He didn’t get the chance to find out. Before she got to the cursing him out part, Tabitha’s eyes rolled in her head and she sank back against the pillows. “Tabbie?” She didn’t respond.
Peter almost lost his shit there and then. “Tabbie!” Somehow, he held on. This was not a situation that could be improved in any way by dropping a terrified Pricolici into the middle of it. He turned to Eve. “Do something!”
Eve started pushing the gurney a lot faster. “Hold on!”
Peter grabbed his side of the gurney, and he and Bethany Anne kept it stable while Eve powered her way to Tabitha’s birthing suite.
They had two rooms on standby. The first was candlelit and had a warm pool and whale music for Tabitha to mock, where Peter would feed her bonbons and fan her while she brought their son into the world.
Eve directed them toward the second, where the freshly-scrubbed surgical team waited for Tabitha under too-bright lights. The door was opened by a pair of nurses, and another stepped forward to guide Eve into the theater.
Eve sailed through with the gurney, but Peter found his way barred.
Peter tried to push past the nurse who blocked his way, frowning at the man whose nametag went unnoticed in Peter’s worry. “What are you doing? Let me in.”
The nurse, clearly used to dealing with distraught fathers-to-be, raised a hand to ward Peter off. “I’m sorry, Commander. Medical personnel only beyond this point until we know the cause of her collapse.” He pointed to a sign on the wall by an alcove a short way along the corridor. “There’s a waiting area there if you’d like to take a seat and gather yourself. Otherwise, I’ll have to ask security to come down here, and none of us want that.”
Peter didn’t care if he had to fight his way to Tabitha. She and their baby were vulnerable, and they needed him right now. He growled deep in his chest. “Let me pass. I’m staying with Tabitha.”
The nurse looked at Bethany Anne as the voice of reason.
It was only when Bethany Anne moved Peter firmly but forcefully away from the doors to the operating theater that he realized he’d been too close to insisting the nurse let him in or face the painful consequences, and that wouldn’t do at all.
Peter held up his hands at the nurse who’d blocked his way. “Sorry. You’re right. It’s been a hell of a day, but that’s no excuse. Didn’t mean to make your job harder.” He turned to head for the waiting area to prove he was done being difficult.
The nurse looked at Peter with understanding. The man was clearly concerned but resolute. “It’s not an easy time, but your wife is in the best hands.” He slipped back behind the door and closed it firmly.
Peter looked down at his feet while he and Bethany Anne walked over to the waiting area and murmured, “If you find my wife, you’ll have to introduce us.” He smirked for a moment, but it faded just as quickly. That was one of Tabitha’s less cutting lines whenever anyone assumed they were married.
The thought of how it would feel to never hear Tabitha verbally flay another asshole in response to their ignorance was unthinkable, and yet it kept trying to be a thought.
He couldn’t bear it if anything happened to Tabitha or their child.
However, he had to trust Eve and the surgeons to do their best work. He wondered if whatever was wrong was another adverse reaction to spending so long living life on fast-forward.
He hadn't been affected by the issue, since over the last few months Bethany Anne had wanted him focused on working with the Admiral's wife on integrating the masses of new recruits into the Guardian Marines.
Coordinating their training and deployment around the various locations Bethany Anne had collected in the years since the acquisition of Devon was a full-time job, so he’d only spent short stints in the game construct during Tabitha’s pregnancy.
However, for Tabitha and the twins, it was more serious. Once game time began to pick up speed to compensate for the twin’s rapid growth, their visitors started to get severe headaches if they stayed for more than a few hours real-time.
The side-effect was spotted by TOM after Bethany Anne had stayed with the twins for two months in game time. Her nanos cleared up the headache just fine, but further investigation had revealed potentially life-threatening consequences for anyone living at a different speed for a protracted period of time if the issue wasn't addressed.
Everybody was quite ready to get out, even though Tabitha had initially been a little too happy with the news that she and the twins would have to remain in the Vid-docs while their time perception was slowly adjusted back to the normal rate.
Peter was well aware that her snark was just a cover for her fear of being a terrible mom. Their conversation kept coming back to Nickie, and what she saw as her failure to steer her niece straight.
Peter’s personal opinion was that everyone had done plenty for the girl, especially Tabitha, and she’d still turned out the way she had. It was up to her to sink or swim now.
That was just how it went sometimes when a kid got everything handed to them. If anyone understood that kind of rebellion, it was him.
Tabitha didn't want to hear it, but Peter knew that Nickie would return a changed woman when her time was up. In the meantime, being exiled to experience life as the majority lived it could only do her good.
Bethany Anne's shadow passed over Peter, tearing him from his brooding. “I’m going to find you a hot drink and something to eat. Do not move from that spot.” She raised a finger to be sure he knew she wasn’t kidding. “I’ll be back soon. Understand?”
Peter nodded and she walked off, leaving him to work out how to live through the agony of the minutes crawling by while he waited for any scrap of news.
It didn't take long for his thoughts to wander again. Tabitha had nothing to worry about. They were going to be great parents, whether she believed it or not. He decided to focus on that, and what he could do to make Tabitha’s life easier once their son was born.
They had talked endlessly over the last few months—or years if he looked at it from Tabitha’s perspective—and he had listened to her fears and acknowledged them. That she wasn’t any kind of disciplinarian. That she was going to fuck their child up because she had to have a certain amount of chaos going on to be happy.
Tabitha couldn’t see what Peter could: being responsible for Alexis and Gabriel had changed her. She’d become comfortable with the idea that having authority didn’t necessarily mean being the authoritarian during her time in the game world.
Bethany Anne returned what felt like an eternity later with a familiar-looking paper bag in each hand. “You didn’t get to eat your dinner earlier. It’s amazing what you can get in the middle of the night if you're not too fussy.”
“You are the literal best,” Peter told Bethany Anne sincerely. He took the bag she held with a grateful grin. “And you’ll take that back when you eat one of those fries. They’re wonderful.”
Bethany Anne tipped a finger at him and sat down to open her own bag. “We’ll see. Eat up, you need your strength.” She waved a fry at him before biting down on it and chewing thoughtfully for a second.
“It didn’t take you long to run out for this,” Peter mused idly, more interested in his second chance at dinner than how it had been procured.
Bethany Anne grinned guiltily. “Okay,” she admitted. “They’re good. I called ahead and had our order ready to pick up. I didn't know which one you prefer so I got you one each of the specials.”
Peter unwrapped the first burger. “You pretty much nailed it.”
She rummaged in her own bag and came up with a carton of hash brown fries for him and a Coke for each of them.
Peter bowed to Bethany Anne before taking them from her. “Totally nailed it,” he amended. “Kerry’s fries are the best. I can’t believe nobody thought of making hash browns this way before.”
They chatted while they ate. Bethany Anne kept the conversation superficial. She talked about the potatoes they were growing that were ve
ry close to Earth-equivalent, including the taste, when fried, seeing that was what he needed.
Peter made short work of the burgers stacked inside his bag.
After they’d eaten, he went to find a trash can for their empty wrappers, needing to stretch his legs after sitting still for the last couple of hours.
When he returned, Bethany Anne was talking to the nurse from earlier.
The nurse spotted Peter. “He’s here. Commander Silvers, if you’d like to come this way.” He broke into a smile. “It’s time to meet your son.”
Peter’s knees went wobbly for what seemed like the millionth time that long day when he heard a faint snuffly cry and Tabitha’s soft murmur.
“They’re okay?” he asked.
The nurse nodded. “They are. Mother and baby are in perfect health. We were just waiting for you to get back to complete baby’s registration paperwork.”
Peter frowned for a second until he realized what the problem was. “She wouldn’t tell you his name? I wouldn't worry about it. She wouldn't tell any of us.”
Bethany Anne groaned. “For crying out loud! This has been bugging me for months, Peter!” She pushed him. “Go in there and find out.”
Peter winked and headed for the door. “That’s the plan. Tabbie has to tell us his name now he's been born.”
“The surprise was that Alexis knew the whole time and didn’t give it up.”
They turned at the sound of Michael’s voice.
Bethany Anne's smile lit the corridor when she saw her husband walking toward them. “You made it!”
“Glad you did,” Peter agreed. “Tabitha wanted you here.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Michael told them both. “Eve has been keeping me updated. As well as a few others, who will be here shortly.”
Bethany Anne waved Peter toward the nurse. “Go, see Tabitha and meet your son. We’ll hold everyone off when they get here and give you three a minute to get acquainted before we welcome him to the world.”
“And find out his name,” Michael added, the tiniest of smirks gracing one corner of his lips.
Bethany Anne pointed at Michael. “Yes, that too.”
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Medical Unit
Peter hesitated outside the door to Tabitha's recovery room to listen to her singing to their baby.
A second later, the lullaby stopped and she snorted. “Are you going to come in and say hi or are you planning on hovering there until you take root?”
He pushed the door open, careful not to flood the softly-lit room with the harsh light from the corridor. “Hey, beautiful. What’s a fine chick like you doing in a place like this?”
Tabitha was mostly upright on the bed, leaning on the mass of pillows behind her with the baby in her arms. She narrowed her eyes playfully, her fire undiminished by the ordeal of giving birth. “Some charmer talked me into bed. It’s sad, really. Taken out of the game at the peak of my hotness.”
Peter grinned as he closed the door with a barely audible click and walked over to the bed. “Your peak started when the year still began with a two, and it’s not showing any signs of ending any time soon.”
Tabitha grew slightly pink in the cheeks. “You're too smooth for your own good, Pete. I look really messy, but I don't care. Come see the tiny human we made!”
She looked just perfect to Peter, from her hospital gown and her hair sticking up all over the place to the dark circles under her eyes. He leaned over and kissed her. “I wouldn't change a thing about you. How are you feeling after the cesarean?”
She patted her bed with her free arm. “I’m feeling good, a bit achy where the nanos are working on deep tissue still. Sit with us.”
He sat down on the edge of Tabitha's bed and held out his hands for the blanket-wrapped bundle. “You ready to share a moment?”
Tabitha smiled as she gently placed the baby in Peter's arms and he got his first glimpse of his son. He was mesmerized by his miniature fingers and toes and the dark, downy hair on his head. The way his face was arranged in a perfect copy of his mother’s most petulant pout. “He’s so beautiful.”
The baby began to squirm, reddening as he drew breath to protest being parted from his mother. Peter ran a finger over his son’s forehead to soothe him. “Hey, little man. No need to cause a ruckus. You and I are going to be best buddies, just wait and see.”
Tabitha’s eyes shone. She leaned over carefully and whispered to the baby, “Say hello to your Daddy, Todd.”
Peter felt his heart contract. He met Tabitha’s eyes. “Todd? Really?”
Tabitha nodded and smiled beatifically at their son. “Yup. Todd Michael Nacht-Silvers. Any objections?”
Peter looked into Todd’s eyes, which seemed to be tracking him already. “It’s perfect. He’s perfect.” He scooted along the bed so he could wrap his free arm around Tabitha. “And so are you. Well done, Mama. I’m so proud of you.”
There was a quiet tap, and Bethany Anne slipped through the door. “You’ve got visitors.” She caught sight of Todd and crossed the room in an instant. “But me first. Aunt’s privilege.”
Peter looked questioningly at Tabitha.
She waved him off, stifling a yawn. “I’ll be fine as long as it’s a quick visit. But then Todd and I have to get some sleep.”
“If you say so.” He stood and prepared to transfer his son to his Aunt Bethany Anne for a snuggle.
Bethany Anne brought baby Todd in close and cooed to him. She grinned at them both. “He’s beautiful.” She whispered to Todd before looking up again. “Congratulations to all three of you. We’ll talk about Todd’s birth gift tomorrow. For now, just tell me when you’ve had enough of visitors, and I’ll clear everyone out.”
The door opened again, and there was a moment’s chaos when everyone tried to get through at once. They heard the nurse scolding someone. Possibly John, from the rumbling reply.
Bethany Anne rolled her eyes for Tabitha’s benefit. “Here, you take him back while I teach these grown-ass men and women how to use a door.”
Tabitha snickered, accepting Todd into her arms. She stared at him as she’d been doing from the second the surgical team had placed him in her arms. She couldn’t get over him. He was a perfect blend of Pete and her.
Bethany Anne had arranged her visitors into manageable groups of two and three. Tabitha nodded and smiled and replied to their praise, her eyelids growing heavier during the gaps between well-wishers.
Todd fell asleep, so Peter took him from Tabitha and gently laid him in the bassinet attached to the far side of her bed.
Without the baby to keep her alert, Tabitha’s eyelids fluttered closed in a matter of minutes despite her best efforts to stay awake. Peter tucked her in while Bethany Anne cleared the room like she’d promised she would.
Peter sighed a huge sigh of relief when the door closed behind John and Jean, who were the last to leave.
Bethany Anne kept her voice low, not wishing to disturb Tabitha or Todd's sleep. “Interesting day, huh?”
Peter nodded solemnly as he took the chair beside Tabitha’s bed. Sitting down, he breathed in twice before answering. “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
Bethany Anne chuckled softly. “This is only the beginning, Peter. Sleep now. I’m not going anywhere until morning.”
Peter squirmed to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. He opened one eye as he drifted off. “Thank you, BA,” he mumbled.
Bethany Anne, who was arranging all the welcome gifts, paused. “It’s what family does,” she replied softly as he began to snore.
Chapter Two
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Barnabas’ Office
It wasn’t technically his office, but Barnabas had claimed it long ago and stenciled his name on the door regardless. Tabitha had taken the one down the corridor just to annoy him, but she never used it.
Finders keepers.
Barnabas enjoyed the solitude in this re-creation of his office on the M
eredith Reynolds. He never felt alone on the ship, given Shinigami’s efforts. But here he had this office, and the empty underground part of the base it was situated in was the closest thing to a quiet place he had found.
He was somewhat out of touch with goings on around the base, having had his hands full with the taming of Shinigami for the last few years.
However, maybe it was time to reconnect. Barnabas had an idea that Bethany Anne had some plan in mind. He could see no reason she would use resources doubling up on defenses otherwise.
As if karmic intervention had drawn the object of Barnabas’ thoughts to him, Bethany Anne walked into his office and took a seat in the dark leather wingback chair opposite the desk from him.
“How’s it going, Uncle Barnabas?” She crossed one leg over the other and leaned into the chair's comfortable padding. “Tabitha told me you stopped by to see her and baby Todd today.”
Barnabas flushed with delight. “I did indeed. It's always a pleasure to welcome a new member of the family.” His smile morphed into a knowing look. “But that's not why you’re here, is it?”
Bethany Anne gave him a wry smile. “Straight to the point as always. Your efforts on the vigilante front have not gone unnoticed.” She inclined her head a touch. “You’re doing a great job cleaning the place up so far, and you know how much I appreciate what you’re doing.”
Barnabas arched an eyebrow, knowing full well what was coming. Bethany Anne hit him with that disarming smile, the million-watt one nobody could say no to because you just knew that smile was based on her faith in you to do whatever task she had in mind. “Whatever service I can give my Queen, I would be glad to provide,” he replied.
Bethany Anne's smile impossibly grew brighter. “Great! You’ll love this, I know it. How would you like to reduce your coverage area for a while? Like, to this planet?”
Barnabas steepled his hands in front of him on the desk. That sounded like something he would not mind happening at all. “Because you’re preparing to leave and fight the Ooken.”
Bethany Anne nodded, drumming her nails on the arm of the chair. “You’ve got it. Almost. The Ooken are preparing to move.”
The Kurtherian Endgame Boxed Set Page 73