Copyright 2024 – Daemon D. Hart
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The Human Bearer
Riordan caressed the small dark head between them. He had a vague recollection of one of the women at the places where he had grown as an abandoned child on Earth, how she'd sung a lullaby to him while touching his forehead in search of signs of a fever. It was an old memory, and maybe the first he could recall, but it brought peace with it. So he hummed softly, while wishing his first born sweet dreams.
"Your parents are here, and they're never going to leave you, ever," he whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on the crown of Junior's head.
"How can we promise that?" Xana asked in a bitter tone. He seemed to have taken things badly, even more so than his human spouse, which made Riordan believe that this alien race actually felt things, albeit rarely. They felt them many times over, in synch with the strength of their other traits. On top of it all, it was a face of his husband he hadn't seen before. Confused, angered, sullen, all at the same time.
"Hey, don't say things like this. Not in front of him," Riordan said while cupping one hand over Junior's ear while pressing the small head against his side. "Please, tell me what's going on," he added, in a soothing tone now. Xana needed understanding from him, not to pile up on top of all that doubt mixed with hurt.
"He's deep asleep," Xana said and turned to caress Junior's face briefly. "Xenolites have a long memory. We don't forget many things, even if it happens to us when we are very young. I'm afraid Junior doesn't get to enjoy the blessing of human children, who can forget so easily."
Riordan was in no mood to argue, especially since they were on the same side of the barricade. "I believe I should tell you that I can't get rid of an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. Leaving all of them like that. And how are we even supposed to care for them? It would have been one thing to have them, you know, in time, and give them the proper attention. Marn doesn't even let us be close to them most of the time." If he was the one to put all his feelings out in the open, maybe it would help Xana be more straightforward with his.
"I dislike what is happening just as much as you. And I can sense something is wrong, although I can't, as you say on Earth, put my finger on it. No, before you ask, not the obvious, there's something deeper than this, far beneath the surface."
The anxiety coming off Xana was tangible. Riordan spared one hand to caress his husband too, something that took Xana by surprise. His deep green eyes examined him, but then their owner slowly relaxed into the touch. His brushed his cheek against Riordan's palm and met his stare, conveying, even without words, even without communicating with him telepathically, the things he meant to say. Riordan understood everything.
"We're in this together. I know it may not sound like much, not compared to the power Marn wields on this ship, but it counts."
"Whatever power he wields, as you say, he cannot do so without the rest of the council. And I am part of that. The fact that he used some subterfuge to create this situation bothers me greatly. I have never experienced this sensation before."
"What? Feeling pissed off? I beg to differ," Riordan said, trying to make light of the situation for a tiny bit. They continued like this, the chances were their heads would end up exploding.
"No, I'm not talking about anger. It is..." Xana seemed to encounter some difficulty in finding the correct word. "Disobedience?" he asked in a startled voice.
"Disobedience?" Riordan echoed, just as confused as his husband. "Wait, do you mean that you're wondering whether you no longer feel as loyal as before towards Marn?" He threw a nervous look around. "Hey, should we do a sweep? I mean, what if he's listening in?"
"He sensed my displeasure since we were still at the crèche. Believe me when I say, Riordan, that His Royal Chancellor is very much aware of my new feelings. As much as we don't place any weight on such things. I think," he added slowly and gave Riordan a long look, "that the structure of my reasoning is changing."
"Because of me?"
Xana nodded. And then, he looked at the dark head between them. "Not only. Because of them, too."
Riordan knew what Xana meant. He had a lineage now, one that had increased many folds overnight. Changes were to be expected, after all. "Can we do anything about it? My head is full of all sorts of contradictory ideas. I mean, I too wished I could slap Marn silly and worse, but I have all the little ones to think of. I really don't know what to make of it. It feels like one wrong step would be enough for things to come undone. I don't like it."
Xana nodded thankfully. "We have many things to think about, indeed. For now, let's rest."
It wasn't that bad a suggestion, although Riordan didn't think he could easily go to sleep, not after all that had happened within what felt like a very short span of time. According to Marn, and even Junior's reaction at their disappearance, it must have been at least a matter of months. Even the idea that they had missing time they couldn't recall was unsettling. And how was everyone doing, really? Xeus was still in Ferix's able hands. There was no word of the others. Was Drato still in critical condition? How was Cario faring, given the circumstances? And Kyle... had he been repaired?
As he browsed through all his worries, his eyelids grew heavy. For a moment, he started and opened his eyes brusquely, as if he were aware of some sudden danger, but tiredness won in the end.
The morning found them in a better state than the night before. At least, from a physical point of view, and Riordan was thankful for it. His body still felt stiff and he had to stretch and yawn a few times before he felt like his joints were back in their places. He couldn't exactly say what that sensation felt like, but it was as if, for a long time, he had been immobilized in a hospital bed, and now he was getting to use his limbs again. It had only been one night, so such sensations weren't exactly self-explanatory.
"I suppose Marn will take us to see the boys and girls. I have an idea," he said after Xana gave him a long kiss. "How about we bring Junior along to meet the others?"
"I agree. After all, he is still upset with us for leaving him alone. He will get to see his brothers and sisters and become as proud as we are of our lineage getting stronger."
"He will?" Riordan asked, somewhat startled by Xana's formal speech. A short look from his husband made him understand why that was.
The doors to their quarters opened, and Marn came in, with the same politician-like smile on his face. Riordan wanted so hard to punch the guy that his hand seemed to have a mind of its own, turning into a fist difficult to keep by his side.
"My favorite couple," Marn said.
"Are we going to see the children?" Riordan asked impatiently. "I mean, good morning, Your Excellency. I suppose it is morning."
"It is. We recreated the cycles you are used to, similar to those on Xeno, so that you can have a natural rhythm. Of course, the changes in lighting are subtle so that they don't feel so artificially created."
Artificially created. Riordan frowned as those two words lingered in his brain, flashing like sparkles on an empty, black canvas. He shook it off, since Marn continued to speak.
"You will notice that your other children grow quite fast. Soon enough, they might not need you at all," His Royal Chancellor said.
"But they do need us now," Riordan insisted. "May I bring Junior along? I believe he needs to meet his siblings."
His question seemed to give Marn pause. It wasn't such a ludicrous demand, was it now? Riordan examined the way the usually impassive face went through a few, barely there, changes.
"I would suggest against it. We're a species used to being a single progeny per Xeno siring him."
"Or her," Riordan reminded him.
"Of course. Don't you worry that your little one here won't take kindly to having been dethroned from his place as the only one doted on?" Marn asked.
Somehow, that polite question had teeth. Riordan narrowed his eyes, but letting his emotions be known couldn't work to his advantage that well. "I believe that I can make him understand. He is, after all, to some degree, human too."
"Very well. Only that I must tell you that you will see them alone. Well, with Junior in tow. Xana needs to return to his usual duties."
"Yes, of course," Xana replied.
Hmm, Riordan pondered, his husband had some plans. Since their morning had been interrupted so soon by Marn's visit, they hadn't had the time to synchronize their watches, so to speak. Although, because they couldn't communicate in any way, due to a stranger's presence in their quarters, that left room for some interesting conversations over dinner. Or preferably lunch, but Riordan didn't put too much stock in that.
He had the permission to take Junior with him. And his heart filled with tenderness at the thought that he would see the little ones again.
"Thank you, Your Excellency," he said brightly and even bowed a smidge.
"This politeness suits you, Riordan," Marn said and patted him on the head, his Xeno version of acting paternal.
However, this time around, he just wasn't buying it.
"And they are all your brothers and sisters," Riordan explained while bouncing Junior on his arm to get a laugh or two out of his firstborn. Taking into account the Xenolite's weight, this also counted as workout, and he believed that all that was needed for his muscles to get back in shape was holding Junior like that.
He frowned for a moment. Why did his muscles feel weaker than usual? That thought from before, as if he had just returned from a long convalescence that must have included a long hospital stay, came to mind. But they had been busy making Xenolites, he and Xana, which meant they'd had a lot of vigorous activity. Some things weren't clear at all.
For now, he'd play the obedient bearer, since Marn seemed to like it and he needed no to raise the big kahuna's suspicions in any way. But he wouldn't leave things like this. Xana wouldn't, either.
"Like the babies inside you," Junior said and his tail curled protectively for a moment around his mommy's belly. "But they're not inside you anymore."
"You're such a smart cookie," Riordan praised him. "You understand so much."
"I am," Junior agreed solemnly. Although he resembled his human mommy in many ways, the way he frowned slightly when he was thinking made him look exactly like his daddy. "But how come they are outside of you so fast?"
"I wish I had an explanation for that," Riordan said. "It's something we're just figuring out, your daddy and I."
Junior leaned back so that he could stare at him. His cute face was pinched in thought. "But how?" he insisted. "Since my brother and sister," he added while his tail curled around Riordan's belly, "aren't yet born?"
"Brother and sister?" Could it be that Junior sensed his siblings in a way not even the parents could? It was a matter to explore. Right now, he needed to put his baby's worries at rest by talking to him. "These eggs inside me are new," Riordan said patiently. He really needed Xana's advice on how much Xenolites could really process and understand about complex things such as conception and birth. Well, maybe they weren't that complex, or at least not something to be kept from children only to confuse them.
"New?" Junior asked, pinning him with his intelligent eyes.
"Yes, they will come in last," Riordan explained.
Junior didn't appear quite convinced. "But why?"
"I wish I could tell you. The truth is, I don't know," Riordan admitted without pretending that he was some all-knowing entity, lording over the little one with his knowledge. He had always hated adults doing that to him, no matter where he had found himself during various stages in life. And it was a promise to make to himself not to discard Junior, or any other of his children, like that.
Junior sighed the way children did to express their dissatisfaction over something and rested his head against Riordan's shoulder. "They should have come first," he said.
They were surrounded by lizard guards on all sides, as it seemed that Marn trusted them to take care of such a precious charge, while he'd gone to see about his business as supreme leader. That was a relief, because Riordan didn't want him watching while he took care of Junior's siblings. Marn was hiding things, important things, and Riordan had always had a hard time to believe others, anyway. This time around, he doubted that it was only his mistrust at play. When he saw Xana again, maybe his husband would have new information about this whole fucked up situation that helped them make more sense of it all.
The lizard guards didn't follow them into the enclosure with the big pond, most probably because their orders were clear on that aspect.
"Children," Riordan called out, "where are you? Mommy's here."
He waited, since he could see no movement in the lush vegetation surrounding the body of water. Junior moved so fast he couldn't stop him. He delved into the water, breaking its smooth surface, and disappeared from view.
"Junior!" Riordan shouted in surprise. "You naughty child."
He took off his robe and placed it behind a bush. It looked like he needed to get underwater to meet his children.
The water closed above his head, and he looked around. How could they make such a thing on Tu'lek? It was uncanny. There was undergrowth, soft and velvety under the soles of his feet, and it was also dark, darker than he expected. Xenos probably had excellent vision, even under such circumstances, but he was a mere human.
He swam around, waiting for one of the playful Xenolites to get out of hiding and welcome him. Junior was out of sight, too. Although he was doing just fine breathing underwater, he sensed that he might need a mouthful of air soon, which was strange seeing how that hadn't been a problem before. Was that a skill that needed often repetition so that he didn't forget it?
After scouting around with his eyes, as far as he could see, he went back to the surface. An ominous sensation was slowly creeping in. Whatever was going on, he didn't like it.
"Junior!" he shouted, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice. "Come on, it's not the time to play!"
Water splashes at the opposite end from where he was made him turn his head. "There you are," he said with determination and began swimming in that direction. "Too bad I can't spank you all. You're giving mommy here a real scare."
A long tail emerged and coiled over the water, only to disappear soon after. Riordan stopped for a moment and then began swimming faster. Was an adult Xeno there? But why? Or maybe it had been just the way light had bounced off the water, playing a trick on his vision. He wasn't entirely sure.
To his right, something shot out of the water, making him yelp. It was Junior, who seemed to be flying through the air in the most unusual manner, as if he had just been propelled by an unseen force. Riordan opened his arms wide to catch him, and a glimpse of the boy's wide eyes, filled with terror, made his blood freeze in his veins.
"Junior," he said, pulling the boy close to his chest. "What is it?"
"They're not real, dada," Junior whispered, "let's run!"
"What?" Riordan could feel every hair on his head and body standing on end. "Who's not real?"
The water began boiling around them, with bodies and tails and heads with long hair. Riordan let out a breath. The kids were there, playing a prank on them, it seems. They began swimming towards him, happy and smiling.
"Ma..." they whispered repeatedly, on different voices.
Riordan squeezed Junior in his arms, to comfort his baby, although it seemed like his Xenolite wasn't so easy to soothe. Whatever his siblings had done must have given him quite the fright.
One of the boys climbed on him and wrapped around his arm, as if he was trying to pull him away.
"Now, be nice," Riordan said. "This is your older brother, Junior."
So many pairs of eyes turned to Junior with curiosity. They seemed to talk between them, and Riordan had to focus to catch what they were saying.
All dark... like Ma... small...
That last bit was strange. Junior was bigger than all of them. The boy hanging by his arm tried to push Junior away, but Riordan pushed him gently back. "You are all siblings. Play nice with each other. Junior, come on, look at your brother."
Junior, however, couldn't be convinced. He buried his face into the crook of Riordan's shoulder and refused to look. He wasn't talking, either. A sting through his left nipple made him grunt, and only then he realized that the kids had taken upon themselves to feed from him. The unpleasantness of the first attack faded, as the Xenolite closed his eyes in content while sucking from his mommy's tit.
"Junior," Riordan whispered, trying to coax a reaction from his firstborn.
The others were silent now, and Riordan couldn't help thinking that something was wrong. They were too quiet, too solemn for a bunch of Xenolites that had been born only... when had they really been born? That strange sensation, of floating out of time, returned to him in full force.
He looked at the long line of Xenolites, waiting their turn, disciplined like soldiers, their little faces unreadable yet keen. Keen on watching their mommy, it seemed. Junior wrapped his arms tightly around his neck. "Let's go, dada, let's go," he whispered.
As much as he wanted to make sure Junior felt no discomfort, he couldn't abandon the others. Maybe Marn hadn't been so far off in his suggestion that Junior would be better left behind while Riordan was busy with the others. But Riordan didn't believe Marn these days. And he had no idea what to make of what Junior had told him and how fearful he seemed to be of his siblings.
"Can you tell me now why they scared you so?" he asked Junior as soon as they were back. His chest was sore from feeding so many hungry little mouths, but nothing a bit of seth wouldn't heal fast.
Junior appeared quite upset with him, which meant that he refused to talk.
"Come on, baby," Riordan cooed, "you can tell dada."
Junior turned his back to him, as they lay together on the large bed. Riordan put a hand on the boy's head to soothe him. "You can tell me everything."
"I did," Junior said, "and you didn't believe me."
"You mean, that your brothers and sisters aren't real? But you saw them. They were right there. Could it be that you think I'd love them more than I love you? You're my first child, that will never change."
"No," Junior said, sounding morose and inconsolable.
"No what?" Riordan insisted patiently.
"They're not my brothers and sisters," Junior said petulantly.
Riordan sighed. "I know it's hard to see mommy and daddy taking care of others, but they are your siblings."
"No," Junior shot back. And before Riordan tried to bring another argument, he turned to face him and then his tail coiled around his mommy's belly. "Only they are." He put one hand on one side of Riordan's abdomen. "Brother." And then his other hand on the opposite side, where the smaller egg of the two had nestled. "Sister."
Riordan remained silent. He had promised himself only earlier that day not to dismiss Junior only because he was a child. He pushed the hair away from the boy's forehead. "Tell me more, baby."
tbc
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Or check out my latest story on Smashwords - Spending His Honeymoon with Daddy-in-Law - Part One:
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