Caboose stirred from the bed everyone shared as Miia woke with a start. "Bad dream?" he asked softly, instantly ready to offer comfort just as he had for his sisters when they had bad dreams.

Miia took a few calming breaths as she struggled to banish the dream. "Y...yes…" she managed to say finally.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Caboose asked curiously. "I'd be happy to listen. I won't judge."

Miia lowered her gaze, unwilling to meet Caboose's eyes...even if she couldn't see them through the helmet. "Darling...would you be...upset with me if there was a big secret I was keeping from you?"

"Nope!" Caboose replied readily. "Some secrets are kept for safety. Some are kept for comfort. Some are kept because we don't like thinking about them. And some are kept to throw a surprise party! Secrets always have reasons, and if the reasons are good then it's okay. I trust you, and know you're reasons will be good."

Miia managed a brief smile before shifting to lay her head in Caboose's lap, where he immediately began to stroke her hair comfortingly. "This is the third kind," Miia allowed. "How...how much do you know about Lamia marriage custom?"

"Polt told me Lamias are an entirely female species of demi-human," Caboose began slowly, "so they need males of other species to have children. Entire colonies will grab one male to be their 'husband', and they will all mate with him in an attempt to have a child until he eventually expires from exhaustion, dehydration, or suffocation. I don't really understand that last part, though. Do humans have expiration dates like milk? I have heard about humans being spoiled…"

Miia sighed ruefully at Caboose's continued lack of understanding. "It means they die, Darling," she offered sadly. "They wither away, assaulted endlessly by pleasure and sex until they can't feel anything...and there's nothing left for them to give. And...I was sent by my tribe via the Interspecies Exchange Program to find us a new husband. And I'm pretty sure my Mom...is going to want to make me make you take that role…" She buried her face against Caboose's stomach to hide her tears.

"And you don't want that," Caboose spoke up softly. "You never did. You wanted to be someone's one and only, a Prince who would carry you off and dedicate himself to making you happy, like the story books you love."

"That's what I wanted," Miia allowed. "I thought I had it with you...but your heart's far too large to limit to one girl. I didn't like having to share you...but I've accepted it, and I know you'll take care of all of us. But...but…" She shook as she tried to get the words out.

Caboose gently lifted her so he could look her right in the eyes. "...tell me."

She threw herself forward, wrapping him in as tight an embrace as she could manage. "I don't want to share you with anyone who doesn't love you like I do!" she wailed out. "Papi, Cerea, Polt...everyone else really loves you, and you love them! But my Mom, my tribe...they won't! You'll just be a man to them, and I won't let them destroy you!" She buried her face in his shoulder as she wept. "But that means...I'll have to defy my Mom...and I might lose her love…"

Caboose held her gently. "Don't worry Miia," Caboose whispered softly. "I'll fix this. I'll find a way you can be with me, not share me with your Mom, and still make your Mom happy."

Miia sniffled as she clung tighter. "P-Promise?"

"I promise," Caboose reassured her firmly.

Everyone else in the bed continued to pretend to be asleep, showing proper consideration by not ruining the moment.

The next day dawned bright and clear, and Caboose had woken up early to clean the entirety of Blue Base...at least as far as those areas that resembled normal human habitation and should be cleaned. He didn't try to clean Kii's forest, the mausoleum - which was currently occupied by Zombina and Lala, though it had room for more - or Polt's gym, as that was Polt's responsibility and he didn't stick his nose in there uninvited. Still, Miia's Mom would see a very clean home.

As the cleaning and everyone's meals finished, a large van pulled up outside, and the group went out to see who it was. Once they were all there, the back of the van opened up and extended a ramp, and a Lamia exited the back...a Lamia who, except for a difference of wardrobe and a slightly larger chest, looked identical to Miia. "Yahho, Miia!" she called out as she waved.

Caboose took in the woman's appearance. Seeing very little difference between her and Miia, he focused on her wardrobe to differentiate. She was wearing a rather skimpy top that just barely held her breasts in check, an oddly designed feathered skirt, odd sleeves, and veils. Caboose turned to Miia. "I thought you said it was your Mother coming to visit, not your older sister."

Miia's eyes went flat. "Darling...that is my Mom…"

Caboose was silent for a time. "...is there any way you can give me back the fox?" he asked hopefully.

"Eh?" Miia asked, turning to Freckle for a translation.

[Captain Caboose recognizes he may have made a faux pas and wishes to correct it.]

"Oh, so that's how it's pronounced!" Caboose declared happily.

Miia's mother giggled softly. "Oh, so you're Mr. Darling!" she offered warmly. "Miia's told me so much about you." She held out her hand. "Thanks for always taking care of my daughter."

[Hostile intent detected,] Miia's Freckle suddenly warned, shifting to float between Caboose and Miia's mother. [Attempts by individuals not part of Blue Team to touch Captain Darling inappropriately will be met by all available force. This is your only warning.]

Miia's mother blinked at the angry floating sphere that spoke in a synthesized form of her daughter's voice. "...eh?" she asked in surprise.

Caboose took the still extended hand and shook it. "It is a pleasure to meet you," he offered warmly. "I love your daughter, and all the girls who have come to live with me. We intend to become a family together, so I will not become your tribe husband. But if you forgive Miia for not following tradition and finding her own happiness and thus not exile or shun her, then I can give you Tucker! He's not very pretty, but a great warrior, a good friend, and he'd like being your tribe husband!"

"Darling!" Miia gasped out. "Y-you can't just trade away a friend like that! Being a tribe husband would eventually kill him!"

"Cerea, you know honor," Caboose spoke up. "Is it okay to trade a friend into an eventual death to protect a loved one if said friend would thank you for making the trade and love and enjoy every minute of it?"

Cerea blinked, trying to parse the logic. From what he was saying, it sounded like this Tucker might volunteer for such a role… "Can I get back to you on that?" she asked carefully.

Miia's mother stared at her hand still in Caboose's grip, wondering what the hell her daughter had gotten her into.