Fluff warning. :P

It's amusing to watch Quill go through the stages of becoming immensely frustrated with Anakin Skywalker and his actions. The blonde actually cheers when he starts burning up from the lava.

"Ah, so that's why he needed life support," she says, chuckling. Kalei isn't sure whether to be proud or possibly concerned. But then, the guy really did have it coming.

Once the movie is done, Kalei allows herself to be convinced into staying the night again - though this time, on purpose - and she borrows some pyjamas from Quill, before curling up in bed next to her.

"It's weird, doing this without the sex beforehand," Quill muses.

"Right, and the you-being-pregnant-part has nothing to do with the weirdness."

"You know what I mean."

Kalei laughs. "I do. Though exactly what that says about us, I've no idea."

Their Saturday morning is lazy beyond belief, laying in bed until almost eleven, and only finally getting up because Quill is ravenous. Over breakfast, Kalei brings up a possible plan for the day.

"I was thinking we could go shopping, for some maternity clothes for you," she says. "You must be running out of clothes that fit."

"Yes, I am," Quill says, frowning. "But I thought I wasn't allowed outside of the house?"

"Well, that's mainly because we're worried about people who know you seeing that you're pregnant," Kalei replies. "Why don't we go for a drive, somewhere out of London, where we can go shopping and just… be outside, and ourselves, and not worry about students or parents or any of that?"

"I've never been outside of London," Quill says thoughtfully. "That could be… good."

"Yeah?"

"Where would we go?"

"Why don't you decide?"

Quill gets out her phone and does a few quick google searches. "Hmm. What about Brighton?" When Kalei laughs, she looks at her with confusion. "What?"

"You just chose the unofficial gay capital of the UK," Kalei says, grinning. "But sure, Brighton works for me. That's about a two hour drive, I think?"

Quill taps at her phone keyboard. "Yep, one hour and fifty nine minutes, according to Google. Or up to two hours and eighteen minutes, depending on which highway we take."

"Close enough. You know, we could even stay there for a night."

"Come again?"

"You know, we could find a hotel, get a room, make a weekend out of it. Given that we're not going to be there until at least probably three o'clock, by the time we get out of here and stop in at mine to feed Xenophilius and grab some clothes for me. I mean, it's winter, so the beach won't be much of a go, but it might still be nice to have the change of scenery."

"You mean, spend a whole weekend away from the teenagers?" Quill asks, lifting an eyebrow. "Remind me why we're not already in your car?"

Kalei grins. "Well, like I say, we do still need to stop in and feed Xenophilius first."

"Oh no, how awful that we'll have to stop and see the cat that I'm remarkable fond of. Truly terrible," Quill says sarcastically as they head back to her bedroom to start getting dressed.

Kalei averts her eyes the moment Quill starts taking her pyjamas off, which she knows is ridiculous, but she just isn't ready to see Quill's body the way it is without the covering of clothes. It's still too strange. Too raw, somehow. She might be okay with all this in theory, but some parts of it are never going to be comfortable, and this is one of them.

Within twenty minutes, Quill's overnight bag is packed, and they're out the door and in Kalei's car driving to her apartment. Once inside, Xenophilius greets them with loud meows and Quill is quick to pick him up and pet him, while Kalei kisses the top of his head and nuzzles it.

"I'll get my bag packed, and make us some sandwiches for the drive," Kalei says.

Quill, naturally, is happy enough to just sit on the couch and pet the cat.

Twenty minutes later, they say goodbye to Xenophilius and head back to the car, with clothes, toiletries, and sandwiches packed. Kalei picks the music, since Quill is still wanting to absorb as much human culture as possible.

The conversation mainly consists of Quill asking various questions about whatever song might be playing and the artist performing it, and Kalei providing as much explanation as she can. They also end up having a rather in-depth discussion about Star Wars. Quill plows through the sandwiches at a frightening pace, only to pause once she's consumed half of them.

"You can have more, Andy," Kalei says, spotting the look of longing on Quill's face as she eyes the remaining sandwiches.

"How many do you need?"

Not want. Need. There's something so serious about the way that Quill asks. It takes Kalei a few seconds to work out why - Quill grew up never having enough of anything, fought in a war where food had sometimes been even more scarce.

"Hunger scares you, doesn't it?" Kalei asks. "Or, I don't know. You take food seriously. The idea of having enough food."

"Of course. Starvation is the worst possible way to die."

Kalei isn't sure she agrees with that, but Quill sounds unwavering in her opinion and Kalei isn't about to argue. "That's why you eat like you do."

"If you were slow, you lost the food, among my people," Quill says. "When I was younger, anyway. When I was the commander, I had to ensure we all got the food we needed, that half of our army didn't collapse because the others had been too greedy."

"One sandwich will be enough for me," Kalei tells her, with a gentle smile. "You can have the other two."

Quill narrows her eyes, looks at the remaining three sandwiches and then back at Kalei, and tears one of the sandwiches in two so that she can eat one and a half, while leaving the same again for Kalei.

It's one of the strangest, smallest, sweetest things that Kalei can ever remember Quill doing. She has to bite her lip to hide her sappy smile.

Once in Brighton, it takes a couple of tries to find a hotel that has a free room they'll instantly give up, but they eventually do. Quill insists on paying, and once in the lift she explains to Kalei that the Doctor had left her and Charlie a rather obscene amount of money when he dropped them on Earth, and that Kalei should generally just let Quill pay for everything.

It feels a bit strange, but Kalei can't not agree to that.

"Ooh, this is nice," Kalei says, when they come into the room. "Nothing five star, of course, but nice."

"In my experience, anything with a roof and four walls is decent enough," Quill says wryly. "The big bed and television set are just nice bonuses."

"I forget who I'm talking to, sometimes."

"Best part: no teenagers," Quill says as she falls back onto the bed. "No Charles, or overly reasonable Polish bullshit."

Kalei lies down next to her and looks at her with a fond smile. "So, good idea, then?"

"Very good idea."

"How are you feeling? About everything with Charlie?"

"Honestly?" Quill asks, turning to look at her, eyes guarded. Kalei nods. "I have no fucking idea. I'm feeling something. And it's almost as strong as everything ever was with him. But I don't know what. I don't know if I still hate him, if I want to hurt him, or if, goddess forbid, I actually sympathise with him and want him to feel better."

"It's an immensely complicated situation," Kalei says. "It's okay to not know how to feel about it."

"I don't like it. How am I supposed to have conviction if I don't know what I'm feeling?"

Kalei kisses her gently. "You'll work it out, Andy. Don't worry."

Quill reaches out and lets her hand trail across Kalei's hair, her finger catching a curl and twisting it around her finger, before her eyes move back to Kalei's face. "Well, at least I know what I'm feeling about some things," she says, leaning in to kiss Kalei, who gets distracted by the kiss before she can really consider the implication of Quill's words.

There's something so… leisurely, about it. Just kissing and kissing and kissing, with no deadlines or teenagers or hostile aliens to worry about. Just them, in a little bubble.

"Oh," Quill gasps, breaking the kiss to touch her stomach.

Well, them and the baby.

"Everything okay?" Kalei asks with faint concern.

"Fine," Quill says, a strange smiling curling the edge of her lips. "Her strength continues to impress me, is all. But then, I suppose she has it from both sides." She hesitates. "She's still kicking. Do you… want to feel? That's a thing you humans like to do, isn't it?"

Kalei swallows. Part of her does - she's always loved doing so in the past, with other pregnant women she's known - while another part of her that is still in faint denial about the pregnancy, immediately screams 'no!' at the very thought.

"Okay," she says eventually, with every bit of bravery she has.

Quill sits up, and so Kalei does too, and then Quill takes Kalei's hand and gently presses it to the side of her stomach. Immediately she feels the little thing kick against her hand, like a kind of greeting.

An odd laugh escapes Kalei. "Wow, you weren't kidding."

She looks up to find Quill watching her with a strangely soft, vulnerable expression. Kalei isn't quite sure what to do, or feel, in this moment, so she just kisses her instead.

The baby kicks again.

"That's right, little one," Quill chuckles. "This is Kalei. She's my favourite human. Well, favourite person. Which isn't saying much, but still. I get the feeling she's going to be your favourite human, too."

"Come on. Let's go and find some clothes that accommodate this little revolutionary to be," Kalei says, when she feels unexpected emotion choke her, getting up and putting her coat back on.

Quill grins as she gets up and does the same. "Which government is she going to overthrow?"

"Theresa May's, if no one else has done so already," Kalei replies without missing a beat. "Or at least, we can hope."

Unsurprisingly, maternity shopping with Quill is not the easiest of ventures.

Quill is wearing the same dress and high heels she had worn the day of the Shadowkin attack and eradication, which already makes her one of the best dressed pregnant women these shop owners have likely ever seen.

Although, the shopping centre having a maternity store, Mothercare, is certainly a stroke of luck.

"Why is it all floral?" Quill growls. "I'm not you. I need black."

Kalei's palm meets her face with exasperation. "Would it kill you to wear colours?"

"Quite possibly."

Thankfully, they eventually find a couple of dresses, black and navy, that are simple, but stylish, in design, and drape nicely around Quill's frame. Then a pair of dark maternity jeans, and a few nice flowy tops that aren't too cheerful in colour scheme or pattern.

"That'll be enough," Quill says. "With any luck, this thing will be out of me in two weeks, and I won't be dead for it."

The nearby shopping assistant glances at them with vague concern.

"You have a good Doctor, remember," Kalei says, impatiently, "so there won't be any more talk of dying on this trip."

"Fine," Quill mutters.

They finally end up at the counter, where the shop worker tries to entice them with some babywear, only to be met with Quill's unimpressed scowl.

"Why are you only offering me pink options for girls and blue options for boys?" Quill asks. "Is this part of that ridiculous gender role bullshit? You do realise that an infant isn't going to give a rat's arse about any of this? Infants are concerned with sleeping, eating, and shitting. I know that, and I'm not even an expert. I'm about as far from as an expert as one can get. It's just common sense."

The shop worker, who is in her fifties and according to her nametag called Karen, opens and shuts her mouth several times, looking both affronted and rather embarrassed.

Kalei is torn between mortification and laughter, and ends up exhibiting a strong mix of the two, laughing while her cheeks flush red.

"I'm sorry," Kalei says to Karen, putting her hand on Quill's arm and giving her a reprimanding look. "Passionate feminist, you know? And I mean, me too, but she gets intense and forgets to be polite."

"Politeness is for civilians and bureaucrats," Quill says.

Kalei mouths 'ex-military' to Karen, who has by this point mostly recovered from Quill's outburst and just nods with understanding.

"Well, yellow is a nice gender neutral colour," Karen tries to say, as she finishes scanning Quill's items.

"Terrible colour, wish I could wipe it from existence," Quill replies automatically, and Karen's face falls.

"Andy, be nice."

"No. You don't currently have sexual privileges to revoke, so you have absolutely no significant cards to play here," Quill says, while pretending to not notice Karen turning a strange shade of purple and dropping one of the items. "Once we're having sex again, then you can try regulating my behaviour."

Kalei wants to scream. Or die of embarrassment. As it is, she just stares at Quill with exasperation. "That's not how this works, Andy! I don't want to regulate you, I just want you to treat people with some common decency."

"I do, when they've earned it."

"It's not about earning it-"

"Ahem."

They turn to see Karen, looking incredibly awkward and as though she'd rather be anywhere but behind this particular counter, with this particular pair of customers.

"That'll be £110," she says.

Quill nods and pays, without another word. Karen is all too happy to shove the bags towards them, and Kalei mumbles an apology before they make their way out of the store, each carrying one bag.

"I really can't take you anywhere, can I?"

"Look, it's not my fault that your society puts an obscene amount of energy into maintaining these ridiculous gendered objects, colours, and stereotypes," Quill says. "I'm not about to stand for that nonsense. Not when it's a society that my child is being born into."

Kalei feels her annoyance fade. "Okay. That's… a fair point, actually. I can't be mad when I actually agree."

"Good."

"But seriously, can you just… try to be less awful to strangers?"

"Why? They haven't earned my being nice to them."

"... I need to pick my battles here, don't I?"

"Probably a wise strategy." There's an amused curl to Quill's lips, and when Kalei just sighs and rolls her eyes, Quill nudges her shoulder against Kalei's. "Take it from me, I'm an expert on strategy, remember?"

"An expert at being a stubborn arse, maybe," Kalei retorts.

Quill chuckles. "Yeah, that too." There's an inherent pride in her voice. Of course.

"Now, if we were to go out to a restaurant, would you be able to promise me to eat with your mouth closed? And with utensils?"

"Is it absolutely necessary?"

"Yes. Restaurants value manners and class. Not observing etiquette could get us thrown out." It's embellishing the truth, a little, but not in any way that Kalei feels bad about.

"...fine. I could probably manage that."

"Thank you. The food will make it worth it."

"It better."

They head back to the hotel, where Kalei finds a restaurant on her phone and calls to make a reservation, and Quill picks one of her dresses - the navy one - for dinner. The blonde eyes herself in the mirror, hands on her stomach.

"Looks good on you," Kalei says, smiling from the ensuite doorway, having finished with her makeup, but for her lipstick.

"I know," Quill replies, smirking. "Still adjusting, is all. Though, all things considered, I think I'm adjusting fairly well."

"You're taking a surprise late-term pregnancy better than I'd expect anyone to, let alone you," Kalei agrees. "But then, you're not exactly one for conventional reactions to anything."

"Thank you."

"Could I do your makeup?"

"I'm sorry?"

Kalei flushes and fiddles with the makeup brush in her hand. "Sorry, I just… I don't know, I have this weird urge to do your makeup. Not that you aren't already devastatingly beautiful, obviously."

Quill preens a little at that, the way she always does. It's adorable. Which should not be possible for a revolutionary alien warrior who has killed more people than Kalei will ever care to think about, and yet, here Kalei is, utterly besotted.

"Keep talking, Jacobs," Quill says.

"Well, I just thought it might be… fun. Plus, I like looking at beautiful people, nice makeup, and you, and this would involve all three, and-"

"-result in more compliments for me, by the sounds of it," Quill says, looking vaguely amused. "Alright, Jacobs. Where do you want me?"

"Oh, the things I would give to be able to hear that sentence under different circumstances," Kalei mutters, making Quill snort. "Alright, uh, just sit on the edge of the bed, I'll bring everything over. Oh, and I might have oversold my makeup ability just a bit. I'm alright at doing my own, but… well, we'll give it a go."

"I'm feeling increasingly confident about you putting various small pointy sticks near my face and eyes," Quill remarks dryly as she sits down.

"Ooh, big bad warrior's afraid of liquid eyeliner?" Kalei teases, bringing the makeup bag over to the bed and sitting down next to Quill.

Quill scoffs. "Only in hands that aren't mine."

"Where's your faith, Andy?"

"Please, in this entire stinking universe, you're one of the only things I do have faith in."

Kalei pauses in her rummaging for foundation, and looks up at Quill, not quite sure what to say to something like that. "Oh. I, uh-" When she meets Quill's eyes, they're too steady, too assured. Kalei ducks her head. "Wow. Okay."

"It shouldn't come as such a surprise, Kalei," Quill says, lifting an eyebrow. "I met my goddess, and I still don't really believe in her, even if maybe for a minute there I wanted to."

"Oh, yeah, Dorothea said something about that."

"She was practically drooling over it. She's a weirdo."

Kalei hesitates, wondering if this is the right time to tell Quill what she had found out. She decides that surely the best policy is honesty, as soon as she can give it, no matter the consequences.

"Speaking of Dorothea," Kalei says, swallowing. "There's something you should probably know."

"Oh god, you didn't have sex with her, did you?" Quill asks, disgust entering her voice and making her nose crinkle.

"What?! No!"

"Then why has your face gone all red?"

"Because she watched us!" Kalei retorts, her cheeks indeed feeling far too warm. "The day you got the arn out, when we were in her office… she watched us over the security cameras."

Quill blinks, then rolls her eyes. "Of course she did. Like I said, weirdo. I bet she got off on it."

Kalei winces. "I'd really rather not think about that. And I thought you'd be more… angry. I know I was."

"Yes, but you know I don't care about being observed having sex."

"But it wasn't just sex! Quill, that was-" How can Kalei even verbalise it? "It was our goodbye. It was intimate, and private, and for god's sake, we were both crying for most of it!"

"Oh, yeah." Quill frowns. "Actually, yeah," she says, jabbing a finger in Kalei's direction. "That's a good point. I don't want that bitch seeing me like that. That's for you, not anyone else."

"Exactly," Kalei says. "Though, she's not a bitch, Quill. She's just a very lonely woman with very questionable decision-making skills. That's a demographic I tend to try to not judge too harshly."

"Hey, I am nothing like her."

"Not really, no, but I never said you were."

"I'm not lonely," Quill says simply. "I have you."

Kalei smiles and kisses her. "I know. Now, let's forget about Dorothea Ames and her lack of personal boundaries, for now. Just let me do your makeup. Thank god I had the presence of mind to grab your foundation from your bathroom before we left."

"So this is more of a plan than a whim."

"Maybe I have dreams about putting makeup on beautiful women, okay? Let me have this."

Quill, after a tiny bit more preening at that comment, is surprisingly still and quiet as Kalei sets about her work. Kalei gets the idea that Quill very much likes the sensation of the brushes on her skin, from the very minute way she leans into them.

The eyeliner takes more concentration, but again, Quill is very still.

"Do you want to do the mascara yourself?" Kalei asks.

"Will you poke my eye out if I don't?"

"I'll try not to."

"Not quite good enough."

Quill goes into the bathroom to put on the mascara, and Kalei follows to linger in the doorway, red lipstick in hand, ready for putting on Quill when she's done.

"I look fantastic," Quill says as she puts the lid back on the mascara and looks in the mirror properly. "Nice job."

"One more thing," Kalei tells her, and turns her around so that she can put the lipstick on Quill's lips. "There. Do the things with your finger and a bit of toilet paper." Quill, thankfully, knows what she's talking about (bless the internet) and does just that before coming to stand in front of Kalei again.

"There. Good enough?"

Kalei doesn't reply. She's briefly forgotten how to form words. The decision to make her already beautiful girlfriend even more beautiful via makeup is suddenly seeming like the opposite of a smart decision.

"Kalei?"

"Sorry," Kalei breathes. "You're just… wow."

Quill grins, and kisses her enthusiastically (promptly smudging the lipstick, meaning they'll both have to reapply, but that currently seems unimportant). "You're not too bad yourself, Jacobs."

Once their lipstick is fixed, they head for the door. As they leave the hotel lobby and come out onto the street, Quill's hand slips into Kalei's, intertwining their fingers.

Kalei looks at her in surprise. "You don't like hand-holding."

"I'm going to give it another try," Quill says, shrugging. "Regardless of the outcome, consider it a thank you for bringing me here."

"You're the one paying."

"You know that money has nothing to do with this."

"I know." Kalei grips Quill's hand tightly and leans up to kiss her briefly. "You're very welcome, Andy."

"Good. Now, which way to the food?"

They set off down the street, hand in hand.

I hope that was fluffy enough! Even MORE fluff next chapter! :D