CH26
Kate woke the next morning, the little spoon to Rick's big spoon. One of his arms was draped over her; she held his hand secure between her breasts. She also started remembering last night, the after she became Mrs. Castle part. The part where Alexis had been escorted home with a babysitter while the newlyweds went to a hotel.
It took time because they both wanted to remove the other person's clothes. However while Kate was on her back sliding to the center of the bed, she watched Rick lean down to pick up his coat and start searching for something. What came out of his pocket were a number of scarves. At first she didn't understand why he needed them. It wasn't until he tied one end around her ankle that she realized what he intended to do. 'OH MY GOD!'He was going to tie her to the bed, spread-eagled, and naked! She wasn't going to be able to touch him and she so wanted to touch him. ...To do any number of wicked things to his erect cock. She caught of glimpse of it and saw that he was already hard.
Kate was slowly losing her mind as she watched him tie her wrist to one corner and then work his way over to her other ankle and tie it down. Without thought, she started squirming around on the bed aching to have him go down on her. As much as he had learned to love having her go down on him, she had in turn acquired a very great desire to have Rick go down on her.
She was tied to the bed and she gave each one a quick tug and found that he had actually done his job rather well. She might not be able to get out of it even if she tried, not that she wanted to.
Kate kept hold of Rick's hand and placed it on her breast as she recalled what Rick had done to her last night. She had yet to try and speak but she was already convinced that she had probably lost her voice after all the screaming she had done. "Thinking about starting where we left off last night?" his voice whispered just above her head. She felt his hand close in around her breast. As much as she liked where his hand was she wanted to see him so she turned around and lifted a leg over his body to hold him in place while her hand reached out to stroke his cheek. "Hi," Kate rasped as she stretched up to give him a quick kiss. "Last night was ...amazing. I'd never even thought of doing that let alone having it done to me. You do realize I'll have to return the favor?" She smiled mischievously. "I'll leave the scarves in the side cabinet, right next to the condoms," he told her and smiled back since he suddenly found he was looking forward to it.
"CONDOMS! We didn't use any last night!" she croaked, her eyes open wide. What if she became pregnant because of sex on her wedding night? The entire night had been amazing. Could it end up being ruined because of a lapse of judgment on one night? "We should be fine Kate. You have your stem and I have mine," Rick assured her. "You have birth control? Since when?" It had been her idea to use condoms after she found out about the consequences of her getting pregnant and what would happen to their child.
"I've had one ever since Alexis was born. It's mandatory as part of the strict birth control measures. It's not 100% reliable, but then there are few things that are," he remarked. "You mean we've been using condoms all this time and we didn't have to?" She could have had the 'Real Rick' inside her all this time? Not a condom-encased Rick?
"Using condoms is still a good safety measure and I have no problem with using them. An accident no matter how small is not something I want to risk. If we're going to have a child together I want to be able to keep that child. Not knowing that some other couple is raising him or her, that I'll never see him or her ever again...I couldn't take that pain Kate, and I'm not willing to chance that kind of pain for you simply because we took too many risks."
Her heart pounded a little harder. It was just another example of why she loved this man. "Should we go home so we can clean up before class?" Kate asked. "We could use the shower here, together. It would speed up things just a little," he suggested with a smile. "I knew there was a reason why I loved you Mr. Castle." She reached in to kiss him quickly. "I aim to please Mrs. Castle." A little later she was up against the shower wall with her legs wrapped around Rick. She cried out in pleasure with Rick buried inside her. It was one more small risk they were willing to take. What was a few more hours and a few more million sperm inside her?
An hour later they were home. Rick dismissed the sitter as Alexis beamed at both of them. He tried to send Alexis to the shower. "I've already had one this morning. The 'babysitter' made me take one." Alexis understood the need for her to be supervised based on her actual age, she just hated the term. She wasn't a baby.
Alexis headed for a class on the main computer, Rick headed for a class on navigation while Kate went to a class on the skin of the ship. "Welcome to class Mrs. Castle," her instructor greeted her. "Word got around fast, FTL fast," she explained because of the questioning look on Kate's face. However the instructor did make it into her heart for a moment. She was the first outside of her husband to call her by her new name of Mrs. Castle. Kate had a question for her husband when she saw him again.
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Late that night Kate snuggled up next to her husband after making love to him. "Rick, babe, tell me about the tattoo." He was silent for a moment. "Babe?" he questioned. But before Kate could even try and explain Rick squeezed her and kissed her forehead. "The tattoos have a long history. In short it was developed immediately following the institution of population control measures. It was established to help keep track of who has and who has not had children. The second Alexis was born Meredith, myself, and even Alexis received their first ring tattoo. In our case it had nothing to do with getting married since we remained unmarried. I simply talked Meredith out of getting a back room abortion. Even then abortions were outlawed but the government always has looked the other way. I suppose you could say it made everyone happy. One side got their law outlawing abortions while the other side got what they wanted since access to and having one was not enforced by the government," he began to explain.
"Tattoos. Each one is unique and is never duplicated. In addition to the tattoo being inscribed it also takes a personal sample and runs a DNA scan that's stored for any future requirements. Usually this information is used when someone has a second child and challenges having the child taken away and being subject to the countermeasures to prevent another child from either person," he told her.
"Why can't I see it?" Kate held up her hand and pushed her ring out of the way. "I saw it at the wedding when it was done." She didn't understand. "You need to use one of those pads and place your hand on the pad to see it," he said. "So what happens when or if Meredith shows up? Say she wants Alexis after all this time?" Kate had no intention of losing Alexis to anyone outside of Rick.
"After last night she can't do anything. Prior to that she could have said or done something; however with her absence of twelve years she wouldn't achieve anything. Giving birth to Alexis is all that her tattoo will state. Yours will state that you are legally bound to her. Much like Alexis's tattoo will show she's bound to you and I. You're stuck with both of us," Rick told her and kissed her. "Good," Kate said emphatically and snuggled up to her husband.
"We didn't do things too fast for you did we? Our wedding ceremony technically isn't anything like yours. We modified our typical ceremony to blend with yours." Kate giggled a little. "I still can't believe that Alexis could be so sneaky. I thought she just wanted to learn about my parents," she admitted and started to bite her thumbnail. Rick bent his head to kiss her again. "Did we go too fast for you?" he reiterated since he hadn't gotten his question answered.
Kate debated what to tell him. Still she was married to him, at least on this planet. "A little, yeah. Normally there's a time where you are engaged to be married. A time for you to keep getting to know each other, to make plans for the wedding – how it will go, where it will be and when. Things like that. You get to introduce the love of your life to everyone you meet as your fiancé. I moment in time to... I don't know, enjoy the idea of being married before actually being married." She did her best to explain.
"So we did move too fast." Rick didn't like that he had pushed her into something that maybe she wasn't ready for. She turned to face him and stroked his cheek. "I said yes. I even have the ring to prove it." Kate lifted her hand off his face and wiggled her fingers to show him. He reached up to take her hand and moved it to his mouth so he could kiss it. "We still have a year of classes Mrs. Castle." She hummed. "Say that again please," she asked him. "We still have..." He was interrupted when she gently swatted his arm. "Not that part, the other part." She knew he was teasing. He simply smiled. "Mrs. Castle," Rick whispered which earned him a passionate kiss.
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It had been months since their wedding and still their days were filled with classes and homework on top of everything. Kate was sitting at the breakfast bar going over her homework – again! Finally she caved in. "ALEXIS!" She still didn't understand just how someone so young could be so brilliant and yet be a kid at the same time.
Alexis was soon sitting next to her. "Problem Mom?" Kate turned her computer to face Alexis. "This one makes no sense." She pointed to the question so Alexis could read it. "It's a trick question," Alexis told her. Then she kissed her cheek and went back to her own homework. "Love you Mom." It left Kate a little dazed and staring at her question. "Love you too, sweetie."
"Trick question," she muttered to herself till she finally saw it. "Ooo sneaky!" Well, she wasn't failing this class if she could help it! "When's your father due back?" she suddenly called out. "Dad flew a couple admirals and a pair of captains to the annual war games. He'll be back tomorrow then turn around a week later to fly them back after the games are over. ...Why?" Alexis responded. "No real reason, just curious." Actually there was a reason but Kate wasn't about to tell Alexis that she was horny.
"I can't concentrate any longer and I'm starving. How about that little place in the East Wing that we found?" Kate suggested, since it meant they didn't have to get dressed up to eat there. "I'll go wash and be right down." Alexis was in so Kate closed her computer and stepped into the half bathroom to do the same.
Alexis met Kate at the door. "How are you coming on the computer system?" Alexis inquired. "I thought the other systems were hard! You use crystals for everything and set them in trays and rays of light interconnect all the crystals. I'm not sure I'm ever going to be ready to learn how you make the crystals. Just identifying each one with what it does and where it's to be placed to achieve the desired result is hard enough." Kate knew her grades were suffering with this subject. Added to that was the fact that there were control crystals for the FTL system and crystals for the sub-light drive and for the most part you couldn't intermix the two. And yet the crystals looked so similar to her. "You'll get it Mom."
Alexis opened the front door and all three of them were startled. Alexis had opened the door to find a man who just then finished activating the call system to notify them they had a visitor. "Who are you?" Kate reached out a hand and started to push Alexis back behind her. "Castle residence? I have a small item for which you are required to sign to prove delivery." He held out both items. "Delivery?" Kate questioned and took the small case while Alexis came forward and placed her hand on the pad. "Thank you, enjoy your evening." He turned and left. "Looks like it plugs into a computer." She headed for her computer leaving Alexis to close and lock the door.
"Let's see what's so important." Kate attached it to her computer, pulled up what was on it, and began reading. "Alexis?" Kate's heart rate instantly elevated. "I don't understand. I thought we had been cleared. It's why we're taking all of these classes. We launch in six or seven months for god's sake. The Director selected us over all of the other candidates." Kate actually felt scared. What would happen to them if they were removed from the program? Alexis scrolled down a little faster than Kate could keep up with. "Someone's claiming that we don't have a legal third person and as such are not entitled to be selected," Alexis summarized. "Does it say who?" Kate didn't read as fast as Alexis did, though neither did Rick. Alexis shook her head. "However, it does mention that the petition centers around...me." Now Alexis was confused.
"You!? Why you?" Kate didn't understand. She was the alien here and as such may not have had any legal status when they as a team had been selected. They were two and half years in and the ship was going to finish construction soon. They had even been shown pictures of the construction along certain stages of completion. Since it was to be capable of atmospheric flight it was being built on the ground at a military installation for security purposes. It was, after all, the most state of the art ship in existence.
"We have a meeting with the Director next week. If they follow established law we'll get to meet whoever instigated this challenge and singled me out." Alexis had reached the end of the document. "But why you? I'm the alien, not you. I thought when you turned twelve that you became a legal adult in your system. You're thirteen now with a birthday coming up soon." Kate was using what little of her legal classes she had taken at Stanford here not knowing if they applied or not. Alexis simply shrugged. "I guess we wait." It was just a meeting to go over the petition and prepare a case against it.
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Kate couldn't sleep and rolled away from Rick spooning her. She knew by the way he was moving that he was awake too. She looked at him. "Babe, what's going to happen tomorrow?" She was scared, scared for her, scared for her family. Their meeting with the Director was tomorrow to see who was challenging them to be Explorers.
"It's just a meeting to go over the basics with the Director. We'll find out on what they are basing their claim and why. We then start work to counter their claim and remain in the system. We're not going to be kicked out tomorrow. We'll have a chance to defend our selection by the Director. We're not out yet," Rick tried to reassure her. "And what happens if we are kicked out?" she asked him. "We won't be." He didn't even want to think about that. "But what if we are?" Kate continued to press him.
"We'll both need jobs. We'll likely have thirty days to find someplace to live and move out. Since I spent almost everything we had on our wedding and other things, coming up with the deposit for a new place is going to be difficult," Rick told her. "I'm so sorry," she gasped. She hadn't realized just how much Rick and Alexis had spent on her and her Earth wedding and felt the tears starting. She had always known that she was going to screw things up for them. They had gotten to the hard stuff and her grades were down even with Alexis's help.
He caressed her cheek and wiped away the lone tear that escaped. "I'd have spent every coin we had to make you happy and give you a wedding that you would never forget. You're worth it Kate, so worth it. Even if we end up living where Alexis and I used to live, we'll still be a family." Rick wasn't afraid.
Then they heard a knock on their door. Kate spun back around and adjusted her pajamas. "Come in Alexis, it's not locked," she called out and in came a pajama-clad Alexis clutching Monkey Bunkey tight to her chest. Alexis walked over to the edge of the bed where Kate reached out to stroke her face and wipe away some tears.
Kate flipped the top sheet back. "Come on up here sweetie." She pulled Alexis in tight while Rick did the same to her. He was worried, Kate was scared but both knew this was Alexis's dream so she must be frightened. Add to the fact that the petition was centered on her only made it worse for her. Kate rubbed her arm and started cooing soft things into her ear trying to calm her.
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Kate was helping Alexis to get dressed. Not because she needed help, but more of an attempt to calm Alexis's nerves even if Kate's and Rick's were already stretched pretty tight. "It's going to be fine Alexis, we're two and a half years in, they can't stop us now." Kate didn't actually know that for a fact. She just hoped that the two and a half years actually counted for something.
"But they want me Mom. Not you or Dad, ...me." Alexis didn't understand that part. She was still acing every class she took even if the topics were a little harder and yet found time to help Kate keep her grades up. She was even helping her dad.
They were all dressed nicely and were down at the door. "Ready?" Rick asked them. "Hang on." Alexis raced up the stairs only to come back down a moment later and affix her bag to her waist. "What do you need that for?" Rick knew what it was but wasn't seeing a need for it.
"Just in case Dad, just in case." Alexis finished and followed her dad out the door with her mom right behind her.
Getting to the the office of the Director was easy, easier than the last time had been anyway. "We're the Castle family and we have a meeting with the Director," Rick told the receptionist. The outer room looked unchanged and was filled with wood almost everywhere. "If you'll wait a moment I'll let him know you're here." It only took a minute. "You can go in now." Rick opened the door to allow Kate and Alexis to go first. The room looked unchanged. It was huge, still filled with wood and real books. Kate and Alexis saw the Director and two other people sitting in one of the two forward seating areas.
One was a woman who had dark red hair and pale skin, similar to Alexis's pale skin. She was tall, and thin, and elegantly dressed. The other person was male who was maybe shorter than Rick but also bigger bodied, bigger boned. His hair was cut seriously short and he was broad faced, square jawed, and looked intense. He was also dressed nicely.
They both heard the door close. "...MEREDITH!?" Rick's voice sounded surprised. Hearing that, Alexis's head snapped around and she stared at the woman in shock.