Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Last Bearers ❯ Chapter 24 ( Chapter 24 )

Bryan kept glancing at me with really weird looks as we finished gathering wood. He looked like he wanted to kiss me so badly. Finally, I lost my patience.

“Bryan, if you're gonna kiss me, then just do it already!” I said.

Bryan's expression was dark. “Who said I wanted to just kiss you?”

“Who said I objected to doing more than that?” I shot back.

Bryan dropped the bundle of wood he was carrying and walked over to me. We got really close. He hesitated and then pressed his lips to mine. I dropped the wood I was carrying, though it wasn't out of surprise. I knew what was coming and the wood was getting in the way. We stepped away from the piles of wood, heading for a more private place.

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Chapter 24

As Aidan was led away, the Breeders saw. They started getting restless, muttering among themselves. The guards shifted warily, ready for almost anything. Aidan was led into John's office and stood handcuffed in front of John's desk. The director sat down and looked up at Aidan.

“Now Aidan, do you know what's going on?” he asked.

Aidan remained silent.

“Answer me!” John shouted, slamming his hand on the desk.

Aidan flinched.

He took a deep breath. “Yes, I know what's going on.” He was amazed at how calm he sounded.

“Tell me what's going on!” John demanded.

“No.”

“I order you to tell me.”

“No.”

John rose and stalked over to where Aidan stood. There was a pause and then John slapped him.

“Tell me!”

“No.” Aidan felt his heart racing, but he kept his face calm.

He knew he had to be strong and mature. Caelyn and Rian were counting on him. He was a father now. It was his responsibility to take care of his child as well as his lover. He had the power to protect them and he would.

John raised his hand again threateningly. “Tell me what is going on.”

“No.” Aidan shook his head.

Aidan's head twisted around as he felt John's hand connect to his cheek.

“Sir,” one of the guards spoke up bravely. “It isn't wise for you to strike Aidan. Remember what he is.”

John looked at the guard intently He lowered his hand.

“Yes, you're right Adrian. Thank you.” John turned to Aidan. “Forgive me Aidan.”

He returned to his seat.

“Sir why…?” Aidan left the question hanging, but John still seemed to understand. “The Council frowns on violence, especially to Bearers. However, you are something a little different.”

“Different?” Aidan frowned. “What do you mean? I thought I was a Bearer.”

“Well yes…and no.”

“I don't understand!”

“I will explain, Aidan, because it's important for you to know. Do you understand the story of Hayden and Harou?”

Aidan nodded. “They were the twins who repopulated the world. Both of them were able to have kids, right? But only Harou had the kids.”

“Yes.” John nodded. “From what we understand, Hayden and Harou were created with both sets of reproductive organs so the world could be repopulated. They were not aware of this, but the scientists hoped that the ability to bear children would be passed on to at least some of their male offspring because it would be easier if both genders could have children. They were lucky that this trait got passed on, as is evident with Jayden. Could you imagine if only females were able to have children? It would take thousands of years to repopulate.”

“Okay…” Aidan muttered.

“Genetics is a tricky subject,” John continued. “It's very hard to explain. Hayden was more aggressive and Harou was more passive. The aggressive trait is dominant and the passive trait is recessive, so the aggressive trait will occur more than the passive one. That's why there are more Breeders than Bearers, because the passive trait goes along with the ability to bear children. We are not entirely sure why. It could be a survival thing. The unborn child will be more likely to survive in a passive person.”

“But what does that have to do with me?” Aidan asked angrily.

“I'm getting there. Sometimes, as is the case with you Aidan, the traits are equally present, they become mixed, so to speak, which results most often in a Bearer who is more aggressive than usual. We call these people “Mixed” although it's not a widely used term at this point. This is why I am asking: did you pursue Caelyn in a sexual manner?”

“I'm not saying a word John. Sorry.” Aidan shook his head.

John scowled. “You will tell me.”

“Or what?” Aidan challenged. “What are you going to do to me?”

“You will tell me!” John barked. Aidan remained silent. John turned to the guards. “Take him to confinement. He is to remain there until he is ready to cooperate.”

“Yes sir.” One of the guards nodded.

Aidan was led to the door. All of a sudden, he stopped.

“Sir, tell me one thing. Going along with the mixed gene thing, can a Breeder be more passive than usual?” he said.

“Yes,” John answered. “Why do you ask?”

“Alden is one of those isn't he?” Aidan asked.

“Yes. Alden is Mixed like you are.” John nodded.

“That's all I wanted to know.” Aidan started walking again, never losing his cool exterior.

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The air of The Institute was thick with tension. Word had spread fast about what had happened and it was all anyone could talk about. Daire heard snippets of conversation as he went from the Medical Facility back to his apartment. All they talked about was Caelyn and Aidan.

Sighing softly, Daire opened the door to his apartment. Unsurprisingly, Aleksei was waiting for him. He closed the door behind him and walked over to where his mate was waiting. Their lips came together for a brief kiss.

“I heard about what happened. News travels fast around here,” Aleksei said, wrapping his arms around his mate. He looked intently at Daire. “You are Caelyn and Aidan's best friend. I know you know what's really going on. Please tell me.”

Daire shook his head. “I can't. I'm sorry.”

“I know,” Aleksei persisted. “I know the child is Aidan's. I knew even before it was born.” Daire stared at him. “Caelyn was infertile with Halen for so long and then all of a sudden, he got pregnant. It could have been a stroke of luck, or fate, or something, but I think it was because Caelyn slept with someone else. I think it was Aidan. No, actually, I'm very sure it was Aidan. It isn't because the baby looks like Aidan. I've seen the way he acts around Caelyn and how Caelyn acts around him. The two of them are inseparable. I am not condemning their actions. I just want the truth.”

“Yes,” Daire confirmed. “Caelyn and Aidan had sex.” It was Aleksei's turn to stare. “I know what Aidan and Caelyn did was wrong, but I can't condemn them. They love each other for who they are, not because it's their duty to love each other.

“So you think a relationship should be based off love?” Aleksei asked.

“Yes,” Daire answered. “I understand why John arranges the relationships. He think it's what's best for us. I can't disagree with that, but I think it doesn't work in every case. Caelyn and Halen are a great example of that. Their relationship didn't work out and it wasn't just because they had with someone other than their mate. They didn't get along at all.”

“What do you mean?” Aleksei's expression was quizzical.

“Well…” Daire let out a long breath. Halen only cared about the sex. He didn't care for his mate at all.”

“I was the same way with you,” Aleksei pointed out.

“Yes,” Daire agreed unflinchingly. “However, you were gentle with me when we had sex. Halen was not. He didn't even care that he was hurting Caelyn. Caelyn could barely walk on his own after they finished having sex and Halen didn't even care!” Daire choked back a sob. He paused, breathing heavily. After a while, he was able to continue again. “There are some arranged relationships that work out, like you and me. We learned to love each other despite our differences.”

“Yes, you're right,” Aleksei said softly. “Despite the fact that I was a complete ass to you.”

“Yeah, but you turned out okay in the end.” Daire smiled and leaned against Aleksei.

They remained that way for a long time, silent.

“Things don't look good for Caelyn and Aidan based on the reaction of the Council so far,” Aleksei said.

“Yeah,” Daire agreed. “Even if they are both Bearers.” He sighed softly. “I want to help Caelyn and Aidan. They're like my brothers.”

“I do too,” Aleksei murmured. “I know how much they mean to you. We'll find a way somehow.”

“I hope so,” Daire whispered.

To be continued…

Notes: Wow, Aidan is acting really mature. He's really come a long way. I love it when characters do that. I like characters who change. It makes things more interesting.

So Aidan's personality is finally explained. I had this planned for a very long time, though not from the very beginning. I knew very little about this when I started out to be honest. As the chapters progressed and Aidan developed as a character, I realized that he was more aggressive than regular Bearers and that there was a good reason for it. It made sense that sometimes, the genes could get mixed, causing what we called a “Mixed”, as John points out. They are very rare, in fact. Very rare. At the moment, Aidan and Alden are the only Mixed.

Wow, a lot of people were upset with what happened with Aidan. Yeesh. I'm sorry I didn't really respond to a lot of the reviews, but uh…yeah. -firmly zips lips- I've said too much already.

I'm sorry for the short chapter. It's going to be like this; some chapters are going to be very long (like the previous chapter) and others are going to be very short (like this chapter). Maybe some will be in the middle. Not entirely sure yet. Wow, the chapter didn't really go anywhere did it? I hate it when that happens.