The second chapter I've posted up today! I mean-wait--um---PREVIOUSLY on Yugioh: lady gives birth to babies, plural, and baby snakes wonder at how something so large came out of a lady's pee-pee. Last they checked, pee-pees are only big enough to let forth a little stream of pee. The woman's body is vast and mysterious, and lucky snakes that they never made their mother break herself by peeing out a full-size human baby. Heaven forbid if babies were pooped.

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It didn't get any less stressful after the babies were born.

Oda and Hane proved to be not the most intelligent of parents. Shay had suspected it from the beginning, but Oda proved to have some sort of mental deficiency. In the modern world, she would have been put in assisted living at the very least, let alone having children. While she had some level of maternal instinct in that she wanted to care and love for the babies, figuring out just how to do that was beyond her. She had to be spoon fed every little movement along the way, and frequently reminded.

Thus, more than usual depended on Hane. But since he'd grown up with little to no experience in caring for another person, he might as well have a mental deficiency. At least he could remember what he was taught and put it into play.

"I can't watch anymore," said Harvey one evening. "I'm sorry, Shay, those babies are going to die the moment they leave this place."

"Not our problem," said Curtis, who had deep shadows under his eyes. For the first time he lay across Shay's lap like a child, utterly drained from the tension of having a unwelcome guests on his territory. It was getting to the point where Shay thought it would be a kindness to just let him kill the scorpion, if three lives weren't depending on him.

"If she can get another mate that isn't a scorpion to help," started Ryan.

"What male other than a scorpion is going to want her?" asked Curtis. "She's the ugliest and stupidest female I've ever seen, and covered in marks."

"We can work on that," said Shay. "I was going to help her get rid of some of those marks tomorrow."

"Maybe we can watch her and the babies while he goes off to find another male," said Harvey.

Curtis snorted. "He's a scorpion. A homeless beast. They don't share."

"He shared plenty," said Harvey. "Haven't you seen the rest of her?"

"No. And I don't want to."

The next day, when Shay explained to a Hane watching over two sleeping baby bundles, that she would have to cut off the marks, horror akin to that of when he had to watch over Oda's labor dawned on his face.

"She's completely covered!" he said. "She'll die before they're all off! And then the babies will die!"

Shay felt her eye twitch. Why did it sound like he cared more about his daughters than his own mate.

"Well you need help taking care of them, and that means another mate. Unless you think any of these," she gestured to Oda's tattooed arms and legs, "are going to help her raise the twins."

Hane stiffened.

"It doesn't matter if they'd help," he said darkly. "I'm not letting my daughters grow up in the city of Flames. They'll end up just like Oda. She was born there as well."

Shay looked down at Oda, who watched them during this conversation, her eyes dull and tired. She did even worse on less sleep, and newborns got up every two hours to eat.

"Then we need to cut her--" started Shay, but Hane cut her off.

"I'll kill them. Their mark will leave a trace of her scent on them."

Shay stared. It was probably the most romantic thing he'd ever said.

"What if one is stronger than you? Won't you get in trouble once they realize what you're doing?"

"It's survival of the fittest in the City of Flames. If you challenge them to an official match you'll even raise your rankings in the city." He smiled. "Oda was the only female living on the bottom rung. It's unlikely any of her mates would be above that."

Shay nodded, then waited. But when Hane just continued to look bloodthirsty and pleased with himself, she frowned.

"What are you going to do about Oda and the girls while you do that?" she asked.

"What do you mean? Can't you just watch her?"

Ryan, who had been watching from the doorway up until then, let out a low growl and a thrum of power.

The babies woke up with a cry and Oda started terribly.

"I'll pay you!" Hane cried. "I'm sorry I--I assumed!"

"Damn right you did," rumbled Ryan's bass-low voice. "Your shed carapace is only enough to pay for the help of the birth. I will not allow you to take advantage of my mate's kindness."

"I'll--I'll bring back payment from the city! Crystals! Treasures from the desert!"

"How do we know that you won't just abandon your mate and children here?"

Shay expected Hane to get mortally offended, as any male she knew of would have been. To her faint surprise, however, he took it in stride, once more driving home to Shay just how different scorpions were.

"I know it doesn't mean much, coming from a scorpion," he said, his head bowed. "But I do love them. Shouldn't my efforts to bring her here all the way from the desert, risking the wrath of her other mates, show any proof of that?"

No, Ryan seemed to say with just his eyes. As I would have killed them all already if I had been in your place with only half the amount of love I have for my mate.

Oda had already picked up one of the babies in her own weak attempt to comfort them. Since Hane didn't look like he was going to do anything, Shay picked up one as well. Her heart hurt something fierce as she looked down into the ugly, scrunched up little face and the toothless mouth crying for relief. Just like with her own babies, she could just feel the need and want from the baby for security--the fear and the anxiety. It only got worse as she tucked the baby close to her and nuzzled against her soft head.

"You have one week," she said quietly. "Then you must leave."

For the sake of her own heart. If these babies were around any longer than that, she wouldn't be able to handle letting them go to their questionable fate. And it wouldn't be right to take them away from their parents if they were willing to give all their efforts and love to supporting them.

Also, Oda's strength in pushing out two twins had reminded her of something.

"When you return," she said just as Hane got up. "I advise you go to the horse clan. To them, strength is beauty, and having birthed two females will be proof of that. They won't be turned off by Oda or a scorpion mate." Because they'd just squash him beneath their monstrous hooves if he got on their nerves.

Hane's expression wrinkled in distaste, but only for a moment before he nodded.

"That...that is a good idea."

"Then hurry," said Ryan. "But know that we will personally be rid of your mate and children if you don't return."

Shay's arms around the calmed baby stiffened. In her heart, she knew Ryan was just saying that to make sure Hane did return. But a part of her also doubted him, having experienced the harshness of this world. She comforted herself by telling that part that it didn't matter if Ryan meant it or not. If Hane didn't return, she herself would escort Oda and the twins to the horse tribe herself, and no one would stop her. And if her mates refused, she'd just have her sons go with her as protection. They were strong, especially Lazy Boi, who could pass as a full size beastman snake already, albeit a small one.

She never thought the strength of her own children would give her such a rush of independence.

Hane gave his solemn word that he would return, gave Oda and each of his daughters a kiss that held as much tenderness as he could convey, and left without any more ceremony.

Ryan let out a long breath once he'd left the tiny shack.

"Parker is going to have to build himself a new house," he said. "The reek of scorpions and birth is never getting out."