Happy 4th of July, everyone!
Miriah sighed as the masseuse droid gently worked the sore muscles in her shoulders, noting that both Maura and Mags were feeling pretty relaxed as well. This was their reward for all the hard work of yesterday, moving Felix and Magdalane into their new house. The men had put it together, although she suspected Risha had a fair amount of influence. She was smiling to herself, thinking of the reward she'd give Corso later, when Maura spoke.
"This, this is perfect. I miss the babies, but it's worth it for this." Mags murmured her agreement.
"So how has it been, with the twins and the crew, these past couple of weeks?" Miriah asked.
"It's been an adjustment. Amazingly, the best babysitter on the ship is Tanno Vik. The babies don't see that rough exterior, just the huge cuddly bear on the inside. Of course, Calleigh will have no one but Aric most of the time, but Elara has done her share of diapers and bottles too. Right now the only problem we have is them in our quarters at night."
"You can't sleep with them in the same room?" Magdalane asked with a puzzled look. The other two started laughing, and Mags blushed, realizing what the problem likely was. "Sorry, I'm just getting used to the whole 'it's ok to have sex' thing. Besides don't they just sleep at this age anyway?"
Maura thought a minute, "Most of the time, yes. And we've been working on trying to be quieter, but I really think we're going to have to put some kind of partition up soon. The biggest issue I have with the whole thing is not having Aric with me on missions, or if I send him out, not going with him. I think that's his biggest misgiving too. He had this vision of us all being together, but in reality it's been more like we're out or in with the crew, not together." She groaned as she rolled over, her masseuse kneading her leg muscles. "So to sum up, I'm either with Fourex or Tanno missing Aric and the twins, or I'm on the ship with the twins missing Aric."
"Wow Maura, I guess I never thought about that part of it. I figured the biggest challenge would be who got up at night," Miriah told her sister.
Maura laughed, "If only-that's the one time of the day the whole crew seems to come together. And let me tell you, I've seen some interesting sleepwear in the past couple of weeks. Usually Elara changes them, Tanno makes the bottles, they hand them off to us and shuffle off to bed. The babies don't wake up every night anymore though."
They were contentedly quiet until they moved to the Jacuzzi, which was placed under a huge skylight. Magdalane grabbed a glass of juice from a nearby tray, humming happily.
"Mags, the house is fabulous. You guys are going to love it," Maura told her. "I'm so glad you and Felix decided to do this."
"Me too," she replied. "Especially since I had my yearly physical earlier this week."
Her sisters looked at her expectantly, waiting for more details. Miriah finally spoke, "Give it up, you look like you've got a secret."
"We're trying to have a baby," she told them, her eyes sparkling, the grin on her face huge. She accepted the congratulations from her sisters, and told them what she'd learned about force sensitivity and the chances of a child having it with her and Felix as its parents.
Miriah grinned at her, "No wonder Felix was in such a great mood today. I don't think I've ever heard him say so many words all at once." They all laughed, knowing the lieutenant was normally so reserved as to be silent for long periods of time. "I wonder what the guys are doing today, anyway, did they say?" Her sisters shook their heads. Miriah shrugged, "Oh well, I guess they can't get into too much trouble on Dantooine."
"Speaking of trouble, dear sister," Maura started, "I heard from a mutual friend that you found a little of that last week yourself, Mir."
Miriah rolled her eyes, " It really wasn't much trouble at all, I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And you must have been on Corellia. How is Cole, anyway, didn't he have a crush on you at one point?"
"Nah, he was just being nice, by that point Aric and I were married-and he's doing well. He has someone he wants you to find for him, said he'd tell you about it on your next run there. And, according to him, you got a few injuries out of your Balmorran rescue." She looked hard at Miriah, trying to see any evidence. "So, spill it."
Miriah recounted her story, with only a few details. Maura looked at Mags, "Is she telling the truth?"
Mags replied, "She is, but withholding details." Miriah had forgotten Mags would know. Damn the force!
"Really, it was nothing. Corso wasn't even freaked out, well, not too much anyway."
Magdalane snorted in derision, knowing that was a lie. The fact that he wasn't with her would have turned him inside out, not to mention the injuries she now felt with her force scan. "That ankle is the only thing not completely healed and it's mending well, so that part is true, but nothing you say would make me believe Corso didn't mind you returning to the ship with your lip split and bleeding."
Marua nodded, agreeing with Mags. They both knew Corso would throw himself between Miriah and anything that might harm her. The moved from the Jacuzzi to the mud bath, which made them all giggle, thinking of the times when they were growing up and forbidden to play in mud.
"Hope Mom is doing ok with the babies," Maura mused.
"I'm sure she's fine," Mags responded, "besides, she has your droid and Elara there, and Elara is more than capable." Maura agreed. The mud bath was almost the last treatment of their spa day, but they unanimously declared it a success, one they vowed to make an annual date. As they showered, each one wondered what the men had done all day.
#
Aric waved farewell to the women, as did Felix and Corso, standing on the deck at the ranch. They were off for their spa day, and the men had plans. Big plans. The main holoterminal was programmed with the start of the pod racing season's event, and the coolers with beer and bags full of junk food had been stored out in the first barn, which Corso went to retrieve. They all settled in to a day of holofeed sports and guy talk.
They were in the first pit stop rotation in the race when Felix asked Aric how things were going now that they were back on duty. Aric shrugged, "Well, not exactly like I'd figured, but it's been interesting to see the crew react to the twins. I hate when Maura's out on a mission and I'm sitting around with the babies, but at least one of us is with them." He sighed, "Honestly? I'm not sure either of us is happy with it, but it's working. For now. "
They all nodded, knowing it was a major adjustment for Havoc squad. They cheered their favorite pod racers on, lounging in comfy chairs, getting up only to resupply. After the race, they watched huttball for a bit.
"Really glad you guys are here on planet now, " Corso told Felix, "Kinda feels like home, with family around."
"We're glad, too, especially now that Mags has decided she has to have a baby," Felix grinned. Aric and Corso slapped him on the back and cheered, like he'd accomplished something.
"At least we know now to make sure we let you know before visiting," Aric told him, wiggling his eyebrows. "Man, your life is about to get soooo good! And now I don't feel so bad about making Mags cry at the last cookout, if it made her think." Felix agreed.
"So that just leaves Miriah as the last holdout, and I get the feeling you don't have any complaints about your sex life anyway, Corso"
Corso blushed, but agreed. "Hey, it's the best way to relax her so she can actually sleep. A worthy sacrifice on my part. We're talking about it, but we've got time. Besides, I heard that part went away after the babies started arriving."
Aric shook his head, "Whoever said that was wrong, dead wrong. It gets better, not worse."
Felix and Corso looked at him thoughtfully. "Good to know, " Felix said. Corso nodded, and they returned to their huttball match, all of them with new things to ponder.
About half an hour before the sisters were due to meet back at the ranch, all evidence of the "man day" had disappeared and the grill started. Sarai had called to say that she and the twins were on their way over, and they'd gone out into the back yard to throw a ball around, the pack of kath hounds jumping around wanting to play too. They cheered as they saw their wives with relaxed smiles on their faces. Miriah had already prepared all the food, all that was left was to grill the bantha steaks and fish.
"It feels like a celebration of some sort, like the whole galaxy has something to be happy about today," Miriah told her sisters, and they agreed, as they watched the sun slowly setting, the colors looking like fireworks in the sky.