My tenth life was my best. Instead of having unlimited knowledge, or ice-cutting hands, I was surrounded by everyone who was important to me.
Jared and Mel had picked up right where they had left off; they were unseperable. Doc had finally won Sharon's complete favor, they were married and living happily in Doc's old room. Jamie was no longer a teenager; he was a man. He had shot up right before my eyes and he ate a ton! Jared, Jeb, and Ian always complained that Jamie would eat the cave if they let him.
Ian was grateful for my new body; that I hadn't had to leave him after all. We were happier than Mel and Jared.
My body did have its drawbacks, however. I was now the shortest one in the cave; Freedom was actually almost passing me up. I had converted from a hard-working, tall girl in my ninth life, to a short, convienient arm rest in my tenth. People were constantly taking the shovels and hoes out of my hands without thinking about it, so that I didn't over exirt myself. I mostly stuck to baking. It was annoying, being stuck in the kitchen while Mel, Jared, Jamie, and Ian worked in the fields.
Ian and I had been married shortly after I had given Mel back. I was a little confused why he wanted to do it so quickly, but when I asked he said, "I just want you to belong to me and no one else." Meant about Jared obviously.
We also wanted a baby.
When Ian had first proposed the idea, I had had a million different thoughts and feelings; worry, indescision, excitement, nervousness...I was pretty sure that bringing a baby into the world at its current state would be cruel, as Mel and Jared decided before I came along.
But Earth's state had improved. Every time someone came back from a raid, they brought a couple souls and Doc would perform the operation. There was nothing to make me sick over that operation now; Doc did it as well as I did, better in fact. We frequently traded with Nate and the other groups of humans that they had told us about.
Plus, I really wanted children. When I saw Freedom and his mother walking around the caves, my heart sort of melted and there was a deep sense of longing there as well. I frequently thought of that night with Ian and Jared in the hotel room, watching the two parents and their human baby play in the park across the street. I wanted that with Ian very badly.
We decided that we would give it a try, but we had to ask Jeb first.
Ian and I went to Jeb one afternoon after lunch.
Ian knocked three times on Jeb's door. He grabbed my hand, ran a hand through his black hair, and sucked in a deep breath as Jeb opened his door.
"Well, kids!" Jeb exclaimed. "Didn't expect to see you there. What brings you?"
"We have a proposition for you, Jeb," Ian said.
Jeb pursed his lips as he measured Ian's tone, then nodded and gestured for us to come in.
We each took a seat at the small table in the northwestern corner of his small room.
"So what can I do for you, kids?" Jeb asked.
Silence.
"Aw, come on now! You know I don't like secrets."
Ian looked up from where he was tracing the pattern of the table with his eyes. "Wanda and I want a baby, Jeb."
Jeb nodded, unsurprised. "Well did Melanie and Jared give you the idea, then?" he asked.
I started. "Melanie?" I asked. "What do you mean?"
Jeb reddened a shade. "Er...their personal business isn't mine to share, but they came in last week, asking the same thing."
Ian leaned forward, very earnest and tense. "And what did you tell them?" he demanded.
So this is what it came down to.
If Jeb had told them yes, he would deny Ian and I. He wouldn't like to; Mel and I were two of the most important people in his life. But for the state the world was in, one baby was enough. Maybe, when Mel and Jared's baby grew up, Ian and I would finally get a chance to try. I chewed on my thumbnail and waited for Jeb's reply.
"I told them yes," Jeb confessed.
He probably didn't notice, but Ian's eyes went from a calm blue lake to a blazing blue fire, and his jaw tightened. Ian wanted the baby as much as I did, and he very much didn't want to accept Jeb's answer.
Ian and I got up from the table and started toward the door, shoulders slumped a little.
"Hey! Where'ya goin?" Jeb wondered.
I turned around, confused, "You told Melanie and Jared yes."
"So?"
"So isn't one baby enough for now?"
"Personally, I love babies. Nothing could make me happier if you and Mel each had one. Don't you want one?"
"Yeah," Ian said. "Is...is that a yes, Jeb?"
"You bet, kid."
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "Thank-you so much, Jeb! It means the world." I wrapped my arms around Jeb. Ian shook his hand.
"Yeah, yeah," Jeb said gruffly. "Well, uh, good luck I guess."
A few weeks later, the corn in the fields had just been planted. I had been slaving away in the kitchen since early that morning, and the sight/smell of all the bread had been making me nauteous for some reason...
All the field workers piled into the kitchen, eagerly awaiting lunch. I helped serve them all, then grabbed a plate for myself, heaping it high with food. I took my normal spot with Jared, Mel, Ian, and Jamie.
"Wow!" Jamie said. "I've never seen you eat so much food before!" He reddened. "Er, sorry, Wanda. Didn't mean to be rude."
"It's OK," I assured him. "I was just really hungry all of a sudden."
"Didn't you eat breakfast?" Jamie said, scolding.
"Sure, I did, Jamie," I told him. And I had. Jamie hated it when I skipped meals to help in the kitchen.
Melanie was sitting quietly, picking small bites off her roll.
"Are you feeling okay, Mel?" Jared asked in a very concerned voice. "Maybe we should go to Doc..."
"No, no, I'm fine," Mel assured us. "Just not very hungry..." Just then she gagged and bolted for the nearest bathroom. My stomach churned also. "Uh-oh!" I gasped and followed Melanie.
I knelt down next to her as we were both sick. Mel finished before me. "Ugh," she said, rinsing out her mouth. "What did you put in the rolls, Wanda?" she asked with a half smile. "Oh, you know, dirt, rocks, poison..." we both started laughing.
Ian and Jared dashed into the room then, looking very concerned.
"Are you okay?" Ian murmered, putting a cool hand on my clammy forehead.
"I think so," I said. "I'm sorry. I've just been feeling kind of weird lately. The food didn't taste weird to you guys at all did it?"
"The food was fine," Ian dismissed the issue. "Weird how?"
"Well yesterday I started to cry when I took the rolls out of the oven..."
"I've been feeling weird, too," Mel said. "I eat all the time, I almost collapsed from exhaustion yesterday after only an hour of working in the field..."
"I've been eating a lot more, too." I said, feeling suspicious about this whole thing. I knew what was wrong with me, I just couldn't quite put my finger on it. "And I've been having these weird cravings..."
Melanie's head snapped up from where it was cradled on Jared's lap.
"We're pregnant!" we both shouted.
Laughing and crying, we all hugged each other. And the celebration began.
Jared and Mel had picked up right where they had left off; they were unseperable. Doc had finally won Sharon's complete favor, they were married and living happily in Doc's old room. Jamie was no longer a teenager; he was a man. He had shot up right before my eyes and he ate a ton! Jared, Jeb, and Ian always complained that Jamie would eat the cave if they let him.
Ian was grateful for my new body; that I hadn't had to leave him after all. We were happier than Mel and Jared.
My body did have its drawbacks, however. I was now the shortest one in the cave; Freedom was actually almost passing me up. I had converted from a hard-working, tall girl in my ninth life, to a short, convienient arm rest in my tenth. People were constantly taking the shovels and hoes out of my hands without thinking about it, so that I didn't over exirt myself. I mostly stuck to baking. It was annoying, being stuck in the kitchen while Mel, Jared, Jamie, and Ian worked in the fields.
Ian and I had been married shortly after I had given Mel back. I was a little confused why he wanted to do it so quickly, but when I asked he said, "I just want you to belong to me and no one else." Meant about Jared obviously.
We also wanted a baby.
When Ian had first proposed the idea, I had had a million different thoughts and feelings; worry, indescision, excitement, nervousness...I was pretty sure that bringing a baby into the world at its current state would be cruel, as Mel and Jared decided before I came along.
But Earth's state had improved. Every time someone came back from a raid, they brought a couple souls and Doc would perform the operation. There was nothing to make me sick over that operation now; Doc did it as well as I did, better in fact. We frequently traded with Nate and the other groups of humans that they had told us about.
Plus, I really wanted children. When I saw Freedom and his mother walking around the caves, my heart sort of melted and there was a deep sense of longing there as well. I frequently thought of that night with Ian and Jared in the hotel room, watching the two parents and their human baby play in the park across the street. I wanted that with Ian very badly.
We decided that we would give it a try, but we had to ask Jeb first.
Ian and I went to Jeb one afternoon after lunch.
Ian knocked three times on Jeb's door. He grabbed my hand, ran a hand through his black hair, and sucked in a deep breath as Jeb opened his door.
"Well, kids!" Jeb exclaimed. "Didn't expect to see you there. What brings you?"
"We have a proposition for you, Jeb," Ian said.
Jeb pursed his lips as he measured Ian's tone, then nodded and gestured for us to come in.
We each took a seat at the small table in the northwestern corner of his small room.
"So what can I do for you, kids?" Jeb asked.
Silence.
"Aw, come on now! You know I don't like secrets."
Ian looked up from where he was tracing the pattern of the table with his eyes. "Wanda and I want a baby, Jeb."
Jeb nodded, unsurprised. "Well did Melanie and Jared give you the idea, then?" he asked.
I started. "Melanie?" I asked. "What do you mean?"
Jeb reddened a shade. "Er...their personal business isn't mine to share, but they came in last week, asking the same thing."
Ian leaned forward, very earnest and tense. "And what did you tell them?" he demanded.
So this is what it came down to.
If Jeb had told them yes, he would deny Ian and I. He wouldn't like to; Mel and I were two of the most important people in his life. But for the state the world was in, one baby was enough. Maybe, when Mel and Jared's baby grew up, Ian and I would finally get a chance to try. I chewed on my thumbnail and waited for Jeb's reply.
"I told them yes," Jeb confessed.
He probably didn't notice, but Ian's eyes went from a calm blue lake to a blazing blue fire, and his jaw tightened. Ian wanted the baby as much as I did, and he very much didn't want to accept Jeb's answer.
Ian and I got up from the table and started toward the door, shoulders slumped a little.
"Hey! Where'ya goin?" Jeb wondered.
I turned around, confused, "You told Melanie and Jared yes."
"So?"
"So isn't one baby enough for now?"
"Personally, I love babies. Nothing could make me happier if you and Mel each had one. Don't you want one?"
"Yeah," Ian said. "Is...is that a yes, Jeb?"
"You bet, kid."
"Yes!" I exclaimed. "Thank-you so much, Jeb! It means the world." I wrapped my arms around Jeb. Ian shook his hand.
"Yeah, yeah," Jeb said gruffly. "Well, uh, good luck I guess."
A few weeks later, the corn in the fields had just been planted. I had been slaving away in the kitchen since early that morning, and the sight/smell of all the bread had been making me nauteous for some reason...
All the field workers piled into the kitchen, eagerly awaiting lunch. I helped serve them all, then grabbed a plate for myself, heaping it high with food. I took my normal spot with Jared, Mel, Ian, and Jamie.
"Wow!" Jamie said. "I've never seen you eat so much food before!" He reddened. "Er, sorry, Wanda. Didn't mean to be rude."
"It's OK," I assured him. "I was just really hungry all of a sudden."
"Didn't you eat breakfast?" Jamie said, scolding.
"Sure, I did, Jamie," I told him. And I had. Jamie hated it when I skipped meals to help in the kitchen.
Melanie was sitting quietly, picking small bites off her roll.
"Are you feeling okay, Mel?" Jared asked in a very concerned voice. "Maybe we should go to Doc..."
"No, no, I'm fine," Mel assured us. "Just not very hungry..." Just then she gagged and bolted for the nearest bathroom. My stomach churned also. "Uh-oh!" I gasped and followed Melanie.
I knelt down next to her as we were both sick. Mel finished before me. "Ugh," she said, rinsing out her mouth. "What did you put in the rolls, Wanda?" she asked with a half smile. "Oh, you know, dirt, rocks, poison..." we both started laughing.
Ian and Jared dashed into the room then, looking very concerned.
"Are you okay?" Ian murmered, putting a cool hand on my clammy forehead.
"I think so," I said. "I'm sorry. I've just been feeling kind of weird lately. The food didn't taste weird to you guys at all did it?"
"The food was fine," Ian dismissed the issue. "Weird how?"
"Well yesterday I started to cry when I took the rolls out of the oven..."
"I've been feeling weird, too," Mel said. "I eat all the time, I almost collapsed from exhaustion yesterday after only an hour of working in the field..."
"I've been eating a lot more, too." I said, feeling suspicious about this whole thing. I knew what was wrong with me, I just couldn't quite put my finger on it. "And I've been having these weird cravings..."
Melanie's head snapped up from where it was cradled on Jared's lap.
"We're pregnant!" we both shouted.
Laughing and crying, we all hugged each other. And the celebration began.