Gen 4 Ch 8: New Acquisitions

 Trent didn't have to do all the childcare by himself.

 For Esteban, Dolores made some exceptions.

Though that didn't mean she wasn't gonna steal candy from the little sucker!

 When the contractions came, however, she left Trent to watch the toddlers as she rode her bike to the hospital...

... where she gave birth to baby Evelyn!

Back home she was looking forward to a very different new acquisition though. The sun had not yet risen as Dolores strode towards the little shed beside Dancer's stable.

 Inside, among rusty buckets and creaky floorboards, there was a polished metal spiral staircase. She slid down the railing into a basement crammed with barrels and boxes.

 In a dark corner there was a bookshelf full of dusty old tomes.

Dolores studied the spines, then reached for one particularly unremarkable looking book...

 ... and the bookcase slid to the side.

 Yes, exactly how she had ordered it!

 It was perfect!

 A secret lair, all of her own design, built by a company that specialized in absolute secrecy. All very clandestine. Safe.

 This was the ideal place to continue her research. And to store her collection of stuffed toys.

 Down here, she couldn't even hear the babies wailing. It was magnificent.

The roses Trent had given her during her first pregnancy had a place down here, too.

He really was useful to have around.

They were never going to be a perfect lovey-dovey couple like Darwin and Clover, who could still be seen flaunting their affections all over town.

But even though Dolores would never admit it openly, she did love Trent. In her own way. Even if he was getting wrinkly.

 Dolores couldn't get over how awesome her new lair was. Simply sitting it it gave her the best ideas. Like a new personalized outfit to match her high rank within The Organization.

And other, more sinister ideas too.

This was going to be good.