Found

Chapter Fifteen: Hope

I'm in the middle, Josh is in the front, Belle is in the back.

We're walking into the camp. Tents and fire pit all around. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I turn around. One of the fire pits is smoking still, still warm. Someone has been here recently.

I sit on a nearby log, feeling dizzy. My heart racing. I feel like I'm going to pass out. Josh turns around and runs towards me. Belle follows him.

"Raven are you okay?" Josh asks.

"Yeah, I just felt really weird all of a sudden," I answer.

"Okay, we need to check to make sure that everything is alright with the baby," Belle says. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a stethoscope and a portable ultrasound. She checks my heart rate and then checks the baby. She coats my stomach in the cool gel and puts the wand on my stomach. Josh is sitting behind me, holding my hand and helping me stay sitting up as I should. I squeeze his hand.

Belle moves the wand around and on the mini screen, I can see a little alien-looking human thing. I hear its heartbeat on the monitor and it calms me. Josh kisses me on the forehead and leans his head against mine, a smile on his face.

"I love you." He whispers in my ear.

"Is everything alright Belle?" I ask, "With the baby I mean."

"Yeah, everything is fine. You are probably just a little weaker because you have a human growing in you." Belle says.

"Let's keep moving," I say.

"Are you sure?" Josh asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I need to keep moving." I answer. I kiss Josh and get up. Josh helps me up and we continue walking. Josh is standing by my side now instead of in front of me, holding my hand.

We continue to walk through the camp, Josh keeping his hand on his gun, fearful of what will come out of every corner. I keep hold of his hand.

I'm now almost thirteen weeks. I can feel a little bump starting to form, which makes me smile.

We make it past the last tent, and I hear Josh breathe a sigh of relief. He still has a hold on my hand. We continue to walk, trying to put the camp as far behind us as possible.

Josh, Belle, and I start to look for shelter for the night. We find the same cave that Josh and I found after escaping from the camp. We enter the cave and light the candle that we left there incase we ever came there again.

I'm so excited to go home, to have running water. To be able to sleep in the bed that Josh and I have. To get back to Qwin. And to set up the nursery for the baby. Josh and I haven't even picked out baby names yet.

I lay down on the blankets that Belle just set up. Josh lays next to me and puts his arm around my neck. He kisses me on the forehead, and I close my eyes and smile at his warmth. Belle goes outside for first watch.

"I miss being alone with you." Josh whispers in my ear and shifts so he is looking at me with most of his weight on his right side. He kisses me on the neck and moves down slowly, I breathe out heavily, craving him like a drug. I lift myself to embrace him, closing my eyes and enjoying the feeling of his lips on my body. He kisses my stomach and I moan at how good his lips feel. He comes back up and kisses me on the mouth, feeling my body with his hand. I take off his t-shirt and he takes off mine. All I can think about is how much we are still drawn to each other physically and emotionally. We sit up and kiss each other my hands feeling the warmth of his skin. His hands holding me close.

"You are so beautiful." I whisper in between breaths.

"I love you." He answers back.

"I love you." I say wishing we could stay in this moment forever.