by Mikayla Lane
For hours, she ran through the woods around the lake and the house, calling for him until her voice became too hoarse to continue. How could he leave her? Where did he go? Returning to the house, she collapsed on the couch. Burying her face in her hands she cried until she felt into an exhausted sleep.
She awoke with a start to a hand on her shoulder gently shaking her. Thinking it was Scaden, the smile on her face died when she saw it wasn’t him.
She looked in confusion at the two beautiful little girls standing in front of her. How did they get here? They had long, wavy blonde hair, and the most piercing blue eyes she’d ever seen, with hazel swirls that seemed to move around in them. How unusual. Small and slight, she guessed their ages to be around six or seven years old.
They were attired in identical little pink dresses, with lace at the bottom and a silk looking sash at the waist in a darker pink. They were adorable twins, but she couldn’t imagine how they had found the house and gotten here. They’d been silent the whole time she had perused them, and seemed to know when she was done and confusion replaced the curiosity.
“Hi… Cari. I’m Tessa, and this is my sister Amia.” The little girl on the left told her, pronouncing her sister’s name as Ah-mee-ah.
“We knew you were lonely now that Scaden had to leave and didn’t want you to be sad.” Amia said next.
“Who are you? How do you know me and Scaden? Where did he go? Is he coming back?” Cari asked in a rush. She had so many questions and needed Scaden.
“We are… friends. He had to go back and make sure that he could find a way to protect you and keep you both together. You will have to leave this place and go to him, when things are ready.” Tessa told her with a smile. Her dimples, so like Scaden’s, Cari felt a pang of sadness at his absence.
“Don’t be sad. He’s going to make everything ok, and then you can go to him. We’ll keep you company until it’s time.” Amia smiled an identical one as her sisters, dimples and all.
It was hard not to look at these two adorable children and not smile back. There was something so charming about them that was difficult to resist. And they were right; she didn’t feel lonely at all with them here. She wondered if Scaden had sent them to her, until he could come for her.
“I bet you’re hungry. I know we are. Do you think you can help us find something to eat?” Amia asked her hopefully. Cari laughed at the child; she was hungry.
“Well, I can’t guarantee that I can make anything as good as Scaden since I’m not familiar with the food here. But I think I can recognize enough things to make us something edible. Do you want to help me?”
“We’d love to!” They exclaimed in unison. Cari could feel their excitement, and smiled at how adorable they were.
Going into the kitchen she began going through the cabinets and fridge looking for the foods she recognized. As she pulled things, she would need she would hand them to one of the girls who would place them on the counter. The three of them working together like a team.
Once she had found all the delicacies Scaden had prepared for her their first night here, she started trying to copy the way he had cooked it. For some reason, she wanted to share those special dishes with the little ones.
“Won’t your mommy and daddy be worried about where you are?” She asked, suddenly concerned that they might have to leave and not wanting their parents to worry. If they were her daughters, she’d be in a panic if they had disappeared from her sight.
“Our parents know where we are. We would never be far from them and wouldn’t want them to worry about us. They love us very much, and we love them very much.” Tessa answered with a wide smile.
Satisfied with her answer she began to help teach the girls how to help her prepare the meal, hoping she got it right, and it would turn out correctly.
When she thought, it was done, she filled three plates, while the girls gathered the utensils and set them at the bar area. In silent agreement, the girls sat on either side of her and waited for her to take the first bite.
Knowing the girls were waiting for her to try it before they did, she stabbed the same purple tubular item that Scaden had made her try first and popped it in her mouth. Oh that was so good! And it had turned out almost exactly like how Scaden had made it! Her hunger came back with a vengeance, and she began digging in as the girls followed suit.
Cari smiled as the girls exclaimed over how good the meal was, and how much they were enjoying it. If she didn’t know better she’d think they had never actually had food before. What a crazy thought that was!
After they had stuffed themselves until they were full, they cleaned up their mess and placed the leftovers in the fridge for later.
“Can you please show us the lake? We’ve heard how beautiful it is but haven’t been there yet.” Tessa asked politely.
Cari wondered if their parents would be upset if she took them there, but figured it would be ok, as long as she didn’t let them in the water. She made up her mind, when she heard Amia’s pleading tone saying “Please”. She couldn’t resist the little charmers, and she thought they knew it too.
She led the two girls out the door and smiled as each one grabbed one of her hands as they walked down to the lake together. She had no idea why, but she felt such peace and contentment with the adorable girls here. If she and Scaden were ever lucky enough to have children, she hoped that they would be just like these two little darlings.
She smiled at the girls’ excitement when they saw the lake. Their excitement was contagious, and she listened intently to them both as they bombarded her with questions.
“Can we touch it?”
“Is it cold?”
“Why is it so blue but yet so clear?”
“What makes it?”
As she answered their questions, she walked to the edge with them and allowed them both to touch the water and laughed as they giggled at the feel of it lapping against their toes.
They played for a while at the shore, laughing and splashing each other in the water until the suns had begun to set, and she saw both of the girls yawn. Suddenly very tired herself, she led the girls back to the house together.
“Are your parents going to worry if you don’t come home? It’s getting very dark, and I can walk you there if you tell me where you live.” Cari offered, but not truly wanting them to leave. The thought made her very sad; she really adored these little ones.
“Our parents know we’re going to stay with you until Scaden finds a safe place for you both to stay.” Tessa told her, and Amia shook her head in agreement.
“Are you sure?” Cari couldn’t imagine any parents allowing their children out of their sight for this long. When she and Scaden had children, she would never allow them near a stranger like this. Their father must trust Scaden very much for him to allow this.
“We’re very sure!” They chimed at the same time.
Cari began to dig through the closet to find something for them to sleep in… all of them. With only the one bed in the house, she wasn’t going to sleep naked in the bed with the girls.
She found three of Scaden’s shirts and helped the girls out of their dresses and into the shirts. They were extremely long on them, and Cari did her best to roll up the sleeves, so they could use their hands.
The girls giggled the whole time at just how large the shirts were on them, and Amia flapped the long sleeves as Cari tried to roll Tessa’s sleeves up. When the girls were dressed in their new nightwear, Cari went into the bathroom and changed too. The shirt she was wearing fell to the tops of her knees, and she had to roll the sleeves as well.
By silent agreement, Cari got into the bed and laid on her side in the middle; Tessa laid down in front of her and Amia behind her. Tessa cuddled into the front of her, and Cari put her arm around the little girl, while Amia put her arm around Cari’s waist and snuggled in close.
It wasn’t long before all three were sound asleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Scaden settled
Cari into the large bed and pulled the covers around her to make sure she stayed warm. He wondered for the hundredth time when she would finally awaken. They were safe now; safe from the council for good. Nothing could separate them again. He wouldn’t allow it, and apparently neither would his crew.
He stroked her growing belly through the covers and marveled again at his little girls growing there. His love for them grew every minute it seemed, and he couldn’t wait until he could hold them in his arms. He made sure to let them know it too and smiled at the little excited kicks they would make against his hand.
Sighing, he left the room to go meet Randor downstairs. Walking through the large house, he was again amazed at everything his friends and crew had been able to accomplish while he and Cari were 'out of it'. He was overwhelmed by their loyalty to him and Cari… and his children. He hoped that none of them would be in trouble with the council over this. However, he knew they had covered their tracks pretty well.
Stepping into the kitchen, he saw Randor was already stocking the fridge with food and putting others in the cabinets. He sat down at the table in the kitchen, not even trying to help since everything in, there was so strange, and he had no idea where anything was supposed to go.
He was going to learn everything he could though. Since this planet was now going to be his home, he needed to learn everything he could in order to keep his family safe and to provide for them.
“Is she settled ok?” Randor asked as he sat at the table with Scaden.
“She’s resting the same. The little ones seem to be much more active and happier than they have been. I guess that’s a good sign. Hopefully, they’ll be able to get her awake now that she’s safe.” Scaden had been hoping for that for days.
The days before the other ships were to arrive; they had to go ahead with the plan that Randor, Gracus and Amun had come up with to keep them from the council. They couldn’t wait any longer for her to awaken.
They had made it appear that Randor had helped Scaden escape in a transport with Cari. Once they were on the planet, they had disabled all tracking on the transport. Randor had gone down a week before they had left and found a house for them, in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere in a place called Montana.
Randor had assured Scaden the place was so remote and the people so friendly, that they wouldn’t care they were strangers and would be open to them staying there in the old ranch house.
He and Cari had been in this part of America before and had really enjoyed it. He had easily convinced Scaden it would be a good place to raise his family. And being halfway across the country from where Balduen and Niklosi were still trying to track Jess, he had figured the council wouldn’t look for them there.
He was grateful that Randor had come with them. Since Cari was still comatose, he really needed someone to help him figure out how to navigate this new world. And to help him protect Cari and his children while he learned.
He had already learned lot about how Randor had provided money for him and Cari to travel the world without having to find work. Apparently, the coins and items he had saved from when he had first arrived on the planet were worth a lot of money to what he called collectors.
Before they had invented the computers used worldwide, he had sold pieces here and there in the towns they had traveled to and used the cash to support them.
Now that there was an Internet and most things were done by credit card, he would sell things online and transfer the money to pre-paid debit cards that would act as credit cards when they needed to make reservations for places to stay. It was a very confusing way of commerce, and nothing like how things worked on his planet, but he was learning. He would learn and do anything he had to do in order to keep her and his children safe. Randor brought him out of his thoughts.
“We should be able to stay here for a long time, as long as we don’t have to deal with the Relians. I think after what happened when we got Cari back, and killing Vikan, will make them think twice about searching for more of us. Especially if they know there are two of us.”
“And this place is very remote. The townspeople will consider us their own within a few weeks and will let us know immediately if strangers show up. Especially strangers who may ask about us. And the more money we spend in town, helping their businesses the more they will be willing to assist us when we need it. .”
“I was thinking that we could do ranching. Since it is a lonely sort of profession, it wouldn’t be suspicious if we kept to ourselves and spent the majority of our time here at the house. The townspeople will expect it of us since we bought so much property. Anything else would be very suspect.” Randor had already thought long and hard over this while Scaden and Cari were locked in their quarters on the ship. It was the perfect solution for them.
“Randor, I can’t thank you enough for what you’re doing for us. Giving up your family again couldn’t have been easy for you, and for that I am so sorry.” Scaden couldn’t help but notice the sadness that seemed to be riding below the surface of the man and knew the decision he had made to help them had been difficult.
“She’s my daughter, she is my family. And my great-daughters are my family as well… and now you. If my father and the council can’t comprehend that things are no longer the same as they were in the past, then they’ve given us no choice but to do things this way. I still hope that they will realize their mistake once Amun and Gracus show them the vids of Cari and the babies. But if they don’t, then I plan on staying here with you and them for the remainder of my life.” Scaden could actually feel the heart-felt words that Randor had spoken. Reaching across the table, he squeezed his hand in support.
“I am honored to have you here with me. There’s no way I could navigate this place without you. And I can’t think of a better person to be at my side helping me to protect my family.”
Scaden was dead serious too. Not only had Randor found this place, but he had obtained fraudulent identification and introduced him around the townspeople as his brother ' and he was now ' It wasn’t a bad name, and he could get used to be called Scott if it meant his family was together and safe.
He owed the man across from him so much, and he intended to learn everything he could from him, so he could shoulder as much responsibility as Randor was in order to protect his family.
*****
Cari couldn’t figure out why people had such a hard time telling twins apart. It hadn’t taken more than a few hours in their presence, and she could already tell the girls apart. Besides the obvious beauty mark at the corner of her right eye, Tessa was also much more outspoken than her sister. She threw herself into the moment and pulled as much enjoyment out of everything that she could.
Amia, on the other hand, was much quieter and more thoughtful. She paid attention to everything around her, learning all she could. And she chose her words carefully. She was also very affectionate and loved to touch.
They were together at the house on Scaden’s world now for about a week. They had played games and chased each other through the woods. Cari had even built a small fire for them at the lake a few nights and told them stories. Not scary ones of course, she knew they were far too little for that and didn’t want to frighten them. She told them fanciful fairy tales she had learned on Earth that she embellished upon.
Other than missing Scaden, this whole time with the girls was perfect. She had begun to love the girls and truly wished she could keep them.
“Ready or not here I come!”
She closed her eyes and turned in a small circle, concentrating hard on opening her senses. Immediately, she felt Amia’s curiosity at something she was looking at. Following the imprint of Amia’s emotions, she saw a glimpse of her behind a tree and moved quietly behind her, curious herself at what had the child fascinated.
“Boo!”
Amia squealed and threw her arms around her. Cari held the little-girl close, enjoying the feel of her in her arms.
“What is it Cari?” Amia asked
pointing at something behind Cari’s back.
Cari turned slowly with Amia still in her arms looking for what held her attention. There was what looked like a small black house cat not far from where they stood, and it appeared to be watching them curiously.
Not sensing any hostility from the animal, Cari didn’t panic and just looked at the creature. It was a little taller, and broader than a house cat, with dark black eyes that were much larger than on a normal animal on Earth for its body size, and a thick soft looking pelt of black fur. It reminded Cari of a small black panther from Earth.
Cari heard Tessa walking quietly up behind them, the game of hide and seek forgotten as Tessa’s curiosity over what Amia and Cari had found took over her.
“He doesn’t want to harm us. He’s just as curious about us as we are about him.” Amia said, stepping away from Cari and closer to the strange animal.
“He’s wondering how we can feel him the way he can feel us. He has the same kind of gift we do.” Tessa added, stepping up next to her sister and closer to the animal.
Cari could feel the animal’s curiosity, but nothing like what the girls were feeling.
“How do you know that girls?” Cari was now just as curious about what the girls called their gift as she was about the animal.
“Here, feel it.” Tessa and Amia each took one of her hands. Within moments, she could feel what they were talking about. The animal was even more curious now that the girls had helped Cari to understand it too.
All three of them could hear clearly that he wondered what their funny-looking skin felt like, and how they could be warm without fur.
The girls giggled, and they spent the next few hours learning that he was what the Valendrans called a Sibiox and very much like a black panther on Earth. He was able to tell them his name was Giblounian, which was far too difficult for the girls to say, and he readily agreed with Cari’s suggestion that they call him Gibly.
When he asked why they were there but yet not there, Valendran yet not Valendran and had abilities no Valendran had, the girls became agitated.