Xolt 2

"Zhi, something is wrong with Jing."

My heart sank.

***

My body acted without thinking and I ordered Xe'Hul and Jing to the medical office. Brandon and I ran to meet them. We managed to arrive before them and prepared the office for an emergency examination. I had my nurse waiting at the front door for my brother and his mate.

It wasn't long until I heard the screams of pain. It was too much for me. I knew what was going to happen and it wasn't good. I looked inside myself and turned my emotions off. I didn't do it often but at times like these getting emotional was a problem.

"Get him on the examination table now," I ordered. Brandon raced to Jing and tried to help support his head while Hul carried him. He was screaming so loudly I could almost hear his vocal cords tear.

"Doctor! He's bleeding!" I raced to my brother and helped lift his mate to the table. I ripped his shirt in half and threw the scraps to the side. He was bleeding from his navel. The blood was steadily streaming from the small indentation in his stomach. The blood was sickening.

~Brandon~

It wasn't normal blood. At least it wasn't human blood. The colour was so red that it almost appeared black. It was hard to fathom considering the paleness of his skin. It was sticky and it just flowed out of him. It didn't slow down and it looked like something was moving inside of him. I wanted to throw up. I liked horror movies, but this wasn't a movie. This was real life and it was about time that it hit me. I was a human in a spaceship in love with a real alien—a real Xolt. My brother was actually pregnant and Jing was in...In pain. I knew all of this all along but deep down I refused to believe it. The realization hit me like a wall.

I ran to the other room and found a trash can. I threw up. Everything that I had in my stomach previously was gone, but that didn't stop me from throwing up again when I heard Jing's scream of anguish.

It wasn't until someone pulled me by my collar and lifted me face to face.

Xe'Trygg...Ryan...My old best friend.

"Snap the fuck out!" I looked into his blue eyes and jumped. They were cold, even more so despite the usual cold blue colour. "What happened to the macho man from Earth? We need you here!"

I gaged. "This is too much for me..."

"This is too much for you?! MY BROTHER IS DYING IN THERE!" He yelled in my face. "And so is his baby. His husband, my brother and Captain, is at his end. My mate is trying to clean as much blood as he can, even though we are BOTH aware that he doesn't handle blood well. Your mate is trying to perform an emergency C-section. And what am I doing? I'm fucking lecturing you! THAT is too much for ME."

"You weren't put into all of this so suddenly!"

"BRANDON, I am NOT saying that I don't understand. What I am saying is get your ass in there and take care of you mate and your best friend. Because we don't know how much longer he's going to last."

I stopped breathing.

"He's dying?" Xe'Trygg dropped me to the ground.

I fell with a thud. I looked up...I saw my friend wiping tears. It was the first time I ever saw him cry, in this form or the form of Ryan. All he could do was nod.

I don't know what compelled me to do it but I ran into the room and took my shirt off. I threw it on the ground and wiped some of the blood off the ground. I picked up the bloodied shirt and threw in in the nearest trash can. Most of the blood was picked up because of my shirt and Steven glanced up at me. His face was green, and his eyes were red. He was doing his best not to break down. It was a face I remembered seeing often when we played horror movies.

I felt like such a dick. He was kneeling on the ground with a child in his belly. I should have been there in his place instead. But as usual I was acting like my selfish dickish self. I was hurting others while trying to protect myself.

Xe'Zhi and his nurse were doing their best to calm Xe'Hul down, but it was useless. I could tell that he was enraged, perhaps at his brother for not being able to prevent this. Or perhaps to Jing for letting this happen. But I think most of all he was angry at his baby for hurting his mate.

He was throwing himself at the bed, trying to get Jing to breathe, to remain calm. But in the process wasn't calm himself. I had never seen him act that way before. He never lost his composure.

This was an new Xe'Hul.

I turned to see Xe'Trygg standing there, confused as to what he should do. I wasn't sure what to do either but I knew that something had to be done.

"Trygg I want you over here, take your brother out for a moment. Let him get some air to his brain or it'll blow. I'll stay here and help take care of Jing."

"Ar-are you sure?"

"No, but do it anyways."

Xe'Trygg had to pick Hul up and drag him to the clinic doors. I ran to where Hul had been standing beforehand. I picked Jing's pale while hand and gave it a squeeze. His face was so shallow and almost appeared gray in some spots. He had his eyes closed and he was biting his bottom lip.

"I have you Jing. Xe'Hul just went out to get a breather. You're going to be okay." I whispered to him. I tried to sound as calm and collected as possible. It was hard to do because my voice wouldn't stop shaking. I closed my eyes and tears started to roll.

"Good job, Brandon. Keep going things are starting to calm down. You're doing a good job." Zhi started to say. My breathing hitched because I knew that it wasn't becoming easier. Jing's grip on my hand was weakening. He was just dying faster.

"Jing, I want you to breathe. You are doing a great job, just keep holding on." With each second he let go more. "Jing, don't give up on us. Not yet! I just started to get to know you! It's not fair! I love you Jing, you're like family to me. You've been more of a parent to me than my own mother was. JING DO NOT DIE ON ME!" I yelled.

I felt him squeeze my hand ever so slightly. I looked down and Jing was smiling at the lights. It was like he couldn't see my face.

"I can't see anymore," he whispered. "Brandon, I left letters in my desk at home. I want you to give it to everyone, but read yours first." He chuckled as tears fell from the corners of his eyes and traveled down the slope of his cheek.

"I love you too."

"Please, don't give up..."

But it was too late. Or maybe it was inevitable. Either way, Jing's hand slipped from mine and fell to the table that he lay upon. The life support started to go wild; the nurse started yelling telling my mate that Jing was dead. They tried to perform CPR, but nothing was working.

I walked away from Jing's corpse and sat on the floor next to my brother in a puddle of Jing's blood. I held my brothers hand with the hand that held Jing's. And we cried. And soon, cries that overpowered ours entered the room. If you could hear a soul scream, Xe'Hul's cry would be it.

Then, as if on cue the room went silent except for the cries of a new born baby. The first baby girl to ever touch the Xolt race.

***

"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways, I to die, and you to live. Which of these two is better only God knows." ― Socrates

***

The child needed to stay on life support because of the abnormality of her birth. However she too was close to death that night. Xe'Zhi was at work almost every night for three weeks watching over her, almost like a father would. Whereas her biological father was too busying trying to set course for a trip to Jing's home world—Arcaina. Xe'Hul didn't meet his daughter.

As soon as the baby was conceived he was ready to die. He kept screaming that he kept his promise, his promise to keep the baby alive, but he was ready to die by his mates' side. We stopped him though. We knew that Jing wouldn't want that. We knew that he would want Xe'Hul to take care of his baby. But it didn't work.

He wanted nothing to do with the child.

And the more we begged him to take care of her the more he hated us too. So, she stayed in the clinic.

After three weeks Steven had his baby; a happy healthy male with his father's cold blue eyes and silver skin with a stub of a tail, but my brothers shining blond hair, human nose and mouth.

I thought that it was time to get Jing's letters.

I asked for the code to get into their apartment. Trygg was reluctant to give it to me, but did it anyways. I would never do anything to hurt Jing, even after death. I loved him far too much to hurt someone that I considered family.

The apartment was dark and dusty. It seemed like Xe'Hul hadn't been there in ages.

Looking at the home made me cry. I could see Jing sitting on the floor with his other babies, feeding them and playing with them. Once Jing died Xe'Hul hired Steven to babysit them. When Steven went into labour I took care of them. However, Hul still took care of his boys.

I wiped my tears and looked around the family room. There was a wood chair painted gold and a white desk. I knew that it had to be his.

I pulled the drawer open and found letters addressed to everyone. Mine was on the very top, written in English, or at least the very best English that he could write. Even though it wasn't perfect I understood. And it hurt me so much while at the same time it made me soar. And it hurt me because it made me soar.

"Brandon,

During my last pregnancy I almost died. One time in my life I felt dead all the time. I know the feeling well. But it was Xe'Hul who brought me back from death. And he did it again after I gave birth to my twins.

But this time, when I give birth this time, I will not live. My baby is strong, and I have a feeling she will always be strong. Xe'Hul does not know this. He will be shocked at my death. It will take him much time to get over the grief.

Brandon, I want you to know that there is a large possibility that you may never have a child. I recognize the signs and you are showing them. It is nearly impossible to not get impregnated by the Xolts.

But my gift to you is the gift of birth.

With this letter are the papers to register you as the Gods Father of Yaelis, my baby girl. If Hul is not capable of taking care of her, please...do it in place of me.

Thank you, Brandon. I have much love and care for you.

With all my love,

~Jing"

Before I even realized it, I was a parent.

*

~3 Years later~

"Brandon, I don't think you understand. My co-worker said that she bit another student. Could you please teach her that it isn't okay?" Steven was drinking water at my table after work. He looked tired from working all day, which was something that I could understand.

I ended up being a stay at home father...Kind of. I took care of Yaelis and her brothers almost as if I was their parent. The boys saw their father weekly. Yaelis rarely saw him, but she was only three so it was okay, for now. She was going to grow up and realize that she was different from everyone else. And she would want to ask her father, not me or Zhi, but Hul. When that day came I knew I would have a difficult time living with myself, because there would be nothing I could do to help her. And Honestly I wasn't sure I wanted to. I spent three years with her and I already considered her my daughter. Kind of...

"I told you that I would, so I will, but I am not doing it right now in front of you." I took a swig of my coffee and put the mug down. He nodded and drank the water I had given him. His son was three as well and at the same daycare as Yaelis.

However he did not seem to have the same personality as other toddlers. He was different like Yaelis.

We had to move since getting three children suddenly thrown into our midst. I say it like it's a bad thing but it really wasn't. I enjoyed having Den'il and Junn'sou around. They were great and smart kids. And Yaelis was bright even as a baby. I can't say that I was the best parent. But I know I wasn't a bad one.

Every now and then Yaelis will do something that reminds me of Jing. Sometimes it makes me sad and other times it just makes me smile because I know he would. Jing would have loved to have known that his daughter was just like him.

Each day she grew she looked so much more like him. Her eyes were amber. Her hair was white and her tail was fluffy. But her skin was silver scales. She looked every bit like Jing, and maybe less of Xe'Hul. But you could tell that she was their baby.

And I loved her as much as I loved my mate and my brothers. Xe'Zhi loved her, and having her and her brothers with us seemed to make everything better in our lives. We grew more committed to each other, and we grew more patients. We still argued and fought, but any couple would do that.

The only difference was that we fix our problems quickly and made up passionately. And our Dominate and submissive lifestyle didn't suffer as much as I thought it would. We *did* have to be careful of what we did and when we did it.

And Steven loved Yaelis too. He wanted a second child but couldn't have one. Human males weren't meant to have children in the first place. But humans didn't seem very compatible with the Xolt species biologically. It was hard on him. He had a miscarriage when he tried for a second. When that didn't work he tried once more. There were no signs of him being pregnant—just like me.

I never asked what was in everyone's letter and they never asked me. I was fine without know because it meant that Jing gave us a little bit of him. And it was ours to keep for ourselves. It was his last gift to us. I cherished mine. I knew the rest of my family did as well.

****

"Xe'Zhi,

You have taken me into your life and treated me as if I were truly part of the family. I will forever be grateful to you for that. You have never once treated me poorly and you always knew how to talk to me. I love you and wish you the best in where ever life takes you. And I sincerely hope life takes you with Brandon.

I hope that you have found my love and kindness to you beneficial. I know that you have been a wonderful addition to my life.

I am glad you found him. He's your soul mate and I could tell from the very moment that I met him.

With this letter I have papers that say that you and Brandon are the Gods parents of Yaelis. I know that I won't survive the birthing process. I was prepared the moment you told me there was a slight chance it could happen. I didn't care. I wanted her born into this world and I was even more confident that things would be better because of our family connection.

Xe'Hul will be angry for a very long time. Not just at Yaelis, but me too. I broke his heart when I promised him I wouldn't. If Yaelis survives without any malice from him it means that he has kept his promise. You probably don't understand, and that's fine.

Just know that I trust you and Brandon to raise her in the best way possible. You two can do it.

I know it.

I love you.

~Jing"

*

"Steven,

The beginning of your life on this ship was hard. I know and I can sympathize with you. It was hard for me as well. I am happy you found a friend in me, because that way we were able to adjust to a new life together. I am also happy that I was able to be a parent alongside you. It means a great deal to me.

I want to apologize to you. I know you told me that you wanted to have a second child. I fear that may never happen considering your brothers inability to even have a first. I feel like perhaps you were lucky in having one.

Good luck, with everything in your life. Thank you for being in mine.

With love and care,

~Jing"

*

"Xe'Trygg,

When you first told me that you were bringing Steven here I was shocked. I wasn't sure how it would work and how things would play out. But I am happy that you gained his trust. It took a while, but you made it and together I know you will have a happy and healthy child.

Please take care of your mate, no matter what happens promise that you will always take the very best care that you can. Life isn't perfect so you need to be supportive to him, just as he his supportive to you. Take care of the children in your life, and do it with as much enthusiasm as I would. Do it because I can't.

Promise me that you will do your best living the best life you possibly can. Every mistake you make leads to an experience that you can take with you forever. Teach what you learn to you child, and to mine. Show them what true love is. Brandon, Steven, and your brother will do their best but it won't work unless you all do your best.

You are my brother, Trygg. I know my death will hurt everyone, but it will hurt you a lot as well. I want you to know how much I love you.

And I do.

~Jing"

*

"Xe'Hul,

Forgive me. I know it hurts you and I do apologize. I want you to know that the love I feel for you is stronger than anything else I have ever had.

You are my reason for breathing. For eating and moving. You are my reason for seeing the goodness in everyone. The reason I look at the world half full and not empty. You are the reason why I can smile each day. You are the reason why my scars don't hurt—because you taught me to stop picking at them.

You fixed me when I was broken, and did daily check-ups to keep me happy and healthy. You made me see the light when all I could see was the darkness.

You taught me how to love when I had forgotten what the feeling was like.

I love you more than I loved being able to see. I loved you more than the food I ate each day. And I will always love you. My heart bursts with love each day I see you, and each night when my last thought is of you.

Yaelis is our daughter. She is the first of her kind, and she won't be the last. I wanted her to live, to give her a chance to do what I could never do. I wanted there to be proof of how much we loved each other.

I know my death will come to you as a shock. And it will hurt everyone, but it will hurt you the most. And I know that and it hurts me so much to think of that. Even now, as I write this, our baby is kicking in my stomach reminding me of what's to happen. I cry tears of mixed emotions—happiness for having her, sadness for leaving you, and anger for not being able to stay longer.

Please know that I never wanted to hurt you. Not after all that has happened to us.

Please promise me that when the day comes, when you can finally forgive me, you will go see our daughter and tell her everything. About how we met, and why we fell in love. About what you taught me and what I taught you. I want you to tell her our story. About our life. I want you to be able to tell her that you love her daddy as much as you love her and her brothers.

It'll be hard. I know it won't be for a while yet. But promise me when that day comes you will do it with so much love in your heart it BURSTS with happiness and love.

I love you, Hul. More than you could ever fathom.

I will see you later,

With love, from your mate,

~Jing"

*

"Yaelis, Den'il and Junn'sou,

Daddy loves you all very much. Promise Daddy you will live the best life you can with no regrets. Daddy hid himself once, and he was sad for a very long time. But then your Father met me and made me see the light in a different way.

Be Strong. Be Happy. Be Brave.

Daddy loves you very much.

Love,

~Jing"

~End~

(Thank you very much for reading Xolt 2!! I know I have said this for most of my stories but one day I will go back and do a mass editing. For now please enjoy what I have presented to you. I must admit I cried writing the last of this story. But I promise you that this will not be the last story. I have one more planned. However, I was thinking about finishing Arcaina first before I started the very last story for our friends in the Xolt Series.