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ExplicitNovelsAudio novels of human relationships and fantasies. Author: Steamy Stories
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Quaranteam Down Under: Part 9
Saturday, 10 January, 2026
Quaranteam Down Under: Part 9Blood, Bullets, and Bonds, what’s an Aussie soldier to do?Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. List of Characters:House Marshall:Tiberius ‘Ty’ Marshall, 35, Lieutenant Colonel Australian Army Special Air Service. Black Hair, Grey Eyes. Big teddy bear.Charlotte ‘Lottie’, Valiant, 35, Captain Australian Army Special Air Service, Red hair, long hair, service submissive.Leticia ‘Lettie’, Valiant, 35, Captain Australian Army Special Air Service, Red hair, shoulder length hair, tomboy.Talia Becker, 27, Major Israeli Defense Force, Black hair, long hair, braided, willful, but devoted.Alice Rai, 31, Doctor of Medicine, Black hair, blue eyes, partial Indian descent, complete submissive.Elizabeth Connors, 21, younger sister of Jaxson Connors. University Student, FinanceBéatrice Martin, 32, with French Directorate-General for External Security. Tech expert and hobby tinker. Blonde, Blue eyes.House Valiant:Rayne Valiant, 28, 6'10, fit and muscular. Scientist, younger brother of the twins and head of Australian Quaranteam Project Research and Development.Simone Jennings, 22, 2nd Lieutenant, Black hair, blue eyes, African descent, one of Rayne's dedicated security.Patricia 'Trish' Barclay, 23, Lieutenant, Blonde hair. Girl next door vibes.House Morgan:Benjamin Morgan, 36, Doctor. Was acting (under duress) on behalf of the same Sheikh as Connors. Ex-wife and daughter kidnapped. Deceased.Grace Lawry, 33, Captain, US Air Force. Tiberius' old friend. Partnered with Benjamin Morgan and the person who involved Ty in the Quaranteam Project.Theresa Miller, 28, Latest addition to House Morgan. Details currently unknown. Critically InjuredOthers:Zoe Evans, 19, daughter of Tiberius' good friends Toby and Matilda Evans and Tiberius' 'niece'. University Student.William 'Bill' Anderson, Colonel. Somewhat stiff, but very capable officer.Barry 'Baz' Davis, Brigadier. Good friend of Tiberius. In charge of personnel at Victoria Barracks.Jaxson Connors, Major, currently under arrest for abuse of authority and attempted murder. Was working with a Sheikh to develop the Assassin Variant of DuoHalo.Juno Claudius, Lawyer friend of Tiberius and the Evans'. Has two children; Bellona(Bella) and Mars, twins, 6 years old."Tiberius!"He ignored her, finding his uniform pants draped over a nearby chair and shuffling over to them. Putting them on would be an exercise in restraint and skill, what with one arm in a sling and bandages around his midsection. If either of them heard him voice his discomfort, they'd chain him to the bed for sure. He couldn't see his shirt, but then again, he didn't expect to. No matter. Hospital gown and pants would do the trick."You stubborn oaf! You could have died! You actually were bleeding out! You need to rest and let your body recover before you go pulling any of this nonsense!"Talia was almost screaming the words as she stood there, barely centimeters away, but Ty knew it was coming from a place of worry and stress. Sinking into the chair, he grabbed Talia's wrist and pulled her into his lap. She didn't resist, startled at the suddenness of the action, and the big man wrapped his arm around the beautiful Israeli woman, holding her close."I get what you're saying. I also get why you're saying it. I appreciate it, my love. But while my health is certainly on your mind, you haven't said what's really bothering you." Ty felt her stiffening at the words 'my love' and suddenly, everything became clear. "Ah. Well. I got a little sidetracked that day, but I had intended to ask you to join me for a private dinner date, just the two of us. And though I reckon the item I ordered isn't quite ready yet, it was nevertheless going to be a night to remember. Tonight still can be that night, though."Taking her left hand in his right, he brought it up to his lips and kissed just over where a ring would go. It was an action filled with a great deal of meaning and Talia buried her head in his chest, clearly unable to keep the smile from her face. "Idiot. With you injured as you are, I wouldn't be able to do half of what I'd want to. Nor would I be able to do it with half as much intensity." She turned her head and gave Béatrice a glance, her smile threatening to split her face in half. "Plus, you will likely have two women to imprint today as it is."The French woman tutted. "Nonsense. I can hold off for another day. I also do have something of a request, if you don't mind, Tiberius?"The big man nodded, sweeping his left arm out for her to continue before remembering that the arm in question was in a sling and not going to move very fast, or without pain. When he winced, Talia shifted and pulled the arm back to his side before getting up and allowing the French woman to take her place on his lap."Would you take me on another date as well?" For the first time, their eyes met, and though he could see the undertones of lust, there were two overarching emotions in her eyes among the myriad others. One was hope; hope he'd agree. Hope she'd make the impression she clearly thought she hadn't before. Hope that the relationship she'd wanted would bloom this time. But it was the second emotion that brought Ty's brain to a crashing halt.That emotion, in those unforgettable eyes.I know those eyes.Rebooting, his eyes widened and he felt a renewed sense of guilt that he hadn't done right by the woman the last time they'd met. He'd agreed to go out with his brother and the two French ladies, but it hadn't been all that long since his last relationship had ended and he'd been distracted. Ty had to admit that with him being summarily abandoned by his previous partner, he wasn't in the right headspace for a date, but he hadn't been able to say no after just reconciling with his brother.Over the course of that night, Ty hadn't once looked the woman in the eyes. Oh, he'd looked at her, and he'd conversed politely, but that hadn't been fair to her. Sure, he'd been hurting inside, but that gave him no right to hurt others with his casual cruelty. How he wished he could go back and kick himself.And still she looked at him with those azure eyes. Eyes he hadn't seen during their previous encounter. Because I never looked her in the eyes after that. I'm a bastard."Definitely. And this time, Béa, you will get the evening you deserved the first time. The evening my self-absorbed ass should have given you then."He knew those eyes. He'd seen them once before, long ago. Long before the double date. How had he not put it together in all this time? The borderline obsession she seemed to have with him. Her insistence on him."Amsterdam. In the alley. That was you."At the mention of the city, Béa smiled so brightly she outshone the sun and she leaned in to kiss the man that had changed her fate all those years ago. Unable to believe it, Ty stared into those eyes; those pools of purest azure blue. When he had last seen them, the woman, Béa, Ty had to correct himself, had much longer hair, and it was midnight black, falling in waves around her face, not the straight ash blonde locks she shared with her sisters. She had been drunk, maybe drugged; he didn't know for sure at the time and hadn't been able to stick around for the report. He and two of the guys from the unit had been on leave, crawling through the pubs and nightlife of the famous city when they'd come across the scene. Six men were holding her down while she struggled. Their intent was clear, and the three Australians had intervened.Three highly trained soldiers against a group of drunks. It wasn't anything as overstated as a fight. It was cleaned up in less than thirty seconds and while his companions had watched over the groaning goons, Ty had checked Béa's injuries. She had seemed dazed, but at the very least she was conscious. He knelt beside her and pulled his jacket off, checking for severe damage before he covered her. He could already see the bruises forming on her face, and scowled, wanting to turn and inflict further injury on the clowns behind him, but he met her gaze and was frozen to the spot.Those perfect azure eyes. At that moment, they were filled with fear and panic at the situation around her, but they were no less beautiful for it.He spoke gently, his eyes never wandering, not knowing if she spoke English, but he tried nevertheless, hoping his tone would do enough to keep her calm while he called for a cab. He could see that it was having some effect, as the fear and panic in them was slowly, but surely replaced with calm, and then something else. It was only when the cab arrived that he broke eye contact and lifted her in his arms. Ty gave the cabbie a single word, hospital, as he gently placed the bruised woman in the back seat and sat down beside her. All the while, her gaze never left Ty's face; her hand gripping his sleeve like a lifeline.The moment they entered the hospital, the staff took one look and forcibly separated them, holding Ty in the lobby while security glared at him. At some point, a couple of others raced past him, their ash blonde hair flying like banners behind them. Ty ignored them, his attention focused on the security people who looked ready to attack him at any moment.Eventually, a nurse came in and apologized, letting him know that Béa had vouched for him, but that she couldn't allow visitors aside from family, and they were already there. He nodded and asked the nurse to pass on a message, saying that he had to leave. He gave her a note with his name and a message to look him up if she was ever in Australia. With that, he had turned and left.Back in the moment, Béa, still straddling Ty's lap, pulled something out of her chest pocket and showed it to the big man. He glanced down at it reluctantly, not wanting to break eye contact, but had to do a double take when he saw what it was. The note. Clearly laminated as if to preserve it. His eyes found hers again, and she smiled as the tears began to flow.Those eyes hadn't changed at all. They were, just as they had been 10 years ago in that darkened alley, watching him, filled with adoration."Finally, you see me, mon amour. I have long awaited this day.""I wasn't the only one to help you, Béa. Why me?""I have long since tracked down the other two and thanked them for what they did. I did also tell them not to tell you about it, since I wanted to thank you myself. I even saw one of them again at your base when I got here the other day. But to answer the real question, there was no singular reason why. I simply fell in love. And now that we are on equal footing, I can only hope that you will too."Ty had no response and Béa just smiled.Ty had expected tears from Zoe. The young woman had been through a lot over the last year, and any threat of losing what little she had left could destabilize her. When he made his way to her room, just a couple of doors from his own, he was greeted, not by tears but by her throwing things at him. He dodged the best he could and wrapped her in a hug."You stupid prick! What would we have done if you died! You need to be more careful!""You'd pick up the pieces and go on. You'd have to, sweetheart. But I didn't die, and I promise I'll take better care of myself. I get that I have a responsibility to all of you, but that isn't going to stop me from doing my job."Her voice dropped to barely a whisper as she nuzzled into his chest. "A lot of people would be very sad if you died, Ty. More people than you even realize, so please, be more careful."Ty had no time to ponder the words as Zoe pulled away and leaned upwards, giving him a chaste peck on the lips. Liz gave him a quick hug and kiss and looked to be about to speak, when suddenly, Alice was there, hooking her arm in his before pulling him out of the room. He was actually staggering backwards as she pulled him around the corner and back into his own room. He was just catching his balance as he turned, watching her shove the door shut before she laid a ferocious kiss on him. Not one to shy away from an aggressive woman, Ty responded, grunting only slightly as Alice's hands shifted and brushed the bandages wrapped around his midsection. But she didn't let go, burying her face in his neck."I'm sorry, but I've only just found you, Sir. You can't go around getting yourself killed."Ty sighed. "I'm sure I'll be hearing variations of this all day, beautiful, so I won't apologize right now, but like I told Zoe, I promise I'll be more careful." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Alice, were there any other casualties? Either here or from Ray's Team?""A nurse. She was beaten unconscious and stuffed in a laundry closet.""Probably the same closet the gunmen got the scrubs they were wearing from. I can't believe those clowns actually did the whole trope thing. Is she gonna be okay?""She's battered and bruised, but she'll heal. Admin will make sure she goes to therapy and the other nurses will keep an eye on her for a while.""Good. Now, how are you holding up? You've carefully avoided mentioning that."Ty could feel his beautiful doctor shudder as he asked the question, so he wrapped his arms around her tighter."I was terrified that either the abdominal wound or the head wound was fatal. At the time, with all the blood, it was impossible to tell how bad it was. Tiberius, I can't lose you. I just can't.""I'm thankful I have a hard head. Now, I want you to look at me, Alice." She looked up, and her ice blue eyes met his, filled with anxiety. "I am right here. I am alive and you are mine, beautiful. So I need you to look at me and understand that I am here. If you ever need reassurance, touch that choker and remind yourself that you are claimed, and my word is your law. I gave you certain tenets to abide by when we pledged ourselves to one another. I'm adding one more, and this you will abide by, whether you hate me for it or not. Even if something should happen to me, you will move on and live until it is your time. I will not dictate that you should find another, that is a choice you must make. But you will continue living to the best of your ability, because I love you and do not want for you to follow me into death should the worst happen."As the words spilled out, Alice's expression grew horrified and she made to speak, but Ty put a finger to her lips."I'm not done. This isn't being done to hurt you, nor am I planning on charging into more gunfights. I am giving you this order for my peace of mind, so that even if an accident were to occur, I wouldn't go knowing I dragged someone I love with me. I plan to live a long, happy life with all of you, so don't get all bent out of shape, okay?"She still looked conflicted, but she nodded. "Can I assume you want the same for everyone in the family?""Absolutely. Now, according to Talia and Béa, the twins and Grace will be here soon, so let's gather everyone up in Zoe's room and have our discussions."Alice looked surprised, then nodded. "Zoe didn't tell you? She said the woman you spoke to just before the attack is also coming. Her aunt?"Ty smiled. "Not by blood. Same way I'm occasionally called 'Uncle Ty', Juno is 'Auntie J'. They've been close since she was an infant, even more so than me. Hell, I haven't actually seen Juno in person in almost 6 years. We've just both ended up so busy. It seems lawyering and soldiering have pretty bad compatibility, timewise. I've never even had a chance to meet her kids."Alice looked taken aback. "Not once? In six years?""Nope. We're never in the same place long enough. I barely spent time here at home until this year, and then it was in lockdown, and I was injured. I couldn't go and meet them because while the kids may not suffer the effects of DuoHalo, they're carriers, and if they had it and gave it to me, I'd probably be dead, so we'd have never met. I admit, now that I'm not in danger, I'm looking forward to it. I've sent them a lot of gifts over the years, and I'd like for them to be able to put a face and voice to my name."Alice gave him a gentle smile. "You really do like kids, huh.""Very much so. I'm already looking forward to you telling me you're carrying ours, beautiful. We now know it all works, at least as of seven years ago."Her smile grew, along with a definite blush. "Any one of the last few times we've been together may have taken. The timing is right, but we'll have to wait and see. I truly hope it did, though I would never tell my master no if he wanted more of me." She placed a hand on her belly and then pushed Ty down onto the edge of the bed. "But that's a question to be answered another day. Take that gown off. I need to check your bandages, and then we shall go and have your conference."Ty grinned. He could smell her arousal, and his instincts were threatening to take over. Pulling her to him, he claimed her lips before kissing his way down her neck, his good arm holding her in place while he used his other to tweak her nipple over her clothes."Maybe you can check a few other things, too, beautiful. Undress."She hesitated for just a moment, her professional concern warring with her desires."Tiberius; we shouldn't. Your injuries;”He finished the thought for her. "Will be fine, beautiful. If it'll make you feel better, you can control the pace. Now undress and help me back out of these pants."Taking a deep breath, she complied, unbuttoning his pants and sliding them down before her hands found the buttons on her blouse. Ty felt a growl building in his throat, and his kisses went from her neck down the curves of her marvelous tits, still sheathed in her bra. It wasn't anything particularly fancy, but Ty supposed she hadn't expected to be seducing anyone. Nevertheless, it was in the way."If I were an impatient man, Alice, I'd be biting my way through this bit of cloth already. But I'd hate to ruin a good bra."She giggled, reaching up to undo the hook. "I thank you for your restraint, because in doing so you would get a mouthful of wire too. I'm rather generously equipped, my oh-so-patient master. The girls need the support and bras for larger cups are a nightmare to find."She dropped her upper garments to the floor, and Ty wasted no time latching onto a nipple as she began to undo the button on her pants."Beautiful, we definitely need to get some milk going here. Can you turn on the spigot?"His voice was muffled as he spoke around a mouthful of tit, and Alice laughed at the strange sensations and stranger words."I'll get right on that, sir. Give me about sixteen weeks from conception."Dropping to her knees, she sucked his length into her mouth, taking it as deep as she could right away. Ty let his good hand find the back of her head and pushed down, getting himself even deeper in her throat."That's it. Get it all the way down. You want me to be good and ready. Once I'm nice and slippery, go ahead and take a ride. You can control the pace." He paused, stroking her head for a moment and smiling as his hands ran across her signature Alice band. "Gods, you're fucking perfect. How did I ever get so lucky?"Alice pulled off his cock and looked him in the eye. There was passion in her eyes and she gave his shaft a good lick as she rose. "The same way I did in finding my perfect master. Serendipity and a mutual friend who knows us too well. But, well, it was love at first sight for me." Her eyes softened as she lined up her sex with his, and Ty could see the love she had for him as she gently slid herself onto his shaft.Bottoming out, she squeezed him for a moment before slowly rocking her hips back and forth. Ty ground his hips into her, but she squeezed down against him and pushed him onto his back."Please, sir. Let me pleasure you with my dripping cunt. You just lie back and enjoy. "She bounced carefully on his cock for a few minutes and Ty felt his climax building, so he reached forward and started playing with Alice's clit, rubbing and flicking. She writhed under his hand but ground her hips harder."Oh god, I'm going to cum. Sir, please, can I cum? Please master, I need to cum!""Very well, cum for me, beautiful. Let yourself go." He pinched her engorged nub and twisted it, drawing a scream of pleasure from the woman. Her back arched and she fell forwards, her body spasming. Ty was close, so he ground his hips and she groaned, hypersensitive since she was still right in the middle of her first orgasm."Now, my love, have another. Cum!"He felt himself reach his own climax and he blasted his load deep into the lovely mixed-race woman. Alice's eyes rolled into her head as the sensations of a second orgasm completely overwhelmed her and she fell limp onto his chest. Her chest heaved; her pillowy tits being visibly crushed between them as she lay there."I love you, Tiberius."Ty kissed the top of her head. He was a little sore, and he thought one of his stitches might be oozing a little, but it was fine. The expression on Alice's face was worth it."Likewise, beautiful. Likewise.""I never expected to be manhandled by my own partners. Oh, the ignominy." Ty lamented, grinning as the others filed into Zoe's hospital room. Each was giving him their own twist on a greeting that had more sexual overtones than an erotic novel. He was relishing every moment.Lettie swatted at his arm, giving him a tired smile back as she moved to sit. "Unlike you, who's been laying around, we've been busy, big guy. I'm sure Talia filled you in, but Grace is waiting outside, as per your request. Dr. Morgan's other two partners are here with her since it would be silly for us to split them up and add more guards into the rotation.""Makes sense. Anything else?""Juno is on her way, too. She wanted to get the kids." Zoe squeaked at the news, grinning from ear to ear, but said nothing. Smiling at the younger woman, Lettie continued. "So, to the actual topic. You want our opinions on Grace, do you?""Yes. And whether we add her to this Team; this family." Ty put a definite emphasis on the final word, meeting every woman's gaze."You could just do it, and not worry about that."Ty gave her a look that said he didn't believe that for an instant. "Uh huh, and the odds of me surviving that unilateral decision?""Zero. But you could, and we wouldn't be able to do anything about it once it was done. Nevertheless, my opinion is that she's awesome. A badass that generally has her head on straight. She's in."Talia nodded. "I admit, I did have concerns about her jumping over so quickly, but Tiberius did point out the same things as we discussed last night. I can comfortably say that he's not pushing her for his own reasons."That caused the big soldier to do a double take, and Talia gave him a smirk. "Please, did you honestly think we had not already discussed it amongst ourselves? We're all in approval. We just wanted to see how you were going to handle the situation."Frowning, he looked around the room again. "Was my reaction to your satisfaction then? Did I pass the test?"They all went quiet, watching him. While he was genuinely upset at being tested, he could also understand their uncertainty, so he tamped down on that emotion and just sighed."Could one of you please bring her in here then? She should be a part of these discussions, seeing as how you all already seem to consider her one of us." The others visibly sagged in relief, and Béa opened the door and gestured to Grace, who sprinted in and almost threw herself at Ty."Oy, hold up, wait, I'm inju..” The words devolved into a groan as Grace squeezed his midsection tight, sniffling into his chest. He could just barely hear the words as she spoke, all the while refusing to leave his embrace."Thank you, Ty."He patted her on the back and then lowered his hand and gently squeezed her ass, prompting an almost manic giggle from the woman. "Now while I'd normally love for you to stay right where you are, you're squeezing right where I've been stitched up, Grace. Sit beside me, by all means, but please let go of my middle."She hesitated for only a moment, pulling away and sitting beside him, her hand finding his."I; uh; sorry. I wasn't thinking.""It's fine. I'm just a little tender. So," He paused, then turned towards Grace. "So, you have this 'reset' process. How long ago did you learn about this? Have you already taken the reset serum?""Not yet. I can't say all of this with absolute certainty since a lot of it is still paper theory, but from what I'm given to understand, as soon as a woman takes it, her body goes into a frenzy and she needs to be paired immediately.""Frenzy?""Basically, the woman acts as though she has gone without an encounter for over ten days, irrespective of when her last one was. She's not in her own mind at that moment, which is why we needed to make our decisions early, while we still have our clarity. As for us learning about it, I believe that we only learned about it early this month. Even I was only told because of my position here, and the fact that it might be the only thing that saves lives. But I've also been warned that it's only to be used as an emergency method and if its use is required, they want data. But every precaution needs to be taken to protect lives so it's not even needed.""So that, along with the fact that we have an existing relationship, means you want to be reassigned to me.""Among other things, yes." Grace looked pensive, and then around the room. "It may sound strange, but I believe that there is a chemical component to the serum that kicks in after pairing that helps partners get along. I think it's so that the initial stages of the partnership are smoother, and the relationship grows naturally within that buffer. I say this, because the more time that passed, the more I felt that Ben and I were too dissimilar from one another for the compatibility figure Oracle gave me to be real. The closeness I felt at first started to feel alien to me in recent weeks. It's possible that it was the stress Ben was under, but I think it was just that the chemical bond wasn't strong enough to overcome the actual disparity in our personalities. I thought we connected, but I think it's also because something was making me more malleable.""I see. Content, as opposed to happy. So, what makes you think it will be any better between us?"Taking a deep breath, she gestured at each woman in turn. "I already know you, and if presented with you in a list of men to partner with, I'd instantly choose you. So, I know that even if there's some chemical balancing thing happening, all it will do is make it easier for me to mourn the loss of an otherwise good man, since I already have plenty of goodwill towards you. And I think just about every woman here has at least some history with you, except Dr. Rai and Miss Connors, correct? Then they all knew what they were getting into when they agreed to be partnered with you. It's the same for me."Ty had to stifle the laugh, but he couldn't help the wry smile. "I don't think any of them agreed so much as they told me what was happening. Pretty sure Alice was the only one of all of my existing and soon-to-be partners with whom I had anything resembling a choice. Mind you, I'm not complaining."Lottie actually snorted. "No, Ty. Even with Alice you didn't really have a choice. It was obvious from the moment you met that the two of you were meant to be.""There you go then. The entire process was out of my hands. Even adding you into the family was basically decided before I was even conscious of there being a choice. Again, not that I'm complaining."Lettie gave him an exasperated look. "For someone who 'isn't complaining', that sounded a whole lot like a series of complaints."Ty just shrugged and squeezed Grace's hand gently. "No comment. Either way, you always had my approval, Grace, and I really do understand where you're coming from with the history thing. As far as Ben Morgan goes, I wish I had the opportunity to get to know the real him. After you told me about it, I wondered whether the him I saw that first day was the real him. Now, I think it might have been, and that it was able to come out because he believed the end of his ordeal was near."Then he let his demeanor change and looked around the room. "With the family part settled, it's the business part now. A question for my military ladies; how is this situation being handled upstairs?"Lettie's expression went from exasperation to concern in a heartbeat. "Colonel Anderson is seconds from conducting a witch hunt. He believes someone on the inside gave the Sheikh's people your and Ray's location. I think it's possible, but;”"Unlikely. Yeah, it wouldn't be hard to just follow one of us home or to work. Hell, a simple RC toy with a camera could do it, but considering the prick has money to burn, they probably used a state-of-the-art drone with GPS and whatnot. Still, if the Colonel wants to vet all of our people, that's on him. But what external response are we taking? These fuckers attacked us, in Ray's home and in a place of healing. They don't get away scot free. And I'm sure the Americans want vengeance for the harm brought to their own."Grace nodded. "I've heard through the grapevine that some of the upper echelons are considering just going scorched earth. I've heard the phrase 'shove a Hellfire up his ass' more than once.""That would be a terrible idea. We need a quiet team to go in and dispatch the fucker. If they blow the place sky high, any chance of keeping the whole thing quiet goes up in smoke too. Then people are going to ask why. We can't tell them."Lottie looked pensive. "Not to mention, any captives he might still have would die with him."Ty sat up straight. "Captives? What captives?"Talia jumped in, her face a mix of contrition and disgust. "I'm sorry, we didn't have time to tell you. Dr. Morgan was being coerced. They had his ex-wife and their daughter captive. The wife; was clearly beaten and; Tiberius, the child; they;”His jaw just fell open. "To a child? Fuck. Off. I thought they had him financially, like Connors;” He took a deep breath, and everyone in the room could see his eyes go cold. "Now I'm doubly sure we need to do it quietly. Get in, kill him and his scumbags and bring any survivors back with us. He needs to die with no fanfare. To be ground into the dust of history without even a footnote. Maybe I should ask if I can go with them."Grace nodded, gritting her teeth. "It can be a joint op. I'll talk to my higher ups too. He's clearly compromised an individual working for the US Government and endangered their families. I'm actually thinking someone in command might be compromised too, because the more I consider it, the more my partnering with Ben doesn't make sense. I genuinely think it was forced. We can't let that stand, for a lot of reasons.""Ty. You can't get involved." Lettie's voice cut through the conversation and everyone turned to look at her. "Even if you didn't have a personal stake in this, which immediately makes you ineligible for any mission involving him anyway, you have a job to do. So do it and leave this animal to Colonel Anderson and the Americans."Ty wanted to glare at her and tell her that wasn't going to happen, but she was right, so he just sighed and leaned back. A nod was the only acknowledgement.She looked like she wasn't quite convinced, but the conversation was derailed as Zoe checked her phone."Lettie, Auntie J should be here really soon, so could you meet her outside and get her to sign all the paperwork and stuff? I think it'll be very important and it would probably be a good thing to have a lawyer around."The redhead looked like the wind had been taken out of her sails, but she nodded and left the room with her tablet. Zoe watched her leave and then turned her head to face Tiberius."I think we're all thinking the same thing, Ty. Lettie's right. You can't be objective here since you were directly involved. I mean, Rayne was also attacked, right? So, don't you think Lettie wants to do the same as you? But she's holding herself back, so you should too."The big soldier was impressed and he gave the young woman a wide smile. "When did you get so wise, sweetheart?""I had to do a lot of growing up this year. I guess it just came naturally." It was clear she was trying to tough it out, but everyone could see her quivering lip.The smile slipped from Tiberius' face and he stood, walking over to take the young woman in his arms. "You grew up more than you should have had to. You and Liz both." He sighed, looking over towards Liz who stared back, her eyes seemingly filled with a soft light. "The two of you are still at an age where you should be out building your futures and having some fun; all while safe in the knowledge that your families will back you up. Honestly, I'd like nothing more than for the two of you to be able to step back into that life, but our circumstances don't allow for that."The fire in the young brunette's eyes flared to life and Liz spoke up angrily. "I stepped into this knowing what I was getting into, Tiberius. Just because I don't want to have sex ..”"It has nothing to do with that, Liz. You're barely into your 20s. You've not had the opportunities the rest of us have. Your entire generation is being denied those opportunities because of this pandemic.""Those of us that live, you mean." Liz's gaze was boring into Tiberius.Ty paused, closing his eyes and nodding to avoid seeing the pain that was on full display around the room. "Yes. Have you two considered what you're going to do when the pandemic ends? Are you going to finish your studies?"Zoe shrugged. "A lot of what I was learning was more business management than actual design. I want to spend some time actually making things again, but I will finish my degree, because that will help me when I want to start a business of my own."Liz seemed more certain. "I intend to finish as soon as I can. We have a lot of roles in the house already filled, so if I can become our financial expert that's one less thing for us to worry about."Ty let the smile come back as he nodded vehemently. "That's excellent thinking, both of you. I think we'd all appreciate having someone in-house to handle our money. Zoe, when you know what you want to do about that business you mentioned, come let us know. No matter who you end up with, we'll always be family. We'll support you."Zoe froze, looking for all the world like a lost child as she turned her head up to look at Ty. "What do you mean 'whoever I end up with'? I'm joining your Team, Ty."It was Ty's turn to look lost. "I was thinking you'd want the opportunity to be with someone closer to your age.""For someone supposedly smart, you're completely clueless sometimes. Why do you think I want to get my Oracle survey done sooner? It's so I can get matched and prove that I belong here. I've been dreaming about you for a long time, so there's no way I'm going to miss the opportunity to make that dream a reality."Truth be told, Ty had known that she'd had a crush on him, but he'd thought it was just that; a crush. "And you won't regret this? As you know, you don't get to change your mind unless I make one of these women mad enough to end me."Talia rolled her eyes. "Get yourself shot again. Then I'll do us all a favor and put you out of our misery."Everyone laughed, and Zoe nodded. "It's what I've always wanted. I just figured you'd say I was too young, so I never brought it up."Ty nodded his head at Liz. "My ability to use that as an argument vanished a couple of days ago when I bonded with Liz here. After all, what's two years in the grand scheme of things? You're a legal adult. So, I had to wait and see if you'd bring it up, or if you'd keep us in the roles of extended family. I'd support you either way. Just, no more radio silence, okay? We died a little for every day that we couldn't reach you.""I'm not leaving. If you want me gone, you'll have to throw me out." There was a finality to the tone and Ty just smiled ruefully."Noted. Never going to happen, but noted."The group let the minutes pass, chatting about everything and nothing. Tiberius was sitting beside Béatrice, speaking quietly. He'd realized the woman was restless, and it dawned on him that she must have been injected before she'd learned that he was unconscious. Ty was just promising to take care of it that night when Zoe's phone beeped and she looked at the text."Ok, she's signed and they're coming up. Ty, Auntie J has a lot to talk about, so before you get mad at her, could you please listen to everything she has to say?"Ty couldn't help but frown. "That sounds like you know something.""Promise me."He gave the young woman a long look but relented. Zoe's expression was unlike anything he'd ever seen her make. "Fine. I promise. Now answer me. What do you know?""I know everything. But I can't talk about it because I promised. She'll explain. Just; don't be mad. Auntie J; Juno had her reasons.""I promised I'd hear her out, Zoe. But I think we have some time. If Lettie is going to read her into the program, she'll take a minute or two to come to terms with everything. So let me ask you a few things." He thought for a minute then asked. "When was the last time you saw Juno or the kids?""Oh; maybe early March? Via video call. Before that was just before Christmas.""So, you've met the kids?""Of course? They're adorable!"Ty took a deep breath. "Last question. What happened to Craig?"She gave Ty a look that would have said volumes, if only he'd learned to speak Woman. "I'll let her answer that. You should go back to your room and speak to her in private."Ty nodded, but he didn't quite understand the point. Nevertheless, he moved, returning to his room and sitting on the bed again. He had been trying to ignore the niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach after his exchange with Zoe. Within a few minutes, the door opened again, and Juno Claudius, the woman he hadn't seen in person in over half a decade, stepped through."Hi Tiberius. I guess we have a bit to talk about.""Juno."Ty looked her over, seeing that time and motherhood had only made her more attractive. She had always been, even though she'd always carried a bit of extra weight. Not fat or obese, just; curvy. Ty thought it suited her. Her walnut brown hair was pulled into a loose bun and she was dressed in a blouse and jeans. Casual. He remembered that it had been the style she preferred. Now though, she seemed to have lost a bit of that weight as her curves seemed to have smoothed out, flowing more naturally. Her hazel eyes were gentle, still carrying a hint of mischief in them. Her face, punctuated by a smallish aquiline nose, gave her the impression of being a little tired, but who could blame a mother of two young kids for that. There was also a certain grace to her movements now, something she must have developed over the last few years, because Ty certainly didn't remember her hips swaying so much before. He shook himself, pulling his thoughts back to her."It's been a while, huh." She gave him a smile, having seen where his eyes had wandered."Just a bit. You look good. Really good. Motherhood agrees with you, I think.""Don't lie, Ty. My ass got even bigger after I had the twins.""Just who told you that you had a big ass to begin with?"Juno flamed scarlet and clamped her mouth shut. "Never mind that. I heard from Zoe that you got hurt. How bad is it?""According to one of my partners, Talia, they didn't hit anything vital." She looked at him, her eyes clearly fixated on his head and he chuckled. "Don't say it, I know."Juno shrugged and continued. "Yeah. Leticia told me about this whole Quaranteam thing. Naturally, I signed the documents. Didn't figure you'd go for the whole polyamory thing, stud.""Originally, I don't know that I would have. But I was given some advice that really made it easier for me to accept the whole thing. Plus, it is true that I love them. How about you? I know you've been keeping safe, but how is the family? How's Craig?"Juno's expression turned sheepish. "The family is fine. Dad and mum hunkered down on the ranch, so they've been okay. Their hands are all being safe, so they've avoided any serious damage. As for Craig; I have a confession to make about him."Ty tilted his head. "Go on.""He was never my boyfriend. It was a lie. Mostly so you wouldn't worry." She turned her head away and mumbled, but Ty still heard the words. "And so you wouldn't suspect."Deciding tact was the order of the moment, he asked. "Worry about what?""Me being a single mum. About how I got pregnant."Ty rolled his eyes. "I rather think I know how that part works, Juno."Ty could have sworn he heard a snort from outside but ignored it. He'd expected at least some eavesdroppers.Juno looked exasperated. "No, I don't mea ..”The door slid open a little and Ty's eyes slid towards it, but there was no one there. He had a thought and started to look down, but his brain came to a halt when he heard the little gasp. "Mars! Come look, it's Daddy! He's just like the pictures!"Ty couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. His eyes locked with the tiny pair in front of him and he knew. Steel grey irises looked back at him, filled with wonder, joined quickly by another pair of identical orbs. All of his muscles went limp, and he slid off the bed, crashing to his knees. Juno just stood there, tears flowing as her children finally, for the first time in their lives, met their father."H-How? When? I;” Ty shook his head and focused his attention back on the kids. "Bellona, Mars, hi. I; I'm;”The two children didn't share Ty's confusion as they ran towards him, stopping just in front of his kneeling form. He finally got to see them and it began to make sense. Six years of care to avoid him seeing them. Bellona's hair was the same walnut brown as her mother's, with the same nose too. Her eyes though, were all his, just like Mars'. But where Bella took after her mother, Mars was a tiny copy of Ty. Though he too had the walnut brown hair, his steel grey eyes and general body shape was identical to how Ty himself had been at that age. He just took them both in, unable to say anything. Why had she kept this from him? Ty couldn't comprehend it.He realized that he'd been staring at the kids and it was there that they showed the first signs of hesitation as they stared back at the big soldier.Bella proved to be the courageous one. "You're our Daddy, right?"Slowly, she gained her confidence, and momentum followed. "Mummy showed us lots of pictures of you, so we knew right away. Are you hurt? Mummy was very sad you couldn't live with us, but she said that you were really, really busy with work. Are you not busy anymore? Will you come live with us now? That would make Mummy really happy, and we wouldn't get lonely anymore!"Ty's brain finally remembered how to string words together, so he spoke, trying not to let his voice crack with the attempt. "Yes, Bella, I guess I am. I got a little hurt, but I'll be okay. The doctor made me all better. I; I'm so sorry I haven't been there, darling. Like mummy said, I've been so busy. I had no idea you and your brother were lonely. I'll do better, I promise. And if mummy wants that, then maybe we can all live together. That'd be nice.""Can we hug you? We really wanted to." Bella reached out, her small hands seeming hesitant, almost lost. Mars was slightly hidden behind his sister, but Ty could see that the young boy's, his son's gaze was locked solidly on him and was that; yearning in his eyes?Ty turned his gaze to meet Juno, who nodded, and he opened his arms, even the one in the sling, as best he could. The children both slammed into him and he squeezed them tight.Mars' hug was beyond fierce as he threw his arms around Ty's neck. "Dad! I really wanted to see you. Mummy said I was being a good boy by waiting, but it was hard. Uncle Craig said I had to be strong cause I'm the man while you're away."This time, Ty did choke up. "You did good, kiddo. I'm so proud of you. Thank you for protecting your mum and sister for me.""Bella did good too, dad. She did chores and ate her vegetables and helped mummy.""Of course she did, kiddo. She's your sister and I'm very proud of her too."The pain in his arm and stomach meant nothing right at that moment. This revelation changed everything he knew. He couldn't stop the tears and he could hear the children beginning to sniffle in his embrace. It wasn't long before they were all sobbing, Juno having swept in and wrapped herself around all three of them."You've both grown so big and I'm so, so sorry I haven't been there for you, but that's all over. Dad's here now, and he's not going away again." His voice cracked with all of the emotion, and the pure wonder and joy threatened to overwhelm him.Tiberius had no idea how long they sat there, huddled together, but eventually, the children's sobs quietened, their breathing evened out. They had exhausted themselves and fallen asleep. He and Juno now sat on the bed, Ty cradling both children in his lap. He was still searching for the right words when Juno started speaking."I'm so sorry I never told you. I was just so afraid."Not knowing how to respond to that without anger clouding his words, Ty just segued. "They know me, huh? Just like the 'pictures'."Juno couldn't help the small smile. "Photos and videos of you. Courtesy of Zoe and Mattie. The kids have always known you were their father. That's part of what made it so much harder to let you meet them."Ty felt the sting of it, even though it wasn't intended. "When, Juno? I don't remember us ever;”"At Toby and Mattie's. New Years. How much of that night do you remember?"Ty's mind tried to go back to that night and he realized that he really didn't remember much of it, at least after a certain point. They'd been drinking, that was a given. Juno had been matching him drink for drink, and they'd both been pretty drunk. Toby was a lightweight, down by 10PM, and just cruising with his buzz. Mattie was a fish. She'd drunk more than either Ty or Juno and was still going strong. But it was after Mattie had pulled out a bottle of tequila that things really got blurry."Christ, how much of that tequila did we drink? The last thing I remember was Mattie slamming the bottle onto the table and then I woke up naked in the guest room."Juno giggled. "Mattie had two shots for each one we did. I stopped at two. You did five. I think Mattie was taking Toby upstairs because she was half asleep by that point, and we were in no condition to go back home, so I think we both staggered into the guest room downstairs and crashed.""If that's the case, then how did we end up; ?"Juno's voice dropped to just above a whisper. "I woke up naked and horny. I'd always been attracted to you, though I never believed you'd go for someone like me. I guess I was still drunk enough at the time to think that I'd have a chance." She shrugged, looking a little wistful. "But despite still being drunk, I remember this clearly. I kissed you, and you turned and latched onto me and kissed back. I thought at first you were asleep and just responding, but you looked me in the eyes and said my name. After that, I guess I; we got really into it."Ty swallowed. He'd thought that particular encounter was a dream, along with everything that followed. It had been so hazy, after all."Oh shit. Oh shit! I was sure I dreamed that, and since I woke up alone and you never mentioned it; plus I thought I'd drunk enough that I'd probably have had whiskey cock anyway, so I wrote it off as a really pleasant dream."Juno shook her head vehemently. "You definitely did not have performance issues. But that's beside the point. After we did it, we fell asleep again. When I woke up, it was still pretty early, but I freaked out. I could feel what had happened between my legs, and I panicked. I cleaned us up, got dressed and bolted. Mattie saw me in a panic and figured out what happened, but I swore her to secrecy. I guess she kept that promise, since you clearly had no idea. I got home and was too preoccupied with the fact that it happened to even consider that we hadn't used protection, so I did nothing to prevent it from happening."She placed a hand on her stomach and sighed heavily. "A month later I missed my period and needless to say, I panicked again. That I hadn't had a partner in months before or since told me for sure that they were yours, by the way."Ty could feel his anger bubbling in his gut. "Well, the late September birthday certainly checks out. And yeah, the moment I saw them, there was never any question. Mars is me at his age, and Bella is all you but the eyes. She's going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up. But Juno, why did you hide it from me after you learned you were pregnant? I would have helped! I would have taken responsibility. I never wanted to be an absent parent!"Her eyes quivered and she put a hand on the children's heads, as if reassuring herself they were there. "There were a number of reasons. The first was I didn't want you to be disgusted with me for what happened. I was a friend, but I was never a romantic interest for you. I didn't want you to think that I had taken advantage while you were out of it. I realized later that I had taken advantage anyway. You recognized me, and you reacted and responded, but you weren't actually there."Ty just sat there silently, waiting for her to continue. Telling her that he wouldn't have said no wouldn't do either of them any favors just then."The second was that if you knew, you'd do exactly what you said. You'd take responsibility, and that would likely mean you resigning from your job. You love your work, and I couldn't have that on my conscience, just because of my indiscretion."He couldn't let that one go. "Our indiscretion. It takes two to tango, Juno. Not that I actually consider it an indiscretion. Had you told me, I could have asked for a transfer to a different role. Stayed closer to home. Like I said, I would have taken responsibility. I would never have let you go it alone.""That was the third thing that scared me. In doing it and getting pregnant, I had stepped into your relationship with the twins. I knew how you felt then, and I know how you feel now. You were still waffling at the time, but you know and I know that you've had them in your heart from the beginning. So, I hid it, and did everything in my power to keep you in the dark. And then when this pandemic hit and we started to hear about just how many men were dying, I came to realize what I was doing. I had denied you your agency on something so incredibly important. I had denied you your children."Ty felt his mind seize up at the words. His children. It was true. He had missed so much of their lives because she'd hidden it. He wouldn't have been mad that the pregnancy happened. Hell, he'd been over the moon for her when she'd told him she was pregnant. But not being told that they were his? He could feel the anger go from a low simmer into a violent boil, but he did also understand her thinking. They'd always been close, but he and Juno had never been romantically involved. Juno had said it was because he wasn't interested, but that wasn't exactly true. He'd avoided the subject, partially because he hadn't wanted to upset their dynamic and partially because Juno had always had a steady boyfriend. Her strong will and otherwise outgoing nature had meant that she was popular with a large variety of people, so when she'd turned up pregnant, he figured it was one of those boyfriends. It started to make more sense once he added Craig into the picture.Ty tried to keep his voice level as he spoke. "Craig was to throw me off. He looked similar enough to the kids that from a distance I wouldn't question it even if I accidentally ran into you on the street. You said he wasn't a boyfriend, so who was he to you? Mars called him Uncle Craig."Juno blushed but didn't hesitate. "A distant relative. He moved here six months before that night, and I asked him for his help."Ty hummed an acknowledgment. "He's doing okay? I realize I didn't even ask about him, and that's pretty shitty of me.""He's doing fine. He hunkered down with his partner and they're both doing just fine. I do grocery runs for them. After all, Craig helped me out when I needed it, so I'm happy to do it when he needs it. But we were never involved."Ty gave her a guilty smile. "Even if you were, it's not like I'd judge you for it. He's a good-looking dude, and from everything I know about him, a good guy. And you're beautiful, even if you won't admit it.""He may be good looking, but I'm way outside of his strike zone. To him, I was born with the wrong equipment."Ty had been about to question Craig's sanity when the words clicked. "Oh."They sat in silence for a moment, before Ty took a deep breath, leaning back slightly. "I have to say it. Juno, I'm furious that you made the choices you did. I understand them, but I'm no less angry. I'm furious with you because you made the choice for me. I'm furious with myself because I never put it together. I missed out on six years of their life because I was blind."He looked down at the two sleeping angels and then back up at Juno. "I want to be a part of their lives. Yours too, and I'll tell you now. The fact that we had sex when we were drunk doesn't bother me in the slightest. I don't consider you as having taken advantage, because I certainly would have been more than willing, even if I was stone cold sober. I mostly wish that I could remember it, because I'm certain it would have been a night to remember."Juno seemed to find a fresh reserve of tears, because they were running down her face again."Promise you won't take them from me? I'd just die if you took my babies. That was the final reason."Startled, Ty grabbed her hands. "Jesus, Juno, I'd never do that. I just want to be an active part of their lives. I'm not letting them ever say that they're sad because daddy's not around again.""So, what then? What do you propose we do?"Ty hesitated for a moment. "I'd; like for you to do your Oracle survey. We can see what your compatibility comes out as, but it's more of a formality. If you're not against it, I'd like for you to join the family."Her expression turned sharp. "I saw that ring on Leticia's finger. I know what that means."Confused, he asked, "And why does that matter?""I won't be used and discarded by the wayside, Tiberius Marshall. You're marrying Leticia, so clearly the whole poly thing is only for a while."Ty swore. She'd been told about the Quaranteam serum, but clearly, she didn't see the whole picture. Not surprising, since she hadn't had time to process all she'd learned. "Well shit. I didn't know that. Someone had better go tell the others that the big wedding isn't happening. But if you're going to do that, let me know in advance so I can run in the other direction."Juno glared at him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How can I say this so that the simple soldier can understand? Bigamy is illegal. Take it from a lawyer. We read those big heavy books so you don't have to learn to read."Now Ty was sure he heard a snort from outside the room, and he too wanted to laugh, but remembered the kids just in time. "Ouch. Low blow. But seriously? You're not thinking clearly, Juno. You've been told about the effects of the serum and can't see that one of the first laws Australia's likely to get changed will be the one about having only one spouse?"That brought her up short. "That; but; am I expected to;”He shook his head ruefully. "Tell you what. Go talk to the others. See what they have to say about the whole thing. There aren't any real expectations. I'm not going to pressure you. If you don't want a part of this, I'll never force it, and we can just work something else out for me seeing the kids." he paused, still taking in the reality of the situation. "Fucking hell; I'm a dad. It still doesn't feel real. I wonder if my old man went through this headspace."He watched her as she chewed her lip in thought. "I'm not agreeing yet, but I think talking to the twins and your other friends is a good idea. Can I leave the kids here with you?"Ty nodded, shifting so the two little ones were lying beside him as he leaned back. "Of course. I should probably be lying down myself, since I did get shot three times just a couple of days ago. I've been pushing myself and need to rest. The others are just around the corner." Ty considered for a moment then corrected himself. "Ok, they're definitely just outside the door, trying to listen in. Just go with them and talk while the kids and I rest, yeah?""Okay. I'll be back soon." She got up and turned, bending over to kiss the children and Ty couldn't help the way his eyes slid to her backside. She always did have a great ass. He was just looking away as she spoke again. "Oh, and Ty?""Yeah?" His eyes flickered upwards, and he realized she was watching him watch her. She started to walk towards the door and he found himself mesmerized as he watched the swaying of her hips. She wasn't putting any additional swing into them, but damn if it wasn't a sight to see.As she opened the door, revealing that just about every one of his partners was standing there, trying to listen in, Juno just grinned and looked back at him."You probably don't remember it, but you were the one who told me my ass was big.""Oh, shit."Juno was smiling as the cavalcade of women proceeded back to Zoe's room. Even now she remembered the feel of his hands on her ass. Though he had said it while drunk, she remembered every touch and every kiss as he went and proved that her 'big ass' was every bit the asset he claimed it to be. Even just before, she had noticed how his eyes had followed her. It sent tingles through her.Her salacious thoughts all melted away once she entered the room and saw Zoe, though. The poor girl was a shadow of herself."Oh my God, Zoe! What happened?"She smiled sheepishly but gave a small wave back. "Hi Juno. Yeah, I, uh; got hungry?"As Juno approached and threw her arms around the emaciated Zoe, the latter was going through everything that had happened since they broke contact.After hearing the whole story, Juno just shook her head in wonder. "You silly girl. You let pride override good sense.""I know, I know. It was stupid of me. But I'm okay now, and everyone here has really made me understand just how unnecessary it all was. I won't do it again."Zoe looked around and realized that everyone was watching Juno with varying expressions."I guess everyone is curious about the kids, huh? It was really hard to not just gush about them."Lettie spoke up, looking surprised. "You knew the whole time? And you didn't say anything?""One look and it's totally obvious Lettie. Juno didn't want it to leak, so when I found out she swore me to silence. I did tell her that Ty should know, but, well;”"I couldn't." Juno shook her head rapidly, her expression one of abject terror. "I was terrified of the consequences.""And I told you that his first reaction would be to help, Juno."Juno shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. "I was never worried that he wouldn't help. I was worried that he would! I didn't want him to end his career because I couldn't keep my hormones in check. And while the fact that the one time I was with him gave me my babies is probably the happiest thing to have happened to me in my life, I just feel guilty now that I kept him from them for so long. I should never have, and I'll spend the rest of my life making that up to him if he'll let me."Looking around the room, she met the gazes of every woman. "But having said that, I can't say I understand the relationship between all of you and Tiberius. Polyamory isn't something I'm at all familiar with, and romantic attachments have become something that I have had no time for since the kids were born." She looked around wistfully before her eyes settled in the general direction of Ty's room. "But despite all of that, I want to be a part of that man's life. I want him to be a part of my life. But most of all, I want for him to be part of his children's lives, so please, I beg you. How do all of you reconcile your relationships with him? How can you all be sure that he won't leave you behind? Bigamy isn't allowed, but he believes that will change. And if it doesn't, what is he going to do? Because if I join him and then he abandons me, I wouldn't be able to handle it."Tiberius sat on the bed, watching the two children, his children, sleep peacefully. Six years. That number wouldn't stop bouncing around his head, and he had to fight off the anger that came with it. It wasn't their fault, and he could understand Juno's fears, but as much as she had thought she was being selfless, it had been a supremely selfish decision on her part.He sighed heavily but acknowledged that it was too late to do anything about the past. Instead, he reached for his phone. The future needed attending to.The call was picked up after a single ring, and Colonel Anderson's basso voice greeted him."Good to hear from you, Lt. Colonel. We've been busy planning the strike."Ty made sure to keep his voice pitched low. "Colonel, don't tell me you're just going to blow him up?""Of course not. Once we learned he had hostages, that became a no go. Joint strike force; SASR and SEALs.""Colonel, I, "Anderson cut him off before he could even try. "Denied. You're too close to this one, Lt. Colonel. Plus, you're incap. You'd be a liability when time is of the essence. Do your job. We'll handle this one. Understood?"Ty wanted to argue, but they'd been speaking in their capacity as officers from the beginning. "Yes, sir. Understood."Anderson chuckled then his tone shifted. "Chin up mate, you've got a couple of women to bed. That's always a bit of fun.""Yeah, three if Juno agrees.""Three? Not just your French lover and Captain Lawry?""Yeah. An old friend." Ty paused and decided to just say it. "A friend who showed up today and revealed that her children are mine."There was silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Ty thought the line had gone dead. Finally, Bill Anderson seemed to have pulled himself together."Fuck off. You're taking the piss.""Nope. Twins. Six years old as of this time last month. I knew about them; even sent them gifts for all the major occasions every year. But I never knew they were mine. I never actually got to see them until today, and now they're asleep beside me."Anderson's voice was filled with wonder. "That's a hell of a thing to drop on a man. You okay?""Mad that she never told me. Sad that I missed so much of their earlier years. But Juno has never hidden my identity from them. Bella, my daughter, walked into the room and called me 'daddy'. I melted on the fucking spot, Bill. Then my son, Mars, tells me that he's been strong because he had to be the man of the house while I wasn't around. I'm not ashamed to say that I absolutely wept. I was filled with so much pride at that moment."Ty could hear the smile in Anderson's voice at his next words. "It's a powerful feeling, and it never wanes, Ty. I feel it for my kid every day. How about their mother?""I've always cared for Juno, but it was never overtly romantic between us. The kids happened when we were both smashed off our faces. It was the only time we were intimate, and I honestly didn't even remember it happening. Pity, really. Her ass would have been heavenly to play with."Anderson laughed, and Ty had to fight back his own. "Well, if she joins your family, you'll get the opportunity sooner or later."Ty shrugged but knew the Colonel would never see it. "If. She's unsure about the whole bigamy aspect.""Well, that's being corrected as we speak. The Act will go live at the end of November.""Well fuck me, Bill. I've not got a lot of time then, ey. Once that hits, the girls are going to go absolutely mad.""Nah, that's yonks, mate. Get on it." The older man was having trouble keeping his mirth in check."Tell that to my bloody jeweler. Malachi is basically frothing at the mouth with the volume of orders I've given him."There was still a note of mirth in Bill's voice. "Are you planning to put rings on all of them?"Though the gesture was useless, Ty nodded. "The twins are sorted. I've got proper rings for Talia and Alice on the go. Now I'll probably need to place orders for Béa and Juno. Juno for sure if she accepts. With how Béa was looking at me; most likely. Grace might happen down the track; once she's had her time to grieve. And the younger two I'm not sure about yet. Liz at least I've got to get to know better. Zoe; hell, I don't know how to handle her."Ty could almost hear the eye roll in Bill's voice. "Like an adult, Tiberius. If you love her, and she loves you and wants it, do it. That's part of our responsibilities in the new world."There was a certain sense to his words, and Ty let the conversation hang for a moment before a small movement brought his attention back. Mars had woken and was watching Ty with half-lidded eyes."Hi, champ. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Ty smiled down at the boy and patted his head gently.Mars' eyes widened and he shook his head. "I'm not sleepy now. Can; I sit with you, dad?""Of course you can. Come lean on your dad. Mum's just around the corner too, so don't worry. Did you have a good nap?"Nodding, he began clambering slowly up onto Ty's lap and leaning back against the big man. He reached into his bag and pulled out a game console, one Ty recognized as one of the gifts he'd sent the kids."Can I play my game?" Mars raised the console so Ty could see it clearly."Sure. Just keep the volume down so you don't wake your sister, okay?"He nodded again and started up, just as Bill spoke in his ear. "He sounds a bit like you."Ty smiled down at his son and replied, feeling the warmth building in his chest. "Thanks Bill. Say, if you're free on the first, this Sunday, why don't you bring the fam down to mine? I'd love to pick your brain, maybe get a crash course in how to handle myself from a senior dad?""Don't see why not? Would be a good outing. Who's coming?""My Team, Rayne's. Gonna give Baz a call and get him onboard too. Anyone else you suggest?""I can't really say keep it small, since that's already around twenty people, but I reckon that'll hold us for now?""Sounds good. Sort out your people in the morning, come by lunch and we'll make a day of it. Plan on getting absolutely blind. I think that's what I told Ray."A tug at his shirt pulled his attention back down."Dad, you want to play with me? It's Mario.""Sure thing. Bill, I'm heading off. I'll see you on Sunday?"The older man chuckled. "You got it."The line cut out and Ty put his phone back down before focusing his attention on Mars. This was the first opportunity for him to start making up for the last six years. He wouldn't miss it. Never again, if he could help it."Alright champ. Let's play."To be continued in part 10. Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts, for Literotica.
