Of Another Dimension

by Jeanette Lynn

...but every morning it always returned.

  I am such an idiot, I thought and laughed again.

  "Baby?" Kieve asked worriedly.

  I smiled and looked up at him, looked at all of them.

  "How do you feel about being daddies?" I asked, getting up to wash my face.

  "A youngling, baby? Really?" Kieve asked excitedly, his whole face brightening up into his sunshiny smile.

  Rinsing my mouth out, I discreetly watched Teivel as he looked completely pole axed and Sieren as he looked excited, yet thoughtful.

  From the expression on his face, I knew the fifty questions, 'Q and A' session would follow shortly.

  Kieve whooped and scooped me up, detouring the kitchen for the living room, Teivel and Sieren trailing after.

  Sieren didn’t wait to start in with the questions.

  "Is it normal to vomit when you carry a youngling? How long is the human gestation period? How many can you carry, chomcharra?"

  "Whoa! One at a time, big boy! Hold your shaxnas there, blondie!"

  Sieren ran his hands over his short blonde mop of hair and grinned at me, kneeling down in front of me.

  "Good grief, your hair grew in fast... I wish mine did that," I said enviously from my spot on the couch, cuddled into Kieve's side.

  Teivel plopped down next to me and pulled his hand into mine, kissing my knuckles.

  "You have beautiful hair, miquatka. I like it just the way it is," he said tenderly.

  "You looked shocked back there. Are you alright?" I asked carefully, worrying my lip.

  "I am beyond the seven moons excited, my mate. I was just very surprised, that's all. I welcome all younglings we may have." He kissed me and grinned, getting excited at the thought.

  He glanced at Sieren and Kieve.

  "We will all be the father, no matter who helped make it," he announced.

  Sieren wrapped an arm around Kieve and hugged him.

  "Yes, all of us," he said with finality.

  Kieve looked at his brothers gratefully and cleared his throat awkwardly.

  "Ahhh, don't puss out on us now, Kieve," Teivel taunted, "We'll make you change all of the youngling’s waste."

  Kieve laughed and hugged everyone, saving the best for last.

  ...which is me, of course!

  ****

  "Does it bother you that the baby won't have been fathered by you?" I asked Kieve, making sure he was okay with everything.

  "No," he said without hesitation, "It is a gift of your body and I will love it no matter what. It already has my heart."

  He ran his hand caressingly over my stomach and I smiled.

  "Daddy would have loved being a grandpa," I told him quietly, cupping my hand over his.

  "Do you miss your father?" There was a note of hesitation in his voice.

  I rolled a little on my side and looked up at him.

  "All the time," I smiled a little sadly, "but he was sick and I think he's in a better place now, you know?"

  He nodded.

  "Ah… he passed away. I thought he was still on your Earth." He paused, his hand whispering through my hair. "My father has passed on too."

  "What happened?" I leaned against his chest, soaking up his warmth, snuggling into him.

  "When I was of age, he left. He found my mother, killed her, then killed himself."

  "Oh," I said slowly, unable to think of anything else to say.

  I hugged him a little tighter.

  He gave my shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

  Hitching me up a little higher on him, he breathed in a lungful of my scent and sighed deeply.

  "I do not think of it anymore.” His fingers caressed my arm lightly.

  "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. All of you." I placed a kiss on his chest and I felt him smile against my hair.

  "We shall have a real family now," he said contentedly, “and we will all love our younglings, no matter what."

  "Yes," I said in complete agreement.

  We lay there in bed, listening to the quiet of the house for who knows how long, just savoring the feeling of being in each other's arms.

  "Baby?" Kieve whispered, so quietly I almost didn't hear him.

  I looked up at him questioningly.

  "Do you really carry your young in you for nine months?"

  I nodded.

  He turned thoughtful.

  "Is it really okay to make love when you're carrying? It won't hurt the youngling?" He leaned in and kept up with his tiny whisper.

  I nodded again gave him a sexy smile, my fingers walking suggestively down his chest.

  He shivered in anticipation, swallowing hard.

  He stopped my hand before I made it to his ‘promise land’ and he hopped up to lock the door.

  I giggled and tossed my shirt over my head, opening my arms up for him.

  He tore at his sleep pants and jumped on the bed, the bed creaking loudly from his pounce.

  "Hey!" Sieren pounded on the new reinforced door Kieve had put in. "You better not be doing anything in there! Kieve?! Chomcharra?!"

  We ignored him as we kissed hungrily.

  "Teivel! I think they’re fucking!" Sieren shouted.

  "I can't control him any more than I can control her! What the fuck do you want me to do about it?" Teivel yelled back. "If you're so hard up, you big baby, ask if you can join them! Just stay the hell away from my door on my night! I don't fucking share!"

  "No shit," I chortled and Kieve laughed.

  "But what about the youngling, you shaxna's ass?!" Sieren called back worriedly.

  "Do you remember what happened the last time you didn't believe Lil?" Teivel called sweetly.

  "Carry on!" Sieren shouted quickly and you could hear him practically running from the door. "I love you, chomcharra!" he hollered right before his door slammed shut.

  Kieve and I both paused to look at each other and burst out laughing.

  ****

  Five months later.

  "Are you still upset about that?" Teivel asked, surprised, his hand snaking up to rub my extremely swollen, distended belly.

  I should totally start singing that children’s song about the little beluga whale…

  I certainly feel like a whale right now!

  "Yes," I sulked petulantly, "I want you to have a mating mark too."

  "I do not need one," he said adamantly, reaching over to grab up a plate of meat.

  I put my head on his shoulder and sighed, playing with the end of his braid.

  "It would still be nice, though.”

  Kieve glanced up at my sigh and did a double take when he saw Teivel's extended hand.

  Kieve gave Teivel a big shit eating grin.

  "What happened to your hand, 'T'man?" Kieve joked.

  "Huh?" Teivel asked, confused.

  Sieren looked over, following Kieve's gaze and laughed.

  "What?" Teivel and I both barked at once.

  Teivel pulled his hand back, held it out and examined it.

  "I don't see anything." He frowned at his brothers. "What game are you playing at?"

  "Turn it and look at the side," Kieve choked out between laughs.

  "Oh, my god, I bit you first!" I exclaimed when he turned his hand to reveal my teeth marks scarred into the meaty part of his palm, below his pinky finger, but above his wrist.

  Right where I'd bitten him on the hand when he'd tried to nab me in the cave that first day.

  Teivel laughed and hugged me to him.

  "So you did," he chuckled happily.

  I grimaced and looked at him.

  "I guess that explains why you couldn't get it up for Teila, huh?"

  "Why do you look so disappointed by that fact, chomcharra?" Sieren asked curiously, amused by my put out expression.

  My shoulders slumped.

  "I was hoping it was because she was so... blech and you secretly lusted after me, not because I bit you and made it physically impossible."

  "I wouldn't have, even if I coul
d have. I was yours when I first laid eyes on you," Teivel swore.

  I snorted and laughed at the idea, tugging his braid a little, but didn't say anything.

  The past is in the past, let him relive it however he wants...

  "Either way, you marked him and you're stuck with him," Kieve teased.

  "Ha ha. Very funny," Teivel snapped, glaring at him as he pulled me more securely into his lap.

  It’s a miracle I can still fit on anyone’s lap.

  The nagging pains I'd been feeling in my back all morning intensified and I tried to breathe through it.

  There was a gush of wetness as my water broke, soaking Teivel and me, fluid dripping everywhere.

  Teivel looked down at us and up at my face.

  "What does that mean?" Teivel panicked, fear in his eyes.

  "Don't you guys do anything the human way?" I complained and groaned, clutching at my stomach.

  "Is it supposed to do that?" Teivel pushed.

  "Yes," I panted as my contraction ebbed. "The baby is coming."

  "NOW?" Teivel shouted, jumping up with me in his arms, looking around frantically.

  "No, next week! Yes, now!" I shouted back.

  ****

  "I hate you!" I screamed as I crunched Teivel and Kieve's hands. "You are never going to touch me again! Do you hear me?! Never!"

  Sieren's head popped up from between my legs.

  "The head is coming out," he whispered in awe.

  "I thought you said you've done this before?" I snarled at him, then howled as another contraction tore through me.

  Teivel nestled me between his spread thighs, cradling me against his chest as I tried not to curse them all over creation.

  Sweat dotted my brow and I felt the baby sliding down.

  "I feel like I need to push," I warned Sieren.

  "On the next one," Sieren promised.

  Kieve leaned over and wiped my brow.

  They've all been so good to me. Never leaving my side the entire time, I thought thankfully.

  I'm so lucky to have them.

  Of course… I'm not going to tell them that right now.

  It's much more helpful to just curse their winkies at the moment.

  Makes me feel better.

  I smiled at him gratefully and cursed as the next contraction hit.

  I gritted my teeth and pushed, relieved when Sieren announced that the baby's head was crowning.

  Five more pushes and the baby was out.

  "It's a boy!" Sieren called out excitedly.

  He cleaned up the baby, wrapping him in a blanket.

  He had tears in his eyes as he looked at me, pride and happiness shining in those beautiful blue depths.

  "Is he okay?" I panted, worrying a little when the contractions started up again. "It still hurts," I groaned and panted through it, letting out a sigh of relief when it finally passed.

  "He is perfect, chomcharra," Sieren assured me. "He looks just like his father."

  He handed me the baby and I peeked at him, caressing his soft brown hair.

  I laughed when he opened his eyes and stared up at me, crying happy tears.

  "What's so funny?" Teivel asked and glanced down.

  He looked over at Kieve and grinned, his eyes getting bright.

  "He has your eyes, brother," he said hoarsely, pride in his voice.

  I peeked under the blanket, smiled, covered him back up and kissed my sweet baby on the head.

  Kieve looked at us in disbelief and hope.

  Holding the baby out to Kieve, he walked up, picked him up and cradled him carefully in his big strong arms, snuggling him against his chest.

  "He's mine?" he whispered and nuzzled the baby's head, inhaling deeply, taking in his scent. "He is mine!” he cried excitedly, grinning at me proudly. He glanced at everyone, his smile slipping a bit. “But… how, though...? I thought..."

  "Maybe it fixed its self..." I mused, not caring at all how it became possible, just happy that it did. "It's happened where I'm from before."

  The pains I'd thought were gone, started up again and I looked at Sieren, grimacing, gritting my teeth against the pain.

  I tried to breathe through it.

  Sieren looked at me worriedly.

  "Oooooh, I think there's more than one, blondie."

  I panted for a few minutes, concentrating on my breathing.

  "Ready to play catch?" I joked and it started up all over again.

  ****

  "You did great, miquatka," Teivel said proudly, kissing my temple.

  "Easy for you to say. You didn't just give birth."

  I ran my finger down the soft, red, warm cheek of the dark wavy haired baby I held, laughing when he squirmed and his tail slipped out of the blanket.

  Teivel laughed and nuzzled the baby he held as well, grinning when his little girl screamed bloody murder when he pulled his finger out of her mouth.

  Deprived of her temporary pacifier, she let out a blood curdling scream and flailed around, her little red face turning a blushing blue.

  "Good grief, she even throws a fit like you too," I chuckled.

  Teivel ignored me and cooed at her, giving her his finger back, so she would immediately stop.

  "Here, hand her over. She's hungry."

  Teivel switched babies with me and took his son into his arms.

  "He doesn't take after either one of you," Sieren teased, nodding his head at Teivel's babe.

  He laughed when we both scowled at him.

  Sieren cradled his baby girl proudly, a thick mop of blonde hair sprouting up from her head, matching his perfectly, her skin a lighter red, almost a reddish pink.

  "Leave it to Teivel to sneak another one in there," Sieren grumbled in mock annoyance.

  "Four babies," Kieve said in awe, still rocking his son proudly.

  "A Sodraden female can only carry one at a time. How many can a human usually carry at one time?" Sieren asked curiously.

  "Don't get any crazy ideas, big boy! Because I am warning you right now, it aint happening!"

  Epilogue

  Seven years later

  "Mama! Mama! Come quick!" Feivel called, running back out the door, his face all grubby and dirty, his mop of brown hair covered in filth, bits of debris dotting it.

  He's probably just gotten back with Avrum from helping Kieve with the shaxnas.

  They'd just gotten used to riding Licorice and were over the moon about it, strutting around like little cocky roosters.

  "No running in the house!" I called back as I wiped my hands off and made my way down the hall.

  "What's going on out there?" Sieren asked as he heard all the commotion, pushing a golden, wayward forelock off of his forehead.

  Tola was trailing behind her daddy, bright blue eyes curious, long blonde hair in two braids that reached down to the middle of her waist.

  "That must be Avrum and Astra," Tola added helpfully, skipping as she kept pace with us.

  "What have they done this time?" Sieren grumbled, laughing when Tola sighed heavily beside him.

  "Stay still, you little…!" I heard Astra shrieking as I made it closer to the front porch.

  "You can't make me!" Avrum bellowed and the sounds of scuffling had me picking up my pace.

  "Easy, chomcharra, you can't be rushing like this," Sieren scolded gently, wrapping an arm around my waist, rubbing my rounded belly lovingly.

  "Do you think they will only take five months this time too?" he asked curiously.

  "Let's hope so," I groaned as I rubbed my back, "Thank goodness you Sodraden have super genes or something or I'd never have made it nine months carrying around this huge sucker."

  I rubbed my hands over my stomach and laughed.

  "Thank god Gostach knew what birth control was," I muttered sarcastically, giving Sieren's innocent expression a glare, "Or we'd be overrun with cute little demon babies by now."

  "True," he agreed reluctantly and I gut checked him.

  He chuckled.

&
nbsp; I rolled my eyes at him.

  "Don't be such a baby about me making you wait so long. Four was enough at one time. I'm just now getting a handle on things, so deal with it," I grumbled at him.

  "I will be happy with every gift you bless us with, chomcharra," he said sweetly.

  "Been taking pointers from Kieve on buttering me up, have you?"

  "Maybe." He grinned.

  We reached the front porch and I had to blink twice at the sight that greeted me.

  My dark haired mama's boy, Avrum, was holding a book open, yellow eyes flashing as he glared at his sister and stood in front of her, his tail twitching irritably.

  Chunk, my little one eyed chomcharra, offspring of my sweet departed Chub, was waggling his little forked tail happily, chuffing eagerly, wearing Avrum's best shirt as Astra held a bouquet out in front of her, one hand on Chunk's head.

  She had on her favorite blue dress, her green eyes gleaming in warning at her brother's reluctance to marry her to the family pet.

  She had my white table cloth draped over her head, covering up her glossy black locks.

  "Daddy won't like it," Avrum grumbled.

  "Which one?" Astra asked saucily and snorted.

  Good grief, that girl is too much like her daddy.

  Poor Avrum… just gets sucked right into her schemes.

  "All of them," he said without hesitation, smirking at her. "What's the matter, Astra, afraid you'll never be able to find a mate and you've decided to set your sights on Chunk?"

  She huffed, whacking him with her bouquet.

  "That's not funny!"

  "Yes, it is," Feivel added helpfully, wiping mud off of his little horns.

  "No, it isn't. You're completely right," Avrum said sadly and Astra calmed down.

  He paused a moment and scratched his forehead, pushing his hair off of his horns, appearing irritated when it just flopped right back.

  He got that look in his eyes as he kept glancing at his sister.

  I know that look well.

  Before I could say anything, though, he made his move.

  "It's downright hilarious!" he laughed, cackling maniacally and snatched her bouquet, running around the yard, dodging her as she shrieked and chased after him.