This is still a story of the Becoming Monsters universe by Ai Loves, setting used with permission. All canonical and mechanical errors are my own. The yarrb is the exceedingly cute creation of FelisRandomis, used with permission.

 

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Chapter 66: Goalposts

 

The words on my lips died there, never to see the open air. What came out was “huh?”

 

Lucy stood, wobbling slightly as her rapidly-advanced pregnancy threw off her balance. “I want to accelerate the treatments. As fast as I can take it. I know you, Jay. We’ve been stable for half a day, and that means you’re planning something already. I want to hold our daughter in my arms before you do.”

 

Seven ladies and a yarrb got to look at me as that statement sideswiped my ability to form anything resembling a rational thought. I wanted to object, I really did, but given exactly what I had JUST been planning I couldn’t. Many labels could be correctly applied to me, but I would never let hypocrite be one of them. Dangit. I took a deep breath, let it out, and did my best to put a different thought together. To their credit, those seven ladies and a yarrb were remarkably patient with me as I did the mental equivalent of a blue screen and reboot. “Alright, love. I can’t argue with any of that.”

 

Paige passed Amber a $20 bill. Yeah, okay, I deserved that. Apparently, so did Paige. And Amber.

 

“I know you can’t, love.” Lucy wasn’t going to let up this time. “We have the experts here, and the experience for it. I know what I’m getting into, and our daughter is getting more insistent every day. The way I see it, we can start now and take a break, then after dinner has time to settle we can see how much farther we can push it. To quote you, love, does anyone here have any objections? Good. Now, what were you going to say before I hijacked things?”

 

“I was going to say I had a training plan written out since Dungeon Expo West is a week from today, both the Black Cat and Ryan are still alive, the Heralds are still a thing we need to worry about, and I have a really bad feeling about a lot of it. Everyone, walk with me. Time to show you our new meeting room.”

 

About thirty seconds later, I was showing them the white board. Then erasing most of what I’d written and reorganizing it by person, noting who would be on what task and when. It was going to be a busy week. More than one of them were idly pointing to certain spots during the week, and I wasn’t sure why. At least, not until Amber spoke up. “I’m assuming you’re going to be using Double Team to nail two of us each break, right? Just have to get around a corner if we have freelancers with us.”

 

Priorities, as it were.

 

Emily was next. “Okay, this all looks good in theory. We all know how plans go around here, though.”

 

I nodded. “No joke. I’m going to need everyone to be as flexible as possible. If one thing isn’t working out, for you or for the team, let me know as soon as possible and we’ll adapt. Phones don’t work in the Labyrinth, but if you’re seeing something that could present too much of a hazard then tell your group and reset. Sarah, you told me you got a formula for a Shard Compass. As soon as you can, your next goal is to get two of them as far as you presently can. One for Biome Doors, and one for Lair Doors. After that, we need to gear up. I don’t know what you have the materials for and what you can do in time, but the maximum you can have ready for Friday morning is the goal. Ask for help if you need it.”

 

She had a focused look on her face. “Let me go get my notebook and run some numbers. I’ll get started tonight after we finish Lucy’s treatments.” She stood and left to go back to her workbench.

 

Emily closed her eyes. “Okay. No offense to anyone present, but that means I need to go check out the clinic you said you saw. If Sarah pushes too hard, it’ll be useful. If one of you pushes too hard in the Dungeon, it’ll be useful.” She turned to look, sharply and specifically, at Lucy. “And the second your pregnancy comes to its logical end point, no matter when that is, I’ll need it in order to make sure both you and the baby are healthy.”

 

Lucy stared right back. “Then it’s a good thing you have two med students downstairs to assist you when I go into labor, isn’t it?”

 

Emily stood and walked to the door. “I’ll be the judge of that, thanks. Be back in a bit, if it’s more than thirty minutes it’s either really good or really bad. Either way, come get me.” She exited, turning left to head towards the clinic.

 

I took a glance at the others. “Alright, any other comments?”

 

Paige raised her hand. “One quick thing while the others are getting ready. Can I talk to you in the bedroom?”

 

“Sure. Anyone else? Okay, start getting ready, we have our plan.” I followed Paige across the hall, glanced briefly at Sarah working out a few indecipherable formulae and blocks of math in her notebook, and decided to not interfere. A few seconds later, Paige and I were in her bedroom. I wasn’t sure who exactly she shared it with other than Amber (if anyone), but for now it was just us. “What’s up?”

 

Honestly, I knew the question was mostly rhetorical when I asked it. She confirmed it. “We have fifteen minutes before we have to be out there and ready. I want you to use Double Team, I am going to do the same, and I want you to absolutely nail me standing as I’m pressed against myself. I know you’re strong enough to do it, Jay.” She was suddenly in two places, stepping towards me. There would be no need for a bed today, I see. Her clothes were coming off, I was shedding mine, and as she pressed up against me I summoned my own Double behind her. I directed both sets of hands and arms to seize her, lifting her from the ground and positioning her for what was to come. Standing, I had her a couple of inches up off the ground, pounding upwards into her as I carried each of her. I knew she had to want this, since if she wanted to she could have seized me by whatever bit she felt like and thrown me across the room.

 

Those two luscious bodies were pressed up against each other front to front, and she was taking the opportunity to both make out with and play with her other self in both directions. Enlarged and sensitized boobs pressed together as lips locked, and given just exactly how good she was at this kind of thing it wasn’t long before she was orgasming on both copies of me. Over and over, both of them lost in wave after wave of overwhelming pleasure. I couldn’t last long in those conditions, either, and around the time I lost count of her orgasms I lost control of mine, blasting up into her from both angles hard enough to see spots.

 

Both of us lost focus on our clones from the sheer sensory overload and they vanished from existence. I set her down a bit harder than intended and stumbled back a pace, my legs hitting her bed and leading me to sit down fairly suddenly. A new blue box appeared in front of my eyes.

 

***

Refract activated

***

 

I had no idea what it could possibly mean, so I acknowledged it and opened my Status. Nothing jumped out at me… until I realized something. My Agility progress meter had surged forward. She should not have been giving progress towards Agility, her main stats were Strength, Charisma, and Endurance. The former two had progressed as expected. Endurance still stubbornly read 0%. Did that mean that what was supposed to go into it had gone to Agility instead, somehow? If so, why?

 

She was talking, I’d missed some of it. “… and if anyone ever tells me to go screw myself, I can tell them I’ve tried it.”

 

I shook my head. “Paige, what we did triggered a Status oddity. I think with my Class. I’ll need to figure it out later once I take some notes.”

 

“See? I told you stuff happens. Glad we got everything from the old apartment. Let’s get out there, you can take your notes while they’re getting set up.”

 

Not too much for it but to do just that. I grabbed my Status Binder and an extra sheet of paper once I sat out in the living room. Honestly, I needed to update mine anyway after my recent increase in Levels. Even if that would hopefully be changing again soon. What could interfere with this week? Would the investigators try to detain me again?

 

“Love? You okay?”

 

My wife’s voice got me out of my head, so I looked up and away from my notes. Her pendulous tits were at my eye level, nude, which explained why she was concerned. I got my leering and drooling in, much to her amusement and relief. Eventually, I noticed that she already had the attachments on. “Yeah, I am. You know me. Getting notes straight, slowly figuring out what’s going on with my class, trying to not be worried sick about you. The usual.”

 

“Well, it’s time to start, and I know you wanted to keep an eye on me.” She walked over to where the battery was. “Ready, Sarah?”

 

The green-scaled Enchanter gave the thumbs up, and Lucy held out her hand to siphon power once more. Sarah, Emily, Whitney, and I were all there to make sure she was alright. Thing is, I’m not entirely convinced that any of us would be able to stop her from pushing well past where she should. I had to take it on faith that she could handle what she was doing. I saw the energies shimmer, and once again Lucy was engulfed in them. The essence of what fueled us.

 

She wasn’t trying to hide it, this time. I could visibly see her belly swell, ever so slowly, and her face set in a grimace. Her emotions read pure grit and determination, though, and just like before she filled herself to and beyond capacity, to let it truly soak in. This one took longer, too, she refused to tap out until beads of sweat were forming on her scarlet brow and her outstretched hand was visibly shaking. As I was about to stand to intervene, she stopped. Whether it was for herself or because she saw me get set to move was uncertain. As we removed the attachments from her skin, I spent a lot more of my time supporting her than anything else.

 

Her breasts were about the same size, but the shape had changed a bit. They were firmer, rounder. Getting ready to do what they were meant to do. Her belly had visibly grown, her hips and thighs more padded. Not quite ready to pop, but it wouldn’t surprise me either. Emily confirmed it. “Rough estimation, but you’re right at about eight months. Now sit down in that chair and rest, or I’m going to ask Jay to tranquillize you and carry you to bed.”

 

She pouted, but didn’t resist. Thankfully.

 

I stood and stretched, my scars still pulling at me. “Okay. Emily, can you grab Gloria for a moment? I think she went downstairs to start dinner, but from the lights on the battery we need to top it off. Best do that now in case it needs to settle out again.”

 

Sarah looked over at the indicators. “Yeah, I don’t want to risk it emptying in case it needs to be re-primed with that potion. I don’t know if I’ll be able to order more, the only Alchemist who knows how to make them just lost her home on the news.”

 

Emily complied, also thankfully. When she got worried about people, that didn’t always happen. Especially when the result was going to be enabling more of this. As Lucy watched, we each went through and deposited as much of our Hunger into the Battery as we dared. It shimmered with Aura as it took it all in, the indicator lights once again slowly wavering through several colors as it showed itself to be nearly full.

 

But then it changed. The Aura wasn’t smoothly radiating. “Sarah! I need at least two large sheets of paper and a pencil, now!” She dashed to comply, and when she got back I slid one under the Battery. Another went onto a clipboard. Although I couldn’t make out clear details of the heat-shimmer area, I could trace outlines. I could put notes where I thought I saw something specific. Once from above, rapidly showing an oblong, one long bit extruding from one tip and hooking around the main area. Once from the side against the clipboard, showing one large dome and one smaller, short wisps coming up from them.

 

Sarah was looking at what I traced intently. So was Amber, so were the others, but Sarah was looking closest. “What is this?”

 

I shrugged. “No idea. Auras usually radiate mostly smoothly, which is why I noticed it. That’s certainly shaped like something, but what it might be? Not a clue.”

 

Sarah closed her eyes, her emotions screaming worry at me. She didn’t know what was going on, and hated that she didn’t. This was her Greater Masterwork. She had built it herself, from nothing, and it was doing something she hadn’t intended or accounted for. “I’ll try to figure it out, but for now, as long as it’s working, I don’t see a reason to stop.”

 

“Alright. Let’s get downstairs and help out with dinner, then.”

 

Gloria smirked. “No need, the soup should be ready to eat. It’s just simmering now.”

 

Lucy perked up. “Soup?”

 

“Sausage and kale.”

 

My very tired, very pregnant wife immediately stood up from her seat. “Then what are we waiting for?” She started taking determined, yet waddling, steps out of the room and towards the stairway down, but was intercepted by Whitney. “Why are you standing between me and soup?”

 

“Lucy, I know you’re hungry, but you missed a step. You are presently wearing exactly nothing. Wearing it well, I must add, but still. You should probably put something on.”

 

I did not realize Lucy was capable of doing anything sheepishly, but she got dressed and then went downstairs. Chuckling, I followed closely. I was just as eager as she was to have some, and for the company. Then again, I was also making sure to stay in position to catch her if her new proportions made her lose her balance on the stairs. Multitasking.

 

Abbey and Justin were already in the dining room setting up the table. I guess it took a bit more effort with fourteen of us than with six. They weren’t done, though, so while Sarah went to knock on the guest room door to talk to Todd a few of us helped grab bowls to set out. And fussed at Lucy until she sat down and let us.

 

Justin got to the table with some napkins and paused, eyes on my wife. “I… ah, I don’t want to be rude…”

 

Lucy smiled back, a mix of sweet and tired. “You noticed my shape changed a bit, right?” Justin nodded, and Abbey parked her blue butt on a chair next to them to listen in. “It’s complicated, but this pregnancy is going much, much faster than you might think.”

 

Abbey frowned. “How much faster?”

 

“I could go into labor in the next day or two, and we found out I was pregnant two weeks ago. Call it overcompensation, initially the doctor told us it would take more than twice as long as it should.”

 

“What the…” Abbey caught a hold of her tongue. “Why are you even here and not at the hospital? That sounds like you need to be where medical professionals can keep an eye on things!”

 

“It’s a long story there, but we do have two on the team. Also, did you know there’s a clinic upstairs?”

 

Emily chuckled. “It’s a good one, too. Everything I need to make sure a home birth goes well, or patch someone up if they get overconfident around a monster.”

 

Justin shook his head. “That’s new. Thanks for the mana, by the way. Much easier than a potion and you got us up out of headache range.”

 

Gloria’s voice came from the kitchen. “Enough about that, the soup is ready!”

 

I waited for the others to get their bowls before taking two, for myself and Lucy. Todd and Sarah attempted to continue the shop talk to mathematically calculate the maximum number of items craftable from materials and time remaining, but stopped when May and Gloria, respectively, almost literally dragged them to opposite ends of the table to be social. Todd’s stammering explanation that this WAS him being social were met by deaf ears.

 

Good to know I wasn’t the only one who dealt with that.

 

The stories from the happy couple hosting us and the group of college students with lives WAY more interesting than I remember my college years being were good. Fascinating, even, and I was thankful that they more or less kept their questions to be more idle chatter and less about the many and various life and death situations I’d found myself in. How I dealt with being a viral face on the internet, not how I got to be one. Still, eventually the dinner did end. No matter how fascinating the tales were or how entertaining the rest of them promised to be, we’d have many more of these dinners to share them. For now, Lucy was getting fidgety. She was ready to go for round two of the day, and likely would not be denied for long.

 

Honestly, I’d rather keep talking, but I wasn’t about to let her go do it alone. And she would, too. As quietly and gently as I could, I got Emily and Sarah again to come help and observe. This time around, Lucy didn’t take a brave stance upstairs. She sat in the rocking chair facing the Battery, looking like a boxer who was debating if she’d gone one round too many but determined to close out the match. Once she was set up, once all the little gadgets and doodads were attached to her scarlet skin, once we made sure the battery was stable? She reached out her hand once more. She pulled that power back into herself, forcibly filling her reservoir and that of our daughter with as much as she could.

 

We really were birds of a feather. Always had been. Willing to take the pain ourselves if it meant giving someone else a chance, especially someone dear to us. Doubly so if they couldn’t help themselves. Our daughter was all of these things, and we had moved Heaven and Earth almost literally to give her the best chance we could.

 

I watched as her growth stopped. As the shape of her belly and her breasts stabilized. She was still pulling power into herself, sensing by some means that the process wasn’t fully done. I could see as the pain of the rapid changes ceased, as she once again felt her body stabilize. With determination she kept up her focus, she pushed herself to pull as much as she could. When she stopped, it was because her body could hold no more. “That… I feel… full?”

 

Emily was all over her immediately. “Don’t move. Let me check you, Lucy.” Emily poked, prodded, looked, and smelled in various places. She looked over her shoulder at me. “Next part’s going to get graphic, last warning.”

 

“You’ve both been inside of my soul directly in the last month. I think I’ll manage.”

 

“Suit yourself.” Emily then demonstrated that she would have made a perfectly good OBGYN had she not gone into the Curse Annex. She reached her fingers deeply inside of Lucy’s vagina, a clinically focused look on the fox’s face, and felt around. “You’re dilated. Barely, but you are.”

 

Lucy’s eyes lit up. “Dilated? But that means…”

 

“If that child were a Human, it would mean she was going to be born any day now. She isn’t. You have a thick thaumic insulation layer around your womb and Jay told us she’s a Demon. That level is where the freeze occurs for Racial births. She could be on schedule to be born any time between tonight and next year, without knowing her kind I can’t even begin to guess.”

 

Lucy practically deflated. “I could feel the point when it passed, Emily. When my body passed what should have been 40 weeks. I know you told me about this, and so did the doctors, but it hurts. I want to hold my baby in my arms, Emily. I want to tell her that I love her face to face.”

 

I walked over and hugged my wife, soon to be the mother of my child. “So do I, love, but I know she knows we do. Come on, you’ve marinated in that power for long enough and need rest. Let Sarah get her gadgets off of you and I’ll help you get showered so that we can get some sleep.”

 

Lucy sighed and submitted to it. She was out of fight for the evening. As soon as the devices were off of her, I could see the power flow into Emily and Sarah again. Once the others came up, I knew they’d also receive their fair share. Without the cage to contain it, all of the energy resumed its oddly free-flowing state. I helped Lucy stand up, and she leaned on me. We walked together, slowly, to our new room. To our bathroom, our shower, where she had set up our towels and toiletries. The water was warm and smooth, we slowly helped each other get clean with little of our usual flirting.

 

It had been an enormously long day, one that at no point was anywhere close to where we thought it was going to go this morning. Was it really less than eighteen hours ago that we were talking about our jobs at the hospital and setting up the apartment there for our daughter? Wondering how the crib would fit into our cramped quarters? Things did not go as planned, but that was okay. As soon as the feeling of being lost and out of control faded, we found our new track. We found that it led forward. Where forward, I didn’t know yet, but as the rest of the Guild returned to the room outside I found that I didn’t mind. We could make it.

 

Lucy didn’t much feel like wearing pajamas. I didn’t much mind, and dressed exactly the same way as we laid ourselves down on our new and remarkably comfortable bed. We cuddled up together, her body turned towards me and my chin between her horns. Gray and red. She snuggled in. “Jay? Are you okay?”

 

“I was about to ask you the same thing, love. You’ve been through a lot.”

 

“I just wanted to check on you, okay?” She paused, but I could hear that she wasn’t done. “This kind of day always messes with you, and we only just got your head straight. I know you’re concerned about me, and I can even see why, but please take the time to keep a hold of yourself, too.”

 

I took a moment to breathe and think about how to respond to that, but by the time I opened my mouth to do so I realized that I could hear her gently snoring. A smile crossed my face. Her comfort, her ability to sleep safe in my arms was important to me. She wanted to know I was alright, but knowing that she was feeling well enough to sleep untroubled was proof enough that I was. I was alright. The fact that our family was stable helped make me alright. I would suffer much more than this and come out the other side with a smile and an untroubled soul, as long as that was true. This all passed in my head. What I said instead was four words, which I meant with all my heart, mind, and soul.

 

“I love you, Lucy.”