9th Dec 2003 to 6th Jan 2004

Bound      By Western Blakehawke

Set after Freak Nation.  February 2023 

Sequel to Unwelcome Ties. Set around fourteen months after the events of the last chapter. 

Ames and Will come face to face again just over sixteen months after they first met.

Chapter 6     

               5:24am.

                 Ames, Will and Alec had just finished a breakfast of toast and coffee, or in Will's case milk, she hated coffee as a drink and only used it to combat a sugar high since it was the most effective neutralizer she knew of, the only way she would happily ingest coffee was in coffee cake.

               The quads were still asleep having yet to awaken for their next feed or to be played with.    

               Ames had to be at work for six, he was dressed in his black jeans, black roll neck top and dark green wool knit sweater again, and since he had not brought a suit with him he planned to swing by his place and get changed, then head into work. "Will you be okay?" He asked Will holding her hand reluctant to go to work.

               Will smiled gently at him and placed her other hand over his. "Of course Ames."

               "I'd take the day off, I'd stay off until you went home, but it'd cause questions and might, no it would definitely get back to The Conclave." Ames told her obviously not wanting to leave her. He had placed his other hand on hers. I'm insane but I hate leaving her!

               Alec stayed silent, not wanting to intrude on his sister and her mate.

               "We'll be fine Ames, if I need you I'll call, I promise." Will vowed as she smiled reassuringly at him.

               Ames reluctantly let go of her hands and swiftly stood up. "Well okay see that you do!" He ordered, tenderly kissed her, then left the kitchen grabbed his leather jacket, from an armchair in the lounge, pulled it on then picked up his overnight bag, and left the apartment before he could weaken and call in sick, saying that he needed more time to recover from his virtually healed bullet wound.

               Will and Alec began to do the washing up. Will washing, which she had always enjoyed and Alec drying, which he did without complaining.

               "Will, Ames gave me a hundred dollar bill last night to cover what's been spent on you from the general fund." Alec conversationally told her grinning. "Thought you'd like to know, I tried to give it back 'cause I owed him for the car window, but he wouldn't take it."

               Will smiled at her younger brother. "That sounds like him, he tried to get me to take his emergency money the other day, said that he had a stash if I needed it, but I refused told him that we're pretty much self sufficient and okay financially, he took a bit of convincing, but I couldn't take that money, because I figured what he meant by emergency."

               "The Conclave gunning for him right?" Alec replied nodding.

               "Yeah and I couldn't leave him without that stash." Will firmly stated.

               "Nope." Alec replied and would have commented further but the cubs awoke.

               "Alec finish up here while I feed 'em, then we'll change and bathe them." Will ordered as she swiftly rinsed then dried her hands and hurried to the bedroom.

               Will and Alec spent a pretty relaxed day watching television, when not feeding, changing or playing with the quads, Will sang to them a couple of times and Alec thankfully refrained from joining in. Alec also filled her in on his successful mission from yesterday.

               Ames had called to say he was on his way home so Will had put on the dinner of spaghetti bolognaise that she had prepared, a vegetarian version of course, she had decided to teach Alec how to make it and they had cheerfully prepared it together, Alec being happy to learn a new dish because the other two that she had taught him had proved very successful with females and had had the added bonus of putting Max's nose out of joint when he cooked for the gang.

               20:21pm

               Ames used his stolen key and opened the front door, he swiftly entered and locked the deadbolt behind himself he turned round as Will halted in front of him, he quickly pulled her into a passionate kiss, she melted into him, they stayed like that for a few moments.

               "Will, Ames quit kissing and come eat before it gets cold, we don't have a microwave." Alec quietly hissed from the kitchen were he was seated at the table and had already started his meal.

               Will and Ames reluctantly broke apart and smiled at each other, Ames shrugged off his coat and put it in the coat closet, and he placed his overnight bag on the sofa as they passed it on the way into the kitchen.

               They ate and chatted about what Will and Alec had done all day, because Ames' work was obviously not a good topic of discussion with the two Transgenics.

               They had eaten and were relaxing watching the television, Will was curled up in Ames' arms on the sofa and Alec was lounging in an armchair, when the quads demanded to be fed, Will and Ames swiftly moved into the bedroom and the babies were soon fed and changed, they played with them for a few minutes then the cubs began to yawn so they laid them back in their cribs and watched as they swiftly fell asleep.

                Deciding to go to bed, Will and then Ames quickly went to the bathroom, Will had gone to tell Alec that they were going to bed and had watched a few minutes of Hooper, it was one of her favourite scenes, the bar room brawl one, hearing Ames come out of the bathroom she swiftly joined him and they were about to shuck their clothes and make love when their was a knock at the front door.

               They swiftly left the bedroom and joined Alec by the front door Ames had drawn his gun and Alec was also ready with his.

               Will's nostrils flared and she visibly relaxed and unbolted the door stating. "It's Asia."

               At that both males replaced their guns and resumed a casual posture as Will opened the door.

               Asia quickly entered and without acknowledging any of them she hurried into the lounge and sat in an armchair, she looked very flushed.

               Will, Ames and Alec swiftly followed her, Alec took the other armchair and Ames sat on the sofa.

              Will sat on the sofa next to Asia's armchair and looked at her worriedly. "Asia are you okay what happened?"

               Asia smiled weakly at them. "I was almost caught by a bunch of vigilantes, the two X5's who were escorting me led them away whilst I hid, then I raced here." She told them having got her breath back. "I'm a medic, I wasn't designed for or really trained for escape and evade."

               "Relax Asia you're safe now." Will told her taking hold of the younger woman's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

               "Yeah, we'll protect you." Alec confidently stated. "Those creeps are no match for the three of us!"

               Ames nodded at Asia then asked. "Did you get the test results back and did Dix and Luke break the code."

               Will glared at him. "Ames give her time to catch her breath, being hunted can be very stressful!"

               "All the more reason for her to deliver her report and 494 to escort her safely home." Ames countered with a glare of his own.

               "Ames quit being a jerk and let her relax for a bit! Do something useful and get her a coffee!" Will ordered continuing to glare at him.

               "Hey you two stop fighting!" Alec loudly ordered. "I'm not going to play referee! Do you want to wake the cubs when they've just gone to sleep!"

               "I'm fine Will, and I don't need a coffee, Ames is right I'd prefer to tell you what we found out then get Alec to take me home." Asia quietly but firmly stated.

               Will stopped glaring at Ames and smiled at Asia. "If you're sure."

               "I am." Asia smiled back.

               "Well since that's been resolved Asia why are you here?" Alec asked.

               Ames lent back on the sofa and unthinkingly slipped his arm around Will's waist, she just as unthinkingly snuggled into his side and rested her head upon his shoulder, bringing her legs up and slightly under her, as they waited for Asia to collect her thoughts.

               Asia noted this but just as with Ames being there, she considered this to be doctor patient privilege and so would not divulge what she had seen to anyone, she glanced at Alec and saw that he had a slight smirk on his face at the intimately relaxed position of his sister and the Familiar, she then recalled that they were waiting for her to speak.

               "Dix and Luke broke the code! I'll tell you all the data they found." Asia told them. "What myself and the other med types managed to discern from it, the data was pretty broken up, some stuff is missing but it does answer your main questions." She smiled at Will.

               Will had filed Alec in on the chance that Dix and Luke had managed to decode something earlier that day.

               "Well as you already know Will had been sterilised as a two year old, well apparently Sandemann kept the ova and somehow stimulated them into producing eggs, according to the files, then he either added some sperm or D.N.A., it was not clear on which and did not state whose. Apparently he then tampered with the embryos, he managed to get the result he wanted with two of the embryos that result was to make them so that both would divide and give you two sets of identical twin boys." Asia stated from memory then added as an afterthought. "According to the data they'll have all of your abilities guaranteed."

               "Did he tell you any of this Will? I know you said you zoned out at his genetics lectures but you said you paid attention to those about your own." Ames asked looking at her.

               Will shook her head at him. "This is all news to me, he never mentioned it in his lectures on my D.N.A, I went over all of them when I realised I was pregnant." She sounded slightly stunned at what Asia had said.

               "How come she gave birth a couple of days ago?" Alec asked still completely in the dark. "It still makes absolutely no sense."

               "I was coming to that part." Asia stated. "Will do you recall an operation you had when you were ten?"

               "Yeah, they never explained what it was for, I don't think Deck knew either, he was away for a month, had just left the day before, when they came and got me." Will replied recalling the event, and no one telling her what was going on as usual. "So what did Sandemann do, did he replace the embryos because nineteen years is a hell of a long time to be pregnant!"

               "Yes he replaced them." Asia said bluntly, then seeing that all three were going to query the comment hastily added. "Will you got a series of jabs every few months since you were ten right, since the operation."

               "Yes… I actually gave them to myself for the last twelve years as ordered, I only ran out of the serum eleven months ago. So the injections of that serum stopped the embryos from developing." Will stated immediately catching on. "No Manticore, no serum, no jabs, if Max had not destroyed Manticore I might never have had my sons."             

               "Right, we don't know what lie Sandemann gave for the jabs, to make Manticore continue with them even after he left, because that is not in any of your files well what was not damaged, all that was there is that Sandemann left orders for you to be injected with certain serums every few months otherwise you would not be able to function." Asia added.

               "Because she'd be pregnant with quads!" Alec snapped furious with Sandemann.

               Ames hugged Will tighter. "The senile old fool! What the hell was he thinking! Why do that to Will?"

               Asia automatically held up her hands. "We don't know if it was on the disk it was on one of the damaged sections. There's more, Will apparently as well as the embryos he implanted some type of …….. I don't know what to call it, a code in your D.N.A., so that as soon as you stopped getting the jabs your body would somehow regenerate your reproductive system and when that was done the embryos would be released from wherever he'd placed them and end up in your new womb." Asia paused and looked at the others completely mystified. "We have absolutely no idea how he did any of that, he was a genius."

               Ames growled deep in his throat. "He was a menace! What the hell would have happened to Will if she'd decided to escape as a child! After he played Frankenstein on her!"

               "Ames calm down!" Will told him, massaging his shoulders in his incredibly tense body he obviously wanted to kill his father. "I didn't escape. I would not be without my sons so please clam down." She had very nearly said our sons.

               Alec was also still furious at Sandemann and was glaring at Asia for calling him a genius. "Ames if you get word on where he's hiding call me and we'll hunt that bastard down together."

               "I will Alec you can count on it!" Ames devoutly vowed unconsciously using Alec's name for the, only Will noticed. Ames then sighed and let Will's massage soothe him.

               "Anything else on that disk Asia, you said just two embryos were implanted, so at least I don't have to worry about unexpected pregnancies, if I'm careful, from now until I get the menopause…….. that's if Transgenics get it?" Will queried still massaging Ames who was finally loosing the tenseness in his body.

               Asia shrugged. "Menopause, we don't know, we'll have to wait and see, ah about more pregnancies, that is not a possibility…….. Since Sandemann's alterations to your body have worked so far we assume that the last one will too. Will I'm sorry but according to the information, your body would have started to reabsorb your reproductive organs as soon as all four children were born." She gently informed the other woman.

               Will froze in shock then relaxed and shrugged her right shoulder, and grinned. "Well that's okay then, I didn't fancy the idea of menstruation anyway."

               Alec burst out laughing at this, knowing that she was fine about being barren again.

               Ames turned and looked Will in the eyes saw that she was fine even relieved with the news and smiled then turned round fully and hugged her.

               Asia grinned in relief she had not been looking forward to giving that particular piece of information. "I also got the blood results back they were entered in the database as usual." She told them.

               "Database?" Ames queried as he moved so that Will was back snuggling into his shoulder.

               Will also looked puzzled by this. "What database, first I've heard of it?"              

               "Oh well we, the med types decided a few months ago to log all of our D.N.A. in a database, actually it was you and Alec asking for a sibling check that gave us the idea, it just took ages to get the appropriate computers and hardware, if we have every ones D.N.A. on file the computer can and will automatically cross reference it. We have yours Will, but not your kids, or any of the others so when you get home I need you to take root hair samples and label them and send them to us." Asia told them.

               "Not Ray's." Ames firmly stated.

               "Okay I'll get samples from everyone but Ray." Will agreed, quite happy with this since it meant that Ames would not be spotted as the father of her quads.

               Before Asia could reply Alec spoke.

               "So tell us what the blood tests showed, are they healthy, are the cubs full Transgenic or half Transgenic half Ordinary?" He asked with impatient curiosity.

               Will and Ames leant forward slightly.

               Asia smiled and did not think before she spoke. "They are completely healthy half Transgenic half Familiar babies." She dropped the bombshell, then looked guiltily at Will and spoke quickly. "We already have Ames' D.N.A on file for research purposes, the computer did an automatic scan of the quads D.N.A. and spat out matches, yours, Alec's and Ames', Ames' match said father." 

               Alec and Ames are silent with stunned shock.

              They're mine! I delivered my own sons! They're mine! Ames kept mentally repeating.

               Will was in shock but at what an idiot Asia was telling everyone together not telling her by herself not getting her permission to tell Ames.

               Ames and Alec joined Asia in looking at Will and both males instantly saw that although she was shocked, she did not appear stunned by the revelation and they instantly guessed that she must have smelt the truth.

               Ames leapt of the sofa, pulling away from Will as if she were contagious and stood towering over her, but standing about a metre away from the sofa, in a totally dominant pose, he glared at her he looked absolutely livid. "You knew!"

                Asia was sitting curled on her armchair repeating continuously in the background very quietly. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry………."

               Alec was instantly on his feet as soon as Ames moved he did too he grabbed hold of the furious Familiar. "Simmer down!" He ordered.

               "Let go of me 4 9 4." Ames ground out in a cold and deadly voice though he made no move to release himself from the Transgenic's hold.

               "No! I won't let you hurt her!" Alec snarled at him.

               Will finally spoke. "Alec take Asia back to Terminal City and make sure the DNA data regarding Ames on  our sons files are erased!" She ordered calmly.

                Ames did not say anything he just continued to glare at Will. She knew all the time we were making love she knew!

               "Will I won't leave…….." Alec strenuously started to object.

               "Now!" Will stubbornly and angrily added then relented slightly. "We'll be fine Alec, but Ames and I need privacy to talk, so go!"

               Alec nodded and reluctantly released the seething Familiar. "If you harm her or the babies I will hunt you down and Familiar or not I will make you feel incredible pain as you die slow!" He coldly told Ames then turned, hauled up the still apologising Asia and grabbed his jacket. "I'll destroy all the files and tell anyone who knows that if they breath a word they stop breathing!" Alec promised then he dragged the still apologizing Asia out of the apartment.

               "When?!" Ames bit out the word scowling at her.              

               Will sighed. "When I first breast fed them, I smelt you on them as I had smelt Sandemann on you." She calmly told him.

               "Four days! You knew the truth for four days!" He snarled at her, but made no move to touch her. "That I had delivered my own sons! Been caring for them!"

               "Yes." Will still absolutely calm agreed.

               "You knew when you told me they weren't my brothers!" He snarled.

               "Yes." Will calmly stated.

               "You bitch! How could you keep the fact that they are my sons from me! We've been making love for the past two days!" He snarled not thinking about his phraseology. "If Asia hadn't have told me I would never have known right!"            

               "Ames how could I tell you? I know the rules remember! The two eldest, per mate, are always killed and so are any unsanctioned children! Meaning a death warrant for our sons!" Will finally lost her composure.

               "You think I would really harm our sons?!" Ames yelled incredulously.

               "How could I risk it Ames?!" Will archly replied.

               "I would never harm them! I don't care about the stupid rules! They are my children and I will never harm them!" Ames snarled obviously meaning every single word.

               Will then did something completely out of character and burst into tears of relief.

               Ames stopped glaring and scowling instantly and swiftly crossed the short distance to the sofa in one long stride, sat down beside her and gently pulled her onto his lap, turning her so that she was facing him, legs around his waist. Oh hell!

               Will buried her head into his right shoulder, her hands clasping his suit jacket, tears still streaming down her face as he hugged her gently rocking her back and forth as he stroked her back.

               "Shhhhhhh It's okay Will, I'm not mad at you I understand." He told her gently obviously meaning it. "If I'd been in your place I wouldn't have told me either." He kept soothing her saying the same thing over and over again and in many different words until she finally cried herself out. "Here." He said and gave her his handkerchief. "Keep it."

               Will took it with a weak smile and wiped her eyes blew her nose then put it into her jeans pocket. "I'm sorry Ames, but I had to put our sons' safety above telling you the truth."

               Ames smiled tenderly at her. "I know, as I told you I understand." He picked her up gently and carried her into their bedroom, he then sat down sideways, on the left hand side of the bed, Will remained on his lap and they watched their sons still peacefully sleeping.

               "They've got your hair colouring and the same slight wave in it, and it's thick like both of ours." Will lovingly observed.

               "Yeah…. They have your eyes……. Other features will become more apparent as they get older." Ames tenderly commented.

               "Ames our satellite phone number, is 49222929455723, call anytime from any phone it's completely untraceable…….. Does your cell phone receive pictures if it does I'll send you photos of Ray and the quads each month." Will promised.

               Ames was stunned by first Will giving him a contact number then by her promising to send him photos of his sons each month. "Yes, yes it does and thank you." He said softly as they tenderly kissed.

               "I obviously can't put Ames White on their birth certificates so what name would you like me to put for you?" Will asked after they eventually stopped kissing.  "And I'll need a birth date… not your own that's on our records."

               Ames was again stunned by being given the chance to pick the name that went in the father's area on the birth certificate. "Ah… birth date twenty second of August nineteen eighty eight." The first time we met! I wonder if she'll get the reference?

               Will smiled at him. "Twenty second of August the date we met." She nuzzled him.

                Ames returned her smile. "Yes it seemed appropriate…..name Matthew Steven … I don't know about a surname let me think on it." I have no idea what to choose!

               "Well I did think of one well actually two it would be double barrelled, but since they'll be known by my surname I don't think it matters." Will told him still nuzzling against his neck.

               "What are they if I like them you can use them." Ames replied smiling at her. I can't think straight when she nuzzles me!

               "Gibbon-Bayne." Will stated as she stopped nuzzling him to smile at him. "Spelt B A Y N E."

               Ames thought about them for a few moments. "Because I remind you of an ape and I'm the bane of the Transgenics lives?" He asked more than a little hurt by her choice. She hates me that much? I'm confused!

               Will smiling shook her head. "No Ames I told you I like ancient history well I also have a very good memory for unusual and often totally useless data. But in this instance the knowledge is very useful. I know that Ames is from the French Amis meaning friend. So I chose Gibbon which is from old French Giboin or Germanic Gebawin and means gift plus friend."

               Ames grinned at that. "Okay you can use Gibbon, but I need a really good reason for you to use Bayne!" I didn't know that Ames meant friend in French. A gift plus friend! She considers our sons to be a gift from me! So what's with Bayne?

               Will kissed him on the lips. "In Gaelic ban, Bayne means fair, white. So your new surname will say what our sons are to me… a gift from Ames White." She smiled at him.

               Ames looked at her in stunned pleasure for a few moments then kissed her again before asking. "I love them then….. but why? Why would you want to announce even in that convoluted and probably undecipherable way on our sons' birth certificates that I'm their father?" She's extraordinary! She's actually found a way to name me on my sons' birth certificates but not endanger their security! I couldn't ask for a better mother for my five sons!             

               "Because I was so relived when I smelt that you were their father. Someone I knew and liked and the fact that they were Ray's half brothers." Will honestly told him pausing to smile at him then even more tenderly at their sons.

               She was relived to find that I was the father! Because she likes me! Ames thought as he smiled at her and their sons.

               "That's one of the things that had scared me the most after the whole how did I get pregnant, was the if there is a father who the heck is it…… ….I knew that it must be Sandemann Manticore related, there was nothing else it could be……..well except aliens but who in their right mind would choose to visit Earth just to experiment on the inhabitants…….. That was why I freaked because with Manticore involved, anyone or anything could have been the father. I only knew they were not my own clones because I sensed their masculine gender." Will confessed.

               "Then I captured you and acted like a jerk and was worse when you told me." Ames said disparagingly shaking his head in disgust at himself. I can understand her being scared! Then I made it worse by being me!

               Will turned her focus from their still peacefully sleeping sons to Ames she grinned at him. "Ames you acted like you! I only got worried when you started acting nice I was so worried that you had a concussion!"

               Ames grinned back at her. "So was I! Until after 494's suggestion then I finally acknowledged that you had fascinated me since our conversation in the cell."            

               "You fascinated me as soon as we met, not because you were Sandemann's son, but because you ignored me and my sarcasm. And then our conversation in the cell, I actually enjoyed that, you're fun to argue with! I bet you were thrilled to have caught another sarcastic X." Will smiled at him and snuggled into his chest.

               Ames immediately put his arms around her. "Ecstatic!" He drolly quipped.

               Will silently laughed against his chest then she looked at him. "We were on our way to bed before Asia came." She stated hopefully.

               "Hmmmm what could be better than making love to the mother of my sons." Ames replied smiling at her, not noticing his slip, Will did but kept silent. "You have way too many clothes on."

               Will hopped of his lap. "So do you." She grinned and started swiftly shucking her clothes.

               Ames quickly stood and followed suit, his arousal plainly evident. Then he and Will got into bed and having been told that they had no need for condoms they tenderly made love.

               Later

               Alec returned to the apartment and quietly and worriedly entered, he had been gone far longer than he wanted, but it could not be helped, he looked around for signs of a fight, and seeing no upturned or damaged furniture or blood , he headed for the bedroom, to make sure that there were no tell tale signs of a fight in there, he quietly stood in the doorway and let out a huge sigh of relief, when he saw Will and Ames laying together in the super king size bed in their normal sleeping position. He glanced at the babies in their makeshift cribs and saw that they were also sleeping peacefully.

               Will and Ames had awoken at the sound of Alec's sigh.

               "Hello 494 as you can see your sister and our sons are fine." Ames drolly stated opening his eyes and grinning at the Transgenic. Our sons! I'll die before I endanger them by telling The Conclave!

               Alec took that as an invitation and fully entered the room and sat down on the right side of the bed.

               Will also opened her eyes and just smiled lazily at her younger brother, she was to comfortable to be bothered speaking or doing anything but laze against Ames.

               "Make yourself at home." Ames sarcastically told him grin quickly fading.

               "Thanks bro don't mind if I do." Alec replied grinning at him.

               "I am not your brother!" Ames ground out and glared at him, then at Will who he could feel was having a silent laughter fit.

               "Good job too otherwise you and Will well that would be incestuous." Alec quipped not fazed by the glare.

               "The pair of you are going to drive me insane!" Ames grouched still glaring. Going to…  I'm already insane!              

               Will finally spoke. "Bro did you destroy the files and threaten whoever knows?"

               Alec grinned cockily at her. "Of course! Asia said that everything she sees or hears to do with you comes under patient confidentiality, Dix and Luke were the only ones besides Asia, who saw the result and were quite happy to protect you and the cubs by making it and any and all trace of it disappear, they told me to tell you that they would not dream of telling anyone, threat or no threat." Alec shook his head slightly. "How come people tend to want to kill me but protect you, even our beloved nemesis here?"

               Will shrugged her right shoulder the movement was just visible under the blankets. "I don't know, because I'm not annoying maybe."

               "You can be very annoying." Ames told her grinning. Which can be very good!

               Will smiled up at him. "Well okay I'm not annoying to most people but some." She paused to kiss him on the lips. "Bring out my lets push buttons streak."

               "Yeah but still he doesn't want to kill you." Alec whined. "He wants to kill me when I wind him up why?"

               "Simple idiot, I don't fancy you!" Ames quipped grinning.

               "Good job too!" Alec replied grinning. "Idiot? Geeez you tell me not to call you bro then you start acting like an older sibling! Would you make up your mind."

               "That's why people want to kill you 494." Ames told him. "Of course I wanted to kill you before you even opened your mouth, for freeing 452 and tampering with the satellite. But it was still your cocky attitude of a few weeks later that really made you second on my hit list! Thinking that I wouldn't connect Monte Cora an exceptional underground cage fighter who came from nowhere and easily beat men twice his size, with him being a freak." He glared at Alec at being thought that much of an idiot.

               Will groaned. "Oh Alec you didn't! That was dumb really dumb! Whatever possessed you?"

               Alec glared at Ames. "Thanks big mouth! I only told her about the bomb in the neck part! I had purposely not told her about the cage fighting and bribed the others into not saying anything! Max took me for the brand new exceptional quality motorbike tires that I had just acquired!" He whined at the now laughing Familiar. "What possessed me Will. The easy money! I'd just quit for good when Ames and his goons showed up and he tasered me!" Alec stuck out his tongue at Ames after tattling on him.

               Will immediately thumped Ames.

               "Hey what was that for?" He asked in a hurt tone. "You already thumped me for putting the bomb in his neck!"

               "Yes but that thump was for tasering my baby brother." Will told him then gave him a long lingering kiss on the lips. "That's for tasering him too."

               "Willlllllll!" Alec whined incredibly hurt by her second reaction.

               The quads all stirred slightly at this, their nostrils flaring as they instinctively scented the air, but at Will's soothing thoughts, in which she identified the unusual noise as coming from their uncle, and their own recognizing of his scent, they relaxed and went back to sleep knowing that all was right with their world, that their three carers, mother, father and uncle were all present. 

               Seeing that the quads were fine the adults went back to their conversation.

               "You are insane." Ames stated in disbelief at her totally opposite actions over the same incident.

               "Alec you deserved to be captured exposing yourself like that!" Will firmly and sarcastically told him then looked at Ames. "You got hit, because he's my baby brother and you tasered him. The kiss was because you tasered the egotistical idiot that is my baby brother. See perfectly sane reaction."              

               Alec shook his head and looked pityingly at Ames. "You've got an insane brother and then you choose an insane mate."              

               Ames glared at him. "I wouldn't throw stones 494, 493 ring any bells." Ames silkily replied, taking Alec's sympathy for a dig at him and in his anger forgetting what Will had done to her husband for almost killing 494. He realised his error as soon as he spoke because both Will and 494 blanched. "Will 494 I thought it was a dig and automatically reacted." He quickly and sincerely apologised to the two silent Transgenics. Oh hell her husband! Am I about to be torn limb from limb or will my being her sons' father protect me?

                Will glared at Ames and quickly moved off of him to the right side of the bed where Alec sat and pulled the blankets up so that they would cover her when she sat then she swiftly sat up and put her arms around him but said nothing as she just held her brother.

               "It wasn't Ames." Alec quietly told him. "I'd never use C.J to take a swipe at you I know what having a crazy brother can get you."

               "I really am sorry 494 I spoke without thinking I just reacted." Ames apologised again, not exactly something he was used to doing.

               Alec seeing the sincerity in the Familiar's face and hearing it in his voice became his usual nonchalant self and grinned. "I believe you just know that it's the one and only thing that I won't wind you up about!" He warned as he removed Will's arms from around him.  "Will I'm fine go hug Ames he thought I was being my normal annoying self." He gave her a little push in Ames' direction.

               Will looked at Ames she was still annoyed with him, then she looked at Alec, he smiled and signalled that he was fine and to go make up with her mate. "Ames that remark was totally uncalled for, Alec went through hell with psi-ops after Ben started his serial killings, every new death with his trademark removing of teeth and his barcode tattooed on the neck and Alec was hauled in."

               Ames looked shocked at this new data, he had known of 493's killing sprees, but had never thought what Manticore would do to his clone. "I never knew, I'm sorry."  I was never put through anything because I was C.J's brother! "Wait that doesn't make sense, you and 493 were not brought up together your environments would have had there differences even being military bases, personal for one thing and then of course he escaped….and only the 09 escapees and their classmates had a fascination with the blue lady…………" Ames trailed off as both Transgenics nodded.

               Will moved back into his embrace, she lay next to him and snuggled close as he placed his arms tightly around her. "We know that Ames, heck I even tried to get the idiots at Manticore to see reason, every time I heard that Alec was in psi-ops. I talked until I was blue in the face from the first time they hauled him in, I was on that base at the time, so was Deck, he tried talking to them too, ordering the psychiatrists and psi-ops people, but he got out ranked by the suits who held the purse strings." Will was looking at Alec as she said that. "He knew you were not like Ben, he just got outranked each and every time then he lost the directorship to Renfro."

               Alec smiled slightly as he nodded as he absorbed this new and unexpected data.

               Will looked up at Ames. "Ames a favour, I don't care what else you use to torment Max 452 if you catch her again, just don't use Ben."

               "Yeah Ames, she actually saw him as a brother I never met the guy I only knew about him because of all the times in psi-ops." Alec added he and Will looked at each other Alec signalled that she should tell the rest.

               "Ames, do you know how Ben died?" Will quietly asked him.

               Ames looked at her then at 494 and back at Will, he shrugged. "No, the partial report I read said that he was dead and buried, no details." What don't I know?

               "Ames before I tell you promise me that you won't use or tell anyone what I'm about to tell you." Will ordered as she stared into his eyes.              

               Ames looked at her and nodded. "I promise I will not tell or use what you tell me, not even against 452." He stated with absolute sincerity. I won't use Will's dead brother! For her not to spare 452!

               "Tell him Will." Alec ordered seeing the sincerity.

               "Thank you Ames." Will said and gave him a lingering kiss. "Ben had gone on a killing spree here in Seattle, a body turned up in a morgue with his barcode on Max got to hear about it and went to identify Ben but it wasn't him, she then learnt that other bodies with the same barcode tattooed upon their necks and teeth missing had been turning up every so often for years all over the States. She immediately knew it was Ben and used her knowledge of the boy he had been to track him down." Will paused and took a deep breath.

               "You don't have to tell me." Ames gently told her as he realised. "You knew Ben didn't you, you knew your other baby brother."

               "Yes." Will replied softly and took a calming breath then began again. "Okay I'll cut to the chase Max found him with his next victim, a priest, freed him then she and Ben fought, she broke his leg… Deck had also tracked them down, he and his team were getting nearer Max and Ben recognized the sounds of the Manticore vehicles." Will stopped again and put her arm above the blankets reaching out to Alec he immediately grasped her hand.

               "Max couldn't carry Ben, she was also injured and they would have both been caught, Ben begged her to kill him he didn't want to go back to psi – ops; they had sent him their after they found out about the Blue Lady, Ben was the one who told the stories about her he was her priest; Maxie agreed, she sat with his head in her lap and told him one of the stories he used to tell them about the Blue Lady as he relaxed and listened with his eyes closed and the sounds of the Manticore personal getting nearer Maxie kept her promise and broke his neck."  Two tears rolled down Will's face as she recalled the Ben she had known, the happy child, who loved to make up stories.

               "Shhhhhhh it's okay." Ames comforted her as he tightened his embrace.

               Alec squeezed her hand tightly but did not speak.

               Will smiled weakly at both of them and then used her other hand to wipe away the tears. "I'm okay, it's for the best, they would have put him through hell, I would have killed him without his asking me too. The Ben that I knew and loved vanished in 09. The tears were for the child I knew and loved not the adult stranger." She explained to the two adult males.

               "I won't ever use that information." Ames vowed and meant it.

               Alec decided to change the subject slightly. "Ames would you mind answering something?" He released Will's hand with a grin that grew wider when.

               Will swiftly returned her, freezing cold to the touch, arm to under the blankets again and Ames glared at her. She had not been able to resist warming it up on him.

               "That's freezing." He grouched scowling at her. Damn annoying woman!

               "I know that's why I put it on my nice hot pillow, to warm up." She told him sweetly as she removed the offending limb then kissed him.

                After being ignored for a couple of minutes while they kissed Alec coughed to get Ames' attention back on him.

               Will and Ames broke apart and grinned at him unrepentantly.

               "Depends what it is." Ames drolly stated.

               Will gave Alec a pointed look, he signalled that he was not going to ask Ames about his feelings for her, Will smiled at him and raised an eyebrow to say continue then.               

               "Well I was just wondering, now Will don't get mad, but Ames are all those weird X7's dead because they really uh freak me out." Alec shuddered as he thought of the bat freaks all identical and the clones of the 09 escapees and possibly other X5's as well, he knew that there had probably been a clone of himself and Ben. "Their hive minds, they are just too damn weird!"

               Will nodded. "Relax Alec I agree with you, try as I might I could never like them, they have no personalities, other X's, other series and nomlies have personalities, but the X7's…….." She trailed off shaking her head.

               Ames looked somewhat cautiously at Will. "So I'm not going to get punched or worse, after telling you that they are all dead?"

               "They are… great!" Alec replied relieved. "I've been dreading the day that some of them turn up at T.C, you are sure you got them all?"

               Will was looking thoughtful she was scanning her memories as she spoke. "If you killed or know that twenty eight of the ah all identical ones are dead and hmmmm……… twelve of the 09 clones, then you got all of them…….. I recall that they only made forty hivers in total from a memo on Renfro's desk, too much expense to make, also higher than average foetus death rates for later X series and then too much hassle in the field apparently what with the translation computers and personal to give them orders they were deemed not to be cost effective. That's why later X's are normal."

               Ames grinned at Will then at 494. "Well they're all dead then!"

               Will grinned at him. "See I didn't punch you, they're better off dead, they couldn't really function without orders." She shrugged her right shoulder. "You now finally know that you have eliminated one series of freaks!"

               Ames smiled at her and nodded.

               "Oh Ames don't tell Max if you get her huh, that I was pleased that you got all the X7's she doesn't didn't like 'em either but she'd still moan at me and she can really go on!" Alec complained then wished he hadn't when Ames grinned evilly at him. "Damn! I hate my family…….well the adults at least!" He sulked.

               Will and Ames burst out laughing, very quiet laughter so as not to disturb the quads too much.

              Alec glared at them. "I'll phone Asia tell her that you didn't kill each other." He stated and got up and left them to their laughter, he phoned Asia then made ready for his own bed.

              After a few minutes Will and Ames stopped laughing and just lay smiling at each other. Ames was lying on his back as usual Will was on her side with her head on his shoulder and her arm across his waist.

               "You were worried that I was going to dismember you weren't you? You remembered our conversation after we blanched right?" Will calmly stated.

               "Yes to both points….. Am I safe or not?" Ames cautiously asked.

               Will smiled at him. "How could I kill you you're the father of five of my children, of my four biological children." She honestly stated as she snuggled against him.

               Ames smiled at that statement. "Good I can relax then and not watch what I say to your annoying brother." That's a relief! She's not going to dismember me whatever I say to him or her! I'm no good at watching what I say when I'm in a temper! She still likes me! Even after I made that crack about 493! She's way more tolerant than I am! Maybe like will turn to love……….

               "Ames you didn't object to Alec classing you as family." Will drolly pointed out.

               Ames still smiling shrugged. "Well seeing as he's my sons' biological uncle, I couldn't really could I? Though I draw the line at him calling me bro!"              

               "You do? Who'd have thought!" Will quipped then giggled as Ames suddenly rolled her onto her back and pinned her to the bed, arms firmly held above her head as he straddled her.

               "You are going to pay for that quip!" He ground out in his Special Agent in Charge persona as he glared menacingly at her.

               Will just grinned and wiggled under him and he groaned. "Do your worst!" She taunted.

               Ames did so.

               4:17am

                The babies woke their parents from a sound sleep demanding to be fed, Will and Ames were in their usual positions.

               "Okay boys Daddy and I are coming." Will softly told their sons as she climbed over Ames to get to them.

               Ames had a huge smile on his face as he joined her, sitting cross legged by the makeshift cribs, she had swiftly picked up Kit and Kyle, and they were happily feeding. Ames jangled Will and his keys above Kieran and Kincaid. "Daddy I love the sound of that." He told Will the huge smile still in place.

               Will smiled back at him. "I had such a hard time not calling you that or calling them our sons." She confessed.

               "Are you going to tell them and the others the truth?" Ames blandly asked. I wouldn't blame her if she didn't!

               "If we manage to somehow avert The Coming yes. Otherwise no I won't because The Conclave might take out their annoyance at Sandemann, on you and or Ray. That reminds me Ames have you got a photo that I can take back for Ray I know he'd love one." Will replied smiling at him.

               Ames nodded. "I expected you to say that about our sons' and I don't care if it's blasphemous but I hope that you do manage to thwart The Coming, I don't want to have to kill you our sons or your other kids and those who live with you. If the worst happens I promise I'll kill you all quick and painlessly." He vowed.

               Will smiled at him. "Thank you Ames, I just hope it never comes to that."              

               "Me too!" Ames forcefully replied then recalled her query. "A photo? Yeah I'll stop at home and get one on the way back from work."

               Will grinned. "Thanks Ames."

               "I'll bring Howler too, I know that Ray must miss him, oh Howler is the stuffed wolf I got him as a baby." Ames told her.

               "I know Ames, Ray told me that just after we collected him, I told him that his new surname was Wolfe and he said he loved it and why." Will told him, since with fifty children he could easily track her down if he wanted too.

               Ames burst out laughing he spoke through his laughter. "Wolfe? Was that your choice or Deck's?"

               Will smiled at him. "Deck's but I told you that I loved the names he gave me, that's why I kept 'em. Ames keep Howler, I know Ray's happy that you've got him, he told me so the first night, before I read him his bedtime story."

               "He did?" Ames queried in surprise.

               "Yeah he had sounded slightly wistful when he spoke of Howler earlier so I gave him my stuffed bear for company. Ray then told me how he was not allowed to take Howler to school, but that he was pleased because that meant you had him to keep you company." Will remembered the scene.

               Seeing that Will was not adverse to talking about that time Ames decided to ask some more questions. "In the first phone conversation, Ray said that you had told that he could call me whenever he wanted and that Rebecca was wrong………. Do you know what she told him?"

               Will glared as she recalled what Rebecca had told the boy. "Yes. Ray told me just after I gave him Murdoch, that's what I'd called the bear he's dressed in World War One flying gear, Ray takes him pretty much everywhere." Will told Ames as she quit glaring and finished feeding the twins. "Kit go to Daddy." She said as she gently passed him to Ames.

               "Hey Kit." Ames said smiling at his son, as he put down the keys and took his son and winded him, while Will winded Kyle, they swiftly changed them and Will started feeding Kieran and Kincaid as Kit and Kyle fell back asleep to the sounds of jangling keys.

               "She had told him that you and all Familiars were bad and that he'd never see you again, he was so upset, it was a good job she was already dead!" Will growled Kieran and Kincaid stopped suckling and looked worriedly at their mother. "Shhhhhhh cubies it's okay I'm not growling at you." She instantly soothed them verbally and telepathically as she nuzzled them they quickly went back to feeding. "Okay got to remember no shrugging or growling whilst breast feeding the cubs." Will verbally reminded herself.

               Ames grinned at her. She's so sexy when she's feeding our sons!

               "He asked me if he was bad too because he's a Familiar and then he said that you weren't bad that you only did what you had to do and he asked me if I thought you were bad." Will told him managing not to growl with an effort of will.

               "What did you do?" Ames asked his voice hard expecting the worst.

               Will smiled at him. "Well before he asked my opinion, I'd climbed into his bunk and hugged him, told him that his Aunt Becky was wrong. That of course Familiars aren't bad, I explained that they just have a different agenda to most people. That how you see someone depends on your point of view, that as an Ordinary Rebecca considers Familiars to be bad and that as a Familiar he considers them to be good."

               Ames relaxed slightly at Will's reiteration of what she had told Ray concerning Familiars. "So what did you reply to his question about me?" He asked a little forcefully. No wonder Ray fell for her at once! She cared for him from the start and showed it! And she didn't try and make him feel bad for loving me! Damn Rebecca!

               "Ames I answered him honestly. I said that did I think you were a bad man, to Transgenics yes, but in general no. I told him that I knew how much you loved him that you were a good father and that you were hunting for him. I also told him that until The Coming was sorted out one way or the other that he couldn't see you, because I didn't want him to be caught in the middle." Will paused and grinned. "He is so like you, he read that I'd let you see him after The Coming and called me on it. I promised him that after it had been sorted out either way that he could see you."

               Ames looked at her stunned that she had been absolutely fair with regards to him all those months ago he had thought that Ray had had to work on her for weeks to let him phone on his birthday.

               "You thought that I wouldn't have been fair? That I'd have tried to turn him against you and finding it wouldn't work I finally caved and let him call you on your birthday?" Will easily reading him asked in an amused tone.

               Ames scowled at her not liking even Will being able to read him, then he grinned. "Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking, and thank you for being absolutely neutral and honest with Ray."

               "Ames I was raised by people who liked to brainwash children, I was lucky as the first X series I didn't get all of that honour duty stuff rammed down my throat with hypno methods etcetera, but I'd never ever brainwash anyone." Will bluntly replied. "The only reason Ray couldn't call you sooner was because he was so excited about everything that it would have been a security risk, but I knew that your birthday was coming up so I told him that he could call you then, we worked on not blurting out sensitive data for the intervening weeks."

              The twins had finished feeding and Ames reached for Kincaid.

               "Hey Cade come to Daddy." He gently scooped him up and placed him on his shoulder as he smiled at Will who mirrored his position with Kieran. "Yeah Ray is kind of prone to blurting out stuff when he's excited." Which can be really embarrassing! No don't think about the time he was four……….

               Both recalled the example in the birthday phone conversation and rolled their eyes at each other then swiftly changed the twins and put them in their cribs, they also immediately fell asleep.

               Ames helped Will up and they hurriedly settled back in bed.

               Ames saw her caduceus and that prompted him to finally ask. "Will why haven't you lasered the caduceus brand off?"

               Will looked at her forearm, then at Ames' own caduceus brand. "Because Ray still has his and if I removed mine he might feel that he had to remove his and its one of his few links to you, so mine stays." She replied with complete honesty. "Besides it's never been an issue with me and I've always known about the Familiars, it's not an issue with my kin either, they grew up seeing it after all. Only Sandemann and I knew what it was everyone else including Deck though it was a burn. I was blackmailed by Sandemann, tell and he'd stop me seeing Joshua, Isaac and C.J."

               "Oh." Ames replied surprised by the answer. "They didn't try and get you to remove it when you were in Seattle and they knew what it really was and you had access to lasers?" She kept hers so that Ray would feel comfortable with his! Because I have the brand! Yeah I can see Father using blackmail and a young Will giving into it! Old bastard!

               Will snuggled into his arms. "No never. We picked up a laser before we got to the farm so we're able to remove the barcodes. So if having the brand ever becomes a danger then I'll remove both Ray's and mine but only then."

               "Fair enough, it's good that you got your own laser." Ames stated and they started to kiss, then he suddenly thought of something and reluctantly broke the kiss before he forgot. "You are not going to mention our making love to him or the others!" He ordered.

               "Oh of course I am Ames, that way Ray can start really doing research on weddings and getting his siblings and cousins to bug me!" Will sarcastically replied glaring at him.

               "He's been researching weddings!" Ames voice was a pitch higher than normal.              

               "Yeah he's as tenacious as you are!" Will growled then groaned. "Oh hell the cubs are going to be absolute nightmares! They'll take after both of us!" She looked at Ames with a shocked expression on her face.

               Ames' expression mirrored hers, as they both looked down at the peacefully sleeping infants. "Stubborn, wilful, sarcastic, tenacious………." He trailed off it was too horrible to even think about, particularly when they hit the terrible twos and then even worse their teens.

               Will thumped him.

               "Hey I didn't get you pregnant! That was my Father!" Ames indignantly cried rubbing his chest even though off course the thump didn't hurt.

               They looked at each other realised how weird that statement sounded and this time they burst out laughing.

               Suddenly Alec stuck his head in the door he had heard most of the conversation starting from Will sarcastically saying that of course she planned to tell the kids. "They'll probably get both your warped senses of humour too." He cheerfully informed them. "Will I want pancakes I brought back the ingredients last night, just in case Ames hadn't killed you. It's almost five so you might as well get up."

               Ames glanced at his watch and groaned. "He's right I have to be at work by six and I need to head home for a clean suit."

               "Right! So up and at 'em! Oh and no showering together there isn't time!" Alec quipped and ducked behind the door as Will lobbed a pillow at him, it harmlessly bounced off the door falling onto the floor. His laughter could be heard from the lounge.

               "Damn! I hate having Transgenic siblings their reflexes are too damn good." Will grouched as she reluctantly got out of the bed, grabbed the nearest piece of clothing, which was Ames' shirt and pulled it on.

               "That looks a lot better on you than it does on me!" Ames told her grinning.

               Will grinned at him. "We'll agree to differ on that!" She quipped and since the shirt reached halfway down her thighs she just wore that as she headed to the bathroom.

              Ames continued to grin as he lounged in the bed and watched his sons sleep, waiting for his turn in the bathroom.

               A short time later.

               Will, Ames and Alec were in the middle of breakfast, pancakes for Ames and Alec and toast for Will when Alec's cell phone rang.

               Alec swiftly answered it. "Hi." He listened for a few moments his eyes on Ames. "He's here I'll find out. Look I'll put you on speaker and you repeat what you just told me then ask him, it'll save time. On speaker now."

               "Hi it's Asia.  About an hour ago one of our safe houses was hit, one of the children's ones. The X5 who was on duty at the time called for help, a team got there and found him seriously wounded and all fourteen children gone! The X5 said that it was a large commando group at least fifthteen men! Ames was it your people because the X5 said he was sure it wasn't, that their style was different." Asia quickly told them.

               Ames looked at Will saw her worried expression and knowing what she was like as far as Transgenic children were concerned he sighed. "Commandos…. no not since the satellite fiasco when you first escaped, since then we've had no military aid. They weren't my people! Or Familiars!" He stated sounding annoyed at others playing on his turf.

               "Okay thanks I'll let Max know, tell her the X5 recalled something, that they definitely weren't your people or Familiars. Thanks bye!" Asia said and hurriedly hung up the phone.

               Alec flipped his cell off and put it back in his pocket. "Great another bunch hunting us!"            

               "Commandos……… Could it be these Reds that Max told us about?" Will asked Alec then swiftly explained for Ames. "South African military experiment on death row convicts, they get a microchip implanted in the base of their skull which kind of boosts their adrenalin, they are faster, stronger than normal Ordinaries and impervious to pain, shoot 'em or whatever and they keep on coming, but they're so hyped up they die after a few weeks or months some were after Max a while back. The South Africans wanted a Transgenic." 

               Ames looked very interested at this new data. "I'd not heard of them." Interesting……

               Alec shook his head. "Nah I think the X5 would've mentioned if they were Reds, we've all been warned about 'em……. No I think we have a different problem…. new players!"

               Ames swiftly pulled out his cell phone and called Otto after two rings it was picked up. "Otto, I've just heard a rumour that some commando types have grabbed a load of freaks." He icily stated in his Special Agent in Charge tone then he listened. "I don't care that you just got in! I want to know who's hunting my game!" With that he cut off the conversation and placed the phone back into his pocket then he grinned at Will and 494. "Well if it's another government team we'll soon know." He said pleasantly and returned to eating his pancakes.

               Alec just looked at Ames in shock.

              Will grinned at him and finished her breakfast. "Alec your pancakes are getting cold." She amusedly pointed out after a few moments.

               Alec still silent began to eat.

               "What 494 you think I wouldn't want to help after the look on Will's face?" Ames asked him, he had finished his pancakes and was sipping his coffee.  I can't help myself I hate seeing her worried!

               Alec looked at his sister and saw the look on her face the same as she had had in the motor home before she announced that she was adopting the kids too no arguments, he groaned. "Will you are insane!"

               "What?" Ames asked in stupefaction having not fully recognized the look on her face, he got the wanting to protect the X kids part, but obviously had not had a chance to see the other part.

               Will just grinned at Alec. "My choice bro!"

               "What!" Ames snappily asked again not liking being ignored by them.

               "She only plans to adopt them too when we rescue 'em, she got that exact same look when she found the seven X kids when we were with Ray!" Alec replied as he looked at her. "Where's C.J? He's about to get a room mate!"

               Will growled at Alec and was on her feet and about to hit him when Ames swiftly grabbed her arm, she glared at him but refrained from swiping at either Alec or Ames with her free hand.

               "You really plan to take them home with you?" Ames asked stunned. "That'll be sixty four kids!"

               "I'm aware of that Ames, sheesh it's not like I plan to adopt every Transgenic kid, but when we find those fourteen kids, they are going to return home with me and our sons!" She ground out her tone brooking no arguments as she glared at her lover and her brother in turn her glare stayed on Alec.

               "Will you are absolutely insane! Your wolf D.N.A. has finally addled your brain!" Alec yelled at her not acknowledging the warning tone! "You have finally completely and utterly taken leave of your senses!"

               Ames swiftly stood, still holding Will tightly by the arm he pulled her into his arms so that her back was towards him and he was securely holding her. "You'll regret it if you kill him! Quit making me protect him!" He ordered. "494 shut up if you value your skin!" He glared at Alec as he held the absolutely still and silent but fuming tiny female Transgenic. I see what she means about occasionally wanting to kill him! This is very weird protecting 494! From a Transgenic! His own biological sister! From Will! Geeez she's cute when she's fuming!  Very sexy! He was looking at her reflection in the highly polished chrome of the fridge, so that he could watch Will in his arms, see her face.

               "Ames are you insane too!" Alec asked in shock. "She plans to adopt fourteen more kids! Making sixty four!"             

               "I know that 4 9 4." Ames ground out. "But I also have the sense to realise that this is a battle that we won't win! So I am doing the sensible thing and not antagonising my lover! The mother of my children! I suggest you follow suit and stop arguing with your sister! I have to get to work I can't stay and play referee!"

               Alec looked at Will's face saw the stubborn determination that she was infamous for clearly written upon it and sighed as he raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay you win! We rescue them then I escort the lot of you back home!"

               Will gave him a dazzling smile, although as usual she did not show her teeth, then she lent back into Ames as he released his iron tight grip, she turned and gave him a long lingering kiss. "Thank you Ames."

               "He's right you know you are insane." Ames drolly told her. "I want you to promise me that these fourteen will be the last, no more adopting or fostering any children." He firmly but gently ordered. "Sixty four is more than enough Will so promise me."

               Will looked deep into his eyes and solemnly swore and actually meant it. "I give you my word of honour that after I've adopted these fourteen children I will not adopt or foster anymore."

               Alec rolled his eyes. "Great! Why didn't I think of that oh after the first twenty eight!" He was not being sarcastic, he had not thought of that trick, even knowing that once Will gave her word, it would take something incredibly drastic to make her break it.

               Ames smiled at Will then grinned at 494. "Because you're an idiot." He swiftly kissed Will again and then reluctantly released her. "I need to head to my apartment and grab a clean suit then get to work I'll call if I get any info on the commandos."

               "Thanks Ames." Will said smiling at him. "When we rescue the kids I'll get Max to put them in a safe house with temporary guardians until we're ready to leave, she'll do so because the more Transgenics there are in this small apartment the likelier it is that you'll find me, our cubs and new kids. So you can still be here!"

               Ames laughed and winked at her then headed for the door, grabbed his coat and was swiftly gone.

               Alec looked at his still smiling sister and rolled his eyes again. "I'll call Max, so we can tell her that when the kids are found that you're taking them back to Canada, adopting them, I'll get a list of ages and genders, so you can work out living arrangements."

               Will swiftly moved over to him and hugged him from behind because he was still seated she kissed the top of his head. "Thanks bro."

               "Right like if I didn't agree you wouldn't set your pet Familiar on me!" He sarcastically replied then suddenly thought of something. "Hey you have a pet Familiar that makes you a witch!" He quipped grinning.

               Will burst out laughing at that and went to watch television still laughing.

               Alec shook his head and dialled his phone. "Hi Max it's Alec, Asia called and told us about the kids, well Will went all wolf on me and decided that when they're found they're coming home with her." He listened to Max. "Yeah, I know that adopting them means she'll have sixty four kids and I tried to argue with her but you know how stubborn she can be, so I got her to promise that this is it, no more adopting or fostering kids and she agreed."

               Paused and listened. "Yeah we are lucky that with Will on the rare occasions she gives her word that she won't break it will move heaven and Earth to keep it." Listened. "Oh funny! Look can you give me the kids' genders and ages so we can figure out accommodations before we get to Canada." Listens for a few minutes. "Great I got all that, thanks Max, yeah she and the cubs are fine, you want to talk to her………….another time okay bye!" Alec hung up and stood up and swiftly joined Will in the lounge, he sat next to her on the sofa. "I just called Max."

               "Already." Will said in surprised, she hadn't heard she'd been too focused on The A-Team thinking how like Face Alec was and how like B.A. Mole was and that Alec would probably say that she now qualified for the role of Murdoch, since she was an ace pilot and he considers her to be insane, Logan would be Hannibal.  Then she suddenly thought with distaste that that would make Ames Lynch or Decker etcetera and those were not bad guys that she fancied! "Why didn't you let me speak to her?"

               "Well I was going to bring the phone in but she got called away, from what I heard in the background, something about Mole going to kill Sketchy." Alec grinned as he wondered what the Ordinary had done to upset Mole not that it took much doing, since he was one bad tempered Transgenic.

               Will also grinned and shook her head. "Again? Doesn't he ever learn!"

               "Will, this is Sketchy we're talking about, the guy who volunteered for a new type of experimental electro shock treatment because it paid good money! Carried packages of cash for the Russian mob and lost one! Even I wouldn't be that dumb!" Alec drolly replied.

               "No you prefer underground fighting Monte Cora." Will sarcastically stated.

               Alec glared at her then grinned. "Okay, I admit it, it was dumb!"

               Will grinned. "So Max gave you the kids' details, guess I'll have to think up some more names…….. okay lets hear 'em."  

               Alec relaxed and recited from memory. "Yeah I think you'll need to. Okay in order of age oldest to youngest. The X6's are Sundance male seventeen; Gizmo female seventeen; Templeton male just turned seventeen; Dalton male, he was at the Jam Pony siege, fifthteen almost sixteen. The X8's are Lincoln male nine; twins Delta and Omega male eight; Honey female eight, Kitty female seven. The X9's are triplets Lacey, Lucy and Lexy female three almost five and the X10's are Charlie female almost three; and Harley female two."

               Will thought for a couple of minutes, running through a list of suitable names. "Okay well Sundance can be Thaddeus, that was the alias of Kid Curry the gunslinger in Alias Smith and Jones, so I kept the theme; Gizmo, I remember her from my rescue, she can be Kate; Templeton well that's Face's real name in The A-Team so I like it so he can keep it; same with Dalton that's the surname of my favourite James Bond actor, now there's an assassin!"

               "Hey I'll tell Ames that you're drooling over another man!" Alec teased.

               Will just grinned at him refusing to rise to the bait. "Lincoln's a good name; Delta can be Conner; Omega can be Callum; Honey can be Anya; Kitty can be Isobel; Lacey can be Jade; Lucy can be Jenna; Lexy can be Jasmine; Charlie can be Rowanne, that can be a boy's name but spelt differently; Harley I like from the animated Batman series, plus I love the motorbikes.  Okay now I need to figure out who's going to sleep where." Will stood up and began looking for some paper.

               "Will you do know that this is a bit premature we haven't got the kids yet." Alec sensibly pointed out.

               "I know that Alec but with both our people and the N.S.A. looking for the commandos who kidnapped them, I know that we'll find them." Will confidently stated as she hunted out some paper and taking a pen from her leather jacket's inside pocket, sat down and started writing down who currently slept where, so that she could work out the best places to put her soon to be adopted children.

               Alec left her to it and started flipping through the television channels because The A-Team had finished, then hearing his nephew start to cry he looked at Will.

               "They're bored would you go entertain them please Alec?" Will asked.

               Alec grinned and swiftly stood up. "Sure. I'm on my way cubs!" He called then put on a burst of Transgenic speed and was gone.

Original accommodation assignments.

Main house.

               First Floor:

               Will's suite: lounge; large bathroom; two walk in closets and dressing rooms and a very large bedroom.

               Alec's bedroom and en-suite bathroom.

               Children's bedroom and en-suite bathroom 1: Montanna and Leia both fifthteen.

               Children's bedroom and en-suite bathroom 2: Todd and Tyler both fifthteen

               Children's bedroom and en-suite bathroom 3: Craig and Josiah both fifthteen.

                Loft:

               Children's bedroom and en-suite shower room 4: Jacob ten, Harrison and Hannibal nine.

               Children's bedroom and en-suite shower room 5: Jarred nine, Daniel nine and James eight.

               Children's bedroom and en-suite shower room 6: Heather nine and Emma eight.

               Children's bedroom 7: Mark eight, Ethaniel seven and Perry seven.

               Children's bedroom 8: Jason five, Toby five and Remy four.

               Children's bedroom 9: Quinn five and Xena four.

               Children's bedroom 10: Robyn, Ryanne and Erin all seven.

               Ground Floor:

               Children's bedroom 11 (Formerly the playroom.): Dean, Devon, Coral, Crystal all three and Darwin and Dashiell two.

The two, two bedroom cabins:

               First: Male X6 quarters:

               Bedroom 1: Bret nineteen.

               Bedroom 2: Colt nineteen.

               Second Female X6 quarters:

               Bedroom 1: Jubilee eighteen.

               Bedroom 2: Angel eighteen

The two three bedroom cabins:

               First Jace's Home:

               Bedroom 1: Jace.

               Bedroom 2:  Maxie two.

               Bedroom 3: Andy six months.

               Second: Guest Cabin.

The three four bedroom cabins:

               First: Zia and Rocky's Home:

               Bedroom 1:  Zia and Rocky.

               Bedroom 2:  Tamara seventeen months.

               Bedroom 3:  Abby seven and Callie eight.

               Bedroom 4: Brooke fifthteen.

               Second: Guest Cabin.

               

               Third: Guest Cabin.

The one five bedroom cabin:

               Nailin and Tay's Home:

               Bedroom 1:  Nailin and Tay.

               Bedroom 2:  Sapphire seventeen and a half months and Dax nineteen months.

               Bedroom 3: Amy four.

               Bedroom 4:  Jack seven and Chloe ten.

               Bedroom 5: Nick fifthteen.

The one six bedroom cabin:

                Zari and Dan's Home:

               Bedroom 1: Zari and Dan.

               Bedroom 2:  Benjy two, Johnny three and Robert four.

               Bedroom 3:  Kara and Carrie both five.

               Bedroom 4:  Tom seven, Oscar eight and Charlie nine.

               Bedroom 5: Bella nine and Lucy ten.

               Bedroom 6:  Jeremiah fifthteen.

Eight bedroom bunk house:

               Female X6 quarters:

               Bedroom 1: Nikita seventeen.

               Bedroom 2: Natasha seventeen.

               Bedroom 3: Natalia seventeen.

               Bedroom 4: Darcy sixteen.

               Bedroom 5: Jewel sixteen.

               Bedroom 6: Cassidy sixteen.

               Bedroom 7: Rianne sixteen.

               Bedroom 8: Tara sixteen

Twelve bedroom bunk house:

               Male X6 quarters:

               Bedroom 1: Saxon, eighteen.

               Bedroom 2: Michael, Martin eighteen (insist on sharing.)

               Bedroom 3: Heath eighteen.

               Bedroom 4: Nikalye eighteen.

               Bedroom 5: SPARE ROOM.

               Bedroom 6: Peter seventeen.

               Bedroom 7: Paul seventeen.

               Bedroom 8: Reilly seventeen.

               Bedroom 9: Pierce seventeen.

               Bedroom 10: Cooper sixteen.

               Bedroom 11: Frazer sixteen.

               Bedroom 12: Griffin sixteen.

                Will had stood up too and followed Alec into the bedroom and settled onto the bed, after removing the pillows next to her sons, Alec was on the opposite side, she pathed to her cubs as their uncle amused them.

               "Hmmmm. It's going to be even more of a tight squeeze in the main house, even with the new cabins and bunk house and the extensions to the old cabins and bunk house, because most of my kids are under sixteen, thirty five to be exact, same with the X5's kids, nine over sixteen and twenty three under and it's the same with these new kids, three over sixteen and eleven under. Least no one's bothered about sharing because of barracks life and Ray just thinks its fun." Will stated as she studied the currant room assignments.

               "I know that's why I can't believe you want to take on fourteen more kids before you get more room in the main house, after all the X6's turn sixteen and move into cabins or bunk house. Heck I'd still think you were insane with more space." Alec replied then hastily added. "But as your loving brother I'll support you anyway."

              Will looked up grinned at him them went back to figuring out accommodations.

               A short while later.                    

               "Hmmm I've decided I trust the X6's enough to let them all move out of the main house…….. heck they were all fending for themselves and taking care of the younger kids before I adopted them, same with the others so I know that their parents will also agree." Will stated realising that that was the sensible option.

               "Yeah and you can put them in the bunk houses, since they're both right next door and the cabins nearest the other family homes, not that you need to after all since everyone eats in the main house, rather than their own anyway and with your hearing you'd easily hear if they were in trouble." Alec replied grinning then focused on entertaining his nephews again.

                "Yep!" Will responded with a grin and went back to her task.

               Twenty odd minutes later.    

               Will had just finished the accommodation plan and was finally happy with it. ""I'm going to downsize Zia and Rocky and their three younger kids to a three bed not that they'll mind. Okay I think this'll work, let me know what you think……. Not that you wouldn't tell me anyway." She drolly stated.

               Alec grinned at her. "Okay read out the kids new assigned rooms and I'll give my opinion." He asked his attention on entertaining the babies with the two glove puppets who were holding his and Will's keys and jangling them above the gurgling and drooling cubs.

               "Male X6's: Bret and Colt stay in their two bed cabin, Heath, Saxon, Nikalye, Michael and Martin, since they insist on sharing even when they don't have to, will take a four bed cabin." Will stated then paused for Alec reaction.

               "Sounds good, they each get their own room." Alec grinned. "Well except for Mike and Mart, but that's their preference."              

              "Yep. In the boys bunk house will be Peter, Paul, Pierce, Reilly, Thaddeus, Templeton, Cooper, Frazer, Griffin and Dalton, will share, as will Todd and Tyler, Jeremiah and Nick and Craig and Josiah. " Will stated.

               Alec suddenly interrupted her. "Ah I do still have my en suite bedroom?"

               Will rolled her eyes at him. "Of course bro…."

               "Okay just wanted to make sure!" He grinned at her. "I take it that the kids who have to share will get the larger rooms?"

               "Of course, that's only fair." Will casually replied. "Female X6's: in the girls bunk house will be Montanna and Leia sharing as is their preference, Brooke and Tara, will share as will Cassidy and Rianne, Darcy and Jewel, Kate, Natasha, Natalia, Nikita will have their own rooms. Angel and Jubilee will remain in their two bed cabin. I now have two four bed cabins for guests or new arrivals….oh well if necessary the kids will have to double up again if we have more guests or kin than we can accommodate in the two remaining cabins."

               "Good job you'd already got the extensions and new cabins built." Alec quipped grinning. "

               "Yep! Okay main house, the quads in my suite's former lounge. Jacob, Harrison and Han remain together but move into Montanna and Leia's old room; as remain together Danny, Jay and Jarred and move into Todd and Ty's old room. Lincoln, Conner and Callum will share Craig and Joe's old room. Mark, Ethaniel and Perry stay together but move into Jake, Harry and Han's old room. Heather and Emma will share with Anya but stay in the same room. Robyn, Ryanne and Erin will get Isobel for a roomy and move into Jarred, Dan and Jay's old room." Will paused and rolled her eyes. "More siblings to stay up all night with and have midnight feasts."           

               Alec laughed as he looked at her. "Ray?"

               Will nodded grinning, then continued running through the room assignments. "Jason and Toby stay together, but I'll put Remy in with Dean and Devon in Mark, Ethan and Perry's old room. Quinn and Xena stay as they are. The triplets, Jade, Jenna and Jasmine will share Robyn, Ryanne and Erin's old room, and I'll put Rowanne and Harley in the former playroom, now the X nursery with Coral, Crystal, Dar and Dash."

               "Sounds good to me!" Alec told her grinning.         

               Will grinned. "Of course the older kids will get a say in their own house and room mates."

               Alec laughed at that. "I did wonder if you were going to give them the assignments and say that that's the way things will be!" He grinned.

               The cubs had fallen asleep so Will and Alec placed them back into their cribs and left the bedroom, going back into the lounge.

               "With more kids in the cabins or bunk house that means there'll only be thirty nine kids in the house." Will suddenly realised as she settled herself back on the sofa.

               Alec rolled his eyes at the absurdity of that statement. "Only thirty nine she says!" He grinned at her and carefully reached over his nephews and hugged her. "Don't worry sis your den won't be empty for another twenty one years….. you won't even loose anymore kids to the homes in the compound for six years, then Jake will be the only one old enough to move out, well okay so the year after you'll loose six to the lure of the compound ……… Hey you could be a grandmother by then…… I hear that the older teens have started dating some of the local kids."

               "Yeah you're right and yes they have started dating and although I'd love grandchildren they have all been firmly lectured on the benefits of waiting and also on birth control and promised to use it!  Least I don't have to worry about the girls going into heat!" Will stated shuddering slightly at the thought.

               "You gave them the sex talk how'd that go?" Alec curiously asked he'd been afraid that she'd stick him with talking to the boys.

               Will read that from his relieved look and burst out laughing, after a few moments she sobered up. "Fine so you can quit worrying that I would force you to give the boys the facts." She grinned.

               "You know that can be very annoying how you can read us." Alec complained.

               "Yep." Will grinned. "It bugs Ames too!"

               "You can read him?" Alec asked curiously.

               "Some." Will replied shrugging her right shoulder.

               "Interesting!" Alec stated grinning then sobered. "Was that why you felt safe with my leaving you alone with him after he found out he was your sons' father?"

               "No I couldn't read him then, well besides the fact that he was absolutely livid." Will quietly replied shaking her head. "I told you to go because the argument was private."

               Alec nodded. "It must have been hard loving him and not telling him……. When did you realise that he was the father?"

               "Yes, yes it was very hard." Will quietly answered sighing. "After I fed them for the first time…. I smelt him on them, tried to reason that it was because he'd held them and been sleeping in the bed, but I knew instinctively that that was just deceiving myself, that I smelt Ames on my our sons as I had smelt Sandemann on him at our first meeting……. It was only then that I admitted my true feelings for Ames to myself."

               Alec hugged her.

               They sat quietly Alec with his arm around Will's shoulders and relaxed watching the television in silence.