Bonnie played the show for Ghost and Killa, the day after they got back from vacation. They stared at it, stunned. "You mean dat da soldiers wit da PTSD thing, wif da nightmares an' stuff, need a shop to learn how ta do what we do?"

"We need to do more than that," said Bonnie. "We need to feed and house them, too. Get them on their feet, learn a new skill.

Killa nodded. "I kin have me a new baby. Already talkin' to a couple, one I wanted to do da first time. Da other ones already got dem a surrogate. Pay to keep 'em fed."

"We gotta buy an 'partment house," said Ghost. "Ain't got da money fo' dat. Even wif da money from da new secret project, tiny Harleys. Gotta pay dem girls, they pour da molds all trew da day. Metal, plastic, dey good workers. My buildin' an' paintin' takin' less time, but... dis be a big project." She took a sip of cola. "An' I ain't havin' no other babies fo' one year. Docta said."

Bonnie whipped out her cell. "I'll text Tito and Nico."

Nico rode down, watched a snippet of the video. "So, you want to duplicate the Texas thing here," he said. "We can add a second story here, if you need more storage space, or just do a build-a-shed thing."

"Naw, not what we was askin,'" said Killa. "We need us a 'partment complex ta put dem in."

"Auction," said Nico. "A place near here." He typed on his cell, then one popped up. "Auction's tomorrow. Let's go look at the property."

They got on their Harleys and rode out. They got off, and fanned out to peer through the chain-link fence. "Doable," he said. The ugly salmon stucco was falling off, and had obvious cracks. The door was skewed. "No problems with water or power." He walked around some more. "I can get an inspector here." He used a flashlight with a strong beam to peer into broken windows. "Six units, two bedrooms, two apartments on each floor, two floors. I can get the plans from the city pronto."

He sent a text to someone. Two of the balconies had holes, most had broken railings. There was an ugly orange tile roof with tiles missing. There were outside stairs leading to the apartments. The concrete stairs looked to be intact, but with some broken railings.

"Ugly fucker," said Ghost.

"Be alright when we done cleaned up da place," said Killa. "Get some of dem Wolfpack up heah. Be done real fast."

"Seems to be cosmetic, not structural," said Nico. "There wasn't a fire or anything like that. Just left to rot. Probably vermin and the remains of squatters there." He looked around some more. "These things normally go for two hundred and fifty to three hundred thou. I can get it for fifty," he said. "Earn the money back when the soldiers get on their feet, start paying rent." He walked around the entire thing, slowly. "Okay, I'll put in a bid. We'll go up to seventy-six thou, that's how much we have to put in an escrow account. Be lucky if we can get it," he said to the women. "Ugly as it is, it's a steal at an auction price. Have to resurface the parking lot. Need space for bikes and trucks. I'd paint out the little spaces for the Harleys there," he pointed. "With handicapped spaces in the middle for vans. Some of 'em will have mechanical body parts."

"Didn't think of that," said Bonnie. "Gotta see what can be done to make the shop accessible. Blade legs are fine. Some stuff we can do one-handed."

"Blade legs?" asked Ghost.

"Runners use 'em," said Bonnie. "Instead of feet, they use springy metal."

"Cool," said Ghost.

"They've got mechanical hands, you know," said Nico. "Not just sticks and metal anymore. They 3D print the things now."

"A machine shop is one hell of a way of learning how to use 'em," said Bonnie.

"But a good one," said Nico. "Okay, we'll do it for our brothers and sisters."

"Sistas," said Killa. "De first group be de women. Dey get overlooked. Den da guys next round.”

"I wonder if we can 3d print stuff here?" asked Bonnie.

"Don't see why not," said Nico. "College kids are doing it."

"Gotta transport them," said Killa. "Hmm. Da transport service. We got da bikes. Our people be puttin' together kits, restorin' old bikes like us. We kin transport da stuff. Da people to da medical stuff, da stuff to da people. Like dat."

"Da 3D stuff be good fo' my bidness," said Ghost. "Print da whole bikes. We need da programmers.

Nico laughed. "Required for the Wolfpack," he said. "Plus, real-world experience that looks good on their resumes? I think you'll have a waiting list of Wolfpack members ready to program their little hearts out."

"3D print stuff fo da big bikes," said Killa. She stopped, stared into the distance. "An' da boxes fo da dogs. An' parts fo da military people to make dem lives easier."

Ghost stared at her wife. "Whoa. Dat jus' blew my mind."

"Tycoons, every damn one of you Nighthawks," said Nico. "First a bike-building program like the one in Texas, to apartment houses, to a courier service for vets, and 3D printing business. Good-god, people."

Bonnie laughed. "This takes green, lots of it," she said. "If we can turn a profit, why the hell not?"

"You had me at 'benefits ex-military,'" said Nico. "Now, don't count on us acquiring this property. There will be other bidders, maybe a lot of them. And putting this thing to rights will be a bitch and a half, but doable."

Killa stretched. "I gotta wait ‘till Tuesday to get knocked up 'gain," she said. "Den we see 'bout dat."

Nico went off to put in a bid, and they went to put together two trike kits, a blue and a crimson one, and a gold one with flame details. They set to work. At home, Ghost assembled and painted her miniature Harleys, and Ghost researched 3D printers. She decided on a professional model, but bought a consumer model so Ghost could practice making her Harley models and parts.

Ghost finished her painting, and took a shower. Killa stepped in with her, sliding her hands over Ghost's breasts. "We're both bigga den befo,'" said Ghost, holding her wife's breasts in her hands.

"Better," said Killa.

"I got extra skin now," said Ghost, pinching her belly. She laughed. "Gotta have me anudder o' dem babies to afford da lipo to get my stomach and behind back!"

"You tink I care 'bout dat?" asked Killa, stroking her wife's belly. "You is beautiful, no matta what." She stroked higher.

"You is scary-smart," said Ghost. "Mebbe we should sent ya to school, get ya an engineerin' degree. Have you design dem bikes. 3D print dem." She kissed her wife's cheeks, her eyes, her nose, her mouth. She stroked her hair, kissed her neck. "I be workin' hard, and I give ya whatevah ya need, baby, ya hear?"

Killa groaned in reply, and stroked her wife's belly, then her breasts. They stroked each other's chests and kissed wildly. Killa came first, and Ghost second, their waves of ecstasy crashing into one another with the force of waves pounding a beach. They kissed, touched, stroked, held hands. Killa put her thumb on Ghost's button, and slid two fingers inside. She vibrated her thumb while drawing her fingers in and out. Ghost came, screaming. Killa washed her wife, then herself, and Ghost put her fingers inside Killa, and made her come. Killa washed herself once again.

The water ran cold, and they turned off the shower. They got out, laughing, and grasping for towels and soft chenille bathrobes. They rubbed lotion all over each other, then they went into the bedroom and dressed in yoga pants and soft sweatshirts. Killa went to the kitchen and brought back two little thermoses filled with sweet tea. Killa put on some soft music, and sat on a low beanbag chair pushed up against the bed. She did it while Ghost laid out the box of beads, combs, and picks she used to do Killa's hair. She drank some tea, and started brushing and picking the hair, then separated it out. She braided Killa's hair with deft fingers.

They talked about bikes, 3D printers, and military women needing help. They laughed until they cried. Then, it was Ghost's turn. Then, exhausted, Ghost washed out the thermoses and put them on the drying rack. They brushed their teeth, and fell asleep, Ghost holding Killa in her arms.

* * *

Ghost and Killa were busy on both bikes when Bonnie got Nico's call. "We've got the apartment house!" she said excitedly.

Killa tapped Ghost. Ghost finished her weld, then opened her welding helmet. "We gotta apartment house!" said Killa. Killa did a happy dance, making Ghost and Bonnie laugh. "When da cleanup?" asked Ghost.

"Title transfer takes up to ten days," said Bonnie. "In the meantime, I'll send a letter to the guy in Texas. Heard his waiting list is one hundred and fifty soldiers long." She stopped, thought a minute. "We'll need a video, show who we are and what we do."

Killa shrugged. "Call da Wolfpack. Dey be here real soon."

Bonnie sent a text, and Ajai and Willow showed up to shoot video. Ajai wrote a script and did the camera work, and Willow interviewed Bonnie, Ghost and Killa about the shop. They showed the unpacking station, the "horses" with the bikes, Ghost doing a weld, and Killa opening up a box with a freshly painted gas tank and fenders; gold with flames licking down the sides. Bonnie talked about the Texas program, and how they wanted to participate. She didn't mention the apartment complex, as it hadn't had its title transferred yet.

Ajai put away the used iPhone she'd purchased from a classmate, with money from her numerous jobs, and said, "We'll have a rough edit by tonight, a completed one within twenty-four hours." Bonnie paid them in cash, and they were on their way.

The video was short, but amazing. The Texas outlet received their email, and Bonnie got a call within an hour. Three women were selected, because Bonnie could put one on her couch at her one-bedroom apartment. Killa and Ghost could put one on the couch in their apartment, and one on an air mattress in the other bedroom. All three had been waiting more than six months to be chosen.

Private First-Class Denise "Dee" Molina showed up in an ancient truck, just hours after she excitedly emailed Bonnie that she was coming; she lived in Bakersville, not far over the Nevada border in California. She was a tiny woman, with hair tightly pulled back exposing her heart-shaped face. She had slim fingers, tiny restless feet, and a huge smile. She arrived just as they were thinking about closing. Bonnie came out, and they were introduced to each other.

"Can I work graveyard?" asked Dee. "Can't sleep anyway."

"Half the time, me either," said Bonnie. "Let's get some dinner, and then go back and learn how to unbox and lay out parts, why don't we?" Ghost smiled at Killa. That's exactly how they both got started. Bonnie showed Dee around the shop, and showed her where to stow her duffel, and they all went out for barbecued sandwiches. Ghost and Killa coudn't let Bonnie have all the fun, so they came back for an hour and a half with them, until Bonnie shooed them out.

Dee paid attention to everything with a laser-sharp focus. "Bonnie, will there be more of us?"

"Yes," she said.

"So, wouldn't it be good to videotape this?"

"Alright," said Bonnie. "Now you're thinking. Wish I'd thought of it."

Dee adjusted her cell phone, and then asked to use Bonnie's much newer one. "Got pulverized by a slipped engine block," Bonnie said about her old phone. "Damn thing. Now I have to learn to use a lot more apps and buttons. Spend some time on YouTube finding out what does what, and deleting stuff I don't need."

Dee watched Bonnie check off boxes on a list, take out the parts and custom-painted gas tanks and fenders, and check the chrome. Every bike was set up, parts ready, in a certain order, engine block first on a mount, then parts added, bit by bit, with gas tanks either painted there or custom painted.

"This orange baby is going to be a flame-red-and-orange trike," Bonnie said, putting it farthest away on the table from the mounted engine block. "We start this one tonight, I hope." The tools were in rolling boxes with drawers of red and black metal, and chrome. "Thousands of dollars of tools in each one. We got lucky. Your kit," she pointed to a box, "we got used. Danny retired. We got three full sets. We counted 'em, cleaned 'em up, replaced one or two, bought missing ones. But, Danny was king for a long time. His hands are for shit now; he's going to Florida with his granddaughter. Our loss and our gain. Can still call him if I get stuck sometimes." She pointed to a phone number on the wall. "You can't get ahold of me, Ghost, or Killa, you call Danny in Florida." Dee dutifully took a shot of the number. "Now, let's go over the parts of a trike." They kept at it, with breaks, until three in the morning, Bonnie teaching, Dee recording.

Once home, and unable to sleep, Dee used Bonnie's laptop to edit the videos, splice them, and put them back together with music. She'd created training videos in the army. Dee heard Staff Sergeant Chates screaming in her ear as she remembered how she broke down her equipment and put it back together. "Automating processes is the key to speed and success." She took those words to heart.

They got effusive emails back from the other two women. Bonnie sent out a call for help, and First Lieutenant Yasmine "Jaz" Jiminez was picked up by one of the Valkyries, then handed off via a series of female truckers and Valkyries, all the way from rural Idaho to Las Vegas. Herja picked her up in Reno and got her to Vegas. Jaz had snapping black eyes, black hair in a complicated braid down her back, an oval face, and a too-large nose, that had been broken several times. She was just a hair taller than Dee. The women didn't know each other, but after speaking in acronyms for a few minutes, they seemed to be sisters.

"Let me show you the video," said Dee. "Give me your email address, and we'll do the mail call, together."

Jaz watched the video about accepting packages, and she grabbed the clipboard and checked off the boxes. She rehung the clipboard, grabbed a box cutter, and carefully opened the boxes and placed their content according to Bonnie's directions. The other videos were better, because Ajai had left Dee her video camera. Dee and Jaz slowly put together the rest of the orange-and-red trike, with Bonnie pointing things out, and Ghost coming over to put in her perfect welds.

"Gotta work up to those," said Dee.

Jaz was psyched. She kept bouncing on the balls of her feet. She'd had far too many colas on the road, and she was ready to go.

Herja was stone-cold furious at Bonnie, with snapping eyes. She finally rounded on Bonnie. "You start this, and don't tell us? You think we wouldn't want to be a part of it? Help our sisters, too?"

Bonnie stood her ground. "Valkyries got a Nico to buy an apartment house for them? 'Cause that's what it takes."

"Wait, we got apartments?" asked Dee, confused. "Then why am I sleeping on your couch?"

"'Cause the title ain't back yet," said Ghost. "An' the place is a fucking wreck. Be lots of work."

"Can we see it?" asked Jaz.

"Don't see why not," said Bonnie.

The new arrivals rode on the backs of Bonnie and Herja's bikes, while Ghost and Killa stayed to finish the bikes. Once there, they saw that the fence already had an opening, and that Nico and the Wolfpack were there in moon suits and hard hats filling up a large dumpster.

Ajai trotted over. "These them?" she asked.

"One of ours, Ajai," said Bonnie. Ajai, meet Dee and Jaz." They waved at her.

"We got the title fast, once Nico explained that veterans were going to be living there," said Ajai.

"Can we help?" asked Jaz.

Nico came over, and heard the last question. "Damn straight, but only when I'm here. Go over there, the hard hats and moon suits are required. Had squatters here and they made one hell of a mess." He looked at Bonnie. "I'll feed them lunch and dinner and get them back on time."

"See that they eat," said Bonnie. "Or I'll kick all your asses."

"Yes, Ma'am," said Ajai. "Walk the fence around the corner," she said to Jaz and Dee.

"Well, fuck," said Bonnie. "Done lost my charges."

Herja rounded on Nico. "We need the same thing in Pahrump," she said. "I'll be opening my garage for the same thing, help our sisters there."

"Online auction," said Nico. "Let me show you how to do it. Housing's a little cheaper there." He pulled out his cell phone, and Herja pulled hers out.

Herja rounded on Bonnie. "While he's pulling that shit up, I'm still stone-cold furious with you, Bonnie. You knew we had a garage. Why the hell didn't you think to tell us about this?"

Bonnie raised her hands in surrender. "Went from an idea to being off the ground in four days," she said. "Seriously, I was too busy starting us up to think about others who could help. My bad."

Herja pointed a finger at her. "Don't let it happen again." She swung back to Tito. "What's that website?"

They exchanged information, then Herja elected to stay and help with the cleanup while Bonnie went back to send Ghost home to work on her miniatures, as they'd gotten way ahead with Bonnie working with Dee half the night.

Dee and Jaz followed Ajai and Willow. "Suit up," said Willow, handing out the "moon suits."

They donned them, and were soon sweating in the plastic. They went inside, and used brooms and dustpans, or shovels to load detritus into (either) bags or directly into a dumpster. There was plaster falling off the walls, holes smashed into walls by fists or feet, and nasty things, like urine-soaked mattresses and used needles. The needles they put in a red medical waste container.

"This sucks," said Jaz. "Tell me again why we're doing this?"

"This is gonna be our home," said Dee. "Two-bedroom apartments. Bonnie told me there would be six females, and that we'd be sharing apartments."

"Pretty good-sized ones," said Jaz. "Hope to get my own someday, free and clear, like a condo."

"Here is expensive," said Dee. "Bakersville is in California, too expensive. Maybe a small town."

"Small towns have shops," said Jaz, grunting as she scooped up fallen plaster with a shovel. "Sometimes with apartments over them."

"As long as it's not a studio, I'll take it," said Dee. "I like to cook. Need me a kitchen."

"Works for me," said Jaz. "How is it, taking apart old bikes, putting them back together, and selling them?"

"We don't do that yet," said Dee. "We're finishing off the trike orders. Killa and Ghost do custom trikes from kits. They add, remove, or paint parts, and put it all together. The kits are expensive, but Harley people love custom bikes, so they make a profit, and keep the garage running. They do them to order, have a nice specialty business. We'll be purchasing old or dead bikes for ourselves and putting them back together from our cut of the profits. We get some from every trike we help put together. eBay has a Harley project page online, so we can refurbish custom bikes as projects and sell them online, too. Some people even start projects and can't or don't want to finish them. If we do that, we can buy one for a few thousand and sell it for twice that, or more."

Jaz smiled. "Profit. I likey. Keeps me in an airconditioned apartment in summer, and lots of food, maybe some dancing once or twice a week."

"The cool thing is, we can work all night, sleep all day, or whatever, whenever. Our own hours. As long as we work smart, we can do well." Dee shoveled her way into a corner, then started scooping toward the other wall.

"I am so fucking glad they opened up a women's version of this," said Jaz. "I was behind, like, ten guys."

"The list got smaller," said Dee, "Due to suicide. They got thirty guys killing themselves a month, in Alabama alone."

"Shit," said Jaz. "We gotta get guys here, too."

"We'll talk to Bonnie," said Dee. "But, we women need to stick together."

"Abso-fucking-lutely," said Jaz. They bumped gloved fists.

An Iron Knight in rural Indiana picked up Sargeant Gina "G" Yates on his bike, and drove her all the way to Indianapolis to pick up a bus. Yates had dark skin, a round face, huge chocolate eyes that missed nothing, and constantly wiggled a foot. She was there in three days. She caught an Uber to the garage, and was surprised to find no other soldiers there.

"Dee be at da 'partment house," said Ghost.

"We get an apartment?" asked G.

"Sho' nuff," said Killa. "But it ain't finished yet. Put ya duffel in da office, an' let me show you 'round the shop. Bonnie, she be sleepin' in. She works graveyard wit Dee. Dee be sleepin' on her recliner. Jaz be sleepin' on our recliner when we home." She took a key out of her pocket, then put it on a lanyard, and handed it to G.

G took it, amazed. "We can work all three shifts?" asked G. "'Cause I'm having trouble sleeping."

"Guess so," said Ghost. "Days, you be workin' wit me 'an Killa. Swing you be workin' half wit us, half wit Bonnie, so dat be good, too. Graves you be workin' wit Bonnie. Jaz works swing. She an' Dee be workin' cleanin' up da apartment house. You be sleepin' on an air mattress in our house while ya waitin'. Dat apartment house be a mess."

"Be good to do both," said G. "Guess swing sounds good."

"Baby, you show G roun' an’ den we be takin' a break an' gettin' some Sonic," said Ghost to Killa. "I want me some cheese sticks."

"Be good," said Killa. She showed G around, then G rode behind Ghost to get the food. They dropped her off at the work site.

Jaz came out to meet her. "Girl," she said. "What took you so long? We were waiting on you. Glove up," she said, thrusting work gloves at her.

"Yes, Lieutenant," said G. She put them on, then put on the tool belt thrust at her.

"This is our apartment building," said Jaz. "We're gonna live here. Cleanup took for-fucking ever. We're on demo, today. Ever swung a sledgehammer?"

"Can't say that I have," said G. "Today is a good day to try."

"I like you," said Jaz. "We'll get along great."

On their dinner break, they sat around, exhausted. Dee showed her the Harley Projects eBay site, and an auction site for dead or damaged bikes.

"What's our budget?" asked G.

Nico overheard their conversation and came over. He handed her a refillable Visa card. "This is a thousand dollars. You all come here every day we're here and we have something for you to do. If you can help with refurbishing your own damn house, you get another one at the end of the job."

"That's a deal," said G. All three women shook hands on the deal. "Lou," she said to Jaz, short for Lieutenant. "Any of these you've been eyeing?"

"I'm just a grunt," said Dee. "But, I took the liberty of researching the prices and availability of parts. I also scouted the junkyards here. We could get these three. All are small enough for women. They'll be our own bikes, the project bikes, and none of them cost that much. We'll have to borrow two trucks from the Iron Knights, but we could get these two in Phoenix and this one in Cedar City. Or one truck, with a trailer."

"Who the fuck are the Iron Knights?" asked G. "Oh," she said, answering her own question. "The guy that picked me up and brought me to catch the bus said he was an Iron Knight. Another motorcycle club."

"The all-female one is the Valkyries. They're badass," said Jaz. "And the Nighthawks are Bonnie's crew, we work on the same grounds as their clubhouse."

Dee said, "It's not required, but I suggest we join one of them when we get our bikes. And, I like the black one in Phoenix."

"I'll take the red one in Cedar City," said Jaz.

"Then it's the blue in Phoenix for me," said G. "Nico, are you an Iron Knight?"

"No, but I know whose truck you can borrow," he said. "Go ahead and buy those bikes." So, they did.

On Monday when the shop was closed, Bonnie went on her bike, with Dee on the back. G drove and Jaz kept the sodas and snacks flowing. They managed to get all three bikes on the same extended flatbed, and took their time getting back. They put the bikes in the garage, and began ordering parts online for them. They went out the next Monday after the purchase of three more bikes, this time to refurbish and sell. They were still under budget, by a hair.

Work It

Ace walked through the apartment house, ready to finish the built-in bookcases in the last two apartments. "Thanks for helping," said Nico.

"David's kid spiked a fever last night, so severe that the kid had to be hospitalized."

"No problem," said Ace. "Gotta finish this off." They walked past Willow and Dee, who were wielding paint rollers in moon suits in the kitchen. Jaz and G filled up the kitchen counter with dishes, laid out lining mats, then started filling them up.

Nico got more helpers than they could handle, and had to run three shifts at the apartment house. The VA sent over lots of willing hands, as well as Iron Knights and Valkyries. They set up lights and heaters on a generator, and work ran much faster than the timeline allowed. Suppliers rushed orders to keep up, especially after they heard that the apartment house would be housing for veterans. The double-paned glass manufacturer ran a night shift to get the glass ready. Framers, electricians, pipefitters, tilers, cabinetmakers, and more. They all volunteered their time.

Nico was stunned to find the bill going down and the project speed up, simultaneously. Consignment and used appliance stores were raided a full two weeks before they were supposed to even begin hanging drywall, let alone picking out furniture.

Sergeant Ashley "Ash" Ratha, of New York, a woman with a cap of curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and a ready smile; Corporal Truly Vicansa from Alabama, a black woman with a narrow face and very muscular arms and legs; and Major Quinn "Q" Wonjovic, a razor-thin, tall, brown-haired woman, with whiskey eyes from Illinois. They were next.

They came by the bike relay organized by the Valkyries and Iron Knights. They were inserted into the homes of Valkyries, after being apprised of the danger caused by La Leoparda.

Ash just nodded. "Some people are too dangerous," she said. "I've still got a sidearm, so we can hold the line," she said.

Truly nodded. "We've got this," she said. "We'll work and guard in shifts." And, they did.

The first two apartments were finished, and they all moved in en masse, helping to complete the rest. The Iron Knights added on to their garage, and raised money for more equipment so that their own Bonnie, Keith, and his assistant (Ray) could do the same thing there, for men. The money poured in, and they sent some of the money to Pahrump to help the Valkyries with Herja's garage there, and bought junked bikes for both Keith and Bonnie's garages.

The apartment house filled with voices and laughter; half men and half women. With two per apartment, six apartments, for twelve veterans in total. Truckloads of donated furniture came in; they sold what they couldn't use at consignment shops to fund purchasing more bikes. Donated bikes started coming in; most of them went to Pahrump for reconditioning, but some stayed in Las Vegas. Most were sold by insurance companies after the bikes had been totaled, then bought for a few hundred dollars, then donated to the ex-military bikers by veteran groups or concerned citizens.

They completed project after project, each team member responsible for building or refurbishing their own bikes, as well as reconditioning bikes to sell. All three clubhouses --Valkyries, Iron Knights, and Nighthawks, were filled to the brim. Many of the soldiers preferred the more relaxed pace of the Nighthawks as opposed to the Iron Knights, who loved skydiving and dangerous hikes, and Valkyries, who loved fighting with the Society for Creative Anachronism, and with each other.

They took their first joint spring ride when each vet had reconditioned his or her own bike and had gotten their motorcycle licenses. After several short trips to Lake Mead, they went to Cedar City, and visited the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to Hanksville. They saw hills, deserts, and the backdrop of the Utah Mountains. They took it easy through the short sections of gravel. They camped, fished, and hiked. Some were crazy enough to wade and swim in streams and lakes, ice-cold with winter runoff; it was barely spring. The Valkyries fought each other with swords, and bets were made. Herja they didn't bet on; she always won.

The soldiers loved every minute, climbing on everything, hiking everywhere, the best at putting up and breaking down tents, and at cleaning fish. Even the quietest ones talked, laughed, exchanged funny or hair-raising stories. "Remember when..." came up a lot, with tales of tea offered in the loneliest provinces. There was talk of horrible imitation pizza, and the ground the soldiers would cover to get it, and of friends found and friends lost. The non-veterans went to bed early; the stories made them wince, hold back tears, or stare off into space with grief.

The whiskey bottle went around, and they sang until deep in the night.

There was some screaming due to nightmares, and soldiers who couldn't sleep, who stayed up all night talking. Numa stayed up with them, and taught them carding and spinning to give them something to do with their hands. David taught them to tie fly fishing lures, and they spent time in the early hours between moonset and dawn catching fish. No one commented on the screaming, or worried about the non-sleepers. They just gave an ear, or a beer, or a task. Some soldiers couldn't drink, either because they were in recovery, or because they had PTSD, or were on other medications. No one forced alcohol on them, and someone was always handing them water or sodas.

They swung back to Navajo territory, and David took them all on a sweat, Numa taking charge of the females. They sweated, sang, and had a great feast afterward. That seemed to take the starch out of the more rigid ones, allowing them to unbend. Two of them started sleeping much better.

Numa and the blind Maia stopped to learn about Navajo weaving, and they were treated to a tour. They bought silver jewelry, and David loaded up on semiprecious stones for his beadwork. Every night he worked on a piece, a necklace, or breastplate, or vest. They went to a large celebration, and ate like kings and queens. The Wolfpack was made much over, and they went home with gifts of beadwork and sacks of wool.

They swung back, taking over entire coffee shops for lunch, cracking obscene jokes, and using rough language that they toned down whenever they saw kids in the shops. They made it to Lake Mead. Some stopped to camp; others went back to work, school, or both. The campers ran in and out of the ice-cold lake, barbecued every night, sang songs, danced by firelight. Couples paired off, and some tents were put up far from the other ones to keep the sounds from traveling too far.

On the last night, they roasted marshmallows and made s'mores and plans. The vets were at their own fire, trading stories. "We've got to cycle people out to jobs," said Bonnie. "They're scarce on the ground, though."

Herja agreed. "I'll employ those I can. I can't keep six women, no matter how much I may want to. Where the fuck are we going to send them all?"

"We've got funds," said Fire of the Iron Knights. "Why don't we open up small shops in some of these small towns we drove through? Lots of empty buildings. Small-town life is good, and quiet. Still close enough to get to us, and far enough out to be on their own. Settle two or three, one of us can go for a while to help them out. Can sell reconditioned bikes online, and fix bikes in the towns too. Take on more vets when they're ready."

"I'll do their books for free," said Lily. "Run the fund, distribute the money."

"They'll need online business classes," said Ajai. "We can get some GI bill and scholarship money for them, but they'll need fees and such, too."

"We can set it up," said Henry. "Get it going. Start a foundation."

"They can do it back home, too, Idaho and Indiana, and Alabama. Get set up where they want," said Herja. "Wherever there are Valkyries, we will help."

"Lots of expensive equipment," said Fire.

"Looks like we need a rally," said Herja. They all laughed, and began planning the summer rally to raise funds.

Meanwhile, there was a big honking house to move from a tract of land that would be a wildlife corridor, allowing animals to travel both over and under, in various places. Going several highways through or next to state parks, and buying land to ensure the animals --moose, lynx, bears, bobcats, deer, elk, badgers, and more, could pass through, unmolested. A nice older house sat square in the middle of where they wanted to put the corridor. The fun part was getting the local planning departments in both northern Arizona, where the house was located, and the county. They needed the transportation departments in both states to agree to the house move. The International Association of Structural Movers handled that frustrating process, and helped them choose an excellent mover, named Sealo and Sons.

The structural movers first mapped the route, and planned to deliver it in the middle of the night so as to avoid any Las Vegas traffic. They disconnected the utilities, dug around the foundation, inserted steel beams under the house, raised the house using a unified hydraulic jacking system, slid more beams underneath, then put the house on rubber-tired dollies. A slow truck moved the house forward. Henry and David went down to see the process, partly because they'd been there at the barn raising, and partly because the Hualapai and Havasupai reservations were nearby. In fact, a quarter of the workers moving the house were from the reservations. The house was a good size, but not too big, four bedrooms and two and a half baths, all on two stories. They were slow, very slow, at every step. Henry and David both saw deer watching them.

"Looks like the wildlife corridor is needed," Henry said, pointing at a doe and a fawn.

"Absolutely," said David. "It saves the animals, and the cars, too. Did you know there's actually an island with crab crossings?"

Henry smiled. "Do you really want to mix it up with thousands of crabs?" he said, making pincers out of his hands.

"Not I," said David. "I think it's an excellent idea. And, we get a good house for Ivy and Callie, and Bao and the little ones out of it."

"We live a crowded life," said Henry, watching the deer bound away at the sound of the jacks. "Do you miss having less people?"

David smiled. "You mean, rattling around that big house without the Wolfpack? Not having half a dozen teenagers trying to steal the last of the biscuits? Not having a herd of people who help cook and clean? I don't think the ranch has been that clean in decades."

Henry snorted, and took David's hand. "We have the biggest family."

David's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of the pocket of his jeans. "The Council wants to meet. They say they have a favor to ask."

"Hualapai or Havasupai?" They had met with both, and visited families in their houses. Both tribes were quite interested in Henry's ranch and how it worked.

"Havasupai," said David. "They want to meet at a coffee shop just down the road."

"I could eat," said Henry.

David laughed. "You are always ready to eat." They headed for their truck.

They had dinner with several tribal elders. They discussed the land, the wildlife corridor, the spirit of saving animals, and about retaining tribal languages.

"We've got two hundred and fifty speakers," said Wa Asitam. His name literally meant "one." He'd gotten his joke name by always having only one dollar in his pocket and asking his friends to spot him some cash when he was a teenager. "Bao and Chayton's programs, and Vu's attempts to help tribal peoples have been... beyond priceless." Everyone sat a moment as the old man recovered himself.

"You know we send our kids out at ninth grade," said Sarai, also on the council. "They are old enough to see the ways of the white man without being unduly influenced. We have two that need emergency help. Nick and Josh are smart, and so far past the school we will send them to, that they will lose all their forward momentum. The boarding schools are expensive, and their father was killed by a white man driving drunk. We thought of you." She tilted her head at two string-bean who boys devouring a hot fudge sundae at the counter.

"We may have to string hammocks," said Henry. "We have twelve Wolfpack in residence now, as well as Nantan and Chayton's boys, Nico and Tam."

"Put them in with the horses," said Wa Asitam. "They will spend every minute they are not studying, with them. I also hear you have rabbits."

"Angora," said Henry. "They have their own rabbit condo. Their fur is soft and collected by brushing them. My sister sells angora sweaters and scarves made by people on the res, and by our own Wolfpack." He smiled. "Do the boys make baskets?"

Wa Asitam smiled. "No. Sadly not. Their mother does not have the talent. She loves horses, and keeps them for the tourists. She would love for her sons to learn, and to use the money to make a ranch like yours. Money that would have been spent on a boarding school."

David smiled at the boys, mock-fighting over the last few bites of ice cream. "We will find room," he said. Henry said nothing. David had spoken.

The boys were brought over and introduced. Josh was tall and reedy, but his brother Nick was even taller, with silver rings in each ear. Henry brought them to the convenience store across the parking lot, because he knew they would be hungry in an hour. He gave them each ten dollars.

"Pick what you want," he said.

"Where are we going to put you?" asked David.

Nick said, "A sleeping bag is fine."

"I'll sleep with the horses," said Josh. "We do sometimes, anyway."

David smiled. "We can do better than that. You and your brother Josh are headed into the most crowded house you've ever seen. We got teens in one house, oldsters to babies with us..."

Henry smiled. "Storage room off the main sorting room. About the size of a regular bedroom. Even has a window. I'll text the Wolfpack to get everything out of there, and into storage under the sorting tables. I'll also ask Callie to build these boys some pods."

The boys loved watching the house move. Henry and David said goodbye to Tomas, the foreman, and they took the boys back to the ranch the faster way. It was four more days until the house arrived to be settled on its foundation. Within a week it was done, with pods and all.

Bella and Inola arrived first for lunch. They ordered breadsticks, salad with three kinds of dressing on the side, and bowls of corn tortilla soup and clam chowder, while Ryder slept in her stroller. Ivy and Callie had Aiden and Kiya strapped to their bodies. Bella took Aiden, and Inola took Kiya, while Ivy and Callie squealed over baby Ryder. Katya's babies were fat, happy, and content to sit in their high chairs after being passed around, eating Cheerios cereal.

Bella shook her hands out. "Never thought I'd be doing book covers for Westerns, but the landscape outside my window looks very OK-Corral-ish. Giving my fingers cramps, though."

Lily fed Aiden, who had woken up. "I've taken on so many clients I took on an assistant who is also a CPA. Thank god, or I'd be even more exhausted by now."

Katya laughed. "Gregory is such good husband, no? When he is home, he barely lets me hold his boys. He is a proud papa."

"How are our two rascals in Arizona?" asked Ivy, digging into her salad.

"Kieran and Pavel are sad," said Lily. "They finished the training for the first dogs. It went so well! The dogs went to children. The animals are very happy. But, it is hard to train an animal and send them to live somewhere else."

"Didn't they get more of them?" asked Bella, then grabbed a breadstick before the she-wolves at the table got them all.

"Yes," said Lily. "Of course. They love them all. My boys love and love. They get excellent grades as well, because the other students have invested in their business and help train them. They even get vacations!" She smiled. "They work at the local vet. They are getting vet tech certificates along with their business degrees. They have good business sense."

"And one that helps families dealing with autism, anxiety disorders, and the like," said Callie. "If kids who have trouble reading aloud read to dogs, they improve rapidly."

"Some dogs can sniff out seizures," said Ivy. "I asked Keiran about it, and he says two of their dogs do that."

"I believe it," said Inola. "Bess, our Corgi, watches the baby. She knows when Ryder is going to wake up before we do."

"Keiran has a trust, but the boys will pay for their college with the dogs," said Lily, proudly. "And I'm so busy! Ghost has me doing her books. She just got another contract to make miniatures for Harley-Davidson. Willow and Ajai had to recruit more Wolfpack members to help with pouring molds for the miniatures. I do the books for that business, too. If I get any more Nighthawks business, I won't get any sleep!"

Callie pointed a breadstick at Katya. "Your daughter Elena is giving me fits. I finally found a gifted program that will work for her. I'm considering putting Hu in it, but Grace doesn't test out as gifted."

"Put her in it," said Ivy. "Tell her she is gifted. She'll rise to the occasion."

"I don't want to overwhelm her," said Callie. "She's just not as quick-minded as Hu. She gets to the same place, but a little slower."

"Have them take different classes," suggested Inola. "That way, they're not in competition with each other. Or, give them the same ones, and have Hu help Grace."

Ivy snorted. "Way to contradict yourself," she said. She grabbed a spoon and ate her soup.

"They take the same classes, except the one they love, like art or music," said Bella. "Gotta do something different so they're not clones."

"Hu's a violinist, and Grace plays keyboard," said Ivy. "Lots of fun at one in the morning."

"Actually, it kind of is. They're learning 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia,'” said Callie, spooning herself more soup.

"You're kidding," said Bella. "That's freaking amazing."

Ivy laughed. "I think that's the first time I've heard you say 'freaking.'"

Katya laughed so hard she nearly blew her tea out her nose. "My Gregory has same problem."

"Gregory?" asked Ivy and Inola simultaneously. "He's the most respectful guy I know," finished Inola.

Ivy smiled. "No, Henry. Or maybe David."

"Keiran and Pavel," said Bella. "They wait on us hand and foot. Love those boys."

"I agree," said Callie. "I hope our kids will turn out as intelligent, hard-working, and respectful as those beautiful boys."

Lily beamed. "I'll tell Ace you said this. He will explode with pride."

Inola looked down at the baby in her arms. "We're all proud," she said. Bella reached out and held her hand.

"I think I want another one," said Bella, into the silence, around the tears in Inola's voice.

The other women gasped or cheered, startling the babies, making two of them cry. Ivy took Aiden out of his stroller, and rocked him, and Inola rocked Ryder. Ivy sang Rockabye, and Callie did the counterpart. They all smiled. People at adjoining tables took photos and video. She sang a very soft Brahm's Lullaby. The awake babies looked at her, round-eyed, and the sleepy ones drifted off.

"Omigod," said Bella, into the silence. "You can come over and sing Ryder to sleep anytime."

A mother came up, child in her arms, asleep. She whispered, "Jackie hasn't slept in two days. Thank you." She crept out of the restaurant.

Bella stared at Ivy, wide-eyed. "You're the baby whisperer," she said.

"Wait," said Callie. "You want another baby?"

Inola held Bella's hand. "I was a bit surprised, but now I'm ready too."

"Who's the daddy?" asked Callie.

"Nantan," said Bella.

They all hissed or cried out in shock. The babies woke up again, and Ivy sang the Uncle Kracker song, Follow Me. Mothers unobtrusively sidled over with fussy babies, and they soon quieted. A fussy toddler wouldn't settle down at a nearby table, and Ivy sang John Meyer's Daughters. The other women at the table hummed it, and Inola joined in, adding a deep thrum to the song. The toddler, mashing his fists into his eyes to stay awake, finally quieted.

You could hear a pin drop in the restaurant. A few people were actually crying. "Good god," said Bella. "Bottle that, please!"

They finished their soup, salad, and breadsticks. The manager came over. "Ladies, I never expected a concert when I came to work today. Your desserts are on us."

"Thank you," said Katya. "I will have the cherry cheesecake." They all got variations on cheesecake, with chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, and fruit versions. They passed around the babies that were awake, and let the sleeping ones lay to rest.

"We have a problem," said Bella. "We can't leave the baby whisperer."

"Let's go to our place," said Ivy. "Bao has Hu and Grace. And Elena, it's a play date."

So, they went to Ivy and Callie's place. The babies got naps, and the women got adult conversation and relaxation. Gregory found out what was going on from his wife, and he sent over some Wolfpack members to babysit, and they moved to Katya's place to have some adult beverages, a beautiful gourmet dinner Gregory sent over, steak, potatoes, salad, rolls, butter, and tiny chocolate mousse and key lime squares. He also sent over six Thai women to do manicures, pedicures, and massages. The women left with huge tips that nearly matched the bill Gregory paid in advance.

David and Henry arrived when they got home. "Give us our grandchildren, and no one gets hurt," said David. Callie and Ivy laughed.

Ivy put Daisy's leash on her, and took her for a pre-ride walk. Callie watched while Aiden decided to pee in a golden rainbow while David changed him. She took Aiden, then David changed Kiya. They went in a procession to the truck, a copper-colored king cab.

"Got it used," said David. "Too many teens and babies and stuff to transport."

They put the babies in the car seats, got them in the harnesses, and climbed in. Ivy came back with the Dachshund, who hooked into a dog seat belt that attached to her harness. She sat, and kissed Kiya, making the baby laugh. Each mom kissed each child, then took turns hugging David and Henry.

They waved goodbye, arm in arm. Ivy took Callie's hand, and Callie giggled evilly. "No babies."

"No little girls," said Ivy. Damia was content sleeping in the big house, going out with Inola to take care of the ponies every morning.

"Hotel time!" said Callie. They ran inside, grabbed their go-bags, stuffed their saddlebags, and took off.

The hotel was nice; swanky, a smaller boutique hotel in Boulder City. They checked in, then rode down to the lake and drank coffee goodness at a small cafe built on stilts over the lake. They laughed, relaxing. They ordered a plate of chocolates, and then they rode back to the hotel. Callie undressed Ivy, slowly. She propped her up on pillows, then rubbed her feet. Ivy rolled her eyes back in her head. She looked up, and burst out laughing. Callie looked up and gaped. There were prisms and glass balls hanging from the mirrored ceiling, casting rainbows.

"Whoa," said Callie. "Awesome."

"Not stopping with the rubbing," said Ivy.

"Sorry," said Callie.

They took turns --feet, calves, knees. They worked up, and they did it together, with fingers running up and down each other's thighs. Callie stopped to kiss Ivy deeply. They held onto each other. Callie leaned back first, and pressed on Ivy's button. Ivy arched her back, groaned, and then screamed. She came in a liquid rush. Callie took her time, kissing her way down Ivy's neck, sucking each breast. She kissed her way down Ivy's stomach.

Ivy groaned, but not with pleasure. "I'm fat. One kid, not even two like Katya, or three like Ghost. One, and I'm a sagging, stretch-marked mess."

Callie leaned forward, and kissed Ivy's lips. "We have gorgeous babies. You are the most beautiful and best woman in the world. You sing like an angel, curse like a sailor, and ride a Harley like the best biker babe there is."

"Well, fuck," said Ivy, and kissed her back.

Callie kissed her way back down, and Ivy grabbed Callie's dark brown hair and ran her fingers through it as Callie found the sweetest spots. Callie used flicks of her tongue, then kissed and sucked until Ivy screamed again and again. Ivy avidly slid down the bed, and Callie held Ivy in her arms, playing with the twists in her wife's hair.

"Wanna do the same to you," said Ivy. "Can't move."

"S'okay," said Callie. They slid into sleep.

Ivy woke up in the middle of the night. She stroked Callie's hair, her back, kissed her face, and her neck. She slid her hands to the mounds of Callie's buttocks, and pulled her in close. Callie kissed Ivy, muzzy with sleep, but arched her back and came in big gasps as Ivy's clever fingers slid in between her thighs. Ivy made her come, again and again.

Callie stood, tripped, then stood again. She made it to the bathroom, and flicked on the light. "Omigod," she said.

"What?" said Ivy. She came in, looked where Callie was pointing. "Oh. My. God. It's silver. And sparkly. And has the little rainbow things on the ceiling."

"Fill it up," said Callie. So, Ivy went over, found the stopper, then turned on the hot water. "Warm or lobster?" asked Ivy.

"Lobster," said Callie. She went back out, grabbed her toiletry kit, and took out a scrubby. "Clean sex," she said, as the huge Jacuzzi tub filled with water.

They used the scrubbies on each other after washing each other's hair and putting in conditioner. They laid, with legs over one another, floating in the hot water. Ivy turned it off, and they scrubbed each other's feet, then legs. They turned, and scrubbed each other's backs. Then, they turned to face each other again, and did arms and fronts. They used special facial scrubs donated by the hotel. They rinsed, head to toe, then found the spots that made each other moan with fingers and tongues. They washed each other again, and Ivy turned on the jets. They relaxed, twisting this way and that, and dozed in the water. Finally, the water got chilly, and they got out. Ivy pulled the plug to drain the tub, and they took turns rubbing lotion on each other and drying each other's hair. Ivy only dried her hair partway, then put in her twists. They put on soft robes and went back to sleep, cradling in each other's arms.

In the morning, they ordered croissants, fruit and coffee for Ivy, and hot chocolate for Callie. It was cute how the beverages came in little pots. They read magazines, watched absurdly funny movies, and spent the day in bed. Lunch was paninis, chips, and sodas; and dinner was excellent Italian food. They ate cheese tortellini with a tomato-Italian sausage sauce, covered with freshly shredded Parmesan, along with rosemary bread and olive oil for dipping.

"My god," said Ivy. "They must have an Italian mama in the kitchen."

They napped, then watched silly movies, ordered chocolate chip and parmesan popcorns, and hot chocolate from the kitchen. They laughed until they cried. They made love, again and again, then had more clean sex in the Jacuzzi. They checked out in the morning, glowing and ready to face having five children once again.

Finishing Touches

Katya and Gregory went through three days of hell. First Luka got sick, then Ivan. Vomiting, fever. Gregory sent Elena to stay at the ranch and help with the ponies to keep her well. The pediatrician gave the infants medications to stop the symptoms.

"It's the flu. Monitor carefully," he said, and sent them home.

Everything came out from both ends. Gregory did as much as he could from home, squashing meetings together so he ran through them. He rushed home, comforted the babies, changed clothes, then rushed back. Then, Katya got sick, and Gregory hired a baby nurse to keep everyone drugged and Katya off her feet. His normally, frighteningly-active wife was pale, drawn, with circles under her eyes. He ordered her to stay in bed. He was terrified when she listened to him and stayed put. He also ate so much vitamin C he thought he would turn into an orange. He drank red ginseng water, something that tasted like tree bark, but his assistant (David Hu) swore by it. The babies recovered, but Katya was exhausted, hugely pregnant, and slept for days. Ace and Lily took turns stealing the babies and feeding her soup, letting her sleep the days through.

Finally, she felt good enough to get up and move around, but Willow was there to clean the house and the baby nurse had her little ones. She had the goodness of Nantan's farm food, but she wanted to cook Russian food; borscht and meat and potatoes. She put on her dress and left on a spring day to go to Wal-Mart, leaving the babies and house behind.

It was good to get out. The air felt good on her face. The vomiting had given her horrible back pains, even a solid Russian peasant woman had trouble dealing with. They had faded with the dawn, so, off she went. She took one of the smaller carts, looking for fresh ingredients. She was getting the sour cream when a wave of back pain, the kind that had been attacking her for days, came back. She gasped, and then her water broke. She leaned on the cart, gripping the handles.

A woman walked by. "I'll get... someone," she said.

She rushed over to a courtesy phone and paged the store manager. The assistant manager showed up, sized up the situation, and got a dress nearly identical to the one Katya was wearing off a nearby rack. She rushed to a cashier, paid for it herself, and found Katya walking toward the bathroom.

"Baby come now. Texted my husband," she said to the astonished woman.

Gregory was listening to Bob Kine, a longtime client, wring his figurative hands, balking at paying for the extra security for the gala for the foundation. And about going to bring water to everyone through desalinization plants to turn seawater into drinkable water. One of his two phones chimed. He saw the message, and his assistant, standing in the doorway, quailed at what came over his boss' eyes. Gregory typed up a list of instructions for his assistant, and called her over.

He pointed to the list, sent it to her, logged off of the network, and said to his client, "Bob, we've known each other how long, now?" Gregory closed down his system.

"Two years," said Bob.

"Have I steered you wrong in that time, Bob?" Gregory pulled off his suit coat, and left it on the chair. He left his cufflinks in his drawer, and locked everything.

"No, you haven't."

Gregory texted for his admin to call 911 and have them go to his wife's location. "Now, this gala will literally save lives, but the whole project could die if you have any bad publicity. Am I right?" Gregory hurried down the hallway, and bounded down the stairs rather than wait for the elevator.

"You are," said Bob.

Gregory got into the company car. "Now, either you sign off on this, Bob, or you lose the chance of excelling. Your entire reputation is built on excellence. My job, Bob, is to provide that excellence for you." Gregory backed out, then got himself past the checkpoint and out of the garage. He drove defensively, weaving in and out of traffic with practiced ease, using the dashboard GPS to weave around traffic.

"Of course," said Bob.

"Maintain excellence, Bob," said Gregory. "Do it by letting me do my job. Approve this, now, and I will get everything ready for you."

Bob drew in a deep breath. "Alright, then, I will."

"Good," said Gregory, dodging a suicidal tourist and a UPS truck. "I will talk to you later in the week, Bob. Have a truly excellent day."

"You too," said Bob. "Talk to you then." Gregory hung up, then called the midwife, only to find her at another birth. He sighed, and slid down a side road.

The first ambulance dispatched to help Katya was T-boned at an intersection. The two EMTs survived, and ran out to help the driver who hit them; a drunken tourist who slammed his chest into the steering wheel. This caused a pileup, and two more ambulances were routed there. Gregory dodged this mess due to his state-of-the-art GPS.

Gregory ran to the women's bathroom. He threw three, twenty-dollar bills at a female stock clerk who was blocking off the bathroom.

"Get me puppy pads, the kind the dogs piddle on, a round plastic tub, distilled water, scissors, plastic gloves, rubbing alcohol, and baby bath soap or wipes," he said, then ran past her as his wife gave a scream and groan at the same time. "Kayta!" he called out, running into the bathroom.

She was in the handicapped stall, panting; the assistant manager with her. Gregory rounded on her. He looked happy to have made it to her in time. He was grateful she was brought into the bathroom, for some much-needed privacy.

"Thanks. When the woman comes in with the puppy pads, lay them all over the floor here," he said. "Then see if you can get a baby bath going." He texted Ace, rolled up his sleeves, and washed his hands, all the time reassuring his wife in Russian.

She screamed back in curse words so vile he suspected the paint would peel. Katya was holding onto the bars in the handicapped stall, and Gregory could see she was crowning.

"Just in time to play catch," he said, holding up his wife's legs. "Now, it is time to push, love," he said. She cursed him in Russian, and pushed.

Ace finished the shelf, and looked at the lines. He received a text, then took off his tool belt, and ran like a bat of hell out the door and down the stairs, leaping down the last four of them. He ran toward his bike, grabbed his helmet, and rode like the wind toward the Wal-Mart, only a few blocks away.

"What the hell?" asked Marco, one of Nico's team, a painter.

Nico grinned. "Ace's baby is coming," he said. They all cheered.

It took two long pushes and two shorter ones, but the baby came out. Gregory cleared her nose and mouth, and she cried.

"Apgar 5," he said. "Good job, love."

He slid her into the water in the little baby bath, the water splashing onto the pee pads, and cut the cord after wiping the scissors with rubbing alcohol. The assistant manager knelt, and carefully wiped her off. The infant gurgled happily.

"It's a girl!" she yelled. The employees holding back the few who knew what was going on, cheered.

"What's your name?" asked Gregory, as he wiped up his wife the best he could, and massaged her belly to help her expel the afterbirth.

"Donna Shars," she said.

"Good job, Donna," he said. "First time delivering a baby?"

She laughed. "Delivered one myself, but first time helping out."

Ace burst passed the onlookers. "Ace," said Gregory. He reached into his pocket, and threw a set of keys at Ace. "Girl, healthy, just cut the cord. Wife always parks to the right, as close to the door as she can. Don't know what's holding up the EMTs. Get your little one to Children's. Donna, give the man his baby."

Donna was confused, but distracted by the afterbirth, so she handed over the little girl, now wrapped in a towel. "You're a gay couple?"

Ace laughed, looking into his daughter's eyes. "She looks like Lily," he said.

"Go away," said Gregory. "Hands full with the wife."

"Got it," said Ace, and scooted out the door, baby in one hand, car clicker in the other. He found the right car, put the baby in the infant seat, and drove to the hospital. He texted Lily while he waited at a light.

The fourth set of dispatched EMTs rushed in, and surrounded Katya. They loaded her onto the stretcher, and the ambulance. Gregory washed his hands again, and texted his assistant to get his wife a private room at a small private hospital nearby, “NOT on the maternity wing,” he texted.

“Baby OK?” texted his assistant.

“Baby fine; en route to Children's,” he texted back. Call and tell them Ace will be there shortly.”

“Will do,” texted back his assistant.

Katya was rushed in, checked out, and sent to her private room when they saw the documentation that Katya was a surrogate and that the baby had gone to a Children's Hospital by private car.

Unfortunately, the other hospital had a nurse that could not get it through her head that Ace was the biological father, that the birth mother was being sent to another hospital, and that Ace wasn't a baby-snatcher. Ace texted both Gregory and Saber before they cuffed him. He tried to show them his phone with the surrogate agreement on it, or have them call Gregory, Katya, or the other hospital to verify. The nurse became incensed and nearly hysterical, drowning out anything Ace had to say. The police officer dispatched to help out, was far too busy calming her down to get her statement to listen to Ace, who demanded to see his biological child, and to know what was happening to her.

Sergeant Joe Pocero showed up and uncuffed Ace. He rounded on the still-screaming nurse. "Nurse... Tolin, is it? You're under arrest," he said. He gave the security guard's cuffs back to him, took out his own, and advanced on her. "For kidnapping and false arrest." He reached out to take her hand.

She squawked, stepping back. "What?"

"This man said, several times, that he was the biological father. Did you do anything to verify this? Take a blood or saliva test, maybe?" She shook her head. "Call the other hospital where Katya, the surrogate, gave birth?" She shook her head. "Looked at the surrogate agreement on his cell phone?" She shook her head again. "Did you take his baby away from him without his permission?" She nodded her head. "So, you're under arrest."

A hospital administrator rounded the corner, buttoning his black suit. "That' the job of Social Services." He looked fifteen years old, with a baby face and a rolling gait.

"Did you call Social Services?" asked the sergeant. Nurse Tolin shook her head again. "Then, you're under arrest." He took another step forward. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back. You have the right to remain silent..."

She finally grasped that she was actually in trouble when the administrator did nothing to stop the arrest. "He's lying!" she said.

"Did you do anything, anything at all, to verify what he said to you?" asked the sergeant. She shook her head.

"No," she said.

"Give this man's child back to him. She should have been examined and immunized by now," he said. "And then, he's leaving. You just lost yourself a customer, and probably a lot of money in a lawsuit."

Denise, the Nighthawk's lawyer, rounded the corner. "Hello Sergeant, hello Ace." She turned to face the nurse and the administrator. "If you're done kidnapping this man's child, he would like her back. We'll take her to people competent enough to recognize his status as a father."

"We apologize for the mix-up," said the administrator. "Can't be too careful."

"Careful is having him sit quietly in the waiting room while you verify your story," snapped the lawyer. "Not putting cuffs on the man and running off with his child without his permission." She rounded on the police officer. "Why the hell did you put cuffs on my client, Officer... Trillbe? Was he threatening anyone? Harming anyone? Threatening to harm anyone?" He, too, looked fifteen, with curly dark hair, brown eyes, and a thin, reedy stature.

"She told me to," he said, pointing at Nurse Tolin. "She said he'd stolen a baby."

The hospital administrator actually put his hands over his eyes. "Denise, the baby will be out here momentarily. Will you settle?"

"Maybe," she said.

The doctor came out, baby in hand. She had a shock of brown hair and huge eyes. Lily rushed in, hugged Ace, and nearly grabbed the infant out of the doctor's hands.

"Who's she?" asked the administrator.

"The baby's biological mother," said Denise. "I have both their DNA scans in my cell phone, along with their surrogacy agreement. Now, if we can finish with any paperwork in the time it takes for a gnat to bat an eyelash, then we'll be gone."

"Birth certificate," said the doctor. "You'll need one of those. And, she's been examined, and is five pounds, eleven ounces. She's had all the relevant tests and immunizations." She stared down the administrator. "I happen to know the family, and if Miss Hysteria here, had bothered to speak to anyone at all about her suspicions without behaving unprofessionally, this entire unpleasantness could have been avoided." She turned toward Lily and Ace, whose eyes were on their daughter. "She's fine. I talked to Katya, and she's fine too. I had the doctor there hydrate her and give her pain medication, oh, and something to help her sleep more."

"Thank you, Doctor Yu," said Ace. "When do you want to see her again?"

"Two weeks," she said. "Might as well see this mama as well. Soon, you'll have two!"

"Got it," said Ace.

Nurse Tolin quailed at the look the doctor gave her. The sergeant finished putting on her cuffs. "While charging her would be the correct thing to do under the law," said Doctor Yu, "perhaps merely firing her and making sure she never works in a hospital again would be sufficient?" The administrator bobbed his head.

Nurse Tolin threw back her head; the sergeant moved his head aside so she didn't break his nose. "I did what was right!"

"No," said the doctor. "You acted without thinking, and opened up this hospital to liability. Sergeant, she's apparently still not understanding what she did wrong. Go ahead and arrest her." She turned to Ace and Lily. "What's her name?"

"Rose Ivy," said Lily.

"Lovely," said Doctor Yu. "Take good care of her."

"We will," said Ace, kissing his little girl's head.

* * *

Lily started getting back pain at three in the morning. Ace helped her walk, and called the midwife, Tatiana.

"You are feeding new baby. Of course, this little boy wants to be with his sister." She said, "Walk. Then rest, then walk some more." Ace rubbed Lily's back, and pushed a sock with two tennis balls behind her when she sat down, legs splayed. Rose woke up, screaming her lungs out. "Feed baby," said the midwife. "It will make contractions stronger." Ace changed Rose, then brought her to her mother.

The contractions sped up and were more obvious; Lily fed her baby with her feet up on the arms of her favorite chair. She sat on a rubber blanket; she knew what was coming next. Rose had just fallen asleep again when her water broke. Ace cleaned up his wife and the floor, put Rose back in her room, and called Willow to come stay with the infant. Lily expressed milk for the baby and left it in a special cooler.

The waves got closer together and Lily said, "Hospital and drugs."

"Okay," said Tatiana.

Willow came in, fresh-faced as if it weren't three in the morning. She hugged Ace, kissed Lily, and went to sleep in the same room as Rose on the narrow bed. Ace retrieved the go-bag, got his wife into the car, and had the midwife follow them to the hospital.

Doctor Yu was pleased to see them. "Right on time," she said, and called the anesthesiologist. "Any later, and we wouldn't have had time for the epidural." Ace helped his wife lean forward and get the needle in the back.

Lily was overjoyed when the pain stopped. "That was a hard labor," she said.

Tatiana snorted. "It was not so difficult." Ace gave Tatiana a quelling stare, and held his wife's hand. "I think we need a name now," he said.

"Not for an hour or two," said Lily.

Ace belly-laughed. "Fine, but you'll forget when you start to push."

"Colin and Davin are my favorites," she said. "Davin Colin or Colin Davin?"

"Colin Davin," said Ace, his eyes misty.

"I miss Rose," she said.

"Well, you're having her brother," he said. "Oh, god."

"What?" asked Lily.

"She's the older one. The kid will be bossed around."

"Until we have more, and then they'll both be older."

Ace tried not to cry. Crying wasn't allowed by the father before the baby was actually born, he was pretty sure. "You want more?"

"Yes, dumbass, I want more," she said, popping an ice chip. "We're Nighthawks. We've got so many kids running around that I'm having trouble keeping track of the names. Did you know I actually use a flow chart?

"My wife, the CPA," said Ace, kissing her temple.

"The minute he pops out, I want Sonic. Go all out. Cheese sticks, sliders, chicken wings. No, head to Buffalo Wings and get me the honey mustard wings and fries. No, back to Sonic, and add a peanut butter shake. And tater tots, no fries."

Ace laughed. "I'll send a text and have one of the three hundred people in the waiting room get it."

"Three hundred?" she said, her voice rising.

"I'm kidding," he said, rubbing her shoulders. "Katya gave birth so fast no one could show up. Hell, ‘I had to grab the football and run to the hospital,’ so to speak."

Lily looked frostily at him. "Our daughter is not a football."

He raised his hands to ward off her glare. It could freeze a raging river in an instant. "I did not mean to imply that."

"Good," she said. "She's absolutely fucking perfect. And I can say fucking, because she isn't nearby. You'll have to clean up your mouth." She popped another ice chip, and crunched it.

"Working on it," he said.

"You going to take three or four weeks off?" she asked.

"How long are you taking off?" he asked. She'd been working like an insane person to get everything as automated as it could be.

"I've got Traci." Traci was another CPA who was handling her larger accounts. The Nighthawks web of businesses she kept in-house; her assistant was also a Nighthawks member. "We've got it handled for about three weeks. Then, I can slowly pick up the reins, and I have the Wolfpack to cook, clean, and keep us in clean underwear for the foreseeable future."

"We're already using them," he said. "Between your business and mine..."

"And your picking up a hammer to help the ex-troops, which I think is awesome, by the way..."

"Still love the hammer," he said. "The food delivery is awesome. And, the new-mom service is fantastic. Can we stretch it to four weeks? Ivy says Cougar is a pro, and I've seen that woman work it. We're even considering hiring some Valkyries as assistant managers to give us all more time off, for rides and babies, and such."

"You should do it," she said. "We work like dogs specifically to do this."

"Speaking of dogs, maybe I should go home and walk Jake and Maude."

"That pug is getting fat," said Lily. "My little Maude is gorgeous." Her brain finally caught up with what he said. "You want to leave me. While I'm giving birth. To your child."

"You're only seven centimeters," he said. "It could take all night and all day."

She took a swing at him. He danced out of the way. "No fair," she said. "I can't chase you."

Dr. Yu came in. "Not to disparage your midwife, but... where is she?"

"Food," said Ace. "She says she will be close by if things get more active."

"Let's take a look," said Dr. Yu. She examined Lily. "Nine centimeters. She'd better be back quick or she'll miss..."

Ace texted Tatiana. "Done," he said, putting the phone away.

"Push," said Dr. Yu, waving at the anesthesiologist to dial down the medication so Lily could feel to push.

Ace held her hand. "Doing great, baby," he said, as she bore down.

"That's weird," she said. "I can't feel it, but I know something's happening."

"What's happening?" asked Ace.

"Your midwife is a bit too late," said Dr. Yu. "I can see your son's head. Now, push again."

Colin Davin came into the world with two more pushes, squalling his lungs out. He was six pounds even. Ace cut the cord after sending a photo to Henry, David, and half the Nighthawks in the delivery waiting room. They could hear the cheers from all the way down the hall. Once Lily had delivered the afterbirth and been cleaned up with a new gown, they let the family in, two at a time. Henry and David were first, followed by Gregory and Elena.

"Katya's at home sleeping," said Gregory. "She is so happy for you both." Then Inola and Bella, and so on.

Gregory took Elena out for ice cream after the birth. She poked at her bowl of strawberry-cheesecake ice cream. "What's wrong?" asked Gregory.

"Mom is so sad," said Elena.

"She had a baby for someone else," said Gregory. "It's hard to love a baby for nine months, then give it to its parents. It feels like something got taken away, even if you know logically it isn't true. And that it was Ace and Lily's biological child. And, she's having all the hormones of just having a baby."

"We need to help her," said Elena.

"I'll get her to see a doctor," said Gregory. "Meanwhile, what can we do?"

"Let's make a special day for her," Elena said. "A card, gifts, a spa day, all the stuff she likes. Then, you take her to dinner and the movies."

"You are a genius," he said, kissing Elena on the head. "The best daughter ever."

Elena giggled. She whipped out her cell phone. "Send her to Vanity. They'll do everything --hair, nails, massage, the works."

"Ice cream first," said Gregory. "Then world domination." Elena giggled again.

They did it up right --breakfast in bed, a card and balloons, Elena helping with the babies, with Willow's arrival. Gregory took Katya to the spa to be pampered, then swung back for baby and housecleaning duties. He arrived at the spa nearly eight hours later to find, to his tremendous relief, the circles gone from under Katya's eyes. He took her to an elegant dinner, and then to a special theater where they could lay back in recliners and be served by waiters with chocolates and fine teas. She loved it.

He took her for a drive under the stars. "Gregory, I know you may be angry with me."

"What? Why?" he asked. "You are the mother of three wonderful children, and I love everything about you."

She smiled. "Right answer. Love, I want more children."

Gregory smiled. "I hoped so." His eyes popped open wide. "We need a bigger house!"

She smiled with relief. "I thought you would be angry. So many children already! So loud, and so strong!" She wiped tears from her eyes. "I choose house, and baby names. You make money and make babies."

"Excellent," said Gregory, and smiled. He pulled over on a remote road, and they stared up at the moonroof of the SUV at the stars. He kissed her, slowly, and caressed her face. He took her face in his hands. "I love everything about you. I like the way you snort at me if I do something stupid. I like how you feed our family the best things."

She snorted, making him laugh. "Do you want to know secret? I cheated. I gave several of my grandmother's recipes to Nantan. Much of what we eat, I did not make."

He smiled, and kissed her again. "We have a gorgeous daughter and twin boys, and the food is excellent, either way. Now, love, you can have anything you want. A vacation? A diamond necklace? Spa days every month? Every two weeks?"

"Every two weeks is good," said Katya. "Keeps me happy and beautiful."

"That's what I want. In America, there is a saying. ‘If mama's not happy, nobody's happy.’ I want to help you do whatever you want."

"I want to go back to school," said Katya, surprising both of them. "I am very smart woman. I can be anything I want."

"Of course," said Gregory, drying her tears with his fingers. "Anything you want. What do you want to take?"

"I want to be an online teacher, like Callie, but online. Do it in Russian. Such good education there, in Russia, but always could be improved. Can be improved everywhere, no? Make online courses for many subjects for children in Russia. Or maybe adults."

"There have to be degrees in that," said Gregory. "I know you got pregnant early, in your third year of high school, and you got your GED, then took college courses all along. I am so proud of you for that, y0u know." He kissed her. "Russian literature is a hard thing to pass, too."

"Not for me," said Katya. "My parents did well with me before they died on interstate in snow, in small car hit by large truck. I learned to debate Russian literature from my father. He was college professor in Russia, worked as cabbie here, my mother his graduate student. Here, I screw up the life they gave me. I follow bad man, hoping to make better life, but now I have you." She wiped her eyes again. "I want what my mother and father told me. A good life. I have it, but I need my intellectual life too."

"You can have it," said Gregory. "I am sure there is a degree for this online."

"There are," said Katya, slowly. "I have investigated them. There are five I like."

"Pick one," said Gregory, "and get started." He leaned down, wiped away her tears. "I am such a fool. I didn't bother to ask if you needed anything, if you were happy. I was just so happy with Elena, and now the boys... I was blinded."

"Hush," said Katya. "It is a long time, I sleep with boy in car."

Gregory laughed. "Although that sounds fun, we do have actual money, and a baby nurse. I'll send a text, and I'll take you to the best hotel in the city. Do you want Caesar's? Bellagio? The Venetian? The Mirage?"

"I want a hotel with big tub," said Katya. "I am still sore, and want much hot water."

"A suite it is," said Gregory.

He sent some texts to Willow and the baby nurse, pulled up the internet, and found a Jacuzzi tub room at the MGM Grand, also known as the Big Green Monster. He made a reservation as soon as the baby nurse and Willow replied that both would be delighted to stay and order pizza for themselves, and he took his wife for the night of her dreams.

Gregory began treating his wife better, by parking, then taking her up to their suite. He had a snack tray brought up along with cherry champagne, his wife's favorite, and Maker's Mark for himself. He drew her a bath, put on light jazz, took off her clothes, put her in a robe, and dressed in a robe himself. He accepted the drinks and food while she slipped into the tub. Gregory then washed her long, dirty blonde hair, shading to brown, put in conditioner, then climbed in with her. They drank champagne and bourbon, ate chocolate-covered strawberries, and laughed deeply. He washed, kissed, licked, and nipped her, making her scream with delighted laughter. He threw caution to the wind and entered his wife in the tub without a condom while they were still in the bathtub. He did it slowly, careful not to go too deep or thrust too hard. She came in great shuddering gasps, then he did.

He drained the tub, and left her with an electronic book; her cell phone encased in plastic, with hot water, bubbles, and champagne. He dried himself, turned down the bed, watched television, put two bottles of water on each of the bedside tables, then fetched his wife when he knew the water would turn cold. He dried her hair, put lotion on her, and took her to bed. She got on top, and made him happy beyond belief that he'd ordered the suite, her moans in his ear, her teeth on his collarbone. He came as she did, clenching on him.

She rolled off and they laid there, gasping. And then he opened her water first, and she drank, then he opened his. "To more babies," she said.

"To more babies," he said, and they touched water bottles. "And to having the best-educated, educator wife."

"To my success," said Katya. She looked at him, and he drowned in her blue eyes. "I will be successful, my love."

"I have no doubt," he said. They finished their waters, he turned off the light, and they held each other until the light of dawn.

"Pay it forward, or you will end up losing what you have been given."