Ty was waiting when the doorbell rang at 6:45pm sharp. He opened the door and there stood Sonja in a strapless red ankle-length dress, looking like something out of an old Earth magazine. He showed her into the foyer before walking towards the dining room.
"Nice place. How did you get so lucky to be invited to the main house?" she asked, taking in the elegant surroundings.
"Mr. Zach has a soft spot for a few of us here on the Ranch," Ty explained, showing her into the dining room where others were starting to gather.
Zach arrived and entered the room holding Harry's hand. He showed him to his chair and helped him be seated, then announced that dinner would be served and for everyone to have a seat.
Sonja leaned over to Ty with a knowing look. "Your homeboy Harry's face says a lot, but his walk says he's been very satisfied."
Ty looked at her with a strange expression. "What do you mean by that?"
"Looks like your boss Mr. Zach liked his new look so much he might have sampled some of Harry's goodies already," she whispered with a grin. "But hey, whatever. It's their business."
Zach raised his glass. "To good company and good food."
After the appetizer was served and they were waiting a few minutes for the first course, Sonja noticed that Harry was looking a little flushed as he made a few uncomfortable faces. She excused herself and whispered something to Zach, who looked at Harry with concern. Sonja took Harry's hand and whispered to him. He got up and they walked out of the dining room together.
They were out in the main hall when Lex joined them. "Mr. Zach sent me to help you if you needed it."
"Help me get Harry to the office and lay him down," Sonja instructed. "Then if you have any experience in interspecies conception, that would be nice."
Lex laughed and pointed at his bulge. "I'm hybrid and Chris is human, so I have a fairly good idea what to expect. And since Harry has done this before at his age, being from another Ranch, it's a snap."
"Nope, first time for anything," Harry groaned out, his face contorting with discomfort. "And this shit is starting to burn and hurt like hell."
As they laid Harry down on the sofa, Lex started to rub his stomach while Sonja joined him. Harry started to respond in a few minutes as his pains and burning started to ease up some.
"Congratulations, Daddy," Sonja announced with a warm smile. "You're gonna have yourself a nice strong boy in nine months. The three of you should be very happy."
"When can I rejoin the party?" Harry asked weakly. "I don't wish to embarrass the host."
"In a few minutes it should be okay," Lex responded, "but don't overdo it tonight."
Lex helped Harry sit up and Sonja remarked, "Let's get you back to the party, sugar. I always wanted to be an aunt to a baby genman, and I'm gonna be keeping a very close eye on you, sweetheart." She hugged him and the three of them walked back to the dinner.
Harry sat down and Sonja leaned over and whispered to Zach, "Congratulations, Father Z." Then she took her place beside Ty and patted his hand, smiling at him.
The rest of the meal went on very quietly until Zach tapped his glass with his fork and cleared his throat. Standing up, he addressed the room. "I would like to introduce Harry to everyone here tonight. You will be seeing a lot more of him from now on. I have decided to share my home and life with Harry, so if you have an opinion about it, you can say it and then go upstairs and pack your bags and find another place to live."
Most everyone sat there stunned.
"And by the way," Zach continued with a growing smile, "we're having a baby."
Suddenly the place was filled with noise and joyous celebration.
Ty turned to Sonja, his voice earnest. "I don't want this to end. I want to continue to see you, if that's okay with you."
"That sounds like a perfect idea to me," Sonja smiled, "because I have nothing against dating a Genman/Hybrid."
Ty looked at Sonja and pointed towards Zach. "You see that very happy man standing there? He's not my boss—he's my grandfather, and I'm very proud of him because he has opened my eyes today. Love is where you find it in life, and you have to take a chance."
Sonja wrapped her arms around him and kissed him like he had never been kissed before in his life.
Daniel and Lex approached and asked Ty if he would like to introduce her to them. Ty chuckled. "These two waddling preggers are my brothers Lex and Daniel."
Sonja hugged their necks. "Being the aunt of your children is going to be fabulous—if Ty doesn't screw this up."
"Not a chance in this world," Ty responded confidently.
Harry was starting to get a cramp and burning deep inside him again. It wasn't as bad as the first time, but still it hurt. Zach sensed it and motioned for Lex and Sonja's help. They were right there.
"It's nothing serious," Lex told everyone, "but Harry needs to lay down and rest for a few minutes. As a first-timer, it's always a little rough on Genmen."
As they assisted Harry back to the sofa in Zach's office, Sonja was concerned. "Is everything okay with the baby?"
"Yes, it is," Lex said carefully, "but if my deductions are correct, Harry just ovulated again and it was fertilized. So another conception is taking place as we are standing here."
About that time, intense pains hit Harry's lower abdomen, causing him to yell out. The office door opened and Zach rushed in.
"Is everything okay with Harry and the baby?" he asked anxiously.
Sonja took his hand and laid it upon Harry's burning belly. "Feel your other child being conceived. You're the father of twins."
Zach was blown away and kept his hand on Harry's belly, kissing him tenderly.
"We are going to step outside and let this be your private moment," Sonja said softly. She and Lex left the room.
Lex and Sonja walked out into the group of waiting family members. "Harry is just fine," Lex announced. "He's just feeling the strong aftereffects of his second ovulation and conception of the second child. Grandfather is by his side and everything will be okay. I will monitor his progression closely." He turned to Ty. "But when it's time, would you carry our step-granddad to their room?"
"Not a problem at all, little bro," Ty replied. "I've got plenty of time available to help them."
Later, Ty walked Sonja to her car. "May I call on you sometime?"
"Only if I can call on you here," Sonja responded. "There's a long story I need to hear about before I can get into a committed relationship with you, so we need to talk real soon." She gave him a kiss and drove away.