It was unusual to have a quiet breakfast along with his wife-brunch really, it was long past breakfast time. The children left last night for a camping trip with their Uncle Alex who seemed to have taken over the duties of Pied Piper for the Koenig clan since Alan Carter's death. Alex could keep all the children captivated and entertained on Loki and seemed to enjoy doing it. Richard and Suzi would join the rest of the family at Rainbow Valley in a few days, but Suzi had arranged for a few days of time alone and it was wonderfully relaxing.

Richard hadn't gotten up once with a child the night before and there had been no calls from Medical Center. He had the feeling Suzi had arranged that as well. Usually they didn't hesitate to call, even when he was here at Bedrock. They had stayed in bed until well after the sun was up, even though they had awakened in the cool grey dawn and leisurely loved each other before falling back to sleep. Then they had gone for a swim together, something Suzi always enjoyed since it reminded her of free-fall games played as a child on C-2. They had fixed breakfast together, taking plenty of hug breaks during the preparation of the meal. Richard briefly remembered his parents on the rare occasions when they had the leisure to cook together, and the affection they had shared. As a child it had seemed wonderfully normal with he and his brother and sister frequently caught up in the affection. As an adolescent, it had truly embarrassed him, but as an adult he realized how wonderfully special a moment like this could be.

Despite vacation, being CMO was still a twenty-four hour a day job. He didn't regret that. He loved his work, both the medical parts and the administrative parts. With a glance at his wife he settled in with a final cup of coffee and his slate to review any messages and the daily comm boards. She cleared the table with a smile and settled in with her own slate. Richard poured her a cup of coffee and touched the back of her hand gently. She smiled silently at him and they settled down for a rare quiet moment together.

Richard skimmed quickly through messages, forwarding some to others for action, making a few brief replies. Things were mostly quiet on the boards. There were no major news announcements, no births or deaths so he flipped to his guilty pleasure: the want ads. He knew it was an Earth term from the days of paper news. On Earth there was always a section of things listed for sale or wanted to buy. Even without money, people still wanted a way to find what they were looking for. There were quite a few different sections: handmade items that weren't carried by Supply or overstock items actually placed on the boards by the Supply department, outgrown or currently unused items like cradles and baby clothes, although those were usually passed on to friends or relatives. Then there was the "personals" section. That fascinated Richard. It included some really odd requests. Men who wanted to find a woman interested in certain things or women looking for a particular man. Sometimes there was just a piece of poetry or the mention of a particular book that people wanted a chance to discuss-online or in person-with someone of similar interest. Frequently there was no signature, just a reply button that would send your message back to the person who posted it.

That list was mostly routine today too. Then one message caught his eye. He read it twice.

The last was a signature, a screen name, but a familiar one. It wasn't uncommon for people to use a screen name on the boards. It allowed you to express opinions without personal retribution. Usually the same screen names popped up in the same places, and if you knew a person well enough, you usually knew their screen name too.

"Um Suz?"

"Yes, Rick?"

"When was the last time you talked to PJ?"

"About a month ago. Why?"

"Well, when you talked to him, did he mention anything about wanting to start a family?"

"PJ? My brother?"

"That would be the one."

"That would involve girls in some fashion wouldn't it?" Suzi laughed. "What makes you ask a crazy thing like that?"

Richard placed his slate on the table and turned it to face her. She looked down and read the ad.

"WHAT is he up to?" She asked.

"Looks like he wants a child." Richard replied mildly.

"Well, why not tell everyone on Alpha about it too!"

"How else is he going to find someone? C-2 is a pretty small place. Looks like he wants to widen his opportunities."

Suzi stood and headed to the comm post. "I'll widen him. Oh how utterly embarrassing."

"You know, as the base geneticist, you should applaud his ingenuity."

Suzi glared at him and he tried to keep from smiling. She punched in her brother's code and waited for the call to be routed to C-2. It took about two minutes to go through, but Richard prudently remained silent.

PJ answered quickly and grinned in delight at his sister's face. "Hey Sis! How are you?"

Lifting Richard's slate into the pickup Suzi began the conversation with, "PJ, just what is this?"

"It's a slate, Suz. I wouldn't think you'd call me just for that. Surely Richard could tell you."

"That's not what I mean. What's this ad?"

"You saw the ad? I've already gotten two responses, and both sound serious." PJ grinned and ran his hand through his short spiky white-blond hair. "I thought I'd spend about a month interviewing, then narrow things down and get you to do some genetic tests to see who the best match is."

"Why didn't you talk to me first?"

"We don't live on the same planet Suzi, and usually when you call you talk about the kids and your work and ask about my work, then rush off to something else."

"But PJ, this is important."

For the first time PJ looked serious. "Yes it is, Sis." He tried to look past her. "Is Richard there?"

Richard stood up and moved to stand by his wife. "I'm here, PJ. Do you want to have a private conversation with Suzi?"

"No, no. I just think maybe I should tell you both. Look Suzi. I didn't mean to shut you out, but I know you're busy with your own life." He paused and looked down. "You know how much I love it when you bring the kids out here, but your home is on Alpha. I want a family of my own. I don't want to just be Uncle PJ." He looked older than his twenty years. He was already slated to be the next administrator of C-2, and Andy Johnson was making noises about retiring soon.

"Suzi pointed out to me that girls will be involved in some fashion," Richard said lightly.

PJ sighed. "I'm aware of that, but I've given this a lot of thought and I really mean it. I'll do what it takes even if I don't like it much." He looked carefully at Richard. "I've been thinking about this ever since... Ever since Emma was... here. She and Alan were so proud of their kids. They talked about them a lot. And I remembered when she was here before with Preston. And then Emma and Alan were both gone. What if they'd waited? What if they'd decided not to have kids? That would have been such... a loss."

Richard nodded, agreeing with him.

"I know how I feel, Sis, about a lot of things. I know I'm never going to have a wife and live a normal life like you do, but I really want to have a child of my own."

Richard put his arm around Suzi's waist, and she placed her hands over his. "PJ," he said. "We understand how you feel. Let us know how we can help." He felt Suzi tense against him, but he squeezed her slightly and she said nothing.

PJ grinned. "Thanks Richard. I appreciate that. Once I've found someone, I'd really like to make sure we're genetically compatible before going ahead. Is that possible?"

"Of course, PJ. I wish everyone would think so logically. It'd save a lot of heartbreak. Once you've made a decision, why don't you both come straight to me for a genetic screening."

"Great. Well, Sis? Wish me luck?"

Suzi opened her mouth but nothing came out at first. Richard gave her a bit of a push that started her up. "Good luck, PJ. I hope you find just what you're looking for."

"Thanks, Sis. I hope to see you soon."

Suzi nodded and Richard reached around her and closed the connection.

"It is a good idea, honey. "

"I suppose. But I--"

"Let's see what he comes up with. How about a walk on the beach?"

Suzi nodded and the two returned to their vacation and left PJ to his quest.

It was just a little over a month later when Suzi got another call from her brother. She called Richard almost immediately.

"He's found someone," she said tersely.

Richard didn't need to ask who she meant. They had discussed PJ's ad several times during the last month. Suzi still found the whole thing embarrassing. There had been a bit of a stir on one of the public boards where the ad had been noted and discussed, but the people online had not associated PJ with his screen name. The reaction to the ad on the board was mixed. It had followed a path Richard had observed in other discussions. Someone posted the ad along with a comment wondering why the ad had been placed. A few people had objected to the ad strenuously on one principal or another, some going to great lengths about why this was not a good idea. Others had agreed, adding more speculation and more objections. Then a voice of reason stepped in weighing in on the other side, stating that it was not such an objectionable thing. The discussion had resorted to name calling in a flury of posts, then others posted to agree with the more reasonable side and the tide seemed to ebb and the posts became less frequent. Richard was fascinated by flame wars on the boards and the way the outrageous posters were usually quelled by those who spoke out less frequently, but with more thought.

"So, who is it?"

"She's from Loki," Suzi said with a sigh. "They're going to meet here two weeks from now and he was making arrangements for them to stay two or three days to get to know each other while we run some tests."

"Great. Suz?" Richard asked, concerned. "You're going to get used to this idea aren't you?"

"Oh, I suppose so. I'm not sure I approve of his method, but I know his intentions are good."

Richard relaxed slightly. "We'll schedule a complete physical for both of them. And I know Mom and Dad will want to see PJ. We'll have to have everyone over for dinner."

"Rick, when you start including the kids too, we run out of space. I'll see if I can schedule a dining room one evening. I'll get together with your mom and Dinah about it."

Richard nodded, leaving the planning to Suzi, knowing she enjoyed it. Her brother didn't come to visit very often.

Two weeks later, Richard was the one waiting for the Eagle to land from Loki. PJ had been delayed leaving C2, and he'd called and asked Richard to meet the prospective mother and make her welcome. It was obvious that PJ was as nervous and excited as a bridegroom. When the travel tube opened and a small round-faced woman with pale brown hair exited Richard grinned. "Lindy Harwood."

"Hello Richard. I wasn't sure you'd remember me."

"Of course I do. I used to follow you and my sister around all the time when you were both learning how to take Eagles apart. Wait a minute. You're not Melinda Brown are you?"

The woman adjusted the travel bag that was slung over her shoulder. "That would be me too. I married Vant Brown. Do you remember him?"

"He was in my class at school. We were the two tallest kids in the class and were always ending up on opposite sides in the basketball games."

"Yes, he told me about that."

"The two of you have been on Loki all this time?" He gestured down the corridor toward the two bedroom apartment PJ had reserved. PJ had explained that they wanted a chance to get to know each other without curious onlookers.

"Nearly ten years. We got married just before the last summer season. Vant may not be the best at academic things-- with his dyslexia, but plants don't care. He can get anything to grow anywhere. And I stayed on during the summer season as a mechanic, and we've been there ever since."

"Emma always said you could make anything work."

Melinda took his arm. "Richard, I was so sorry to hear about Emma-- and Alan. I could take things apart and put them back together, but Em could take them apart and make them better. Any time I needed the tractors at Dover to do something different, I could always call Emma and tell her the problem, and pretty soon she'd email me these plans and they'd work!"

Richard nodded. "We miss them both."

"Your mom? She's doing ok?"

"Yeah. It hit her really hard. But the boys keep her too busy to dwell on it much. She and Dad insisted on raising Emma's kids."

"Having children around can sure help with a heartbreak. I know my dad just lives for my kids."

"Emma and Dinah call it the 'grandparent phenomena.' Since we never had any grandparents, I guess it took our generation by surprise."

They had arrived at the apartment. It was in the older section of Alpha, one of the quarters that had been hastily redesigned for a small family, with a children's room carved out of part of the living room and the sleeping area walled off for the parents. Melinda looked around and set her bag down on the sofa. "Alpha still looks the same," she said softly.

"Not much choice. We don't have the manpower for more than making sure things keep running, and raising more kids. Your apartment was in this same section when you were growing up wasn't it?"

"Right down the hall. You remember that too? You did used to follow us around a lot. I don't suppose you had a crush on me."

Richard felt himself beginning to blush. "Well, if you want to know the truth, I figured out that anytime you and Emma were working on a project together, your mom baked cookies for you. And she baked the best cookies on Alpha."

Melinda laughed. "The ones with the nuts and the powdered sugar. I should have known a nine-year-old would be interested in the cookies instead of the girl. Mine's the same way. He loves those cookies too."

"I don't suppose you have the recipe?"

"I know how to make them now. I'll have to see what I can do."

"Suzi is going to kill me. Here I am supposed to be making you feel at home, and I'm begging you for cookies. Have you had dinner yet?"

"I was offered another one of those plastic bag things on the Eagle, but after days of nothing but that, I declined."

"Great. We haven't had supper yet either. Do you want to settle in and meet us in the cafeteria?"

"Sounds good. I'm hungry, but I really want a shower first. Say, a half hour?"

"We'll meet you then."

Melinda and Suzi were physically complete opposites. Where Suzi was tall and willowy, bordering on being too slender, Melinda was small and compact with plenty of curves and ample hips. Suzi kept her blonde hair unfashionably long. The short styles made her neck look too long and her ears stick out. Melinda's brown hair was cut so short you could almost see her scalp. Despite their differences the two women took an instant liking to each other. Suzi still had her misgivings about her brother's project, but she warmed to Melinda's cheery nature. Only the youngest of the Koenig children was with them, two year old April. The older three were with their Uncle Alex at soccer practice. April also seemed to take a liking to Melinda and chattered away with her. Melinda even seemed to understand the babytalk.

"How old are your children, Melinda?" Suzi asked.

"We have four. The oldest is nine. Trev, we call him, Trevanthony Junior. Then there's Jennifer, she's six. Four year old Crystal, and two year old Royal."

Richard knew Suzi wanted to know how Melinda got involved with PJ's project, but wouldn't dare mention it. He felt comfortable enough to ask his childhood friend. "So what got you interested in PJ's ad?" Suzi gave him a nudge under the table, but Melinda smiled easily.

"There's several reasons, really. At first, it was just something odd that caught my eye. I'm not sure what it was, but I really like being pregnant. I know other women think I'm nuts, but I feel more alive, more healthy, and even have more energy when I'm pregnant. And Halima Ofori says I'm built right for having babies too, with these wide hips. I've never had any problem with giving birth." She smiled. "I'd been working up to asking Vant about having another baby, beginning to drop hints, but he's set that four under foot are enough. Almost as a joke I showed him the ad, and to my surprise he said it might not be a bad idea."

"Really?" Suzi asked.

"Well, he said he felt if someone were willing to advertise like that, and be willing to take a lot of heat, they probably wanted to have a baby pretty bad. And he knows how happy I am when I'm pregnant. He could make me happy without the prospect of changing diapers again. We've just graduated from that stage with the whole family."

"I know that's a relief." Richard said, with a look at his youngest who hadn't quite passed that milestone yet. April was entertaining herself with moving her fruit slices into different patterns on her plate.

"So I sent PJ a short note, and he wrote back pretty quickly. We wrote back and forth for a better part of two weeks, asking questions about each other, and just what he had in mind. Your brother seems quite sweet, Suzi."

Suzi had to smile. She really was fond of her little brother, despite his odd ways. "He is. And I think he'll be a good father too."

"So do I. And while we were talking, we found out he's on C-2, and wants the baby to be born there. Vant and I talked about that, and with summer coming on, we thought it might be good to try something different this time. PJ said we could both get positions on C-2 for the entire season, and bring the kids. It'll be good for them. Even Trev was too little to remember last summer-- the others weren't born yet, but they just didn't understand winter at all. Not being able to go outside when they wanted and all. This will be completely different. There's work for a mechanic everywhere. Then Vant called PJ up to talk. Vant just can't handle the message boards, I usually read them to him. Vant had some ideas about increasing the capacity of the grow windows and he wasn't having much luck with changing the grow windows on Dover, but PJ listened and thought it was a great idea. PJ offered him a job working with the grow-windows on C2, and even suggested that they work together to test Vant's ideas and validate them so that Dover will see how useful they are. So, after about another week of working out the timing for moving us up there, PJ called you and set up this appointment. Even if it turns out that the genetics aren't right, we're still going to spend summer at C-2. Richard, I wouldn't mind being the surrogate mother, even if you used a donor egg."

"Well, let's see how things look for the two of you first."

Melinda agreed and the conversation turned to other subjects.

PJ arrived late that evening, and his first face to face meeting with Melinda was private, but the next morning he and Melinda arrived in Richard's office, ready for their physicals. They were an unusual pair. PJ was on vacation and had dressed in casual clothes, lime green trousers tucked into "indoor" boots that were common on C-2 and Alpha, and a tie-dyed orange and green tunic. His white-blond hair was carefully spiked. He was slender and on the short side. He practically bounced as he walked, he was so enthusiastic. Melinda strode steadily at his side. She was no taller than him, but rounder, and heavier. Her short hair was obviously a practical concern for her, and she wore work coveralls, still looking like a mechanic, even off-duty. Richard knew she was also looking forward to this project, but her stolid demeanor didn't show it. They both subjected themselves readily to a thorough round of tests which took most of the morning. PJ asked to spend the afternoon with his nieces and nephew, and Suzi called their teachers and asked for them to be excused for the afternoon to visit with their uncle. She would be processing a number of the lab tests herself and declined to join them.

It took three days to gather the results of the tests. Melinda visited with old friends and seemed to enjoy taking a vacation from her family. PJ spent as much time with the Koenig children as possible. He also visited with Helena Koenig and the Carter children. Ten year old Preston delighted in trying to figure out how PJ could be Aunt Suzi's brother, but still not really be Preston's uncle. The twins were just at an age to realize that others couldn't readily tell them apart, and they constantly tried to confuse him. They found PJ a tough customer who seemed to be able to tell them apart as easily as their grandmother did.

Richard and Suzi hosted a family dinner including all the offspring, Richard's parents, Alex and Dinah and Dinah's parents. PJ and Melinda were both made to feel part of the family. Richard and Suzi talked to them briefly and made an announcement to the family that PJ and Melinda had both been given a clean bill of health and they were genetically compatible. Already informed about the reason for PJ's visit, the family was supportive of the decision. Richard knew his mother was extremely pleased with the idea, and he was glad to overhear Annette Fraser remark to Suzi that she wished she and Bill had made a decision to do something similar years ago. Her inability to have children other than Dinah had been a source of sorrow for the couple, but they had been unwilling to accept some of the more radical solutions that he knew his mother would have offered to them. He made a mental note to make sure that Bill had donated material to Alpha's gene bank.

The party was a great success, with the children running around like crazy until PJ and Alex finally rounded them up and herded them off to the gym. The parents and grandparents lingered over coffee until late in the evening. Suzi seemed more relaxed with the idea of her brother's future parenthood and Richard suspected that a lot of it had to do with the support they would be receiving from the family. Suzi and PJ's parents had both passed away now, but the Koenigs and Frasers considered both the Potter children part of their extended family. They seemed to be quite willing to extend the same kindness to Melinda as well.

Richard had little to do with the logistics of moving the Brown family to C-2 from Loki but he did keep tabs on the family. Melinda send Richard several emails-- and a box of cookies! She kept him updated about the move, letting him know how grateful she was for PJ's sensitivity regarding her family. Melinda's father was also moving to C-2. Charlie Harwood was a mechanic, like Melinda, although arthritis had now crippled his hands to the point that he had a hard time holding tools. PJ had called him personally and asked if he would be interested in working at C-2's daycare and school, teaching children basic mechanics, troubleshooting and repair. PJ had stressed that another teacher at the school would be welcome with the addition of Harwood's grandchildren. She indicated that she and Vant might take up permanent residency on C-2. Richard knew the little community would be getting a good family who would make the community stronger.

It was less than a year later that Richard and Suzi got a call in the middle of the night. No stranger to late night calls, Richard answered quickly, although he had to reach across five year old Alan, who had crawled into bed with his parents earlier in the night. PJ was still dressed in scrubs, and holding a tightly wrapped bundle. "She's here, Richard, and look at her, isn't she gorgeous!?"

Suzi sat up at the sound of her brother's voice. "PJ?"

"Hey, Sis, take a look at your new niece, Amelia Earhart Potter."

Richard and Suzi grinned at each other. The baby was of the round and red variety, still fresh from her mother's womb, and her features were not yet distinct. She wrinkled up her tiny nose and wiggled a bit.

"Melinda is doing great. They said I could hold Mele until her mama is cleaned up and ready to feed her. I just wanted you to see her."

"She's beautiful, PJ," Suzi lied loyally. "I'm so happy for you." That last wasn't a lie.

"Congratulations PJ." Richard said. "Suzi wants to come out for a visit as soon as her niece is ready for company."

"Oh yes. We'll have a big party in a few weeks. When Melinda says it's ok. I want to invite everyone."

"I'm not sure C-2 is ready for the entire Koenig clan to descend upon you, but I'm sure some of us will be there." Richard replied, smiling.

PJ was obviously giddy. "Oh, everyone is invited. All of Loki and Alpha, if they want to come. Amelia's birth day party will be a grand affair."

Amelia gave a plaintive cry. Suzi laughed. "Your daughter's hungry, PJ. Take her to her mama and go plan your party. We wouldn't miss it for anything."

PJ grinned and nodded and broke the connection. Richard picked up his son who had slept through the entire conversation and carried him back to his own bed. Suzi was smiling as Richard returned to bed and curled around her. Richard yawned. "Congratulations. You're an Aunt."

Suzi kissed him and replied sleepily, "And to think, she's here because of a want ad."

Ellen C. Lindow

August 6, 1999