by T. J. Quinn
“You were raped, couldn’t they see that? It hadn’t been your fault, and even it had, they were your parents, they had to support you and help you through it.” Colborn grumbled, furious.
“As far as they were concerned, I was dead for them.” She continued, shaking her head. “So, I left town and tried to get a decent job to support myself during the pregnancy, but no one would hire me for more than a month or two. The room I was living in was tiny, and when my landlady realized I was pregnant, she warned me I would have to leave as soon as the baby was born. She didn’t want any babies on her property.”
“That should be illegal.” He groaned.
“It is, but I was in no condition to fight her. Near the baby’s birth, no one would give me a job, and I was running out of money quickly. I barely had food for myself, and soon I would be in the streets, with no place to live in.” She let out a loud sob. “When Nari was born, I was alone, in my room. I didn’t manage to get to the hospital; I was in too much pain.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” he asked, startled.
“Yes, I guess it can be.” She nodded. “I was fortunate, though. Nari was so small, her delivery wasn’t that difficult, and I was even able to push out the placenta as well.” She took a deep breath, wiping away the tears. “The room was a total mess, and I was so scared, but managed to do all I had to, including cutting the umbilical cord and clamping the baby’s end. She… she cried a little bit, but then she went quiet. I was able to clean up the room and feed her. I didn't even have diapers for her to use or clothes for her to wear since I hadn't had any money left." She explained.
“You should have called for help.” He said, worried.
"I know… but I wasn't thinking straight. I was scared, afraid of being kicked out of the room and so far things were alright. I tried to feed her again, but I guess my own food had been so scarce lately; I wasn't producing any milk, and the baby was getting more and more upset, crying louder and louder.” She made a small paused before she continued. “My landlady finally heard her and came knocking on my door, to let me know I had three days to leave or she would kick me out. I already owed her a month rent, and she wasn’t very pleased.”
“Couldn’t she see you weren’t alright?” he asked, upset, furrowing his brows.
“No, and if she did, she didn’t care. I promised her I would find a way and she left.” She went silent after that, with her eyes tightly closed.
“Did you?” he asked, softly.
"I didn't have a choice… I tried… I really tried, but with no food, I had no milk, and the baby was always crying. She needed food, and I didn't have any to give her. I wrapped her in a blanket and went to a homeless shelter nearby to see if I could get some food for myself and perhaps get some clothes and diapers for the baby. They were very kind there and gave me the food and some of the things I needed, and they also told me I was harming my own daughter." She said, her voice going lower with each word. "I obviously couldn't care for her, nor had the means to give her a proper life so that she would be better off without me, that I should give her up for adoption." She sobbed, shaking her head. "I left the place feeling worse than ever, confused and not sure what to do."
“What happened then?” he asked pulling her even closer to him. The sun was starting to go down in the horizon, and the breeze was getting colder, but he didn’t dare to suggest going back home. Now that he had her talking, he would do all he could to take out the whole story from her.
“I went home and was able to feed her a bit, but she kept crying and I was getting more and more desperate. My landlady was fed up, and she came in the middle of the night and told me I had to make her stop crying or leave at once.” She said, crying as she remembered the pain and despair she had felt that night. She had never felt so lonely and helpless in her life. “I tried… I really tried, but she wouldn’t stop crying. At some point, I was crying with her, and it was a mess. The landlady came and ordered me to take her out that the neighbors were complaining. It was still winter time and really was cold outside, and I had no place to go. After a while wandering the streets, I finally gave up and took her to an orphanage. I couldn’t keep her; I was alone with no money, no food, no nothing.”
She cried louder this time, covering her face with her hands.
“I was so desperate, so heartbroken I couldn’t face anyone, so I simply went to where the woman on the shelter had told me to go, and I left Nari there, rang the bell a few times, and ran off.” She sobbed. “She was crying so hard, so loud that I keep hearing her, up to today.” She explained. “I went back to that place every day, but I never had the courage to go in and ask to see my daughter. I had nothing to offer her. Even by myself, surviving was a daily struggle.”
“You didn’t go back home?” he asked.
“I had no home to go back. They had told all their friends I had died in a boat accident, while traveling and that the body had never been recovered.” She replied with a hysterical laugh. “The night I was abducted, I was putting an end to all. My baby was turning one year old, and I simply couldn’t go on.” She concluded.
“You have been waiting for a moment to go through with your plans.” It wasn’t a question, but she answered it anyway.
“Yes… distance has only made things worse… besides… who would want me? I’m no good for anyone, too messed up… a lousy mother…” she said, with a self-deprecating scowl, freeing herself from his embrace and getting up. “I’m sorry… this wasn’t supposed to happen.” She said in a contained tone, walking away from him.
“What? Me saving you? Or you killing yourself?” he asked, getting up and following her.
“Me, boring you with the pathetic story of my pitiful life.” She replied, closing herself once more behind the hard walls she had built around her. The breach had been closed once more.
“You’re not boring me, Gil Ra. And you’ve given me the scare of my life. My heart stopped when I saw you jump that cliff and I’m sure I’ve never flown so fast in my life as I did to catch you on your fall.” He scolded her, letting out all he had gone through.
“You shouldn’t have, it would have been better that way.” She said, looking away.
“Tell me something… what we have lived together these past weeks, did that mean anything at all, to you?” he asked, standing in front of her, trying to force her to face him.
But she sobbed and looked away. “Yes… of course… I have never been happier in my life…” she confessed. “But I can’t go on… I can’t… and I’ll lose you too… that would be too painful… I can’t.”
“You’ll never lose me.” He protested.
“Of course, I will… you’ll find your soulmate, and I’ll be alone once more.” She said, pressing her hand against her chest, trying to soothe the pain in her heart.
“Gil Ra… That won’t happen.” He assured her, not sure that was the moment to tell her the truth. His instinct told him she wouldn’t believe it. Not now.
“Oh, please… don’t try to comfort me with lies. That would only make things worse.”
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. He needed to fix things for her; he just didn't know how.
“If you could do anything, what would you do right now?” he asked her, caressing her hair.
“I would go get my little baby.” She said, with no doubt.
“Would you bring her here?” he asked, carefully.
“There’s nothing back on Earth for me, other than my baby girl.” She replied. “Though I’m not sure there’s a place for me here either.”
“Let’s not worry about that for now. I just want you to promise me you won’t do this again.” He asked her, lifting her chin and making her look at him in the eyes, as an idea started to grow in his mind.
“I can’t promise you that.” She shook her head.
“Why not? I just want you to give me a chance of making you happy, of making your demons disappear.” He said, insisting.
“You can’t
do that. No one can.” She kept shaking her head.
“At least, let me try.”
She sobbed. “You have no idea what you’re asking me.”
He hugged her. “Then, I’ll just have to keep you with me all the time. I’m not losing you.” he decided, spreading his wings and carrying her in his arms as he flew them home.
When they got there, she told him she wanted to take a shower and left him alone, in the living room. For a moment, he considered following her, but he knew she wasn’t going to try anything while he was around.
Instead, he called Asgar. “Hey… what’s up?” his friend and captain asked as soon as the connection was established.
“Hi… have you talked to Rurik about his next trip to Earth?”
“Yes, I have. He’s having an auction in a couple of days and will departure right after that to get our special shipment.” He explained.
“How many women will they bring back?” the doctor asked, curious.
“Their vessel only has the capacity of transporting five hundred people,” Asgar explained. “They have most of them eyed all over the planet, and on their trip there they’ll look for the rest. They have spies working for them on the planet.”
“Wow… they have a very organized industry.” Colborn was surprised.
“Yes, I thought the same, but that plays in our favor,” Asgar said.
“Yes, I can see that. Will any of us go with them on this trip?” he asked.
“No, it’s not on the plans.”
“I want to go,” Colborn announced.
“You? Why? What’s going on?” Asgar asked, clearly surprised.
“Gil Ra left something behind I need to recover.” He explained.
“What the hell could be that important?” Asgar asked, furrowing his brows.
“Her baby daughter,” Colborn replied in a serious tone.
“What the…” Asgar said, startled.
“It’s a long story, and I don’t have time to explain it to you, especially if I want to go with Rurik on this trip.”
“I’ll contact him immediately. I’m sure he won’t have any problem with it.”
“Tell him I’ll be taking Gil Ra with me.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Asgar asked, sounding worried.
“I don’t have a choice. I can’t leave her behind; she has to show me where she left the baby.” He explained, with a deep sigh.
“Get prepared. I’ll call Rurik and warn Brynjar of your decision.”
“Thank you, Asgar. I’ll wait for your call.” They ended the call, and he went looking for Gil Ra.
Chapter Thirteen
Gil Ra went straight to the shower, getting under the warm stream of water as soon as she got rid of her clothes. Silent tears were running down her cheeks as she did so. Despite her acts that afternoon, she had to admit she was happy Colborn had saved her. Looking death in the face made her realize she wasn’t ready to lose Colborn forever. She needed more time with him, even if it meant the pain would be greater when he finally left her because she was sure that would happen, that he would find his soulmate and would set her aside.
With that decision, she left the shower and putting on a tunic; she returned to the bedroom just to find him there, packing his things.
“What’s going on?” she asked, startled. Was it possible he had changed his mind about her?
“We’re going out on a long trip. Please pack your things.” He ordered, without giving her details.
“Where to?” she asked, still worried. He hadn’t mentioned any of that before.
“I’ve decided to go with the Slythonians to pick up the new group of human females.” He replied, still packing his things.
She frowned. “Why would you want to do that?”
“I believe it’s important. And you’re coming with me.” He informed her, closing his bag.
She took a step back. “Me? Why?”
“I told you I wasn’t letting you out of my sight.” He said, starting to place some of her clothes in his bag.
“Are you taking me back to Earth?” she asked, with her heart aching, barely able to speak.
“Yes.” His blatant answer almost killed her.
“Why? I mean… I know… I haven’t… but…” she mumbled, too confused, too hurt to know what she was saying.
He stopped what he was doing and walked right to where she was, cradling her face. “We’re going to get your baby back.” He said, kissing her forehead.
“But… how?” she asked, trying to control the hope struggling reappear in her heart.
“We’ll simply go back to the moment you left her at the orphanage and pick her up.” He explained.
“That’s impossible… that happened over a year ago…” she said, shaking her head.
“Have you ever asked Erin’s birth year?” he asked her, amused, as she shook her head. “She was born in 2115. The Slythonians can travel through time and space."
She closed her eyes for a second. “Are you sure we can do that?” she asked, shuddering.
“Yes. Asgar is talking with Rurik as we speak, and we have to go meet them as soon as possible.” He replied.
“Why are you doing this for me?” she asked, intrigued.
“Your happiness matters a lot to me.” He assured her.
She was going to reply that, but his communication device buzzed, and he answered the call.
“Talk to me, Asgar.”
“All set. The ship is ready for us to leave right away. I’m taking you myself to the rendezvous coordinates.” He announced.
“Thank you. We’re ready and leaving for the departure’s dock.”
“I’ll see you two there.”
Colborn ended the call and turned to look at Gil Ra. "Let's go; it's time to leave."
“Are you sure you want to do this? What will the king say? I mean…” she muttered, too excited and too scared to think straight.
“Brynjar is aware of it, and I have its full support like I knew I would.” He assured her, kissing her until she was breathless and shaking. “Let’s go now.”
They left the house, and in just a few minutes, they were entering the spaceship that would take them to where the Slythonians would meet them.
“The trip will take us two days,” Asgar informed them after they greeted each other.
“Thank you. I’ll take Gil Ra to my quarters, and I’ll be right back.” Colborn replied, guiding her through the hallways of the spaceship. “You should get some rest. I won’t be long.” He suggested before he left.
Gil Ra jumped in bed; feeling too tired all of a sudden. It had been a stressful day, and she still felt she had entered another dimension. Perhaps she did die on that cliff, and she was living some sort of alternative reality.
She let the tears roll down her cheeks, as confusion and distress filled her mind. She was having trouble believing she was on her way to pick up her baby girl. This had to be a dream, but if it were, she would die a million times of grief. She had dreamed of that day so many times; she couldn't believe it was possible.
She was so lost in her thoughts; she didn't hear him come in and lay at her side.
“Why are you crying, sweetheart?” he whispered, as he pulled her into his arms.
“Is this real, Colborn? It’s not just a dream?” she muttered, against his chest.
He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tight. “It’s real, believe me. We’ll get you baby girl back.”
She sobbed louder, wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you… thank you for doing this for me.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Gil Ra. I just want you to be happy.” He assured her, kissing her tempting lips.
“I will be.” She promised.
He kissed her again, this time a deep, passionate kiss, meant to steal away her breath and show her how much he wanted her.
It didn't take them much to reignite the fire of the passion that always burned between them and this time , ; the pa
ssion was mixed with life celebration, making it a very special moment, where arousal and desire reached unsuspicious levels. Kisses and caresses guided them to that amazing world of pleasure and bliss they always find whenever they were together.
The journey back to Earth felt eternal. Days and nights were the same in the vast darkness of the universe and with little to do; time didn’t seem to go by.
Sharing the journey with the Slythonians after what she had been through on her first trip with them hadn’t been easy either, though the absence of Eskol was of great help.
But they finally reach the Earth’s orbit.
Standing in one of the huge windows of the vessel, Gil Ra sighed. Seeing the planet out there was more exciting than Gil Ra thought possible.
“Your planet looks beautiful,” Colborn said, hugging her from behind.
“It is… though we’ve been running it for the last hundred years.” She said, with a sigh. “It’s amazing seeing it from here. Not something I ever thought possible.” She added with a faint smile. “I didn’t even believe in aliens.” She confessed, chuckling.
He pressed himself against her. “I believe I feel quite real, wouldn’t you say so?” he teased her, nibbling her earlobe.
She chuckled, nodding. Despite her anxiety, the past days with him had been amazing. She had gotten to know him better, and they had spent fabulous moments together. The only thing clouding that happiness was her certainty that couldn’t last, that he would find his soulmate and she would be left alone, without him.
Rurik approached them. “We’re ready for the time travel.” He informed the couple. “I prefer to do this before we get the women. It’s much safer.”
“We’ll do as you see fit.”
The man turned to look at Gil Ra. “We’ll go to the bridge where we found you half an hour earlier than the moment you left the baby. Will that give you enough time?” he asked her.
“Yes… the orphanage isn’t far from the bridge.” She nodded. They had established the time and date before.
“You mustn’t be seen by your other self. That would disrupt your future and nasty things would happen.” He warned them again.
