263 days since Chapter 10 was posted but Chapter 11 is finally here and it makes Loric and Human the first 'I am Number Four' story to be updated in 2015! I'm amazed I managed to survive 2014 with full-time study. I was even studying over Christmas. I started Chapter 11 on January 16, 2015, so I wrote it in ten days, it's my largest chapter so far and I haven't edited it because I wanted to put something out but I will edit it and repost it without errors at a later date but if you see any little errors don't hesitate to bring them to my attention because it's currently 3:00am. I don't live in the USA or Canada so I don't celebrate the holiday this chapter is mainly about so my knowledge on the traditions is the accumulation of movies, TV and a five minute web search so don't be too picky.
This story is currently being read in 18 different countries, which include; United States, United Kingdom, Philippines, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Latvia, Austria, New Zealand, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Germany, Colombia, Chile, Dominican Revar, France and Ireland. I think that is just incredible that my story is being read all over the world by so many different people. I would love it if when everyone reviews they just put down their country to help me see how far my story is reaching, even if they just put down their country to represent that would be awesome. Also, I've opened a blind and anonymous poll on my profile page to get input from everyone on what the baby should be.
StraightJacket xD : Dudette! Well I'm relieved to hear that I don't fail to disappoint and that you enjoyed the chapter considering how uneasy I was about Chapter 10. And that was a not so small note you left me, I had to scroll to a whole new dimension to see the end but I'm glad you're that happy about the update. I can always count of you for a review.
Need-a-LIFE10808 : Squealing is always a good sign.
KM Rune : I love your review, that's just the sort of feedback I'm after. I like to hear that my readers are enjoying the story and even laughing at Jane's antics so I can make a note to put more of them in future chapters.
Zelda's Hero : This chapter took 76 days less than the previous one to come out, so wish come true! Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint and keeps you looking forward to the next chapter.
I also want to give a shout out to all of those who added this story to their favourites or alerts lists (yes, I get notifications when it happens but I won't name any of you so it's out secret) since Chapter 10 was published. 14 new 'followers' of this story, I welcome all of you and just want to say getting notifications that you all were eyeballing my story helped make me put out this latest chapter. I have never forgotten about this story but the notifications help motivate me to write so I thank you and hope you enjoy the chapter.
I do not own 'I am Number Four' or any of its characters.
"Why are we doing this?" Jane asked, boredom and a hint of whinging in her voice as she followed her life mate through the supermarket.
"Because it's thanksgiving," Sarah said simply as she scoured the shelves for the items on her list. "And I think we have a lot to be thankful for."
Jane made a face. "Do they even celebrate thanksgiving in Canada? No one else is grabbing a turkey."
Sarah paused before shrugging a shoulder. "It doesn't matter. Now go find some cranberries."
"Slave driver," Jane muttered under her breath.
"I heard that and Adelina said you had to exercise and this is exercising," Sarah said pleasantly before smiling. "Think of it as a scavenger hunt."
Jane gave a look that could have peeled paint. "I'm not five years old so don't make that face and I get plenty of exercise."
"Cranberries! Go!" Sarah ordered sternly, pointing down the aisle as she held the defiant gaze and the tension built between them before the loric caved and stalked away, muttering under her breath. She smiled at her victory before pushing the shopping cart up the aisle. "Hm, should I get organic or regular potatoes?" she mused as she stopped to inspect the produce. "Regular is cheaper but organic is supposedly healthier..."
With Jane:
"Get the cranberries, Jane," Jane mimicked before scowling darkly. "I am a skilled loric warrior, mogodorians fear my name. I do not fetch cranberries for some holiday."
"Hi, Six."
Jane made a strangled noise of fright as she shied away from the unexpected voice before stopping when she saw the grinning Marina and gave a murderous look. "Marina," she growled warningly.
"I called you twice already," Marina said innocently without losing her grin. "You seemed pretty distracted...for a feared loric warrior."
Jane almost turned purple from rage at the teasing. "I will hurt you," she snarled, emphasising the word 'hurt'.
"Adelina told me to keep an eye on you," Marina said simply. "You won me twenty dollars from John too."
"How?" Jane grunted reluctantly as she eyed the younger loric suspiciously.
"He bet that you wouldn't ever leave the house unless the snow melted or it was time to move house," Marina said with a grin, looking very pleased with herself. "I bet that you would leave the house before both of those things happened and I was right."
"Why are you two even placing bets on what I do?" Jane questioned dangerously as her eye twitched murderously. She was losing respect from the other Garde just because she was pregnant, she'd have to fix that.
Marina shrugged nonchalantly before taking a step back at the pain promising look and held up her hands in surrender and to protect herself. "I'm not the only one! Everyone is betting!"
Jane looked like she might give a scream of rage as she struggled to keep her temper in check. "Betting on what exactly?"
"W-What the baby will be, when it'll be born," Marina squeaked quickly, her eyes wide. "I-If you'll scream and cry like a girl when-."
"WHAT?!" Jane roared furiously.
Fruit and Veg Section:
"So you think I should go with regular?" Sarah asked with interest.
Adelina nodded as she inspected the potatoes. "The supermarket always overprices organic produce. Either go regular or visit the farmer's market. I doubt that they'll have much considering there's snow everywhere. You should weigh the quality of them as well. If the regular are all tiny and the organic are big then go with the larger potato so you aren't wasting time peeling a bunch of tiny potatoes."
"Alright," Sarah said as she loaded a bag of potatoes into the shopping cart. "Now I need-."
"WHAT?!"
Sarah startled at the furious bellow and finally acknowledged her bond with Jane before turning slightly red as anger flared in her. "The others have been betting on us?" she questioned, an obvious tinge of anger in her voice as she looked at the Cêpan.
Adelina paled slightly at the question. "W-Well-."
"What is wrong with you people?!" Sarah demanded indignantly. "Jane is having a hard enough time as it is without all of you making fun of her! She's not some sideshow attraction you can all exploit!"
"I have not been encouraging them," Adelina said quickly, trying to avoid a scene as the other shoppers stared at them. "And no one has been making fun of Six."
"No, you're all just making money off her," Sarah sneered as she pushed the trolley forward angrily and stopped at the apples. "Just because she's pregnant doesn't mean you can stop respecting her."
"No one has stopped respecting Six," Adelina said reassuringly as she helped pick out some good apples and put them in the bag. "But the situation is highly irregular. None of us expected Six to ever be in this situation, even before you and her became full life mates."
Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose to try and contain her irritation. "Oh my god, there was no lucky shot," she snapped impatiently, rounding on the startled Cêpan. "She made it up! Jane lied about being hit by that mogadorian and being injured in a way that prevented her from getting pregnant and having kids! It was a lie!"
Adelina started in dumb silence at the human, barely flinching at the apple that was snatched in her hand before the trolley was pushed on. She snapped out of her stupor when she noticed the woman was heading for the frozen section and hurried to catch up, keeping her voice down. "What are you talking about? Six swore that-."
"She was sick and tired of Luke and his 'save the Lorien race' bullshit," Sarah said with a deep scowl as she scanned the shelves for pastry sheets. "So she lied to all of you. Not that it was anyone's business in the first place because she's my life mate but Luke just pushed, pushed, pushed all the freaking time like some perverted breeder creep. Either his Cêpan was teaching him some messed up shit or he is just wrong in the head."
"Well that solves one mystery," Adelina commented as she rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably before seeing the sharp look. "We were all wondering how Jane could be pregnant when she was physically incapable-."
"Again, no one's business," Sarah said shortly before yanking open a door and pulled out a packet of pastry sheets before dropping it in her trolley. "I thought 'life mate' was meant to be this incredible and special bond between two people but apparently I was wrong because it feels like there are more than two people involved here."
Adelina grimaced at the anger and righteous indignation from the woman. "You're right and I apologise for our behaviour but there aren't many of us left and you can't blame us for wanting to keep close ranks."
Sarah took a deep breath as she gripped the trolley before letting it out slowly and relaxed, weariness on her face. "I understand that and it wouldn't bother me so much if Luke would just..."
Adelina nodded her understanding. "We're all keeping an eye on him and making sure he doesn't bother you or Six."
"I appreciate that," Sarah said honestly and exchanged a brief smile with the Cêpan before moving on to the spice section as she navigated the aisles and stopped in front of the selection. "Cinnamon and cloves."
"Cloves," Adelina said as she picked out the packet.
"And Cinnamon," Sarah said when she saw the jar before putting both in the trolley and checked her list. "Self-raising flour, check. Plain flour, check. Caster sugar, check. Apples, pastry, cinnamon, cloves, butter, check for all of those. Got everything for the turkey stuffing. Green beans, potatoes. Where is Jane with the cranberries?"
"Here she comes," Adelina said when she spotted the irate loric heading towards them with a very scolded Marina trailing behind her at a safe distance.
"Found the stupid berries," Jane said shortly as she dumped the bag in the trolley before grunting at the kiss to her cheek. "What was that for?"
"Nothing," Sarah said with a smile. "I just needed that."
Jane raised a brow at the explanation and glanced at Adelina suspiciously before looking back at her beloved. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, everything's fine," Sarah said reassuringly and smiled at the hand that covered hers. "Come on, that should be everything. Let's pay for all this and head home."
"That's the best thing you've said all day," Jane said with relief before adding silently through their bond. 'My feet are slowly killing me.'
'Best we get you home then,' Sarah said with a touch of concern, glancing down at the aforementioned feet.
The Next Day:
"The turkey is roasting, the potatoes are done, the apple pie just needs to go in the oven," Sarah listed under her breath as she looked around the kitchen. "What am I missing?"
"There had better be cranberry sauce," Jane said darkly as she stalked the edge of the kitchen.
"Right! I completely forgot about the sauce," Sarah said with dismay as she swung into action, gathering the necessary ingredients and setting a pot on the stove, and smirked at the noise of disapproval from the loric. "I would have remembered eventually."
"Sure," Jane said dryly as she watched. "I could make cranberry sauce."
"You had trouble with the mashed potatoes," Sarah countered briskly as she worked before throwing an appreciative smile over her shoulder. "But thanks for offering, hun."
"My hand slipped, it was a one-time freak accident," Jane said defensively, puffing herself up with righteous indignation. "I can help."
"If you really want to help," Sarah said slowly as she dropped the cranberries into the pot of sugar water and set it to boil. "The table needs setting."
Jane made a noise of distaste at the simple mission. "Set the table for two people. What an arduous task."
"Four people," Sarah corrected absently as she stirred the cranberries. "I invited Adelina and Marina since they missed out on Thanksgiving. Turns out they celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada in the second week of October, so we missed it here and we left Michigan before Thanksgiving so we missed it there too. So we're celebrating Thanksgiving in USA time in Canada."
"You sound awful proud of yourself for figuring that all out," Jane commented with a smirk as she collected cutlery and plates. "What are we drinking? I didn't see you buy anything when we were at the store."
"I've been stockpiling non-alcoholic sparkling apple cider," Sarah said smugly before laughing at the sour look. "You're pregnant, you're not allowed alcohol."
"Being pregnant sucks," Jane complained as she headed for the dining room to set the table. "You get fat, have morning sickness-."
"You said there wasn't any more morning sickness!" Sarah said accusingly, craning her head to see into the dining room.
"I don't get it every morning now," Jane stated firmly. "I can't drink, smoke or eat what I want or do what I want!"
"You have never smoked a day in your life," Sarah said dryly, unimpressed. "And you eat sardines, pickles and chocolate sauce whenever you like. You just have dietary guidelines you have to follow."
"Dietary guidelines my ass," Jane muttered under her breath as she organised the cutlery for each place.
"Heard that."
Several Hours Later:
Sarah stepped out of the shower, freshly scrubbed clean from slaving in the hot kitchen, and dried herself briskly before dressing in some clean and neat, but casual, attire. She brushed her blonde locks so she didn't look like so haphazard before giving herself one last check in the mirror before rushing out, not wanting to leave Jane alone in the kitchen for very long. "Jane! Shower's free!"
"I don't need one!" Jane hollered from the kitchen.
"There's still hot water!" Sarah called temptingly before nearly being bowled over and heard the bathroom door slam shut behind the loric. She shook her head with a grin at the behaviour before hurrying back to the kitchen to make the final preparations and start ferrying the side dishes to the table with their protective covers to stop them from going cold. "Potatoes, greens, gravy, what am I missing?" she muttered to herself before snapping her fingers. "The sauce!" she exclaimed before moving to collect the sauce but was stopped by the wave of heated emotion from her mate and gripped the kitchen door frame. "Jane!"
"Yes?!" Jane yelled with an air of obvious innocence as a wicked grin made its way across her face.
"What are you doing in there?!" Sarah questioned, even though she already knew the answer.
"Washing!" Jane answered with the same innocent tone.
Sarah scowled darkly as her knees quivered at the less than innocent sensations she was being fed through their bond. "Adelina and Marina are arriving in a few minutes so get your butt out of the shower and stop doing that!"
"I'm just washing!" Jane protested with as much indignation as she could muster.
"That's not washING!" Sarah said accusingly, her voice rising and cracking at the slam of sensation. "JANE!"
Jane grinned at the shout as she worked her fingers, enjoying the pleasure and the reaction she was getting from her beloved. "Yes, hun?"
"You better stop what you're doing, wash yourself and get out of that shower or you'll be sleeping by yourself tonight!" Sarah yelled warningly and felt the sensations immediately stop and gave a curt nod of satisfaction that her message had been received loud and clear before marching into the kitchen and seized the cranberry sauce as there was a knock on the front door. She set the sauce on the table quickly before checking the security monitors and relaxed when she saw the two guests before letting them in, shivering at the gust of cold air that rushed in with them. "Welcome. It's cold out there."
"Freezing is more like it," Marina said as she shivered and struggled out of her coat.
"Well the heater is on over there if you would like to warm up a bit before dinner," Sarah said graciously as she gestured towards the aforementioned heater. "Jane is just getting out of the shower so make yourselves at home. You can put your coats and things on the rack over there."
"Do you need any help in the kitchen?" Adelina inquired as she set her coat over the rack followed by her gloves and scarf. It might only be a short walk from the car to the house but better to be prepared in case the unexpected happened and they were forced to stay out in the cold for longer than intended. "I brought some bread rolls from the bakery."
"Oh, the one at the end of the market?" Sarah asked with interest.
"Yes, I hear they're the best," Adelina said as she pulled out the bag and followed the woman into the kitchen. "And it didn't feel right to come empty handed."
Sarah waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine," she said reassuringly as she pulled out a plate to pile the bread rolls on and put them in the microwave to warm up since her oven was currently being occupied by the turkey. "Could you get two bottles of sparkling cider from the fridge and put it out on the table for me?"
"Don't most people have corn on the cob?" Marina asked from the dining room as she sniffed the air around the covered plates.
"Jane gets nauseous when she smells corn," Sarah explained apologetically. "I had corn on the cob with butter just once and she was sick for hours and I had to air the whole house."
"Sensitivity to certain smells isn't uncommon during pregnancy," Adelina said reassuringly as she set the bottles out on the table before looking up at the footsteps and saw Jane standing in the doorway. "Thanks for inviting us."
"Sarah invited you," Jane muttered, still sour about being threatened with solitary bedtime for just having some, not so innocent, fun.
Adelina sighed at the cold shoulder, weariness on her face.
"Don't mind her," Sarah said lightly as she set down the plate of freshly warmed bread rolls. "She's sulking because of me."
Adelina blinked but nodded, not even tempted to ask and incite an argument or confrontation with the pregnant Garde. "Now that we're all present and accounted for, shall we eat?"
Sarah beamed at the questioned. "Now is as good a time as any," she said briskly before disappearing back into the kitchen as the others took their seats and she emerged with her pride and joy, a perfect, golden brown, roast turkey. She set it down in the pre-cleared space and turned it, bristling with pride at the looks of appreciation and impressed expression. "Would anyone like to do the honours?" she inquired as she held up the carving knife.
"You do it, babe," Jane said insistently, a fond smile on her face as she looked at her beloved. "You've been running yourself ragged these last few days putting this all together so you should get to do it."
"Agreed," Marina said with a nod.
"I guess it's unanimous," Adelina commented with a smile.
"Alright then," Sarah said before sizing up the turkey and carefully carved a piece off and breathed a sigh of relief at the moist meat she saw. She'd been secretly afraid that the turkey would look beautiful on the outside but would either be raw or dry on the inside but clearly her fears had been for naught as she served up the turkey onto each waiting plate. "Jane, could you get rid of the plate covers?"
Jane puffed her cheeks out in reluctance but held her tongue as she nudged her chair back to get up.
"I got it," Marina said quickly, stopping the older loric, and she used her telekinesis to remove the covers and send them to the kitchen to rest on the countertops. "Ta-da!"
"Thank you, Marina," Sarah said with a smile of appreciation as she sliced several more pieces off the turkey to sit on the plate before taking her seat. "Everyone help themselves."
"Sarah, where's my cranberry sauce?" Jane asked as she looked around the table with a frown.
Sarah blinked before craning her head. "I swear I put it out here."
"Marina," Adelina said sternly, disapproval on her face.
Marina grinned meekly before slowly lowering the cranberry sauce back onto the table with her telekinesis. "Couldn't resist."
Jane glared at the other Garde before helping herself to the cranberry sauce on principle. She then took generous helpings of the mashed potatoes and green beans before drizzling gravy over her potatoes and turkey.
Sarah smiled as she watched her beloved organise her plate before starting to dig in hungrily. She turned her gaze on Adelina and Marina as the two took their servings from the side dishes and started to eat. She piled the potato and beans onto her plate before taking one of the bread rolls and then pouring gravy over her meal sparingly, not wanting to drown her food.
"This is really good," Marina said over a mouthful of mashed potatoes before swallowing it down loudly. "It takes a little strange though."
"Yes, I put cheese in it before I cook it," Sarah explained once she'd swallowed her mouthful and started to cut into her turkey while she talked. "That way it melts into the potatoes and sort of mixes through it. It took me awhile to figure out how much to use and how thick to make the pieces and also where to put them in the dish."
"You have to show me how to make it," Marina said insistently. "Do you use any cheese or one in particular?"
"Generally one in particular," Sarah answered before stuffing her mouth with turkey and mashed potatoes. She listened to the three loric talk but the conversations were limited to short exchanges as everyone focused on eating their meals before helping themselves to seconds, much to her delight and pleasure.
Jane smiled as she watched her human lover beam with pride and joy on the outside and the inside when everyone asked for seconds. She knew she'd dragged her feet and been a pain in the ass rather than a help but she was happy that Sarah was happy and that the Thanksgiving dinner was a big hit. She shifted her foot to touch her mate's, causing the hazel eyes to look at her, and she smiled.
Sarah returned the smile and leaned over to claim a chaste kiss before focusing back on her food, enjoying herself immensely. She chatted with Adelina between bites while Jane and Marina talked until everyone was done with their meals. "Everyone, stay here while I just put the turkey in the kitchen," she ordered, getting up and collecting the turkey before taking it back to the kitchen and putting it in the microwave for temporary safekeeping.
"Refill?" Jane inquired as she held up the bottle of cider before refilling Marina's offered glass and then her own while Adelina helped herself to the other bottle. "Hun, I think we need another two bottles of cider."
"Alright," Sarah acknowledged as she collected two bottles from the fridge and ferried them to the table. She exchanged them for the empty bottles and collected the empty plates before taking them to the kitchen, waving off the offers of help. "I've got this."
"Are you sure?" Adelina asked with a hint of guilt at not helping.
"I'm sure," Sarah said with a reassuring smile as she returned to set out four plates. "I hope you all aren't completely full."
"I'm stuffed," Marina said as she patted her stomach proudly.
"Why do you ask?" Jane asked suspiciously, wondering what else there could be before twitching at the delicious scent that wafted out to them from the kitchen as the sound of the oven closing reached them. "What did I forget?"
"And for dessert," Sarah said as she carefully carried the fresh-from-the-oven apple pie into the dining room. "Homemade apple pie."
"That smells wonderful," Adelina commented as she stood up to help clear a space for the pie on the table.
"I shouldn't have eaten so much mashed potato," Marina lamented as she eyed the pie woefully.
Jane grinned widely. "More for me then," she said unrepentantly, making a move to pull the whole pie towards her before a spoon rapped her on the knuckles sternly. "Ow!"
"It's still hot," Sarah said warningly as she brandished her spoon at the loric before withdrawing to get the ice cream and set the tub down next to the pie. "Adelina, would you cut the pie while I scoop the ice cream?"
"Are you sure?" Adelina asked with surprise. "It's your pie, you should serve it."
"Don't let her serve; she'll give Marina the biggest piece of pie!" Jane protested indignantly.
"And that would be a crime," Marina said dryly as she rolled her eyes. "We all know how much you love to eat Sarah's pie."
Awkward silence immediately invited itself to the table as Adelina struggled to retain a straight face, Sarah blushed crimson and Jane choked on her cider.
Marina looked around at the suddenly silent occupants of the table before realisation dawned on her and all the blood in her body rushed to her face. "Oh not like that! I never-! I didn't mean-! Come on!"
"And on that note let's just serve up the apple pie," Sarah said briskly, trying to force down her blush as she took the pie server and started to cut even pieces for everyone and transfer them to the waiting plates.
Adelina shook her head at her charge as she scooped out generous servings of vanilla ice cream and neatly set them on the plates next to the waiting slice of apple pie.
Jane pulled her plate over as soon as the ice cream touched it and she started to eat greedily, wanting to finish as quickly as possible so she could have first dibs on seconds. She groaned her enjoyment as the sweetness of the pie filling rolled over her tongue, burning it slightly, before she swallowed and felt the warmth rolled down into her stomach. She took a bite of the ice cream and grimaced at the slight brain freeze she earned and felt the icy cold treat put out the warmth in her belly before she started all over again as she went back to the pie.
Sarah shook her head at the behaviour, picking up the sensations through their bond as her stomach went from hot to cold and back again before she'd even taken her first bite. She separated a respectable piece of pie from her slice and cut a bit of ice cream away from the scoop before combining both and lifted them to her mouth.
"Done!"
"Finished!"
Sarah looked over to see Marina sitting in front of a cleared plate before she turned her gaze to see Jane set down a licked clean plate. "You two," she said with a shake of her head at the antics.
"I've got it," Adelina said as she divided up the remaining pie between the two Garde and added some ice cream.
"Thanks, Adelina," Sarah said appreciatively as she refocused on her dessert and dug in. Maybe Marina and Jane should've been given smaller pieces while she and Adelina got double servings since they were never going to get seconds with the two bottomless pits sitting at the table.
"Try to actually taste it this time," Adelina said sternly as she eyed the pair before sitting back down and watched them eat as if the main course of turkey and side dishes had never happened. She shook her head slightly, knowing that there was now a very good chance Marina was going to feel sick by the time they got home and most likely be up half the night with a stomach ache from overeating. She sipped her glass of cider delicately before taking a bite out of her pie and ice cream, enjoying the sweetness and mixture of hot and cold in her mouth.
Sarah finished her pie and sat back in her chair to wait politely for everyone else to finish eating while she sipped at her cider patiently and poured herself another glass. She put the lid back on the ice cream as she waited and rearranged the dishes closest to her for maximum efficiency when it was time to cleanup. She looked up from her thoughts of clean up at the sound of cutlery being set down with sighs of contentment.
"Mmm~ that was yum," Jane said happily as she patted her distended belly lazily.
"That was lovely, Sarah," Adelina said appreciatively as she sat back in her chair with a sigh of contentment.
Marina nodded her agreement. "Yeah, I thought we were gonna miss Thanksgiving this year but that was great. I like the potatoes, Adelina always leaves chunks in it when she makes it."
Sarah laughed at the admission as the Cêpan rolled her eyes. "Well if you want, you can take some of the leftovers."
"You're just a picky eater," Adelina muttered as she gave her charge a stern look for insulting her cooking. "And you have the option of making your own food."
"I do make my own food," Marina said loftily.
Adelina rolled her eyes. "Sandwiches and packet noodles do not count, Marina."
"I guess you're not the only one who can't cook," Sarah commented as she grinned at her life mate.
"Ha ha, like that doesn't get old," Jane said dryly but she smiled good-naturedly, showing she wasn't really upset. "I guess we better clean up now."
"We'll clean up," Adelina said firmly as she pulled herself up. "You two did all the work putting this together so it's only fair."
"You're both guests," Sarah protested before being waved off and she sat back down and watched the plates get cleared and taken to the kitchen. She looked over at Jane and smiled as she slipped her hand into the loric's, fondness in her eyes. "Happy Thanksgiving, Jane."
"Happy Thanksgiving, Sarah," Jane said with a smile, kissing their entwined fingers affectionately before grunting at the stern kick from her passenger. "Don't start that. I stuffed myself and I don't want to puke it all back up just because you're restless."
Sarah chuckled before moving her hand to the swollen abdomen and rubbed it soothingly before jumping hard enough in her seat to hit her knees on the table and turn her cry of surprise into a cry of pain. "Ow!"
"Everything alright out there?" Adelina called from the sink.
"We're fine," Sarah answered as she rubbed her knees to get rid of the sting before looking at her bewildered lover.
"You get electrocuted or something?" Jane asked with a raised brow, reaching over to rub the nearest knee, before twitching at the hand that returned to her belly. "Sarah?"
Sarah held her breath as she waited before flinching slightly at the thump against her hand and bit her lip to starve off tears. "I felt the baby kick," she whispered before looking at the startled loric. "I felt them."
"W-What?" Jane stammered.
"I felt the baby kick!" Sarah squealed excitedly and heard someone fall over in the kitchen in response.
"Son of a-," Marina swore from the kitchen floor. "Why are you screaming?!"
"The baby kicked!" Sarah shouted enthusiastically, tears of joy in the corners of her eyes as a grin split across her face uncontrollably.
Marina grumbled as she crawled her way up a kitchen cabinet and back onto her feet, feeling nauseous after meeting the floor so suddenly after stuffing herself at dinner. "It's been kicking for weeks."
Jane stared in wide-eyed, stunned disbelief at the woman's behaviour before another kick galvanised a response from her. "Really? You actually felt the baby yourself and not through our bond?" she asked hopefully and felt a smile stretch across her face at the ecstatic nod she got in response. "How does it feel?"
"Strange," Sarah said honestly without losing her tearful grin. "But so good. I thought I'd never feel them kick for myself. Oh Jane!"
"I guess we have something new to be thankful for then," Jane commented lightly, looking a bit proud of herself. She made a noise of surprise when the woman leaned over and kissed her affectionately, one hand on her belly while the other cupped her cheek. "Mmm~."
"I love you," Sarah sighed happily when she leaned back but kept them close as she looked into the blue eyes lovingly.
Jane smiled fondly as she reached up to cup a cheek gently, stroking the skin with her thumb. "I love you too," she murmured before closing the distance for another, much longer, kiss.
"You two aren't making out out there, are you?" Marina called hesitantly at the lip smacking noises.
"Marina, leave them be," Adelina said sternly as she washed the dishes and set them to dry while her charge put away the leftovers. "They've had enough stress as it is, they deserve some time for each other."
"But do they have to do it now?" Marina complained, a look of immature disgust and horror on her face at the noises coming from the dining room. "While we're still here?"
"One day you will find your life mate, Marina, and when that day comes you will start to act just like them," Adelina said briskly as she worked. "First you'll be in awe of being in love and finding your life mate. Then you'll eventually start to settle down together and have your own family and end up in Six's position."
Marina wrinkled her nose at the thought. "I can wait a long time for that."
Adelina raised a brow at the statement before looking at her charge. "Marina, do you not like boys?"
Marina dropped the glass she'd been drying.
"Everything alright in there?" Sarah called, breaking the kiss instantly at the sound of the glass shattering.
"Fine!" Marina said quickly, using her telekinesis to clean up the mess and put it in the bin while avoiding looking at her Cêpan.
"Marina," Adelina prompted quietly. "It's alright if you're interested in women like Six and Sarah."
Marina bit her lower lip as she picked up a plate to dry and turned her back on the woman pointedly, silently saying she wasn't interested in discussing the topic.
Adelina frowned slightly at the behaviour. "Marina-," she started before flinching when the plate was slammed down on the countertop forcefully. She heard chairs scraping across the floor in the dining room and hurried footsteps before Jane and Sarah appeared, concern on their faces.
"What is going on in here?" Sarah asked bluntly, her tone clearly saying she wasn't going to tolerate getting stonewalled.
"Nothing, I just lost my grip for a second," Marina lied, forcing on a smile before clearing her throat uncomfortably. "Excuse me for a minute."
Jane raised a brow at the behaviour as she watched the younger loric escape from the kitchen and put on her coat before retreating outside. "Babe, why don't you help Adelina with the cleanup while I go talk to Marina?"
Sarah nodded slowly, pressing a chaste kiss to the loric's cheek. "Alright but rug up and don't stay out there long."
"Got it," Jane confirmed before pulling on her thick jacket, scarf and gloves before stepping outside and saw the younger loric sitting on the bench at the end of the porch. "And I thought I was going to have to hike through all that cold white shit to get to you," she said appreciatively as she walked the length of the porch and sat down on the vacant end of the bench with a grunt. "Now talk. What was all that about in there?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Marina muttered, turning her head away.
Jane frowned sharply before smacking the loric across the back of the head. "If you think you can break my glasses and throw around my plates then you've got another thing coming. This is Six's turf so when I say talk, you talk."
Marina nodded reluctantly as she rubbed the back of her sore head.
"Good," Jane said shortly, shifting to get more comfortable as she adjusted her gloves. "What did Adelina ask you?"
Marina bit her lower lip before flinching at the hand that rose to cuff her upside the head again. "She asked if I was interested in women."
Jane blinked her surprise and lowered her hand back down to her lap. "Are you?" she questioned before frowning at the silence. "Marina."
"I don't know!" Marina snapped, frustration and irritation on her face at the badgering. "I don't know what I'm interested in! So how am I ever going to find my life mate if I don't even know myself?!"
Jane raised a brow ever so slightly at the outburst, seeing how upset and afraid the younger loric was. "You think I knew my life mate was a girl? Four thought Sarah was his life mate before he found Rebecca. I thought I was butt of some sick cosmic joke when I discovered Sarah was my life mate while she and Four were together," she said lightly, smirking briefly at the memory. "I thought I was destined to be alone forever and watch someone else with the love of my life. But then things changed. You're not going to find a picture somewhere of the person who's your life mate. We're draw to each other like magnets. You'll cross paths with your life mate eventually and you'll know it when it happens."
Marina looked down at her clasped hands as she mulled over the words. "What's it like?" she asked quietly before looking at the pregnant loric. "To find your life mate?"
"You look at them and you just...know. It's like you've gone home. The definite way to know you've found them is when the bond starts to strengthen. You'll hear their thoughts and they'll feel yours in the beginning before the memories start filling in the blanks," Jane said with a smile. "All that time you missed is suddenly filled with memories. The closer and longer you're together, the stronger the bond will become. There's no rush though. You don't have to find your life mate right away."
"But what if I never do?" Marina asked with a hint of apprehension before twitching at the arm that went around her shoulders and pulled her against the older loric comfortingly. "U-Uh-."
"You'll find your life mate. Just have a little patience," Jane said reassuringly before frowning slightly at the expression. "What?"
"N-Nothing," Marina stammered quickly, her eyes wide as she looked like a hare caught in a set of headlights. "You're just, um, never this, you know, nice...ever."
Jane stilled at the words before scowling and shoved the younger loric back, dislodging a clump of snow from above to rain down on the loric. "There, problem solved," she said dryly as she watched the frantic attempts to get rid of the ice and snow. "Damnable pregnancy hormones. Now get your ass back inside before we both freeze."
"And Six is back," Marina muttered sourly as she followed the older loric back inside, shivering at the rivers of cold that snaked down her spine mercilessly.
"Everything alright?" Sarah asked with concern as she poked her head out of the kitchen.
"Get back in the kitchen, woman," Jane groused jokingly before leaning back at the look that could have peeled paint. "I-I mean-."
"I think you best sit down before I make you," Sarah advised coolly, her gaze narrowed.
Jane winced and sat down at the table quickly, sneaking looks at her beloved before looking down at the table again as she mimicked the attitude of a scolded child.
"She scares me when she does that to Six," Marina whispered nervously, sidling up to her Cêpan.
"It takes a strong being to handle Six," Adelina said sagely before looking at her charge. "Did you and Six talk?"
Marina nodded. "Yes. I'm alright now."
Adelina nodded slowly, trying to decide whether or not to leave it at that. "Finish putting the leftovers away while I deal with the rest of the dishes."
"Yes ma'am," Marina said with a mock salute before giggling as she avoided the towel snap at her unprotected rear. "Missed!"
Adelina shook her head at the behaviour as a smile tugged her lips and she looked over at the scolded Garde and waited until their eyes met before she gave a nod of appreciation and headed back into the kitchen.
Jane smirked briefly as she watched the Cêpan go. She didn't mind talking to Marina, the younger loric was the closest thing she had a sister, even if she did annoy her at times. She watched her mate get up and start to tidy up the table, collecting the dirty napkins and throwing them in the trash before wiping down the table with a sponge. "You just can't help yourself."
Sarah shrugged a shoulder. "Many hands make light work."
"Telekinesis makes light work," Jane corrected with a smirk.
"Don't you even think about it," Sarah said sternly, her eyes warning.
Jane held up her hands in surrender. "Fine. No telekinesis."
Sarah smiled and the warning look was gone as she kissed her beloved happily. "That's what I like to hear," she said lightly before going back to fixing up the dining room.
Jane raised a brow as she watched before twitching when Adelina and Marina emerged from the kitchen. "That was quick."
"Sarah helped me while you and Marina were outside," Adelina said with a hint of disapproval as she looked at the human.
Sarah shrugged a shoulder. "I couldn't just sit at the table by myself while you cleaned up," she said defensively before ducking into the kitchen and returned with a sealed container before handing it to Marina. "Some of the leftover mashed potato as promised."
"Thanks, Sarah," Marina said eagerly as she peered into the container to confirm with her own eyes that it was the mashed potato.
"Thanks again for inviting us to your Thanksgiving," Adelina said appreciatively. "And thanks for the take-home food. Marina will probably eat it all by dinner tomorrow."
Sarah laughed kindly. "Waste not want not," she said with a smile. "We've got plenty of leftovers if you want more so just come by and ask."
Adelina nodded before glancing over to where Jane and Marina were saying their goodbyes. "Marina, it's time to go," she called before shaking the Garde's hand. "Thanks for the invite, Six."
Jane nodded slightly. "Thanks for eating all the food."
Sarah rolled her eyes at the words before hugging Marina. "Enjoy the mashed potatoes."
"I will," Marina promised as she returned the hug before parting and followed Adelina out to the car and waved goodbye to the couple as they drove away.
"Finally," Jane sighed with exaggerated relief. "Alone at last."
"You're terrible," Sarah mock scolded, smiling at the kiss to her cheek as arms wrapped around her and they made their way back inside. "Come on, you go get ready for bed and I'll lock up."
"See you there," Jane purred suggestively, wagging her brows as she backed away.
"No sex tonight!" Sarah called after the loric. "No one in their right mind would have sex after eating all that food!"
"I was trying to be romantic!" Jane hollered indignantly. "Don't complain that I don't ever try to be romantic!"
Sarah smirked briefly as she locked the doors and checked the windows before going to the security room to check the monitors and sensors were active. "All it quiet," she murmured with a sigh before heading to the bedroom and leaned against the doorframe as she watched the loric change into her nightclothes, baring her distended belly in the process. "Looking good, babe."
Jane blushed and pulled on her nightshirt quickly. "Quit ogling."
"Well in that case," Sarah said lightly as she picked up her pyjamas and sauntered towards the bathroom. "You can't ogle either."
"That's not fair!" Jane protested before making a noise of displeasure when the door shut. "I'm pregnant, what's your excuse?!"
"It's cold out there!" Sarah called with a grin as she stripped quickly and pulled on her pyjamas, plus socks, before brushing her teeth briskly. "And I'm not giving you a chance to get excited on a full stomach!"
Jane wrinkled her nose as she sulked and threw her discarded clothes into the hamper as Sarah emerged from the bathroom to dump hers. "Dream killer."
"Aw, poor honey-bunny," Sarah cooed before grinning wickedly at the expression.
"You swore never to call me that," Jane said sternly, her gaze narrowed on her mate. "Never...ever!"
Sarah rolled her eyes but relented for the moment as she started to rearrange the pillows. "So what were you and Marina talking about on the porch?"
Jane shrugged a shoulder dismissively as she let the previous moment pass. "She's worried she's never going to find her life mate and end up dying alone."
"That's terrible!" Sarah exclaimed with dismay. "I hope you told her that would never happen."
"I told her she should join a convent of nuns now," Jane said with a straight face before grinning at the stern look. "I'm joking! Of course I told her she'd find her life mate...one day."
Sarah clucked her tongue, sympathy on her face. "It must be so hard for her, I mean, we humans say that we have soul mates but none of us really believe there's one person out there somewhere meant for us. Knowing that it's real but not knowing where they are or when you'll meet them? It must be torture."
"Yeah, it is," Jane said quietly as she rearranged the covers, her eyes absent until a hand touched hers and she looked up at the woman. "Huh?"
"I said, we're lucky we found each other and are together," Sarah repeated with a smile that was readily returned and she leaned across the bed to place a chaste kiss to the soft lips. "Let's get some sleep. I'm bushed."
"Me too," Jane groaned as she stretched widely, making her belly stick out.
Sarah grinned at the sight as she slipped into bed and held the covers for the loric before snuggling in. "Night, Jane."
"Night, Sarah," Jane yawned widely before blinking at the noise of indignation and looked at her beloved, seeing the woman had the covers pulled over the lower part of her face. "What?"
"Go brush your teeth," Sarah ordered sternly, her voice muffled under the covers. "No way you brushed them with that breath."
"But I just-," Jane protested before making a noise at the stern look and threw back the covers, stalking towards the bathroom. "Just when I think it's over, it's not."
Sarah rolled her eyes and shifted deeper under the covers with a sigh of contentment.
Again, review and let me know what you think and give a shout out to represent your country. I've got some ideas for the next two chapters so just wait and see. Have a look at the poll and vote on your choice. Peace, out.