“Don’t mind these two, they are overgrown pussy cats,” Anne said. Timber gave her a mehh. Buck tentatively smiled then held his hand out. He got sniffed, nuzzled, and rubbed.
Tisha came back in, spotted a still wet Buck and shyly smoothed her hair back behind her ear. “The showers are free; Doc has some of the infirmary group in showers and hot baths now,” she said shyly.
Mitch turned to Mike “Your turn Mike, we will talk later.” Tisha shyly pointed to the infirmary. Brian warily nodded and followed Mike out. Anne’s charges dragged her off down to the interesting smells in the kitchens.
As they finished eating the younger kids sleepily dozed off on the furniture and floor. Doc called, wanting to check on them. Mitch carried a sleeping Zara while Buck led the others stumbling along behind him.
The next morning a tearful Doc informed Mike and Mitch at breakfast that the little girl Tanya had died in the night. A somber crew finished breakfast. Mike patted Doc’s arm, thanking her for trying. Cassie and Dora come in with wet cheeks and puffy red eyes. Janet and Brian give them hugs. The crew did their best to comfort them.
They cut a deal around Mike’s prickly pride to work for room and board, with a small stipend to help fund their own village come spring. Sarana wished to remain with Mike after her baby was born to act as domestic manager. Ivan took over the farm since he knew crops better than Hejira did. She pointed out that she preferred working in the greenhouses.
Buck, Hadji, Jason, two of the huntresses from the Amazon village, Miguel Santiago, Bill, Jill and Luke planned to go with them. Luke had an electronics degree; he had worked in his local radio station on Earth. Bill and Jill wanted to get married, and planned to work as guards and general labor in the new village. Mike made it clear he didn’t want the kids, something that riled Ester. Two of the teen amazons also asked to go, Mike put off the decision until spring, wanting to evaluate their work potential. He accepted Hanna, Vanessa, and Gina later though.
“Mike, I would have thought you would have forted up, why were you out?” Mitch asked as he stared into the fire a few days after they had finished negotiating.
“We were,” Buck said. Mitch turned to Buck. Buck shrugged. “We had a nice cave, but a pair of big bears came to evict us,” he said, scowling blackly. Mitch turned to Mike who nodded.
“Killed Lenny and Thelma,” Mike said as he looked away. His jaw worked.
Mitch nodded. “Sorry to hear that,” he murmured in sympathy.
Janet taught classes on yarn making and knitting, and began using the harvested alpaca and sheep wool to make more yarn for sweaters, caps, and mittens. The girls had been using Mitch's electric razor during the summer; he was going to need new heads for it soon at this rate he realized. It seemed as it got colder out they stopped however, Hairy legs were a small price to pay to keep warm.
Clothing was becoming an issue or at least the lack there off. They had plenty of leather from the hid of animals, but only so much fleece wool and cotton. Of course some people had only rags for outfits they had come to the base in, some brought extra. Mitch had packed five crates with coveralls and underwear in many sizes but they cleaned them all out.
Selma set up some of the textile mills. She worked with Anne to make thread and yarn from stockpiled wool. Mitch turned out plastic for wind breakers, as well as artificial threads until more cotton and wool could be harvested in the spring.
Unfortunately without petrochemicals they could not produce nylon. Rayon, made from wood fiber and Carbon disulfide was also unavailable. Although they had wood and carbon a plenty, the Sulfur needed to make the Carbon disulfide was still lacking in large enough quantities.
Janet, Selma, and Anne raided Mitch’s clothes for their own used, and Selma played tailor, modifying and repairing what clothing she could. Mitch was a little put out at having his wardrobe reduced, but Anne pointed out while wearing one of his shirts like a tent that it was no picnic for them either. He was glad he had packed his summer clothes.
Mitch came in dripping wet, pissed a day later however. The kitchen fell silent as the women contemplate his dripping body in his towel and bare feet. “All right, I can understand you need some clothes, but raiding my underwear drawer! What the hell are you going to do with my tighty whites?” he snarled. The girls were shocked, staring at him. He shifted his hand to hold the towel up.
“Now hear this! No more!” He threw his hand down, and then quickly caught the towel as it slipped. He gave the room one last glower and then stomped off.
Janet let out a sigh. “Well, you don’t see that every day.” Anne smiled.
“Definitely worth the price of admission,” one of the girls softly said.
“Whoever heard of a raid on a man’s underwear drawer anyway?” Anne turned to the girls with a mock glower.
Vanessa busied herself with chopping celery. “Uh huh. I have heard of panty raids, pantry raids, but what the hell do you need his undies for?” The girls blushed.
Doc came in a little dazed. “Did you just see Mitch storm out of here in a towel?” She turned pointing.
“What the bloomin hell got his knickers in a twist I wonder?” Henry asked, following her in.
Vanessa started busting up laughing. “More like he doesn’t have any,” she choked out between giggles.
Cassie started giggling uncontrollably. “Hubba Hubba nice pecks,” she teased. The room erupted into laughter.
Maggie came into the kitchen looking rather smug later that day. She slapped her mittens down on the counter got a cup of coffee, and then turned giving a Cheshire grin to Mitch and Jeff. “I was right, the Tauntaun laid eggs.”
“They did?” Jeff's eyes went wide as he jumped out of his chair.
“Yup, and they treat them just like penguins do. They put the egg on their feet off the cold ground, and then tuck their bodies around it to keep it warm. The males and the grey muzzled female are bringing them food,” Maggie said smugly. Mitch nodded.
“I have been meaning to ask you something,” Brian asked. Mitch looked up to see Brian standing nearby.
“Pass me that Alan wrench would you Brian?” Mitch ordered. Brian complied. Mitch got back under the car. “All right, shoot.”
Brian snorted, all he can see were two pairs of feet. “Okay why only six tractors? You had over two hundred loaded trailers, nearly that many flatbeds, vehicles, crates, but only six tractors to move stuff?” A clank and muttered swear from Mitch. Brian could hear Lisa as she giggled. She was getting along a lot better with Mitch now. Mitch finished what he was doing and then rolled out.
“Well that was a snafu,” Mitch said, wiping grease from his hands with a rag.
“Snafu?” Brian asked confused.
“Yeah, situation normal, all fracked up,” Mitch explained. He glanced at the kids. Brian caught the glance and hid a smile.
“Okay, so what happened?”
“Well, I had planned for twenty five, in fact, they are here, but I only got six built before the first.” A disgusted look crossed Mitch’s face. “The assembler had trouble getting the parts, then getting them together in time. I was paying more attention to the broader picture, so I didn’t catch it until the thirtieth, and had to bawl them out.” Anger clouded his features. He rolled back under the truck. The bastards had thought it was no big deal that they broke the contract and missed the deadline. He'd had a fun time setting them straight.
“They even shut down for a holiday break! Pissed me off no end, the contract specified delivery on the first at noon and they take a damn vacation!” he sighed and rubbed his brow. “Bob got them to ship out what they had. I hope it is all there, I haven’t checked, I've been too damn busy using what I got.” Lisa wiped her hands on a rag, and then rolled herself out from under the truck.
Mitch gathered the tools and then rolled out, caught sight of Brian holding her hands and wiping them as she blushed. He cleared his throat. They jumped a little, back out of their own world and into reality he thought wryly. “W
ell, glad you to be getting along better. I hope Dora is okay with it.” They both blushed at his comment. He got up, stretched, then bent over to pick up the tools and rack them. It was cool in the garage, a balmy 50 compared to whatever the hell it was outside.
Lisa rescued her hands with a puckered glower to Brian, then hastily walked over and rescued the tools before they were racked covered in grime. She shot Mitch a reproving glance as she carefully demonstrated wiping them down. He chuckled at her silent rebuke and then waved his hands in mock surrender. “I’ll leave you two to it then,” he said and did just that.
Heading to bed, Mitch yawned as he walked down the hall. He had had a rough day and he was sore all over. As he got closer to the bend leading to his rooms he slowed and then paused, hearing voices. He wasn’t too keen on running into anyone; some of the women were getting a bit demanding. PMS and tight quarters most likely he mused darkly.
He stopped at the corner and took a peek. There were three girls there, Vanessa was one of them from the look of the hair, and he wasn’t sure about the other two in the lighting. They were each dressed in a robe, with slippers. He was about to see what was going on when he heard them arguing about who was going to go to bed with him.
He bit his lip, exhaustion warring with amusement. A girl peeked her head out of his door, surprising them. He stepped away from the corner, shaking his head amazed. The verbal cat fight was beginning to get ugly, and so he decided the better part of valor was to avoid the whole bit, and any hurt feelings.
The next morning he was up early and drinking coffee when Janet came into the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway, giving him a long appraising look and then snorted. “So, which did you end up with?” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Oh don’t give me that innocent boyish look,” she drawled.
He snorted. “None of the above,” he answered innocently.
She looked shocked. “None?”
He shrugged. “When I noticed the cat fight brewing I decided to beat feet out of there.”
She gave him a mock glare. “Coward.”
He smiled. “Besides, I was exhausted, and probably stank to high heaven.” She snorted. “Going to need to put a lock on my door,” he muttered as he glowered into his mug.
“I probably could have cleared the four out if they had gotten a whiff of me,” he finally said looking up. She chuckled as she moved to the fridge and began pulling out breakfast materials. Cassie came in, rubbing her eyes and tussled hair. Her mom followed, along with a few of the kids.
Cassie looked over to him, rubbed her eyes sleepily and then started as recognition dawned. She coyly gave him a look and then strutted to the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee, arching and flirting as much as possible. “So where were you last night?” she murmured over the lip just as he was taking a sip.
He sputtered, spraying coffee. “Please please tell me you weren’t one of those girls staking my room out last night!” he demanded, wiping up the mess with a linen towel.
Doc looked alarmed. Janet looked over nonplussed. The kids were oblivious, digging into their porridge breakfast. Cassie smiled wickedly. Her mother gave her a sharp look, but it bounced off, she wasn’t paying her any attention. “Just where you were last night Cassandra Virgina?” Doc growled. Cassie looked over to her mom.
“Uh oh, full name, someone’s in troubllle...” One of the kids said looking up and then over to another.
“I was um... watching a movie with Jolie,” Cassie said, squirming a little. She looked down.
“With Jolie huh? So how did you know what happened?” Doc demanded. She turned and looked at Mitch. “Speaking of which, what the heck did happen?” The tone was accusatory. Mitch shrugged.
“I noticed a bunch of the ladies arguing outside my door and one in the room and decided to seek another place to sleep.” He shrugged at Doc’s long look.
“Just where did you go?” Cassie asked with intense interest.
“Cassie!” Her mother looked at her horrified. Cassie smirked.
“Let’s just say you kids aren’t the only ones who know all the hiding spots to get away from Janet here,” Mitch mocked, chuckling as Janet waved a batter covered wooden spoon at him. The kids looked on and giggled, looking back and forth between the adults. “Besides, I may need that hiding spot again before winter is over,” he wryly commented, getting up and putting his dishes in the sink.
Voices could be heard in the hallway, female voices. “And on that note, I am going to make myself scarce,” he said, shaking a leg as he retreated down a side corridor.
“Like I said, coward!” Janet called after him in good humor.
“Better part of valor Janet!” he called back.
The girls came in, Vanessa looked around. “I thought one of the guys was in here?” she demanded. The others looked around in confusion. Janet got busy with the batter. The kids looked at the ceiling, anywhere but at Vanessa and the women. Doc hid a smile by looking down into her cup.
“Cassie, who was just here?” Vanessa demanded, turning to the miniature red head.
“Oh Mitch, you just missed him,” she replied airily. She waved to the other door.
“Oh we did, did we?” Vanessa got a steely gaze in her eye and then turned to the others. “We’ll settle this, you up for a man hunt?” she asked. The others nodded grimly and the trio rushed off.
“Tattletale!” Billy said to Cassie, sweeping his left index finger over his right in the classic No No sign.
Janet busts out laughing, Cassie looked to her, then to her mom who was giggling uncontrollably with her hand over her mouth. The kids didn’t know what was so funny, but joined in; the giggling was just too infectious not too.
Cassie snorted, and then grinned. “Guess that will keep them busy for a while and out of mischief,” she said as she shrugged and took another sip of coffee.
“Just tell me you weren’t part of that last night?” her mother demanded as she got control of herself enough to look at her piercingly.
“Oh mother! It’s not like he isn’t single!” Cassie answered. Her mother looked horrified. Janet started giggling all over again; knowing Cassie was pulling her mother’s leg.
Phyllis and Natali came in holding hands. Anne came in behind them shaking her head. “I don’t know what he thought he is doing, they are all after him.”
Doc looked up concerned. “Cabin fever?”
Anne shrugged. “I don’t know, all I do know is that we are snowed in up to the eyeballs, so he doesn’t have very far to run.” She shook her head chuckling. Doc snorted.
“Well we won’t be chasing him,” Phyllis said, giving Natali a kiss. Natali blushed, glanced around, and then hugged Phyllis a little. Phyllis gave her backside a proprietary pat. Cassie goggled at them, Anne snorted.
Doc got up and walked out singing “Love is in the aiirr...” Janet growled then threw a dish towel but missed.
The towel came sailing back into hit Cassie though. “Hey!”
“So where is Mitch?” Vanessa asked, hands on her hips a day later.
Mike looked up from his book and glared. “Why do you want to know?” he asked. She tried to be defensive, but he was pretty assertive, making her wilt a little.
“Uh nothing, I was just um...” He gave her a look, much like her father did when she was younger.
“For your information, he is trying to repair the wind turbines outside. One of them froze up,” Mike answered. The lights flickered, and then started to glow more brightly. “The man is the only one who knows how to fix everything around here. He's dog tired. Cut him some slack.” She nodded and turned to leave.
Vanessa asked Janet if Mitch had stocked makeup. Anne was peeling a potato, and turned around. “No hun, men don’t think of those things.” They heard the outside hall door open and close. A gust of cold air made them shiver. “Who the hell was outside?” Janet asked exasperated. She pointed to the frozen waterfall out the window. Mitch came in, wearing cold weather gear. He slapped the glov
es down on the table, and then sat to tug his boots off. He was encrusted with ice and snow, and despite the thermal gear his face was a little blue.
“Damn Mitch, what were you thinking?” Anne asked.
He sighed as he got the last boot off. “Had to fix wind turbine fourteen it froze up again.” He got up, grabbed his gear, tucked it under one arm and left.
“Oh,” Anne said softly then got back to work. Vanessa gave the empty doorway a long lingering look.
“So, when are you guys going to shave again?” Anne teased Mitch as he came in from the cold a week later.
“Spring,” Mitch replied. He had stopped using the shaver; the fur was just too useful to shave. He looked and felt like a Sasquatch but felt warmer. He shook out his gear while Brian stomped in behind him.
“It’s too damn cold not to have a beard,” Brian replied, shivering and wishing he was old enough to grow a proper one. Anne handed each of them a hot mug of coffee. Brian fumbled his gloves off to wrap his hands around the steaming mug.
The Fenns were sitting on the couch, Frances wrinkled her nose. “Not soon enough for me.” She tweaked her husband’s beard. “Kissing this is like kissing a yeti.”
Paul’s fur covered lips turn up in a smile. “And of course you’ve kissed a lot of Yeti’s?” he asked. She snorted.
Chapter 12
A couple weeks later the women were chattering about the things then the disparity between single men and women crept into the conversation. When Vanessa growled about not getting any lately, then glowered at Lisa, Gina looked over and patted Vanessa’s arm.
“Just nick a cucumber dear.” she advised with a wink. Shocked looked from the other girls. “What? You can always eat it later... think of it as eating the evidence!” She giggled as she got up and put her dishes in the sink, then popped a pepper off the cooling pan and popped it into her mouth as she padded off out of the room with only the barest hint of wiggle.
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