Babysitting Criminals While Pregnant *Slow Updates*

Chapter 11

"Here you go", Gildarts managed to hand me most of the groceries. He smiled meekly, his prosthetic hand rubbing the back of his unruly rustic red hair.

"Thanks." I flash a quick smile. My stomach flurried with anxiety.

Don't notice them. Don't notice them. Please don't notice them!

"Who're your friends? I don't think I've seen them before--" Gildarts began.

"Uh, yeah!" I suddenly burst, causing the older man to give me a weird look. "We were just heading back home; it's not far from here!"

"Wait, hold on!" He grabbed my shoulder with his real hand, preventing me from high tailing it out of there. "You two are from the Oracion Seis!" well, damn it! "I'm not letting you go anywhere with them!"

Cobra and Midnight tensed, the bags crinkling loudly in their arms. They managed to take on a defensive fighting stance. Thinking only about the guys, I step in front of them, glaring at Gildarts.

"Don't you dare hurt them!" I coldly spat. "They aren't gonna hurt anyone. The Council has handed them over to me for a year to test their ability to cope with people without being evil and whatnot." My semi-long explanation seems to confuse the older man, deeply. And telling by the thick creases in his scrunched up forehead, he was.

"Handed them over? I didn't hear about this? I'd think they'd want someone who was more...capable of handling them." Now that hurt. Did he doubt me?

"Are you insinuating I can't take care of myself?" I glare at him incredulously.

Gildarts realized his mistake and began to sweat waterfalls, "N-n-no! I certainly didn't mean-- It's just I know they're a tough duo, so I just thought--"

"You don't think much, do you?" I huff out sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "They won't do anything, because if they do, the petition is null and void. I doubt they want to be cooped up in cells for the rest of their lives."

"We don't. It's so boring in there!" Midnight grumbled, relaxing from the tense stance he was in and crossing his arms.

Gildarts seemed to loosen up, but his shoulders stayed tense. He never lost that expression of absolute suspicion. He carefully scanned my being, almost as if searching for a hidden answer, which I really hope he wasn't trying to dig out.

"You said you live around here?" His real arm lifted up and he ruffled his hand through his rust-colored hair.

"Yes?" I answer, not so sure where he was going with this turn of conversation.

"Ah, it's--it's nothing, " He sighed with a grimace. "Last time I heard, you were living in Magnolia somewhere, did something happen?"

That question irks me. He has a million questions that could be asked, but instead, he asks this particular one?

"Uh, " I suck in a breath, trying to keep away from being conspicuous. "Well, having these guys around would certainly attract a lot of unwanted attention, don't you think?"

Gildarts met my eyes. They were burning me. Right through my soul where they'd mental marks and scars. My bet is that he's trying to read me.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want that either, but, " He said and continued. "Wouldn't your friends understand if you told them?"

Without even having the tiniest bit of control over my mouth I immediately blurted, "We aren't exactly on speaking terms right now. I doubt they even know I'm gone, they're so busy with other stuff."

I didn't mean to sound so rude, but the questions are stringing my nerves on a silver platter. With each question, it felt like he was becoming more and more suspicious. I didn't blame him if he did, but I really don't like the continuous questions.