Open Wounds

Chapter 6

Valeria couldn't take it anymore! Sportacus completely left them on their own, and moved back to his airship.

The couple had fought about this a lot lately, and Alexander decided to go and live again in his airship.

"But why don't you get it?! It's for your own good!" he yelled at her.

"Well, I would get it if Mark was constantly trying to kill us, not that he somehow escaped from jail and tried to kill us few months ago!" she yelled back.

Silence.

"Why, for god's sake, when we're finally having the family we've always dream of-"

"Yeah, right, because I've always dreamed that the guy who killed my father will try to kill my wife and children too!" he yelled again.

"Look, Alex, it won't help any of us if you will be so stressed about Mark..." she tried to calm him down

"You know what? Until you will understand that I'm doing this for the good of this family, I'm leaving!"

"W-What?! Where are you going to be?!" she shouted as he put on his blue cap.

"In my airship, of course! Get used to it – Sportacus is back, and for a full time job," he said, "you know, like I did before you moved to LazyTown and we found out that Stephanie is our daughter..."

He left.

Vale never felt more broken. She fell on her knees and tried to block her tears, while she held her stomach, which was even bigger now, since she was in the beginning of the fifth month of her pregnancy.

"Is it safe to come out now?" she heard a soft voice coming from the stairs.

She turned her head and her two children could see she was crying. The two rushed down and hugged her.

"Shh... It will be ok, mom..." Stephanie pulled her mother into her shoulder and caressed her – which is the same thing that Vale is doing to them when they are sad or upset.

*****

Two weeks has passed, and Valeria couldn't stand it anymore. Even though Stephanie helped her a lot in the house chores and with Matias, she still missed Alexander. It wasn't the same.

So she decided to go and talk to him again. He had to know how she felt, and most of all – all the details about her pregnancy.

Luckily, the airship still responded to her voice, so the ladder came down easily and she climbed up.

She found her husband exercising (of course) while thinking hard on a way to catch Mark. At the same time. How was that even possible? She had no idea.

"Valeria?" he said as he lifted his head up to see her.

"Hi," she said.

"What are you doing here?" he stood up.

"Just came here to talk. I really missed you, and so are the kids," she told him.

"I miss you all too. And I'm sure that I will miss you even more once Mark will get you, and I will have to rescue all of you," he told her as he walked around her.

"Oh, come on! Don't start again!" she groaned.

"Well, what did expect from me to say?" he asked.

"An 'I love you' could be a good start," she said.

He sighed.

"Look, I came here to talk to you and have a pleasant conversation, so that's what we're going to do."

Sportacus understood what she wanted to talk to him about. The baby.

"No we're not. I don't want to take the risk that Mark might hear that somehow and-" he said but she cut him off.

"I'm having twins."

Sportacus eyes widened.

"W-What? Twins?"

"Yes. A boy and a girl, one of each," she tried to smile.

Sportacus knew he was supposed to be excited, but he couldn't.

"Why? Why did you tell me that, huh?! I told you I didn't want to hear any of that!" he shouted.

"But you need to! I was really hoping that in this pregnancy you wouldn't act like you did when I was having Matias, but apparently I was wrong."

Suddenly, a strong wind started blowing. So strong, it made the whole airship swing all around. Within an instinct, Sportacus caught his wife in his arms and held her as close and tight as he could. He couldn't risk her or... the twins.

"How come there's a thunderstorm in the middle of June?!" Valeria asked loudly.

"I don't know!" he shouted back.

"Wait – I do know!" he kept shouting.

"IT MUST BE MARK PRESCOTT'S WORK!! REMEMBER HOW HE MADE THAT SNOW STORM WHEN HE FIRST APPEARED??" he screamed more, as the wind became even stronger.

"YES! OH MY GOD..." Vale said.

"THE KIDS!" they said together.

Once the storm was over, the couple rushed down to their house, to see if the kids are safe.

"Stephanie?!" Sportacus shouted, but his voice echoed back.

"Matias, mi amor?!" Valeria shouted as well as she went upstairs, to see if they are there.

"I... I can't believe it..." Valeria almost fainted when she went down the stairs, and he held her.

"Oh, Alex, you were right, you were right all this time!" she cried on his chest.

"No... It's ok... You were right too, I should have been more involved, that way I could have prevented that..." he told her softly and her head.

He released her a little from their hug, but he still wrapped his hands around her waist.

"I promise you, we will find them..." Sportacus said, when his suddenly felt something weird, and so did Valeria.

"The twins... They are moving!" Valeria exclaimed quietly.

"Oh my god..." Sportacus moved his hands from her waist to her stomach and felt it really clear. Valeria put her hands on his.

Then, for the first time in months, Sportacus smiled. And also, for the first time in months – he kissed her.

And that's where their journey begins.