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"Cora?" he prompts when I just stand here staring.
"We're having a baby," I blurt.
Navik goes still, his face an unreadable mask. The weight of my confession lands on him like a ton of bricks, and I regret not easing into the conversation more gently. I should have chosen my words more carefully.
"Say something," I whisper. "Are you mad?"
Navik moves with such speed, I don't register his movements until I'm up on the gurney with him and cradled in his arms. "How could I ever be mad at you, starfire?"
"Are you okay with being a father?"
"I am elated." He squeezes me tight before easing away to stare into my eyes. "Worried about your condition but thrilled all the same."
"I feel the same." I expel a relieved breath. "Qhix is giving us the medical cuff you're still wearing and is going to call the other Mavericks to see if anyone knows a medic that can help me through the pregnancy."
Navik quickly glances around. "Back in the medic bay on his Thrushian Star Chaser?"
"Yes," I say. "Once we got you settled, Qhix talked me into a full body scan to make sure the Wetokians hadn't hurt me since I was roughly handled. The monitor showed a second heartbeat. Then he used this alien ultrasound machine so I could see the baby. Our baby."
"Can I see?" Navik swings his legs over the side of the gurney, keeping me on his lap, so we're both facing the flat screen.
I hover the card over my flat stomach, and the image of our tiny baby appears on the screen. Navik's eyes widen in wonder as he gazes at the tiny being growing inside me. His hand trembles slightly as he reaches out to touch the image on the screen.
"Our child," he whispers reverently. "I can't believe it."
I smile, happy to see Navik so excited about our upcoming arrival. "Neither can I."
Navik leans in to kiss me, his lips tender yet full of passion. I melt into him, feeling his love and adoration for me and our unborn child. As we break the kiss, Navik rests his forehead against mine and whispers, "I promise to protect you both with everything I have."
"I know you will," I breathe, feeling overwhelmed by his love and reassured by his protective nature. "I'm just concerned over the pregnancy. The scanner shows the baby at about two days old and Qhix said Kaul females are full term at five months. Humans are nine. At only two days, our baby is way more developed than if it were only human."
"One of the Mavericks will know a medic that can help," Navik reassures me. "If not, I will search for one myself."
A wave of emotions washes through me, a blend of anticipation and panic. I'm relieved that Navik is here to help me through this, but also scared of what could happen. There's so much unknown and uncharted territory ahead, but I know that as long as Navik is with me, we'll make it through.
"Do you know where we're headed?" Navik asks.
"To Qhix's home on a planet called Loken 1. I didn't tell him the location of your mountain home. I know how much you cherish your solitude."
"Ourmountain home," Navik gently corrects and places a tender hand over my abdomen. "Given your condition, I think it's in our best interest to tell the Mavericks where we're located in case you need help."
"You're all right with telling them? I thought you said the solitude is what drew you to Zeva."
"It was. However, I'm not the same Kaul I was before I met you." Navik cradles my face in his huge blue hands. "Now I have you and the baby, a family of my own to share my life with. I love you, starfire, and our tiny baby."
"And I love you, Navik, and our baby Maverick."
My heart swells with love for my space pirate. Never did I expect to find someone like him in all the stars of the Universe. Lost to my own world, he has given me a home and a family. I know as we navigate through the unknowns of this pregnancy, Navik will be there to love me, and his sivot will be there to protect me.
Epilogue
CORA
Iclose my eyes and press my hands softly to my growing belly, a bubble of contentment rising within me. Cocooned in a luxurious nest of velvety cushions with Navik's muscular thigh as my pillow. A crisp, refreshing breeze drifts through the main living area, carrying with it the floral notes of new blossoms, marking the change of seasons.
Navik said this time of year on Zeva is reminiscent of what I would call winter on Earth. But it won't get any chillier than this, to which I'm glad. I've never liked the cold.
Six months have passed since Navik's sivot was gravely injured. Run through on a wicked blade I was sure had killed him. I shudder recalling the moment I watched Navik fall, crumbling before me in a bloody heap while I hid inside the air duct.
