Bait and Switch Ch. 11

Silence met my cries for help.

Defeated, I dropped to my weakened knees, and wondered how much she must hate me. I couldn't understand why she would save me when Derek had captured me, but that had been the only time she had acknowledged my existence since that Monday night, almost a week ago.

The white light vanished, and I waited to be sent back to my room.

And waited.

I must have dozed off, because a soft voice startled me, and I tipped over. Looking up from the softly vibrating floor, I saw a dark rectangular hole in one side of the rounded room, with a hand sticking out of the inky blackness.

"Come with me," the two tones of Lela's voice sounded tired. Silently I stood, and walked over to the opening.

I couldn't see beyond, and fear clutched my throat as the arm disappeared into the impossible darkness. It looked like the hand was just floating there, sticking out of nothingness. I realized she must be able to see just fine in that darkness, and grasped her three-fingered hand.

She pulled me through the black rectangle slowly, but firmly. My steps were halting at first, but as the blackness swallowed me, and all sight vanished, I felt suddenly alone, despite the hand I held. Lela pulled me on, and after a few steps, I picked up my pace a little, and Lela didn't have to drag me as much. I placed my trust in the alien. The light vibrations in the smooth floor didn't trip me up, and soon she stopped.

I almost ran into her, not expecting the cessation of motion. I felt her breath near my ear, a moment before I heard her voice. "Don't speak. Stand here and I will be back."

I opened my mouth to protest, ignoring what she'd just told me, but a finger against my lips silenced me. Her small hand left mine, and then I truly was alone.

Or thought I was. A cacophony of noise assaulted my ears, and it took me a few moments to realize that it was Lela's language I was hearing. It sounded like many of her race were speaking at once. Some of the dual-toned voices sounded deeper, and I thought they must be males.

I wanted to know what was going on, but Lela's warning not to talk stuck with me.

"You are the human, Nick Xavier, correct?" It took me a moment to realize that I'd understood that, and the question had to be repeated again before I thought to answer. Lela's prohibition against speech couldn't stay if I was asked a question, could it? When it was asked a third time, with more insistence, I decided I'd better answer.

"Y-Yes. I'm Nick Xavier." What was going on? The voice that'd asked sounded deeper than Lela's.

"And you have the ability to make physical changes with your mind?" I realized he was referring to my switches.

"My switches, yes. Hey, what—" I didn't get to demand what was going on, as I got cut off.

"And six of your planet's rotations ago, you made a change in the one you call Lela, causing her to mate with you?"

The shame of it still beat at me. I hadn't understood what I was doing. I didn't mean to hurt her. All these things I wanted to tell them, for now I understood I was on trial, but instead I only said, "Yes," and dropped my chin to my chest.

The room erupted again in their language, and I felt someone take my hand. I followed who I hoped was Lela back the way I thought we'd come in.

The way back seemed to take longer, as the person holding my hand would stop occasionally, and then continue on.

Without warning I was back in the blue room. One moment I had been walking in nothingness, the next, the blue light was blinding me.

The hand in mine darted back into the black, before I could adjust to the new brightness. I kept a firm grip on her hand, however, and didn't let her go. I used my other hand to rub my eyes, as they adjusted.

"Lela, please. What is going on? How much trouble am I in? Was that a trial? Are you in trouble? Don't leave." My eyes had finally adjusted to the light blue light, but all I could see was her hand sticking out of that impenetrable black. I pulled on the hand, wanting to look into her silvery eyes.

She fought me only a little, before stepping into the room.

I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

Her eyes looked haggard, and worn, deep bags lining the underside of her eyes. Her shoulders were slumped, and everything about her bespoke of exhaustion. She wasn't even wearing her light suit. She looked decidedly different without the light dancing along her smooth pink skin. But none of that is what truly surprised me.

Lela was pregnant.

Her stomach was noticeably larger than the last time I'd seen her. She saw me looking, and yanked her hand out of mine, covering herself up.

Before I got a chance to speak, I was back in my own room, back in darkness, though not as dark as it had been following Lela.

What was going on, and how could Lela be pregnant? She'd told me that we weren't genetically compatible. Was she in some kind of trouble because of what I'd done?

"Lela," I whispered, not wanting to wake anyone else in the house, "forgive me."