Leo was still an early riser, and for the first time in months, sunshine woke him up in the morning. He moaned and slowly opened his eyes to see that he was not in his room at home, or in the cell that he had been in for the last few months.

He slowly sat up and yawned. He looked down at his belly as he pulled the blankets down. He saw the swelling and knew it was still no dream. Leo tried to think again how far along he was.

After waking up at 13 weeks, and after having had 5 other exams, he realized he was at 18 weeks. He was close to being 5 months pregnant. And it wouldn't be long before he would feel movement he was sure. After losing the first two, Leo was looking forward to feeling the twins move. It would make him feel happier to know they were alive.

Then the other thing that Leo noticed was he desperately needed to go to the bathroom. He got up and did that just in the nick of time. After he was finished, he left the bedroom to see if his host was up yet. He found she was still in bed.

He didn't want to disturb her and left her to sleep. He went to the living room and got comfortable on her couch and tried to meditate. He hadn't done it for some time. He had always been interrupted at Johnson's facility.

Leo hoped that his family hadn't given up on him. He had to let them know he was alive and well. He had to reach his father or one of his human friends. He would try to call them today, but first he wanted to make sure Allison was okay with him making a long distance call.

He closed his eyes and took cleansing, deep breaths. He soon started entering the astral plane when he heard some noise from upstairs. He opened his eyes.

"Leonardo?" He heard his name.

Allison had awoken from a good sleep and went to check on her new guest, and found him not in his bed or the bathroom. She called his name.

"I'm down here." She heard the reply.

She came down the stairs sleepily, yawning. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long. I'm an early riser. Always have been as far as I can remember." Leo said.

"How are you feeling this morning?" She asked.

"Good actually. Maybe a little sore from my actions last night. I haven't done that in quite a while."

"Do you want some breakfast?"

"I like tea for breakfast at home, but my babies need more nutrition," he replied, his hand once again covering his belly. "So, yeah, breakfast would be nice."

"I can make eggs, pancakes, toast, cereal."

"An egg and pancake breakfast sounds good." Leo replied, letting his appetite take over for a moment. As soon as the words left his mouth he felt a small pang of guilt for asking for so much. "If it isn't too much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." Ali said and began getting the ingredients together to make the food, all the while also making coffee for herself.

When Leo smelled the coffee, it made him hold his nose. It didn't smell so good. He knew Don had it every morning, but he hadn't seen Don since the night of the switch. Coffee was a little off smell for him at the moment. He got up off the couch.

"Excuse me, Ali. I need to go take a walk before breakfast." Leo said and went outside. He didn't want to be around the smell.

Leo went outside into the morning air. It smelled like late summer. It was September after all. He was glad to be seeing open country. It made him feel like he had freedom. It was good that Ali lived out in the country.

Ali appeared at the door. "Don't go far, Leo. Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Ok." He replied and began walking around the yard. There was about four acres of land. It reminded him a little of Casey's farm and it made him miss home.

In a part of the yard, he saw a shed with a pen around it so he went to go check it out.

When he got to the corral, he saw a family of miniature horses in it. He saw a gray mom with a brown baby and brown painted male horse, probably the father. And he saw some chickens.

Seeing the little baby horse mesmerized Leo. It must have been because he was expecting his own soon. The little guy even came over to check the big, green creature looking at him. Leo couldn't help but smile. "Hey, little guy."

The little horse whinnied and went galloping playfully back to his parents, kicking up his heels and running around. Leo giggled.

"He's only a month old." A voice suddenly said.

"Huh?" Leo jumped.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you. I just said that the foal is only a month old. He's going to a new home when he's weaned in a few months." Ali said. "His mother is going to be having a new baby next year. The stallion in there is the father."

"You breed little horses?" Leo asked.

"Yes. They can't be used for much like their bigger relatives can. I breed them for shows and pets. A lot of friends of mine like the horses I give them every year." Ali explained. "I also came out here to check my chickens' house for their eggs we're having for breakfast."

"Oh."

Ali did have a basket on her arm and then went into the henhouse and collected six eggs.

"You have only hens right? No rooster?" Leo asked.

"If I had one, you would have heard him at sunrise. No. No rooster around." Ali said. "I'll have the food done soon now that I have the eggs I need."

"What are the horses' names?" Leo asked.

"Daisy is the mare, and Apollo is the stallion. I don't name the foals. The new owners will name him."

"You've got to call him something." Leo said.

"I just call them Little Guy or Little Girl until their new owners get and name them." Ali said. "I've got to go back in. You can visit them a little longer." Then she went back to the house.

Leo couldn't help but admire the foal. The foal finally stopped running around and went over to nurse from his mom. Leo knew he wouldn't be able to do that for his kids.

He sat down in the grass and watched the horses awhile longer until Ali opened the door and called, "Breakfast is ready!"

"I got to go guys. See ya later." Leo said as got up to go back to the house.

The horses went about their business eating grass.

When Leo walked into the kitchen, the smell that wafted from the food smelled wonderful. It did make Leo's stomach growl. "It smells really good, Ali."

"I try to be a good hostess when I have guests." She replied.

Leo sat down at the table and began to butter his pancakes and put syrup on them. He tried them first, then the eggs. The tastes just blew his mind away. "Hmm. Ali, this is so good."

"Thanks. Glad you like them." She said and went on eating her food as well. She had held off, wanting to know how he liked his.

When he was halfway through his breakfast, Leo remembered what he wanted to ask. "Ali, I have to ask you something."

"Yes?"

He swallowed his eggs, and then said, "Can I make a phone call? To my friends?"

"The ones in New York, right?"

"Yes."

"Yes, you can after breakfast." Ali said.

Leo smiled. "Thanks."

"You sure you want to go to New York right away?" Ali asked.

"Yes. My family's there. I have missed them for so long." Leo said.

"If you stay here for a week, then I'll be on vacation and I can take you back to New York. I've always wanted to see that beautiful city."

"That's nice of you, but I think they want me home. I would want me home too. Though I do have to come up with a way to tell them what's going on with me." Leo said. "I need time to tell them I'm expecting."

"So are you going to wait?"

"Yes, but I still need to tell them that I'm alive and, for the most part, unharmed."

Right after breakfast, Leo went in to use the phone in the living room.

Ali wanted to hear what he and his friends said.

Leo picked up the phone and dialed April's phone number. He knew it was early, but he was all too eager to go home.

In New York, April had just gotten up to start her work day when the phone rang. She went and answered it. "Hello."

"April, it's me, Leo." She heard on the line.

Her eyes suddenly lit up. She had never thought she would ever hear that voice again. "Oh my god! Leo! Are you ok? It's so good to hear your voice."

"Same here, April. Yes, I'm fine."

"Where are you?" She asked.

Leo asked where he was and Allison told him. Then he told April.

"Nebraska! We can come and get you." She said.

"No, April. Don't. I'm staying with a nice lady here in Nebraska and she said she'd bring me home in a week. I just escaped from the government facility yesterday and I need some time to rest a bit first. But I assure you I'm fine. You can give my family the message that I'll be home in a week." Leo said.

"Ok. Just be careful. We have all missed you very much."

"I missed you too. Goodbye, April." Leo said.

"Goodbye, but if you feel the need to talk again, feel free to call anytime."

"Thanks, I will if I need to." Then they hung up.

"So, is April a girlfriend from back home?" Ali asked.

Leo looked at her. "No. She's just a friend. More like an adoptive sister. She's married to Casey."

"That's good."

Leo felt a lot better now that he had talked to a familiar voice. He still yearned for home so much.

Ali soon went to her job for the day, leaving Leo alone at her house. He didn't have much to do, so he sat down and watched some TV for a while. He hadn't watched TV in who knows how long. He settled on some shows that he knew his father liked to watch.

Some of the shows were so emotional and with the strange hormones in his body, Leo couldn't help himself when tears were flowing down his cheeks.

When lunch time rolled around, he went into the kitchen to look for something to eat. He found some lunch meat in the fridge and some bread on the counter. He knew he couldn't cook anything for himself, but he could make a decent sandwich.

He put mayonnaise on two slices of bread, then the meat on them, and the final pieces. He had made two sandwiches. Then he put the mayonnaise bottle away and closed the bread bag and put the butter knife into the sink.

He had them on a plate and he sat down at the table to eat his lunch. He hoped the twins would find this to their satisfaction. He sure did.

When he was done eating, he washed the plate and put it in the dish holder beside the sink. Then he went back to the couch. He had grown accustomed to taking a nap after his lunch over the past several weeks. This time, he lay down on the couch to watch TV.

Soon, Leo grew tired and in the middle of a program, he fell asleep with his hand over his stomach.

Beta read by Applepye.