The Two Sides of a Sword

Chapter Four

She was terrified. Locked in her seat. Unsure of her survival or the survival of her child... Now isn't the time for story sentences! Rocki pressed a hand to her lower stomach, grateful not to feel anything other amiss than the terror that made her shake like a chihuahua. I don't know if space travel is safe for both of us. I've never had to research that before and now I don't have access to the internet to look it up. Surely all the changes can't be healthy. Will I lose him? A hard shudder made her shoulder tighten.

Something crashed against the ship, jolting the entire thing. Rocki couldn't help the small cry that emitted from her lips as she clung to her seat. Is it the aliens who took Aley? Are they here to get me too?

Kofi glanced back at her. "You all right, blue eyes?"

For a moment, she couldn't imagine why he was checking on her, he was the one that kidnapped her, so it stood to reason he didn't care. But then it occurred to her that he had been adamant that he wasn't going to hurt her.

She nodded in response, eyes wide as she tried to gain control over her breathing. "What was that?" I probably shouldn't be talking to him... But, of course, my need to know everything has overtaken my good senses once again.

"Debris in your atmosphere. We're clear now. And don't worry, I've been driving this ship for years. We're perfectly safe." He returned to the ship controls.

That's what people who are about to crash say, Rocki thought mutinously. She took in a long breath. I've been captured by an alien who is taking me to who knows where while I'm a month pregnant. My sister has also been captured and it doesn't appear there were any witnesses. Our parents won't know we're missing until we don't answer their calls for a few days. There are knives on the kitchen floor so hopefully they'll figure out I was taken unwillingly. Will they suspect Kahinu? They are pretty angry at him after everything that happened. I never told them I was pregnant ...

Her adoptive parents completely adored her and Aley, who was her biological sister, they would never just allow something bad to happen to them. They had adopted the girls when they were only a few months old after they moved to Hawaii from Oregon so Roy could pursue his career in competitive surfing. Marianne didn't have a job at the time anyway since she had to quit the one she had in Oregon, so she stayed home with the girls for the first two years of their lives.

Rocki and Aley had grown up with a love for surfing like their dad and smart business senses like their mom. Nothing had ever been found on their biological parents, so as far as the sisters were concerned, Roy and Marianne were their true parents. Being adopted had never bothered Rocki, because it never felt like she was adopted. Aley had gone through a brief rebellious phase where she used the adoptive card against everything, but it didn't take long for her to realize that adopted or not, they were a family. Roy was the one who was there to encourage them to push themselves farther than they thought they could, and Marianne was there to console them when life hit too hard.

Even though she loved and trusted her family, Rocki couldn't bring herself to tell them she was pregnant and without a husband. It went against every rule she had set up for herself when she was old enough to date. She had been stupid, and as such, life had rewarded her a consequence.

Not that she didn't already love her baby. He was already one of the only things she could focus on most days, and he wasn't even moving yet. Nothing would be able to convince her to give him up, even if his dad was a jerk—although jerk was a gigantic understatement.

Everyone already felt bad enough for her, she did think she could bear to have any more of their pity. The whole family would be angry beyond words, but then they would hover. They always had the best intentions, and Rocki didn't mind their attention, but she knew it would be non-stop if they found out, and they had to find out someday.