Romance

Chapter Forty-two.
(Necessary inventions for a mother, A simple wedding, Flowers all over, and A good husband)

Among dear Peter’s many inventions (most of them were cluttering up a ballroom that had been left long abandoned, now) was an adjustable bed backing that could raise her into a sitting position with the use of a crank. The automatons were forbidden from fighting over who got to use it and perforce drew straws to see whose go it was.

Peters Two and Three were sound asleep and fast gaining the nicknames Duo and Trike, thanks to the automatons. Well… it was only a slight bit better than the Latin. Her attempts to name them Peter and Pete respectively had failed.

She decided, as preparations for their small wedding got underway, that at least her boys would hear her using their proper names. Maybe not all the time, but definitely a lot more than their metal siblings would.

Ye Gods, what a strange family. Three automaton boys, one maybe-girl automaton, and twin boys. A family of six and she was only just now getting married at last.

Chloe did up Iris’ hair for her, and let Three add daisies from the garden and a few interesting feathers into the braids. Penelope served as a bridesmaid and The Admiral as a beaming best man. Peter had babbled briefly about inviting Thaddeus Becile on the basis that they had been friends for so long.

Iris squashed that notion flat with four words, “He’s in prison, dear.”

And Peter went oddly silent and glum, staring into his memories for a moment. “It… didn’t have to be that way…” and then his father and the priest whisked him away to at least put on a nice suit for the occasion.

Rabbit insisted on being a flower girl. Which meant that she had to have both flowers and feathers inserted into every gap in her plating, wherever her brothers could make them stay. The end effect was… somewhat alarming, to say the least.

Especially when Three stuck an entire bouquet into the top of his head. Or when Rabbit and Hatchworth got together to string garlands of flowers between all four of them.

She was going to have to make them some form of clothes. Babies could only wander around naked for so long. And they seemed to adore playing dress-up, anyway.

Lord bless Father Kerning for politely ignoring the spectacle and carrying on, regardless. During the reason and impediment part, there was an audible clang as each automaton slammed at least one hand over the mouth of another metal sibling.

The simple gold band Peter put on her hand gleamed against her browner skin. And the simple band she put on his somehow set off his alabaster skin. And when their hands joined… Well. It was all the magic she needed.

Three cheered at the ceremonial kiss. And then became disappointed that there was not magic. That poor lad had absorbed far too many fairy tales. Peter giggled a little as he settled in for an extended hug. In a few more days, both Granny Josie would let her up to walk around the upper floor. Provided her bleeding continued to taper off.

If all went well, she would next face the world as Mrs Peter Walter.

Though he would insist on introducing her as Mrs Iris Walter. Just a slight little kick in the shins to tradition, rather than an entire buck of it.

She got to enjoy showers of feathers and petals and the hushed cheers of the automatons and her friends alike before the twin Peters began to stir. At least her freshly-minted husband was more than willing to help with the messy parts.

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Chapter Forty-one.
(Resurfacing to reality, A significant error, An invader in his own home, and A tearful introduction)

Peter hadn’t focussed very much on what people outside his new construction lab were saying to him. Not until Rabbit and the boys started whooping it up about babies. A highly distracting mixture of cheering and panic at maximum volume.

And Mrs Cambridge literally dragged him away from his latest assembly.

“Hm? Pardon?”

“I said,” she growled, still dragging him away from his

Chapter Forty.
(Gram’ma Josie at work, Anxiety all around, Good signs, and An important miscommunication)

Josie let the father and his inventions swarm for all of fifteen minutes. Plenty enough time for a first mother to get well over the idea of watching her go through the entire procedure. Nothing wearied a mother more than having the entire family fuss over her when she was busy doing the hardest work of her life.

The one called Hatchworth kept rummaging inside his

Chapter Thirty-nine.
(A series of blinks, A change in fortune, A change in friends, and Some really big worries)

For Iris, events rushed by in blinks. She closed her eyes as a maid, and opened them a verified fiancee. Peter moved her into her own suite, and played host to a midwife of both good experience and good record.

The canny woman, later introduced as Gram’ma Josie, sized Iris up and down and announced, “Oh yes. That’s twins, all right.

Chapter Thirty-eight.
(Cryptic utterances, Strange change of routine, Joyous news, and A fearful fate)

There was only one explanation that fit. Miss Iris had gone more than peculiar in his absence. She had odd, quiet fits of weeping where he couldn’t see her. And when she talked to him she was either baffling or angry with him

It began small, of course, with breakfast the morning after he came home.

“I have ceased being unwell,” she said out of nowhere.

“I

Chapter Thirty-seven.
(A recurrence of levitation, The return of the good colonel, A new name, and Saved from sandwiches in anger)

Iris found out about Peter's return from the newspapers. Sightings of a gigantic mechanical giraffe were treated as amusing news by the press. Laughable jolly reports along the lines of some drunkards would see anything.

That man! The least he could have done was send one of his enigmatic telegrams.

But no, she had to find out at the same time

Chapter Thirty-six.
(The journey home, Are we there yet?, Reflections on the weekend war, and Rabbit’s little revelation)

Sometimes, Peter wished that he could have walked the great automaton Delilah across the Atlantic. The gigantic giraffe had made short work of the vast distances in Africa, and she promised to be just as fast over the plains of the United States.

But despite that, his children were… well... children.

“Are we there, yet?”

“Three, we are fresh onto the East coast.

Chapter Thirty-ffive.
(Good news, Better news, A bad bargain, and Nothing to fear)

Admiral Walter hadn't seen much of the Paddy since Peter had gone away with all his mechanical monst-- his machines. Hadn't heard much out of her since her suggestion for apology. Now she came into his office with something plaguing her mind. She was wan and weak. Definitely green about the gills. And prone to cling to sturdy furniture when it was available.

"Whatever's bit you?" he asked.

"...may

Chapter Thirty-four.
(The war is over, An absence of news, Worries abound, and Kindness from others)

Iris was away at tea with the Pembrookes when the next telegram arrived from Egypt. Mrs Cambridge saved it for her, of course. Another simple message.

Becile defeated. Assisting Babclock in cleanup, rebuilding. Coming back soon.

Infuriatingly absent of any heartening information. Such as whether his children had survived the battle, or how well he had fared. Or if the generic, factory robots had performed as

Chapter Thirty-three.
(An attempt at concealment, A missed dinner, Plans for war, and The Admiral’s weakness)

Iris made sure her presentation was spotless. The last thing she needed was for gossip to get about. Not until Peter was ready to steal the Admiral's march. It would serve the old man right for Peter to come to dinner with a spouse in tow.

The one she worried about the most was Mrs Cambridge. She seemed to have vision that rendered people transparent

Chapter Thirty-two.
(A moment of delight, Urgent summons, Becile strikes again, and Desperate measures)

Peter had never known such delight, and therefore wanted very little else. Alas, the demands of his body made it loudly known that his stomach had dearly missed its lunch. Iris must have been perishing, too, for her own belly answered his hungry snarl with its own.

The plentiful lunch, since gone cold, provided them both ample sustenance. He derived some great glee from feeding dear Iris some

Chapter Thirty-one.
(Frustrations arise, Bold new talent, Affection returned, and Requited passions)

The following days were full of near misses. Embraces almost taken. Kisses almost given. Confessions almost said. And always, always some interruption or another.

Like the unexpected news that the Admiral had finally been cleared to hobble about on crutches. Or poor Penelope having a nervous episode in one of the stairwells. Or Mrs Cambridge falling down from a fever. Or another one of the highly predatory ladies confidently coming

Chapter Thirty.
(Love blooms under a bushel, Visions both pleasant and dire, A quick study, and The automaton school)

Peter had to wonder if hot flushes were an effect of the blue matter or if they were simply an effect of Miss Iris. She had a unique knack of making him unsure of his footing, yet completely at ease with such a situation.

And he did admire brilliant women. That had not changed. Was he entranced with her like he had been

Chapter Twenty-nine.
(A need for calm, A walk in the garden, Lights and bushels, and A kiss returned)

He still paced, and oscillated, but at least he was less frenetic about it. Both his alliterative babbling and the word 'dummins' had ceased escaping his lips.

"Oh, Colonel," she sighed. "It's all right, now. She's gone. You're safe."

"That... That was... That was..." He fumbled. He finally allowed himself to rest. Slumping in his chair. "That was completely unhygienic." A shuddering breath. "She