Hunter: Crossroads

Chapter 4

"I'm pregnant."

An eternity seemed to pass before Kara moved, and all she did was look back out to the bathroom floor. She frowned, again her mouth opening yet she said nothing. I folded myself back up, resting my head on my knees as I hugged my legs.

"How many tests have you done?" She asked.

I glanced up at her. "Um, like, ten-"

"There's more than ten." Her voice went up a notch, which only made my anxiety worse.

"Ten of the blue ones." I held up a pregnancy test that was so clever it could tell you how many weeks you were already. Yes or no wasn't enough for some people. "About the same of the other type and a bunch of pink ones. The leaflet in the box did say you can get false positives and-"

"Elise, they're all positive."

"But there's still a chance that they're wrong. I googled it." I stop, get up and disappear into the toilet to empty my bladder of the last litre of water I had.

"I think First Response outnumbers Google." She says through the door. "That's a lot of pee for a lot of tests."

"You're telling me." I finish and sure enough, opening the door she is there. "Should I do more? I'm probably going to have to go again in like five minutes. I'll go to a different shop, maybe they have a more reliable brand or-"

"You've done enough. Maybe try a blood test next? An ultrasound?"

I say nothing and she lets me pass, now standing against the main bathroom door as if to block any attempt I might make to escape. Her concern, as well as about a million other new things makes me want to throw up. Again. I look over at her in the mirror as I wash my hands and watch her process everything which is exactly what I have spent the last like, four, maybe five hours doing.

"I'll come with you unless you want your Mum or even Cain to-"

"No."

"No?" She repeats cautiously. "To which part?"

"All of it." I decide with a shrug. "I mean, it could still be a false positive. It might not even stick. That happens too, right?"

"I hope not. Elise, stop." She turns off the tap, and takes a towel, covering my hands with it as she forces me around to face her. "It will be okay. Yes, it's unexpected and scary, but I know you can do this. You're going to have a baby. Congratulations!"

I don't respond as she hugs me, I can't. How is this something we are celebrating?

"What are you congratulating exactly? The fact I had sex, apparently four to six weeks ago? I also did it last night, should we get some balloons, maybe a cake?"

"Don't be like that. I know you're scared, and that's okay. I'm here for you, we're all here for you. This is a-" She starts gently, as it finally occurs to me, what this is.

"It's a fucking joke. Because the wedding visit didn't get the reaction they wanted, they do this. What I need is to go and sort out those bitches once and for all. This, this is taking it too far!" I decide.

My outfit changes, my sword appears. Anger and adrenaline flood my system like flicking a switch, overriding the paralysing fear I'd been dealing with all afternoon. I had a new focus as of course, The Fates would be behind this. No more, I was done being a pawn in their games.

There was a line and they'd really crossed it this time.

"Elise, stop. Just, think about this for a second." Kara attempts to soothe me.