Hi Mum, It's Sammy (Clone 63 - Part 13)

"Officer Grant, I want a word."

This morning, Officer Grant sounded friendly and congratulatory. This afternoon, it's menacing. Chuck, the senior officer in our small department, already knows I went against his orders. "Yes sir?"

"So you ignored me and went ahead about those pet reports?" he was frowning. Damn, I am so busted.

I shrugged. "Yes sir." No point in denying it. It was a nice job while it lasted.

A movement from the side of the room caught my eye. "Officer Grant," it was Merlot, grinning broadly. "Chuck says you are not allowed to take money from us. But the committee for the Pet Show wants to show our appreciation for finding our pets and saving the show." He handed me a small envelope.



I opened it to find two VIP passes to the pet show. "Everything will be on us. Drinks, nibbles, and we'd be honoured if you presented the first place trophy," Merlot added.

Stunned would be a good way to describe my reaction to the idea. "It would be my privilege to present a trophy. Are you going, Chuck?"

Chuck shook his head and took a step back. "I'm very allergic to cats. I'm not going to be anywhere near the place. But you have good cop instincts, Sam. There was a problem and now the pet nappers can wait their trials. I was wrong to neglect it but don't buck orders too often."

I went home feeling pleased and proud. The pets were home, the culprits would face their sentences and I was a proper cop.

Then walking up the drive I noticed something that brought me to a dead stop. Goby had managed to get down the stairs and into the pond in our front yard. There our toddler sat, right in the middle of the fountain. I stood there long enough that Jer came looking for me.

"What's up," he asked. I just pointed at our son.

Jericho looked over then started to grin. "Oh look at my clever little fish. You swam out there all by yourself. Now swim back to daddy."

Goby, grinning broadly, moved his arms and suddenly the fountain spray was all concentrated on Jericho, though I got splashed some. Jericho looked over at me and laughed. "That's enough showing off. Come on back, before you worry Daddy Sam any more."

I watched as Goby suddenly launched himself into the water. He dived out of sight, I would have been worried but Jericho clearly wasn’t. No wonder he said ‘little fish’. Striders do swim like fish.

Goby popped out of the water near Jer who promptly scooped him up. “What a clever little fish,” he cooed at our son.

I had a sudden unpleasant vision. I started scanning the pond for a small dark haired body. “Jericho, where's Monica?"

"She's inside. She was playing with the dollhouse a few minutes ago. Why?"

"I just had a thought about her following her brother out here. He might be able to swim, but she won't be able to." Goby probably could swim from birth, I just never thought about it.

“I have a child that can't swim?" For one moment, Jericho looked offended by the idea. After that moment passed he looked thoughtful then shook his head. "That's not acceptable. We should visit the pool later and teach Monica to swim."

"Jericho? I think we need to talk more."

"About what, love?"

"Striders. Ok, I hadn't really thought about Goby swimming and I bet you never really thought that Monica couldn't. But I don't understand what just happened when you got hit with that water? What important things do I need to know about Striders? You and your babies?" What more Strider surprises existed, it would be a good thing to know.

"Fair enough, Sam. Let's go inside. I can find some dry clothes and we can talk."

Jericho first dried off Goby and put him in some fresh clothes. Then he dried himself before pulling on some shorts. While he was doing that, I checked that Monica was still inside and playing. That momentary vision of finding a little dark haired toddler floating in the pond would take some time to forget. “Jer, promise me that you’ll never forget our some of our babies won’t be natural swimmers.”

“Sammy, I promise. I don’t want anything bad to happen to any of our babies.” He shuddered as much as I had at the thought. “It’s weird to think we're going to have to teach some of them to swim though.” He looked at me. "I might need a little help with that. Striders don't need to breath air when we swim, we have gills. A little help reminding me that you don't would be a good idea."

I stared for a moment at his neck but could see no signs of gills. “So neither you nor Goby could ever drown?" He nodded. "Now, about the other thing Goby did. Did he really send the fountain water right at you?”

Jericho sat close to me on the couch. “I probably should have told you so much more about my people before I told you about the bond. But I was afraid I might lose you if I did. All Striders have some degree of power over water. What Goby did was quite literally child’s play. It’s one of the first things a Strider will learn to do with water. We can make water go where we will. Though Goby is very very young to show his power, I wouldn’t have expected it for at least another 2 or 3 years. From there, some Striders can develop a range of magic. Some can master wind and water together, others change the tides and current, and yet others can create permanent objects made only of water. There’s a lot of different forms Strider magic can take, and some Striders are more powerful in magic then others.”

“So, what can you do? Other than steal hearts?”

“Actually, Sam, I’m kind of pathetic for a Strider.” Jericho was looking a bit sheepish. “I can barely do more than Goby. Well, I can suppress the magic from another Strider but that's not an admired ability for us. My lack of talent is one of the three reasons that I was chosen to send to land.”

I looked at Jer. “So if it’s one of three, what are the other two?”

“One was age. I’ve only just reached maturity so I’d have plenty of time to accomplish goals on land. And the last and most important was the Seer. She predicted that a great good would come to our people if I were the one they sent on the mission.”

“Well, so much for that prediction. You just have me.”

“Sammy, my people think very long term. It might be that the prediction is about one of our children. It might be that it's about one of our grandchildren.” He turned to kiss me. “I’m sure that you are part of the prediction, that would explain the blessing when we bonded. It was truly meant to be. Ah, that’s something else I should tell you.”

“What’s that?”

“Strider males are capable of carrying babies. Effectively, I could get pregnant. The science lab option just means no one has to bother with it. Even without the science lab, we could have children.”

I tried pregnant Jericho as a mental image. “Jer, I’m sure you’d be adorable pregnant. But I really just can’t imagine it.” I raised one hand and started ticking off the points. “So, you normally live 500 to 600 years, can do magic, you have gills, your Strider babies can swim from birth, you can get pregnant,  and there’s no way known that I can ditch you.” I grinned at Jer. “Don’t know why you thought I might run away screaming unless you have a few more surprises. You’re the one stuck for a lifetime with the boring mate.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sam. You are certainly not a boring mate.” Jericho spent the next few minutes proving his words.

“There is one more thing that bothers me. Jericho, suppose you were wrong? Suppose my life isn’t as long as a Strider, your life will be as short as what mine would be, 80 or maybe 90 years?”

“Sammy, my love. I’d rather live 50 years with you than 1000 years without.”

----

Side note - what the boys don't realise yet and probably won't for some years is that their non-Strider children will have normal Sim lifespans. So basically, Monica will grow up, grow old and die while Jericho and Sam are still young adults.

BAD Jer! Do not bat those lovely eyes at Eddie.

This is what naughty Striders have to do. Remember it and don't fail me again.

The dollhouse seems to be one of the few ways toddlers can start to get to know each other.

I told you to cuddle. Get with the program boys.

Poor Howie. He's a bit neglected.