by Anna Lewis
“I’m still not sure I want to put Elu through such a process,” Xander said. “It would just put a strain on our relationship. We just started talking again after not speaking for weeks and I don’t want to lose his trust.”
“But you trust him?” Dr. Cartz asked.
“Well, I trust him enough to not betray us again,” Xander replied.
“You don’t sound quite sure of yourself,” Dr. Cartz pointed out.
Xander shrugged.
“No, I’m still not sure. I’ve been questioning his determination to help reduce or even remove the charges,” Xander admitted.
“Do you think he’s not being entirely honest with you?” Dr. Cartz asked.
“I’m honestly afraid to say,” Xander replied.
“Like I said during our first session a week ago: I will never share anything that you tell me in confidence. It’s all part of my vow as a therapist to retain the secrets of my clients. You will never be under scrutiny for what you say in here, even if it’s against the Federation,” Dr. Cartz explained.
Xander nodded.
“I’m aware,” he said. “I’m just afraid to admit it to myself, I think.”
Dr. Cartz sat patiently, his tentacles sitting over the glass of his desk and making a suction noise when he lifted them to adjust his spectacles.
“I’m still resentful about his initial betrayal,” Xander finally admitted. “And I think he might do it again.”
“That’s understandable, Xander. Anyone in your position might think the same thing,” Dr. Cartz assured him. “The only thing that will prove his allegiance is time. Do you have time to spare for that?”
Xander chuckled.
“I mean, I’m not really going anywhere,” Xander replied.
Dr. Cartz smiled, revealing a few rows of sharp teeth.
“Exactly. Give it some time and come back next week to discuss more of your case,” Dr. Cartz said. “Take care, Xander.”
Dr. Cartz gurgled into the speaker next to his desk. A guard appeared in the doorway to usher Xander to his prison cell. Even though he was still considered a moderate level risk prisoner, they no longer needed to cuff him during transport because he had a chip implanted into his neck that kept track of his whereabouts at all times. This meant the laser bars were no longer over his door, but he couldn’t go past the yellow line without tipping off the guards. It was in his best interest to behave.
After settling into his cell, he walked to dinner with the other prisoners and then went for the showers. It was inside one of the small corridors near the showers that he encountered a familiar blue face and hand.
“Elu?” he asked in a low voice. “What are you doing down here?”
“I cloaked myself so I wouldn’t be recognized by the guards. How are you doing?” Elu asked.
“I’m fine, but you’re risking everything by being here right now,” Xander warned.
“It’ll be fine. I just wanted to catch up with you and let you know what we’re planning to do,” Elu explained.
“It better be good. I only have five minutes left and I’m still naked,” Xander said.
Elu chuckled.
“I’ll be quick. I promise,” Elu assured him.
“Alright. Hurry up,” Xander said.
“First, Anna Leigh sent this for you to wear,” Elu said while holding up a necklace.
“They’ll never let me keep that,” Xander argued.
Elu pushed a button on the charm and it effectively disappeared. Xander’s eyes went wide and he smiled when Elu pushed the button to hand him the necklace.
“Thanks,” he said. “I really like it.”
“It’s blessed by her mother and two sages,” Elu explained. “It should keep you safe from harm here in the prison.”
Xander twisted the charm between his fingers. It was a golden sun with a row of green scales, a trio of people painted on the inside. The entire thing smelled like sage and frankincense. He smiled.
“Second, our plan is quite elaborate and it would require doing something medically risky with your body,” Elu said.
Xander raised an eyebrow.
“Anna Leigh still has access to certain medical supplies. In her collection, she has a toxin that is near fatal for aliens, but fine for humans,” Elu explained.
“I don’t know if I like where this is going,” Xander commented.
“A couple of weeks before your trial, you need to start complaining of stomach pains. Make the complaints progressively worse until you’re nearly screaming in pain. They’ll send you to the infirmary and that’s where Anna Leigh will meet you with the serum,” Elu went on. “Your body will be completely paralyzed and the physician will assume you’re dead with no trace of the toxin in your body. We’ll then transport your body down to the crematorium where we’ll have a ship waiting to take you away.”
“And how long will I be under?” Xander asked.
“About twelve hours. The serum will then wear off and you’ll be safe with us in my private cabin,” Elu replied.
“Where’s your cabin located?” Xander asked.
“A private moon on the outer reaches of the galaxy. It’s not within the limits of the Federation, so we’ll be safe,” Elu replied.
“I don’t know, Elu. That all sounds incredibly complicated,” Xander said. “Are you sure it’s going to work?”
“It has to,” Elu insisted. “I couldn’t repeal the evidence against you because the Federation took charge of the case. I’m no longer part of it except as a key witness for evidence against you. I could face jail time if I don’t show up, but if you weren’t alive...”
Elu trailed off and shrugged, waiting for Xander to respond. Xander smiled politely and fingered the charm around his neck, tracing the way it curved around in a circle with small flames.
“Elu, that sounds incredibly complicated and I’m not sure I’m comfortable doing it. We don’t want to ruin our family again,” Xander explained.
“No, but this is our best shot right now. We can run away, have our home, and raise our child together,” Elu insisted.
“Raise a child on the run? What would we tell it about the world? About other life forms?” Xander asked.
Elu sighed.
“This is happening, Xander. We need you to be ready in a week, alright?” he asked, taking his shoulders.
Xander looked deep into Elu’s eyes, studying the way the colors swirled around. He looked hard for any semblance of betrayal, any hint that Elu was lying to him, but he only found passion.
“Alright,” Xander sighed. “I’m trusting you, Elu.”
Elu smiled wide.
“I won’t let you down. I promise,” he said. “It’s my only chance to repair my family and make amends.”
“I forgave you the moment I was arrested, Elu,” Xander claimed.
“You know that’s a lie,” Elu said.
Xander shook his head.
“I accepted my fate as soon as I was gone. I knew you had done something against me, but I didn’t understand the magnitude of it until I reached the prison,” Xander explained. “But I still forgave you.”
Elu exhaled a shaky breath and looked down at the wet tile floor beneath his black boots.
“Really?” he asked.
“Of course. You’re my best friend,” Xander said. “What would I do without you?”
“I’m just shocked because I spent so long deceiving you,” Elu explained.
“Save it for therapy. We don’t have much time right now,” Xander warned.
Elu chuckled at the joke and wrapped Xander in a hug.
“I’ll be back for you. I promise,” Elu said.
Xander watched him go with a mixture of sadness and anticipation. He was glad to have his best friend back in his life, but he wondered what he was risking by getting involved with this escape plan. Elu might be thrown in prison with him, and Anna Leigh could be tried as an accomplice. The growing life in her belly was showing signs of awareness, most of it
already well on its way to becoming a full grown alien.
He hoped it was worth it.
After Elu had left, Xander returned to the main shower area and was escorted to the changing room where he pulled on a new set of clothes. The necklace was safely tucked away under his shirt, completely hidden from sight after its cloaking mechanism was activated. He followed the other prisoners back to the cells. Once back in his cell, he sat down on his bed, and listened to some of the chatter that came from the neighboring cells.
While sitting against the wall, he studied the stars on the ceiling. Part of his reward this week was having a digital display across the ceiling that resembled the outside weather. It brought him a sense of serenity when he had to sit inside all day, reminding him of his old digital display at the Coax Crystal Company log station. Sleeping at night had become easier as a result, but he still wished he could wake to Anna Leigh and Elu.
Within moments, Xander’s eyes felt heavy and he was quickly succumbing to the sweet beckoning of sleep. He rolled over on his bed and pulled the necklace into his hand, squeezing it while falling down into the familiar abyss of slumber he looked forward to each night. He thought about Elu's plan, and clutched the amulet.
At least tomorrow he would be a day closer to his family.
***
A knock came from the front door. Anna Leigh carefully rose from the couch while holding her stomach, grimacing when she felt a pinch in her back from moving too quickly. Her stomach had nearly doubled in size over the course of two weeks and she could already feel her feet swelling. She waddled to the door and pulled it open, allowing Elu to walk inside. He held up a bouquet of synthetic flowers. They shimmered in the afternoon light.
“Hello, darling,” she said. “Those look lovely. Thank you.”
After giving him a kiss, she waddled to the kitchen to put the synthetic flowers in a vase. Her mother walked into the kitchen and smiled warmly.
“Hello, Elu. How is everything?” Anna's mother asked, her tunic flowing behind her as she walked.
“It’s going well. How are you doing, Mrs. Black?” Elu asked.
“I’m doing fine. How is our prisoner doing?” she asked.
“Mother,” Anna Leigh said firmly. “Come on.”
“I’m just joking, dear,” her mother said sweetly while patting her arm. “I didn’t mean to be insensitive. I hope he’s getting along well.”
“He is doing fine, Mrs. Black. I just spoke to him earlier today,” Elu replied.
Elu smiled and gave Anna Leigh a kiss, placing a hand on her stomach.
“How did your appointment go today?” he asked, helping guide her towards the couch.
Anna Leigh sat down with a loud sigh and rested her head against the back of the couch.
“It went well. The baby is nearly full grown and I’m afraid I might pop soon,” Anna Leigh replied.
“That just means it has the strength of two fathers,” Elu said.
“Of course it does. Kuhlarai grow fairly quickly in the womb. It’s how our species thrived for so long,” Anna Leigh explained.
“I’m surprised you have lasted this long. Your mother said she barely lasted four weeks with you,” Elu said.
Anna Leigh nodded as his hand trailed over her stomach, watching the blue fingers lifting the hem of her shirt and tracing her belly button.
“That tickles,” she said with a giggle.
“Sorry,” he said.
“No, you can keep rubbing. My skin is so sore,” she said.
“Do you need lotion?” Elu asked.
Before she could respond, her mother leaned over the couch with a bottle of lotion and daubed it on her shoulder. When her mother left the room, she turned to Elu.
“I’m not sure I can do the plan in this condition. I can hardly walk,” Anna Leigh whispered while he lathered her belly with lotion.
“It’s going to be fine, darling. You just need to go for another week or so,” Elu replied in a low voice.
He set the bottle of lotion on the table and started rubbing her belly rhythmically. The skin moved and warped briefly before settling under his touch.
“But what if she comes early?” Anna Leigh asked.
“She?” Elu asked with a grin. “Are we having a girl?”
Anna Leigh shook her head.
“I’m not sure yet what we’re having, but it feels like a she. The doctor asked if I wanted to know the gender and I said no,” Anna Leigh replied.
“Well, why would you not want to know?” Elu asked.
“I’m a Kuhlarai. Its gender could change quickly before it comes out. It’s just the way our species works,” Anna Leigh replied.
“But I want to know now,” Elu said while leaning into her shoulder. “I just want to prepare with enough clothing.”
“Mother has clothing here and we can always buy new things,” Anna Leigh said. “The crib is set up in the nursery and we can decorate it soon.”
“But we won’t be having it here,” Elu said.
Anna Leigh looked down at her stomach, her features growing dark.
“I keep forgetting about that,” she whispered tearfully. “I wish we could be with mother. I don’t like this idea of running away.”
“Xander doesn’t seem to like it either, but it’s what we have to do if we want to be together without being torn apart,” Elu explained.
Anna Leigh rubbed her temples.
“I feel so overwhelmed thinking about it. I just don’t want to get caught and hurt the baby,” Anna Leigh said.
“It’s going to be okay. Our plan is flawless and we’ll be together soon,” Elu said. “Would you like me to rub your back?”
Anna Leigh nodded with a smile. As she leaned forward, Elu placed a pillow on her lap to lean against and he began rubbing the tense muscles. She hummed and collapsed forward into the pillow while he worked. It was incredibly difficult to be large and full of life all the time. Having Elu rub her shoulders made her feel better, but she wished she had Xander to rub her feet. She missed having both of her boys in one place.
“How long would we have to hide?” Anna Leigh asked.
Elu remained quiet as he worked out a knot carefully, rubbing the tense muscle with two fingers in a circular motion.
“Probably forever,” he replied.
“Really?” she asked.
“Well, yes. We’ll be fugitives, Anna Leigh,” Elu replied.
“That sounds awful,” she said.
“It is what it is, darling,” Elu said, rubbing his fingers across her neck. “You have so much tension in your neck. Are you sleeping well?”
“Not really,” she replied. “It’s hard to sleep without you and Xander.”
“I can stay tonight if you like,” Elu suggested.
“That would actually be wonderful,” she said. “Do you think Xander will get upset?”
“He might, but we can always call him later this afternoon. His visitation clearance includes some digital calls,” Elu explained.
“That would be lovely,” Anna Leigh said.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“No, dear. We just ate something. I could use a foot rub. I have to say, having two lovers is wonderful when my body is aching,” she joked.
Elu chuckled.
“It does come with a number of perks,” he said. “Lean back, darling.”
Anna Leigh carefully relaxed into the cushions of the couch and Elu sat on the table, holding her foot between his knees while working the tension out of her soles. She smiled.
“This is nice,” she said. “Do you think we can watch a movie, too?”
“I would like that,” he said. “It’s been a while since we’ve really done anything together that wasn’t related to the plan.”
“I know. I feel like it’s been ages since we went on a date,” she said.
“We could do that,” he suggested.
“Not without Xander, please,” she begged. “I just want him home in my arms and I don’
t want to do this any longer.”
Her eyes were tearing up again and she couldn’t stop it. Her red-nailed, slender green hands flew up to cover her eyelids and she squeaked, her stomach shaking as she sobbed.
“Oh, darling, please,” Elu begged. “Don’t cry.”
“I can’t stop,” she claimed. “It just comes in waves and I can’t get it to stop.”
“Is it because of Xander?” he asked.
“It’s everything,” she replied. “It’s all so overwhelming that I just can’t handle it.”
“Come on. Let’s get you to the bedroom,” he said while standing.
He carefully hooked his arms under her shoulders and pulled her up into a standing position, wrapping a blue arm around her waist while guiding her towards the bedroom. She sat on the bed and allowed him to manipulate her body. Elu then curled up right behind her with his hand over her stomach. The crying continued for a few minutes and then stopped abruptly.
“Oh, this is wild,” she whispered in the dim light.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I feel like a complete basket case,” she replied.
“You’re not,” he insisted.
“I know I’m not, but I feel like it,” she said.
“Everything seems bleak now, but it will get better soon,” Elu assured her.
“It’s just out of my control. I’m used to having control over most things. Working in the emergency room broke me of my obsession, but now and then I still need to know I’m in control,” Anna Leigh explained.
“I understand that. I’ve been that way my whole life, especially when I joined the Federation,” Elu said.
“How did you come to decide to be an undercover agent, anyway? It doesn’t seem like a very good job,” she said.
“The pay is great, but the conditions are horrible,” he replied. “I have to conceal my real life from everyone. There's so much deception. I haven’t had any close friends or relationships in nearly ten years.”
“That sounds awful, sweetheart,” she said. “How do you even manage?”