Strange Journeys

[Monkey Kitty]

Fatima

Fatima shuddered at the invocation of Aric Lantos.

"You don't need to bring him into this!" she snapped back angrily. "I know enough about that man to last a lifetime. I know more about him than you'll hopefully ever need to!"

Her expression shifted and she wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly looking anxious and remorseful.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You don't deserve to be treated this way. None of you do, after how kind you've been coming here to help me. I'm just... so used to acting a certain way. It was my only defense. It's hard to drop that now. And... well, between you and me, the pregnancy hormones don't help."

[Sojourn]

Jasmine Sinclair



"Then stop screwing around!"

Jasmine snapped back at Fatima. She had enough of these games and of the Lycan's attitude. She was thousands of miles away from her family and this could all be a trap...Jasmine wasn't in the mood for any games. When Fatima announced that she was pregnant, Jasmine hadn't expected to hear that. She had no way of knowing but she knew a Hybrid might be able to tell. She turned to Claudia and asked.

"Is she telling the truth?"

She didn't care if Fatima might be angry at her for not believing her right away. Trust had to be earned and Fatima hadn't earned hers yet.

[Optimus Prime]

Claudia Haas



For a few minutes, Claudia wondered if she was going to have to step in between Fatima and Jasmine. When Fatima announced her pregnancy and Jasmine asked for a confirmation, Claudia sniffed the air and nodded her head.

"She is but not very far along."

Claudia replied and asked Fatima.

"Is that why you want to leave?"

Wanting to protect an unborn child was a very good reason to want to leave a dangerous organization.

[Sojourn]

Jacinta Sandoval



Jacinta listened carefully to what Dipak said and realized she wasn't sure what she wanted from this man who was biologically her father. She pressed her lips together, much like Paloma would do when in deep thought. She loved her life here but...It felt like something was missing. While Benito had been a horrible person, at least Paloma knew who her father was. He might not have been the good man she had thought he was when she was a child but at least she knew. Jacinta had no idea who the man who fathered her and it felt like she only know only half of where she came from.

"I...I don't know. I mean...It would be nice to think maybe my mom lied to him and told him that Benito was my father and that it would be like a movie. He'd want to be a dad but I know life isn't like a fairy tale."

Benito and Gaston's Pack had taught her that people could be truly evil and life wasn't always perfect.

"...I think it worst to not know. If he doesn't want me, at least I know and it would be okay. I have you, Paloma, Márton and his family....I'm not alone."

[Monkey Kitty]

Fatima

"It's the reason for the timing," Fatima replied. "As I said to Jasmine on the phone, my lover - the baby's father - was killed. An inside job by the HPL, though they wouldn't admit it. I was terrified. I knew I would be next. But I was too terrified to make a move. Until I found out about the baby, that is. That was when I knew I had to do something. The HPL wouldn't care that I was pregnant; they'd kill me just the same either way. This was the only chance for me and the baby."

Fatima rested a hand on her flat stomach. She wasn't even close to showing, but the gesture was still clearly a maternal one.

[Monkey Kitty]

Dipak

"That's right," Dipak said, reaching over to put his arm around Jacinta's shoulder and give her a hug. "You aren't alone. You have people here who care about you very much. And if your father is at all intelligent, he'll care about you very much too."

Of course, as far as Dipak was concerned, Benito should have loved Jacinta too. The man might not have conceived her, but after all those years raising her as a father, how could genetics make any difference? What Benito had done was doubly sick because she should have been his child all the same.

"I'd be happy to help if you'd like. I can help you look up information, or go with you if you make contact and want to see him."

If Jacinta wanted someone other than Dipak to accompany her, that was fine, but her biological father was still a stranger, and they needed to take every appropriate precaution. Dipak wasn't just going to send her off alone.

[Sojourn]

Jasmine Sinclair




Jasmine was quiet as she listened to Fatima say that the baby was the reason she wanted to leave the HPL. Jas had no doubt that if the HPL found out she was pregnant, they would kill her and the baby. Couldn't have more immortals running around...Fatima seemed to care about the child or it could be a trick. Jasmine wasn't sure yet.

"Why do you keep trying to have sex with Asif? Is it so you could pass off this baby as his?"

Jasmine asked, both times Asif had encountered his sister-in-law, she had tried to get him in bed. That hadn't escaped Jasmine and she wanted to know the reason why.

[Sojourn]

Jacinta Sandoval




Jacinta smiled and accepted Dipak's hug. While she did wonder greatly about the man who had fathered her, if real life wasn't like a movie and this man did reject her, it would be okay. It couldn't possibly hurt as much as what Benito had done. She wasn't alone and she had people who loved her. She would be okay and at least she could say she had tried.

"I would like that."

She said and then bit her lip again.

"Do you....do you think Paloma will be upset with me for looking into this?"

She didn't expect to go off on her own. Even if she wasn't a Lycan, she was only fifteen. Far too young to do be traveling to who knew where to meet this mystery man. She was glad that Dipak would come with her but she also hoped that Paloma would not be upset with her. Paloma didn't like to talk about their mother or Benito...Her sister was working out her own issues about that. Still, it felt wrong to not tell Paloma what she wanted to do. Especially since it was very likely that Paloma might have met Jacinta's birth father and didn't realize it.

"...You know she doesn't like to talk about my mom."

Surely that hadn't escaped Dipak that Paloma rarely talked about her parents.

[Optimus Prime]

Claudia Haas




"I'm sorry for your loss."

Claudia told Fatima and did mean it. She was sorry that Fatima lost her lover and that this baby would never his or her father. Still, she didn't trust Fatima, not just yet. Trust had to be earned and so far Fatima's actions weren't too trust worthy. When Jasmine questioned Fatima about Asif, Claudia was quiet. She had overheard Fatima's suggestion Asif and personally didn't like it and she could tell that Asif had been extremely uncomfortable about it as well.

[Monkey Kitty]

Fatima

Fatima dipped her head in grateful acknowledgement of Claudia's sympathy.

"Wouldn't you?" she asked Jasmine frankly. "You know what he's like. He'd provide for the baby. I don't seriously think he'd leave Lina for me. He's always been smitten with her, ever since they met, for reasons I can't even fathom. I would have done anything or been anything he wanted, but he still chose her."

Of course, Jasmine had probably talked to Asif enough that she knew that was precisely why Lina had held the greater appeal. Fatima had been willing to change everything she was for him, and Lina had always been her own woman.

"I don't expect him to put her aside for me. But no matter. If he thought the child was his, he would offer his support. He'd help with baby and take care of us. I wouldn't have to do this alone."