These Lights

Twenty-Five: Time

Two weeks seemed to speed by, we turned in the files to the police and were awaiting their notice, we were on our way back to the apartment, with the unopened pregnancy test in my pocket.

Aaron opened the door for me and was visibly shaking, I was nervous, what if it said positive, what would we do?

I went into the bathroom, took the test, and let Aaron inside after I was done, it would take a few minutes for the test to be accurate, so we stood there, watching it.

No words passed between us, just tension and silence, it was a cheap test, so one stick appeared.

I held my breath, and Aaron squeezed my hand.

"Aphmau, whatever this test says, I'm not leaving." I nodded, but my focus was on the test, maybe, if I willed hard enough, the first stick would stay.

A light outline of the second stick appeared.

It was positive.

I was pregnant.

We stared at the test with agape mouths and terrified glances.

I looked at him and he looked at me, in a moment he embraced me, holding me close.

"I'll protect you, and our child..." He was shaking violently, I was surprised he could even hold himself up, though I wasn't any better, I was terrified, I didn't know how to raise a baby, I was One myself.

"Oh god Aaron I'm scared..." I felt tears start to fall from my face, I had so many emotions rolling through my body at once, I was overjoyed that I was starting a family, terrified at the idea of children, and confused on The species of the child I now carried.

"Will they be a human, or a werewolf?" Aaron looked at me with concern and worry emanating from his face.

"Werewolf, it's a dominant gene, our little one will be a werewolf." He repeated himself, and placed a hand on my stomach.

"I'll schedule a doctors appointment.... I... I'm going to be a father..." He seemed shocked and overjoyed and scared all at the same time.

"We're going to be parents." He said mostly to himself, I was shaking, and suddenly I was engulfed in an embrace.

"All I ever wanted were little ones of my own, a family, and.... I got my wish, A loving mate, pups on the way." He nuzzled me, making a low purring noise that would probably fit a loin.

"Oh Aaron....." I nuzzled him back, our noses rubbing together like affectionate puppies.

The next few days were just.... bliss, Aaron started looking for a higher paying job, I was just, so happy, a family of my own, a loving husband...

I jumped at my own thoughts, husband, I guess I had never thought of the prospect of marriage before, my mother and father weren't married before Dad left, so It'd never crossed my mind until now.

I blushed and flipped the channel on the TV, I didn't usually watch it, but I was paying more attention to my thoughts than what was on the screen.

So much so that I didn't notice my boyfriend stroll through the door with a wad of papers in his hands and a grin on his face.

I did notice, however when he wrapped his arms around me from behind the couch.

"I have news hon." I smiled and blushed deeply at his pet name, I turned and looked at him, he couldn't contain his happiness.

"Our papers went through, and my father was arrested this morning for attempted assault and destruction of private property." He looked both happy, and upset, I didn't blame him, it was his father, he was still family.

"And" He continued, "Your apartment has been released of custody, we can go back and get your stuff."

"There's not much in there. Cops confiscated most of it." I replied, and he chuckled a little.

"Yeah, But come on, let's grab your stuff, then we can...." He trailed off again, eying me up and down.

"Have some alone time." I felt my nerves vibrate in excitement and my face heat up, I giggled.

"O-okay." I rose from the couch to follow him out, but as I turned to close the door behind me, something caught my eye.

A man, about 6,5 and with short, black hair was on the next building over, cleaning windows, but that isn't what caught my eye.

He was staring right through me, His eyes were a perfect mirror to mine.

And he winked at me.

A blinked at rubbed my eyes, and the man was back to washing windows, was that just my imagination?

"Hey, you coming?" Aaron seemingly teleported behind me grasping my small hand with his muscular one.

"Yeah, sorry." I shook off the incident and opened the door to my old apartment.

It was like the break in never happened, a new TV hung on the wall, my zebra print rug was how it always was, ugly. And everything was how it should be.

I felt a little bit of bittersweetness, I would not be living in this place anymore, I had found a life elsewhere, in particular, seven doors across.

Aaron put a hand on my shoulder and told me there was something waiting for me in my old bedroom, he watched me as I slowly opened the door to my old bedroom.

On the bed, there was a small, black box, not a ring box, but one that held the most beautiful piece of jewelry I'd ever seem.

A silver crescent moon necklace, with a large white gemstone embedded in the center, I picked up the necklace and grazed it with my thumb.

"Do you like it?" Aaron asked from the doorway, leaning against the frame, I turned to look at him, I held back tears.

"Yes! Why did you get this? It's so pretty." I gaze at the necklace again, he took it from me and clasped it around my neck, I noticed a chain around his neck, the same color as my necklace.

"What? Can't I get you something nice every once and awhile?" He noticed I was looking at the chain around his neck and smiled, he held my palm gently as he reveled what was on the end.

"Fine, I may have wanted us to match."

His necklace was identical to mine, only with a black gem instead of white, I couldn't believe I didn't notice it before.

"It's a betrothal gift. It doesn't mean I'm asking you to marry me.... it just means I will eventually." He held my hands I nearly fainted, he chuckled as I stared blankly at him internally screaming in the abyss.

"Wha- I don't know what to say..." It was the truth, I didn't, we'd been together for a couple months, but I didn't think I was ready for marriage.

"Then don't say anything..." He kissed me, lovingly and slowly, at first I tried to pull away out of shock, but I started melting into it.

We pulled away from each other and he laid his forehead on mine, I closed my eyes, let his warmth engulf me as we embraced.

At this, I guess you would think the story was over, the bad guy was defeated, we were happy, a child on a way and a bright plan for the future.

But life doesn't work that way, never has, never will. We may have won the battle, but the war?

It had just begun.

On the next building over, a man with short black hair and caramel eyes that matched Aphmau's sat in the window cleaners chair, a grin on his face. He had waited years for this moment, he finally found the boy he had worked on so many years ago...