A/N: After a lengthy delay, the latest chapter! Job issues and a root canal slowed me down. I could not get inspired to write. Because of this, I really need reviews to keep me going through the home stretch! Don't forget: read ratty's story, too! His work inspired this work! Thank you! (And thanks to Cyndi Lauper for the chapter title. I've always loved this line and I'm thrilled to get a chance to use it!)
Disclaimer: I do not own or operate "The Vampire Diaries" or "The Boys of Colony Theta."
Late July, 2017
"Mama, Lainey, I've got some news," Kate said. She and her mother and sister were at their favorite bookstore cafe in Nashville.
"You finished your Master's classes, finally?" Laine said.
"Nope. Better. "
Winnie looked wisely at her younger daughter. "You're pregnant."
Kate's mouth dropped open. "How did you… No. Damon called you and told you, didn't he?"
Winnie grinned. "No, he didn't. I'm your Mama, though. I know you. I know you looked absolutely radiant when you walked into the cafe. That had to be what it was. How far along?"
"Eight weeks or so. I've got my first doctor's appointment next week. I did a pregnancy calculator online and put in my probable conception date, date of my last period, etc., and I'm due mid-March," she explained.
"How are you feeling?" Laine asked. She was sick as a dog with all three pregnancies.
"O.K. Right now. Tired. And I have to keep a tight rein on my emotions. They're all over the place. But Damon's so happy, he just puts up with me." Kate grinned.
"Well, you know your Daddy will be tickled. He loves being PawPaw. And I love it, too," Winnie said.
"Congrats, little sis. About time!" Laine teased.
"Tell me about it. I think I mentioned Damon is just beyond overjoyed. He's so excited. I don't know how he'll make it the next seven months or so," Kate chuckled.
"I'm glad. But I had a feeling he'd be a great dad," Winnie answered.
"I think so, too," Kate said.
"What about Joseph?" Laine asked.
"We haven't told him yet. We were going to tell him and Stefan tonight. They're coming over for supper. I wanted to tell you both first."
"I have a feeling Joseph is going to be thrilled, too," Laine said.
"I'm sure he will be," Kate agreed. "I hope I don't get huge. There's nothing worse than a short girl with a huge baby bump. I don't want to look like I shoplifted a watermelon at the grocery store!" That brought peals of laughter, but Kate was serious.
"O.K., guys. We've got some news to share," Kate said that night after supper. They were in the den with Stefan and Joseph. "Damon? You want to do the honors?"
He grinned fit to crack his face open and said, "Well, sometime about mid-March, Dad, you're gonna be a grandfather and Stefan, you'll be an uncle."
Stefan broke into a huge smile and hugged his sister-in-law. "Congratulations you two! That is so awesome!"
Kate laughed. "Thank you. You should have seen Damon when I told him. He took one look at the pregnancy test and BAM! He passed out. Went down like a ton of bricks. I was afraid he hit his head. Big dummy," she said, but lovingly.
Stefan howled with laughter and then they turned to Joseph, who hadn't said a word. He looked stunned as his eyes went from Damon to Kate. "Dad?" Damon asked. "You O.K.?"
As always, Kate seemed to know exactly what her father-in-law needed, and she went to him in the recliner. "It's true, Joseph," she said softly. He nodded and stood and carefully folded her into his arms. She returned his embrace and said, "If it's a boy, we'll name him Joseph, too. We've already decided that much."
"I can't believe it. I'm going to know my grandchild," he breathed, his voice rough with tears. He sat down abruptly. Kate sat in his lap and he held her close. Damon handed his dad a box of tissues. He put his head against Kate's and sighed as tears leaked down his face. She took a tissue and blotted the tears from Joseph's face as she smiled at him. He returned the smile. "So when did you say you were due?"
"Middle of March. So we'll have a spring baby," she answered.
He hugged her close again. "Thank you, Kate. Thank you."
"Damon deserves some credit too," Kate teased.
Joseph grinned a little wickedly. "Not that much. He was just doing what boys do." Damon rolled his eyes and he and Stefan laughed.
"I'm glad you're so happy about this. I figured you would be," Kate said.
Joseph shook his head slowly. "I can't even put it into words." He kissed her hair and she stood. Joseph did too, and held out his arms to hug Damon. Kate sighed in pure happiness at the sight and Stefan came to hug her again.
"Gotta say thank you, too. I don't know what would have happened to us if it hadn't been for you."
Kate smiled at her brother-in-law and ruffled his hair.
August 2457
The best news Lily had in the past several weeks was of Kate's pregnancy, with promises of pictures when the child arrived in March. The tornado hitting downtown Nashville had rocked their society. As she expected, there was an immediate elevation of five legislators to the Regional Council, orchestrated, no doubt, by the High Council. Still, the broadcast of the state funeral services for the former council members was interrupted for an extended period by video clips deemed subversive by the UGC, and they were determined to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The clips in question were videos Kate suggested and that were stored on the Alexandria servers. One was an excerpt from Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Others included "The Times They are a-Changin'" by Bob Dylan and a particularly disturbing, partially animated video for a song called "Another Brick in the Wall" by a band called Pink Floyd. And then, a song called "(Pride) In the Name of Love" by an all male band called U2, plus assorted clips of male public figures from the Time Before, all talking of love, peace, equality and justice. The interruption closed with a mesmerizing song by a trio with two men and one woman, who said their names were Peter, Paul and Mary. The song was "Blowing in the Wind." The broadcast was by far the most interesting, to say nothing of uplifting, programming presented in generations. The Brotherhood logo followed the last song, along with the words, "Free your conscience. Free your minds. Free your brothers."
The fallout was immediate, with the newspaper Sky Voice praising the Brotherhood for their cleverness, although, it noted, doing so during a funeral was inappropriate. Nevertheless, the newspaper marveled at the variety of videos and clips, and openly called for male freedom.
Lily hadn't had the heart to tell Kate about the terrible price the insurgents paid for their 20 minutes of free speech. The Sky Voice's executive editor was arrested and charged with high treason, to the absolute shock of the entire country. Her trial was televised, and the verdict was a foregone conclusion. She had a spirited defense attorney, who made one of the most moving closing arguments any woman or male had ever heard, but to no avail. Everyone watching understood that Kathryn Windmere was on trial for her life, and that she was probably going to lose it. The jury wasn't even chosen from regular women, but was made up of UGC council members. Their "guilty" verdict surprised no one. The true shock was that the UGC decided that, for her high crimes and misdemeanors, Windmere did not deserve the "privilege" of execution by lethal injection, but would be subject to a public hanging.
The Sky Voice offices were raided, their printing equipment destroyed, so they went deep underground, publishing a paper in spite of the crackdown, and they were ready to go to press the moment the execution was carried out. Kathryn would expect it of them. She was allowed five minutes to say goodbye to her daughter and to her male who had been with her for 20 years. A guard who was truly shaken by the events smuggled a copy of Kathryn's last words to her male and he carried it to the Sky Voice writers, so it could be published after she died.
Lily and Tony watched the whole thing on television, along with Isobel and Sammi Jo. The UGC had said at first that Windmere would not be allowed to make a public statement before she died, but the mood of the crowd surrounding the prison was so ugly, they decided they had to let her say a few words. The prison chaplain obviously prayed with her and then she was bound hand and foot, and the chaplain held up a microphone so she could deliver her final words.
"Gentlewomen and males," she said, "I am a condemned woman who is innocent of the crime of treason. Unless treason calls for all people to be free, males and women, to walk in freedom and equality. If that is treason, then yes, I am guilty of the highest treason. I am guilty of speaking for those who have no voice, who are unable to exercise any influence on their own destinies. I am guilty of speaking out for Copulators who die in Europe on their twenty-third birthdays so their internal organs can be harvested for profit! I am guilty of speaking out against an industry of oppression and death that sells young males into a slavery from which there is no escape! I am guilty of speaking out for males who are used as medical experiments, whose minds are destroyed before they go into hell! I am guilty of saying the UGC has poisoned the minds of women with mind altering drugs to make them believe they are superior. I am guilty of all these crimes. But I die with a clear conscience. I chose freedom. Oppression and tyranny cannot - will not - long stand. I pray this world shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Lily recognized the last line of the speech. It was from the Time Before, she was certain.
The sentence was carried out, but as Lily cried, Tony comforted her. "The whole world heard what she said, Lily. You can't unring that bell." Lily nodded at Tony as she wiped her eyes. "You're right. And the UGC just committed a very grievous error. This was meant to inspire fear and obedience by being so public. They should have been very quiet about it. They couldn't stand it, though. They had to have a show. Now she's become a martyr for the cause. They've made every mistake every totalitarian government always makes. And they'll pay for them. Tony, I believe we're seeing the beginning of the end of this way of life. You may be leading people before your fortieth birthday."
"Wouldn't that be something?" he said.
"It surely would," Isobel said. "I hope I'm here to see it."
An hour later, copies of the speech in the Sky Voice were hitting the streets and women were standing in groups, reading the words. Windmere's speech dropped a virtual bomb into the public consciousness, and the UGC found itself immersed in damage control. Too many people heard about what was happening to innocent Copulators, and to those males destined for science experiments. As the leader of the Brotherhood, Joshua was arrested, along with his owner, and as many males as the UGC could find who might possibly be connected with the Brotherhood, plus their owners. Enforcers were on every corner to put down any hint of protest or rebellion. Lily knew only her connections with Intelligence probably kept her out of jail.
Mass riots were becoming daily news in Europe, as women who had birthed sons protested outside the Colonies, insisting they would buy their own sons who were Copulators, rather than see them killed for their organs. Women protested in North America on behalf of their sisters across the ocean. Even the women in the armed forces were resigning, as word of the UGC's treatment of males became more widely known. The UGC was losing its grip on the reins of power, and it was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down.
The Silent Cradle group could no longer meet publicly, or publicize its meetings. Members met in homes, after exchanging email alerts through the old system. Apparently, the UGC was still largely unaware of the Alexandria servers, and the goal was to keep them in the dark. It was the one unmonitored source of communication.
"How are Joshua and Linda?" Isobel asked at the next meeting. Both were still in jail, awaiting trial.
"Linda's not bad, all things considered," said Tina Blackwood, who was now leading the meetings since Linda's arrest. "But Joshua's been giving them no end of trouble. Won't take his meds, won't shave - anywhere - won't get his hair cut. He went on a five-day hunger strike to protest not getting an attorney and women protesting his treatment have been standing outside the prison and yelling at the warden every time she goes through the gates. Plus, the Sky Voice is still printing, even though they're having to move around every few days."
"How are they doing it?" Lily wanted to know.
"Old fashioned broadsheets," Tina answered. "The managing editor actually went to where the old Tennesseean offices were, and in what she thought was an old basement or storm cellar, found a hand printing machine. She and the rest of the staff brought it up and they're moving it around. They found a complete set of type and they're doing it as they did in the 16th century. The Enforcers didn't get into the warehouse, so they've still got plenty of ink."
Lily chuckled. "Freedom of the press prevails in spite of everything."
"So where do we go from here?" Tony asked. He brought in a dish of snacks since he could cook.
"Well, do your best to stay out of jail," Tina said, and the other women laughed ruefully. Their males didn't look too happy, though. Their lives were tougher, too. In an effort to make sure males continued to be obedient and uninvolved in any protest movements, they now had to carry plastic "permission" cards if they were out alone. These cards were authorized by their mistresses and included information on where they were going, how long they intended to remain and when they expected to return home. Women who took their males on outings were strongly encouraged to put them on a leash, either on their wrists, or by the neck, to "control" them. Males now preferred to stay at home rather than appear in public on a leash. Of course, this was exactly what the UGC wanted. Homebound males were much less likely to get into mischief. Naturally, it was all done under the guise of "safety" for males. The UGC was concerned that males might be "targeted" by angry women.
To the delight of one and all in the Silent Cradle group, Lily showed off the "leash" that she devised for when she and Tony were out together. It consisted of a leather collar, about 10 feet of fine chain and a leather wrist cuff. The twist was Lily wore the collar and Tony the wrist cuff.
"You should see the Enforcers," Lily laughed. "And even the CC officers can't say a word. It's exactly according to UGC directives. There's nothing in them about what the other end can be attached to. Although, I have to say Tony was very, very bad a few days ago. Oh, you can tell it better than I can," she chuckled, gesturing to him.
Tony grinned, and the hearts of every woman - and a couple of the males - skipped a beat. "Well, this woman came up to me when we were in the office supply store and she recognized me from my Consort days. She offered to pay for my services again, if I'd just 'give her the other end of that leash' and she'd ride me all day. Well, I said I'd have to consult my mistress, and she had a few unusual stipulations. The woman was salivating, and we were actually negotiating a price. Lily strolled over, collar in hand. She held it out to the woman and said, 'Sounds like a plan, only you wear the collar and he gets to ride you all day - and all night.'"
"What happened?" asked Sammi Jo.
Tony laughed at the memory. "Well, you never saw a woman get so wide-eyed. She stammered and stuttered and jetted out of there as fast as she could. It was pretty priceless, I have to say." More laughter followed his statement.
December 2017
"Looks like we're going to be as surprised as anyone else," Kate said, as she eased into the recliner at her parents' home in Pulaski. "The little stinker always seems to be curled into a tight little wad when the tech does the ultrasound. The first time, she was fairly sure it was a girl, but a different tech said it was a boy. They don't know, and there's only two choices, so give us gift cards and we'll get clothes when the little wart gets here." She rubbed the small of her back.
"Just three more months," Winnie reminded her daughter. "And then you'll have a beautiful baby to love."
"I know. I sure hope he or she looks like Damon. But I'll be happy, regardless, I know."
"You will be," Winnie answered with a wise air. "You'll have the most beautiful baby in the world, trust me. Every mom has the most beautiful baby."
Kate grinned and then grimaced. "Oh, this little twerp's head is right on my bladder. I swear, I don't feel like getting up again." She shifted and raised the footrest on the recliner. "That's better. I'm just glad I've got a husband who can cook," she said.
"You're blessed," Laine said. "Phillip could hardly boil water when Will was born. He's better now, but hot dogs and grilled cheese are about the limit of his culinary repertoire."
"Believe me, I am grateful Damon likes to cook and is good at it. Makes my life so much easier. You know, when I was so sick in August, he fixed all these things for me because I couldn't stand to smell anything cooking. I had to eat lunch in my classroom. He made smoothies for me every day, or fruit salad, or he bought a roasted chicken and made chicken salad for me. And he was working and doing all this for me. I know I'm blessed," Kate answered.
Winnie smiled in satisfaction. Nothing pleased her more than knowing her daughters' husbands took good care of them. She was so glad Kate finally found someone who loved her so much.
Damon came into the front room, concern on his face. "You all right?" he asked her.
"My back is killing me, but that's nothing new," Kate replied. "Why?"
He got a throw pillow from the sofa and helped her put it behind her back. "Is that better?"
"It is. Thank you, sweetheart. Now go watch TV with the guys. I'm fine in here. Mama and Laine are in here. You can go relax."
"O.K.," he said, but looked a little doubtful. Kate made a shooing motion at him and he gave her a quick kiss and went back into the den.
When she was sure he was out of earshot, Kate chuckled, low. "He wants to wait on me hand and foot. I keep telling him now's not the time when I'll need him to do it. It's after the baby gets here. He's already doing all this reading about how to keep the baby calm and making sure it sleeps through the night. It's pretty cute, really. He's gonna be twice as neurotic about this kid as I am."
Winnie chuckled. "You'll have to make sure he doesn't turn into a helicopter dad."
"I know it. I've been having some minor Braxton Hicks contractions for a couple of weeks and he always looks at me like the baby is coming right then. It's kind of hilarious. I have to wonder if he's going to believe me when my real labor actually starts." Kate shook her head.
"He'll be a nervous wreck," Laine predicted darkly. "Does he want to be in the delivery room?"
"He says he does, but I'm not sure I want him there. This may be something I need to do on my own."
Winnie nodded. "Yeah, well, when Laine was born, they didn't let the dads in. I didn't want him in there, anyway. And they offered when you were born, Kate, but he decided he didn't need to be in there. I'm glad. He'd have collapsed, I'm afraid. You know how squeamish he is."
Kate shook her head. "Damon kind of is, too, so I'm concerned about that."
"Tell your doctor and let him make the decision," Laine advised.
"I may do that."
"How's the nursery decorating coming along?" Laine asked. Kate moved her computer and printer into the guest room and was turning the office into a nursery.
"All right. You know, Joseph is doing some of the work. He's doing a beautiful job."
"You all still doing a Beatrix Potter theme?" said Winnie.
"Yeah. Good for a girl or boy. And I love Beatrix Potter. Joseph painted the crib and the changing table. It was such a labor of love for him."
"I'm glad you have such good in-laws," Winnie said. "I wonder why Damon's mother doesn't see him."
"It's really difficult for her. And he doesn't know her that well," Kate said carefully. It was all true, of course, but it did get a little wearying trying to find creative ways around that elephant in the room. It was crazy enough trying to explain Stefan and Joseph, and Kate thought her family still wondered if they had the whole story on that. If she hadn't seen and experienced the whole time travel thing for herself, she knew she would think the story was completely delusional, too.
"It's a shame she won't know her grandchild," Winnie said.
"I know," Kate answered. "But there are some things you can't change. I'm just thankful for Joseph and Stefan. I hope he doesn't catch the baby bug, too." She knew it wasn't possible for him until his last injection of spermicide wore off, but it was a natural change of subject.
"He is a little young. So's Elena," Laine said.
"Yeah, and they both still have some growing up to do." Stefan wasn't happy when Damon tried to talk to him about his and Elena's nocturnal activities waking Joseph up. Finally, she had to step in.
"Stefan, you were the one who asked Joseph to live with you. This is a respect thing. No one is trying to tell you and Elena what to do - you're adults - but you have to be quieter. I've lived next to noisy roommates. It's no fun. Joseph has to work just like you do. If you two are going to have some kind of marathon, go to a hotel. Lord knows, there's plenty in town. Find one if you need to go all night and into the next morning with her." Stefan had come by to return their weed whacker, and Damon was out for a run.
Stefan actually looked sheepish. "You're right, Kate. I guess I didn't look at it like that, and Damon was all self-righteous with me and it pissed me off."
"I know he can come on a little strong sometimes. But you know, while I won't often get in between your disagreements with him, I'll almost always take Joseph's side, if he's pulled into something. You know that. You're a grown man, Stefan, and you're old enough to be responsible about this kind of thing." Kate's words were tactful, but Stefan could hear the steel underneath them. He knew she would defend Joseph, and he had to admit his behavior hadn't been too considerate or respectful.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'll do better," he said.
"Tell your dad. He's the one who's been waking up at 3 a.m. to Elena's screams."
Stefan blushed to his hairline. Kate might be tactful, but she didn't dance around an issue. "I will."
"Good."
Fortunately, that was the last they'd heard about the issue, so Kate had to assume it was resolved.
Maggie was very interested in the whole baby situation. She'd asked all sorts of awkward questions and decided she would be the baby's official, honorary big sister, since he or she wouldn't have one. Kate privately hoped they would have a girl, since Damon was so wonderful with Maggie, but she kind of thought he wanted a boy. But, as she said to Winnie, there were only two choices, so it would be one or the other. And in the end, it didn't really matter. They would have a child to love.
January, 2018
"Wow," Kate breathed, as she read Lily's latest email. She had attached stories of news events so she wouldn't have to explain everything.
"What's up?" Damon asked, as he came into the room.
"Got an email from Lily. Looks like it's all hit the fan in Futureworld," she said.
"Really? What happened?"
Kate stood and gestured to the screen. "Read it for yourself."
Damon gave her a quizzical look, then sat down and started reading.
"Dear Ones," the email read.
"I hope this finds you all well. The servers only come up every couple of months, so I've been saving the news to tell you. We are in what amounts to a lockdown society. After the deaths of the UCG members, and the propaganda broadcast by the Brotherhood, the High Council has tripled security and regulations everywhere. Linda and Joshua are still in jail, awaiting trial, and Silent Cradle and the Brotherhood have gone underground. So has the Sky Voice newspaper. We're here, but we have to be so very careful. So much has come out about what really goes on in the Breeding Colonies - especially the ones in Europe - and there have been protests and rallies for months. We're hopeful this means our world is about to change for the better, even though the UGC has tried to put a hammerlock on everything, for all the good it's done. It's hard to keep millions of outraged women in check. And the outrage is growing.
So far, Tony and I have been left alone, which I'm sure is because of my connections to Intelligence. Isobel and Sammi Jo are fine, too. They've each purchased a male - Sammi Jo a retired Consort and Isobel a Copulator. Being privately owned is the only safety males have now. There are stories of unsold Consorts and Copulators being forced to work in hazardous manufacturing jobs since so many women have gone on strike. I have to say the stories are probably truth, though. Every day, I am more grateful that my son is not in this world, but is able to live as a free male.
I love you, Damon. Please, no matter what might happen to me, don't forget that. I never forgot you for a single day. Since the day I saw your beautiful blue eyes, I have loved you. I never dreamed of such a wonderful life for you, never dreamed of having grandchildren. Please send me a photo when the baby is born. It may be a while before I can respond, but I will when I can.
I wish I had more hopeful news for you. I hope next time you hear from me, I will have happier things to share. My happiness these days is Tony. He brightens every day and takes such good care of me. I hope I take equally good care of him. He's very precious to me. Send my love to Joseph, Stefan and Myra. I'm so thankful they're happy, too. It seems such a small thing - happiness - but really, what do we have if not that?
I close by sending my love and thanks to you Kate, once again, for saving my son's life, and for carrying my grandchild.
Lily"
Damon sat back in the chair. "Good grief."
"I know it. I wondered if things had gotten bad. Apparently, they have." Kate put her arms around her husband. "I'm glad I found you, too." She kissed his hair, finally grown back in to her satisfaction. She sighed. "I'll be glad when this kid gets here and I can hug you with more than the end of my tummy touching you."
"Just one more thing you don't think about when you're pregnant, I guess. I need to email Lily pictures of the nursery. I wish she could be here."
"I do too, but I don't know how many more people we can pop in here and get identities for," Damon said. "I'm half afraid Caroline is going to get arrested for some kind of identity fraud."
"Nah. She knows what she's doing. The principal told me he'd have my substitute in by the middle of February, but I have to go ahead and do tentative lesson plans through the end of the year. Can you believe it?" Kate sat on the bed again.
"That's insane. I thought the whole point of having a certified teacher take over your classes is so they could do all that."
"Continuity, he said. I found out today. I hope this kid isn't two weeks early. It's going to take me until the end of February to get the plans done out that far, and still get actual teaching plans done! Paperwork. I hate it," she said.
Damon sat next to her and pulled her close. "We will get through this, I promise," he said.
"I know. Life happens and all that stuff," she answered. "Do you feel like cooking tonight? My feet feel like hamburger."
"Sure. Go lie down and I'll call you when it's ready," he said, giving her a sweet kiss.
"I think I'll just lie down right here, since this is where I am," she answered, suiting actions to words, and swinging her feet up on the bed.
As Damon cooked, he prayed his mother would be all right.
February 2458
Tony heard the commotion before Lily did. He looked at the clock. It was 2 a.m. "Lily. Wake up. I hear a pounding noise in the hallway."
Lily was awake immediately, and found her contemporary cell phone, in case the Enforcers had cut her primary line. She dialed her contact in Intelligence. "I think they're coming for me and Tony," she said.
"Damn," the woman cursed. "All right. When they get there, tell them nothing, but put me on speaker phone with them. On speaker phone, and make sure you're recording the conversation. As of right now, you're officially reinstated as an agent, and tell them your mission is classified. I'm putting through the orders right now. By the time the Enforcers get to you, it will all be very official."
"Will do. Thank you, Delora."
"Glad to help. INSIST First, after all. Keep me on the line."
"Will do." She filled Tony in. "I'll answer the door and do all the talking. Stay out of sight if you can."
"All right. I hate to do that."
"Delora's going to take care of us. Just set your wrist unit to record, too, just in case we need a backup." Lily got up and put on her cream satin robe. With her dark hair long to her waist, she looked like some sort of medieval goddess. The Enforcers started pounding on her door. She and Tony went to the den, and he waited in the kitchen, but was where he could see everything.
Lily opened the door and surveyed the force at her door. "Officers, this had better be good. I have the Intelligence Director on the line, now. So make it quick so my boy and I can continue getting our beauty rest."
The captain of the squad looked at her lieutenant. Lily Lockwood already had Intelligence on the line. That was not good. What were they supposed to do now?
Yes, another cliffhanger! Now what? Wait and see! And review, review, review! Thank you!