Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 8

Chapter 36: With Trinkets Like These…

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

Reuben was in his lab as he was staring at something that was in a container for further study. What is in the container? It was the afterbirth and placenta that came out of me as it was on display to be dissected to find genetic details in the long run. Dressed in his labcoat, mask, and rubber gloves, he took out a scalpel as he opened up the container where the afterbirth was preserved. By the time he cut it open, he noticed something peculiar in it as he spotted some gemstones inside of it. Getting out a tray, he set it down next to the container as he began to dig out some of the gemstones that were inside of the afterbirth. He never saw anything like it before as he cut into the afterbirth further to find more gemstones in which the largest was a heart-shaped one that shined brightly. When he cut into the placenta, he noticed some clear pearls in it as he got them out and put them with the gemstones that he got out of the afterbirth, for such trinkets were worth an Emperor's ransom in these trying times.

"Sam's gonna have a field day if he found out about this…," he said to himself.

It wasn't long until Reuben closed up the container where the afterbirth was kept while putting it back into the freezer for further study. When he gathered up the tray of gemstones, he took them into the sink as he washed them with antiseptic and antibacterial soap in which they were cleaned and sparkling just for display. Just as he was about to call it a day, he saw Minara entering into the lab as he noticed the gemstones that were there, for he never saw anything like it before until now.

"What is all this?" he asked.

"Those aren't Cracker Jack prizes, but they're worth the average pension of those who work every day," said Reuben as he took off his surgical attire. "These gemstones are unique, but normally, they've been produced by typical mollusks such as oysters, clams, and mussels. The ones that I procured came from the afterbirth that came out of Sam after we delivered the twins."

"Does he know about this?"

"No, but we can't show them off, either. Gemstones like these are worth a fortune in which one of them could keep a poor man fed till he's off to the nursing home."

Minara picked up one of the gemstones as he saw it to be the same color as the jeweled sigil on my forehead. He never saw anything like it before as such a rare jewel would be worth more than oil or gold, for this was something new that I had done recently. By the time he put it back, he heard the door to the lab opening as he noticed Bruce coming to see what was going on, for he was there to pass the time while overseeing the castle of Skald Island.

"Something tells me that you found those inside of an oyster," he said.

"Those trinkets that were found actually came from the afterbirth that was procured out of Sam's body," said Reuben. "He's no slouch, but the trinkets that came from what he bore will be worth an Emperor's ransom by today's standards."

"Having three surgeries can do a number on Sam…"

"He had four surgeries. The first was when he went on that rescue mission to save Dean and Reiko from the clutches of Severin in that abandoned factory on Earendil. He fell from the floor in which the fall caused damage to his right hand and shoulder."

"I remember looking into the archives and the Supernatural books in which his past self sustained injuries similar to what he went through in the Elder Days."

"Don't forget; Sam's still recovering from the caesarian section that he had," said Minara. "As for what was found in the afterbirth, we can't let anyone steal it." He looks at the tray full of trinkets on the counter. "Sam really brought out a college fund for the children in his care. Therefore, he's been there to watch over everyone due to the fact that he's been through everything that got thrown at him. For the record, family doesn't end with blood… No, family never ends with blood, it continues through those who are aiding in the fight, no matter what gets thrown at you."

Minara made his point clear as he was there to help me get through with what I had. We both endured being pregnant as we also had to be there for our families, for it was one reason to pull through during my long furlough...

It was a daunting day as I was out of the infirmary wing again while sitting in my wheelchair. Even though it was time to go to the conference in the Valinorian capital of Rivendell, everything was delayed as the storm kept causing problems to the ships that were parked near the harbor. Looking out of the window, I saw another ship next to Marthonus' as it was a Valinorian liner that was made by the Mahoney Clan. I never expected to see anything like it before, but it was also grounded due to the weather that kept causing trouble for the Norsefolk who lived here on Skald Island. The sound of the wind was loud as I heard it all over the place until I was ready to return to my room. Just as I was about to do so, I saw Reiko standing in front of me as she didn't want me to leave, for she also didn't want me to have an accident while going up to our room.

"Oh, no you don't," she said to me. "You're staying in the infirmary after what happened to you yesterday."

"Busted again," I said as I sighed.

"You've also gave birth to our little ones, Sammy. I know that you're still sore, but you can't jump the gun this time."

"I know, but I don't like being confined in hospital rooms. I feel comfortable in our own room with you anyway."

"Reuben said that you fell down quite a few times without the assistance of your wheelchair. Your body is still on the mend after you gave birth to our little ones not too—"

"Hey! Come back with the baby!"

I saw Ghimru running with Kazuko in his arms again as he had Jill following him. It wasn't long until Reiko stopped him as she collected the baby and handed her to me. I wasn't too happy with my son as he was standing there with a guilty look on his face. With Jill hot on his heels, she was eager to take him out of the infirmary wing as she was also not too happy with him for snatching Kazuko out of the nursery, for the little one was too young to be carted around too much.

"I'm sorry about this," she said.

"It's fine, Jill," said Reiko as she later stared at Ghimru. "As for you, young man, Kazuko and Giles are not playthings to cart around with. They're newborns that were delivered by your Uncle Reuben and Uncle Minara when they cut Daddy open to get them out."

"I'm sorry…," he said.

"It's okay, but you shouldn't be running off with your baby sister like that," I said.

"Little Kazuko is still delicate," said Jill cautiously. "Therefore, we should bring her back to the nursery where you found her."

"But she's hungry and she wants her milkies," said Ghimru.

It wasn't long until I noticed Kazuko fidgeting in which I heard her crying in hunger again. This was highly unlikely again as I had to do my best to calm her down. What I also didn't expect was that Aora was in the hall with the Giles in his arms as he was also crying in hunger. Reiko took the baby out of Aora's arms as she saw him fidgeting for his lunch. It was bad timing, but we had to take care of the babies the moment we went into one of the lounges the moment the older children were giving us some space to do it. When I wheeled myself next to a chair, Reiko sat down in it as we both were more than likely to be feeding our youngest twins.

"The two of you aren't making this easy, are you?" she said as she opened up the top part of her dress. "You and your sister happen to be very picky when it comes to milk." She exposes one of her breasts as she notices Giles latching onto her. "At least I'm helping Daddy out so you won't go hungry, my little darling."

It wasn't long until I opened my robe with my pectorals exposed in which I felt Kazuko latching onto me. I was happy to care for her as I felt a sense of bliss while nursing her. Even Reiko noticed me feeling less stressed as she was happy that I wasn't as anxious as I was before. By the time we finished feeding Kazuko and Giles, we were ready to leave the sitting room until we saw the door opening up to see Carly and Kanna with the other sets in which they were dressed in winter clothing. I was blessed to have my family with me as I even noticed Jill coming in with the older ones in which they couldn't get enough of seeing the new arrivals, for the concept of it has never ended with blood.

"They couldn't wait, Sam," said Jill.

"And we have a hair puller," I said as I noticed Mary-Rose grabbing at the long silver hair that I had.

"You're in trouble!" yelled Carly as she glared at Ghimru. "You know that Mr. Sam's still too sore after he gave birth and you can't take the babies out of the nursery!"

"He already knows, fusspot," I said.

"Where are Dirk and Gyatso?" asked Reiko.

"They're in the kitchen helping Uncle Minara," said Aora.

"It's true," said Kanna. "From what I heard, they're making baked pears for breakfast."

"Then it's time to eat anyway. After this, the older children will be off to school, you got that?"

"But today's Saturday. There's no school until Monday."

"It's also windy in which it's also a sign of a storm coming," I said.

I was blessed to have everyone in the room as I felt the stress melting away for another day. Still, the storm was blowing as it wasn't safe for any spaceship or seaship to be travelling in due to the weather, for it was a reprieve from all the toils that came and went in the past week…

Dirk and Gyatso were on their way to the infirmary wing to see me. Both boys were taking a break from helping out as they were wanting to find me here. What they didn't expect was that Reuben, Minara, and Bruce were getting out of the lab as they wanted to know what was going on. Both boys had plenty of curiosity as they decided to go into the lab in which they noticed plenty of medicines and medical tools that were adorning the cabinets. It was at that moment when Gyatso spotted the tray of trinkets on the counter as he looked at them carefully. He never saw anything like it before as he picked up the heart-shaped gemstone that was in there, for he was wanting to have something to give to Reiko for Christmas, which was next month.

"Check it out," he said as he showed Dirk the heart-shaped gemstone. "This is a perfect gift for Reiko. All we need is to take it to a jeweler and make a necklace out of it."

"It's way too big to fit into a pendant base," he said. "Something like that could be worth a lot of money compared to the decent work that the people here for peanuts."

"If we can't give it to Reiko, we can sell it for money just to help to do our job to help out in the castle."

"We should also tell Sam first before—"

"What are you doing in here?" asked Reuben as he returned to the lab.

"And we're busted…" Both Dirk and Gyatso turn around to see Reuben standing in front of them as they put the gemstone back into the tray. "I guess we'll go and report to Sam about the trinkets we found."

"Those 'trinkets' are for medical research, not odds and ends that can be mistaken for cheap bling."

"'Medical research?'" said Gyatso. "Did they come from an oyster or something?"

"No, the myriad of gemstones came from the afterbirth that was procured from Sam's body after he had that caesarian section."

"Are you telling us that those gemstones came out of Sam?" asked Dirk.

"They are, but they can't be taken out of the lab right now."

"I heard of Carly telling us about Sam carrying a baby, but having him produce gemstones and pearls like an oyster? He's got everything in him but the kitchen sink."

It wasn't long until I caught up to Dirk and Gyatso as I was more than likely to be ushering them out of the lab. What I also noticed was the treasure that was on the table as I wheeled myself into the lab to examine it the moment I noticed the heart-shaped gemstone that was there. What I also noticed was the afterbirth that came out of me as it was in a container for further tests in which I was astonished to see what I bore alongside the newborns that I gave birth to. Picking up the gemstone, I examined it carefully as I saw it to be crafted to perfection. I also examined the other gemstones and clear pearls as they were the most beautiful treasure that I ever saw, for they were crafted from what was in me the whole time.

"I've never expected myself to produce gemstones like this until now," I said.

"Reuben said that they came out of the afterbirth that you had," said Dirk.

"The gemstones also radiate the raw power that I have in me, but I have an idea on how to create some jewelry out of them."

"No, absolutely not," said Reuben sternly. "Those gemstones are for medical research, not to make bling with."

"There's nothing wrong with them, is there?" said Gyatso.

"Those gemstones have a hint of raw power in them and if they get into the wrong hands, we're toast. We can't risk it, no matter what."

I put back the gemstones into the tray as I ushered Dirk and Gyatso out of the lab. When we went into the hall, we stopped at one of lounge rooms in which we entered into it the moment we sat down and were here to make sure that there was no trouble here. Still, the sight of the gemstones was a feast for the eyes, but no one was allowed to take them because of the fact that they were medical research instead of seeing them as an elegant necklace or brooch. I couldn't argue with my half-brother as he was also concerned about how my raw power produced such gemstones like a large mollusk. It was for the best not to get too involved with what the Medical Corps were doing, for I was used to what was put up for testing anyway.

"It's not fair," said Gyatso downheartedly.

"I know, but you can't go against the protocol of the Medical Corps," I said.

"It's a shame that those gemstones won't be sold to the highest bidder," said Dirk.

"I know, but you can't disobey Reuben on this one. He's been in medicine for a long time, but he's also cautious when it comes to keeping under wraps in the Order."

"I just wish that Reuben wouldn't be a wet blanket all the time," said Gyatso. "Didn't those gemstones come out of you like an oyster producing pearls?"

"They did, but Reuben still lays claim to them."

"Well, he's still a wet blanket…"

"You shouldn't call him like that. He may be stern, but he means while when it comes to collecting all sorts of medical data, especially when it comes from me."

It wasn't a day to pilfer treasure as we all had to be careful when it came to dealing with what was once inside of my body. The gemstones were a feast for the eyes, but under strict research as they weren't going anywhere for a while, for they were the most beautiful of all…

Maro was in one of the slug roe homes across from the castle as he was keeping himself hidden from the wrath of Seto. He was carefully reading the signs as he was aware of me already giving birth a week ago. He was more than likely to be snatching me away from the castle as he would stop at nothing to get me back on the battlefield. Still, there was no luck as he was still feeling the collar around his neck giving him trouble. He was persistent, but he refused to take no for an answer from those who ran the Grey Havens or the renegade demons who were hiding from Abaddon, who was the current Queen of Hell. Grabbing a set of binoculars, he used them as he was scoping out the castle in which he noticed me alone, but not without the presence of Dirk and Gyatso there with me, for it was another failure to his list of misshaps.

"Still clinging to your furlough, Sam?" he said to himself. "Even though Reuben and Minara took out the excess baggage, you can still return to field work and put an end to the Executive Division and stop this war."

Maro was waiting for the right time to catch me off guard as he watched me leave the lounge in the infirmary wing. He wasn't about to give up on taking me back to the field as he was also keeping a tally of what was going on in my absence. He was also aware of the caesarian section that I went through as I was still sore despite the fact that I was sealed up with a laser scalpel. He had to act as he would soon put his plan into motion in which he left the slug roe home and was ready to go towards the castle. Just as he was about to do so, he was stopped by Ferdinand as he wasn't having it, for he was still in the doghouse as usual.

"So, you're still trying to force Sam to go back on the battlefield after he endured the overexertion of his raw power," he said.

"You never quit, do you, Amara?" said Maro.

"Don't even try to deadname me!" Ferdinand was displaying an aura as it was shaped like the Mark of Cain. "I've been tailing you for a while, Maro. I was a once a woman back in the day in which I was the certified tramp stamp for the Father of Murder. When I was released, I caused all sorts of mayhem until I was brought to terms with Chuck after I restored the sun in the Elder Days."

"That was sweet, but Chuck broke bad when things went sideways. We all know that He hates seeing great stories come to and end against his wishes. No wonder He invoked His own wrath against the Winchesters of Old in the Elder Days."

"I know because I was once absorbed into my Brother until Totsuka separated me from Him. That was when I up and kicked Him in the balls. Fun times, right? Still, I visit my Brother to remind him not to interfere with Sam's continued convalescence, but His efforts into amping up his pregnancy caused a chain reaction in the central part of the Ashizoka System. With the Destiny of Worlds already in a row, there's one obstacle left and that's Project Helios that's housed in the Sol-4 while it floats above Valinorian airspace, but our six-foot-four tall god needs to recover and not go in half-cocked like that."

"That doesn't mean that I'll stop harassing Sam into returning to the field. Everyone needs him in which we can put this ongoing war to an end. The Executive Division has more allies in their arsenal than a Swiss Army knife in which they even have the Blight at their disposal. Sam will return to the field and I will make sure of it, even if it means by dragging him by that long silver hair of his."

"If you do that, then you can experience more pain than what my Father and Jack can inflict, so knock it off! And another thing, Sparky, you can't expect an injured soldier to ice skate uphill or go back on stage like some washed up K-pop idol who had his licks or a racehorse that's about to be taking a one-way trip to the glue factory. You can't force Sam to go back to the field in which his overexertion of raw power has damaged him in many ways than one. Sorry to say it, sweet cheeks, but you can't bet on an injured racehorse forever. Sam needs to heal or else there won't be anything left to count on just to end this war."

Maro was reeling with disappointment as Ferdinand disappeared without a trace. Defeated at the harsh words of the one known as the Darkness, he was in the doghouse as he was still fiddling at the collar around his neck. He was backed in a corner. There were no other options left as he was seeing me in my "safe space" in which he noticed the other children in my care surrounding me. He was starting to get jealous of my "moral support" as he later noticed the presence of the two newborns that I gave birth to. His continuous jealousy of my babies kept him on edge as he wanted to do his damnedest to cause misery to me, but the collar around his neck continued to give him more discomfort than he ever imagined. He hated the collar after what went down as his continuous harassment towards me was later put to a halt, for he had his "just desserts" in the form of humiliation from those in the Grey Havens' personal pantheon. What he didn't expect on the horizon was that something was afoot as a shadowy intruder was there, for he had to follow whoever was there before it was too late...

Later on in the evening, I was in my hospital room as I had no other choice but to stay put in here until I was able enough. After being forced to be in here at the behest of Reiko, it was necessary for me as my room was upstairs without a lifter to bring me up with my wheelchair. I didn't blame her for doing so as she didn't want me to fall down the stairs. Even though I had my meals with my family in the lounge, I was still feeling sore from giving birth as I was also lactating and not stopping. It wasn't fun for me to be filled with milk as I would soon be up and alert to check up on the newborns that were in the nursery. Still, I had to go there as I got up out of bed in which I opened up the drawer to the nightstand in which I found the pocketwatch that was given to me. Opening it up, I looked at the time carefully as it was almost nine in the evening, for it was past the bedtime for the older children anyway.

When I got out of my hospital room, I noticed Reuben walking in the hall as he was heading into the lab where the gemstones were procured. I followed him as I entered into the room in which I saw him examining the heart-shaped gemstone in which it was shining with a bright radiance despite the fact that it came directly from the afterbirth that was in my body. Still, the trinket was worth an Emperor's ransom, but it had to be put away from the eyes of the public, for it was something that didn't came out of a mollusk after all.

"What are you doing out of bed?" he asked me.

"What are you doing in the lab?" I said.

"I was still looking at those things that came out of you. The raw power that generates in them could end up in the wrong hands if not careful."

"The heart-shaped one still catches your eye, doesn't it?" I notice Reuben handing it to me as he saw me examining it carefully. "I've read about how the average run-of-the-mill mollusks produce pearls and gemstones over the years while thriving in many bodies of water, such as the ocean, lakes, rivers, and streams. I never expected to see myself like a mollusk and produce such exquisite gemstones like the ones we have here."

"Dean's gonna have a field day when he hears of this…"

Without warning, we heard the sound of a window breaking as we left the lab and rushed out into the hall. What we didn't expect was that a suspicious person was standing in front of us as he was dressed in black the moment he had a weapon in his hands. I sensed that the intruder was up to something as the weapon in his hands was a gun with a laser pointer as he was aiming directly at me. I never expected someone like that to come towards me as he was ready to shoot at me, for he meant business in the form of my demise.

"Sam, look out!" yelled Reuben as he got me out of the way.

A shot rang out as it hit the wall in which neither one of us was hurt. The intruder was ready to fire another shot in which it rang out again, but was blocked by someone that was the proverbial thorn in my side for a while. With the assassin fleeing, his getaway was dashed as his head was getting twisted to the point of him falling dead with my savior still standing. Getting back up, I noticed Maro as he was gasping in pain as he took out the bullet from his chest. He was fighting for his life as he also felt the poison from the bullet causing him further harm. He was done for, but after all that he done to me, I couldn't stoop to his level as I walked towards him with the heart-shaped gemstone in my hand.

"Sam, what are you doing?" yelled Reuben as he saw me lay Maro down on the floor.

"I know that you keep harassing me to get back on the field, but I won't stoop so low to let you die," I said as I unbuttoned Maro's shirt. "For a while, you put me through hell, but that doesn't mean that I can let you suffer eternal torment from those who want you out of the way, especially Abaddon."

In that moment, I used the heart-shaped gemstone in my hand as I shoved it directly into Maro's chest. The impact of the raw power that radiated from the gemstone cleared the poison from his body as it healed him directly in which an imprint was protruding from where he took the bullet earlier. He never expected me to save him in return as he was also the tormentor who ended up taking the bullet in my stead. I would've kicked him further to the curve, but I was taught better than that as he ended up saving my life in return, for he would soon be another acolyte in my pantheon so far.

"I was expected to die, but why did you spare me after all I put you through?" he asked me.

"I didn't want to stoop to such lows after what you put me through," I said.

"I took a bullet for you, Sammy…" Maro sits up as he buttons his shirt. "Isn't that awesome?"

"You may have saved Sam's life, but you can't hang around here," said Reuben.

"I know because I'm a Crossroads demon that has a knack for getting clocked by Seto every ten seconds." The sound of a whistle was heard in the distance as Maro went towards the window in order to flee. "Happy trails, Bullwinkle. I hope that I'll see you again really soon."

It wasn't long until we noticed Seto bursting into the hallway as she noticed Maro trying to make a break for it. He was cornered as he had his hands up in which he surrendered without further delay. When she saw me and Reuben there, she was glad that we were unharmed, but when she noticed the dead body of the intruder, she walked closer to him as she tore open his shirt in which she noticed a tattoo of a black dragon on his chest. Her suspicions were confirmed as she noticed the corpse on the floor, for it was yet another assassin from one of the usual suspects who were mainly wanting me dead.

"Well, aren't you gonna clock me for being a bad boy?" said Maro as he stood still.

"No, but you're treading a fine line now when Sam put that gemstone of raw power into your body after you took a bullet in his stead," said Seto.

"I had to follow the assassin here in which he was in the neighborhood while bypassing the ferries coming and going from the mainlands on this planet."

"And yet another killer from the Black Dragon Guild came here to kill me," I said.

"You're lucky that our hipster tormentor took a bullet for you, but the Black Dragon Guild won't stop until you're snuffed out completely, Sam. You've been a target since day one in which they perceived you as a threat after the end of the First Galvanic Uprising." Several troops from the Hunter Corps arrive and collect the corpse of the intruder as they leave the hall. "The fun never ends, does it, Sam? By the way, congratulations on enduring the Miracle-Gro birth that Chuck helped to quicken, but rotten luck came His way in the form of the four remaining planets of the central part of the Ashizoka System. Don't forget tomorrow's conference in Rivendell. You're gonna need all the luck you can get."

It wasn't long until Seto and Maro took their leave as I was alone with Reuben. The both of us went back to the lab as we saw the remaining gemstones in the tray in which we had them except the heart-shaped one that I had to shove into Maro earlier. We saw them to be glowing as they were the most radiant of all rarities that were there. After all that was said and done, we were ready to call it a night as we also had to go to the conference, for it would be a long day indeed.

"It's a shame that we got rid of the heart-shaped gemstone," said Reuben.

"I had no choice," I said. "Maro took a bullet for me after all those times he kept tormenting me to return to the field. I would've left him to die, but he would end up in Hell's dungeon and Abaddon shows no mercy to the renegade demons who fear her cruel reign."

"And in return, you used that gemstone to save him from death." He sees the top part of my robe getting wet as he notices me feeling the full brunt of my pectorals swollen with milk. "You're leaking… again! You could've warned me earlier."

I went back to my hospital room as I noticed my knees buckling. I was up for too long as I crawled back into bed in which I later noticed Minara coming in here with Kazuko in his arms. She was crying in hunger as she was also fidgeting and trying to get free, but to no avail. I noticed him handing her over to me as I opened up my robe to expose my pectorals again. When I felt her latching onto me, I allowed her to nurse off of me as she tasted the milk that I had, for she was a very finicky baby.

"If you're worrying about Giles, Reiko already fed him earlier," said Minara.

"I take it that she's been busy with the other children to the point of not going to bed," I said as I continued to nurse Kazuko. "She's done so much in which she even helps me feed the newborns in our care."

"It's because you don't have enough milk in your pectorals. In Kazuko's case, she prefers it that way because every time you feed either her or Giles, you have this sense of bliss instead of being stressed out all the time."

I finished up feeding Kazuko as I felt her unlatching from me while I burped her. What I didn't expect was that she fell asleep on my chest as she heard the sound of my heartbeat. I also didn't want to move from the bed as I also had to be careful not to wake my newborn daughter. What I didn't expect was that Reiko entered into the room as she noticed me there with one of our babies as she didn't want to take her yet, for she noticed our little one to be content after being fed earlier.

"Our little darling," she said as she smiled warmly.

"I heard that you fed Giles earlier," I said.

"He was fidgety, but I fed him before he fell asleep in the nursery."

"Kazuko kept fretting in which I also didn't want her to wake up the other small children," said Minara. "I've had my fair share of leaky pecs after I kept nursing Sayoko, but there was a sense of euphoria that kept me from all that stress."

"You can't be in here!"

Without warning, I heard Reuben yelling as I heard footsteps approaching. What I didn't expect was that Neville was here as he was staring directly at me and Minara. He had ill intentions towards us as he viewed us more than just members of the Order, but breeding tools. I was fearing the worst as I gave Kazuko over to Reiko as she saw Neville coming towards us, for he was also aware of the birth of our twins.

"It seems that the two Incubators are here at once," he said.

"Reiko, get Kazuko out of here," I said as I saw her flee with our daughter without a trace.

"Ruby may have protested against me coming to see you, but I'm also part of the Atreidian delegation just to take you away after this conference is over."

"Like hell you are!" yelled Minara as he displayed his angelic aura. "I won't let you take us to be in your collection! No wonder Marthonus has a disdain for you!"

"It seems that an Incubator made his way to the past in which he met a certain baby in a trenchcoat along the way. For the record, if Sam destroys Project Helios and ends this war, he will certainly be with child again and so will you… Minara Mitani!"

It wasn't long until we noticed Neville being dragged out of the room as if a telekinetic grip pushed him out of the hall like a vacuum sucking up dirt. Minara rushed out of there as he saw him being taken out of the infirmary wing the moment he spotted Maro standing in the distance. He was exuberant in "showing Neville out the door" as he refused to let any more harm come towards me, for he remembered how lenient I was when I saved him from death earlier.

"Neville Schacter is one Grand Pooh-Bah of a douchebag," he said.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Minara. "Are you forcing Sam to go back on the battlefield again?"

"No…, that ship has sailed after getting a warning from Ferdinand earlier. That was also when I noticed that assassin coming towards Sam. He took a ferry from the mainlands in which he made it to Skald Island just to go in and execute him, but I got in the way and took a bullet in his stead. Thankfully, our big-hearted Bullwinkle took one of the gemstones that he generated from his body and placed it into me before I went back downstairs to face the wrath of Abaddon. As for the assassin, he came from the Black Dragon Guild like the rest who want Sam's head on a silver platter."

"The Black Dragon Guild has always hunted Sam for a while, but they've been persistent on killing him to no end. As for Neville coming here, Sam's gonna have to watch his back around him. His obsession on keeping Incubators at his homestead on Atreides has ruffled a lot of feathers in which he wants them as tools to be housing the unborn of the Fallen. Most planetary governments forbid the forced imprisonment of those against their wills when it comes to the involuntary breeding just to add to the perceived 'declining birthrates.' As for the gene banks of the Fallen, they've been hidden for centuries, but there are a few that have been accessed just for either infertile couples or same-sex ones. As for me and Sam, we're neither Incubators or weapons. All the same, we're just simple Men of Letters and nothing more."

Minara made his point as he didn't want to be put into Neville's collection. He also didn't want me to be another breeding tool to the latter's sick narrative as there was an agenda all his own, for everyone all over the Ashizoka System forbade forced involuntary breeding altogether…

Reiko was in the nursery tending to the younger children as she was vigilant into watching over them. Even though she got Kazuko out of the way, she couldn't let her out of her sight along with Giles as they were sleeping in their bassinet. It wasn't long until she was starting to feel drowsy until she noticed me out of the infirmary wing to check up on her, for we were both tired from our daily duties until tomorrow.

"It's very daunting to look after the younger children," she said.

"I know, but it's also daunting to be in the infirmary wing," I said.

"We'll go to bed just for tonight, but after this, you need to return to the infirmary wing."

"Fair enough…"

I followed Reiko out of the nursery as we went towards the bathhouse. Both of us were wanting a break as we took off our clothes and placed them into the hamper. We were cleaning ourselves in the wash basin as we were fatigued from all that has happened. It was a whirlwind of trouble, but we faced it as another day was dawning afterwards. By the time we finished cleaning ourselves, we went to the bathtub that was filled with hot water as we got into it. We had our alone time in a while as we couldn't get enough of each other, but we also had to take care of the newest set of twins, for they were the most precious that we had.

"It was such a long day," I said.

"So much has happened," said Reiko.

"I know, my darling…" I held Reiko's hand warmly as I was happy to have her with me. "I've been through so much in my furlough, but the thought of stopping Project Helios still looms over me."

"Project Helios will wait for another day, Sammy. Your health is more important right now."

I was happy that I wasn't on the field as I held Reiko close to me. I felt more calmer as I continued to hold Reiko in my arms in which I was also stroking her long hair. I also felt the need to take her, but we both had to hold off on that until the newborns got a little older in which we were also helping out with the usual feedings from time to time. Although, Reiko was used to breastfeeding, I was just a rookie when it came to dealing with the usual latchings from either Kazuko or Giles respectively. I also loved every moment with the newborns that came out quick as they were the most precious that I carted in me before I gave birth, for it was very much worth it when it came to focusing on my physical and mental health so far…

Maro was back in the slug roe home as he was in the bathroom taking a shower. Even though he still had that collar around his neck, he was also dealing with an imprint of raw power embedded in his chest as it was foreign to him. He was a Crossroads demon, but having to have something like that in him was new in which he had to deal with it. After he finished his shower, he dried himself off as he got dressed in his robe before going to his room. Even though he loathed the imprint, it proved to be a godsend to him as it repelled Abaddon's search for him, for he feared her wrath due to her status as the Queen of Hell after all.

"You've done good, Bullwinkle," he said to himself as he entered his room and sat down on the bed.

He laid down on the bed as he was starting to have unusual feelings about the usual situation at hand. What he didn't expect was that he was starting to develop a backbone like most renegade demons who have a terrible loathing for Abaddon and what she stood for. By the time he crawled into bed, he took off his glasses as he curled up in the blankets that shielded him from the cold. The warmth of what he was experiencing was new to him, but he wasn't without his demonic quirks in which he was also longing for something more than just his antics, for he had a long way to go when it came to his own journey of self-discovery.

"Oh, what a bizarre world we're in," he said to himself as he sat up in his bed. "The galaxy has plenty of problems, but I know now that I was defeated by my own whim in the end… You really outdid yourself, isn't that right, Bullwinkle?"

It wasn't long until Maro spotted a white crow perched outside as it was on top of an old tree branch. He knew of the sight of one of them to be a bad omen as there was no end in sight of this ongoing war that has plagued the galaxy since General Wetzel started it up in the first place…

To be continued...