Alien

Chapter 10

"How's it going?" April asked after she got home.

"I'm not getting very far, mostly because every time I turn around Lily needs a diaper change or feeding. I had to sneak in a quick nap because I was exhausted. I'm not getting very far with packing. I'm sorry." As if on schedule Lily started crying. "See what I mean?" Kate sighed and checked to see what it was this time.

"I'm home now, so let me take over packing," April said.

"Thanks." Kate picked up Lily, who just kept crying. She tended to Lily while April put dinner together. After they ate, April worked on packing what they planned to bring with them.

Eventually, April sat down next to Kate, who was busy feeding Lily. "I'm beat. I never knew a baby could need so much work," Kate said tiredly. "I think this is why I didn't do any babysitting during my teenage years."

"You never told me that. I'm learning something new about you every day." April leaned over and kissed Kate while Lily kept right on feeding. "And since today was my last day at work, I can finish packing. You focus on taking care of our baby girl."

"You're sure you want to do this? Move to the Moon, I mean," Kate asked her.

"Yes. You have a job waiting for you, and I'll transfer my work to the new location. It won't pay as much, but with what you'll earn, we'll be okay. It'll work out. Don't worry, Kate."

"I hope we'll last until I begin working and bringing in money." Kate bit her lip. "I am a little concerned."

"Once I sell this place, we'll be fine. I'm not sure exactly where we'll live or in what, but we'll be all right," April assured her.

"Any idea what we'll be living in?" Kate asked. She hadn't thought about it.

"We'll either live in a pre-fab unit or a shipping container. Perhaps several shipping containers," April replied. "Don't look at me like that. Once we put together four or five shipping containers, we'll have quite the place. It's not what we live in, it's what's in what we live in. You'll see. Just give it a chance."

"I'm not sure I believe you, but I trust you," Kate told her.

"Besides, it'll be cheap, which is a good thing. We can use what I earned on my mission to buy us a really nice unit. We'll be living off of the sale of this place at first. But we'll be fine," April said. "I'm more interested in whether we'll live in a community or outside it. Living in the countryside will mean going into town regularly. We'll need to build up some supplies."

"You mean like baby diapers." Kate joked.

April chuckled lightly. "That too."

~oo0oo~

The day finally came. Their place sold, so they had money from that and what April earned for her mission on Earth. Everything they packed was in a shipping container. They stood there waiting for clearance to board the transport which would take them to the Moon.

They and everyone else would be living in pre-fab units. They anticipated that it would be small and would begin looking around as soon as they got there. Though, Kate had to check in upon arrival. They weren't the only ones waiting for transport. There were individuals and couples, some of whom had children. They were the only ones with a baby, though.

Eventually, they were permitted to board. Kate carried Lily while April managed their bags. She handed over the bags to someone who loaded them on the transport. They found seats.

Kate frowned as she looked around her seat. "There are no seat belts."

"There are passive restraints. You press this button here." April pressed it and the one for her seat. Instantly, Kate felt webbing envelope her before it relaxed. It encompassed the baby as well. "Interesting." Kate never felt anything like it before.

There were windows, and suddenly they were in space. Kate watched it all closely. They passed by the giant ring around the planet. She couldn't help but wonder just who was up here.

This time they didn't enter FTL, making it a long flight. It took them close to six hours and Kate had to change Lily several times. She also fed her three times during the trip and used a cover-up to hide that she was breastfeeding her. No one said a word about it. No one said a word about the diaper changes, either. Kate did those in the restroom. It was a tight fit, but she managed.

Lily was asleep when they landed. Kate carried her off the transport and found herself outside. Everything looked new here: new bushes, new trees, new buildings. New, new, new.

Kate followed April. Not because she thought April knew where she was going but because she had Lily.

They took transportation into town to find a place to live for now. It turned out to be a glorified golf cart. At least, that was what Kate thought it was.

The second she entered their room, Lily started crying. Kate changed her diaper and fed her out in the open since April had seen everything before.

"We've got maybe two hours before the next feeding, so what do we do?" Kate asked April.

"We'll start looking for a place to live. We can start here in town if you want, or we can look outside town," April replied and waited to hear what Kate wanted.

"Don't be angry, but I'd like to live outside of town," Kate said. "If that means we live in a cargo container, then we will. Maybe more than one?"

April shrugged. "I have no objection. Outside of town, it is. Let's see if we can find someone to show us whatever's available.

~oo0oo~

The first one they saw was a shipping container home. It was three containers that were painted matte black. Two were side by side, and the third was above the two. Kate was amazed that it could look so nice. There were windows and doors, and that it was black helped.

They were noncommittal since they wanted to see more.

The next one was also black, but the containers were arranged differently this time. They were side by side but not together, with a connecting area in the back. The top of the shipping containers had a sloped roof that held solar panels. And the containers were divided into rooms.

They liked it but asked what else there was.

The third one was grey; it was three containers and had a metal structure connecting them. The third container was on the second floor. The metal container held the stairs to the second floor, and the two ground-floor containers had rooftop decks. There was even a covered patio with a container above them.

There were solar panels on the flat roof. One of the rooftops had a canopy with an insect screen so they could be outside, yet inside, safe from bugs.

Then while Lily woke up and started crying, they saw a fourth one consisting of eight shipping containers. They were stacked two high, making up a square with a finished, open space in the center. The second floor had a metal roof that held solar panels. There were stairs from the center up to the stacked units.

The kitchen was in one unit. The dining room was in another. The open space was the living room, while the upper units were mostly bedrooms. The containers themselves were short ones, but it was the center area that was the selling point.

Kate and April sat in the middle while Kate fed Lily. "What do you think?" April wanted to know what she thought about each one.

"The first one, while nice, didn't have solar panels and wasn't connected to the city grid. So it's out," Kate told her.

"I agree. It's off the list. The problem with the others is that there's just one bedroom. Where does Lily sleep when she grows up?" April shook her head. "Though I did like the one with the roof deck."

"That one was nice, but you're right – having only one bedroom rules those out. Then there's this one. I can live with the orange containers, at least, I think so," Kate said. "I love this open space between the four of them. They're short containers with the kitchen squished into just one. The stairs are going to be a pain, but they're black, and they're open."

April nodded. "I like it a lot. This wide open space with that space between the stairs can act as a separation. The walls on either end or all windows with doors in them. The outside is nothing worth mentioning."

"But we can change that over time. Maybe build a deck, plant some trees – they could be fruit trees. We can definitely do something with it," Kate said. "The question is whether we can afford it."

"We can afford it," April said firmly. "It'll use up most of my mission money, so we'll have to wait to work on the outside. We'll need a golf cart, as you call them."

"Nope. We'll need two golf carts, one for you and one for me. I'll need one to get to work, and so will you. Which leaves us with what to do about Lily."

"We need to figure that out as soon as possible. So do we agree? We get this one?" April waited for Kate's input.

"It's close to town, so it'll be a quick trip. It has solar panels on the roof. It has a well for water and a septic system for waste. It's interesting how one whole container is a bathroom, both up and down. I say yes."

"Then we should snap it up before someone buys it out from under us." April went to tell the agent while Kate finished with Lily.

"Hey, maybe we could put in a pool," Kate said excitedly.

~oo0oo~

Kate checked in with Sheriff Elrod Gorestriker. "I'm Kate Beckett."

"Welcome. I see you were a homicide detective back home, wherever that is."

"Yes, sir. It was called Earth. It's gone now." Kate sounded sad.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But you're here now, and I think you'll fit right in. I'm also told you have a child at home."

"Yes, sir. Her name is Lily, and she's about a month old."

"Have you found someone to care for her while you're at work?"

"No, not yet, but we have a month to figure it out. We do have a month?" Kate asked sharply.

"Yes, you can start work in a month. I can hold down the fort until then. I've noticed your command of our language is pretty good."

"I have my mate to thank for that. She's been very helpful."

"She? Not unheard of but unusual. Still, so long as you do your job, I don't care who you're with. You should try what's-her-name. Maybe she'll sit with your baby. Now what is her name?" Gorestriker tried to think. "I'm sure it'll come to me. Have you found a place to stay yet?"

"Yes, sir, we have. It's container home just a little outside of town."

"Good. Leave your address and your phone number if you know it."

"I can leave my address. I don't know our phone number yet. I don't even know if we have a phone."

"Well, if you learn of one, then you give me a call." Gorestriker waved his hand, dismissing her.

~oo0oo~

Kate made it home just in time to watch April feeding Lily a bottle. "I checked in with Sheriff Gorestriker. He seems nice enough. He wanted to know if we have a phone."

"We should. I don't know what the number is, though. We can find out when we sign the papers." April looked down at Lily. "She does pretty well with a bottle."

"Yeah, she does. He also said he knew of someone who could maybe watch Lily. Except he couldn't remember her name."

April chuckled and shook her head. "That might work if he can remember her name. Maybe after we find out what our phone number is."

"It's a little cool out. By any chance, do you know what season we're in?"

"Early fall. And we definitely have to find you some coats soon."

"We have time. Do we have the money?" Kate was worried about that. They were spending it but not taking any in yet.

"Yes, we have money," April reassured her. "There's nothing to worry about. You let me worry about the money, all right? When you start your job, you worry about your money. I'll only take what I need from it."

"If you say so. But I'm still going to worry about it."

"Deal."

~oo0oo~

They signed the paperwork and received keys to their new home.

They stood outside of their new home, looking at it. "I've never lived in a house before. I've always lived in an apartment," Kate said.

"You sound like me. I've always lived in a condo in the city. I guess we'll learn together. Let's go see if the keys work."

They walked around the place. It came furnished, though the furnishings were a bit sparse. "We need to go shopping. While I hoped there would at least be some food left in the kitchen, there isn't. Not a thing," April commented.

Kate shrugged. "I guess we go back into town then. We need to stock up for winter anyway. I don't know whether it snows here or not. But we could find ourselves snowed in."

"That sounds like it could be a whole lot of trips."

"This is home, Lily. What do you think?" Kate asked her since she was awake. "You'll get to grow up here. I wonder where the closest school is? Or the closest hospital."

"We'll find out where those are later, Kate. For now, we need to go shopping. Or we'll go hungry."

~oo0oo~

April was busy cooking in their new kitchen. She was learning where everything was. And Kate was busy herself. She was feeding Lily out in the living room.

April closed the oven door. "The casserole's in." She sat next to Kate and watched her burp Lily. Then she got to play with her since she was awake.

She looked at Kate. "It's a good thing this place has air conditioning and heating. Compliments of the solar panels on the roof."

"The other solar panels are for hot water, yes?" Kate asked.

April nodded. "Yes, the solar hot water warms the water up first, then the water heater finishes the job."

"I never had either of those before. I'm a city girl living out in the country."

"Join the club. I lived in a condo in the city all my life. I guess we'll learn together."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Kate told her and kissed her.

~oo0oo~

They went into the town to do some grocery shopping all that first week and filled the pantry with everything they could think of. Then they went in once a week.

Kate called the Sheriff, gave him her phone number, and asked if he remembered the woman's name.

"Yes, I did. I even asked whether she was willing and free to sit with your baby. She'll charge you for the service, but she'll do it. Her name is Hadley Cassidy. I'll get you the number so you can talk to her." Gorestriker left the phone momentarily, then returned to give her the number. "Good luck."

Kate called her first thing, and she agreed to sit for her, but she wanted to see Lily first and where they lived.

~oo0oo~

They needed everything from food to towels. No more sonic showers for them. They used actual water, so they had to have towels which wasn't a problem for Kate. But April had grown up using a sonic shower and hadn't used towels.

Together they interviewed Hadley to see if she was a good fit for watching Lily. Pleased, they hired her and told her she could start in three weeks. Kate started her job in three weeks. She had a lot of pumping to do to give Lily breast milk while she was at work.

But April started work in one week. Her job was similar to what she had been doing. Tired, she came home from her first day at work. It was a new feeling for her. She was coming home to a house instead of a condo. But she would get used to it.

"Hi, Kate." April kissed her, sat next to her, and played with Lily.

"How was work?" Kate inquired.

"All right, I guess. It's similar to what I was doing but different. I think it's the difference that gets me. But I'm sure I'll adapt. How's Lily? You're such a cutie," April cooed at her.

She glanced at Kate. "Dinner?"

"The casserole's in the oven, and it'll be out in about 30 minutes. I wonder if I'll get a car, a real car. Or maybe a flying car." Kate perked up at that.

April raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. "My money is on an electric car, not a flying car."

"Well, shoot," Kate pouted. "I was hoping for a flying car. Still, it would probably require training. My Academy training didn't include a flying car."

"I'm going to go wash up and change clothes into something sexy," April teased.

"My vote is for something sexy. Something I can take off of you easily," Kate told her as she retreated. She watched as April put some extra sway in her hips. "Definitely something I can take off of you easily," Kate called out, watching as she grinned at her.

"Your mama is going to get laid," Kate told Lily while playing with her. She enjoyed times like these when Lily was awake and wasn't crying for something.