Chapter 7

Justin felt his blood turn to ice.

"That," Alicia said, speaking for most in the room, "makes no fucking sense."

Oh, but it did. It all made sense. Or, it could. The languages. The animal aliens. The ... familiarity, and stupidity, of it all. God fucking damn it, if they were...

There'd be no going home.

He saw Alicia turn to him, her face becoming disgusted as his expression registered.

"Oh, fucking ... please, don't say you understood that. I don't want a kid fathered by someone who understood that."

Justin shook his head, Nona now looking at him as well. He also saw the squirrels staring intently. They were going to need those two, that was now clear. He didn't think it was a good idea, but then, what was?

"I ... might. That is, I know what it could mean, one possible way." He looked at Nona. "I'm sorry, but we'll probably never get home. We'll try, Nona, God damn it we'll try, but, please..." She stiffened, Tammy still pinning her arms behind her back, then seemed to slump in the woman's hold. Justin knew how she felt. Turning to Anthony, he sighed. "We need these books. We have to go over them. All of us. See what we can tease out of them."

Anthony nodded, thoughtful.

"Ladies," he said, turning his body to face the two residents of the room, "I'm sorry. We need to borrow any books you have. We will return them, I promise..."

"No!"

The black furred one, Sarah, stepped forward, shaking off the red furred Miriam's attempt to restrain her. She walked up to Anthony, two uncovered breasts leading the way, pink nipples just visible under the short fur. Justin's eyes shifted to Daium, to see how she saw all this, and was surprised to see anger on her face. Hmm ... natural antagonism between these two races?

"These are OUR Holy Books!" Sarah jabbed one black claw into Anthony's chest. "OURS! She Who Fucked entrusted them to us! Few copies exist, and I will NOT release them from my care, even to Daemons!"

Anthony looked down at the creature, a good two or more feet shorter than him. Justin could see his mind working (which, he had to admit, was a good thing, so long as what you're seeing isn't the gerbil on its little wheel trying to get up to speed). Looking back at the others, Anthony indicated the door.

"I think we need a little meeting outside."

"No fucking way!"

Anthony blinked. He looked at Daium, not recalling the last time he had seen her this angry. Her four white fur rimmed eyes looked at him from behind her glasses, serious.

"Look, Daium, we need those books."

"Then take them! Buy them! Or, borrow them, and we stay here until we've copied what we need. But, I am NOT letting my father's ship become some taxi service, or letting just anyone onboard!"

Anthony leaned back against the metal railing, feeling the occasional drop of rain making it under the shelter of the walkway above them to fall on his back. Most of the others were against the wall of the motel, or whatever it was. He had to chuckle at that. Obviously, they didn't trust the rusted, formerly painted support railing. Just as, really, Daium didn't seem to trust their two acquaintances. He glanced over at Hannah, the only other to brave this side of the walkway. She had both hands on it behind her, almost as if holding it up instead of the other way around. Her eyes were regarding the Orang with a speculative gaze he was well familiar with. Not from her, really, but just woman kind in general. A quick look showed Justin too had realized this was a "woman thing".

Danny just looked confused.

"I don't trust them either," Nona said, almost growling. Tammy had her held against her, like a guy might hold a shorter girlfriend, arms around her waist. Nona's arms were crossed, not seeming to notice Tammy.

"We don't need trust, we need the books." Alicia put a hand on her wife's bare shoulder. "Please, Love. We can lock them up if you like ... if they come voluntarily, and agree, naturally," she quickly added, glancing at Mary's widening eyes. "After all, we're the good guys." Justin shook his head.

"We are NOT going to treat them like prisoners, or steal their stuff."

Daium's gaze went to her husband. As dim and male as Anthony was, he began to have a hint as to what the problem was. He let out a sigh.

"Hannah..."

"Yup." She pushed off from the railing, pausing to brush some flakes of paint and rust off of her hands. As always, Anthony couldn't help but admire her pregnant form. His life had always been spent trying to avoid having his women in this state, with a couple close calls in his younger days. If he had realized the beauty of this female form, maybe he would have stayed with that cute Indian girl who refused any contraception. Then again, that was an easy call to make now, as opposed to back in community college...

Hannah walked over to Daium, nodding to Alicia. The blonde glanced down the walkway, away from the others, then back at her questioningly. Hannah nodded again. Placing her hand on Daium's other shoulder, the two women turned the Orang around and walked her away from the others ten paces or so. Daium came, if not willingly, at least with no resistance. Her arms were crossed over her woven bra, mirroring Nona.

The dirty window they stopped in front of had no curtains. The room inside, identical to the one they were just in, was bare, dark. Hannah glanced in, decided she really didn't want to be that exposed, and moved them the few extra feet until they were in front of blank wall. Maneuvering Daium so her back was almost touching it, the two pregnant women stood before her. Daium's eyes were on the ground, not meeting theirs. Hannah let out a sigh.

"Is this about Justin?"

All four eyes opened wide, Daium's gaze coming up to met hers in shock. Hannah just shook her head.

"Come on, it's not like you're the first female to feel like this."

"Yeah," Alicia agreed. "Hell, we've just been lucky there hasn't been much of it between us."

Daium's gaze dropped again, shoulders slumping. She hugged herself as the howl of the wind began to add itself to the constant sound of rain.

"They, those two..."

"They are young, furry, walking around naked or almost naked, and seem to have a desire to have kids with humans." Hannah looked over at Alicia, who nodded.

"Yeah, I caught that too." She looked back at her wife, who was nodding miserably. "You don't think Justin's going to cheat on us, do you?"

Daium let herself fall back against the wall. Her voice was miserable.

"He is male. Males, human males, want lots of mates. He has two, why would he not want three? Or four?"

Hannah burst out laughing. Daium looked at her, shocked. Alicia smiled as well, just shaking her head.

"Oh, Daium, you do NOT know Justin! He was perfectly happy with just you, before I forced my way into the mix. Hell, none of the guys have strayed."

"Well," Hannah disagreed, considering, "I think Chuck hooked up with Rinda while with Melinda."

"Yeah, but Melinda doesn't count, sort of stalking him and forcing herself on him. I know Anthony hasn't tried to go for any of us."

"Possibly because none of you have flirted with him. He has, jokingly I'll admit, complained about that."

"Oooh, so I should start! Hmm, that could be fun..."

"Alicia, Love," Daium interrupted, hand reaching out to touch her bare arm. "You ... are not worried?"

"No," she replied, stepping closer and leaning in to give Daium a quick peck on the lips. "Just tell him he has us, and you don't want him to stray, and he won't even give them a second thought."

Hannah stepped back as the two embraced. That, it seemed, solved that. The other women would have to work it out with their men. Rinda and Melinda probably wouldn't care about Chuck, although you never knew. Danny ... she'd have Anthony, no, Chuck, talk to him. And, naturally, she had no worries about Anthony.

She glanced down the walkway at him. Her husband was talking to Mary and Goldie. He had been there for her, since the first day they'd found themselves in this place. When she had needed a friend, and more, he had stepped up without hesitation. When she had been unsure ... he had stepped back, and waited. When she had told him of Tammy's loneliness, he again had stood aside. Hannah knew he didn't like it, and while enjoying herself with Tammy greatly she stopped after a few encounters. Tammy had understood.

So ... given all that ... if Anthony had some interest in the two inside, could she really stand in the way? He WOULD come back, after all ... wouldn't he?

"God damned fucking piece of..."

Chuck sighed. This wasn't going to work.

The girls were napping. For some odd reason, squirting out babies, plus the assorted other gunk that had been in there (he had almost expected packing peanuts to pop out), had tired them. Real tired, not the fake kind just to get his attention. Chuck had popped into their room and found both passed out on the bed. The kids were asleep too, in their little bassinets. Those had been all ready to go, as they knew the babies were coming. Other stuff, for the most part, was still in pieces. They had stocked up on things like cribs, strollers, and playpens, all unassembled. They could have put it all together early, naturally. It's not like there was a lack of free time while the ship was traveling. But ... babies did not always make it to full term, and when they do they are not always born alive. In some times and cultures, he knew, they didn't even bother naming kids until they had been around for a few months so they wouldn't feel the loss as much when they lost them. So, this had all been left until needed.