Dear Readers, This is a continuation of the updated version

.Seven
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Smith stood there, listening to Gina, Grace, and Teri discuss how the Cats had become so popular. He knew they had a lot more ups and downs ahead. He decided to jump in to share his own experiences. “Yeah, I know that I’m ancient history, but twelve years ago, when EBR left high school, we were content to just play in Texas. Back then, that seemed big enough for a four-piece punk band. We never knew that everything would explode and take off. A year later, we were in demand and needed a manager just to keep track of the bookings and handle all our money.”

Smith frowned. “But after three years, we stopped talking to each other. When we broke up, none of us wanted to see each other for a long while. Eaten By Raptors rocketed up into the stratosphere but burned up on reentry.”

Teri was nodding. “Yeah, but the reunited EBR is going to come back so hot and so strong. You’ve got a new record with new tracks. You’ve got set lists mixing new arrangements of your old hits. It’s there whenever you want to play.”

Gina was smiling. “When we were eighteen, we did our own bookings, and for four years, we took every gig we were offered. No one was seeking us out, so we learned the hard way about the importance of self-promotion. We played any joint that would pay us. But through all that hardship, it was us against the world. It made us strong because we loved what we did.”

“Yeah, you guys never knew just how good that was for you. We lost control of our own destiny, and we’re swayed by the big record company into becoming wind-up robots. We never knew where we were. We just went on stage and played the same stuff over and over again until we were sick of it. Whenever we had a new song, the producers had to decide if it fit our image before we were even allowed to play it onstage.”

Gina shook her head. “While you guys were being manipulated, the Cats became tighter. We believed we had reached our peak and couldn’t get any better. And maybe that was true. But after four years of dragging around playing our music, we’d reached a dead end. We were butting our heads against the wall, and couldn’t get any recognition. Seriously, we were getting burnt out. But that’s when Teri rehearsed her original songs and played with us for a weekend at the Rendezvous. Richard and Phil came down from New York, and they convinced us that Teri was the missing piece of the better puzzle.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah, you guys got to take it slow and get it right. When we began to blow up, we were seriously blindsided. We were completely inexperienced, and our manager left, stating that he didn’t want to go full-time. So when our music climbed the Billboard charts, we had no idea how to handle it. A record company signed us and took over the management duties. The band got popular, and it got crazy. We discovered we’d signed this terrible contract, and they owned us. And that’s when they started to take advantage of us. They made the real money, and we did all the work. You've had it so differently.

Gina was nodding. “Right. But how lucky we were that Teri had no desire to become the boss or in charge of the Wildcats. There were no ego clashes. It was never Teri and the Wildcats. Teri has been the most diplomatic writer, producer, and musician I’ve ever known.”

Teri shook her head. “We’ve been fortunate to have so many experienced and generous people watch over and guide us. Seriously, since I joined the band, I’ve witnessed amazing people reach out to help us. Robert Davis from the Rendezvous always booked the band. He even let us record our first live cuts right in the club using his equipment. He introduced us to Phil and Richard. They gave us our first check and covered the cost of the studio demo. Conor paid for our website, so we could upload our material. DJ Blank started playing our club song and introduced us to Ellen. After that, Bill Wiggins signed us and personally directed our production and distribution, moving us into the stratosphere.”

Smith was grinning. “Yeah, we were totally the opposite. One day, we’re playing a rock club in Austin, and the next, we’re reading all this made-up stuff about us in Tiger Beat. We couldn’t stop laughing after seeing our faces on school lunch boxes.”

Lisa patted her boyfriend on the back. “Well, I know two Wildcats that each had one of those lunchboxes and still get all wet thinking of EBR, a band of eighteen-year-old hunky guys. I know that Eaten influenced them to become punk rockers.”

Teri was laughing. “It’s hard to think of Zoe and Tiffany as impressionable teenyboppers.”

Lisa shook her head. “I met them when we were in high school and on the same varsity volleyball team. But those young women still loved to play their EBR tunes.”

Smith shook his head. “After three years, we were ready to stop talking to each other. Once we finished our three-record deal, we didn’t want to be Eaten By Raptors anymore. We each felt isolated and alone. No one reached out to help us.”

Lisa pointed her finger. “We’ve been so lucky. We’ve had great people offering us help. These past months have been crazy for us. After the Ellen Show, she referred us to The Tonight Show. Then GLOW was sponsoring the band, and Barb and Jersey Girl have been treating us to great clothes. Everybody’s been trying to help us.”

Teri smiled. “Did you ever wonder why they love us so much? Is this like a reverse sexism thing, where it’s good for everyone to support beautiful women playing rock?”

Lisa hugged her sister. “Well, that would be a big turnabout. We’d had record companies tell us that we didn’t fit their profile. We’ve been turned down. They were saying girl bands don’t sell albums. Until William Wiggins came along and forced Warner Records to support us, we were out on our own. Of course, that only made us stronger because you came up with the idea to sell our tunes online from our own site. We’ve endured so many ups and downs together. But it’s cool, little sister, to see that you’re lumping yourself in as a beautiful woman. I like your show of confidence.”

Teri blushed. “Well, kinda. I mean, I’m not fishing for compliments, and maybe I don’t hold a candle to the rest of you, but I do kinda blend in. I still think it’s weird to have morphed into who I’ve become. But it’s okay.”

Smith laughed. “Stop, Teri. You’re just as beautiful as the rest of the Cats except for maybe…”

Lisa had already made a fist and was winding up.

Smith stepped back out of reach as he snapped his fingers. “Yeah, you know that blonde lead singer, whatshername? Now she’s a fox!”

Teri watched, then turned to her sister. “You know, I noticed that you like to smack Smith a lot. I mean, you don’t hold back.”

Lisa smiled as she pulled her boyfriend into her arms and kissed him. “'Cause he’s just so darn cute. And honestly, he’s fun to punch! Kinda like sex.”

Teri hugged her sister. “Hey! Speaking of that, I haven’t asked yet. How was Nashville? You guys start any babies?”

Teri had to laugh when she saw her sister and Smith suddenly look at each other and blush. She realized that her comment had pushed a button. Knowing she was suddenly in on their secret, she smiled and said in a hushed voice, “Hey, did I guess right? Are you pregnant?”

Lisa shook her head vigorously as she grabbed Teri by the arms. “No, no babies. But we’ve both talked about it, and it’s out on the table. But remember that we’re still talking, not starting.”

Teri was smirking. “Yeah, it’s the Zoe effect. I overheard Mom and Gina back in the hospital, and Mom thinks that Zoe’s baby is going to create an avalanche with you and Tiff. She said something about having to need a nursery for the tour.”

Lisa laughed. “I can picture tiny little tots with tiny little passports.”

Smith frowned. “And cases and cases of diapers. We’ll need a box truck just to carry all the paraphernalia: the strollers, the playpen, the rockers, cribs, and so many toys. Just thinking about all those babies is too much!”

Teri smiled. “Smith, you seem pretty familiar with all that baby business. Do you have a secret family you’re not talking about?”

Smith looked pained as he shook his head. “No, I’m not the family man. But I’ve got eyes, and my band guys all have big families. That’s a great idea. If we’re going to take care of one, why not three? These junior Wildcats can grow up together.”

Tiffany poked her head in and laughed. “Mike will have a heart attack when I tell him we’re getting pregnant. I’m already driving him crazy being around him twenty-four-seven.”

Teri shook her head. “Nah. The guy is in seventh heaven, having you sexing him up all the time. He’s loving it.”

Lisa laughed. “Oh, Teri! You’re too much!”

Tiffany grabbed Teri and kissed her hard on the lips. “Nah, the little shit is right. I’m turning Mike into an old man with my demands. I never realized that once I opened that spigot, I couldn’t shut it off. Maybe all those years on tour left me with my needs unfulfilled. So now I’m filling up that tank.”

Mike came up and squeezed her. “Uh-huh. She’s got the libido of a nineteen-year-old boy. But I’m having fun trying to keep up.”

Lisa turned to Mike. “You missed the conversation. Tiff and I decided to both get preggers and have three little Wildcats go out with us for our European tour.”

Mike’s eyes widened. “Oh.” He turned to Tiffany and watched her nod.

Teri was impressed by his recovery when Mike said, “Uh, sure. I’m up for that.” He turned to Tiffany and said, “So we can throw the protection out and just knock a few out of the ballpark tonight, huh?”

Smith stared at Lisa. He grinned. “I guess this old man is in, too.”

Teri howled. “And just like that, peer pressure wins. Just don’t tell Jenn. She had this crazy notion a while back to be a teen mom. I think she’s forgotten all about that.”

Suddenly, Jenn called from near the food tables. “No, I haven’t forgotten, Teri Nelson. I figured if I could go to school and nurse you back to health, then I could take care of an infant.”

Smith shook his head. “How's that possible? I mean, you’re both women.”

Gina laughed. “Hey, cowboy. Wait until you hear Jenn’s plan.”

Jenn grinned and shared her idea. “Amy used the same sperm bank donor for both Lisa and Teri. So, my reasoning is to use the same sperm for the third time. That way, the baby would have the same sperm that fertilized Amy, and our baby would genetically be linked to both of us. You know, there’d be some of Teri’s genetic background fertilizing my egg and I’d be hatching it inside my body.”

Smith paused to digest what Jenn had said. Then he stared at Jenn. “That’s genius. So this baby will genetically be from the two of you.” He then turned to Lisa. “I never heard this story before. Now I have even more respect for your mom and know where you get all your independence from.”

Lisa kissed him and then turned to her sister. “We’ve gotta work on finding out who this sperm donor guy is. You know, track him down and see what makes him tick. Even though he doesn’t know we exist, he’s still our baby daddy.”

Teri shook her head. “Nah. That’s wrong. Baby daddies are there, you know, present. This guy has no idea where his sperm went. But I agree. We need to find a private detective who can be discreet and reliable. I don’t want to find our guy and suddenly introduce him to the family. I grew up with a mom and did just fine.”

Smith shook his head. “Yeah. You don’t need the scandal sheets suddenly connecting this guy with the two of you and the Wildcats. I can’t see any good coming out of it unless it’s for medical reasons. You know, hereditary deficiencies and that kind of stuff.”

Teri looked at them. “Do you think that his sperm caused me to be intersex? Is this all genetic? Will our baby be all right?”

Grace was nodding. “I think that bears some research. Lisa had no problems, but it would be a shame if his DNA produces problems.”

Lisa was smiling. “All the more reason to find a good detective, you know, one who is great and can keep it all hush-hush. Of course, we’d always worry about whether some guy could be trusted not to spill the beans.”

Teri laughed. “A guy, huh? How about a Super Woman to do the job?”

Lisa blushed. “Oh, my gosh. I never thought of Jessica Jade helping us out.”

Jessica hugged Lisa. “I heard the conversation and would be happy to track him down. If he’s a bad guy, we can arrange to make him disappear, right, Teri?”

Teri's eyes grew wide. “Uh, no. We aren’t going to go all Ninja on him. But maybe some long-distance watching. I guess it all depends. But can we keep ourselves out of all of this? I don’t want another stalker.”

They all glanced at one another and fell silent until Lisa finally spoke up. “So what do you think? Maybe if Jessica can investigate this guy, she might be able to locate him. At least she could do a whole bio on him, totally on the down low, and let us know.”

Teri nodded. “Are we ever going to contact him?”

Lisa shook her head. “Maybe someone isolated from us could contact him for medical information, but I don’t think we need to be friends. This guy might have a corporate job, and we can just tap into his health care files and slip away quietly.”

“Sounds like spy kind of work. But I was wondering what would happen if we just sent him a message?”

Lisa shook her head. “And what would you say? Like our mom used your sperm to have us, and we want a friend?”

Teri paused for a moment and laughed. “Yeah, that does sound creepy. How about if I just run up and hug him and start calling him daddy?” She smiled at her own words.

Gina laughed. “And after your heartwarming reunion, you’d want to introduce him to Jenn and show him pictures of you and Lisa performing on stage.”

“Yeah, that’s a fantastic idea. He can join us for Thanksgiving with the family.”

Gina shook her head. “And he’d give you hugs and kisses and buy you ice cream and a balloon.”

Teri blinked and nodded. “Do you think he’d buy me a pony to show how much he loves me?” She sighed deeply. “So I guess this isn’t going to become a lost family reunion, and I’m not ever going to have a father.”

Lisa hugged her little sister. “Yeah, I know that this crushes all your fantasies, but we’ve got to get his sperm sample to a research place that can examine his DNA and make sure it’s still good. Maybe you got the bad batch, you know, like your DNA went bad or something like that.”

Teri shook her head. “Thanks for lumping me in with the box of broken toys. I’ve wondered about the research on intersex DNA origins and where my DNA went awry. If I’m the DNA that went bad, like chicken salad with mayonnaise left out in the sun on a school trip, Jenn and I don’t want our babies to have genetic problems.”

Gina laughed. “I love chicken salad, and I love mayo. Curried chicken salad is one of my favorites.

“Mmm. I just had Pesto Chicken Salad that was awesome. Fresh basil, Parmesan, and olive oil.”

“Oh, that sounds delicious. But that creates another nickname for me. I can be Chicken Salad or maybe even bad mayo?”

Gina was laughing. “I like Mayo. That could be your name when you check into a hotel, Margaret Mayo.”

Teri winked. “I already have my check-in name. It’s J. Bach. You know, kind of like the composer.”

“Except different. Nah, I think you’d be too easy to search out.” Gina was thinking critically. “But I’ve got a great name, Joan Weston. She’s the most famous Roller Derby queen of all time.”

Tiffany was looking her up on her phone, “The Blonde Bomber.”

Gina gazed up at the sky and smiled. “She started it all.”

Jenn smiled and kissed Teri. “Honey, I don’t care if our baby is intersex or you want to call yourself Joe Mayo. I’d still love to take care of her. But I bet we can do intervention stuff, especially if we know what to look for before she’s born.”

Grace nodded. “They can do DNA testing on babies while they’re still in the womb. Give you time to prepare.”

Smith was listening and turned to Lisa. “Is there a chance you are carrying a recessive gene that could pass on intersex DNA, too?”

Lisa looked at Smith. “I would love any baby we had. If it were ours, I would lay down my life for her.”

Smith nodded. “Are we having girls? All I know is all about boy bands.”

Teri was trying to be serious. “I think we’re getting really ahead of ourselves. But maybe we should put a hold on babies until some questions are answered. God knows, Jenn doesn’t need any excuses. I think that she’d love to be pregnant right now.”

Jenn hugged Teri and kissed her. “But only with your baby, Rock Star. And she will be ours and perfect regardless of her DNA.”

Teri looked puzzled. “Why are we talking like all these babies are going to be girls?”

Gina laughed. “Well, it’s a baby moratorium until we get some answers. But once we get the okay, we all vote for girls ‘cause girls are perfect and boys are ‘tupid’.”

Tiff looked serious as she hugged Mike. “We could still get preggers, baby. My DNA is all warm and cuddly.”

Mike kissed her gently. “I love your DNA and want to be the one who makes a baby with you. We can start tonight.”

Tiffany kissed him on the neck and whispered in his ear before gently biting his earlobe.

Gina laughed. “Why do I think that you and Mike will have no trouble conceiving a baby? The two of you look like you’re ready to celebrate already.”

Tiffany kissed Gina on the lips. Then she looked her straight in the eyes. “I asked Mike if he’d impregnate you so we can have two perfect babies together.”

Gina kissed her back, then looked at Mike. “That’s kind of you to be so generous with your wonderful, caring boy toy. But what happens when he falls in love with me and doesn’t want to come back to you?”

Tiffany paused to think. “Hmmm. Well, we can’t lose our drummer, so I’ll just have to shoot him.”

Gina nodded and fist-bumped. “That’s fair. Wildcats first, right?”

Tiffany nodded. “Seems only right. Kinda like how the Black Widow spider kills their mate after it gets pregnant.”

Mike listened and then turned to Smith. “I think I’ve joined a cult.”

Smith looked around and laughed. “A hell of a cult.”

Gina smirked. “But wouldn’t everyone be comparing our two babies? Mine would be so adorable and cuddly with her curly brown hair and sparkly eyes. Gorgeous.”

“Mine would be blonde and beautiful.”

“Mine would be brilliant.”

“Mine would be beautiful and blonde, just like her mother.”

“And mine would have great rhythm and play in the dirt.”

“And mine would be blonde and beautiful.

“I can see our ditzy blonde bassist losing her baby at the baggage claim.”

“Oh, fuck you, wiseass. If Mike were my baby daddy, she would be the most beautiful baby of all time. My genes are super genes!”

Teri laughed. “Great name for a band - Super Genes!”

Gina was nodding. “Well, Smith played with EBR, Eaten By Raptors. We could have a band called DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid!”

Tiff blew Gina a raspberry. “You always have to show off your brain. Who the fuck cares about you being able to say deo-nucleic acid shit.”

Jenn and Amy came over and sat down next to Teri, who turned and smiled at them. “This surprise party is so much fun. It’s great.”

Amy whispered, “I know you’re having fun, but you need to be thinking about calling it a night. You need to watch your stamina and save your energy so that you can heal quickly and get back on your feet.”

Jenn encouraged Teri to get up. “C’mon, Rock Star. Let’s tell everyone good night.”

Teri sighed as she stood. “Yeah, you’re both right. I’m getting tired, and it’s going to take me a few extra minutes to get ready for bed. First night home, and I still have to dilate one more time. Oh, what fun, eh?”

With that, Teri walked around, thanking everyone and reminding them to visit. Then, she followed her mom and Jenn as they led her back downstairs.

After Teri took a shower and settled into bed, she could barely keep her eyes open as Jenn held her tightly. Teri smiled and kissed her face. “Well, we did it, huh?”

Jenn nodded. “Yep, we did. And I know how important it is for my wife to be happy.”

Teri paused to reflect. “Yeah, crazy. I’m gonna be your wife. I never thought about being a wife. I've never had any practice being a mom or a wife. No Barbies, no tea parties, no dress up. Instead, I was well-versed in sports, gaming, and music. I guess some of that overlaps, but I’ve got to learn a lot of things to be a proper wife for you.”

“A proper wife, huh? Like when I get pregnant, do you want to share the nursing duties?

“You mean, like, give our baby warm bottles of your milk late at night while you rest?”

“Well, more than that. You have ovaries that produce estrogen. And I read that the doctor can start you on a prescription that will enhance your breasts and milk glands. You’ll be able to feed our baby with the milk your body produces.”

Teri began to cry. “That’s crazy to even talk about my breasts like they count. Seriously, they are so small, how would I have enough space there to have milk? I get that our baby is going to have some of my genes and be fed with your milk. But that would be so crazy if my boobies could create milk. A year ago, sitting in study hall, I never thought that any of this would be happening.” She wiped the tears running down her face.

Jenn smiled. “Is that good?”

She smiled. “It’s seriously good. All this stuff was hidden from me until I started with the Wildcats. And then I discovered who I’m supposed to be. Everything was so deep inside, and it never started to happen until this crazy puberty started changing me. I was always an alien, but a sleeper alien that only came alive when my body pushed estrogen through me. That started me on a life-changing adventure. I mean, it’s like a video game, but it’s real. It’s like some crazy movie where I discover that I’m the son of Poseidon. Or my real parents were wizards. Instead, I discover that I’m intersex, and not who I thought I was.”

Teri hugged Jenn tightly. “It was so simple to slide into being Tasha and then evolve to be Teri. I don’t feel like an impostor. And really, getting my genitals lined up with the rest of my changing body is a gift. However, it’s still bizarre hanging out with old friends. Tony’s such a horn dog, and Don wants to be more than friends. I should wear a sign that says I’ve always liked girls. You know that hasn’t changed.”

Jenn was nodding. “So if I wasn’t here, would you make a play for Gina or some other woman who likes girls?”

Teri paused to think and shrugged. “I don’t know because there are too many what-ifs in the way. It’s really simple to say no because I love you. And all of this is so crazy ‘cause we’re talking about bringing a new life into this world and I’ll be part of it.”

“So, do you want to start now?”

Teri gulped and shook her head. “We need more information before we start. We have to track down my sperm daddy.”

“Sperm daddy!”

“Yeah, that’s not really a good song title, huh?”

“Yep. No Grammy award for Sperm Daddy!”

In the morning, Jessica Jade was excited about her mission for Teri and Lisa. Before she left the farm near New Hope, she and Mac tied up all the loose ends. She kissed him goodbye and headed down to Philly and the company where Teri’s mom said she bought the sperm. She met Lisa in front of the building in downtown Philly that afternoon.

The receptionist was extremely helpful after completing the identification process, which involved checking Lisa’s birth certificate and reviewing copies of her mother’s ID. Thirty minutes later, they were reviewing the records of John (Jack) NMN Dempsey while having coffee at Starbucks.

Lisa glanced at Jessica. “What does NMN mean?”

“No middle name.”

Lisa seemed annoyed. “Oh, that’s right. You do know your acronyms. So this guy could be a John Doe, with that fake name.”

Jessica wanted to explain. “Well, not necessarily. Although the records are twenty-five years old, this is what was recorded. We know that before donating sperm, Jack Dempsey had to undergo a multi-stage screening process that included a physical, blood work, and urine samples. But the good news is that they have ten more sperm samples in storage, so we can purchase one to have new tests run. The next step is to find a reputable lab to analyze the sample. Tracking down the guy himself is one part of the quest. The other part is finding out if his DNA is A-OK.”

“DNA is A-OK. You’re quite the comedian with your rhymes.”

“Yep. You truly master your acronyms when serving in the military. It’s really become a military, government kind of thing. Looking at it from your point of view, I guess it’s pretty silly.”

“I always forget your past. It never occurs to me that you were all kinds of special forces.”

“Yeah, being a Ranger was somewhere far back in my life. And even if it were just a decade ago, it’s ancient history. I only wish I could forget my past sometimes. It’s probably as deeply ingrained inside my brain as growing up with a crazy father. However, I made the best friends in the service, and, of course, fell in love with my husband as well. However, all that killing and the horrors of war continue to be crippling. These days, we recognize all that trauma and PTSD. Now, we’re helping our old military team deal with their past and move forward. We’ll work with anyone who needs support to get through the day.”

Lisa shook her head. “I was never a news junkie or a history buff. So I’m guilty of ignoring everything you and your buddies went through. Sometimes I feel like I’m pretty selfish. Should I feel bad about shutting out the world and its awful politics?”

Jessica shrugged. “Well, that's a yes and no answer. I don’t think that we should put war on a pedestal. Killing people, regardless of who they are, is such a wrong thing to do.”

Jessica hugged Lisa. “And no. I think you need to keep yourself sane and do whatever it takes to stay that way. I believe that if we see something, we should say something. And I do stand up and vote. I try to elect the local people that I admire and know will do the right thing for us. But I’m not a news junkie who can’t put down the remote. I think twenty-four-hour news explodes your brain. I don’t think that watching that much TV is sane.”

Lisa shook her head. “Yeah, sometimes that's really hard for me to want to vote when both candidates just don’t appeal. I know I should, but it’s easy not to vote.”

Jessica frowned. “Yeah, but that’s just giving up and handing the control over to someone else. I have a simple philosophy. I view candidates as bus drivers. I know that neither of them is headed exactly where I want to go, so I just choose the bus that is going closer to where I want to be.”

Lisa sighed. “That’s a great philosophy. But back to the basics. We still need to find a lab that can analyze DNA.”

Jessica nodded. “I was thinking. Your mom works with a doctor. He should be able to get us a good recommendation. And after that, we can talk to a genetic counselor, a medical geneticist, or even a forensic scientist to help us figure out the answers to what we want to know.”

Lisa appeared quite surprised. “How’d you know all of that?”

Jessica laughed. “Yeah, don’t I sound smart? We secret Wonder Woman types have this mysterious place where we go to get all the answers. But if I told you, I’d have to kill you!”

Lisa smiled. “Yeah, uh-huh. You Googled it.”

Lisa took out her phone and paused to read. “Oh, wow! The answer is yes; a person’s DNA can be tested to predict whether they are a carrier for genetic defects. So Jenn, Smith, and I could also have our DNA tested. That’s great!”

Jessica smiled. “And remember what Grace said. Even after a woman gets pregnant, she can have blood work done to give her more info.”

Lisa continued reading. “I wonder if we could get our John Doe, what’s his name, to get some blood work done.”

“Yep, excellent point. We’re going to talk more and more about Jack, no middle name, Dempsey.”