Sam double-checked the results of the blood test then checked them again.  He sat back with a frown that slowly turned to a smile.  This was too good not to share.  “Chimera, could you tell me if my brother and Ruth are awake yet?”

 “They just got up.  I’d give them a half an hour or so.  Is there something wrong?”

 “No, not wrong . . . not wrong at all.  Let me know when I can go visit.  I’ll be down having breakfast with Seth.”

 “Yes, Doctor.  He just got to the dining hall.  Are you going to give him his birthday present at breakfast?”  She sounded rather excited at the prospect.

 “No, love, not until we’re alone.  It’s just between the two of us.  But you can listen in when I do give it to him.”  Sam said affectionately to the young computer.

 “Oh, good.  I learn so much when you let me listen.”

 “You probably do, Chimera.  Don’t grow up too fast.  Take your time and enjoy the learning.”  He said before shutting the drawer in his desk and turning the key.  This wasn’t something he wanted in the public arena before Ruth knew what he’d found.  Then he impatiently strode down the long hall to the dining room where Seth was still bantering with the cooks.

 “Good morning, Seth.”  His voice lilted rather he wanted it to or not.  Just seeing the man who held his heart made him happy.  Knowing that he had several surprises for him made him even happier.

 “Good morning, Sam.  You were up early.”  Did his voice sound disappointed?

 “Yes, I had some tests to run.  So, I thought I’d get a head start on the routine.  Ben has late shift so I’ll be off early.  Got a lot to do today.”  He accepted a plate full of food.  “After all, it’s the ninth of the month.  I wonder where the time has gone.”

 Seth’s eyes were twinkling when they sat down at one of the smaller tables.  “Tease.”  He muttered under his breath.  “I missed my Sam-wake up call.  Is everything really all right?”

 “I promise your Sam-go to bed call will be much better.  And everything is just so very fine.  Absolutely perfect.”  He knew his own eyes were shining so he kept them on his plate with only a small flirty side glance.

 “Oh, I’m looking forward to that, love.  We might have to go to bed early.  I’m sure you’ll be tired after your long day.”  His low tone did something severely damaging to Sam’s heart, making it race wildly.

 So he just nodded and filled his mouth with a bite of green pepper and onion omelet.  From the corner of his eye, he spotted his brother in the serving line but when he looked, he saw no trace of Ruth.  His medical instincts came to the fore and he watched Peter gather a tray of food for one.

 “What’s wrong?”  Seth’s eyes searched the crowd for what had captured Sam’s attention.  “I wonder where Ruth is?”

 “Probably didn’t want to eat this morning.”  Sam said absentmindedly, watching Peter head for them.  “Good morning, big brother.  No Ruth?”

 “She just wanted some tea, raspberry leaf tea, that smelled pretty bad to me.  I’m getting more and more worried, Sam.”  He sat down and looked at his plate as if he didn’t recognize the food.  “She thought it smelled good.”

 Sam nodded, her preference making complete sense to him.  “Nothing to worry about, Peter.  I’ll come back after breakfast and we’ll discuss the test results.  She’ll need to start taking some vitamin supplements.  Her body’s been in hoarding mode for a while now.  She expended a lot of energy saving the Quentins from the plague and I’m going to suggest that for your honeymoon, you both go someplace tropical where she can soak up as much energy as she can.”

 Peter perked up and swallowed his mouthful energetically.  “That sounds like the kind of prescription doctors should give out more often.”

 Laughing, Sam agreed.  “Maybe Senegal would be a good place to go.  It’s been over three days since we left the Malinke.  Do we have enough room for them now?”

 Seth answered that one.  “Just barely room enough.  We need to keep building out.  We’ve got enough translators to go around if there are only forty-three of them.  Some of the Apaches are going to be their shepherds until they get acclimated.  But first we need to decide about what to do with our ‘wealth’.”

 Peter nodded.  “Joshua and I can go to get them.”

 Sam spoke up immediately.  “After you and I talk to Ruth, you can go.  First things first, big brother.  She might like some dry toast to go with her tea.  You finish eating while I go and put in an order.”
 “Sure, Sam.  Seth, what should we do about furnishings?  I thought our beds and tables were getting low.”

 Sam went to the side counter and spoke quietly to Mary Two Feathers.  She took the order with a slight frown but didn’t ask him any questions.  He knew that within a day or two, she’d understand but until then, she’d keep it to herself.  There were big changes coming for all of them and this wasn’t the biggest one by far.

 Accepting the covered plate with a smile and quiet thanks, he returned to their table.  Peter was gesturing the way he always did when he was enthusiastic about something.  It seemed to Sam that for the last few years, he’d just been biding his time.  He flew, obeyed orders, built a solid unit of brother pilots but the spark hadn’t been there.  It was good to see him excited about his work.

 Seth was letting all that enthusiasm wash over him with a smile.  His eyes found Sam’s for a moment and the rest of the room dropped away while he basked in their warm glow.  Life was very, very good today.  And it could only get better.  The small box in his pocket was burning a hole in his equilibrium and he wanted to take Seth back to their room in the worst way.

 Later, Seth’s gaze promised him.

 He nodded silently and sat down to finish his own breakfast.  Part of Peter’s monologue caught his attention.  “How many are converted?”

 Peter beamed at him.  “All of them.  Ted and Harry are due to solo this week.  The others aren’t far behind.  We’ll have a fleet very shortly.  One thing I’d really like to see is some assembly line work on Earth, building us some that don’t have to be converted but are made for humans.”

 “That’s on the agenda, Peter.”  Seth finished his eggs and swallowed his last gulp of coffee.  “Remember the all-base meeting at ten, gentlemen.  I’ll take our trays back if you want to get back to Ruth.”

 Peter nodded.  “Yeah, I’m a little worried about this tiredness.  She falls asleep at the drop of a hat these last few days.”

 “Sometimes the body knows best, Peter.  Hers is just telling us that she needs to slow down.  We’ll all see to it that she does so now.”  Sam picked up the covered plate and waved good-bye to Seth.

 Peter wiped his mouth on the cloth napkin and folded it neatly to one side.  “Thanks, Seth.  I’ll see you at ten.”

 They walked down the slowly filling halls to the suite, saying cheerful good mornings to the others.  Snatches of conversation told them that the monetary windfall was ‘the’ topic of the morning.  They exchanged a rueful smile before opening the door to Ruth’s quarters.  She was sitting in the corner of the sofa, curled under a soft blue blanket.

 “Good morning, Sam.  Have you given Seth his birthday present yet?”  She sat up a little straighter and smiled up at him.  “Is that for me?”

 “Yep, dry toast in case you feel like nibbling.”  Peter sat down beside her while Sam sat on the coffee table so he could be nearer her.  “And no, I haven’t.  I’m going to wait until I have his full attention tonight.  Chimera wants to listen in.”

 “Goodness, I don’t know if she’s old enough to listen in to that.”  Her eye twinkled up at him and he retaliated by sticking his tongue out at her.

 “Oh, real professional, Doctor Sam.  Maybe we should switch to Dr. Freeman for our medical care.”  Peter joked.

 “Well, that’s not a half bad idea except we’re going to need a different kind of doctor to treat Ruth.”  Sam was suddenly unsure of how to tell them about the test results.

 Peter turned serious in a heartbeat.  “What do you mean, Sam?  I thought you said she was all right except for some vitamins.”

 “You are perfectly normal, Ruth.”  He reached for her hand, warming it between his.  “Perfectly normal for a pregnant lady.”

 The silence was absolute.  Ruth’s face went dead white while the pulse beneath his fingers began to race.  Peter shook his head as if to clear his ears.  “What?  How is that possible?”

 Sam spared him a quick look.  “I know Dad had a little talk with you about the birds and the bees, Peter.”

 “But . . . it’s only been a week.”  His whispered reply would have been funny if Sam hadn’t been more concerned with Ruth’s reaction.

 “Pregnant.  I’m pregnant?”  Her eye gazed into his with an almost panicked look.

 “Yep.  I’d say your first night.  The goddess may have accelerated the process a bit but not by much.  Seven days is all we usually need to test for pregnancy.  The blood test is a better test than the home urine tests that usually tells someone that’s she’s carrying a child.”  He drew out his words to give her time to collect herself.  “You’re going to need to take some vitamin B and iron supplements to bring up your levels.  These last few weeks have taken a lot out of you.”

 “I haven’t had a period in over a year.  I thought that meant I was going into menopause.  I’ll be forty-five next week, couldn’t my age hurt the baby?”  A little color was seeping back into her face and her hand finally gripped his.

 “We’ll watch to make sure that everything is all right but I have to tell you that you’re probably in better condition than some of the young women I’ve taken through their pregnancies.  We’re going to need a good obstetrician for the base.  Lenora is going to come to term soon and in about 280 days, you’re going to present us with my niece or nephew.”

 “Peter?”  Her voice broke on his name and his brother gathered into his arms gently.

 “I love you, Ruth.  I didn’t expect this but can I admit that I’m excited about it?”

 She choked on a combination laugh/sob.  “I love you too, Peter.  I just didn’t expect this.  It’s one of the reasons I thought you’d be better off with Jane.  You deserve to have sons and daughters.”

 “God willing, we’ll have a strong, beautiful child.”  Peter murmured his words into the white spikes of hair on top of her head.

 Sniffing, her voice was muffled in his shoulder.  “Your mother is going to go ballistic.”

 Sam and Peter’s eyes met over her head.  This could be a bit dicey.  Sam decided to proceed.  “Mom is going to cry all over you then start planning what to sew for him or her.  But it might be better to get you married first.”

 She snorted a laugh before pulling back a bit to gaze into Peter’s eyes.  “I don’t know what kind of mother I’ll be but you’re going to be a great father.”

 “You know,” he rested his forehead against hers, “all parents start off the same.  Unsure and uncertain but determined to do their best.  That’s all we can do.  Love him or her and teach them what’s important . . . family whether by birth or by adoption like the Moon Base family has become.”

 “Good heavens, it’s almost ten.  Can we keep this quiet for now?”  She sniffed and rubbed her nose.  Sam handed her a Kleenex and she blew her nose soundly.

 “I think that’s a good idea, love.”  Peter sent a quick look to Sam before letting her go reluctantly.  “I’d better get going.  Solantha and I need to get our presentation together.  I’ll see you both there.”

 “Yes, we’ll be right there.”  Ruth let him go with a shaky smile and Sam stayed seated since she was now holding on to his hand with a death grip.

 As soon as he was out of the door, her composure faltered.  Sam held on and offered his silence.  He had an inkling of what was wrong and knew she needed to talk to someone.  Better him than someone who might not understand her dilemma.

 “I’m scared, Sam.”  Her whisper was so soft, he could barely hear her.  “I don’t know anything about children.  I’ve been a loner most of my life.  I buried those old dreams long before I realized what I thought I would have to do for Earth.  I just got control over my body back and now . . . I’ll lose it again.  Completely.”

 “Part of that’s the hormones talking but you’re right, Ruth.  Your body has ceased to belong to you and you’re going to be sharing it with this baby for months to come.  But your strength is what will help you get through this.  And you’re not alone now.  You’ve got Peter and me and Marag and just about every person on this base.  You don’t have to do everything yourself.  In fact, you’re going to have to let us do more as this pregnancy progresses.”  Sam hugged her close and rubbed her tense shoulders.  “We’ll try to give you some privacy and space to just . . . be alone when you need to be.”

 “You don’t think that’s too selfish?”  She returned his hug tentatively.

 “Nope.  In fact, Dad has the same need every now and then.  He starts to get tense and Mom knows to send him off for a weekend of fishing.  He revels in being completely alone for a few days then comes home refreshed and ready to be part of a pair again.”  Sam smiled into the air.  “They both feel better for the separation.  Those and their get-away weekends together keep their relationship strong.”

 She sniffed and drew away, her eye meeting his gaze.  “Okay, I’ll try to come to terms with this.  And thank you for coming to tell us so quickly.  I’m going to have a lot of questions . . . eventually.  But I need to get ready for the meeting.  Tomorrow will be soon enough to try and grasp it.  Enjoy your time with Seth tonight.  Don’t let this spoil your time together.”

 “Should I keep it a secret from him as well?”  Sam asked, hoping she’d say no.

 Shaking her head, she pushed aside the blanket and let Sam help her to stand.  “No, go ahead and tell him.  This isn’t something you can keep completely to yourself.  He’s definitely going to know something’s wrong if you say nothing.”

 “Not wrong, Ruth, just a natural part of life.”

 “I know.  I’ll come to it after I have some time to . . . deal with all the ramifications.”  She let him go and headed for the bedroom.  “Go on, Sam.  I’ll be there as soon as I’ve changed clothes.”

 He said good-bye quietly and left her alone, feeling as if there was still something left unsaid.  He understood intellectually what she was feeling but knew that there were layers on top of layers of feelings that he’d never know because he was a man and couldn’t carry a child inside of him.  He hoped that his mother would hurry up and come to the Moon to help out.  She would know more of what Ruth was going through and maybe know what to say to her.

 Sam reached the meeting hall before he realized it.  Putting the news behind him, he joined with the other doctors to lend support to their spokesman, Ben Freeman.  By the time it came to be their turn to speak, he was eminently glad that Ben had been elected to talk.  His concentration was scattered to say the least.  One moment thinking about how to manage Ruth’s pregnancy, the next planning how to give Seth his birthday present.

 He’d never been one to care how much he made, giving more thought to the work and where he could do the most good.  He knew that it was only because of his family that he’d come out of medical school without the crippling debts that other students were burdened with by the time they graduated.  His residency had been at Johns Hopkins and he’d come back to a job with his father.  That was not the norm and he’d always been grateful that he had the backing to donate his time to the city clinic.

 So he had helped the others when they were talking about what the clinic needed in the way of personnel and supplies but hadn’t had much to say about salaries.  Where ever Seth was, that was his home.  He could be a doctor anywhere and right now the Moon was where he practiced.  He enjoyed the challenge of creating a safe place in a hostile environment and the Moon was that in spades.

 By lunch-time, they’d hammered out a working agreement covering the current settlers and those that would come after them.  The worry about what to do with the companies they’d inherited was still there but they’d agreed to let some of their partners on Earth look into them for the moment.  Breaking for lunch, Sam made sure that he was next to Seth when they walked through the line.

 Once everyone had packed themselves into the overcrowded room, Ruth clapped her hands for silence while Peter and Joe wheeled out the giant birthday cake and everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to the commander.  He made the first cut in the beautiful sheet cake while Jane and David’s camera crew took pictures.

 “Thank you, everyone.  This has been one of the best birthdays I’ve ever celebrated.  We’re safe . . . we’re together and we’ve got a future to look forward to.  It just doesn’t get any better than this.  Now, everybody had better eat this cake before I’m forced to eat more than I should.”  Seth grinned at the kids who were gathered round him and they cheerfully wheeled the cake away to be cut up.

 “Good job, Commander.”  David Elliot joined them.  “Enjoy this birthday, Seth because the next big one is fifty.”

 “I’m looking forward to all of them, David.  Each one just reminds me that I’m alive to enjoy it.”  Seth’s green eyes sparkled and Sam chuckled silently to himself.  He really was looking forward to their private celebration later.

 Lunch was leisurely and the holiday feeling extended throughout the afternoon.  Peter tried not to hover over Ruth but Sam kept finding him staring at her as if she were the most precious person in the world.  She was gentle with him but began to falter half way through the afternoon.  Sam sent her back for a nap and quietly told Peter to go with her but to just hold her.  He sent up a quick prayer that they’d be able to work out their feelings without hurting each other.

 Sam signed out of the clinic and went home to get ready for Seth’s birthday dinner.  They were dining in and Joe had started the preparations.  He had set the table and gathered the ingredients for a special meal that they could heat up in the microwave.  Sam debated telling him Ruth’s news but decided against it since he only had her permission to tell Seth.  Once everything was ready, Joe left to spend the night with the second graders as one of the adults supervising the big slumber party to celebrate their graduation from second grade.

 Taking a sonic shower, Sam dressed carefully in soft casual clothing that could be easily removed.  A blue sweater and worn jeans reminded him of their first ‘date’.  This time, he didn’t have to leave Seth but could stay with his lover.  Dimming the lights, he momentarily wished that they could use candles but put that thought aside and told Chimera what music he wanted to have playing during dinner and after.

 She informed him that Seth had just signed out of the command center and he hurried to hang up the outfit he’d chosen for him on the hook in the bathroom.  Chimera started with a Kenny G album of soft jazz the moment Seth walked through their door and into Sam’s arms.

 “Happy birthday, love.”  Sam hugged him close and kissed him tenderly.

 “You’re the reason it’s happy, Sam.”  Seth sighed and touched his forehead to Sam’s.  “I like that outfit.  I’m going to enjoy removing it even more.”

 “Later.  Take a shower and change while I heat up dinner.  Marag made lasagna just for us and there’s a surprise or two for later.”  Sam grinned and let him go reluctantly.  “I laid out something comfortable.”

 “Good.  I hope it’s as cuddly as yours.”  Seth caressed his cheek and Sam left a kiss in his palm before shooing him towards the bathroom.  “Should I shave again?”

 “Oh yeah.”  Sam sighed happily and watched him go.  He read Marag’s instructions and carefully followed them.  The salads needed no prep work, just placing on the table.  He opened the bottle of wine that David had smuggled up for him and poured it into the fluted stemware that Marag had loaned him.  The Base was officially dry but occasionally an exception was made.

 Checking the small refrigerator for the dessert, he swirled a finger through the whipped cream and licked it off.  He really was looking forward to licking it off Seth’s body.  Smiling happily, he relaxed on the sofa with his head back and his feet on the coffee table, closing his eyes to listen to the music.  Louis Armstrong was playing a soulful trumpet solo and he let the sound wash over him with a sigh of bliss.

 Soft lips kissed his temple before zeroing in on his lips in an upside down kiss.  He chuckled at the odd feel and felt strong hands slide over his chest to capture his fingers.  “Yum, Sam-flavored whipped cream.  My favorite.”

 “That’s dessert.  You have to eat your dinner first.”  Sam opened his eyes and met Seth’s gaze.  “I have a lot to tell you.”

 Seth pulled him up from the sofa and led him over to the table.  “Everything looks wonderful, Sam.”

 “Sit down and enjoy the first course.”  Sam seated him and spread the napkin in his lap with just a hint of a caress.  Hurriedly sitting down across from him, he raised his wineglass and made a toast.  “To your birthday, Seth.  May you have many, many more.”

 “And may you be there for every single one.”  Seth clinked their glasses together and they both took a sip.  “Now, what’s going on with Peter and Ruth?”

 They ate slowly while Sam told him of what had transpired during the day.  They talked about the emotions that had erupted after the news and tried to guess what would happen next.  Seth spoke of the compromises they’d have to make to fully utilize King’s money and of his fears of what some of those compromises might lead to.

 Sam got the chocolate pie from the refrigerator and they settled side by side on the sofa to eat it, or rather to feed it to each other.  Some of the whipped cream ended up on skin and had to be licked off.  Pretty soon, they were laying on the sofa feasting on each other instead of food.

 “Seth, are you ready for your birthday present?”  Sam tilted his head a little further back to allow his lover access to that spot at the base of his throat.

 “I have my present right here and it’s the best one I ever got.”  Seth laved the spot over and over while Sam shivered beneath him.

 “This is something . . . oh yes, right there . . . Seth!”  He arched up into the hard body above him and clutched at the cloth at his waist.

 “Right there indeed, love.”  Seth nuzzled into his skin with tender kisses that sent shivers through Sam’s body.

 While he could still think, Sam wiggled one hand into his pocket and brought out the small box.  “After you open this, then you can unwrap the rest of your present.  I promise.”

 Seth stopped and cast a look over to the box then back at a grinning Sam.  “This is a tough decision.”

 “And you’re tough enough to make it, big guy.”

 “Did I ever tell you that I have a really big curious streak?”  Seth sighed and rolled so he could sit up, pulling a laughing Sam with him.  “What is it?”

 “You have to open it to find out.”  Sam leaned against him and held his breath.

 Seth pushed in the small catch and the lid flew up to reveal a polished gold band set with a square emerald.  “It’s beautiful, Sam.”

 “We can’t get married like Peter and Ruth but I thought maybe we could have our own kind of ceremony.  Just us.”  He faltered then gave a sigh of relief at Seth’s smile.

 “I think it’s a great idea.  And I got you something too.  I was going to wait for your birthday but I think I’ll give it to you now.”  Seth stood up and pulled Sam after him into their bedroom.  Opening his top dresser drawer, he took out a box similar to the one Sam had given him.  “Here, love.”

 Pressing the catch, Sam was transfixed by the glowing sapphire set into a Celtic silver band.  Blinking back tears, he sniffed and smiled at the same time.  “I love you, Seth.”

 “And I love you, Sam.  Together forever.”  Seth plucked the ring from the box and slid it on Sam’s left ring finger.

 “As long as we both live.”  Sam promised and took out the emerald, sliding it on Seth’s ring finger.  “Forever.”

 They kissed slowly and unwrapped each other like the gifts they were.

******************
End chapter 44