Family Tails

A Story of a Mixed Family in the Genetic Age

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Names of actual businesses, their products, etc, are the property of their respective owners.

Story and characters © 2013 Ronald J. Lebeck

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Chapter 28

"Push, luv!"

"I am pushing!! UUUNNGH!"

"Just a little more, Lupina...almost out."

*Wh-i-i-i-i-ne!*

"C'mon, Lu, ya can do it!"

"UUUUNNNGH!!!"

"You did fine Lupina...you're got a baby girl!" Helga announced with a smile.

As soon as the umbilical cord was clamped and cut, Ron and Lupina's first child took her first breath. A brief check by Helga, now a licensed RN in the state of Alaska, and the required vital statistics recorded, the newborn was gently handed to her mother. Lupina's wolf maternal instincts took over as soon as she held her daughter for the first time, and she began licking with her long tongue. The baby girl immediately responded to Lupina's gentle, thorough, licking. Somewhat smaller than a human newborn, with eyes closed, little pink nose and paws, and a partial coat of very short, fine fur, the little one began making a mewling sound.

It wasn't long, however, only a few minutes, before more contractions began.

"AAAAHH! I thought these were...UUUUNNGH!...over! *pant*"

"You're having another one, Lupina," Helga said after checking.

"TWO!!!" Lupina whined.

"Yay, ya got a two-fer!" Rosie said cheerfully.

"Just wait...*pant*...until yours come out!" Lupina exclaimed sarcastically.

Rosie ran her hand over her own large abdomen, wondering if--and hoping not--hers is going to be one that is human-sized. As short as she is in comparison to Ron, Rosie hoped that she will be having more than one normal sized kitling.

After one more loud whine and strong push, the second newborn was out.

"It's a boy," Helga said, after clamping and cutting the cord.

"Wow, one of each, just like you wanted, big guy!" Rosie smiled.

"Heh, yeah, I didn't think at the same time, though," Ron chuckled.

Taking their baby girl for a bit so Lupina could lick their son's body clean, he held her little body close to keep her warm.

"My little baby-doll," he spoke softly, gently stroking her head with his fingers.

After Lupina finished her cleaning, Ron carefully handed their girl cub back to his mate so that they both could receive the important colostrum--or first milk--which would give the cubs their initial immunities and more. Ron stayed by Lupina's side at the hospital, even sleeping next to her with the little ones so that they would learn his scent. Rosie stayed, too, taking a turn at caring for them when Lupina needed to get up and tend to her own needs. They had already decided on the names, which they gave to the hospital to put on the children's birth certificates, though they wanted to do a formal naming ceremony when they got home.

Of course, there was another media frenzy with all sorts of speculations about what their children might look like, even to showing "morphed" pictures, which were nowhere close.

"What is it with these people?" Lupina asked in disgust, watching the TV in her hospital room.

"Some folks just have no life," Rosie quipped, shaking her head.

"I'm sure they'll have all sorts of wild speculations, and if we say anything to them, it'll be taken out of context and twisted around," Ron said.

"Sadly, that's probably true," Rob agreed.

"I don't wanna walk through a bunch of reporters--I don't think I can handle that right now," Rosie said.

"How much longer do you have, Rosie?" Rob asked.

"Docs say I could pop anytime now," she replied, rubbing her abdomen.

"You know at some point, we're going to get interviewed just for being the parents of the first G.E.L.F./human children," Ron said, not only to Lupina, but also to Rosie.

Lupina sighed and said, "Yeah, I know...but I want it on our terms."

"They can wait a few years as far as I'm concerned," Rosie said in mild disgust at what the TV was showing.

Later that evening, after Rosie had gone to bed, she was just about asleep when she suddenly called out.

"Ronnn...!"

"What is it, Rozer?" he asked, sitting up quickly.

"I'm...I'm...oh, my...!"

Ron carefully got up and handed one of the cubs to Lupina that he had been holding, and went over to check on Rosie. It didn't take long to find out what had happened--her water broke. Punching the call button, he told the nurse on duty what had happened. Helga was paged--she and Rob had been staying in a motel just in case, and the delivery team was called.

The delivery team was composed of doctors, nurses, and technicians from both The Center and the local hospital in Fairbanks--the ones from The Center were experts in G.E.L.F. physiology, while the ones from the hospital were the usual human delivery team. G.E.L.F.s may share many similarities with humans, though their biology was still that of whichever animal they were derived from, and in Rosie's case, that was a striped skunk.

Ron stayed by Rosie bed, holding her hand and doing his best to comfort her through the process. As soon as Helga arrived, Rosie felt a little better at having a G.E.L.F. assisting with her delivery. Like Lupina, Rosie wasn't in labor very long before her first one was on the way out.

"Come on, Rozer, just a little bit more...," Ron said encouragingly.

Easy for you to say! UUUUNNNGH!!!"

"Great job, Rosie! You have a girl!" Helga announced happily.

As soon as the usual measurements and other necessities were performed, the little one was given to Rosie.

"Cute little skunker, isn't she?" Ron asked, grinning broadly as he waited for Rosie to do what her instincts told her.

A short while later, Rosie's second child was born, also a girl.

"What was that you were saying about me having a 'two-fer', Rosie?" Lupina asked with a smirk after it all over, and she was nursing her two little ones.

"Me and my big mouth," Rosie said sheepishly.

"Well buddy, it looks like you won't be getting much sleep for a while," Rob chuckled.

"I'm sure I'm not, not with three girls and a boy," Ron agreed, shaking his head.

After two more days in the hospital to make sure Rosie and her two little ones would be okay to leave, and with a little help from Ron and Rob's sheriff's deputy friend, Dale, Ron, Lupina, Rosie, and the four little ones slipped out and headed for home. Rob went back to the shop for a while, and later picked Helga up from the hospital. The first thing they did after returning home was to go check on their friends.

"How are they doing?" Rob asked, holding his voice down.

"Rosie's curled up with them in front of the fireplace and Lu's in taking a shower. I'll let her know you're here," Ron said.

Rob and Helga walked softly over towards the couch, though Rosie was on the big sheepskin rug, literally curled up with all four little ones. She had her fluffy tail wrapped around and covering them.

"Hi Rosie, mind if we sit with you?" Helga asked softly.

In nature, four-footed female skunks are fiercely protective of their kits, attacking anything that might be a threat to them. Rosie, and the other female skunk G.E.L.F.s, while not quite so hostile, did tend to be quite protective and watched intensely anyone who got near.

"Sure, I don't mind," she said, though what she thought was, "As long as you stay on the couch."

Ron came out of the bedroom and headed over to the others.

"I told Lu that you're here--she'll be out in a few. You guys staying for supper?"

Rob and Helga exchanged quick looks, and then Helga said, "Thank you for the offer, but we just stopped by to see how everyone was doing."

"Yeah, Helga talked me into making some Norwegian dish...some kind of fish pudding," Rob added.

"Ah, fiskepudding, that sounds good," Ron said, walking around to the front of the couch. "How's our babies, luv?" he asked Rosie, kneeling down next to her and stroking her fur.

"They're sleeping," she said quietly.

"Lu told me to tell you that she'll take over for a while so you can get a shower. I'm going to fix supper tonight, anything special you want?"

"Whatever you wanna make is fine," Rosie replied.

"Okay. Mind if I take a quick peek at 'em?"

Rosie grinned and moved her tail a little so that Ron could see the babies. They were piled together and apparently sound asleep. He leaned down and gave Rosie a kiss and a nuzzle, and then ever so gently, ran his fingertips along each of the little ones. They were only days old, at first glance, they almost looked like newborn skunks and wolves, except that the "hind" legs were longer than the "front" ones, and the "front paws" looked a bit more hand-like. They're larger, too, in overall size, though still a little smaller than a full-term human child. By December they will be toddlers--by their second birthdays, they will be ready for kindergarten. For now, however, he simply marveled at them, given how their mothers--his mates--are so closely related to their four-footed cousins, and yet so "human" in other ways. And he loved them, too, his little ones, for they were also of his own flesh and blood, altered since his own birth though he may be.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Ron whispered in Rosie's ear.

"Yeah," she replied smiling.

Lupina came out of the bedroom wearing a loose pair of jogging shorts and a comfortable button-up short-sleeved shirt. Giving Rob and Helga a wave, she joined her friends on the couch after giving both a hug.

"Feel better luv?" Ron asked Lupina quietly, and started to rub her feet.

"Much better...that feels good, too, baby," she replied.

At the sound of Lupina's voice, her little ones stirred awake and let it be known that they thought it was feeding time.

"Whoa there, you two! Ya gotta talk to your momma about that!" Rosie chuckled. "Maybe in a few days your Aunt Rosie might let ya if your momma's busy or somethin'. Um, Lu...I think these two need to see you for a bit."

"Come here, buddy," Ron said, picking his son up. Slipping back into his Irish accent he added, "Sure now, ye canna be hoggin' all the taps, and so it is!"

Ron handed the boy cub to Lupina, and made a kissing gesture to her as she took him.

"Do ye want both at once, or one at a time, luv?"

"One at a time, I think--easier to hold that way," she replied.

Taking their son from her mate, Lupina situated herself on the couch and let him nurse.

"If ye want t' go an' get cleaned up, I'll stay with the girls, Rozer," Ron said quietly into Rosie's ear.

Rosie knew that a good, long, hot shower would be just what she needed, though she felt uneasy for some reason. Her higher thoughts knew that the kits are perfectly safe with her mate, but her skunk instincts were screaming for her not to let them out of her sight.

"I know I can trust him, so what's the deal?" Rosie thought.

Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, Ron sat next to Rosie and put his arm around her.

"Trying to overcome your instincts, luv?"

"Yeah, I guess...how'd you know?" she asked.

"Just a hunch. Our kits are safe, Rozer--they'll be right here when you're finished with your shower," Ron reassured her.

"Okay...," Rosie said, and she got up to head to the bedroom.

Lupina tossed a fleece throw that was on the couch to Ron after he lay down with the three girls, and he snuggled up with them. They fussed a little bit, but soon calmed right down. Rosie gave one more look, and satisfied, she went off to get her shower.

Lupina had started nursing her daughter by the time Rosie came back, and the kits had woke up--Rosie watched from behind the couch while Ron played carefully with the two little ones. Helga watched closely, too--mostly for professional reasons; though also for her own desire to have little ones of her own one day. When Rosie finally came around from behind the couch and joined Ron with the kits, she reached out an held his hand, smiling, with her ears in a relaxed position. In that moment, beyond primitive instincts, beyond higher reasoning, Rosie understood without knowing it, the words of Victor Frankle[1]:

"A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it's set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth--that love is the ultimate and highest goal to which human poetry and human thought have to impart: the salvation of man is through and in love."

In three days' time after coming home from the hospital, Ron, Lupina, and Rosie--with Rob, Helga, and their friends in attendance--held a formal naming ceremony in the glade, and introduced their little ones to Atka, Sesi, and their pack, and also to Magnus.

Walking to the glade, Lupina carried her son, Ron carried two of the girls--one from each of his mates, and Rosie carried her other daughter. Everyone took a seat on the ground while Ron placed four small white candles on top of the large rock, some incense that he lit, and a bowl of water that he had obtained earlier from the small stream that fed the pond at the edge of the glade. When all was ready, Ron in his forest green ceremonial robes, Lupina and Rosie holding their little ones, stood before the rock facing their gathered friends.

Holding his right hand aloft, Ron said, "We welcome the unseen forces of Nature and our friends about us, as we give our children the names by which they shall be known to the world."

Lupina handed Ron their daughter, who was the first-born of the maternal twins, and he took a few steps towards the east.

Holding her up he said, "By the Element of Air and the rising sun, I hereby name this child Sierra."

Ron then took a few steps towards the south, and holding her up again said, "By the Element of Fire and the inspiration that burns within, I hereby name this child Sierra."

Going a little towards the west, Ron held the girl child up and said, "By the Element of Water and the sun's setting rays, I hereby name this child Sierra.

To the north, he held her up and said, "By the Element of Earth and the strength that dwells within, I hereby name this child Sierra."

Returning to the center, he dipped his finger into the bowl of water, and with it drew the Awen symbol[2] on her forehead and said, "By the divine inspiration of the gods, I hereby present and officially name this child Sierra."

He held her up for all to see, and then everyone gathered close and gently touched Sierra, softly speaking her name. Handing her back to Lupina, the process was repeated three more times, naming Sierra's twin brother Cormac, after the ancient Irish high king, Cormac mac Airt[3], and his two daughters by Rosie, Chrys Ann and Violet. After each child was named, one of the candles was lit as a symbol of the light each brought into the world.

The wolves and Magnus took their turn at greeting each of the little ones, sniffing, licking, and touching their minds in their unique way. Atka and Sesi would for the rest of their days be considered almost like grandparents to the children as they grew up, teaching them the ways of the forest.

By now Rosie was used to being around Atka and his pack, to the point of playing a little now and then with the two youngest, Iluq and Mumik. Kapik, when she wasn't off with the others hunting or keeping an eye on their territory, was spending more time near the house. Her mother, Sesi, also came by frequently. Lupina felt quite at ease being with the wolves, and she especially welcomed Sesi's insights and experience--even if it was rather simplistic. Normal wolves most likely would not be as accepting, but then Atka and his pack are definitely not of the normal variety, since he and Sesi are the result of the early stages of the G.E.L.F. program. Perhaps due to a certain distant kinship, they accepted little Sierra and Cormac as part of the greater pack. By extention, through their "man-brother" Ron, they also accepted Rosie's kits, Chrys Ann and Violet, even though there is very little wolf in them from his side of their genes.

Having four little ones to deal with at once was a bit of a challenge for Ron, but he accepted it gladly, and made sure to spend as much time as he could with each. Ron, Lupina, and Rosie decided to raise the cubs and kits together as brother and sisters, though Sierra and Cormac would always call Chrys Ann and Violet's mother "Aunt Rosie", and Chrys Ann and Violet would always call Sierra and Cormac's mother "Aunt Lupina" or "Auntie Lu". Even though, as they got older and they understood the actual relationship, the kids loved Lupina and Rosie as if they were both their mothers. Within two weeks of their birth, the eyes of each of the four little ones opened and saw for the first time the faces of their parents and each other. Kapik was able to touch the minds of the four and was a big help in teaching the little ones through thought images. Spending so much time communicating with Ron, Lupina, and Rosie, Kapik's vocabularly began to increase, as well as her knowledge of the world at large.

Towards the end of September, Lupina had a little celebration--it was her first full year of living in Alaska. That entitled her--in the following year--to receive the annual payment from the state known as The Permanent Fund Dividend[4]; it also marked when she and Ron first met.

"This is where it all began," Lupina said quietly, snuggling against Ron's side as they both stood on the spot where they had first met a year ago.

"Aye, luv, a lot's happened since then," he agreed.

"Sierra, Cormac, this is where your momma met your father," Lupina said, pointing to the spot on the sidewalk where her groceries had been knocked from her arms and Ron had come to her aid.

Kneeling down in front of the twins in their stroller, Ron stroked the fur on their heads.

"Yeah guys, this is where your momma and met a year ago."

Coming out of one of the nearby stores, two human women saw Ron and Lupina with the twins.

One said quietly to the other, "Do you see that? That man and the...the...dog person, are pushing those puppies around in that stroller as if they're babies!"

The woman did not speak quietly enough, however, and both Ron and Lupina heard them. Giving Lupina an annoyed look that said he just couldn't let the rude comment go unanswered, Ron lifted Sierra out of her seat and walked over to the two human women.

"Ma'am, my wife and I both happen to have very sensitive hearing, and we heard your comment. The only thing you said that was correct is that my wife is a person--aside from that, you're in need of a little education. First of all, my wife is a wolf G.E.L.F., not a dog--huge difference--and she has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, so that makes her pretty smart. Secondly, our children are not 'puppies'--they really are our biological babies. This is our daughter, Sierra. Sierra, wave 'hi'." She held up one hand and waved by moving her fingers, much to the astonishment of both human women.

"How old are they?" the other woman asked.

"Just about two months," Lupina replied, joining the conversation.

"I didn't know that it was possible for humans and G.E.L.F.s to have babies," the second woman said in a polite tone.

"Oh, they were probably made in a lab somewhere, just like those designer animals a few years back," the first woman said sarcastically, which shocked her companion and elicited a low growl from Lupina.

"Easy luv, the best way to deal with ignorance is through education," Ron said, trying not to get angry himself at the callous remark.

The face of the first woman darkened at the reference to being ignorant, though when Lupina stepped closer to her with a more intense look in her eyes, the human woman remained silent.

"You have a lot of nerve saying things like that. My husband and I had our children just like everyone else does--they were conceived and born naturally--and they are most definitely not 'designer animals'."

The iciness in Lupina's voice at the end of her sentence could have frozen a boiling teakettle. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, the first woman turned and walked away in a huff. The second woman remained for a little longer.

"I'm sorry...I guess my 'friend' is more prejudiced that I thought," she said with a look of disgust on her face.

"It's going to take a while for some folks to accept the fact that we're living in a new age, one where humans aren't alone anymore," Ron said.

"I suppose so. Well, I guess I'd better be going...good luck, and for the record, I think they're adorable," the second woman said, waving goodbye.

Lupina watched as the second woman caught up with the first, and then heaved a sigh, drooping her ears and tail.

"Is it always going to be like this?" she asked, taking Sierra from Ron.

"You mean having to deal with people like that one woman?"

"Yeah."

"In time, I suppose, it'll get better--can't win over a whole planet overnight. There's a lot of idiocy the human race has to unlearn, and that might take a while," Ron said thoughtfully.

Lupina put Sierra back into the stroller, and they continued along their way, with Ron pushing the twins and Lupina with her arm hooked around his.

Rob had been thinking of this moment ever since the morning his friends got married on the same spot, nine months ago to the day. He and Helga had gone out for a stroll in the forest, ending up in the little glade. It was a nice evening for the beginning of October, and the air smelled particularly delightful.

"This place certainly has a special feel to it," Helga said quietly, looking at the large stone, remembering the day Ron and Lupina were married.

"Yes, it does," Rob agreed.

Something brushed against the edge of his awareness, a feeling of being watched by unseen eyes. Rob casually looked about, as if simply admiring the view, but he could see no one. However, they were not alone, for there were indeed eyes watching them--and him in particular--waiting to see what would happen next. At the edge of the small glade, just within the trees near Lola's grave, Sesi watched, with the rest of her pack a short ways deeper into the forest. Magnus was there, too, lying near Sesi. Various other animals around the periphery of the glade also watched silently. In the trees above them sat a raven. Rob sat down on the rock and patted a spot next to him, indicating that he wished for Helga to sit with him. She looked curiously for a moment, and then joined him on the rock. As soon as she sat down next to him, rob held her hand and she leaned against his shoulder, purring softly. After sitting there together quietly for nearly a minute, simply enjoying each other's company, Rob felt the moment approaching that he had been waiting for. Reaching into the left pocket of his jacket, he felt the object he had placed there before leaving the house.

"It's been a long road," Rob said quietly.

"How do you mean?" Helga asked, looking up into his eyes.

"All the things I've done, places I've been, what I've gone through...," he paused for a few breaths before continuing. "There's been bad times...and good times...but there's always been something missing. Well, maybe not so much as some_thing_ as some_one_."

"You were alone a long time," Helga said quietly.

Rob smiled wryly and said, "Too long. I've had my faith to comfort and guide me, I've got friends--good friends--who've been there with me; I've got work for something to do...but still there's been a certain emptiness. I guess it took a certain special friend to show me what I needed, though at the time I didn't see the direction she pointed me in. I guess...I don't know...maybe I was just being too thick-headed to see the forest because of the trees."

Helga smiled, knowing whom he had referred to.

"When we met last year, I felt an immediate attraction to you, and it kind of took me by surprise," Rob said.

"Was it because of what I am?" Helga asked gently.

"Well...from some things I've learned from the incident with Sumter, the physical attraction--at least in part--might be because of what we both are, though I probably would have found you attractive anyway just because of who you are. No, what surprised me was that I had resigned myself to never being with anyone again...and then our paths crossed," Rob explained.

"I suppose we should thank Lupina for that," Helga said with a little grin.

"Why is that?"

"She suggested that I go meet you, to keep you company on the trip to The Center, and she was the one who asked the staffers to allow it," Helga replied. "She was rather determined, as I remember."

Rob thought on that for a moment and then said, "Interesting." To himself he thought, "Give a wolf a bone and she'll run with it." "Anyway, since then, I've fallen in love with you, and now I can't imagine being without you."

Helga purred, and rubbed her head against Rob's neck.

"It is strange...I didn't always imagine myself being with a human. There was a male of my kind that I once fancied--I've told you about him, but you were the one I fell in love with, and I am happy that you have accepted me," she said.

Rob put his arms around Helga and held her close--if he had the ability to purr, they both would be.

After a few moments he said, "I've ...been a bit at odds with my beliefs since we...spent our first night together."

"Do you regret that?" she asked, blinking slowly.

"No, of course not, but...I need to reconcile my actions with my beliefs," Rob said gently.

"And how do you propose to accomplish that, my love?"

Rob grinned and he felt his heart leap.

"This is it," he thought.

Slipping away from Helga's side, he slowly knelt down on one knee in front of her. Part of his mind was aware of the fact that the forest had grown silent, almost as if it was waiting with baited breath. Helga watched curiously, wondering what he was doing; the tip of her tail twitching in anticipation. Rob pulled something out of his jacket pocket, and then took a hold of Helga's right hand and kissed the back of it. When he formally spoke her name, Helga's tail began to twitch even more--first to one side, and then to the other.

"Helga Katt, before God and Nature, I humbly ask for the honor and privilege of your hand in marriage."

Rob opened the little box covered in black velvet, and showed the engagement ring to Helga.

"Would you marry me?" he asked, fervently hoping to receive a positive answer.

Helga looked at the ring--a slim gold band with a diamond--and then at Rob's expectant face.

"You wish to bond yourself to me?"

"If you would have me," Rob replied.

Helga's tail twitched from side-to-side a few more times and then froze. Placing her hands on either side of his face, Helga gave her answer.

"Of course I would have you. I accept this willingly."

As they embraced and kissed passionately, far overhead an eagle called out, "Skreeeee!", and a small warm breath of wind gently touched both Rob and Helga.

Satisfied, the raven cawed three times, and then sound returned to the forest.

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Frankl

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awen

[3] http://blog.discoverireland.com/2012/11/the-legend-of-cormac-mac-airt/

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Permanent_Fund