Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Eight - An Unexpected Confession

The hum of tiny insects as their wings beat at a pace beyond the ordinary naked eye filled the air as did the scent of morning dew upon the array of spring flowers and blossoms.  Bees fought over the opening petals of bluebells and tulips, seeking to gather the most nectar as the pollen from their fuzzy bodies dusted stamens, beginning the next cycle of life without being aware of it.

Beneath the slender, green leaves of these bulbs, all sorts of sleeping plants were waking, ready to bloom following the last frosts or in the early months of summer, while lazy saplings here and there were just about to begin the growth of fresh new leaves upon their branches, long after many cousins were fully dressed in their seasonal splendour.  Seeds had germinated in the damp soil sheltered beneath these established plants, shyly producing the first shoots ready to join the garden and display their own unique beauty.  But much of these seedlings would later grow to find themselves on dinner plates serving an additional purpose.

Later in the season, the ornamental paths weaving through these mostly decorative beds would become lost to the abundant foliage; pruning was generally reserved for edible plants, so these beds would eventually seem wild and untamed in comparison to more heavily farmed and gardened areas.  But that was then, this was now and now a woman with a strong sense of purpose was striding down one path, her fists clenched at her sides.  Her destination was the steps of the eastern wall where her most familiar comrades were currently protecting their home base, just without her by their sides.

The wind picked up for a moment, there was a slight bite to it despite winter being long over, reminding her of a particularly ferocious night when the strong winds brushed past her as she huddled with the two men on the wall, staring into a world of white.  It had been bitter and any stray zombies had long since been frozen beneath the snow, but being this cautious had done them well thus far and there were still dangers to be had even in the depths of winter.  Fortunately, their ordinary status meant that they had not been expected to man the walls for long; their bodies were just not made for coping with the low temperatures that even the sun in the blue sky refused to warm.  So after a little more than an hour (though at that time, it had felt far longer) they had left the guard post to Tyler, who'd not long finished his dinner and was expected to take on this duty until Ren Zexian took over sometime later.

They'd complained bitterly as they'd finally reentered the house.

"I can't feel my hands," Arthur had struggled to remove his gloves.

"What are these?  Toes?  So numb!" Monika had joked wiggling them after removing wet socks for a fresh and very dry pair.

"Ha!" Jimmy had laughed before adding with his usual distasteful manner; "It's so cold, I almost forgot I had a dick!"  Monika glared at him while Arthur obligingly cuffed his ear.  "Hey!"

Stupid Jimmy, Monika sneered at the memory as she finally reached the scattered trees shielding much of the western wall from vision. 

After their jokes had fallen flat, they'd hurried into the kitchen to bask in the warmth of the cooker's heat and other bodies which still lingered there for the same purpose.  "There's some stew in the pot," Autumn had advised them.  It had been root vegetable again, a staple of their late winter diet, but no one complained.  The food had been warming, filling and still had a good taste even if it lacked originality or meat.  "And Tyler consented to us opening a bottle of this."  She then indicated the half empty bottle of brandy on the table.

It was then that they noticed many of the lingerers held tumblers and shot glasses, some holding a small amount of the dark amber liqueur, others a watered down, paler version.  Drinking alcohol was a treat usually, but everyone understood that this tipple was to chase the cold from their bones.  And as they had happened to be on the wall, the three had partaken in more than one glass each... actually they'd watched as others reluctantly filed out of the kitchen then snuck the bottle back to the men's room.

After that...

Well Monika had forbade them speaking of it... ever!  And yet, she was the one about to break her own rule as that night had left behind a small consequence that the three of them, in their merry dance of drunken lust, had completely failed to think about.

"Wait... say that again?" Jimmy demanded, poking his ears as if he'd misheard her words due to the noisy rustling of leaves caused by the strengthening breeze.

Monika repeated them clearly, one by one so that both he and Arthur could not fail to understand them.  They both looked at each other, their faces expressing their shock and incredulity.

"Seriously?" Arthur couldn't help say, his eyes glancing downward towards her midriff.  It was very flat and smooth, Arthur couldn't help but recall a flashback of memory as he'd marvelled at her toned waistline during a certain winter night and his ears felt slightly hot.

"A baby..." Jimmy murmured his line of sight targeting the same part of the woman's body.  He suddenly grinned brightly and asked; "Does that mean I'm going to be a dad?!"

These words fell into an awkward silence only interrupted by nearby birdsong.  Their trees had living birds nesting within their branches again this year.

"It's like this," Monika said, her arms crossed about her chest as she clarified the situation so it couldn't be refuted.  "I can't tell you which one of you is the biological father."  Her eyes scanned over both, the first who was of average height, light skin tone and straight, mousy brown hair and the second with rich, midnight colouring, half a foot more in height and broader in build.  "To find out, we'd have to wait until it's born, in just over six months."

"I don't mind!"  Jimmy's grin did not falter.  "Being biological or not, doesn't matter in the end!"  He turned excitedly towards Arthur and pointed the thumbs upwards on both his hands.  "Dude, we're going to be dads!"

Arthur was startled out of his trance by Jimmy's enthusiastic welcoming of the news that Monika had dropped on both of their heads and after a moment, he couldn't help but echo Jimmy's beaming smile.  He glanced at the woman that was carrying the.. their baby and a softness melted his dark eyes.  "Yeah."

Monika couldn't help but feel flustered beneath their intensely doting eyes.  "Well, so now you know," she almost stammered, turning on her heel ready to flee to the house. 

"Hold on!" Jimmy yelled out after her.  "You gotta be careful!"  Beside him Arthur grunted in agreement and they hurried after the woman.  "You don't want to trip and fall!"

"It's just walking!" Monika retorted with a snarl.  "And it's not like I'm in heels or something!"

"Still, take it slow," Jimmy's voice took on a cajoling tone that caused her to shudder.  He ignored the ugly glare she sent his way, his eyes once more drawn to her stomach.  "Better safe than sorry and all that.  Or maybe we should carry you back?"  If it wasn't for the sincerity his expression held, Monika would have taken those words as one of his poor jokes.

"Pregnant!" She declared clearly, poking a long finger into his chest.  "Not an invalid!"  With that, she continued to hurry back to the main house, but just at a slightly slower pace.  She didn't want to give the two idiots any excuse to carry out that last suggestion.  And as for their suggestion that she move into their bedroom with them, especially considering what had happened last time she had willingly entered their room, she gave them an answer, fully resolute;

"Absolutely not!"