Hi Mum, It's Sammy (The Return of Clone 63 - Part 7)

Sunrise over the ocean, it was always such a beautiful sight.

"Jericho, I had the weirdest dream last night. I dreamt that you and I had gone through this time portal and into the future. Do you think that Goby had anything to do with it?"

I could imagine our son doing something like that, just to test his newfound ability to influence dreams. It had been the most realistic dream. If it had been Goby, he was already an artist at creating dreams.

"Sammy, you might want to check your pockets first," was the mysterious response from Jericho.

I started to checked my pockets and realised that I had on the same black outfit that I'd acquired during the dream. Wait, what?

Then I felt around the pocket and found the little holodisk sprite. He's definitely from the future, I'd never seen anything quite like it in this time. They seemed quite common in the future.

"Good morning, little fellow. You're real?" I asked it.

It didn't reply in words, I don't think they can. But it brightened with the sun and looked happy to be out.

"Yes, Sam, they are real," Jericho said. He had also pulled his from a pocket to talk to for a moment. "I'm pretty sure no matter how real Goby can make dreams, we wouldn't have new clothes or these little guys from a dream."

I shook my head. "Hard to believe that was real though. Robots of all types, hover boards, jet packs."

He chuckled, "Jet pack smooching. Plus we have plenty of descendants. Our family lives on well into the future, Sam. I love knowing that."

I smiled at Jericho. "I bet you've been especially pleased since learning that there will be plenty of Striders in the sea. You have made a difference for your people."

"Well," he said as he scooped up Anemone. "The three Striders we have is a start but I still need to go back to the Depths. I need to tell my clan about the science lab and how Striders can have children that way."

I tried not to let Jericho know how deeply that idea worried me. I know we are tied together forever. I can feel our bond. Still there is some part of me that worries that perhaps Jericho would find the depths attractive enough to stay. Forever tied and forever apart. It was the scariest thought I'd ever had. Far worse than mere death.

Jer, in the meantime, had put Anemone down and picked up Seahorse.

That's when I found that I wasn't nearly far enough away from Jericho to hide the fact that his statement made me nervous.  "Love, I promise, I'll only be gone for a few days. Whenever I go to the Depths, it will only be for the briefest time that I can manage. I wish you could go. I really do."

I sighed. "So do I, love. We've never been apart for more than a few hours. A few days are going to feel like forever."

"I'm not ready to go yet and I want to take Goby along, so we'll have to wait until a school holiday. And Sam?"

"Yes?"

"One of the reasons that I want to take Goby is he could decide to stay in the Depths. It will be up to him but I know that my clan would welcome him."

I blinked. "Seriously, you'd leave our son behind?"

"Don't think of it that way, Sam. It's his heritage, just as valid as his land based heritage from you. The choice should be his." He smiled. "I don't think Goby will be ready this time, but he'll meet some others in the clan. If he's as strong a Dreamwalker as I think; once he's met them, he can visit in dreams whenever he likes."

Well, the idea of Goby leaving us forever and Jer leaving home for a few days upset me. But now it was my turn to potentially upset Jericho. "Jer, Love, I have a really really big favour to ask of you." I looked into his deep blue eyes. "You might not like this." I shuddered to think how much he might not like this.

"Sam, you should know that I can't say no to you about anything," Jericho replied.

"You know that Seahorse and Anemone are going to be starting school soon? They'll need bigger beds and I know you'd like more kids and ..." I hesitated. "I want to move, Jer."

"Oh goddess, I knew it. You want to move back to the plains." Jericho's stress at the thought was obvious. "I knew living here was too good to last."

"No, no, forever no!" I replied emphatically. "Jericho, I told you when we moved here that we'd never live far from the sea again. I don't want to move back to the plains."

"Then what do you want, Sammy?"

"I want a house, Jer. A freaking huge house with tons of space. I'm not coping well with just a houseboat. How can we fit beds in for Seahorse and Anemone? How can we have any more kids until Monica and Goby move away from home?"

Jericho sighed in relief. "Is that all? I've been so afraid that you would want to move back to the plains someday." He pulled me into a hug. "You really don't want to go back?"

"No, Jericho. I've known this move was right for you from the moment we stepped on the islands. Just being near the sea seems to have made you much more relaxed and happy."

"It has, Sammy. It really has. But if you weren't planning on going there, why did you think I might not like it?"

"Well, love.  I found a lovely huge home. It overlooks the sea but there isn't any direct access. And I'm afraid that we'll basically be broke once we buy it." I pulled away from him to look into those marvellous blue eyes. "Like, seriously, everything we have will go into it."

"Sammy, I'm not afraid of being poor with you. Not that I expect we'd stay low on cash for any length of time. The resort is going very nicely now." He sighed. "Though I will miss the ability to just dive off the boat and into the water."

"You will be all right with this?"

"Yes, Sam. You hold my heart and I will be wherever you are. Whether it be this boat, or a house, or a tiny flat that we can't move around in or a freaking cave in the middle of nowhere. You are the most important thing in my life." He pulled me into a big smooch. "It will be a pity that we can't just position our home above the Depths. But if it takes a bigger house on land to make you happy, then we move, Sammy."

It took us a couple of weeks to make the arrangements. We sold the houseboat as is, leaving behind the furniture and all. I'd done the inspection of the new house and it had furniture.

Some of what it had, I'd want to change over time but it would do for now.

The main advantage of leaving the furniture behind was that made the actual move quite simple. The family piled into a water taxi and off we went.

Our new home was on a different island. It would be a bit harder for me to get to work and the kids to get to school. We'd have to catch water taxis every day.

On the other hand, we were going to be much closer to the resort. Jericho could check on it in person far more often.

The new house was also so spacious. The kitchen alone was nearly the size of the lower deck of the boat. Above the garage was a small apartment. Nice space for Goby and Monica to be a bit away from the chaos of their younger siblings. There were several other bedrooms and best of all, a nice large back yard for relaxing.

The pool in the back was big enough for Monica and I to do serious laps. Jericho and Goby would probably find it barely big enough to splash around in. That's fine, the ocean isn't that far away. It's likely even our toddlers wouldn't find it much of a challenge to swim across.

We arrived and the kids were excited about all the possibilities of the new place. "Pop, is it all right if I try out the pool?"

"Sure Goby, the agent told me that they'd had a regular service while this place was empty," I told him.

"Why would this place stay empty? It's wonderful. It's so much bigger than the boat," said Monica.

I guess they don't really remember the home we had in the plains which was also big. Goby and Monica were still pretty young when we moved. "Mostly because this house costs a lot. Expensive homes can sometimes take a long time to sell," I explained.

Goby went off to have a swim while Monica wandered around the house to examine everything.

"Happier, Sammy?"

"Very much so, Love." I pulled him into a big hug. "I guess it's just a fundamental difference between us. To me, the houseboat just felt too tiny for us."

"For me, it was huge. All that lovely water surrounding it? Just an extension of our home." We stopped hugging and he stared at me. "I do tend to forget that water is my home, not yours."

"I know, love. I have to remind myself that your natural place is water. But I hope this is close enough to be perfect for all of us."

"I think so, Sammy. I think so."

I grabbed him, whirled him around and went in for a kiss.

"Hey, sexy. I got something to show you that I think will make you very happy," I whispered in his ear.

"What?"

"Gonna have to wait for it, sexy. But not very long." I pulled him back up. "I want you to follow me upstairs."

"Hmm, bit early for bed, isn't it?" Jericho teased as we went upstairs.

"That wasn't quite what I had in mind to show you." I opened one door and lead the way in. "Tada, a complete nursery. Full of everything a baby needs."

It really was an amazing nursery. Crib, toys, potty, and everything that a baby and toddler needs.

Jericho looked around the room. I could see his eyes pass over the toys on the shelves, the bookcase of toddler books, the toy chest. "Sammy, I'm speechless."

"Isn't it the best thing?"

Jericho looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes. "Well, no. Not quite. Having a nursery is not quite the best thing."

I laughed. "I know where that thought is going. The twins are going to be having their birthday soon, and when they don't need cribs..."

"More babies? Please tell me you would like more babies."

"Of course, more babies. Eventually a lot of babies but only one or two for the moment."

Jericho pulled me close. "Two?" he asked quietly. "Can we have twins again?"

"Aren't you tired of two at a time?" I replied.

"Never. I never get tired of twins. I fucking love twins. Please?" He kissed me hard, leaving me breathless.

I had to smile when he finally pulled back. "Twins is a lovely idea. That way, you can't hog all the baby time. If we only had one, would I get any time with the baby?"

"Not a lot, Sammy. I guess occasionally if I'm asleep or something but not a lot of time."

"In that case, we definitely have two more. I'll get very grumpy if I don't have my baby time."

"Oh dear. You know I don't like you very grumpy. Maybe just a little grumpy from time to time," he chuckled at me. I'm lucky that he understands my moods.

Our oldest children had discovered another room in the new house.

A little tiny workout room. They both decided to take advantage of it.

I wasn't surprised. Jericho and I like to keep fit, that our children would want to is pretty natural.

It wasn't long after the move that Seahorse and Anemone had their birthday.

For the big occasion, we each grabbed a toddler and brought them to separate cakes.

Jericho had picked up Seahorse first.

So I had little Anemone.

"Big breath! Now blow out the candles and make a wish."

With a little extra help, all the candles were out.

"Your turn, little one. One, two, three, blow!"

"Hurray! You'll get your wish, Anemone."

I looked up to see Jericho headed out the back. "Jer?"

He didn't even slow down. "Sorry, Sam. I need a minute to myself."

Poor Jer. The idea that our babies are about to start school seems to have depressed him.

We will definitely have to see about more babies soon. Sooner would be better.

Seahorse and Anemone have grown up very well.


Bonus pics

glitch pic

I have no idea what Jericho said to Sammy but

Sammy was seriously ticked off and poor Anemone looks like "Let me down! I don't want to be in the middle of this!"

Poor child. Fortunately, her dads very very rarely do this but man, when Sammy is ticked off, you do not want to be near him.

Goby, honestly, why didn't you go for a swim. You are dressed for it. Damn you boy, you ruined the shot.

Sam and Jericho got over their little spat very quickly.

Sammy having another grumbly moment. What is your problem, Sam?

"We are nearly broke. All because of you!"

I know, I was the one who really wanted the move. Trying to get half decent angles on that boat was maddening.

Original kitchen look ummmm. One colour palette for the wall paper, a different thing for the floor tiles and a different one again for the cabinets. Yuck.

down 1

down 2 derp

Has anyone been missing Sammy's bum? No? Oh well, here it is, just in case you did.