The Bridge Ch 19 Tuttlehills/Makoo

The Bridge - Chapter Nineteen - Tuttlehills & Makoo

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work is copy written by the author. All characters involved in sexual activity are eighteen years of age or older at the time of portrayal.

This work will, at times, contain instances of pregnancy, interracial sex, group sex, Dominance and submission, tattoos and piercings, slavery, lesbianism, romance and affection. There are also threats of violence and a fair amount of heroism and family love and fun.

This is in the Lesbian Sex Category, because that seems to be where people find me.

Chapter 19 - The Tuttlehills & Makoo

Bertha had the cutest baby bump when she and Mac tied the knot on Valentine's Day. Everyone was there, and we all had a grand time. And everyone let her know that the cooking was not as good as hers. I think that made her feel better than anything.

Then the babies started coming. First with Bertha, who's little girl, Elspeth Aaliyah MacGregor came into this world the middle of May, named for her two grandmothers. They'd call her Ellie and so would everyone else.

Next was Linnie, who early in June brought forth Mark Lawrence, Jr. a very healthy 22 inches and almost ten pounds of him. Poor Linnie was a wreck. She told me she thought she blew out her vagina. I assured her it would be just fine in time. I, for one, will go through no such thing. My lady bits will be just fine. And when it comes time for me to get back to business, Duane Royce ain't gonna know what hit him.

Time marches on and invariable the time came for me to lie on the table and have the two creatures within extracted from me. And so it was, on June Twenty-Second, Twenty-Fifty-Five, little Duane Royce, Jr. joined the family, followed soon thereafter by Dina Divine, always to be known as "Diva' his little sister, for reasons that will become more obvious as they march toward puberty. Both children hung in there with me during the 'Golden Hour.' So did Duane. He was with me and held my hand through the entire operation. He never took his eyes off me and he told me he loved me a zillion times.

No mate could have been more cooperative. If he ever thought I wanted or needed something he was on it immediately. I stayed in the hospital for five days. Dr. Rubin wanted to pay close attention and catch any complications before they became a big deal. She didn't release me until I promised her I would bring in a nurse on a part time basis for a couple of months. She wanted me on bedrest for six to eight weeks and she was not messing around. A nurse certainly would be a helpful thing. So, I contacted one of my friends at West Chester's College of Nursing and asked if they had any post practicum students who were pedes oriented and were looking for work. She promised to get back to me. That's when I met Rebecca. Becca to her friends. She was in the last year of her BSN program and was set to graduate in June. Her Curriculum Vitae was very impressive. As well as doing charitable work since the age of twelve, she started a program amongst middle schoolers teaching first aid. She also worked part time through most of college, mostly in hospitals as a nursing assistant, and after receiving her Associates and her RN as a substitute nurse in various departments. But she had one goal in nursing and that was to be a pediatric nurse. She seemed perfect for the job. So, I sent Caroline out to pick her up at her little apartment in West Chester, a neighborhood that was mostly college students and some recent grads, and bring her to the hospital to meet me.

I was between a feeding and a nap when Becca came to see me. She was pretty and very sweet. She had kind eyes. The kind of eyes you want looking at your child. She looked over at a picture I had on the side table of Holly and the kids and I.

"You have a most unusual family. Your children are all beautiful. Where's the father?"

"He came into the picture after that shot was taken."

"So you have five children?

"Six if you include Celeste, Holly's daughter. And if you include Bertha in our family, which we absolutely do, that's seven children in this house. Plus the ones who are in and out."

"Well, for the first week or so that I am with you there will be no in and out without my say so. There's always a lot going around and there is no need risking infection."

"I like the way you think, Becca. When can you start?"

"There's nothing from stopping me from doing it right now. I'll be happy to help with the little ones while you are here at the hospital and then the day before you go home I will help set up the accommodations for the twins. The only monkey wrench in the works is that I have two classes I must attend in person and a final practicum I have to do a half day on Saturdays. Oddly enough it's here at Paoli Memorial, and it's in Pedes for my certification as a Pediatric Nurse."

Duane walked in the door and I immediately introduced them.

"Becca Lynch, this is Duane Royce, the father of my children. At least these two. Duane, this is our new nurse. I didn't ask you what you do for transportation, Becca."

"I have an old '42 Chevy. It jumps and bumps but it gets me where I need to go."

"Well, we'll see what we can do about that. Duane, who's around?"

"Everyone is around, but they won't let anyone near you or the baby unless they have medical clearance and Dr. Rubin hasn't given that to anyone but you me and the staff. Becca got special dispensation because she both did her nursing practicum here and she is presently completing a certification here. I think you've chosen wisely, but you're gonna have to be patient. You've got a long healing process ahead of you and lots of people who want to support you. But Dammit, be patient."

"He's right Miss Todd. You know it too. Mine is not the only CV that's been read recently. You've got a pretty impressive one yourself. Including delivering a couple of babies, including your housekeepers."

"Yeah, that was something. Probably the greatest thing I ever did in medicine."

"So, it is true? At seven months pregnant you delivered your housekeeper's baby at her home because she couldn't get to the hospital on time."

"Yeah. I just couldn't imagine delivering that baby in the car so we just stayed at Berthas and did it at home. It was really something. One day close to Bertha's due date she and Mac were out at The Farm with the kids trying to get some veggie into the ground when Bertha's water broke. Bertha told the kids to run and get Mommy Hannah. When we saw her and Mac he was struggling to carry her back into the house. I told Aggie to run upstairs and get my medical bag in my office and meet me at Bertha's. She ran up the stairs as I waddled out the door with the kids following behind me. When I got into Bertha's she was sitting back on her family room sofa with Mac holding her hand and trying his best to comfort her as she gets hit with yet another contraction.

"How long between, Bertha?"

"About three minutes."

"Alright, we're close. Hang on, and you hang on too, Mac."

"Contractions went from three minutes to one minute to she's crowning. And the head is making ready to come out and I prayed for an easy birth. All the while my children, all three, are standing there watching what is going on. Too paralyzed to move. I told Mac and Bertha that it's gonna get very messy very soon and do they want to do this here or in the bedroom or the bathroom. I was in on the design of the bathroom and the shower would be easily big enough to do this. So, Mac carried Bertha, baby and all, to her en suite and put her in the shower atop several layers of towels I laid down for her."

I paused and looked over at her and she was smiling. It was a broad, genuine smile. I got the feeling she'd know more about little Elspeth's birth than me after she has the opportunity to pump the kids a little about it.

"It was there and then that I birthed my first child in front of my children. I had performed and assisted on several before this one, but this one will always be different for many reasons. If the kids thought I was invincible before, now they would think I could move mountains. At that moment I think I began to believe I could."

"That's a wonderful story and a wonderful moment."

"I haven't even told you what I think is the best part. When Dr. Rubin came by to give Bertha a thorough checkup, Celeste insisted on being with her. When the doctor asked her why she said, 'professional curiosity.' Well, the doctor got a kick out of that out of an eight-year-old child."

"Tell me about your curiosity, young lady."

"I want to be a doctor, like you."

"Well, I think that's admirable. It is a fine calling but it is not easy. If you truly want to be a doctor it will take a lot of hard work and dedication. You will have to do better than just about everyone else in school and when others are out playing you may find yourself studying. How are you doing in school?"

"I am at the top of my class for third grade."

"Good, do you have any hobbies?"

"I swim."

"You really like swimming?"

"No ma'am, I love swimming."

"Good. Love school as much and you have a chance to become a doctor. I'd like to see that happen. Remember that I'll be watching and if I can help you in any way with your pursuit of medicine feel free to call on me."

"Thank you, doctor. That's very kind."

And that's the story of Celeste and her entry into Medicine. Let's call it pre-entry. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves.

Becca watched over me in the hospital on a part time basis. Duane occupied the lounge chair in the room and slept over every night. What a man. When we went home Duane would let nobody but him take me to the car. He also carried both the kids to the car and supervised the buckling in process. Then he drove, within the speed limit I might add, all the way home. He then carried me immediately up to bed in my room and brought both kids upstairs to the makeshift nursery in the guestroom next to my room. I wanted to be close and I wanted someone around who could do things a woman confined to bed cannot.

Having Becca around eased my frustration. She kept me sane, especially during the fussy times. I was joyous that I did not have to do the mundane chores like diaper changes and baths. But Becca was splendid at that. And when she was not around Lizzie was doing a great job. And Aggie has become quite the hand with babies. She is at the age where she is getting the urges. She does go out, mostly with her friends, I suppose, but I don't know anything about her dating life. But I've seen her making eyes at Ronnie. He's the only black guy on our regular crew, so maybe she's got a type. Only time will tell.

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The kids got a real kick out of the twins. And Georgie doesn't have to be the little brother any more. He now has two siblings younger than him. Now he can be the middle child. Lucky him.

Even while I was healing, I worked. I took my meetings virtually and kept them brief. Lizzie keeps an office at Todd Acquisitions now, where she does most of our downtown business. She does a lot of work hand in hand with Avi Gold and Les McKelly from Todd Recovery. We are part of a group that has leased the entire floor so we have access to a conference room that is big enough to fit a forty-foot-long table. You can put a lot of bodies at a table that long. Much to my chagrin, Duane has been spending a lot of time down there building the business and doing a damned fine job of it. He's even expanded the cybercrimes division, protecting our clients and investigating any incidents that have befallen them.

My relationships with Dr. Chu and his family grew and Georgia and Lily became besties. They were our straightest friends, but they had a little something-something going on. They were undoubtedly in love and we did everything in our power to promote that. There were lots of sleepovers with them that sometimes included Celeste and Kimmie Tuttlehill. We've become the best babysitters in the neighborhood. And we've learned a lot about what it means to be Asian. Their various cultures bring color and spice to life and they have brought that into ours. Our trips to Chinatown in Philly have been much different since we met the Chus.

Our relationship with the Tuttlehills has been an up and down affair. Duane has asked that I cut it off more than once. My red line has not been crossed so I hang in there the best I can. I am drawn to Gloria and find her attractive in a way I have never felt before. It ain't love. It sure as hell ain't love. But in a sense, I admire her dedication. For that first six months of 2055 she wore those Iron Panties every day, and for those six month she had no sex. None. And that was after allowing her to lick my pussy every month for six months. And do you know what that prick did? That fucking thing that calls himself Master. He told her that he would be happy to give her his dick if I licked her pussy first. Didn't I know that was coming. I was prepared. It was not my first rodeo. And it wasn't my first pussy. Not by a long shot.

I was all healed up now and although reluctant to take a dick, I would love to get my pussy licked. So, I asked her where and when and she said, "Why wait?"

So, we went to a house she said belonged to a friend of hers. Nobody was home and she had the key. "Hannah, my Master has said that if you would eat my pussy, I could eat yours and I'd really like that."

"That's fine with me. It's been a dog's age since I've been in a sixty-nine with a woman."

"Well, you better hold on pretty tight. I'm about to get the first sex I'm having in like nine months. Things are going to get messy. Do you want to go in the tub or do you want to say fuck it and do it on the bed?

"It's pretty rude to make a mess for the homeowner. I'd hate to come home to what we're going to leave."

"Don't worry about that. I've arranged for a cleaning crew to come in after we've left and take care of all that. The bedroom it is then."

The requirement was that before anything else I had to eat her pussy to orgasm. She would not go forward in any other way until that was done. After that she had free rein to do whatever she wanted sexually for the remainder of the day.

Bringing her to orgasm was pretty easy. A woman edged and sexually deprived for over six months doesn't hold back very long, and when she comes, she comes hard. And she did. Hard and wet. And as soon as she came, she was on me. We stayed in the sixty-nine position for what seemed an eternity. Remember, this is my first sex for quite some time too. I was ravenous and it just felt so good and she was really having some major orgasms. I'm multiorgasmic, but this gal is seismic. She doesn't cum, she erupts. I can hardly imagine what's going to happen when she finally does get that dick in her. I hope she's not disappointed. On the other hand, maybe I should hope she is.

The house we had our little tryst in was beautiful. It was ultramodern, especially for Chester County. She showed me around and the place was beautifully appointed but had no personal touches. Not one photograph of a person, or even a painting of one. It could be anyone's house. On its own it had no personality whatsoever. Not one photograph and not one reference to a family.

Before we got ready to leave, we took advantage of the house's very large shower, with two shower heads. We cleaned each other up one side and down the other. We dried off, and as she was blow drying her hair and brushing it out, I noticed something. So, I was rude and just held her hair up long enough to read the tattoo on the nape of her neck that said, "I Hear and I Obey." She quickly pulled away and covered it back up. She gave me a really nasty look. The first time I'd ever seen that one. I don't know if she hated me for that, but she certainly hated that I had done it. Another in the string of tests to our friendship to come.

And another one was coming. This would be a test for a lot of people. Some that don't deserve to have this shoved down their throats. That piece of shit who calls himself Gloria's master has decided to wait to give her the dick she has earned. He is waiting for the right time. He told her he'd know when it's right. Of course he would. Over the past six months he's been tracking her cycle and knows just when she is ovulating. He's ready to give her the baby she craves. For a time, she was just going to have to be happy with being out of the Iron Panties. But it didn't last long. He is eager for another child and concerned about Gloria's age. But his plan was deeper and more evil than that.

Malcolm had granted Gloria relief from the pants but still, months after the six-month deadline, Gloria got a call from Malcolm to pack a bag, he wants her for a week. So, she packed a bag, kissed the kids goodbye, gave the sitter and housekeeper instructions and off she went. But before she left, she called me.

"Hannah, it's Gloria. It's time."

"Time?"

"Yes. I'm going to go with Master for a week. I know I'm ovulating 'cause I'm horny as hell. He knows it and he is gonna turn me out."

"And that's what you need, turning out?"

"My goal is to get his dick in my pussy as often and for as long as possible. You never know when it's coming again. I don't even care about the orgasms, give me the baby."

"You are aware of the changes this will make to your life, aren't you?"

"Totally. And I don't care. In fact, I do care. I welcome them. If I have to stand for something, let me stand for this."

"Far be it for me to stand between someone and what they believe. I wish you well, my friend, and a happy and healthy baby."

"Thank you, Hannah. I knew you would understand."

"Oh, I'm not saying I understand, just that I support you in whatever you do."

"That's amazing of you, Hannah. You are a true friend."

"It appears I've passed another of your tests."

"Tests?"

"Of our friendship. It seems you always seem to put it out there testing my commitment. And each step you take with each new test is an attempt to draw me into some web that your master is weaving. Tell him he can't have me and he wouldn't want me. I can't have his child. The shop is closed. After the twins that was an easy decision."

"I'll give him your best, Hannah."

"Don't you ever dare give him my best. You can give him my go fuck yourself."

"That's rude."

"Yeah. I get that way sometimes."

Well, she went off to fuck her Master. He only allowed her to blow him to get him erect, then penis to vagina only. She let me know there was lots of good fucking overall. She had many satisfactory orgasms and a few that were over the top mind blowing out of this world supergasms. That's how she described them.

When she returned from her visit with her Master, she had lost three pounds but was otherwise fit and fine. She was extremely happy and had her fingers crossed that her last period would be the last for a year. But it was not to be. Right on time, like clockwork, Gloria bled. She said that her Master was disappointed but looking forward to trying again. I think that pleased her more than anything. She wouldn't see a dick until her next ovulation. But then she'd see a whole lot of one, if last time was any indication.

The call came again from Malcolm and again she kissed the kids and off she went. Alvin kept the rest under control. Things were getting tenuous with the kids who were starting to think that something was going on. They are very perceptive kids. This time he sent her home after five days. She looked haggard and dragged out. But she was happy. At least that's what she said. And then she said something that sent an icy chill up my spine.

"I think this is it, Han. It's baby time." And she was right.

About the time she was supposed to get her period she called me.

"Hannah, just wanted to call to let you know I haven't gotten my period and I'm about three days late. Toldja so."

"Have you taken a test? This early they are pretty unreliable, but in a couple of weeks you can know pretty much for sure."

"No. I'll wait. The last thing I want to do is report a false positive to Master. He'll go ballistic. Better to wait for the cold hard facts. But I will continue to believe I am pregnant until it is proven I am not. A mother knows."

"I'm not going to fight you there. As the natural mother of five children, I can tell you that your instincts are the best thing to guide you through your journey into motherhood. I'll be there with you. As sisters and as mothers to biracial children we stand together, but I will never stand with your master."

"It makes me sad to hear you say that, Hannah. What do you think..."

"I'm not going to tell you what I think. I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to get dressed, put myself together, and go home to my children. And if I'm lucky, I'm gonna fuck that hunk of a man of mine. It's about fuckin' time already." And that's exactly what I did. And yes, I'm not at my fighting weight yet, but in good enough shape to give my man a bit of a workout. And, yes, yes, he gave me an orgasm, a big one.

"And you tell that master of yours that if he wants to fuck with you, he's fuckin' with Hannah Todd, too. Tell him, Gloria. If he doesn't slow his roll I am coming for him."

That was my shot across Malcolm's bow. I play fair until I can't afford too anymore. Then, look the fuck out. The next move was his, and what he does will determine the course of the rest of his life. As determined by Hannah Todd.

As we were lying in bed, with Duane telling me how much he loves me and wants me; a faint little sound comes from the other room. We leaped up, as much as I can leap at this point, and ran in to see the kids. Little Duane looked like he was having a dream. His sister was out like shout. They were so beautiful. They both looked like Duane. I loved that about them. We immediately returned to bed knowing that there would be a limited amount of time till the next set of cries came. It wasn't long.

About three weeks from Thanksgiving, we still hadn't made plans. All we knew was that Bertha had two turkeys, a ham and a rib roast ordered from the farms in Lancaster County. So, this morning we put together a plan to have Thanksgiving here at home, and not down in the city. Everyone was in agreement. We'd invite the grandparents, local friends like the Untermyers, the Chus and the Tuttlehills, and we just found out some of Mac's family will be in town, so we will have them over for drinks after they have dinner at Bertha's. We'll talk about the MacGregors later. For now, we're talking about the Tuttlehills.

Two weeks after Gloria's missed period she took the pee test and, in fact, she was pregnant. And you didn't need a DNA test to know whose it was. Gloria was elated, and called me as soon as the result came in.

"Gloria, I don't know what to say. You know I have mixed feelings about all this, but I guess I'm happy for you. I expect you have told Malcolm."

"He's the only one I told before you. Even Alvin doesn't know for sure yet."

"Well don't go counting your chickens yet. You are of an age where pregnancy can be tricky. God forbid you miscarry. I'm here to help you through this pregnancy as one who has experienced it in every way, from my own children's births to the births where I've assisted. And for God's sake do not let him beat you anymore. It can only hurt the baby."

"This is his baby as much as it is mine, Hannah. He won't do anything to harm it. This baby will be my lifelong connection to my Master. It's the last link in the chain. The one that connects all the rest and makes it unbreakable. Like the bracelet tattooed on my wrist, it cannot be undone."

"Do you have a game plan to tell the kids or are you going to sneak off, have this baby and give it to Malcolm?"

"No, silly. It's my baby to raise. Of course, Master will visit to see how his child is progressing and to make sure I am tuned up. That's not even a concern. You'll see."

I saw nothing of the sort. All I could see were red flags waving. There's nothing I could or should do now, but I would be remiss if I did not prepare for what eventualities may come. Duane and I discussed it in private. We decided to keep it all to ourselves but assign one of the Royce Field Services officers to the case. His job is to find out everything there is to know about the man who calls himself Master Malcolm. At his disposal will be Royce, Recovery, Acquisitions and my personal staff, including Lizzie and Holly, once she is fully on board. Duane also asked for funds to bring in at least one of Rhee Spanner's people. She'll have at least one person perfect for this job. That was approved immediately.

I'll talk about the holidays in a bit, but now back to the Tuttlehills. When we saw them downtown at Christmas holidays Gloria pulled me aside and had me feel her stomach. There was just the littlest baby bump, which I acknowledged with a kiss. Her girls were staying over again this year, but Harriet brought a friend this time, Hilly Riggins. One of her mates from the swim team. Another swimmer. Celeste was over the moon. And thanks to Dr. Chu we got permission to use Penn's pool. During the holidays they left it open for college and hospital staff. The three girls would have a ball. Penn really balked when the doctor asked, but when he told them if they didn't, he would retire and go teach at Jeff, they gave in. It's nice to have friends in high places.

Gloria asked if I would be with her when she told the girls. Well, this is a private family matter. Why should I be brought into the mix?

"But Hannah, I need you there. I need your strength and your wisdom while my daughters are questioning mine."

"What is it exactly you want to tell them?"

"Well, I want to let them know we have a baby coming. And they're going to have to know that their father is not the baby's father. And they're going to have to see me naked, Han. Before they can find out from anyone else, I must show them and explain to them my body. Harry will be tough. Kimmie is going to be the real problem though. Harry is in the process of getting in touch with her own body and sexuality. She's going on eighteen now and starting to have feelings. She's learning all about hormones. But Kimmie is so little. There is no way it can make sense to her."

"Gloria, I'm going to give you a piece of advice that I think you should take sooner rather than later. Find yourself a therapist you can trust and sit down with her and explain your situation. Then you should bring the family in together and let the discussion progress at its own speed. You do, however, want to have everything out in the open, at least to them, before you really start showing. I expect with the right therapist you can wrap this up in a month. If you don't have someone, I use a great gal in West Chester, and she makes house calls."

"See, Hannah. It's wonderful having a wise friend like you. I'll take her number and call her as soon as possible. There's another matter, though, that I must discuss with you. Master wants a meeting with just you and me."

"Alone?"

"You can bring your bodyguards but they must not sit in or near the meeting, Master has suggested a neutral ground. He recommends the Old Dog Café in Chester Springs. It's quiet and convenient, especially between lunch and dinner. So can we set a meeting for one day next week at around two?"

"Pick a day. I have a bunch of meetings next week, but I will do everything I can to make it happen."

As soon as Duane got home, we put our heads together and he decided that he had no objection to the meeting as long as he and a couple of the guys were around. I let him know I had absolutely no objection to that.

"Duane, I'm just concerned about what rabbit hole this guy is going to lead us down. I just have a gut feeling this guy is even more dangerous than Peace Dunbar. How are you doing with the background check?"

"Dunbar? He weren't nuttin'. As you know, we brought in one of Rhee's people and he and Teddy, one of our guys, are starting to put a map of this guy's past, his associates past and present, his hangouts and places he served time. We do have two pieces of information you should know. One is that we believe we know his actual name; and two, he's had an association with Peace Dunbar."

"Why am I just learning that little tidbit?"

"Because I learned it two hours ago. Rhee's guy, Gonzo, who has been working on the Dunbar drives recognized the name when Teddy told him about what we were doing he remembered the name immediately. But the name recognized was Clyde Makoo."

"Clyde Makoo?"

"Yes. Alias Harry Malcolm, a/k/a Malcolm Clyde, a/k/a Malcolm Jefferson, a/k/a James Jefferson Jones, a/k/a Malcolm Adams. Dunbar knew him as Clyde Makoo."

"And do we know what Mr. Dunbar and Mr. Makoo had in common?"

"We do. Women."

"Women?"

"Yes, and the buying and selling thereof."

"That's disgusting. I knew this guy was trash but..."

"It get's worse. Gonzo is in the process of reviewing some records that just might prove that the two of them were involved in selling babies. It looks like Makoo would go out and impregnate the women, sell them and steal their babies, selling them as well. These people have no souls."

"Duane, we've got to get rid of this guy, for Gloria's sake and our own. And the world's for Christ's sake. Let her have her black baby, I love all of mine. But please let's not let her get sucked into this guy's ultimate trap. He's already starting to bleed her."

"Well, that shit's gotta stop right now. I can make this guy go away, Han. You know I can. We are already collecting lots on his people and after you have this meeting with him, we'll know where he hangs his hat. Teddy tells me we should have a full rap sheet on Makoo tomorrow sometime. I'm going to want to sit down with you and have one of those video conference room discussions. I have a few thoughts."

"Ooooh. The video conference room. That gives me a few thoughts of my own."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Hannah."

"Oh, it's not in the gutter, it's in the bedroom. With you."

"Seriously, Hannah."

"Seriously, Duane, I have a few thoughts of my own," and I patted my hip where my Glock sits ready for action.

Duane wasn't taking any chances and he brought Ronnie and Herman with him to the meeting. He also had a car with two men at the house on standby just in case. We're not that far from Chester Springs and they could be there in twenty minutes. My three guys can hold off an army that long. And me with the fourth gun they don't stand a chance.

Two of my not so easily identifiable agents checked out the Old Dog a couple of days before the meeting to get the lay of the land and shake a few hands. Afterwards I made a phone call after conducting a little research. The Dog was having some minor financial issues, but if not handled well it could lead to them losing their Chester County location. So, I talked to the owner and made a deal with her. All I wanted was to put in two or my people as wait staff in the restaurant for the time of the meeting. I expected it wouldn't take more than an hour or two. When I threw a number at her she jumped at it.

So now we went into this meeting strong. Ronnie and Caroline acted as servers. Duane and another inside man, Domingo, watched their inside people, and I have Herman outside making sure our backs are covered. As soon as we arrived Duane noticed he was here, and it looked like at the moment we were outgunned. So, he gave Herman the signal and he called the operators in the car at home. Nothing pressing would happen for twenty minutes. I would make sure of that. When Herman signaled the arrival of our reinforcements then the heavy negotiating will start.

We arrived after Malcolm and Gloria, Alvin and I approached the table. Duane and Domingo had a table for two that gave them full range of vision and easy access to us. Malcolm stuck out his hand for me to shake, but I shunned him. Don't want to get all slimy. Gloria went to kneel, but he took her hand and pulled her up and guided her to the chair.

"Thank you all for joining me on this beautiful day. There is much to discuss and much happening. Isn't it exciting. There's nothing like a new baby, all fresh and delicious."

"Yeah," I said. "Is that the kind you like to eat?"

"Hannah, my dear, that's so rude of you to say."

"Just calling balls and strikes here, Malcolm."

"Master Malcolm."

"Not to me you ain't."

"Let's speak of more pleasant things. We have a baby coming. How wonderful. How does that make you feel my slut?"

"I'm over the moon with joy, Master."

"Good. That's what I like."

I'm not sure how many people Malcolm had backing him up at the restaurant, but there seemed to be a surprising number of black diners for this neck of the woods. And most of them were men. I could pick at least ten possibles out of place. Once the calvary gets here there will be seven of us, not counting me. I like the olds. Plus, we've got the inside connection. They'd never know what hits them.

"Alright, Malcolm, it's you're meeting. Knock, Knock, Malcolm."

"You can be a nasty bitch, can't you?"

"You don't know the half of it. To the point."

"Hannah, I know you have taken an interest in my chattel. I'm not sure how I feel about that, and I know how I feel about everything. I tend to get very angry when anyone messes with my property, and make no mistake, they are my property. Just ask them."

"Ask them? You've got them fucking brainwashed. They'll say whatever you program them to say. I hate to say that about my friends, but that's what I'm seeing."

"But I think you have this all wrong. They are my slaves of their own free will. The things I do to them are either at their request or with full consent. They would not know what to do without me. Without me they are lost souls."

"Oh, I think they could figure a way through life with a few billion in the bank."

"It's not about money. It's about service and sex. You give one you get the other. It's quite a simple system that has worked for me for years. And nobody likes it better than the women. They thrive in the atmosphere I create for them. Right slut?"

"Yes, Master."

"Is there anything that can take you away from me?"

"Nothing, Master. I'm yours forever."

"Forever is a long time, my friend."

"It's not long enough."

"There you have it Ms. Todd. Now I would ask you to butt out of our business. Except that there's one more little thing. There will be no sex for your girlfriend here for the foreseeable future. That is unless you want to change the conditions."

"And what kind of change are you thinking of?"

"I'd like to fuck you. And I'd like to do it soon."

"You're lucky that Duane Royce is sitting way over there and didn't hear what you just said."

"Oh. And what is he gonna do about it?"

"I can assure you it will end in you being carried out of here horizontally one way or another."

"You're pretty confident."

I patted my hip and he looked over at my Glock.

"Nice piece, you shoot or just carry it around for show?"

"Wanna find out?"

Then I did something I probably shouldn't have. I pulled my pistol out of its holster and cocked it. Then I leveled the gun and pointed it across the table right at his forehead. I could hear the shuffling all around the restaurant as his boys were ready to jump up. Duane knocked a guy down who tried to get up. Domingo dropped his false hand and pulled out his sawed-off shotgun and everyone stood down. Gloria was paralyzed during the whole incident. I was very much in control.

"So, Malcolm. You're not the only one who means business at this table. No, you will not get to fuck me. You will never get to fuck me. If my poor friend here never has sex again, she has nobody but you to blame. When she comes to her senses and sees what you really are, then you will wind up in her rear-view mirror."

He laughed. It was like a belly laugh it was so hardy. "No, no, no, missy that's not how it works. You can win the battle tonight, but you are not equipped to win the war. I can hurt you over and over again and there is nothing you can do about it. I've been doing this a long time, sistah, and a little thing like you, even with all your boys, ain't gonna stop me. You ain't even gonna slow me down. Come on boys." And out they went. There were fourteen of them all together. And when they walked out the door of that restaurant Domingo's twelve-gauge shotgun was there in their faces to bid them farewell. So was Herman's.

Okay. Now I dug us deeper into this trap, now what do we do? Gloria came with us and we took her home. She cried the entire trip. "What am I gonna do now, Hannah. Master is going to be so strict. He'll forget I'm pregnant and beat the shit out of me. And now that I'm pregnant I probably won't get fucked for two years."

"I'm sorry, but that's got to be on you, Gloria. You want to get laid? I'll make a phone call and you'll be calling out Jesus' name before you know it."

"Hannah, that's sacrilegious."

"Yeah, I do that on occasion."

"We see the therapist, Dr. Pasquale, tomorrow night. I saw her the end of last week and tomorrow is the whole family. We're going to ease into the news."

"You do know as soon as your kids know you're pregnant the world will too."

"Yeah, but they don't have to know it's Master's"

"Oh, what a wicked web we weave..."

"Excuse me?"

"Just waxing Shakespearean."

"Now I don't know where I'm at with my Master. I will just have to wait for him to contact me."

"Yeah, good luck with that."

"Oh, he'll be in touch. I'm carrying his baby."

Well out of the mouths of babes, gems often appear. One month went by, then two. And all this time she stayed faithful to her master. She did not seek sex and she did not masturbate. Not once. But she bitched about it to me. Without her master commanding it she could not let it happen. Then in the midst of her seventh month she got a call summoning her for a weekend. She went without question or hesitation.

When she returned home, she called me first. Alvin was home and listening while she told me of her weekend.

"Hannah, you don't know how much I've missed what I got this weekend. However, he told me to take you to task, as it was your behavior that made him punish me so. We also discussed baby names."

"And?"

"Well, it's a boy, so Malcolm, of course. Malcolm Bernard Tuttlehill, after my grandfather."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Not looking to surprise anyone, Hannah."

"I know that you have told the girls, who have said nothing to me. Just what have you told them?"

"That a baby is coming."

"But not that it's not their father's?"

"Not really."

"There is no really. You either did or didn't. Are you going to surprise them at the last minute?

"We've been working with Dr. Pasquale and I think next week we are going to go full monte on them."

"Oh?"

"Yep. Tattoos and all. I'd really appreciate it if you could be there. Give me a shoulder to lean on."

"Tell me when. I'll be there. It's always nice to see Aida."

------------------------------

I was never less prepared for a session with Dr. Pasquale as I am today. She's so sweet and she even remembered my favorite lemon tea. I got there a bit early and her previous patient was long gone so I stuck my head in. "Hannah. How nice to see you. Come in, come in."

I gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek and told her how wonderful she looked. We talked a little about what was going to happen tonight and what my role would be. A pretty slim one if you ask me. But I'm in for a penny or a pound. I had a million questions for her but I only asked one. "Have you seen the tattoos?"

She said she had seen some, and that it was going to be a difficult hurdle for all of them. Especially poor little Kimmie. Tonight, all would be revealed. Not that it hasn't been tough enough for the Tuttlehill girls. Being super rich isn't always as easy as it seems. Lucky for Harriet that she has her swimming and her own pool to take her away from it.

In their senior year, Harriet and her friend Hilly had both planned on attending Penn. Harriett in Physical Therapy and Hilly in Sports Medicine as a possible prelude to Penn's MD program. Of course, they would room together in the dorm. Both girls were top notch swimmers and had spent years together in the pool. They were becoming inseparable. She became a fifth wheel of the Tuttlehills and came to all our occasions.

The Tuttlehills arrived and they all seemed serious but happy enough. Harriet knew something was coming. I know because she asked me. "Aunt Hannah, do you know what's going on?"

"I know a little, Harry, but tonight we will all know everything. At least I hope."

When we all settled down in the doctor's office, she started off by saying that Gloria is going to tell us a story tonight and she is going to illustrate that story in a very unusual way. "We've met several times now and all that we have discussed his led up to this moment. Gloria."

"Children, I have not always been the woman my friend here calls 'Glorious. As a kid we didn't have money and things didn't come easy. Then our lives were in turmoil with all the civil unrest of the Thirties and the Crash that preceded it. When I married your father, Harriet, I truly thought I was in love. But he became abusive and he did things to me that I wish I never had to reveal to you. But many of those things will be revealed tonight."

Her eyes were getting a bit glassy and the doc handed her a tissue. But she sucked it up and carried on.

"After we divorced, I married again, but he was no better than the first. He beat me bad and also did things to me I can never recover from. He cheated on me something awful and made me do unspeakable things. We also divorced. Then, Kimmie, I met your father. He was not the man of my dreams but he was a good man; persistent, and he persuaded me that we were a good match. He was right. I have never met a better man in my life. Our hard work and love for each other brought forth a company that has set our family free for the rest of our lives to pursue our dreams. Not many people get that kind of gift. There hasn't been a day since he declared his love for me that I have not loved him back."

Harriet was already teary eyed. Gloria looked down and huffed a little, like she was trying to catch her breath and say something at the same time. When she looked up there was a solid window of tears in her eyes. It took a lot out of her to do it but she got it out. "But he's not the father of this baby."

The kids looked at their dad and then around like they were looking for a place to run. It seemed pretty apparent that they didn't want to know anything more. But for a minute, Harriet got a bit combative.

"Did you cheat on dad?"

"No dear," Alvin said. This was done with my consent and blessings. It's something we've wanted to do for a long time. There's a friend of ours who has wanted a baby, but his wife can't have one. He has agreed to let your mother keep the baby as long as he can visit her occasionally as she grows up, with the hopes that when she is an adult, she can accept him as her birth father and they can travel the world together in his old age."

Now that's a great story. It's all bullshit, but a great story nonetheless. Now it's time to buckle the seatbelts 'cause the big reveal is coming.

"Children, I've made some bad decisions in my life, and some have been made for me. Many in my youth, but some not too long ago. I want to talk to you at length about my relationship with your father. But right now, I want to talk to you about my relationship with my body." As she said that she started stripping.

The kids were sitting there on the sofa holding on to each other. I was behind them holding their shoulders. Gloria was wearing a beautiful pink turtleneck sweater over a long flowing skirt over her usual opaque tights. Tonight, she wore no latex. She pulled the sweater up and over her head. Let the revelations begin. The kids sat there with their mouths wide open as they're mother revealed her true self. Every time a new garment came off a fresh set of gasps was emitted by the girls. All these years she had hidden her body and they had no idea.

She stood in front of all of us in just her bra and panties. No need to undergo any further indignities. She spun around slowly, as if proud of the artwork that adorned her. At this point the girls were bawling their eyes out. Kimmie couldn't speak she was brought to the point of hiccups. Harriet was pacing around the room talking to herself. Then she moved to the center of the room where her nearly naked mother stood and proclaimed, "Oh yeah. Well, I'll tell you something. I didn't want to upset the applecart but I found out something about myself and it's time you knew. I'm gay!"

"You're gay, Harry?" Her mother asked.

"Fuckin' right."

"And when did you find this out?'

"Last year."

"Yeah, during swim camp."

"Right. How did you know?"

"You and Hilly have been getting awfully close since that time."

"It has nothing to do with Hilly, mother."

"Harriet. You give me the respect I deserve as your mother and be honest with me. And be happy you were born into the family you were born into. I'm certainly being honest with you."

"Fine. Hilly and I have been dating for like six months."

"Are you in love?"

"I don't know, mom, I'm eighteen. What do I know about that stuff. I just know what Hilly and I have feels good and it feels right. And we ain't makin' no babies and we ain't getting' no tattoos. Do you have a problem with it?" As she said this, she circled her mother checking out her tattoos.

"I don't know what to say except do you think you're ready for sex?"

"Mom, we're all born ready for sex. We just need the desire to catch up to us. Right doctor?"

"Well, this kind of came out of the blue tonight, but we all attain the ability to enjoy sexual pleasure in our own times. Some of us younger and some of us take time to develop into sexual creatures."

"Ew," Kimmie said, "I don't want to be a sexual creature. What's a sexual creature?"

"Nothing you have to worry about any time soon, Kimmie." The doctor said. "You and I can talk about such things when you're closer to Harry's age."

"In the meantime," Gloria said, "except for a couple close friends, nobody outside this room need know. I have been able to hide the errors of my life in high fashion, which I can now afford. And not off the shelf. I will continue to do that. I promise you Harry, that you will go to the Olympics whether you qualify or not. We'll even take Hilly if you want. There's still a lot you girls have to learn about us. It will all be revealed in time, and to you before anyone else. As you grow, my darlings, you will learn that we are all imperfect beings subject sometimes to forces beyond our control. As a family we will face those things together and nothing will stop us."

I was sobbing. Everyone was, even the doctor. Alvin has a strong feminine side, if you know what I mean, so he was out and out bawling. But all the Tuttlehills were hugging, even mom in her bra and panties. I so wanted to jump in, but thought better of it. They didn't need me. They have each other and I think that will be just enough. If that asshole Malcolm doesn't fuck things up. Hannah Todd finds the thought of that intolerable, so that bitch is getting involved. And this bitch did.

The last couple months of Gloria's pregnancy were rough on her. Because of her age she was considered high risk and the doctor wanted her in bed. A nurse was brought in and I visited almost daily. I always took her vitals and checked her chart. Behind the scenes Duane was mounting an assault on Malcolm. And finding out more and more about him every day.

It's Friday, and I saw Gloria today. She is just approaching her eighth month. She is in great shape. The moves they are making with her are precautionary, and I approve of them all, but I believe she is going to do fine with this. She's getting a C section so she will miss a lot of the trauma associated with childbirth. Afterwards I had the kids and after they were asleep Duane and I will have a meeting, regarding the Tuttlehills.

In the last few months, I feel like I have not paid as much attention to the kids as I should. Especially the twins. I feel like all I ever do is pump for them. But that's coming to a screeching halt soon. The kids are fine. They have lots of companionship and love and plenty to do. And a great nurse in Rebecca. But I've got to give them more mom time, time to bond. And I will. Once I get this Tuttlehill situation resolved. When Duane got home from downtown, he looked in no mood. I was reluctant to approach him but he came to me. "Han, all I need is a quick dinner and a half hour in the hot tub and I could be ready to go."

"You mean like rip roarin' ready?"

"Hannah."

"Sorry. Just the thought of you soaking in that tub. Mmmm. Can I join you?"

"Do you think that would be wise?"

"Probably not. Shit."

"What's the matter?"

"I was kinda hoping for a tune up tonight."

"Oh, I didn't say that was out of the question."

I pepped right up and got him fed and ran the tub for him. Then I went and put the kids in bed. I told Lizzie to stand guard. "Duane's in the hot tub and I'm goin' in."

"You go girl."

And I did. I was out of my clothes in less than a minute and in the tub in two. He seemed happy to see me. The appropriate thing was pointed in the right direction. Then he seemed really happy to see me. Still quite a way from my fighting weight, but I seem to have found my fucking weight. I still don't feel desirable, but in my years have learned to make myself so. Duane, still being cautious, was very gentle with me. With me on top of him in water made it easy. I had tiny little orgasms, but they sure felt good. All things in time, Hannah, the body will heal and the sex will get more intense. I know it, I just have to get there. Being on top, which is what Dr. Rubin recommends for now, is nice. I like the control as well as the stimulation. And that big black dick of his is second to none.

Once we cleaned ourselves up and got into our pajamas, we entered the office with a mission in mind. Hopefully we had the same one. I told him I'd like to throw some things out at him and he said to wait until he tells me what he wants to tell me. "You've got the floor, my man."

He linked his supercell into the system in the video conference center. The first thing that came up was a picture of the man who called himself Master Malcolm. "He was, indeed, born with the name Clyde Makoo. We believe his people come from somewhere in the Caribbean, maybe Haiti. There's evidence his people came to the U. S. in the early twenty-tens. We found school records in the Seymour system of him going back to second grade. He was a bad kid. A bully. Lots of discipline comments in his school record. He dropped out in about nineth grade even though high school graduation is now mandatory, back then it wasn't."

"They start bad, they stay bad. Have we researched the people who raised him?"

"We have but the research is not complete. We do know, however, that he did not stay with his parents long. Either that or they became unavailable. He went with the street gangs that were formed during the Race War. There he earned his street cred. He's got a pretty good rap sheet and a short but impressive prison record."

"Impressive?"

"He has shown great skill in rallying the troops and quickly became known as the consigliore of the Black prison gang's boss. He's a total Alpha male with sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies. He is also a total narcissist. He thinks of people as commodities to be bought and sold or traded on demand."

"Tell me more about his street cred and his prison record."

"Well, we have him pimping as young as fifteen. By the time he was eighteen he was running a group of girls who were bringing him big bucks. He became a bit of a local sensation in his neighborhood. He and his gang did it all. Drugs, guns, women. If there was money in it, they got into it. His police record includes half a dozen arrests for pandering and he did a six- month hitch at the Riverside Correctional Facility up on State Road, in Philly. He spent three years in East Jersey State Prison for assault and battery and for theft by deception. He was sentenced to ten years but in the third year of the sentence the witness recanted and he was let out. Also listed were a string of arrests for which there were no convictions. Mostly in assaults and drug and human trafficking. Also, there were several battery cases that went nowhere because the witnesses either disappeared or recanted. He was almost caught in an extortion ring but he somehow wiggled out of it. Everything points to his guilt but there is no hard evidence to convict."

"That's the wonderful thing about what we do, Duane. We don't worry about convictions. We worry about justice. Tell me we've got a tracker on him and we know where his lair is."

"I will. His car is bugged but he is not. We tagged it at the restaurant with a Wasp Drone, and have been watching it ever since. Whereever it goes we've been. We believe we know the location of what you call the lair. By crossing the vehicles journeys we have found intersections where it spends the most time. We have two that we have a bead on and are almost there. When he starts moving around that's when we'll get him. But that's not the way I think we should attack this. I think we start from the bottom up."

"Oh. Tell me more, lover."

"We've found quite the collection of associates both guarding Malcolm and working on his behalf. We've been following them around as well. I think we should start picking them off one at a time. Sooner or later, he will get the message and back off. If not, he's next. I've got no time for his bullshit. I will squash him like a little bug, Hannah. And I'll do it in front of you if it will make you feel any better."

"Frankly, hon, what would make me feel better is the Tuttlehills being off the hook with this guy. I'd really just like to get on with my life. Knowing I can't, I'm all for taking them out from the bottom up. I say go for it. Gloria will never know. But I have a feeling her so called master will."

"Be sure of that. Before we start burying this guy, though, does he have a locker?"

"A locker?"

"A storage locker. Before we bring things down, I'd like to know if this guy also has a storage locker. It may take longer term observation to find out, but I'd like to know.

I immediately took the next logical step. "Call Rhee Spanner."

"Spanner."

"Rhee, Hannah Todd. How's my favorite mystery woman?"

"You know me, I'll never tell. How's your new little project going?"

"That's exactly why I called."

"I know. I expect you called about the lockers."

"Lockers?"

"Yeah, the storage lockers. Isn't that why you called?"

"Actually, I called because I thought there might be a locker, but two."

"That's what I've heard so far."

"Have you been inside?"

"No. I was going to call you about that. This is a lot different than Barry and Dunbar. This guy is alive and very active. I just can't walk into his storage locker and do as I wish."

"So, we're not going to be able to get in there?"

"I didn't say that. It's just going to be trickier; it will take more ingenuity. I'm working on it as we speak my Hannah. Go, get yourself a good night's sleep. Let's talk tomorrow after the kids go to school."

"Absolutely. And thank you Rhee. Always good to have you on the team."

"Don't worry, you'll get my bill."

"And, as always, I will pay it promptly."

There are storage lockers that have been located, but we just have to get inside. Without getting caught. And without getting killed. Tomorrow Rhee and I will figure something out. Tonight, I have something else in mind.

"Hey handsome. Lookin' for a good time?"

"Let's just jump into bed and see what happens. No promises. It's been a long fuckin' day."

"Oh baby, come here. Let mama make it better and bring it to a great fuckin' end." And I cuddled into his chest as we stood there in the office. He put his arms around me, and as much as I'd like to do the penis plunge with him, right now just being in his arms could be enough. "Let's just lay and see where it takes us."

I don't know how he does it. It must be like using an ax to slice cheese. But he takes that big thing of his and strokes my kitty and makes her purr. And he hasn't broken me yet. No orgasms tonight, just a nice warm feeling that took me away into the night.

-------------------------------

"WAAAAHHHHHH" was the next thing I heard. The twins are up and now so are we. They are the most persistent alarm clock. But the cutest. The Diva was on the bottle, but I still couldn't get Prince Duane off the breast. So like his father. He would take a bottle occasionally if he was hungry enough but he'd rather cry till my tit is sticking in his mouth and he is again sucking me dry. I am so trying to get back into shape and this isn't helping. The nurse is still with us and she now shows up at nine and stays till around nine at night. She lives in Coatesville now, so we pick her up and drop her off. And me, I'm so busy I feel like a neglectful mother. But I have a crazy schedule.

I have a conference call with Linnie and some people from Licensing regarding completion of Todd Acquisitions. We are trying to make the most legit shady operation we can. Acquisitions is an Eyes-Only company. What we do here is good, but it crosses lines. A lot of lines. Linnie is there to see I don't get myself into trouble. And Lizzie will be on the call as well, as temporary administrator of Acquisitions.

Once we finished our business with the licensing people I held on to Linnie and Lizzie and let the others go. "Ladies, are you all set for Thanksgiving?"

"I am," Linnie said. "I want to get my hands on those twins and pinch some cheeks."

"You are such a mother, Linnie. I remember when you were just a hot chick."

"I wish Larry could remember."

"Is he not taking care of your needs, girl. You tell him I have a tall, handsome black man who looks just like my lover who would be very happy to keep you tuned up."

"You're so cute, Hannah. I..."

"No, I mean it. No man is gonna let my girlfriend go without. I want to talk to Larry. Go to his office right now and call me from your supercell. I'm hanging up and if I don't' hear from you in three minutes I'm going to call your office building a make a bomb threat. Move it girl, two minutes and fifty-five seconds." And I hung up.

One minute later my supercell buzzed in. There was Larry's face. "Hannah Todd, are you poisoning my wife against me?"

"Never, Larry. I would never come between a husband and wife, which is why I wanted to take this call with you. Don't you know, I'm just trying to get you laid."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I'm leaving, Larry, and seeking other counsel."

The pause was long and the reply showed concern. "Hannah, you are one of my most valued clients and cherished friends. Why would you seek other counsel? Have we not been up to par?"

"Larry, I couldn't possibly have counsel who is ineffective."

"Of course you can't. Where have we fallen down?"

"In the bedroom, Larry. I have a friend with a hungry vagina and a husband who refuses to feed it. How can I do business with such a man."

"Hannah, you're embarrassing me." Linnie said.

"Just calm down there, little lady, Mama Hannah has everything under control. Don't I, Larry?"

"You always do, boss lady. What's it gonna take to earn your business back?"

"Now that's the attitude I like. First of all, tonight after you've had dinner and spent some time with Monique and put her to bed there's something I want you to do."

"What's that, Hannah?"

"I want you to take Linnie up to your bedroom and draw a nice bath and spend some time soaking together to get nice and relaxed. Then I want you to towel each other off, dry your hair, jump into bed, AND FUCK HER BRAINS OUT. Am I understood?"

"Very understood."

"Excellent. Now the key to success with this formula of mine is to do it regularly. It's amazing how much more you want to do it. Especially with each other. And remember, Larry, she's growing and you're not going to have access pretty soon. Better get it while you can."

"Hannah, that's why I love representing you. That way I don't have to stand in opposition of you. You are like a force of nature."

"Oh, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Linnie, call me tomorrow. I want a full damages report. And Larry, I expect someone to wake up with a sore pussy tomorrow. Anything less is unacceptable."

"Good bye, Hannah, you are a piece of work."

Lunchtime and I've got to eat, but carefully. Bertha, Holly and I all rallied around the kitchen TV when Lizzie came up on the call. We discussed Thanksgiving, a lot of which would be Lizzie and Holly and I, with help from Aggie. Bertha was taking one of the turkeys and a small ham butt she purchased and would be hosting Thanksgiving for their families, the Smiths and the MacGregors. It will be very interesting. I offered her one of the guards just in case but she just laughed. "Don't you worry, Hannah. I'm wearing my ass kicking shoes."

I was concerned about Thanksgiving, but Holly put me at ease when she said to me, "Don't worry, Han. We've got this." That's when I knew we did.

My next order of business after feeding the babies and putting them down for nap was Gloria Tuttlehill. Anthony was around and he took me to the Tuttlehills. Holly would follow when Celeste gets home from school. It's one of her days to swim with Harry, Hilly and Kimmie, and she never misses one of those.

When we got to Gloria's, her housekeeper led me around to the pool house and Gloria was seated in a wheelchair where she could watch the girls swim. She was sporting sweatsuits or pregnancy outfits these days. She had on a sweatshirt that had her company logo on it. When I told her I've got to get one she said she'd send me a dozen.

I pulled over a lounge chair and for about half an hour we just watched, silently, as Harry and Hilly glided through the water like a couple of porpoises. Then they got out of the water and stood at the edge of the pool with their goal being one hundred meters. That's one lap up and one lap back. Gloria called out, "One, two, three, Go!" And they dove in. From the start Harriet pulled ahead. By the time her friend was making her turn, Harriet was halfway back to the end. Hilly was no world class athlete. She knew she had no chance, but, like little Cee Cee, she gave it her all. As they were coming out of the pool after that little race, two men and a woman, all athletic looking people were led into the pool area by the housekeeper.

"Gloria. Who are these people?"

"They're AOC people. The Olympics folks. These men are from the swimming portion and the woman is a coach who is working with Harry on her Back Stroke. She was an Olympian about fifteen years ago and has been coaching ever since. I think she won a bronze in the back stroke, but I don't recall which year. Harry loves working with her. Watch as they time Harry. They'll probably time her on the freestyle and then the back stroke."

As we talked, Hilly came over to us so Harry could have time to spend with the Olympic people and her coach. She talked about swimming and going to college next year at Penn, and how happy she is that she doesn't have to do it alone because she'll be rooming with Harry. Hilly was not nearly the caliber swimmer Harry is but she made Penn's alternate squad, in the eight hundred, and fifteen-hundred-meter freestyle. What she lacked in ability she made up for in endurance, stamina and drive. She just worked harder and she even won a race or two. And she was smart as a whip. Harry is too much of a hybrid for the long races. She's a one hundred- or two-hundred-meter gal. Frankly, Hilly was just happy to be in the pool. And apparently, she was very happy to be around Harry.

Before Harry started her timed test, the little gals got home. On days when Cee Cee is swimming with Harry, she gets dropped off at the Tuttlehills with her mommy before the driver takes my kids home. The Bernstein girls will come home with me when Cee Cee is done swimming and swooning over her idols. But first the timed runs. The girls, Cee Cee, Kimmie and Hilly all sat on the benches along the side of the pool so they could get the best view. When Harry's coach was there, she used a blank gun to start her. This was to get her used to these kinds of starts.

Harry lined up and took her position. "Set. Ready, BANG."

And Harry dove off the end of the pool and just started swimming her ass off. She hit the wall and no sooner had she done that she was on her way back. It was almost hard to keep track of her she moved so fast. And then it was over. The coach and the Olympic guys were shaking their heads like they were saying yes and they huddled as Harry took a few minutes to come over to us and catch her breath.

"So?" Gloria said.

"Fifty nine point two three seconds. The coach says that if I can put on a couple of pounds and beef up a little that could help me with my speed. If I have any hope of going to the Olympics, I've got to get it down under fifty-eight."

"Sounds like a lot of work honey."

"Then work I'll do. I have a solid year to make it happen, mother. You'll see. I've got to go swim the two hundred meter back for these folks now. Wish me luck."

We all squeezed her hand and wished her luck. She jumped in the pool and slowly swam to the end. Her coach reloaded the pistol and raised it and said," Set, ready, BANG!"

And off she went on the first of four laps. Back stroking all the way. The Olympians and the coach all watched closely at her form and where they may add suggestions to help her to be a more successful swimmer. Harry swam and swam, as if she had all the energy in the world. As if she hadn't just tried her best to beat her best time in the one hundred. After the last turn you could see how she was just putting that extra bit of muscle into it. "Come on Harry!" everyone yelled. And "Go, Harry, Go." The Olympians got a real kick out of it.

Harry shook the hands of the Olympic people and walked back to us with her coach. "So, Coach," Gloria said, "How's she doing?'

"Well, Mrs. Tuttlehill, she just posted a time of 2:20.35 in the two hundred backstroke. And that was after just doing her best at the one hundred."

"That's good isn't it?"

"For an eighteen year old very good. In 1972 an American woman won the gold in the two-hundred-meter backstroke with that time. And yes, that was gold. But that was a long time ago and we have come a long way."

"What's the current world record?"

"Well, the world and the Olympic are almost the same, around 2:03.01."

"Wow." Harry said, "looks like I've got a long way to go."

"Maybe not as much as you think, Harriet. The longer races tend to allow you to play catch up and the truly great swimmers cut off seconds the older they get till they hit their mid-twenties. So, you, my dear are just hitting your peak. You are in your prime. Keep working hard and keep swimming and working out with the weights. If you have any questions about that stuff there is a weights instructor I want to put you in touch with. I think it's time we bulk you up a little and solidify you. I don't want to be able to grab a pinch of fat. Understood, young lady?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And how are my little fishies doing?" The coach asked the little ones. "I see we're swimming today."

"We're not fishies, we're pups. We are Navy SEAL trained," Celeste said.

"Impressive, your teachers are Navy SEALs?"

And Celeste pointed to the door where Anthony, in all his splendor, was standing. "And they are all war heroes."

"I'll bet they are, little one. Well, I'll be off. I've got a promising young high school sophomore whose back stroke could probably use a little work. You folks be well. See ya next time around."

The girls frolicked in the pool for a while. Harry wanted to catch her breath again after the two-hundred-meter challenge. Then they got down to brass tacks. All the girls got up on the end of the pool and shared lanes; Harry with her sister and Hilly with Cee Cee.

"Alright," Harry said, "Fifty-meter free style. On mom's count."

Gloria called out as loud as she could, "Ready, Set, Go!"

All four of the girls jumped into the pool simultaneously. But Harry's dive took her the farthest and by the time the kids were stroking their little arms off, Harry was at the end wall waiting for everyone. Hilly was there not long after but the poor little ones. I worry Harry sometimes gives them too much of a challenge. But little Cee Cee never backs down and she never gives up.

As we were getting ready to leave, I wheeled Gloria into the main house and into her downstairs office for a moment. I just needed to talk to her. "Gloria, that piece of shit is not abusing you, is he?"

"No, Hannah. He's been very kind. He's sent me gifts and has even called me a couple of times to see how I am doing. I'm doing good, Han."

"You'll tell me if you're not?"

"Honest to Pete. Promise."

"Alright. I don't know if I'm gonna see you tomorrow. Much happening. But I'll buzz you either way. Hey, I love you darlin'."

"Love you too. What did I do to deserve a friend like you?"

"I don't know, but you must have pissed somebody off."

Before I left both Cee Cee and I put our hands on Gloria's tummy and felt the baby kicking. She had felt it with my twins so this was not new to her, but it drew her in that much closer to the sorority of sisters she may someday belong to.

Another day done, and Duane and I have another date in the office. The Tuttlehill matter. So, after the kids are fed and bathed and adequately played with and tended to, it was bedtime. In the new year the rule would be seven o'clock for Georgie and seven thirty for the girls. But they generally didn't make it that far. Tonight, neither did and Celeste asked her mother if she could go to bed at seven. Holly said she'd run herd over them so Duane and I adjourned to the office.

As we sat through dinner together, getting the kids cleaned up and in bed and doing the same with the twins, Duane told me about some breakthroughs we made today. He said although this guy knows how to wield power, he's not very smart.

"Right now, we are up his ass sixteen ways to Sunday. We know where he is, we can hear what he is doing. Sometimes we can even see what he is doing. We used Bumblebee drones and Wasps in the Dunbar operation very successfully. We took what we learned there and are applying it to this case. We've got a bumblebee in his main vehicle, and a wasp in the house where he seems to be spending the majority of his time. We also have a little larger drone they call an invisible drone, as it has the ability to blend into the sky."

"That's amazing. Gotta love the toys."

"Oh, we do, but they are tools, not toys. And sometimes they are weapons. Remember the drone from the Dunbar job. Dropped from the sky and rained down death. The invisible drone is equipped with weaponry, but it's small with limited firepower. I think it's twenty-two caliber, maybe a dozen shots."

"Could make a difference in a fire fight."

"Sure could. I like the way you're thinking." We went into the video conference room and Duane made the link between his supercell and the set up. The various screens lit up as he manipulated the media. When he finished, he had the main screen split with a photograph on one side and a written script on the other side. Usually, a rap sheet or some form of bio. One of the other screens had listings on it and the other was a standard internet connection.

Duane started swiping the photos to the left to allow a new one in. "Do you recognize any of these men, Hannah?"

"Not so far, but keep... wait. I think this one looks familiar."

"From where, Hannah? It's important."

I covered my eyes with my hands and thought and thought. I tried to backtrack to every time I'd been around Malcolm. I tried to start from the beginning and I think that was the Poconos. When Gloria took me to... Got it. "I've got it. When Gloria introduced me to Malcolm this guy was there with him. Yes. I'm sure, he was standing behind Malcolm with another man."

Duane swiped through a couple more who did not look familiar, then the other guy who was with Malcolm appeared. No doubt. He had an unmistakable scar on his right cheek that ran from ear to nose. He was one bad looking dude. His rap sheet said that he was Ronald 'Sonny' Johnson, Jr. with a handful of aliases. It looked like he had done a total of fifteen years in various prisons in Pennsylvania and beyond. Sonny's specialties seemed to be murder, manslaughter and assault and battery. He also had numerous weapons charges and several violence against women charges. But very few convictions. Most of the arrests for murder did not result in convictions. He only did time for one, and that was dismissed after eight years when someone came forward to confess to the murder. I had no doubt that the man who gave himself up was coerced and is now sitting in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was just a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The rest of the men in the photos I don't remember specifically, but they seemed familiar in a criminal kind of way. The two I did remember gave me pause. Could my guys go up against the likes of him and his ilk? 'Collect yourself Hannah, of course they can.' His guys are a bunch of criminals and street punks and my guys are all highly trained, highly skilled operators. Any one of my guys could take on a dozen of his miscreants. And we are highly motivated. They know I love them all and they seem to love me too. They have more than shown it. They have proven it.

As we reviewed the mug shots, Lizzie walked in and after looking at a couple said, "Makes me glad I'm a lesbian. I'd hate to meet these characters in a back alley."

"You should be staying out of back-alleys Liz."

"Please. That's where the fun is."

"Wise ass. Lizzie, in all this time we have never really discussed Gloria Tuttlehill. What's your read?"

"Well, even fat and pregnant, I'd do her. There's something about her that's kinda butch, but it's masked by a kinda femininity. I'll bet she's got a mean tongue. In short, she's hot."

"Well, that's not where I was going, but it's good to know that too. Lizzie, I have to take you into my confidence yet again."

"Please, Hannah, I live there. Don't you know what I do for a living?"

"I know what I need to know. The rest I rely on you for. Has Les McKelly been helpful and how do you feel about me taking her into my confidence?"

"McKelly is great. What a pickup. I've been dealing mostly with Acquisitions, and Les has been holding up the administrative end at Recovery. Works her ass off, and Avi loves her. They are both overseen by Royce at the moment. As you know, we're trying to fill the lead spot at Acquisitions and that will free me up to oversee both companies under an umbrella that Linnie and I are trying to figure out."

"And I don't know this why?"

"Someone was in the midst of giving birth to twins and I was not letting that hold up the transition."

"Good for you, Lizzie. Liz, I want to tell you a story in total confidence. Your input is vital to the mission I will be discussing with you."

"Take your best shot, Hannah. I've got all night." And it almost took that to tell her the story of my relationship with the Tuttlehills. She listened quietly and did not interrupt me once. I don't think that I'd have that much self-discipline all things considered.

I just let it flow. I told the story as if I had lived it, because I had. Although Lizzie didn't say a word, she nodded and shook her head a lot. There were times when I could see the anger in her face, and the sadness. She never broke down, but for much of the time her eyes were wet. When the story was complete, I asked her what she thought and if she had any ideas that could help. She sat back and looked at me and looked at Duane and in silence she, went up on the internet and went to the site for the CockMate. When the picture of the device came up, I didn't quite understand where Lizzie was going with this, but I sat back and watched as she pulled up another site. It was a porn site.

She immediately searched CockMate and it led us to a video of the device being applied to a man's penis. It seemed simple enough. But there was nothing simple about the CockMate 6. Once it was on it was on and there was no getting it off without the combination or cutting it off. The 6 was the first iteration of the device where all the metal parts are titanium, so that eliminates the option of cutting it off. The device is remote controlled which can be accessed anywhere there are cell towers, which is everywhere. The lithium-ion battery can hold a charge for up to ninety days. In version four the company introduced a vibrate feature and in five added a shock mode, both of which tend to drain the battery so should be used sparingly.

"What do you think Han? Think of how a tool like this can help you with negotiations. Think of how much good you could do."

"I love it. Can you imagine a guy like this who has sex multiple times a day, every day, having his sexual exploits brought to a crashing halt. I'd say that puts us in a really prime position. So how are we going to make this happen Liz?"

"Oh no, I came up with the idea, it's up to you guys to make it work. Face it, if you could end Peace Dunbar, this guy shouldn't be that tough."

"Never underestimate your enemy, Lizzie," Duane said. "Even the stupid ones get it right every now and again. It will always come back to bite you in the ass. But your idea has much merit. I am going to huddle with the hit team and get their feedback. I'll meet with them on a conference call tomorrow morning and we'll come up with something. Now that we have him so pinned down, I think we have a really good shot of getting this done. The first thing we have to do is get one of these devices without anyone knowing we got it"

"That's easy enough," I said. "All we have to do is order a half dozen and have them shipped to someone we don't know and have them stolen in transit. Then we have to hope our people could hack one that we can install on that prick's prick."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, the company has a lot of electronic safety release devices. We have to defeat them and disconnect it from their network service which is done by subscription. Almost guarantees what we are trying to do can't be done. But if Rhee's people can get involved, I'll bet we have a device that is working for us for ninety days. with the ability to change batteries and keep it going for another ninety." So, I took the next logical step.

"Call Aurelia Spanner."

"Spanner."

"Rhee, is this a bad time."

"Hannah Todd, any time I hear your voice is a good time. What can I do for you?"

"Rhee, did you ever hear of a device called the CockMate?"

"Sure. Two of my boys just upgraded to CockMate Six. I love it. It does so much."

"You keep boys?"

"Well, they are very much men, but I treat them like little boys and when I have needs, they take great pains to make sure they are available where, how and when I want them."

"Rhee. I woulda never thought..."

"Hannah, there is so much about me you don't know. Let's face it, there's a lot nobody knows about me. But one day soon, I'll come up and spend the night in Chester County and we can tell each other our stories. You know, the stuff that doesn't make it on the CV."

"Rhee, I want to be able to use one of these devices, but I need it to be inaccessible to anyone but me. There are subscriptions you need to have and they have release protocols that will have to be defeated."

"Not a problem. My super geek has defeated every version of the CockMate, including the Six, which is the version I would recommend. I've had boys wear different versions for as long as six months without too much discomfort and no side effects. Other than blue balls, of course. Can I ask what the mission is?"

"Well, it's not fully formulated yet, so I'd hate to jump the gun, but this guy who has taken over the life of my friend. I believe one of your guys is working on it with my Recovery people."

"Actually, we are on all cylinders. The Clyde Makoo case. Is this who you are looking to lock up?"

"One and the same."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Workin' on it."

"From what we've seen we believe he is most vulnerable when he is traveling. He moves in relatively small parties. Less than half dozen bodyguards. And his bodyguards are street trash. You know, they go from the gangs, to prison to working for guys like Makoo. My people would be very happy to participate in this takedown. I'd like to see how it goes down myself."

"Oh, don't worry. You're right at the top of my list to notify."

"Have you made a decision on the storage locker yet?"

"I need to hear what your plan is."

"Remember, we've got a live suspect, so we have to be very cautious about what we do and any trails we may leave. I propose a distraction that will give us at least a couple of hours to explore the contents of the locker."

"How about the second locker?"

"There was talk of it we picked up on, but it kind of faded out. I say we concentrate on this one and we can deal with another some other time."

"Tell me about this distraction."

"It has to be big and not specific to your friend. We want to rock his whole organization as we see it. I don't think you want to tip your hand at this point that it is either you doing this or that it is on behalf of your friend."

"You are so right. So how do we make this distraction happen?"

"We'll go back to the gang formula, and bring in a gang to threaten this guy's domain. He will summon all his troops and for at least a short time they will neglect the locker. When we get into it, our tech will run a loop on their camera so whoever is at the other end sees nothing but an empty storage locker. Then we can go about our business. It's up to you what that business is. My professional recommendation is to get in there and photograph everything, copy what you can and steal only things that won't be missed over a four-hour period. After that, we just lock down and head out, cutting our losses, but knowing that if they don't find out we'd been there we could come back and clean the place out, like we did with Geore Barry's lockers. We also will have taken possession of their technology in the locker so we will know what they are doing when they do it. What do you think?"

"How many ways can I say GO?"

"I think you just did."

"But one thing. What's the distraction gonna be?"

"That's the best part. We probably won't be able to do this more than once because he will foil it once we've done our business. Three years ago, Makoo decided to make a sweet little red haired teeny bopper named Becky Gaffney one of his girls. She fell into his trap and virtually disappeared from those who loved her. In this case, Quay Wilkes and the members of the Soul Riders. A black motorcycle club out of Pittsburgh. When his girlfriend disappeared, Wilkes went buck. He swore he would kill anyone involved in it and put up a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for her return. After three years Wilkes had been through many women but he still longed for that one bitch who just stood above all others."

"So, we're going to make sure these two visit with each other. I like it. I'd also like him to have that cage on while this is going on."

"Yeah, after this he is going to be pretty defensive. The next time we come at him it better be with both barrels blazing."

"I don't know. If Quay gets hold of this guy, he's more than dead. He'll wind up as landfill."

"That would surprise me. Especially because I'm gonna let him know these guys are coming for him,"

"Oh?"

"There's the distraction. And it's a distraction that keeps on giving and we never have to fire a shot. Unless we want to. And this will give us a good solid four hours where these guys are thinking of nothing but saving their asses. And Malcolm will be thinking that the last time he got laid will truly be the last time."

"You think of everything, Rhee."

"That's what you pay me for."

"Rhee, when this is done, I want you to do a deep search and help me put a package together that I can present to the Tuttlehills that will make them glad to cut ties with this piece of shit."

"It's already being done. It kind of writes itself as we move forward. At the end of this if we cannot convince your friend that she has been horribly led astray, then they are truly hopeless cases. You'd be shocked at what we've got already."

"Alright Rhee, tell me when this all starts to go."

"It's probably gonna take a couple days. It all counts on how pissed Quay Wilkes is when he hears the news. The Soul Riders are based in Pittsburgh, where Makoo stole his girl. It will take about six, seven hours for them to get here on their big gas-powered bikes. They'll come in force and will probably bring at least one four-wheeled vehicle to carry weapons and such. We're currently watching their clubhouse and when they start to move that will give us about five solid hours to prepare. When the Riders get close, we will forewarn Makoo."

"Brilliant."

"As soon as he starts scrambling and his people at the locker take off, that's when we hit the place, while we are watching the fight. For four solid hours we will take what we can, as quickly as we can. If we find the fight is going poorly for Makoo and he is bringing in more people, we'll keep working at the locker. When it looks like he has gained control we evacuate with what we've got. One of the nice things is we don't have to take anything bulky with us. We've rented a locker on the same floor so if we decide to go in and empty their locker, we can put everything in ours till the heat is off. "

"I can almost smell the gas fumes."

"I'll keep you in the loop all the way through. We will all be working off a live feed with bodycams linked in and audio from our comm-link. You may even get the opportunity to make a decision or two. Just go back to life for now and keep building your case against Makoo. If you find anything you think I might find important let me know. I'm always here."

"You are. You're everywhere. You're like the Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

"I don't know about the wonderful part. Go, Hannah, take your man to bed and do simply awful things to him."

"Not there yet, but I can still let him know I've been there. When I'm back in shape then I'll start doing those awful things you speak of."

Rhee got off the phone and I gave Duane a serious look.

"So, Mr. Royce Field Services, I didn't hear a peep out of you."

"Ours is not to question why..."

"Oh, please. What do you think?"

"I like it. It gets us one step closer to our goal. I love the idea of a biker gang raising hell all over this guy. Frankly, I hope they kill him. Then we all walk away. But there's something that we have to do for Gloria. She's gonna need a place to fall when this guy is no longer in her life. She has needs that will go unmet when he is gone. We have to find her a new master."

"Does that really have to be my job? Don't I have my hands full enough? And I'd like to do a better job of giving all four kids my all?"

It's true, isn't it? You could be giving the twins more time. All five, in fact."

"Ouch. You really know how to hit a girl where it hurts."

"I also know how to kiss and make it better. But answer the question first."

"You're right, Duane. It's been weighing on my mind lately. I'm going to back off from Gloria a little and put that time into the twins. While the others are at school I want to spend as much time bonding with them as possible. And I'd like you to be a part of that."

"Done. RFS is on autopilot with Herman at the helm right now. We're up to fifty-six full time operators, two Robos, and two office staff. We're very busy and already starting to bring in a little money. We also have over a hundred potential operators on speed dial and dozens on the wait list to join the company as full time employees. Right now, we are keeping growth slow and referring out a bunch of work. I expect that by the end of the year, though, we will have as many as a hundred people full time, if we can find qualified people."

"That's the key. Are they qualified?"

"Frankly, I'm not that worried about it. I know a lot of field operators who are very talented but do not yet work for us. And you know what they say about birds of a feather. My gift to you for Christmas is fifty more Ops by the end of the year."

"Sounds like a lot of work."

"For me and Herman, for sure."

"Isn't there someone else who can help?"

"Nope. Nobody will work for this company until they get past Herman and I. You know what I require of my people. Look at what we've been talking about. When I hire someone, I have to consider if I can bring him in on this kind of operation. Not everyone is gonna make the hit squad, but everyone must be loyal and trustworthy."

"Hit squad?" Lizzie asked.

Duane and I looked at each other. Lizzie knows what went down in Chester and our part of it, so we are not speaking out of school when we tell her about the hit squad. I figured it would be best if I put it out there.

"Lizzie, the Dunbar job was done by the hit squad. You know those folks we partied with the Saturday afterwards. They are our most trusted people. Their skills are second to none and their loyalty makes them more than employees. It makes them friends, family. You've seen how we keep them closer than the others. Their daily work lives seem mundane, but they are ready at a moment's notice to drop everything and go to war. Again, the Dunbar job. You know all of them by name, and I expect you consider them friends. Let me tell you, they are very fine friends to have. And to me, they are very fine friends, indeed."

"I've seen how dedicated they are to you and the kids. You can't put a price on that, Han, but you can give it the value it deserves. By treating your people like gold they treat you like the queen you are."

"A lot of people are trying to crown me. I don't think so."

"But you are a queen, Hannah Todd, and you should be crowned."

"Yeah, queen of the underworld. Mob capo."

"You've certainly got that kind of power from what I have seen."

"Forget what you've seen. Tell me more about McKelly."

"First of all, she knows half the people working at the Navy Yard. And she's a Mummer. There is nothing she cannot do faster, cleaner or more thoughtfully than anyone I've ever worked with other than maybe Holly in her prime. And she's a doll."

"Have you confided in her?"

"I don't think so, just girl talk. You know the usual lesbian mother of two to straight mother of two chit chat."

"Everything, including my gut, tells me to bring this girl into the circle of confidence we have created. None of my friends outside you is in that circle. Not even Holly. Not until she is fully back. Liz, I need another set of eyes with the kind of street sense I believe she has. I get the feeling having a little South Philly in my staff will be very good for us."

"That's why you're the boss, Hannah. I am right there with you on this decision and I'd like to be around when you talk to her. I want to make sure I know what she knows and that we are all on the same page."

"Perfect. Where are you tomorrow?"

"Navy Yard."

"Good. Les will be in and I want you two to call me here after you settle in. But not before ten."

"It's good to be the Queen."

"You want to do it without me?"

"I said it was good. I didn't say it was easy. Her cousin is working with us now. Do you want her around for this?"

"No. Just the three of us. I want this conversation to be in full security mode as well."

"Full security it is."

It was getting late and I was beat. Being a recently former pregnant lady is almost as taxing as being pregnant. So, we shut down and with me snuggled under his arm we took me to the bedroom, changed and jumped into bed. I barely had the energy to put my hair up in a pony tail, but I managed.