It was the most romantic thing Hannah had ever seen.
Jack sat on the Gathering Room couch, right hand on the bare back of the woman he loved. His fingers moved slowly, tracing words, pictures, emotions. Sam leaned forward, shirt discarded onto the floor, giving him room. Her eyes never left his face, tears still glistening in the overhead lights. Jack's wondering, loving gaze moved between her, and the son she had given him. Little three month old Jay lay in Jack's lap, held awkwardly, tenderly. The babe slept, unaware he now had a father.
Hannah looked around the room. The squirrels had been sent back to their ship. The prisoner was in a storage room. Mary slept. The rest were here, quietly watching the newcomers. Waiting for the answers... but not willing, yet, to disturb the new family with questions.
Except for one.
The warrior woman, Heather, slowly left the side of the wheelchair bound girl and walked to the couple. She knelt down before them, placing a hand on Sam's knee. The teen looked at the older girl in a daze. Heather smiled, not quite forced, not quite natural.
"Are the others with him?" She asked.
Hannah watched Jack and Sam exchange a wordless glance. Sam nodded, turning back to Heather, and the rest of them.
"My sister Polly, her baby, and the witch Wendy are maybe an hour's run south of here."
"Do they have the necklace?" Jack's expression became confused. "The spell books, then," Heather asked, voice strained. "Do they have the spell books that belonged to the warlock?"
He nodded. Heather's shoulders sagged in relief.
"Thank the goddess." Standing, she turned to Anthony. "I'm going to get them. I don't want to wait until tomorrow."
"Understood," he nodded. "Need anything from us?"
"No. I'm going alone."
"But!" Cathy rolled forward, eyes wide. Heather smiled.
"Stay here, Princess. Let your Knight do this one final task for you. Our quest will then be complete."
****
Heather took a half dozen steps into the night. On the seventh step, she stopped.
Sam had her man back.
She...
The idea of her, and Sam, had been foolish. Stupid. Heather was a peasant. Daughter of a drunkard. Owned by the Duke. Sam... Sam was a strong, brilliant woman. She had crossed two continents. Crossed between worlds, by pure will, and the love for this man. And, he... he had survived on this world, the only man, for a year. He was strong. Heather could see that. He was a fitting companion for a woman such as Sam. They would be happy...
She almost dropped to her knees. Almost cried. Almost did everything that proved she was unworthy of Sam.
Almost.
Heather still had a task. A quest. A promise unfulfilled. Princess Cathy WOULD walk. Petty thoughts of love were just a distraction. A weakness to be discarded. She was better than that. HAD to be better than that. To be otherwise would be to again prove she was unworthy of Cathy.
And Sam.
Forcing one foot, then the other, she walked towards the waiting horses. A door opened, then closed, behind her. She ignored it. Coming to the animals, she grabbed her saddle from its resting place, heaving it up onto her mare. A form moved up beside her.
"Here, let me help you with that."
Tammy bent down, fastening the saddle straps. Heather paused, conflicting feeling rising in her. Anger came up first.
"I can do this."
"I know," Tammy agreed. Her voice was soft. "You can. But I think some backup wouldn't hurt. We don't let anyone go anywhere alone." She stood, tugging on the saddle. "There. It's been awhile, but it looks like I remember most of it."
Heather wasn't in the mood to be reasonable, but that comment distracted her.
"You can ride?"
"In theory," Tammy chuckled. "I did horseback riding for a few summers in Girl Scouts. It's been a couple years, though. With luck, remembering how to ride isn't like falling off a horse." The woman looked at Heather, smiling apologetically. "Sorry. Chuck has corrupted most of us, humor wise." She looked around. "You have four saddles, right? Good. Let's get moving."
Heather watched as Tammy grabbed Sam's saddle, moving towards Brownie. Was her inability to stop this woman a sign of weakness, or... a sign of growing friendship? Or were they one in the same?
Later. They had things to do. Gathering herself, Heather grabbed another saddle.
****
"Where are they riding to?"
Kik put down the collection of leaves he'd gathered, moving over next to Lil. He followed her gaze down. Two of the human women, one of them Heather it looked like, were riding away with two extra horses in tow. He shook his head.
"No idea, Love."
He did know, actually. Kik had swooped over and had a quick talk with Heather as they mounted up. Now was not the time to bother his mate with such things, though. More important matters were at hand.
Lil sat back in the nest, trying to get comfortable. Kik had done his best with the structure, using strong sticks for the frame and the softest leaves to line it. He had never built a nest before, never had to deal with the intended results of a mating. His instincts were good, though. Lil, belly large, soon sighed as she settled in the exact center of the bowl. He handed her a few more leaves.
"Do you need more?" he asked, voice worried. "I have the tree marked. It's a bit far, but..."
"These will do," she replied. Taking them, she lifted up a touch and added them to the mass under her nude bottom. Her sigh was even more content as she sat back down. "Mmm... Mother never told me how good a soft seat felt."
"Think the Queen would approve of this location?" Kik looked around the roof. He had wanted to keep them close to the humans, not trusting himself to be the sole defender of the nest on this strange world. The leeward side of the dining hall chimney had seemed a reasonable spot, keeping his new Queen out of the wind, and much of the rain. They lacked the cover of branches overhead, but perhaps he could talk to the humans about making something if the sun became too much for his love. Lil let out a slight groan of pain, then chuckled.
"Anything within a day's flight of humans would be unthinkable to her. Our offspring will be raised differently."
Kik reached in, placing a hand against the stretched black skin of her belly. He could feel them, the rounded shapes of the eggs.
"Tomorrow, you think?" he asked, softly. She closed her eyes.
"Tonight. Before day break. Stay with me?"
Violating an eternity of tradition, Kik stepped into the nest, dropping down beside her.
"Always..."
****
Jack closed his eyes as Sam closed the door to the small bedroom. To say he was confused, disoriented, and unsure what the hell was going on would be to overlook how bone tired he felt. That, more than anything, fogged his mind. The rest, he was sure, could be comprehended in the morning. It couldn't be THAT complicated.
"I don't know," Sam's voice said, coming closer, "how long it will take Heather to find the others. I'll want to be there when Polly arrives."
He nodded. The mattress under him was soft. The first soft thing he had felt since the Witch had torn him from... had he heard right? This wasn't their world? They were trapped here, never to see any of the cities or towns from their old life?
Someone climbed onto the mattress. Opening his eyes, Jack saw Sam kneeling beside him. She was nude, body slim, muscular. The triangle of black between her legs beckoned, his hand reaching up to touch the silky hair.
He had Sam, and a son. Who needed that other world?
"Oh, Jack..." She was down beside him, on her side, his own body turning to match hers. His hand moved up to her soft cheek, her own touching his. They had known each other for... a week? Had it even been that long? Yet, he had known her a lifetime. Every space in his mind wiped clear of memory by the witches, she had filled. Jack moved closer, his nose touching hers.
"Jack..." Sam's voice was low, husky, cracking. "I never looked at anyone else. I never want anyone else. Just you. You. I want to give you more sons. Daughters. I want to be your wife, forever."
Wife.
His wife.
Slowly, he traced out his reply on her cheek, taking his time with each letter. Her eyes widened with each stroke.
"You are."
****
Sam lowered herself onto her husband.
If pleasure had been the goal, she could have waited. Given Jack time to rest, allowed both of them the time to slowly make love. This... this was the re-consummation of their marriage. This was the act that made them man and wife.
Slowly, she began to move. He filled her, completely, emotionally as well as physically. Each upward stroke brought a half sobbing sigh from her, each downward push a groan as her body reclaimed its mate.
"Never leave me, Jack... never leave me..."
Jack's body shifted under her. His hands shot up to her head, drawing her down into a fierce kiss. Their bodies rolled, Sam finding herself under him. Her legs shifted, making room, wrapping around him as he began thrusting wildly. The thrusting suddenly stopped... and she felt it. Felt him.
He was giving of himself to her. Giving her life, life that could lead to a child. Their child.
"Jack..."
They fell asleep in each other's arms, and hearts.
****
Tammy thanked whatever gods were on this world, or even in this universe, that her mount was a calm one. It had, indeed, been years since she had ridden. Already her body was protesting a bit, muscles bitching at being used at angles they weren't used to. If she had been hetero, maybe years of riding on top of a guy would have helped here. She and Nona never found themselves in that position, however.
The half moon and the stars gave the pair some light. She had grabbed some flashlights, just in case, but was wary of using too much tech in front of the newcomers. So far, they were adjusting well. There was no need to frighten them.
"What, exactly," she asked the back of Heather, "does this necklace do?"
"It will allow Princess Cathy to walk."
Tammy frowned. That... did not seem possible. Not the magic part. Who was she to bad mouth magical spells and impossible acts. No. She had picked up the girl, put her in the wheelchair. Those legs...
"Wait." Heather reined in her mount, one hand held up in warning. Tammy did the same, eyes scanning the beach. It was about the same as the last few small coves, divided from the others by an outcrop of rock and forested land. She looked up past where sand became dirt and grass. Something glowed faintly.
A fire.
Heather rode a few yards inland, both hands held up in a sign of peace.
"Polly! Wendy! I come in peace! Jack has found us! I am a friend of Sam!"
There was rustling in the bushes. A dark haired person rose. They stared at the pair of riders for a long moment.
"I know you," the woman said. She walked forward. Tammy could now see she held an infant. Seemingly reluctantly, another shape rose behind her. Heather's knees flexed, her mount moving towards Polly. She nodded, lowering her hands.
"Yes. I'm Heather. I came to you, and your husband, for a spell to help my Mistress. We used the compass to track you. Tell me, do you have the enchanted necklace?" A hint of desperation entered her voice. Tammy dismounted, trusting the her horse and the two others to stay put. She walked towards Polly.
"My name's Tammy. There is much you have to be told, but it can wait until we get back home."
Heather's mount moved forward two paces.
"Do you have it, Polly?"
Both of the new women paused at that, Tammy herself wincing. The warrior woman's voice was hard, cold. Quickly, she walked past her companion, moving to Polly. Her head moved into the woman's eye line, forcing her attention onto her. Tammy gave her best smile.
"You have a beautiful son. Your sister will be overjoyed to see him, and you." Reaching out, she lightly touched the infant's arm. Polly only moved back slightly, confusion evident on her shadowed face. Wendy spoke from ten feet away, staying near the tree line.
"How do we know she's with you? That Jack isn't dead? Why should we trust you?"
Tammy laughed.
"A woman's lost husband stumbles into her arms after a year, and you expect her to be anywhere but his side an hour later? If it wasn't for Heather, we would have left you here until morning, so we'd all be rested and in good moods for a first contact."
"What was that flying dragon?" Polly asked. Tammy chuckled.
"A flying ship, but that's one of the things best left till morning." She turned, looking up at her fellow blonde. "Dismount. Let's get them and their gear onto the horses. We'll dig through and find the necklace back home."
"It's in with the books," Polly said, softly. She looked up at Heather. "They're the only memento of poor Timothy. The necklace is yours, of course, but I'm not sure what good it will do. Magic is... weak here."
Heather sat up straight in her saddle.
"But she is strong."
****
Cathy had never been left alone with strangers.
Her mother, naturally, would never have allowed it. Never have trusted others with her crippled baby, nor have wanted them to see her daughter in such a condition. Heather, too, would never have left her alone. Left her to go off somewhere, trusting strangers to be able to protect her Princess.
Yet... she had.
To be fair, Sam had been here when she left, so it was she who was being derelict in her duties. Yet Cathy could in no way fault the woman for wanting to be with her man. The girl now knew what loved looked like. Books, if anything, understated the emotion. Would she ever be looked at like that?
"Wow," Ben's voice came to her, "your fur is soft."
Not by Ben, obviously.
And, just as obviously, she wasn't really alone. Cathy just didn't consider him a protector. Heck, she was HIS protector! Looking over across the room, she saw him sitting on the long couch recently vacated by Sam and Jack. The bear girl Goldie was next to him, laid out on her tummy like a dog.
Cathy suddenly felt very jealous.
Hands going to the large wheels, she pushed herself across the room to the pair. All around, the strange people and monkeys talked in groups of two or three. Waiting. Music played, from where she had no idea. Maybe small creatures lived in the walls, with tiny instruments. She could believe that. The light, coming from behind glass plates in the ceiling, she didn't believe. It was like no candle flame she had ever seen.
Goldie looked up as she came up before them, smiling happily.
"Hi! It's so nice having others here to play with! The babies are too little to play games with, and Mary and Danny are often off working with the others. Do you want to play a game?"
"Like what?" she asked. The idea of playing a game shoved all other thoughts from her mind. Goldie thought a moment. Her eyes widened.
"Do you play checkers?"
****
Sam slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. Jack was asleep. He was thinner than when last they were together. Taller. But still Jack. Even leaving him now, knowing she would just be yards away, had her fretting and worrying. Every instinct told her to go back into the bedroom, curl up in bed with him, and stay there till morning. To never leave his side again.
They also told her to deal with the witch without him present. Nobody ever said instinct was logical.
Going down the short hallway, the wall to her left opened up, a wooden railing taking its place. She overlooked the large eating and gathering area, far larger than these people needed. They had built, the dark skinned man had told her, for the future. For when their children were having children. The room Jack was in was one such luxury, a bedroom for a need that did not exist. It had been used a few times, before all the houses were built, but became useless afterwards.
Until now.
If she stayed, they'd build a house for them. Welcome them into this small community. Help them raise Jay. Raise all the babies she would give him. The children of these people would be Jay's friends, mates. She would work beside them, in the fields, or the forest.
Did she and Jack have a choice?
No.
Conversation died out as she made her way down the stairs. They looked at her, mostly smiling. The scar faced blonde, Alicia, she thought her name was, came to her. She held out a mug.
"Drink. After days like this, it helps."
"Is it tomorrow yet?"
"Haven't bothered to look."
Sam took the mug, sipping the fruity ale. She had downed a few before, enough that it was best she not overdo it now. She'd need a clear head to deal with the witch.
And how would she deal with her?
It would depend. These people had their own laws, their own customs. Killing her on sight wasn't an option. She'd talk to her sister. See what her take was. Then ignore it if Sam felt her sibling was too soft.
"They're back."
The tall mustached man stepped away from the window, nodding to one of the others. Sam felt her stomach knot. Her hand went to her waist, only to realize she was unarmed. Well, that got rid of a few options. She noticed Alicia's eyes flick down to her hand, the woman smiling.
"Don't worry. I'm sure if you two get into a fist fight most of the men at least will just stand back and watch."
Exactly what that meant, Sam had no idea. She saw Cathy push herself back from a round table, where a game of checkers was set up. The bear girl had been opposite her. Cathy rolled into the middle of the room. She seemed to... vibrate, eyes wide with excitement. Sam sent off a brief prayer that her quest would end well.
****
Cathy's breath stopped as the wooden door opened.
Heather stood there, tall, proud. Her servant. Her knight. Her friend. Heather's right hand was clenched. Three other women were behind her, one with a baby, but Cathy had no use for them. She sat up, shoulders straight.
"My Knight... do you have something for me?"
Heather walked towards her slowly. Her armor was leather, coat of arms nonexistent, but still she moved as one who had taken the oath. There had never been, Cathy thought, a knight who had served a princess more loyally. She swallowed hard, burning every moment into her memory. Tales would forever be told of this quest...
Heather stopped three paces from Princess Cathy. She knelt, head bowed.
"My Lady. I have quested across land, sea, and space. I have found that which you seek."
"Show me," Cathy whispered.
As she trembled in anticipation, Heather held out her closed right hand.
"Open it, Lady Knight."
The hand opened. Inside, lay a plain silver locket on a silver chain. It was tarnished, cheap. Yet to Cathy it seemed to glow. Without a thought, perhaps unable to think, she reached out her hand.
"Give me the necklace, my Knight." The woman's arm stretched out. Cathy's fingers touched warm silver. Did her legs twitch at the contact? Did she feel life flowing into them? Her hand withdrew, now holding the chain. She didn't look at it. There would be a lifetime for that later. Trembling as she never had before, Cathy undid the clasp. The chain opened easily. Swiftly, she put the chain around her neck. It seemed to fasten by itself, the silver hot against her skin.
"Thank you, Heather... thank you..." Her knight made a move as if to rise and help her, but the Princess forestalled that with a gesture. "No. I must do this myself."
Her hands went to the padded armrests of the chair.
This was it.
She would walk.
Teeth clenched, Cathy pushed upwards. Strong arms lifted her behind up off the chair. With a grunt of effort, she began to move her left leg off of its footrest...
She began to move...
She tried...
Water filled her eyes, eyes that lifted to an increasingly distraught Heather.
"I... I..." With a cry of anguish, Cathy's hands released the chair, body falling back.
"I CAN'T MOVE THEM!"