to his shuttle. Jarix followed along, attentive and alert.
There was something in the air, something special. When Zoe entered the shuttle to get the documents, she froze. A voice was humming in the cockpit, a low, rich tune that drew her through her own memories in an instant.
She took a few steps toward the voice before a whisper shot from her throat. "Mama?"
"Zoe?" A figure stood silhouetted by the daylight and in a rush, Zoe was caught in her mother's arms.
Chapter Ten
Hosting a meal that included her parents made the family experience complete. Weelia Hagerson was alive, seemed healthy and that was enough for Zoe.
When she sat across from her mother at dinner, Weelia smiled. "Oh, I have missed those eyes, kitten."
Zoe blushed. As a young woman, Weelia had called her little kitten because of her eyes, but the love in her tone had always been beyond reproach.
Trin grinned. "Kitten? I would never have pegged Zoe as a kitten."
Leos snorted. "A tigress, perhaps. Possibly a bulldog."
Jarix was tearing a roll apart and he smirked. "A lioness. And all ours."
Weelia looked from one male to another and then back to her daughter. "All three of them?"
Zoe laughed. "Yes, Mama. It was not just rumour. It did take all of them to get me pregnant."
Weelia's eyes welled with tears. "A baby?"
"Yes, Mama. A real, live baby is percolating in here." She patted her abdomen.
"You need the best obstetrics specialist, the best paediatrician, clothes, blankets, diapers." Weelia was ticking the list off on her fingers.
"Mama, Mama, hold on. That isn't possible. We are in hiding here. We are trying to avoid extra personnel coming and going. It isn't safe to have too many folks knowing what is going on here."
The clones at the table were watching the exchange with surprise. Zoe imagined that they would never have thought of denying a parent.
Weelia nodded. "I suppose you are right, but at least let me send you the best in equipment."
In compromise, Zoe inclined her head. "Yes, you may."
Tornen chuckled. "Just like old times. Thrust and parry."
Leos cocked his head. "Do mothers and daughters always behave this way?"
Tornen laughed. "Yes. It takes different forms, but the dance is always the same. Mothers want to protect their young and get very frustrated when thwarted from that goal."
The men around the table shared significant looks and the females just looked smug. Artificial or not, the facts of life and survival remained the same.
Yawning, Zoe sat in Trin's lap, Jarix rubbing her feet and Leos massaging her shoulders while her parents tried not to stare.
"Mom, how long have you been up and around?"
Weelia smiled. "I have been out of stasis for about a month. The decanting was begun a few days after you engaged in this rescue."
Zoe smiled. "And Papa kept the secret because?"
"We didn't know if the treatment would hold. We still don't, but I wanted to see you, to see my little kitten one more time just in case." Weelia reached out and took her hand.
"I am glad you did. I have missed you so much." Tears and smiles blended on her face. She bawled and Trin simply held her while Leos stroked her hair and Jarix caressed her calves.
Weelia seemed alarmed.
Tornen looked at the calm expressions on Zoe's men and guessed, "She does this a lot?"
Leos nodded. "Last week it happened while she was designing a new shuttlecraft. She was in the middle of a power coupling and she went to pieces."
Weelia nodded. "I am beginning to think that adoption was the best thing for me. I don't know if Tornen could have handled mood swings as well as your men have."
Zoe laughed and ended on a hiccup. "The symptoms decrease when I increase my protein intake, but I didn't want to freak you out."
Tornen nodded. "So, that is why you wanted the livestock."
She smiled and shrugged. "That and my men need something to hunt besides me. Being stalked makes me nervous."
The room degenerated into laughter and when Zoe yawned and snuggled against Trin,
There was something in the air, something special. When Zoe entered the shuttle to get the documents, she froze. A voice was humming in the cockpit, a low, rich tune that drew her through her own memories in an instant.
She took a few steps toward the voice before a whisper shot from her throat. "Mama?"
"Zoe?" A figure stood silhouetted by the daylight and in a rush, Zoe was caught in her mother's arms.
Chapter Ten
Hosting a meal that included her parents made the family experience complete. Weelia Hagerson was alive, seemed healthy and that was enough for Zoe.
When she sat across from her mother at dinner, Weelia smiled. "Oh, I have missed those eyes, kitten."
Zoe blushed. As a young woman, Weelia had called her little kitten because of her eyes, but the love in her tone had always been beyond reproach.
Trin grinned. "Kitten? I would never have pegged Zoe as a kitten."
Leos snorted. "A tigress, perhaps. Possibly a bulldog."
Jarix was tearing a roll apart and he smirked. "A lioness. And all ours."
Weelia looked from one male to another and then back to her daughter. "All three of them?"
Zoe laughed. "Yes, Mama. It was not just rumour. It did take all of them to get me pregnant."
Weelia's eyes welled with tears. "A baby?"
"Yes, Mama. A real, live baby is percolating in here." She patted her abdomen.
"You need the best obstetrics specialist, the best paediatrician, clothes, blankets, diapers." Weelia was ticking the list off on her fingers.
"Mama, Mama, hold on. That isn't possible. We are in hiding here. We are trying to avoid extra personnel coming and going. It isn't safe to have too many folks knowing what is going on here."
The clones at the table were watching the exchange with surprise. Zoe imagined that they would never have thought of denying a parent.
Weelia nodded. "I suppose you are right, but at least let me send you the best in equipment."
In compromise, Zoe inclined her head. "Yes, you may."
Tornen chuckled. "Just like old times. Thrust and parry."
Leos cocked his head. "Do mothers and daughters always behave this way?"
Tornen laughed. "Yes. It takes different forms, but the dance is always the same. Mothers want to protect their young and get very frustrated when thwarted from that goal."
The men around the table shared significant looks and the females just looked smug. Artificial or not, the facts of life and survival remained the same.
Yawning, Zoe sat in Trin's lap, Jarix rubbing her feet and Leos massaging her shoulders while her parents tried not to stare.
"Mom, how long have you been up and around?"
Weelia smiled. "I have been out of stasis for about a month. The decanting was begun a few days after you engaged in this rescue."
Zoe smiled. "And Papa kept the secret because?"
"We didn't know if the treatment would hold. We still don't, but I wanted to see you, to see my little kitten one more time just in case." Weelia reached out and took her hand.
"I am glad you did. I have missed you so much." Tears and smiles blended on her face. She bawled and Trin simply held her while Leos stroked her hair and Jarix caressed her calves.
Weelia seemed alarmed.
Tornen looked at the calm expressions on Zoe's men and guessed, "She does this a lot?"
Leos nodded. "Last week it happened while she was designing a new shuttlecraft. She was in the middle of a power coupling and she went to pieces."
Weelia nodded. "I am beginning to think that adoption was the best thing for me. I don't know if Tornen could have handled mood swings as well as your men have."
Zoe laughed and ended on a hiccup. "The symptoms decrease when I increase my protein intake, but I didn't want to freak you out."
Tornen nodded. "So, that is why you wanted the livestock."
She smiled and shrugged. "That and my men need something to hunt besides me. Being stalked makes me nervous."
The room degenerated into laughter and when Zoe yawned and snuggled against Trin,
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