9

Ezra looked down at her robe, then back up at him. Ah, so it begins. "Just regular pajamas beneath, nothing frilly or sexy, just simple long ones." She lied but she had to, silky lingerie felt nice to sleep in, especially in the middle of hot nights. "I'm going back to bed now."

"Are your curtains closed? Does your silhouette cast itself onto them?" Yed's irritating voice asked again.

Ezra held back her sigh, she would have to get used to his constant attention. "No Protector Yed, now I'm going to bed. Tell me later if you think you need more assistance with your hand." She turned to leave, almost home free.

"Good, then keep the lights off, and don't forget to change those clothes. Not only can I tell they aren't long, your purple neckline sticks out at the back. Oh and by the way, I did see your room and those lights. If you change right beside your bed your whole silhouette shows through giving every predator out there a great show. Also, your back door can be jarred open with one good tug and a crowbar, we'll work on that tomorrow."

Ezra looked back at Yed, but kept her mouth shut. She had forgotten that even if you really love an old sweater, it gets pulled out of shape and the stitching always becomes looser causing tail ends all over the place. The feeling of a comfy old sweater only lasts for so long until it has worn out it's welcome. He is an old friend; he's trying his best. He's a protector and that's what he does. Yeah, annoy every part of her. Why did they even make a rule about a Protector not involving himself with a woman? No woman would ever want one! "Goodnight Yed."

------

Yed glanced at his watch as Ezra headed for the bathroom again. So far everything had been fine, her health had been great, no one else was sent to tangle with her or hunt her down. Life was looking good and forgetting the whole event had been easy the longer he hung around. With enough time, he could repress it and convince himself it never happened.

The only thing that wasn't so status quo was her current problem. She is going to the bathroom every half hour. He tried to ignore the sign; there was nothing else out of place. There could be something else going on with her. He pulled out one of his study books and focused on it instead. He just had to stay positive; everything would be fine.

"No, by the planet of Pagnia?!" Ezra's voice shouted.

At Ezra's outburst Yed immediately set his book down and ran toward the bathroom. "What?" He saw her staring at something in her hand and she refused to meet him eye to eye. "Ezra?" He watched her toss something in the nearby trashcan. "Ezzy." Yed glanced back to the trashcan subconsciously knowing what it was. He didn't want to look, didn't want to know, and he wanted to pretend that everything would be okay.

Pretending wasn't going to work anymore though as his eyes stared at the object that had been tossed to the side. A small object no larger than a nail file, but on it was the sign that his worst fear had come true.

-----------

"Oh...oh..." Ezra covered her mouth feeling sick to her stomach. It couldn't be, but it was true! Her stomach felt tied up in knots and she stepped back until she hit the back of the bathroom wall. The cold exterior on her neck did nothing to numb her sudden feelings of nausea. She saw Yed staring at the results, but he blurred in and out of her vision. She tried to breathe, but her throat felt so hoarse, even breathing seemed to be a challenge. Her legs felt like jelly as she trembled and could not stop.

"Ohhhh..." Ezra opened her eyes and saw Yed beside her. She glance around and realized she was on her own couch. "...I'm...I'm..."

"I know." Yed helped her sit up on the couch. "Take it easy, you fainted."

"I'm?" Ezra still could not get out the words. "Yed, w-what do I..."

"You get a crib and some clothes, and I'll just have to guard two instead of one."

Ezra was not happy with his answer. Buy a crib and clothes, did he think it was a joke? She didn't know whether to shout out how much of an insensitive jerk he was or if she should just... "I don't know what to do, I'm not married, I don't have a boyfriend, and I don't even know who the father is, except he pretended to be a protector. Yed, I-I-I don't know what to do!"

"Well...I could call someone?" Yed suggested.

Yed tried to call Xiam first for her, but he wasn't home, so he tried to call Muin. When she heard the news, she rushed right over to help ease Ezra's mind.

"It's okay. This'll be okay Ezra. I mean, we'll both be pregnant together! Right big sister?" Muin said.

Yed refilled Ezra's non-alcoholic drink as he glanced at Muin.

"It's not the same thing Muin." Ezra said the same thing he probably thought. "You're happily married to Zaria."

"I know." Muin said sympathetically then looked crossly over at Yed. "Don't make her feel even worse, just because she didn't live up to your expectations!"

"I'd never do that." Yed disagreed.

"Well, you sure fooled me." Muin crossed her arms and smiled at Ezra. "It'll be fine sis."

Ezra nodded but looked back at Yed. Getting pregnant from a one-night stand, there was no way he'd say it was all right or no big deal. He should be yelling at her, quizzing her to figure out what she did wrong. Criticize her for not listening to him when he was her last Protector. He should have done any of those, but he didn't do or say anything at all. Just that it was okay? It's wrong for Muin to be pregnant and happily married because she's younger, but it was right for her to be impregnated by someone she didn't know because she was older? There was something not right about his behavior.

"It'll be okay." Muin smiled at Ezra. "Maybe the guy will help you out? At the very least, you can get some money out of him."

"I don't really care about that." Ezra responded. The last thing she wanted was for some stranger she met one time to enter her life. Things were complicated enough. She took a swig of the drink Yed poured but wished she had something stronger, at least as powerful as their water. How could one mistake lead to this? She had followed the rules so close, and she had always kept herself in check. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, Muin deserved to be where she belonged. Her sister had been wreckless in her youth, and she care to take any precautions.

Miss wild and free Muinela ended up finding the love of her life while pregnant, but she herself would end up alone and pregnant?

"Tuck your pajamas back in your robe, and I thought I told you to get rid of those?" The annoying voice she knew oh so well berated her.

Excuse me, stuck with a Protector and pregnant. Alone would have been better she thought as she tucked her pajama's deeper into her robe. Like she cared if someone saw her top right now or not? She was pregnant! She hung her head low at the thoughts whirling in her head as she set her drink back down. She felt her sister's arm around her, trying to give comfort, but no one's arm could heal the past. The wound that had slowly started to heal had grown to an all out injury that would never scab over.

'Scab over? How can I think that?' What kind of mother would say such a thing? She tried to hold back her tears, she'd cried enough that night. No amount of crying would help her situation. No, it was time to come clean with herself. "I did something wrong, and I'm pregnant." She finally said the words out loud, but it made her feel even worse. She grabbed a tissue and fiddled with it, trying not to dwell on the words she spoke. The past couldn't be changed though, and the unimaginable was beginning. She couldn't take anything back. "I'm pregnant."

"You shouldn't do this alone. We're gonna find the guy, I promise!" Muin grinned. "Iri's gonna help you."