Whalien 52

Chapter 61

Creighton was pacing back and forth in the dorm room; today was the day they'd find out he wasn't carrying. H3409 walked up to him, "Are you okay, B1204?"

Creighton sighed, "Creighton, my name is Creighton."

"Sorry, Creighton," the other breeder sighed, not looking at him, "I feel weird calling you by your given name. My parents never gave me one; I was given up the day I was born."

Creighton walked over to him, pulling him into a hug. "I can give you a name if you want?"

H3409 snapped his eyes up, "You'd do that? Do you know a lot of names?"

"I do; my parents were amazing. You remind me a lot of my Dad, Amos. My other Dad, Beck, was a doctor, so Amos stayed home with me, teaching me everything he could. They were so upset that they had to give me up. They tried so hard to protect me. But in the end, it wasn't enough. My.. Amos, he lost his life trying to hide me. They killed him right in front of me and Beck."

"Oh, Creighton," he cried out, holding him tightly, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, I've had time to grieve." He pulled back from the embrace, a soft smile on his face. "You can have his name if you want. I think he'd like that."

"Are you sure?" Amos whispered.

"I'm sure."

He smiled so brightly, something that rarely happens in this life. "Hi Creighton, I'm Amos."

"It's nice to meet you, Amos," Creighton happily replied.

"B1204," the Whalien guard announced as he walked into their dorms, "it's time for your test."

Creighton squeezed Amos' hand before following the guard out of the dorm room. He knew the test was going to be a negative; of that, he had no doubts. What he was worried about was what came afterward. Draco and Harry had expressed interest in having him in their home. It wasn't unheard of when breeders reached the age they could no longer bear young to be put into service in other ways. He's just not sure what happens when it's someone as young as him.

He'd love to live with them versus being one of the breeders that stays at the dorms caring for the others. It's too hard; yes, he'd miss Amos desperately, but seeing their scared faces is too much. The fear of not knowing when they'd be picked, of giving birth, and potentially being a breeder and doomed to this life. Or it is not one, and it's taken from you before you even hold it. You never see them again, whether it's a Whalien or a breeder. They are sent to the newborn facility or go home with their parents. 

Creighton has never hated being born a breeder; it's a gift to be able to carry a young. What he hated was that he had no choice. He doesn't get to pick who he has young with, and he doesn't get to see his children grow up. Their first steps are what they think about or even what they look like. If he could choose who the father of his children were, he'd be so happy. He'd always select Harry and Draco if he got to stay with them.

"Jin, you can't do this to me. I'm pregnant, and you are going to fly back to your planet and abandon me, your kids, and two of your mates?"

"Three of my mates, Sky, you are just as much a mate as Hobi and Jimin are. And I'm not abandoning you or anyone else. I'm fighting for you, for them. Think about Hasin; if your government finds him, it's over for him. But if we can fix 52, he can find mates and have young. Don't you want that for him?"

"Of course I do, but I. Jin, what if I lose you, any of you?"

He pulled her against his body, holding her gently with his palms. He stared into her eyes, filled with tears, "Sky, we have to do this. It's the only way we can protect you three." His hand was on her stomach. She had never seen Jin cry; he'd always made a joke to relieve the tension. But he was actually crying this time; their lips crashed into each other. He tasted salty and vaguely like the breakfast they had that morning. 

"I love you, please come back to me."

He smiled against her lips, "I told you already, baby, that you wouldn't be able to get rid of me until I have you under me and submitting."

She grinned as she got up on her tippy toes, arms looped around his neck, "then get used to being stuck with me forever since that is NEVER going to happen."

"Keep," kiss, "telling," kiss, "yourself," kiss, "that," long kiss that left her breathless.

Yoongi, Joon, and Jungkook fought with Scotty while Tae hugged and kissed Hasin goodbye. "You can't go Scotty," Yoongi sighed. "We need you here; while Jimin, Hobi, and Mark are trained soldiers, they aren't about that life, and you know it. What happens if another warship is on its way? Are you going to leave them alone and defenseless?"

"No, of course not. But I want to go with you and help."

Jungkook quickly walked over to Scotty and squeezed his shoulder. "We are thankful for that. But they need you here more. I can focus on my mission better if I know they are safe, and you are here to ensure that. Hobi can help, of course. But Jimin and Mark are soft and don't like fighting."

"Fine, but she's going to be pissed, and if you don't come back alive, she will find a damn spaceship and fly to 52 to kill you herself. You know that right."

Joon chuckled, "We do, and because of that, we'll make sure to return. We promise."

When they left, Sky turned to look at the four men who had stayed behind. "I hate this so much. I feel like my heart just left, and I'm never going to get it back."