Dear Diary

 

 

"J-Paul, I need coordinates to send help," Zemal replied, even as he pressed the buttons for a red alert.  "Please respond so I can get a lock on your location."

"The zoological freak show is a bit preoccupied with bleeding at the moment," a strange voice came back.  "I assure you that any reinforcements you send will only find six dead children, so you might want to hold off on that idea.  Let me talk to Jessie Blankenship."

"Commander Blankenship, here, please identify yourself," Jessie spoke stronger than he felt.  "Please don't harm the children."

"Begging already, boy?" the man retorted.  "I like that.  Did you beg for it the night that my brother's buddy got into your house?  My brother told me that the red-headed little tart was begging for it when he popped her cherry in the back seat of her patrol car."

"Then your brother was a liar as well as a loser," Jessie snapped.

"Ah ah ah," the man scolded.  "That's no way to talk to the man who has your six little babies in his gunsights ready to start pulling a trigger."

"What do you want to keep from hurting our children?" Jessie asked.

"Nothing," the man replied quickly.  "There is nothing you can do to stop what I am going to do to these little ones, although if you want to come join them, that would make me very happy."

Zemal muted the communications from headquarters as he announced, "I have a lock on their position Commander.  I can send this through Clan channels and we can have a security team there in minutes."  Before Dixon or Jessie could respond, they heard the other man curse and start yelling.

"What do you mean they aren't answering?" he bellowed.  "They should have already had the youngest two here by now.  All they had to do was take out one unarmed man and that retard freak show."  A second later he continued with, "Where did Allen go?  He was by that tree just a second ago.  He is supposed to be watching the younger twins.  Did I bring a bunch of morons with me?  HOLY!!!!  What the???? Who's out there?  Come on show yourself.   Jimbo, you go around that tree that way... What do you mean no?  If you want your money for this job....  Jimbo, what's wrong with...  Is that a throwing star?  Who is doing this?"

"You have maliciously attacked innocent children who are under my care."  The family at home heard Georges' voice clearly, which meant he was very close to the man.  His voice was low, deep and without any speech impediment at all.  "You have hurt my family.  It won't happen again.  You won't be here to do it."  What followed was a very nearly feral jungle cat growl, then a horrible, pain-filled scream, and then silence.

"GEORGES!" Dixon screamed into the communicator.  "Report Georges.  Are you ok?"

"I'm herezh, DixshieI'm herezh, Dixshie ("I'm here, Dixie,")," the calm normal voice of the cat boy could be heard.  "Bad guysh izh all through being bad now.  We ready to come home, but bad guysh meshed up little onezh' wheelzhesh.  We gonna waitsh here for you.  Bring diapersh for little preshushesh.  Their diaperzh bagsh not done hanging bad guy from tree yetshBad guysh izh all through being bad now.  We ready to come home, but bad guysh meshed up little onezh' wheelzhesh.  We gonna waitsh here for you.  Bring diapersh for little preshushesh.  Their diaperzh bagsh not done hanging bad guy from tree yetsh ("The bad guys are all through being bad now.  We are ready to come home but the bad guys messed up the little ones' wheels.  We will wait here for you.  Bring diapers for the two little precious.  Their diaper bag is not done hanging a bad guy from a tree yet")."  He added a second later, "J-Paulzh and J-Pearzh needzh Doug'zh clicky beeper boxsh, but bleeding shtopped, and Grampsh is confuzhedJ-Paulzh and J-Pearzh needzh Doug'zh clicky beeper boxsh, but bleeding shtopped, and Grampsh is confuzhed ("J-Paul and J-Pierre need Doug's medical tricorder, but the bleeding is stopped and Gramps is confused")."

A new voice broke into the conversation at that point.  "Rapid Response Team dispatched with appropriate medical personnel, Commander Wiggins.  Dr. Hayes requests your CMO prepare to be beamed to U.N.I.T. headquarters, Utah, for medical training downloads regarding the G-Cat physiology."

"Acknowledged, Dr. Douglas Whatley, standing by," Doug replied from his communicator.

"Are my kids going to Utah, too?" Dixon asked, getting a little lost with all the different voices popping in.

"Ground crew at the park say that we have four little ones that want their Daddies, and they want their Daddies now, so incoming munchkins, Director," the voice from Utah told him with a giggle.

"Director Wiggins, sir," yet another voice broke in just as the Popsicle Twins and Jewel Twins appeared in the headquarters room at Wiggins House.

"This is Major Washington, Director Wiggins and Commander Blankenship are unable to communicate at this time," Huey answered while Dixon and Jessie covered their three boys with kisses and hugs as Daniel and Priscilla did with Bethany, and Nate and Zemal did the same with the Jewel twins.

"Sir, we have a G-cat here who seems to be in great distress because he is unable to reassemble the young children's bicycles and tricycles," the young voice on the COMM told Huey.

"REASSEMBLE? You mean those monsters damaged my babies?" the unmistakable screech of Ziggy blasted over the comm.  "You bring me those bicycles and don't you leave a single bolt or chain link behind."

"I thought you weren't going to be caught dead fixing bicycle chains?" Frankie asked.  Huey blinked rather like Dixon had, as he too wondered if a commanding officer ever really had command over conversations around this place.

"Do you not care at all that our babies have been hurt?  You can sleep on the other side of the limo tonight, you callous, heartless, cold-blooded..... you, you, you sports car you."

"WHERE MY POPSICLE BABIES?" Auntie René bellowed running into the room wearing the top half of an unfinished wedding gown, a veil, and a denim skirt. 

"Mon Dieux, I hope my leg look dem good when I'm dat ageMon Dieux, I hope my leg look dem good when I'm dat age ("My God, I hope my legs look that good when I'm that age")," J. B. whispered.

"Babe, you will never look any different to me than the first night we spent together, no matter how old we get," Layton whispered back.  That earned him a kiss from a blushing Cajun security officer.

"Where de pigs tried to hurt my babies? I'ma turn dem inside out and made dem eat deyselves for I kill dem deadWhere de pigs tried to hurt my babies? I'ma turn dem inside out and made dem eat deyselves for I kill dem dead ("Where are the pigs that tried to hurt my babies? I'm going to turn them inside out and make them eat themselves before I kill them dead")," René asked, hugging the Popsicle Twins tightly.

"Georges done did dat and more, I tink, Tante RenéGeorges done did dat and more, I tink, Tante René ("Georges has already done that and more, I think Auntie René")," Emile whispered.  "He save us from de bad man dat was trying to took off his pants in front of us.  I cover Enny's eyes and close mine too so we don’t seen nothing.  When I look again, de man gone.  I don't seed him no more nowheres.  I just see Georges and he point us to GrampsHe save us from de bad man dat was trying to took off his pants in front of us.  I cover Enny's eyes and close mine too so we don’t seen nothing.  When I look again, de man gone.  I don't seed him no more nowheres.  I just see Georges and he point us to Gramps ("He saved us from the bad man that was trying to take his pants off in front of us.  I covered Enny's eyes and closed mine too so we didn't see anything.  When I looked again, the man was gone.  I didn't see him anywhere.  I just saw Georges and he pointed us to Gramps")."

"Daddy, is Gramps gonna been all right?" Etienne asked Dixon worriedly.  "We get to him, he just sit there holding de bébés and talk to hisself but don't make no senseWe get to him, he just sit there holding de bébés and talk to hisself but don't make no sense ("When we got to him, he was just sitting there holding the babies and talking to himself, but he wasn't making any sense")."

"Daileass, can we get a status report on my father, please?" Dixon asked into his communicator.

"Mom says your dad will be just fine, Dixon," the AI replied happily.  "She says he was not injured, he just seems to be in shock that he saw Georges do things he didn't think were possible, especially for Georges.  She has given him a mild sedative and is prescribing group therapy with other adults whose kids are in the clan," he added with a giggle.

"Director Wiggins, the clean-up crew at the park thinks they are finished disposing of the garbage, but given the number of pieces and range between some of those pieces, they aren't entirely sure," the young voice from the park announced.  "Identification of remains may take some time under the circumstances, but the apparent leader of the attack has been tentatively identified as a bank security guard from Monticello, Arkansas."

"That would fit with the conversation we had with him," Jessie confirmed. 

"Dixon, are the little kids ok?" Danielle asked as she came running into the room.

"Don't tell me you actually have a soft spot, after all, Thumper," Davey snorted as he joined the family.

"Thumper?" Danny asked curiously.

"Yeah, she's always threatening to thump me, which apparently means beat me up where she came from," Davey explained.

"If you didn't need thumping, you wouldn't get thumped," Danielle retorted as she swung at her least favorite brother again.

"You're so abusive," Davey whined as he went over to Xander and Xandra for cuddles.

Daileass broke into the conversation again.  "Dixie, Orlando needs to know how you plan to get to the wed... I mean clan meeting tomorrow, so let them know once you have talked it over with your family."

"Excuse me, young man," Mamee interrupted this time.  "Did you just say we are going for a wedding?"

"Yes, ma'am," the AI replied.  "I wasn't supposed to, but that's what it is.  It came to the attention of the patriarch that one of his division directors and his partner have adopted 10 kids now, but they haven't gotten around to officially tying the knot."

"Dixon Daniel Wiggins! Jessie David Blankenship!" Mamee snapped.  "Just exactly how long have you two known that you were supposed to be married, without telling your family about it?"

"Just a couple of days, Mamee, I promise," Dixon said quietly as he and Jessie squirmed under her patented teacher's glare combined with grandmother's stare.

"You realize of course that you will be the first shotgun wedding in the ENTIRE Whatley family history," she said with that very quiet voice that was as serious as death, and more frightening and dangerous than an entire fleet of Romulan warbirds.

Just as Mamee was pulling the Director and Assistant Director of Intel Field Services for Clan Short out of the room by their ears so that she could 'discuss' their immediate plans for a wedding, the Chief Medical Officer of the division returned with D. K. Wiggins.  The rest of the family swarmed the man as the little ones all asked if he would be ok.  Doug told them all that Gramps would be just fine, he merely needed to get a good night's sleep to let the medicine that Dr. Janet gave him continue to calm him down.

"Go with the flow.  Relax.  Go with the flow.  Relax.  Go with the flow," D. K. was chanting softly as he was led out of the room by J. B. and Layton.

"Now, I need to see six little munchkins for a moment," Doug announced as he pulled out his medical tricorder.  "We need to scan you sweeties to make sure that you didn't get hurt at all today." 

"I gots a scrapeded knee, Unca DougieI gots a scrapeded knee, Unca Dougie ("I've got a scraped knee, Uncle Dougie")," Emile reported as he pointed to his leg.  "De bad mans was trying for to grab Julienne, and I jump and grab him instead but he shove me off and I scrape my knee on de sidewalkDe bad mans was trying for to grab Julienne, and I jump and grab him instead but he shove me off and I scrape my knee on de sidewalk ("The bad man was trying to grab Julienne, and I jumped and grabbed him instead, but he shoved me off and I scraped my knee on the sidewalk")."

"Emmy's my hero," Julie smiled as she wrapped both of her little arms around one of Emile's.

A moment or two later, both sets of twins were set free to go have their dinners completely spoiled by Aunt Pet and Grandmomma Annie with promises of pralines every day for a month, the two women being that happy to have their little ones home again safe and sound.  Doug then turned to check out the two infants who were enjoying cuddles with Daniel and Priscilla.

"Priscilla, could I get you to put Bethany on the sofa for a moment?" Doug asked her.  "For some reason, I am getting a strange reading and I want to scan her without you in range of the sensors to test them again."

"What's wrong with our baby?" Danny blurted nervously.

"Physically she's fine, I'm just getting readings that should not be possible knowing the story of her birth," Doug told him.  "Danny, I need to scan both you and Priscilla now.  Danny hand Evander over to Poppop and then please stand still."

"You're scaring me, Doug," Priscilla told him.  Dixon and Jessie rushed back into the room at that moment with Mamee.

"What's going on, Doug?" Dixon asked quickly.

"I'm not sure, to be honest, Dixie," the android Doctor replied.  "What I am seeing here can't be possible, but I have run the scan on Bethany three times and now the scan of Danny is confirming the results.  Bethany is the biological genetic child of Danny.  He's not her adopted father, he is her father."

"Daniel, did you.... with that woman?" Mamee asked softly.

"No ma'am, I swear I didn't, I got there just as she was giving birth and I had never seen her before in my life," he defended.

"There is more," Doug told them all as he turned to scan Priscilla.  "Ooooookaaaaaaay.  Did NOT expect that."

"Douglas Fairbanks Whatley, you stop mumbling and start talking to me right now or so help me, as your big sister, I am going to put you and Huey in separate rooms at opposite ends of this house for a month," Mamee snapped.  "My patience is as thin as it can get today; you do not want to test me, boy."

"Priscilla, have you been feeling nauseous in the mornings lately?" Doug asked her as he led her over to a chair.

"Well, yes a little bit, but I just figured it was just me getting over the stress of everything and getting used to the richer foods around here than I am used to," she told him in obvious confusion.

"Sweet girl, it's not stress, or a digestion problem," Doug told her softly.

"NO!" Priscilla screamed.  "You had better not be telling me that that man... that he...."

"Dear Lord don't let it be true," Mamee whispered as she sank to her knees beside the girl in the chair holding her tightly.

"Wait! You both have the wrong idea," Doug corrected them.  He turned to Danny once again.  "Danny have you and Priscilla...."

"CERTAINLY NOT!" Danny yelled.  "I would never push my princess to do something until she was ready for it and to be quite honest I'm not ready for it yet either."

"I'm sorry, I had to ask Danny," Doug said as he stared at the tricorder in confusion.  "Bethany is the biological genetic daughter of Daniel Kirby Wiggins, IV and Priscilla Elizabeth Peltier.... and so is the baby that Priscilla is currently carrying."

"That's not possible," Danny denied.  "I've never had sex with anything but my hand and that walking corpse that tried to eat Bethany."

"I'm pregnant?" Priscilla whispered before she fainted into Danny's arms.

"There is only one explanation," Dixon murmured.

"I knew you were the right one to watch over your brothers and sister, Dixon," Quint smiled as he suddenly appeared in the room.  "You're absolutely right.  I knew that Danny boy would find his dream princess when he got here, so I just made things a little easier for their little ones.  It was Bethany's idea."

"Bethany's idea?" Jessie repeated skeptically.

"Of course, she asked me if Danny was her daddy and I said he could be if she wanted, and then she asked about a mommy to take the place of the one she lost, and I couldn't do it for one sister and not the other, that wouldn't be fair."

"I'm really Bethany's real father now?" Danny squeaked.  "And another one too?" he added as he looked at Priscilla's tummy as he held her.

"David? If you have any surprises for me, I suggest you get them out in the open now," Mamee said firmly as she turned to her other great-grandson.  The boy blushed intensely and dropped his hands away from Xander's and Xandra's on each side of him.  "That we knew about, you silly boy," Mamee scolded with a grin and wink.  "I just needed to know if I need to make this a triple ceremony instead of just a double," she said, as she turned and looked sternly at Danny and Dixon.

"Oh no ma'am, I don't think we are ready for that," Davey blushed all over.  "I... umm... well I kinda haven't figured out yet which one I... well umm... you know."

"It will all work out, Davey," Quint grinned as he popped out of the room again.

"Danny?" Priscilla whispered as she looked up at him from where her head rested in his lap after he had sat down on the floor to hold her.  "Are we really?  You and me?"  She rubbed her hand over her stomach.

"It's a lot earlier than I thought we would, but then again, we don't want Bethany to be an only child for too long do we?" he grinned shyly.

"You mean you still want to...."

"Even more than I did when I woke up this morning, but then it has nothing to do with the baby," he told her.  "I love you more every moment I spend with you every day, no matter what happens that day."

"And don't think you will be alone raising two children, my darlings," Mamee told them.

"AIIEEE! I know dat rightI know dat right ("I know that's right")," Auntie René squealed.  "You two gonna been fighting off de babysitters in dis family wit a stick from e'erbody wanting to took care of them bébésYou two gonna been fighting off de babysitters in dis family wit a stick from e'erbody wanting to took care of them bébés ("You two are going to be fighting off the babysitters in this family with a stick from everyone wanting to take care of those babies")."

"Just one more and you will catch up to me and Jessie, bro," Dixon teased.

"Now that will be quite enough of that sort of talk," Mamee scolded.   She looked over to Auntie René and smiled.  "And here I never thought I would live to see my great-grandson again.  Now I have three great-grandsons, a brother I never expected to see again, and five great-great-grandbabies.  René, I do believe this calls for a cup of tea from my sitting room bookshelf."

"Cher, you don't go no tea in dereCher, you don't go no tea in dere ("Love, you don't have any tea in there")," Auntie René whispered back.  "Oh, you meant dat bottle of tea.  I bleve you jes about right, Cher.  Dis a bottle of tea kind of day if dey ever wasOh, you meant dat bottle of tea.  I bleve you jes about right, Cher.  Dis a bottle of tea kind of day if dey ever was ("Oh, you meant that bottle of tea.  I believe you are just about right, Love.  This is a bottle of tea kind of day if there ever was one")."

"Now Mamee," Doug started.  "As your doctor, I have to remind you that bottles of tea are not in the best interest of your health, but as your little brother, I can tell you that one cup of tea now and then won't harm you a bit.  And I have to agree with Auntie René; some days certainly need it."

"Well as your big sister let me remind you that you might be chronologically old enough to need it, but you are still not physically old enough, so you just cool your jets little doctor brother."

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Doug giggled as he started ordering prenatal care and vitamins for Priscilla.

"The way this family keeps growing, we are going to soon overflow this old pile of bricks," Poppop said with a smile.

"Well, actually, Poppop, I've been meaning to talk to you and Mamee about that," Dixon began with a grin as he led his great grandparents out of the room one on each arm.