The Enchanted
Chapter 10: The wait

The next couple days were intense. Shane wouldn’t leave my side, which meant he couldn’t leave his unit. There was no way it was safe for me to be outside since the WSGF had satellites, and we didn’t think there was much even Eric’s talent could have done to something in space. Turns out we weren’t entirely correct in that assumption, but more on that later.

It turns out that Jessie was right. It also looked like our timeline was close. After 4 days it was pretty clear to me that this was not going to be anything like I ever thought it would be growing up. There was minor morning sickness, but nothing too bad. I’m not sure when it happened, but I lost my ability to fade. I was hoping like hell it was temporary, but we’d have to wait and see.

Wait. Patience. Definitely not something I was good at. I was lucky that Shane was hovering because it gave me something else to be pissed at besides the situation. I probably should have been nicer, but Shane took it in stride.

We spent a lot of time talking about the possibilities. It had always been assumed that the Enchanted couldn’t have kids. With the rampant sex that had gone on and not one baby in 5 years, we had kind of given up hope. I spent a lot of time talking with Jessie and she was anxious to try for herself.

She had always been the most distressed about the loss of that ability and now that she knew it was possible she was going to replace a way to make it happen. She and Josh were not really compatible as a couple long term, but since he was the only one of the group that she had any attraction to and the only one she felt comfortable enough to ask, he had agreed to be a guinea pig with her. We didn’t have to worry about absent fathers around here. That whole “It takes a village” had nothing on “it takes an island.”

On the 5th day we got the group together and shared the plan. I had finally gotten my wish and I was going to go away for a while. We were going to try to see if we could get Jessie knocked up first, then head out and spend a few weeks elsewhere so that the WSGF wouldn’t replace us.

Watching Jessie and Josh together was amazing. They were really pretty sweet together. It wasn’t a romantic, hearts and flowers kind of love, but it was the love of two people who cared very much what happened to the other, and who would always be a part of each other’s lives in a good way. Luckily, neither of them really had an issue with what they were doing in public. They both agreed that since neither one was naked and it wasn’t sex in the traditional sense, even though an orgasm would be forthcoming, that we could stay.

We had talked to them about what we had done that day and what we thought had happened, so we decided the best course was to let them join, stay that way for an hour or so, then separate them in the same way Shane and I had done and see if the result was the same. Of course we all knew there were tons of factors that went into babymaking, and the timing would have to be right, but if it didn’t work this time they could try again a few times before anything was decided.

As Josh and Jessie ‘shared’, she was beaming and her smile could have lit up a stadium at night. Josh obviously had the same feelings since there was no competition in their expression. Bliss was the order of the hour and I envied them. I wasn’t able to fade now and I was surprised to see how much I missed it. I was also disappointed that I wouldn’t get the chance to ‘share’ with Shane again until all this was over. Who knows, we might have to resort to working it out the old fashioned way. I have to admit, I was kind of looking forward to it. Definitely the first time I’d looked forward to sex in years.

We sat in Shane’s living room talking for about an hour. It was a little disconcerting to have two people, with two very different communication styles talking at you from the same face, but we got used to it. We talked about where Jessie and I would go. We both agreed that it was probably best if no one else knew, even though Shane could replace us anytime he wanted.

“OK, Lala, you are right, it’s probably better if none of us know where you guys are so that no one can be coerced into revealing your location. I agree not to hunt you down except in case of emergency.” His voice got quiet and you could hear the trepidation. “Have you guys given any thought as to how you are going to hide babies around here? Those few we have who are sympathetic to the WSGF would probably narc you out in seconds. There aren’t many of them, 3 or 4 at most, but we have all always believed they only stay here because they don’t want to be the experiments, and honestly, it only takes one snake. If there were Enchanted children, that would definitely shift the focus and they might think of it as their way of being accepted back into the traditional scientific community. They’re wrong, of course, but desperate people do stupid things. It’s not like we can put diapers on the requisition list?”

“Yeah, I admit, I had wondered. “ I honestly had asked myself that question pretty much the second I found out. I hadn’t come up with any solutions, so I was kind of glad Shane was thinking of it too. After all, he was the father, and he needed a say. “And honestly, I’m not sure how safe a place the Island will be once they decide they are tired of waiting for me to show up. There is no way we can raise kids here. That being said, I haven’t the vaguest clue what to do about it. It’s not like I’d be willing to drop her off on someone’s doorstep in a basket with a note or something.”

Shane’s face blanched. “Her? You said ‘her’. Were you just being colloquial, or do you know it’s a girl?”

“Shit! I didn’t even realize I’d said it, but yeah, she’s a girl. Not sure how I know, but it’s pretty much a guarantee. She likes the name Hope – which is weird because I’d been thinking of it – Orion for a boy, and she’s anxious to meet all of you.” They were all looking at me like I had three heads. “Ummm, why are you all looking at me like that?”

Jessie responded first. “Do you have any idea what you just said? You told us your daughter, and you were quite definitive about that part, likes the name you had already been thinking about, and that she was looking forward to meeting us. That’s not standard stuff. We already know this pregnancy isn’t going to follow the normal rules, but Holy Crap, Lala, you are communicating with a 3 day old fetus! Granted if the ratios we noted earlier were accurate that makes her more like 6 weeks, but still, do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?!”

Shane’s jaw was just hanging open, a stunned look on his face. He reached over and placed his hand across my belly, fingers splayed as far as he could get them to cover as much area as possible. “Hey, Hope! I can’t wait to meet you either. Your mom is pretty amazing, but I bet you already know that.”

I was fucking stunned. I couldn’t even form words. There was this whole swirl of emotions flowing through me, some of which weren’t mine. Somehow I had become aware of feeling her. Of hearing her, understanding her. She was sharing her thoughts with me. She was going to look like her dad. She was already talking to the Island, and I could hear the almost purring sound in the background.

“Jessie, do you hear it? The Island, do you hear it? Hope is talking to it, to the ocean, to the fish. She’s letting them know of a storm coming. Fuck, this is surreal.” I burst out laughing as the next thought in my head was an admonition from my daughter not to swear so much.

“Yeah, Lala, I can hear an undertone. The island is…happy I guess is the right word. I don’t know how else to describe it. There is an aura of joy. It’s phenomenal.”

Shane’s hand finally moved away and he addressed Jessie/Josh. “OK, guys, I think it’s time to do this thing. Josh, you will need to step out very slowly. The slower you do it the more arousing it is and the easier it will be to achieve the desired end result.” He blushed. I found it so adorable that he couldn’t even say the word orgasm.

As we watched the slow separation there was a look of bliss on both faces. It was hard to tell which one was making which sounds, but it was pretty clear which one said “Holy shit, Jess, I’m gonna cum – are you ready for this?”

“Fuck yeah, Josh, Please! So good, Oh, God…I’m gonna…Oh fuck!” I stood up and immediately grabbed Jessie from behind so she didn’t fall as her muscles locked up in what appeared to be a pretty epic orgasm, and Shane kept an eye on Josh, but since he was the one moving, he landed on the couch, along with a bit of a sticky mess.

I was a little jealous. I wasn’t going to be able to do that for a while. At least I hoped it would be temporary. I guess I’d just have to wait and see.

As everyone glanced back and forth at each other I finally spoke. “OK, not much more we can do and you guys should probably both go clean up. We’ll meet back here this evening for dinner, and we’ll talk.

Shane and I watched Jessie and Josh leave and I took his hand. It was an undefinable moment. We watched our friends, who we had just seen have the basic equivalent of great sex, without getting naked, then shepherded them out the door just waiting to see if we got a baby out of the deal. I felt a little guilty that they would never be in love, but it was their choice to tie themselves together in this way, and heck, maybe it wouldn’t even work.

I felt like I needed to put a voice to what I was feeling. The words were difficult. “Shane, I’m not sure what’s happening here, really, it’s all so unexpected, not to mention moving really fast. What do we do if this works? Holy crap, what if we do end up with lots of little Enchanted running around after all this? I can’t help but be concerned that we are painting huge targets on our heads. One of the reasons we’ve managed to stay under the Normals radar is because we couldn’t reproduce, that we might be aging slowly, but eventually we’d die off and they’d get this fabulous island out of the deal – that they were just waiting us out. I don’t think we can be sure that bringing kids into this is a good idea, but I just feel like it’s right somehow. That it was meant to be.” I’ll admit I felt a little silly saying it out loud, but I believed it, and I had a feeling he did too.

One of my saddest memories is of his face at that moment. There was a weight there, a heaviness that weighed on my heart as well. “La la, you know how I feel about you, and I am beyond ecstatic that we’re having a baby together, though I will admit I’m kind of disappointed we didn’t get there the old fashioned way. I’m just scared shitless. We’re on the verge of a war we might not be able to win, and the thought of putting you or Hope at risk is abhorrent to me. I can’t give up this fight – It’s too important, but I can’t give you up either, because you are so much more important. I feel like I’m being pulled in 10 different directions at once and I am failing at all of them!” It truly hurt to see so much confusion and sorrow on his face.

I put my hand to his cheek, pulled his face to mine and kissed him. I’d never kissed anyone and really meant it before, and it was a unique experience. It was warm, comfortable, happy, and perfect. His tongue pressed at my lips and I opened for him, taking his tongue, sucking on it, pulling him into my mouth. The sounds he was making were impossible to resist.

“Just because we didn’t start out the old fashioned way doesn’t mean we can’t take a step back and try it now.” I tried to smile coquettishly, but I wasn’t even entirely sure what that was, so I leaned forward to lick the pulse point in his neck that was visibly throbbing. He tasted salty, masculine, and I wasn’t planning to stop. I started at the top button of his shirt and realized I had zero patience for fussy little fucking buttons and just ripped. Button pinged off the lamp and the door as his shirt found its way to the floor. I wanted to lick all of him. His body wasn’t muscle bound, but he was tight, with a decent set of abs, pecs, and delts. He was lean, stacked, and gorgeous.

I pushed him back onto the couch and straddled his legs. He was hard, I could feel it through his jeans. I pulled my own shirt over my head and instantly I felt his hands on my back, unhooking my bra. It was good to know he was as anxious as I was. Sliding the straps down my arms his fingers sent goosebumps across my skin. He ran his thumbs lightly across my breasts and I couldn’t help but shudder, the arousal building in my body and my nipples hardening as he pinched them lightly. At least it had put a smile back on his face.

I backed off his lap, standing as I moved, and pulling him up with me. I had no hesitation in going straight for his jeans, and as quickly as I had the button released, he grabbed the zipper and pulled it and his pants down in one swift motion, reminding me of my view of that sweet ass this morning, and the fact that Shane went commando. He reached for my waistband. His nervous fingers found my button fly jeans a bit of a challenge, but eventually he managed and slowly slid the denim down my thighs, leaving me wearing only my pink granny panties. Shit! I had totally forgotten I was wearing them, and my face flushed red.

“Nice chastity panties, Lala. Planning on withstanding the invasion of Normandy in those things?” The laughter in his voice was amused, but not mocking, so I felt a little better.

“Wouldn’t you like to know Mr. ‘I’m too cool for underwear’?” I had a tendency to give as good as I got, and luckily it didn’t kill the mood. The exchange had actually relaxed us both a bit, and allowed us to breathe a little.

“Yes, actually, I’d love to know. I’d love to know what you’re hiding in there Miss…I think we’ll need to do a full strip-search to make sure there is no contraband in that bunker.”

“Bunker? Really? I’ll admit they aren’t the sexiest of knickers, but bunker? Ouch!” I had to laugh. His face pinked, which in turn made me laugh more.

Shane grinned, “Actually, I think they are amazingly sexy bloomers you have there, but I think I’m going to have to stick with the strip search plan, so if you would be so kind as to remove them. Slowly I think. Yeah, slowly would be good.” His eyes began to glaze over. “slide them down your right leg first…” I complied. “Now the left, push them past your knees to your ankles and kick them over there” he said pointing at the pile of clothes he himself had left.

I followed instructions, and for one of the few times in my life felt shy. I knew I was in pretty good shape, but never worked out or anything, I figured I was a solid 7, but Shane was a 9 ½ on his worst day, and honestly right now I’d go with a 12 or so, and I will admit to feeling a bit unworthy. That was overcome by the fact that what popped out of his jeans was irrefutable proof that he wanted what I had to offer. And damn, it was beautiful. Bigger than I expected, fuller, harder.

I was definitely a novice, and I had no idea what kind of experience Shane had in this arena, so I just went with what I felt at the time, and found myself straddling his lap again. I cupped his chin and lifted his face to mine. The kiss was sweet and sincere, and I lowered my body to engulf his. It was a connection like nothing else I’ve ever felt. The sharing we’d experienced before had been all encompassing, overwhelming even. That was a joining of the physical, this was a joining of hearts, souls. Every muscle in my body loosened and I melted into him, and I could feel him do the same. As I moved on top of him it was as if something in the universe shifted, clicked into place. I could feel our breathing begin to blend and synchronize. I knew at that point that this was right, that somehow everything that had happened up to now had been to create us as a couple. That somehow Hope would be the culmination of the reason for the existence of the Enchanted.

I felt that feeling again, of standing in the center of the universe and having everything pass through me. Shane’s arms wrapped around my back and his hands played against my shoulder blades as he drew me closer to him, pressing my breasts to his chest and I heard him gasp, his head falling back, body shuddering. “It’s so much, LaLa” an awed, almost silent whisper. “It’s everything, it’s more than everything, My God, it’s so much more…” I felt my body absorb him, and knew at that moment that he had felt a small portion of what I had felt that day, that somehow being together in this way transferred part of him into my DNA and some of mine into him in a way that the other connection hadn’t…couldn’t. That no matter what, we’d always have that bond. That I loved him. Yes, I’d known him for quite a while, and I’d cared for him as a friend for pretty much all that time, but this was different. It literally felt like a bloom in my chest, like something had taken root and grown to full blossom in only days.

I felt an immense surge of pleasure, of joy, of happiness, and yes, Hope. I knew somehow that the little person we were making was adding her input. She took what he gave and added a little more of her father to her pattern. His strength of conviction, his heart, his intelligence, she was drawing on it all. This was going to be one amazing kid!

We didn’t break our connection, he merely lifted his legs onto the sofa, and gathered me with him, and I nuzzled into his neck as we both easily found sleep.