after discovering her life mate was also female. She'd grilled Adelina mercilessly about loric reproduction but hadn't gotten any helpful answers except that loric and human reproduction was practically the same thing. So unless she'd gotten blind drunk without realising it, remembering it or even suffering from a hangover and then had the misfortune of becoming some guy's lucky day, she might as well be the modern day and alien version of the Virgin Mary...without the virgin. So, first off, she couldn't get out of her predicament early, and second, she still had no idea how she'd gotten into this predicament. And then her conscious nudged a nugget of guilt up and made the pit of her stomach churn as she remembered the look on her mate's face at outright declaring the child wasn't hers.
A noise outside startled the loric for a second before she calmed down after a minute when another clump of snow fell from the roof with a muffled thump and she buried her face in her hands with a groan as she tried to clear her mind and shake loose from her misery. The corner of a book caught her eye and she eagerly latched onto the distraction as she pulled it out of its hiding place before opening it and stilled as she looked down at the black and white photograph of her and Sarah. She bit the inside of her cheek as she turned the pages slowly, taking in photograph after photograph, she'd repeatedly told Sarah that photographs were dangerous and not to keep any when they moved onto a new place but the woman never listened. She twitched at the silent berating from herself, that wasn't true, Sarah had given up a lot of her photography passion for their safety, she didn't post her work online anymore and was very careful when she took photography work to earn them some money. She traced the edge of a picture with her finger absently as she studied it closely, as much as she'd been taught to discard personal items like this, it was nice to be able to physically look back and see the memories, to know that they weren't just dreams or figments of her imagination.
Jane turned another page in the album before blinking when a folded piece of paper slipped out and she set the book on her knees before unfolding the page carefully, curiosity in her blue eyes as she smoothed out the paper before stilling as she recognised her own handwriting and didn't even have to read it to know what it said but did it anyway.
My dearest love,
You know I'm not the mushy type who gets all gooey about getting flowers or doing romantic stuff and you know Valentine's Day makes me gag even though you like all those things. Those things make you happy and if you're happy, then I'm happy. So today I wanted to make you happy, today is more than just a day, today is a special day, today is the day that changed everything, the day that changed my life forever, the day I first met you back in Paradise Ohio with John. That first moment when I looked at you and you looked straight back into me and knocked the breath from my body, that was the moment that everything changed.
I remember feeling the devastation and heartbreak when I learned that John had paired with you, thinking that you were his life mate and it was all some cruel cosmic joke on me so I left town with John and Sam as quickly as possible. I admit that I was happy to separate John from you, especially after having to watch your farewells that nearly tore my beating heart from my chest as I watched. But then when John found his life mate, Rebecca, I felt a small spark of hope and told him of my feelings for you before going back to Paradise as quickly as possible.
When I saw you again, you were taking pictures of the autumn leaves and for the first time in my life, I was nervous...maybe even afraid, afraid that you would reject me and the whole thing really had been a cosmic joke. Instead you welcomed me back, even with the news that John had found his true life mate, I remember dancing around the issue on how to tell you that we were destined to be together but somehow you put it altogether and were more fearless than even I was about it. We fitted together like pieces of the same puzzle, like we'd been made for just each other and no one else and I swore that I would always protect you, no matter what.
You have my heart and soul, everything I have is yours and I give it willing whether you ask for it or not, so I give you today, the day we met as life mates, the day I gave my love to you. You're my love, my heart, my family, forever.
Forever yours, Jane
"I can't believe you kept this," Jane murmured with a touch of amazement as she looked the letter over once more, she'd written this years ago, a year after she and Sarah had left Paradise together to travel with the rest of the Garde and developed into a couple. She'd written it as a sappy gesture of love and affection to try and make her lover a bit happier and to forget about the constant moving and danger they lived with. But she'd never expected it to have been tucked away for safe keeping and from the worn fold lines in the paper; it had been unfolded and refolded a number of times. It made her wonder just how many times Sarah had read this letter since she'd written it and she felt another stab of guilt for her recent behaviour regarding her beloved. She chewed her bottom lip as she looked towards the window, wondering where her beloved was now, before getting up and heading to the kitchen to make dinner as a peace offering.
In town:
"Unbelievable," Sarah muttered as she chipped away at the snow that was imprisoning her car, almost at the end of her patience before yelping when water suddenly sloshed over the roof, splashing her as she danced back before looking at the culprit. "Chad? What are you doing?"
"Figured you could use some help," Chad said with a grin as he hefted the now empty bucket. "Little secret, salt water melts it faster than you can move it, just be careful how much salt you use or you'll tarnish the metal."
Sarah stared before looking back at her car and was amazed at just how much of the snow had receded from just one bucket of salt water. "That's brilliant."
"Just basic chemistry," Chad said casually before motioning at the opposite side of the car. "And you're better off just freeing the side facing the road; you're wasting time doing this side, unless you intend to drive on the sidewalk?"
Sarah nodded before exhaling loudly, releasing a puff of mist, before looking at the snow genius. "Thanks for the tips; I would have been out here all night trying to move this stuff."
"No problem," Chad said with a grin as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So, you want to get some coffee some time?"
Sarah blinked at the left field question and forgot how to speak for a second before blushing slightly. "That would be nice but I'm married," she said apologetically, pulling off her glove to reveal the metal band on her finger. "They're probably getting worried that I'm not home by now."
Chad stared dumbly before seeming to shake himself from his stupor, recovering admirably. "Wow, I never expected that one, you seem a little young to be married, no offence," he admitted, watching the woman put her glove back on and start to shovel the snow again.
"None taken, we've been together for a few years now, known each other since high school," Sarah said as she tried to avoid scratching the car with the shovel while adding a few harmless white lies to her tale to keep from giving away too much of the truth. "It can be tough at times but I don't regret it."
"So you're married to your high school sweetheart and decide to move here of all places?" Chad asked with a raised brow. "There have got to be better places than here."
Sarah shrugged casually. "The cold is a bother and so is this damn snow when it gets like this but it's a nice change and there are much worse places to be."
"If you say so," Chad said doubtfully.
Sarah laughed at the tone as she dumped a clump of snow out from under her car. "It's the people that make the place."
"Unless the place is a tropical beach paradise," Chad said with a smirk, pushing a clump of snow off the bonnet of the car. "Give me that over snowdrifts any day, you should move there and then invite me to come along."
"As fun as that would be, I doubt my partner would agree," Sarah said with a smile as she straightened and adjusted her gloves, getting the twinges out of her fingers. "Especially not now."
Chad blinked before giving a questioning look. "Domestic disagreement?"
"You could call it that," Sarah said briefly before seeing the look and made a face. "Fine, we're having a fight but we'll work through it, we always do..."
"You don't sound so sure."
"It's complicated."
"All the more reason to get the opinion of someone not emotionally involved," Chad reasoned as he leaned back on the snow bogged car in front of Sarah's. "Try me."
Sarah huffed before shovelling more snow and the minutes of silence ticked by as she contemplated the offer before reluctantly giving in. "It's about...babies," she muttered before sneaking a glance and smirked at the surprised and dumbfolded expression. "So it's very complicated."
"So, he wants kids and you don't or you do and he doesn't?" Chad asked with a raised brow.
Sarah smirked slightly at the gender reference but played along with it. "I think I do more than they do right now," she said casually before remembering the hurtful words and grit her teeth as she moved another clump of snow. "Let's just say that we're currently divided on the whole thing right now."
"That sounds like marriage," Chad commented before holding his hands up at the sharp look. "I'm just saying, you must still love each other to put up with the differences, that's what marriage is, right? Putting aside the differences for love?"
"That is awfully sappy for a guy," Sarah teased with a quirk of a smile but nodded her agreement. "But yeah, we still love each other and we'll figure it out and get back to the loving."
"Sounds like a plan," Chad said with a grin before looking at the car and smirked. "And that looks like you're finally free."
Sarah blinked before looking down and was surprised to see that she'd cleared away all the snow before grinning triumphantly. "I guess I'm going to make it home in time for dinner after all."
Chad raised a brow before checking his watch. "Maybe a late dinner."
Sarah checked her watch before swearing as she hurried around to the other side of the car and set the shovel back where she'd requisitioned it before getting in and was relieved when the vehicle started. "Dinner is dinner," she said with a smile before looking at Chad. "Thanks for everything, Chad."
"No problem, hope everything works out," Chad said as he stepped out of the way before watching the car roll into the street and drive away. "Why are all the good ones married?"
Sarah sighed happily as she turned up the heater, enjoying being out of the cold as she drove down the street, she chewed her lip as she consider the DVD store worker's words, she did love Jane but this wasn't something that she wanted to back down on. That baby was theirs and she loved it, she didn't question either notion, they were like solid and proven facts drilled into her skull, why her mate didn't comprehend these things was both confusing and upsetting for her. "Ok, I'm just going to go in there and set the record straight," she said firmly, gripping the steering wheel harder. "No 'if', 'but' or 'whatever', she's going to listen and she is going to like it...whether she wants to or not...please want to, Jane, don't fight for once," she lamented as she pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. She sat there, listening to the engine die away completely before summoning her determination as she collected the DVDs before getting out and heading inside, swearing when she sank into a snowdrift along the way. "I'm home!"
A crash sounded from the kitchen along with a string of dark and impressive curses.
Sarah winced before sniffing the air and felt her stomach drop. Jane was cooking. "Honey?" she called cautiously, gone was her determination, this was a serious situation and much more pressing, the house was in real danger of being burnt to the ground. "What are you doing?"
"Just fixing you some dinner."
Sarah physically cringed, her beloved might be a great warrior from an alien planet with incredible powers but her cooking skills were as impressive as...there wasn't even something to compare it to. "You didn't have to do that, we could have ordered in," she said gently before peering into the kitchen and felt her eyes widen at the warzone, there were dirty dishes everywhere and something smelt like it was burning.
"Yes, I did," Jane said bluntly as she looked down at the sizzling pan before meeting those hazel eyes. "I needed to do something to make up for acting like a complete ass towards you lately."
"And you thought cooking was the answer?" Sarah questioned before she could stop herself.
Jane blushed darkly as she glanced around at the mess. "It seemed like a good idea at the beginning," she said awkwardly before looking back at beloved uncertainly. "I didn't mean to be a...I mean..."
"You're sorry?"
"Yes, I'm sorry," Jane said apologetically. "I'm sorry for what I said and how I said it, I didn't mean to throw you out in the cold like that, you're the most precious thing in my life, Sarah."
Sarah nodded slightly as she ventured further into the kitchen, narrowly avoiding slipping over on what looked like the remains of a raw egg. "And I know that you're going through a big thing right now but that doesn't mean you can push me away or say things like that. Even if you don't think it, even if I can't explain it to make you understand, this is our baby and I love both of you, I would gladly give my life to keep both of you safe, we're a family, Jane," she said seriously. "This is our child...don't ever say different to me unless you're going to shoot me as well."
Jane stared, her mouth hanging open slightly at the deep statements and the serious look in the hazel eyes that showed the woman meant every word from the bottom of her heart. She closed her mouth quickly and tried to compose herself, feeling the yearning from her mate through their bond, the desire and desperation to be understood and the anxiety of being rejected again, and she nodded her understanding. "Ok, it's ours then...and I'm sorry, Sarah."
"I know," Sarah said with a small smile before yelping when the pan on the stove caught fire before it was doused with a cup of water by the loric and there was silence in the kitchen before she snickered.
Jane raised a brow at the snicker that quickly turned into a giggle and then full blown laughter and she felt a grin start across her face as the laughter became infectious and they laughed uncontrollably until they settled down before looking at each other and started up again. "Why are we laughing?" she asked between laughs and gasps for air.
"I don't know," Sarah laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks as her sides started to hurt before she sighed, occasionally snickering and giggling but managed to keep it in as she looked at the loric. "I love you."
Jane grinned at the three simple words from the being that had brought so much light into her life. "I love you too and I'll always be yours."
Sarah beamed before looking around the kitchen. "Guess we better clean this mess up, you go and order us some takeout, I'll get started on this disaster."
"It's not that bad," Jane said defensively, her cheeks reddening slightly.
Sarah raised a brow silently before going to get the mop, shaking her head ruefully at her beloved's adorable little quirks.
Jane sighed happily, feeling the happiness and peace through the bond from her lover, everything was right again and it felt good, just one day at a time to forever.
Ok, I know you were all hoping for a bit more on the baby angle but that's next chapter where Jane starts to develop a stronger bond with her unborn child and resent it less while Sarah finally gets in closer. Review, tell me what's good, what needs work, if you have ideas for the story or if you're a little lost on the plot so far so I can improve it. I'm not sure when I'll release chapter 10 but just have faith that I will. Peace, out.