Generation 4, Chapter 16: That gut-wrenching feeling when you know something is wrong...

Ever since the day Vala told me she was pregnant, we weren't able to have a normal conversation without it turning into an argument.

It was an odd turn of events, and definitely unexpected. But Vala...she seemed genuinely upset, like she didn't want to be pregnant. I could understand that, she had never been faced with such a thing before. However, to think of having an abortion...was against all my moral values.

"Vala? Are you alright?" I asked her one evening after we returned from watching a movie.

"Oh, I see where this is going," she huffed. "You're gonna find some way to turn this conversation back to my pregnancy, huh?"

"Um...no. You did."

"Let me tell you something..." She seemed at a loss for words, being thrown off by my calm reply. "I hate your perfect composure!" Before I could even grab her hand to stop her, she stormed inside.

What we didn't know was that Mitchell and Darcy seemed to have made our home theirs already, without an invitation. I was okay with it, seeing as Darcy had already stayed with me in Bridgeport. But Mitchell...was a whole different case. He occasionally raided the fridge for all the leftovers of the previous day, leaving us without dinner. 

Sooner or later, I would have to throw them both out. 

"Boy, do you two need a vacation. You looked stressed out...," Mitchell stated, a frown caught between his eyes.

"Not today, Mitchell. The mood isn't good for those kind of jokes, yet."

"Which is why I suggested the vacation!"

"Where's Darcy?" Vala interrupted the bantering.

"Kitchen, looking for a snack for me," he grinned widely.

"Uh huh... I'll start some dinner."

"That's okay, I can do it," trying to be sensitive and getting her back to her usual happy mood, I offered to make dinner without thinking of her reaction to this.

Needless to say, it ticked her off even more.

"Daniel, you're a horrible cook, and I'm not useless. Leave it to me, okay?"

Reasoning with her wouldn't help, and the sad thing was, I didn't know how to help, how to react, or what to say to her when she was like this. Calling my father was not an option as he would have no knowledge of this. My mother had had a lot of problems, having had some kind of amnesia in the past, but nothing like this. Apparently, she had been quite happy during her pregnancy, like my grandmother Kaylin had been, as well as great-grandmother Destiny. It was a family filled with family oriented people.

What worried me was that good family nature would come to a screeching halt.

"Daniel!" Darcy whispered from the kitchen, with an urgency mixed into her voice. "What the hell is going on with her? Did you see her with that knife?! We have a serial killer on our hands."

"No, we don't," I shook my head. At least, I hoped we didn't.

"Then why is she so moody?"

"Well, she's pregnant and she doesn't want to be, I believe."

"And you didn't tell me?!" she yelled, causing Vala to peek over her shoulder. "And you didn't tell me?" she lowered her voice. "I'm your sister, dammit. If you can't tell me, who can you tell?"

"You have a point... It's kind of had a bad effect on both of us. She's not ready for that kind of responsibility, and I'm gonna be a dad while I'm not even married."

"Hey, that worked for our grandmother!"

I sighed. "They at least got married. I'm not so sure that'll happen between Vala and I."

Mitchell's bellowing voice coming from the living room was enough to make everyone in the neighbor jump from surprise, but it made us pay attention to what he was saying. "Hey, guys, Sunset Valley is gonna be on the TV!"

"Ooh, really?" Darcy ran from the kitchen, literally jumping over the couch to take a seat by Mitchell's feet. "This is quite an occasion then."

"What's it about?" I asked out of curiosity, not making an effort to hurry to the lounge.

"Uh, some rich guy is funding a festival here in town. It's just some kind of publicity stunt, if you're asking me."

"Obviously," Darcy agreed.

"Next up: Sunset Valley isn't that quaint, sunny town anymore! CEO of O.M. Industries discusses his plans to turn that lovely place into a Winter Wonderland festival." The news reader delivered the line with a smile, but it made my heart sink. So Oscar McMullen was coming to town? Perhaps our idea of revenge wasn't as far fetched as I had imagined.

"That bastard...," I muttered under my breath.

"'Scuse me? Didn't catch that?" Darcy looked up at me with curious eyes.

"Nothing, I'll explain later."

"You always say that," Mitchell mused. "And you know what? You never end up explaining anything!"

Ignoring his line, I took a seat next to him, eyes pinned on the television. the image of the man was exactly like the one stored in my memory, from the time I was introduced to Sarah's parents. The only difference was that he looked a lot more...sinister than he did a few years ago.

"Sunsey Valley was where my family went during my summer vacation. We share an important past, and I wish to pay my respects to all those good memories. Citizens of this beautiful town, I implore you to come join in the festival of Winter, starting tomorrow afternoon. Those that wish to help set up  tomorrow morning are welcome to do so."

Before he even finished his speech, Darcy switched channels. "It's boring, okay?"

"I was still watching that, you know," I pointed out.

"If you want watch it so much, go search a video of it online," she suggested, continuing to mash the button of the remote until she found a channel with cartoons on it.

Following her suggestion, albeit with a disgruntled mood, I head upstairs in search of my laptop and charger. Something told me I was gonna be up till late again researching.

What I had not foreseen, was that Vala was already in the room. The last thing I wanted now was an argument.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were up here," I quickly turned away from the door.

She jumped from the bed, biting down hard on her bottom lip. When she spoke, it wasn't the tone she had used just a while ago. It was soothing, almost like how I had tried to sound. "Oh no, please, don't go. Can we talk?"

"You know what happens when we talk, Vala..."

"I'm sorry...," she whispered, extending her hand towards my face in an attempt to break the ice. "I can't control myself lately... The emotional side of me, I mean. I'd blame it on hormones, but it's too early for that to happen."

"I want to say that I'm alright with that...but to be honest, it wasn't a pleasant experience, seeing you like that. I can go live with my parents for a while, if you're sick of me around here."

"I could never get sick of you," she pulled me closer for a hug. "Never. So don't go running off with some other bimbo while you got a pregnant girlfriend back home!"

I couldn't help but laugh. She was back to normal, even if it was temporarily. "I wouldn't dare betray you."

"Good. Now,what was the fuss about the television? About Sunset Valley and some festival?"

"Oh, it's.." I hesitated. Should I really involve her in my plans for revenge, while my duty to her was to protect her from her former employer? "You and I are going to the park tomorrow."

"Interesting. I suppose you'll explain the why to me tomorrow while we're driving?"

"You bet'cha."

As we stepped outside the next morning, the grass was covered with a thin layer of snow. It was the first sign we received that winter had officially arrived. With the temperature a lot lower than we were used to, Vala and I dressed up snugly in clothing that she had bought for us the previous week.

"Look over there," Vala pointed into the distance. "Is that the guy you saw on TV? Mister McMullen?"

"That's the one. How about we go introduce ourselves as 'friendly helpers'"?

"I'm always up for acting. Did I ever mention to you that if I hadn't become a criminal, I would have liked to become a part-time performer?"

"Uh, no... But you can talk more about that later. Remember, lets act polite and not kick his butt just yet. We gotta earn his trust...and all that crap."

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you lecturing me while I'm the professional in this case?"

"I don't really know..."

Appearing to be a perfect couple, we approached Sarah's father with smiles on our faces. I suspected that he would recognize me, but I was unsure of Vala.

"He looks familiar..." She whispered, lost in thought.

"Welcome, young couple. Would you be interested in helping us with arranging some of the things that will be included in the festival?"

"Of course, as long as it doesn't require heavy lifting... Daniel's strong, but not that strong. Look at his puny arm muscles!" Vala chuckled.

Oscar smirked. "You should include yourself in that excuse. You never were one to do the hard work, Vala."

Crap. He knows her, thought flashed through my mind. If he knows her, chances are he knows me.

"Y-you know her?" I tried to salvage the situation, to keep the appearance up of being clueless.

"I thought you were a good man, Daniel, seeing as you dated my daughter and all, but if you're shacking up with Vala, you are a pathetic man."

Beside me. I could sense Vala growing uncomfortable. "You know me?"

"Who do you think recruited you when you were a teenager? Now, lets talk, shall we..."

At that moment, I couldn't suppress the bad, gut-wrenching feeling that was stirring inside me.

~♥~

Sorry that it took so long to publish this post, and that it is definitely not one a good one, either, but I'm just a bit tired of this generation, I guess, seeing as I have bigger plans for generation 5.

Thank you for reading, and have a great day!