was looking at exactly. The blue pixels were confusing at first, and he tried to discern what he was seeing. He couldn’t make sense of the strange shading and pulsing until it moved.
A tiny arm. The smallest hand. Thin fingers.
A skinny leg. A kicking foot. Toes that seemed impossibly little.
His breath caught in his throat as the baby turned its face fully toward the ultrasound drape. A nose. Two eyes. Chubby cheeks. A mouth.
He marveled at the image of their child. Maisie grinned at him, her eyes shining with tears of joy, and he couldn’t help himself. He leaned over and kissed her right there in front of everyone.
Risk clapped him on the back. “Congratulations, Terror.”
“Do you want to know the sex?” Axiom asked while measuring the baby.
Terror did, but he glanced at Maisie to see what she thought. If she wanted it to be a surprise, he would agree. “Do you?”
“It’s a boy,” she said matter-of-factly.
“How do you know?”
Maisie shrugged. “I just do.”
Terror repeated her statement, and Axiom laughed. “She’s right.” He pointed to a spot on the screen where their baby was showing an undeniable part of his anatomy. “You’re having a boy.”
Makes smiled smugly. “See? Told you.”
Terror clasped her hand. “You did.”
Lost in the excitement of seeing his first child, Terror shared tender smiles with Maisie as Axiom completed his exam. After setting up her future appointments and assigning them reading tasks for the parenting course the ship required, Axiom discharged Maisie from the med bay.
“Terror.” Axiom stopped him as Maisie and Risk continued walking toward the checkout desk for pamphlets Risk wanted her to read.
“Yes?”
“I didn’t want to ask in front of your mate, but do you want me to schedule tests on the baby?”
Terror frowned. “For what?”
“Deafness.”
And there it was. The ugly reminder that his world was so fucking backwards.
“No.”
“You’re sure?” Axiom seemed surprised.
“Is there anything you can do to fix it?”
“This far into the pregnancy?” Axiom shook his head. “If it were earlier, in the first trimester, you can choose to terminate the Defect. No reason to waste resources and risk the mother’s health for an undesirable outcome.”
Terror bristled. “I’m going to say this once so listen carefully. If you ever say shit like that to me or my mate again, you’re going to have an undesirable outcome.”
“Terror,” Axiom protested. “That’s not what I meant. Clinically, according to our medical guidelines, I have to suggest termination for Defec—,” he stopped himself at the murderous expression on Terror’s face. “For fetuses that don’t meet the minimal standards of health.”
“Noted.” Terror stepped into him, forcing Axiom to step back and hit the wall. “Am I going to have a problem trusting my mate in your care?”
“I better not,” Terror warned. He left Axiom there and went after Maisie who now stood patiently at the checkout desk. She flashed him a happy smile, and his irritation with Axiom vanished. Still, he couldn’t forget Maisie’s remarks all those months ago about changing the laws that governed life in the Alliance. Knowing that their children might face the same cruel prejudice that she had angered him.
I’m a Director now. I have clout. I can make a difference. I can change things. He glanced down at Maisie, watching the way she idly rubbed her pregnant belly. I have to change the laws for our family.
“Everything okay?” she asked as they waited for the elevator. “You seem tense.”
“Just thinking about all the things I have to do now that I’m back.” He slid his arm around her waist and tugged her in close. He brushed a soft kiss to the top of her head. “I love you.”
She couldn’t hear him, but she could feel the vibrations of sound. She glanced up questioningly, and he repeated himself. She smiled lovingly back at him, and then, a bit coy, she asked, “Are you going to show me how much?”
The elevator arrived, and he had never been gladder for the privacy of it. He ushered her inside, and as soon as the doors were closed, he crowded her into the nearest corner. She giggled, and he captured her mouth, muting the sound and drawing a low, long moan instead. She looped her arms around his shoulders, and he wanted nothing more than to pick her up, shove her pants out of the way and claim her right then and there.
His watch vibrated at exactly the wrong moment and forced him away from those lascivious thoughts. He grunted in