Melaana's a little bypolar in this one. i blame the hormones or maybe Sanya/Soniee's midichlorians.
and also Satine and Soniee have both dealt with the ever present hologossip networks, it was about time for them to catch up with the daughter of the most noble house of Rash.
Melaana practically skipped back into the dining room. She'd had, what she thought, was a marvelous idea and she was going to see about enacting it as soon as possible.
"Mother, Daddy!" She didn't realize that she had just interrupted Bremon's discourse on ruping husbandry but her parents didn't seem to mind the distraction.
"What is it, Dear?" her father asked.
She went to stand next to Bremon's chair and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I was just talking to Shara, and I was wondering if we had presented her family with a gift after her wedding to Sanjay."
"Well," Father began. "It is generally the bride's family who brings the dowry to the negotiation table. Under the circumstances we didn't really feel it was necessary to..."
Mother interrupted him, frowning at Bremon. "Speaking of which, I suppose we shall need to discuss arrangements with your uncle. He is the head of the house of Kira I presume?"
"I don't think my Uncle Naidon expected..." He started to answer.
"Of course," Melaana spoke up again frustrated that she wasn't getting her point across. "But what about Shara? You see, she helped in the family business and when she came to live here it left all of the work to her father. I was thinking if we could give them a repulsor truck or - or a droid who could help with the work load..."
"I gave Shara a necklace." Sanjay frowned, a little concerned now that it had been the wrong thing.
Melaana sighed. "What in the galaxy's use is a necklace?"
"But really Melaana." Mother tutted. "A repulsor truck?"
Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, or maybe she was just fed up with how clueless her family could be. "Dane gave me a fracking star ship!"
"Language Melaana!" Mother exclaimed in shock.
Father shook his head. "And you will of course be returning your betrothal gift as the agreement has been breached on both sides and will now have to be rescinded."
"What?!" This wasn't turning out at all like she thought it would. "But I'm sure Dane never meant my ship to be..."
Mother looked as if she might faint. "His note said, 'in lieu of a ring'."
"It also said, that whatever happened I should reach for the stars." How could she make them see? This conversation was supposed to be about Shara mending the rift with her father.
"Well, I should think," Father went on. "That in your present condition, your mother and I and your husband, would prefer that you keep your feet on the ground, where we can make sure that you and the child receive the very best of care."
She didn't want to hear this. She threw a glare at Bremon.
"I-I never said..." He raised his hands defensively. "B-but they do have a point."
"Now you're taking their side!" Melaana growled and stormed out of the room. She heard Bremon's chair scrape back against the floor and his hasty apology to her parents and then he was right on her heels.
"Mel, please, listen!" He called.
She kept walking, yelling back over her shoulder. "Edda didn't let being a week away from her due date stop her from going to the Fete but maybe you don't think I'm as strong as she is! Grew up in this palace with everybody doing everything for me! Still need to be coddled!"
He caught up to her with his longer stride, put his hands on her shoulders. Then he said softly. "I don't think that at all. You're the strongest person I know."
She stood, still trembling slightly in her anger. "Well, then, what did you mean back there?"
"Only that... that ship... a gift from another man."
She turned to look at him. "Brem, you think that means anything to me? If anything it's special to be because it's where you and I... " Tears in her eyes but a shy smile on her lips. "It's where we made Sanya."
He kissed her and then pulled her into a tight hug. "It's still not real to me, the idea that you would want to carry... that you are carrying my child."
"Of course I want to. I never imagined that it would happen so soon. I thought we might have a little more time... just the two of us." She smiled. "Before we're three. But I can't think of anything that I'd ever want more. Even a star ship. It's - it's the best gift you could give me."
He pushed her out to arms length and looked her over. Then, with an expression that hesitantly begged her permission, he put his hand on her lower abdomen. "It's really in there?"
She nodded. "Mother got a midwife droid for when Shara needs it and it scanned me and..."
"In the spring, you said?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Then... we'll be able to take her to her first Fete next Summer!"
"Yes!" Melaana grinned, so happy that he was getting excited about the idea.
But then he clouded over again. "We can wait a while till we tell Uncle Nadd. He'll find out anyway, somehow."
"We don't have to worry about that now." She told him trying to bring back his smile. "Not today. I'd kind of like to tell Edda and Geb, though."
The corner of his mouth turned up. "They will be happy for us, won't they."
"I'm sure they will." She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "And I've just got to get out of that house."
He took her hand and they began the walk through the city toward the Gerrera home.
"So I've met your parents now and they didn't throw me out or anything."
She grinned. "I knew they'd love you."
"And that was a nice thing you tried to do for Shara."
Melaana sighed. "I hope it makes a difference. I didn't realize how locked up she felt. They're building a new wing of the house, and remodeling everything, and the new med droid. It's nice and all, but it's not her style at all, is it."
"Not really, no."
"It'd be better to use the space for..." She screwed up her expression, thinking. "... a garden or a yard where she could keep a few pets."
"You should suggest that. They'll listen to you." He nudged her gently. "but you might have to compromise."
"Give up my ship, you mean." She sobered a little.
"It's not to say you'll never be able to fly again. You'll still have the cloud hopper and the rupings and..." he cleared his throat. "What they said about staying on the ground and having the best care for you... and Sanya..."
She surprised him then. "I'll do it, if you think it will be best."
He stopped walking and gave her a 'who are you and what have you done with my wife?' look.
"What?" she laughed. "I trust you. You take care of your creatures. I have no doubt that you want to do what's best for me and our baby."
With a smile he pulled her close and kissed her deeply.
It was not a kiss that Melaana wanted to be distracted from by the odd buzzing sound that began to zip around the two of them like an annoying insect. She lifted her hand from his shoulder and absently swatted in the direction of the sound before she turned to see what it was and found herself staring into the single eye of a hovering camdroid. "Frak."
Bremon laughed. "Well it was good but I didn't think..." He turned at that moment and noticed not only the holorecorder filming them but also the smiling twi'lek with the datapad and stylus at the ready.
"Sark Ueson'nigol, H.E.N. You are Miss Melaana Rash I presume, betrothed of a certain Lieutenant Dane Bonteri of Iziz who is currently on assignment guarding the Galactic Senator, Mina Skelari?"
"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken." Bremon took her by the elbow and began to lead her through the marketplace trying to get lost in the crowd.
Thanks to his quick thinking, they left the reporter behind, with a jog behind a stall and down an alleyway, but the droid stayed right on their tail.
Melaana started giggling as they ran and was soon out of breath. She had to ask to stop. "We shouldn't have run it only makes us look guilty. Oh, Mother's going to love this!"
He wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic or not.
"Might as well give them something to report. Nobody believes all that trash on the gossip nets anyway." She boldly faced the hovering cambot, waved and said, "Hello, Dane. Give Mina my love." Then for good measure she blew it a kiss.
She turned, took Bremon's hand and continued their walk at a slow steady pace, not once looking back to see if they were being followed. They made it the rest of the way to the Gerrera's with no further interruption.