"Let's just say that the stars aligned in our favor." He presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. "If you're done punching things, I'd like to introduce you to my sister."
"Your…sister? Zoey?" My brain must be fried from stasis because none of what he says makes sense. "She was on the ship somewhere?"
"Er…no. We've been rescued."
"We have?" I rub my eyes, but my fingers are so cold and my eyes so blurry that I feel like a popsicle. A popsicle with a brain still frozen.
"Maybe we should get her something to eat," says another voice. It's human, and female, though she speaks with the same sharp accent in English that Adiron does. His sister. I peer around, but my eyes feel like bricks of ice and I can't see farther than a few feet.
"Food's a good idea," Adiron says, pressing another kiss to my forehead. He cradles me against his chest and shifts his weight, getting to his feet. "Stasis on an empty belly can be hard. She'll perk up once she has something in her."
The woman who must be Zoey groans. "Must. Resist. So. Many. Filthy. Puns."
Adiron just chuckles.
I press my face closer to his neck, breathing in his scent as the world bobs around me. My stomach isn't doing so hot, but then again, what part of me is right now? Some water and something cracker-like will settle my gut and perk me up.
Zoey speaks again. "You know what she needs? A big bowl of piping hot noodles."
Noodles. Just the word brings to mind a bowl of the hated things, and their scent, and my stomach rebels. My mouth fills with saliva and a cold sweat breaks out over my skin.
"Uhhh," Adiron says as the knot in my throat grows enormous.
I tap on his chest, bile rising. My guy must know what's up, because he sets me down a split second before I puke everywhere.
"We're gonna have to find something other than noodles," Adiron says, good-humored. "Jade, love, let me know when it's all out. I've got you." He holds my hair back and pets my shoulder as I get sick everywhere.
It's ridiculous, to be so sick over nothing at all. I tell myself it's the stasis and an empty stomach. I tell myself it's nerves and the gently swaying movement of the ship. I'm lying to myself, of course. I know exactly what it is. It's a baby. Our baby. And I don't know how Adiron is going to feel about that.
He's a pirate. I'm not exactly sure “dad” is high on his list of career choices. Even if it is…how can I mention it? His brothers are still missing. He needs to go after them. I'm just not sure what that means for me.
It also means that I can't go back to the Star, either. Lost in space is no place for a baby.
Maybe it's the stomach ache talking, or the stasis drugs, but I've traded one crisis for another. Sure, Adiron loves me when we're by ourselves and snuggled in bed. But how does a baby fit into his life?
Or is he going to ask me to get rid of it?
72
JADE
To my everlasting relief, this ship has foods other than noodles. I nibble on a protein bar and drink a cup of hot tea, curled up in Adiron's lap as he strokes my hair and the cleaning bots whirr in action behind us.
The crew of the Jabberwock—whom it seems showed up and hijacked the pirates, of all things—are busy in action, stripping the ship, overriding systems, and arguing with someone named Bethiah, who wants the ship and doesn't like that they're taking everything.
"Bethiah's a friend," Adiron murmurs into my ear when I ask. "An absolute lunatic, but a friend."
I'm still having a hard time digesting everything that went on while I was in stasis. Though I wasn't “under” for longer than a few hours, a lot has happened. After the pirates took Adiron captive, he schemed with Bethiah to turn on the crew, but it seems that Shaalyn was onto them, double-crossed her men and killed them before she could be taken, hid on the bridge, and then the Jabberwock showed up.
It's a hell of a lot of coincidence, but Adiron and the others seem to take it in stride. Of course the Jabberwock was nearby—Zoey has been looking for Adiron and his brothers. Of course Bethiah was on the ship and offered to help Adiron. It seems that space pirates are a lawless, hijacking lot who are unsurprised by constant double-crossing.
And I'm pregnant with a space pirate's baby. So, you know, no pressure or anything.
I keep the news about the baby silent, though. There's so much other information flying around that stepping forward and blurting that I'm carrying Adiron's baby seems like bad timing.
Adiron and I sit together on the bridge. He's found a seat big enough for the two of us to sit, me with my legs over his lap and a little tray in mine, so I can have my tea and crackers. I'm still wearing nothing but his shirt, but no one seems to notice my nudity…or the fact that I'm human. They're too busy. I listen in as Zoey talks up a storm to Adiron. She's not what I expected his sister to look like when he said she was human. I don't know why, but for some reason I pictured Zoey with impish features and red hair. Kinda like Pippi Longstocking or some shit, the ultimate sisterly vibe. Zoey is nothing like that, of course. She's a little short, even for a human, and top-heavy. She's white, with flat brown hair and an average face, but when she smiles, it's that naughty smirk similar to Adiron's and it's obvious that they've grown up together.