She looked up at me with a glare. “It’s not funny, Sam. Not only did I just spend the last day afraid you were going to die forever, but I also had to deal with the fact that I was trapped inside your body. Possibly forever,” she emphasized.
I gave her an apologetic look, not wanting to go down that road of discussion again.
“So what now?” I wondered.
Heidi spoke up. “Now, I need to try to recover, so I can fix my sister’s face.”
Lily grimaced as she spoke, likely feeling bad that her fire had been what burned Lexi, but didn’t say anything. Really, she shouldn’t feel bad about that at all, considering she took over half a dozen bullets for Lexi.
“Also,” Freya added, “the CDS is here guarding our room. I guess they already knew you could switch bodies because they figured out what was happening on their own and have been waiting to talk to you when you wake up.”
I groaned, glancing at Lexi’s sleeping form as I spoke. “I suppose that makes sense that they would know, considering my evaluation, but what do you think they want to talk about?” I wondered.
Freya took a deep breath. “This wasn’t a random attack, Sam. There’s a terrorist group targeting Lexi.”
My heart froze as I shifted my gaze to her crimson eyes in disbelief. “Does that mean the airport bombing wasn’t random?”
Freya shook her head. “It wasn’t.”
“Did Lexi know?” I demanded, recalling that she had very plainly told me she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Did she seriously lie to my face? I mean, I knew lying had probably become second nature to her after three years of doing it almost nonstop to protect her and her sister, but I never would have imagined she’d lie about something like this. And definitely not to me – the guy who helped save her from it all.
Was I really that naïve? Granted, I couldn’t go around assuming everything she said was a lie either.
“Yes, she knew,” Freya explained. “She didn’t want any of us to worry, but I’ve already had a talk with her about it.”
“More like she yelled at her for a solid fifteen minutes,” Lily corrected, glancing up at me. “Lexi’s really upset about this whole thing, and feels like it’s her fault.”
“It is her fault,” Freya hissed. “I almost lost both of you because of her.”
“Well,” I countered. “Really it was the terrorist’s fault…” I quickly continued when Freya glared at me. “But yeah, she definitely should have told us.”
We were then all silent for a few minutes. My gaze finally shifted to Rose who was just sitting there silently, her arms still curled around her legs. I reached out past Freya still sitting in between my thighs.
“Hey, sweetie, are you doing alright?”
She didn’t respond though, tears slowly reappearing in the corner of her eyes. Freya glanced at Rose over her shoulder before twisting around to grab her, picking her up like she was a baby instead of an eight-year-old, only to set her down in between us on my lap. Rose immediately wrapped her arms around my neck, causing Lily to pull away slightly to make room, and I held onto her small frame tightly while she began silently crying.
I had already told everyone ‘sorry’ a thousand times, but I realized it might never be enough for my daughter who had almost lost her daddy. However, then she surprised us all by speaking up quietly.
“Thank you for saving Aunt Lily,” she whispered.
It took me a few seconds to respond, my chest unexpectedly hitching underneath her as I tried to suppress a sob. While I was sure that everyone was thankful Lily was alive, they were all focused on the grief of almost losing me, with Rose being the first to express her appreciation for what I had done.
“You’re welcome,” I replied just a softly. “And I’m sorry if I scared you.”
She only nodded in response.
Freya reached out then and grabbed my hand, tears reappearing in her eyes as well. “Thank you,” she echoed. “For protecting Lily, and for not dying on us. We need you,” she added, her hand discretely touching her stomach.
I knew immediately what she was implying – our unborn child had almost just lost their father too.
I squeezed her hand and nodded, while Lily gently rested her lips on my arm, her eyes closed tight. Of course, I didn’t need her to thank me out loud. Out of everyone, I was sure she was the most appreciative that she was back in her own unharmed body after being shot seven times just yesterday by a high caliber machine gun.
As everyone fell silent again, I simply enjoyed being surrounded by my family for a while, all of us piled into the hospital bed, relieved that everyone was alive and safe.
It wasn’t until movement in my second-sight caught my attention that I began focusing outside the room. A woman dressed in a charcoal business suit, with dark brown hair and green eyes, had just walked up to two guards next to the entrance of our room, speaking to them quietly.
After a moment, she knocked on the door and then slowly opened it to peek her head in.
Freya and Rose had both heard her prior to the knock, so the three of us were all already looking in that direction when she appeared.
“Oh,” she said in surprise, glancing at me for a moment, before focusing on Lily. “You’re awake. I’m Jackie Hendricks, Lexi’s boss. I’d like to speak with you about what happened, but I can come back later if this is a bad time.”
I sighed. “I suppose now is fine,” I agreed.
Her eyes immediately snapped back towards me. “Oh. You’re back to normal.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” I replied simply.
She nodded once, seeming to evaluate the situation once more before speaking. “Actually, I think I will come back later, and let you spend some time with your family alone first. We have this room secured, so there’s no need to worry about interruptions, unless you need the hospital’s staff for anything. This entire floor has been cordoned off from the rest of the hospital and we had catering delivered to the staff lounge just now to serve as a dining room if any of you are hungry.” She paused to look at Heidi. “I’m sure Lexi’s younger sister will especially need to eat. Feel free to have as much as you want.”
“Thanks,” I replied on everyone’s behalf. I knew Lily would probably be hungry too, though I couldn’t be sure if she just looked so thin because they took out her destroyed implants or if it was due to Heidi’s ability helping to heal her body.
“You’re welcome,” Jackie replied sincerely. “Also, we’ll talk later of course, but before I go for now, I wanted to say one thing.” She took a deep breath. “On behalf of the CDS, and on a personal level, I’d like to thank you for saving Lexi’s life twice now.”
My eyes widened in surprise as she not so discretely acknowledged my involvement in the Blaze situation. However, after half a second, I shook my head. “You’re thanking the wrong person for what happened yesterday. Lily is the one who selflessly shielded Lexi with her own body and took out the perp all in the same go.”
“Oh, well yes,” she agreed, glancing at Lily. “I actually thanked her last night as well when she was in your body, but…” She paused, seeming uncertain about her next words. “Well, to be honest, I was made aware of the first time only recently, and I guess I just wanted an excuse to thank you for your role in that too.” She grimaced, her gaze shifting to Lexi’s drug-induced slumber. “I’ve known her for a long time, so finding out what had been going on for a little over three years was like someone dropping a bomb on my head. Needless to say, I did notice that she has seemed genuinely happy for the last eight months or so, but only now do I fully understand the extent – that the seemingly minor shift in her mood was actually an insurmountable change in her life – one she’s hid very well.” She paused, lowering her voice. “She isn’t aware that I know yet,” she added. “I’d prefer to let her know myself, if that’s alright, but I can understand if it slips in conversation.”
I nodded. “I don’t see any reason why you can�
��t be the one to tell her. Though, I think it’s best to try not to dwell on it, and leave the past in the past as much as possible, so we can all move on.” I paused. “So, she can move on.”
Jackie held my gaze for a long few seconds, before mirroring my nod. She then scanned the room one last time, her eyes meeting Freya’s, Rose’s, and then Lily’s gaze before she focused on me again. “Well, I’m glad that you seem to be a good man. Your superpowers in the hands of a criminal is a frightening thought.”
I shook my head. “No, I’d say I’m just an average man who will do anything to protect my family. But thank you for the compliment, nonetheless.”
“You’re welcome,” she repeated sincerely, before wishing us goodbye with the promise to return this afternoon.
Once she was gone, Lily spoke up, her brow furrowed. “Sam, how did you know I shielded Lexi?” she wondered.
I looked at her in confusion.
“No one told you that,” she clarified, only to glance at Freya. “At least, I don’t think so.”
I thought about it for a moment. “Huh, I don’t really know. I guess I just assumed that since the terrorist was obviously targeting Lexi, and you were the one who got shot, then that meant you were trying to shield her.”
“Yeah, but I could have just been in the way,” Lily countered. “Or maybe I lit on fire and so he shot me first, because I was the bigger threat in that moment. There are other possibilities.”
“But you did shield her, right?”
She nodded.
“Then what’s the issue?”
Lily appeared pensive as she glanced down at her knees covered by the blanket. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted. “It just seemed weird that you were a hundred-percent confident that I intentionally jumped in front of Lexi.”
I was about to respond, but then Heidi spoke up. “Umm, guys? Not to be a pain, but can someone bring me something to eat.”
That immediately changed the mood.
Lily and I both laughed lightly, with Freya smiling.
Lily responded. “Heidi, you helped fix my body. I’ll bring you all the food you want.”
Heidi smiled timidly.
However, I wasn’t about to have Lily going anywhere, instead glancing at Freya as a thought hit me. “Actually, I think Freya and I will grab everyone something to eat. So, all of you just relax for a few minutes.”
“I’ll go,” Rose chimed in.
I glanced at Freya again to see her reaction, knowing her answer would let me know whether or not we were on the same page – really, it depended on her stomach.
Sure enough, she patted Rose on the head. “Can you hold the fort?” she asked gently. “We’ll just be gone for a few minutes.”
Rose sighed and then nodded, prompting Freya to give her a hug. Our daughter then climbed gracefully off my lap so I could get up. I gave Lily one last peck on the forehead before following Freya out the door.
Both of the guards gave us slight nods, with Freya’s keen nose making it unnecessary for us to ask directions to the staff’s breakroom.
As soon as we walked through the doorway, we saw enough food for five times the number of people we were feeding. Without hesitation, Freya went to town chowing down on everything she could get her hands on.
In the mall her eating had been a little on the seductive side as she enjoyed her food some, but now she was like a ravenous wolf.
“Wow, you seem like you’re starving,” I commented.
She mumbled something with a mouth full of food, before swallowing, only to keep her mouth empty just long enough to answer. “You have no idea. After Lily finally fell asleep this morning, I snuck off to find where they keep the crackers.” She paused to hastily take a few more bites, before continuing. “Who knew something so ordinary could taste so amazing? I felt horrible that I was thinking about food at a time like this, but I was starving. The room had a fridge too, with some boxed lunches in it. But now I’m so hungry again, that I think I would have died by now had I waited.”
I sighed. “I suppose that would have been the worst time for Lily to find out, huh?” I realized.
She paused for a moment to nod somberly, before continuing her raid.
“Tomorrow,” I suggested, prompting her to freeze again. “After everything has calmed down a little, let’s tell her tomorrow. Her birthday week is pretty much already ruined, and I think this surprise will make her happy.”
Freya sighed and then took a deep breath. “Sam, Lily never wanted to be the aunt. At least, not before being a mother herself.”
My eyes widened as I considered that. Lily had been fine with Rose, and loved her dearly, but this would make her an aunt for the second time. I leaned against the counter as I thought about that, with Freya still being too hungry to wait for a response, going back to devouring everything she could.
Finally, I replied. “Then, why don’t we just make sure to promise that the next child will be hers?” I suggested.
Freya’s brow furrowed as she chewed. “I really would rather wait, Sam. I mean, I’m going to be pregnant for nine months, so is it really so bad to keep it a secret for just a few days? Some women wait for over a month to share, since it could always end in a miscarriage early on – or even be a chemical pregnancy, where the symptoms are there, but the woman isn’t actually pregnant.”
“You don’t think that’s possible for us, do you?”
She shook her head. “Sam, I’m eating everything I can get my hands on and I’m enjoying every second of it. No way in hell is my body faking me out.”
I grinned. “Well, I don’t want to keep Lily and Heidi waiting, so I’m going to grab them something and just say you had one of those rare moments when you had to pee.”
She returned the grin. “Thanks,” she replied appreciatively. “I’m glad you’re not grossed out by me eating like a pig.”
I scoffed. “Grossed out? I think it’s hot. And I think your pregnant belly is going to be hot too,” I added.
“That turns you on, huh?” she wondered.
I scoffed again. “I’m pretty sure it turns all guys on, and for the ones that think it doesn’t, they change their minds once it’s their child squirming around in their baby-momma.” I sighed. “Though I will admit there are guys who have a fetish for that kind of thing.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, her mouth full of food. “But I thought it was just a fetish.”
“The fetish is liking any woman who’s pregnant. I wouldn’t get turned on by some random stranger, but thinking about you with a big prego belly is definitely hot.”
“You gonna kiss it?” she teased.
“Absolutely,” I agreed. “But not right now…” I paused to grab a tray full of food. “Do you want me to come back? Or should I just go with the pee story?”
She nodded. “Last part. I’ll return after I’m not dying of hunger anymore.”
I smirked, walking up to her to give her a peck on the temple, since her mouth was occupied, and headed out of the breakroom back down the hall.
Considering how horrible and stressful the previous day had turned out, this day ended up being a nice break from our daily responsibilities – one in which we all just enjoyed each other’s company in a tiny little world away from reality. We finally left the hospital later that evening once everyone was back to full health, including both Lexi and Heidi.
And from that day forward, we decided to let them live with us for the unforeseeable future, instead of just on the weekends, so that I could ensure everyone was safe at night by keeping watch.
18: Horrifying Curses
Lily Dodson
March 19, 2735 – 1 Day Later – Morning
Lily ran her hands over her flat chest, examining her half-naked body in the mirror. In her opinion, she was definitely more ‘cute’ than ‘hot’ without her implants. But neither Sam nor Freya had even so much as mentioned the change in her appearance in the last day, which was kind of reassuring, but Lily still missed them. At
least she didn’t have saggy skin, with Heidi’s ability returning her body to almost how it had been prior to the implants.
However, unfortunately, that fact was both a blessing and a curse.
The reason being because having her skin stretched out so much when she originally got the implants had made her chest super itchy and uncomfortable for the first six months, until her body adjusted.
Not to mention the expense of the special silicone that she needed, to handle her body temperature!
In the end, whether or not she got new ones was going to depend on Sam and Freya, since they would have to foot the bill at this point.
Hopefully they missed her large chest just as much as she did.
Maybe she could use her birthday as leverage?
And with Heidi’s help, she might be able to return to normal a lot faster too, if she was willing.
At the very least, Lily had to admit that she probably would have been required to replace them soon anyway, since it had been a little over a decade since she got them, with the recommended replacement time being every ten to fifteen years.
Lily’s gaze shifted behind herself in the mirror, as Freya walked from the dark bedroom into the bathroom, appearing exhausted. She had her hand on her forehead, dressed in one of Lily’s purple latex nightgowns, groaning as the bright light hit her eyes.
“You don’t look very well,” Lily commented, turning around to face her with a concerned expression.
Freya only nodded weakly, her eyes squinting. “I don’t feel well,” she admitted.
“You aren’t sick, are you?” she wondered, reaching out to touch Freya’s bare shoulder with her heated hand. “I mean, you can’t get sick, right?”
Unexpectedly, Freya sighed heavily, leaning into Lily’s warm palm. Then, in a flash she closed the gap between them and curled herself up against Lily’s bare chest. “Ugh,” she groaned. “You feel so good.”
Lily hesitated for a couple of seconds, surprised by the abrupt proximity, before slowly wrapping her warm arms around her friend.
The Sacrificial Love of an Immortal Page 26