Periodicity

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

10/09/98:

I sat in my chair, looking out the large window at the world
below. The stories below me spread out a sparse fielded,
moving into a large forest only a mile away. Which stretched
on, uninterrupted, as far as the eye could see. Vanishing
over the horizon almost thirty miles distant.

It's some times easy to forget that Prid is such a large
world, and almost completely empty. With the folds all over,
transportation was quick for those who can take advantage of
them. Even without them it was only three hours to go to the
far side of the world.

The total population was a hair under a billion people. On a
world almost a third larger then Earth. A full three
quarters of them lived in or around the Marble Hall. The
rest were just scattered around Prid in small cites, and the
occasional villages.

Most of it was really unexplored... sure there were maps,
but mostly done from satellites, and the original landscape
before it was terraformed. But it still doesn't tell you how
to get to where your going.

If you get stranded out there, it's a long walk to anywhere
else.

"Fox?" Oria asked from a few feet away.

Turning around, I smiled to her as she stood just inside the
door of Naomi's hospital room. Naomi herself was asleep,
laying on her side in the bed, breathing gently. The doctors
said she was ready to go into labor any time now. So it now
just a matter of waiting.

"You look tired," she observed, walking over to where I was
sitting. "Did you stay up all night?"

I nodded.

She smiled, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "There's a
cot set up for you across the hall. Maybe you should go over
there and get some sleep. I'll wake you if anything should
happen."

I nodded again, but didn't get up. "How are you feeling?" I
asked.

"My nipples are tender," she said, slipping a paw up under
her shirt to run her breasts, "and it feels like someone has
put a water balloon under my skin."

I chuckled, reaching over to drape my arm over her shoulder.
"You volunteered for this."

She snorted, but with a grin.

Bending over I kissed her ear. The problem was simple, many
parts of Naomi's body haven't all caught up with the rest of
her. One part was her mammary glands. She couldn't produce
any milk for her soon to be born daughter.

The solution normally would be to just nurse her on formula
until Naomi's systems caught up. Oria wouldn't allow that
though. Her world never created anything like baby formula,
and she didn't trust the use of it. Her world also considers
it critical for a child's heath to be breast feed for at
least the first three months of life. Oria refused to let it
be any other way.

So, she had the doctors induce lactation in her now, and let
her nurse the child until Naomi's system could catch up. She
might what been willing to do it, but I think she was
unprepared for the fact of her chest size increasing by a
few inches. Enough to keep her out of any of her bras. We
were planning to get her some new ones soon, but we haven't
had the time yet.

"Oh," I said, suddenly remembering something, "She told me
the name she had chosen last night!"

Oria looked at me with a smile. "What?"

"Rebecca Tabitha Cutter."

Her smile faded slight, but not in a bad way. "After Becky
and Tammy," she said with a sight catch in her voice. Tammy
was a close friend of her's she had lost a few weeks ago.
Apparently it was from some kind of OD, I guess the
authorities had ruled it a suicide.

Scooting over in my chair a bit, I pulled her closer to me.
She wrapped one of her arms around my back and we just held
each other close for a few minutes.

Finally she pulled away a bit, taking in a deep breath, and
calming herself slightly. "About names," she said, placing
one paw on the slight bulge of her belly. "It's traditional
to have names for children when your sure of there gender.
I've been putting it off for a while though, looking for
something in my old journals."

I smiled softly. "I assume you found it?"

She nodded, "A week ago. I had to check some things first,
but I like the names."

I took her other paw on my hand. My other hand resting on
her belly as well. "And they would be?"

"The two you once said you liked. Adric and Romana."

I blinked twice, I remembered saying that as well. Back when
we were together for the first time. Before I ever meet
Becky. "You do realize that Adric is Burke's real name?"

She nodded. "Yes, and his sister is Romana. But Romana saved
your life, and Burke is Burke, not Adric."

"True," I said, suddenly thinking of something. "Wouldn't
that imply though--"

"No," she said with a grin, cutting me off. "You are right
that it would be the same family structure the Page always
said she had, even the species are right. But they are not
our children."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you know this how?"

She leaned forward slightly. "Burke's hair, You found some
the first time he showed up. Half human, half lion. Our
children are only a quarter human."

I smiled. "I see."

"So, do you like the choice of names?" She asked with a
nuzzle on my cheek.

I returned the nuzzle. "Yes, though I want to pick the
middle names."

She giggles softly, a rare thing for her, and pushed me away
a bit. "If you must."

I grinned, and tickled her on the side.

Grabbing my hand she pushed it away. "Now your just being
silly. Go to sleep Fox, I will get you as soon as anything
changes."

I nodded, bending over to kiss her. "All right, I'll go
crash in the other room."

She smiled, returning the kiss.

Standing up, I mussed her hair a bit and slipped out of the
room, glancing back to Naomi as I did. Smiling to myself as
I watched her sleep, she looked so peaceful laying there.

Still smiling I slipped out of the room, closing the door
gently behind myself.

I started across the hall to the room they had set up for us
to sleep in, when I though I saw a familiar face out of the
corner of my eye.

Stopping at the door I looked down the hallway. Sitting in
the waiting room at the end of the hall, her head rolled
back and staring at the ceiling, was Page.

Quietly I walked down the hallway and into the waiting room,
taking a seat next to her. "Hello Page." I said.

She rolled her head forward, the fur on the sides of her
face were matted down with tears. We locked eyes for a few
seconds, her's looked tired, blood shot, and like she had
been crying for hours.

And just like that, I knew.

"The hair was a fake wasn't it?" I asked my granddaughter.

She nodded slowly. "She never knew, not until I came back. I
don't think she let herself know."

I reached out, offering her my hand, she took it, and fell
into my arms, hugging me close.

Holding her back, I gently petting the side of her head.
"It's almost time for you to go isn't it?"

"Yes," she whispered. "You can't be in two places in time.
There's almost no time left, I've been sitting here, trying
to make myself go into the room and see her one last time
before I go. But I just can't."

I suddenly felt my skin crawl as I realized something. "You
never knew your mother did you?"

She shook her head against mine.

"How long?" I asked, my voice almost failing me.

"I can't tell you."

I sighed, hugging her tighter. She pushed away though,
pulling herself out of my arms. "I have to go soon, would
you come with me please? You were there when I left, I want
you to be there when I go back as well."

I nodded. "Sure, I can do that."

She smiled, taking my hand, and gently pulling my out of my
chair. We starred down the hallway, then into the elevator,
quickly started down.

She held my hand tightly, running her fingers over my skin.
"I've missed talking to you Fox," she paused, laughing out
loud. "I can't even make myself call you father again."

I squeezed her paw gently. "If that's the name you know my
by, please call me that. I shall have to become accustomed
to it again soon anyways."

"I remember the talks we used to have," she said with a soft
sigh. "Some times we would go spend whole days jumping
around the multi-verse on a whim. Romana may have been the
magical one, but I always was your special girl. You taught
me things I don't think mom ever knew about."

"Such as?" I said with a smile.

The elevator lurched as it came to a stop. Once the door
opened we both stepped out. "How to pick locks for a start,
though that did backfire once or twice."

"Why am I not surprised." I said as she lead me out of the
hospital and onto the street. Waving a passing cab she
opened the door and slipped inside. With her debit card run
though she told the cabby the address and we were off.

Page let out a soft sigh, leaning back in the seat. "I can't
wait to go home. I'll miss this place, but I really want to
be back home with my family."

I nodded, taking her paw. "I understand how that can feel."

"I know," she said, squeezing my hand. "I remember you
talking about it.

I chuckled. "I guess when you get home it would be about the
right time for me to go back to Earth. The fold would have
healed, and I could probably get the forbidden status
removed. Maybe get them set up as a limited access 'verse"

"Maybe," she said in the same way I said maybe when I meant
I already knew what the answer was and wasn't going to tell,
hint or even lie about it.

"I see," I said, leaning back in the seat.

She reached over and hugged me again. "Can you do me a
favor?"

I nodded. "Sure."

"Tell Rachel that Eliza will be able to take my place for
the information gathering. She'll take a bit of time to
learn all the ropes, but she is the one who taught me
everything I knew."

"Ok."

She paused for a second, a slight frown playing over her
muzzle. "I also have a note for you to deliver as well."

I looked her over quickly, she was shaking a bit, a new tear
forming on the side of her eye. "It's to Milgrove?" I asked.

She nodded slowly.

"All right, I take it to hir."

She smile, reaching over and hugging me, just as the cab
settled to a stop outside of a small, none-descript,
apartment complex.

"Your home?" I asked, slipping out of the cab.

"No," she said, walking up the front steps. "It's where the
lab that made the time machine will be at. You can't change
position, just time."

"Ah," I said with a smile.

"Come on," she said, opening the front door. "It's up a
couple flights."

I followed her inside and up the stairs, taking them slowly.
She then lead me down a hallway that ended in a simple door.
She unlocked it, and swung the door open. The apartment
inside was bare, just a simple X marked on the floor in
black paint.

"Very nice."

Page laughed softly. "It serves it's purpose."

"Yes," A new voice said from behind us.

We both spun around, Milgrove was standing in the doorway,
the weak light causing her small horns to shimmer.

Page let out a squeak like sound and ran over, hugging hir
tightly. Mil returned the hug, but with not the same force.

"What are you doing here?" Page asked, breaking the hug and
kissing hir cheek softly.

"I came to see you off." Sie answered.

Her face fell. "Your not going to come with me?" She asked
in a whisper.

Sie shook hir head. "No, I can't. I still have things to do
here."

"I understand," she said, her voice starting to fail her. "I
still love you."

Mil smiled. "I know you do," sie said, petting the fur on
her head. "I just... I'm not ready to come back to you yet."

She nodded, crying softly. "I know, I'm sorry about lying to
you for so long. I don't want to lose you."

Raising one paw, sie touched the side of her face. "It's
twenty years until you'll come back. I love you in return,
but I must think about things. Twenty years will be enough.
I will be there when you arrive if I wish to not lose you."

She smiled, hugging Mil close, her arms wrapped over the
other's shoulders, so not to pull the large flaps of skin
that made up Mil's wings.

Finally Page pulled away, pushing some of her hair back she
checked her watch. "I must go now. Naomi's will go into
labor in only a few minutes. I should be gone by then."

I nodded, walking over and giving her a tight hug. "I'll see
you on the other side then, or at least I hope so."

She smiled. "I hope so too," she turned to Mil, "I hope
you'll be there as well."

"You'll find out in a minute," Mil said with a laugh.

She nodded, walking over to the X on the floor. "I guess I
will," she said, pressing a few buttons on her watch. A deep
blue and yellow glow started to form around her.

"One last thing Fox," she said, looking up at me. "Jenner IS
dead." She said no more as the light flared up around her,
brightening to fill the whole room. When it faded she was
gone.

"Who's Jenner?" Milgrove asked.

Pushing my fingers under my glasses I rubbed my eyes.
"Former leader of the HammerHeads, he was the one who tried
to take over the Council. Dropped him down an elevator shaft
about two years ago."

"Are you sure he's dead?"

I shrugged. "Well there was that big bloody spot a hundred
floors below where I dropped him. So we think so, and I
guess Page said so. Why did she tell me though?"

"Maybe it has something to do with the HammerHeads again?"
Mil suggested.

"I hope not," I said with a sigh. "Right now though I don't
want to worry about it. I have to get back to the hospital."

Mil laughed. "Yes, you don't want to miss Page's birth."

-----

This story is (c) 1999 by Fox Cutter, hardcopy reprints
limited to one a person, all other rights reserved. This
story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission
of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.
'Milgrove' is (C) 1999 by J. 'Packrat' McCoy, and is used
with permission.