A month had passed since their arrival on Fleur Island, yet the Mallrats still remained. The island was everything they wanted and more. There was no need to continue to a place that seemed to be just a figment of Ram's imagination. They were glad to use Ebony's unstable condition as an excuse.
Ebony sat comfortably as she could in a chair. She was extremely hot; she missed not being able to see her own feet, and her back hurt. She felt big as a horse and was in extreme pain.
Mikhail sat across from her, sympathizing, yet she wasn't nearly as far along.
"I'm so over this pregnancy thing," Ebony rolled her jade green eyes. She was extremely emotional, self-conscious, insecure, and felt helpless, "I mean this is one job I'm just not cut out for."
Mikhail snorted, "All women are built for this, much to our despise."
Just then Ebony leaped out of her chair, as best as a woman of her condition could. A piercing pain had ripped through her abdomen.
"Are you alright?" Mikhail asked concerned. She and Ebony weren't exactly friends, but her big heart took over whatever differences befell their characters.
"I'm fine, the baby must have been sitting too close to my spine or something, whatever it was it wasn't the best feeling in the world. I'll just have a walk around."
"Don't you mean you'll have a waddle, like a walrus?" Ram commented. He had come out to inform the two that lunch was ready.
Ebony glared at him, "Don't start with me Ramsey," she wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, "I can do bad things to you right now!"
Ram smirked, "Don't know why they sent me, but lunch is ready."
Ebony reached out and grabbed his arm, pain overtaking her.
Fear overtook Ram, and when he had gotten away he was shouting, "Ever heard of the phrase don't kill the messenger? Geez. I had bad legs; I don't need a bad arm now."
"She's in labor you idiot!" Mikhail stood, just as Amber came out of the small food place with two plates of food.
"Labor?" Amber sat down the plates and helped Ebony back into her chair, "How long?"
Ebony snatched her arm away from Amber, "Don't touch me."
"Don't be stupid, you need my help. Let's put our differences aside."
"What's going on?" Ryan questioned as he and Lex also came onto the scene.
"Ebony may be in labor. Lex fetch Slade, Ryan, do you think this time you can find some rubber bands?" a smile crossed her face.
Ryan rolled his eyes, "No problem, I have a rubber band ball."
"Ebony, how long?" Mikhail asked re-asked the question Amber just had.
"I don't know, two hours, two days, two weeks, what difference does it make? I'm pregnant!"
Mikhail and Amber shook their heads; Ebony had so much to learn.
"It's quite important actually," Mikhail sighed, grabbing Ram as he tried to mosey away, "Ram, we're going to need you to help carry her, when Slade gets here."
Ebony begin panicking, "How do you know this is the real deal?"
"We don't, but you're not helping much with the details," Amber spit, frustrated. She was glad to see Slade coming. Maybe he could ease her panic and they'd get some answers.
"How long has she been like this?" Slade questioned.
"Since yesterday, I just thought…hell I don't know what I thought," she said through clenched teeth.
Mikhail kept shaking her head, "We need to get her to the nurse's station inside the hotel. There are necessary supplies there, but it's not much."
Slade looked every bit as panicked and pale as both Ebony and Ram. But he helped carry her to the Fleur Hotel with careful ease.
An hour and a half later Ebony's pains were coming more frequent, her water had broken, and she was hysterical more over her ruined pants than the birthing itself.
"GET OVER IT, YOU'RE HAVING A KID," Trudy shouted.
Putting up with Ebony in labor was almost worst than Ebony on any given day.
"Don't you think I know that? Just get it out already!" Ebony grimaced, nearly breaking Slade's fingers.
Another four hours after that mother and child were resting peacefully. The proud father, Slade, beamed. He left the nurse's station and walked into a lobby full of anxious faces.
"Ryan and Lex took bets. I bet boy, what is it?" Lottie squealed.
Ryan and Lex looked at one another sheepishly, "Sorry mate, old habits die hard."
"I bet a girl," Sammy looked to Slade eagerly for an answer.
Slade shook his head. "I am ashamed at all of you, and whatever you bet Sammy, get ready to give it up. She had a boy, his name is Thunder."
"Quite suiting looking at the parents, "Ram coyly put in his two cents. Trudy elbowed him in the ribs.
He kissed her cheek, "You know I'm right about the kid."
"She may not," Lex smirked, "But I do. At least it won't be Ebony though."
"I want to see the baby, can I Slade? Please?" Lottie pleaded.
"If Amber says you can, you may." He stared down at the little girl. He was still in shock that he was a father.
Lottie skipped off towards the nurse's station, while everyone else sat around amazed.
"Ebony? A mother? Who knew?" Bray kept shaking his head.
There was someone in the room of course who knew she was cut out for the job. Unfortunately he wouldn't be the one raising the child with her. It broke his heart. And so Jay headed for the bar.
Jay, Ved, Ram, and Darryl sat around a table at the Fleur Lounge inside the hotel.
"This isn't my scene," Ram grumbled.
"What? You, the creator of Paradise? I mean you hooked up with Trudy for goodness sake, you cannot be thinking about computers," Jay spat gruffly.
"Who got your island briefs all up in a bunch?" Ram teased.
"He and Ruby had a fight, broke up," Ved asked for another drink.
Jay reached over and punched his little brother in the arm, "We didn't break up per say," He told Ram, "I've just been thinking and she didn't like it so she told me not to come back until I found myself."
Ram laughed, "Still thinking about the other blonde?"
"No, the other ex, and I don't mean Trudy," Jay took the drink the bartender had just handed Ved.
"Oh man Ebony?" Darryl questioned.
"Keep your voice down," Jay looked around, "yes, Ebony."
Ram shook his head, "I hate to say it, but Java was right man, Ebony is poison."
"She's not! She's a spell binder, yes, but there's so much hiding under that hard shell. I really loved her, and that could be our kid."
Ved wanted to puke, "She's moved on, had a kid. Let me tell you big brother, Ruby is a goldmine."
"That's the point Ved. She had a kid. That could be my son."
"Wait a minute; are you saying you two--while she was with Slade?" Darryl questioned.
"Ebony and I, we talked a lot. When we were on the run from Technos, she told me she wanted to run away with me. We were going to start a family, and keep away from the drama. Since then we've always been able to have intimate conversations, one night conversation became something more that we both regret deeply."
"But you left her for Amber, you screwed up, she's happy, and you've got Ruby!" Ved stressed.
Ram was drinking this all in. He could very well use this as black mail should the opportunity ever knock.
"I know, that is why I had to be honest with Ruby," Jay glanced at the empty glass before him, "and here I am, getting drunk, when I should be holding my son."
"What makes you so certain?" Ved asked.
Jay couldn't answer him. So silence fell between them. He wasn't certain that Thunder was his son. That was part of the reason he was in turmoil. He loved Ruby, but he had also loved Trudy, Amber, and Ebony. He JUST couldn't let go of the uncertainties. He had always been the one to break it off, not looking back, and he needed time to think. Maybe he wasn't cut out for relationships.