Dear Diary,

I swear to god on high if I ever figure out who the fuck decided I'm supposed to be Team Mom? I'm gonna think of something bad to do to them. Ass-kicking seems appropriate.

Weren't you the one who decided to marry a woman with a child?

Yeah, what about it?

That would make you the one who decided you were joining Team Mom, no?

Oh, fuck me.

No thank you, Tabitha.

At any rate, last night instead of falling into bed I collapsed onto Marie's floor cushion bed. I woke to the three of us spooned up together in a warm little nest. I don't mind being big spoon to Isnomi's little spoon, but I really did miss having Saffron there between us, or on the far side of her, or fuck, just in the room. I lay there in the warm wishing for a while before I got a sudden rush of brains to the head.

Saffron? You awake?

Mmgphrgl... I am now. Is everything good?

I Co-Located to her location, and wound up naked on top of a mound of blankets with Saffron's mouth sticking out of it. I did my insta-dressing trick to cover myself with my fur coat, but before that, because I have my priorities in order, I kissed her.

"Well. Someone's feeling affectionate today," she whispered when we came up for air.

"I missed you."

She pushed her blankets aside enough she could look at me. "No, I think you hit me pretty accurately. If you'd been two feet to the side, Mary would have gotten a rather intimate wake up call."

I glanced to the side and saw one of Saffron's Veterans lying beside her. That's also when I noticed we were in a low tent, the sides bowed in a little like something had pressed in on them. Mary cracked open one eye and said, "morning already?"

Saffron replied, "not quite yet. My wife just decided to make a surprise visit." She turned back to me and said, "I assume Isnomi is with Marie?"

"Nah, I'm still there. I mean, yeah, Marie's there too, but I wouldn't leave her alone to deal with the Menace's Morning Marauding."

One of her eyebrows shot up. "You've figured out Loki's trick where he's in more than one place at a time?"

"High Priestess, Boon, yada yada."

"Oh, really? That opens up quite a few possibilities."

I sighed histrionically. "Not as much fun as you think. Having two of me in one place is a little painful. The closer together, the worse it is. So no Saffron Sandwich. Yet."

"Yet?"

I nodded sagely. "Yet."

"Now you have me curious. How exactly do you plan on working around that particular limitation?"

I looked around like I was worried about someone about to hear a deep, dark secret. Of course Mary saw, so I winked at her before stage-whispering, "I'm going to grant it as a Boon to my wife, who will figure out how to filter out the feedback."

That got a genuine laugh out of her, and she wriggled her arms free to embrace me. I leaned into her for some serious tonsil-hockey until we both heard a bugle sounding in the distance. She pulled away, sighing as she did so. "I've missed you, Goof. But that would be our signal to get up and start the day."

I gave her one last squeeze, said, "see you later," and Translocated back to being one of me snuggled in between Marie and Isnomi. The menace chose that moment to wriggle around, sniff at me, and say, "Ma?"

"I paid her a little visit, Menace." Her lip shot out a little, and I nipped her next idea in the bud before she said it. "No, you may not visit her while she's in an active war zone. That is no place for little girls. Or big ones, before you remind me." She snuggled into me, and before I realized what she was doing, my chest was wet from her quiet sobbing. "I know, Menace. I do. She's very busy, but I'll see if she can't visit some time between now and Monday, okay?"

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She nodded, but didn't stop crying until Marie put her arms around us both and purred for a while.

Once she settled, I half turned to Marie and asked, "is it time to get going?"

"Yes."

"Nothing for it, then. Rip the band aid off."

She yoinked the covers off all three of us, which brought us from vaguely coherent to fully awake stupid fast, lemme tell ya. Isnomi beat me to the armoire because where I took the time to stand up, she straight up scrambled to it on all fours, then leapt up and grabbed one of the dangling ends of the bow knot we'd tied it shut with. Her weight pulled it undone, and she kept yanking to get the door to open. I reached in and handed her one of her little uniforms, and she scrambled to get into it. I did the same. Somehow Marie beat us both to fully dressed. She scooped Isnomi up and helped her with her boots and jacket. Once we had everything where it went, it was time for hugs and kisses, and then the two of them left for a day of Marie things and carting.

At breakfast I looked over to the Barbie Brigade table to see Lancaster sitting in his normal spot. He looked a little worse for wear, which was more than a little disturbing, what with the Brigade's focus on appearance and all. After I'd shoveled a few trays into the pie hole, I got up and wandered over to his table.

He noticed me coming. "Diaz."

"Good Morning, Lancaster. You sure you're up for today?"

He looked offended. Because that's kinda his default state, really. Or maybe just when I'm around. "A Lancaster would hardly let a little post-illness fatigue keep him from his duties."

I facepalmed. "Yeah, I get that, doing your duty and all, but I don't want you to wind up getting yourself sick again because you went out before you were ready. I'd rather you miss one day now than a week later."

"Do you seriously think me that frail?"

I shook my head. "No, I consider you human."

"There's your mistake. I am Dan, and nothing so simple as a chill will keep me from my duty."

I threw my hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay, I get it. I get it. I do. Just, I dunno, dress extra warm today?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother."

Due diligence done, I returned to the ROTC table and consumed mass quantities. When he got up, I nodded to the rest of the ROTCs and got up as well; breakfast was nearly over anyhow. I followed him to the entrance to the Men's dormitory. He looked at me as he passed through the Filtration Ward and said, "I am fully capable of dressing myself."

"Yeah, just making sure you made it here okay."

His only reply was a snort before he walked away. Ten minutes later, he returned wearing his big fur coat again. I walked with him toward the entrance, but when he turned to go up the steps I said, "No practice today."

He turned to me, "you still need more."

I nodded. "Yeah, and if you're not sick tomorrow I'll think about it. But today? No practice."

"But..."

"Don't make me put you back in the infirmary, Lancaster."

"Was that a threat?"

I shook my head and insta-changed into my own fur coat and hat. "No. It was a warning. A promise, even. If I see you doing something dumb, I'm going to make damn sure you stop before it impacts me. I'm the one who had to watch our whole fuckin' section of the wall solo for the past couple days."

He looked like he was about to blow a gasket at that, but eventually he choked down whatever he'd been about to say and replied, "fine. As thanks for covering for me as I lay ill, no practice today."

I nodded, "thank you."

We walked the rest of the way to our post on the wall in silence, our only detour a stop at Drivers' to pick up breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lancaster gave me a look, so I said, "you need the calories to keep from freezing your skinny ass off. Not to mention to help you recover."

He sighed and shook his head, but once we got to the wall and I handed him his breakfast, he wasn't stupid enough to say no to Papa Driver's cooking. Apparently he can be taught.

We didn't practice at all today, just walked our section of the wall side-by-side at a leisurely pace. He gave me a little shit about it, but I just refused to walk any faster, and he didn't push it.

We ate lunch walking, and while we did I thought to Saffron, how goes it, Kitten?

She sounded a little distracted when she replied, it goes, Goof.

What's up? You sound distracted.

I'm currently organizing three foraging groups; we're cutting down trees to make rafts.

Rafts?

You remember your pontoon bridge idea?

Yeah?

There's a river on the far side of the open killing field, right in front of Newark's walls. There's a bridge, but that would mean we all had to be on a choke point, so General Lancaster is having us put together rafts to make pontoon bridges.

Damn. I'm really glad we didn't wax him. Or Odin.

I suppose I am too, but coordinating three groups isn't terribly fun.

Why three groups?

Because General Lancaster assigned all of the Cadets one or two 'spare' units as well as our own to go about foraging and building rafts.

Fair. Be safe, logging can be dangerous.

I will. You too, I don't want to hear about you falling off the wall.

Love you, Kitten.

Love you, Goof.

With that she was gone. I spent the rest of the day walking back and forth along the wall with Lancaster; late in the afternoon we ate the dinner we'd gotten at Drivers', and Lancaster didn't so much as bat an eye. Apparently he knows when he's not going to budge me on something. Or maybe he just likes Papa Driver's cooking. Yeah, probably the cooking.

When he finished eating, he said, "You know, for Bag food this is pretty good."

There it is. World no longer topsy-turvy. "Y'know, for a Dan, you're not nearly as much of an asshole as I'd expect."

I walked him back to the Academy as the sun set. Once I got him back inside the building, I considered my due diligence done and Translocated back to our room, fully intending to collapse.

Saffron apparently had much more active ideas, and lying in her tent pretending to sleep wasn't something she really needed to pay attention to. Co-Location for the win. Marie showed up with Isnomi around an hour later, the Menace completely tuckered out and snoozing on the cart. We woke her just long enough for Saffron to snuggle into bed with the three of us.

"Can't stay the night, I'm afraid. I do need my sleep."

"I know. Sleep well, Kitten."

"You too, Goof."