Monochrome

Chapter 9: Introduction

Monochrome

Chapter 9

Introduction

Ingo's steps grew more and more insistent as they passed through the front door to their apartment building. Ariel was scared, she turned to look at Emmet who was more interested in the infant in his arms. Making faces, talking to her, and even blowing on her belly. It made Ariel smile a little.

Finally the elevator door opened and they were on their shared floor. Ingo let go of Ariel's hand as he opened his own apartment door. Ariel almost turned to leave the apartment, she didn't need to be in there while he was angry. She wanted none of it.

The front door however was closed. She turned back to see Ingo putting his jacket and hat onto a hanger.

"Explain..." Ingo told her, handing a hanger to his brother. Ingo picked up Akari and sat down on one of the steps.

She was silent, what could she say? She was sorry, she was a horrible mother? She shouldn't have had her in the first place? She felt like she was in a corner, she wanted to curl into a little ball and...

She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked into Ingo's gray eyes. His other hand reached up and touched her chin.

"I beg your pardon, I think you are misunderstanding my anger. It is not at you, it is at that man." Relief washed over her and she sat down on the floor putting her chin on the coffee table. Both Ingo and Emmet sat down on the couch.

"It was about two summers ago that I had met Cain at work, he had lost his car keys so I helped him find them. Underpaid and horrible housing led me to live with him." She rolled her chin back and laid her cheek on the table instead.

"He was kind to me, hardly yelled, paid for dinner, and gave me flowers." She sighed. As she sat up and looked down at her hands. "It was all of course a lie." She told them. Ingo and Emmet looked at one another.

"He didn't...did he?" Emmet asked. She looked up and shook her head.

"Oh no no...it wasn't like that. That was done when I thought...well I thought he loved me. It was when he found out I was pregnant that he..."

Ingo sat up and pointed to her.

"You are pregnant?" wait...they didn't know? Oh great...this may still blow up.

"No no...not anymore." Emmet gasped, pulling Akari to his chest.

"I...had her...yesterday."

"Oh! Does that mean Akari will have a...wait when are you going to bring the baby? We should have a playdate." Emmet was always so happy and smiling. The look he was given by Ariel when realization set in. His mouth slowly opened and he pointed to the baby.

"No...not..." He looked down at Akari who was sleeping soundly now that she was fed.

"Why?" Ingo didn't look too angry.

"You saw my apartment Ingo...I have a single bed, a sack full of clothing, two pots, and a night stand. I can't afford diapers, milk, all those things. Plus...if Cain found out that our daughter exists and is still here he could fight me for custody and get her because I can't provide for her. Do you want that man to have her?! I left because of his anger, ego, and I found out he worked for a group that steals pokemon! They're so empty hearted that they even sold their own pokemon!" Ingo gasped understanding the reasons why she had to give her up. She didn't not want her, just simply wanted her to survive. A better environment, a better life, food, shelter...all the things she couldn't give. It was the most responsible thing a mother could do.

"Then we will help you." Emmet said. "We aren't offering to be her dads. Just like her...godparents."

"With full custody so her father can't get her." He reached over cupping Akari's head. "She has us around that tiny little finger of hers."

Ariel watched them looking at the infant and realized what that meant. She could still be a mom for her.

"Oh but..."

"Its not a marriage, we aren't...ready for that sort of commitment. Besides that would be weird. If we both date you, and you date us both but we're brothers so thats kinda..." Ingo tried to compute it...really he did. Ariel just giggled and shook her head.

"Thats understandable. I'm just...a rental mom." She said and jumped when Emmet stood up.

"Good, now here..." He walked over and placed Akari into Ariels arms.

"Miss Ariel, meet Akari...your daughter." Those words hurt, but it was a good kind of hurt. She looked down at the infant and saw her eyes. They were a pale blue...where did that blue come from? She didn't know, it was...familiar. Tears ran down her cheeks as she pulled the infant closer to her and jumped when the infant clamped down on her breast. It had been a day since she was born...would she still want to? Did she actually have milk?

Pulling up her shirt and popping the pin on her maternity bra she offered it to the infant who clamped down almost instantly to her. It was a horribly worn bra she got from a second hand store. But it worked all the same.

Ingo and Emmet turned to each other and smiled. They found the mother, and it worked out great. Now to insure that Cain stayed in jail for a good long while.