"Aidan", shouted Rosie. "Will you put your sister down... I'm warning you, I'll have to talk to your Dad about your behaviour when he is back."
At this the boy dumped his 4 year old sister back on the floor, grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him and Jake.
Rosie looked fondly upon her children. Next to her sat Tina who was also having difficulty with her own. Now heavily pregnant, her only son, Jake, seemed to take advantage of how immobile his mother was.
"So help me boy!" yelled Tina across the yard. "As soon as your father is back, you'll be flayed!" There was a smile on both Tina and her son's faces.
"Yes mama!" he shouted back. "But this time can it be with that leather whip and not that metal spiky one, I couldn't sit down for a week after that."
"Will you just go and do as your told please?" Tina raised her arms and laughed as her child followed Rosie's two over t o the gate.
Rosie sat back down against the rock, Tina and herself were sprawled on. Time had certainly flown, it didn't seem that long ago she had married Creedy, now she had borne two beautiful children, and she still loved the bones of him. Aidan was now a strapping 6 year old, and his sister was now 4 years of age, though she acted 21.
Aidan easily took after his father, with his broad shoulders and cheeky smile. He even had his father's eyes. Megan however was the image of her mother. At 4 years of age she had thick black hair, green bewitching eyes and a special ability to wind her father around her little finger.
Children of all ages were now crowded around the gates, awaiting the return of their fathers.
4 days ago Creedy and Quinn had led men out to harvest crops, and check the surrounding areas for any sort of life.
The wives never feared though. A tunnel was always close at hand if the men were stuck. Over the years their tunnelling system spanned far out, the bunker had been moved deeper and more rooms had been created.
Not that it had all been plain sailing, an attack on the castle itself by 4 dragons a few years ago had killed over 40 people, Rosie almost being one of them, were it not for Quinn and his quick thinking. Devastated by this the community had regrouped and worked harder than ever. Nowadays times were hard, food was less, due to dragons destroying the crop fields that lay a mile or so out from the castle.
"I hope he keeps hold of his sister's hand." Rosie craned her neck to check on her young ones.
"Don't you worry; you know if she gets lost she will kick up the biggest fuss ever. Plus Lucy is down there - our not so little twin!"
Rosie smiled at the thought of her twins, both 12 years of age. Tom had almost cried with joy when Creedy had asked him to accompany him on the harvest. Rosie hadn't been sure of this decision but it was clear from the boy's face he wanted desperately to be accepted by the men. Idolising Creedy had taken up his childhood, it seemed now the boy wanted to be working at his side.
With Creedy's promise the boy would come to no harm, and a lingering kiss to say goodbye, Rosie had let both her men out into the wild.
Tina rubbed her belly. "I wish this one would hurry it up. I am growing tired of needing a truck to move me. I've been sat here for 4 days now because Tommy hasn't been here to help me up."
Rosie snorted with laughter. "Get away with yourself, you daft beggar. I saw you in the kitchen this morning!"
"Wasn't me love, I've been here, praying someone would pull me out of this blasted chair. But no, no one is kind around here to an old pregnant wench."
"You are shocking, Tina! How is Ma by the way? I haven't visited the kitchen today."
"She's not bad, her arthritis is playing up something rotten. I hate to admit it, but she isn't as young as she once was. She needs to rest more."
"Well there's no telling her is there. I mean..." Rosie was cut off when she heard all the children shriek with joy.
The men had returned.

Rosie glanced around the room one more time; everything was in order and neat. There was a cup of tea on the side for Creedy.
Smiling she turned and waited. A shadow passed over the door and her husband entered, Megan hanging off one arm and Aidan off the other.
Creedy's smile lit up the room, shaking off the children he strode over to Rosie and grabbed her.
"I've missed you so much my lovely!" He rained kisses about her face and stayed on her lips.
"Eurgh!" shouted Aidan. "You know Da, you're too soppy to be my Da."
Creedy turned on his son. "Is that so hey? I can still beat you though." Creedy lunged at the boy and lifted him in the air, tickling him so he screamed wildly, then pulled him into a hug. "Have you been good for your mother?"
Aidan's face blushed, "Well, I've tried but she's not easy to get along with you know?"
Creedy's eyes were wide open. "Your mother?"
"No..." Aidan shook his head. "Ma is brilliant. Megan is the problem - she never stops talking. She even talks in her sleep."
Creedy laughed, and had to put Aidan to the floor, "Well son, women are never quiet you know. That's how archaeologists can tell whether dinosaurs are male or female, the females have their mouths open even in death!"
After Aidan and his father had stopped laughing, they turned to see Rosie and Megan.
Both were stood with their arms folded, leaning on one hip, with a furious expression on their faces.
Creedy had to blink, they looked so alike. He knew something was coming, so he held in his laugh.
"Ma?" Megan looked up at her mother. "Did you say God created women because men couldn't look after themselves properly? Or was it that he created men and realised his mistake so made us better and quicker?"
Neither Rosie or Creedy could ever have imagined their daughter saying this, and neither could help from laughing. Creedy scooped his daughter up in his arms. "Just like your mother aren't you?"
"I missed you Da!" Rosie threw her arms around his neck and kissed his stubble-covered cheek. "I'll admit I talk, but Aidan never shuts up either. Plus he is duller, because him and Jake never let me play. I'm a girl Da - why couldn't you have had another girl? Boy's games are boring."

By nine both children were in their bedroom, next to their mother and father's room.. Creedy had tucked them in after he had said their prayers along with them.
"What do we do when we are awake?" Creedy looked at both his children waiting.
"Keep two eyes on the sky." Aidan and Megan shouted in unison.
"What do we do when we sleep?"
"Keep one eye on the sky."
"What do we do when we see them?"
"Dig hard, dig deep, go for shelter, and never look back."
Creedy kissed them both and walked over to the door where Rosie stood.
"Da?" Megan's voice was littered with a yawn. "I can't keep one eye open when I sleep, I really try but it's so hard." A soft snore ended her sentence.
Creedy smiled and closed the door over.

Returning to his own room he looked upon his wife, she was already in bed, half asleep. Creedy threw off his clothes and crept in beside her, pulling her close to him.
"Mmm..." she groaned, "I missed you most at night."
"Do I bore you in the day?"
Rosie turned round and kissed him softly, stroking his face with her fingers.
"How did it go?". Now the children were gone it was safe to talk openly.
"Not too well, we have enough food to get us through, but not as much as we were pulling in years ago. But we did find another lake. So water isn't an issue anymore."
"Any beasties?"
"One big whore of a dragon appeared from nowhere, but we hid like the little mice we are and it passed us over. Scared the be Jesus out of me though. It was dark and I was doing my famous Braveheart impression. Well I didn't feel too brave when that swooped."
Rosie giggled and pushed herself close against him, rubbing her leg against his.
"Are you trying to seduce me, woman?"
Rosie let her hand wander down his chest, tracing lines as she went. Although Creedy could have got a few good laughs out of his 'I'm abused' routine, tonight he just wanted to hold his wife. Kissing her neck h suddenly remembered something. Jumping out of her confused arms he ran to his bag and dug around. He pulled out a lone tulip, which he clasped it in his teeth and walked over to the bed.
Climbing on top of her he dropped the flower on her chest. "I did buy a huge bouquet from the corner store, but I lost the rest."
Rosie held the red tulip to her face, she hadn't seen one for years. "Where was this?"
"Way, way out. I saw it and thought of you... sorry it's a bit squashed, plus God will have to close his eyes to my pulling one of the only flowers left out of its home. But I wanted you to have it, so blow him."
"You better hope he didn't hear that."
"Yeah I'm not handing out any sexual favours when I get up there."
Rosie prodded him, and laughed. He silenced her with a kiss, and ran his hands down her body, pushing his body against her.
Stroking his thighs Rosie groaned, how she loved his body. Every time she explored it she loved it even more. Taking his length in her hand, she began massaging the head with her thumb, while grinding it up and down. Creedy let out a low throat moan and lowered his head to her neck, biting her softly to begin with, and harder as his orgasm came. Rosie cried out with pain as he came, and flipped him over on his back. Pain was a turn on for Rosie, and Creedy knew it.
Straddling him, she stroked his chest, then lowered her self to him, playfully nibbling his nipples, then suddenly she bit hard on one.
"Ow woman, that will bruise!"
Rosie kissed it better, then moved down his body kissing him wherever she could.
Once his erection was back, she mounted him and took control.
Creedy was in heaven as she moved on top of him.
"I am going to go away more often!" he cried out.
"No you're not, you're mine. I don't like it when you leave."
Grinding each other harder, the couple's silence was broken when they timed their orgasm together. Both covered in sweat, Rosie fell forward onto him and lay there listening to his heart.
Feeling his hands rubbing her back, she began to drift off to sleep.
"I love you." Creedy whispered. A snore was her reply.

A day later, Quinn held a meeting for adults only. Here he pointed out the situation they were in and explained his game plan.
"This way," he ended, "we will have enough food, so long as everyone is careful. I also need volunteers to replant the crop this year."
Creedy's hand shot up along with half the rooms. His other hand was clasped in Rosie's who was snuggled in next to him. Rosie had no objections, knowing her husband liked to be involved in whatever he could. Sometimes her heart jumped, the dear of losing him to a dragon made her feel physically sick. It was a nightmare that visited her often in her sleep.

"You will"
"I won't"
"Will"
"Won't"
Creedy and Rosie entered the room in time to see Aidan shove his little sister to the floor.
"Yes you will!"
Jumping to her feet, Megan grabbed her brother and swung him round until he fell over from being dizzy, then she jumped on top of him.
"No I won't. You will. Say it!"
"No get off me!"
Megan jumped up an down some more, until Rosie ran over and pulled her off him.
Aidan jumped up ready to attack again, but was pulled out of mid air by his father. Creedy swung the child round and held him by an ankle until he calmed down.
Aidan finally laughed, and crossed his arms. "She started it Da!"
"I don't care." Creedy's voice was serious, "You don't shove your sister."
He dropped the boy to the floor and turned on his sister.
"Plus you don't jump on your brother, understood?"
Megan looked ready to argue back, but sensed her father's mood, and nodded.
Once released both children ran from the room.
"Well, they get it from you. They must do."
"Shutup!" Creedy laughed and shoved Rosie backwards so she fell on the bed. Rosie jumped up outraged and grabbed Creedy, throwing him backwards against a wall, then kissed him softly. Creedy grabbed her roughly and pulled her to him in a bear hug, throwing them both onto the bed.
"See!" Megan's voice filled the room. "They are just as violent as us".
"Yeah" Aidan agreed, "But Da always makes it better by being all soppy."
"Well don't you dare kiss me Aidan, you have boy germs!"
Creedy and Rosie smiled, looking at their children in the doorway, Aidan was advancing toward Megan with his lips puckered.
"Aw c'mon sis, just one on the cheek, then we can be friends again!"
"Noooo!" Megan ran as fast as her little legs would carry her.
Aidan winked at his father and left the room.
"Let's have another one?" offered Creedy, but his answer was a nipple tweak.