As I rush on horseback with Anax as well as Norah, my thoughts play over her words.
Baruch....kidnapped.
We arrive home in a panic and Norah follows hurriedly as we enter the home to find it in a state. Items are thrown about and things are flying everywhere. Papers lie in their place until someone walks past as it flies away.
"Everyone said I shouldn't tell you," Norah says seriously, "I had to. I know something is up." Eden comes down the stairs in a hurry and then notices me which causes her to glare at Norah as tears start to fall from her eyes. She comes down the stairs faster and embraces me, "I'm sorry." My tears start falling and my legs give out as we both end up on the floor crying while hugging each other tightly.
James comes into the room with pain in his eyes then he catches sight of us on the floor and Anax rushes over to his father as they enter his study.
That day, I spend it in my room as I bite my nails through. I hear knocking and my trance breaks as the person comes into the room.
"Athena," I hear Heidi say as I look at her then I just break down as she rushes over to hug me tightly. Anax walks into the room to find Heidi and I. "Can you give us a moment Heidi?" Anax asks but more of commands as she leaves me. "Why did we have to leave?" I ask him with pain in my heart and eyes, "we saved other people and yet we are destroyed." He hugs me as tears fill his eyes as well, "We will find him."
Later on, we fall asleep in our sadness then someone walks in and wakes us up.
"Sorry," James says with pain in his eyes, "we know who it is, more or less. The same person who tried to abort Baruch in the first place." "And?" Anax and I ask hopefully. "They," James says nervously, "claim to be your grandparents." I tense at those words as I get up quickly, "Where are they?" "Waiting for you in the study," James says seriously, "with Baruch." I confidently walk down those stairs with Anax following behind me as I enter the room that feeling of dread fills me again, but all emotion is destroyed as it could be visible.
"Athena," they say happily, "the killer of my son." I tense at those words, "I was seven." "So you don't deny it," my grandmother says seriously. My grandfather looks at me with hate, "A son for a son." Anax is showing hate, anger, pain, sadness, fear. I turn around and push him out the door with all my might then lock it.
"What do you want?" I ask seriously. "My son back," my grandmother says seriously as she holds Baruch in her arms, "can you give me that?" I shake my head, "I was seven. It wasn't my fault that they died, but I am sorry that they died. What did I do that makes you hate me so much?" "You and your sister were fighting as usual," my grandfather says seriously, "I was on the phone as you guys crashed because your father was trying to stop you guys from arguing. You guys killed him and my daughter-in-law. You guys didn't deserve them." Tears fill my eyes as I see their pain and I say, "I'm sorry. I truly am."
They sob as they hand Baruch back to me and I exit the room with him in my arms as they break because they are taken into custody to be killed for their crimes.
Once I find Anax, I hand Baruch to him as I lock myself in my room to just break down.
At seven, I killed my parents over a stupid bear that was lost in the accident. It haunted Heidi and I for years, so we never spoke ever again after that. My grandparents took us in and abused us beyond words until we were transferred to foster care due to abuse rumours.
At dinner time, I make my way downstairs and pretend to be perfectly fine as I hold Baruch in my arms.
I find a baby in Tyler's arms as Leto sits in the middle of him and Alisha.
I can see it is a Human as the eyes are closed still since they artificially speed up their growth since a Kerogen cannot hold a Human baby for more than 3 months.
Once dinner is over, James announces that me and Anax will be taking a break from visits, but that everyone else will be going on visits as per the rules.
"Everyone," James says finally, "welcome Ezra to the family."
Three days later, Anax is nowhere to be found and Baruch never leaves my sight. I decide to take the test and then leave it in Anax room for him to check when he feels ready to do so.
After that, I go to the Mothers' room.
Eden smiles at me as I put on a fake smile then hand her Baruch, "Get your results yet." "I am waiting for Anax," I say honestly. Heidi sits down with her little ones resting in her arms, so I take the Human (Aziza) away from her then I pay attention to the rest of the conversations.
Amoli walks into the room with Athena crawling after her then she sits down with a thud. Her mother, Ellerie, sighs as she looks at her child and says, "How are the twins?" Amoli nods, "As active as Athena." They all laugh but she groans.
Basilah sighs, "I never got to apologize for Norah's impulsiveness." I shake my head, "She did the right thing." Basilah frowns, "Why?" "If she didn't then I wouldn't have been here and I wouldn't have been able to talk to those people," I say seriously. "Those people," Basilah says, "I thought they were your grandparents." Heidi tenses, "You didn't tell me that." "It's not for everyone to know," I say seriously and she frowns at those words, but Eden smiles at my straightforwardness, "not everyone needs to know our life story. It's not important. Me and Heidi are here for one purpose, so let's just leave it at that." Basilah seems upset by those words, but I am not in the best state of mind either. Heidi immediately apologizes, "It is something she doesn't like to talk about and neither do I. Bad memories really. You know how it is." This calms everyone down, but internally I just feel agitated.
Baruch sits by himself as Athena comes over to play with him which I allow.
I hear shouting in the distance as does everyone else. This causes everyone to rush out of the room. I find Tyler and Anax face-to-face, which takes me out of the state I have been in for the past few days.
"You have no right to speak to me," Anax says with anger as Tyler holds his ground while Alisha's eyes are wide as she holds Ezra tightly. "I was just giving friendly advice," Tyler says with his hands up, showing that he means no harm, "I have known her longer and I still don't know everything about her." Anax glares at him, "I don't want you to look at her, touch her, speak her name, nothing." Tyler nods, "I won't, but I hope you will listen." This gets Tyler a sharp blow and I rush over.
"What is going on here?" I ask seriously. Anax hands me the pregnancy test that shows negative, which confuses me. "Okay, and?" I ask and Anax looks at me, now. "It has nothing to do with this, but I felt you would want to know," he says seriously, "your friend here is telling me how to deal with you." I turn to look at him, but Tyler doesn't look at me as I have realized that he knows now is not the time to be defiant.
"I'm sorry," I say, "do you want to talk somewhere else?" He shakes his head and I realise that this is not going to end well, so I step infront of him, "Is he right?" I look at him with confusion, "About?" "That you are not okay? That you need someone to talk to? That you are dying inside?" he asks me and I can see he is hoping he is wrong. I nod, "I'm not going to lie to you. I am dying inside and I don't want to talk about it here." Anax sighs then he pulls me to his room.
"I met in an accident that killed my real parents when I was seven with Heidi. We were arguing," I say seriously, "they died trying to stop us from arguing. Then my grandparents took us in and tried to kill us by abusing us then we went to the ones I called my parents when I first met you. Yes, I lost two set of parents and more." Pain fills his eyes and he sits down on the bed with his head in his hands.
I crouch down infront of him and wipe his tears away, "You don't need to be upset with Tyler. I...he was my best friend. That's all." "But he loves you," Anax says seriously. I hold his hands, "It doesn't matter. Tyler loves his children more than anything. As long as they are happy, he will fight to keep them that way." Anax nods, "I hope the negative test didn't upset you." I shake my head, "No, but I think I hurt Mother Basilah." He laughs, "Oh oh. Playing with fire." I nod, "My grandparents used to say I killed my parents. I was seven. I didn't do it on purpose." He nods, "I know, but Basilah doesn't understand Human emotions." "Are you sure I am not pregnant?" I ask curiously and he points to the test, "Hmm, yeah, I know."
A month flies by once again, so I am supposed to go for the procedure which requires that I take a test to confirm that I am indeed not pregnant as well as other tests to ensure that fact.
Before I go, I hear Amoli go into labour as I think about how kids are so much a part of life.
Once I enter the room, Anax is there with me and Baruch because we have to do the pre-tests.
"You cannot do the procedure," the doctor says seriously, "she's pregnant." My eyes widen, "What?" The doctor nods, "A month along." "But the test was negative," Anax says as the doctor gets the other test to find it negative as well. "Well," the doctor says honestly, "she is pregnant, but I know why she is negative. It's a Huke." Both our eyes widen as we stare at each other. Baruch giggles at our faces.
Soon, we head home and I rush with Baruch to find Amoli crying.
"Amoli?" I rush into the room and find the babies are extremely healthy as well as Athena is safely crawling around the room, "you okay?" She shakes her head as I come closer and she hugs me tightly, "He left and told me he is getting married to another Kerogen who is in the army. Now, Father is insisting that he find someone for me who is Human for now." "Do you not want that?" I ask and she shakes her head. "My mother doesn't, but I don't really care," she says seriously, "but they are discussing it right now, so that I will have someone by tomorrow." I hug her tightly, "Let's focus on better things. What are you naming these two beautiful boys?" "Holden (red eyes) and Waylen (gold eyes)," she says happily, but her eyes are full of sadness.
I pick each of them up and stare at them then I pick up Athena so that her and Baruch can say hi.
After a while, I head to my room only to be summoned to James' office.
Once I enter, I find Anax is already there.
"We need your help choosing someone for Amoli," James says seriously and I sigh as he gives me two files. I open the first file then I look over it but when I open the second file, my heart pounds faster as I stare at this face I thought I would never see again.