Chain Me

Epilogue

     Gerry crawls across the couch to land in Lost's lap and she lifts him so he can see the TV properly. We've been babysitting the little boy for the last six months or so in exchange for Tiffany taking on some of Lost's paranormal jobs. Gerry has been going through a rebellious stage and Lost is the only one that can calm him. Tiffany caught on to that early and so our deal began.
     Lost and I never ran away from the life like I had suggested a few months back, but we created a system so our lives would be easier. Leon got numerous volunteer recruits the night of my kidnapping and Lost helped train them so that they could go out on simple jobs that she didn't want. That was the just the beginning of our easier lives.
     The General respected Lost all the more when he heard about her triumph over Isa and her people, and he begun only putting her on the most delicate of missions. They are few and far between, which is good for us. It gives us more free time. We rarely get jobs now, and when we do, they're sensitive but relatively easy. Lost makes sure to do them quickly so we can get back home and get on with our lives. It's been fabulous. All we do now is watch Gerry when Tiffany asks us to, go out for fun, spend time together, and just generally be happy. We have so much down time that Lost has started taking some of Cas's jobs so Cas can spend time with Emma. It's also to repay her for when she had to take on more jobs when Lost started working for Leon.
     "Bog!" Gerry squeals, bouncing on Lost's lap. There's a dog on TV and he's smiling and pointing at it. He's become more talkative and it's been a blast. Lost tries to teach him words but he can barely pronounce any of them correctly, his speech impediment becoming obvious. It's adorable.
     "That's right," Lost says. "Woof!"
     Gerry bellows a cute little bark and I smile, but then my stomach turns and I gag a little. It has nothing to do with Gerry. I've just been feeling sick lately. I swear it was that orc soup that I took after a job simply to be polite. It must have given me a virus or something. I haven't been the same since that day.
     Lost looks at me as I cover my mouth with a hand, and she raises her eyebrows. I swallow back the bile in my throat and shake my head to tell her I'm fine. She narrows her eyes, suspicious, but returns her gaze to Gerry. They continue to watch TV together as I finish up lunch for us. Tiffany should be back soon but she usually eats lunch along with us. It's nice to have her and Gerry around so often. Sometimes even Hakeem makes an appearance if it's the weekend. It's not now, so he's at school and won't be making a surprise entrance. At least he likes to think they're surprises. He comes over all the time so I'm never shocked to see him in the living room playing games with Lost, but I act like it for his sake.
     I finish up lunch in a matter of minutes and bring it to the living room. I place it on the coffee table, and Lost scoots close to have Gerry level with the food. They eat in tandem and I smile at the sight. Lost is truly good with children. She'd make a great mom.
     My throat clenches and I speed out of the living room to get to the bathroom. The toilet seat is barely up before I'm heaving. My throat burns, and few tears leak from yhe corners of my eyes. When I'm finished I wipe my mouth with some toilet paper and fall back onto my butt. I hate throwing up, I always have. Damned orc soup.
     "Are you okay?" Lost asks, stepping into the bathroom. She kneels down next to me after flushing the toilet.
     I run a hand through my hair and drop my head back, hitting the wall behind me. "I need to get better soon."
     "You will." She gently touches my arm and slides her hand down to mine. Then she releases me as if I were poison.
     "What?" I ask, concerned. Lost has a sixth sense about these things. "What's wrong?"
     She stares at me for a minute, then shakes her head. A variety of emotions cross her face in a second and I become more nervous. "Nothing," she says oddly. "I thought... No. Do you want to lay down?"
     When I nod, Lost picks me up and carries me to my bed. I haven't actually been in my own bed for months. Usually I go to sleep with Lost. Or, you know, fuck her there. Her silk sheets are just perfect for what we do. Besides, our toy is in her bedside drawer. Her room is our room now.
     "You shouldn't think like that when you're sick," Lost chuckles as she covers my legs with my blanket.
     I smile up at her as she crosses her arms over her chest. "An orgasm could do me good," I purr, wiggling my fingers at her. "They help prevent colds, you know."
     She rolls her eyes but I see the flash of color in them. "Rest. Tiffany's here, anyway."
     I groan, and she kisses me softly before leaving. I snuggle into my pillow and wonder if Lost will have some fun with me when Tiffany's gone. We've had sex almost every day, sometimes more if we're feeling brave, and I'd like to keep that tradition going. What can I say? Lost and I have a healthy sex life. Sometimes we do things without aiming for the big climax. I've never had a relationship like that, didn't know I could, but it's... a relief. Sexual touch relaxes me when done softly and slowly. Lost knows just how to do it to keep me wet but reign in my arousal so my body knows an orgasm isn't coming. At first when she started doing it I thought I'd get upset, but I never did. What she does is akin to a massage. It feels good and loosens me in all the right places. She doesn't even care what I do while she's touching me, which is exactly what she wants since it's all about me. There was an instant where she was eating me out while I watched TV and ate dinner. The whole scene lasted almost three hours. She got me so loose with her gentle tongue that the knot in my lower back came undone and the crack that reverberated through the apartment when I finally stood made me moan louder than if she had made me orgasm.
     Tiffany's voice floats in through the hall and I sit up, bringing my mind back to the now, as I hear footsteps approaching. It's only a second before there's a knock on my door and Tiffany pokes her head into my room cautiously. "Hey," she greets me. "Still under the weather?"
     I wave her in and say, "Yeah, unfortunately."
     She comes in and sits on the edge of my bed then reveals a baggy of... I don't know. "Herbs," she explains. "Should combat that orc soup. You'll be better in no time."
     "Thank you so much."
     "No problem. Lost already knows what to do. She'll make you some tea later."
     "Perfect. I'm sure once my stomach settles I'll be fine."
     "Good." Tiffany smiles and touches my leg over the blanket with care. We talk a little about Gerry, what's going on, all that small talk stuff. It only lasts a little while as I see Tiffany wants to go. She probably wants to get Gerry home and see the rest of her family.
     After a few extra minutes she stands and exhales. "I guess I should get out of your hair, then. I just wanted to come and see that you were okay. Tell me if the herbs work or don't work. I'll get you something different if they don't."
     "Thanks, Tiffany. You're the best."
     She starts for the door and waves at me. "I know," she says cockily. "See you."
     "Bye." I'm left alone and I kick my blankets off my legs. I feel fine. Well, fine now that I've barfed. I rest my back against my headboard and wait for Lost to come see me, which she no doubt will now that we're alone and Gerry isn't here to distract her. And she does come for me, almost immediately. I smile at her and she cocks her head at me.
     "What?" I ask. She had that same look in the bathroom earlier.
     She sniffs and narrows her eyes. "How are you feeling?"
     "Fine. Why?"
     "Because you..." Her eyes widen and she zooms towards the bed. She leans down beside me and puts her face in the crook of my neck and her hand on my stomach. Her hand rubs small circles as she breathes me in. I have no idea what's happening but I like it.
     I try to grab on to her to pull her on top of me for a quick romp, but she stands straight. There's a goofy smile on her face and she claps her hands together clumsily. "I know why you're sick," she squeaks. She sounds both scared and nervous and excited.
     "Oh? What's wrong with me?" I'm more than curious now.
     She jiggles on her feet and stares at me lovingly, her eyes starting to cloud with white. "I- I... Wow! At first I just thought... But wow!" She wets her lips. "There's no doubt now that Gerry's gone. I thought it was him at first. But it's not! It's you!"
     I raise my eyebrows. "What? What's going on?"
     "Oh, Kahlan!"
     "What!" Now I'm curious and exasperated and a little scared. "What in the world is going on?"
     Lost kneels beside the bed and lays her head over onto my lap. "You're late," she says, almost teasingly.
     My brow furrows. "Late? What?"
     Looking up at me, Lost wiggles her eyebrows and darts her eyes downward, towards my crotch. Then I get it. My period's late, that's true. But what does that...
     No. That's not possible. That's not- it's not!
     And then Lost says those two words that make me so dizzy I feel like I might pass out.
     "You're pregnant."