Family was a loud and dangerous word: a big step towards something unpredictable and strange. Alexander König had thought long and hard about that step because he had always believed that a mercenary's service couldn't last forever. In his youth, he had never thought about the future (who does really?), back then everything had seemed simple: there was a sniper rifle, there was the road, and there was solid reward for a job well done.

But the years went by, one after another, and each had left its mark on him. Thirty years perhaps. The world around him had changed; his friends and comrades had gone their separate ways. And more and more often he found himself feeling something he had once considered not so much a weakness as an inaccessible pleasure. It was increasingly awakening within him. He had begun to think about creating a little miracle under his wing.

Yet he, with his cheeky grin, had looked fate straight in the eye because, truth be told, he had been a lucky man. His bosom pal Horangi had introduced him to such a lovely young woman that König still couldn't understand how she had ever put up with that clown. One way or another König had not left things to chance when he found out that she wouldn't mind starting a family in the future, and six months later he had changed their status from boyfriend and girlfriend to husband and wife.

For once, life itself had decided not to argue with him. That was so bloody good.

He was happier than he had ever been. His established life was missing one small yet enormous detail: he wanted children with her. Two or three, maybe even four.

"Let me sleep a bit longer, my bright sweet sunshine," the man mumbled sleepily into the feather pillows.

But his sweet wife did not give in, continuing to tug at his meaty arm, persistently rousing the lazy beast out of his dreams. After all, he had promised at the weekend: "we'll go somewhere", to the cinema or a restaurant. Anywhere at all. And of course, one had to get ready in the morning. It wasn't that he was against all those lovely beauty treatments she insisted on for him; he just wanted another five minutes in bed. After all, the long days on service had been usually exhausting. He was probably getting old.

"Ja, ja, I'm getting up," Alex grumbled. He yawned wolfishly, opened one eye and immediately shut it again when bright sunlight hit his face. "Oh, God… maybe we stay home today? Mmm… you know, try to make a little copy of me or yours?"

The man grinned wider as he heard her embarrassed little oh-ah. A heavy hand darted sideways, caught her by the waist and gently pulled her beneath him. His sun-tanned nose buried itself in her long hair, and König exhaled loudly, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. His other hand slid to her ribs, tracing each birdlike bone with his fingers as if rereading them. His beloved woman had always seemed a pretty little thing to him, considering what a boar he was.

"I will do things to you that'll leave your cheeks red for a whole week."

König chuckled maliciously and kissed the top of her head, his fingers sliding boldly under the hem of her pyjamas. "Yeah? Or coffee first?"