CHAPTER 21: Surprises
Like all things, Hank's bliss was not to last (though he was not yet aware of it). And as his days of quiet rapture grew to weeks with only the occasional supervillian to ruin the peace, and those weeks grew steadily into months, he slowly came to the conclusion that the inclement chaos that Tyger had brought into his life must be over. Yet part of him - that nagging little voice in the back of his mind - seemed to be waiting, cautiously, expectantly, for that other long-awaited, long-overdue, massively oversized shoe to drop.
Tyger, Hank had noted to himself, had been suffering from a particularly stubborn case of stomach flu. Hank didn't think much of it: it was the fall, and the weather was turning colder. So sniffles were to be expected. He had no reason to have any suspicions, not even when she started going to Jean for checkups instead of him. Not that he didn't know every inch of her body quite intimately by this time. Thus Hank, at his densest, suspected nothing other than the common flu bug when Jean asked him to come to the infirmary to look at the results of Tyger's latest test.
Jean, Hank noticed, was doing her best not to grin at him, making Hank wonder what particular joke he'd missed this time round. The tests at first showed very little until he got to the bloodwork, which caused him to stop and stare blankly at the page for a few moments as his wits shattered and their fragments scrambled off into the dark recesses of his mind. When enough of his wits had reassembled to form a cognitive thought, he looked up from the page and stared numbly at Jean. Hank asked in a voice devoid of emotion (shock had that effect), "Is this what I think it is?"
Jean looked over at Tyger sitting on the examination table. Tyger simply said, "Hank...you'rre going to be a daddy."
Hank's wits fled back to the recesses to hide, taking his consciousness with them as he fell to the floor in a dead faint. His fainting spell didn't last long enough to qualify for a good snooze until, upon coming to, Tyger informed him of more good news: it was twins.
(THUD)
* * *
The reactions of Hank's fellow teammates were quite mixed, to say the least. Bobby's reaction when told was all that Hank could have hoped for. The word, shock, might have in some passing way been used. So might the word, horror. All in all, the total, utter dumbfounded shock that resulted once he realized that not only were there BABIES coming to the house, not only were HANK'S babies coming to the house, but that Hank's babies and overprotective, zealous MOTHER were becoming ensconced in the house made him severely consider an early extended vacation. Though, deep down, he knew it wouldn't matter. They would all be waiting for him when he got back.
Ororo's reaction, when told, was one of beatific expectation. Ororo had always been a mother figure ever since her time in Africa. She loved children and had missed them in all their rambunctiousness, and the thought of having them around again - even furry children - filled her with joy. She would be auntie 'Ro.
Logan didn't quite smirk as much as shudder. He knew what kids were like: smelly, obnoxious, loud bundles of terror. He'd made plans as well, which included a long tour of the Rockies on his bike. Maybe even a little hunting on the side. After all, he mused, even tackling a full grown wildcat would be more fun than dealing with two cubs and their mommy.
Rogue's comment was, in her nature, short and to the point: "Are you outta your cotton-pickin' mind?!!!" to which Hank had no response.
And Remy's comment, like Rogue's, was equally short and sweet: "Bonne chance, homme!" Of the two of them, Hank preferred Rogue's.
Jubilee had nothing to say, being torn between the mentally ungraspable notion that her young friend Tyger was pregnant, the fact that HANK was the father, and the concept that she was no longer going to be the youngest one in the mansion.
And finally, Scott. Scott, upon hearing the news, laughed so hard he nearly passed out. And for days afterward, he would break into massive fits of laughter for no apparent reason to the point where it was rather useless to attempt to get anything sensible out of him.
And thus the air of chaos settled about the mansion as everyone prepared, in their own special way, for the inevitable arrival of sleepless nights and double daiper duty.
* * *
The warehouse still stood as it had months before. The blood stains had been cleaned up, leaving only brown stains that had soaked deeply into the wood. That room was no longer used as the walls seemed to echo the horrific screams of the dead. The window and door had been nailed shut, so it was in another room where the meeting was held, another meeting at which the ubiquitous spokesperson, Bill, spoke. His speech to the new FOH members was full of flowery phrases and auritorial fervour, but it was the fat envelopes sitting before each member that truly moved the mob. It had taken months to rebuild the FOH up to its present population of fourteen; months of careful wording and thinly veiled threats to get them even to think of harming mutants again. But finally, the efforts had paid off, and Bill knew it was time.
The present target as was outlined was again Xavier's mansion. The timing, Bill explained, had to be precise. They were well equipped for a change. They were supplied with incinerary mortars and high explosive LAW rockets - all equipment designed for chaos and mayhem at a distance. Nothing that Bill could possibly suggest could coax them to get within arms reach of anyone at the mansion. Thus, things were planned and watches were kept so that when certain X-individuals had been sighted leaving the mansion, the plan went into effect.
The gates were the first to go; high explosive rockets are good for that. Alarms instantly went off all over the mansion. Logan burst out of his bedroom, clad only in boxers and shouting, "What in the flamin' hell is going on?!"
Various other X-Men stumbled out of their rooms as Wolverine headed to the War Room. Tyger peeked cautiously out of her bedroom door. "You stay right where you are, Tyger!" Storm ordered as she ran by. "We will handle this."
Tyger closed the door and sat down on the bed, and hugged her swollen belly protectively. She was only four months pregnant, but since they were twins, she was already starting to show. She hoped everything would be alright.
"Hustle that furry butt o' yours, Hank!" Rogue snapped as she flew past him in the hallway. "Yes, ma'am!" Hank replied as he saluted, then grabbed a couple of tools from his belt and headed in the opposite direction.
It was at this point that a full dozen rockets bombarded the mansion, shaking the massive structure as if it had been hit by an earthquake. Several X-Men were knocked to the ground, but quickly got to their feet and assembled in the War Room.
The video screens were alive with shots of the various sections of the mansion. As soon as Wolverine saw that the front gates had been blasted apart, he took off to deal out some of his own damage.
Storm ordered Jubilee and Iceman to stay inside the mansion in case any of their attackers got in, while she, Rogue and Gambit went out to track them down.
"Argh! How come I never get to have any fun?" Jubilee complained as she and Bobby broke off to head to their chosen sectors of the mansion.
"Storm wants us in here so Tyger'll be protected!" Iceman called over his shoulder as he left her.
"Tyg! I forgot about her!" Jubilee exclaimed, and decided to check up on her. The idea of being in charge of someone else's safety made Jubilee feel very important. As she was passing the living room, she noticed that Beast was hunched over one of the endtables.
"Hey, Blue-boy!" she called to him. "There's a battle goin' on, or didn't ya notice?"
Hank looked up at her with a hostile expression on his face. "Dammit, Jubilation! I'm TRYING to get the phone working!"
"Don't call me that!" Jubes shot back, then continued on her way.
A dozen mortar rounds bombarded the mansion next. Storm summoned rain to douse the flames, while Iceman took care of whatever fires could be found within the mansion.
Wolverine spotted the vehicles from which the attacks were coming from. But the drivers hit the gas as he started running towards them, and Wolverine was soon outdistanced. Muttering obscenities and resheathing his claws - which were still itching for action - he turned and started trudging back toward the mansion.
Storm stopped the rain now that all the fires had been put out. As she flew back to the mansion, her eyes caught a movement in the far distance. The figure was shadowed, but its large size and gate were unmistakably that of one Henry P. McCoy. She couldn't understand why Henry would be leaving the mansion at this point in time, but she trusted him to know what he was doing. She made her way back to the War Room instead.
* * *
A little while later, one overtired, weary Hank hit the breaks as the smouldering remnants of the front gate came into view.
"My stars and garters! What has happened here?!" he exclaimed, then hit the gas and sped up the driveway toward the mansion.
* * *
The X-Men had debriefed and disbanded by the time Hank got to the War Room, arms curiously laden with Twinkies and Ben & Jerry's Ice-cream. Storm was the only one left.
"Ororo, please, tell me what happened!" Hank implored.
Storm turned to face him. But when she spotted Hank's bounty, an expression of shock hovered over her face which was quickly replaced by one of anger.
"Henry, I am surprised at you! How could you possibly think about your stomach at a time such as this?"
Hank was taken aback by the disgust in Ororo's voice.
"Ororo, I...I did not know that..."
"Did not know what, Henry?" Storm interrupted. "That I would be upset by such a selfish display of gluttony?"
"It's not like that at all, Ororo!" Hank pleaded. "Specific parts of my anatomy had been threatened if I did not procure some ice-cream to satisfy the craving of a certain surly feline!"
Ororo raised an eyebrow. "Tyger asked you to do this? Even despite what has just happened? I will speak to her later."
"But what..."
"I am tired, Henry. I have already contacted Scott and Jean about the incident. It seems unlikely that a second attack will occur this evening, so I would like to get some rest before we regroup and decide what must be done about it. Good night."
Hank clamped his jaw shut as he watched as Storm turn and left the room. The words that he truly wanted to say would certainly not help matters any right now.
"By trying to please everyone, I have ended up pleasing no one," he muttered to himself, then left the room as well.
* * *
Tyger was just drifting back to sleep when she heard the bedroom door open. His scent told her who it was. The room was dark, except for the faint moonlight that trickled in through the window. Even so, her feline eyes could see him clearly as she watched him trudge over to her side of the bed. Waves of discontent washed over her as he sat a tub of ice-cream and a spoon down on the nightstand beside her without saying a word.
Tyger sat up as he began to undress. "I...I'm not hungrry anymorre." she said.
He paused for a moment, then grumbled, ""I do not know WHY I even bother."
The anger in his voice made her tremble slightly. It was then that she realized that she had done it again. She had had such a dire craving for ice-cream, she had been almost willing to do bodily harm if that would have resulted in her getting some. She had known Hank was tired, but the craving just would not go away and she had nagged and nagged at him until he left at one in the morning to get her some. But right now, the recent events had dulled her appetite and replaced it with mild nausea.
Tyger's ears drooped as she lowered her head. She knew Hank would do just about anything for her, anything to please her and make her happy. That was one of the reasons why she loved him as much as she did. She also knew that he was a very patient man, but even so, her mood swings were sorely trying his patience. They were driving her crazy as well. She would be happy one minute, then suddenly burst into tears or snap at Hank for no reason she could possibly think of. And the fact that she hadn't yet learned to completely shield extreme emotions did not help matters any. She felt horrible about what she was doing, but at the same time, she did not have any idea what she could do about it, either. She didn't understand why her body was putting her through this; putting Hank through this. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks.
Hank threw his shirt and pants over the chair, then lifted the sheets and sat down heavily on the bed.
"I...I'm ssorry, Hank."
He paused for another moment, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing himself to calm down. Some of his anger dissipated.
"No, Tyger," he muttered. "I should be the one to apologize for taking my frustration out on you."
Tyger didn't look up. "I...I don't mean to act this way. I rreally don't."
"I understand, Tyger," said Hank, swallowing back the feeling of guilt that was welling up along with all the other emotions he was feeling right now. "I should have more patience."
Tyger looked at him, her eyes wide with amazement. "Morre? Hank, I don't even underrsstand how you have managed to put up with me sso farr!"
Feeling the last of his anger ebb away, Hank spread out his arms. "Come here," he ordered softly.
Tyger snuggled into Hank as his large, furry arms wrapped around her and drew her close.
"Tyger, your body is going through many changes right now. I understand that! Believe me, I do! But even so, there are times when I am forced to remind myself of that. And no, it is not your fault."
There were both silent for a few moments, enjoying each other's closeness. Then Hank continued.
"Tyger, I could never truly be angry with you, as you have not yet done anything which could possibly make me so. And I was not angry with you, just now. I suppose that I am just simply tired and frustrated, nothing more."
Hank gently cupped her chin and lifted her face. "You are
carrying my babies, OUR babies," he told her, his voice barely a whisper. "How could I possibly be angry with you for that?"
He kissed her gently, then motioned for her to lie down. As their heads graced the oversized pillow, he draped an arm over her as she lay with her back up against his chest.
Tyger knew she wasn't supposed to use her power except during training session or to shield her own emotions from everyone else. But it shouldn't matter just this once, she thought to herself. Tyger closed her eyes and concentrated. Sifting through the emotions, she delved deep until she found the one that she wanted: calm. She focused on it, willing it to increase, willing it to grow until it overpowered all the other emotions currently hovering around the two of them.
Tyger felt the muscles in Hank's body loosen and relax. His breathing gradually became slow and rhythmic. "I love you," she said softly. "And I, you," Hank murmured into her neck. Tyger closed her eyes and snuggled closer into him, then felt herself drift slowly off to sleep. Hank, however, remained determinantly awake, mulling over in his mind what had happened at the mansion and trying vainly to make sense of it.
* * *
Just two more chapters to go! Yay!
Like all things, Hank's bliss was not to last (though he was not yet aware of it). And as his days of quiet rapture grew to weeks with only the occasional supervillian to ruin the peace, and those weeks grew steadily into months, he slowly came to the conclusion that the inclement chaos that Tyger had brought into his life must be over. Yet part of him - that nagging little voice in the back of his mind - seemed to be waiting, cautiously, expectantly, for that other long-awaited, long-overdue, massively oversized shoe to drop.
Tyger, Hank had noted to himself, had been suffering from a particularly stubborn case of stomach flu. Hank didn't think much of it: it was the fall, and the weather was turning colder. So sniffles were to be expected. He had no reason to have any suspicions, not even when she started going to Jean for checkups instead of him. Not that he didn't know every inch of her body quite intimately by this time. Thus Hank, at his densest, suspected nothing other than the common flu bug when Jean asked him to come to the infirmary to look at the results of Tyger's latest test.
Jean, Hank noticed, was doing her best not to grin at him, making Hank wonder what particular joke he'd missed this time round. The tests at first showed very little until he got to the bloodwork, which caused him to stop and stare blankly at the page for a few moments as his wits shattered and their fragments scrambled off into the dark recesses of his mind. When enough of his wits had reassembled to form a cognitive thought, he looked up from the page and stared numbly at Jean. Hank asked in a voice devoid of emotion (shock had that effect), "Is this what I think it is?"
Jean looked over at Tyger sitting on the examination table. Tyger simply said, "Hank...you'rre going to be a daddy."
Hank's wits fled back to the recesses to hide, taking his consciousness with them as he fell to the floor in a dead faint. His fainting spell didn't last long enough to qualify for a good snooze until, upon coming to, Tyger informed him of more good news: it was twins.
(THUD)
* * *
The reactions of Hank's fellow teammates were quite mixed, to say the least. Bobby's reaction when told was all that Hank could have hoped for. The word, shock, might have in some passing way been used. So might the word, horror. All in all, the total, utter dumbfounded shock that resulted once he realized that not only were there BABIES coming to the house, not only were HANK'S babies coming to the house, but that Hank's babies and overprotective, zealous MOTHER were becoming ensconced in the house made him severely consider an early extended vacation. Though, deep down, he knew it wouldn't matter. They would all be waiting for him when he got back.
Ororo's reaction, when told, was one of beatific expectation. Ororo had always been a mother figure ever since her time in Africa. She loved children and had missed them in all their rambunctiousness, and the thought of having them around again - even furry children - filled her with joy. She would be auntie 'Ro.
Logan didn't quite smirk as much as shudder. He knew what kids were like: smelly, obnoxious, loud bundles of terror. He'd made plans as well, which included a long tour of the Rockies on his bike. Maybe even a little hunting on the side. After all, he mused, even tackling a full grown wildcat would be more fun than dealing with two cubs and their mommy.
Rogue's comment was, in her nature, short and to the point: "Are you outta your cotton-pickin' mind?!!!" to which Hank had no response.
And Remy's comment, like Rogue's, was equally short and sweet: "Bonne chance, homme!" Of the two of them, Hank preferred Rogue's.
Jubilee had nothing to say, being torn between the mentally ungraspable notion that her young friend Tyger was pregnant, the fact that HANK was the father, and the concept that she was no longer going to be the youngest one in the mansion.
And finally, Scott. Scott, upon hearing the news, laughed so hard he nearly passed out. And for days afterward, he would break into massive fits of laughter for no apparent reason to the point where it was rather useless to attempt to get anything sensible out of him.
And thus the air of chaos settled about the mansion as everyone prepared, in their own special way, for the inevitable arrival of sleepless nights and double daiper duty.
* * *
The warehouse still stood as it had months before. The blood stains had been cleaned up, leaving only brown stains that had soaked deeply into the wood. That room was no longer used as the walls seemed to echo the horrific screams of the dead. The window and door had been nailed shut, so it was in another room where the meeting was held, another meeting at which the ubiquitous spokesperson, Bill, spoke. His speech to the new FOH members was full of flowery phrases and auritorial fervour, but it was the fat envelopes sitting before each member that truly moved the mob. It had taken months to rebuild the FOH up to its present population of fourteen; months of careful wording and thinly veiled threats to get them even to think of harming mutants again. But finally, the efforts had paid off, and Bill knew it was time.
The present target as was outlined was again Xavier's mansion. The timing, Bill explained, had to be precise. They were well equipped for a change. They were supplied with incinerary mortars and high explosive LAW rockets - all equipment designed for chaos and mayhem at a distance. Nothing that Bill could possibly suggest could coax them to get within arms reach of anyone at the mansion. Thus, things were planned and watches were kept so that when certain X-individuals had been sighted leaving the mansion, the plan went into effect.
The gates were the first to go; high explosive rockets are good for that. Alarms instantly went off all over the mansion. Logan burst out of his bedroom, clad only in boxers and shouting, "What in the flamin' hell is going on?!"
Various other X-Men stumbled out of their rooms as Wolverine headed to the War Room. Tyger peeked cautiously out of her bedroom door. "You stay right where you are, Tyger!" Storm ordered as she ran by. "We will handle this."
Tyger closed the door and sat down on the bed, and hugged her swollen belly protectively. She was only four months pregnant, but since they were twins, she was already starting to show. She hoped everything would be alright.
"Hustle that furry butt o' yours, Hank!" Rogue snapped as she flew past him in the hallway. "Yes, ma'am!" Hank replied as he saluted, then grabbed a couple of tools from his belt and headed in the opposite direction.
It was at this point that a full dozen rockets bombarded the mansion, shaking the massive structure as if it had been hit by an earthquake. Several X-Men were knocked to the ground, but quickly got to their feet and assembled in the War Room.
The video screens were alive with shots of the various sections of the mansion. As soon as Wolverine saw that the front gates had been blasted apart, he took off to deal out some of his own damage.
Storm ordered Jubilee and Iceman to stay inside the mansion in case any of their attackers got in, while she, Rogue and Gambit went out to track them down.
"Argh! How come I never get to have any fun?" Jubilee complained as she and Bobby broke off to head to their chosen sectors of the mansion.
"Storm wants us in here so Tyger'll be protected!" Iceman called over his shoulder as he left her.
"Tyg! I forgot about her!" Jubilee exclaimed, and decided to check up on her. The idea of being in charge of someone else's safety made Jubilee feel very important. As she was passing the living room, she noticed that Beast was hunched over one of the endtables.
"Hey, Blue-boy!" she called to him. "There's a battle goin' on, or didn't ya notice?"
Hank looked up at her with a hostile expression on his face. "Dammit, Jubilation! I'm TRYING to get the phone working!"
"Don't call me that!" Jubes shot back, then continued on her way.
A dozen mortar rounds bombarded the mansion next. Storm summoned rain to douse the flames, while Iceman took care of whatever fires could be found within the mansion.
Wolverine spotted the vehicles from which the attacks were coming from. But the drivers hit the gas as he started running towards them, and Wolverine was soon outdistanced. Muttering obscenities and resheathing his claws - which were still itching for action - he turned and started trudging back toward the mansion.
Storm stopped the rain now that all the fires had been put out. As she flew back to the mansion, her eyes caught a movement in the far distance. The figure was shadowed, but its large size and gate were unmistakably that of one Henry P. McCoy. She couldn't understand why Henry would be leaving the mansion at this point in time, but she trusted him to know what he was doing. She made her way back to the War Room instead.
* * *
A little while later, one overtired, weary Hank hit the breaks as the smouldering remnants of the front gate came into view.
"My stars and garters! What has happened here?!" he exclaimed, then hit the gas and sped up the driveway toward the mansion.
* * *
The X-Men had debriefed and disbanded by the time Hank got to the War Room, arms curiously laden with Twinkies and Ben & Jerry's Ice-cream. Storm was the only one left.
"Ororo, please, tell me what happened!" Hank implored.
Storm turned to face him. But when she spotted Hank's bounty, an expression of shock hovered over her face which was quickly replaced by one of anger.
"Henry, I am surprised at you! How could you possibly think about your stomach at a time such as this?"
Hank was taken aback by the disgust in Ororo's voice.
"Ororo, I...I did not know that..."
"Did not know what, Henry?" Storm interrupted. "That I would be upset by such a selfish display of gluttony?"
"It's not like that at all, Ororo!" Hank pleaded. "Specific parts of my anatomy had been threatened if I did not procure some ice-cream to satisfy the craving of a certain surly feline!"
Ororo raised an eyebrow. "Tyger asked you to do this? Even despite what has just happened? I will speak to her later."
"But what..."
"I am tired, Henry. I have already contacted Scott and Jean about the incident. It seems unlikely that a second attack will occur this evening, so I would like to get some rest before we regroup and decide what must be done about it. Good night."
Hank clamped his jaw shut as he watched as Storm turn and left the room. The words that he truly wanted to say would certainly not help matters any right now.
"By trying to please everyone, I have ended up pleasing no one," he muttered to himself, then left the room as well.
* * *
Tyger was just drifting back to sleep when she heard the bedroom door open. His scent told her who it was. The room was dark, except for the faint moonlight that trickled in through the window. Even so, her feline eyes could see him clearly as she watched him trudge over to her side of the bed. Waves of discontent washed over her as he sat a tub of ice-cream and a spoon down on the nightstand beside her without saying a word.
Tyger sat up as he began to undress. "I...I'm not hungrry anymorre." she said.
He paused for a moment, then grumbled, ""I do not know WHY I even bother."
The anger in his voice made her tremble slightly. It was then that she realized that she had done it again. She had had such a dire craving for ice-cream, she had been almost willing to do bodily harm if that would have resulted in her getting some. She had known Hank was tired, but the craving just would not go away and she had nagged and nagged at him until he left at one in the morning to get her some. But right now, the recent events had dulled her appetite and replaced it with mild nausea.
Tyger's ears drooped as she lowered her head. She knew Hank would do just about anything for her, anything to please her and make her happy. That was one of the reasons why she loved him as much as she did. She also knew that he was a very patient man, but even so, her mood swings were sorely trying his patience. They were driving her crazy as well. She would be happy one minute, then suddenly burst into tears or snap at Hank for no reason she could possibly think of. And the fact that she hadn't yet learned to completely shield extreme emotions did not help matters any. She felt horrible about what she was doing, but at the same time, she did not have any idea what she could do about it, either. She didn't understand why her body was putting her through this; putting Hank through this. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks.
Hank threw his shirt and pants over the chair, then lifted the sheets and sat down heavily on the bed.
"I...I'm ssorry, Hank."
He paused for another moment, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing himself to calm down. Some of his anger dissipated.
"No, Tyger," he muttered. "I should be the one to apologize for taking my frustration out on you."
Tyger didn't look up. "I...I don't mean to act this way. I rreally don't."
"I understand, Tyger," said Hank, swallowing back the feeling of guilt that was welling up along with all the other emotions he was feeling right now. "I should have more patience."
Tyger looked at him, her eyes wide with amazement. "Morre? Hank, I don't even underrsstand how you have managed to put up with me sso farr!"
Feeling the last of his anger ebb away, Hank spread out his arms. "Come here," he ordered softly.
Tyger snuggled into Hank as his large, furry arms wrapped around her and drew her close.
"Tyger, your body is going through many changes right now. I understand that! Believe me, I do! But even so, there are times when I am forced to remind myself of that. And no, it is not your fault."
There were both silent for a few moments, enjoying each other's closeness. Then Hank continued.
"Tyger, I could never truly be angry with you, as you have not yet done anything which could possibly make me so. And I was not angry with you, just now. I suppose that I am just simply tired and frustrated, nothing more."
Hank gently cupped her chin and lifted her face. "You are
carrying my babies, OUR babies," he told her, his voice barely a whisper. "How could I possibly be angry with you for that?"
He kissed her gently, then motioned for her to lie down. As their heads graced the oversized pillow, he draped an arm over her as she lay with her back up against his chest.
Tyger knew she wasn't supposed to use her power except during training session or to shield her own emotions from everyone else. But it shouldn't matter just this once, she thought to herself. Tyger closed her eyes and concentrated. Sifting through the emotions, she delved deep until she found the one that she wanted: calm. She focused on it, willing it to increase, willing it to grow until it overpowered all the other emotions currently hovering around the two of them.
Tyger felt the muscles in Hank's body loosen and relax. His breathing gradually became slow and rhythmic. "I love you," she said softly. "And I, you," Hank murmured into her neck. Tyger closed her eyes and snuggled closer into him, then felt herself drift slowly off to sleep. Hank, however, remained determinantly awake, mulling over in his mind what had happened at the mansion and trying vainly to make sense of it.
* * *
Just two more chapters to go! Yay!