For Honor or Glory

What to Expect

Chapter 61

It had been an hour since Alex found out the news that she was expecting, and she still could not wrap her head around it. Once the healer brought her some tea to help settle her nerves, the rest of the room fell into silence. She had been glad when someone came and asked Sephiroth and Genesis to follow him. She wasn't sure if he was taking them back to wherever they were being held or somewhere else. Not that she could spare much thought for it.

She almost wished her brother had gone with them, but one look at him had told her that there was no way he was going to, especially not now. Even though he stayed, neither of them had spoken since the others left. Her whirling thoughts were strained enough without trying to face conversation.

When she finally did spare a glance at him, she saw him sitting with his head in his hands. The sight of his drooped shoulders made her cringe. It was her fault he was so tired. She hadn't seen it, but she knew by the way his eyes looked that he had been up all night. Her worry for her brother managed to push back her woes. She didn't want to startle him, so she whispered, "Geal."

His head shot up, and he gave her a worried look as he said, "Are you all right? Do I need to go get the healer again?"

She reached for his arm before he could stand and shook her head as she said, "No. I'm fine. Well, except for being worried about you. This tea will probably have me sleeping soon. Why don't you take the next bed and get some rest? I'll be okay."

He frowned as he looked over her face carefully. Instead of answering or doing what was suggested, he moved to sit on the edge of the bed and took her hand. He gently squeezed her fingers as he said, "I've said this before, but now that you are calmer, I want you to hear it again. No matter what happens, what this may be, you know you aren't alone, right?"

Alex sighed as she squeezed his fingers back. She didn't really want to talk about it, but she did have one thing that she couldn't let go of—one thing that she knew she would have nightmares about. Even though she didn't want to worry her brother more, he was the one person that might be able to reassure her.

She squeezed his fingers back as she said, "Geal, I know that you will be there for me, and somehow, we'll figure out how to survive. The alternative is unthinkable. Still, that isn't what has me so freaked out."

She paused and took a deep breath before she looked into his eyes with a troubled gaze. "We both know that this isn't normal. What if—what if this thing that Hojo put in me isn't even human?"

Angeal didn't answer right away. He looked as troubled as she did for a moment before the look cleared, and he pulled her into an embrace. When he sat back again, he gave her a reassuring look as he said, "Alex, no matter what else, it might help to remember that no matter what Hojo did, or whoever the father is, that child is half yours. You don't need to worry about it being human."

Instead of being reassured, Alex grimaced at his reminder. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to push her disgust back before she opened them again and answered, "Geal, I'm not even human—not wholly. How can I not worry?"

Angeal's eyes widened for a moment at her reminder, but he quickly was back under control as he shook his head and said, "Weren't you the one that told us we aren't monsters? You can't think of that right now. No matter what anyone else may have planned, you and I both know that child doesn't have to grow up to be one either."

Her brother's words only added to her confusion, but despite that, they did help her calm enough for the tea to finally have her yawning. She covered it with one hand, and when it passed, she sighed and patted her brother's hand as she said, "I still can't say that I'm not disturbed, and I feel violated, but I'll consider what you said."