by L M Lacee
‘You are welcome. Now I have had a request from couples about adopting.’ At the puzzled looks directed at her, she said. ‘Sorry guardioan, the couples wish for children of their own and have not or thought they could not have any. But we have eggs that are alone, and I assume unwanted. I believe it is time if not pastime people who desperately wish to become parents are able to.’
Heddro answered in his quiet way. ‘I believe every child should have the chance to belong to a family and every adult the chance to love a child. So Madam, I say yes.’
Heather and Kate also agreed. Heather sitting at the end of the table said. ‘We have twelve hundred unclaimed eggs of the fifteen hundred we rescued.’
Penny asked. ‘What genders are there?’
Heather shrugged. ‘I would say evenly, male and female. It would be wonderful if the couples would take one of each, but I realize this may not suit everyone.’
‘What do you think the ratio will be?’ Darby asked her.
Heather thought about it. ‘If we were on Earth, I would say males to females, here I have no idea.’
Realizing what they were talking about, Larson asked. ‘Are you wondering if we as Warriors will accept a male child?’
Heather nodded as she admitted. ‘I guess I am, I think for some males, it would be easier to accept a female than a male.’
He smiled as they all waited to see what he would say. ‘Most Warriors... No, I misspoke. Every Warrior knew he would go through life without the chance of having their own child. Why now when we can make a dream a reality, would we care what gender our children are. To us, one does not differ from the other. We will love and protect either. I for one would like, if my heart agrees, one of each.’
Helen clasped his hand, her eyes shining with unshed tears. ‘Whatever you want. I am happy just to have the chance to be a mother. So one of each sounds wonderful.’ Their smiles to each other were full of love.
‘Well, that answers that question.’ Kate said as she grinned at the smiling couple. ‘The next question is, does anyone know how many people want eggs?’
Brenda said. ‘I do, we have two hundred couples counting myself and Marlo, Helen and Larson, wishing for babies.’
Peyton wondered. ‘Do you think anyone will want more than one egg at a time, it is a lot to ask?’
Marlo sat opposite Brenda, his arms crossed in front of him. Peyton didn’t hear him say anything, and he made no movement, yet Brenda raised her eyes to his and smiled. Love shone from her, and Peyton was sure she could feel Marlo’s heart melt. That was until he scowled at her and asked. ‘What?’
Brenda quietly said. ‘Marlo.’
Peyton and Darby could not help themselves, they put their heads together and said. ‘Aww! You are so cute together.’
Marlo’s frown got lower and darker when they next put their hands under their chins and fluttered their eyelashes at the grumpy male.
‘Leave my mate alone, you horrible girls.’ Brenda said. While trying to wipe the smile from her voice, as she and Helen choked back laughter at the absurd female’s antics.
Kate, Heather and Penny were not so lucky. One look at the sisters sent them off into peals of laughter. Larson just covered his mouth as he tried to stop his laugh from spilling out.
Heddro watched the interaction between Madam Peyton and her sister Darby and the Commander. To anyone else it may appear the Commander was angry, but to Heddro he could see the male was more amused than annoyed. At least that was what his body language told him.
This was a side of people in command he had never witnessed before. While he thought back on the last lunera, he realized humor was a daily ingredient in these people’s lives and amusingly his as well now. It was something the Draygons had had no time for in the past, hardship produced little time for anything but survival. His thoughts were diverted by Reeve saying. ‘I could take them both outside and give them a talking to.’
Helen finally got herself under control and begged. ‘Please girls, let’s continue.’
Both females straightened up and said in their best school girl voices. ‘Yes Ma’am… Sorry, Ma’am.’
Pointing at each of them, Marlo told Brenda. ‘We will not have any like them. You hear me female?’
Brenda swallowed down her laugh and looked suitable chastised. ‘Yes, dearle.’ She looked at Kate and said. ‘So, two for us.’
Marlo grinned with a satisfied look in his eyes. Peyton nudged Darby to see if she had seen what Brenda had done. Darby nodded and hissed out the side of her mouth... ‘I know.’
Avana whispered. ‘She is so good, without a word spoken.’
Penny asked Marlo innocently. ‘So you will only have females then?’
Marlo raised one eyebrow and pursed his lips in thought. From the corner of his eye, he saw his Brenda holding her breath and in a voice he used only with her, he asked. ‘Two boys and two girls, what do you say Mama to be?’
Her reply brought tears to the female’s eyes and made his hearts beat faster. ‘Oh Marlo, yes, most definitely yes. We are going to be parents. Isn’t it exciting?’
‘Yes, my heart it is. I told you, we had to keep on believing.’
‘You did, and I did, and now we will have our own little ones.’
Peyton wiped her eyes and said seriously. ‘Maybe you could have one of each now and set aside another boy and girl for a yenta or two.’
Helen looked at Larson, and he smiled his gentle smile. ‘We like that idea, please allow us to do the same?’
Peyton asked. ‘Kate, if we could put another eight aside, four of each for Alexx and Raley. I would appreciate it.’
‘Done.’
Marlo said. ‘Thank you, girly. We did not think of that.’
‘We should have.’ Larson said with a smile for her.
Peyton grinned and waved her hand. ‘Please, you would have eventually. So can you talk to your brothers, and if they do not want the eggs, we will let them go.’
‘We will.’ Marlo assured her as he looked at Brenda. ‘Tonight, after eve-meal, is that alright?’
‘Good plan.’
Kate asked. ‘Jax, did you get all of that?’
I did, eight eggs have temporarily been placed on hold for Commanders Alexx and Raley. When will Lady Brenda and Helen wish to pick their eggs?
Brenda clasped hands with an equally excited Helen, who seemed stunned at the quickness of everything. Brenda said. ‘Oh my Marlo, we need to set up a nursery, get the incubators. We have nothing prepared.’
Marlo looked a little startled at his usually unflappable mate. ‘Hush now, do not get upset. Jax, how long is incubation?’
Commander, it is between three and four luneras.
‘See my heart, we have plenty of time.’
‘He has no idea, does he?’ Darby said to Peyton.
Grinning she told her. ‘Not a friggin clue.’
TWENTY-TWO:
Five mins later, Melody and Coraan arrived Melody was laughing as they stepped from the lift. They both called out. ‘Greetings everyone.’
Before anyone could respond, Netta and Zenerra appeared and there was a chorus of greetings.
Melody slipped into a chair next to Peyton and asked. ‘Whatcha doing?’
Penny replied. ‘Watching Marlo get his ass handed to him on a platter.’
Marlo shook his head as he protested. ‘I have said nothing to get my ass handed to me.’ He looked over at a scowling Brenda. ‘My heart who has upset you, this is a happy day.’ He frowned at Peyton and demanded to know. ‘What did you do?’
Grinning, she replied. ‘You did this all on your own.’
Helen handed out tea and refilled cups while Marlo discussed with an annoyed Brenda what he had done wrong, helped by comments from the others.
Melody asked quietly. ‘Peyton, is it true you are allowing couples to guardio eggs?’
She looked from her to Coraan. ‘News travels fast, huh?’
‘Yeah, so are you?’
‘
Yes, are you interested?’
Melody nodded as she leaned closer to Peyton and said. ‘I cannot have children of my own.’
Shocked, she asked. ‘How did I not know this? Is it something I can fix, what about Heather or the regen?’
Melody took the visibly upset Peyton’s hand in hers. ‘Stop that, you didn’t know because I never told you. I figured it would never come up.’ She shrugged and told her. ‘Sweetie, you cannot fix what is not there.’
‘Oh, you don’t have all your bits?’
‘That about sums it up.’
‘I could probably do something or the Star Child…’
Melody kissed her forehead. ‘Peyton, this is what I want to do. If we guardio Draygons, I will know for sure our children will have wings, like their father. The other way may not result in that. Believe me, I am happy, happier than I ever thought I would be.’
Peyton looked deeply in her eyes and saw the truth of her statement and nodded. ‘Okay, but if at any time you want to you know... gestate, then give me a shout.’
‘Oh, I will. Gestate.’ She laughed. ‘You are adorable, really you are.’
‘Ha-ha!’
Before she and Melody could get into a spat, Avana asked her. ‘Were you born that way?’
Heather who had also been listening answered gently for Melody. ‘Yes, it happens, rarely thankfully, but sometimes genetics can be cruel.’
Darby asked. ‘What does Coraan think?’
Melody smiled softly. ‘Coraan knew before we mated that I could not give him children and…’
Coraan interrupted her. ‘I told my Melody, it made no difference, she was mine. Not her insides or the fact she could not give me an egg.’
Kate nodded. ‘You are a wonderful male Coraan, and you will make a good father.’
He smiled as his wings expanded a little, then settled, a sign he was moved. ‘So my Melody tells me.’
Peyton pouted and Darby noticing, asked.
‘What now?’
‘I’m annoyed. I was saving all my good egg jokes for when she got knocked up.’
Melody squealed, a sound not heard before from her. Reeve snarled. ‘Stop.... Stop that noise immediately!’ Then he demanded of Peyton. ‘Why must you make them make the high screechy sound, is it to annoy me?’
Peyton smiled innocently. ‘As if that would be the only reason.’
Melody stated in the voice she used when she became annoyed. ‘There would not have been an egg.’
‘You say that like you know for sure.’ Peyton replied.
Darby squinted as she looked at Melody. ‘It is possible.’
‘No, absolutely not.’
Heather hid her grin as Kate said. ‘You know…’
‘Dearle stars, no. What part of that did you not hear? Now back to the eggs.’
Peyton squeezed her hand. ‘How many and what gender?’
Melody swallowed her surprise at Peyton’s words as she turned to Coraan. ‘Did you hear that Coraan, we can have more than one?’
He raised her hand to his lips. ‘I did my heart.’
Darby told them. ‘Helen and Brenda have two now and will hold two for later. We will hold four each for Alexx and Raley. Heddro says they are all well. You said that, right?’
‘I did not, but they are all solid eggs.’
Coraan looked at his sister. ‘This is good news.’
Zenerra was smiling and had tears in her eyes as she nodded, saying. ‘I get to be an auntie, so how many are you going to have?’
‘I do not know?’ He said hesitantly as he looked to Melody.
‘Yeah, you do.’ Peyton told him. ‘Melody needs you to be honest. Otherwise she will feel your unhappiness and eventually you will both end up unhappy.’
‘Is this so Melody?’
‘Yes, wingman, it is.’
‘Then I would like six eggs. Not all at once, but spaced two yentas apart. Can we do that?’
Melody tipped her head to the side as she asked him. ‘When you thought of having your own family, was that the number of children you wished for?’
He nodded hesitantly again, as Zenerra made a slight movement in the negative and tapped her cup twice with her fingers. Melody smiled. ‘I see, and what gender would you like?’
‘I do not care as long as they are ours. I will be happy and proud as they will be, to have you for their Mama.’
‘Oh wingman, I adore you.’ Moving her attention from Coraan, she told Kate. ‘So we will have eight, four boys and four girls.’
Coraan’s mouth dropped open along with everyone else’s, except Zenerra’s. She gave Melody a small nod and stared at her happy brother.
She could not help but think back to when they had been captives and the nights when their bellies had been empty. How they had dreamed of freedom and she had made him laugh by telling him that eight draggos was an abnormal number to want.
A shocked Coraan asked Melody. ‘Eight, you will give me eight children?’
She laughed, then said. ‘Yes, we are very lucky to have an abundance of family and friends to help raise our children, and we have the Prowlers. So let’s do three at a time and have lots of love and fun in our home.’
‘You are leaving our home?’ Peyton sadly asked her.
Melody looked at the dejected slope of her shoulders and Darby’s sad eyes, which she unsuccessfully tried to hide. While Netta tapped a quick tattoo on the table, the only sign she was upset. She quickly revised the faint plans she had of moving out. ‘No, sheesh, we will enlarge our apartment. Seriously, what do we need a kitchen and offices for? So we will remodel.’
‘I knew that.’ Peyton crowed as she high-fived Melody, who grinned at the relief in her sister’s eyes and amusingly enough Coraan’s.
‘Sure you did.’
‘Ooh, I like that idea.’ Darby said as a light came on in her eyes.
Reeve stated. ‘I like our kitchen.’
‘Then use the main one.’ Darby suggested sweetly. ‘We are losing ours.’
Reeve shot Melody a glare as he complained. ‘Where will I keep my late night snacks?’
Darby hummed, then said. ‘We will work on that, maybe a small storage and cooler unit just for you.’
He grinned, then took in the calculating look in his mate’s eyes. ‘My heart, you want more children?’
‘Oh my stars, yes. Peyton has three and will no doubt have more. Melody is to have eight. Heather, when she and Harm get started, will have a tribe.’
‘Hey!’ Yelped Heather. They all looked at her and she subsided with a shrug. ‘Yeah, probably.’
Darby smirked at her, then told Reeve. ‘Who knows how many, Netta will have when she finally finds her mate.’
‘Fine chance of that.’ Netta grumbled.
Peyton just raised an eyebrow at her, which made Netta nervous.
‘Trina is going to have two, Penny and Patty are both pregnant. Avana has little Koana, and that is just to start with.’
Avana sighed. ‘I have told you, Senes do not mate.’
Darby stated. ‘They have children, though.’
Avana pursed her lips, then said. ‘Well maybe, we have young but mating no.’
Darby nodded. ‘Then there is the silent Kate, who will produce children.’
Kate grinned as she said. ‘In quantities.’
Which made everyone laugh, even Darby at the unexpected answer.
Reeve said faintly. ‘My Darby, I am sure your sisters are not challenging you with the number of children they may have.’
Darby just looked at him, then seriously said. ‘I know, it is a target.’
‘No… No… it is not. Please, you do not have eggs, do you?’
Peyton snickered as Heather assured him they did not. Even Darby, as small as she was, would birth a baby the normal way as described in the interspecies educational classes.
‘This is information you would know if you had bothered to attend any of the classes on conception and births of other species.’ This
last was said with a decided snap to her tone.
Reeve stated. ‘You know very well healer I could not attend as I was at the port when the classes were in session.’
Heather knew for a fact the vids in the classes upset the Elite, which is why he did not attend.
‘Is that so?’
‘Yes.’
‘We run the classes often.’
‘Sadly, I am often on duty.’
Heather grinned but said no more. From the look in Darby’s eyes, she would have something to say to the Elite later. It appeared she had not known he had not been to the classes.
‘I do not mean to be pushy, but I was thinking about what you were saying about having three little ones.’ Helen said as she moved next to Melody and Coraan.
‘You are not being pushy, please Helen, we would welcome any advice.’ Melody assured her.
‘Well then, I think you should do two little ones at a time. This will give you both lots of cuddles and loving time.’
Peyton agreed. ‘I have three, but they are all different ages and with different needs but three babies. If you don’t have to, why do so?’
She could see they were thinking about it, especially when Heather and Brenda agreed with Helen.
Kate asked Melody and Coraan. ‘So what first, males or females?’
‘Oh.’ Melody looked at Coraan. ‘So, one of each?’
Coraan frowned. ‘I would like sons first. Then they can help me protect their sisters and Mama. Yes, boys first.’
Darby raised her brows. ‘Does he not see the female Warriors around him and his mate?’
Kate answered. ‘Probably not. Father’s all have tunnel vision when it comes to their daughters.’
‘He has always been like that.’ Stated a resigned Zenerra.
Melody refused to join in the conversation, because to her it made no difference what sex they chose first. She was happy to bask in the priceless gift she was being offered.
Coraan stared at the females but did not comment, even when Darby said. ‘But his mate was a Commander, her sister is an Elite Commander. His own sister is a Captain and then there is Peyton.’
Kate shrugged along with Zenerra as Brenda murmured with a glint of humor in her eyes. ‘All males are blind about the females in their lives.’