I slumped to the floor in the doorway, the baby kicking madly at the unexpected change in position.
"No, I understand. Yes, nothing rash, it's not like we could find her on our own anyway, now is it? We've got the cops watching us and no way to track her down ourselves." But his eyes had grown hard and the wolfish intensity was back. He listened for a few more seconds. "Well, I'm just glad the information helped. Yes. Good luck to you." Another pause. "No, I promise, no interference." But his eyes promised the exact opposite. He hung up the phone with a resounding thump, and strode to me where I sat in the doorway, lifting me off the floor.
"Carys, pack a bag. They know where she was last. We're going there to see if we can pick up her trail. If her scent is still fresh..." Alexandre hadn't even finished before I had bolted from the room, earning me another flurry of kicks.
"Sorry, sorry." I murmured "But both your parents are vampires, which means you probably are too, so you need to get used to it." I directed at my midriff as I threw clothes in a bag for me and Alexandre. "And stop kicking my bladder you little punk, you're too tiny to cause this big of an impact already, you freakishly strong monster." I griped and ran to the bathroom again. The strength was one of the things Alexandre and I had noticed with worry. The movements had become too powerful too quickly, at this rate by the time we reached the end stages of this pregnancy, the baby might actually do some serious damage to me internally, which had caused Alexandre to lose his mind a little, buying extra medical equipment. He'd turned the long room beside the library into a mini clinic. He'd even managed to buy a portable x-ray machine which he sheepishly grinned about when it was delivered.
"I know people." He'd told me by way of explanation and I'd just replied with a deadpan 'uhhuh'. Money talks apparently, and it seemed it truly could get you almost anything. All of the equipment had Alexandre pouring over his medical texts to reacquaint himself with what he had learned over the years. He was light-years ahead of me, and though he grinned broadly when I commented on it, he replied that it was just easier to know how to help your own body when you couldn't exactly go to a hospital, especially after the second or third time you break a bone. I was very curious about the broken bone story, but let it go.
I sighed and looked down at my little bump. So many things to worry about, but right now-bigger fish to fry.
I dashed from the closet with our bags and nearly ran into Alexandre in the hall. He had a cooler, which I could only assume was filled with blood, and his medical kit. I eyed the kit suspiciously.
"It's just a precaution." He answered the look, and grabbed the packed clothing from me and raced from the house. He came back slightly out of breath. "Don't forget a warm jacket, and please change into something warmer for me. We're going on foot for a bit to slip by the cops. Drink some blood, I need you at top speed for a short run." I looked doubtfully at my midriff.
"The baby will be fine." He assured me. "Now hurry, I'm having a friend drop off a car." As quickly as I could, I did as he asked and was back in the foyer in minutes. I had slightly overfed to protect myself and the baby and it was making me jumpy and anxious, which was also affecting my little wiggle worm. Alexandre came back, observed my slightly flushed face and warm clothing and nodded his approval.
"Let's go." He said and led the way out the door. I followed him swiftly around the side of the house and to the corner of what looked like stables, now modernized. Behind that was an empty flower field, and then trees. Alexandre paused at the back corner of the stable and picked up a multitude of bags and the cooler he had left there earlier. I objected and tried to get him to let me carry something.
"You already are." He said simply. "Besides, I'm faster, it'll only slow you down." He took off running at a brisk pace towards the trees and I followed quickly behind him. When we reached the trees Alexandre seemed to visibly relax. He adjusted the weight of what he was carrying and handed me a small light bag with a long strap. "Cellphone, cash, ID, and the like. Keep it with you." I pulled the strap over one arm and then over my head, settling the bag under my arm, and then snatched one of the clothing bags from him and hung it on my arm too.
"Let me help you." I pleaded softly. He sighed.
"Fine, but if it gets too heavy, you let me know." He responded, looking at me intently. I nodded and we took off again. The run through the woods was intense and my body sang with the sudden activity, although the baby didn't seem to appreciate the speed very much. We paused once more for Alexandre to adjust the bags, which let me know the weight was straining him, but he once again refused to let me help, eyeing me warily as I laid a hand on my stomach to calm the unsettled motion there, and then we were off again.
I could sense the road before I saw it, the way the sound changed because of the space opening up and allowing the wind to move more freely. The scents shifted and then there it was. Alexandre slowed the pace to a normal human one and we walked within the tress along the side of the road for a bit, his nostrils flaring.
"Hold on, let me see where he's left it." He said to me and dropped the bags to quickly pace ahead and then return to pace in the other direction a bit further. He jogged back. "This way." He said with relief. I grabbed his medical kit with a slight grunt.
"What the Hell did you pack in here, Alabama?" I griped and he reached for it, but I refused to relinquish it. "If you're driving, then you're already wearing yourself out. You'll be putting us in danger if you fall asleep at the wheel. We're fine." I said placing a hand on my stomach. "Let's go." And started walking in the direction he had indicated. He quickly caught up and we continued walking for about half a mile before the car came into view over an incline. I sighed with relief.
"You ok?" Alexandre asked me with worry.
"Fine, just a little hungry, so can't wait to be on the way to get a snack." I lied. I was actually more worried about him and wanted to force him to drink something. I could see the exhaustion taking its toll, though his back never lost its ramrod straight posture. Alexandre smiled at me indulgently, and we covered the remaining distance in silence. A familiar scent surrounded the car when we reached it.
"Wait, isn't this...?" I stammered, confused.
"One of the brothers that owns the repair company that fixed our railing, yes." Alexandre replied. "They are very..grateful...loyal, one could almost say. Alexandre said wryly. He stashed our belongings in the trunk of the car while I got in to the passenger seat. The keys were in the ignition, and Alexandre got in, shaking his head slightly. "He trusts too much." While he placed the cooler on the floorboard behind us and handed a bag of blood to me and took one for himself. I eyed it with relief.
"I'm sorry there are no cups. And that they're cold." Alexandre apologized. I punctured a corner of the bag with my teeth and slurped at it like it was a popsicle. I shivered, but shrugged, rubbing my stomach while I drank, to try to soothe our dancing beast who was not happy with all the commotion. Within minutes of Alexandre pulling onto the deserted road, the child calmed down though. Alexandre drained his blood bag, then reached over and laid a comforting hand on the bump which was almost completely still now.
"Aw, she likes car rides." Alexandre murmured, then looked at me "Just like her mama."
"Hey!" I swatted at him. "If you're trying to insinuate that I frequently fall asleep on long car rides.. then you would be correct." I crossed my arms and looked out the window while Alexandre laughed his full laugh. I smiled lightly and turned back to him to offer the rest of the blood to him. "Here, would you like this? It would be a shame to just toss it, and I'm full." A small burp escaped me as if to prove my point. Alexandre eyed the bag.
"You sure?" He asked.
"Positive." I replied, pushing it into his hand. He eagerly took it and drained it as well. I settle back in my seat and closed my eyes, listening to the road noise. Alexandre began to hum a soft melody and the baby rolled as if to hear him better. "Hmm... I think she likes the sound of your singing." I told him quietly. I could almost feel his excitement.
"I promise you Carys, once this is all over, it'll just be us, starting a new life, our little family." Alexandre murmured to me quietly.
"Do you think her hearing is advanced?" I asked suddenly. "She already seems to be stronger than a normal child." Alexandre looked at me with worry. "Do you think her other senses will be more advanced too? Do you think she already hears what's happening around her?" I laid a hand protectively on the little mound.
"I don't know." Alexandre hedged. "It's entirely possible, if she's infected, and the likelihood of that is very high."
"What does that mean for her?" I looked at him pleadingly. "Are we going to have a child that never grows up? Or one that attacks every human it sees? Are we going to have to hide her away from the world? What even will she be?" Alexandre gripped my hand as the tears began to fall from my eyes.