Chapter 4

'Zed! Sky!'

We heard someone call as we walked through the arrivals halls, dragging our suitcases behind us and our hands linked together like we normally do. The arrivals hall was full of people behind ropes waiting to picked up their loved ones and I knew Jack and Grace were waiting for us to take us to our new home for the three or four years – that was how much I knew about the course – but I couldn't remember what they looked like or how to find them in a crowd. Zed stopped for a second, scanning the room before smiling at someone.

'Where are they?' I asked Zed and he nodded to a small girl who was smiling at us behind the rope and I immediately realised Grace was watching us. Grace was the same height as me – five foot nothing. She was slim but was relatively muscley but not in an obvious way. Her cheeks were chubby but it just made her look younger – especially with her blonde hair tied up and freckles obvious from across the room. The only thing that changed since the last time I saw her was a very slight bump under a white shirt. We walked towards Grace as she ducked under the rope and Zed left the suitcase a few feet away from him and hugged Grace in a bear hug, lifting her up.

'Grace, something you're meaning to tell us,' Zed said and she smiled, looking down at her converse for a second.

'Yeah, I'm pregnant,' Grace said to the floor and Zed hugged her to his side as I was swamped with guilt – she was up all hours of the night, doing God know's what to make sure everything was okay by the time we got here and she was pregnant the entire time? Surely that level of stress can't be good for the baby?

'How far? And when did you expect to tell us?' Zed said as Grace hugged me – an extremely mother like hug that made me feel at home. 'Where's Jack?'

'One question at a time, kid,' Grace said, taking my suitcase from my hand before Zed walked over, taking back the bag. Grace frowned at him with her face saying something along the lines of "what the fuck" but Zed took it anyway, prying it out of her closed hands. 'Sixteen weeks, expected to tell you when you got over here and everyone else when you're settled down, Jack's in the car by pick up's. Someone has to remain in the car so we don't have to pay,' Grace said.

'Why aren't you telling anyone?'

'Well, I've told everyone this side of the pond. If I told Saul or Karla or any of your brothers, they wouldn't let me do anything. I'll tell them – eventually.' Grace said but they continued to walk on having given up trying to get my hand luggage back.

'You shouldn't have done all of this when you're in the first trimester,' Zed protested, 'It's not good for the baby,'

'Okay but firstly – it's second trimester now. I was in the second trimester when all of this happened because it was the day after the twelve week scan, so ha.' Grace said back. 'But good for you, Sky, he actually knows stuff about babies. More than Jack does, I can tell you that for free,' She came back over to my side, nudging me slightly and I smile softly. 'You... okay?' Grace asked me, holding my hand slightly in a comforting gesture and I nodded. I wasn't too sure what her gift was but she was looking at me in deep concern, and I just shrugged.

'I'll be fine,' I lied and Zed looked at me, smiling slightly before continuing to look around Gatwick, trying to find the exit as Grace had dropped back to talk to me. She continued to give me a concerned look as my head started prickling.

'Find me later alone,' Grace said, squeezing my hand before walking off in a different direction to Zed. Comically Zed turned on the spot to come and find us, wheeling three suitcases behind him. I hadn't stopped noticing the glances he was getting from young teens in arrivals. Some group of girls giggled as he walked past them, and an elder woman turned around to get a good glance but Zed continued to look at the door, before looking at me and smiling.

You're staring at me again. He said softly.

So is everyone else, like those girls. I said jealously and Zed looked over his shoulder and the girls started giggling as they thought he had eyeballed him.

They're nothing compared to you.

Good save Zed, glad you learnt how to chat up females. Grace interrupted our conversation.

I forgot to warn you, you can hear telepathy. Zed retorted in a way of explanation.

I can indeed – come on, let's not keep Jack waiting, Grace said, walking out of the arrivals halls and heading to the boot of a very nice Audi, opening it immediately without hesitation. I saw the guy in the front seat looking in the rear view mirror, before finishing off his text and putting his phone down, getting out the car to help. Grace picked up my suitcase – which was about twenty odd kilograms and left it on the tailgate for a second. Zed darted forward, taking the suitcase completely whilst having one arm around his cousins shoulder, pulling her out of the way slightly. Jack, Grace's fiancee, darted forward and moved her out of the way, hugging her for a second before taking the suitcase.

'Grace, you agreed not to pick up heavy things,' Jack said in the smoothest Australian accent known to man. Jack was, in shorter words, incredibly hot. Australian from birth, he had that natural tanned skin, his dark blonde hair was quiffed up and his ice blue eyes were shining as he pulled Grace in to his side. They were the beautiful couple that would probably advertise aftershave together. Even though Jack had nothing on Zed – I could admire his beauty. Their child will be beautiful.

'That's not heavy,' Grace protested as Zed laid down his suitcase in the boot, before turning around and frowning at Grace.

'The midwife said anything above five kilograms is out of the question,' Jack said, hugging her and I noticed his hand across her abdomen and smiled softly. I wanted children one day. Zed looked at me frowning and I blushed as I realised he read my thoughts. He mouthed "one day" to me and I grinned.

'The midwife is talking out of her a-'

'I'm not having any of that either, Gracie. They know more than you do, it is their job to piss you off but keep the baby safe,' Jack argued back and she sulked slightly. 'Got it?'

'Fine.' Grace said and Jack kissed her on the head before Jack came and picked up the other suitcase, putting it next to the other one, before throwing out hand luggage in on top and closing the boot.

'Earley, then?' Jack asked, rubbing his hands together before walking to the driver's seat. I followed him as Zed started to talk to Grace who went around to the passenger side. 'So, er, you're Sky right?' Jack said to me and I nodded, seeing his aura. It was mostly love for Grace, a slight tinge of awkwardness and guilt. I frowned – guilt? And within the second I went to probe why he felt guilty he started shielding and I couldn't see anything anymore.

'Yeah, it's Sky,' I said, slightly baffled as he opened the door for me.

'Nice to meet you,' He said softly as I got in the car. When the door was clear, he closed it and got into the driver's seat.

'Jeez, Grace, how much are they paying you in the government?' Zed asked, marvelling at the car.

'Well, we've been shoved in the same protection scheme as you which is why I had to move down here, and Jack joined and as he is now driving an hour and a bit each day to and from London they gave us a car upgrade,' Grace explained, pulling the seatbelt on.

'Me a car upgrade, you've still got your shitty Clio,' Jack joked, pressing the button to start the engine. The Audi happily responded and Jack found a spot within the traffic and drove out to the open road. Grace leaned forward and programmed the SatNav to our new home address.

'Shut up, don't diss my Clio,' Grace joked.

'It's awful, Grace, it's only got three doors. How will that be practical when the baby comes?' Jack said, putting his hand on her knee.

'It'll be fine – we're keeping her!' Grace protested, her hand over his. They were adorable together.

How did they meet? I asked Zed.

Grace and my cousins – her two brothers – went for a surfing holiday in Eastern Australia. Jack was a lifeguard down there. He had kind of hoped to save Grace but she's part fish, so he kept manipulating the water – which is his gift – and Grace called every move spot on. He had to confront her after that and wa-la. Three years later, here we go.

Better than our story.

You hit me with a bag and told me where to stick it.

You also climbed my apple tree at two in the morning.

Sky, that's a thing now. Your apple tree is a good climbing frame. Zed said and I smiled at him. I waited until Jack was sat at a set of traffic lights before moving into the middle seat, doing on the middle belt as Grace watched me in the rear view mirror to lean into his chest, using my hand to hide a yawn.

'Sky, go to sleep it had been a long day for you both – it's about an hour's drive, we'll wake you up when we're there,' Jack said smoothly to me, and he had the charismatic tone that would send children to sleep and could persuade the elderly to do a skinny dip for charity. 'I'll avoid the pot holes if you wish,'

'You're avoiding any rough terrain with your new baby,' Grace murmured and Jack rolled his eyes at her.

I sighed as I looked at Zed and he just nodded slightly, kissing the tip of my nose as I rested my head back into his chest and slowly fell asleep to Jack and Grace's friendly banter – but one thing remained in my mind. Why did Jack felt so guilty – and more importantly why did he cover it up when I went to investigate?

'Sky, love,' Zed gently said to me, gently rubbing my arm so I didn't jump when I woke up like I normally do. 'Come on, let's get up shall we?' He joked as I finally opened my eyes. Zed had got out the car, leaving the passenger open as he crouched down to wake me up. 'Hey,' he said gently, leaning forward to kiss me as I got up, rubbing my eyes. 'We're here, oh, careful beautiful,'

I tripped on the uneven surface as I got out the car and looked around. The only word I could describe the place we were staying was middle class. We were at the end of a road which flattened out to make a car park, where a Corsa was parked in front of us, and the other cars were Porshe's and Mercedes. The house that had the doors open and said "SOLD STC" on the front was of a decent side and was part of a cluster house – a series of small houses in one property but all having a garden and you didn't have any shared items apart from a wall. I went to say something to Zed, but was interrupted by some purring and looked down at my feet. A cat stood right next to me and started walking over my feet, rubbing his side against my legs and Zed's. Zed laughed slightly, and I smiled as he bent down and picked the cat up.

'Java,' Zed said, holding the cat like a baby and rubbing his tummy. 'It's the neighbour's cat,'

I leaned forward slightly and started to fuss the cat, rubbing her tummy as Zed put his arm around me, hugging me tight. I noticed that Zed was looking down at me with that small smile on his face which was just warming.

'You look so tired,' Zed said.

'I haven't really been sleeping well since Vick told us,' I confessed to him.

'I knew you were struggling, why didn't you tell me?'

'What could you have done?' I asked Zed.

'Been there for you, tried to make it easier for you. I wouldn't have left you alone when you had nightmares that's for certain,' Zed said and I shrugged. 'I just wish you would have told me, Sky, I thought you would have,' He said softly as I continued to fuss the cat.

'I didn't want to make it harder on you. You had to leave your entire family and the course you tried so hard to get into and succeeded because of me and my past,' I whispered to him, frowning slightly.

'I still have family here, like my twat of a cousin who makes really good chicken and yeah, I did want to go to Denver but I was considering transferring to New York because I couldn't bear to be away from you, Sky.' Zed confessed, putting down the cat before holding my both of my hands, swinging them between us.

'You... were?'

'Yeah, you can ask Uri and Will if you want too, they were trying to help me. I couldn't even deal with the thought of being so far away from you. This is a silver lining in disguise, because I get to live with you for the next few years, be in your classes and never leave your side,' Zed whispered, kissing the spot between my eyebrows where a frequent frown mark had gathered over the last few marks. 'Let's get moved in, unpack, and get some take away,' Zed said gently, kissing me again and hugging me to him as he closed the door to the Audi and walked down the steep path to the house.

And now we welcome Jack and Grace into the story! I'm still not too sure if I should continue this on or not; what do you think? Also, do we like Grace and Jack? Do they seem pretty sincere? Let me know! I love reading the reviews!