Growing Up Rainbow

Space Woman Black

Antonio heard thumping footsteps when he arrived and almost went back to the theater. His wife trained Space Girls to move as silently as carnivores on the hunt. If she was stomping, she was angry. Unable to think how he might have caused it, Antonio put on a charming expression and rounded the corner to the living room.

She wore a black silk robe that ended at the knee, which barely covered her pregnant belly, while yelling into her comm, "Law Chief, the Space Girl I'm sending you is more than capable of handling the interrogation. I'm 9 month's pregnant and too busy to come myself."

So it wasn't him for sure. His smile was genuine as she closed the comm but kept pacing. "My bride moves like the panther stalking its prey," he said. "But with the feet of an elephant."

The dark haired woman stopped and scowled.

He threw his walking cape over a chair and strode to his mate. "You know your grace is one of the many things that draws me to you, love. But you stomp when you are are mad."

She was barefoot and just out of the shower, her hair still wet as he tried to nuzzle into her neck.

"I do not stomp."

"Oh, yes you do," he said. "I could hear the reverberations as I approached. I almost turned and went back to the theater."

"And why didn't you?"

"Because I fear another encounter with Thespian Blue."

"You fear a mere actress over the most lethal woman on Home? You know I'm Space Woman Black, don't you?"

He did know that. He could feel twitches of muscles that were automatic martial reflexes being triggered and suppressed.

"To your world you are, but to me you are my Angelo," he picked her up and carried her to the couch. "Let me rub your feet, and you can tell me all your troubles."

Once they were situated she said, "It is the normal stuff. Too many problems, not enough Space Girls."

"If it was just that, why did you exit your shower mad enough to crack the floor?"

"Really, is it that bad? The stomping?"

"Is the problem that bad?"

Space Woman Black took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I need to meditate more. When I have time to myself I can't turn off the worries. The duty roster and trouble que fill my thoughts." His hands massaged tight muscles in her calves, and she said, "Oh, that is nice. I think I will keep you."

He laughed, "Waiting on you hand and foot is my dream, amore. Though you should know, if you cast me out, I am on a planet full of single women."

"And the most popular male hypocrite on said planet."

"That is not saying much, there are only a few dozen of us."

"Such false modesty doesn't suit you, love." She was actually relaxing under his ministrations. Perhaps she could be lulled into sleep. He worried she slept so little. She said it was normal for Space Girls, but he felt she was way too pregnant for four hours a night to be enough.

"Well then, you had better keep me in line."

As if conjured by a demon, her comm unit let out a horrible shrill. She'd pulled her feet out of his hands and placed a hand on her stomach while moving to get up. "I think I had a contraction."

This didn't stop her from answering the phone. "Go for Black."

It was Antonio's time to sigh heavily. She was a wonder, but being head of the Space Girls was more than even she could do while pregnant. She disagreed.

"Where are they?" Black said and snapped her fingers at him. She started making hand motions indicating he should get her some clothes.

He relaxed back into the couch and pointed at his stomach and then hers.

She rolled her eyes and scowled as she stomped toward the wardrobe. He wondered how long it would take her to realize none of her Space Girl gear was going to fit over her full belly. He could hear her talking animatedly in the other room. Whatever was going on, she wasn't happy about it.

He knew he'd lost the battle when the picture window filled with the other man in her life, a black flying saucer. Robert was much more compliant than Antonio.

"Purple Leo is still in system, isn't she? Just delivered some Diplomat woman's baby, or something." Black walked out of the bedroom with a small duffle bag over one shoulder and her Space Girl Utility belt strapped high over her baby bump. Antonio thought it ridiculous, especially as she still only wore her robe. How could she do Space Girl stuff in that get up?

A section of the picture window slid open and Robert oriented the gangplank toward it leaving a gap of about a meter between it and the floor of the apartment.

"Well, tell her to deal with it. I'll be there when I can." Black put the phone on her belly and said, "Are you coming or not, Antonio?"

"Huh?" He said brilliantly, then added, "To do Space Girl stuff?"

"No, dummy, to have a baby. Rob's here to take me to the med-center. That's what 'I'm having a contraction' means."

"But the call?"

"Space Girl HQ unable to decide who to send the the Law Chief. Now, get your ass over here and help." And that is exactly what he did, scooping her up and dancing over the gap onto the gangplank.

He put her back on her feet in the central corridor and could feel the saucer already moving as the door closed.

"I know she's only a Space Girl, but she can handle an smuggler's interrogation."

His wife scowled at the ladder to the cockpit. Then she grunted and bent slightly. "Another contraction, Rob. Start timing them."

"Yes, ma'am," answered her flying saucer. "But we're almost there. If you have another one in the next 39 seconds we've got an issue."

"Yes, but you can tell the Healers when it was." She handed Antonio the duffle. "This is my baby bag. All the stuff I'm going to need while at the birthing center. You carry it."

"Yes, ma'am," he mimicked Robert. He glanced at an open side pocket and saw a black ray-gun. "You need a ray-gun at the birthing center?"

She was back on the phone ignoring him, "Give her the background. The woman isn't a Dunto. She won't mind control her. Purple Leo can handle it and I'm having a baby. Right now." She hit the end call button and put the phone in the side pocket with her ray-gun.

"Now, Antonio, let's go have a baby."