Gen Three- Chapter Thirty Nine

These plants were something else. It was one thing to be told by my older family members of the good crazy things organizations like The Company could create, but to see new marvels for myself proved an inspiration when little else bolstered my spirits. The grapes, lettuce, potatoes, and even the dang watermelons- it was now January and those adorable plants grew with all their hearts. The help of the special light, soil, and modification to their seeds allowed them to produce more of themselves again and again ignoring their normal life cycle. I could pick off one of those watermelons, enjoy it as a snack, and have another one within two weeks. Monitoring them was a highlight of my day, leaving the months to come and go more enjoyably.

Because more months had passed. It was indeed January. Gilly, Confetti, Arbor, and I should have moved into our new house, Gilly and Confetti should have been well settled in their jobs, and I should have finished my first semester at Zenith Peak's university with Ethereal, Ephemeral, Morning, Cream, Pumpkin, and all those guys. Uncle Prism had even promised me a scene as an extra in a movie that wouldn't get cut this time. But, no...everything like that had been stolen away. Christmas had come and gone with me being stuck, and the new year had started. I thought of Confetti and Arbor the most right now. Arbor had only chosen to move because of me, and Confetti had planned her life working on the assumption she'd be with my sister forever. I doubt she thought to continue the move. Even becoming a masseuse had been done in order to stay with Gilly. What did she envision for her life now with all that gone? I placed my hand on my stomach. If...when I got out of here, I wished to make her the godmother of the older twin while Apple would be the godmother for the younger one. Maybe it might help in some way.

The passing months had done the obvious for me. My twins swelled my abdomen larger and larger while hurting my back, crushing my inner organs, prompting tears or laughter at random times, and leaving me exhausted and wiped just taking a slow, leisurely walk on the treadmill for five minutes. Long gone were the days of my heavy workouts. At least the nausea had vanished for the most part. I threw up a few times a week, but nothing like before. There were other small changes too. Like my hair. The bright red of the dye had washed out, which left it a unique vivid coral color instead as continuing to dye it over and over seemed troublesome. I liked the color though. It wasn't Gilly's or mine, but a combination of both. The strangest and most unexpected change, however, was my dreams. They came with much more frequency and clarity. Then, one afternoon nap, they gave me exactly what I wanted.

     "Hey."

When I opened my eyes, I nearly jumped and screamed seeing Arbor sitting there on the floor, his hands playing with mine, and the giddiest of happy smiles on his face. His voice was the same. His warm hands comforted my nerves. I reached out and was able to touch his face. Yet Arbor wasn't real. I knew it as soon as I moved and noticed all of the pain in my body was gone. The bump of my pregnancy was there, yet I could stretch and reach as if it didn't hinder me at all. Besides, even if Timber had captured my boyfriend to bring him here Arbor would never look so ecstatic no matter how glad he was to see me once more.

     "I wonder if this is what they call lucid dreaming," I spoke, entwining my fingers deeper with his, "I know you're not here and that I'm asleep, but the illusion is quite good."

     "Maybe we have a mysterious link between us that allows us to connect like this in our sleep." Arbor proposed brightly.

     "You're only saying that because it's what I want to be the truth." I corrected, although I smiled regardless.

     "Yeah." Arbor shrugged.

He bent forward to kiss my forehead. I reveled in his touch before guiding him onto the bed with me in a close, embracing cuddle I never wanted to leave. There wasn't a need for words for the longest time. Lying there together overwhelmed me in the most beautiful way possible. The long, painful months stole from me the memory of the kind of happiness that still awaited. I didn't know if Arbor would wait ten years like grandma did for grandpa or if he would chose to move on eventually, but for now I knew he remained mine.

     "So, pregnant, huh?" this dream version finally addressed the subject, tenderly running his fingers up and down the bump.

     "Yeah," I sighed, "Twins, actually. I don't know if they're yours or Timber's. He hurt me like that."

     "I'm so sorry. I know that pain, but hold on. We'll find you one day, and I'll help you through it. I won't let you suffer as I did."

My arms clung to his chest tighter where I took a deep breath and drank in the scent of him. Truly, this was the most effective reassurance I'd had since I'd woken up here. My brain was telling me all these things I already knew, but the shape of the illusion made them more clear.

     "I've had this thought, you know, that children who pass before they're born aren't gone," Arbor contemplated, "It just wasn't their time to come. So they come back when they're ready, no matter how many tries it takes. Those miscarriages your mom had, that was simply Merlot trying until fate thought it was the best moment. The little one I could have had with Dr. Wool...she's been waiting until she could have the best mother in the world, and she found a friend she refused to leave behind."

     "That's a nice thought. But," I fiddled with the hem of his vest, "What if they aren't yours, though? What if they come out as Timber's? You hated him long before I did. I could never ask you to-"

     "Doesn't matter," Arbor interrupted simply, "If they're mine, if they're his...what's crucial here is the consistent factor. They're yours. You love them. That makes them perfect to me."

     "You're perfect." I gushed with eyes welling up with relief.

     "Far from it, but thank you. You're my ideal."

Arbor held me tighter, placed another kiss on my forehead, and ran his fingers through my hair.

     "I like the new color."

     "Thanks." I giggled."

Waking up alone was a strong disappointment, but Arbor didn't disappear. Now that I knew what my brain could do all it took was a few days to train my mind to summon him. Every night I could 'fall asleep' wrapped in his arms. We would have long conversations where he would 'tell' me all about what was going on back home. Mom and dad were working through their problems. Confetti was doing well at a spa Uncle Sap owned saving money to build her own in Gilly's memory. Willow had adopted a dog and named it in honor of Merlot. Ember called my family everyday to let them know how my Tinseltown friends were taking notes for me and prepping all they could for when I was discovered, set free, and able to join them in classes. Arbor couldn't say when that rescue was coming, but he vowed to return when needed until we were by each other's sides once more. We took to walking around the living space planning where to put the toys and furniture as if acting as if we were new parents decorating their first apartment.

     "We have a lot of colors to work with. Red, green, pink, purple, brown, and maybe even white- it's all a possibility." Arbor mused as we discussed if we were going to repaint the walls.
     "Or we can be like Willow and break free from all that. I'd like a blue."
     "Yeah?"
     "Yeah. There was this one day long ago where the high sky was clear of any clouds, but there was this fog that made the empty blue absolutely glow. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. Perhaps we could find something like that."
     "That does sound beautiful."
     "Dia?"

I jerked. A third voice punctuated the air, yet it had no source. Arbor stood behind me with arms lovingly drenching my shoulders as he occasionally peppered my cheeks with kisses. I'd know if he spoke.

     "What in the world?" I gasped in fright.

Something tugged on my wrist as if my arm was dropped to my side even as I grasped Arbor tighter. It was if I had an extra limb and could feel both simultaneously.

The gentle lure came again. I jumped only to fret worse when my back hit nothing. Arbor was suddenly nowhere to be found, leaving me only with the mysterious being holding my hand. Except it wasn't a mysterious being. It was Sterling looking my way with concern. My mind instantly spun until the world swarmed before me. I'd fallen asleep on my bed like normal for my nap. I'd been dreaming about Arbor as if he was here, but now I stood still in the living space with Sterling. Where had Arbor gone? I had to be dreaming still if this was where I was. I had to. Why then did it not feel like I was dreaming. Was I awake? How had I moved? Had I completely broken the barrier between reality and make-believe? Seriously, my vision blurred and I stumbled trying to make sense of it.

     "It's okay, Dia. It's okay," Sterling comforted as he took a firmer grasp on my hand, placed his other on my shoulder, and gently led me to the couch, "I'm sorry. I was trying to get you to lie back down without waking you."
     "Waking me? Is this real life then?" I questioned with a shallow breath.
     "Yes. You're awake. I promise," he confirmed with a light smile, "I've had this happen a few times when I volunteered to try some new sleeping pills the auxiliary team was working on. It's disorientating as hell."
     "What is?"
     "You were sleep walking."
     "Oh. Sleep walking," I repeated, putting a hand on my chest to calm my rapidly beating heart, "That explains it. God. I thought I passed through several fabrics of reality."
     "Nope. You were just standing there mumbling. Something about a blue fog and someone named Arbor."
     "Arbor's my boyfriend. We were talking about what color we wanted to paint the walls." I mumbled.
     "Having a good dream at least then?"
     "They've been very good recently."
     "They?"
     "I've been lucid dreaming for the past several weeks, I think."
     "Let's talk about them then." Sterling determined.

Sterling had a psychology degree as well as one in chemistry and engineering. I daresay he was smarter than Divi. There really was no one better to be my doctor for this pregnancy. Speaking on being my doctor, I gave my explanation after he put a towel on the couch and began his weekly examination. The whole thing had become routine given his diligent watch to prevent any troubles like my mom had, so me talking about my dreams, Arbor, and how I let them proceed while he had his hand up my vagina was only mildly awkward. It was so quick though that my part of the divulging of information was all we got through by the time Sterling cleaned up and could sit normally on the couch with me.

     "Well," he said, thick in thought, "I don't think it unwise for you to find helpful coping mechanisms. You'll need them given the situation you're in. These dreams can be a part of them, but, Dia, don't go relying on them so much that you begin to lose sight of the truth. I was going to talk to you today about your sleeping patterns even if you hadn't brought them up as Russet mentioned that the amount of resting you've been doing has increased by almost alarming bounds. Of course take a break when you need it, but please cut back. It will damage you soon if you don't, and I'm afraid the disappearance of the dreams after the pregnancy ends will hit you like a truck of bricks."
     "They'll stop after the birth?" I wondered softly.
     "Most likely. Many women experience more vivid dreams while pregnant due to the hormonal changes. Once you're no longer pregnant, however, the way you're dreaming now will be nearly impossible to duplicate."
     "Oh."
     "Which is why I think it's fine to conjure up Arbor. To believe you're falling asleep with him or having a simple conversation together. I strongly recommend though to stop creating this false life of you two living together here and him 'feeding' you information about what's going on with your family. A captivity like this mixed with such kind of things is a sure way to send your mind completely off the tracks."
     "Right. And I did know that," I admitted guiltily, "But the dreams have been the first thing to make me feel normal, which is why I forgot the dangers of getting carried away. Thank you for the warning. I won't forget again."

Sterling smiled sympathetically, and I exhaled loudly before brightening up.

     "How are the girls doing?" I asked.
     "Just fine," Sterling smiled, placing a hand on my stomach, "Everything looks normal while their sizes have evened out. The one that was leeching more from you decided not to be so spoiled, I guess."
     "Good." I chuckled.

Sterling ran me through the rest of the results of the evaluation, which contained little new information past what he just told me. I didn't mind the lack of interesting facts. Now that we'd long since known both babies were girls there wasn't much to monitor but their health and growth until they were born. Only then would we get to see whether they were identical or fraternal and what combination of red, green, pink, purple, and brown they would inherit if grandma's special albinism didn't come into play.

     "You were able to get access to my family's medical records, right?" I questioned as Sterling finished up lunch.

We hadn't been able to hide that we got along well, although Russet and Timber didn't mind. The better social interaction kept me quiet, meek, and against stealing knives. Sterling was allowed to join me for meals when he was able , and I refused to do anything that would cost me that privilege.

     "Yes, going all the way back to Ethereal's parents. Russet gave me his and Timber's too in addition to providing me that of Timber's surrogate."
     "Does the Mountain line carry the albinism gene?"
     "Albinism? I don't believe so, or at least it wasn't marked in the special notes section. Thinking the modified strain Ethereal had will come pop up?"
     "Yeah. It did for Ember, although her husband had the normal strain in his family too. His father was albino."

I went quiet as Sterling brought over the cheesy pasta. I'd been craving it for a week, but now that a whole heaping of it sat before me all I could think of was that the birth would also reveal who fathered my twins. Could it be Arbor's line had the strain? Honestly, it would be the greatest if the girls were born with albinism. It would make it that much harder for Timber to tell if they weren't his.

I took a deep breath and clutched my chair as my nerves shot to new heights.

     "Sterling? Do you know if anyone is watching the cameras right now?"
     "There wasn't anyone watching when I passed the monitor room. Timber doesn't like the idea of others, eh, seeing you, so it tends to be pretty clear in there when I come to examine you."
     "What about the microphones?"
     "I mean, I don't know much as I come straight to you each time, but I don't think they have those running unless there's some reason they need to hear what you're doing." he answered, tilting his head curiously.
     "Can I tell you a secret then?" I lowered my voice.
     "If...if you would like to take that risk."
     "There's a chance that the babies aren't Timber's." I revealed before I could chicken out.

Sterling had to know. He was the closest thing to an ally I had. If he knew ahead of time, there could be some way he could help if the worst came to pass and the girls did belong to Arbor. Sterling stood lightly stunned with eyes narrowed in confusion, so I continued.

     "The night before Timber took me, even the morning of, I was with Arbor. He and I had sex multiple times without protection. I had actually realized that and was trying to get to a pharmacy for a morning after pill with Timber tagging along when Timber went ahead and knocked me out. I didn't tell him why I had to go to the pharmacy though, so he doesn't know the children might not be his."
     "I see," Sterling acknowledged in a stressed sigh, "Well then, I'll have to do some thinking of what I might be able to do for you if the girls belong to your boyfriend. Timber's not going to be happy, even if he says he can't be upset, to find out they're not his. I don't know what he will do with that kind of news."
     "That's why I wanted to tell you." I admitted with dread, staring a hole into the table.
     "Like I said, I am completely on your side when it comes to you and your children being healthy, and as happy as one can be in this place. I won't let him just do what he wants. I'll peek into Arbor's medical files as well in case there's anything from his side to be on the lookout for in the twins' development."
     "He had a younger brother who died on the day of his birth due to a heart condition."
     "I'll definitely look into it then. Quietly."
     "Thank you, Sterling. Thank you so much."
     "Of course." he smiled encouragingly.

I did a great deal of thinking and planning on my own too. There honestly wasn't much I could hope to accomplish to fool or trick Timber, and with that in mind I then drove myself crazy tossing around the idea of being open and honest. I could very well come out with the fact that I'd slept with Arbor and might be carrying his children. If I gave him time to process the information, Timber could come to not care. Or he could say that he didn't want to bother with another man's children leaving me to spend the remaining months of my pregnancy madly dreading the day of the birth where he would dispose of them instantly. I did my best to gauge what reaction he would have when Timber came to visit, but naturally there was no way to tell. I came to the eventual conclusion that I simply couldn't risk it. There was a chance the girls took completely after me or someone in my family while looking nothing like their father. Why put a hint of doubt in a monster's head when there existed the safety he would never question the twins' paternity?

     "Are you doing alright?" Russet wondered sympathetically one afternoon.

Not that my weak decision granted me much peace. All the thinking was doing a number on my noggin. A splitting headache ran across my skull the majority of the time while practice contractions slowly tested my patience. I'm sure my mindset would be different if I was going through this normally, but all I could think was that being pregnant sucked.

     "Oh, I'm in pain, but there's no avoiding that," I huffed in exhaustion, "What's the cake for?"
     "I'm not sure if you've cared to pay attention to the date, but today is Valentine's Day."
     "I stopped bothering to think about it, really. Did you bring this down because Timber wants him and me to have a 'date night' or something?"
     "No. I...I thought maybe you might want to celebrate Wisp and Glade's birthday."
     "I forgot about that too," I mumbled dismally, "I suppose it's not a bad idea, but...Russet?"
     "Hmm?"

I stared firmly in his eyes for a moment. He'd resumed his visits normally not long after Sterling came down for the first time. Russet truly held no hard feelings over me stabbing him, and so our weird relationship of getting along even though I hated him with all my heart continued.

     "With you bringing up birthdays, this is fine, but, please, I have no desire to celebrate my own. Not with Gilly gone."
     "If that's what you want, I'll treat it like any other day. Promise. I can't guarantee Timber won't do anything though."
     "That's fine. I know he'll do what he's going to do no matter what." I accepted reluctantly.

Russet cut into the cake. I enjoyed it more than I should have, but the nice part about being pregnant with twins was eating half of that cake there with Russet and having a valid excuse for doing so. I seriously couldn't stop eating. Timber and Russet constantly refilled the fridge, and by the end of the day I'd gone through most of it. They stocked it with healthy stuff that I could take and eat, like apples, or meals they'd prepared upstairs following Sterling's diet recommendations. The weight I gained constantly thankfully then ended being up from the twins growing and not me over-indulging. The girls generally played nice with me too. They didn't give me heartburn while most of their moving and kicking was done during my waking hours. I actually thought the pregnancy would be typical when that wishful thinking got thrown out the window.

The practice contractions started again. The headache flared despite the medication Sterling gave to combat it. I suffered through a massage Timber gave me that morning given that it felt incredibly good. My mood remained miserable, however, as my body would not let up. That day it proved difficult to eat, and sometime after two in the afternoon I collapsed. The tight constricting of my abdomen seared to a height it never reached, leaving my legs crumbling and my tears pouring. Try as I might, I couldn't clamber onto the bed. No amount of gentle rubbing or pitiful shifting provided relief. The agony spread to my head to leave me in a most desperate state. When another sad try at getting up revealed a sticky, wet sensation on my thighs, my exploring fingers coming back bloody caused me to be lost. I was going into labor three months early or something else horrible like that. I waved my arms at whatever camera might catch me and begged for anyone, even Timber, to come help.

No one came. Not until I was nearly gone. My perception of nearly gone, anyway. The blood on my legs dripped thicker and thicker while my head buzzed and screeched. My eyes saw everything in doubles, triples, and quadruples while all the stationary objects in the room refused to stay in one place. Darkness grew more bold in the corners, my held felt as if it might actually detach from my shoulders, and finally someone rushed into the room. I couldn't say who it was. More likely Sterling or Russet as their voice sounded genuinely concerned, but it could have been dad himself and I wouldn't have reacted. I probably flopped like a fish when lifted into someone's arms. If only my mind was in a proper state I would have gotten a great look at the house, its layout, and anyone around. Nothing registered to me until something most absolutely wonderful came along. A brilliant blue sky dotted with pine tree tops still vibrant green even in winter enraptured my chest while the biting, frigid wind drilling into my skin scattered joy up and down my arms. Being outside was a miracle.

Then came the roof of a car, which was where I finally blacked out. I think it was done in protest of being taken away from the sky though. All I could vaguely recall was being so upset with being inside again that I didn't care if I stayed away anymore. The darkness stuck around for a good long while. Whatever was done to me was done. Whatever happened went and happened. A great deal of time passed before my eyes dared to open again. A blob of gray and a blob of brown sat in my vision, and the blob of brown moved. Enough of my effort went into studying it that it eventually took on a form. Arbor appeared before me, distorted though he was. Had I finally made it home?

     "Arbor? Arbor, I missed you." I told him even though I could sense my words were a near indecipherable slur.

It took a lot of wiggling, but I got my hand free of the blankets holding it. Arbor jerked back when I reached for his face. Why did he pull away? Why did he look so guilty? It was if he couldn't stand to look my way due to him hating himself so greatly for all that happened.

     "It's okay. You couldn't have done anything. I'm sorry they blamed you. I'm sorry the others thought you were the bad one. I never doubted you though. Promise." I reassured.

Stretching for him once more, Arbor retreated further. He spoke something, garbled and incomprehensible, in my direction before glancing away and standing up so I could hardly see him. My hand shot for his, but I only managed to weakly link our fingers before he wrenched them off.

     "Arbor...Arbor, please," I pleaded, unable to say his name enough, "Please, I'm sorry. Come back. I'm so scared. I feel like I'm going to break, and I need you. Arbor. Why won't you...why won't...I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please come back. Please."

He only stepped back faster.

The truth of why he did became clear soon. Arbor vanished from my sight entirely while a darker gray blob morphed with the other gray blob. This new blob, another person, gently cupped the back of my head and pressed a cup to my lips. It wasn't water in there, but it was cool, light, and perfect for my burning throat. Some time, a minute or so, passed before blinking brought me closer and closer towards rationality. I recalled that something had gone wrong and that I'd been rushed somewhere. I was back in my room under my covers now. My hand flew to my stomach to feel the big bump still there, and as soon as I confirmed that my eyes hurriedly glanced at the only two people in the room. Sterling and Russet. That was when a mad heat burned my cheeks as I realized my stupid mind's mistake. It tricked me into thinking Russet was Arbor. The way he stood at a distance with the heaviest expression of guilty yet revealed enough of my desperate pleading had been understood. I instantly turned away and buried myself in the blankets. My stomach hurt, but one of the girls kicking away relaxed some of my worries.

     "What happened?" I mumbled.
     "A placental abruption," Sterling explained grimly, "The placenta separated itself from your uterus, but, thankfully, only partially. The twins are alright and show no signs of harm from the separation. It's just that it took way too long for anyone to check the cameras and notice your condition. You were in a deep shock from blood loss, so we had to hurry you to an offsite location to prevent your organs from failing."
     "And now?"
     "We gave you two blood transfusions and were able to ease you out of the shock. The bleeding stopped, you stabilized, and once it was confirmed an emergency c-section or labor wasn't necessary you were brought back here. I'll be here for the night keeping a close eye on you. All you need to do, Dia, is rest."
     "What do you recommend for her care past this treatment?" Russet asked.
     "That Dia remains on bed rest until the pregnancy completes. It's not entirely known why placental abruption occurs, but given the partial split she should avoid any strenuous or excessive movements. We don't want it to disconnect further. I'll naturally be coming down more often now that there's the heightened risk. In any case, there needs to be a way to prevent this lack of awareness of her state that happened today from happening today. I don't recommend round the clock monitoring of the cameras as being watched like that isn't comfortable for anyone. It'll place too much stress on Dia. A panic button that'll set off an alarm upstairs attached to a bracelet or necklace for her to wear is a better option that shouldn't be difficult to rig up."
     "I agree. I'll go have someone starting on that right away." Russet nodded.

He took off. A weight vanished from my back, and Sterling lured me into a more peaceful sleep by gently rubbing my aching shoulders until I was deep in dreamland.

He was still there when I woke hours later, sleeping himself in the cushioned office chair he wheeled by my bed. It was cute, but he looked so uncomfortable I had to let him know I was up. A more in-depth explanation was given to me of what happened before Sterling pulled out the ultrasound machine to show me both of the girls were indeed fine. Now it was the other one pushing and stretching my stomach while the other rested. I received some medicine, Russet came down with several straps to measure which was best for my wrist as they apparently already had the alarm system almost done and ready to go, and Sterling made me a nice dinner of light foods like toast with jam and a salad with fruit. The sports drinks he brought to help with my dehydration were the best part of the day. I hadn't had anything like them since I was captured. He supported my shaky legs in walking to the couch where I was provided a mound of pillows and blankets to make myself comfortable while we watched television. As we sat there, my mind drifted to do for the first time what I'd avoided. I imagined Arbor in Sterling's place. I nearly drove myself to tears imagining that the caring doting of my doctor would be like how Arbor would treat me if the situation was normal.

Dream Arbor came back to comfort me after several days. It took those night for the exhaustion to fully pass and allow me to sleep in anything other than a deep coma-like state. Heeding Sterling's warning, I prevented myself from getting swept up in my boyfriend's presence. Most of the time Arbor lay in bed with me giving reassurances that everything would be fine as he stroked my stomach before we fell asleep cuddled together tight. Sometimes the dreaming wasn't so vivid, which left it harder to control. We would get up and walk around then, leading to a second case of me sleep walking where Russet came in to find me having moved into the tub for rest.

God, I was so exhausted all the time though. It didn't matter if Sterling suggested I stay in bed all day because I did it anyway on my own. Each day my middle grew more unbearably big. He and I had worried the separation of the placenta from my uterus would mean one or both of the girls would suffer in size due to the decrease in nutrients, but that clearly wasn't an issue. The two grew nice and strong to the point where there was little to worry if they came early. My poor feet though screamed under the weight while doing tasks like looking after the plants became next to impossible. I shuffled back and forth between the bed, the couch, and the table for meals, and that was about the extent of what I could handle. Winter became spring, and April rolled around. In less than a month I would be a proper mother. However, a more pressing concern popped up for me first. April 23rd came. My birthday. My first without Gilly. My first trapped here. The desire to let it pass unacknowledged vanished when Timber walked through the door with a cupcake. I had no choice but to eat it as he wished me a happy birthday before he pulled me onto his lap on the couch as if we shared a genuine tender moment together.

     "So, what do you want for your birthday? What kind of present does your heart desire?" he wondered.
     "Not to celebrate it. This day is misery for me now not having Gilly anymore." I huffed.
     "Mmm, that's no good. I'm glad you were born, and I refuse to let your special day pass quietly. C'mon, there has to be something you'd like from me."
     "Die."
     "Something else." Timber pressed with a merry smile as if I told a joke.

I rolled my eyes. This would end faster if I hurried up and told him something random, but a strong desire did well up that I couldn't ignore. If Timber was being serious...

     "I want to go outside. I need to see the sun and the sky."
     "There we go. That's doable."

It was more than doable. Timber must have expected it due to him pulling out a blindfold and earplugs from his pocket. He tightly placed them on me before supporting me firmly by the arm as I was guided outside. There was a set of stairs past the strong metal door that nearly did me in. We walked through several rooms in a building before Timber opened a door that took me into nature. The scent of grass and trees lay thick in the air where the light spring wind offered a cooling rush that fought back against the scalding sun. It wasn't actually that hot, but being pregnant coupled with a sensitivity of not seeing the sun for months certainly increased the temperature. Timber didn't take off the blindfold and earplugs until we walked quite a distance. No doubt he wanted the house or any identifying landmarks out of sight. I opened my mouth to remind him I couldn't exhaust myself moving around lest I hurt the babies, but he stopped us at the top of a small hill right then. The earplugs came out, and the blindfold slipped off slowly. The tears were instant and not just because of the stinging of the light.

     "What is it?" Timber asked kindly as I sobbed heavily.
     "I...i-it's sp...spring..." I sniffled loudly and drenched the hem on my sleeve catching what dripped off my chin.
     "Why is spring upsetting?"

He asked it too softly with a great deal of concern. Timber's ability to pretend was like nothing else. I glanced his way, and the corpse of the boy I killed in my mind wriggled. While I'd hate myself for it later, I gave in and clung onto that liar as if he remained my dear friend.

     "Because..."
     "Because why?"

It took me a minute to process anything. Why I was crying, why I was bothering to tell him anything, why I feared more than ever for the life of my children- to deal with it all at once certainly made it difficult to think.

     "It was summer when this started. I knew time was passing, but living everyday in that basement where it's always the same temperature and I can't see the outside world cast the reality of time out of my mind. It's as if I was in some sort of stasis, and being outside is a cruel reminder of how much is wrong. Of how much time I've lost and what I'm missing out on. Of what the girls will be missing out on. Timber...why wouldn't you let Sterling give me an abortion?"
     "Because having children is normal. It's what a man and woman do when they get together. We're both stuck here, although for separate reasons, so why not do what we can to imitate normalcy as much as we can?"
     "So you don't want to threaten the girls to keep me in line?" I wondered, puncturing the sadness with enough anger to raise my brow questioningly his way.
     "That is a benefit if I need to go that route." Timber shrugged.
     "But babies are really horrible when you think about it. The crying, the fits, the diapers, the exhaustion- and with two of them it will be doubly as bad. That's usually fine because parents care about their children, but you don't care. There's nothing you get out of having them aside from a chance to control me. No matter how much you pretend, I'm sure they'll only be a bother."
     "What point exactly are you trying to make here then?"
     "To let me go home with them. I keep telling you and your father...you could live your lives out in a much better place than this if you use me as bait and distraction to keep your enemies occupied while you escape. You've gotten your revenge. Gilly and Merlot are dead, mom's in a wheelchair, you've wounded me in a way I can't return from, and grandpa and dad will live the rest of their lives with the guilt and understanding we suffered for their sake. Isn't that enough?"
     "Yes, the revenge was achieved. I think you're mistaken on why you're here though. It was partially to hurt your family, but it's majorly just because I wanted you with me."

Timber brushed off what tears he could with this thumbs. It was one of the things I hated the most, that everything he did to me he did it with a smile as if it was all from the kindness of his heart. Not once had he really spoken like the monster he was. Each time Timber had me he held and touched me as if we were the closest of lovers. It'd never been painful other than the fact that it seared my core with a cringing darkness that stole color from the world.

     "You don't love me. You don't like me. You said that yourself." I reminded him.
     "Yes, and that's true. However, there's this comfort with you I won't be able to find with anyone else ever again. I no longer have the leisure of pretending out there in the world as I did with you all those years. What my body and mind does tell me it desires, you fill a good portion of the holes. I think the girls will too. I said I wouldn't be a good father because I know I can't love my children the way I should. Still, I can pretend to be a good one. I was a good friend, wasn't I? If dad had gotten me to abandon the revenge idea, you would have never found out the truth."
     "No good father would keep his children locked up here isolated from the world. It's a cruel existence." I frowned.
     "Not if they don't know any better. Not if we make up a reason to have them fear what's beyond these woods. Life could be very happy here if you accept that the Timber you knew is still standing before you. Everything you loved about him I can continue to be. It's better than continuing to hate me for things already growing distant in the past. You could come out here everyday- without a blindfold and earplugs. We can live a simple and comfortable life together with our daughters, who would never have to know pain or worries."
     "That's all bullshit."
     "Is it though?" Timber wondered curiously.
     "It is. You can't tell how much it is because you've got a broken head. There's no way to achieve that kind of life, for me to pretend like you can."
     "I'm not sure if that's true. You were crying against me a moment ago like nothing was wrong. I'm sure you'll break further over time, and, of course, doing it for the girls' benefit will serve as a great motivator to accept this life, I'm sure. Babies can be annoying, and there's no real need for two of them."

Timber slipped closer as he spoke. His tone was that of a passionate proclamation of affection. His lips fluttered against mine, and after a pause of refusal on my part he pressed me against him so tightly my abdomen pierced a sharp sting through my chest and into my spine. My mouth parted for the kiss until he grew satisfied and sat us down to enjoy the late afternoon weather.

I went into labor two weeks later on May 8th. It was only two weeks short of my due date, so the fact that the pregnancy was almost full term with twins who had to deal with that broken placenta was practically a miracle. No twins from that list I gave Sterling had lasted so long in the womb. Not a single pair of us came anything later than a month early.

     "Wait, are you not at least taking me to that offsite facility?" I questioned, aghast, when it became clear the birth was going down in my bedroom.

As soon as I realized the contractions were no longer fake ones and that my water had broken, I'd pressed the alarm button to get someone down here. Russet showed up within a minute. Timber, blessedly, was currently out doing something or other. He couldn't go far lest he risk detection, but there clearly was this other Company site not too far away where more involved work could be done. Sterling, having walked in dressed and prepped to catch a baby- the signal we were staying here, gave me an encouraging smile.

     "I'm sorry. I should have said something, but I assumed it was obvious you're not allowed to leave unless the situation absolutely demands it. I thought you knew we'd be doing the delivery here." he apologized.
     "Delivering twins always presents a risk. Even more so with the placental abruption." I pointed out.
     "I made that argument to Timber and the others. Russet was the only one who agreed with me we should take you to the facility as soon as the labor began. Naturally, we were shut down. It'll be alright though. The second this proves too complicated for me to handle here, they've got a truck waiting to make the transfer to the building."
     "Seriously," I grumbled, "I can't get any sympathy despite being about to push two humans out of my body. Are most of those 'others' men? I bet they are."
     "They are." Russet admitted amusedly.
     "See? I knew it. They don't get it."
     "I am sorry, Dianthus, but this is how it is. No matter how much I agree with you, I need you to try to relax and breath right now. Getting worked up about it will make the labor more painful." Sterling commanded gently.
     "Yes, sir. But, Sterling? I want an epidural. If they didn't allow you to bring one, I will-"
     "I have one. No worries." Sterling chuckled.

He then kicked Russet out of the room. Sterling helped me change into a lighter hospital gown-type dress to make the whole thing easier for the both of us. Afterwards, he checked my dilation before monitoring my other symptoms. A few hours and the babies would be here was his guess. No later than four in the afternoon if everything went well. From there, the waiting game began. Russet, allowed back inside, graced me with cold cloths he used to continually wipe down my increasingly sweaty forehead. Sterling permitted me some applesauce before swearing me off food until the labor was over, so I gorged myself on ice chips when I could. I was also allowed the choice to walk around a little, which I managed a few times before I simply couldn't stand the pain. Up and up it raged in its ferocity until I could scarce think of anything else.

Sterling checked me again. An hour and a half or two hours left. Having held off on the epidural, Timber walked in immediately after that announcement to make me demand it. The numbing helped time pass moderately faster, and I said 'fuck it' to letting Timber pretend to be a concerned expectant father. He could spoil me, rub my back, support my shoulders, and hold my hand all he wanted. I couldn't be bothered to care through the pain, and I could try to break the fingers in his hand without being rebuked for it. I almost did it unintentionally anyway when the ultimate moment came. Nothing had gone wrong. It was time to push. So push I did, groaning and breathing heavily through the agony, blissfully forgetting for that period of time what it could mean if the children didn't belong to the one there with me, even as Sterling reached forward with empty hands to reach back with a screaming baby girl he quickly wrapped and handed off to a waiting, scrubbed clean Russet.

One down.