Chapter 4: Shocking News

Slade didn't understand why Ebony was being so distant. She was freezing him out. They used to share everything with one another after a little egging, but now it was different. And she had just stormed out of their hut. Sighing he laid back down on his cot, "She'll be back," he tried to reassure himself.

Lately Ram had caught himself eyeing Trudy. She was beautiful, but in a jig saw puzzle sort of way; she was mystifying. Her face though she smiled at times held so much sorrow.

He told himself picturing the two of them together was ridiculous, but the more he thought about it, the more he enjoyed the thought. He wanted Trudy as his own.

A blur of red, black, and blonde flew past Ram, causing him to take his eyes off Trudy for a minute. He recognized the scent of vanilla almost instantaneously.

"Whoa, Ebony where is the fire, or is the fire finally dwindling down in your current relationship?" he teased.

"Don't start with me Ram!"

"Well I was only going to start off with a murderer joke today, but I've noticed you've put on a little weight so let's start with, good thing the ocean is nearby so you can swim with the rest of the killer whales."

Ebony wasn't in the mood for Ram's criticism. She was irritable and felt bloated, not to mention she needed or rather felt the need to stuff her face with food. A buffet was sounding very appetizing at the moment, even in her anger.

"I am giving you fair warning Ram, back off," she barked.

"Meow….you're no fun anymore," he said in a bored tone.

Ebony was grateful when Taisan came outside. Around her Ram clammed up.

She took her cue to exit while Ram was distracted. That's when she literally ran into Trudy.

Snapping she said, "Why don't you watch where you are going?"

Trudy picked herself up off the ground, "You ran into me, Ebony!"

"Whatever look just stay out of my way, okay?"

"We are on an island Ebony, I'm sure it's big enough for the both of us!" Trudy retorted.

Ebony almost mistook Trudy's sentence for a fat joke. She felt self conscious. She knew she was gaining weight and wouldn't be able to hide her condition any longer, but it was like everyone was pointing it out before she could accept the fact that there was a life inside of her.

Rolling her eyes she shoved Trudy to the side and begin heading back the way she had come.

Ram who had witnessed Ebony yelling at Trudy ran to confront Ebony. He shoved her how she had shoved Trudy and put a hand around her neck, "I'm tired of you always picking on someone Ebony, it's time you finally paid for all your sins."

Trudy shrieked, "Ram stop it, it was just a misunderstanding," she cried.

Hearing the commotion outside Jay and Ved came running out of nowhere in time to see Ebony pulling herself away from Ram's grasp and falling backwards hitting her head up against the porch.

Jay bent over horrified and checked for a pulse, "What is wrong with you Ram?"

"She attacked Trudy, besides who cares if she dies, she's taken life before, it's time her own was taken."

"I care," two voices said at once.

Slade pushed his way to where Ebony was lying still, "why would you care?" he asked Jay, checking for a pulse as well. He was relieved there was one.

By this time the whole tribe had surrounded them. Jay hesitated, he didn't want to be the one to tell the tribe Ebony was pregnant, but the life of her child depended on it.

"I care because she's carrying life inside her…" he sighed, "let's move her inside."

There was a round of gasps as everyone stared at the unconscious Ebony.

Slade coming out of his shock took orders from Taisan on how to lift Ebony without causing more harm to her. He suddenly understood why she had been acting the way she had. She was pregnant.

Ram felt like a fool after Trudy had explained things to him further. And he felt like a jerk knowing he could have killed two lives today had his strangling succeeded in killing Ebony.

"Why'd you get so protective of me anyways?" Trudy asked

Ram lifted his head out of his hands, "I don't know...I guess...I care about you."

He had said it, finally. He cared about Trudy.

Trudy's face brightened and she smiled a real smile, then she grabbed Ram's face pulling it to hers. She kissed him with passion and said, "I thought you'd never stop beating around the bush."