Price of a Bounty (Reliance on Citizens Makes Us Great!) (28 page)

“
Alright,
but you need to return the favor.”

I nodded and began to describe my most recent nightmare just as
Danielle returned to the kitchen. They both listened intently as I
related Lance Beckett’s most recent attack on me while I slept.

Toward the end of the telling, I’d closed my eyes. When I was done,
the room was eerily silent. I opened my eyes and looked at Scott.
He looked really mad, just as a brother should. I believed what he’d
said after my rescue, if Keira hadn’t killed Mr. Beckett, he would
have.

Danielle spoke first. “I don’t think talking about it will be
enough for you, April. Have you made a decision yet?”

I hung my head, avoiding her eyes. It was the obvious next question.
And she had used my real name. Danielle hardly ever did that. She
knew how important it was for me to get used to my new name. After
weeks of feeling trapped, I finally wept for myself. And I wept even
more for the baby.

“
I
don’t know what to do,” I sobbed. “Every night I relive
what he did to me in one way or another or what we did to him,
sometimes both. I just don’t think that’s going to stop once the
baby is born. Seeing him or her every day. What if it looks like
him? This child deserves a clean start and lots of love, but what if
I just can’t provide that?” I finally raised my eyes to meet
theirs.

“
You
could leave the child in Mediterra when you return home,” Scott
suggested. “Do you think the distance might help you move on?”

“
Maybe.
But I can’t do that.”

“
Why
not?”

“
Because
of what they did to me! Dr. Ross gave me the injection too. This
baby will be able to heal and regenerate, just like you…just like
me.”

“
April.”

“
Aimee,”
I insisted.

He nodded as he continued, “Aimee, you don’t know that for
sure.”

“
Yes,
I do.” I watched as realization of what I’d done spread across
his face.

“
You
didn’t. Not to the baby!”

Okay, maybe he hadn’t understood exactly. “No,” I shook
my head, “not that. But I have checked. I can regenerate the
same as you, and this baby is sharing my blood right now. Chances
are good that he or she is like me, aren’t they? I can’t just give
the baby up for adoption to some unsuspecting couple. What will
happen to their child when they realize? The tests, the studies. I
can’t let that happen.”

“
There
is another option.”

I looked at Danielle. There it was, hanging in the air between us.
My hand went to my belly. “No, I could never.”

“
Not
that,” Scott interrupted.

I shook my head. What were they talking about?

Scott reached for Danielle’s hand. “We’ve already discussed
it. We’d be happy to welcome your baby into our strange little
family.”

“
Really?”

They both nodded. Tears streamed down my face, only this time they
weren’t tears of fear or sadness. I reached across the table. They
each took one of my hands in theirs so that we formed a circle, a
circle of protection, a circle of love. It was exactly what I wanted
for my baby and what I feared I couldn’t provide.

“
When
would you need to know?”

Danielle responded first, “Whenever. You can even wait until
after the birth if you’d prefer.”

I nodded. She was absolutely right. There was no reason to rush.

About the Author

S.
L. Wallace is a full time teacher in an upper elementary Montessori
classroom; a full time parent of a creative, story-telling daughter;
and when she’s not hanging out with friends and family, she squeezes
in some time to write.

Interested
in current events? Stop by and share your point of view and
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CrossroadsOfHumanity.blogspot.com
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