#fenixtj

Jessica snaps around, interpreting "A... girl?"

A very tired Tweak is propped up in the bed with a bundled up infant in her arms. "Not jus' any girl. Most fuckin' beautiful baby girl you ever gonna see. Get in here, B, take a look!"

"Congratulations, you two," Diego grins, "Perhaps a future member of the revolution"

Jessica grins and, assuming she can, steps in to see the baby. She peers cautiously at the little bundle.

She can, the little baby somehow has manged to take traits from her father and mother and ...well, turn it into cute! must be a power babies have, the little chocolate latino has very expressive eyes, even if they wobble some

With the bed in there, the Forge is a lot more crowded, but there's still room enough for a few people to come in and say hello.

"She's.... she's beautiful, Tweak. Um. Red, though."

"Yeah, well, she been havin' a fuckin' rough day."

"THanks, Diego, ain't gonna lie" Nec says "It wwas hard, but you know, man's got to do what a man's got to do."

Diego nods. Mitra rolls her eyes.

"Go fuck yerself, Crawley."

"Sure, sure, sure. And, you know, sometimes you're red." Jessica offers.

Then coos, "Oh," Mitra says "I thoght she'dbe...oh she's very lovely"

"Yeah, she top-of-th'-fuckin'-line, ain' she?"

"She really is, Tweak." Keeping her voice to a gentle tone.

"What's her name?" Mitra asks Tweak.

A look to Nec, and she grins. "Well, we decided a while ago...if it a girl..." A pause, and says to the baby, "Yer name be Shuri Annika Lopez-Brown. Do good by it."

Nec beams like an idiot.

Shuri grips her mother's nose

well, as much as a newborn can

"Aw, who'm I kiddin', you gonna fuck it up...but fuck it up with style."

"Shuri." Jessica murmurs in greeting.

She wrinkles her nose at the baby. "Hey, I need that."

That seems to mae Shuri laugh or smile, or maybe it's gas. Nope, sounded like something akin to a giggle.

Symond is at the door "Hey boss, uhm... the forge gonna be okay?"

"L'il wench," Tweak says fondly at the baby, then looks to Symond, "Huh? Why, ain' nothin' wrong wit' this Forge. Strong as Crawley armpit stench."

"Cool uhmm... " Symond says "Folks are wanting the sex and the weight for the betting pool. Don't shoot me"

"Hell, yeah...what the stats?" She looks to the midwife.

...and doesn't seem at all offended by the notion of the betting pool.

A quick run down is given, looks like Diego is the closest except...

"holy furk, I don't believe it...early on I... here, you readi t" She shows the list to Tweak. At the near top of the list is hand writing that should look familiar

Tweak cranes to read it, but doesn't have her goggles on, so it takes a few moments of deciphering before she bursts out in a braying laugh. "Fuckin' A! I won!"

"Stuck to the goddamn design plan, din'cha, Shuri? Attagirl."

"You're kidding" Mitra blinks

Jessica chuckles.

Diego groans "SO cclose. Do you know how large the pot is? "

"Huge" Symond says, "Everyone chipped in something, dross, money, or favors"

"Sweet....set baby up wit' a college fund or some shit." Then Tweak gives a massive, jagged-tooth yawn. "Oh...Crawley...you gotta take 'er. I'm fadin' out."

Jessica stands back to let the father (God help us all) take the baby.

"Me? What if I ... what if I? " nec starts to protest "I don't know nothing about holding no..." But he takes her, and the child reaches up,and touches HIS nose. And Nec loses the power of speech

"Oh my god, she found the off switch" Mitra mutters "Shuri is a miracle child."

"Amen." Murmured.

"Why I ain' never think of that?" Tweak muses, blinking wearily.

And Tweak, feeling oddly triumphant, like that for this one moment, she has created perfectio and the dreaming can suck it, drifts to a well earned sleep.

And Nec, wordless, holds his daughter close as the baby falls asleep in his arms.

Jessica shoos the others out, leaving Symond and the midwife to finish things up.

The midwife smiles at the freeholder who guesses what she was going to suggest anyway "I keep eye out. Thank you, Senorita Flamefree"

"De Nada, y muchos gracias a usted, Señora."

A smile, and while there will be a celebration in other parts of the hold, in Tweak's forge, there is at last a happy silence, or near silence, for a soft sound that few can hear but everyone is aware of domintes the room. A lnewborn's heartbeat, thumping strong for her size, and surrounded by love.

(End sappy scene)