So here it is-finally-the sequel to Stranger in a Strange Land. Sorry it took me so long to get it up but a lot has happened since I finished the original story and I've been quite busy.

…

Chapter 1-A Step Forward

"Mommy, Mommy!" My 2-year-old son Byron cried as I came home from my daily classes at the local university. Despite the cooling temperatures, my son and his sitter were on the porch awaiting my arrival, the sight made me smile. The fact that the girl was even allowed within the Atrian housing project had been a miracle in itself. The girl was no older than I was, of course I was only 19, having had Byron when I was 17. So much had changed since then it's still blew my mind.

The legislation for pro-Atrian laws was moving forward and the laws permitting humans to interact with them was better than it had been almost 3 years ago. Among other things, I had discovered I was gay and was now in a relationship with my best friend's boyfriend's sister. Sophia and I were happy and we were already talking about expanding our family.

Our mothers tried to dissuade us from this however the argument being: your barely out of your teens, let alone out of school why bring another baby into it; that's a lot of responsibility. It was, however, responsibility I knew Sophia and I could handle, we had been handling more than a typical amount of work for a couple our age for over a year. We argued we both had steady jobs and there was someone to always watch Byron and any additional children, it was this reasonable argument that left no doubt in our mothers' minds (although they still weren't thrilled with the idea).

With these thoughts forefront in my mind once again I made my way up to the house, and was met halfway by Byron who latched his tiny arms around my knees. Once he made sure I wasn't going anywhere he looked up at me his eyes and face the spitting image of his father, another acquaintance of mine, an Atrian by the name of Drake.

My sitter, a girl named Megan chuckled.

"He's been waiting for you since he got up from his afternoon nap. I had to make him wait inside because it was raining earlier."

I smiled at my son and reached down to pick him up while Megan followed us back to the house, waiting for me to get the money I always owed her.

"What time is Sophia supposed to be home?" Megan asked, although I figured she already knew by now having been my sitter for the past 8 months.

"Five." I answered, as I shifted Byron on my hip and unlocked the door. "She said something about stopping at City Hall with Roman before she came home."

Megan nodded mutely. She had chosen to roll with the lifestyle in which Sophia and I found ourselves, it didn't bother her that we were a lesbian couple or the fact that my girlfriend was an Atrian, while she didn't support the integration out right, she didn't oppose it either… She was simply neutral.

After I sent Megan on her way I busied myself preparing the house for dinner and Sophia's homecoming. I amused Byron with a video while I did so and before I knew it (just as the credits were rolling on the cartoon) I heard Sophia's key in the lock. Byron, however had already beat me to the door and was repeating the greeting he had given me with Sophia.

"Mama, your home! Can we eat now?"

Sophia chuckled and I smiled as she came up to me, looping her arms around my neck and kissing me softly; the look in her eyes promising of things later.

Sophia smiled down at Byron.

"What are we having for dinner Byron?" She asked.

"Pizza!"

"No," I reprimanded softly, "what are we really having Byron?"

"Getti-loaf!" My son replied promptly.

"Getti-loaf" was my son's name for lasagna, since he couldn't quite say the word, which always made Sophia and I laugh. I chuckled, ruffling his hair as he ran past me, presumably off to amuse himself with his toys. As soon as he had disappeared I turned to Sophia.

"How was your day?" I asked.

Sophia shrugged, her normally bright face somewhat subdued.

"Okay. Roman, Drake and I are still trying to put through legislation on that bill to get Atrians into the universities like they did with the high schools."

In the past few years since Byron's birth it had become Roman, Drake's and Sophia's mission to put through local legislation on laws to benefit the Atrians, which, as I had a partner of such I fully supported.

"So how are the things for the…" I looked around making sure my son was otherwise occupied, "surprise party."

This time Sophia full out grinned, her brown eyes sparkling.

"Got you covered." She replied before kissing me on the cheek, "Party's set to go down at Lollies on Thursday."

Lollies was Sophia's business she had opened shortly after Byron was born. She had become so proficient at throwing parties someone had suggested she start a business and that's exactly what she did, with a little help from a few friends we got together the funds to rent a space and get supplies; it took a while but Lollies had proven to be a productive venture.

It was 8:30 PM by the time we put Byron down for the night and he was using one of the few words he had learned in Atrian from Sophia and Drake to great effect; a favorite word of most 2-year-olds; no.

"Why did you, Roman and Drake have to teach him that?" I groaned, at Sophia out of the side of my mouth as my son continued to run down the hallway screaming.

"I think it's important he knows both sides of his heritage, both human and Atrian." Sophia replied succinctly. She was right of course, so I didn't argue.

After about 15 or 20 minutes Byron settled down and (reluctantly) climbed into bed, while I turned on his nightlight and Sophia read him a story. Afterwards this left Sophia and I to our own devices in which we could do as we pleased.

"Have you given any thought to what I mentioned before?" I asked.

Sophia brightened.

"I think it's a great idea, but who's going to carry the baby?"

"We'll have to discuss that." I smiled at her as we curled up on the couch and Sophia started the movie, "Let's get through Byron's third birthday first… One kid at a time."

The morning of Byron's third birthday, in early September, dawned chilly and sunny and a small knot of enthusiastic friends and family had gathered at Lollies to celebrate. The small cozy store was decked out for a party befitting a 3-year-old. Sophia had outdone herself not only as Byron's mom but as the exquisite party planner she had become. The back room of the store was strewn with a long table, balloons, and orange and green streamers. The odds and ends of party favors were a mishmash of dinosaurs and superheroes, and odd combination, but not unusual for a toddler.

Sophia and I had done everything we could to keep the party a secret and had waited until the last minute to tell Byron what we were doing. Needless to say he was still bouncing with excitement as we tied the blindfold around his eyes and made him wait as we led him into the store and Sophia removed the blindfold and showed him the party spread she had come up with.

Everyone in the store shouted.

"Surprise! Happy birthday Byron!" And my son squealed and giggled and then his eyes grew around as he took in the large cake my mother had commissioned from the local bakery and the large pile of presents behind all of Sophia's decorations.

The party was about as normal as one could expect I guess, and after we all sang "Happy Birthday" Sophia's mom and my mom took turns dishing out birthday cake to the guests.

It had taken a while for Sophia's mom to warm up to being around people, after everything that had happened before and since Byron's birth she was still wary of humans, but for her grandson and her daughter I was pretty sure she would do just about anything.

While Byron was occupied with his friends from his daycare group, which he went to on alternate Fridays, Sophia and I talked with the other adults as we played absently with the deflating balloons. We managed to have a good 10 minute conversation before the children began to fuss and Sophia suggested it was time to open presents.

It was hours later before everything wound down, while Byron was still preoccupied with his new toys. Drake and Roman had given him a simple necklace with some sort of carved Atrian symbol on it, while the mother in me wasn't sure it was appropriate for 3-year-old, Sophia and Drake assured me there was no way he could pull it off the cord it was on. Sure enough by the time we got home Byron was sound asleep in his car seat surrounded by his toys his hand clutching the wooden charm Roman and Drake had given him. The scene brought a smile to my face.

After a busy day I was relieved when I finally climbed into bed. Sighing, Sophia climbed in next to me. There would be no lovemaking tonight, I was too tired, besides I had other things on my mind.

"Sophia? About that thing we discussed a couple of weeks ago…?"

In response Sophia giggled.

"Honestly Taylor! You've got a one track mind! One kid and you have babies on the brain."

I laughed, shrugging, slightly embarrassed. I guess she was right.

Sophia rolled over and kissed me, a kiss that became lingering and heated as the moments progressed.

"I'm still thinking about it okay… Let's wait until after the holidays and will talk about what to do next after Christmas," she kissed my temple, "I promise."