MYTHICAL LEGEND OF THE CHIMERA

ARIANA'S POV~

I took the test the very next day even though I told him it was just the regular checks I was able to convince Mateo to let me go to the doctor alone, much-needed space I said.

Now the doctor has called, she sounded concerned and now im going back for the result, to know my fate.

If im the mother of this baby or if it's Cayenne..

It was all too overwhelming, I needed my friend, but she could be truly dead and I have no way of knowing.

I miss her so much it aches, so I told the driver to pull up to our favourite spot, the ice cream shop her mom used to take us to when we were kids.

I ordered the mint flavour, it was our favourite, and my baby was craving it.

I sat in the corner, brooding over her loss, I looked up and memories of our time here all came flooding back.

We had planned our whole lives together, planned to have kids at the same time, she was my biggest blessing and now I've put her in danger and she's dead.

Tears stung my eyes and I blinked them back, I placed my head on the table and sobbed softly.

But I had to get my shit together, for the sake of my child, I rubbed my belly and began muttering to it.

"I'll protect you, no matter who your father is" 

I noticed someone opposite me, wearing a hoodie, her hair was dark and curly and it popped out from the edges of the hoodie covering her eyes, she sighed and I watched her put a spoon into her mouth.

She stared into her cup refusing to lift her head.

She was sad just like me, I bet if Fiona was here, she'd have ordered the mint too.

She picked up a scoop and I saw it was mint, she propped it to her mouth and that's when I saw a faction of her face.

Her cherub sweet freckled face under that curly hair.

"Fiona!" I exclaimed springing up, she looked up at me, her face gleamed with joy and she got up as well.

"Ariana!" she exclaimed happily and she hugged me tightly, then I felt her tone change.

"Fiona, I thought you were dead, why didnt you call me?" I inquired, embracing her again and again before settling back at my ice cream table.

"I didnt get it, Ariana, the mission was a flop because I trusted a certain asshole, I've been such a fool" she cried into my palms.

"Fiona.." I called, and she placed her head in my palms, "I couldn't face you after that, you asked for my help and I messed it all up"  she said sadly.

"Fiona, I don't care about that, really" I smiled raising her head to meet my earnest eyes, "When I heard a bear ripped you apart I was horrified, I imagined my entire life without you in it, I'm sorry I had to put you in that spot" I pleaded, my tone as sincere as it could be.

She made a pout and reached again to embrace me, "You know I'd do anything for you, Ari, you are my best friend" She smiled before she pressed my nose and giggled.

We got up and walked out from the ice cream shop, "how did you know I'd be here" she asked before putting her head on my shoulder.

"This is our favourite spot and I was missing you, you mean the world to me Fiona, I hope you know that" I smiled before kissing her hair.

She put her arm inside mine and giggled, "You are now huge," she stopped to touch my rounded belly. " wait are you close to your due date? You shouldn't be, by my calculations, you should be 5 or 6..."

"Im fucked Fiona" I interrupted, before stopping on the road, I motioned for my guard to give us some space as we sat on the bench in the park we had strolled to.

"What do you mean? Is it Mateo again? What did the asshole do this time?" she asked, her sweet face meaner than a rock.

"You are the only one who knows this side of me Fiona, no one else can understand, im fucked" I repeated before putting my hand over the back of my head.

"Cayenne..." she started.

"Yeah, im so scared Fiona, a lot of things are happening all at once, i need you right now"

"You don't even have to ask honey," she said in a weak tone before embracing me again and I held her tightly, "im right here," she added.

"I need to get to the hospital, but I need you with me and after I'll tell you everything I promise" I stated and she nodded.

I got up and winced in pain, "are you okay?" she asked, "I got shot" I answered sharply.

"What!"

"There's a lot to tell you fi, a lot!"

We got in the car and giggled all the way there, she told me about her handsome saviour, woe betide his name according to her.

He is dead to me and as such he remains in my past" she stated, I nodded in clear understanding, "Fine" I chuckled.

"You must have liked him for you to get all cinematic about the whole thing, Fi" I sighed.

"Yeah" she sighed back, "it's all going to be fine I promise" 

"Yeah" she sighed again, we held each other close until we got to the hospital.

I shook anxiously as I walked into the hospital, Fiona was beside me all the way.

She was all the support I needed, I smiled glad she was back by my side.

Together we entered Dr Maria Lombardi's office, her name reminded me of the alias Mateo I once used in France and I smiled to myself.

Then the fear returned, im about to lose everything, everything I was already planning to walk away from.

Her face looked very concerned, Fiona and I sat anxiously on the chair as she removed the results from the envelope.

She looked at the results and back to me.

" the samples you gave from both male donors came back positive" she answered.

A glared at her in confusion and back to Fiona who was just as confused.

"I think you've made a mistake Doctor Maria, I just wanted to know who the father is between the two men" I corrected, she shook her head, "no it wasn't a mistake, at first we were confused as well, but we checked three times before we came to this conclusion" she continued.

"I don't understand. Doctor Maria, what is happening here?" I inquired in deeper confusion.

"You have a rare gynaecological case of superfetation" she finally said.

I glanced at Fiona and she glanced back at me, "What the hell is that!" I exclaimed heavily.

She got up and pulled out the remote to the TV screen in front of us, we turned our attention to it.

A squishy image propped up on the screen and then it split into A and B

"This here is the baby," she started, "this baby is fathered by Donor B" she mentioned.

I swallowed hard, donor B...

"But this baby here" she started again, and I raised my head, "im sorry what another baby? im only carrying one" I replied almost immediately.

"Not anymore Mrs. Donatteli" she retorted before turning our eyes back to the screen.

"This baby here is just a little over two months gone, this is fathered by Donor A" She finished her hand interlocked then she looked down at the result again.

"I gasped for breath as the news shocked the hell out of me, my head started to spin and I felt like dunking it in ice.

"Doctor, what are you saying? Twins?" Fiona asked taking my hand.

"No, two different babies conceived at two separate times, months apart, and that's not all Ariana" the doctor replied.

My eyes slowly came back to her, what other news could be worse than this?

Im carrying two children for two separate men at once! 

Someone will be dead soon.

"Something was strange about it, because you are not the biological mother of one, though you share similar genes, DNA says you are 70% related to baby A"  she started, and my questions deepened.

"What are you saying, Doctor?" Fiona's tone was just as scared.

I watched the doctor's lips part, my life shattering around me as the words escaped them.

"You are a chimaera Ariana, I think at some point in your development in the womb you must have swallowed your sister, because the baby you thought was your daughter, is actually your niece"

At that moment all the anxiety I was holding in exploded in my mind and my eyes closed, the last thing I heard was Fiona screaming my name.

"ARIANA..."