Lessa sat in the bridge command chair. She was alone, apart from Villa down by navigation and Jenna at the sensors. Alone... in so many ways. Don... her Don... she could have saved him. She knew it. Saw the killing blow in her mind. Over, and over. If she had just...
It wasn't over. She could still do this. Still honor the memory of her love. Still dip his locket in the blood of his killer. He'd want that. These... setbacks of the past few days. They didn't change anything. Everything still pointed to her standing over a mound of corpses, her companions at her side...
"Lessa."
The sound came from right next to her. Eyes refocusing on the here and now, the teen turned her head. Kine was standing there, one foot on the stairs and the other up on the command level. His eyes... nowhere in them was his usual playfulness. They had seen pain. Lessa could respect that.
"What is it."
Kine stepped up next to her, hand moving to the back of the chair next to her head. She looked up, defiant. His glance seemed to go down to her now larger breasts, or at least the necklace and lockets hanging between them, shaking his head as his eyes came back up to meet hers.
"It's over, Lessa."
Those three words... confused Lessa. They had meaning, yes. But, not one she immediately could apply to anything. Why was he bothering her with this?
"What is?"
"All of this," Kine replied, shaking his head and gesturing all around them. "Your plan, your revenge, our part in it... it's over."
She still didn't understand. 'Over'... it wasn't, so what the hell was he... Her eyes widened. No! He couldn't mean!
Kine nodded, seeing understanding finally seep into that warped brain. He braced himself for the coming battle.
"Yes, Lessa. you've had your fun. No more."
"FUN!?!?" She rose, pregnant body making her aggressive movements both ludicrous and horrific. "FUN! This is NOT fun!"
"No," Kine said, firmly but rationally, "it isn't. We've indulged you and your psycho fantasy for long enough. We're not going to die for you and your silly revenge. Don wouldn't want that."
"What the FUCK do you know about what Don wanted?!?" She stepped forward, hand still gripping the chair for support. Lessa's face... was red. The outrage! Kine was stepping where he had no right! She had the right of revenge, and no living thing could stand in her way.
Kine's eyes were sad. She saw pity. Fuck pity.
"You have two choices, my friend." Lessa's eyes bore into him as he spoke. If not for her condition, she'd have attacked by now. "Either you forget this silly quest, and join the living, or..." he sighed. "... or, you, and those who would follow you, leave."
Lessa took a half step back, as if slapped. He couldn't! No!
"We're docking at Peart station in twenty hours, to refit. After that, we head to the outer systems for good. You've made it too dangerous for us to be anywhere among the habitable worlds. They're looking for us, and I don't want to die. Your choice." Turning, Kine headed back down the stairs. As he passed Villa, he added, "Villa, you have the bridge. She's relieved."
Villa cast a startled glance down at Jenna, getting a similar look in reply. Fuuuuuck...
****
Sickbay was crowded.
The biggest group was surrounding Amanda at the far end of the room. She was sitting up on the bed, showing off her professionally bandaged stump to Sirenia, Wendi, and Mari. All were both horrified and fascinated, although the arm was NOT what they were most interested in.
"How come YOU get stranded with Ger alone for days on end!" Sirenia pouted. Many of her fantasies had, in fact, started that way. It just wasn't fair that some other girl, especially a friend, actually got to experience it. It might even be worth an arm!
"Come on," Wendi scoffed at her friend. "Look at her! You don't think anything happened, do you? It's not like they kissed or anything!"
Mari was the one looking at Amanda's face, and while she may not have known anything of love, she did know a guilty face when she saw one. She pointed, eyes wide.
"She kissed him! Look at her!"
Amanda's face turned red, as her two girlfriends just... looked at her. Time to change the subject.
"So! What the hell happened to you guys!" She didn't wait for a reply, but rushed on. "How did the raid go? How did you get picked up? What the hell happened to the ship! C'mon, guys, tell me!"
"Yeah, tell her," came Shelly's voice from the other side of the room. Bell was removing a bandage from around her left breast, and she really didn't want to hear a fight over boys. Wendi glanced over at her fellow follower of Lessa, saw the annoyance there, and reluctantly pushed the more important matter aside. There'd be time later.
"Well... it was interesting," she told Amanda, organizing the tale in her mind. "Really, you should have been there!" Wendi saw her friend take a pointed look at her arm, realized that she had just stated the obvious, and quickly moved on. "Let's see... we got to the depot no problem. Never knew about what happened to the shuttle, so we weren't worried about it. Kine divided us up into two squads, and a bit after midnight we struck!" Her voice couldn't contain the joy of her memory of the attack, and Sirenia and Amanda exchanged a quick glance. They did not share this... kink with their friend. "It was going kinda OK, until one bunch of Feds stonewalled us. Couldn't get them out of there! We were like this," Wendi's hands indicated Amanda's knees under the sheets were the two groups of attackers, then moved one hand up near her thigh, "and they were blocking the entry way here. We couldn't get at 'em! Shelly, though... Shelly decided to get all macho!" A groan came from behind them, Bell warning the injured hero not to move. "Shelly decides to draw their fire, so she jumps out and runs like mad!" Two of Wendi's fingers imitated the run. "You should have seen it! Her breasts were bouncing like crazy, and I bet the soldiers didn't know whether to fire or whack off! They finally did start firing, but right then Kine, who'd managed to sneak to a flanking position, let them have it and took em all out!"
Her hand showed an explosion between Amanda's legs, and the three girls giggled.
"So, we're like, we won! And then we hear this cry, 'Help! I've been shot in the tits!'" They broke into laughter, looking over at the casualty in question. Bell was re-wrapping the bandage around the damaged boob, and without looking back she gave the youngsters the update.
"It was just a graze, thankfully, so no permanent damage to her pleasure globes. She won't be tit fucking anyone for awhile, though."
"Oh, like I EVER did that!" This drew even more giggles, but after a moment Amanda returned their attention to the story at hand.
"But how did the ship get damaged?"
"Oh!" Wendi's excitement kicked in again. "Well, Craig came in the other shuttle to pick us up, which shocked your brother let me tell you! He wanted to go after you right away, but Craig wouldn't have it, not with fighter craft around! So we get back to the ship, and Kine argues with Lessa that we had to stay and give Ger a chance to make contact. That was a fight, let me tell you! When the Fed destroyer showed up, Lessa gave him this 'I told you so' look, but your brother took over and managed to blow the sucker up! He was amazing!" Her face lit up, talking about her future husband, and now it was Sirenia's turn to share an exasperated look with Amanda! "So, anyway, your message actually came in the middle of the battle"
Amanda shook her head. Leave the ship for a couple days, and all the exciting stuff happens! She reached over to itch just above her bandage when Craig barged into the cabin. His eyes were wild, and seeing Shelly he let out an excited stream of word.
"Didn't you guys hear?!? Kine kicked Lessa off the ship!" He was out the door again, not waiting for a reply.
Shelly, Wendi, and Mari looked at each other in shock. Shelly jumped off the table, grabbing her shirt but not bothering to put it on before rushing out the door. Wendi let out a whimpering "no!", then followed with Mari on her heals.
Alone, Amanda and Bell just looked at each other. When the enormity of it finally sank in, Amanda jumped off the table.
"Where's my clothes?!"
****
Lessa was in her cabin when Shelly and the others found her. The three burst in, skidding to a stop at the sight of their Mistress filling a travel pack. Their arrival was ignored, her face saying conversation had better be short and to the point.
Shelly ignored the warning.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Kine," said Lessa, disgust dripping from her words, "said to take my vengeance and get the fuck out of here. So that's what I'm doing." She didn't look behind her at her old friend. There would be an expression of disbelief, of skepticism... and of compassion. None of that was appreciated just then. "Pack your stuff. We're going as soon as we dock at Peart station."
"We... we're LEAVING?!?" Wendi was aghast. She looked between her idol, and her friend. They couldn't... "BUT! My friends!"
"Do you follow them or me?" Lessa's voice was cold, and Wendi stepped back as if slapped.
"You!"
"Then pack!"
The youth grabbed the hand of the uncomprehending Mari, fleeing the cabin. Shelly stayed, giving a sad sigh as the door closed.
"We don't have to do this, Lessa."
Lessa paused, then turned. She was still beautiful, thought Shelly. Even angry, even unreasonable, even... evil, she was still beautiful. Heart in her throat, she tried again.
"You've fought back, Lessa. You've spilled blood to avenge Don. WE have done it, in your name! It's enough! Let's stay... and move on."
"If you want to leave me, then go." Her face was hard, emotionless. Lessa's hands crept up to the lockets between her breasts. "I have work to do, and if you're not with me I don't need you."
Shelly stepped closer, head shaking in sorrow.
"I'll always stay with you, Lessa. I love you. Even... even if you no longer know what that means."
Turning, she walked to her bed and began to pack.
****
Ger stood up from the park bench as Amanda entered. That she would come here, eventually, was not the reason he had hid himself in the garden. No. He... he needed to understand. The world had changed. He had changed. The garden was a refuge from the reality of the ship. A reality he was no longer sure he belonged in. Opening his arms as she ran to him, Ger engulfed the young girl as she crushed herself against him. They stood like that, unspeaking, for what seemed like ages. Which was how Kine found them.
Ger saw him approach, and with a small shake turned Amanda in front of him to face her brother. Noting that it looked like he was using the twelve year old as a shield, he moved so he was at her side, although still holding her soft hand.
"I hope I'm interrupting," Kine said, cheerfully. His eyes, however, had no mirth. Ger gave him a serious nod in return.
"I'm just comforting her. I assumed she's heard about Lessa."
"How COULD you!" Amanda spat her words at her brother. "I'm losing my best friend because of you!"
"If Lessa stayed, we'd lose more. You know that." His eyes met Ger's. "Speaking of which, after we stock up and such, and drop off Lessa... we're going to head to the outer systems." Ger raised his eyebrows. "We have to get out of here, start over. The Feds are going to be all over us. So... if you're thinking of going to be with Jenny and Hanna sometime, you probably should leave with Lessa."
"Kine! No!" She leapt at him, her one hand reaching up, grabbing his shirt by the neck. "No! Don't! He saved me!! I'll hate you!!" Kine's arms slowly went around her, and bawling like a baby she mashed her head into his chest. Kine's eyes, however, never left Ger's. The two regarded each other. Ger knew this rift between him and the older teen was temporary. Just a momentary blip in their respect and mild friendship. But... so too was probably this attraction between him and Amanda. Kine's offer was not one of malice. Once the ship left... he might never be able to return to Jenny, to his as yet unborn children. Was he willing to lose all that... for Amanda?
"I think I'll stay for awhile," he told Kine, his voice soft but firm. "There are still things to do here before I... retire."
****
Over half the remaining crew milled around the docking corridor outside the Liberty, waiting. Twenty teens, who had seen hell, found salvation, and now were slowly seeing their numbers drop one by one. The future was always in doubt. Now, today was becoming just as foggy.
Just inside the ship, Shelly waited with Wendi and Mari. Lessa was somewhere, talking to Kine. Or killing him. Neither would surprise Shelly. She felt a touch on her hand, light, hesitant. Her head looked down at the crying Mari.
"I don't want to go, Shelly... I wanna stay!" Shelly sighed, dropping to one knee, both hands resting on the young girl's shoulders.
"Mari... what did you promise?"
She sniffled.
"To... to protect the baby."
"Right." Shelly smiled. "So, wherever the baby goes... you go."
Slowly, Mari nodded. Her face was as serious as it could be.
"But..."
"But nothing. Someday... we'll come back, if we can. Until then... we protect Lessa. With everything in our power, and some things beyond." Looking up, Shelly saw Wendi nod. She stood, and gathered the three of them into a hug. "We three are sisters, with one duty. Never forget that."
****
Lessa arrived not long after, accompanied by Kine, Mel, and Amanda. Amanda ran up and gave Wendi a quick hug, then ran outside to a waiting Sirenia. Lessa nodded to her followers as she approached, and with Kine leading they went to stand just inside the space station. Stopping, Kine raised his hand to the crowd for quiet.
"Everyone, we'll make this quick. You all know we're losing Lessa. This is sudden, and I know you need to say your goodbyes. So... party at Screaming Skull Tavern!" He grinned, and after a moment's shocked silence he was greeted with a happy cheer. Shelly looked at Lessa in disbelief.
"Party?"
"The bastard talked me into it. Guilt, perhaps." Whose, Shelly wondered, but she stayed quiet. The crowd was moving out. With a shrug, the girls grabbed their packs, free hands helping the eight and a half month pregnant Lessa on the start of their new journey. They were starting a new life.
****
Fortunately, once inside the station proper there were moving sidewalks to ease the path onward towards the chosen drinking establishment. It seemed silly to Wendi to have artificial gravity, then have to install devices like this instead of just letting people float to their destination. But, then, she wasn't an adult. Thank the gods.
Their path was around the outer rim of the station, which was built like a tall cylinder (although too small to be spun for any useful purpose). The wall to their right was clear, and Wendi watched the docked Liberty for one final time. She'd miss it. It had been a good home...
She blinked.
Was the Liberty... moving?
Startled, she looked to see where the others were. Lessa and her other two companions were a meter in front of her, but the rest of the crew was far ahead, almost around the next curve of the station. She grabbed Shelly's arm.
"Look!"
The top turret of the Liberty was swinging away from the station, at a point to the left of the planet. It fired, the ship at the same moment jolting itself free of its moorings as it broke away from the station. Alarms began sounding around the station. Wendi, to her horror, saw PEOPLE sucked out of the docking bridge! Shelly was looking up, trying to trace where the shots went, and gasped.
"Fed transports!"
Her yell came the same moment the Liberty exploded.
****
Kine's head swung around in time to see, barely in his line of sight, their ship vanish into a mist of scrap. The floor shook, hundreds of bangs echoing through the corridor as the station was pounded with debris. The largest, the top of the bridge, hit a level or two above them, sounding like an explosion. Chaos erupted around him, but Kine's eyes were on the transports. They were coming in fast, and could be docked in... minutes, maybe.
Fuck.
"Um, attention!" A nervous voice came from everywhere, cutting through the yelling of the civilians and workers. "Attention! There's no need to panic! Ah, we are happily welcoming some Federation Peacekeepers onto our fine station to deal with wanted criminals. Please go to your homes, and prepare to WILLINGLY help these fine officers with ANYTHING they request!"
Kine saw his friends already had their weapons drawn. Amanda was next to Ger, terrified. Couldn't blame her. He looked at Mel.
"Where's Lessa!?"
She ran a bit back down the moving sidewalk, then turned back.
"Gone! Probably saw an interior corridor and took it!"
"Smart! OK, let's get out of here!"
Easier said than done.
****
The passageways were becoming less crowded as people locked themselves in, and Shelly didn't like it. They were getting too exposed. There had been the sound gunshots behind them, as well as explosions on the level above. They had nowhere to go, and no way to get there.
"Can't we just hide?" Mari's eyes were wild, although her shoulders were steady as Lessa leaned on her as she briskly kept moving. Shelly shook her head.
"We don't know what they're looking for, or how hard they'll look. If they search cabin by cabin, we're just delaying the inevitable. We need to find a way off of here." They came to a bank of elevators. She looked at a tired, straining Lessa. "Up or down?"
"Down," Lessa panted. "Cargo ship."
****
All was going well until Kine's party turned a corner and saw the backs of a half dozen Federation soldiers... and the fronts of a half dozen more. The teens had opened fire almost at once, training overcoming the need for any orders. Four soldiers refused to go down easy, diving for and reaching cover. The kids dropped into cover positions themselves, thankful for the large, thick planters and such decorating the station. The path to the central elevators, though, was now blocked.
"Fuck!"
They didn't have time to fight pitched battles. Or any battles. They had to keep moving. Get ahead or around pursuit, or even behind...
Kine heard a sob. Turning, he saw two dead in the middle of the corridor. Nathen... and Sirenia. Ger was holding Amanda back, eyes wide and one arm reaching for her friend.
Fuck.
Mel slid next to him. She peeked around the corner, one hand wiping the sweat off her bald head.
"Here. Found this for you." Her other hand raised up and opened, revealing a grenade. "Only one anyone brought, so enjoy." Kine gave the side of her head a quick kiss, pulled the pin, and lobbed it.
They were off again.
****
"Attention station residents! You are now under Federation martial law! Anyone now in public areas will be shot on sight."
Wendi took aim at the guard in front of the stairwell, and fired. She crumpled to the ground, helmet clattering on the floor.
"Got that right," Wendi muttered. They left the disabled elevator and continued.
****
"Gah!"
Kine spun, but kept on his feet. They had almost made it across a rather pretty botanical garden, which most likely formed the center of this level. The pain, and growing red stain just above his thigh, indicated others had also reached that peaceful room.
"Here!" Ger almost threw Amanda to the ground behind a series of large solid planters topped with high bushes. In moments the sixteen teens had set up a defensive position, return fire attempting to pin the soldiers down. Kine grimaced, sitting with his back against their cover. and looked down at his wound.
"Great, just great."
"Why did you go and do that?" Mel dropped beside him, examining it. Her eyes lifted, met his... and he nodded. Sighing, she quickly pulled her shirt over her head, small bare breasts out of place in the middle of the chaos, and tied the top tightly around her man's abdomen. Kine grunted at the pain. It would have to do.
"Think we got 'em," Villa said from nearby, "but there will be more!"
"Well, duh."
Kine looked around. They were fucked. So fucked. He'd failed them. He'd failed... eyes turned to his sister. Amanda... was almost catatonic. Her body was still weak from the previous disaster, and now this. Ger was holding her, limp form pressed against him, attention on the opposite doorways and the probable arrival of more troops. Ger...
Fuck.
Kine sat up straight, checking his weapon.
"OK everyone, new plan. Run like hell until you get to any lifeboats, and take them. I'll cover you."
He met Ger's eyes. The younger boy did not protest, did not plead with him to join them in escape. Instead, arm tightening around Amanda, he holstered his gun and reached a hand out to her brother. Kine took it.
"Take care of her."
"Always. Meet us at Hanna and Jenny's."
"We will."
With that, Ger pulled an uncomprehending Amanda to her feet and led the exodus from the room.
Kine sighed. He was a good kid. He'd do right by his sister.
Beside him, Mel had her two sidearms out and lying on top of the planter as she checked her ammo. Kine turned his body, pain and nausea growing with every movement, and double checked his own weapon.
"You know, you don't have to stay here." He spoke casually, but there was nothing casual about what his eyes said. Mel answered gruffly.
"My head is already shaved. I have no other hair to cut off in honor of a fallen friend." Kine raised an eyebrow, eyes dropping to between her legs. She scoffed. "You'd like that, you pervert!"
There was movement across the way. They readied themselves.
"Love you."
"Love you."
****
They were close, Shelly thought. Had to be. Lessa could hardly walk, and they were almost carrying her. The signs seemed to be pointing to some sort of docking bay, if only for unmanned cargo containers. That would be good enough.
They had seen no sign of life for a good ten minutes, which was also good. The doors they passed were mostly storage rooms, although some probably hid cringing locals. Let them hide. Shelly didn't want innocent blood on her hands.
Thirty meters in front of them, a squad of soldiers entered the hallway.
Shelly didn't even think. Her elbow slammed into the controls of the cabin door to her right, even as Wendi and Mari dropped and began firing. With a shove, Lessa stumbled into the room. She whirled just in time to see the door closing, and Shelly firing at the controls.
****
Lessa was alone.
"No!"
Lessa threw herself at the door, one hand pounding while the other frantically jammed at the open button. Both were as effective. From the other side, she could barely hear the sounds of combat, of cries of pain.
They...
She backed away from the door, eyes wide. Shelly, she.... she had...
"I love you. Even... even if you no longer know what that means."
Shelly loved... oh, gods... what...
The veil fell from her eyes. The madness lifted from her mind.
The Other fled.
"No... Shelly, NO!!!"
Lessa dropped to her knees, and screamed.
****
It was like seeing heaven.
For as far as the eye could see, the entrance hatches to escape ships lined the curved outer wall. Villa turned to Ger, his eyes watering.
"I've never seen anything so beautiful."
Ger nodded, shifting Amanda's weight. He noticed some discoloration on the end of her stump, and hoped that wasn't from her. To his left, he saw Jenna just shaking her head.
"They'll blow the escape pod out of the sky. You know that!"
"Not if we launch all of them."
"Huh?" Jenna was more than willing to be talked into any escape plan, and quickly followed Villa over to a control station. The boy played with them for a moment, then gave a desperate grin.
"See, you can launch the entire bank from here. We split up, one or two people per pod... and launch them all and take our chances."
There was silence. The kids looked down the row of pods... counting, calculating the odds.
"Fuck it. Do it."
It was like the breaking of a dam, the remaining kids bolting for open doorways. Gone was any sense of family, of camaraderie. It was every child for themselves.
Ger quickly ran down the corridor. His goal was one near the far end, just because. Maybe he was punishing himself, making his tired body work one final time before letting it collapse. Behind him, he heard Villa shout out that they had one minute before launch. There had been no mention of a timer on the controls...
The chosen hatch appeared, and Ger limped in with Amanda. The door shut. Quickly, but gently, he placed the girl in a chair and strapped her in. She looked around, only half there.
"Where's Kine?"
"He'll be following."
Amanda nodded, hugging herself, shivering. Ger never lied to her.
Confident the life control systems were in fact working, Ger sat down next to her and fastened his own harness. She looked at him, face white, eyes full of despair.
"You won't leave me, will you?"
He reached up, moving a few strands of hair out of her eyes.
"Never."
There was a bang, a jolt... and they were off.
****
Lessa... was alone.
Alone.
She had lost Don. The only boy to ever love her.
Gone.
And... what had she done, with that loss?
She had thrown away another love.
Shelly... Lessa sat on the floor of the small storage room, weeping. Shelly! Four months! She had thrown away four months of her life, the only remaining four months! And for what?!? REVENGE? Gods! She...
She could have been loving Shelly.
"I love you. Even... even if you no longer know what that means."
She HAD forgotten! Forgotten that love even existed! And, why, Shelly? Why did she have to die for Lessa? Lessa should have been the one to die for her! She would have done so, willingly! She had nothing to live for, why couldn't she DIE for something?!?
There was a kick in her belly.
Her tears stopped.
Her baby.
THEIR baby.
Life... from love.
Lessa's hands went to her swollen front, and caressed her child.
"Oh... sweetie... it's not fair." She bowed her head. "You'll be meeting your father before you ever get to ever see me." There was another kick, "And you never got to meet Shelly! You would have loved Shelly! She and I..."
She couldn't finish. Rocking, Lessa began to sing a half remembered nursery song, hands holding her baby.
There was a banging on the door.
She ignored it.
There was silence for awhile, broken only by sobbing songs, songs of fairytale lands and happy endings. And, the sound... of something cutting.
They were coming for her.
This was it.
Lessa looked around. There was no escape. It was just her, her baby... and her gun.
She stood. It took more effort than she had ever expended, but she stood. She could feel her baby moving inside her, and she once again caressed it. She had denied her love not just to Shelly, but to her unborn. Her evil had been incalculable. May she be forgiven in death.
The cutting sound got louder. Moving her hand up to her lockets, she opened them. There was Don... her Don. And Cynthia... his sister. Had she been waiting there for her dear brother? Were they now happy together? And... could she join them?
There was a bang from the door, the sound of the locking mechanism failing. Lessa drew her gun.
"Shh, hush, my baby. We're going to see your Daddy now."
****
Fate only exists when looking backwards.
One can never look at the future, and say, "this will happen, because of that." The universe is too perverse for such thoughts. Only once a story has ended, may you look back and say, "ah, that was always what was to be."
And so it is here.
There are two futures on the other side of that door. The story that was, and the story that is. Both end in death, for death is the end to all stories of life. But... for one, that ending is delayed. Maybe just months, or days, or even hours, but what is important is it is not now. One future gives us hope, gives us love recognized, acknowledged, and sealed with a first kiss. One future, unintended in the chaos of the beginnings... gives us life.
****
The door opened, revealing a battered, bloodied, alive, Shelly, Wendi, and Mari.
****
Epilogue
****
The sound of cursing drew Hanna out into the yard. The sun was warm, although not unbearably so, and a welcome change from the coolness of the house. In an hour, though, she knew the reverse would be true.
She heard the cursing again. Walking down the porch steps, one hand on the railing and the other on her slightly swollen belly, she looked over at the tractor that was spewing such bad language. Two bare feet were protruding from the side. Near those feet, in a basket with a cute pink umbrella over it, was Irene. Shaking her head, Hanna walked over.
"Fucking Bitch on a Bitch stick!"
It was unclear, really, if it was the feet or the tractor that was doing the swearing. Only one way to find out. Hanna kicked one of the feet.
"Hey. Stop swearing in front of the baby."
The swearing stopped, and the feet turned into legs, then a pair of denim shorts, and finally the greasy, naked, slightly pregnant, top of Jenny. She looked at her wife from her position on the ground with great bemusement.
"How is she supposed to learn, if I don't teach her?" Hanna gave a disgusted snort at that, and sank down to sit on the grass next to the basket. Jenny sat up, sliding over next to her. Their hands found each other.
"Is the tractor that bad?"
"Well," Jenny said, arching her back to stretch sore muscles. Hanna was reminded of that first time she really SAW her love, and only the grease and dirt kept her from attacking those thrusting breasts. "This thing is old. I'm almost tempted to say it came over on the colony ships, and was shipped used at that!"
"But can you fix it?" Hanna reached her free hand into the basket and brought the stuffed bunny up to their daughter's face. The resulting giggles made her smile.
"Of course I can fix it. Doesn't mean I have to like it." Jenny gazed off into the distance, and after a moment squeezed her wife's hand.
"Anything in today's messages?"
"No... still nothing."
They were silent for awhile. The sound of insects, and the baby happily eating the stuffed bunny, provided the background for their private thoughts. Hanna finally spoke.
"I'm sure he'll come. Ger said he would."
"I know."
"Come inside," Hanna said, getting to her feet. "I'll bathe you."
"I never used to like baths." Jenny stood, and picked up the basket. Putting her other hand around her love, the three of them went home.
****
The End.
Nov. 18, 2011
Reworked Jan 31, 2013
Edited by SciFi Nut
For Jodi. I still miss you.
CHANCE, by Savatage