Jenny and the Beasts

20. Spring Arrives

2/5 updates for today, August 16, 2022.

 Jenny would've jumped for joy if she could have. Spring was finally here and she was so happy that she couldn't contain it. After Simon loaded her up with fur coats, she was allowed to leave the den. Rolling her eyes, Jenny ignored the over-coddling in favor of exploration.

Over the cold season, Jenny had grown closer to her spouses. It now felt completely natural to be around them and share affections with them. Her comfort and ease was noticed by her mates and they all felt a strong sense of pride.

Jenny's pregnancy hadn't been terrible so far. Her back would get a little sore and her ankles swelled slightly. She could handle those, but hated the heartburn. It only flared up occasionally, but it didn't feel good when it did. Her morning sickness had not struck in some time and she was very grateful for that.

While Jenny was busy being pregnant, her spouses had worked out in their own way. Simon felt comfortable with his new strength and Mestor had increased his. Mestor still estimated that it would take a couple of years for him to reach his third mark. Winston and Simon both said that it would take them awhile to reach the peak of their current levels.

Jenny praised them, but never rushed them. She knew some of what they had to go through to achieve that strength and Jenny wasn't willing to lose any members of her family. Jenny had yet to see Sieg and hoped he would pop up soon.

Jenny had a lot of time to reflect over the cold season. She realized that she hadn't had to recite her 'fake it till you make it' mantra or her 'treat it like a game' one in a long time. Jenny didn't have to fake anything now and could no longer treat this like a game. It didn't bother her either. Just because she couldn't trivialize the situation, didn't mean she couldn't enjoy herself.

Jenny was doing well. Really. She had a family that loved her and the resources to live fairly comfortably. If there was something she felt she lacked, it might be friends. Sure there was Harvey, and she was grateful to have him, but he was kind of busy pursuing Bai. Jenny avoided that thought and changed direction. She had friends on Earth, but no boyfriends. Here she was married and had one friend. She giggled to herself and played with some snow.

Jenny hadn't tried to make friends here, so that was on her. Maybe once she settled down outside of the city, Jenny could put some effort into that. Then again, she'll be pretty busy raising her daughter. If she could she would, but it wasn't a terrible loss if she didn't.

Jenny had decided to tell Harvey about the city collapsing in some way or another. He would undoubtably defend Bai, but Winston wouldn't be there to help. That would make it harder for her to escape. The thought of Harvey getting caught up in the ape king's crusade filled Jenny with dread.

'Positive thoughts,' Jenny recited to herself. She absentmindedly played with snow while Simon watched. Feeling childish and in need of a distraction, Jenny slung some of it at him. Soon, they were both splashing each other with white stuff while laughing like children.

Once the melted snow started chilling her, the two of them went home. A familiar form caught her eye when they returned. Sieg sat dozing in front of her den. His eyes blearily opened when she approached. Feeling a smile coming on, Jenny invited him inside.

Sieg warmed by the fire and watched Jenny cook. He had not brought anything with him and felt almost guilty about that. To make up for it, he would bring a lot next time. As soon as his body could move again, he had found himself here. He was starting to feel ravenous and would hunt after this appetizer.