Chapter 35
Garret looked out the cockpit window of the shuttle and was amazed at the progress that had been made on his house on the Calosian mountaintop. In the seat beside him, Darenal made the final course adjustments as their shuttle prepared to land at Atrix Manor’s private landing pad that was now fully operational. In one of her letters, Masako had mentioned that she’d sped up construction on the Manor and its attached facilities, but he hadn’t known they were this far along until the Adamant had reached orbit and his shuttle had been granted a flight path taking them directly to the Manor’s landing pad.
“The wind up here is a bitch.” Darenal commented as the shuttle began to rock slightly. It was snowing outside, but the clouds were high overhead and the visibility only slightly impaired by the snowfall. Tall snowdrifts were piled on the sides of the landing platform and the house. The exterior of the house was fully completed, and Garret began wondering how much of the interior was done. The shuttle lurched as the landing jets fired and turned the accumulated snow on the pad into vapor with a flash of steam. The wheels bounced once before the shuttle settled down and taxied to the terminal where a landing gate was extended to the shuttle’s entrance. This was a nice feature of their landing pad which meant that they wouldn’t have to tramp across the cold platform to get inside, and Garret left the cockpit after he and Darenal switched a few of the shuttle’s systems to standby mode.
The shuttle’s crewman, and two regular pilots stood at the ready when Darenal and Garret exited the cockpit. The crewman opened up the shuttle’s egress hatch while the two pilots went into the cockpit. They had hidden their chagrin at Garret’s taking charge rather handily, although Garret wasn’t too surprised since both men came from Atrix Prime, although neither were clones. Billy just smiled at him as he and Neal came forward from the passenger section. Neal had a heavy parka on and looked excited to be visiting another world. Behind them, Devin stood patiently waiting along with four marines from Atrix Prime who had been added to Garret’s regular security detail. Three of the four were 02 Model clones, the burly, muscle-bound model of clones known for their ability to perform hard labor and who were often used as shock troops by ground forces.
The fourth was a true-born Marine who was a younger cousin of Baron Ferdinand and had proven himself to be quite a capable officer during the raids on the bolt-holes. He’d personally been the first off of every assault shuttle that had touched down and while his squad had lost nearly all their members in those battles, he’d put together a new squad and had them ready for the next attack. His casualties were so high because he took on the hardest tasks, and did what most officers would have written off as impossible.
“We ready?” Garret asked Billy, who looked both sad and excited. Arriving at Calos forced a hiatus to the time they shared together in bed and last night had been especially poignant. They’d talked long into the night period as Adamant finished her acceleration for their final jump. The air between them was cleared, and while they knew that each held the other close in their heart, the world they lived in would at best only allow them brief moments in time together. Still, they vowed to live for those moments, and enjoy them as much as possible.
The next few months would be rough, mostly because Billy would be here for a while. His ships needed repairs, and the Calosian yards would do those repairs. Until those repairs were complete (and the ships checked for bombs), Billy would live on the planet with Garret and Masako as well as Billy’s wife Imaline. His wife might have given her tacit permission for Billy to reunite with Garret, but that had been limited, and neither of them wanted to risk upsetting her, especially while she was pregnant with Billy’s child. The matter was only made worse by Billy’s admission that he did love her as well, and not in the way that Garret loved Masako, but as a pretty woman who was his wife.
“Let’s do this.” Billy said with a smile and Garret lead the way out of the shuttle and down the ramp to the boarding gate. They stepped out into a small terminal lined with soft couches and seats along the wall that could hold about twenty or thirty people. He knew there were two terminals here, and he nodded briefly to the employees on either side of the gate, and smiled at the very pregnant form of Masako waiting for him in the middle of the room. Davin was behind her, along with more security personnel. Imaline stood there as well in a light red dress that offset the dark blue robe worn by a scowling Masako.
Imaline was a few months behind Masako in pregnancy, but was now showing quite well. She smiled at seeing Billy behind Garret, but stayed in place as the men approached. Off to the side of the room Garret noticed a few media types taking pictures of their return, and Garret made sure he was smiling as he approached Masako and moved to hug her. She stiffened at first but allowed the contact.
“You are so lucky there are cameras here.” She whispered into his ear while Billy and Imaline embraced in what Garret knew was genuine affection. He was surprised that it didn’t hurt as much as he was expecting. There would be other times, he knew, when he and Billy would be in space together, alone. She could have him here, but Garret would claim him in space.
“Why is that?” Garret asked as he felt something move between them and Masako let out a grunt. He stepped back from the hug with wide eyes, and put a hand on her belly in time to feel another strong kick.
“Your child is a demon.” Masako hissed barely loud enough for him to hear her while the baby inside of her kicked again. “He kicks all hours of the day and night, and moves constantly. I can feel him in there, inside of me, and it is all your fault. If there were no cameras here, I would slap you for every time he kicks! No more I say! This will be the last one. I will not bear four of these kicking monsters for you.”
“You are the one who wanted four children, not me.” Garret reminded her and regretted it instantly from the look of rage on her face.
“You did not try to change my mind!” She fumed and he had to repress a smile. There was a gentle touch on his back, and he did not react with surprise as a freckled arm reached out from beside him to touch Masako’s belly. She did react with surprised and stared at Neal who now stood almost as tall as Garret’s shoulders. “Who is this?”
“This is Neal.” Garret said softly as Neal smiled at him while he continued to touch Masako’s belly. “He’s from… the place where we honeymooned.”
“I see.” She said sharply. “Why is he touching my belly?”
“He’s a strong one.” Neal spoke up with his infectious grin and locked eyes with her while a look of sympathy crossed his face. “I bet he’s making your life a living hell with all this kicking. Is he turning a lot too?”
“Yes.” Masako said in a level tone, staring at the young clone. “I haven’t slept right in the last week.”
“I know just the thing for you then.” Neal said, taking her arm and heading off towards the tunnel connecting the terminal to the house. “Garret’s such a doof when it comes to sharing details. Are we staying in the House proper?”
“The family and immediate staff are, yes.” Masako said as Garret moved to walk beside her on the opposite side of Neal.
“Oh good, Garret says you have a good chef.” Neal kept on babbling. “With any luck he’ll have what I need. If not, I’ll get it from my bags when they are brought over. The eighth and ninth months of pregnancy can be the worst, especially if the baby is a wild one. I don’t think any child sharing Garret’s genes could be anything but active, what do you think?”
“I think Garret’s going to have a lot of explaining to do.” Masako said in a growl, but there was no heat to her gaze as she looked first at Garret and then at Neal.
“I will, I will.” Garret assured her with a shake of his head.
The rest of his afternoon passed in a long one-on-one meeting with Mika Melstein, catching up on the businesses of House Atrix. A few of the enterprises were in the red still but most were moving towards the black, and profitability. Then he had to share with Mika the true nature of the Atrix bolt-hole, and how much there really was there instead of what Mika knew on paper.
“I’m amazed.” Mika said after Garret had briefed him. “These arrangements you have made for exports, they will carry the House funds into a revenue-neutral status even after we pay the appropriate taxes and transfer funds to the annual loan and grant programs. How does their planetary economy work?”
“They have their own currency, and I don’t see a way to bring them under the Republic currency just yet.” Garret said with a shrug. “There are things they can’t get that the Republic has, and while they are thirsty for things like entertainment programs and the like, most of what they lack are in the way of luxury or agriculture items. I was thinking we should supply those to them from the revenue of material they ship out. Governor-elect Helga Holden will make a trip out of the bolt-hole with one of the supply ships and meet with you to make those arrangements.”
“I will look forward to my discussion with her.” Mika said with a slight shake of his head and a rueful chuckle. “I assume we are to maintain the secret of the bolt-hole as much as possible?”
“Yes.” Garret confirmed. It was early in the evening and the snow outside had turned into a full blizzard to Garret’s dismay. They were in one of the upper-level rooms of the new House and he looked at the large windows that looked down at the city. He could see the lights from the skyscrapers very dimly, little more than a glow in the distance. “I am surprised at how much progress was made on the Manor house.”
“Masako authorized the hiring of additional work crews.” Mika said hesitantly and looked relieved when Garret just nodded. “The residence and offices for senior staff on the top level are completed. You saw that the ground floors and first floor are about a third of the way complete on the interior. The second floor was set aside for house staff and is nearly half-complete. The sections that are completed are fully occupied by key support staff.”
“Very good job, Mika.” Garret said. “Now, if we’re done, I’d like to see my new room and maybe find Aaron.”
“Yes, well um, I’ll have Davin show you.” Mika said with an uncomfortable look on his face. “The young, uh, man that you mentioned, Neal, where should he be placed?”
“He should have a room in the family section.” Garret said immediately. “Are they all full?”
“No.” Mika said. “We designed it with the idea of a governess for the children, so there are two extra rooms not currently taken by family or reserved for future children, although Masako has been swearing there will be no future children.”
“Put him in one of those rooms.” Garret ordered, vowing that tomorrow he’d get a full tour of his home. He’d approved the technical drawings, but actually seeing it was something different. The interior was richly decorated with valuable wood polished so that it reflected the soft lights that adorned the hallways. Plants and flowers were in abundance, as were some of the finest artworks created by Calosian painters and sculptors. He left Mika, and while Davin was at his side, he found that he could easily navigate his way to the residence section.
The hallway led to a circular room with several doors. One of the rooms that had been intended as a guest room was now being used by Imaline and Billy. Another door to his left was to Masako’s room while his was straight ahead from the hallway. Other doors led to a second guest room, the four bedrooms for their planned children, and two more doors for the ‘governesses’ they had considered hiring for the kids. Now, though, Garret fully expected that Neal would be handling those duties all on his own without too much trouble. He really did seem to have taken Masako gently into hand upon their arrival. Along the hallway he’d just passed through were doors to other rooms, family sitting rooms, a dining room, a library, and a playroom for the children. Guards stood at the other end of the hallway, currently in a civilian version of Marine battle fatigues, but he was taking a mental bet that they’d be wearing the blue Atrix Guards uniforms within a few days.
“I’ll be in my room.” Garret said to Davin who just nodded before turning back down the hallway. It was a longer walk across the circular room that the architects had labeled a ‘foyer’, but Garret found he liked the warmly lit room with its plush blue and silver carpet and he liked how his door had a real handle instead of a sensor. The room was even better than he had imagined it from the drawings.
The entrance led to a small sitting room with a couch and four armchairs as well as several small tables. It was ideal to entertain a small number of guests, or with the ornate desk in the corner to do work. Hidden panels could be switched on so that they would reveal a video screen as well as a computer panel at the desk. In the back of the room, built into the wall shared with the bedroom proper was an ornate fireplace that had a fire burning in it even now. The smell of wood smoke was almost an aphrodisiac to Garret, and he began to wonder where Aaron’s knickknacks were located. They should have been on shelves in this room along with the paintings on the wall, the bookcases with the real books inside, and the sculpture of the man who had formed House Atrix.
Thinking they were in the bedroom, Garret crossed the sitting room and opened the door that led to the room he would sleep in while here at the Manor. A large four-poster bed dominated the room along with a dresser and two doors for closets and a private refresher. There were more paintings in the room, including a beautiful oil painting of the Battle of Lemos on one wall. Not one of Aaron’s knickknacks was in the room. The shelves where they should have been held a row of small sculptures Garret vaguely remembered Masako bringing back from a visit to a school soon after they’d arrived on Calos. They held an odd charm, and Garret had remembered telling her that.
“Lord Atrix, an Aaron Lewis is here to see you.” The voice came through an intercom on the wall and Garret crossed to it, pushing the button.
“Send him in.” Garret said in reply, realizing he’d lost his own bet with himself. He recognized the guard’s voice as being one of the 02 Model clones that had come down on the shuttle with him. He’d have to have a word with Devin and Davin about that. Most of the security guards they’d used before were true-borns from Calos, and he didn’t want to put too many people out of work by replacing them with clones from Atrix Prime. Garret left the bedroom, although he left the door opened and waited in the sitting room for Aaron.
“I heard you were back.” Aaron said in a huffy tone as he walked into the sitting room, his shoulders squared back like he expected a fight. He was wearing a tight cotton shirt and his black and white checkered pants along with soft black shoes. His hair was too long as well as unkempt, and his face had far too much acne.
“I see you are too.” Garret said with a slight frown. He also noticed that Aaron was starting to develop a little bit of a gut as well. “Where are your things?”
“I’m living in the servant’s quarters with the rest of the servants.” Aaron’s voice was irritated and Garret let out a sigh.
“That shouldn’t have happened.” Garret said with a slight bit of anger. “Masako knew damn well I was fine with you in my rooms, even if we moved.”
“You misunderstand.” Aaron said angrily. “I chose not to move into these blasted rooms.”
“What?” Garret asked.
“You wrote me how many times while you were gone?” Aaron fumed as his face was suffused with rage. “Everyone got letters and recorded messages frequently. What did I get, one damn letter that was barely a paragraph! You don’t care for me, you never did! So I moved out.”
“I see.” Garret said neutrally. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
“I am too.” Aaron said as he crossed his arms. “Why didn’t you write? Don’t you care about me?”
“I do care or I wouldn’t have written at all.” Garret snapped angrily, but took a breath and calmed himself. “It’s just that I was busy, and most of the letters and communications people got were related to House business. They weren’t personal letters. I don’t recall writing a personal letter to anyone but you.”
“But you still wrote them and you always had something personal in even the business letters.” Aaron fumed. “One stinking paragraph, how long did that take you to write? Are you telling me you couldn’t find that much time to write one paragraph a couple times each week? I’d have been happy with that, you know. Or were you too busy fucking Billy Lars to worry about ugly old Aaron back on this frozen hell of a planet?”
“Don’t bring Billy into this.” Garret said defensively. “This is about you and me.”
“So you were too busy fucking him.” Aaron snorted. “I knew that already. You’re still in love with him and there’s not enough room in your cloned heart for more than one of us.”
“That’s not true…” Garret tried to say but Aaron cut him off.
“Why, Gare, why couldn’t you just love me the way you do him?” Aaron asked in a whining voice.
“Because you aren’t him.” Garret said with a heavy sigh. He didn’t want to lie, not really. “Still, Aaron, I enjoyed having you in my life, most of the time, and wanted you here, but that’s your decision to make.”
“You’re damn right it is my decision.” Aaron snorted. “I’ve thought about booking passage back to Peladon, but I at least wanted to wait until you returned.”
“Thank you for waiting for me to come back.” Garret said before taking a deep breath. “Whatever you may believe, Aaron, I really do care about you.”
“I know you do, it’s just that you don’t love me the way you do your precious Billy.” Aaron said with a resigned sigh.
“What will you do now?” Garret asked him. “I’ll make sure you can do whatever you want, if you choose to leave.”
“What’s that mean?” Aaron asked suspiciously.
“If you want to leave, to start up your own restaurant, or just lounge around for the rest of you life on one of the other planets, I’ll make it happen.” Garret said sadly. “You may not believe me, but I do like you Aaron, and part of me hopes that you and I will always be friends, even though we can no longer enjoy each other’s company.”
“You’re serious?” Aaron said suspiciously. Garret nodded. The chef looked at him for a long time before nodding. “Dinner’s in a half-hour, Lord Atrix.”
“You don’t have to call me that.” Garret said swiftly. “In fact, I should put my foot down but those damn fools won’t listen to me when I tell them to stop.”
“It’s how they look at you, Garret.” Aaron said softly before turning to walk out of the room. He stopped with the doorknob in hand and looked back at Garret. “If you don’t mind keeping me on, I’d like to stay here for now. Maybe we’ll end up making better friends.”
“I’d appreciate that, Aaron.” Garret said with a smile as a weight lifted from his chest. Aaron smiled before nodding and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him. Garret sat down on a couch, thinking over several things, and that was where Neal found him twenty minutes later, coming to remind him about dinner.
Masako was much calmer over dinner as they ate in the family dining room with Billy and Imaline also there. It was just the five of them, and Garret found himself relaxing at having his family all there. Garret felt good, and when the baby started kicking again, it was Masako who reached out and put his hand over her stomach to feel it happening. His face lit with wonder at the concept that there really was a new life in there, and soon it would come into the world.
The next morning he got up early and exercised in the weight room that was in their private residence area. Billy and Neal both joined him to exercise before they had an early breakfast, and Garret left to take a shuttle up to the Adamant that was remaining in orbit. On the way out of the residence wing, he noted the two Guards openly wearing their blue uniforms, and was surprised at several variations of the uniforms he saw on staff in the residence. Devin and Davin had come up with a way to hide the Atrix Prime personnel in plain sight.
That started a routine for his sojourn on Calos as the days and weeks sped by in a flurry of activity. His military victories of the last few months had given him a new upsurge of popularity among the Calosian population, and settled a few fears that Earth might come knocking at the planet’s door with a fleet. Those victories showed that Lemos and the events over Peladon had not been flukes, and Garret’s reputation as a military commander made them feel safer in their homes, and thus more willing to show defiance of Jordanite traditions and pro-Earth influence.
In the weeks before Masako went into labor, he only gave three interviews to local media. One commented on the new ‘uniforms’ seen around town, and thanks to Devin and Davin his response raised very few eyebrows. They were his House staff, security, and other support personnel, an explanation that satisfied nearly everyone except the new Earth Archbishop who was the ambassador at Earth’s only embassy to the Republic. They met once, at a formal dinner held by President Cartwright, and very few words passed between them.
Bishop Torrellini preached fiery sermons decrying the presence of abominable clones in their midst, but few of his worshippers took his words to heart. Most left the services muttering about how things were better on Calos since Garret and his clones came. President Cartwright and his political party did their best to keep their close ties with Torrellini while at the same time trying to take credit for the unemployment rate that now hovered at just over twelve percent, and the massive boom in small and medium-sized businesses that were the result of Garret’s economic development program. Jean Vierre and his political party took a more stoic approach with low-key statements about hypocrisy and meanwhile reminding potential voters of their party’s steadfast support for the Republic and its system of Great Houses.
Even things with Aaron were improving. Without the miasma of sex between them, Aaron and Garret were able to be friends. Once or twice a week, Aaron would spend a late evening in Garret’s sitting room, watching the entertainment networks and quietly talking about everything from one of his cooking assistants getting pregnant to Garret sharing his frustration at the slow progress of the planning for the invasion of Obduros.
Garret never shared too many details with Aaron, but it was nice to just vent about the frustrating task of planning the invasion. They had too many primary objectives to achieve at one time. Electronic communications and sensors had to be jammed, and the jammers had to be protected from counter-attack. Warships had to engage the enemy forces and keep them bottled up while assault ships entered orbit and began dropping their troops. Orbital bombardment had to be limited so the planet’s population didn’t suffer needlessly, and they had too little intelligence on current base positions as well as planetary defenses. Military intelligence was supposed to supply a lot of that information, but so far they had come up with far too little for the time frame of the actual invasion.
Instead of trying to offer advice, Aaron just listened and sympathized with Garret.
Davin reported that at least once a week Aaron was visiting a 10 Model clone in a pleasure house located within the Twilight City area. As long as it left Aaron feeling happy, Garret wasn’t going to let his friend know that Garret knew what he was doing. There just wasn’t any need, especially since Garret rarely lacked having someone in his bed.
Deci was there more than anyone else. Garret’s old friend from the days of being in Tremere’s pleasure house in New Prejat had one of the other rooms in the residence section originally envisioned for a ‘governess’. Deci personally cleaned all the rooms in the residence wing, and made sure all their laundry and other housekeeping tasks were taken care of each and every day.
Neal spent his days with both Masako and Imaline, going with them on whatever tasks they set about that day. As Masako’s pregnancy progressed into the last month, he spent a great deal of time running useless errands for her, never complaining and always smiling. The one time Garret suggested he might take Neal with him up to the regular meetings on the Adamant, Masako nearly tore Garret’s head off in a rage.
The last week of Masako’s pregnancy, everyone walked very softly. Garret had spent the weekend skiing with Billy and staying at the hunting lodge for two whole days. Both Masako and Imaline had all but ordered them out of the house and Garret was only too happy to agree since it meant a night in bed with Billy. Neal stayed with the women, and when Garret returned late on the last night of the weekend, the red head sniggered at the way Garret tried to tiptoe to his room without making a sound.
The next morning Garret didn’t take the shuttle up to the Adamant still in orbit of Calos. Instead he waited in his office on the top floor of the manor for word on several raids that were being conducted by New Edinburgh police. With information from the House Atrix Intelligence Service, they were raiding several terrorist safe houses. Since there were no cameras watching him, Garret let a smile form on his face as a senior member of the Calosian Congress was led out of one of the safe houses where he had been caught red-handed delivering money to two terrorists wanted for their participating in the bombing of the original Adamant. His old ship was still being torn apart, broken down for scrap metal, and Garret was very pleased that Davin had uncovered the group responsible and had even managed to snare one of Cartwright’s top politicians and a vocal pro-Earth advocate.
The Jordanite priest being led out in handcuffs from another terrorist safe house was even better.
“Make sure the Hand gets a million-credit bonus for their help in this.” Garret told Devin when he checked in after the raids were all completed. Devin nodded his blond head and smiled before leaving Garret’s office that afternoon. He and Davin were doing damn good jobs, and Garret would have to find some way to reward them.
“You sneaky devil.” Aaron said that night when he showed up with a bottle of wine after dinner.
“What do you mean?” Garret asked as he took the bottle and prepared to open it for them.
“Those terrorist raids today.” Aaron laughed. “You didn’t tell me you were about to bust all those terrorists. I’d have liked to watch it live instead of hearing about it second-hand because I was working on some stupid new recipe for fish.”
“A new recipe?” Garret asked, intrigued. The last time Aaron had made a new recipe it had been fantastic.
“Do you always think with your stomach?” Aaron laughed and Garret smiled.
“I am a soldier, after all.” Garret replied as he pulled out two glasses he always kept in the sitting room for these occasions, and poured the wine for each of them.
“To success.” Aaron said with a toothy grin as he raised his glass. Garret matched the salute and took a sip of the wine, looking at Aaron over the rim of the glass. He was looking better, using his facial crème again to get rid of the acne and he’d cut his hair as well. Tonight he was wearing a pair of levvin pants as well as a clean blue tunic. The overall effect was a massive improvement over how he’d looked when Garret had first returned.
“So is that why you’re here, to get all the juicy details?” Garret asked him.
“Nope.” Aaron said. “I just thought I’d tease you about that. The recipe worked and I think I’ll serve it for dinner tomorrow. I swear, this planet has too much fish though. When are you going to open the treasury for some real meat?”
“Sweet mercy, Aaron, your house budget has more money in it than that stupid idiot of a lawmaker was trying to deliver to the terrorists.” Garret laughed and Aaron got an indignant look on his face.
“Are you comparing me to a terrorist sympathizer, oh mighty Garret Atrix?” Aaron joked.
“I better not or I’ll find bones left in my fish.” Garret replied.
“Damn right you will.” Aaron growled as they settled down on the couch near the fireplace. Garret ended up telling him the entire story of how they’d penetrated the intelligence ring, and every time Aaron tried to change the subject to something else, Garret took a perverse pleasure in changing it back to the terrorists. By the time he was done, Aaron had Garret call a guard to help Aaron back to his room. The young man could barely stand from all the wine he’d drunk, but he still refused the offer to stay in Garret’s room for the night.
Two days later Garret was in a planning session with the staff officers who had been assigned to him as help in planning the Obduros invasion when an urgent call came in from Deci. Garret was in a shuttle headed down to the planet within ten minutes, and landing on the platform outside his house less than forty minutes later. A hover-car was waiting for him and took off at a rapid pace for the hospital down in the city below them.
He tore through the hospital, and was in the proper room just as his first-born son was letting loose with his first cry. Masako was drenched in sweat, but smiling as the doctor handed the boy to her. Neal was rubbing his hand, but smiling as Garret crossed the room, barely noticing where he was going until he was at Masako’s side staring down at the little bundle in her arms. Inside, he felt a surge of strange but powerful emotions.
He had green eyes, with a slight almond shape to him.
“You’re lucky you left your sidekick here with me.” Masako said in soft tones as a nurse wiped her forehead for her.
“It was a quick labor.” Neal said with shining eyes as he stood on the other side of Masako and looking at the baby. Garret felt his limbs trembling as he reached to touch the child.
“He, he’s so tiny.” Garret said softly.
“Tiny?” Masako sounded offended. “I can’t believe all of him was inside of me!”
“He’s so beautiful.” Neal said in an awed tone.
“He is.” Garret agreed as the baby made a soft cooing sound when Garret’s finger ran along his tiny cheek.
“Congratulations.” The doctor said, reminding Garret they weren’t alone. “Have you decided on a name?”
“Paul.” Both Masako and Garret said at once, remembering their joke on Atrix Prime. They both smiled at each other and laughed softly. Little Paul Atrix was already asleep in his mother’s arms.
The next morning Garret and Masako took their newborn son home after both mother and child received a clean bill of health. There was a celebration as they entered their Manor with the child wrapped in Masako’s arms. She was still weak, but made it back to the residence wing without a problem, and they set the newborn down in the crib prepared for him. Deci had already set up a bed in the nursery room for Neal, who would brook no argument over the fact that he would be spending the night there for the foreseeable future. Standing over the crib where Paul slept quietly, Garret put his arm around Masako who leaned against him.
“How are you feeling?” Garret asked her.
“I’ll sleep for a week, but I’m good.” Masako answered softly. “How are you?”
“I feel odd.” Garret admitted. “I know we didn’t have him in the traditional way, but I know he’s mine, ours I mean, and I feel so different.”
“Of course you feel different.” Neal said with a smile. “You’re a father now. Isn’t that what all humans dream of, continuing the future through children?”
“I… I never gave a thought to being a father when I was younger.” Garret said softly. “Everything looks different now. He’s here, he’s ours, and everything feels different. Just yesterday when I was working on the plans for the Obduros invasion, it was just a task, albeit an important one. Now… now it feels different because I know what we do there will forever impact Paul’s life. It’s more important that we succeed because it will make Paul’s world a safer place.”
“That’s how all parents think, I believe.” Masako said softly. “We look to making our universe a safer place for our children.”
“It’s the tale of humanity.” Billy’s voice said from the doorway where he and Imaline stood watching. Imaline was rubbing her belly and smiling beatifically at Masako. “We always dream of making the world a better place for our children.”
“I–I never really understood that.” Garret said slowly as he looked back down at the child sleeping in a crib, his child. “I understand it now.”
As with all my stories, E provides immeasurable input, grammar checking, and all those other lovely editing thingies that make the story so much better!
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