Into the Ether - Complete

Spring, When New Things Grow: Part 4

"I'm sorry I didn't visit you earlier, but with Valentine's Day..." Lissa trailed off, noticing my somber mood.

It was 8 pm on Wednesday, and I'd been back at the Academy just over thirty hours. I hadn't expected to see Lissa any earlier. By the time I woke up after seeing Janine, as I now mentally called her instead of Mom, Lissa had already been in classes for the day, and after school, she was with Christian for Valentine's Day. Lissa must have had her little chat with Brandon because she and Christian had spent the entire afternoon alone in the Church attic getting it on.

It had been a wonderful afternoon for her. Sparky had pulled out all the stops – there were flowers all over their love bower, he had chocolate and strawberries and had even managed to procure a bottle of Champagne for them to share over dinner. It had been everything Lissa had hoped for, and as a result, she was deliriously happy today.

"It's fine, I mostly slept," I lied, not wanting to make her feel bad. There's no point telling her I'd spent the day bored out of my skull or trying to distract myself from replaying the scene with Janine over and over in my head. "Tell me all about it," I encouraged, trying to sound enthusiastic and not let her know I'd already seen most of it when I'd been pulled into her head. So for the next five minutes, she detailed every aspect of her Valentine's Day, including showing me the glittering emerald necklace Christian had bought her.

"It's beautiful," I admired. "And it suits you," I said with a smile.

"Thanks," she beamed. "I'm so happy and in love! Also, I've come to a decision..." she started hesitantly. "I've been thinking about it for a while, and I've decided to come off my medication. I think I'm in a better place mentally to cope with using my magic again." She looked nervous but resolute.

"Well, just keep an eye on it," I said, not thrilled. With our bond, decisions like these affected both of us, and it would have been nice to be consulted, but with the news I was about to drop on her, I couldn't exactly make a big deal out of it.

"So what's going on with you?" Lissa asked in an attempt to move the conversation on now she'd made her announcement.

I took a huge breath and said, "Actually Lissa, there is something I need to talk to you about, and I'm freaking out about it, so please just let me get it out before you say anything, ok?"

Lissa immediately looked concerned. "Ok," she agreed reluctantly.

"And please don't go off your head..."

She nodded, grasping my hands as she sat on the edge of my hospital bed.

"Ok - so you know how I was taken to the hospital after that training accident? Well, there was a bit more to it than that. The reason they took me to the human hospital is because they don't have the equipment needed here to look after me. Well... Look after us. I was hit in the stomach, Lissa – Dr. Olendzki had to send me to the human hospital to be checked because I'm pregnant."

"You're pregnant?" she whispered in shock.

"Thirteen weeks this Friday," I confirmed. "I'll be twenty-seven weeks when I graduate, so I'm trying to make it through to then without everyone knowing."

She sat and stared at me.

"How long have you known?" she finally whispered.

"I found out after dinner Christmas Day," I said, trying to get a read off her face – but all I could see was shock. "So far only Eddie, Mason, and a few of the staff know. Oh - and I told my mother yesterday, and she disowned me."

"Eddie and Mason know?! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well at first I was in too much shock, and then you went to the Lazar's ski lodge. By the time you got back, I thought I'd wait until the first trimester was over. There didn't seem like any point upsetting everyone if I miscarried. And I didn't tell Eddie and Mason; they were there when the training accident happened, and what with my barely eating because of the morning sickness Eddie figured it out."