Dark Abyss (28 page)

She liked the way they all called her magpie now. It always made her feel like smiling. “I know. I want to. I was just thinking that would be the best time. We couldn’t have sex then, so I wouldn’t have to worry about endangering a pregnancy.”

“Sex, sex, sex,” he murmured lazily. “Is that all you ever have on your mind, woman?”

Anna flicked him a chiding look. “Can I help lusting over you when I’m surrounded by the sexiest men in the world?”

“In the world, huh? Not the territory?”

She rolled over to nip at his throat. “The universe.”

“I think can I live with lust … for now.”

Anna lifted her head and studied his face. “I love you, Simon.”

His gaze sharpened. He threaded his fingers in her hair and drew her closer for a light, lingering kiss. “Do you?”

Disappointment flickered through her, but she dismissed it. “You had me with that first, dangerous scowl you bent on me,” she added teasingly.

He chuckled. “What about the others?”

She bit his chin. “There’s room for everyone.”

“All four of us? At once?”

It took her a moment to realize what he was suggesting. “My god! I don’t have four holes!”

He burst out laughing. “You said you could love us all at once,” he reminded her.

“Not
that
way!” She thought about it. “Actually, I’ve sort of had this fantasy for a while of having a cock in every orifice—at one time.”

His cock stood to attention. “That’s one fantasy we won’t be trying any time soon,” he said dryly.

“Two then?”

He rolled with her, pinning her to the bed. “No!”

“Please? Why not?”

“For one thing, you’re pregnant!”

“Afterwards, then.”

“I’ll think about it, but I’m telling you right now the others won’t go for it!”

“Joshua already said he’d think about it,” Anna said with satisfaction. “Caleb, too.”

“What did Ian say?” he asked curiously.

“’Hell fucking no!’ But he’s thinking about it.”

“Pervert!” he said without heat. “You used to be so shy! Always blushing.”

“That was because of all the wicked thoughts that ran through my mind every time I looked at you.”

He dipped his head to kiss her lingeringly. “That’s what I’ve always loved about you, magpie,” he murmured, “your mind.”

* * * *

“Uh … guys! I think it might be time to go!” Anna called out a little frantically.

Four heads appeared in the aperture above her that had been the entrance to their home before the modular addition was attached. They stared at her in blank-faced shock as she stood hunched over below them, dripping water and holding her stomach.

“My water broke.”

That galvanized them. Unfortunately, it didn’t lend them any coordination. The four of them scrambled toward the new stairs in a blind panic, slamming in to one another. Simon bounded over the first half, bumped into Caleb and rolled and bounced down the rest of the stairs. Joshua dove over them, hung his toes on Simon’s shoulder as he was trying to get up and sprawled to a halt at her feet, and Ian didn’t even make it to the stairs. He fell off the landing, but managed to land on his feet.

Anna was still trying to decide if any of them had broken anything when they leapt up and ran toward the sub, racing down the ladder. After staring open-mouthed at the empty room for a moment, she hobbled to the hatch when she heard the engines revving. “Hey!” she yelled down at them. “A little help here!”

“What the fuck are you doing up there?” Simon demanded. “Never mind!”

Climbing up the ladder again, he scooped her off her feet with one arm and twisted around to hand her down to Ian.

“I think it’s coming,” Anna gasped as Ian plunked her into a seat and grabbed the shoulder harness to secure her.

“Hold on to it!” he growled.

Anna put her hand between her legs. “There’s something here,” she said shakily.

Ian froze. Jerking her robe up over her head, he checked. “Oh fuck! That’s a head!”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Caleb snarled. “We haven’t even detached yet! Did anybody close the hatch?”

“I don’t think we’re going to make it to the hospital,” Anna moaned. “One of you will have to deliver it.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Simon roared. “We can’t deliver it! Hold on to it!”

“I can’t hold on to it, damn it! You’ve got emergency medical training!”

“Not in delivering babies!” Joshua said.

“Jesus! She’s right! It’s coming,” Ian said shakily. “Hurry! Damn it, magpie! How long have you been having contractions?”

“I don’t know,” Anna gasped, panting as another contraction moved off. The sub detached with a jolt that sent more pain through her and she curled around her stomach.

“I think sitting up is making the contractions come faster,” Ian said worriedly.

“We need to help her lie down.”

“Five minutes!” Caleb said. “Just hold on five minutes!”

“Hold it steady. I’m going to help her lie down!”

“On the damned floor?”

“There’s no other place for her to lie down!” Ian pointed out angrily.

“We’re halfway there … almost!”

“She’s halfway there, too,” Ian said grimly when he’d settled her on the floor and pushed her robe up to look. “I can see its face.”

“It’s crowned?”

“No, damn it! I can see its face!”

Almost as soon as he said it, the baby let out a thin wail. The sub rocked as the sound cut through Caleb.

“Keep it steady!” Ian bellowed as he knelt down and pushed her knees up.

“Don’t push, Anna! Just breathe.”

“I can’t help it!” Anna wailed.

“Ok, baby. Don’t cry! Push!” Ian said hastily.

He caught the slippery infant in shaking hands, stared down at the cord leading from the baby back inside, and finally leaned forward to lay the squalling infant on her belly.

“Is he ok?” Anna asked worriedly, reaching down to grasp one of the baby’s flailing arms.

Ian tore his robe off hastily and bundled the baby in it. “She,” he said shakily.

“It’s a girl.”

Anna sat up. “A
girl!”

Ian stared down at the baby’s face and chuckled. “She looks like Simon—minus the dick.”

Simon moved closer to look and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Anna gasped uneasily.

“We made it!” Caleb announced. “What now?”

“Take the tube,” Ian said. “We can’t dock with Anna and the baby on the floor.”

Caleb stared at him blankly and moved to where he and Simon were huddled together, staring at the baby. “Shit! That’s Simon all over!”

“You think?” Simon asked doubtfully.

“Is she alright?”

All three of them looked at her. “Her lungs are good,” Caleb announced.

“Good color, too,” Ian agreed.

“All the fingers and toes,” Simon said when he’d counted the tiny digits.

Anna reached for her.

Ian moved around to place the baby in her arms a little reluctantly. “She’s pretty even if she does look like Simon,” he offered when she smiled at the baby in delight.

Simon scowled at him. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

Ian shrugged. “It’s just hard to picture you as a girl.”

Anna uttered a snorting laugh. “She
favors
her daddy. She’s a beautiful little mermaid.”

Joshua had just joined everyone crowding around her when Caleb returned with a doctor. He shooed them back while he finished up. They had to help her back into a seat and strap her and the baby in to dock.

Eventually, she made it to a room. “I could’ve had her at home,” Anna said a little sulkily.

Simon, Caleb, Ian, and Joshua looked at her disapprovingly.

“You could’ve
also
waited until you got to the hospital. You almost scared the life out of all of us!” Joshua said indignantly.

Anna smiled at them a little apologetically, realizing it probably wasn’t a good idea to tell them she’d thought she could finish up in the lab before she told them she was in labor. “Next time,” she promised.

The day she left the hospital with their new baby, she received notification that she’d been awarded the Nobel Prize for peace for her development of food to feed the hungry.

The End