Tip the Hourglass

[Jiang Winters]

Ellie giggled wildly as Val's sneeze sent the human floating away. She shrugged out of her coat and folded her arms across her chest, then kicked herself off and went floating lazily towards Val. She laughed as the other woman suggested that Sam would be less-than-happy with the gravity failure and shook her head. "Yeah, true. Lucky the zero-g failure is contained to the cockpit!"

She paused, then her eyes went wide and she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Or... Huh. I hope it is, anyways..."

A split second later, the cockpit hatch hissed open. Ellie's ears perked, but it was too late! Samanya's paw stretched through and none-too-gently seized the wolfess by her belt. "C'mere," Sam growled, dragging Ellie towards the hatch. The canine flailed desperately, but was no match for the Cathar's vastly superior strength. Sam collared her sister with one hand, then shoved a fistful of ice cubes down the front of her bodysuit with the other and pushed her away. "I was getting a soda when your shitty gravity failed, and I didn't want the ice to go to waste," she stated nonchalantly. "Now fix your damned ship, Ellie! I'm queasy enough without zero-g!" She pushed herself back out of the cockpit as poor Ellie squirmed, cartwheeling through the air as she frantically pawed at herself to try to get rid of the ice cubes.

"How am I supposed to freaking fix the ship when there's... OH MY GODDESS COLD EVERYWHERE!" Ellie squealed. As if the soda wasn't bad enough, the ice had compounded her misery, and now the poor little wolfess was stuck bouncing off the walls in her desperate attempts to remove all the ice cubes from her chest and stomach, while Sam just returned to her couch to curl up and wait for gravity to come back.

 

[Sreeya]

Val felt Ellie bump into her again as she attempted to get the ice out. She was laughing out loud when one of the cubes managed to be flung off and fly into her own clothing. With a yelp, she attempted to throw it off again, leaving a comical scene behind Sam as she floated back out of the cockpit. Val finally managed to get the ice off, laughing hysterically.

"I told you she wouldn't be happy!"

Val remained upside down, floating over. She wasn't paying attention until her rear bumped against some random button on the controls. The cockpit abruptly lit up. Val blinked.

"Oh shi-"

She crashed to the ground as the gravity kicked in again. Val groaned in pain, rubbing her head.

"What the hell did I just sit on..."

Val had no idea how this strange ship worked. In fact, there was no guarantee that the gravity would even last long. However, by some miracle, her butt had temporarily fixed the problem.

 

[Jiang Winters]

Sam made it halfway to her couch, then decided to head back to the cockpit to try to fix the ship's gravity. Just as she poked her head into the cockpit, she saw Val's butt hit a console. The whole place lit up, then, a moment later, everything clattered back to the deck! Sam yelped as she fell chest-first onto the ground, while Ellie kay-aied in terror as she fell right on her tail. As the wolfess -chest and butt still freezing cold- thoughtfully rubbed her wounded tail, Samanya hauled herself to her feet and leaned against the cockpit's door bracing and grinned from ear to ear at Val.

"Well," the bisexual cat quipped, "Looks like your butt solved the problem. Not that that's any surprise; a rear that cute could solve just about anything!" Her teasing done, Sam winked playfully and slipped back out to go hide on her couch again.

Ellie snickered and shook her head. "If you didn't have a cub - er, kid - I'd swear that Sam just hit on you!" she joked. The wolfess hauled herself to her feet and stretched out. "Anyways. It's good to see her smiling again. She's bouncing back really fast... Maybe it's that typical Mohatu invincibility kicking in. It's hard to keep someone from our family down, y'know!"

 

[Sreeya]

Val was still on the ground, her legs up on the console and her upper body still on the ground. She had laughed at Sam's quip, Ellie's comment making her laugh even more.

"I refer to my son as a cub half the time because I'm around Cathars and Kasa Horansi so much.."

The rest of Ellie's comment sunk in. Val stopped attempting to get up and glanced over, confusion on her face.

"Hit on me? Why would she d- Ohhhhhhhhh."

Val looked thoughtful, rubbing her chin for a moment.

"This explains some things. I had no idea. That girl keeps too many secrets.."

She flipped backwards and rose to her feet again. Val inwardly decided that she would have a full day of just talking to Sam about everything she was hiding. She expected there to be copious amounts of alcohol involved. As long as it didn't end with Sam attempting to seduce her.. Val laughed and shook her head, glancing at Elliot.

"You're klutzy just like I am. With the two of us around, it's impossible for anyone to stay gloomy."

Val walked over and sat back in her seat. She checked to make sure Sam wasn't around.

"You know, I've been trying to set her up on so many dates..maybe I should have been trying to find a nice woman for her the entire time.."

 

[Jiang Winters]

"To be honest, I'm really surprised she hasn't hit on you before! You're very pretty, y'know, and you seem to get along well enough with Sam, and it's not like her to pass up on a potential romance... Maybe she just figured it'd be too awkward, since you're friends with Kam? I dunno. She tends to chase after mates who aren't related to her own family in any ways, keeps things simpler, y'know?"

The wolfess paused, then giggled when she remembered Val's suggestion about finding a nice woman for Sam. "Sam's insanely selective when it comes to girls. She prefers guys for serious relationships - says that it's easier for her to think like a guy than it is for her to think like a woman, so she gets along very well with the guys. It's true, too; Sam really does think like a guy most of the time!"

She chuckled and looked over to Val. "Anyways. If you wanna get some secrets outta Sam, there's a bunch of alcohol in the galley. Get her a bit tipsy and her tongue gets loose... Er, so do her paws, so don't sit beside her unless you wanna get groped. She's gentle, though! I promise!" she laughed, smiling brightly at Val. "Seriously though. She will grope and cuddle and all that if you get enough alcohol in her, so like... Cover yourself with a blanket or something and you'll be safe."

 

[Sreeya]

Val grinned as Ellie complimented her.

"Kindness runs in your family I see!"

She laughed at her words, shaking her head.

"I think it's mainly because I'm already involved with someone."

Val thought over the suggestion.

"I really shouldn't be around alcohol. I make an ass out of myself most of the time. I think the last time.."

She abruptly burst out laughing. Val looked at Ellie for a long moment.

"Hmm, nah, you won't blabber."

Val laughed again, recalling the embarrassing incident back at her apartment.

"Sam played a horrible prank on me not too long ago. I walked into my apartment and she basically made my entire home explode with holo projections of...porn. It was everywhere. And picture this, it's the first time the man I'm seeing visited my apartment. It took me so long to convince him that I wasn't a furry porn addict. But during it all, Sam's own projection came up."

She was giggling uncontrollably at this point.

"Oh man, he must have thought we were both lunatics... but Sam made a dash for it right then! But yes, overall, drinking leads to embarrassing situations."

Val had to briefly think back to her drunken night on Kashyyyk, back when she and Caed were escaping the planet. The memory seemed so distant now, as if it were from another lifetime. Val sighed contently. Despite how things ended, she held the former Bogan in high regard. She looked over at Ellie again.

"But we'll have to have a fun night for just girls. I'm getting hitched soon, after all."

It felt extremely odd blurting that out without having to worry about the repercussions. She knew Ellie wasn't affiliated with the Order, and she would look upon marriage like normal civilians did. Val herself was still coming to terms with the fact. For some reason, it scared her more than her pregnancy did.

 

[Jiang Winters]

Ellie tried her very best to keep from laughing as Val told her story, but when the human mentioned Sam's projection popping up, she just couldn't help herself. She burst into laughter and almost teared up. "Oh my gods, poor Sam!" She managed to contain herself just long enough to hear the rest of what Val had to say, but her mind went right back the 'porn bombing', and soon she was picturing Sam looking at a nude holo of herself in front of Val and Val's boyfriend. The image was utterly hilarious, and soon she was doubled over with laughter. "Oh poor Sam... She's not one to be shy about nudity, but oh man, that must've been embarrassing. That's exactly the kinda situation she hates! The look on her face must've been priceless!"

She chuckled and shook her head, then contained herself and glanced to Val. "Anyways... A girl's night out sounds fun! One of Sam's owners introduced her to a lot of pretty nice porn stars, so you could get a stripper for free really easy! Or... I dunno, it'd just be fun." She hitched her shoulders and smiled. "Anyways... Nice to hear that you're getting married. Congrats!"

 

[Sreeya]

Val was laughing out loud with Ellie, almost falling over as a result. She caught herself in time, exhaling to calm herself down.

"It was probably the most mortifying experience of my life...and I've fought many Bogan before."

She smiled when Elliot congratulated her.

"Thanks. I..still have no idea what to expect."

The idea of strippers made her cough. She hadn't even thought of that. Wasn't that what normally happened at bachelorette parties? Val thought over it for a moment, biting back a grin.

"Something tells me my husband to be will jump in through a window and impale the stripper.."

Val was reminded of the incident on Cularin where Huang had quite literally walked up her building and crashed in through the window. What a chaotic day that had been.. Val shook her head and suddenly remembered something. She reached into her bag and pulled out a picture. It was one of the few she carried around. It was the most recent picture of Raziel. He was pouting at the camera, but his eyes were bright yellow, gleaming. His pointy ears poked out from the small crown of dark hair. The boy was a year old now, though he already looked tall for his age. Val smiled as she showed the picture to Ellie.

"My son, Raziel. I'm still getting used to the idea of being a mom and he's walking already..."

 

[Jiang Winters]

"He's beautiful. Gold eyes... I never thought a human could have golden eyes, they're gorgeous," the wolfess said quietly. A smile crept across her muzzle as she looked at Val's son and she shook her head. "I'm not usually much for pups, but he's absolutely adorable. You're very fortunate," she remarked admiringly.

Ellie folded her arms under her chest and gazed out the cockpit window. She chuckled as her thoughts drifted back to her childhood, and her tail wagged as she daydreamed for a moment about how she and her foster siblings had looked when they were little. She opened her muzzle to comment on how Sam and Kamua looked when they were pups -or, in their case, cubs- but decided against it. It did give her an idea, though.

"Hey, why don't you go show Sam your pup's photo? I'd bet that she'd love to see Raziel, and I can go make some comfort food up while you two chat and catch up and whatnot!"

 

[Sreeya]

Val smiled at the reaction. It wasn't often that she could share pictures of her son, as his parentage was mostly hidden from the higher ups within the Order. She glanced down at the picture herself.

"He's only half human. His father is a Sephi and has yellow eyes. Though Sephi normally don't have yellow eyes either so..guess it's some odd trait. It's definitely going to cause him some problems with people thinking he's a dark sider."

She grimaced at the thought. Life would definitely be difficult for Raziel. However, at the very least, he would grow up with parents that would love and cherish him. Both she and Huang could help train him in Jedi ways. Val looked up, her eyes wide.

"You're right! Sam has never met him! I can't believe it.."

She abruptly rose and left to find the Cathar. Val knew she would have to invite over a bunch of her friends and introduce them to Raziel. Perhaps that could be saved for a day after she was wedded. Val found Sam instantly, walking over to plop down next to her.

"I know you're not in the mood but...Ellie reminded me that I totally forgot to show you what Raziel looks like! I've told you about him but I can't believe I haven't had the chance to make you two meet."

Val produced the picture again, handing it to Sam. She smiled, her aura different than normal. It strongly projected what she felt for her son, a fierce devotion that only emerged when thoughts of Raziel came to mind.

"I want you to meet him when this mess is over. And believe it, we'll take care of this asap."

 

[Jiang Winters]

Samanya'd changed into a set of spare clothes she kept aboard Ellie's ship - her father had made it a point to always keep a set or two of extra clothing aboards the ships of friends and family, and though he'd never explained the wisdom behind that habit, she had adopted it anyways and so had the good fortune of being able to wear her own clothing. Her usual armorweave bodysuit and khaki cargo pants covered her frame, and she'd been in the process of pulling on a black hooded sweater when Val arrived. She tugged the item the rest of the way on and plopped onto the couch at the same time as her human friend, and tucked her legs up to her chest as Val produced a photo.

Val's presence in the Force noticeably shifted; Sam's curiosity was piqued and so she gingerly took the photo and examined it. "He's a cutie," she remarked. "Looks a lot like your man, especially those eyes... Raz'll be a real lady killer when he grows up. Not sure if it's smart letting him meet me, though. I'm a bad influence," Sam joked. The Cathar smiled fondly at Val as she handed the photo back. "Seriously though, he's a beautiful little boy. I'd love to meet him, once this is all settled and d-"

She cut herself off with an abrupt mewl. She clutched one hand to her stomach and the other over her mouth, while both her ears pinned back in a display of intense discomfort. "I feel sick..." she muttered around her paw. "Really si - oh gods!"

The woman let her legs slide off the couch as she shot forward and seized the waste basket by the coffee table. She stuck her head in and, overcome with nausea, puked her guts out. She coughed and reached for a napkin that Ellie had lazily left behind. "**** me," she groaned as she wiped off her lips. "I don't know where that came from, I just feel really si... si... Aw, crap..."

She stuck her head into the basket and retched again. Whatever was left of her breakfast was gone, leaving her tummy completely empty. She whined miserably and her shoulders sagged. "Y'know, my life really sucks right now..."

 

[Sreeya]

Val nodded, taking the picture back.

"At this rate I'm worried he'll look entirely like Huang and not even a bit like me!"

Before she could say anything, Sam was off puking her guts out. Val was shocked, to say the least, at how abrupt it was. She rushed over to hold back her hair, patting her on the back and urging her to let it all out. Very little fazed her nowadays. Val watched Sam slump back after she was done, looking quite miserable. As she spoke, Val simply smiled and grabbed a tissue to wipe the edge of her muzzle, cleaning off her fur. She looked thoughtful for a moment, frowning.

"It must be the poison."

Val walked off and brought her a glass of water. She sat and observed Sam for a moment. When she had worked on healing her earlier, she had felt something odd about her, as if...as if another presence. She couldn't place exactly what it meant or what it was. Val remained silent for a while before her eyes darted down to the picture of her son again. Her eyes went wide. She had felt that kind of a presence when she had been pregnant with Raziel! Val quickly rushed over to Sam, slapping her paw away from her tummy. She placed a hand on the Cathar's belly, closing her eyes.

"Shut up for a sec."

She focused intently, her face scrunching up in concentration. Sam wouldn't know what Val was looking for. The presence was far too faint for her to realize it, but Val had been pregnant before and she knew how to identify the presence. She finally felt the light hint of a life energy within Sam. Unable to believe it, Val checked again and again, each time she searched within her was met with a reciprocating signal. The Knight finally withdrew from Sam, her eyes wide.

"Sam..I dunno how to tell you this but um.."

What if she were wrong? No, not a chance. She knew that feeling, knew the symptoms and knew that Sam was going through the same thing. If the presence was already there, there was no sense in keeping it from Sam. Val had a full on debate within her mind. It was just the timing of everything, with her already going through such a mess. This kind of news was staggering, and to have it top off everything else.. No, Val had to tell her, especially as it meant that their objective needed to be completed even quicker. That poison could not spread to the life growing within her. Val took a deep breath before exhaling.

"..Sammy, I think you have a bun in the oven.."

At that exact moment, the door burst open and Ellie brought in a tray with a huge grin on her face.

"Who wants dinner?!"

 

[Jiang Winters]

Sam's heart swelled with dread as Val examined her stomach. A thousand panicked thoughts flew through the Cathar's mind. Had the poison been some kind of slurry containing nanites, and now the devilish little things were replicating and swelling in her stomach? Or was it bottling up some kind of gas or fluid that was making her feel sick? What was Val looking for?

Whatever it was, it was completely beyond Sam's comprehension. Her tail twitched and she fidgeted as Val finally withdrew. "Well?" she asked, "What is it?"

Her expression turned to utter panic as she saw the shock on Val's face, and as she heard the hesitation with which the woman spoke. Whatever it was, it had to be horrible beyond belief. It couldn't be anything else. She was dying, wasn't she? That was the only thing Sam could think of that would faze Val that badly. Unfortunately for her, the truth was far, far worse, and save for several long and awkward moments of internal debate, Val didn't dally in giving her the bad news.

"A... A what!? Sam yelped, bolting to her feet and clutching both paws to her stomach in surprise. She felt light-headed from standing so fast and knew that she needed to sit down, but she was in too much shock to do so. "N-no, no way! I'm not... I can't be... Pregnaaaaa..."

She passed out and slumped right back into her spot on the couch a split second after Ellie finished speaking. The wolfess scrunched up her nose and cocked her head to one side in confusion, then set the tray of food aside and cupped her mouth with one paw, exhaled, and then inhaled her own breath through her nose. She sneezed and rubbed her paw off on her pants, while staring at the tip of her nose. "Okay, my breath is ruled out, so... was it something I said?"

 

[Sreeya]

Val had been expecting a similar response. In fact, it was not far removed from her own shock at discovering her pregnancy. Although, she didn't remember fainting as a result. Val moved to help Sam up, but she decided that being passed out would probably serve her well for now instead of facing the daunting reality she had before her. The Knight rose from the couch, shaking her head and glancing up at Ellie.

"Nope, wasn't you this time."

She had to make light of the situation, already having gotten comfortable around Ellie. Val walked over and grabbed a small sandwich from the tray, biting into it. For a moment, the two simply gawked at Sam passed out on the couch while Val casually ate. She was leaning against the doorway. After Val finished her first bite, she prepared to take another, staring ahead still.

"She's pregnant, by the way. That just happens to be her reaction to the news."

Having gone through the process, Val was completely nonchalant about it. She had no idea how Ellie would take the news.

"..Don't faint as well, please. Otherwise I'll have no one to talk to and be incredibly bored."

Val continued chewing, watching with great amusement as Sam began to drool.

 

[Jiang Winters]

"Oh, is that all? Psh, for such a tough girl, you'd think that Sam could handle news like that in a more dignified manner!" Ellie exclaimed. The wolfess picked up one of the other sandwiches from the tray and devoured a third of it in a single bite. Her tail wagged behind her as she watched her friend drool all over herself, which Ellie thought was hilarious. "Awww, poor Sam's making a real mess of herself, isn't she?" she giggled. "Man, even I'd handle the news better then that! I mean, it's just pregnancy, not like it's gonna change her life or anything!"

The young woman contentedly nommed on her sandwich for a few more bites before she remembered the definition of the word 'pregnant'. When the weight of the situation finally sank in, she stared slackjawed at Sam. Her head slowly panned to face Val, and with her free hand, she pointed in Samanya's direction. "W-wait, you're telling me that Sam is pregnant? B-but... Her? A MOM!? It's... I-I... D'oh."

Her mind short-circuited and she toppled over backwards. She had meant to just sit on her butt to buy herself a few seconds to process the surge of information, but, being Ellie, she had to do everything wrong. Her boots slipped out from under her and she plummeted to the floor, colliding with a mighty 'thwunk!' She just laid there afterwards, ears turned in opposite directions and her nose stuck just past her lips in the most undignified of postures... Typical Ellie.

 

[Sreeya]

Val finished her sandwich and had to raise an eyebrow at Ellie's response. She had expected her to take it better than Sam, but hadn't expected her to be this calm about it. She shrugged, perhaps Ellie was more mature and well seasoned to- Ah, yes. There was the reaction she was waiting for. Val simply nodded when Ellie incredulously asked her, as if abruptly remembering what the word pregnant meant. Val grabbed a soda and began drinking through the straw, calmly sidestepping as Ellie toppled over beside her, having an almost epileptic seizure as a result. The Jedi said nothing, shaking her head.

After a moment, she turned to look down at Ellie, then glanced back over at Sam. The resemblance was rather pronounced.

"You two are family all right.."

Val walked over and gently prodded Ellie with her foot, blinking curiously.

"You alive?"

She crouched down next to Ellie, still drinking her pop.

"So basically we have to get everything done as soon as possible before that poison gets to her. I was going to explain this all to Sam, but she'd rather take a nap. I think we should keep this hush hush for now. Do you have any clue who the father could be?"

 

[Jiang Winters]

Ellie came 'right 'round when Val nudged her. The wolfess groaned and propped herself up on one elbow while rubbing the back of her head with her other hand. She opened one eye a crack to peek up at Val as the woman spoke, then helplessly shrugged. "Great, so now not only do we have to worry about Sam's life, but her kid's life too." She sighed. "As if we didn't have enough stress on our plate..."

She sat up and draped her forearms across her knees. "No idea who the dad is, but I can think of a couple people who might be the father. The first is this tiger she's been seeing. A Kasa Horansi. His name is Dalang. He's... You'd have to see him. Talk about a stud, and what a sweetheart! Guy treats Sam better than she treats herself. Second one is this Cathar from Corellia, but... He's a douche and Sam didn't like him too much. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him in months, so chances are, the kid is this Dalang guy's. Either that or she had sex with that Jedi she was swooning over. Can't remember his name anymore, though..."

She paused to push herself to her feet. Once she was upright again, Ellie leaned against the wall and asked, "What about you? Know any guys Sam was dragging off to the bedroom?"

 

[Sreeya]

Val laughed out loud as Ellie blabbered on and on about Dalang. It strongly reminded her of Sam's reaction to him.

"Yes, yes, Dalang is a friend of mine. I'm very close to the Winters family."

Her face temporarily fell as she was suddenly reminded of Sonam. Val hadn't seen him in quite some time now since he had stormed from her apartment. She wondered if she ever would again, and had no idea if it was far too soon to initiate contact again. Val pushed the thought from her mind for now, shrugging at Ellie's question.

"I really only remember her going gaga over Dalang. But keep in mind, this was back when I was first pregnant with Raziel, so it was a long time ago. Granted..back then, she only saw him as a faraway crush at a store she always walked by."

Val smiled at the thought.

"Well if it's Dalang, I think he could be a great dad once he gets over the shock. He's a wonderful person once you get to know him. Of course, this is all assuming that Sam's been a good girl... she can be...friendly.."

She worried for Sam often, knowing her lifestyle all too well. It was unhealthy and this was probably a result of that. Val had to stop right there, her mind scoffing at her for even thinking like that. Raziel himself was a result of her carelessness and she wouldn't trade him for the world. No, this was a blessing, though it could have come at a better time. Val looked over at a display, noting the time.

"Well, I think we're getting closer to Taris. Hopefully this mess can be cleaned up quick.."

 

[Jiang Winters]

"Yeah, fifteen minutes closer... Taris is in Hutt Space. We probably aren't even out of the Core yet. It's gonna take time," Ellie sighed as she rubbed her temples. She kept thinking of Dalang and of Samanya's relationships - Val was right, Sam couldn't keep her clothes on to save her own life. If she liked a guy, she was screwing him - end of story. No romance, no nothing. Just sex, pure and simple. Ellie could kind of understand that; it kept things from getting complicated, and Samanya was so desensitized to sex after her slavery that it had no meaning for her. There was no love in it; sad as it was, Ellie knew that Sam thought of it as nothing more than a fun way to kill time and burn off some energy.

"Anyways... I'm sure it's Dalang's kid. He's the only guy Sam's been with for a while now. She hasn't been talking about him too much, but I know she's been with him - she almost always shares every last dirty detail about her encounters, but she hasn't said anything about what Dal is like in bed, except for something about him... Er, impressive! Gentle, too." Ellie blushed as she remembered exactly what Samanya had said, and, for the sake of Val's friendship with Dalang, the wolfess decided to censor pretty much everything Sam had noted.

"But, yeah. It's like she's trying to keep Dal a secret, like she wants him all to herself. Kinda worries me, though. Not for Sam, but for Dalang. Don't tell her that I said this, but... Sam's really kriffed up. She can't feel... Love, I guess. Not romantic love, anyways. She loves you and me and her family, but that's completely different. She came back from her slavery a different person. There's a lot that's the same Sam I've known and loved for ages, but her romantic and sensual sides are all skewed. I really don't know if she feels anything for Dal, or if he's just such a great lay that she's sticking to him. I want to warn him, but I don't wanna overstep my bounds, and I keep hoping and praying that Sam really is chasing him because she cares about him."

Elliot sighed and her ears lowered. "I just dunno though. I haven't seen them together, 'cept for one time when I spotted them playing on the beach. They were cute, but..." She hitched her shoulders. "I just don't know. Maybe you should talk to Dalang when this is done, find out what he thinks of her?"

 

[Sreeya]

Val pondered over Ellie's explanation, a smile forming on her face.

"I think Sam has a real thing for Dalang, it sounds like."

She bit back from asking about the slavery past again. Every time it was mentioned, Val was appalled at how little she knew about Sam. As Ellie asked her to talk to Dalang, Val had to frown.

"I dunno...I don't know where I stand with the Winters family to be honest."

She slumped down against the wall, sitting on the floor of the corridor.

"Sheng I know I can go to, as he's pretty much my father. The rest of them...I don't know how they'll take to me showing up. There was...an incident with Sonam and I. I don't know if you know Sonam, looks exactly like Jiang. Anyway, things ended pretty badly and Sonam basically stormed off. Since then I haven't contacted them because tensions are high and they all probably collectively hate me now."

Val sighed, remembering back to that day. She had almost taken her own life that night. Despite that, that day had been a pivotal point in her life, ultimately leading her to unite with Huang again. Val thought over Sam's inability to really feel emotions, shaking her head.

"It's a curse sometimes...being able to feel emotions. I've been hurt so many times as a result. Sometimes I think it'd be easier to not feel anything at all. But then I'm reminded.."

Val looked down at the picture of her son, smiling.

"..that they can bring the warmest joys as well, beyond anything you can describe."