Eternal Dominion Book 14: Parturitions Read online

  Eternal Dominion Book 14

  Parturitions

  Bern Dean

  Bern's Books LLC

  Copyright © 2023 Bern's Books LLC

  All rights reserved

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Cover design by: ebooklaunch.com

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Evening May 31, 2267 & ED Year 3 Days 227-228.

  Morning June 1 to Evening June 6, 2267 & ED Year 3 Days 229-246.

  Morning June 7, 2267 & ED Year 3 Day 247.

  Evening June 7 to Morning June 14, 2267 & ED Year 3 Days 248-268.

  Evening June 14 to Morning June 17, 2267 & ED Year 3 Days 269-277.

  Evening June 17, 2267 & ED Year 3 Days 278-279.

  Morning June 18 to Evening June 18, 2267 & ED Year 3 Days 280-282.

  Morning June 19 to Evening June 22, 2267 & ED Year 3 Days 283-294.

  June 23, 2267.

  June 24, 2267.

  Thanks!

  Preview

  Afterword

  Evening May 31, 2267 & ED Year 3 Days 227-228.

  The SUV was full as Ava, Mia and Kate had insisted on joining Alex, Sam and Nicole for their 37-week appointment with Dr. Edelle Avery. Alex had to hold in a laugh at Kate being between Ava and Mia on the back seat that was really only comfortable for two, while he sat between Sam and Nicole in the middle, with two of Kate’s bodyguards upfront. As they drove to the OB-GYN clinic, the conversation was dominated around what they could all expect in the next weeks, months and years, now that they would be adding the two little ones to their lives.

  “So, your plan is to have all of us online from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM and take turns on being offline with the kids from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM?” confirmed Sam, sounding unsure as she looked at Alex.

  “For the most part, yes,” replied Alex. “It will give us two 14-hour days and one 8-hour sleeping block in the middle to work with in ED. I have to get all our instructors to come at 6:00 AM instead of 7:00 AM and we will need to decide how we want to work out how to rotate each day. I am sure that if I were to be offline with the same one of you each day for two extra hours, it would cause issues and I will have to take the first, or last shift.”

  “Yeah, you need to spend time with your other kids,” replied Ava.

  “Honestly, the five of us should do two hours each,” added Mia.

  “That way, if Kate has one of her bodyguards help her, Sam has her mom help her and Nicole teamed up with Amanda, we would be good.”

  “We just feel bad that this has Julie and your mom handling the nights.”

  “You two are forgetting that Sam’s and Alex’s fathers will be here,” commented Kate. “While I am sure that Sam’s mother will be fine helping out during the day, I would actually expect that she would be happy to take the whole day with her husband.”

  “Kate is right. Our time offline is more to get time with the kids and will likely be more erratic as we get notified when they wake up and log off to take advantage,” commented Nicole. “Alex’s plans are fine, but if our little girls are awake at night and I can log out during a lull in the action to spend 15 minutes with them, I will. Evelyn has been running Julie and Gido ragged the past few months from what I can tell. She is a sweet little angel most of the time, but she needs a lot of care during the nights. I’m just not sure if Julie will be up to handling four babies at once.”

  “Nicole, she will be fine,” stated Alex. “There is a reason that mine and Sam’s moms haven’t been playing much during the day, as they have been helping out and letting Julie sleep then. She will be sleeping between 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM every day. Yes, I know that is a terrible time to do that, but I am going to have her logging into ED during that time as we should have a few more maternity VR pods arriving next week.”

  “So she will be on duty from 4:00 PM to 7:00 AM every day?” asked Sam. “That is not acceptable. It’s one thing with her own baby, but not with three extra added to her plate.”

  “Sam, there is a reason I hired live-in staff. However, I don’t expect her to ever be alone. Either yours, or my parents should be with her for a good part of that time, or able to quickly log off once they see a message. Besides, I expect that they will all be asleep for most of that time and if they aren’t, well, I am not above roping Dan, Anna, Lauren, Jessica, Henry, Tara, Fred and Amanda into helping out. If I need to split up our party to make this work, I will.”

  “There is also the option of bringing in a few part-timers who would be under Julie,” suggested Kate. “Especially as I fully intend on becoming a mother in the next two years and I am sure these two feel the same.”

  “Definitely,” agreed Ava.

  “I just hope that we can have ours at the same time,” added Mia.

  Alex just smiled helplessly as they arrived at Dr. Avery’s office and the conversation ended as they left the SUV and made their way inside. Upon entering, they were quickly taken to the private waiting room that was attached to the exam room, as they waited for only about a minute before Dr. Avery arrived and smiled at seeing the crowd as she spoke.

  “I see that you brought all of the ladies that you three have mentioned before. Now, as I only have the two appointments, I assume that you haven’t added any more little ones to the schedule.”

  “No, despite our willingness,” responded Ava with a giggle.

  “Yeah, though when he does, I am sure that you will be one of the first to know,” assured Mia.

  “No, and it should still be a while before I consider it,” interjected Alex. “I need to make sure that the two that are almost here are taken care of before I go adding more.”

  “Right,” responded Dr. Avery, sounding like she didn’t fully believe Alex. “Anyways, how have you two been over the last week? Has anything changed?”

  Sam and Nicole looked at each other before Sam spoke first.

  “Not really. I mean, we both spend our time in ED mostly and other than how awkward it is to walk and a bit of pain that you have told us is normal, nothing really has happened.”

  “We are just ready to meet our little ones,” added Nicole with a smile.

  “Not quite yet I hope,” replied Dr. Avery with a smile. “The next few weeks are important, though you are at the point where you could almost be considered full term. Hmm, how about we get the well woman part of this handled and I can see if either of you have started to dilate yet.”

  With that Sam and Nicole each took their turns in the examination room and the chatter shifted to names, which Alex had been spending hours in ED with both Sam and Nicole as they discussed different ones they liked. Both ladies had agreed on a theme of a sort, that they hadn’t shared with anyone as they refused to even let Ava, Mia and Kate in on the options. This had led to the three others trying to guess the names unsuccessfully for the past few weeks from time to time, at moments like this. Still, once the exams were done, they dropped it while smiling with the knowledge that they would know, regardless of anything else, in a matter of weeks.

  “Well, neither of you show any signs of dilation yet, though that doesn’t mean that you won’t suddenly dilate overnight and go into labor,” stated Dr. Avery.

  “How common is that?” asked Nicole.

  “Everyone is different, though I would say that you both are not the kind that start to dilate months before giving birth and there is nothing to worry about for at least another four weeks.”

  “You mean, when you will induce us together?” responded Sam with a smile.

  “I really wish you two would not set your heart on something so foolish.”

  “What’s wrong with them wanting to have their babies together?” asked Ava.

  “Yeah, if Ava were to go into labor before me, I would want to be induced to try and have our babies together,” added Mia.

  “You two are failing to consider what can go wrong when you have two women in labor at the same time,” interjected Kate. “Especially if there are any complications, however, it is not actually that big of an issue either, though Dr. Avery is used to only having one birth at any time. She is a luxury physician who only has two births at once when two of her patients happen to go into labor on the same day, which for her is usually only around four times a year.”

  “And they never are born within an hour of each other,” added Dr. Avery. “Though at least with you two I would be able to use a single delivery room, so long as I had them set things up beforehand.”

  “Just how many clients do you take a year?” asked Nicole.

  “One a week is my normal policy, though I make exceptions when needed and I try to have a few buffers built in to escape for a week, here or there.”

  “Like I said, she is a luxury as normally you have a few doctors taking care of every woman who comes in, whereas she will be dedicated to just you,” stated Kate. “That said, she won’t do at-home births, or extended aftercare, like a few of the others in the industry do.”

  “That is right, though I am sure that Alex has paid for the best on those fronts as well.”

  “Gido and Jacob have ever
y delivery option mapped out and will know which are full and which can accommodate us the moment either of you go into labor,” responded Alex. “They have, of course, removed any options that have poor ratings for aftercare from the list as well.”

  The conversation shifted into what they should expect in more detail as Dr. Avery did quick ultrasounds to make sure everything seemed fine, before they left for the evening. On the way back, Alex endured his five ladies talking about all things baby, to include how Ava, Mia and even Kate were looking forward to having their first child when Alex was ready. The fact that Sam and Nicole chatted about Alex getting three more women pregnant like it was a when, not if, made him shake his head. Kate was especially cheerful about the prospect after having had Alex tell her that he loved her just that morning. A fact that wasn’t missed by Ava and Mia as they asked if she had gotten baby fever finally, as they happily teased her a bit. Alex, however, knew that they needed to have a serious conversation before they could even consider it.

  When they made it back home, they had just enough time to eat a quick meal before it was time to move into their new quarters and log back into ED for the night. It was at times like this that Alex was happy to have Sofie working as a dedicated chef for them, as she had made sure that their food was waiting for them when they returned. Though when Stacy Chen was also waiting for them, Alex was caught slightly off guard as the former police officer wasn’t due to start her new job as his head of security until Monday the 3rd of June. This led to Alex and Kate taking their dinner in the conference room as Stacy joined them.

  “So, what brings you out here early?” asked Kate.

  “There wasn’t much to do after I packed up my apartment,” answered Stacy. “I saved on my lease by being out by the end of the month as well. I also didn’t feel like crashing on someone’s couch and being unemployed doesn’t lend much to having spare funds to sightsee, or stay in a hotel.”

  “Has the advance I gave you not cleared?” asked Alex.

  “It did, but I would rather restore the savings that were lost before spending money that I don’t need to.”

  “It’s a good thing that everything should have been moved while we were out and we have a few free rooms,” commented Kate. “Alex, do you want to stick her in Ava and Mia’s old room, or have her go somewhere else?”

  “With your guards split between your old room and the one that they were all crammed in and Anna due to move into her room permanently, that is all that makes sense. When Nicole’s family gets here, that will fill up the second floor other than our area, and the only room available down here will be the extra one for if and when Jacob and Sofie decide to have a kid.”

  “True. On that note, how are you with kids, Stacy?” asked Kate. “Newborns in particular.”

  “I am not a nanny.”

  “Of course not, but you will be charged with the security of several of them over your tenure here,” countered Kate with a smile.

  “I can make sure that the areas that they need to stay out of are not accessible by them and ensure that they have a capable caregiver. However, I am not someone to look for when it comes to comforting a baby as I have no experience with it.”

  “What about-”

  “Kate, leave it be,” interjected Alex. “Stacy is here to make sure that external threats don’t enter our home when possible. Now that we are done with construction, there should be no need for any unexpected visitors, to hopefully include your family.”

  “Thank you,” responded Stacy. “Jacob has already shown me the system that you have in place and given me a quick tour of everything. All I need is to know where I am sleeping and I will spend the weekend getting my bearings. If there is nothing else, I am sure you two would like to get to eating.”

  “I think that covers everything, though if any issues come up and I’m not available, bug Gido and he should be able to handle it.”

  With that Stacy stood and left, as Kate bit into her sandwich and Alex turned to her and spoke.

  “Kate, have you figured out how you’re going to marry me without giving your family a way in yet?”

  Kate gave Alex a look like he had just asked something out of left field, before putting on a thoughtful look and responding after swallowing.

  “Is that something I need to expedite?”

  “Yes. It is the cost of me falling for you and admitting that I love you. Until I am sure that your father isn’t going to try and pull a fast one and name me, or you, as his heir, I can’t rest easy. Kate, I love you, but I can’t commit to you until I know it won’t cost me, Sam, Nicole, Ava and Mia. Especially Sam and Nicole, with my daughters who are on the way. Solve that issue and I will happily embrace you completely when you are ready for it.”

  “I’ll have a notarized copy of legal documents of me disowning them done tomorrow if you can shelter my mother.”

  “They would go after her?”

  “Yes. As you know, while my father is fond of me and perhaps even loves me, I would rather have you if I can’t have both.”

  Alex smiled as he responded.

  “Good. I was afraid that I needed to worry about you breaking my heart. That said, have the documents to disown your family and have your mother and father come for a visit. Preferably after Sam and Nicole give birth and see if you can’t make a deal with him while holding that as leverage.”

  “I love you. You know that will create possibilities to counter us, yet you know that it will also open the possibility for a better outcome.”

  “Kate, if I didn’t let you try, would you ever really be satisfied taking the easy way out?”

  “No, but I would have accepted it knowing that I got you out of it. After all, that is the prize I want most of all.”

  “Alright, let’s finish eating and meet up with the others so I can see what you all did to the area meant for us.”

  Kate just smiled as the two of them quickly ate the sandwiches that they had in front of them and hurried to meet up with the others. When they reached the area outside the double doors that would lead into the private area that was set up for them, Alex smiled at seeing the other four waiting for them. As always when they first saw each other Alex found himself having to kiss each of them as they smiled back and giggled expectantly. With that taken care of, Alex let out a laugh as they pulled him into the hall that now ended in a staircase and had six doors, with four on the right and two on the left. Five of these doors led to bedrooms, with the two on the left having private bathrooms, as it was explained they were the rooms meant for any girls that they had. On the right were three bedrooms, two of which shared a bathroom and were meant for any sons that they had, with the last one being meant for either, though it didn’t have its own private bathroom. That was the sixth door in the hall, as it was meant to serve as the public bathroom for when their kids had friends over, with the extra bedroom possibly being for a recreation room.

  After Alex had taken ten minutes to take in the area meant for their kids, it was time to head to the top floor, where he was first shown the four almost identical in size bedrooms. Each of the ladies laid claim to one of these as their space, with Ava and Mia sharing theirs and giggling about how the Alaskan King they had claimed was ready for him any time. Next he was shown the room where they would all play ED from, which was just big enough that one more VR pod could be squeezed in. Though when Ava’s, Mia’s and Kate’s were all replaced with the maternity pods that were planned, that space would quickly be taken up. Finally, they took him to the final room that was their bathroom. It had two rooms that were toilets, and enough sink and counter space that three of the ladies could be actively using it and not get in each other’s way. Next there was a room that just contained a large shower and another that contained a bathtub big enough to barely fit all six of them if they tried.

  Alex hadn’t been overly surprised by any of this, though he did appreciate that he could lay out completely in the bathtub if he used it by himself, without having to use the one in the basement. The fact that Kate had taken the room next to the VR pod room, that had lost a bit of space due to needing to fit the pods, had caught his attention as well. Finally, the fact that they hadn’t put in an elevator was curious to him as he could tell that both Sam and Nicole had needed help getting up the stairs and he knew that they all wanted kids.