Page 9 of Serpent King's Revenge

All I knew was that their mother was dead.

"Take your time, Abby," Justin replied, his voice steady despite the night's events still hanging heavy between us.

"Thanks. I just need to clear my head." I forced a smile, hoping it looked more convincing than it felt.

"Everything okay?" Lily asked.

I stared at her.

“Stupid question,” she said. “I mean, nothing is okay. Everything is terrible. Fuck. But I meant your wound.”

"Fine, really. Just might swing by the drugstore for some painkillers," I lied smoothly, each word carefully measured. "That fight at your brother's…" I trailed off, allowing the unspoken statement to linger. Because of course, it wasn’t just the fight at Justin’s place. It was Nathan’s arrest, our escape, Evelyn’s death…

We were really, truly fucked.

"Be safe, Abby," Justin said.

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Back soon," I promised, turning away before they could see the fear I was fighting to keep at bay.

The sleek black car Nathan had gifted me hummed as I drove to the store, its purr a welcome distraction from the roiling thoughts in my head. I couldn’t be there and mourn with his siblings when some of this felt like it was my responsibility. If I wasn’t part of Nathan’s life, maybe everything wouldn’t be so messed up.

Of course…he’d taken me, I guessed.

We were both to blame.

The fluorescent lights of the store were a harsh welcome as I entered. They did nothing to soothe my anxiety, each step feeling heavier than the last. I kept my movements controlled, barely able to maintain the calm exterior I'd perfected over these past weeks. My fingers brushed over the items I needed, the mundane task of grocery shopping now laden with a significance I wasn't ready to face.

At the checkout, I avoided the cashier's eyes, offering a polite nod as I paid for the groceries. Beneath the loaf of bread and quart of milk lay the pregnancy tests–several, of course. And their very existence in my basket were a sign to the impossible situation I found myself in. The weight of them was oppressive, dragging me down into a reality where my IUD had betrayed me, where my carefully plotted life as an undercover FBI agent was threatening to unravel.

As if it hadn’t unraveled enough already.

I walked out of the store quickly and with my head down, the San Francisco morning air doing little to clear the fog of dread. My mind raced with implications, each more daunting than the last. A child–a symbol of life and hope under normal circumstances–now felt like an anchor, one that could drag Nathan and me under the dark waters we navigated daily.

"It’s going to be fine," I whispered to myself as I stowed the bags in the passenger seat. I needed clarity, but all I found was the specter of a future brimming with danger and uncertainty.

"Drive. Think later," I instructed myself, sliding behind the wheel. The leather seat felt cold beneath me. As I started the engine, I realized there was no running from the truth waiting to be unveiled by those small plastic tests hidden amongst my groceries. And my car…it seemed to be closing in on me.

Miraculously, San Francisco was empty. I wasn’t contending with traffic, which was strange. I maneuvered through the desolate streets, my knuckles white as I gripped the steering wheel. The silence of the city was disconcerting; it mirrored the quiet turmoil churning inside me.

Each turn brought me closer to Erika's place, my old apartment that now seemed like a relic from another life. I didn’t want to go back to 118 California yet–not when I had all these pregnancy tests in my bag. The last thing I wanted was to worry Justin, Derek, and Lily…so I went to the only other safe place I knew. Erika would talk me through it; I could trust her.

Stay safe, I typed out to Lily as soon as I parked. I might be a little longer, but stay put. All of you. Okay?

I knew full well the kind of monsters we were up against. Her response, a simple thumbs-up emoji, did little to ease the weight on my shoulders. I tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and focused on the road ahead, willing the painkillers to work faster.

I took my car out of gear, gathered the bag full of pregnancy tests, and made my way inside.

Silence greeted me as I unlocked the door to Erika's apartment with the key I’d never returned, my training allowing me to move like a shadow through the familiar space, and made my way to the bathroom. She was almost certainly still asleep–she worked late hours as a waitress–and maybe I wouldn’t run into her at all.

Yeah, maybe it was weird that I was stealth peeing in her apartment…but it wasn’t the weirdest thing I’d done in the past few months. I sat down on the toilet, read the instructions several times, and then took the first test.

And the wait…fuck.

Five minutes felt like five hours. I paced back and forth, not looking at the result until my timer went off. It was agony. Especially being here without Nathan, for something that should have been exciting.

In those five minutes, it became clear that I wanted this. Maybe it made me crazy, but I wanted a baby with Nathan. I wanted to see the smile on his face when I told him. I wanted to see what a scary-protective father he would be.

My phone went off with an alarm and I gulped, swallowing my fear. Squinting like it would make the impact less, I peered down at the test…

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