"Are you okay?"

Taylor cringed as Emery's voice stabbed through her subconscious and dragged her out of a daydream where she and Drake were back in each other's arms. Her heart pounded as she relived every moment of the way he had held her so tight, giving himself over completely and without hesitation. Despite her best efforts to put it behind her, Drake affected her. Not twenty minutes ago, he had walked past her in the lunchroom and his fingertips grazed her shoulder as he traced along the back of her chair. A flash of heat zipped through her watching him walk away without even a backwards glance; he didn't care at all how he wound her up. The next thing she knew, there was a radiant blue luminescence simmering in the veins of her wrist and down her back, barely muted by the dark t-shirt she wore.

Hurrying away from the crowd, she still felt shaky and overheated. Pausing a moment to take a long drink from the water fountain, she hadn't realized the offending garment had ridden up to expose her back or that Emery Whitehill was standing behind her. Quickly, Taylor tugged the shirt back down, lips pressed into a tight line, "None of your business." Brushing past her, she bolted to her locker and grabbed her sweatshirt. She tugged it on, quickly zipping it before the bell rang and she was exposed to the entire school. It was far too warm for a sweatshirt, especially inside the building, but she ignored it in favor of covering up her glowing skin. Thankfully, the sweatshirt was dark and she managed to avoid anyone else seeing before the bell rang. She would have to hurry if she wanted to make it to biology in time.

Plopping down in her usual seat in front of Drake, she could feel shivers coursing through her body. Heat built inside of her that had nothing to do with the clothes she was wearing. Sweat dotted her brow until she could stand it no longer. Dragging the sweatshirt off, she fanned herself with a folder to cool down while listening to Ms. Benson drone on about flatworms. Ever since their hookup, Drake had been dead determined to avoid her. That was until she had been rushed to the hospital, nearly the victim of a horrible lung-shredding virus that had almost killed Lukas. Drake had been amazing as he had calmed her down in the wake of the accident and, later on, softening the blow that Zoe had moved cross-country without even saying goodbye. Then just like that, he was back to icing her out. It was no wonder she was so dizzy…

Drake held his breath so long that he'd actually started to breathe through his skin. Taylor was sitting in front of him and he could smell her intoxicating perfume mixed with something that was wholly her. Everything about her drove him nuts today. Usually that didn't bother him…that was until her sweatshirt came off and he nearly choked on his own tongue at the sight of the iridescent blue shimmering through her renal arteries. He didn't have a single second to digest it before Roman was kicking the back of his chair, "Do you see that?" He didn't answer. "Drake…" He tightened his fist around his pencil angrily. The snap of wood caused the class to jump and their teacher to pause a moment.

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?"

"Nope, just got a little excited by this lecture on asexual reproduction," Drake smirked at the snickers from the other students. She went back to teaching and Drake turned to Roman. "Of course I fucking see it, man…" Thankfully it seemed to be fading for the moment, though his paranoid gaze flicked to Sophia and then to Teri. Thankfully, both seemed engrossed in taking notes.

Roman glared harder, "Well what are you going to do about it?" He hissed. This was bad. So. Fucking. Bad. Ignoring Sophia's worried gaze, he leaned forward. Emotions played on Drake's face like a movie screen. This guy had been his best friend since they were infants, Roman knew exactly how he'd react: deny, deny, deny until there was no other course of action but to accept the truth. To this day he still hadn't come to terms with the fact that his mother had been killed on Arrival Day. "This is serious, damn it."

"It's probably nothing. Don't get your panties in a wad." Drake countered - but the sentiment was hollow. He saw exactly what Roman did and it spelled nothing but bad news. "I'll have this settled in no time. The girl's obsessed with me…"

Taylor whirled around in her seat, the anger surging in her veins. "I can hear you both!"

Just as the teacher was about to scold them, the bell rang and they were blessedly released from their school day. Taylor's glistening veins were obscured when she threw her backpack over her shoulder before stalking out of the classroom. Drake hit the ground running, avoiding Roman and most especially, Taylor. It was one of the afternoons that the Atrian Seven were allowed to venture into Edendale with their peers. The Atrians were prodded like cattle onto the slate grey bus that transported them everywhere they needed to go…even if they didn't want to go at all. Roman plopped next to Drake on the bus, staring pointedly at him, "Did you really think you could avoid me?"

Drake rested his hands on the back of the seat, accepting his fate. "I gave it a shot." He slumped down further, "Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

"No, that's not okay, Drake!" Roman's voice attracted attention from the other five Atrians on the bus. He lowered his voice again, "No." He may not have been acting Iksen, at the moment, but his birthright demanded respect. "When we get off this bus, you and I are going to have a little chat in private." Teri was staring at them now and he wouldn't risk being overheard. This was a matter of life and death.

When the bus came to a halt outside the Edendale shopping plaza, Roman stayed close to Drake. He didn't trust him not to bolt. Stalking after him, he looked both ways before dragging him into an alley. "Start talking…now. You and I both know that wasn't just a fluke. It happened three times in class alone. She's marked, Drake! You know what that means." His voice was shaking, "It's not only illegal, it's high treason. The Trags won't just kill you, they'll kill her and everyone you know…and that's if the humans don't fry you first!"

Dragging a hand through his hair, his jaw ticked with anger. "Alright! I'll talk to her." He frowned, "You can't mention this to anyone until I get it straight."

Roman stared at him incredulously, "Do you think I'd dare tell anyone about it? I could be executed for even suspecting and not bringing it to the tribunal!" He leaned back against the brick of the building. How could his best friend have been so damn careless? He caught sight of Taylor heading toward the grocery, texting rapidly as she swiveled her hips. It was only a matter of time before someone figured everything out. "Hurry up…"

Turning away from Roman, Drake bolted across the street. Grabbing her arm, he halted her dead in her tracks. "We need to talk now." He reached for her hand, not blaming her one iota when she tugged away from him and stomped a little harder toward her destination. "I've been a jerk, okay? Let me make it up to you."

"Oh you've been a jerk?" Taylor stared him down, "What's with this running hot and cold game? First you bait and tease me, we hookup, and it's like I don't exist until you want something." Tapping her foot, annoyed, she folded her arms, "So what is it this time? What do you want?"

Rolling his eyes skyward, he steeled himself for the temper tantrum inevitably brewing. "I just want to talk to you. Can we go somewhere?" Exhaling sharply, he could sense there was nothing else to do but grovel. "Please, Blondie, I'm asking nicely."

Taylor didn't see any reason at all to let him off the hook. She let him sweat it out for a full minute before she grasped his hand. "My house isn't far from here. Let's go."

Following after her, he looked concerned. "Won't your parents care that you're bringing home a stranger from another planet?"

Taylor let out a derisive laugh, "I doubt it considering they're never home. My dad is a philandering senator who spends most of his time looking up skirts in Washington and my mother is in international business." She smirked, "They're the perfect power couple. They've never split up because they've never spent more than three hours in the same room." Averting her gaze, she opened up the front door to the monstrous Victorian style home. "Make yourself at home."

Drake was in awe of the mansion that loomed before him. He'd thought that Grayson's home had been very grand but it had nothing on this. "Who watches you then?"

"I don't need to be watched," Taylor scoffed. "My parents have always had nannies. Last one quit when I was fourteen. I just never told them. I use her salary to buy things I need: clothes, gas, food…" She opened up the fridge, digging around for an afternoon snack, "Speaking of which, are you hungry?" Any excuse to avoid the butterflies dancing in her stomach was okay in her book.

Moving behind her, he slid his hands up her sides. His stomach clenched as vibrant blue streaks shimmered across her flesh, illuminating her veins as soon as they made contact. His hearts skipped a beat at the guttural noise that emanated from her throat. "When did it start?" He asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Gooseflesh rose over her skin as his fingertips traced the markings that marred her tender flesh; electricity seemed to pulse through every inch of her body. "I noticed it after I got back from the hospital. It started as just a little swirl of color now and again but…it's getting worse." Licking her lips, she turned to face him, "What's happening to me, Drake?"

"This isn't possible," He felt weak in the knees. Leaning back against the kitchen island, he stared hard at her. "I mean theoretically yes it can happen, but not now. And definitely not with you!" Anger surged through him and he slammed his fists down, desperate to release the tension that rose in his throat.

Taylor licked her lips, her hand resting at the base of her throat where the luminosity seemed to coalesce. A mixture of embarrassment and shame speared through her. "Drake, you're scaring me! Just tell me what's going on?" He was grappling with it, whatever it was. "Please!"

"You want to know what's going on?" He snapped, "Oh, I'll tell you, Taylor. You're having my fucking kid."

Silence hung between them for a long moment. She rested her hands on her hips, anger spreading over her features as the shimmering grew brighter, "That's impossible." She snapped. "I was just at the hospital last week after everything with Lukas. They did a full workup including blood work and a dipstick. They were extremely thorough. Everything was negative! I can't be pregnant."

"You're not pregnant with a human baby, no! You're pregnant with a half-Atrian hybrid child!" Drake turned his back, hands slamming down on the granite tile of the counter again. He shook his head, "I didn't want to believe it but it's fucking clear as day. I marked you, Taylor. You're mine."

Her vision swam and she backed up until her body hit the wall. Sliding down, she wrapped her arms around her knees. "This isn't happening. This is a bad dream. Wake up, Taylor, wake up!" She cried. "What the hell are we going to do?"

Guilt stabbed through him. He hadn't meant to distress her like this; he was just upset and looking for someone to take it out on. Kneeling in front of her, he rested his hands on the top of her knees, "I don't know." Brushing a strand of blond hair from her face, he cupped her cheek gently, "We're going to figure it out, alright?" He swallowed hard, "But I need you to do everything you can to keep covered. If anyone else finds out about this, we're going to be in deep shit."

Nodding, she smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "I never need a reason to go shopping but this is one for the books." She sighed, "Drake, I don't even know anything about Atrian pregnancy. I don't…I don't think I can do this." Tears streamed down her cheeks, "Is there someone in the sector that can help us?" Obviously she couldn't walk into Planned Parenthood and explain that she'd conceived an Atrian's child and now her entire vascular system glowed in the dark…

Pain ebbed through him. He should be relieved that she wanted to do the responsible thing…yet he'd been without a family for so long that even this ill-conceived baby had started to seem appealing. "Let me ask around, alright? If Roman doesn't know then maybe his uncle does."

"Roman knows about this?" Taylor looked distraught.

"He saw the markings during class, Taylor. Any Atrian that sees it is going to know right away…" He moved to sit beside her on the kitchen floor. "It starts as a flare of blue in your veins every now and then. It's some kind of reaction to the baby's blood in your veins. As everything progresses, it becomes more pronounced. For Atrians it's temporary. I don't know what it would do to a human…"

Leaning over, she rested her head against his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she felt relief wash over her as he shifted and wrapped his arm around her. "This is all fucked up." She swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I can't believe you did this to me."

Drake rubbed her back, comforting her as best he could. "Hey, you were there too," He groused. Hooking up with her had been the highlight of his pitiful existence. When she was in his arms, he knew what acceptance was. Now, whenever he closed his eyes at night, all he could see was her throwing her arms around him and making him whole again. "Don't freak out on me, Taylor. I'm going to fix this…that's a promise." When she snuggled in closer, he closed his eyes.

The pair of them sat in total silence, the sun sinking past the horizon little by little. The two unlikely lovers held each other until her body cramped from sitting on the floor. Drake hoisted her up and followed her into the bedroom. Wordlessly, he crawled into bed right next to her and remained there until the very last second he could. He had to make the bus or the sector guards were going to track him down and he didn't want them anywhere near Taylor.

She'd fallen asleep cradled against him, clearly exhausted from the day and, more than likely, his child growing inside her. He didn't want to go; it took every ounce of willpower he had to drag himself away from her again. Maybe it was the marking, which was primal and deeply meaningful in its own right, or perhaps it was the tenderness he'd come to feel for this silly human girl. Either way, he was wont to leave her lying there alone. Dropping a gentle kiss to her forehead, he lingered just a moment in the doorway. Taylor deserved everything out of life, much more than he could ever offer her. Anger tore through his chest once more as he headed out of the house and pounded the pavement back toward the bus just in time.

"How'd things go?" Roman asked as they boarded up and started the familiar path back to the sector. He could sense how deeply Drake was hurting. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright." Drake replied hotly, "I'm going to need your help but for now, I just need you to back off."

Roman nodded his acquiescence, "Okay." They'd known each other a long time and there was nothing that he wouldn't do to help his very best friend. "Whenever you're ready, I'm here." Patting Drake's shoulder encouragingly, they drove the rest of the way in silence. This couldn't be easy but he trusted his friend's judgment.

As they parted ways, he watched Drake lumber back to the pod he slept in alone. In that moment, he truly wished humans and Atrians could live happily ever after—not only for his own selfish reasons but also because Drake deserved happiness. Resting an arm around Sophia as they headed into the house, he smiled to himself. He was a lucky man to have a family who loved him dearly. He just wished that Drake could someday have the same. Fleetingly, he wondered if this situation with Taylor wasn't the universe giving him a second chance. Perhaps the lines of fate had crossed his path with that of this mouthy human girl so that he could finally know happiness. Only time would tell.

Turning out the lights, he crawled into bunk. Tomorrow they could figure everything out. For now, the only thing he could do was succumb to exhaustion.

This fic comes out of an idea I had after seeing Taylor in the hospital and her stating that she needed to have more tests. It's been rattling around in my brain ever since and I decided that I needed to try my hand at writing for Draylor. I also have to say that if not for the AMAZING JustVisiting80 who writes 'Break Forth to New Mutiny' this fic would never have come to be. She is freaking AMAZING and she beta'd this chapter (so alllllllllllllll the credit goes to her. ALL OF IT.) If you like Draylor and are NOT reading her story...then that's your homework this evening. ;)

I'm going to gauge the reaction to this fic by the reviews I recieve. Please let me know what you think. Should I continue? Let me hear your voice!