Alien Proliferation

might be able to find everyone.”
    Chuckie gave me a long look. I knew he was angry. “They might be killed, too. Or captured. Why don’t we take the baby along, Kitty? She’s worth a lot to whoever’s in charge, I’m sure.”
    “We could also argue about this for the next several hours and lose more of our people. Or, we can go.” Jeff wasn’t arguing with Chuckie. I didn’t want to fight both of them. Besides, Jamie needed to be fed.
    “Fine. You’re the ones in charge. I’m on maternity leave. I get it.” Everyone, to a person, geez, to a Poof, turned and stared at me, in obvious shock.
    Jeff gaped at me. “Who are you, and what have you done to my wife?”
    “I don’t like it, okay? I’m just accepting it.” Ungracefully, but at least accepting it.
    Jeff stroked my neck. “You’re sidelined for your safety and Jamie’s safety, not because you’re not a good leader.” He looked back at the Gower girls. “I agree with Reynolds. You two aren’t going anywhere.”
    “What about us?” Emily looked ready to keep on arguing.
    Jeff sighed. “I’ll concede, only because it may take us longer than we want to find them and medical could be an issue. I’d like to remind the two of you, though, that we have a chain of command, and you’re at the bottom of it. You’re not married to me, so don’t think you’re going to order me around and have it work the moment we leave this room.”
    Melanie nodded. “Agreed.”
    “Yes.” Emily gave me a sympathetic smile. “We’ll do our best to cover your side of the operation.”
    “You mean you’re going to get into trouble, fall from a great height, and ignore everything Jeff, Reynolds, or I say?” Christopher’s snark was back, just in time for the offensive. How nice.
    “Whatever. Let’s get going. Everyone get to the launch area.” Jeff kissed me, not nearly long enough. “You behave,” he whispered in my ear. “We’ll be back as fast as we can be. I love you, baby.”
    “I love you, too.” I held him as tightly as I could. We broke apart; he kissed Jamie and handed her gently back to me. Then the A-Cs each grabbed a human, and they all took off, leaving me and the Gower girls to hold down the boring fort.

 
    CHAPTER 44
     
    I HEAVED A SIGH. “I need to feed the baby.”
    “We’ll help.” Naomi seemed as let down as I felt. “I guess they’re right. We don’t have any field experience, and you have the baby.”
    “Yeah, it just sucks.” I went into the bedroom, and they came with me.
    Abigail cocked her head. “You know, maybe you should change, just in case.”
    “I look that bad?”
    “Well, the outfit’s a little baggy now.” She grinned at me and went into the closet.
    Did the torpedo thing. Naomi was a great help. Abigail rummaged for clothes for me. “You want your usual jeans and a T-shirt?” she asked from inside the closet. “Or a sweater? Or, wow, you have an Aerosmith thermal. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
    “Have you been shadowing me for like all my life?”
    “No. Chuck talks about you all the time. I mean, all the time. All. The. Time.”
    “Doesn’t that get old fast?”
    Naomi shook her head. “I think it’s helping him get over you.”
    “Talking about me constantly? Sounds like just the opposite to me.” I was getting worried about Chuckie. What if Christopher was right and he never did get over me? I loved him, and I wanted him to have a good, happy life. How could he do that if he remained romantically in love with me forever?
    Naomi took Jamie and burped her in between torpedo switching. “He’s been in love with you for over half his life now. And he’s been in love with you , not what he thinks you are or would become, but as you were, for every stage of your life.”
    “Great. I feel like the worst woman in the world now, thanks ever.” Took Jamie back, put her on torpedo two. She ate like a horse. Of course, her daddy was hung like one, so maybe that was why. Started thinking about sex with Jeff, managed to drag my mind back to the present situation. Sort of wished I hadn’t—my old buddy Guilt was making a surprise reappearance. Guilt loved the idea of Chuckie never finding anyone else, because Guilt really enjoyed its career.
    “Don’t. Chuck understands.” Naomi sat down on the bed next to me while Abigail brought my change of clothes over. “He won’t let you go, ever. But that’s not a bad thing.”
    “Uh, how? I mean, how does him being obsessed with