Interlude

Chapter 17

Link

Three little krakens break the surface of the pool underneath Nikos and Nixie’s place. I smile when I see my children and expect Caspian’s head to break the surface quickly after them, but he doesn’t. I wave the babies over to me, and they cooperate by swimming over to the edge and using their tentacles to climb out. I grab three towels out of the cabinet and squat down next to them.

“Can you change back so I can speak to you?” I coax them, a little annoyed that I can’t mind speak like Xavier or one of the shifters, but I’m not the only one. Saxon can’t either, so I’m not completely left out of the loop. One by one, they shimmer before I have three naked toddlers standing before me. I manage to get a towel wrapped around both Cordy and Cally, but I’m not quick enough, and Jack takes off up the stairs of the small house, shouting, “I’m naked! You can’t catch me.”

Torn between chasing the little naked boy or finding out where Cas is, my concern for Nikos wins out. “Where’s Daddy?” I ask the two little girls.

“He’s bringing Daddy Nik. He can’t swim very well,” Cally says before sticking her thumb in her mouth. Swimming always wears them out, and Saxon says he’s going to be waiting back at our home with bottles for them before their nap.

I purse my lips and turn my attention back to the pool. “He can’t?” That’s not ideal. I know twins are unusual for Aquilians, and there can be complications. I hope this is just a case of Nik being a first-time expectant father, and he’s more uncomfortable than anything, but I guess I’ll find out.

“I’m naked, and you can’t catch me!” I hear Jack shout, and when I look, he’s halfway up the stairs and shaking his little naked bottom at me. Who the fuck taught him to do that? “I need to pee.” He turns around and moves up to the edge of the steps, taking his penis in his hand and pointing it over the side.

“No!” I shout, but it’s too late, and a small stream flows into the pool below. “Oh, Jack.” I shake my head in exasperation as Cas and Nikos breach the surface, just missing the small golden stream.

“What the hell?” Cas bellows, looking up and finding his son peeing into the pool.

“Jack, no,” he growls, and Jack just giggles, finishing with a little shake. He turns and races the rest of the way up the steps.

“Damn it!” Cas shouts and swims over to me with Nikos wrapped in his arms. He leaves him to lie in the shallow beach section on the side of the deck before he climbs out and hurries over to grab a towel, drying his body off before chasing Jack upstairs in his half form. Cordy and Cally stay where they are, their towels hugged around them as they giggle like crazy at Jack’s antics.

“Are you okay?” I ask the merman. I look him over, and his belly is way more distended than it was the last time I saw him. He rubs the large bump and grimaces.

“Yes, but since I’ve been eating everything you gave me and taking all the supplements and medications you prescribed me to get better, the babies have grown quickly.”

“Yes, they were slightly undersized at the last scan. That’s a good thing,” I reassure him, and he smiles wanly.

“But they push on a nerve in my spine that’s making it hard for me to swim. I basically don’t move anymore. I don’t think it will be long before they are here. When will Lila return?” he asks, worry creasing his brow.

We’ve been in Husadavia air space for twenty-four hours. Lila, Xavier, and Brannock would have had their first day harvesting and should be returning to the ship shortly. They said they would be near the death forest on day three. “Hopefully only two more days,” I tell him, worried he may not make it that long, but he nods.

“Good, she will be back in time then. Their birth is not imminent, since my scales have not changed color yet.” He nods down the length of his tail, and I toe off my shoes and remove my pants, leaving me in just my boxers as I step onto the small section. I hear a squeal and a bang, followed by a growl, and look up the stairs, wondering if I should go find out what’s happening, but I’m sure Cas has it all in hand. Fingers crossed.

“Your scales haven’t changed color?” I ask the merman as I run my hand over his belly, following with my eyes. I use all of the scanning tools available to me to check that he is okay. I can see where the second twin is pushing on his spine, so I put both my hands on his belly and massage a little, trying to get them to move into a different position in the hopes that it might relieve his pain. I don’t want to give him any pain relief because I’m uncertain of the babies’ tolerance. I may have to assess my databases for more information, and if I’m unsuccessful, I’ll make a call to Nixie and her mother. That woman is unpleasant and wasn’t very nice to Lila, so I will use it as a last resort.

“Yes, the scales around my sexual slit will become paler, fading to white when it’s time to give birth. The only time they ever open on their own in mer form is when we give birth. Any other time, they need to be activated by another participant.” He grunts and then groans as his whole belly rolls. The girls are standing on the side, watching us now, their curiosity too great.

“What is that?” Cordy asks, pointing at Nikos’s belly.

“That’s your brother or sister,” I tell her, and her eyes widen.

“Really?” She sounds fascinated. “Can I touch?” she asks while Cally just watches silently, her thumb still in her mouth.

I look at Nik who nods eagerly, his eyes wide with amazement at seeing them in their humanoid form. “They look so much like Lila,” he says as Cordy clasps her towel to her little body and climbs down into the pool. Oh well, it will dry. She toddles over to Nikos and reaches out to touch his belly, but it rolls again, and she squeals and snatches it back.

Nikos chuckles and reaches out with his own hand, taking her small one in his and laying it against the baby bump. “They will be here soon, and you will all be able to swim together,” he tells her gently, and I watch with deep joy as her eyes widen with amazement.

“Do you want to know what you’re having?” I ask him, restarting my scans.

“I do, but I don’t want to know without Lila here,” he explains, and I nod as I hear a little splash, and when I turn to look, Cally has joined us and is inching toward us with her hand held out. She places it next to Cordy’s, and they both grin when the merbabies wriggle like they can feel their sisters are there.

“Oh, they like you.” Nikos smiles despite how uncomfortable it must be. There is less room in there than there would be with a human twin birth because both his babies have tails. “They are going to love their big sisters,” he tells them, and I watch them puff up with pride.

“Too bad their big brother is a shit head.” Cas’s voice carries down the stairs, and then he appears in half form with Jack firmly tucked under his arm, his head facing backward.

“I’m sorry, Nik, but Jack knocked over the sculpture of a phadoll you had in there. I will ask Xavier to fix it for you when he returns, but he’s off with Lila at the moment.” Cas gets to the bottom of the steps, and I see Jack wiggling like mad, trying to escape, but he’s not having any luck.

“What do you say to Daddy Nik?” Caspian growls and flips his son around so he is tucked against his body and looking at us.

“I want to touch,” Jack calls, reaching out with his arms when he sees both of his sisters touching Nik’s belly, whispering to each other and giggling every time the babies move.

“Not until you apologize for breaking his precious things and peeing in his pool,” Cas says firmly. “We do not pee in pools in human form. We use the bathroom like everyone else does.”

Jack pouts and crosses his arms stubbornly but mutters, “Sorry.”

“Jack, do you like it when Cordy smashes your block tower when you’ve worked hard to build it?” I ask him, trying to explain it in terms he might understand. They are intelligent for their age, but sometimes their emotions get in the way.

He shakes his head vigorously. “No, she’s mean. Mean, mean, meany bum,” he shouts and sticks his tongue out. Cordy ignores him, too enthralled with Nik’s belly to pay attention.

“Well, that’s how Daddy Nik feels about you breaking his precious things,” I tell him, and he stops glaring at his sisters and turns his attention to Nik. He wiggles in Cas’s arms to be let down, and Cas lets him. Jack hurries over, still as naked as can be, and jumps into the pool, splashing his sisters with the action. They squeal with annoyance, but he just smiles as he hurries over and wraps his little arms around Nik’s neck.

“Sorry, Daddy Nik. I love you.” He places a kiss on his cheek, and Nik melts. I roll my eyes and exchange an exasperated glance with Cas. Jack has learned how to work the room. His grandpas are giant pushovers, as are most of his fathers.

“Jack, to make it up to Nik, I think it would be nice if you draw him a picture next time you do crafts with Grandpa John so he can put it in place of his lovely statue until Daddy X can fix it,” Cas suggests. It’s not much of a punishment as far as they go, probably more of one for Nik than anything else, but both Nik and Jack beam. Another daddy wrapped around a tiny little finger. It’s a losing battle. I have high hopes for Tirrian and Silac. They haven’t been manipulated by these three yet, so there is still a chance that one of them will be good at disciplining, because the rest of us are failing—except Lila. She’s good at it, but she gets upset because she’s worried they are going to think she’s a bitch. Like I keep telling her, though, there’s only one mother in this family, so she’s automatically their favorite. I’m not sure it helps.

“How does it feel now?” I ask him, happy with the scans. I know what he’s having, but until he and Lila give the okay, I’ll keep referring to them neutrally. “The babies have moved slightly. Is it a little better?”

He flicks his tail carefully, and it moves freely, so he sighs with relief. “So much better, thank you,” he tells me.

“No problem. I’m happy to help in whatever way I can.” Cally is leaning against Nik, her head on his chest and her hand still on his stomach, and she’s smiling with her eyes closed. He gives her a little hug, his eyes alight with joy. Cordy and Jack are squabbling over who gets to touch his belly, but he just shushes them and puts both their hands on it just in time for them to kick again. He’s going to be a great father.

“Ugh, they must think my belly is a great, wide ocean. They swim constantly,” he complains, but the children are thrilled.

“Okay, I think you need to rest, and we need to get these little ones upstairs for some food and sleep.” Cas slips into the pool and separates his two quarreling children, because they’ve started to shove one another. “You two don’t get to swim back. Bad behavior does not get rewarded.” He has one under each arm, and he starts back up the stairs.

“See you soon, Nik. I’ll come back and check on you when I get a chance tomorrow,” Cas promises, and Nik looks a little surprised but gives him a wave goodbye.

“You’re a part of the family now, Nik,” I tell him, and he blinks a couple of times before a large smile stretches across his face.

“Thank you,” he says, bowing his head as I bend down and pick up our sleepy baby. She doesn’t argue, just presses a kiss to his cheek before wrapping her arms around me as I lift her.

“You have the communicator over there if you need it.” We put one on the edge of the pool in case he goes into labor or needs us for any reason. “We can be here in a flash. If the pain returns, let me know and I can try to move the babies again,” I tell him. “It might be a good idea just to stay in this pool for now.”

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing. I wish I could shift like Echo can, and then I could go upstairs. It’s a little lonely here,” he tells me.

“Yeah, I know. Lila would be here if she could. I’ll tell Echo to come visit. Do you have all the things you need for the babies?”

He nods. “Yes, it should all be waiting for us on Fluxx when we arrive. Echo and I did some shopping when he came to see me last time.”

“Okay, well, get some rest.” I wave goodbye and follow Cas and his two bundles of grumpy up the stairs. The path across the pool has been left open permanently so both Echo and I can come and go.

The smashed statue is still in pieces on the floor, but I know Cas wants to ask Xavier to use his magic to fix it, so I leave it instead of tidying it up. When Cally and I reach the landing near the elevator, Cas already has the kids redressed and is waiting for us. The wet towels lie in a pile to the side.

“I’ll come back and get both of those,” he tells me as I toss Cally’s wet one in the pile and dry her with a new one before dressing her.

“Can you grab my clothes too?” I ask him, looking down at my mostly naked body. I didn’t think to put them back on after I finished examining Nikos.

Caspian chuckles and winks. “You’re as bad as Jack, wandering around mostly naked.”

I shake my head as the two babies in his arms giggle. Cally is basically still asleep despite all the commotion and me redressing her.

“Don’t encourage them,” I scold half-heartedly.

“Nothing wrong with being naked. It’s a shifter thing,” he explains, and I just roll my eyes. Of course it is.

When we get back to our suite, I find the cats sitting at the counter, having a drink.

“Oh, you’re back!” Echo leaps to his feet and hurries over, taking Cordy from Caspian. “Saxon left bottles for them in the warmer. He said he added blood.” He hurries back to the counter and pulls the three bottles out of the special warmer we use. He gives them a shake to mix the blood into the milk before handing one to Jack and one to me. Cally is still resting her head on my shoulder, so I sit down on the couch and feed it to her. She drinks it down with her eyes still closed. Jack and Cordy both take their own bottles but stay in Cas’s and Echo’s arms.

“Saxon went to talk to Broderick on the flight deck. He was restless and wanted to make sure everything was okay,” Maxsim says, patting the seat next to him so his mate will sit down.

“How are you feeling, Echo?” I ask him, noticing his belly is a little more round today than yesterday.

He smiles brightly. “I feel good, strong, and I have quite an appetite. The babies must be growing.”

“That’s good. Would you pop down and visit with Nik? I think he’s lonely, and he can’t move a lot anymore, which makes swimming difficult.” His bright look fades, and a crease appears between his brows with his worry.

“Of course I can. He must miss Lila a lot,” he agrees.

“Take this with you.” Cas puts Jack on the sofa next to me and Cally and holds up a tablet. “Link told him about the mermaid movie, and he wants to watch it.”

Maxsim groans. The kids have made both cats watch it over and over again with them.

“He wants to pick Earth names for his babies as well,” I explain, and his disgruntled look disappears as Echo nods.

“It is a good idea. Maybe Lila can suggest some for us too. I like the tradition of naming our babies Earth names.” He rubs his own belly with the hand not holding Cordelia.

The babies don’t take long to finish their bottles, and the three of us lay them down in their beds to rest, all of them out before we leave the room.

“I need to find some clothes,” I tell the two of them, leaving them to return to the kitchen while I head to my room. My eyes drift to the clock on my bedroom wall. Lila and the guys should be returning to the harvesting ship soon. They were planning on contacting us to give us an update. Maybe I’ll go to the bridge so I can be there when it comes in.