Rosy:
I watch the grass filled paddock go by out the window, every now and then I glance across at Micah where he sits behind the steering wheel. His eyes are glued to the road, his grip on the wheel white knuckled and I can hear his breath hiss out sharply whenever he has to slow the pace of the vehicle. I yawn and lift my hands over my head as I stretch in the seat arching my back, I smile to myself as I hear the soft growl come from Micah and when I watch him it isn't long before I catch him slanting a covert glance towards my body.
"How long have you known?" Micah asks tightly.
"Took you long enough to ask," I say lightly as I reach up and pull the sun-visor down so I can look into the small mirror on the back of it. I am silent as I examine my face in the mirror, it is the first time I have seen myself clearly since my memory started to return. I am familiar with the changes caused by the damage done to my head but I feel like I don't know the face peering back at me as I use the fingers on my right hand to lift the long hairs of my fringe off my face.
"Rosyyy, how long?" The words leave Micah in a low growl of demand but I continue to run my fingers through my fringe for a few moments before pushing the sun-visor back up into place.
" I've known for sure for about a month, suspect ...."
"What!" Micah's roar cuts me off mid sentence and a low growl of annoyance rumbles in my throat as the speed of the car reduces quickly.
"Watch what you're doing or you are going to have Steven back-ending the vehicle," I growl at him acutely aware of the vulnerable life I carry.
Micah scowls as he glances at the rear-view mirror, as if on cue a vehicle beeps its horn behind us vigorously. Micah sticks a hand out the window which is immediately greeted with a long blast on the horn behind us, he glances at me and pulls his hand in the car and shows me his fist with his middle finger sticking up before grasping the wheel once again.
"Did you really just flip the bird to the mother of your unborn child?" I ask him dryly.
"Did you really keep the fact you are pregnant to yourself for a month or more without telling me?" Micah demands angrily.
"My need for my mountain over rode everything else," I say with a shrug.
"Frigging hell!" Micah swore as he slammed the edge of his fist against the steering wheel, a distinct sound of cracking plastic accompanied the solid thud. He hit the blinker on and quickly slowed the vehicle as he steered to the shoulder of the road. Even before he pulled to a stop I am glancing around taking in the cleared rest stop with a covered table on the side of the road. I am quick to get out of the vehicle and watch him warily as he climbs out the driver's door. I watch as he grabs his mobile phone from the centre console before pressing at buttons.
"What's wrong?" Steven asks as he, Sam and Malcolm exit the car that has stopped behind us. Micah glances towards them before giving me an annoyed look.
"Your sister is pregnant," Micah growls as he glares at Sam. Sam is confused for a moment, I can almost see him working through the short list of his sisters before he turns towards Malcolm with a shocked look on his face.
"Don't look at me!" Malcolm snaps as he lifts both hands to shoulder height. "You and Mitchell walked in on Sasha and I before we got that far!"
"What?" Micah snaps and I don't have to look to know he has turned to stare at Malcolm.
My cat stirs and I feel her curiosity. All I know, all I can remember of Malcolm flits through my mind. His strength and sensitivity, his sense of humour and his ability to tell when it is time to be serious, his innate way of knowing what to do and say. An image of Sasha comes to mind, not the exuberant fun-loving younger sister I remember in my patchy memory but the shattered young woman who had lost the one she loves so soon after finding him when he had stood with Sam to keep me safe from the dingos.
"I like the match," I find myself saying as I look at Sam. Sam looks at me in surprise for a few moments before glancing at Malcolm thoughtfully.
"Malcolm care to tell me why you called me a week ago telling me I should get my arse up the mountain?" Micah asks dryly. I look at Malcolm curiously and he avoids my gaze as he clears his throat with a glance at Sam.
"Now's when you are supposed to glare at them two," Malcolm says with a nod towards Micah and I. "Pretty sure your brother-in-law knocked your sister up by the way she sleeps all morning and eats all afternoon,"
Malcolm's huge grin while Sam is left spluttering has me suddenly self-conscious, I feel my cheeks grow hot as I glance down to where both my hands have instinctively come to rest on the firmness below my navel.
"You dirty bastard knocking up your own wife Micah," Steven says with a strained laugh.
"You called Doc?" Sam asks worriedly.
"I remembered I haven't and there is phone reception here," Micah says as he glances at his phone, pressing a button. "Which is why I stopped,"
I watch as Micah walks away from the vehicle to a nearby tree, his shoulders are slightly hunched as he holds the phone to his ear. I look towards Sam as he approaches me, he hesitates a moment before giving me an awkward hug while I watch Malcolm walk over to talk softly with Steven.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sam asks quietly. I move out of his embrace and sit at one end of the table where I can look out over the cleared pastureland the other side of the fence.
"I'm remembering stuff from before," I tell my brother with a covert glance from beneath my lashes. I see his surprise and the excitement that quickly follows it.
"The memories aren't complete," I say with a soft sigh. " I remember what happened, what was said and done how I felt at the time but ...." I heave a deep sigh as I try to think of a way to explain.
"Rosy? You alright?" Micah asks concerned.
I lift my head to look at him and find myself looking into his eyes, for a moment nothing and no one else exists, nothing else matters except for him, for us. I smile at him as I give a nod before taking a quick glance at Sams face before focusing on the land beyond the fence.
"I remember things, stuff, but remembering how I felt is different. I know if I was happy or sad or excited or scared at the time but," Again I sigh as I look toward Micah where he is talking on the phone to Doc. "I don't feel the emotions as I remember them. If I was happy I know I was happy at that time but I don't know if ... if it was just simple happiness or if I was so happy I felt like I was going to explode. If I was angry, how ..."
I get to my feet and move to stand by a post looking out at the cattle feeding in the distance. When someone comes to stand beside me I am not surprised when it is Malcolm I see when I turn my head.
"I'm guessing it can be pretty spooky at times when that happens," Malcolm says quietly.
"Not really," I say as I turn around to lean back against the fence. "I mean there is a lot of stuff I really wish I could feel, but there's other stuff I think I should be grateful I can't remember how I felt."
"You get to feel all of this," Malcolm says as he places a gentle hand on my stomach. I find myself smiling as I look past him to where Micah is now talking quietly to Sam while Steven stands off by himself. Malcolm moves his hand away after several moments and leans against a tree near me.
"So you and Sasha?" I ask quietly.
"That's up to your sister," Malcolm says and scuffs the ground with the toe of one jogger. "And your brothers to a lesser degree,"
"And Annushka?" I ask curiously.
"I couldn't shut up about Sasha and Annushka, she still has it bad for some were where she came from. All we ever did was talk or hunt," Malcolm says easily.
"You move!" Micah says startling us both as he seems to appear out of nowhere in front of us, a push with one hand has Malcolm moving away as Micah turns to me and grasps me by my waist. He puts me against the tree where Malcolm had been leaning and plasters himself against my front as he lifts my chin to kiss me. He feathers light kisses across my face until I groan in frustration, only then does he claim my lips in a long tender kiss.
"I swear," Micah moans against my lips. "You are going to be the death of me. Doc said with close monitoring of both you and our son you both should be fine. I can't loose you again Rosy, I just can't!"
I bury my face against his chest, I can't imagine how he feels. I only know that if I were to loose Micah now, even though I doubt I am fully in love with him, I would be loosing something that could never be replaced. Finally I pull back so I can look up into his face, I can see the fear lurking in his eyes and smile gently up at him.
"Take me home to my babies," I tell him softly.
Micah:
I watch nervously as Doc spreads the gel on Rosy's abdomen before concentrating low in her abdomen. It has been three days since I collected Rosy from her mountain and bought her home, Doc had been unable to leave his human job and we'd had to wait until the weekend for him to come see her.
For a few moments there is nothing and then I see it, a small flickering spot on the screen of the portable ultrasound machine. My chest feels tight, my eyes water and there is something lodged in my throat as I watch the small miracle beat out a steady rhythm.
"Nice strong heart beat," Doc says confidently. "Good position of attachment for the placenta,"
I can't help the sigh of relief that escapes me at this comment and I look away from the screen to share a warm smile with Rosy.
"I'd like to recheck your vitals Rosy," Doc says and I look away from her eyes to glance at Doc.
"There a problem Doc?" I ask with a frown.
"Just double checking everything," Doc says with a grin towards Rosy. "Your appetite good? You're eating a good balanced diet?"
"Yes and yes," Rosy answers.
"She was eating properly up on Mount Warning too Doc, cooking up a big pot of veggie stew and making me eat with her," Sam says from the doorway where he watches. "Then no sooner that settles and she'd want to go hunting, good thing Ceskia and Annushka were there they never refused a hunt."
"We hear heartbeat, thump n thump, thump n thump, thump n thump." Ceskia says from behind me where she is closely watching everything Doc does. I give her an annoyed glance before ignoring her once again. Both her and Annushka had turned up here just before sunset the day after Rosy got back, Jazzy had flown into a rage ordering them to keep away from the main house. Even Rosy had bristled at them around the boys at first, but something had changed when they had disappeared together in cat form to hunt later that night.
"Blood pressure, heart, lungs, all clear and in perfect order," Doc says sounding pleased.
"Is good," Ceskia says seriously and I can't stop the growl of annoyance that rumbles up from my chest.
"Must you be here!" I growl angrily as I look back towards her.
"Micah, leave Kia alone," Rosy says firmly and glance at her to see her frowning at me. Doc is running the probe through the gel once more so I look away from her and at the screen.
"There will be weekly checks on your vitals as well as the kitts," Doc says firmly and I glance at Rosy to see her nod her agreement. "Alphabet or numeral?"
"You'll be here each week?" Rosy asks.
"Chris can do every second week and still let me keep a close eye on you," Doc says.
"Doc?" Sam says moving closer with a worried frown. He leans against the back of the edge of the bed where Rosy is stretched out comfortably for the examination. I glance back at the screen and frown.
"Doc do you have to keep moving that blasted thing? Things keep going blurry," I snap unable to help myself.
"There is your first biological kitt Micah Williamson," Doc says formerly. I frown as he moves the blasted probe making everything go blurry and out of focus, I even loose sight of the beating heart for a few seconds, a low growl of annoyance rumbles up once again.
"And there is the second one, depending on which order they decide to be born in of course," Doc says. The screen wavers a moment and then there are two beating hearts visible.
All sound recedes and my vision goes grey before blurring, I can't breathe and my heart is pounding in my chest as my stomach churns and my head swims dizzily. Suddenly everything is dark, my stomach rolls alarmingly and I feel the floor beneath my butt as a heavy hand settles against the back of my head.
Slowly my hearing starts to return to normal and I realise things are dark because I am sitting on the floor with my head forced between my knees. Someone slaps me firmly on the back several times before rubbing the outside of my upper arms briskly. I lift my head slowly and a hand grasps my upper arm firmly.
"Ready stand now?"
My first reaction is to snarl at this were who has some kind of a bond with my Rosy, a bond I don't understand. But something tells me she is here because she wants to make sure Rosy is okay and well looked after. So instead of snarling I give a curt nod and get to my feet as Ceskia stands close ready to lend a steadying hand if necessary.
"Doc? Twins?" I ask shakily. I glance at Sam to see him clutching one of Rosy's hands, she is patting his hand gently and talking quietly to him.
"Yes," Doc says quietly. "Rosy suspected as much and contacted me which is why I had Chris draw blood from her for some routine tests that I would get the results of before I got here."
I look Rosy in the face and she calmly meets my eyes, shaken I glance back at Doc.
"The tests showed her hormones are in the levels and the balance one would expect of a pregnancy of this gestation. Her progesterone levels are good, even in the high normal range. Progesterone is a hormone that aids in maintaining a healthy pregnancy, so that is good." Doc explains. "All looks good for a healthy pregnancy, which shall be monitored closely."
"Doc," I hear the fear lacing Sam's voice and look towards Doc. I am sure that whatever question Sam asks, Doc will have a response.
"How much danger is Rosy in?" Sam asks tightly.
"What's wrong? Why would Rosy be in danger?" Mitchell asks as his footsteps can be heard outside the room. A moment later and he is standing in the doorway glancing around with a frown.
"Why wasn't I told my sister isn't well?" Mitchell asks firmly.
"I'm not sick Mitchell," Rosy scolds and sits up as Doc finishes wiping the gel from her stomach. Mitchell looks at Rosy, at Sam holding onto her hand and then at the machine in the case on the chair beside the bed. He is frozen for a moment then his face goes red.
"Exactly what was Malcolm doing up on that mountain with you?" Mitchell demands tightly. I can see a muscle clenching and unclenching in his jaw while a nerve jumps near his right eye, he turns his gaze to me and glares with anger.
"Why the hell haven't you killed the bastard? This time he has went too far!" Mitchell snarls.
"Silly boy cat jump wrong thoughts. Scratch him mark on tree growling when a branch broken off above him reach. Must be other cat," Ceskia says with a trace of sarcasm and shakes her head. A low growl comes from Mitchell and he stalks into the room, his eyes glued to Ceskia furiously.
"Mitchell stop acting like an idiot!" Rosy snaps getting to her feet and moving in front of him so he has to go around her to get to Ceskia. I move forward to stand between brother and sister even though I know Mitchell would never raise a hand to his sister, I hold my hand out to him and he looks down at it in confusion.
"You going to be the first to congratulate me on the news I am going to become a father? Twins at that?" I ask levelly. Mitchell looks at me startled as his face looses all colour before his eyes roll back in his head, his knees give out and he heads for the floor. Doc manages to grab him by the upper arm and direct his fall towards the bed where he hangs for a moment before starting to slide towards the floor.
"Huh! Boy cat! Pfft!" Ceskia snorts in amusement as she helps Doc prevent Mitchell sliding onto the floor while I move Rosy well out of the way. With Mitchell securely on the bed Ceskia turns to face me, she has a thoughtful look on her face as she regards me for a few moments.
"Two three sometime four cubs this I know in pregnancy. Want I stay help your Rosy?" Ceskia asks in a quiet and respectful voice. I return her look for several moments, something tells me she didn't have to ask my permission, my co-operation.
"Yes, I think your knowledge would help us all feel more confident at a successful outcome," I say with a nod in her direction. I glance at Rosy and warmth fills me at her pleased look.
"So when your brother recovers who gets to tell everyone?" I ask with a proud smile.