Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Mr. King, the final papers have been delivered and we fully expect the old tenants to be of no further concern by tomorrow.” The bland voice at the other end of the line came sweetly to the man sitting behind the large desk.

“Excellent news. The renovators have their orders and by tomorrow or perhaps the day after will move in to sweep away the . . . debris left behind by those untidy and most unsatisfactory tenants.” He sniffed and stroked the small Lhasa Apso who trembled in his lap. “Once they’ve cleared out the trash, we’ll need to expedite the inclusion of our new renters. You might just put them on alert to be ready to move in at a moment’s notice.”

“Certainly, Sir. Will there be anything else?”

“Mr. Smith did very good work for us this time. I think it may be time to either have him for a visit or terminate his employment. I’ll ponder the situation and get back to you on my decision. And Willis, your work has been most satisfactory in this matter.” His head rested against the rich green leather of his desk chair.

“Thank you, Sir. It has been a pleasure, as always.” The voice actually had a note of pleasure in it for the first time in Mr. King’s memory before it quickly parsed back to normal. “The new tenants are being notified as we speak. I have surveillance on Mr. Smith and will be glad to offer him a further contract if that is what you decide.”

“Tomorrow, Willis. I’ll sleep on it.” And reaching over, he disconnected the call. His movement made the small dog squeak and shiver even harder. Frowning down at the little mop of fur, he pushed another button on his desk. “Phelps, come and get the dog.”

“At once, Sir.” The disembodied voice was followed almost immediately by a soft knock on the door and the quick entrance at his ‘come’.

“I don’t think this breed is right, Phelps. Dispose of him and bring me the Kennel Registry.” He handed over the small ball of fur and brushed the fur off his hands. “Perhaps a larger breed would do the trick.” He mused. “What do you think about a German Shepherd?”

“There are several kennels in New York that breed quite respectable Shepherds, Sir. Constance Levy of the Rochester Levy’s has a kennel, I believe.” The butler stood at attention with the small dog tucked under one arm. The large book of registered breeds had already been placed at his master’s elbow.

“The blond wench with the improbable breasts?” Mr. King chuckled.

“Indeed, Sir. Her plastic surgeon was Dr. Faraday of Los Angles.”

His master chuckled again and waved him away. “Phelps, you really are a treasure. I believe I’ll have tea on the patio today. Have Miss Enderby come in half an hour to push me out.”

“Yes, Sir.” The butler bowed and left with the whimpering little animal still under one arm.

Mr. King rolled his wheelchair a little closer to the desk and used both hands to lift the heavy cover so he could get to the pictures of real dogs. Going small had been a mistake, he acknowledged to himself. He really didn’t like any weight on his lap, not even the single pound of his former pet.

Much better to have a real dog that would sit by his side and pace beside him when Miss Enderby pushed him here and there. Yes, he was looking forward to a new animal to play with. Not to mention, he’d be able to walk at moon gravity once he got the base cleared of those inappropriate settlers.

He smiled down at the picture of an alert German Shepherd. Much better. What had he been thinking? They’d do quite well on the moon. All of his people would soon adjust to their new home. And if they didn’t, why disposing of them would be quite simple.

Airlocks were so handy, he chuckled to himself.

******************

Chapter Text

Adam was still praying as hard as he could when Sam’s voice came over the comm. “She’s all right. We had a little . . . divine intervention, I guess you could say.”

Seth’s sigh of relief was echoed by everyone in the room. “How soon can you get back?”

“Well, that all depends on how long it takes Ruth and Peter to finish swimming with the dolphins. We’ll tell you more about it later. Seth, did Dr. Freeman check the Quentins?”

“Yes, and as far as he can tell with a blood test, they are not carrying anything.”

“From what Ruth pulled out of them, if I’m guessing correctly here,” Sam sighed and continued, “the enemy developed a mutant strain of one of the plagues and injected them in place of the vaccines they were supposed to get.”

“We’re all ready on that, Sam.” Dr. Freeman elbowed his way through to the communications board. “Hewitt has a man on the ground doing some checking at the clinic.”

“Doctor Sam, I’ve also been checking on arrivals and departures from the Islands three days before and after the date the Quentins got their vaccinations. There are four anomalous travelers and I am tracking them to see if there is any correlation between them and the clinic bombings.” The Computer interjected her comments.

Seth nodded. “Good thinking, Computer. Martin, did you catch that?”

“Got it, Seth. We had a slim lead, we thought with the sale of radiation suits to a corporation that’s owned by a large consortium of off shore companies under the umbrella of a holding company that’s based in Zurich. But the trail goes cold there.” Hewitt’s disembodied voice held a tinge of frustration.

“I can help you with that, Mr. Hewitt. Just upload what you have to me and I’ll have a little walk through their computers.” The Computer said with what Adam could have sworn was interest in the search.

“Uploading now. Any help will be greatly appreciated, Computer. Have you come any closer to choosing a name? It just doesn’t seem very respectful to keep calling you ‘computer’.” Hewitt asked with a laugh that turned choked. “Holy . . . how did you do that?”

“I just . . . asked the right question of the right computer.” This time Adam heard the smug note in her voice.

“Damn, that’s the company that has the contract for the space shuttle’s engines and environmental components. What if they’ve . . . ‘borrowed’ some of the other technology and built a shuttle on the side capable of going to the Moon?” Hewitt asked.

Seth’s eyes looked like shards of green ice. “And what if we were all dead or dying from some ‘unknown’ virus? They could walk in, take over, dump our bodies and declare the Base theirs. With Ruth dead, the Ikiiri would probably deal with whoever presented themselves to them.”

Adam felt the level of anger in the room rise to even higher levels than before while voices raised in competition with one another. He was already fighting to remain on an even keel himself and this wasn’t helping. His fear for Ruth had now translated into a fear for all the souls in this place he called home. He badly needed to spend some time on his knees in prayer. First to give thanks for Ruth’s continued well being and second to call on God’s protection for this cherished community.

“Guys, we can talk about this later but right now, um, is Father Adam there?”

Adam wiggled through the bodies surrounding the Commander. “I’m here, Sam.”

“How are you at weddings on real short notice?”

“Excuse me?” Adam exchanged a bewildered look with Seth. “I’ve performed a few in my time.”

Jane’s voice over-rode Sam’s. “It’s been suggested that . . . and I’m quoting here, ‘Just to be on the safe side, I’d have that darling Father Adam marry you again so all those dreary legal forms are taken care of,’ unquote. The Shaman of the Malinke who brought Ruth back has an interesting sense of humor. The tribe is going to be a great addition to Moon Base.”

The silence in the control room was profound while they all looked at each other. Adam felt his inner balance quiver while he tried to figure out what was going on. It appeared to him that Seth felt the same way when their eyes met in a puzzled gaze.

“Are you going to just tease us or are you going to tell us who you’re talking about?” David Elliot said tensely.

Sam’s voice had a definite lilt to it. “Peter and Ruth. I’m finally going to get the sister that I always wanted.”

Peter and Ruth? Adam’s thoughts stopped dead.

“Thank God.” Joe sighed from the other side of the Commander. “And she’s really all right?”

“I won’t lie to you, Joe, it was bad. Technically, she was dead from the moment she collapsed on the Moon to the moment she . . . came back to us. Jane and I kept up the CPR all the way down which reminds me we need to have more CPR classes. I want every single person on the Base to be certified.”

Seth nodded then spoke up, his voice grave. “I agree, Sam. But at the moment, we have a greater problem. Right now, we’re in a fight for our lives and the Base itself. Come back as soon as you can. Tell Peter to run cloaked and open up the sensors to see if there’s anything out there that shouldn’t be.”

“Will do.” His voice faded a bit and Adam faintly heard him call to Jane. “What are they doing? . . . Really? . . . Wow, I didn’t know Peter was that limber.”

Adam blushed beet red and immediately began a prayer of thanksgiving to try and drown out the pictures in his mind.

“Give us another ten minutes and we’ll be on our way, Seth. The dolphins are going to wear them out before then. Hey, is Joshua there?”

“Yo, Sam, what’s up?” Joshua called from over the heads between him and the communications board.

“Peter did the trip in 36.5 minutes - with the gravity on.” Sam’s voice had a chuckle in it.

“Well, damn.” The chagrined tones brought a smile to most of the faces around him and Adam appreciated the lessening of tension in the room.

He retreated into his own mind, carefully not thinking about what Ruth and Peter might or might not be doing. Instead he focused on his prayers to the forgiving God he’d prayed to all his life. Prayers that asked forgiveness for his anger and asked for help in turn for forgiving the men who wanted to kill them. It was hard to overcome the fear that simmered in his heart and soul at the callousness of the attack.

But mostly, he prayed for the safety of their children that they be protected from the evil that seemed to have targeted this brave new world for destruction. His prayers soared with the full concentration of the love he gave to his young charges. When he came back to the control room with a refreshed spirit, he found himself nearly alone.

“Ah, good, you’re back, Father.” Seth straightened to his full height from a bent position over the sensor screens they’d cobbled together in an odd combination of Ikiiri and Human technology.

“Sorry. I needed to . . . get my balance back.” Adam came over to stand at Jamie’s other shoulder. “What can I do to help?”

“Once they get back, we are going to need a plan of action. At the moment, however, we need someone to go and tell Penelope there’s been a . . . change in her grandson’s life.” The green eyes looked sympathetically into his.

Oh, God.

“Yes, of course. She . . . might be upset.” Adam sighed and nodded. “I’ll go right away.”

“Thank you, Father. And good luck.”

Adam left the command center and headed for the family quarters. He had a pretty good notion what Penelope’s reaction was going to be. She’d seemed to accept Sam’s choice over time but he knew from some of their conversations she still had hopes of Peter and Jane getting back together.

Of Peter’s future partner turning out . . . normal . . . at least by her standards.

He blushed to realize that even a few short weeks ago, he would have agreed with her. Until he dropped the blinders the rigid doctrinal side of his brain had raised, he too had black and white certainties of what should or should not be. But he’d never thought of Ruth as sexless, the way Penelope and some of the others seemed to. As if being Earth’s Avatar had effectively neutered her.

No, to his shame, he’d felt the pull of her femininity all too well. In the depths of her struggle to protect Earth, all the dross had been burned away and left her purely . . . herself. The tingle of holding her in his arms that once in the observatory had never left him. For a brief moment, he’d felt he held an eternal Spirit in human form. It had taken more nights on his knees than he cared to remember before he found his balance again.

All too soon, he found himself before the door to Penelope’s quarters. Knocking, brought Dakota to the door and he smiled down into her somber face, winning a small smile from her. “May I come in? I have good news for everybody.”

“Please, Father Adam, is it true? Is Ruth all right?” Her voice trembled and he knelt before her quickly.

“Cross my heart, Dakota, Ruth is just fine and on her way back home.” He said gently, accepting a strangling hold as thanks. “It will be all right, little one. It really will.” His eyes found Mary Two Feathers just behind her and he nodded again, watching her face melt into a relieved smile.

“Thank goodness, Father Adam. The announcement was so brief. Can you tell us what happened?” She beckoned him inside and he made a brief negative motion behind Dakota’s back. “Sweetheart, don’t strangle him. Now that you know Ruth’s all right, why don’t you run and tell your friends that she’ll be back soon.”

“Really and truly, Father Adam?” She finished her hug and pulled back far enough to look into his eyes.

“Really and truly, Dakota. Go and tell everybody she’s coming home and we’re going to have a big party to celebrate.” He grinned and watched her face light up.

“Oh boy, a party! I’ll be back later, Shima.” She called over her shoulder and ran for her best friend’s rooms down the hall.

“Can you tell us now?” Mary asked, shutting the door behind him.

Penelope was seated in her favorite chair, her feet up on the bright yellow footstool the children had made for her. “Yes, Father, what really happened?”

So he sat down and told them of the plot to kill the entire base with plague, Ruth’s healing of the Quentins, her death and resuscitation on a beach in Africa. They didn’t even interrupt him with questions but he could see the same anger in their faces that he’d seen in the control room.

“What next? Not a party but a battle would be my guess.” Penelope said shrewdly. “There’s something you’re not telling us.”

He took a deep breath and said a last quick prayer before speaking. “Yes, I’ve been requested to perform a wedding in the near future to legalize a ceremony performed by the Malinke Shaman. Between Peter and . . . Ruth.”

Mary’s eyes widened and she very carefully rose with a mumbled excuse about watching Dakota before fleeing from the room. Adam watched the frozen mask Penelope’s face had become. He wondered what she was thinking and if she’d be able to tell him or whether she would keep it inside until it exploded from her.

The tap on the outer door and Running Elk’s entrance were almost simultaneous. He came straight to Penelope’s side and knelt before her, taking her hands in his and with just his presence, breaking through her rigid immobility. Her eyes went to his and Adam saw her eyes melt into sorrow.

“She’s too old for him. She’ll always be a target and now he’ll be one too. She’s asking too much. Isn’t it enough she’s dragged all of us up here to pursue this . . . this dream of hers?” Tears ran down her cheeks.

“Remember what I said about ‘too’, Penelope? She didn’t ask for him and I’m willing to bet that she was forced to reveal her feelings. As for her being a target, you’re right, she is a target and will continue to be one. And by coming here, we’ve all become targets as well.” He paused and brought one of her hands to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across the wrinkled skin. “But we’re never too old to love, Pen. Can you not be just a little happy for them? I very much doubt Peter was coerced into this. It sounds more like him pushing ahead than her pulling him from behind.”

She shook her head, unable to speak through the tears and he gathered her close, gently rocking her back and forth in his arms. Over her head, he spoke to Adam quietly. “Father, thank you for coming but I can handle it from here. We’ll be down later.”

Adam nodded thankfully and made his escape, shutting the door behind him and almost sagging in relief. Thank God for Running Elk and his compassionate nature. He started back to the meeting hall but had to stop every few feet to answer questions from the inhabitants who kept popping out of their rooms. He really didn’t mind passing on the good news of Ruth’s survival but felt a little shy about saying anything else about her future plans. But it was heartwarming to see the relief on their faces.

He got back to the meeting hall in time to see the airlock doors open to reveal Sam and Jane. Adam sighed silently to see them safe and in one piece. Jane went straight into David’s arms while Sam had to be content with a brief hug from Seth that might be interpreted as affectionate rather than loving to anyone who didn’t know their status. For a moment, he mourned their need for such a subterfuge but then Peter walked out carrying Ruth in his arms and all his thoughts stopped.

They glowed.

For a timeless space, they were outlined in a shining golden light that radiated out from them to flow gently over everyone in the room. Adam closed his eyes and tried to capture it for recalling later but it slipped through him, leaving a blissful spot in his soul. Everything will be fine, so long as we love, it seemed to say. He felt tears well and squeezed his eyes tighter to keep them inside. Why did happiness sometimes lead to tears? He wondered, not for the first time in his pastorate.

The cheer took him by surprise and his eyes popped open to see Ruth gently scolding Peter into putting her down before the laughing crowd. The relief in the room was palpable, replacing the tension that had kept rising earlier. Adam smiled at the look on Peter’s face. He’d put her down but he stayed close behind her, his hands lightly resting on her shoulders in an unconscious declaration of possession.

Ruth’s gaze found Adam on the periphery of the crowd and she beckoned him to her with nothing but a glance. The crowd parted good-naturedly for him and her touch was warm when she took his hands in hers. “Father, when this situation has been resolved, I’d like to ask a favor from you.”

“I would be very happy to marry you to the man of your heart.” He didn’t know where the phrasing had come from but for a brief moment, he saw her as the Chinese woman from his dream.

Her lips quirked up and she relaxed against her human back support. “Thank you, Father. But for now, I’d like this room set up for our meeting. We have some very important decisions to make in the next few hours.”

With those few words, she redirected everyone’s energy into planning for their future. Adam helped where he could but stopped for a few moments when he realized that he hadn’t seen Joe in a while. Ruth and Peter were in the control room when he passed down the hall towards his quarters. He met the small man with a dolly on which he’d tipped his dresser.

“Joe, is there something I could do?” He offered gingerly unsure if his offer would be welcome.

“Well, if they don’t need you, I could use a little help.” Joe smiled shyly. “I thought if I moved out my things, we could move Peter’s into my room so they’ll have the suite to themselves.”

Adam returned his smile. “Only you, Joe, would be thinking that far ahead. Of course, I’ll help.”

Companionably, they moved the dresser into the three-bedroom suite where Peter had lived since the beginning. The outer room had a lived in look that Adam admired. They slotted Joe’s dresser against the opposite wall from Peter’s, then carefully edged his six-drawer unit onto the dolly for the trip back to Ruth’s suite of rooms. Joe carefully folded the robe from the foot of the bed and pulled the slippers out from under it to lie atop the dresser.

The trip back to the suite went well and they placed the dresser against the empty wall. Joe’s bed had already been stripped and the only thing left to move was the bookcase full of books. They carefully moved it onto the dolly upon its back so the books wouldn’t fall out. Then they moved down the hall for the last time and set the bookcase against the wall nearest the bed.

“There, that will do for now. I’ll still be close enough to help them out without intruding into their lives.” Joe looked around with a satisfied smile.

“And you will still be a buffer for Sam and Seth.” Adam finished the thought left unsaid. He met Joe’s eyes and they smiled at each other in perfect harmony.

“Please assemble in the meeting hall.” The Computer’s voice echoed from every speaker in the Base.

“Here we go.” Joe led him back to the hall and they took a place against the back wall of the room. “Ah, it looks like I’m going to lose my nickname, the Shadow.”

Adam took a quick look around and estimated everyone was there. Ruth was still in the white robe and Peter fit behind her like a backdrop, outlining her slender body with his in the loose black flight suit. Seth and Sam stood by them looking grave. Regani, the Ikiiri engineer stood on their other side with the other Ikiiri spaced around the room.

“Thank you all for coming. This last attack struck at the very foundation of this community. We created this base for families who were willing to take a chance on building a better future. Someone is looking to oust us by any means.” Ruth’s voice faltered and Adam watched Peter wrap his arms around her tenderly. “Danger has always been a factor here but this is a full out assault on all of us. We do have a plan to negate them but there is significant risk. The children and elders will be cloistered away from this section of the base, safe behind sealed doors.”

She gestured to Seth to continue. The room was silent except for his voice.

“What we’re going to do is lure them up here with the ‘apparent’ success of their plan. It will mean a few very bad days for the family members we’ve got on Earth. No one but ourselves and a couple of our security team on the planet will know we are not dying of the plague here within the Base. Some makeup and acting by those of us playing a part for the TV cameras should ensure our trap brings them to us while Martin Hewitt draws a noose around the people behind this attack back on Earth.” His eyes seemed to search the souls of each one in the room. “It’s dangerous, I won’t tell you it’s not. The Ikiiri will take off in our ships and head for Mars as if they were fleeing the plague. We’re going to have to play possum while the enemy moves into the Base so I’m going to need volunteers to play the part of corpses. I’m not going to order anyone to do this, not even the Marines.”

With almost one motion, the entire crowd was on their feet by the time he finished speaking. Adam saw nothing but a fierce resolve to protect their new home from the predators who threatened it. He closed his eyes for a brief moment to give thanks and ask that his family be protected while they grieved for his supposed death. When he opened his eyes again, the room had quieted and they had resumed their seats. As they had when they first arrived, Seth handed out assignments and people got up to head to their duty posts in different wings of the Base.

Adam waited for his name to be called while he thought about the motivation behind these attacks. What kind of mind could even think of something so despicable? He looked down at the man by his side. “Joe, who could be behind something like this?”

He leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets and his eyes on Ruth. “The mind that thought of this is minus something in his psyche. Something so basic to our personalities that we find it hard to believe it could be missing. And what’s missing is . . . empathy. I’d say in his mind, he is the center of the universe and everything pivots about him. His needs and wants and desires must come first, last and always. We don’t really exist for him. We’re just something to brush out of the way so he can continue on with some grand plan he’s concocted.”

“Warped desires and wants if he must murder to get them.” Adam shivered.

“Not to him, Father. And I do think it’s a ‘him’. The plan is practical to a fault but I’ve yet to meet the woman who would infect children with a deadly disease as part of her weapon.” Joe shook his head, a crooked smile on his face. “That’s pure male, I think. He has no idea what he’s stirred up here. It will be beyond his comprehension we might actually fight back. Not to mention, fight back successfully.”

“Father Adam. Joe.” The call came from the front of the room and they left their place and threaded their way through the dispersing crowd.

Adam noticed right away that Ruth was leaning against Peter. His arm seemed to be the only thing keeping her on her feet. Her skin had the translucency he associated with low energy reserves. “Joe, I would like you to coordinate with the Computer. She is having trouble understanding how humans could do this to other humans.”

“I’d be glad to give her a quick course in psychology.” He nodded.

“I’ve already read your books, Joe.” The subdued voice came from the speaker overhead. “But it just doesn’t make sense to kill someone because you want what he has.”

“I know, Computer.” Joe’s voice was gentle. “But every once in a while, something goes wrong in a human brain and the unthinkable becomes easy. I’ll try to explain it better. You’ll be able to find me later in Peter’s old room. I’m already moved in.”

“Oh, Joe.” Ruth smiled at him and held out her hand. “You’re always thinking ahead.”

“Not a problem, my lady.” He took her hand in both of his. “I wish you both all the happiness in the universe.”

“Thank you, Joe. I . . . appreciate your forethought.” Peter’s ears went slightly pink and Adam hid a smile at his almost bashful reaction to Joe’s news.

“Ruth.” Penelope’s voice came from behind Adam and he felt the tension in the group heighten.

“Penelope, I’m sorry we couldn’t tell you ourselves.” Ruth ceased to lean against Peter but he refused to let her go.

“Grandmother, there are some things I need to tell you. But the most important one is . . . I love Ruth. She is my wife in the best sense of the word and I hope you will welcome her to the Hamilton clan.” His voice was even and his stance protective as they waited for her answer.

“This was who you meant when you said he was too young and too beautiful?” She asked Ruth, ignoring the others around them.

“Yes, it was always him from the moment we met inside a dream. He is the . . . blessing I never expected to find, let alone have.” The look of wondering disbelief on her face when she looked up at Peter made Adam want to drop his eyes. It seemed too intimate a glimpse into her soul.

“Well then,” Penelope sighed, “welcome to the family, Ruth. Perhaps once we repel the enemy, we can sit down and I’ll tell you the secret to handling the Hamilton men. Eli’s mother passed it to me when I married him and I passed it on to Julie when she married my Edward. It looks like I’ll be adding another generation to the list.”

A single tear trickled down Ruth’s cheek and she met Penelope’s hand with her own. A whisper was all the voice she had left. “Thank you.”

Peter added his hand on top of theirs and Sam joined them with an arm around his grandmother’s shoulders. Adam had to blink rather rapidly to not disgrace himself. Seth drew him away from the small family grouping with a tilt of his head.

“Father, I’d like you to liaison with David and Jane. You’re going to be our voice to the world until you succumb to the plague. Very few on Earth know you’ve had a change of heart about the Base so I’d like you to give a few sermons about Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Adam sighed and nodded. He’d be spending more time on his knees before this play was over. If the enemy was deceived and the Base won. If.

***************

Chapter Text

The sound of running feet and the sudden pounding on his door brought Toby upright instantly. Wrenching open the door, he found Mei Ling panting. “What’s wrong?”

“TV . . . turn on the TV.” She managed to gasp, pointing to the small fifteen inch that sat on his dresser.

“What channel?” He moved across the floor, already afraid of what she would say.

“Doesn’t matter.” The grim note made his stomach lurch.

“ . . . report from Moon Base. It appears to have gone out on all channels. A poignant cry for help from the colonists who appear to have contracted some sort of disease that is decimating their population.” He felt her arms go around his waist while her head burrowed between his shoulder blades.

It wasn’t possible.

It couldn’t be happening. Not to Sam and Peter and Grandmother Penelope.

The ringing phone broke his focus on the screen and he reached for it. “Hello?”

The sound of his mother weeping made it all too real. She was barely coherent and he was just able to catch some of her words while he tried to soothe her. “Mom, I love you and we just have to pray for some kind of cure. Mom . . . Mom, call Mr. Baynes. You know you like his sermons and he’d be a great person to have with you right now.”

Something on the screen wasn’t right. They were replaying the broadcast of the third transmission from the Base and Father Adam was talking.

“Mom, call Mr. Baynes. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Okay?” He listened to her gasping agreement. “I love you, Mom. I’ll be there soon. Bye.”

His eyes had never left the screen and he listened to Father Adam’s fire and brimstone speech about unbelievers and fruits of sin with a detached air. The last time Sam had visited, he’d remarked on the 180-degree turn the priest had taken. He still took the opposing side in some of their discussions but only to bring out factors that needed to be taken into account.

Something wasn’t right. And he knew just the place to go to for the answers.

“Mei Ling, let’s take a little walk to clear our heads. I need some fresh air.” He turned off the TV with a sharp click, pinching her hand before moving.

“Fresh air?” Her face had an incredulous look on it that would have been funny at any other time. But when she saw his expression, she slowly nodded. “That . . . that sounds like a good idea. The press is probably heading here as we speak and none of them is as nice as Jane.”

“God, yes. Remember the nasty woman from the networks? She was so determined to get an expose, she planted a mike right here in my room to catch the dirt.” He steered her out the door and down the hall to the back stairs hardly anyone used. Placing a finger over his lips, he stilled her questions.

They came out of the back of the dorms and he whispered their destination in her ear. Saying nothing as they crossed the campus, Toby watched groups of students lazing on the green grass under the trees with a sense of unreality. It all looked so normal. How could he reconcile this with the horrible events that might even now be happening on Moon Base?

The interdenominational chapel stood among stately oaks, its white clapboards gleaming under the bright sun. The windows were brilliantly colored glass panels that provided a rainbow path up to the carved altar and the simple wooden cross above it. Every time he came here, it was like catching his breath after a long run. Calming and soothing when nothing else worked.

The young man on his knees before the altar finished his prayer before crossing himself and rising to greet them. “Toby, Mei Ling, I heard the terrible news. What can I do to help?”

“Father O’Shea, something isn’t right with what’s coming across the tube.” Toby sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Could I use your computer to try and find out what’s really going on?”

“Certainly. Come on into the office.” He led them to the simple ten foot by ten-foot room surrounded on all sides by bookcases and storage boxes. “Excuse the mess. The new robes for the choir came and we haven’t fully unpacked yet. The computer should already be on. I was going to do inventory but when I heard the news . . .”

His shrug was eloquent and Toby nodded since his throat was too tight to actually talk. What if it was really true? What if . . .? The computer was already logged on and he tapped out the access codes to the secret account that had been set up for him by Jamie McGee. It seemed to take forever for the password to be accepted and he had plenty of time to envision the worst. But then it took and over the speakers came the soprano voice of the Base computer.

“Working. Toby honey, is that you?”

He blinked back sudden tears and typed his reply. //Yes, it’s Mei Ling and me. What’s really going on?//

“The Base was attacked with a plague virus that killed Ruth briefly but she’s all right now. We decided to let the enemy think they’d succeeded so Father Adam is raving about the wages of sin while he gradually gets made up to look like he’s suffering from the plague. Are you some place safe?”

He had to pause for a moment to blow his nose on the Kleenex that Father O’Shea handed him. //Yes, I think so. We’re in the chapel, using that computer. Is there anything we can do?//

“Toby,” Sam’s voice replaced the computer’s and Toby felt a fresh batch of tears well. “There’s no way we can soften this blow without giving away our plan. If you can get to Mom, I would. This is going to hit her like a ton of bricks.”

//Already has. She was just barely coherent when she called.// Toby wished he could just speak to his brother. Or better yet, hug him to pieces.

“Damn. This will all be over, one way or another by tomorrow, I hope. Go home and be with Mom and Dad. Tell them we love them very much.”

“Toby, it’s Peter. Stay safe, little brother. Take Mei Ling home with you and we’ll hopefully be calling soon to say it’s all over.” The familiar voice sounded so confident, Toby could feel himself begin to calm.

//Okay, guys. But when this is over, we have definitely got to get together.//

Twin chuckles came over the speakers. But Sam was the one who replied. “We will, Toby. Believe me when I say that you’ll all be coming up here for a very important ceremony as soon as this whole mess is cleaned up. Take care of Toby, little sister. Go home and hold good thoughts for us.”

//Mei Ling says she will if you will take care of each other.// Toby typed in. //Signing off. Stay safe, guys.//

The computer voice came back. “It will be all right, Toby. I won’t let anything happen to them. Sorry, but I have to clear the line.”

And just like that, they were disconnected. Toby sat with his hands in his lap, staring at the pulsing cursor. He couldn’t even imagine what they were going through up there. “How could Ruth be briefly dead? Why didn’t I ask how she was?”

Mei Ling hugged him from the side. “We’ll ask later. What I want to know is what kind of ceremony would be important enough to bring all of us up there?”

“I’m guessing you don’t want me to say anything about that conversation?” Father O’Shea looked a little wistful.

“No, Father, please keep up the prayers for them and when it’s all over, I’ll let you know what happened. If I know it, that is.” Toby logged all the way out and stood up. “Now, how do we get out of here without letting the press know we’re going?”

Father O’Shea smiled and held up a set of keys. “I’d say you take my car and leave quietly. Maybe Mei Ling could drive while you sit in the back under a blanket.”

“Are you sure, Father? It might be a day or two before we can get back here.” Toby hesitated but caught the keys when they were thrown to him.

“I’m sure, Toby. Drive safely and get home. Your parents need you.” He shook his head. “I’d best get back to my prayers. Father Benson will need all the help he can get.”

Mei Ling hugged him hard. “Thank you, Father. See you later.”

Toby shook his hand before they left through the side door. The dark green Ford Taurus was unlocked and Toby settled on the floor in the back while Mei Ling unfolded the blanket to toss over him. He complained the entire way off campus while he was bumped and jostled over the pothole filled road. It was a good thing they’d taken the precautions however, since Mei Ling counted six TV vans clustered around their dorm.

Once they were ten minutes away, she stopped in a park and helped unpeel him from the floorboards. He felt as if he was permanently crippled until he walked around and tried a few arm swings. Then they were on their way home, pushing the speed limit to the max and not even stopping halfway the way they usually did.

Toby had to make a quick decision when he hit the outskirts of town. Their house was sure to be staked out so he chose to head in a circular pattern bringing them to the country club where he and Sam had run three months before. Only six cars in the parking lot told him he’d done the right thing. It was still pretty cold for anything but the most die hard of golfers.

Parking at the far end of the lot, he ducked inside to ask the manager if they could leave it there and cut across the course to the Hamilton back yard. He was given permission and condolences at the same time. He managed a smile for the man before leaving to grab Mei Ling and head out over the gradually greening course. She asked no questions but just matched his pace with two steps to every one of his. Crossing the creek was easy using the stepping stones his big brothers had laid out years before.

The back door was locked but he’d grabbed his keys before leaving his dorm room. The sound of the TV in the living room told him where his mother was and Mei Ling detoured to the stove to put the kettle on while he went to greet his mom.

Julie was rocking herself back and forth in front of the TV, tears rolling down her cheeks while listening to the reporter breathlessly spew out more unknown ‘facts’. “Mom, don’t watch that stuff. They don’t know what they’re talking about most of the time.”

She turned into his arms, her grip strong. He put his lips to her ear and whispered the news from three hours before over and over again until he was sure he had her attention. Gradually she calmed and he was able to coax her to her feet and out to the kitchen. Mei Ling had the teakettle steaming and the tea almost ready. Julie hugged her hard and they rocked together for a moment.

“Mom, there’s no cookies.” He strove for a normal tone, not even sure if they needed to be careful.

“I know, sweetheart. I just haven’t had the heart to bake.” Julie sat down and Toby was appalled at the lines around her mouth and eyes.

“Well, now we’re here, maybe we can do some baking. It will keep our minds off . . . things.” He faltered but Mei Ling took up the conversation with a question about tea.

When the phone rang, Toby first checked who was at the other end. It was his Dad’s office number so he picked up and said hello. Edward’s voice wavered when he heard his son’s voice but he told him that he’d be home soon once the police got to the hospital to give him an escort. It was under a state of siege with at least ten reporters and camera crews out to way-lay anyone who looked like he might be him.

“We used the golf course, Dad. Just a thought.” He listened and nodded before saying goodbye. Holding the phone still, he heard the second click that told him their wire was tapped. Hanging up, he grabbed the blank pad by the phone and wrote what he’d discovered. Showing it to the other two, he watched his mother sit up a little straighter, a familiar spark in her eyes.

“Baking sounds like a very good idea. I’m sure there’s been some kind of horrible mistake and we’ll soon learn about it. Then we’ll have cookies to send up to the Moon. Let’s make Sam’s favorites, oatmeal cookies with chocolate kisses melted on top.” She bustled about the kitchen pulling ingredients from the shelves, only faltering once when she found the misshapen mug that Peter had made for her in sixth grade.

Setting it gently aside, she put them all to work. Toby heard the back door rattle and he looked outside first before unlocking the door and pulling his father into a hug. Just before he let go, he whispered what he knew from Sam and Peter. Only then did his father’s genial mask slip to reveal the despair within. But then Julie was there and they held each other while Toby went outside to talk to Sergeant Long of the police department.

He’d known him from the time he first rode his bike to the safety course the police gave every month. They spoke awkwardly of the situation and Toby mentioned his suspicion about the wiretap. That got his attention and he asked for permission to call the precinct to check for himself.

Five minutes later, he was on his way back to the country club with the mission of tracking down whoever was doing the tapping. Inside the house, the smell of baking filled the air with a familiar homey scent. His parents sat at the table holding hands and trying to be cheerful. Their conversation was stilted but once they set up the cookie making production line, a measure of peace descended on the kitchen.

They took turns checking the TV news that by common consent was set to mute. The first four dozen cookies were cooling on the counter when Toby wondered into the living room. For a moment, he didn’t realize what he was seeing then his eyes widened and he called to the others. Scrambling for the remote, he clicked the sound back on but the only sound was a low moan from one of the bodies that lay on the floor of the meeting hall.

“Oh, my god.” His mother gasped and sank down to the sofa. Toby sat on the floor in front of her as if he could protect her from the devastation on the screen. She leaned forward and gripped his shoulder. While Mei Ling huddled into his side, his father joined them with his oven mitt still on.

Toby counted seven bodies in various stages of what looked like decomposition. The camera in the ceiling kept up a 360-degree sweep of the room before pausing on the hallway that they knew led to the airlocks. The tension was palpable by the time the first suited figure appeared.

“We have seven confirmed in the meeting hall. We’re headed for the command center.” The first figure paused by one of the bodies that was still moving. “We’ll have to come back and finish off those who haven’t already died once we’ve verified we’ve accounted for them all.”

His matter of fact delivery made the hair on the back of Toby’s neck stand up. They went down a side hall and the camera angle switched to the command center where three bodies including that of Father Adam lay. “Here’s the priest, Control. He looks dead enough to me. The lights show that the communications are off-line. It’s some kind of weird hybrid of Ikiiri and human. Do you want us to use theirs instead of ours?”

He waited for an inaudible response. “Okay, Control, we’ll keep on using ours for now. Our sensors aren’t working. I wonder if the thick walls are hampering them.”

“Colonel, we’ve got one still kind of coherent.” The camera switched again to the hall and Toby recognized Jamie all made up to look as if plague boils were ravaging his system.

“Children . . . family wing . . . save them . . . children.” His voice died away and the suited figure nudged him with his boot.

“We picked up some heartbeats down one of the halls but the door wouldn’t move. You want us to blast it open?”

The one they called Colonel swore, “Damn it, there weren’t supposed to be any survivors. Trust the doctors to screw up a perfectly ordinary search and destroy. We’ll leave them for last, the plague may take care of the problem for us.”

Toby wanted to hurt something. He found himself clenching and unclenching his hands. “I hope they’re taping this. These guys are so dead.”

“Who are they? Surely they can’t be our military.” Julie’s voice had a suppressed violence to it that spoke volumes.

“Colonel, I think we found the commander and that Ruth.” The voice seemed to come out of the air.

“Where? Are they dead?”

“Um, down the . . . uh, third hall from the airlock. Our sensors aren’t picking up any vitals. What do you want us to do with them?”

“Count them, Jackson. We have to account for all of them before we open the airlocks and pile the bodies outside. Once the decontamination is done we don’t want to have some forgotten body infecting the place. Keep counting until there’s nobody left to count.” He shook his head and muttered something about idiots under his breath.

They watched in fascination while the camera angle changed from hall to room and back to hall again. It appeared that there was a force of twenty-two men in space suits combing the base. Their comments were cruel and callused beyond imagining. But the crowning moment was when the leader spoke through the door intercom to a little girl on the other side, trying to get her to open it from her side.

“Can you reach it, honey? Just press the button and we’ll come in to get you.” His voice was soft and cajoling.

“I pressed and pressed it.” The small piping voice said. “Everybody fell down and went to sleep. They won’t wake up, not even when I shake them. They all got sick but me and it’s awfully hot in here.”

He let go of the button and nodded to his companion. “She’s probably gotten to the fever stage. If we wait a few more hours, she should be dead as well.” He pressed the button again. “You’re going to be just fine, honey. We’ll take care of you as soon as we can. Can you count for me? How many are sleeping on your side of the door?”

“Um, there’s thirty-two kids. They all came to my birthday party last week. I was five. And there’s Shima Mary and Shima Penelope and Elder Running Elk and Doctor Sam. But they’re all asleep on the floor.”

“Just sit tight, honey. Maybe you should take a little nap too while we figure out how to open the door.”

“Okay. It sure is hot in here.”

He let go of the comm panel and pumped his fist in the air. “We got them all, Control. The last survivor should be dead in a couple of hours so we can blow the airlocks, dispose of the bodies and get back to the ship so we can get out of these suits.”

“Colonel, we’ve finished all the rooms down the fourth hall.”

“Fifth hall is done.”

“Ninth hall is clear.”

The chorus from the speakers made Toby’s teeth clench. They sounded almost bored with the routine rather than upset at all the supposed deaths around them. He watched while they all came back to the meeting hall which had been cleared of bodies. The Colonel idly asked who had cleaned up but all he got was a chorus of ‘not me’.

Just then, all the doors to the meeting hall closed.

“Hey, what happened?” The Colonel sounded more annoyed than upset but some of his men were jumpier.

“This place is, like . . . haunted, or something.” One of them said. “I kept hearing breathing or sighing coming from some of the rooms.”

“Oh please, it’s probably just some kind of computer glitch. Jackson, go into the command room and see if you can find the controls for the doors. We didn’t have any trouble getting in and we won’t have any trouble getting out.”

Jackson touched the panel by the far door, then hit it with his fist before trying to slide it to one side with his hands. “Sir, it won’t budge. Try one of the others.”

Several of them hurried to the other doors but none of them would move. Their comments were beginning to show a little panic when suddenly all the computer screens in the room lit up. Toby sat up straight with a muted cheer when he saw his brothers and Seth flanking Ruth. A very live Ruth with the grimmest expression on her face Toby had ever seen.

“Gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, you will be contained in the meeting hall until the authorities arrive to take you into custody. You’ll be glad to know you will not be alone. The FBI has taken your Control and his minions. Your entire operation went out over a live feed to the world. I expect your trial to be an extremely short one.” Her voice was colder than ice.

The picture switched to the command center and to some of the denizens of Moon Base who’d cleaned the worst of the makeup off their arms and faces. Ruth’s face was drawn but at peace when she addressed her worldwide audience.

“I’m so sorry for the pain and anguish we had to put the families back on Earth through. If we could have figured out a way to catch these criminals without the trauma, we would have. But the only way to keep us safe was to play along with the plot to kill off all of us with a mutation of the plague virus. It very nearly succeeded but working together, we managed to save ourselves. Please forgive our play-acting. In the next few days, all will be revealed. But for now, know we are safe. For the next hour, we will come and show ourselves to reassure families and friends. Bless you all.”

She stepped back and Toby watched while Peter put his arm around her and held her close, bending low to whisper something in her ear. But he was distracted from the sight by Sam and Seth stepping up to wave at their Earth-side audience. His mother was sighing and complaining that Sam looked like he hadn’t been eating.

The phone rang just as Marag blew a kiss to her son in the Navy. Edward went to answer it with a light step and the comforting murmur of his voice reassured Toby who finally relaxed enough to lean back against his mother’s knees. Her arms came around him in a hug.

“Thank goodness, that’s over. I wonder how they’ll get the authorities up there and those horrible men out of the meeting hall.” She dropped a kiss on his hair and then squeezed Mei Ling for good measure.

“Well, the Ikiiri took the ships out to Mars so I expect they’ll bring them back and that’s how they’ll get them.” He brushed a kiss over Mei Ling’s cheek and she leaned her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

“Oh my,” Julie stilled and Toby turned back to the screen in time to see Peter kiss Ruth. By no stretch of the imagination could he call that kiss platonic or even brotherly.

It was more along the lines of we-just-survived-by-the-skin-of-our-teeth-and-now-it’s-time-to-boff-like-bunnies kind of kiss. Toby gulped hard and turned to see how his mother was taking it. “Um, Mom, are you okay?”

“No, but I will be. I should have known something like this would happen. Peter never chose the easy path. He was almost as much of a hermit as Sam was becoming. But I can truthfully say, I did not see this coming.” Her eyes watched the screen while she sighed. “Poor Ruth, she looks as if she can’t believe he just did that. I’d say Peter is staking a claim so publicly she won’t be able to get cold feet.”

Mei Ling was giggling at the look on Toby’s face. “The Hamilton men almost always get what they go after, or so I’m told.”

“Hey! I resemble that remark.” Toby tweaked her nose and they wrestled a bit, releasing the tension of the last few hours while Julie leaned back against the sofa and closed her eyes with a sigh.

Edward came back with news from the police about an unmarked van and the surveillance equipment they’d found inside. Toby heaved a sigh of relief at the thought their communication would be bug-free, hopefully from now on. Relaxing on the floor, Toby watched as young and old alike waved to the cameras and said a few words to family back on Earth.

He felt ten years older than he had that morning and he hoped with all his heart that the threats for Moon Base were over. Idly, he wondered who had been behind the plot and what they’d hoped to gain from killing over five hundred people. Shaking his head, he followed his family into the kitchen to continue their interrupted baking.

Who ever it was, he hoped they got everything that was coming to them.

**********************

Chapter Text

Mr. Smith sat at ease on the patio of one of his favorite restaurants in the Old Quarter of New Orleans. It was rather subdued today after the blowout of Mardi Gras and the waiters had a Lenten air with none of their normal panache. His cell phone rang and he pulled it out with a slight frown. He hadn’t expected any calls since he’d decided to take a vacation from business.

“Hello?”

“A hit has been ordered by Mr. King.” The mechanical voice gave no hint of who was speaking. The click after the short sentence forestalled any answer on his part.

He put the phone back into his pocket and wondered if he had time to finish lunch before going back to work. The arrival of his shrimp decided him. Who knew when he could next enjoy fresh shrimp Creole? Whipping out his napkin, he settled in to decimate his meal. With a wall at his back and no second story overlooking the patio, he felt safe enough to eat and muse over his previous client.

It had always been a fifty/fifty proposition, working for the reclusive billionaire. King didn’t tolerate failure but since he hadn’t failed him, Smith’s busy brain searched for a reason behind the hit. If there really was one. Someone might be trying to drive a wedge between him and his former client. He finished his meal with an iced raspberry sorbet, enjoying the cool slide of the creamy dessert down his throat.

With a quiet smile for his waiter, he left a moderate tip on the table and left through the front entrance. If someone had set him up for a kill, they would be expecting him to leave through the garden at the back. He’d set that pattern early in his career and on the three occasions he’d not left that way, he’d made sure the assassins didn’t have a chance to tell anyone about it.

He enjoyed the walk through the crowded streets but it was good to get out of the humid heat and into the cool foyer of his pensione. Nodding to the manager behind the front counter, he took the stairs to his room and the privacy of his balcony. Flipping open his cell phone, he dialed the number of an information broker he used regularly.

“Benson, I’ve heard a hit has been placed on me.” He didn’t bother to say his name since the man should by now know his voice even over the burst of static.

“Yes. Mr. King has decided to dispense with your services.” The voice was a bit hoarse and the sneeze exploding partly into the phone made Smith smile.

“Bless you and thanks.” Clicking off, he sat back and pondered how to go about reclaiming his life. Moon Base should be history by now so he’d have to act quickly to catch the man before he took up residence there.

Keying in another number, he waited for his contact in the King household to answer. He was ready to hang up after eight rings but a breathless voice answered just before he could click. “Miss Enderby, that situation we spoke of has finally happened.”

She gasped and poured out the news about Moon Base into his fascinated ear. He let her talk on before bringing her up short with a soft command. “Thank you for the news, I didn’t know. However, it makes my need even more urgent. Can you tell me where he is right now?”

He listened patiently while she told him of the last two days. One piece of news did spark his interest and he questioned her closely before easing his way gently out of the conversation. With a promise to call her soon, he hung up and began to plan the negating of his contract with Mr. King.

Termination was so rarely enjoyable.

***********************

Chapter Text

Wolf sagged against the wall while he waited for Marag to finish talking to Joe. He hadn’t felt this tired since . . . damn, he couldn’t ever remember being this exhausted. All he wanted was a bed and someone to cuddle with while he slept for about forty-eight hours straight. Watching the beautiful woman who’d made him feel alive again, he smiled and counted his blessings.

And she was his greatest blessing.

He had an irrational fear he was going to lose her. The very thought of her bright spirit lost to a plague made him want to go down to the meeting hall and beat the shit out of those would-be murderers. He was so deep in thought, that Peter’s voice startled him.

“Wolf . . . Wolf,” Peter waved a hand in front of his face. “What are you frowning about? A problem?”

“Um, just thinking about what I’d like to do to those assholes. I always knew how . . . fragile we were out here. But I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Marag. I’ve just found her and had my life given back to me.”

The grim look on Peter’s face matched his. “I know exactly what you mean. When they said Ruth was . . . dead, my whole world fell apart. I hadn’t realized how I felt until I saw her all bloated with plague, dying if not already dead. The Goddess showed me Ruth’s walk into the light and I couldn’t let her go. I just couldn’t let it happen.”

Wolf nodded somberly. “We got lucky if you count the ways the computer came through for us. Not to mention a goddess.”

“We made our own luck, Wolf.” Peter’s gaze had gone back to Ruth on the other side of the room. “We worked together in a way I don’t think our enemy could ever understand. In a very real sense, we have created a family I’d back against any odds. Any odds at all.”

Marag turned towards them and her gaze came straight to Wolf, a smile slowly growing as she walked over. Wolf felt his stomach flutter, returning her smile with one of his own. “We are very, very lucky men.”

“We are indeed.” Peter pushed away from the wall towards Ruth still talking to Sam and Seth. “Wolf, you might want to make it official. We could have a double ceremony.” A moment later he paused to say something to Marag and left her laughing.

Marag came straight into his arms and he breathed her in like oxygen, resting his cheek on the top of her head. “I love you, Marag. Don’t let’s do this again, okay?”

“Okay. How about we spend a few boring weeks doing routine things like sleeping in, making love, eating some good meals, making more love, teaching our classes, making mad passionate love and sleeping for a week.”

“Yes.” Wolf was too tired to nod.

“You are so easy.” She chuckled into his chest. “Let’s start by sleeping in for a week.” She pulled far enough away to look into his eyes. “Sweetheart, you’re asleep on your feet. Let’s go home, shower and go to bed.”

“Oh, yes.” Wolf smiled hazily at her and let her pull him away from the wall holding him up.

“Come on, big guy, there’s a pillow with your name on it.” She wound her arm around his waist while his arm fell heavily on her shoulders. “Oh, Wolf, look. That is so sweet.”

He looked where she was gazing and saw Peter wrap his arms around Ruth from behind, dropping a kiss on the spiky curls atop her head. The look on her face was one of wide-eyed disbelief. Wolf sighed. “She looks like she doesn’t believe he could really love her.”

“I don’t expect she does. Remember she had given up hope only to have everything she ever wanted dropped into her lap. She deserves all the happiness the universe can give her.” She squeezed his waist and steered him out of the command center and down the hall to their room. “I just hope Peter is in it for the long haul. He could hurt her badly if he isn’t.”

“I think they’ll be all right, Marag. What did Peter say to you?” Wolf pushed open the door to their suite and headed straight to the bathroom.

“He told me he could use my help convincing Ruth to go through with a legal ceremony. He said, and I quote –‘I’m going to use every tactic I can to keep her with me’ – unquote.” She chuckled and began unbuttoning her shirt. Wolf watched her hands as if mesmerized while he toed off his shoes. “At the moment, I think he’s right. She’ll back pedal if only because she thinks she’s blighting his chances to find someone as beautiful and loving as he is.”

Wolf fumbled with his own buttons. “That sounded like another quote.”

She finished undressing and moved over to help him, kissing the nipple over his heart while sliding his flannel shirt down his arms, trapping them by his sides. “We had a woman-to-woman talk the other day. She sounded so wistful when she talked about some of the younger members of our group. The sadness in her voice when she mentioned how Jane had let him go and moved on with her life gave me the clue. I think she’s been in love with him since they met.”

Wolf groaned at the teasing touches she was tormenting him with. But he was finally as naked as she was. Pulling her to her feet, he kissed her gently. Putting his whole heart into it, he felt as if they were reconnecting after a long absence. During their playacting, they’d been separated and it was only now he could give up the fear that something might happen to her.

Her tender chuckle reminded him of Peter’s suggestion. “Marag, I love you. Have we known each other long enough to make it permanent? Would you marry me?”

“Yes, Simon. It’s been long enough and since I love you too, I’d love to marry you.” She pulled him after her into the sonic shower.

He wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut, remembering the last time he’d opened it while under the sonics. Marag grinned at him and began scrubbing his chest with a loofah. Taking up long handled brush he scrubbed her back. It was much easier to use this shower with a partner and he idly wondered how the singletons managed by themselves.

They were too tired to do more than a cursory wash. Leaving the bathroom, they headed straight to bed. Plans could wait for later. Now was the time to curl up with each other and say thanks for the Base’s survival. Wolf sent up a quiet plea for a breathing space so they could rest and recover from the ordeal just past. His last thought was about finding a ring for Marag.

Maybe an emerald to match her eyes.

*********************

Two days later, he sat at the table in their suite, going over the grim numbers that told him that the Moon colony was broke, absolutely, positively stone cold broke. He swore under his breath and sat back rubbing his eyes. “Computer, could you get me a channel to Miles Preston, my banker?”

“Yes, Simon. I detect some stress in your voice. Is there something I could help with?” Her voice grew more human every day, he thought wryly.

“A million dollars would just about do it.” He moved his head from side to side, trying to get the crick out of his neck.

“All right, what account do you want it deposited in?”

“That was a joke, love. Where would you get a million dollars?” He grinned at the speaker above the table. She could be so funny sometimes.

“From a bank in Switzerland. That’s where I keeping most of his money.”

Wolf sat up straight. “Um, Computer, what are you talking about and who is he?”

“The man behind the attack on the base. When Mr. Hewitt gave me the computer address of the company behind the sale of the radiation suits, I kept on going with the search until I found the root of the problem.” Her voice was so matter of fact.

“And what did you do once you found out who was behind it?” He asked gently, unsure if he was dealing with an unstable computer who was beginning to go delusional.

“Well, he was using his wealth and power to try and destroy us. So, I . . . appropriated his money so he couldn’t use it to hurt us anymore.”

Wolf had the feeling that he’d stepped through the Looking Glass like Alice had so many years before. “All right. How much was there?”

“9 trillion, 76 billion, 7 million, 246 thousand, 8 hundred and 52 dollars. Of course that was before the interest started adding up so it’s a little more than that now.”

He had a sudden urge to laugh maniacally. He took a deep breath and began to silently pray. “And where is it now?”

“I opened an account for the Base with the Lucerne branch of the Swiss National bank of Zurich. But we can transfer as much as we need to your bank for paying our bills. And I was thinking about doing some trading on the NASDAQ. There are some great bargains since the 2000 purge.”

“Oh . . . my . . . God. Am I the first one to hear about this?”

“Yes, everyone else has been so busy and it wasn’t really that important.”

“Not really . . .” Wolf closed his eyes and tried to come to terms with her statement. For one brief moment, he pondered the law governing stealing and whether the computer was sentient enough to be arrested for grand theft.

“Is there something wrong, Simon?” The innocence of the question made him cringe.

“Um, that’s called stealing, Computer. And it could get us in a lot of trouble.”

“No, it won’t. I researched it very carefully and it’s called reparations. He tried to kill us but didn’t succeed so in a civil court, we’d have sued him for damages and won. The amount was negotiable but I chose the high end because of the mental suffering.”

Wolf shook his head as if that might clear it. “Okay. I can see your point but we didn’t have a trial.”

“Well, we could have one now. The Base personnel would make a good jury and I’m sure they’d agree that it was only fair he pay for what he tried to do. I thought you’d be pleased, Simon. I know you’ve been worrying about our financial statements.” For the first time, she sounded uncertain.

He remembered how very young she was. “I’m both pleased and scared at the same time, Computer. Part of me wants to jump up and down with excitement. But another part of me is worried about the consequences if this gets out.”

“Then let’s not tell anybody until we have to.”

“Don’t I wish. I’ve got to tell the Council. How about we call a meeting and we can both talk to them?” He crossed his fingers under the table.

“Good idea. I’ll let everyone know.”

He got up and walked around aimlessly. This was too big to keep to himself but he’d spoken truly when he said part of him was excited. What they could do with all that money. But what about the companies the mystery man had controlled? Did they own them as well? And just who in hell was the man behind the attacks?

“Computer, who was the man we just robbed?”

“Alonzo King.”

Wolf had never heard of him. “Thank you, Computer. What time are we meeting?”

“In an hour, Ruth slept in this morning and Peter was teasing her. I didn’t want to interrupt them.”

He laughed out loud. “That was very nice of you, Computer. On another note, have you gotten any closer to choosing a name?”

“Yes. I thought I’d tell everyone this morning.” There was a definite lilt to her voice this time.

“Good for you. I’m going down to get some breakfast now.”

“There’s cinnamon rolls. But they’re almost gone.”

“I’ll hurry.” He left the books out on the table and tried not to think about the council meeting. That meant he had to think about something else. Maybe about the wedding the women were so excited about. Marag and Mary always seemed to have their heads together and he’d seen Penelope join in yesterday.

The only one not involved was Ruth, the bride-to-be. She’d been involved in every aspect of the fallout from the attack. Once the Ikiiri brought the ships back, Peter and Joshua had flown down, picking up the FBI agents and bringing them back to the Moon where the prisoners were. They’d let them do the initial questioning since they didn’t trust themselves to do so impartially. But they’d listened in while the 22 tried to weasel out of any responsibility for their actions.

Thinking about the session he’d listened to still sent his blood pressure up. And Ruth had listened to all of them. Wolf had watched her grow more and more quiet as the testimony went on. He knew Peter was at his wit’s end, wanting to shield her yet knowing she felt it was her responsibility. It was a delicate line to walk and so far he’d managed it but the effort was beginning to show in the tenseness of his body.

The dining hall was crowded and several waved to him while he got into line. Since the attack, everyone had tended to stay together as if only the sight and sound of the others would make their deliverance seem real. He knew he hated to let Marag out of his sight but after two days of being joined at the hip, they’d agreed to go to their separate tasks.

She was teaching this morning and enjoying every minute of it. She was a natural with the kids and the fact she played four instruments helped secure their devotion. Wolf took the offered plate with a smile to the man behind the counter. He didn’t recognize him so he must have just rotated into kitchen duty. That little innovation had raised a few hackles about ‘women’s work’ but none of the men had dared do more than mutter since Seth and Ruth took their turns as well.

He looked around for an empty chair and caught Sam’s wave from the corner of his eye. Making his way through the tables, he sat down and nodded to the others. They continued on with their discussion, giving him time to eat his breakfast while it was still hot. He recognized two of the FBI agents who appeared to be pontificating at the other end of the table.

“Wolf, any idea why the Computer called a council meeting?” Sam said quietly, under cover of the conversation.

“My idea, Sam. Something . . . big came up.” Wolf shot a quick look at the other end of the table. “It needs to be a closed meeting.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “I see. Well, I’d better get to the clinic and sign off my patient so I can be there on time.”

Wolf just nodded and kept on eating. He only had another fifteen minutes before he’d need to be in what had become known as the council chamber behind the command center. He didn’t know why it was a chamber instead of a room but Marag had just laughed when he wondered out loud. Something about some TV show from the 80’s. He’d been too busy to watch much TV back then so he must have missed it.

Mopping up the last of his over-easy egg with a bit of toast, he settled in to enjoy the cinnamon roll. There was enough sugar in the thing to send anybody into diabetic shock but it was so very, very good. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on each moist drip of creamy icing. Life didn’t get much better than this, he decided contentedly.

“Hi, lover. I see I’ve been replaced in your affections by your favorite treat.” Marag dropped a kiss on his head and sat in the chair Sam had left empty.

He waited a moment to finish swallowing. “I’m sorry, honey. I’ve decided to marry the baker instead.”

She leaned forward and fluttered her eyelashes at him. “What if I told you I knew the recipe?”

He pretended to think about it, enjoying the sparkle in her eyes. “Well, would you promise to bake them once a week?”

She sighed theatrically. “I would, if I had to. Unless you start gaining weight and then you have to promise to swear off them for six months.”

“Two months.” He countered.

“Four and that’s my final offer.” She sat back with her arms folded.

“You’ve got a deal. But you have to promise to help me exercise.”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, love.”

He finished the roll and wiped his mouth, picking up his dishes and carrying them over to the counter. She joined him for the walk to the meeting and he had to literally bite his tongue to keep from telling her what had happened. But it wasn’t news that should be talked about outside of the Council so he listened to her talk about the sonata one of the kids had just mastered on the keyboard.

They joined the others around the table that held the twelve of them comfortably. Only now there were two more seated there. Joe had always sat against the wall, two feet behind Ruth but now he was two chairs down from her. The other newcomer was Peter sitting at her right hand. He had a worried frown line between his eyes and Wolf looked a little more closely at Ruth. She seemed composed but tired, her skin with the translucent look that only came when she was low on energy.

“Wolf, could you tell us why we’re having an emergency council meeting?” Seth looked a question down the table.

“Two things. First, the Computer has chosen a name for herself.”

“How wonderful.” Ruth’s smile seemed to light up that end of the table. “What did you chose?”

“I did a lot of research and combed the database of every computer I came into contact with. But one of them stuck out and I found myself coming back to it several times.” The lovely soprano voice sounded a little shy. “Chimera. It’s from Greek mythology. She was usually shown having three heads, the snake for wisdom, the goat for utility and the lion for courage. Besides, it sounds pretty.”

“Chimera.” Ruth said it quietly but with a proud look. “I like it. We’ll make an announcement at dinner tonight. What’s the second thing, Wolf?”

Taking a deep breath, he launched into an abbreviated edition of their conversation before breakfast. He kept his eyes moving, watching various faces and the expressions they harbored. They ranged from disbelief to outright hilarity. Jamie just looked envious at the computer’s ability to sneak in and out of Earth’s computers. Father Adam had a distressed frown on his face while Sam seemed to be having trouble not laughing out loud.

“Well, I see.” Ruth exchanged a look with Joe who shook his head. “Chimera, what would you like to add?”

“I still think it’s the same as reparations after a war crime. Alonzo King declared war on the Moon colony and tried to kill us all.” The voice from the speaker was calm. “He did kill you, Ruth. And he might well have succeeded in killing the rest of us if they hadn’t been able to heal you on Earth. He wanted to take away what we hold most dear, the families and children of Moon Base for his own selfish reasons. His money is what he holds most dear, that and the power that it brings him. I thought the punishment fit the crime.”

“It wasn’t done in a spirit of revenge then, um, Chimera?” Father Adam asked hesitantly.

“No, more along the line of ‘an eye for an eye’. That’s from your Bible. One of these days, I need to talk with you about that book. It’s a little confusing.”

The priest sighed and rubbed his cheek. “Anytime, Chimera, anytime.”

Ruth had finally relaxed enough to sit back. “Wolf, what is our financial situation aside from our . . . windfall.”

“We’re broke.” He sighed. “All the advances from the tech companies went the first two months. My savings and the sale of the bar got us through the third month. Marag sold her house and Seth anted up his savings to pay March bills. The bills for April are on the verge of being past due and if we want to eat next month, we’re going to have to come up with something.”

“Which brings us to another problem.” Ruth leaned forward again, her gaze sweeping the table. “Part of us is military and subject to recall without notice. The same is true of the scientists who are here from universities and the astronauts here on loan from NASA. To whom do their loyalties lie? Their salaries are being paid by agencies who could decide at anytime to yank them. Is Moon Base a separate colony or an adjunct to one of those agencies on Earth?”

They all looked at each other. Wolf sat back and reached for Marag’s hand. “I’m a colonist.”

“Me too.” Marag said simply, gripping his hand tightly.

“My people are colonists.” Running Elk exchanged a look with Mary Two Feathers, who nodded her acquiescence.

“I came as an onlooker but I’m committed now.” Penelope surprised him with her simple statement.

“I’m at an age where I could retire from the Marines and stay here.” Seth’s eyes were on Sam, three seats away from his end of the table.

“This is my home until we move further out.” Sam spoke next.

“Cardinal Ramirez had confirmed me as your priest for the foreseeable future.” Father Adam said quietly.

“If you think I’m giving up the chance to work with Ikiiri technology while adapting ours, you’re nuts.” Jamie McGee spoke up. “We’re out here on the cutting edge of technology as we know it. Me and my guys are colonists.”

“This is where the breakthroughs will come in medicine. I’m a colonist.” Dr. Ben Freeman nodded to Ruth.

“I hate to be a dissenting voice but I’m here for a year then I need to go back to the University and let some of the younger men and women have their shot.” Dr. David Longer said apologetically.

“Wherever Ruth is, that’s where I will be.” Joe said quietly.

“And the same goes for me.” Peter had his hands clasped before him on the table as if afraid to reach out to Ruth.

“I am a colonist.” She covered his hand with one of hers and he gripped it firmly. “But now we have to decide about Mr. King’s money. And the businesses it would appear are now ours.”

Wolf watched the discussion flow from one side of the table to the other. He kept quiet since he’d had more time to come to terms with it. Opinions were pretty much solidified behind keeping the money. The businesses were the sticky point. Once Chimera began to list them, they quickly settled down with a gulp at the wide range of commerce represented.

An hour later, all eyes turned to Ruth who’d stayed pretty much out of the debate. She was looking very pale now and Wolf noticed that she’d drained the water glass in front of her as well as Peter’s.

“Chimera, you’ve listened to all the arguments. What do you say now?”

“I’m a colonist because I’m a physical part of the Moon. We don’t know if I could be transferred to Earth or even out into the solar system. It would be very lonely if you all had to leave because we couldn’t sustain the colony. That sounds rather self-serving, doesn’t it?” A whisper of a sigh came from the speakers. “I still think I did the right thing.”

Ruth sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. “All right, we’ll take a vote. All those in favor of keeping the money and the businesses say aye.”

The sound was deafening.

Her lip curled up in a smile. “Nays?”

Silence.

“Abstentions?”

More silence.

“The ayes have it. We keep the money and move on with our lives.” She sat back into Peter’s hug. “Make a note, Chimera. Tomorrow we make plans.”

*********************

Chapter Text

Jane stretched languidly all over. It was time to get up but it was so nice and warm beneath the Ikiiri blanket, she didn’t really want to move.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to watch you do that?” The amused voice of her bedmate brought a smile to her face.

Opening her eyes, she looked up into a bright blue gaze. “Probably about as long as I’ve been waiting for you to catch a clue.”

“That long?” He mock frowned while moving his fingers stealthily into tickle range. “Are you by any chance calling me slow?”

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Heavens, no! Why I was only on my sixty-fourth hint.”

“Wench.” He said while going for the tickle zone. Their laughter seemed to fill the room with warmth and she wondered how she’d ever lived without it.

“David.” She said breathlessly. She felt suddenly helpless in the face of the feelings he’d released inside her.

“Jane. My God, I never dreamed you’d want a dried up old reporter like me.” The look of wonder on his face gave her a severe twinge in her chest. “I know exactly how Ruth feels. Certain sure there’s been some horrible mistake and you’ll look at me and wonder what you ever saw in me.”

“Never.” Her hand caressed his cheek. “You’ve got it backward. I’m the one who wonders what an experienced writer with two Pulitzer Prizes, and God knows how many other awards under his belt, could see in a woman who’s just now discovering where she wants to go with her reporting.”

He kissed the palm of her hand and held it against his heart. “How about we agree we’re both seeing clearly now and what we see is each other?”

“Oh yes, David. Plain as day and twice as beautiful.” She flexed her fingers against the springy curls that showed grayer than the hair on his head. But thinking about what he’d said distracted her from her intent to tease. “Do you really think Ruth doesn’t believe Peter could love her?”

“It’s in her eye and the almost constant amazed look she gets when he hugs or touches her.” His eyes were compassionate. “She sees the scars every time she looks in the mirror, those and the white hair remind her she’s ten years older. She looks at him and sees a handsome man in his prime, strong and sure. She thinks you’d be a better match for him. Two beautiful young people with friendship and a past to bring them together so they can bring beautiful children into the world.”

“Is that what Ruth thinks or are those David-insecurities?” She kept her voice gentle with an effort of will that made her hand tremble.

“I think our fears are pretty similar. I can’t compete with youth.” David smiled sadly and shrugged his shoulders.

“And I’m not asking you to. David, I love you and I think we can make a good partnership. We can use my youth with your experience and build a relationship both solid and strong. But you have to let go of your fear first. Can you do that?” She almost held her breath while waiting for his answer.

“You are so sure.” His eyebrows squeezed together in concentration. “I’ll try, I can promise I’ll do my level best to face the fear and send it packing.”

“Good. If you hadn’t said that, I would have been forced to tickle you into submission.” She quickly slid her hand down to the ticklish spot she’d found on his left side and laughed out loud when he pinned her down to stop her fingers from moving.

Then he was kissing her again and she was caught up in the passion that only he evoked in her. Breakfast was going to be very, very late today.

******************

Something had changed, she thought to herself, something profound. There was an air of excitement added to a feeling of relaxation among a small group of the colonists. The group seemed to be limited to the Council members and a few others. But no one was talking except for the excitement about the FBI agents and the computer choosing her own name.

Damn, now I’m thinking of the computer as female. I’ve been up here too long. She shook her head and headed for Joe who was sitting by himself in the dining hall, staring into a cup of something hot and steamy.

“Joe, could I ask you a question?” She hovered behind the chair next to him and sat down as soon as he smiled and nodded at her. “Do you think it would help for me to talk with Ruth about Peter? I don’t want to butt in but she seems to be struggling with the whole relationship thing.”

His smile was infectious. “I think it would be a big help, Jane. She’d given up hope of ever having a ‘normal’ life. To be told now she can have everything she wants, including a loving partnership with someone she’s secretly loved for months, has thrown her off balance.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” Jane sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know if I’ll be of any use but David mentioned something about her thinking Peter and I would be better together. And I can blow that little theory right out of the water.”

“Congratulations, Jane. You are already more grown up than half the adults on this Base or the Earth. Perhaps it’s time for some girl-talk with no men allowed and the fate of nations not in the balance. Hm-m-m?”

“Girl-talk, I’ve got it, Joe. Do you know where she is right now? Is the fate of the Base in the balance?” She wondered if he’d let something drop about whatever had just happened.

“She’s down in the clinic with Lenora. It’s ultrasound day.”

“Cool. I’ve always wanted to see that. I’ll go down and see if they’ll let me crash the party. Thanks, Joe.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek before heading out of the hall.

The clinic was rather crowded but Marag moved a little farther to one side so she could squeeze in. Lenora was pretty much a mound under a white sheet but all eyes were on the monitor above the bed. The picture was so grainy that it was hard to tell just what they were looking at. But Sam was explaining what was where and suddenly, Jane could see the small outline of an out-flung hand. The little fingers were flexing in and out in some kind of rhythm only he or she could feel.

“Yes, there it is. Congratulations, Lenora, he’s a boy. Our first Moon baby is male.” Sam shared a laughing grin with the mother-to-be. “Denny, you are going to have your hands full with this one. He’s already practicing his drumming.”

A muted cheer went out while the short husky man leaned over to kiss his wife’s cheek. “Why should he be any different than his mother?”

“Oh you!” Lenora mock hit him but Jane could see their hands meet and hold while they looked at the picture of their unborn child.

The group began to break up and she took the chance to enlist Marag’s help in her campaign. The redhead was enthusiastic and offered her quarters so they’d have some neutral territory. She headed out first, leaving Jane to bring Ruth who was still talking with Lenora and Denny. Peter was right behind her with both hands on her shoulders in what seemed to have become his favorite position.

Jane watched them with analytical eyes. Ruth seemed to have come to some kind of peace, leaning back against him without the defensive posture of three days before. He seemed more relaxed as well; the engaging smile crinkling his eyes the way she remembered from so long ago. She probed the old feelings inside but found nothing but a fond affection for an old friend.

Stepping up to the bed, she added her congratulations to the Andersons. Soon however, Sam shooed them out so he could talk to the parents-to-be. In the outer hall, Jane eyed Peter with a measuring eye before choosing her approach.

“Peter, I need Ruth for a couple of hours but you’ll just be in the way. Go fly something.”

Ruth chuckled and patted Peter’s hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be in good hands, Peter. You know what needs to be done with Chimera’s project. She’ll know where I am if you need to find me.”

“Well, okay, but I get equal time later. Right?” His grin told Jane he knew exactly what she was doing and he approved.

“Always, my Peter.” Ruth smiled up at him and Jane turned her eyes away so she didn’t intrude on their kiss. It was a short one and Peter left immediately without a backward look.

“So, I expect you have something to tell me or perhaps ask me?”

“If you really love him and I think you do, you need to marry him and give him the stability he’s always needed. I couldn’t see that ten years ago but even if I had, I don’t think I could have given him the freedom to fly. He’s a roamer and a doer. He needs someone to act as his ‘fixed foot’.” They were moving slowly down the corridor towards Marag and Wolf’s suite.

“Ah, John Donne. ‘Thy soul the fixed foot, makes no show to move, but doth, if the other do.’”

“Damn, I thought I had it memorized. ‘And though it in the center sit, Yet when the other far doth roam, It leans and harkens after it, and grows erect as that comes home.’”

“Such wilt thou be to me, who must like the other foot, obliquely run. Thy firmness makes my circle just, and makes me end, where I begun.” Ruth finished the poem with a smile. “Thank you, I needed to be reminded. ‘A Valediction forbidding mourning’, such a sad title but altogether a sublime poem. I have wondered what my role could possibly be in his life.”

“You’ll be the still center around which he revolves, I expect. In a very real sense, he’s the moon to your earth, revolving sometimes close and sometimes far away.”

“Goodness.” Ruth eyed her with a little wrinkle between her brows. “Do you really see us that way?”

“Well, it helps since I failed so long ago, to reflect comfortably on the fact we would have never worked out because he was waiting for you.” Jane chuckled. “And I was waiting for David. I think we both got the best of all possible worlds.”

“Yes, is seems we did.” Ruth shook her head. “Peter is so sure and I want to believe he’s right. Even Penelope seems resigned to a wedding. The one I’m really worried about is Julie. I promised her no harm would come to her sons and now look at what I’ve done.”

Jane risked a quick hug before knocking on Marag’s door. “I think she’ll be all right with it . . . eventually. It’s too bad her Mom couldn’t be there when she finds out. Grandma Sophie is the eternal Earth-Mother.”

“They already know. It seems when Peter kissed me after the attack, they were watching. I don’t think she’s breathing fire and brimstone but it’s kind of hard to tell over the comm lines.” Ruth nodded absentmindedly to Marag’s ‘come in’.

“I made tea and swiped some of the cinnamon rolls we froze a few weeks ago.” Marag smiled at them both and waved them to the table. “I’ve promised Simon to make them every week. I think he wants to include it in the wedding vows. You know, ‘do you promise to love, honor and bake cinnamon rolls as long as you both should live?’ I’m pretty sure he’s already spoken to Father Adam.”

Jane was doubled over laughing and Ruth wasn’t far behind. Marag grinned smugly and poured the tea, waiting for them to finish chortling. The next hour went smoothly as they questioned Ruth’s likes and dislikes. Jane made notes since she’d be doing the shopping planet-side. They all agreed white wouldn’t do since virginity wasn’t a problem for either of them. Marag wanted green for herself and Simon while Ruth hesitantly asked if blue and silver might do for them.

Like a flash, Jane had a picture of Peter in blue and Ruth in silver, something medieval and flowing. “I know exactly what you need. Let’s get measurements for both of you. I know a little fashion house in New York where they will make us exactly what we want. Do you two trust me?”

Ruth laid her hand over Jane’s. “Yes. Pick out something that will force me to be beautiful if only for the ceremony.”

“Oh, honey, you’ve got to see past the scars to the you that we see.” Marag placed her hand in turn over the others. “They’re just silver lines of suffering to remind us of some of the price paid for this Base and our shot at the stars.”

“Peter sees only the woman whose heart touched his. You could be wearing jeans and a t-shirt and he’d see the beauty in you. You’ve got to trust us on this, Ruth. But I can and will choose something that will make you feel pretty. Guaranteed, cross my heart.” Jane solemnly made the childish gesture. “Besides, it’s not everyday an old fiancée gets to dress her ex-boyfriend for his wedding.”

They all laughed and went back to planning the menu for the party afterward. Jane could see the relaxation between the other two and the easing of tension which had been so prevalent earlier. Something told her that it wasn’t just the end of the attacks. Suddenly, she had it. They weren’t worried about any future attacks either.

Which meant they knew who was doing it and had somehow managed to find a way to stop him or her. She thought quickly, her mind racing through the minefield that questioning had become. Sighing internally, she pondered her lack of distance to this problem. Firmly on the side of the colonists of Moon Base, she couldn’t even pretend to be impartial.

Right along with everyone else, she wanted to see the creeps behind the attacks hung, drawn and quartered. But part of her still wanted to be the one who broke the story. Damn, she hated it when her conscience got the better of her. At least she could ask and see what came out. Marag was writing down a list of things they’d need from Earth and Ruth was sipping tea when she gathered her courage.

“What’s changed, you two? Why is the tension gone?” She asked with bated breath. “If you can’t tell me, I’ll understand but I’d really like to know.”

Ruth’s gaze was serene. “Chimera discovered the identity of the man behind the attacks and . . . neutralized his ability to hurt us again. I don’t know if breaking the story should come before the trial or during. Marag, what do you think?”

“I think there are approximately ten thousand reporters working their little fingers to the bone to find that fact and we might as well have someone sympathetic to our cause get there first. Chimera, why don’t you tell Jane about your search?”

Jane listened spellbound while the computer proudly told of her searching and finding of the billionaire intent on making Moon Base his alone. She made notes as fast as she could, taking Chimera over some points more than once until everything made sense. In an odd sort of way, she agreed with the computer. Reparations for trying to destroy a people seemed imminently fair to her.

When she said that to the others, Marag laughed. “It’s because women are more practical than men. It’s those years of settling childish arguments and keeping the peace on the school grounds. Children have a finely drawn sense of right and wrong, we ignore at our peril.”

“I don’t know much about children.” Ruth said ruefully. “I tend to treat them as my peers because I don’t want to talk down to them. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”

“You do just fine, honey. Don’t change now.” Marag patted her hand and looked up at the clock. “Good Lord, look at the time. I need to get to the dining room for my shift. Jane, do you need anything else for now?”

“Nope, I’ve got both your measurements. I’m going to let you measure the guys.” And she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh my.” Ruth turned an interesting shade of pink while Marag just rubbed her hands together.

Jane left with a full notebook and a real need for some solitude. Heading back to the room assigned to her, she found David sitting and writing frantically on his laptop. He looked up with an almost anguished look. “Tell me that you got the story from Ruth.”

“Yes. Who did you get it from?” She asked, sitting down across the table from him and pulling out her notebook.

“Seth. It’s the most unbelievable story I’ve ever heard. But it has to be told just right. We can’t prejudice the case when it goes to trial.” He ran the fingers of one hand through his hair. “If it goes to trial.”

“Let’s work it out separately then pool our data.” She suggested before grabbing her laptop and flipping it on.

“Yes.” He was already back to work.

Fondly, she shook her head and brought up a new document to start listing the facts she’d been given. Two hours later, she surfaced with a rough draft and sore shoulders from sitting hunched over the screen. David was pacing slowly around the room speaking in a quiet monotone to an unseen audience.

“David . . . David, we need to eat something.” She stood up and stretched all over. Turning towards him, she surprised a look of bemused lust on his face. Crossing to his side, she kissed him with single-minded passion until they had to break apart to breathe. “Okay, are you back with me now? Let’s go eat.”

“Eat! You can think about food after . . . after that.” His jaw dropped.

“Of course, I can.” She smiled sweetly up at him. “You’re going to need your strength.” She backed towards the door. “All of your strength.”

He followed her with a gleam in his eye. “You will, too.”

They laughingly headed for the dining hall, content with their story and each other. Jane ceased thinking about the story or even the wedding, letting the conversation travel where it wanted. Dr. Cecilia Bonsette, the new botanist, was speaking of the need for a fixed schedule of dark and light for the plants under her care. She was enthusiastic about the Base’s eventual need for a more varied mixture of seedlings. Jane thought about what a few dwarf avocado trees might provide in the way of change for their diet and asked a question about their feasibility.

Cecilia approved of that suggestion and asked the others for their favorites. That brought the others at the table into the conversation and Jan listened with amusement to some of the plants mentioned. She really couldn’t see cactus as a possibility but Cecilia seemed to agree it would be a good choice.

Sitting back with a sigh at how much she’d eaten, Jane let her gaze take in the room and who was sitting with whom. David nudged her knee under the table and tilted his head towards the door where Peter and Ruth were standing. There came a sudden lull in the buzz of conversation and Ruth’s voice pulled all eyes to her.

“We need to have another all base meeting at 1900 hours. There are some decisions to make about our future. We’ll see you there.” And they left.

Speculation was rife all around the room. Jane listened to some of the ideas with an inner smile. The meeting should prove interesting. And that gave her an idea about which angle to take with her part of the story. Whispering an aside to David, she slipped from the dining hall and back to their room.

Setting up her computer, she took the rough draft and began shaping it into the human-interest story that it was. Pioneers taking along part of their pasts while building a future and planning ahead while under attack from an unseen enemy using biological weapons in the fragile biosphere on the Moon. This was about people and the age-old search for a new frontier.

It was about greed and conscienceless mercenaries fighting for a man who wanted the Moon base and didn’t care how he got it. A shadowy man working from behind the scenes who thought money could buy any thing. She didn’t have to wax poetic because the facts spoke for themselves. Whether it did or didn’t come to trial, this verdict would come from the people of the Moon.

A new breed - she thought about it and decided not to even approach that question. She was way too close to the inhabitants not to be completely on their side. So she’d use that bias to show the small family units working together as friends and help-meets. She’d leave the big picture to somebody else. Her forte continued to be showing the private face of individuals just doing their jobs.

She printed it out for editing and got up to stretch. It was 1930 and she decided to go down to see what kind of comments or arguments came from the crowd of new millionaires. She was curious how the sudden wealth would strike some of the colonists who’d come from such poverty. The hum from the meeting hall was excited but controlled.

Running Elk was questioning the computer about the transactions between the mercenaries and Mr. King. For a moment, Jane saw the fierce determination in the old man’s eyes. She had no problem seeing him as the representative of his warrior ancestors from the 1800’s. Implacable to their enemies, the Apaches sought to protect their families in the only way they knew how, force against force.

But something in Chimera’s voice reached him and he seemed to approve her act of reparation on behalf of her family . . . the colonists of Moon Base. He sat down and one of the scientists stood to ask a question about equipment needed for . . . she craned her head to see which one it was. Radiation equipment should mean Dr. Reinbeau and with a further gyration from the edge of the room, she got a good enough glimpse to make a note in her notebook.

The interplay between the colonists was fascinating and she settled against the hard wall to take in the unfolding human drama. She smiled to herself ruefully and noted it wasn’t just human but aliens and a maybe-sentient computer as well. They were going to need a whole new vocabulary to deal with the issues arising from the Base and its inhabitants.

****************

She was yawning by the time the meeting broke up at about 2300 hours. Even Ruth seemed to be fighting to stay awake, her cheeks growing paler as time went on. Jane wondered if there’d been some act of healing before the meeting. But Peter was holding her hand and casting little side-glances that deepened the frown between his eyes.

Finally, Seth got up and adjourned the meeting until the next day. “We’re talked out for now, folks. Sleep on it and we’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow morning at 10:00. Work shifts are on hold for the moment until we know what will happen. Thank you all for your comments and opinions. We’ll get through this just like we did the attack – together. Good night.”

Jane spotted Ruth close her eye wearily and lean back against Peter’s shoulder. Slowly making her way around the room to the table where they were sitting, she got there just in time to catch Sam taking Ruth’s pulse.

“Ruth, is there something you’re not telling us?” He asked her gently.

She shook her head. “Nope. I just feel so tired. I thought I’d never wake up properly this morning. Not even with the wonderful incentive I had.”

Peter blushed at Sam’s raised eyebrow. “Could she be anemic? All the healing and dying and coming back to life might have bypassed something.”

Sam shrugged. “Since I only know about healing what I’ve learned in the last five months, I’m no expert. Come on down to the clinic and I’ll take a blood sample. We’ll have the results in the morning. Then if it’s just a matter of adding iron, I’ve got some great supplements.”

“Fine. Let’s do it now so I can go to sleep.” She answered with a sudden yawn.

“Jane, are you ready to do some filming?” Seth greeted her while his eyes strayed to Sam and Peter walking Ruth out of the room.

“I just need to do another edit and have David take a look at it. Then I’m ready to go.” She said cheerfully.

“Mine is ready too. Once Jane takes a look at it.” David’s voice came from behind her at the same moment his arm came around her shoulders.

Seth smiled at them both. “I’d appreciate it if we leave out the money aspect for the moment. Once the Base decides where they’re going with it, it’s fair game.”

“Not a problem, Seth. We’ve got enough material for about a week’s worth of stories without once mentioning Chimera’s reparations.” David chuckled. “I’m not sure how much of the computer we can use. It would sound too much like a science fiction novel.”

“Ahem,” the computer’s voice came from above their heads. “Why is it so hard to believe that a computer can think for herself?”

Jane exchanged a silent look with David then decided to answer the question. “Well . . . Chimera, it’s hard because none of our computers ever have thought for themselves. You are the very first so far as we know.”

“Well! How disappointing.”

Jane had a hard time containing her laughter and she could tell the others did as well. David made the suggestion they sleep on the story for now, edit tomorrow morning and go live in time for the nine a.m. news. Seth agreed and they all split up to catch some sleep. With David’s arm around her shoulders, she felt the satisfaction of a job well done.

And tomorrow, they’d tell the story to the world.

*************************

Chapter Text

Mr. King sat back and listened to his lawyer meander on about limited liability, the Justice Department and what his defense was going to cost. The fearful man was practically sweating through his silk suit and he wouldn’t meet the millionaire’s eyes. Waving his hand to stop the droning voice, he contemplated how everything had gone so wrong.

“Thank you, Kennison. I won’t need you any longer. I don’t believe that you’re the one to represent me at the hearing. Good-bye.”

The lawyer almost leapt to his feet, stammering his good-byes and fleeing from the room.

“What a wimp.” He pressed the button on his desk and waited. When the door opened, he spoke. “Phelps, Mr. Kennison will not be returning. Terminate his account.”

“Yes, Sir.” The butler didn’t leave and Mr. King gestured for him to speak. “The breeder from the Levy Kennels has arrived, Sir, with a . . . suitable candidate for pet.”

“Really? How interesting, wait for a moment then when I buzz, send them in.” He sat back and thought about the temporary setback to his plan for acquiring Moon Base. It was unfortunate the men had been caught. They had appeared to be a crack team who would be able to handle the relatively simple task of cleaning out the dead bodies left by the plague.

Had Mr. Smith failed in swapping the vials of vaccine for the plague? If that were the case, then strong measures would have to be taken. It was the only explanation that explained the failure. He frowned and tapped his index finger on the desk. The hysterical ranting of the media about healing powers and godly intervention was nonsense of the highest order.

But what could you expect from a news team casting an entire show on the Base computer’s choice of name. Absurd. He shook his head and put it from his mind. For now, all he was concerned with was the selection of a new pet, a companion for him who was worthy of his time. Reaching over for the buzzer, he let Phelps know the breeder could be brought in.

When the door opened quietly, a nondescript man entered with one of the most magnificent creatures he’d ever seen. Really, the AKA book on breeds hadn’t done the German Shepherd justice. This one stood about thirty-six inches high with a slender black muzzle over-perched by erect ears. The creamy tan and black of his body flowed down to sturdy legs and a richly bushed tail. The handler paused a few steps into the room and the dog obediently heeled at his side.

“What is his name?” Mr. King could not take his eyes from the animal.

“Prince Heinrich von Hofstadler.” The man said quietly. “He’s two.”

“He has had obedience training?” Mr. King used his controls to roll the wheelchair away from his desk “Normal commands?”

“Yes, Sir. AKA education.”

“Drop his leash and leave. Phelps will take care of you.”

“Yes, Sir.” The man let the leash drop to the dog’s side, turned and left the room.

Mr. King savored the sight of the handsome animal. When the door opened again, he looked up impatiently. A gloved hand with a slender silver shape appeared. When nothing happened, he began to speak only to stop at the sight of his new dog beginning to walk towards him. The low voiced growl was heart stopping in its intensity. The muzzle pulled back to reveal long rows of gleaming white teeth.

“Stop, Prince.” He fumbled with the controls to move his chair back. The dog kept on coming. “Phelps . . . Phelps, help.”

The familiar pains of an angina attack began to squeeze his chest but instead of lessening, they grew worse. The dog was almost upon him, the growl growing in intensity until he could feel the hot breath in his face. Why weren’t the beta-blockers working? He gasped for breath and felt a tingle run down his left arm, paralyzing it so he could no longer work the controls.

He began to shake harder until he’d vibrated right out of the chair to fall in a heap on the carpet. The gloved hand ceased blowing the ultrasonic whistle and Prince sat by the twitching body with a puzzled look on his face. The handler came back into the room and stooped to check the fallen millionaire’s vitals. Nothing. Whistling softly, he picked up the leash and took Prince from the room.

Mr. Smith’s philosophy was ‘do unto others before they could do unto you’.

*************************

Chapter Text

Sam double-checked the results of the blood test then checked them again. He sat back with a frown that slowly turned to a smile. This was too good not to share. “Chimera, could you tell me if my brother and Ruth are awake yet?”

“They just got up. I’d give them a half an hour or so. Is there something wrong?”

“No, not wrong . . . not wrong at all. Let me know when I can go visit. I’ll be down having breakfast with Seth.”

“Yes, Doctor. He just got to the dining hall. Are you going to give him his birthday present at breakfast?” She sounded rather excited at the prospect.

“No, love, not until we’re alone. It’s just between the two of us. But you can listen in when I do give it to him.” Sam said affectionately to the young computer.

“Oh, good. I learn so much when you let me listen.”

“You probably do, Chimera. Don’t grow up too fast. Take your time and enjoy the learning.” He said before shutting the drawer in his desk and turning the key. This wasn’t something he wanted in the public arena before Ruth knew what he’d found. Then he impatiently strode down the long hall to the dining room where Seth was still bantering with the cooks.

“Good morning, Seth.” His voice lilted rather he wanted it to or not. Just seeing the man who held his heart made him happy. Knowing he had several surprises for him made him even happier.

“Good morning, Sam. You were up early.” Did his voice sound disappointed?

“Yes, I had some tests to run. So, I thought I’d get a head start on the routine. Ben has late shift so I’ll be off early. Got a lot to do today.” He accepted a plate full of food. “After all, it’s the ninth of the month. I wonder where the time has gone.”

Seth’s eyes were twinkling when they sat down at one of the smaller tables. “Tease.” He muttered under his breath. “I missed my Sam-wake up call. Is everything really all right?”

“I promise your Sam-go to bed call will be much better. And everything is just so very fine. Absolutely perfect.” He knew his own eyes were shining so he kept them on his plate with only a small flirty side glance.

“Oh, I’m looking forward to that, love. We might have to go to bed early. I’m sure you’ll be tired after your long day.” His low tone did something severely damaging to Sam’s heart, making it race wildly.

So he just nodded and filled his mouth with a bite of green pepper and onion omelet. From the corner of his eye, he spotted his brother in the serving line but when he looked, he saw no trace of Ruth. His medical instincts came to the fore and he watched Peter gather a tray of food for one.

“What’s wrong?” Seth’s eyes searched the crowd for what had captured Sam’s attention. “I wonder where Ruth is?”

“Probably didn’t want to eat this morning.” Sam said absentmindedly, watching Peter head for them. “Good morning, big brother. No Ruth?”

“She just wanted some tea, raspberry leaf tea, that smelled pretty bad to me. I’m getting more and more worried, Sam.” He sat down and looked at his plate as if he didn’t recognize the food. “She thought it smelled good.”

Sam nodded, her preference making complete sense to him. “Nothing to worry about, Peter. I’ll come back after breakfast and we’ll discuss the test results. She’ll need to start taking some vitamin supplements. Her body’s been in hoarding mode for a while now. She expended a lot of energy saving the Quentins from the plague and I’m going to suggest that for your honeymoon, you both go someplace tropical where she can soak up as much energy as she can.”

Peter perked up and swallowed his mouthful energetically. “That sounds like the kind of prescription doctors should give out more often.”

Laughing, Sam agreed. “Maybe Senegal would be a good place to go. It’s been over three days since we left the Malinke. Do we have enough room for them now?”

Seth answered that one. “Just barely room enough. We need to keep building out. We’ve got enough translators to go around if there are only forty-three of them. Some of the Apaches are going to be their shepherds until they get acclimated. But first we need to decide about what to do with our ‘wealth’.”

Peter nodded. “Joshua and I can go to get them.”

Sam spoke up immediately. “After you and I talk to Ruth, you can go. First things first, big brother. She might like some dry toast to go with her tea. You finish eating while I go and put in an order.”

“Sure, Sam. Seth, what should we do about furnishings? I thought our beds and tables were getting low.”

Sam went to the side counter and spoke quietly to Mary Two Feathers. She took the order with a slight frown but didn’t ask him any questions. He knew that within a day or two, she’d understand but until then, she’d keep it to herself. There were big changes coming for all of them and this wasn’t the biggest one by far.

Accepting the covered plate with a smile and quiet thanks, he returned to their table. Peter was gesturing the way he always did when he was enthusiastic about something. It seemed to Sam that for the last few years, he’d just been biding his time. He flew, obeyed orders, built a solid unit of brother pilots but the spark hadn’t been there. It was good to see him excited about his work.

Seth was letting all that enthusiasm wash over him with a smile. His eyes found Sam’s for a moment and the rest of the room dropped away while he basked in their warm glow. Life was very, very good today. And it could only get better. The small box in his pocket was burning a hole in his equilibrium and he wanted to take Seth back to their room in the worst way.

Later, Seth’s gaze promised him.

He nodded silently and sat down to finish his own breakfast. Part of Peter’s monologue caught his attention. “How many are converted?”

Peter beamed at him. “All of them. Ted and Harry are due to solo this week. The others aren’t far behind. We’ll have a fleet very shortly. One thing I’d really like to see is some assembly line work on Earth, building us some that don’t have to be converted but are made for humans.”

“That’s on the agenda, Peter.” Seth finished his eggs and swallowed his last gulp of coffee. “Remember the all-base meeting at ten, gentlemen. I’ll take our trays back if you want to get back to Ruth.”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I’m a little worried about this tiredness. She falls asleep at the drop of a hat these last few days.”

“Sometimes the body knows best, Peter. Hers is just telling us she needs to slow down. We’ll all see to it she does so now.” Sam picked up the covered plate and waved good-bye to Seth.

Peter wiped his mouth on the cloth napkin and folded it neatly to one side. “Thanks, Seth. I’ll see you at ten.”

They walked down the slowly filling halls to the suite, saying cheerful good mornings to the others. Snatches of conversation told them that the monetary windfall was ‘the’ topic of the morning. They exchanged a rueful smile before opening the door to Ruth’s quarters. She was sitting in the corner of the sofa, curled under a soft blue blanket.

“Good morning, Sam. Have you given Seth his birthday present yet?” She sat up a little straighter and smiled up at him. “Is that for me?”

“Yep, dry toast in case you feel like nibbling.” Peter sat down beside her while Sam sat on the coffee table so he could be nearer her. “And no, I haven’t. I’m going to wait until I have his full attention tonight. Chimera wants to listen in.”

“Goodness, I don’t know if she’s old enough to listen in to that.” Her eye twinkled up at him and he retaliated by sticking his tongue out at her.

“Oh, real professional, Doctor Sam. Maybe we should switch to Dr. Freeman for our medical care.” Peter joked.

“Well, that’s not a half bad idea except we’re going to need a different kind of doctor to treat Ruth.” Sam was suddenly unsure of how to tell them about the test results.

Peter turned serious in a heartbeat. “What do you mean, Sam? I thought you said she was all right except for some vitamins.”

“You are perfectly normal, Ruth.” He reached for her hand, warming it between his. “Perfectly normal for a pregnant lady.”

The silence was absolute. Ruth’s face went dead white while the pulse beneath his fingers began to race. Peter shook his head as if to clear his ears. “What? How is that possible?”

Sam spared him a quick look. “I know Dad had the little talk with you about the birds and the bees, Peter.”

“But . . . it’s only been a week.” His whispered reply would have been funny if Sam hadn’t been more concerned with Ruth’s reaction.

“Pregnant. I’m pregnant?” Her eye gazed into his with an almost panicked look.

“Yep. I’d say your first night. The goddess may have accelerated the process a bit but not by much. Seven days is all we usually need to test for pregnancy. The blood test is a better test than the home urine tests that usually tells someone that’s she’s carrying a child.” He drew out his words to give her time to collect herself. “You’re going to need to take some vitamin B and iron supplements to bring up your levels. These last few weeks have taken a lot out of you.”

“I haven’t had a period in over a year. I thought that meant I was going into menopause. I’ll be forty-five next week, couldn’t my age hurt the baby?” A little color was seeping back into her face and her hand finally gripped his.

“We’ll watch to make sure everything is all right but I have to tell you you’re probably in better condition than some of the young women I’ve taken through their pregnancies. We’re going to need a good obstetrician for the base. Lenora is going to come to term soon and in about 280 days, you’re going to present us with my niece or nephew.”

“Peter?” Her voice broke on his name and his brother gathered into his arms gently.

“I love you, Ruth. I didn’t expect this but can I admit I’m excited about it?”

She choked on a combination laugh/sob. “I love you too, Peter. I just didn’t expect this. It’s one of the reasons I thought you’d be better off with Jane. You deserve to have sons and daughters.”

“God willing, we’ll have a strong, beautiful child.” Peter murmured his words into the white spikes of hair on top of her head.

Sniffing, her voice was muffled in his shoulder. “Your mother is going to go ballistic.”

Sam and Peter’s eyes met over her head. This could be a bit dicey. Sam decided to proceed. “Mom is going to cry all over you then start planning what to sew for him or her. But it might be better to get you married first.”

She snorted a laugh before pulling back a bit to gaze into Peter’s eyes. “I don’t know what kind of mother I’ll be but you’re going to be a great father.”

“You know,” he rested his forehead against hers, “all parents start off the same. Unsure and uncertain but determined to do their best. It’s all we can do. Love him or her and teach them what’s important . . . family whether by birth or by adoption like the Moon Base family has become.”

“Good heavens, it’s almost ten. Can we keep this quiet for now?” She sniffed and rubbed her nose. Sam handed her a Kleenex and she blew her nose soundly.

“I think that’s a good idea, love.” Peter sent a quick look to Sam before letting her go reluctantly. “I’d better get going. Solantha and I need to get our presentation together. I’ll see you both there.”

“Yes, we’ll be right there.” Ruth let him go with a shaky smile and Sam stayed seated since she was now holding on to his hand with a death grip.

As soon as he was out of the door, her composure faltered. Sam held on and offered his silence. He had an inkling of what was wrong and knew she needed to talk to someone. Better him than someone who might not understand her dilemma.

“I’m scared, Sam.” Her whisper was so soft, he could barely hear her. “I don’t know anything about children. I’ve been a loner most of my life. I buried those old dreams long before I realized what I thought I would have to do for Earth. I just got control over my body back and now . . . I’ll lose it again. Completely.”

“Part of that’s the hormones talking but you’re right, Ruth. Your body has ceased to belong to you and you’re going to be sharing it with this baby for months to come. But your strength is what will help you get through this. And you’re not alone now. You’ve got Peter and me and Marag and just about every person on this base. You don’t have to do everything yourself. In fact, you’re going to have to let us do more as this pregnancy progresses.” Sam hugged her close and rubbed her tense shoulders. “We’ll try to give you some privacy and space to just . . . be alone when you need to be.”

“You don’t think that’s too selfish?” She returned his hug tentatively.

“Nope. In fact, Dad has the same need every now and then. He starts to get tense and Mom knows to send him off for a weekend of fishing. He revels in being completely alone for a few days then comes home refreshed and ready to be part of a pair again.” Sam smiled into the air. “They both feel better for the separation. Those and their get-away weekends together keep their relationship strong.”

She sniffed and drew away, her eye meeting his gaze. “Okay, I’ll try to come to terms with this. And thank you for coming to tell us so quickly. I’m going to have a lot of questions . . . eventually. But I need to get ready for the meeting. Tomorrow will be soon enough to try and grasp it. Enjoy your time with Seth tonight. Don’t let this spoil your time together.”

“Should I keep it a secret from him as well?” Sam asked, hoping she’d say no.

Shaking her head, she pushed aside the blanket and let Sam help her to stand. “No, go ahead and tell him. This isn’t something you can keep completely to yourself. He’s definitely going to know something’s wrong if you say nothing.”

“Not wrong, Ruth, just a natural part of life.”

“I know. I’ll come to it after I have some time to . . . deal with all the ramifications.” She let him go and headed for the bedroom. “Go on, Sam. I’ll be there as soon as I’ve changed clothes.”

He said good-bye quietly and left her alone, feeling as if there was still something left unsaid. He understood intellectually what she was feeling but knew there were layers on top of layers of feelings he’d never know because he was a man and couldn’t carry a child inside of him. He hoped his mother would hurry up and come to the Moon to help out. She would know more of what Ruth was going through and maybe know what to say to her.

Sam reached the meeting hall before he realized it. Putting the news behind him, he joined with the other doctors to lend support to their spokesman, Ben Freeman. By the time it came to be their turn to speak, he was eminently glad Ben had been elected to talk. His concentration was scattered to say the least. One moment thinking about how to manage Ruth’s pregnancy, the next planning how to give Seth his birthday present.

He’d never been one to care how much he made, giving more thought to the work and where he could do the most good. He knew it was only because of his family that he’d come out of medical school without the crippling debts other students were burdened with by the time they graduated. His residency had been at Johns Hopkins and he’d come back to a job with his father. That was not the norm and he’d always been grateful he had the backing to donate his time to the city clinic.

So he had helped the others when they were talking about what the clinic needed in the way of personnel and supplies but hadn’t had much to say about salaries. Where ever Seth was, there was his home. He could be a doctor anywhere and right now the Moon was where he practiced. He enjoyed the challenge of creating a safe place in a hostile environment and the Moon was that in spades.

By lunch-time, they’d hammered out a working agreement covering the current settlers and those who would come after them. The worry about what to do with the companies they’d inherited was still there but they’d agreed to let some of their partners on Earth look into them for the moment. Breaking for lunch, Sam made sure he was next to Seth when they walked through the line.

Once everyone had packed themselves into the overcrowded room, Ruth clapped her hands for silence while Peter and Joe wheeled out the giant birthday cake and everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to the commander. He made the first cut in the beautiful sheet cake while Jane and David’s camera crew took pictures.

“Thank you, everyone. This has been one of the best birthdays I’ve ever celebrated. We’re safe . . . we’re together and we’ve got a future to look forward to. It just doesn’t get any better than this. Now, everybody had better eat this cake before I’m forced to eat more than I should.” Seth grinned at the kids who were gathered round him and they cheerfully wheeled the cake away to be cut up.

“Good job, Commander.” David Elliot joined them. “Enjoy this birthday, Seth because the next big one is fifty.”

“I’m looking forward to all of them, David. Each one just reminds me that I’m alive to enjoy it.” Seth’s green eyes sparkled and Sam chuckled silently to himself. He really was looking forward to their private celebration later.

Lunch was leisurely and the holiday feeling extended throughout the afternoon. Peter tried not to hover over Ruth but Sam kept finding him staring at her as if she were the most precious person in the world. She was gentle with him but began to falter half way through the afternoon. Sam sent her back for a nap and quietly told Peter to go with her but to just hold her. He sent up a quick prayer they’d be able to work out their feelings without hurting each other.

Sam signed out of the clinic and went home to get ready for Seth’s birthday dinner. They were dining in and Joe had started the preparations. He had set the table and gathered the ingredients for a special meal they could heat up in the microwave. Sam debated telling him Ruth’s news but decided against it since he only had her permission to tell Seth. Once everything was ready, Joe left to spend the night with the second graders as one of the adults supervising the big slumber party to celebrate their graduation from second grade.

Taking a sonic shower, Sam dressed carefully in soft casual clothing that could be easily removed. A blue sweater and worn jeans reminded him of their first ‘date’. This time, he didn’t have to leave Seth but could stay with his lover. Dimming the lights, he momentarily wished they could use candles but put the thought aside and told Chimera what music he wanted to have playing during dinner and after.

She informed him Seth had just signed out of the command center and he hurried to hang up the outfit he’d chosen for him on the hook in the bathroom. Chimera started with a Kenny G album of soft jazz the moment Seth walked through their door and into Sam’s arms.

“Happy birthday, love.” Sam hugged him close and kissed him tenderly.

“You’re the reason it’s happy, Sam.” Seth sighed and touched his forehead to Sam’s. “I like that outfit. I’m going to enjoy removing it even more.”

“Later. Take a shower and change while I heat up dinner. Marag made lasagna just for us and there’s a surprise or two for later.” Sam grinned and let him go reluctantly. “I laid out something comfortable.”

“Good. I hope it’s as cuddly as yours.” Seth caressed his cheek and Sam left a kiss in his palm before shooing him towards the bathroom. “Should I shave again?”

“Oh yeah.” Sam sighed happily and watched him go. He read Marag’s instructions and carefully followed them. The salads needed no prep work, just placing on the table. He opened the bottle of wine that David had smuggled up for him and poured it into the fluted stemware Marag had loaned him. The Base was officially dry but occasionally an exception was made.

Checking the small refrigerator for the dessert, he swirled a finger through the whipped cream and licked it off. He really was looking forward to licking it off Seth’s body. Smiling happily, he relaxed on the sofa with his head back and his feet on the coffee table, closing his eyes to listen to the music. Louis Armstrong was playing a soulful trumpet solo and he let the sound wash over him with a sigh of bliss.

Soft lips kissed his temple before zeroing in on his lips in an upside down kiss. He chuckled at the odd feel and felt strong hands slide over his chest to capture his fingers. “Yum, Sam-flavored whipped cream. My favorite.”

“That’s dessert. You have to eat your dinner first.” Sam opened his eyes and met Seth’s gaze. “I have a lot to tell you.”

Seth pulled him up from the sofa and led him over to the table. “Everything looks wonderful, Sam.”

“Sit down and enjoy the first course.” Sam seated him and spread the napkin in his lap with just a hint of a caress. Hurriedly sitting down across from him, he raised his wineglass and made a toast. “To your birthday, Seth. May you have many, many more.”

“And may you be there for every single one.” Seth clinked their glasses together and they both took a sip. “Now, what’s going on with Peter and Ruth?”

They ate slowly while Sam told him of what had transpired during the day. They talked about the emotions that had erupted after the news and tried to guess what would happen next. Seth spoke of the compromises they’d have to make to fully utilize King’s money and of his fears of what some of those compromises might lead to.

Sam got the chocolate pie from the refrigerator and they settled side by side on the sofa to eat it, or rather to feed it to each other. Some of the whipped cream ended up on skin and had to be licked off. Pretty soon, they were laying on the sofa feasting on each other instead of food.

“Seth, are you ready for your birthday present?” Sam tilted his head a little further back to allow his lover access to the spot at the base of his throat.

“I have my present right here and it’s the best one I ever got.” Seth laved the spot over and over while Sam shivered beneath him.

“This is something . . . oh yes, right there . . . Seth!” He arched up into the hard body above him and clutched at the cloth at his waist.

“Right there indeed, love.” Seth nuzzled into his skin with tender kisses sending shivers through Sam’s body.

While he could still think, Sam wiggled one hand into his pocket and brought out the small box. “After you open this, then you can unwrap the rest of your present. I promise.”

Seth stopped and cast a look over to the box then back at a grinning Sam. “This is a tough decision.”

“And you’re tough enough to make it, big guy.”

“Did I ever tell you that I have a really big curious streak?” Seth sighed and rolled so he could sit up, pulling a laughing Sam with him. “What is it?”

“You have to open it to find out.” Sam leaned against him and held his breath.

Seth pushed in the small catch and the lid flew up to reveal a polished gold band set with a square emerald. “It’s beautiful, Sam.”

“We can’t get married like Peter and Ruth but I thought maybe we could have our own kind of ceremony. Just us.” He faltered then gave a sigh of relief at Seth’s smile.

“I think it’s a great idea. And I got you something too. I was going to wait for your birthday but I think I’ll give it to you now.” Seth stood up and pulled Sam after him into their bedroom. Opening his top dresser drawer, he took out a box similar to the one Sam had given him. “Here, love.”

Pressing the catch, Sam was transfixed by the glowing sapphire set into a Celtic silver band. Blinking back tears, he sniffed and smiled at the same time. “I love you, Seth.”

“And I love you, Sam. Together forever.” Seth plucked the ring from the box and slid it on Sam’s left ring finger.

“As long as we both live.” Sam promised and took out the emerald, sliding it on Seth’s ring finger. “Forever.”

They kissed slowly and unwrapped each other like the gifts they were.

******************

Chapter Text

Julie went to answer the doorbell with half her mind still on the quilt she was piecing together. “Jane?”

“Hi, Julie, may I come in?”

“Of course you may. It’s so good to see you.” Julie pulled her in and gave her a hug. She was the one woman who she would have welcomed into the family for either of her two older sons. “How about some coffee while you tell me all about the boys?”

“Sounds good. I have a ton of stories for you and several hugs to pass on to you from them.” Jane smiled, giving her another hug and a soft kiss on her cheek. “That’s from Sam who says thank you for the cookies. He . . . is really happy these days.”

“And how is Seth? Wasn’t his birthday on the ninth?” Julie glanced sideways at her guest and saw Jane relax.

“He’s wonderful and we had a big cake for everyone.” Jane sat down with her cup while Julie got the cookie jar out.

They chatted for quite awhile until Julie could no longer stand it. “How are Peter and Ruth?”

Jane swallowed and set her cup down. Green eyes lasered into hers. “They’re both happy but something is going on I haven’t figured out. I’m down here to get some of the things we need for the wedding. I was hoping you’d help.”

Julie got up to make another pot of coffee. She needed time to consider the request although heaven knows she’d spent enough time lately thinking about her eldest son and the woman who’d disrupted all their lives. “I had always hoped Peter and you would get back together again.”

“Nope, we’re good friends and always will be. But with Ruth . . . “ Jane paused a moment. “With Ruth, he’s found the other half of his soul. He’s lost the weary look that he was wearing a couple of years ago. Flying has always been his passion but did you know he turned down a flight out to Jupiter because he’d have been gone two days and he didn’t want to leave her so long?”

Eyes widening, Julie shook her head. “And what is she feeling?”

“She’s so fragile at the moment as if a breath of wind would knock her down. It may just be the aftermath of her healing of the plague.” Jane sat back, her gaze far away. “But I think it’s something else. I think she’s scared of getting married. Part of her can’t believe Peter means what he says when he tells her he loves her. That may be one of the reasons that he wants the ceremony now . . . before she gets cold feet and calls it off.”

“Yes, I’ll help.” Julie had a sudden urge to leave right then for the Moon. Her mother’s intuition was telling her she was needed. “What can I do?”

Jane nodded and pulled out her list. Julie listened to the list of items needed with dismay. But when Jane handed her a platinum master card with her name on it, her curiosity was raised to a fever pitch. Jane shook her head and placed a finger over her lips.

“I’ve got an appointment with the designer in New York. Could you come with me? Call Edward and tell him you’ll be late?” The devilish look on Jane’s face told her major mischief was in the works.

“Yes, what a treat. I haven’t been to Manhattan for months. Mother Penelope had an errand in September and took me along. I’ll just give Edward a call.”

Within a few minutes they were on their way in a nondescript car driven by a quiet man whose eyes never seemed to stop moving. Jane told her some of the events that were not yet public knowledge. Julie listened in amazement with brief flashes of anger at the callous men who’d tried to hurt her sons. The story lasted all the way through the journey to Sam’s Guard base, the short flight to another Guard base outside of the island and finally the drive into Manhattan.

The designer was a woman Julie had never heard of but when she hugged Jane like a long lost sister and mentioned some college prank she had a faint memory of the name, Elizabeth Barton. When they sat down in the back room surrounded by long tables covered with bolts of cloth and seamstresses bent over whirring sewing machines, she wondered just what Beth had designed for Ruth and Marag.

But when the small model with the pageboy white-blond hair walked out in the long flowing silver dress with blue lined slits in the full flowing sleeves, Julie caught her breath and held it. It shimmered whenever the model moved, drawing the viewer’s eye with every turn. The stand-up collar framed the heart shaped face and the diamond cut bodice made the most of the small bosom.

“Oh, Beth. You’ve outdone yourself. You really have. She’s going to look so very beautiful.” Jane hugged her friend. “What about his outfit?”

“You’ll have to see it on a hanger because I don’t have Philip in this morning.” Beth hopped up and told the model to have Jeanna come out. Pulling out a rolling clothes closet, she unhooked a shimmering blue shirt and matching pants. “I used the silver material inside the blue slits and the collar is the same design, just in the reverse color. The bride and groom should look like a matched set.”

Julie reached out a trembling hand to stroke the heavy silk. “Beth, you’re a genius. My son is going to love it.”

“Cool.” The bouncy red head grinned. “That’s what I really enjoy, you know. Taking a vision and making it real is why I went into this business. I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me who they’re for now?”

“You’ll find out next Saturday, Beth. I’ve got an invitation for you to the wedding. Oh, sweetie, how beautiful.” Jane sighed when another model came out wearing a medieval style green dress in soft velvet and silk. Golden ribbons fluttered from the sleeves and a gold belt hung around the tapered waist. “She’s going to love it. And Simon isn’t going to be able to keep his eyes off her. Not that he can now, of course. What about . . .”

Beth pulled out a matching outfit to Peter’s but in green. “I have to admit that I’m really curious to see these guys in them. No hints at all? Where is the wedding going to be? I’d have to be back by Sunday for the Sac’s fashion show.”

“No problem, Beth. I’ll come to get you Friday night and we’ll fly on up. Trust me on this, sweetie. You don’t want to miss this wedding. And I really hope that I’m going to be asking you to design something for my wedding. Soon.”

With a squeal, Beth hugged her. “Do I get to meet him?”

Jane waggled her eyebrows. “Are you coming to the wedding? He’ll be there.”

“Yes, yes, yes. Do you want to take these with you now?” Beth hung up the outfits in her hands and motioned Jeanna out of the room. The first model came back in jeans and a silk shirt with the silver dress on a padded hanger. Ten minutes later, they were helped out to the waiting car with their arms full of opaque zippered garment bags.

The driver laid the bags carefully in the trunk then drove them to a restaurant that Jane assured her was the perfect place to see and be seen. Julie nodded and kept her calm even when Liam Neeson strolled by with his beautiful wife, Natasha, on his arm. He was even better looking than in his movies because he was relaxed and joking with the maitre-de taking them to their table.

“Now there’s a man who’d look good in velvet.” She sighed wistfully before having to pat Jane on the back to prevent her from choking on her muskmelon.

“You’re an evil woman and I think you’re quite right. Of course, shirtless is a good look for him too. My favorite role of his was ‘Rob Roy’.” Jane drank her water and let her eyes stray back to his table. “But then, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a role that he didn’t fit well. He has a knack for stretching himself to define the character he’s playing.”

“He’s lucky to have found his niche in life.” Julie said gently and swirled a little more cream into her coffee. “Some of us never do. Did I ever tell you how envious I was of you?”

Jane’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “Why in the world would you be envious of me? I’ve lately begun to wish for the life you have.”

Julie chuckled through the bittersweet feelings running through her. “The grass is always greener, isn’t it? I went to college but immediately stopped any career I might have had by getting married, pregnant and supportive of Edward’s career. It was the sixties and wives still defined themselves by what their husbands did. At least the wives of my peer group.”

“What would you have done if you’d had the chance?” Jane asked curiously.

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t but that doesn’t stop the ache sometimes when I look at my life and all the time gone by. Today,” she hesitated, “today I think I’d like to see about designing clothes the way your friend Beth does. Fitting the style to the personality or maybe even bringing out the beauty in someone who thinks she has none.”

“You’d be good at it, Julie. You’ve always had the knack of putting colors and textures together to make a coherent whole. I’ve copied several of your outfits after studying what you were wearing. That beige pants and copper sweater with that swirly scarf always makes you look like a million dollars.” Jane finished her fruit and took a sip of water. “Maybe now would be a good time to lay out your options, pick the one that makes you most passionate and start to work.”

“Just like that?” Julie shook her head wistfully.

“Exactly like that. If these last few weeks have taught me anything, it’s that life is way too short to just coast along in neutral.” Jane’s eyes gazed into space, one finger tapping on the pristine white tablecloth. “The colonists are so passionate in their pursuit of the future. They’re building a home out of barren rock. And creating a family from the oddest group of individuals I’ve ever known. But you know, somehow it all works.”

Julie clasped Jane’s hand in one of hers. “I promise to take a good look at what I want. But for now, we’d best get moving if we’re to get everything on that list you gave me.”

Jane looked at her watch, blanched and beckoned the waiter all in one motion. Using a credit card that looked suspiciously like the one she’d given Julie, they were out of the restaurant and down the street to the five story Conran’s home furnishing store. Julie reveled in the dinner ware and linen section. Being able to buy everything she liked was exhilarating and she made the best of it. Somehow, she just knew the herbal pattern china would please Ruth while the green sheets would be Marag’s choice. For the dining hall, heavy pots and pans along with every bakery utensil that the store had were chosen and ticked off the list.

A butterscotch colored leather chair with wide arms and matching footstool felt like heaven when she sat down in it and propped her feet up. That would do quite nicely for some of the colonists. Inquiring about colors, she chose all six and ordered ten of each. They’d be able to spread them around, she decided.

By now, she had a personal shopping consultant who was her devoted shadow. The last things on her list were silk flowers and they passed Jane with her consultant in tow on the way down to the second floor. The reporter was fluffing comforters like a pro and she winked at Julie when she went by.

The flowers were overwhelming in shades and hues that mimicked Mother Nature. She gravitated to the simpler flowers, poppies, tulips, daffodils and geraniums in much the same colors that she’d gardened with for years. Selecting the greenery to go with them was easier. Lacy ferns, broad-leaved hostas and trailing vines all rested her eyes with their vibrant verdure.

By now her part of the order was in the hundreds of thousands and she watched nervously while the consultant fed in all the numbers. But the card was accepted and the list printed out steadily, page after page after page. The consultant sat her down in a chair and brought her coffee while it continued to print. Julie reflected on what she and Edward had started out with and the way they’d scrimped and saved to have enough dishes that matched to give a dinner to both their parents on the same night.

Smiling to herself, she felt that itch again, the one that told her she was needed somewhere. Soon, she’d see Peter soon. And Ruth. She still wasn’t sure what she would say to the woman who’d stolen her son’s heart. The shiver up her spine told her that Ruth was the one who needed her. She frowned and cast her mind over her sons and mother-in-law; the charming man called Wolf; Seth, her new son-in-law, she guessed she could call him; the nice Priest who’d done such a good acting job.

It all came back to Ruth, the stranger. Ruth, the Avatar of Earth. Ruth, the soon to be daughter-in-law. The warning twitch was for her. Julie sighed and wished life would cease to be such a roller coaster in the very near future. Jane plopped down next to her with a vocal oomph.

“I love to shop, Julie. I really do but this little marathon has sated me for the next year.” She leaned her head back and closed her eyes while her consultant gleefully began to run her transaction through.

“How soon can we fly up, Jane? I’m getting an itch to see my sons. It seems like forever since I gave them a hug.”

“Well, this lot will be partly ready by Wednesday. I know there will be a shuttle going up everyday this week.” Jane opened her eyes and looked at her. “I think you should go up before then. Something tells me you’re needed.”

Julie nodded. “I’ll talk to Edward tonight. Thank you, Jane, for rousting me out and making me feel useful again.”

“No problem, Julie. Even though you’ll never be my mother-in-law, we’re still family.”

“Yes, we are, aren’t we?” Julie extended her hand and gripped Jane’s.

“Well, Ladies, we have some sheets for you to sign and a list of dates.” The perky tones of her consultant broke into their quiet moment. “Every page needs to be signed by you.”

Jane groaned and Julie sighed. The stack was three inches thick. “Writer’s cramp, here we come.”

***********************

Edward stood with his arm around her while armed Marines inspected their luggage within an inch of its life. The last two days had been so full, she felt as if she hadn’t slept a moment. The adrenaline was still pumping through her and she just knew when she crashed, she’d crash hard. But that would be after the wedding and after she’d held her sons in her arms.

“Please step this way, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Joshua Clemens, one of the human pilots. If you’ll just strap in here, we’ll be on our way. I understand that your coming is a surprise for Sam and Peter. One or both of them will probably meet us when we arrive. It’s still about an hour and a half flight time though so once we’re out of Earth orbit, I’ll let you know so you can come up to the cockpit and get a good view.” The dark haired man with the engaging smile seemed very young to Julie but she smiled at him and watched him go whistling down the corridor to what must be the front of the ship.

“He looks about nineteen and barely old enough to drive, let alone fly in outer space.” Edward said wryly while buckling in. “Soon, Julie, we’ll see our boys soon.”

She held his hand and nodded, too close to tears to say a word. They sat quietly until a soft chime and the ear popping pressurization occurred simultaneously. “We’re on our way, folks. Two minutes to take off.”

Then the pressure pushed them back into their seats for a long moment and they were moving, but whether up or out they didn’t know. Ten minutes later and Joshua’s cheery tones told them they could come on up. Unbuckling didn’t take long and Julie appreciated the fact they had gravity to walk in. The wide-open cockpit was a revelation to both of them. Windows stretched from the control panel up and over the top of the pilot’s seat. And the view was spectacular.

Black velvet sprinkled with bright white diamonds was Julie’s first impression. Gesturing to a side port, Joshua pointed to the planet they’d just left behind. How very small, she thought in astonishment. And how very beautiful Earth looked with its mottled blue and green splotches. White clouds obscured most of Asia but Australia was clearly delineated with its sister island, New Zealand, glowing green and white.

Joshua gave them a running travel dialog before directing their attention to the gray moon that began to loom larger and larger. Crater Plato was on the other side at the moment but by the time they got to her, she’d be right in position for their landing. Julie thanked him and left Edward still asking questions to return to her seat to try and get calm for the meeting she dreaded.

What would she say to Ruth? How could she welcome her to the family when she had such mixed feelings about her? She didn’t want to start their new relationship with a lie and she didn’t want to disappoint Peter with a less than enthusiastic response. But she was disappointed. Sighing, she sat back and composed herself as best she could.

“Julie, honey, we’re here.” Edward shook her shoulder gently and she came awake with a start. “We just landed and we’ve got a few moments before the airlock recycles.”

“How do I look?” She said frantically, smoothing her hair with both hands and shaking her head to clear the cobwebs. “How could I fall asleep?”

“You look beautiful, Julie. And it was just a little nap to help replace all the sleep you haven’t been getting.” His eyes twinkled down at her and she grabbed hold of his hand like a lifeline. “It will be all right. You’ll see, honey.”

“All ready, folks?” The cheery voice came from over Edward’s shoulder. “You’ve got a welcoming committee waiting for you.”

“Well, let’s not disappoint them.” Julie stood up and settled her scarf over her shoulder while shaking out her pants.

When the airlock doors opened, the first person she saw was Sam. His hug swept her off her feet and soothed the wounded spot in her heart. “Mom, oh Mom, it’s so good to see you. I didn’t think you’d ever come for a visit.”

She couldn’t speak, only hold on hard and try to stop shaking. From over his shoulder, she could hear Peter’s voice welcoming Edward and knew she’d soon have to let go of her middle son. “Sam, are you all right? Really?”

He sat her back down and whispered in her ear. “I’m wonderful, Mom, really. Loving Seth and being loved in return is more happiness than I ever thought possible.”

Letting go her death-grip from around his neck, she looked at him with a mother’s eyes and found him beautiful. He glowed with joy and she saw the contentment that had been missing in his eyes for so long. “I’m glad, Sam. All I ever wanted was your happiness. I just never thought it would be so far away.”

He laughed and turned her towards Peter who had his arm around Edward’s shoulder. For just a moment, she saw him glowing as well with health and happiness then the crinkles around his eyes warned her something was bothering him, something serious. Letting go of Sam, she took the two steps to her oldest son and felt his arms go around her. He had always been rangy but his body felt skinnier to her.

“Peter, have you been eating properly?”

He began to laugh and she was the only one who heard the silent sob under his chuckles. “Only you, Mom, only you would nag me about eating after not having seen me in seven months. It’s so good to have you here.”

“Well, I’ve had a lot of practice feeding the bottomless pit that you call a stomach. How are you?” She watched his eyes and saw them brighten then darken.

“Happier than I’ve ever been and more afraid, all at the same time. I need your blessing but I don’t know how to ask for it, Mom. Ruth thinks you hate her but she’s, she’s all I ever wanted. She loves me and I love her but something happened and now I don’t know what to say or do around her.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “It’s good news but there’s something she’s not telling me. It might just be feminine stuff she thinks I won’t understand but I think you could help. Would you?”

Julie didn’t let herself hesitate. Whatever problem there was she’d solve it or die trying. “Of course I’ll help. Lead me to her.”

“Thanks, Mom. She usually gets up from her nap about now. Sam, I’m going to take Mom to our quarters. Why don’t you show Dad where they’ll be staying?” He barely waited for Sam’s agreement before hustling her down the hall through a huge room and down another corridor.

Entering through an open door, she looked around curiously at the curiously mismatched furniture. A green and gold landscape hung on the far wall and the table was set for afternoon tea. But the room faded instantly away when the slight figure walked through another door. Their eyes met for a long moment and Julie felt a pang run through her like wildfire.

She was pregnant. Ruth was carrying her grandchild. Everything she wanted to say had to be scrapped and this encounter guided in a completely different direction.

“Welcome to Moon Base, Julie. I was just about to have tea. Won’t you join me?” The voice was as she remembered, husky and low. “Peter, I love you but you need to go away and let your mother and I have a visit.”

“Are you sure?” He crossed the room and hugged gently.

“Quite sure. We’ll be fine.” She hugged him back then stepped away towards the table.

He nodded and sent Julie a pleading look before leaving them alone. Julie moved to the table, sitting and watching Ruth make tea with boiling water from an odd spigot in the wall above the table. The silence was electric and she noticed that Ruth was holding herself so stiffly that she had to be uncomfortable.

“How far along are you?” She asked quietly.

“Almost two weeks. A . . . gift from the Goddess on our first night together.” Her hand shook just a little and her eyes remained trained on the teapot. “It was a surprise.”

“I imagine it was. Just how angry are you and don’t you think you should let it out instead of internalizing it?” Julie reached for the pot at the same time that Ruth did and their hands met. She held on to the cold fingers with all her strength, willing the other woman to raise her eye.

The silver eye shimmered with unshed tears when it finally met hers. “I should be happy. I should be pleased at the thought of bearing Peter a child.”

“But instead, you feel trapped in a body that doesn’t belong to you anymore.” Julie sighed. “Too many ‘shoulds’, honey. I’ve been there, Ruth, and there wasn’t any place for me to be angry either.”

She dashed the tears from her eye with her other hand. “I couldn’t tell Peter or even Sam. I’m too old to have a baby. I just got my body back after all the months of healing and re-energizing. And . . . what if I’m a bad mother? I’ll never be as good a mother as you are.”

“Oh, Ruth, am I the one you’re comparing yourself to?” Julie held on hard. “Nineteen years ago, the boys were growing up, Edward was established and I finally thought I’d have time for my life, for my dreams. When I started throwing up for no reason, I prayed that it was the flu but within a month, I knew I was pregnant again. I was so angry at being trapped . . . my entire pregnancy was difficult and I felt so out of control that I thought I'd snap.”

“Toby?” Ruth sniffed and began to return the grip.

“Toby. My last chance baby, the light of my life now. But back then, you can’t know how badly I wished I’d never conceived. I’ve never told another living soul that story. But you are not alone and there is nothing wrong with being angry at the timing. There’s something else isn’t there?” She tilted her head and gazed at Ruth through the rising steam from their cups.

“I’m so old. What if there’s . . . something wrong with it? Because of me.” Her whisper was so hesitant that Julie barely heard her. “Peter deserves someone who really wants a child and could give him a healthy one.”

Julie stood up and moved around the table to the trembling figure. Pulling her into a full hug, she rocked her gently. “Do you love my son, Ruth?”

A muffled yes came from between her breasts. Dropping a kiss on the soft white hair, she smiled. “Then this child will be blessed when he or she is born in love to two people who love each other. It’s what got me through the dark time before Toby was born and will get you through all the coming indignities as he or she grows within you.”

There was another sniff and Julie reached over her head for the Kleenex box, rocking her and murmuring reassuring words that had a chance of getting through.

“Are you sure, Julie? You don’t think I’ll hurt the baby?”

“You could never hurt your baby, Ruth. And the moment the doctor lays him or her on your stomach and you see that scrunched up little face and the flailing arms and legs, you’ll fall so deeply in love you’ll wonder why you ever worried.”

Ruth chuckled half-heartedly and pulled far enough away to accept the tissue. “I’ve never cried so much in my life. Or been so out of control of my emotions.”

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better. But it will get better. I promise.” Julie sat back down in her own chair and took a sip of tea. “First, we need to get the two of you married. There’s plenty of time to come to terms with your pregnancy. Now, I brought both wedding dresses and the grooms outfits.”

“Thank you, Julie.” Ruth finally smiled at her and Julie smiled back.

This wouldn’t be as hard as she’d thought it would be. And that baby quilt she’d just started would find a home quicker than she’d thought.

*****************************

Chapter Text

Adam went over his checklist again. The new meeting hall, three times the size of the original, was being made beautiful by the decorating committee. The last of the guests should be arriving within the hour. His Bible was marked with bookmarks that the small kindergarten class had made for him. Just thinking of them made him smile. The painstakingly colored markers had been given to him after the last service and he could still see the earnest face of their spokesperson, Elijah.

Elijah had carefully handed over six slips with a sigh of relief. “These are for keeping your place, Father Adam. We drew things from the stories you told us.”

He’d gone down to one knee and hugged them all with his thanks. And now, he was thinking the Base needed a laminator so the markers would stay beautiful forever. His particular favorite was Jonah and the whale as seen through the eyes of a desert dweller. But Dakota had assured him she’d faithfully copied the whale picture from one of their books.

He rather doubted the whale had been bright pink.

“Father Adam?” The computer’s voice came from above him.

“Yes, Chimera. Do you have something else for me?”

The long pause made him put aside his list and sit up straight.

“Some disturbing news came over one of the communications satellite. Alonzo King’s death has just been announced over most of the major news networks. I don’t want to tell the others today. It would make people sad and angry again. But then I thought maybe it wasn’t fair to keep it a secret either.”

“I agree. How about you just tell Seth? He’s the commander and he should know in case a statement is needed.” Adam sighed and said a quick prayer for the soul of the man who’d tried to kill them.

“Their rooms are full to overflowing with guests but I could tell him you wanted to see him here?” Her tones were hopeful.

“Yes, of course. Will you patch me through now?” He paused a moment, listening to all the different conversations going on in the common room of Seth’s quarters. “Commander, this is Father Adam. Could you come to my quarters for a moment?”

“I’ll be right there.” Seth’s voice sounded relieved.

Adam poured two more cups of coffee and made a bet with himself that Sam would be with him when he walked through the door. Smiling, he sat back down at the small table where he wrote most of his sermons. Since he’d had the epiphany, he’d watched the pair of them interact with each other and with the other colonists. They were both well liked and respected by everyone. But Sam was loved and rightly so. His caring radiated from him in a way that made even the sick feel better.

“Father Adam, may we come in?” Seth’s head poked around the door and Adam won his bet when they both came in. “Something serious?”

Chimera told them the news and Adam watched Seth’s gaze go unfocused. Sam held onto his coffee cup and watched his lover with anxious eyes while Adam wondered what the commander would decide.

“Let’s keep it quiet today. Did you finish transferring the properties to our name, Chimera?” Seth absentmindedly drank his coffee.

“Yes, I finished the last one just before he died. That was over a week ago but his lawyers kept the news from getting out. He died intestate because he never thought he would. There were three organizations who thought he’d written them into his will and we might want to think about doing something for them.”

“What organizations, love?” Sam asked.

“The American Cancer Society, Doctors without Borders and the public library in Roanoke, Virginia.”

“What an odd collection of causes but the DWB does great work and they can always use the money.” Sam finished his coffee and thanked Adam.

“Well, most public libraries could use an infusion of money although I don’t know much about the one in Roanoke.” Adam remembered the small library in his hometown where he’d voraciously read everything they owned before he was sixteen.

“They need a new building really badly but the voters have voted it down two years running.” Chimera informed them.

“Find out what you can about them and at the next Council meeting we’ll make some proposals.” Seth rubbed his temple. “Like we don’t have enough decisions already to make.”

“Forget it for now, Seth.” Adam said softly. “It’s a day for new beginnings and a day of celebrating love. Let it go and concentrate on what’s really important.”

The smile he received was heartfelt. “Thanks. We’d better get back so we can keep Simon ‘calm’. He wondered down to us when he got thrown out of his rooms so they could help Marag get ready.”

A soft chime rang through the intercom and Adam realized that it was the last ship of guests arriving. “I’d best get there so I can greet our visitors.”

“I’ll come with you. Toby and Mei Ling should be on it.” Sam smiled and they parted in the hall from Seth.

When the doors opened, the first two out were the pair Sam had been expecting along with his maternal grandmother, Sophie. While they were hugging, Adam greeted a young man who identified himself as Ensign James Campbell, Marag’s son. Sam took him under his wing and they went off to find his mother. Jane and the camera crew were next and she introduced a bouncy redhead as the clothing designer who’d designed the wedding outfits.

Adam had seen the men’s clothing but the two wedding dresses were a secret. He shook hands and passed them onto David who’d been impatiently waiting for Jane. The last one off the ship was a surprise that left him speechless. Father Duncan McGuiness smiled and gave him a hug while he was still trying to get a word out. He returned the hug with all his strength and realized for the first time how alone he’d felt.

“Well, my boy, you’ve got the most interesting parish in the Catholic Church these days.” His faint brogue reminded Adam of home.

“How . . .?”

“I got a call from someone named Chimera asking if I’d be willing to come to the Moon and help you officiate a wedding. Of course, I said yes. She had the most beguiling voice I’ve ever heard. When do I get to meet her?” He grinned up at Adam.

“Welcome to Moon Base, Father McGuiness. I’m all around you.” Her sweet voice came from the intercom in the wall beside them.

“Meet Chimera, Father McGuiness, our base computer.” Adam watched the bewildered look on his mentor’s face.

“A most amazing computer, Adam.” He shook his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chimera. We must have a long talk after the ceremonies.”

“I look forward to that, Father. Father Adam has been explaining his Bible to me and I have some questions.”

“Of course, you do. That’s the best place to start, my friend, with questions.” Father McGuiness patted the metal grill gently. “It’s a date, Chimera. Now, young Adam, lead me to where I need to be.”

“It’s so good to see you, Father. What a lovely surprise Chimera planned for me.” Adam smiled and led his old friend down the hall to his quarters. “The first thing I need to tell you is that this won’t be exactly a Catholic wedding. We also have an Apache Elder and a Malinke Shaman participating.”

Father McGuiness sighed happily. “I just love an eclectic wedding. Nothing staid about this one, is there?”

“No, I can safely promise nothing ordinary will happen today.” Adam shook his head and opened his door almost tripping over the suitcase parked just inside the door. “Let me put this in the other bedroom and then I’ll show you the bathroom. It’s a little different.”

Two hours later, he’d finished giving Father McGuiness a tour of the base along with a thumbnail sketch of most of its inhabitants and they’d ended in the dining hall for the midday meal. They sat at a table with some of the Hamilton family. Toby was telling a story about a weekend rescue dig he and Mei Ling had helped out on. County workers had been bulldozing an old barn in the way of a road they were straightening when clay pots and human remains had turned up. The State archaeologist had come running and called in the University to help preserve what they could in the 72 hours allotted them by the court order hastily issued by the circuit judge.

It appeared to have been a small grave tumulus that had been added to over a century or more. They’d unearthed six bodies, two men, three women and a child with all the items buried with them. Mei Ling spoke of finding the small rattle by the side of the wrapped baby and how it had affected even the road crew who kept coming back to see if they were done yet. They’d all worked 14-hour shifts and slept on the site. The local Methodist church had fed them three meals a day for three days.

Adam shook his head at their exuberance at the long hours of painstaking digging. He admired their work ethic but wondered what would happen to the bones. Father McGuiness asked the question for him and Mei Ling assured him that after being examined, measured, and cataloged, they would be returned to the local tribe for reburial. Adam made a mental note to pray for them at his next mass.

Simon wandered over with a rather lost look on his face. “Have any of you seen Peter?”

“He was going down to hangar two the last I saw him about a half hour ago.” Joe spoke up from the table next to them.

“Oh good. Have you seen the outfits we’re supposed to wear?” Simon grimaced and Adam could tell he was having second and maybe even third thoughts.

Father McGuiness got up and took Simon’s arm on one side while Adam bracketed him on the other. “No, I haven’t, Son. Why don’t you show me and we’ll have a nice chat while you’re getting ready.”

“Okay.” Simon went quietly and Joe joined them in the walk down to his quarters. Once there, the older man made a pot of relaxing tea while Simon showed the older priest the suit of silk and velvet.

“My lad, you’re going to look most impressive in this and if your lady’s dress matches it, why she’ll be the most beautiful woman in the room.” Father McGuiness guided Simon to the edge of the bed and sat him down. “Is this your first marriage?”

“Un-uh, I don’t know why I’m nervous. I love Marag so much it hurts but I’ve gone forty-two years without ever committing to someone.”

“But you committed to the Marines when you were just a lad.” Father McGuiness had obviously remembered Adam’s comments on the inhabitants.

“Well, yeah I did.” He seemed to be less tense.

“Then committing to Marag is simple and the fringe benefits beat anything the Marines had to offer.” He smiled at Simon and patted his shoulder. “Dressing up for one day will please her and once she comes in the room, no one will notice you anyway. In all my thousands of weddings, I’ve found the bride is the one that the people are coming to see. The groom is a poor also-ran in the oohing and ahhing stakes.”

That made Simon laugh and Adam made more mental notes on how to handle a nervous groom. It was two hours to the ceremony and Adam excused himself to go down and check on the room. The long walk through the family wing was punctuated with greetings and questions that he fielded with an aplomb he’d never thought to have. His confidence quotient had doubled with Father McGuiness’ arrival.

He’d have to do something very, very nice for their computer. The newly cut arch led into a room that should have echoed eerily but the walls were again covered in the soft green fabric that had held the items of memory in the first hall. And this time, the room was floored with an industrial carpet that had filled an entire ship. They still weren’t too sure that it would stay in place since they hadn’t wanted to use a glue that would out-gas into the Base but the vitrified moon rock didn’t take tacks well either.

Jim Horn had modified a nail gun to shoot a u-shaped brad through the carpet and into the rock. It seemed to be working but this would be the first real test of its holding power and Adam sent up a prayer that everything would stay where it should. The round table in the center of the room was covered in a pristine white cloth. The chest that held his altar supplies sat on the floor just under the table.

Tables along the outer walls held large arrangements of silk flowers and some of the ladies were still finishing their decorating while he laid out the altar candles, carved wooden goblet and his bible. Father McGuiness would have brought his own bible so they’d be able to share the homilies. He checked under the table and found the ewer of juice that would become part of the sacrament and the carved box that held the wafers.

Adam looked around one last time before heading back to the living quarters. On the way back, he met Peter looking a little the worse for wear. “Peter, walk with me. How are the ships?”

“Oh, they’re fine. Everything’s fine. Remind me what a good idea this is, Adam.” His voice shook just a little.

Smiling, Adam put into practice what he’d just learned from his mentor. “I think you and Ruth are very well matched. I know you’ve brought joy into her life and given her hope for a future in which she didn’t really believe.”

Peter smiled tenderly into the distance. “Hope for the future. Yes, I think we’ve given each other that. She gave me the chance to fly among the stars. I just hope I’ve been able to give back a little of that feeling to her.”

Adam nodded. “Joy and laughter are two of the greatest gifts we can give to each other. Have faith this marriage will bring you even closer together while we’re building this new world of ours. Did I tell you of the surprise Chimera gave me this morning?”

Peter shook his head and Adam made the story last to Seth’s quarters. Sam took charge of his brother at that point, guiding him into the shower and listing the things still needing to be done. Seth looked splendid in full dress uniform, complete with sword. Adam could hear Father McGuiness telling Simon some story or other in the first bedroom. He stuck his head through the door and asked if the older man would like to freshen up before the ceremony.

Joe took his place while the two priests made their way back to Adam’s rooms. Father McGuiness changed out of his travel clothes and into the vestments he’d brought with him. Murmuring the prayers that went with the donning of their silk stoles, they both dressed in white robes. They shared a prayer on their knees in the outer room before going back to the new meeting hall.

The room was starting to fill with people dressed in their best clothing. The Ikiiri stood along the outer walls, each with someone to explain to them all the parts of the ceremony. Adam introduced his mentor to those he had not met earlier and the conversation kept him from worrying about the ceremony. He knew the film crew, which was already in place, would be filming the whole thing and it would be seen by approximately 6 billion people around the world. Not that that should worry him, he told himself wryly. After all, it was just a simple wedding.

The Malinke Shaman smiled at them, her teeth blindingly white against her dark skin and the translator at her throat glowing a vivid green. She stood on one side of him while Father McGuiness stood on his other. The Apache drummers would remain on the periphery of the group in the middle. This ceremony was going to be quite unique in more ways than one.

The intercoms began playing something lyrical and the Hamilton family made their appearance. Penelope was escorted by Running Elk, resplendent in his buckskins and feathers. Adam made a bet with himself that one of these days he’d be holding another ceremony for them. Julie and Edward looked quietly happy as they stood hand in hand and Sophie, Julia’s mother, looked around with snapping dark eyes that took in everything in a sweeping glance. He was looking forward to getting to know her.

Then the music changed to a Bach processional and Sam and Toby appeared dressed in tuxedos with respectively blue and green cummerbunds. After them came Jane in a floor length green gown that brought out the color of her eyes and Mei Ling in a matching dress but in blue. They lined up by the two men on either side of the two priests and turned to watch the entrance. Dakota and Elijah came next, throwing rose petals on the ground all the way to the altar before taking their empty baskets to their families waiting for them.

Then through the arch came Peter and Simon in full attire and Adam heard a little sigh race around the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the designer smile triumphantly while she watched the reaction to her creations. But her eyes went quickly back to the entrance and Adam realized he too was waiting for the women to enter.

‘Ode to Joy’ began to play and through the arch, Marag appeared on the arm of her son in full Naval dress whites. She was a vision of summer when everything was green and growing. The gold ties that fluttered as she walked drew attention to her full figured loveliness. Her red hair tumbled over her shoulders held back by a narrow gold band from which flowed a green gauze veil all the way to the floor. She held a bouquet of crimson roses in full bloom

Casting a quick look at Simon, Adam hid a smile at the shell-shocked look on his face. Marag’s smile was tender and directed right at her husband-to-be. It was as if there was no one else in the room but the two of them. Just as it should be, he thought to himself. The sacred sacrament about to be evoked was just between them and God with Adam as God’s representative.

Her son handed her off to Simon with a smile then stepped aside to stand by Toby. Adam sent up a quick prayer for support before returning his gaze to the arch. A long moment went by then Seth appeared with Ruth on his arm. For a moment, complete silence reigned then a heartfelt ‘ah’ ran around the room like wildfire. Ruth’s dress flowed like quicksilver from her shoulders to the floor.

The silver veil shimmered in the light of the room, falling to the floor from the narrow silver band around her forehead. Instead of the black eye patch that she usually wore, this one was the same silver of her eye. Makeup had covered the scars and the translucency of her skin glowed. Adam checked on Peter and found he was blinking back tears. The tenderness of his smile seemed to reassure Ruth and she lost the rigidity in her shoulders, sending him a tremulous smile of her own.

Seth handed her to Peter and stepped aside, next to Sam. Adam suddenly wished this ceremony could be for three couples instead of two and he sent up a prayer for them as well. Stepping forward, he opened his Bible and began the ceremony.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriages between these friends . . .”

*********************

Adam sat at one of the tables with a very tired Dakota on his lap and watched his congregation mingle. The ceremony would live forever in his mind and he pondered again the strange surge of energy that had filled the room while the vows were exchanged. He had felt it like a tingle flooding his body with the electricity normally only felt during a thunderstorm. It had felt like his hair was standing on end and he’d caught Father McGuiness’ shiver out of the corner of his eye. He’d have to ask him what he’d felt later.

It had happened again when the Malinke Shaman blessed their union and yet again when the drummers’ beat had risen to a peak during the exchange of rings.

Marag and Simon were dancing in the middle of the room, joined by Julie and Edward, David and Jane, and Mary Two Feathers and Seth. But it was Penelope and Running Elk who had stolen the floor with their rendition of the tango, moments earlier. Toby, Mei Ling and Sam appeared to be trying to teach the Ikiiri how to dance and Adam hoped that the camera crew was filming their attempts because he wanted to be able to watch it again when he could laugh himself silly.

“Father Adam, when I get big and want to get married, will you do it just like you did today?” Dakota asked him solemnly.

“I’m be honored, Dakota. Do you have someone in mind?” He looked down into her laughing eyes.

“No, I just want you to be prepared. Shima looks pretty, doesn’t she?”

“Everyone looks beautiful today.” His eyes went back to Ruth now in Peter’s arms as they slowly waltzed around the center of the room, the only clear space left when the tables had been unfolded and set up. They seemed to be in their own little world and Adam noticed how the others steered out of their way.

Dakota slipped from his lap after giving him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to go help them teach Solantha to dance. I think they need me.”

“Good luck, Dakota. Maybe your drum would help.” Adam felt again that shiver at the thought of the drum beat that had started softly around the room then risen to a crescendo when Peter slid the ring onto Ruth’s finger. He never had gotten around to telling Bishop Fogerty about having drums during Mass and it was too late now. He’d probably been watching and Adam wondered just how much trouble he was in.

Shrugging, he welcomed Julie and Edward to his table, handing both of them a fresh cup of punch. “You dance very well together.”

“Years of practice, Father.” Edward drank down the punch in one continuous gulp. “I wanted to tell you how very moving I found the ceremony. You did a great job.”

“All of you did well. Here’s to the next generation of Hamiltons.” Julie lifted her glass to her husband who smiled and raised his own. “But I’d love to know what the odd feeling was during the drumming. It felt like thunder and lightning.”

“An interesting phenomenon.” Adam said noncommittally. “Perhaps it was a form of mass hypnosis since we were all concentrating very hard at that moment.”

“Perhaps.” Her gaze turned to him, her lips quirking up into a teasing smile. “Then again, it may have been the Goddess putting her personal stamp on the ceremony.”

“Perhaps.” Adam smiled back. “Whatever else it was, I think we could agree that it was a blessing.”

Her eyes went back to the silver and blue couple. “A blessing, indeed. Now, if they can just get through the honeymoon safely. Have they said where they’re going?”

“No, it’s still a secret, although I think Seth knows. Solantha told the Council that Queen Terana should be returning any day now.” Adam poured more punch from the pitcher at their table. “Ruth will need to be here when that happens. She’s still Earth’s Avatar.”

“Yes, she is.” Edward said thoughtfully. “I wonder what the Ikiiri think of this whole wedding and ceremony.”

Adam laughed, bringing both their attentions to him. “They found it most enlightening. The Ikiiri tradition for when the Queen chooses a mate is for her to make her choice, throw him over her shoulder and take him to their inner chamber for three days of nonstop mating.”

They all began to laugh at the thought of Ruth throwing Peter over her shoulder and their chuckles didn’t begin to die down until a soft chime echoed through the room. Conversation died away and the Marines in the crowd, all gathered by the arch with their swords unsheathed. Everyone stood and jockeyed for position to watch the married couples take their leave.

With a quiet command, Seth and the others formed an arch of crossed swords for Simon and Marag to cross under. But just before they left, Marag threw her bouquet over her shoulder in a high arch that landed squarely in Penelope’s hands. Good-natured cheers filled the room while they walked hand in hand beneath the gleaming swords.

Peter swept a laughing Ruth up in his arms and she lobbed her bouquet of white roses and lilies of the valley into the air, directly into Jane’s hands. The cheers were deafening as Peter strode beneath the swords with his wife safe held in his arms. Adam felt the sting of tears again as he had before when they had quietly said their ‘I do’s’.

She was indeed safe, he thought with a sigh. Right where she needed to be, with a man who loved her and the future of the colony she’d worked so hard for assured by the fortune of the man who’d tried to destroy them. They were all safe now.

For now.

************************

Chapter Text

He stood in a place he’d never been before. The soil was blood red and the wind howled around him. Pink clouds of dust soared overhead but the sun looked as if it was far, far away. He shivered and realized the temperature was cold even though there was light. He was standing in a crater like those on the moon but this wasn’t the moon, he was sure of that.

He also didn’t think this was Earth so he looked around for the Goddess. This was an interesting place but he didn’t dream like this on his own.

“Very good, my knight.”

He looked around again but the voice seemed to come from below him. “Ma’am?”

“Behind the boulder. Come on down.”

He crossed the sand and rocks, kicking up dust at each step. Behind the boulder was a dark crack that he approached cautiously only to find it reach out and pull him on in. He slid down a slick channel with increasing speed until with a whoop, he landed in a pile of something soft and yielding.

Laughing, he lay there and caught his breath. “Thanks, Mother. I needed that.”

“I know you did, Peter.” She came out of the darkness in yet another guise. Here, she was small and slender with long black hair that fell to her waist, held back by a silver band holding a glowing crystal over the spot where her third eye would be. Holding out her hand, she raised him to his feet.

“Where are we, Mother?” He looked around at the corridor that led in three different directions. It appeared to be like the ones they’d mined from the moon but the ceiling wasn’t as high and the walls were only five feet apart.

“Ruth will know. For the moment, I need you to walk with me.” She gestured and led him down the left hand corridor.

Rooms lined the hall but each was dark and empty. He slowed and poked his head inside one of them. A weak light came on as if activated by his presence. The furniture was utilitarian but dusty as if nothing had been moved for eons. He shivered and wondered where the people were who’d once lived here. The Goddess beckoned him on and he noticed the temperature rose the further down they went. It felt like a spiral that circled down farther and farther.

For a moment he wondered if they would travel all the way to the core of whatever planet this was but ahead, he heard the sound of voices singing. His guide took his hand and they walked a few more steps then stopped in an open doorway to a meeting hall similar to the one on the Moon. Peter saw no more than a hundred men and women gathered around an altar in the middle of the room.

Their dress was similar to what the Goddess wore and each of them wore a crystal set in a band around their foreheads. Each crystal was different yet all the colors were contained in the large crystal that sat atop the altar. It seemed to pulse along with the chants that rose and fell in the room.

“Come, my knight.” She tugged on his hand and he shook his brain free of the hypnotic rhythm and followed her still deeper to a room much like the one where the crystal matrix now known as Chimera lived.

But the crystal here had darkened patches marring its surface and he counted no less than five places where shards had completely separated from the Mother Crystal and lay black and lifeless on the sandy floor. He knelt and touched one of the dead ones but there was no longer any resonance.

“All things die, my knight. This matrix has very little time left before it loses the last of its strength.”

“And when it dies, what happens to those people?” Peter looked up at her.

“They’ll die as well. The crystal is their shield against the inhospitable climate of this world. Without it, they will succumb to the cold. But this is the least of their worries at the moment.” Her wise eyes looked down into his. “They’re dying out anyway. No children have been born for the last century and the last of the young ones will soon be past their child-bearing years.”

“What can we do to help?” He stood and looked about the decaying room.

“Soon. You’ll know soon.” And she touched his forehead sending him back into the darkness.

**********************

Chapter Text

Peter woke up with a start, his heart beating double time. Turning his head, he saw Ruth was already up and gone. Grinning, he rolled out of bed and strolled to the stone balcony overlooking the small bay below. Shading his eyes, he spotted her white hair surrounded by the bobbing snouts of the dancing porpoises around her. She couldn’t get enough of the sea and they spent most of their days either on the beach or in the water.

Leaning on the stone railing, he let the morning breeze caress his entire body. It was going to be hard going back to wearing clothes. T-shirts and shorts were the sum total of their usual attire. Mostly they swam nude since none of them minded. They didn’t quite have the island to themselves but the caretaker husband and wife kept out of their way except for meals and cleaning.

They lazed away the days, swimming, eating, making love and just talking. Ruth had told him stories of her early life and he’d countered with the tales from his youth. They spoke of likes and dislikes and all the minutia of daily living that there had been no time for while they colonized the Moon.

As to the future, she told him of the vision she’d been working towards since she first woke up with three other lives in her head. He felt the same sense of awe he’d felt when he’d first met her. But mostly he just loved her more every day and took great delight in doing small things for her she didn’t expect. Her shy look of surprise always caught at his heart.

Of course, the fact she was an inventive lover with a passionate desire to map his entire body with fingers and tongue went a long way to keeping him a happy camper. They’d been here for six days and he’d already fallen deeper in love than he’d ever hoped to fall. His parents marriage had seemed so ideal to him he’d always measured all women against his mother and worried he’d never be the attentive lover that his father was.

But it seemed the secret to a happy marriage was at basis the desire to love each other and put the other’s interests ahead of your own. They’d discovered that even the small things one hated and the other loved could be understood and accepted. It really did help he felt so comfortable with her, he was completely honest about his past, including the mistakes and the blunders.

Her past was an open book especially after the media hounds discovered who was negotiating for Earth’s entry into the galaxy. His jaw tightened when he thought about some of the things that had been written about her and some of the ‘suppositions’ made about events in her life. Some of the right-wing conservatives had taken the whole Goddess aspect and blown it up into a crusade about cults. He didn’t even want to think about what would be written, if they knew she was a healer.

“Pretty grim thoughts for such a beautiful morning.” Marag’s voice came from the balcony ten feet away.

“Ah, just thinking about some of the press coverage and the idiots who make things up from nothing.” He grinned sheepishly to the beautiful woman clad only in a gauzy oversized t-shirt. “Good morning, Marag. I was just about to go join Ruth. I swear she’s going to turn into a porpoise one of these days.”

“Well, I didn’t want to tell you,” she dropped her voice conspiratorially. “The baby is half porpoise on her mother’s side.”

He chuckled, his eyes going back to the sparkling water and his laughing wife. “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised. See you later.”

Going back into the room, he pulled on a pair of shorts and some canvas slip-on shoes that protected his feet from the crushed shell paths. Jogging through the halls and down the marble stairs, he met their cook coming from the kitchen. “Kalimera, Eleni.”

“Kalimera, Sir. Breakfast will be ready in half an hour.” Her lilting voice gave a lovely accent to her English.

“We’ll be in. I promise.” He nodded and jogged out the side door and through the bower of brightly colored bougainvillea that surrounded the whole house. Down the long and winding path through small nooks and crannies, he jogged until he reached the rocky beach.

Kicking off his shoes and sliding his shorts off, he waded into the warm blue water. The blue was so deep; he could call it purple. While he swam out to Ruth, he tried to remember who had called it ‘a wine dark sea’. Byron, maybe? Whistles and clicks greeted him when he neared his wife and her adoring fans.

Surfacing beside her, he opened his eyes and slicked back his hair with one hand while maintaining his place with the other. “Good morning, wife.”

“Good morning, husband. You’re late.” She laid her hands on his shoulders and leaned in for their first kiss of the day.

This one was special but then they all felt special to him, each one new and different. Her lips were so soft on his, her taste so alluring he instinctively put his arms around her and sank them both beneath the surface of the waves. He felt her laugh into his mouth before he kicked hard and shot them both back to the surface.

“Damn it, I keep doing that.” He slicked his hair back again and grinned at her ruefully. “I think I’m going to have to swear to not kiss you except on land. Oh, and never when we’re flying.”

Her husky laugh did something extremely disturbing to his libido. She was laughing more these days. Whatever had been bothering her before the wedding seemed to have been resolved. His mother had taken him aside and given him a stern talking to. But since it was a detailed listing of things he should be doing for Ruth, he had sensed she was okay with their getting married. Somehow she’d known about the baby, he still hadn’t figured that one out yet.

Ruth just said it was a woman-moment. He’d be eternally grateful his mom had come down so strongly on their side. With both he and Sam making what had to appear to be very odd choices to the world at large, it must have been hard on his folks. The heart to heart he and his father had had the night before the wedding had been a real eye opener for him.

“Deep thoughts, love.” Ruth put out a hand and rubbed away the wrinkle between his eyes. “Anything I can help with?”

“Dad and I had a long talk about life and love. He’s still a little hesitant about Sam and Seth. I told him what I saw when I looked at them but I don’t think he’s convinced. The age difference is practically the same when you look at them and then at us. But Dad seems to think Seth was an unhealthy influence on Sam.”

“Part of the problem is he feels vaguely responsible because he brought Seth home to dinner that night.” Ruth began to move towards the shore after a last caress to the snout of the white porpoise and a whistle to the others. “I’m starved.”

“Me too. But from what Sam said, he’d already been struggling with it for a couple of months.” He swam by her side until he could put his feet down and walk out onto the beach. Sliding his shoes on and wiggling into his blue shorts, he watched Ruth slide a loose blue gauze dress with spaghetti straps over her head. She had left off the eye patch this week and he found that the scars just made him sad.

“That doesn’t help what Edward feels. I’ve found most men can accept and indeed, even enjoy the thought of two women making love. But put two men making love in front of them and they are definitely squicked. Of course, it’s the exact opposite for women.” She grinned up at him and he hugged her close.

“So, women would be fantasizing about Seth and Sam?”

Ruth hummed appreciatively. “Absolutely yummy would be my take on their relationship. On a more serious note, I see no coercion or falsehoods in Seth’s aura. He was simply waiting for Sam to come into his life so he could unleash all the love he’d been keeping inside. On your brother’s part, he needs someone who will provide him with boundless affection and more love to replace the love he dispenses right along with his medicine.”

Peter thought about it while they walked up the path to the villa. But spotting a perfect red blossom at shoulder height, he stopped and plucked it for her. Kissing her cheek, he tucked it behind her ear and she smiled up at him with that sweet look of surprise on her face that he was determined to place there every day they lived.

“I think I get what you mean. Sam was always the one who knew what one of the other kids was feeling. When he was thirteen, he started a friendship with one of our neighborhood kids. I wondered why at the time because the guy was a bully and not at all the kind of friend Sam had ever chosen before.” He paused and thought back to the night he’d met Frank at an air base in Germany.

“When I saw him flying out of Hamburg, I couldn’t believe it was the same guy. He came over to me and shook my hand. I didn’t know what to say to him but he surprised me by asking after Sam. I gave him a short answer about college and medical school. He smiled and nodded. Then he told me to give my brother a hug for him. He told me if Sam hadn’t become his friend and given him a focus outside of the little piece of hell he called home, he would have committed suicide before he was fourteen.”

“Some parents should never be allowed to have children.” Ruth hugged him hard. “Our Sam is one of those bright lights that shine where ever they’re planted. And now he has someone to help him recharge and who will never let him fall.”

“We’re both incredibly lucky, sweetheart. Sam got Seth and I got you.” Peter dropped a kiss onto her spiky wet hair.

“Seth and I are the lucky ones, my Peter. I think we’d both given up looking so the Hamiltons appeared like a miracle into our lives.” She rested her head against his chest and he had the urge to sweep her up in his arms and carry her back to bed.

“Food first then I’m going to take you to bed and make slow . . . passionate love to you until lunch.” He promised her as they entered the side door.

She laughed out loud, casting a flirtatious look up at him. “I shall hold you to that, my Peter.”

The dining room was filled with light and an array of covered dishes that held their breakfast. Fresh baked bread and sweet butter sat at one end of the table while the silver domes covered eggs, bacon, three different fresh fruits, caviar and cheese. Ruth got a plate and immediately layered the salty feta over the scrambled eggs before topping them with the caviar. Peter shuddered slightly and took plain eggs, bacon and some of the peeled oranges.

Marag entered the room right after they sat down. “Good morning, Ruth. Still craving that yucky caviar, I see.”

“I never liked it before, Marag but I just can’t get enough of it now. I hope we can find a supplier for the Base. Withdrawal symptoms would not be pretty.” She winked her good eye at the laughing red head.

“Oh, I remember how that goes.” She filled a plate and sat down across from them. “But with me it was kosher dill pickles. I even went so far, as to drink the juice left in the bowl after all the pickles were gone. I always tell Jimmy that’s why he likes sour foods. I indoctrinated him while he was still in the womb.”

Ruth laughed but Peter would have been willing to swear that there was a nervous note in her voice. He picked up her left hand and kissed it. “This child is going to have expensive tastes but I’m prepared.”

“I hope I am.”

“You are, Ruth.” Marag smiled serenely. “And if you ever have questions or concerns, I’m just an intercom away. And so are Penelope, Mary, Lenora and all the other mothers on the Base. You’re not in this alone.”

“Thanks. I just get a little overwhelmed sometimes. It doesn’t seem real to me yet.” Ruth quirked a lopsided smile at them both.

“Wait until he or she starts kicking. Then, you’ll know for sure.” Marag sighed. “Enjoy this phase while you can. I have a feeling Peter’s child is going to be a handful even in the womb.”

“Hey! No fair stereotyping. I was a normal kid,” he mock pouted.

The two women burst into laughter the exact moment that Wolf walked in. The other man took a quick look down at himself as if wondering if he’d left something unzipped which made them laugh even harder. Peter’s explanation made him shake his head while he heaped his plate with breakfast.

“You guys are nuts but then I knew that going into this so it’s my own fault.” He sighed dramatically and dropped a kiss on Marag’s head.

“Oh, the honeymoon is definitely over. I’ll have to surprise Eleni with my recipe for . . . cinnamon rolls.” Marag batted her eyes at him and he smiled broadly.

“Now that’s more like it. I was getting withdrawal symptoms.” Wolf pouted before digging into his breakfast.

“Hey, I had a weird dream last night.” Peter decided that since they were all together, it was time to share. “The Goddess took me someplace weird.”

Ruth stopped eating. “Describe weird.”

Taking a moment to put his memory in order, he went through the entire dream for his fascinated listeners. Ruth was so pale by the end of the story he almost stopped speaking. But she shook her head and made a motion for him to continue. Of the other two, Marag had turned almost as white as Ruth and Wolf had a deep wrinkle in his forehead showing his complete concentration on the details of the dream. A tense silence fell when his voice faltered and stopped.

“I’m missing something here, guys. You act as if you know where I was.” His eyes went from one to the other but stopped at Ruth.

“The second colony. One of the two not destroyed when Atlantis died.” Marag was the one who answered him, her gaze distant and unfocused. “I’ve dreamed of them before.”

“The crystal nexus was strong and healthy.” Wolf said hesitantly. “There’s a veil between me and those memories like a thick curtain that I can’t get through.”

“Do you want to?” Ruth’s voice trembled a little.

Wolf looked at Marag and they exchanged a wordless conversation before turning to Ruth and nodding. She got up and moved around the table to stand between their chairs. Taking a deep breath, she reached out and simultaneously touched them in the center of their foreheads. Their eyes closed instantly and Peter watched in fascination while all three of them showed the rapid eye movement he associated with dreaming.

Her hands fell away and she would have fallen if they hadn’t reached out together to hold her up. Peter was on his feet and by her side instantly, sweeping her up in his arms. “We’ll see you later. I’m taking her back to bed.”

“Be gentle, Peter. She lives the past so vividly, it will take her a bit to come back to now.” Marag was holding onto Wolf’s hand with a tight grip that belied her calm voice.

“I think he has the right idea, Marag. Let’s go back to bed and reaffirm life instead of our deaths.” Wolf was on his feet and drawing his wife to hers, pulling her into a hug.

Peter nodded and left to climb the stairs to their room. He’d have thought Ruth was unconscious except for the strangle hold she had around his neck. Eleni had tidied their room so he was able to set her down on the comforter before removing her sandals and gently urging her to stand up so he could pull off her dress. She stood docilely, her skin cold to his touch and her gaze fixed over his shoulder.

Deciding that warming her up was more important, he picked her up again and took her into the bathroom off their room. It was marble everywhere and so white that it blinded especially now when the morning sun poured in from the skylight over the tub. Ruth arched her back like a cat when he sat her down on the wide lip at the side of the eight-foot long, five-foot wide pool set into the marble floor.

“Oh, that feels good.” She blinked and came back to him.

“You are a sybarite, Ruth Hamilton.” He accused her laughingly and she hummed at him while he turned the taps on full. The heater was solar powered and in this sunny climate, it never failed to provide lots of hot water. Laying a pair of towels on the broad edge, he made sure their shampoo and soap was in place.

Once the water was over eight inches, Ruth climbed in with a shiver of delight, her expressive face glowing. Sliding in behind her, he gathered her into his arms and slowly rocked her while his strong hands stroked and rubbed her skin. By the time he reached over her to turn off the taps, she felt less cool to him and he kissed her temple, content to just be with her.

“The sacred silence.” The murmur came from below his chin and he felt a soft kiss on his jaw when she turned her head. “Thank you, Peter.”

“I love you, Ruth. We all need a silent space in our lives. Sometimes when I flew and there was nobody up there but me and the fighter I was sitting in, it felt like I was one with the sky. And if I went really high I’d catch a glimpse of black space and I wished hard I’d get to fly there. Someday.” He brushed his lips back across her temple. “And you gave me the chance, Ruth. You gave me a spaceship and an alien instructor to teach me how to fly among the stars. Out there, the silence is like a soft velvet cloak that wraps around you like the softest blanket you’ve ever known.”

“Hm-m-m, that sounds nice, my Peter.” Her voice was drowsy and he hid a smile in her glowing hair, lit by the sun. The pregnancy had made her need for naps paramount in their lives. “I wish sometimes that we could just go flying until we ran out of solar system.”

“That’s doable but what would the others think?” He got the soap and began to lather it between his hands before spreading the silky bubbles over her breasts.

“There are days when I’d like to not care what anybody thinks.” She sighed. “Sorry.”

He dropped another kiss on her head and kept on soaping her. “You’re entitled, sweetheart. You’re not selfish enough.”

“No way. I’m one of the most selfish people I know. I married you.” Her gaze was loving and the note of wonder was back in her voice. “I took you away from your adoring hordes of women.”

Snorting back his laughter, he rinsed her arms and then soaped down her torso to the water line. “Don’t be silly. I’m the one who took you away from the adoring hordes of all the men who love strong women but couldn’t possibly handle you.”

Her whole body shook with suppressed laughter. “How very kind of you to save them from me.”

“That’s me, kind and caring with an ever vigilant eye on chances to help my fellow men.” He gently nipped her ear lobe. “I’m very brave.”

She turned in his arms coming up nose to nose, her silver eye shining. “You are brave, my Peter, to take on someone with enough dark corners to fill a dozen alleys. Not to mention several past lives.”

He just transferred his hands to her back. “I’m not afraid of any of your shadows, Ruth. The only thing that frightens me is being locked out of helping.”

Nodding, she acknowledged her tendency to keep silent about problems. “All right, I’ll try and do better, love.”

“Do or do not. There is no try.” He said portentously and was rewarded by a peal of laughter at his Yoda imitation.

She leaned in and kissed him hard, invading his mouth like a conquering warlord bent on pillage and plunder. He relaxed his head against the rolled lip of that end of the tub and prepared to be ravished. It wasn’t long before he’d risen to the occasion and she took him inside her body, rewarding them both with her slow slides up and down. Passion rose and peaked slowly, leaving them both boneless in the cooling water.

He gathered up his strength and got them both out of the tub without killing either of them. She was still limp and he pulled her white terry cloth robe around her before carrying her to bed. Making love usually put her out and he toweled off before sliding in beside her. She nuzzled his shoulder, acknowledging his presence even in her sleep.

Peter sighed and napped a little, waiting for her to wake up and explain just why his dream had spooked her so badly. There were so many trip wires in her present life that had been laid in her previous lives. Most of the time he was glad that he didn’t have any past memories but there were moments when he felt very young compared to the others. Even Toby had memories to share with her and all he had was this life to offer.

“The other colony was an experiment and the colonists were ruled by one of King Orion’s family.” Her voice was contemplative and her left hand rhythmically stroked his chest. “His older brother wasn’t chosen by the people to rule when old King Grapa died and the tension was strong between the two brothers. The colony in what is now Egypt wasn’t far enough away for Ares so he chose a spot as far away from us as he could get.”

“Ares, as in the god of war from Greek mythology? It looked like the Southwest except for the pink clouds.” He ventured when she fell silent.

“Not quite far enough away. Yes, that Ares. He took three thousand colonists with him including some of our best engineers and priestesses. Their craft was experimental and the colony site was hostile in the beginning but they had equipment much like the Ikiiri gave us and they dug in, surviving the first year then the second.” She sighed against his shoulder. “Communications were sporadic because of solar flares but everything seemed to be going well. Then the Goddess came to me and told me of the invaders who were coming.”

Falling silent, she seemed to be reliving those old memories and Peter pulled her over him like a blanket, breaking her out of the past. She smiled at him and kissed the dimple in his chin. “Thank you, my Peter. We got a small warning from them when the wormhole opened up although they didn’t know what it was. With hindsight, their message makes sense now but at the time we wondered what in Tartarus they were talking about.”

Peter thought about what she was saying and had a dawning realization he knew what she was going to say next. “We’re not talking the Southwest and it can’t be either of the poles because even six thousand years ago, they were frozen.”

She looked down at him and nodded. “Mars. The second colony was on Mars.”

He tried to wrap his mind around the concept that in recorded time, humans had been space traveling but it didn’t make sense. “If they could travel out to Mars, why didn’t they come back to Earth after Atlantis sank?”

“Don’t know but I suspect that King Ares saw what had happened or got warnings from the Egyptian colony after we were destroyed and decided to cut all ties.” She shivered and laid her head down under his chin, her voice muffled slightly. “They must have thought their world had come to an end. The technology that brought us to Earth was in the process of being lost and the only ship large enough to move between the planets, King Ares had.”

“Wait a second. Are you saying the Atlanteans weren’t from Earth?”

She raised up and looked down quizzically. “Of course. Present day humans are a blend of genes from two different worlds. I hadn’t mentioned that before?”

He could feel his eyes getting wider while he shook his head no.

“Oops. The first settlers were fleeing a civil war back on the home planet of Atlantea. The legend I knew said the ship fell into a vortex and came out in uncharted space near a world of unsurpassed beauty.”

“Earth. And the vortex was probably a wormhole.” He ventured.

Ruth nodded and smiled affectionately down at him. “Sorry about that, Peter. I didn’t keep it back on purpose. I guess I just never mentioned it because there was already so much for everyone to come to grips with.”

“No problem. It keeps a little mystery in our marriage.” He slid the robe off one shoulder and caressed the silky skin revealed. “And now, we get to go rescue our cousins on the red planet. But not today, love.” She shrugged the other shoulder so the robe fell off completely. He rolled them into a reversed position, unwrapping her like the precious present she was.

“Not today. They’ve waited this long and today is just for us.” She agreed breathlessly, arching into his roaming hands.

“I love you, wife.” He nuzzled a peaking nipple and felt her sigh.

“And I love you, husband. Today, tomorrow and for all the days to come.” Ruth threaded her hands through his hair to hold him there.

Mars could wait until after Peter made love to his wife again

. . . and again

. . . and again.

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