Chapter 9:

It took awhile get Beka on the ship. Dylan, Trance and Rommie had already left to go back to the Andromeda; they were heading off to a system near Tarn Vedra. Beka promised to visit them when she was feeling better.

As Rhade piloted the ship Beka walked up to the command.

"You shouldn't be up," Rhade said not bothering to look at her.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"You walk heavier than the girls."

"Oh. You have a nice ship."

"That's not why you came up here," Rhade said as he turned the auto pilot on and turned to look at Beka.

"The girls are asleep, so I thought we could talk."

"Yeah, I think we need to," Rhade said looking more stern then he sounded.

"I know you're upset that I had the girls bring you into this, but…"

"That's not what I am talking about," Rhade interrupted, "I am talking about you not telling me about those girls." His voice now matched his glare.

"Why do you care that I didn't tell?"

"Maybe because they are my daughters as well, Beka!"

Beka just stared at Rhade; she didn't know how he found out. Rhade saw her wondering look.

"Did you think I would be too preoccupied to notice or too stupid? Come on Beka I'm a Nietzchean," Rhade was yelling now.

"Rhade, I'm sorry. After we all left the Andromeda I spent two years doing a lot of cargo runs. During the end of those couple of years I began to feel uneasy and sick. So I went to a doctor. He told me I was pregnant. Which was impossible cause I hadn't been with anyone since the Seefra system. Then I found out I was having quadruplets and that shocked me as well. After they were born I took a blood sample and found you were the father. That also was ridiculous. I thought about telling you, but I didn't know how. My pregnancy made no logical sense. It was unfeasible, we've never been together and we also hadn't seen each other in years. It got to the point were it was just easier to…" Beka stopped she couldn't finish her sentence. Her emotions were overwhelming her. She rested her hands over her face and started sobbing quietly. Crying was the only way to release her sorrow.

Rhade listened as she explained herself. He saw the pain welling up inside her. She didn't mean to keep them out of his life. Rhade got up and walked over to her when he saw her shaking uncontrollably and gently pulled her hands down. Beka's eyes were red and puffy. He could see right through to her soul, showing him how sorry she really was. He slowly pulled her to him. Beak wrapped her arms around his neck as she cried into his shoulder.

"Shh… Beka it's okay. Hey, calm down. Oh…Beka I shouldn't have shouted at you. I am sorry."

Beka's tears lessened, but she didn't let go of Rhade.

"You had every right to yell," Beka mumbled into Rhade's neck.

They stood like that until Rhade heard the beeping from the autopilot. Rhade pulled one arm away from Beka's waist and using the other brought her with him to a panel where he punched in the coordinates to a landing pad.

"Don't you need to pilot it to Tarazed?" Beka asked not wanting to let go of Rhade just yet.

"No this is one of the new ships from the Commonwealth, as long as you set the coordinates the ship can land itself."

"Oh."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm sore and a little queasy from the surgery."

"Do you need to sit down?"

"Prolly, but I don't want to." Beka said quietly.

Rhade smiled down at her and then lifted her into his arms and sat back down in the chair he had vacated earlier. Beka's world was spinning physically and emotionally. She never thought this would happen, he was not supposed to find out. Now that he knew Beka felt a slight burden lifted, yet another equaled in pressure settled on her shoulders.

"I think I should tell the girls," Beka said.

"Hmm… they probably would handle it better from you. But I would suggest you tell them after you see the doctors."

Beka nodded, and then laid her head on Rhade's shoulder and closed her eyes.