86: Thursday, Cancer 20, 231. 1200 hours OST: Reunion
"Today's the day, eh?" ventured Zach.
"Fuck you!" Michaela growled. She was having a powerful contraction. Her water broke and splashed out. "Oh... fuck!"
"That's why we have the plastic sheet under you."
"You!! You curse me with this!!"
Ayana said, "Maybe I should take over and let you know how it goes."
"Make him die shitting cannon ball!"
"I love you too, Michaela," said Zach. "I'll leave you to it."
He walked downstairs from Michaela's bedroom into the Breeding Bitches Saloon. A bumpered off corner of the saloon was the daycare center.
They had ten babies in various states of zooming around. Aaron, the oldest, was crawling like a champ and flirting with standing. Anna, Berte's baby, and the second oldest, rolled everywhere even quicker. Mina and Vrishika were becoming good crawlers. Gaia and Mesha wanted to crawl very badly and scooted after the rest. Sometimes they followed Anna's example and rolled, but without her speed or dexterity. Anarchy, Victor, and Jackson were all sitting up and deliberating things like crawling or rolling.
Everybody called Anming's baby "Victor" although his given name was Zachary Yousheng Carson Tang. This was primarily not to confuse father with son. The "Victor" came from the fact that Yousheng means victory in Mandarin. Berte had started the trend. Anming called him "Junior."
Anming and Michaela had been having their Unified Field Theory talks amidst the young tumult. Colleen was there full-time as well. Michaela's labor had cut their coverage down by two, Michaela herself and Ayana.
Alexis, who was downstairs covering Zach's absence, said, "Bye all. Critical time in the mining business." She bounded upstairs to the mining workroom two steps at a time. She was all business these days, versus when he had first met her, when she was 99% party. She really did love turning rocks into dollars. More than that, they were rapidly discovering amazing things about Mars's geological history.
Though Alexis was now all business, it was a comfort to Zach that her sex drive remained strong. She gratefully spread for him multiple times at breakfast and dinner. And she kept a toe in the party. She was queen of the Breeding Bitches Saloon. Though frankly, it was more of a community center so far.
Aanya and Berte appeared smiling, hand in hand, for lunch and not only lunch. They were expecting their customary noontime tryst with Zach. A quick count of daycare coverage concerned them. Aanya said to Berte, "You go upstairs with Zach. Then you can come relieve me and I can go."
"You first; you're always urgent," said Berte.
"Maybe we could just get down on the play mat?" said Aanya.
"Then we'll all want a turn," said Colleen.
"Fine with me," said Zach.
"Your virility makes you so nasty, my husband," scolded Anming. "For my part, heh, please don't make me." Anming was a horny one at the moment. She said this in a way that suggested she very much wanted him to make her.
"But seriously, we have rules about that," said Colleen. "Take it upstairs, or I'll arrest you for indecency. I'll get to try out our new jail cell in the other corner."
Aanya and Zach fetched lunches for the other three and headed upstairs.
At three o'clock, Ayana shouted out the door for Zach to help. He trotted upstairs to help with post delivery logistics and cleanup. In three hours, Michaela had popped out a healthy seven pound six ounce baby boy she named Radoslav.
Despite Michaela's earlier curses, she was all smiles now, and tears. "Look Zachary! Our baby boy! I never thought! I never thought! I never thought empty-headed slut like me would make future, real future. But here he is. Almost makes me want husband. But need my space, else murder. But you, you will be here every moment for our Rad, no? Every moment!"
"I assure you, Michaela, I-"
"Best father! Always in Rad life! Raise him properly!"
"You have my word."
"Oh, Zachary, here, here, here, here. If I could love you, I would. You are truly good man. Thank you for Radoslav. Hole in one. Hole in one! That is phrase, no?"
"I get you." Darn it, now he was tearing up. He'd never seen Michaela this emotional. He hugged her tiny deflated form again, tightly.
"Enough, enough. Insides all everywhere. Get out! Get out... until later."
"Sorry, no nookie for you at dinner."
"Fuck off and die, funny man! Hah hah!"
A week later, after Zach handed back all the babies before dinner, Alexis made him wait to go upstairs. "I have an announcement!" she shrieked over the din of mothers reuniting with babies. She herself had little Anarchy on her hip. He smiled to see the babe in arms had a little scowl to match her mom's. Ultra cute!
The din quieted, and Alexis continued. "The miners have made a deal to leave their company and join ours. Mateo likewise has resigned from NASA. They're staying on Mars." There were whoops and cheers from the women. Reactions to this noise among the babies ranged from giggles to upset.
After some baby calming, Alexis said, "They land here in their excursion vehicle on Leo 20. Mark your calendars. That's exactly seven weeks, or forty-nine days, from now. That is all." Lots of buzzing and chattering among the women. Zach tried to make out who was talking about what. Alexis grabbed his hand and yanked him toward the stairs, breaking his reverie.
Upstairs, Alexis handed Anarchy to Charisse and led Zach to the bed while undressing. "What do you think will happen to me now?" he asked.