In the Future (Sequel to A.B.O.B)

This is happening

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOW?!" Sophie screamed in a distressed voice. "I'm not even in the second trimester!"

"That's why I'm scared!" Edaline yelled, motioning for them to follow her. "If we don't act now, your son will die."

They made it to the leap-master. Grady called for them to go somewhere. Sophie couldn't hear. The world around her had gone blurry.

The sharp pain in her stomach pulled her back to reality.

Contractions. This was real. She was going to be a mom, and only at 17 years old.

This is happening.

The world went blurry, and Sophie passed out.

Sophie now stood in a room. The soft carpet under her feet sent shivers in her spine. She was in a house other than her own. She turned her head, looking in a mirror. She looked...older. Sudden realization hit her.

"Please...not again!" Sophie yelled as she reappeared in a new dream.

She sank to the floor. She was wearing a red dress with amber earrings that hit her cheeks when she bowed her head.

"Sophie?" A crisply accented voice asked. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes widened. She looked up and saw Fitz.

"You're not..you're not Keefe." She spoke in astonishment. "YOU'RE NOT HIM!"

She jumped up and hugged him.

"Dear, are you okay?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her bare back.

"I've never been bett-."

The sound of crying interrupted her.

Sophie woke up with a gasp. She coughed and clutched her chest.

"She's awake." Edaline spoke quietly. "EVERYONE SHES AWAKE!"

So many people rushed into the room, and the fast paced movements have Sophie a headache.

She felt...empty. But then, a rush of joy went over her. She turned and looked for a certain teal eyed boy.

"You aren't him." Sophie said, beginning to cry.

Fitz walked over to her, hugging her tightly. "What do you mean?" He asked.

She mustered up the courage to tell everyone about her dreams she had been having. Now that she thought about it, they were almost telling the story she was living.

They all involved her and Keefe with children.

Children.

Sophie's hands darted to her bare stomach. A sewn up cut greeted her.

"Wait..I heard...crying." She said, confused.

"He was.." Elwin appeared and started. "born premature. He's in our version of a NICU."

"Why?!"

"You were only five months along." Edaline said.

Five months? Sophie has been so thoughtless and forgetful with her pregnancy.

"This is all my fault." She said, lowing her head and letting her hair fall in her face. "I should have done more. I should have done so much more..."

"Hey!" Fitz said, hugging her tighter. "You've been kidnapped, killed, threatened and betrayed. You're strong, you'll get through this. No, we'll get through this. He will be strong, just like his mother."

"And don't be too harsh on yourself." Edaline spoke softly, her voice like a comforting blanket. "You're the youngest I think anyone has ever had a child here. You can't blame yourself."

After a little more pep talking, Sophie calmed down, thanking all of them.

"Can I see him?" She asked Elwin.

"Of course." He responded and waved for them to follow him.

Fitz wrapped one of her arms around his neck and helped her walk towards her son.

When they made it, the world seemed to stop.

He was so small, so pale. But she told herself, with time, he would grow stronger.

"I'm assuming this means we're going to post pone the wedd-?" Elwin started.

"No." Sophie said in a firm and confidence voice. She turned and looked at Fitz. "We have a baby now. We need to be a family."

"But I'm not his fath-."

"You have every right to be his father as much as I am to be his mother."

Not an ounce of fear or uncertainty was audible.

Fitz knelt down in front of Sophie and kissed her hands. He was..crying? This was an unfamiliar sight.

Sophie knelt down as well and wrapped her hands around his neck, sitting in his lap.

They sat there, hugging for what felt like hours. But she didn't want to let go.

Eventually, Sophie fell asleep.

Edaline closed the door behind her with a quiet click. She sighed and moved the hair out of her face.

"She'll be fine, darling." Grady assured her and placed a kiss on the back of her neck.

"I know.." She sighed. "But she's our only daughter. It hurts me to see her like this."

"Like what?" He asked and walked in front of her, grabbing her hands. "You saw how confident she was. She's going to be fine. Nothing can stop our girl."

"You're right."

"I love you."

"I love you more."