Mira groaned as she seated herself on the couch in her and Buzz's living room, incomplete paperwork in hand. She wasn't sure how many more boring days at home she could take. Though she was looking forward to the adventure of being a mother, she was also eager to get back into the action she'd been missing out on since being put on maternity leave. Commander Nebula would occasionally give Mira some paperwork to do so she'd feel she was at least doing something useful for Star Command, and the boys always kept her up to date on the team's latest escapades across the galaxy, but it wasn't the same as actually being on the mission on person.
"Sort, fold, send," the Tangean mumbled to herself as she leafed through the paperwork. "Sort, fold, send ..."
Since Tangean pregnancies didn't last as long as human ones, and the twins were part human (as well as part Morphian on their father's side), the doctors couldn't provide a proper due date. All they could do was give Buzz and Mira an estimated time period during which the babies could possibly be born. Mira thought of all the weekends Buzz had spent setting up the nursery. At first the space ranger insisted that he could handle most of the work by himself; but after accidentally spilling an entire can of paint all over the north wall of the nursery, as well as on some of the furniture, he agreed to let Booster and XR help - which they were more than happy to do, of course.
In a corner of the room was a pile of gifts Buzz and Mira had been sent by their friends. So far there were those nice hand-woven blankets Booster's parents had sent; the space-themed musical mobile and baby monitors from Rocket and Melanie; the cute little outfits from Fop and Bonnie; those darling animal onesies made from ethically-sourced Altairian Lamapaca wool from Ty and Ozma; the teething rings, stuffed animals and other toys from Ian and Teresa. For his gift, XR tried to set up a security system of sorts in the nursery ("You know, in case of kidnappers," he said), but unfortunately Buzz had to take it down due to safety concerns.
Poor XR, Mira thought. He was just trying to be helpful. Even when things didn't work out.
Now, with the soonest possible due date having already passed, and the latest possible due date only two weeks away, the nursery was finished and ready for the arrival of the little Lightyear-Nova twins.
Wanting a break from the boredom, Mira placed the papers on the coffee table in front of her and turned her attention to the photographs adorning the walls. There was one of Buzz as a small boy sitting on his Nana's lap, along with some of other moments in Buzz's life. His first Junior Space Ranger meeting; at Cosmo's with Warp, Ty, and Rocket during their Academy days; his graduation from the Space Ranger Academy; the day he received his first award; the day he, Mira, XR, and Booster officially became Team Lightyear ...
Was it really almost six years ago? Mira thought. It feels like it was only yesterday I was a rebellious rookie fresh out of the Academy, teaming up with an annoying talking tin can, a clumsy but kind-hearted janitor, and the pride of Star Command himself to free the Unimind and the galaxy from the clutches of evil ...
A sudden kick in the ribs from one of her unborn twins jolted Mira out of her thoughts. Craters! Not again! the mother-to-be thought, clenching her teeth as she clapped a hand to her side in an attempt to ease the pain, then started to take deep steady breaths until the pain subsided.
"Whichever one of you did that, you are grounded for a week as soon as you are born! Do you hear me, young man or lady?"
The babies remained still for a minute, as if in shame. Then one of them started to wiggle, and its sibling soon joined in.
Of course, Mira could never stay mad at her twins for long, no matter how hard they kicked her. Smiling, the mother-to-be leaned into the back of the couch, placed a hand on her swollen belly, and started to hum softly while the little ones within her womb continued to kick and squirm. As she started to relax, her mind began to drift back to almost eight months ago, when Buzz first brought up the idea of parenthood.
Though she and Buzz enjoyed spending time with their friends' kids - Carter and Quentin, Rocket and Melanie's boys; Samuel, Ty and Ozma's son; and sweet little Amy, Ian and Theresa's daughter - Mira was still surprised when Buzz first told her he wanted to have a baby. Her father did agree to their marriage under the condition that whichever of their future offspring was most Tangean-like would succeed him as ruler of Tangea, but he never gave any indication that he was expecting the couple to have children anytime soon. Also, having a baby would mean she'd be stuck at home most of the time while Buzz and the boys continued to go on missions and have exciting adventures. Buzz assured her he'd do his fair share of looking after the kid so she could take on a mission every now and then, but Mira still said she'd have to think about it.
Some time after that initial discussion, Buzz and Mira decided to have a relaxing date night after a hectic week at Star Command. They had dinner at a nice restaurant (not a super-fancy one, but still nicer than the restaurants they usually went to), saw a movie, did some sight-seeing and a bit of shopping around Capital City, and stopped at Cosmic Crunchies for some slushies on the way home. It was back at home and while the two were getting ready for bed that the baby thought once again occurred to Mira.
She was in the bathroom, just finished with brushing her teeth and was now putting on her night gown.
It would be the perfect way to wrap up a wonderful date night, the Tangean ranger thought. But do I really want this, and not just because Buzz wants to jump on the baby train with our friends? And, most importantly, are we even ready for this?
She remembered talks with her friends who already had kids of their own. Though they loved their children dearly and wouldn't give them up for anything in the universe, they did warn their friend about the difficulties of pregnancy and parenthood, and spared no details - the morning sickness, the cravings, the mood swings, the labor pains, the sleepless nights of comforting a crying baby, the seemingly endless diaper-changes, the occasional feelings of guilt, resentment, and inadequacy ...
"Parenthood is no mission for the faint of heart," Melanie Kuiper-Crocket told her. "Like crossing the event horizon of a black hole, there will be no turning back. The challenges will be great." The woman paused to place a hand on her alien friend's shoulder. "But the rewards will be greater."
Melanie's words reminded Mira of her first day of training at the Space Ranger Academy. Everything seemed so new and even scary to her then. At times she would feel like she'd made a mistake, that maybe she wasn't space ranger material after all. But then she'd remember the reasons why she'd joined Star Command to begin with, and what the legendary Buzz Lightyear had told her the day she met him.
"You never win if you're busy counting the reasons you'll lose."
The Tangean took a step back from the bathroom mirror and stared at her reflection, a confident and determined expression on her face.
She was ready.
Alright, Ranger Nova; let's go rev up his rockets!
Several frustrating weeks of negative pregnancy tests and 'trying again' would follow. In spite of the doctors' assurances that it was common for inter-species couples to have difficulty conceiving, Mira still worried that something might be wrong with her or Buzz. Buzz, sensing a possible strain on his and Mira's relationship about to form, suggested they take a break from trying to conceive for awhile. They weren't running a race with their friends, he said, and if they did conceive it would happen when it happened.
A few days after that, while Mira was making breakfast, the Tangean began to feel a little queasy. Buzz suggested she stay home and offered to get someone else to cover her shift at Star Command, but Mira, adamant as always, insisted she was fine.
But her stomach felt worse as the day progressed. By the time her lunch break rolled around, Mira was so nauseous she couldn't even go into the cafeteria without gagging.
"Mira, you're looking rather green around the gills today," XR remarked. "How about Booster and I escort you to the med bay?"
Mira shook her head. "No thanks, XR. I'm sure whatever this is, it isn't serious."
Booster, however, wasn't buying it. "I don't think so, Mira. You should at least lie down for awhile. Why don't you go wait on the couch in the break room while I make you a cup of tea? We'll get someone else to cover the rest of -"
Mira shoved the Jo-Adian's large but gentle hand off her shoulder. "I'M FINE!" she shouted, but as soon as the cafeteria door opened, the sudden overwhelming smells of scalloped potatoes, broccoli casserole, and Irish beef stew pushed the Tangean's sensitive stomach over the edge, causing her to throw up - all over Ty, who was just leaving the cafeteria!
"YEEEAAUUGGHHH!" Ty cried out in disgust as the contents of Mira's stomach splashed all over his space ranger suit. "I just had this thing cleaned and polished!"
Mira, shocked and embarrassed by what had just happened, threw herself into Booster's arms in an attempt to hide her face. As other rangers gathered around to see what was going on, XR immediately went to work shooing them away.
"Everyone get back! This zone is contaminated!" Ejecting a mop from his chassis, the robot quickly added, "But fear not! Janitorial is on the job!"
Ty, forgetting about his ruined space suit for the moment, reached out a hand to comfort Mira.
"Come on," he said soothingly. "Let's just get you to the med bay and see what's wrong. Alright?"
Mira quietly accepted Ty's hand and allowed him to lead her away while the crowd dispersed and Booster and XR began to clean up the mess.
"I - I'm so sorry about your space suit, Ty," the Tangean said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Hey, don't worry about it," the older ranger responded with a shrug. "You just reminded me I'm going to have to get used to that all over again in a few months anyway."
Mira smiled a little, forgetting about her embarrassment for the moment as she and Ty continued toward the med bay.
"Buzz Lightyear, please report to the med bay at once! I repeat, Buzz Lightyear to the med bay at once!"
Buzz was surprised, as well as confused, to hear Dr. Plutoni asking for him over the intercom; however, he immediately headed for the med bay as requested. As he boarded the elevator that would take him to the next floor, the space ranger wondered what the reason for this order could be.
The doctors didn't find anything unusual on my medical scans, I hope.
As he stepped off the elevator, Buzz could hear several other rangers talking in the hallway. Since so many were talking at once, he wasn't quite sure what they were saying, but as soon as he heard someone mention Mira, he found himself sprinting the rest of the way to the med bay.
I knew I should have made her stay home! Why does she always have to be so stubborn? I just hope she's okay ..!
When Buzz arrived at the med bay, he found Booster, Ty, and XR in one of the waiting rooms. XR was pacing back and forth in front of the door that led to the hall of examination rooms while the other two watched him. All three had worried expressions on their faces, which did nothing to calm the uneasy feeling that was brewing in the space ranger's stomach.
"What's taking so long in there?" XR wailed. "Is she alright? You don't suppose they'll have to operate, do you? What if she doesn't make it? What will we tell her father?" The robot dropped to the floor on his knees, hands pressed against either side of his helmet as he continued his over-the-top lament. "Oooohhhhh, he'll never forgive us for this! We failed her, I tell you! Failed her!"
"Oh, calm down, XR," said Ty, who by now had wiped most of the vomit off his space suit with a towel the medical staff had provided. "I'm sure whatever it is isn't serious, and Mira will be fine after a while. Stop being so dramatic."
Booster remained quiet until he noticed Buzz standing at the entrance of the room.
"Buzz! Thank goodness you're here!" the Jo-Adian exclaimed when he noticed his friend and commanding officer had arrived.
"What's going on?" Buzz asked. "Is Mira in there? How is she?"
Before either Booster, Ty, or XR could answer, the door to the exam rooms whooshed open to reveal Dr. Plutoni, a medium-tall, white-haired, aqua-skinned alien woman standing right behind it.
"Buzz, there you are! Could you come with me, please?"
Buzz followed Dr. Plutoni down the hall to one of the exam rooms, where Mira was lying on an examination table while three of the doctor's LGM assistants examined her.
"Are you okay, Mira?" Buzz asked anxiously. "I knew I should've gotten someone else to cover for you!"
Mira smiled a little as she rolled her eyes. "Relax, big guy. I'm fine. I've been following you on dangerous missions across the galaxy for almost six years. I'm sure I can handle a little stomach bug."
"Why don't you have a seat over there, Buzz?" Dr. Plutoni pointed to a chair beside the examination table. "The LGMs aren't finished with their examinations just yet, but I think they should have the results soon."
Buzz seated himself in the chair, keeping his gaze on Mira.
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he asked his former co-pilot turned spouse.
Mira chuckled. "Hey, I learned from the best. Remember?"
Buzz smiled as he took Mira's hand in his own. The two remained quiet for the next few minutes while one of the LGMs waved a scanner back and forth a few inches above Mira's mid-section.
"Respiration, normal. Blood pressure, normal. Heartbeat, normal. Heartbeat two, normal ..." Buzz immediately jumped out of his chair as soon as the LGM mentioned a second heartbeat.
"Wait a minute! Heartbeat two? What's going on here?"
"Settle down, Buzz," said Dr. Plutoni. "Let me check the scan." As soon as the LGM handed her the scanner, the doctor began to read the results.
"Well, well," she remarked. "No wonder you were feeling so sick, Mira. What you've experienced is none other than emesis gravidarum, also known as -"
"Morning sickness!" the three LGMs chimed in.
"So, in other words -" Mira began.
Dr. Plutoni nodded. "That's right. Nine weeks, give or take."
Buzz and Mira stared in silence at Dr. Plutoni for a minute, unsure of how to react at first. Suddenly, both of them burst out laughing.
"Ha-ha ha-ha-ha ha-ha! Good one there, Doctor! You know, you really had us going for a moment!"
"That can't be right! That last time I took a pregnancy test was four days ago, and it was negative!"
Dr. Plutoni approached the couple, a hand on her hip and a smug smile on her face. "This isn't a joke, you two." She handed the scanner to Mira. "Here. See for yourself."
Mira accepted the scanner while Buzz continued to chuckle. As soon as her eyes rested on the image on the screen, her eyes widened in amazement.
"Oh my gosh!" Mira quickly grabbed Buzz's arm, holding up the screen so that he could see it, too. "Buzz, look! It's -! We're having -"
As Buzz's eyes drifted toward the image on the screen, his chuckle began to fade. Amusement was immediately replaced by shock when he noticed not one, but two tiny bean shapes floating on the screen.
Twins!
Suddenly, the space ranger felt his body making contact with the floor, and the last thing he could hear before slipping into unconsciousness was Mira calling his name.
"Buzz? BUZZ!?"
The sound of an opening door brought Mira back to the present. Buzz must be home from traffic duty in Tanker Alley with Booster and XR, she thought. Guess it was a longer shift than usual, since it's starting to get dark outside.
"Buzz, is that you?"
"Sorry I'm late, Mira," Buzz answered. "As soon as my shift in Tanker Alley ended, we got word that Zurg launched a surprise attack on Outpost Beta Seven, so the boys and I went to help fight him off and repair the station. But I picked up some take-out food for dinner, so we won't have to cook tonight."
"Sounds great, big guy," Mira responded, trying to hide her disappointment at missing yet another exciting battle against the Evil Emperor Zurg. Of course she understood it was for her and the twins' safety that she stay home, and the last thing Mira ever wanted was to endanger her own children; but missing out on the action still sucked. Maybe Buzz could fill her in on the details later; he was always good at retelling stories of his missions in a way that made the listeners feel like they were actually there witnessing everything.
Buzz entered the living room with a paper take-out bag, which he placed on the coffee table in front of the couch. "I thought we'd try something other than Pizza Planet or Cosmic Crunchies for a change," he said. "I remember you saying you wanted to try that one place that served stir fry with Lyuuban kelp noodles, so I stopped there and got us some."
Mira scooted over on the couch to make room for Buzz, who started unpacking the contents of the take-out bag almost as soon as he sat down.
"So, how is everyone at Star Command?" she asked.
"They're doing good," Buzz replied as he handed Mira her serving of stir fry in a warm Styrofoam container, along with a plastic fork. "A number of folks have been asking about you and how you're doing. Cosmo and Sally asked me to tell you hi for them when the boys and I stopped at Cosmo's for lunch today. I guess they miss having you there."
"Well, I miss being there," Mira said. "It's just too quiet here by myself."
"Now don't you worry, Mira," chuckled Buzz, giving Mira's swollen belly an affectionate pat. "This house is going to be plenty more lively as soon as these two arrive. Just you wait."
Mira giggled when she felt the twins squirm as if in agreement with their father. "Not too much more lively, I hope. I don't want the next eighteen years to be a repeat of the Clone Ranger incident!"
Buzz's smiled faded and his voice lowered as he crossed his arms at the mention of his, Mira's, and Booster's evil clones.
"Yes, I remember those pesky miscreants! Can't believe I mistook them for shape shifters ..." He pressed a palm against his forehead, shaking his head as he continued to mutter. "Shame, that Zzub fellow reminded me a lot of myself as a youngster. Perky, clever for his age, though maybe not quite as handsome ..."
"Um, Buzz?"
Buzz's thought bubble burst as soon as Mira's voice reached his ears, bringing the space ranger back to the real world. "Yes, Mira?"
"Sorry to derail your train of thought, but I think we'd better start eating our food before it gets cold."
Buzz looked down at the Styrofoam container still sitting in his lap; luckily for him it was still warm.
"Oh, um, of course," he chuckled as he blushed, which made Mira giggle some more. "Can't believe I forgot such a simple thing. Thank you for the reminder, Mira."