the drama will mostly be anyway. Everyone here doesn’t find this nearly as scandalous as the FedNat brass will.”
Like their fancy ships couldn’t get here a hell of a lot faster than that if they wanted to. “I worry.”
“How can you worry with a sunrise like that?” She turned his face gently and pressed her cheek against his. “We’re going to be just fine.”
“When you arrived, I was so worried. That this whole mission was a disaster waiting to happen. And inside…I haven’t felt this alive in a long time. Alive, but at peace, too.” He squeezed her hips. “I’ll move mountains to keep you, Ashleigh.”
“You won’t need to, my Viking, but that’s really sweet.”
He wanted to protest that he wasn’t sweet , but then she was kissing him and grinding in his lap, and it didn’t matter anymore.
EPILOGUE
Nine months later
“Is it weird to be packing up your uniform for good?”
“Nope.” Ashleigh leaned over the table and poured more mead into Navena’s mug. Her friend had just returned to Midgard, this time for a social visit.
After the initial three month mission, most of the FedNat cells had rotated out. Ashleigh’s team had left, but she’d stayed. The last six months she’d served as a liaison officer for the overall mission, working mostly in the city, travelling around her new home planet as needed. She was as much a diplomat for Midgard as Earth in the talks as the two worlds forged a tighter connection.
A connection that would hopefully grow even stronger once they announced she was with child. Reinn was still in the city, talking to a security team. They’d told his parents that morning. Ashleigh had escaped with Navena after breakfast, and they were now at the farm. It had been a mild winter, and already things were greening up nicely around them.
She had a weaving lesson later, but for now, they could stay cuddled up in front of the fire. She picked up her cup of lacveena tea and breathed in deeply.
“Oh, that reminds me, I brought you some Earth ginger. It’s freeze-dried, and needs to be quarantined and scanned, but they should release it to you in a few days.”
“How did you know I’d need it?” Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”
Ever since the wedding, which had been quiet and private, the Earth media had been announcing a pregnancy every week. Now that it was really true, they’d probably lose their minds. Luckily her husband had more sway over his father than either of them had ever thought, and with a single request, a serious arms-length media ban had been put in place around Ashleigh. At least on Midgard.
And that was part of the reason for her giving up her commission. The other lay just outside her large picture window.
“You really love it out here, don’t you?” Her friend cuddled closer and Ashleigh looped her arm around Navena’s shoulders.
“I do. You’ll have to visit whenever you get a chance.”
“Is your mother coming for the birth?”
Ashleigh winced. “I haven’t told her yet. I will. Tonight. Reinn will be here for dinner and we’ll set up a data link. I’ll send it as a recorded message, though, I don’t want to hear her opinion on how I’m throwing away my career.”
“It’s nature’s way that children rebel against their parents. Go their own path.” Navena winked. “I should know, I’m the middle of five kids, and I don’t think I’ll ever procreate. You can have the babies for me.”
Ashleigh rubbed her still flat tummy. “Okay. Because I think I’m already addicted to them.”
“Ew, honey. But okay, whatever floats your boat.”
— —
Reinn took the train north so he could read. He needed a bit of space and processing time after everything that had been discussed. He was seriously disturbed by the thought of his wife and children being spied on by invisible satellites. So much for their farm being a private sanctuary.
He didn’t want to be vibrating
Like their fancy ships couldn’t get here a hell of a lot faster than that if they wanted to. “I worry.”
“How can you worry with a sunrise like that?” She turned his face gently and pressed her cheek against his. “We’re going to be just fine.”
“When you arrived, I was so worried. That this whole mission was a disaster waiting to happen. And inside…I haven’t felt this alive in a long time. Alive, but at peace, too.” He squeezed her hips. “I’ll move mountains to keep you, Ashleigh.”
“You won’t need to, my Viking, but that’s really sweet.”
He wanted to protest that he wasn’t sweet , but then she was kissing him and grinding in his lap, and it didn’t matter anymore.
EPILOGUE
Nine months later
“Is it weird to be packing up your uniform for good?”
“Nope.” Ashleigh leaned over the table and poured more mead into Navena’s mug. Her friend had just returned to Midgard, this time for a social visit.
After the initial three month mission, most of the FedNat cells had rotated out. Ashleigh’s team had left, but she’d stayed. The last six months she’d served as a liaison officer for the overall mission, working mostly in the city, travelling around her new home planet as needed. She was as much a diplomat for Midgard as Earth in the talks as the two worlds forged a tighter connection.
A connection that would hopefully grow even stronger once they announced she was with child. Reinn was still in the city, talking to a security team. They’d told his parents that morning. Ashleigh had escaped with Navena after breakfast, and they were now at the farm. It had been a mild winter, and already things were greening up nicely around them.
She had a weaving lesson later, but for now, they could stay cuddled up in front of the fire. She picked up her cup of lacveena tea and breathed in deeply.
“Oh, that reminds me, I brought you some Earth ginger. It’s freeze-dried, and needs to be quarantined and scanned, but they should release it to you in a few days.”
“How did you know I’d need it?” Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”
Ever since the wedding, which had been quiet and private, the Earth media had been announcing a pregnancy every week. Now that it was really true, they’d probably lose their minds. Luckily her husband had more sway over his father than either of them had ever thought, and with a single request, a serious arms-length media ban had been put in place around Ashleigh. At least on Midgard.
And that was part of the reason for her giving up her commission. The other lay just outside her large picture window.
“You really love it out here, don’t you?” Her friend cuddled closer and Ashleigh looped her arm around Navena’s shoulders.
“I do. You’ll have to visit whenever you get a chance.”
“Is your mother coming for the birth?”
Ashleigh winced. “I haven’t told her yet. I will. Tonight. Reinn will be here for dinner and we’ll set up a data link. I’ll send it as a recorded message, though, I don’t want to hear her opinion on how I’m throwing away my career.”
“It’s nature’s way that children rebel against their parents. Go their own path.” Navena winked. “I should know, I’m the middle of five kids, and I don’t think I’ll ever procreate. You can have the babies for me.”
Ashleigh rubbed her still flat tummy. “Okay. Because I think I’m already addicted to them.”
“Ew, honey. But okay, whatever floats your boat.”
— —
Reinn took the train north so he could read. He needed a bit of space and processing time after everything that had been discussed. He was seriously disturbed by the thought of his wife and children being spied on by invisible satellites. So much for their farm being a private sanctuary.
He didn’t want to be vibrating
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