Thankyou Rowe for the extreme betaring
This chapter is for my personal whip cracker Kiwi and for my slack assed muse who must have stowed away in Kiwi's luggage when she went on holiday.
Chapter Thirty-Three
"Alec."
Alarmed by the tone of her voice Alec looked up from the paperwork he'd been going over with Steve.
"What's the matter?" He was already half way out of his seat when Max grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach. His worried eyes went to hers.
"He moved. Not just a little flutter, but a real kick. Hold your hand there. See if he does it again."
Relieved nothing was wrong his face suffused with a big grin Alec's eyes went to hers.
"Lets break for lunch Alec I'll be back in an hour," Steve said roughly getting hastily to his feet.
"What's up with him?" Max frowned as he left the room.
Alec gazed after Steve, feeling some of his pleasure evaporate. He pulled her down onto his lap, her back against his chest. His hands enclosing the small swell of her belly he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Kat was four months pregnant, like you are now, when their baby died. It's a hellva failure for any transgen male to be unable to protect what's his. For someone as alpha as Steve and with as strong an instinct to defend his own... it was an unthinkable failure."
"Even though I know he doesn't begrudge us a single second of our happiness, and I know he'd lay down his life to protect you and the baby, my happiness is a reminder of his failure." Moving his hands caressingly across her belly Alec thought about how distracted and preoccupied Steve had been lately.
"He's spent nearly four years trying to forget what happened and now, suddenly, he's got my pregnant mate in his face and Kat is even more distressed about the fact she can't get pregnant. I think he's feeling like he's failing her again. He's been a lot quieter lately."
He's quiet enough anyway. Max thought to herself.
"Kat and I have been talking about that Alec. There are a lot of women who have been through more than one heat now, and they still haven't become pregnant. Cece, Kat and me are going to talk to Cass about it. There are too many women for it not to be a real concern for all for us now." She could tell by his frown that he wasn't keen on the idea. It was female business, so she knew he wouldn't offer an opinion. Once he realized just how many women were affected by this, she knew he would be just as concerned as they were.
"We're just so lucky, Alec. She stroked her fingers lingeringly across his cheek. "Sometimes when I wake up and you're still asleep beside me and I put my hand on the baby I still pinch myself just to make sure I'm not dreaming."
"Yeah I'm lucky alright. Much luckier than I ever deserved to be." His wry grin conveyed his feelings.
"No, you're not Alec. That isn't true. You do so deserve it. You're the best mate that any female could possibly have and you'll be the best father," she said softly. Angling her neck sideways so she could still see his face, she once again relaxed backwards leaning against his chest. His eyes glanced momentarily off hers; he had that shy embarrassed look he often got when she tried to tell him how much she'd come to admire and respect him
I have to do it more often. I don't' do it enough.
When his gaze moved back to hers his eyes were serious and intent. He dipped his head and claimed her mouth in a kiss that was both hungry and giving.
"There it is again!" She jumped excitedly, moving his hand lower. "His feet must be down there. Did you feel it?" Turning sideways to look at him she pouted disappointedly when he shook his head. "Just keep your hand there and keep talking. He likes your voice and he might do it for you again."
Alec laughed and keeping his hand where she'd placed it he turned her around until she was sitting on his knee. "I felt that." His grin matched hers when the baby kicked again. "And that," he laughed delightedly his eyes meeting hers. "What does it feel like inside you?"
"Sort of strange but good," she smiled her eyes shinning. "This means he's really growing now."
Her gleeful expression widened his smile. "Only a couple of more weeks until your next scan."
"Yeah," she agreed still grinning happily. "It seems like I've been pregnant for a lot longer than four months. I can't wait until I can hold him."
Alec smiled at her in amusement. If anybody had predicted just five months ago that stroppy, bitchy Max would not only be pregnant, but looking forward to her baby's arrival with this delightful eagerness, he would've have thought they'd been in the sun to long. If they'd also told him that he would be the baby's father then he would have told them to seek help. Yet here he was with his lap full of a happy, content, pregnant Max.
"What are you smiling at Alec?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking that... since it won't be long before he's born we should start thinking about names."
"Have you got any that you prefer?" she asked him curiously.
"No." He quickly shook his head. "And I'm not even gonna ask you your preferences. Not with your track record for heinous names," he laughed.
"There's nothing wrong with my naming ability," she said indignantly. "I named you didn't I. Who could have been more aptly named than you." Her eyebrow raise she said stared him down. Except perhaps if I had called you Dick." She huffed getting to her feet.
Amused Alec pulled her back onto his lap. "Yeah well I think I'd like to cast the net a bit wider for his name than whatever object, event or random notion that may catch your fancy once he's born."
"Whatever Alec," she sulked. "But since I'll be the one who has to push him out then I should have the deciding vote on any name."
Alec laughed into her neck. "Yeah, well I can't argue with that Max. You will most definitely be the one pushing him out. For that I am truly grateful."
Smiling, his hand on her chin, he tilted her face up. Still struggling to curb his laughter, his lips covered hers. The kiss went on... and on... until Alec drew back. Her breathing erratic, she gazed up at him, just wanting him to carry on kissing her.
He shook his head regretfully. "We'd better stop. I'm hungry and I've only got half and hour before Steve is back and we'll have to get back to work. That will just have to hold you until tonight, Max."
"Will it indeed?" she laughed and the carefree warmth of it washed over him. She was so much more relaxed and laid back about everything since she'd had that last scan. She was still impatient, and wanted the baby born yesterday, but she finally seemed to have stopped worrying that something would go wrong, and the baby would be snatched away from her.
He knew her newfound serenity had a lot to do with her starting to believe it was truly possible for them to live alongside the ordinary world in peace and safety. That he was responsible for creating the climate of security around her, that enabled her to feel that way was hugely satisfying. It went a long way to assuaging the guilt he'd felt when she'd been injured during the raid at the hospital.
Sliding her hand up his chest, she pulled his head back down to her and touched his lips sweet and gently with hers. "Lucky for you I'm hungry to so I'm happy to wait until tonight. Where are you taking me for lunch then, and don't tell me the Mess either? I hate eating there." she moaned in distaste as they made for the door. "What about that little pizza place that's not far for the civilian area? We could eat there in under an hour."
"I've only got half and hour Max," he complained good-naturedly. Steve could always wait. He'd been so surly lately that being kept waiting could hardly make him any worse.
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A Month Later
Max watched idly as Tanner jumped down from behind the wheel of the truck that had just been waived thought TC's main gate. Her interest perked when a tall blonde female slid across into his seat before jumping down behind him. The blonde stood surveying her surroundings in avid wonder. A tall, leggy gorgeous blonde. Max observed the flurry of male interest the new arrival's appearance was generating, before the other woman was swallowed up by the transgenics converging on her.
"Tanner. Finally," Alec said from behind her. The relief in his voice making Max turn curiously.
"He disappeared in the middle of a manoeuvre. Not like Tanner," Alec explained absently, on his way past her. He headed directly for Tanner and the group of males still blocking the female stranger from view.
"Kat," Max said without turning around already sensing Kat behind her. "Looks like we've got more new arrivals. At least one more female amongst them as well," she remarked unable to keep the amusement from her voice as she caught a glimpse in between the milling bodies, of the new arrival being enthusiastically hugged by the males in Tyler's unit.
She heard the blonde's excited "Alec!" and watched Alec's startled double take. Instantly he was moving across the yard as fast as he could without blurring. Curiously Max watched the blonde move with the same speed towards him.
"What the fuck!" she spat in fury, when the female launched herself at Alec throwing her arms exuberantly around his neck. Her delighted laugh echoing Alec's as he hugged her.
"Who the hell does she think she's got her hands all fucking over? And what the fuck does Alec think he's doing?"
Kat still gaping in shock at Tanya returned from the dead. Realized to late what Max was thinking, and made an unsuccessful grab for her as Max blurred across the car park. "No Max, wait it's alright. It's..."
Alec overcome with relief and emotion at having Tanya back, hugged her jubilantly. Threat. Catching Max's scent, and then the blur of her out the corner of his eye he hastily released Tanya. Whirling in time to intercept Max's furious advance on her. His hands curved protectively over Max's stomach. He deflected Tanya's instinctive self-defensive kick with his own body.
"What the fuck are you doing Max?" His arms around her waist he held her tightly as she struggled to free herself. He grunted in pain as she ran the heel of her boot down his tibia. His eyes went to Tanner holding an equally agitated Tanya, now glaring at Max with a mixture of dislike, panic and bewilderment.
"Just what the hell does she think she's doing?" Max spat over her shoulder, trying to wiggle around so she could see the presumptuous blond slut.
"Who the hell are you? You nasty bitch." Tanya countered.
"Let me go, Alec. I'll fucking deal with you later." Max ground out furiously. I can fucking smell her all over him.
"Max, listen to me. This is Tanya. She's one of our femal..."
"I don't care what the hell her name is," Max interrupted. "She can learn to keep her fucking hands to herself." The threat inherent in both her voice and in her angry glare propelled Tanya into another indignant attempt to free herself from Tanner's restraining hold.
"Tanya. Alec insistently repeated. "Lost from my pack, and now found Max," he explained his voice low. He was fully aware of the amusement they were generating as she continued to struggle in his embrace. "You're making a fool of yourself," he whispered again. "Stop it," he added more forcefully as she raked her heel painfully down his leg again. "She's a female from our pack." He stressed again trying to get through to her.
Tanya, from his pack, his youngest female. Lost and now found. His words finally penetrated her fog of jealous rage. She stopped struggling and turned awkwardly in Alec's embrace until she could see Tanya's uncertain face.
Tanner's was still holding Tanya in much the same fashion as Alec was holding her. Catching his eye she ignored his amused smirk, gathered her dignity as best she could and smiled brightly at Tanya.
"Welcome home Tanya. It's good to have you back with us."
Tanya's eyes widened in shock and her face crumpled in distress. She turned her face into Tanner's chest.
"What? Max shrugged her shoulders in confusion. "I was nice," she hissed sullenly to Alec, whose puzzled gaze was now on Tanya.
As baffled as Alec, Tanner patted a now thoroughly upset Tanya's back. Max hadn't done anything that any other transgenic female wouldn't have done if a female she didn't know had put their hands on her mate. He frowned, scenting Tanya's tears. She certainly hadn't done anything that would normally make Tanya cry.
"I thought I hadn't forgotten anything important Tanner," Tanya mumbled into his chest. Tanner bent his head so he could hear her muffled words. "I don't remember who she is and Alec's scent is on her. I thought I'd remembered everything important, but I've even forgotten my own pack," she hiccuped. Now everything's all messed up and confused in my head...she trailed off wanly."
"Yes, you have remembered everything right, Tanya," he assured her. "You didn't know Max in Manticore, none of us did. You have no reason to remember her. Alec only mated with her a few months ago." He stroked her hair back from her face and nodded reassuringly when her large, hopeful, liquid eyes met his.
Quickly collecting herself her relief apparent Tanya wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Oh right. Yeah. I thought that," she said regaining her usual aplomb. Turning back to Max she flashed her a huge smile before engulfing a surprised Max in a hug.
"It's so good to meet you," she said with feeling. We were all worried that Alec would slut around forever..." she trailed off catching Alec's quick frown. "I mean...it's good to be back with everyone," she corrected pulling back and smiling brightly at Max.
"I know exactly what you mean." Max laughed, returning her wide smile, her glance flashing to Alec's saccharine grin.
"Tanya," Kat cried in delight pushing her way through the crowd and enveloping her in a big hug. I'd almost given up hope that we'd find you again. Is Ana with you?" she asked hopefully?"
"No. We got separated when Manticore burned. I don't really remember much about what happened before Jake took me. But she doesn't feel dead to me?" Tanya said the emotion thick in her voice.
"Jake, took you?" Alec echoed.
"Yeah, that's the next part of my surprise," Tanner returned blandly, jerking his head toward the truck.
Alec walked over and yanked the door open.
"Hello Alec," Jake greeted nervously after Alec roughly hauled him out and deposited him on his feet in the car park.
Alec's eyes went straight to Tanner.
"They helped her. Saved her life, and they've been hiding her ever since," Tanner explained shrugging as he met Alec's stare.
"They're my new pack," Tanya explained simply coming anxiously to stand beside Jake."
"They?" Alec queried ominously. He watched Mary alight from the truck before his narrowed eyes swung back to connect with Tanner's.
"Mary my wife," Jake said putting his arm protectively around Mary's shoulders.
"Tanner. What the fuck..." The exasperation was thick in Alec's voice.
"It ain't his fault," Jake interrupted. We came with Tanya because she wanted us too, and we wanted to see she was okay. But if you don't want us here then we'll go." Jake added nervously.
Tanya's panicked, anxious eyes went from Mary to Alec and then to Tanner.
"Alec, they're my new pack," she said putting her arms around Alec's waist and hugging him, "Please, I have to keep them with me to protect them."
Fuck. Women and their new packs. Patting her back in frustration, Alec rolled his eyes in resigned acceptance. He remembered Kat always telling him that Tanya could twist him around her little finger. "Yeah, all right. They can stay as long as Max agrees."
Alec raised his eyebrow questioningly and Max shrugged her acceptance. Alec glanced past her to Tanner's smugly smirking face.
"Since our civilian territory is full with ordinary military personnel from the Base," Alec continued. "Tanner will have to find a place for them in his territory." He returned Tanner's now glowering, bad tempered scowl with a smirk of his own.
"Tanya." Tav shouted in delight as he and Todd pushed their way through the crowd that had formed around Tanya.
They were all talking and laughing simultaneously with excitement. Max watched Tav swing Tanya off her feet in much the same manner Alec had earlier. Seeing his obvious joy at being reunited with Tanya, reminded Max of her own brothers and sisters. Almost immediately she felt the sadness that thoughts of their loss always brought.
Alec looked down at Max when he felt her arms go around his waist. When her sombre eyes met his, he smiled reassuringly. As always when she was within the comforting circle of his arms Max felt her loneliness start to recede. This was where she belonged now.
"Ana?" Todd asked, hugging Tanya, enthusiastically, once Tav had released her from his exuberant embrace. He already knew Ana wasn't there. Neither was her scent part of the strange cocktail of mixed smells on Tanya.
"I don't know where she is Todd. We got separated when Manticore burned. I'm sorry." Tanya met his eyes the regret in hers mirrored in his.
"She isn't dead. I know she's still alive.
"Yeah, she feels alive to me too." Tanya pulled back to look at Todd. That he believed Ana was still alive meant something. It wasn't just wishful thinking on her part. Todd had always been as close to Ana as she had been. He would know, just like she would if Ana was dead.
"What are you giggling at Kat?" Max demanded, as they followed Tav, Todd and an excited chattering Tanya towards their building.
"Who me? Kat struggled unsuccessfully to control her amusement. "Nothing. I was just remembering how you scoffed when Alec explained how instinctively possessive transgenic females were, and how you shouldn't ever touch another female's mate unless he was either a member or your pack, or you had a very strong relationship with that female."
"What has that got to do with anything?" Max snapped.
"I'm not possessive or jealous," Max, snorted in irritation, her sideways glance taking in Kat's incredulous expression.
Kat sniggered again.
Resisting the childish urge to stick her tongue out Max ignored her.
Fucking instincts. How fucking embarrassing.Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Glumly Tanner watched Regan and the rest of his males as they headed off towards his civilian area, once again loaded down with Jake and Mary's baggage.
His sceptical eyes moved back to Alec's. "I didn't realize your civilian area was full."
"Yeah, Danny moved into the last apartment last week."
"Oh yeah, I forgot he told me he was TC based now. He reckons Dix has better equipment here than they do at the base for breaking into the databases they need to access. Plus our kind are more skilled than they are."
"Yeah, I prefer that he and Howl are on site if we've got their people here anyway."
"It's good what they've done for us so far."
Glancing sideways at him Alec grunted in agreement. That Tanner who had never had a good word for any ordinary, felt their help was valuable was testament in itself to how much Danny and Howl had managed to achieve.
"Getting us on the military payroll was an amazing feat."
"That was Danny's father's idea evidently. He said the Major and General Quinn reckoned that not only was it our right, but it was the least the country owed us," Alec said sceptically.
Every month now the army paid a full wage, commensurate with each soldiers rank into bank accounts set up in the name of every working transgenic soldier either X or freak. The moral boost and feeling of pride and hope that had engendered, had been worth the logistical hassle of electronically transferring those funds, out of nearly four thousand accounts into separate, disguised accounts held in the name of each Unit.
"Amazing what you can achieve if you know the right people," Tanner snorted.
"It was Anderson's idea, but it was General Quinn who made it happen." Alec said admiringly. It was still hard for him to grasp the extent of how much help had been offered to them by the ordinary military. Once Danny and Buzz had made strategic parts of their military history known to the grateful relatives of some of the soldiers they had rescued.
"Who would have thought when we humped that heavy bastard Damian out of Kurdistran, that his father would turn out to be a General?" Tanner smirked.
"Even if everything still turns to shit and we end up in the pitch battle with the military that we've always anticipated, anyway. Just being paid as soldiers, even if it's only for a couple of months would make the risks we've taken in letting Danny and the rest of them expose our service histories worthwhile."
"Yeah," Tanner agreed wholeheartedly. He remembered the looks on the faces of his unit when Regan had shown them the computer print out of their new bank accounts with the service pay entries. He'd know exactly how they'd felt and had been sure his own face reflected the same emotion. To finally be acknowledged as soldiers and have their skills respected and considered worthy of payment, just like ordinary soldiers were. Instead of being treated like animals with no rights was an exhilarating feeling.
"Not that most of us really want to continue being soldiers once this is all over, but while we're doing the armies job and helping to police Seattle, then it's good too be paid for it."
"Steve and Danny reckon that the way they've done it is even legal. Evidently all General Quinn had to do was remove the word transgenic from the adult files, reactivate them, move them across into active, reassign us under his command and start paying us.
"Amazing what you can manipulate and camouflage if you can access the right databases," Tanner snorted.
"The beauty of it isn't just that it solves our cash flow and basic supply crisis. Although even if it only did that the exercise would still have been worthwhile. The implications are even more far-reaching than that. By legally putting us on the United States Military payroll and giving us a legitimate role within the military could turn out to be hugely significant in terms of civil rights and citizenship issues."
"Yeah, well theoretically then, the fact that we were soldiers doing what we were ordered to do under threat of death, should mitigate in our favour. If the shit ever hits the fan about some of the more illegal details of Manticore's assignments."
"Yeah theoretically," Alec agreed laughing along with Tanner. "I can just see them all lining up in Washington to share that responsibility."
Tanner snorted in agreement. Like Alec he'd heard the same argument from their own kind and from their ordinary supporters. Despite the perception of Manticore was an independent operation, because it had been funded from coopted funds looted from the countries defence budget, and because it had also been set up and run by defence department employees. The argument was that it was in fact essentially no different from any other military installation across the country. Therefore transgenic soldiers just like any other Defence Department employees were fundamentally no different and had the same status and rights as ordinary soldiers employed at other facilities across the country.
"Do you buy that shit, Alec?"
"No not really. Maybe."
He didn't have to explain himself Tanner understood his ambivalence. Alec and most of the male alpha military council, himself included probably felt the same way. They would all like to believe that being openly put on the military payroll would indeed change their status and afford them the same rights as ordinary soldiers but being pragmatists they weren't banking on it.
"Tanya tells me the women's council see it as hugely significant." Tanner shrugged and glanced at Alec. "She sees it as another step towards acceptance, I suppose," he added glumly almost wishing he could see it with the same optimism.
"Yeah," Alec agreed. Max had been practically euphoric when he'd showed her their Unit printout with their official pays. "Max is the same. Anything that gives her hope that we won't have to fight is positive as far as she's concerned," Alec added thinking that anything that stopped her worrying and kept her happy and hopeful was all right with him.
"It's all positive and none of it can hurt us. Being peacefully assimilated into ordinary life is much preferable to having to fight. All this help we are getting is definitely working to our advantage. As is being under General Quinn and Anderson's wing."
"Yeah," Tanner acknowledged. As long as we still keep our head in our own game and keep working toward our own plan."
'Yeah, we stick with Quinn and Anderson only as far as it serves us. Any hint of anything that might be contrary to our interests then all bets are off and we're on our own again. At the moment we're actually better prepared in terms of access to supplies and equipment than we've ever been."
"You said if we have to fight Alec. Do you really think it won't come down to a fight?" Tanner asked him in astonishment.
"Yeah. I think we'll have to fight all right," Alec replied without hesitation. "Even though we've had no familiar activity for the past couple of months White and his Looney tunes are still out there. However lately with everything that's been happening on our behalf, I'm maybe a bit more hopeful that when we have to armour up, it'll only be Familiars we're fighting and not the United States army. Although if that's how it pans out and we have to fight them. Then so be it. We'll fight."
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"So you're telling me, Max, that the meds Manticore used to regulate heat may have made our females sterile?"
"Yeah, but that's the worst case scenario. We'll have a better idea once the test results start coming back. Cass is hopeful that they'll only show a residual build up of the medications in the bodies of the women on the drugs long term. If that's the case then over time the excess will break down and be expelled from the body.
"Kat would be one of the longest ones on the meds," Alec said in horror, thinking about how religiously thorough he'd been in ensuring she had a constant supply ever since the tragedy of her pregnancy. "And not only that I had the guards trading on the black market for those meds. I made them available to any female who wanted them. During the breeding programme I supplied them for all the women." he trailed off in dismay.
Sitting down on the couch beside him Max put her hand on his check and turned his frowning, worried face toward her. "Yeah, and that was the right thing to do then Alec. Never doubt that. Anything was better than helping Manticore to breed new slaves. Supplying the women with those meds meant that no more of them were forced to do what Kat had to do. You haven't done anything wrong," she assured him emphatically.
In fact he'd done everything right from what she'd heard of the lengths he'd gone to and the risks he'd taken to procure what he thought was for the best interests of their females. "The order for women to take those pills during the breeding programme came from the female alpha council, Alec. It's our responsibility and it was the right thing to do at the time."
He put his arm around her and Max settled against his side wiggling until she was comfortably situated so she could still she his face.
"When ordinary women who've been taking contraceptives want to get pregnant they have to wait for the meds to work there way out of their system too. Cass is very confident that it's going to be the same for our women. It's just going to be a matter of waiting until all the residue shit from the medication has worked its way out of their bodies."
Max didn't think there was any need to go into the rest of it. She could see he already felt bad enough. So she didn't mention that the meds given to transgenic females had not been the same as those given to ordinary women. Transgenic females had been given a popular generic medication used by vets to prevent ovulation in animals.
Unfortunately according to the medical data that Danny and Dix had been able to liberate, Manticore had never bothered to test it before administering it. Loss of fertility hadn't been seen as an issue of concern back then when they still had the DNA labs and the breeding facilities had still been artificially breeding transgenics. Alec of course had assumed that Manticore knew what it was doing and had bought the same generic brand on the black market.
"We've surveyed the women who are pregnant. Without exception they're all women who have either never taken the meds because of the negative side affects they experienced. Or they are women who for one reason or another stopped taking the medication. Susie from Drago's unit stopped just over a year ago because they started to make her sick. Of the pregnant women she has the shortest length of abstinence. So we're hoping that means that the base line indication of the length of time the toxins take to clear a woman's system is twelve months."
"Yeah they didn't agree with Ana or Tanya. They never took them," Alec said absently. He remembering how ill they had made Ana the only time she had taken them. Guiltily he remembered how irritated the fact she couldn't taken them had made him once she'd mated. Every time she went into heat they'd had to keep a very assertive, very aggressive Cloud out of their territory until they could get her into lockdown every time she went into heat.
Max smiled reassuringly in the face of his ongoing frown. "We're hoping that once the drugs are out of their system our women who are trying to conceive will start getting pregnant. There's every reason to hope that will be the case. The fact that me and the other women who have never taken the meds got pregnant so easily in our first heat is a good sign."
Absently Alec trailed his fingers across her temple into her hair. There wasn't a day that passed that he didn't look at Max and the small bulge that was his son and think just how lucky he was. This disquieting news once again highlighted just how privileged he really was. That Steve might not get to see Kat through a pregnancy and experience the satisfaction of feeling his child growing safe and protected was unthinkable.
"It was really good for Kat to do the tests. I've never seen her so happy. She said doing the tests with the other women made her feel like she was doing something that could make a difference. I know you don't like ordinary doctors, Alec, but Cass has been a good friend to us. She doesn't gain anything for herself by helping our women. Just more work."
"The reason that the women are comfortable with her is because they trust her now and that has only come about because they have got to know her. Joining that ordinary women's health collective that Cass hooked us up with was a stroke of genius. Our women on that are not only doing incredible work they're actually getting to see that a lot of ordinaries are really good people. Its amazing the initiatives that are coming off that committee."
"Yeah. I had Tyler moaning in my ear about how heavy of all that equipment you had his unit humping from hospital to hospital last week was."
"He can be such a boy. They're transgenic for gods sake it wasn't heavy. We could have moved it ourselves but we didn't want to shock the hell out of our ordinary colleagues on the committee, and besides it hadn't been the 'army reallocating resources,'" she giggled. "Each hospitals administration would have given us the same bullshit jurisdictional and funding excuses that they've been giving the ordinary women for five years. Not good reason for holding onto equipment they no longer need, when another hospitals are crying out for it."
"Last week we accomplished in one week what that collective had been trying to do for five years. At the moment they think we're gods," she finished with satisfaction. "We can do really important stuff on that committee. Stuff that will make Seattle a better place for both ordinary and transgenic, and it was Cass who trusted us enough to hook us up with them."
"Yeah," Alec agreed begrudgingly. He still preferred their own medics, but he was getting used to Cass. After all she'd been present at both the scans of his son and he supposed he was starting to associate her with the happiness and emotion of those. Whatever it was he no longer felt quite so antagonistic towards her, and if Max and the women wanted to use her then he no longer had any objection.
"She did give us our favourite picture," Max, teased, referring to their last ultra sound picture of the baby at twenty weeks."
Alec grinned. He just couldn't help smiling whenever he thought about that really clear picture they'd acquired at their last scan of their fully formed baby sucking avidly on his little thumb. Just thinking about it, he again felt the fierce rush of emotion he'd experienced when he'd seen how much the tiny little arms and legs responsible for the eruptions of frequent movement across Max's stomach had grown.
Max was right. It was hard to think ill of anyone involved in ensuring the wellbeing of either Max or his son. "That she did," he agreed still grinning as he stroked her stomach in the hope of feeling more movement. "She isn't so bad and if you want her instead of one of our medics at the birth then I've got no objections," he told her truthfully.
Max sighed contentedly. "I always wanted her there but only if you did." Smiling she moved his hand into the right place when she felt the first movement. Moving the arm he had around her further down Alec splayed both his hands across her stomach and grinned expectantly as they waited for the baby to kick again.
Her gaze locked with his and his wide grin turned serious as her eyes lovingly roamed his face. I could get lost in his eyes and never want to come out. His smile flashed again when he felt the baby move under his hand.
"That felt like a punch," Max laughed. "His feet are down here I think," she said putting her hand over his and moving it lower.
'See," she added delightedly when the baby kicked right under his palm. "He's so much bigger now, but it's all taking so damn long. I can't wait until he's here."
Alec snorted in amusement, well knowing how impatient she was. "He'll be here before you know it."
"Its easy for you to say Alec you're not as big as a house and having to pee every five minutes," she pouted petulantly.
"You've just gotta take the bad with the good I guess Max," Alec laughed into her neck.
"And it's all good as far as I'm concerned." Your not big at all he said curving his hands fondly across her little rotund belly. "I love all this extra you," he murmured gliding his fingers lightly across her breast and stomach.
"Stop it Alec. You're tickling me," she giggled squirming away from him. Only to have him haul her wriggling body back into his arms.
"In fact I'm going to love you all plump and sexy," he laughed kissing her neck.
"You had better," she giggled.
"I will," he breathed into her ear as he licked her earlobe. "So far you're getting curver in all the places I like," he smirked his hand encircling her full breast his eyes locking with hers.
"You better still love me when my knees and ankles are fat too."
His murmured agreement was lost when his mouth closed over hers.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kat laughed euphorically as she approached the door of her apartment. I just know those tests are going to be okay and all I'll have to do is wait until all that shit is out of my system and then I'll be able to get pregnant. I just know it. She'dbeen repeating it all day, like a mantra. The more she said it the more real it felt. It was so long since she'd felt this good she'd almost forgot what it felt like she realized in surprise as she rushed up the stairs to her apartment. Which just shows how much this has weighed on me.
She stopped hesitantly outside her door. Steve was home early she had his scent. He'd been so morose and withdrawn lately and she knew that whatever was up with him had to do with her ongoing disappointment and worry about not getting pregnant. She had tried not to let her stress show around him, but sometimes her unhappiness and her longing to be pregnant would just burst out of her.
This time it was different. This wasn't the same as all those other times she'd had her hopes up. Even Steve would have to see these tests and Cass's theories were positive news and be as happy as she was.
Yeah, he would she reassured herself plastering her smile back on her face as she opened the door.
He was standing at the fridge wearing nothing but his boots and fatigues and his head was thrown back as he glugged the orange juice straight from the bottle. She suppressed a quick flash of longing and hot desire as she watched the play of muscles in his back. Before he would never have drunk from the bottle like that when she was around, knowing how much she hated it. Now days he just seemed to be going out of his way to piss her off.
Not tonight. Tonight she wasn't going to let anything interfere with her good mood. As happy as she was feeling nothing could piss her off. Not even Steve at his most annoying. Tonight she was too happy to be irritated by anything. Smiling cheerfully she made her way over to him intending to take the bottle off him and swig her share down.
What the fuck. She smelt the ordinary female before she was halfway across the room. Shoving down the immediate rush of jealous rage she paused and watched him down all the orange juice, her own share included. The scent wasn't strong just a hint from someone who must have touched him. It was nothing to overreact about.
He was absolutely expert at avoiding the casual touch of ordinary women. One of the facts of life outside Manticore that they'd all swiftly discovered was that humans had the unsavoury habit of touching what wasn't theirs. All Mated transgenics had learned very quickly how to avoid their casual touch. Steve was one of the longest mated males in Manticore and he was as expert at dodging their uninvited contact as she was. He'd had a lot of practise at ensuring she never had to encounter this sort of shit on him. Just imagine the fucking carry on if I came home smelling of ordinary male.
She could see his tension as he bent to put the empty orange juice container back in the fridge. He knows I hate that too. And he fucking knows I can smell that female. He let it happen on purpose. His eyes touched hers briefly and he grunted what she assumed was hello as he brushed past her and headed for the couch. Uneasily she stared after his departing back. Lately he'd been so unlike his usual considerate, affectionate self. He was so cold and unapproachable that it was almost as if she was living with a stranger.
She just didn't know what was going on for him anymore and she hated that feeling. She'd tried to talk about it but he'd withdrawn even more. Always in the past they'd sorted stuff out by either talking about it, or making love until whatever difference they'd had hadn't seemed so important. He wouldn't do either at the moment. He certainly wasn't talking to her and nor had he touched her in over two weeks and when she'd tried to touch him he'd either moved away or he'd been too tired. Which was absolutely ludicrous. He was never too tired either for touch or for sex.
Her news was bound to cheer him up. She traipsed around the couch and in front of the TV he'd just turned on and sat on his knee "I had some really, really good news today," she said already feeling her euphoria start to wane when he didn't put his arms around her and pull her into him like he usually would. When he grunted without taking his eyes off the TV and moved so he could see around her she didn't even want to tell him anymore.
He swallowed the lump of pain and tears suddenly at the back of her throat and got up. When she stood he didn't even seem to notice so she couldn't see the point in telling him she was going out. He wouldn't care. Quietly closing the door she stood in the hallway blinking back her tears and trying to ignore the painful rush of panic. He was almost as cut off and as unreachable as he'd been when he'd got out of hospital after she'd killed their baby.
Ruthlessly she suppressed the familiar feeling of desolation and loss she always felt whenever she thought about their dead baby. Steve would be fine once she was finally pregnant again. It's just the stress of her failure each heat. That was all. Once she was pregnant again then she'd be able to relace what she'd taken from him and everything would finally be all right. I'll be the best mother any baby could ever have.
Angrily Steve heard the door close. Fuck I'm not even important enough for her to tell me when she'll be back now. As for good news, he thought glumly. The only news I want to hear is that she's giving up this endless obsession with having a baby she hasn't even bothered to ask me if I want. The baby I wanted was the baby I'd felt moving inside her. Not that she bothered to ask my feelings about that either.
He snorted in self-disgusteven as he thought it he knew it wasn't really fair to blame Kat for his failing. It had been his responsibility to protect them and it was hardly her fault that he'd failed. If he hadn't been so fucking scared and gutless when he'd first suspected she was pregnant, and he'd taken her and ran right at the start then maybe things would have turned out differently.
Yeah, then Kat would be dead as well as the baby. Fuck sitting here thinking about this all night. I might as well go and see what the unmated guys are doing.
"Hey Kat," Max laughed when she opened the door. "You're just in time Alec has cooked this new recipe that Mary gave him for that Italian pasta stuff he likes. You'd think he'd just discovered the cure for the pulse he's so proud of it. Would you like some?" she asked less certainly taking in Kat's sombre face.
"Yeah cool Max, I'd love some." Kat grinned brightly.
"I'll ring Steve and invite him too," Max said reaching for the phone.
"No don't do that Max he's not feeling very sociable tonight. He just wants to spend tonight in front of the TV on his own.
"If you say so Kat," Max said frowning doubtfully. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah of course what wouldn't be okay?"
What indeed? Max thought her eyes on Kat's unhappy eyes and her bright fixed smile.
TBC