A Love That Destroyed Time

by Melanie Ray

  "You mean, you're actually doing something?" Zaria’s eyes were wide with curiosity. "What?"

  "Don't get your hopes up." Yed’s demeanor turned from serious to casual again. "We're not revealing our colorful tails and hair anytime soon. We're just investigating right now.”

  Zaria nodded. "I guess 'Protector' took on a whole new meaning over this last century, huh?"

  "Not really," Yed admitted. "We protect who needs our help. Whether it be women, the king, or a guy hiding from his wife."

  Zaria rubbed his face. "Yeah, Muin. I love her but she's going to be the death of me." He sank back into the couch further again. "You trained eight decades to be a Protector, any advice Yed?"

  "Protector Yed," Yed reminded him. "Not really and eight decades still isn’t long enough to know the female mind."

  "Zaria? What are you doing here?" Ezra asked as she came down the stairs. "Are you okay?"

  "Yes, just fleeing for my life," Zaria said chuckling. "I'm borrowing your Protector for a few minutes."

  Ezra laughed. "Surely Muin's not that bad."

  Just then the phone started to ring. "Don't say a word that he's here," Yed said protectively as he handed her the phone.

  Ezra picked up the phone.. "Hello? Oh hey Muin." Ezra’s face turned serious. "What's wrong?"

  Zaria edged off the couch slowly. What would his next move be?

  "He what? You think what?" Ezra glared at Zaria. "He takes off at a moment's notice? Not reliable at all? No, no. No Muiny, no," Ezra said over and over. "No. No. No, no. No. Muin I'm telling you, Zaria doesn't have someone else."

  Zaria's mouth just dropped open.

  "No. No, no. No, he still loves you. Maybe he just needed to get away? No I'm sure he doesn't think your fat." Ezra glared even more at Zaria. "He doesn't even help around the house anymore?"

  Zaria literally sank into the couch, the power of Ezra’s glare almost burning him. Eh, figured she’d take Muin’s side.

  "No, I'm sure there's a reason," Ezra reasoned with Muin. "I think maybe he went out for a few minutes. Okay?" She looked at Zaria suspiciously. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be back any second with a great reason for being gone. It's okay, call me back in a few minutes if he doesn't return. Alright? Okay, goodbye." Ezra hung up the phone. "What did you do? She's crying her eyes out thinking you love someone else."

  "I just got away for a few minutes, I had to," Zaria said as he handed Yed the Sensitive Daddy book. "Can you just take this and hide it somewhere?"

  Yed shook his head. "If she can’t find it, she’ll get the fully extended edition."

  “Damn." Zaria felt his forehead. "She’s gone nuts, I can’t believe she is thinking I’m cheating on her. What can I say, I can’t say I came over here with the book."

  "Calm down, it’s easy. Run downtown and buy her or your future kid something," Yed said in a simplistic fashion. "You took off because it was a surprise."

  "Something to show I appreciate her?" Zaria grinned, "Yed, you're a genius."

  "Protector Yed," Yed corrected him again. "Yeah, I can’t disagree there."

  Zaria rushed out the door while Ezra frowned at Yed.

  "What? Trust me, the guy needed to hide," Yed answered her disapproving expression. "She was going nuts."

  "Yes, well now she's crying. You're lucky you came up with that." Ezra crossed her arms, displeased with his actions. "Otherwise I would have to tell her he was seeing someone. You."

  "Ha ha." Yed laughed bitterly. "Trust me, I didn't want to deal with him, but what choice did I have? Muin on a rampage is hard to deal with."

  "Mmm, true." Ezra gave him a half quirky smile. She sashayed over by Yed on the couch and sat down. “He’ll probably get her something really nice, then they’ll go home and...” She sighed dreamily. “Make each other feel better.”

  "What?" Yed watched Ezra suspiciously.

  "I miss that,” Ezra said as he rubbed her shoulders up and down. “Someone to hold me and touch me." She glanced over at Yed’s leg.

  "What?" Yed started to think about her words. Oh damn that’s right! Pregnancy makes hormones go crazy. Being around me all the time... He caught her off kilter smile toward him. "Yeah, what? Oh, no, oooh..." He stuttered. “You know, I uh, this is temporary. Don’t worry about never feeling...umm...touch.”

  “Maybe one day I’ll find the one.” Ezra scooted over closer to Yed. Yed in turn, scooted further away. “Do you think so?” Her breathing was more heavy that usual, even seductive. “Yeducavich?”

  "Uh." Yed stood up. "Whatever’s going through you right now, it’s not permanent. That’s hormones, your pregnant and changing. You become turned on at times, inexplicably.”

  Ezra touched his pant leg softly. “Are you sure it’s hormones?” She let go and cracked up laughing. “You should have seen the look on your face.”

  What? Yed’s mouth dropped as he realized the truth. “You were playing with me? Ezraponia Cattral, I'm gonna get you for that."

  Ezra's eyes widened and she headed up the stairs. Yed ran close behind her, no way was she getting away with that. "Hey, you can't do that, you're supposed to be protecting me."

  "Yeah which is exactly what I'll tell the law enforcement when they drop by," Yed yelled as he pursued her to her room.

  It didn’t take long before Yed had her cornered? The punishment? A never ending tickle.

  Ezra laughed as Yed tickled her tummy, "Yed, stop it, I can't take it!"

  "Then say stop it Yeducavich Zuffel Zinfan Smilliat in the name of your really great Uncle," Yed demanded, not giving into her petty pleas.

  "Stop it." Ezra tried to get out. "Yeduc-Vich-Zuffel-quit! I am pregnant, remember?”

  Oh yeah. Yed stopped, forgetting that important fact. Too much tickling could lead to a disastrous position with her bladder.

  Ezra rubbed her belly. "I am having a little girl.” She smiled in a better-than-you fashion.

  Yed put his hand on his chin. He couldn't just topple her onto the bed and he couldn't try to force her up. He didn't know what to do this time, she won. He looked down at Ezra's belly as she rubbed it. "You’re getting bigger."

  Ezra looked down at her tummy. "A little bit."

  "When's it going to start to kick?" Yed asked curiously.

  "When it's ready." Ezra shrugged her shoulders and gave a soft chuckle.

  "What?" Yed asked, curious about her reaction to his words.

  "I didn't think you'd be so interested in my baby all the time," Ezra said.

  "Well, I'm protecting you both," Yed reminded her.

  "Yes, but she won't have suitors as soon as she leaves the womb," Ezra teased him.

  "You never know," Yed said. "Your pheromones went nuts when you were smaller." He looked at her knowingly. "I should have known then and there you were pure warno lineage. No one's scent should have done that these days."

  "Yes, but it did stop," Ezra reminded him. "I still have my pills for the next ten decades. It's a good thing you authorized it for so long."

  "Heck yeah," Yed agreed. "When I lost track of you guys, there's no way I could approve of a prescription anymore. Smartest thing I ever did. Without that you'd be...umm..." He stopped talking.

  "I don't understand what went wrong that night," Ezra said, dwelling on the past again. Damn, he didn’t mean to make her feel bad again.

  "Doesn't matter," Yed quickly replied, "nothing matters except..." He looked at his wristwatch. "That it's bedtime and I'm tired. Nighty night."

  Ezra watched Yed quickly leave to his own room. ...nighty night.

  Chapter 11

  THE FIRST WARNING

  Yed played on Ezra's old piano. The time was drawing closer and closer to when his little girl was supposed to be born. I still don't know what to do. He slowly started to play their national anthem. Very slowly...

  I can't just come out and tell her, I know that. I don't have any backup and if the King suspects anything I'm gone. Yed continued to press the keys with no spirit. I can't j
ust be a typical Protector when the kid is born though. He sighed as he stared at the keys on the old piano. I don't want to do it, but it's regulation. I'm supposed to help her find a compatible mate that will never leave her or the baby but I don't want to. He hit the keys hard on the last part. Why don't I want to? I should want to see her settled down, not a husbandless mother. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Maybe I just don't want it raised by some other guy. He finally came to his conclusion. It's mine, I've been here for it ever since. Protector or not, it's mine and I should be able to stay.

  How could he? The most he could ever stay is maybe another year. If he stayed longer, everyone would figure out that something was up. There was no such thing as the same client for life. I can't come out and say it. I mean, what could I say? 'Yeah, you know, I was that guy'? I go prowling around as a Protector so others wouldn't guess? That's not me.

  He knew he was running out of options and time. She's going to be born soon. He played the piano faster. I wonder what she'll look like? I bet she'll end up having Ezra's personality. Hopefully, it'll be scary if she has mine, he said chuckling. She'll probably have the cutest little ringed tail anyone's ever seen. That's when his smile faded. Hiding underneath black spray. What a time to be born in. How long have I even hid beneath this black spray myself? He glanced at his tail curiously. “No one will fight back.” Ha, correction. No one knows how to fight back. He groaned. What a world for a little girl to grow up in.

  "Yed?" Ezra’s voice startled him from behind.

  Yed turned to look at her. Her expression was off, there was something in her eyes. Confusion. "What is it?"

  Ezra held the remote in her hand and sat down on the couch as she turned on the TV. "I was working when I heard something on the radio. I don't like it."

  Yed left the piano and sat down with her. He listened intently to the station.

  "And so on this mighty day the Warno King Sheward and the Waryes King Gunner have now signed a peace treaty!" The announcer on the TV smiled brightly. "The purest lineage of waryes' will remain within their own kingdom. In the warno kingdom, only the closest to pure warnos will remain. As for the rest of us, we shall be given our new kingdom just called the Warmix kingdom!" He chuckled. "Original, sure, but it works for me! Details on what will and won't be allowed in this treaty are very sketchy.”

  Ezra turned off the TV "Am I right in thinking that maybe-"

  "It's an obvious treaty that will backfire and destroy the last warno lineage left?" Yed finished for her in a growling voice. "Warnos are so carefree, they won't even see it coming." He stood up and began to pace. "Why would King Sheward sign that? He knows they're up to no good."

  "Distraction maybe?" Ezra offered. "Or pressure?"

  "Probably a combo without any fries and a drink," Yed groaned. "Crazy. Oh well, it'll be fine."

  "It'll be fine?" Ezra frowned. "They are going to gather the last of the purest lineages. How? Based on what? Tails? What if it’s by tails? What if they’ll only let those skin tails in?"

  "King Sheward is not as dumb as you think," Yed disagreed. "He won't let everyone get butchered. Trust me, he knows what he's doing."

  "Yeah sure, trust him." Ezra growled bitterly. "I will never trust him."

  Yed didn't comment. He knew Ezra had a feeling that it was the king that was responsible for the one night stand, but he couldn't agree to that. Not without being considered a traitor.

  "Backstabbing, lying, conniving..." Ezra muttered.

  "Ease up mommy to be," Yed chuckled trying to get her to relax. "You know that's not good for you."

  Ezra groaned. "Yes, yes I know. I just detest the king with my whole heart."

  "Yeah, he's not my favorite but waryes' will always top the chart," Yed said. "There's nothing worse in this world than them." He went back over to the piano and began to play. "I'll never let them win for good."

  Ezra strolled over and sat next to him by the piano softly humming the national anthem he started to play.

  Yed smiled at her as he continued to play. He closed his eyes briefly remembering happier times. Their anthem was always light but playful. He hit the last note of the song and left his hands on the keys. "The Warno National Anthem." He sighed. "Soon that is going to be the next thing to go."

  "You don't think we’ll sing our national anthem?" Ezra had to ask. "Well, we don't have our colorful tails...or our hair..."

  "Yeah, so if you're hiding why would you sing such an obvious song," Yed said bitterly. "I remember when I was younger, we sang it all the time. Makes you wonder how many kids even know it anymore." He looked at the piano sadly. "Ever have fantasies about getting out of here?"

  Ezra chuckled. "Getting out of here. You know, I have actually thought about that. A nicer world, one at peace that had inhibitors." She looked down at the piano. "It wouldn't be the same though, this is home." She stared out the window nearby them. "The trees, the water, the whimsical smell in the air. No planet would ever be like this." She wrapped her shawl tighter. "This is home."

  Yed looked at the piano again. "Maybe you’re right. Eh, it'd be really hard to live without inhibitors anyhow. We’d be like wild animals, unable to think." He looked outside the window. "There's no planet that would be like this, but there'd also be no waryes'. That's where you and Carressela should be, someplace safe."

  Ezra’s cheeks tinted pink. "If we ever got it back though, you couldn't ever want such a wonderful world. So much life, so many crazy wonders in this world."

  Yed smiled at the piano. "Yeah, it is a zany world." He played on the piano again.

  Ezra joined his playing on her side of the piano. They banged the keys twice on the very last note.

  "Enjoy it while we still can," Ezra said, smiling tenderly at him.

  Yed looked back at the piano. "Yeah, while we can."

  Ezra became quiet and looked away before she got up and left. "Dinner will be ready soon."

  Yed continued to look at the piano as he watched her start to leave. How can I ever just leave them, especially now? He started to play softly again. Ezra and Carressela will both have perfect lineage. They'll be easy targets. How can I just find someone to take care of them and leave them?

  Yed took a few more minutes at the piano before he entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. Time to get it over with. "Undercooked or overcooked?"

  "Hopefully neither." Ezra dished up his serving and placed it in front of him, not even looking at him.

  Yed stared at the plate. "It looks edible."

  Ezra didn't reply as she scooped up her own food. She sat down at the table quietly.

  Yed looked over at her. "Is something wrong?"

  "No," she answered blandly as she bit into her food.

  Yed looked back at the living room then to where Ezra was sitting. "Are you feeling okay? You were fine in the other room now you're just..." He stuck his hands out to her. "There."

  "It's nothing." Ezra took another bite of food.

  Yed crossed his arms. "Your hormones have never fluctuated that dang fast, so what's wrong?"

  "Will you just leave me be?" Ezra moaned.

  Yed put his hands up in defense. "Or I could be wrong, sorry?" He looked at the food on his plate. "Looks good?" Ezra didn't answer. "Doesn't then? What's wrong? Did you get bad news at the hospital or something? Did something happen there?"

  "Nothing bad," Ezra spilled, "I'm not having a little girl."

  "Boy?" Yed said it a little too excited.

  "Both." Ezra moved her food around her plate. "I'm having a twin boy and girl, like Muin."

  "T...twins?" Yed’s expression burst out with pride. "Holy heck, we're having twins?

  "

  Ezra gave him a weird look. Why was he so dang excited? "We're?"

  "You're-you're." Yed quickly corrected himself. "You're having twins? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" He gestured out to her. "That’s great news."

  "Yeah, I'm having twins. One boy and one girl, in a freaking one
night stand." Ezra’s brow furrowed. "It's obvious the guy had pure lineage. Chances of twins without pure lineage is about a third." She stopped eating and felt water works threaten to release from her eyes. "Iri and Muin's wrong, the guy obviously knows, there's no doubt in my mind."

  I should have known that, I’m supposed to know everything about females. Yed cleared his throat, feeling out of his league. In all his training, he should have been able to remember such a minor fact. How did Ezra remember that when he couldn’t? "Are you positive?"

  "Yes, it was hiding last time when they checked in," Ezra said softly.

  "Well, what about names then? Carressela and what?" Yed had to ask.

  "Well, before I knew it was a girl, Xiam and Muin recommended some." Ezra began eating again. "Oogi of course you knew. Igella, Lenvopovic, and Jimbia. What’s with that look?"

  "No way, there's no way it’s going to be Igella or Jimbovich. You can't give him a name like that." Yed was beside himself. “Come on, the kid is going to get picked on for the rest of time if you do that. Trust me, you need an avich.”

  Ezra shrugged her shoulders. "I think they’re good names, except maybe Jimbovich. Igoma instead of Igella might be nice. Or Enigovich? I don't mind those so much. What do you want, Jimbavich?”

  Yed tapped his foot on the ground. "Jimbavich?" This can't be happenin’. My kid is going to be called Jimbavich? I don't think so. "Isn't there anything else you like?"

  "I don't know," Ezra confessed. "I like Tigeravich too, but it might not fit."

  "Are you kidding? It'll be a perfect fit." Yed held up his hands. "Carressela, Tigeravich. They go together, don't they?"

  Ezra shrugged her shoulders. "Jimba, Carress. Carress, Jimba." She stuck out her tongue. "That doesn't sound so good," She poked at her food. "Enig. Carress. Carress. Enig." She took another bite. "That doesn't sound so bad."

  "That doesn't sound so good either," Yed huffed his opinion.

  Ezra groaned, "Yed, I said you could recommend names. Anyone can recommend names, all right? I never said I would obey any names."

  Yed looked down at his plate and poked at his own food. "Jimba or Enig is stupid." He grumbled. "It won't fit him."