“Yeah! My stomach has been misbehaving. The doctor gave me something so I’m cool.” She was nodding over her plate, her eyes firmly set on the pastry in her hand.
“As long as you are ok now that is all that matters.” He kissed her temple before taking a seat in front of the T. V. he wasn’t watching it but he didn’t want to hover over her especially when Kayla was with her.
Scarlet looked at the frustrated look on Kayla’s face, she didn’t need to be told what was bothering her. Her hand dropped to her belly and she caressed it. She chuckled as veins started forming on Kayla’s forehead.
I give up. Kayla mouthed at her. She needed a way to talk to her without Stephan hearing, and his miniature version was making it impossible. “Speaking of doctors, Scarlet you have an appointment today.” Kayla inhaled deeply hoping that Scarlet wouldn’t sell her out in her lie. “A follow-up, remember it’s today.” She raised her eyebrows at her then darted her eyes at her belly.
She looked up when Stephan did. He wasn’t trying to understand what they were saying. He gave up on understanding the two of them when he and scarlet started dating. To him, Kayla was another of Scarlet’s limbs.
“You have a doctor’s appointment. Do you want me to take you?” He was concerned. Everything about her concerned him.
“I was thinking I could take her. Maybe squeeze in some girl time in between.” Kayla spoke up before Scarlet did. She didn’t want her to say anything that would block her plan.
“Thanks, honey but it seems that K is dead set on taking me. But I will see you later.” She wrapped what was left of her breakfast to take it with her.
She leaned down for a kiss before grabbing the keys to her Clio from the table. “No! No! No! We are not going anywhere with that junk. I am not going to push it if it decides to stall.”
“Well, you can run there. My junk and I will meet you there. Good luck with that.” She was almost out the door when Kayla appeared before her.
“Jeez, you need to stop doing that.”
Kayla was trying to tell her something she couldn’t understand. It took her a while to notice that her head was leaning towards Stephan.
“Stephan, could we please borrow your car,” Kayla asked in a sweet gentle voice that even had Scarlet startled.
“Sure.” He tossed the keys to her midst Scarlet’s protests.
“I don’t understand you Scar. He is willing to give it to us so stop being a buzz kill.” She gave Stephan a thumbs up before dashing to the black car parked outside.
“It’s fine I don’t mind.” Stephan got up to hug Scarlet.
“You enable her.” Her hands circled his waist.
“It makes her happy which in turn makes you happy.” He was kissing the back of her ear.
“You would do anything to make me happy wouldn’t you?” she was glad to hear that because it meant he had her best interest at heart. “Is that why you are letting me go on Sunday?” she pulled his head back to look into his eyes.
“Yes. You will be happy because you are going to follow your dreams. And you will be safe because you won’t be anywhere near me. Not until I sort this mess out.” He kissed her forehead. “Now go. Sadly I can’t protect you from illnesses.”
She walked to the car where Kayla was impatiently waiting. She glanced back at him a couple of times. Wondering what she would miss the most. His beautiful silver eyes were brought out by his long jet-black hair. The way his t-shirt hugged his perfect chiseled body. His strong muscled arms held and cradled her every single night since she met him. Or his hypnotic smile that tore her will to bits every time he looked at her adoringly.
She got into the car and stole one last look. Her hand dropped to her belly once more hoping that their child would be the exact image of his father.
Kayla put her arm on her shoulder as she drove off. “Let me guess, he’s asleep.”
“Finally, I don’t like it when he does that. Do you hear me?” she was now looking down where Scarlet’s hand caressed gently.
“K you do know that you sound psychotic?” she couldn’t help but laugh. She could always rely on her to make her laugh.
“It is not too early to teach good manners. Especially for this kid, his genes are already against him. Not to mention everyone close to him is a vampire.” She patted Scarlet’s hand. “This kid has all the odds against him when it comes to manners. But he will be the safest kid in the world.”
Kayla’s voice was almost a whisper, “He has a brave mom, a father whose powers I can’t even explain. Two other crazy vampires.” She looked into Scarlet’s eyes then said, “An aunt who would die for him that is if she wasn’t dead already.”
“Thank you.”
“Always Scar.”
“So where are you taking me.” Scarlet thought it was best to change the subject. They had enough time to mop about her departure.
“To the doctor, I was very serious about that. We need to know how fast that little monster is growing. He looked four months a week ago, so let’s go find out.”
Scarlet could tell that she was worried. She had thought about it before especially because she would probably be alone when he was born. She would need to prepare for that. But now they had to get the mathematics part of it right.
“So where are we going? We can’t go back to the same doctor.” She didn’t need him looking at her like a science experiment again.
“No. Don’t worry I will turn anyone into a snack if they dare look at you wrongly. I thought we would see someone else. We just need an ultrasound. He just needs to tell us how far along you are.”
“That sounds easy enough.” That was all they needed for now.
After half an hour of Kayla’s insane driving, of her trying to explain to her the engine the car had they drove into a small private clinic.
“I think you are hanging around Vincent and Solara too much K. You are acting more boyish than usual.”
“Well if you and Stephan would reduce the bedroom conversations to a minimum, then maybe I can move back into my room and hang out with you for a while.”
Scarlet knew it was more of an accusation than anything else. She felt guilty for ignoring her best friend but she needed time with Stephan. Unlike Kayla, she didn’t expect to see him for a long time. She had permitted Kayla to visit her from time to time, on the condition she behaves and doesn’t turn her neighbors into snacks.
“Sorry about that. Promise to make time for you before I leave.”
“That is ok, besides we will have time to ourselves when I come to visit you. You should spend this time with the guy who knocked you up.” She chuckled under her breath. “Scarlet Mc Kyle knocked up.”
They talked to the nurse on duty, she had her fill some forms first. Scarlet decided not to use her real name since they were paying cash. She didn’t think it was a good idea to leave a record of her visit. She was called into the examining room where her pressure and temperature were taken. Kayla followed ignoring the laser eyes the nurse darted at her.
She had better stop eyeing me or I will empty her into a canteen. Scarlet was glad that she alone was privy to the thought. She didn’t think the nurse would take it too kindly being referred to as liquid lunch. She was then escorted to the doctor’s office and took a seat near his desk.
“Hello. My name is Doctor Madden. Please lie on the bed.” He took the folder the nurse handed to him and read it. He looked at her under his glasses making small sighing noises.
She climbed on the bed, trying not to laugh at the strange noises he was making. After a series of questions, she lay back and lifted her top. She already knew the drill having done it twice before. She prepared herself for the cold gel they would put on her belly. Kala moved closer, although she could get a better look from across the room she didn’t want to chance missing something.
“Ms. Jeraldi.” She couldn’t help but giggle when the doctor used her alias. It was another one of Kayla’s ideas. She had to admit she loved the sound of Stephan’s name as hers.
“How long do you think you have been pregnant?” The worried crease on the old man’s face made her nervous.
“About four months. Why? What’s wrong?” she lifted her head to look at the monitor, hoping she could tell what he was getting at.
“I don’t see anything. I mean I can’t see a thing.”
Scarlet was too shocked to talk. She was sure the baby was there a week ago. She was glad when Kayla joined the conversation. She knew she could sense or hear her fear.
“What are you trying to say? What exactly can’t you see? How can you see anything at all this thing doesn’t look like it’s even on?” She lifted her hand like she was going to tap the top of the monitor when the doctor stopped her.
“It is on. Could you please step back? All the preliminary tests done do show some signs of pregnancies. But sometimes they can be false positive. I can’t tell because all I see from this is a dark cloud. I can’t even see any of your other organs.”
Another frustrated wrinkle appeared on his brow. He tested the machine on his arm to make sure it was working. It was because they could see the many veins in his arm. He placed it again on her belly and nothing. Openly frustrated he turned off the machine and took a seat behind his desk. He was swinging on his chair tapping his temple trying to figure it out. When Kayla thought he was distracted enough not to notice them, she took Scarlet’s hand and they made a break for it. When they were safely back in the car and homebound Kayla explained her theory. She was laughing in between her sentences. Scarlet didn’t see what was amusing about the dark cloud where her baby was supposed to be. She had seen the baby before in her earlier examinations and didn’t understand what happened.
“It is very funny when you think of it. I am no expert in this but this is what I think, the baby is in a shield or something. I’m not making much sense am I?” she paused for a moment thinking o how best to put it.
“My skin is like diamond, leather. And Stephan isn’t just a vampire he is also a beast. So am guessing that your womb has changed in some sort of cocoon to protect him. Like the membrane has become a lot thicker.”
Scarlet was still confused but was able to make sense of some of what she had said. “So what you are saying is my baby is in a diamond leather membrane. Am I right? That is why it isn’t visible. What about a week ago?”
“I have a theory about that too. As the baby grows it is adopting its genes. It’s developing in stages and taking all its forms. Human, vampire, and beast.”
“So it’s growing stronger with each month or week. So that trip was a waste of time. We still don’t know how far along I am.”
Kayla was silent for a while. The thought of the baby growing stronger and taking its father’s form didn’t sit well with her. They would have to find out about the beast’s birth process to be sure. She was scared for Scarlet and how it would turn out for her.
“Scarlet how do you think this will all turn out. I think you should tell Stephan and cancel your trip. I have a very funny feeling about this.”
What she was saying wasn’t new to Scarlet. It wasn’t something she hadn’t thought about countless times. But she had made up her mind.
“Stephan told me once that beasts were born. So am assuming it’s not that different from humans. Am hopeful.”
She placed her hand on Kayla’s trying to reassure her, “Besides when he comes you will be there with me.”
“Always,” Kayla swore.