Birth

"Coffee?" Teddy asked.

"Sure," Mark answered. "It's been a morning already."

"I'll bet. Let's see if they're still talking about it," Teddy said, and he pressed the power button on the remote for the television in his office.

"Welcome back to the CNN morning report," the news anchor said. "The top story this morning is the premature detonation of a domestic terrorist bomb outside of Houston, Texas. We have a team of reporters on the scene. Let's go to Marcia Lynn at the detonation site. Marcia?"

The scene changed to a woman in a light coat standing in a fallow field. A large number of emergency vehicles with flashing red and blue lights in the background. "Thanks, Tom," she said into her microphone. "Behind me experts from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and local law enforcement are reconstructing as much as they can from the devastation wreaked by the premature detonation."

A pre-taped package played on the screen. "Early last evening a titanic explosion rocked the north Houston suburb of Humble," Marcia Lynn's voice said. The video showed several dash cam and security camera shots of the explosion. "Windows were shattered and doors blown from hinges in a two mile radius from the leveled farm building complex. The terrorists, known as the Warriors of Heaven, had gathered at the farm to assemble their truck bomb." Several more shots showed shops and homes with plastic duct taped over windows and plywood screwed over doors.

The scene changed back to the woman in the field. "Many of the terrorists had left notes for their families in their cars in the event they were caught or killed. Fortunately a few of those vehicles survived the blast, and those messages were able to provide clues to the identities of some of the terrorists killed in the explosion. Those notes also made clear the groups intended victims were astronaut Mark Watney and his wife, Mindy. We are expecting a statement from the Watneys later this morning."

"That should be fun?" Teddy said drolly.

"That same information and evidence at the blast site led officials to the home of Althaea Delray, the apparent leader of the group."

The scene changed to a male reporter standing at the end of the dirt drive leading through the woods to Delray's house. "Officials from Homeland Security and the Tennessee state police have been here at Althea Delray's home all morning," he said. "Ms. Delray chose to commit suicide rather than surrender to authorities. In the early hours of the morning the local fire department responded to a blaze at the Delray home…"

Teddy walked across his office and handed Mark a cup of coffee. "Your friends?"

"Like I told you, Teddy, you don't want to know," Mark said.

Teddy nodded. "Judging from that," he said, pointing at the screen that had transitioned to an aerial view of the former farm now crime scene. "We don't have to worry about them taking another shot at us for a while."

Mark smirked. "Probably not. That'll make Annie a bit more comfortable when she comes back next week."

"It will," Teddy said. "I'm sure the press will want more than a statement on this." He looked pointedly at the screen in his office. "What are you thinking of telling them."

"I thought 'if you're going to deny science and play with high explosives, you shouldn't be surprised when you blow yourself up'," Mark said.

"I like it, humor," Teddy said nodding. "Well, are you and Mindy ready to tell the world there's going to be another Watney?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd follow with that," Mark said. "It'll derail all the attention those idiots are getting."

"Good," Teddy said. "Musk is talking to us about building another foundry. Has he contacted Mindy about that?"

"He has," Mark said nodding. "He and Min met for lunch last weekend. He wants to build geodesic domes. He thinks the triangles would be easy to cast, and they could mate domes to Quonsets as passageways."

"He's wanted to get down on Mars for twenty years," Teddy said looking out his window. "Time's running out for him."

"He'll make it," Mark said smiling. "He's determined."

Teddy walked over to Mark and put his hand on Mark's shoulder. "Thanks for filling in for Annie," he said. "I didn't realize how much I depended on her until she wasn't there. You did great."

Mark nodded. "Any time, Teddy."

(*)

"Oh, and Mindy's pregnant," Mark said offhandedly, and the room exploded.

"Mark! Mark! Over here, any names?"

"When is she due?"

"Will she still work at NASA?"

Mark laughed. "One at a time folks," he said. "Okay, she's due in late August, it's early, so we're not even making a list of names yet, and yes, she will still work here at NASA." He looked out across the press room. There would be no more questions about the Warriors. "Let's get back Annie's rules, please. Hands?"

Every hand in the room raised.

(*)

Stan set his coffee cup down on the dull orange table. "Diss is horrible," he said, looking at the contents of the cup in disgust.

Ethan chuckled. "Yeah but the greasy eggs and cold toast more than make up for it."

"Vhy you insist on Denny's?"

"Memories," Ethan said. "Before they recruited me I was a cop. First time I had to shoot a perp my partner took me to a Denny's, and he fed me bad coffee and great advice." He smiled in reminiscence. "This keeps me sane."

"I understand ziss," Pierre said. "But I prefer more carnal pleasures." He looked at Hannah with a grin.

"Well, you'll just have to wait for Jan for that," Hannah said patting Stan's hand.

"Speaking of Janice," Ethan said. "She and Jason just came in." He stood and waved them to their table."

"Bonjour everyone," Janice said brightly as she and Jason sat at the table. "It seems all our endeavors were successful last night."

"They were," Hannah said. "Hello, Jason."

"Hannah," Jason said. "Sorry I missed the big show, but I was… unavoidably detained."

"Duty," Stan said. "Ve understand."

"It worked out, Jason," Hannah said. "I took your place and Andrew took mine."

"Good," Jason said, nodding. He reached around Stan and patted Andrew on the back. "Thanks."

"No problem," Andrew said around a mouthful of hash browns.

Jason chuckled. "At least I was able to rescue Janice from the wilds of Tennessee."

"Oui, zank you, Jason." Janice said. "It would have been a long walk to a safe location to call anozer taxi from, and I was… fatigued."

"Fatigued?" Ethan asked smirking.

"Madam Delray and I had razier a long talk."

Ethan snorted. "I thought you said 'zere is no need for prolonged brutality'."

"Zere is never a need for brutality, Ezan," Janice said with her angelic smile. "But, occasionally,"-she nodded to herself-"oui, occasionally zere is profound… desire." The deep and lustful tone in her voice took Ethan, Stan, Chen, and Jason by surprise, and it showed.

Hannah and Pierre sniggered at the looks the others had on their faces. Now, at last, they understood.

"Janice has an idea," Jason said, shaking off the chill. "A very interesting idea."

Hannah looked at her partner, and Janice smiled and nodded back. "'Annah and I have also spoken on zis," she said. Janice looked at her comrades. The cool and collected CIA man, the dashing and fearless MI5 agent, the stern and efficient Russian, the composed and serene Chinese agent, her hansom and daring Interpol boyfriend, her brilliant hacker, and her beloved partner, all looked back at her in expectation.

"We are zee best at what we do," she said. "Zis is not 'ubris, it is simple fact. It occurred to me zat we,"- she looked at them meaningfully- "we, our little club, can have a direct and powerful effect on zee prospects for world peace." She grinned at their expressions. It had never occurred to them.

"Zey had a word for me when zey were training me and analyzing my abilities. An unkind word," she said.

"And they were wrong, Jan," Hannah said taking her hand.

"Oh, I know zis," Janice said, and she smiled fondly at her partner. "But zey were right, in ways. Sociopaz implies that I would care for no one but myself, but I do care, very deeply, for you all, zee Watneys, and zier friends, zee Purnells. 'Owever outside of zat I find people a mere curiosity, and zat has allowed me to do zings most people would find abhorrent."

"I'm sure Althea Delray found that out," Andrew muttered.

Janice smiled demurely. "Yes, Andrew, she did." She looked back at her friends "But I am very concerned about 'umanity in general. You can zank zee Watneys for zat. I propose zat we form an organization of our own. Zat we work togezer for zee common good." She let them think on that for a moment. "We know, more zan anyone, how precarious zee world situation can get in a moments time. We can prevent zis, we can intervene when events are becoming untenable."

She had them, she could see it in their eyes. "Zink on zis," she said. "We will meet again in a few months to discuss it furzer… say for zee birth of zee Watney's child."

They were all lost in thought, and Janice smiled. She could see them reviewing their past, seeing points in their minds where events would have gone differently had they acted for humanity rather than country, or in Andrew's case, personal gain. It would be a difficult thing to overcome, the years of duty first, but they were all chosen for their ability to think on their feet and make accurate and informed decisions in moments. She had them.

(*)

Seven months later…

"Ow!" Mindy exclaimed.

"What," Brendon asked as he sat behind the Flight Control console.

"Eh, it's just pre-labor twinges," she said. "The OB told me they'd…" she looked down at the large puddle of water under her. "Or not. Could someone call Mark and tell him to meet me at Saint John?"

(*)

"Where's my wife?" Mark said breathlessly, bouncing from foot to foot.

The Saint John Birth Center receptionist smiled. "She's in room three, Mr. Watney." She giggled as he ran down the hall.

Deborah Park met him at the door. "Dr. Williams is in with her right now, Mark," she told him. "Give them a minute."

"She okay?" Mark asked.

Deborah smiled. "She's fine. It'll be a while yet, calm down."

"The press here?" he asked.

"They were," Deborah chuckled to herself. "Annie apparently drove Mindy over from the Center, and she met them at the door." Mindy's mother laughed. "They won't be back."

Mark laughed himself. "I've had more than a few of them say they want me back at the podium. I think they forgot while she as out how… firm she can be."

Deborah shook with silent giggles. "Well, I think 'get the fuck out you nosey bastards' got the point across."

"Love that woman," Mark said, and the door to Mindy's room opened. Dr. Williams, a short stout woman dressed in her scrubs stepped out.

"Mr. Watney," she said. "Mindy's fine. Progressing nicely. Effacement is nearly complete and she's starting to dilate, so it's probably two or three hours to show time." She looked up at him and smiled. "Still, you might want to get in there and hold her hand. It's about to get painful."

Mark opened the door and went in. Mindy smiled at him as he entered, and his heart swelled. She had never been more beautiful. "I love you so much." It just flowed out of him.

"I love you too," she said, and smiled wistfully. "We're a family tomorrow." She rubbed her belly. "The three of us."

Mark nodded, near tears. Seven years ago he would never have dreamed this would be happening. Then he knew Mindy only as 'she', now 'she' was about to become them, and he was dumfounded at his fortune. With a cheek-breaking smile of joy he pulled the chair over next to the bed, and he took the mother of his child's hand.

(*)

"Allo all," Janice said. They were gathered once again, this time in the conference room at Hannah and Janice's office. Looking out over Houston from the thirty-fifth floor they had a commanding view of the city. "Zank you for coming."

"Wouldn't miss it," Ethan said.

"'Ave you zought about what we discussed last?" she asked the group.

"Yes," Chen said. "It is an intriguing and compelling idea. How would we make it work?"

Janice nodded at the MSS agent. "Zee first and most important zing is zat we 'ave no secrets from one an' ozer."She smirked. "Zat is mostly zee case now, but we must trust each ozer completely. I feel zat we can do zis."

She saw them look around the table, assessing their compatriots. That's correct, gentlemen. You are the best of the best. You hold the fate of the world in your hands, hold it carefully.

"Oui, you see you can," she said.

"I'm actually quite enamored of the concept," Jason Hempworth said. "I've done a bit in my career already."

"As have vee all," Stan said. "I am vis you, Hannah, Janice. Politicians are a fickle bunch, vee are much more able and qualified to make the important decisions."

"Yeah," Ethan said nodding in agreement. "I noticed all our governments played in the biologics area before burning that research to the ground. We've heard rumblings of some others trying to play there. We can't let that happen."

Chen leaned in. "You knew?"

Jason laid his hand on Chen's back. "Everybody knew."

Chen shook his head and chuckled. "Good," he said. "Who are we going for, Ethan?"

"Before we start talking missions we should at least organize a little," Hannah said. "We need a person to chair the meetings, direct, make snap decisions, and I think it should be Jason. He's got the temperament for it."

Jason smiled. "Well, Hannah, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I think the first president of the… um… International Security Council, how's that, should be Janice Perrin."

"Non," Janice said. "I do not desire power or responsibility of zat kind."

"Which is exactly why it should be you," Pierre said. "Mon amour, you are able to look at zings from a dispassionate point of view few can attain. For better or worse, you are zee best choice."

"Agreed," Stan said, nodding.

Around the table her friends looked back at her with satisfied grins. They had her cornered, and they all knew it. She rolled her eyes. "Oui, d'accord," she huffed. "So, Ezan, who has been playing with zee dez of us all?"

(*)

"Thanks everyone," Annie said as she mounted the platform in the press room. "I have a statement, and then I'll take questions." She looked down at here tablet. "Yesterday afternoon at five ten Mindy Watney went into labor as she was being relieved by Brendon in Mission Control. I personally drove Mindy to Saint John, and Mark arrived about forty-five minutes later. At ten forty-three last evening, the twenty-ninth of August, twenty forty-three, Ares Frank Watney was born. Mother, son, and father are fine and no worse for the experience. The Watneys request of you, and thank you in advance for heading their request, that you allow them their space to become the family they now are. Mark, Mindy, and young Ares will make their public appearance here in the next few weeks. Until then, we and they request that you keep your distance. Questions?"