Lachlan and Rowan: Lost

Chapter 21

One hand holds the pregnancy test, the other is pressed to Rowan's stomach. I know my baby is just tiny particles right now, and resembles nothing close to a baby...but its still my baby. I can't help but touch Rowan's stomach and resist the urge to smile.

"Congratulations," Carnelian says sitting next to me. "From what Rowan told me you will be a fantastic father."

"I hope," I sigh. "I just hope she's alright. Rosalba thinks she'll never forgive me if Rowan is hurt...she has no idea that I'll hate myself even more." Carnelian clasps a hand on my shoulder and gives it a squeeze.

"Everything is going to be okay. Mira said she had an idea, let's give that a try first. We can always lose hope later," He says chuckling, trying to lighten my mood. It doesn't work. I lift up Rowan's shirt slightly and let my fingertips trace her stomach.

"What is Mira's idea?" I ask through clenched teeth. Carnelian shakes his head.

"She didn't say," He responds. I wait at Rowan's side for a hour before Mira comes bustling in the room with a hand full of leaves, roots, and flowers.

"Here. I got them! These might wake her," Mira tells me. "When you mix these plants they make your heart race...I think."

"Well, lets try it," I say urgently.

"Okay, we have to make it into tea first," She says rushing to the first floor kitchen area, I follow her. If feels like it takes forever for the tea to boil. Mira starts to put sugar in it.

"Mira, that's unnecessary. It's just to wake her," I say trying to stay polite. Even without the plants my heart starts to race.

"The tea still needs to cool. Why not make it taste good?" She asks me raising an eyebrow. Mira goes back to adding sugar to the pot while I look at my hands, thinking hard. What will I say when she wakes? If she wakes, a terrible, pessimist, version of me reminds myself. I shake that thought from my mind. She doesn't know, I know she's pregnant. She's sure to be angry that she couldn't tell me herself.

"Lachlan!" Mira says snapping me back into reality. "Stop daydreaming. Let's go give her the tea, it's cooled."

Mira and I hurry up the stairs, Rosalba is already waiting for us. She looks up at me and she no longer looks angry. Mira kneels beside her and puts the tea in Rowan's mouth. She lifts her head up slightly to help the tea go down. For several minutes nothing happens, but I stay on the edge of my seat, barely breathing. Suddenly, her eyes start to move under her eyelids, and her fingers start to twitch. She slowly starts to open her eyes. She moans in pain. I expect Rosalba, or Mira, to kneel at her side, take her hand, and comfort her, but when I look at them they're both looking at me. Surprised, I take Rowan's hand.

"Rowan?" I whisper. Her eyes manage to focus on me. She smile softly, then a grimace of pain, then smiles again.

"You're alive?" She asks, caressing my face lightly.

"I knew you couldn't be dead! I knew there had to be some good explanation why you didn't return to me," A look of hurt confusion crosses her face. "Why didn't you return to me? When I told you, you wouldn't come back for me I never thought you truly wouldn't!"

I can see the hurt in her eyes. I hastily correct her. "I never meant to leave you. If I could have come back I would have. They were going to kill me."

"Who?" She sheiks.

"The Elders. The people of Harmonia," I say starkly. Rowan's face looks strained with confusion.

"That's bullshit!" She decides. "They value life, they would never-"

"They did, Honey," Rosalba tells her gently. "I was there, I saved him, but they wanted to kill him."

Rowan sighs. "Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised they wanted him gone, but....I never thought they would..." She drifts off.

"Rowan, I would never leave you in that terrible place," I say stroking her hair lightly. I lean in and kiss her head lingeringly. She leans into me, nuzzling her head against my chest.

"I'm sorry," She whispers.

"Don't be," I whisper back. After a few moments of me holding her Rosalba clears her throat.

"Rowan, my daughter, I think we need to speak," Rosalba says. She gives Mira and Carnelian a pointed look. They bow there heads and leave the room.

"This discussion...is only between the three of us," Rosalba says. She doesn't seem angry, she just seems serious and stern.

"What's going on?" Rowan asks scooting out of my arms slightly.

"This is about what I found in your bag Rowan...and then what was further confirmed using an ultrasound," Rosalba says. Rowan inhales tensely.

"I'm guessing that means Lachlan already knows," Rowan says clearing her throat. Rosalba nods. Rowan's looks at me then starts to sob.

"Oh, Lachlan, I'm so sorry! I wanted to tell you myself. And I'm so sorry for putting our baby in danger by coming out here, my mind wasn't working right. Thank earth he's alright though." She says slowly gaining composure again.

"He?" I ask. Rowan shrugs.

"I've been using male pronouns, but I don't know. It might be a girl. It doesn't matter to me, as long as it's healthy," She says. She can't help but smile. "I'm scared Lachlan...but there's no one else on earth I'd want to do this with."

"Me too," I say chuckling, tears filling my eyes. I grasp her hand tighter and give her a quick kiss. I hear Rosalba clear her throat.

"This is not going to be easy, you know?" She says raising her eyebrows at us.

"Of course we know that, Mom. We're just happy that we're together again," Rowan says. Rosalba considers us. "Just help us."

"I will help you in anyway I can, my child. That begins with sending you to the ocean with Lachlan. The air is more clear, and you will be more at peace with him. I just don't know what to tell the Elders yet...Maybe something about you going mad, and running back to Eden in a mad frenzy to get back to your lover," My mom starts to pace back and forth mumbling under her breath.

"But my 'lover' is here," Rowan points out.

"They don't know that," Rosalba says raising an eyebrow. I see a woman who is willing to do anything to protect her child...I wish I had that kind of mother. I look at beauteous Rowan and know she will protect our child. I know my child will never face the abandonment I faced.

"So we're really doing this?" I ask. I didn't expect this perfect utopia to have so many rebels, nor did I expect to be one of them. Rowan and Rosalba give me such a similar look it's scary. They both have this maddening, exited, look on their face.

Rowan's the one who replies first, "Yes. And once the baby's born we go back to Eden. We get out Ash. We get out the second children. We get out everyone."