MAKING ROOM
The Hold is beginning to fill up with the growing Blackwell family and even though the holidays are always fun to share with children it can be nice for a couple to get some time away just the two of them. ~ DK
…
It was true what they said. Salt and light was so much more fun with kids. Dalla at five and a half knew all of the stories and traditions and was determined that everything be carried out to the letter. She had made them a list that consisted mostly of scribbles with an assortment of Aurebesh and Onderonian characters that she was just beginning to learn to print. But she would gladly read it to anyone who asked or even if they didn't. "I need to read you what's on my list so you know what to get me for presents!"
Thias seemed determined to let them all know that he was going to be three so he was going to need more presents than anybody else. He had to be watched closely so that he wouldn't show up in a room where presents were being hidden or wrapped and then announce to the recipient what they would be getting. "But shhhhh it's a surprise!"
And Kason who had just celebrated his first birthday, toddled everywhere and squealed at everything. He loved the decorations and the Brylk oil lanterns. He wanted to grab everything and bring it down to his level. He had very nearly toppled a few things down onto his head or burned his fingers. Dalla was being a great help of keeping an eye on him when Shara was cooking.
No one wanted Shara to be interrupted in her work when they smelled the delicious scents coming from the kitchen. They lost count however of the number of times Jamos snuck in to steal a taste or a kiss. It was coming up on their third anniversary as well after all and he, like Thias with his birthday, seemed intent on providing an equivalent or surpassing quantity of celebration in honor of the event.
Marlon teased them with his booming laugh, "If you two aren't careful, there will be something else in the oven before the new year dawns."
"Who says we're trying to be careful?" Shara called back over her shoulder.
Jamos waggled his eyebrows and wrapped his arms around his wife suggestively.
"And I suppose the two of you would like to be left alone?" Marlon crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorway as if he had no intention of leaving the kitchen.
Jamos shrugged. "I think I can ignore him. How about you, love?"
Shara giggled, shaking her head and tried to concentrate on the dinner preparations on the counter in front of her.
Just then a half dressed little boy went running down the hallway. "I gotta go potty!" Thias must have started undressing on his way to the 'fresher. At least he was trying to get there on time. Marlon took off after him at all speed.
"Where were we?" Jamos kissed her hard and all thought of the food for the feast night celebrations were forgotten.
"Did you mean it?" he asked her. "That we're not being careful? That you'd like to have another baby?"
Shara laughed. "Well don't you think Kase needs a little brother to play with?"
"A brother? So we want a boy again this time?"
"A girl would be nice too. But I do love our little boy."
"And we could name this one after me, since the first one was after your father and some other guy."
"Hey," she laughed again, "I thought we agreed that we didn't name him after Dane Bonteri. We just both liked the name."
"Still." He kissed her again. "This one can be Jamos, right?"
"But what if it is a girl?" They paused and then they both said together as if they had rehearsed it ahead of time. "Jamie."
"I like that."
"So do I."
Jamos grinned. "We had better get to work on that then." His lips were intent on hers while his hands began to lift her skirts.
"Not right now, Jamos!" she shoved him away but not for lack of enjoying his company. "I've got a feast to cook. After, Love. We can make our next baby after supper."
"I'll be counting on that." He slapped her behind as he went out the door.
She called after him. "Then don't let Kase have any more sweets! He'll be up all night!"
"I won't. I promise." he looked back around the corner and blew her a kiss.
Salt gods she loved that man and she was so proud to be the mother of his children.
…
When Marlon heard voices coming from the slightly open door of his brother's office he should have walked right on by.
"... Just put him down for a nap."
"So we have a little time to ourselves."
"I thought you wanted another one."
"I do." A gruff laugh.
A sigh. "That's not exactly the way to go about getting one."
"Maybe not, but as I remember from the last time it is important to keep my wife happy during the process and I do enjoy keeping my wife happy."
"Jamos…"
Aye. Marlon really should have just kept on walking but instead he barged right into the door. They should have learned to lock the thing by now so it was really their own fault.
What he found appeared to be Shara sitting alone at her husband's desk. Except for the fact that her face was flushed bright red and the thud and muffled curse from under the desk he might have believed that was the case.
"You wouldn't have happened to see Jamos around? I can't find that brother of mine anywhere."
"S-see Jamos? No." She lied. "Did you need him for something?"
He walked closer to the desk as he considered. "You know I did, but he's probably already under a pretty heavy work load." He knocked on top of the desk for emphasis.
He thought he might have heard another murmured curse but Shara spoke up. "Is there anything you'd like me to tell him in case I do see him?"
"Just that…" Marlon struggled not to burst out laughing. "That I'm proud of my little brother for getting the job done even in the midst of overwhelming distraction." He cracked a smile and turned to leave.
As soon as he was out of the room he heard a mad scrambling. The door slammed shut behind him and the locking mechanism clicked. And before the soundproofing silenced their voices there was an unmistakable shriek of a giggle.
"I'm gonna kill him for that."
"Not before you finish what you started, Captain."
…
"But I don't wanna go to bed!" Thias could be heard crying from his bedroom throughout the entire Hold. Lana must have been having a Dxun of a time with him.
Dalla looked up at her father with a grin. "I'm not sleepy either. Can I watch another holo?"
"What?" Marlon looked down at his little girl who was normally so sweet and obedient. He just did not know what had gotten into his children. "No, sweetheart, it's an hour past your bedtime."
"But Father I neeeeeeed to watch another holo!"
"No, Dalla. You know the rules, only one holo before bed. You can listen to a music disk while you're falling asleep."
"But I don't want a music disk and the last holo was too short cause I'm not sleepy at all. I'm sure I could watch another one before I'm ready for bed."
"You are ready for bed right now young lady! Now march to your room!" Marlon hated having to raise his voice with his little ones.
Dalla moaned but she obeyed.
Kason had been put down hours ago and hadn't made a peep through the monitor Shara had fed through her personal comm unit. Before Marlon could leave the room in his daughter's wake Jamos called from the other side of the room where he was snuggled up with Shara on the couch. "I thought you and Lana were thinking about trying for another one."
Marlon grunted exhausted as he trudged down the hallway after his daughter.
Jamos laughed gleefully.
"Don't tell me you had something to do with this." Shara pushed away from him and gave him a northern woman glare.
His amusement could not be quelled. He reached into his tunic pocket and pulled out an empty package of pixi stix.
"You didn't?"
He nodded still grinning.
"Jamos Emoth Blackwell, you are evil!" She swatted him hard on the arm.
"What? After what he did last week? He deserved it!"
Shara bit back a smile of her own. "We should have locked the door before he came by."
"I think you rather enjoyed the sense of danger that we might be caught." He tickled her and she giggled.
She jumped up from the couch just out of his reach as if daring him to chase her. "I guess we had better take advantage of a chance not to be disturbed."
"Aye, aye, Madam Beast Master." He growled and took off after her toward their bedroom, making sure locks and soundproofing were activated when they arrived.
…
"This is the most adorable idea ever." Lana took the two shirts out of the box and laid them on the bed.
"I just hope they fit." Shara looked over at Kason sitting on the floor.
Portia was patiently letting him pat her rather roughly. "Cog cog cog." He sang.
"Come here sweet boy. Let's try on you new clothes so we can show Daddy." Shara pulled off the shirt she had put him in not long before that was already covered in drool. She laughed. "We're going to have to do this quick before he soaks through this one as well."
Lana smiled. "Maybe you should have put Portia's on first. Here let me take that little sailor and you can wrestle with the cog."
The norcog tilted her head curiously.
"Come on Porsh. You're turn."
"Coggy coggy!" Kason giggled and Lana bounced him in her arms.
Shara couldn't help but smile as she pulled the shirt over the confused cog's head and then pulled her front legs through the specially designed sleeves. "There. That works." She stood back and admired her handywork.
"I still can't believe you found a place that made shirts for norcogs."
"Too bad we can't save it for Dalla." Shara eyed her friend questioningly.
"Well," Lana sighed keeping her own attention on her nephew. "We don't have any reason for this sort of thing yet."
"Yet?" Shara asked hopefully. "You mean you and Marl are trying?"
"We aren't preventing anything but it took so long with Dalla. I'm not getting my hopes up that anything will happen soon."
"Wouldn't it be fun though if we could go through this together?" Shara took Kason back from her.
"Of course I'd love that."
"Even if it means three in diapers in the Hold at the same time?" Shara grinned.
Lana laughed. "Well Thias was easier than I expected. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll teach Kase how great it can be to be diaper free." She tickled the toddler and he giggled again. "What do you say? Should we show Daddy and Uncle Marl your surprise?"
"Dada!"
"Alright let's do this."
"I've got the holo cam ready to go." Lana held up the device.
"They're both in the living room, Aye?"
"Aye." Lana activated the recorder while Shara set Kason down on the floor and sent him in the direction of his father and uncle to deliver his special message.
"Come on, Porsh. You too. Go see daddy."
The cog followed.
Aaaaand Jamos didn't even notice what his son was wearing when he scooped the boy up. "Did Momma have to change you again?"
It was Thias who got the ball rolling. "Why is Portia wearing clothes?"
Marlon looked up from his data pad and snorted. "Dalla were you playing dress-up with the cog?"
"It wasn't me." She hopped up from what she was doing and studied the anomaly. "It's got words on it." She began to sound out the letters. "B-I-G S-I-S…"
Jamos frowned in confusion. He looked at the cog and he looked at his son. Then he looked back at the cog "Big sister?" And then again at Kason. "Big… brother? Shara!"
She entered the living room laughing.
"Big brother? Our boy's gonna be a…"
She nodded happily.
"We're gonna have another baby!"
"Kason's going to be a big brother." She laughed going to him. He hugged her one armed and held Kason in the other.
"When do I get to be a big brother?" Thias asked.
"Well, I don't know champ." Marlon smiled as his wife entered the room still recording. "What's your mother have to say about that?"
"Momma, can I be a big brother?" Thias asked her.
"I'm not opposed to the idea." Lana smiled.
"Another one?" Dalla frowned. "Well, can we have a girl this time? And can we please take the shirt off Portia now?"
The Norcog had managed to pull the offensive garment part of the way off but now she was caught in it and started to whimper, stuck, and unable to remove it completely.
"Aww poor girl." Shara went to get her unstuck.
"Let me help you with that." Jamos set Kason down and knelt beside her. "Really and truly another baby?"
"Little Jamos." She beamed at him.
"Or little Jamie." He grinned back.
…
Yay! The Blackwell family is growing again! One for Jamos and Shara and if they'll be nice and let Lana and Marlon get some time alone… who knows what's in store? Well, LS and I do. We've been planning this for months. Have any guesses?