Chapter Thirty-Seven

Before Rex could say anything, a familiar voice drew his attention.

"Excuse me? Are you her owner?" Glancing over, Rex noted that Maric and Clera were standing in front of Nova again, each of them wearing expressions of forced neutrality, as if he had no idea how eager they were.

Ah, civvies. It was kind of endearing, actually, and they seemed like a pleasant enough couple.

As he approached, Rex tilted his hat in greeting. "I'm just her trainer," he replied in an genial, professional tone. "The fellow behind me is technically-"

"We're all part owners, sir," Caith broke in, leaning away from the fence. "Every Damaris quagga is family-owned and trained." He called to Tavi, who trotted across the paddock to meet him, and tousled the boy's hair affectionately. "We're going to go check on my mom," Caith added with a nod to the couple, who were smiling as Tavi scowled and tried to smooth out his rumpled hair. "Rex here will take care of any questions you have. Enjoy your day."

"Dad...don't do that!" Tavi grumbled as they walked away. "I'm not a baby, anymore!"

Rex missed Caith's reply, as he'd returned all of his focus back to the couple. For a moment he was a bit at a loss, as he'd never had to do anything even remotely like this, then he shook the feeling away and decided to treat this occasion as he would have any other mission. "Rex Damaris," he said, offering his hand to Clera, then Maric. They gave their names and he offered another tilt of his hat afterward. "Nice to meet you both. Were you interested in Nova?"

"Nova?" Clera glanced at the spec-sheet; the quagga's names were generally not listed, only any notable bloodlines, along with other practical information. "That's a lovely name. How did you choose it?"

There was nothing Rex could say to that, as Nova had her name when he'd first met her, but the question touched him. How did you give someone a name? He glanced at the quagga and ran his eyes over her form; Nova's name suited her so well. Had it always been so, or had she grown into it? "I'm not sure," he admitted after a beat. "I wasn't the one who named her."

Clera gave him a warm smile. "It's still a lovely name. Isn't it, Maric?"

"We're just looking right now," Maric replied in a business-like tone, giving his wife a look that was only a little exasperated. A moment later, however, he shot Rex a careful glance. "It says here she's good with kids? She seems pretty young..."

"Nova's three," Rex replied, patting Nova's neck and smiling at the memory of riding with Iri. "But she's quite gentle. My daughter loves riding her, though she's a bit young – I sit in the saddle with her, just in case."

Clera glanced at her husband, then looked back at Rex. "How old is your daughter?"

"Nearly three and a half." He paused, and looked between the young couple. "Do you have kids?"

At this, Maric drew himself up and grinned, embracing the now-blushing woman beside him. "Just found out a few months ago we're going to be parents."

Rex smiled at them both. "Congratulations. That's wonderful news."

"I'm terrified, actually," Maric confessed, his voice dropping in pitch. "Cler's handling it like a champ, though."

The blonde woman gave a light laugh. "It's a little overwhelming at times, but we're happy. It's part of the reason we're here, today," she added with another, warm look at the quagga. "I used to ride all the time as a girl, and thought it'd be nice for our child to have the same opportunity whenever he or she gets old enough. In the meantime, Maric and I can enjoy riding her."

Nodding, Rex indicated Nova again. "I know she may seem young, ma'am, but she'd be a good choice for a beginning rider. We've been through a lot, together."

He'd tried to keep his voice professional, but perhaps some wistfulness leaked through, for Clera cast him a warm look. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Nova whickered and ducked her forehead towards him, as if begging for a scratch. Rex obliged her. "I do," he replied with a smile as Nova's eyes closed with pleasure. "But that's life, I suppose. You do the best you can and you move on when the time comes." He paused, then looked between them, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "I just want to make sure that she goes to the right home."

The couple exchanged glances; Clera's expression was very deliberate, but Rex could still tell that they were trying to play it cool. He liked the couple, though, because they seemed genuinely kind, and he thought that Nova would have a good home with them, which was maybe why he was pushing a little harder than he might have, otherwise. Rex didn't fancy himself a salesman, but he knew that his words had made an impact on Clera and Maric, and he found himself hoping very much that Nova would go home with them.

A moment later, Maric cleared his throat and looked back at Rex. "We should get going," he said, offering his hand to shake. "But maybe we'll see you in a few hours, Mr. Damaris."

"I hope so, sir," Rex replied.

Hours later...

When Rex clasped Maric's hand again, he noted how the other man made no effort to hide his excitement, now.

"That turned into quite the bidding war," he said as Clera finished signing the necessary flimsiwork before passing it back to Jensine. "You really fought for her."

Maric nodded; his eyes swept over to Nova, who was back in the grooming stall, happily munching on a few strands of hay from the mesh feeder hanging beside her. "We think she's worth it."

"I know she is," Rex replied with a nod, and the other man beamed at him. "And I know you'll take good care of her."

"We'll arrange for a trailer to pick her up," Clera was saying to Jensine as the bill-of-sale was exchanged. "It shouldn't take more than about half an hour."

Jensine nodded and thanked the younger woman, who then turned to her husband and Rex. "We'll take the best care of her, Mr. Damaris," Clera said as she took her husband's hand, preparing to head off into the crowd. "I'm glad she's coming home with us."

Rex smiled at her, then indicated the bill-of-sale that she was holding. "Me too. If you have any issues, though, please contact me. And congratulations on your soon-to-be little one, again."

The blonde woman's cheeks flushed but her smile was very wide. Seemingly on a whim, she reached out and shook Rex's hand, then she and her husband turned and walked away.

Once they were out of an earshot, Jensine clapped Rex's back. "Holy kriffing hell...I don't know what you said to them, but I've never had a quagga sell for that much."

"I told them the truth," he replied, feeling a flash of alarm course through him as he recalled his words to the young couple. As far as he knew, he'd only been forthright, if a little too eager...

Jensine laughed and thumped his shoulder again; she was a good deal shorter than him, but her movements were very strong. "I know you did, son. I'm just impressed, is all. You should savor it," she added as she reached into the inside pocket of her jacked and withdrew a small, leather-bound booklet. "It doesn't happen too often."

Before he could reply, Rex caught sight of Caith, Kix and Tav, who were approaching, laden with food that they'd collected from some of the vendors. They'd gone to fetch dinner while Rex and Jensine had remained in the paddock to help load the quagga who'd sold, as it was growing late and no one had had time to eat lunch.

Because he was straining to see if Kix had grabbed him a kor vella twist like he'd asked, Rex didn't see the slip of flimsi that Jensine was offering him until she nudged his shoulder. Looking down, he frowned at the paper, which had his name and quite a large number written on it. "What's this?"

Jensine sighed. "It's your share."

"Of...?"

Brenna's mother gave him a look that was only a little exasperated. "Of the sales today."

His eyes widened and he glanced back down at the figure again, his mind racing through the calculations. "This...this is too much," he managed after a moment. "I haven't-"

"You have," Jensine replied with a lifted brow. "And then some. Rex...every quagga that you practically laid a hand on sold for more than I expected, not to mention that bidding war over Nova that broke out between that couple and those other potential buyers. You made the Damaris family a lot of money, today," she added, a smile creeping to her face. "And – as a member of said family – this is your rightful share."

Rex felt his mouth open, but no sound came out, so he looked back at the flimsi again. It was more money than he'd ever seen, let alone thought he'd possess, and he found that he was utterly speechless. His amazement was most definitely visible, because Jensine chuckled and gave him a knowing look. "A young man like you with a growing family has to plan for the future," she said. "You're very skilled, you know. You could make a living doing this."

Her arm lifted to indicate the auction, Nova and the other quagga, everything. Rex looked up and around, noting that Tav had paused by a cloud-candy stand and appeared to be cajoling Caith into buying some. All around them, people milled about, buying and selling and living their normal lives, and he realized that he was one of them. It felt...well, it felt pretty damn good.

"I do enjoy working with the quagga," he said at last, looking back at Nova in her stall, thinking that he would say goodbye once they were alone.

"Good to hear," Jensine replied with a nod. "Because I'd like to offer you a partnership in the business. It'd be official; you'd get a percentage of all the profit, and if today's any indication, I think it's a pretty lucrative deal."

Rex didn't answer, at first.

It wouldn't be an easy job, but it was work he enjoyed. It was...fulfilling, he realized. He thought of Clera and Maric, so eager to welcome their child into the world, as well as welcome Nova into their growing family. He thought of Iri, delighted with the quagga; he wondered if it was a love that would continue as she aged. He thought of the hours he'd spent on Nova's back, watching the Alderaani sky.

He thought he was pleased at the idea of not having to destroy for a living, but rather create something, instead.

But he wasn't sure if Bren would want to remain here, even after all that had happened the last time they left. "I'd like to say yes," he said slowly. "But I'm reluctant to make a unilateral decision without speaking to Brenna."

Something flashed in Jensine's eyes; he thought it was approval, but it was so hard for him to get a read on her, sometimes. "Nothing's set in stone. You can change your mind if you and Brenna want to make other arrangements."

That was comforting. Rex glanced at Nova again, then looked back at Jensine and held out his hand; she accepted, and her grip was firm. "Then I accept your offer," he said with a nod. "Thank you, Mrs. Damaris."

She rolled her eyes, but he could see that she was pleased. "For kriff's sake, Rex. Just call me 'mom.'"

That evening...

It had taken a little detective work to track down this particular farmer, but Brenna finally managed to get a message to Saleucami.

Once she made sure that the message had been sent without error, she exhaled leaned back against the chair at her workstation, placing one hand on her thickening middle and rubbing the heel of her other hand against her forehead, where she felt a headache forming. In addition to that, her breasts were sore, her back hurt, and waves of nausea were rippling through her at a rather alarming rate, but her self-appointed mission was complete.

All she had to do now was hope for a reply.

A creaking floorboard sounded, and she glanced at the door to see Nala Se's ducked head as the Kaminoan entered her room, holding Iri's sleeping form. With Rex gone to the auction and a pile of work to do, Brenna had asked Nala to watch Iri for a few hours, a task that the Kaminoan had taken on with as much eagerness as Brenna had seen her do anything; her daughter had seemed happy with the arrangement as well, which was the best part.

"Apparently the little one is ready for her sleep-cycle," Nala Se said, her gray eyes swirling with affection as she studied the child in her arms.

Brenna glanced at her chrono and winced, realizing that it was later than she'd thought. She pushed herself out of her chair, trying to ignore the nausea as she approached her daughter and the Kaminoan. "Thank you again for watching her, Nala," she said as she lifted Iri from the Kaminoan's grasp. Iri's hair was damp and she smelled like soap. "Did you give her a bath?"

"Much of Irini's evening meal found its way to her face, neck and arms," Nala Se replied, an edge of concern in her tone. "I thought that cleansing was the proper course of action. Was that incorrect?"

"No, it's fine," Brenna said, fighting back a chuckle at the Kaminoan's terminology. "Thank you for taking such good care of her."

Her daughter's face was slack with sleep, lashes resting on chubby cheeks and lips slightly parted. Brenna held her close and slipped past Nala Se and moved to the room that the children shared; Caith and Tavi had returned several hours ago, having left the auction a bit early so that the boy could get home in time for dinner, and her nephew was already in bed, fast asleep after his own exciting day.

Soon enough, Iri was in her pajamas and curled up in her bed, and after Brenna kissed her goodnight, she and Nala Se left the bedroom as quietly as possible. Once they were in the hallway, Brenna smiled up at the Kaminoan. "I heard her laughing from up here...sounds like she had a lot of fun. You're really good with her."

"I enjoy spending time with her," Nala replied, glancing towards the kids' room. "She is a lovely child. And you are feeling well?"

This was said with a look at Brenna's midsection. Sighing, Brenna nodded. "Well enough. Being pregnant is much less fun than I remember..."

Her words trailed off as the realization hit her. She remembered being pregnant. The nausea, the exhaustion, the unpredictable moods...it had been the same with Iri, and she was suddenly filled with gratitude that this, if not everything, had been returned to her.

But right now, Nala Se was looking at her curiously, so Brenna cleared her throat and nodded again. "I'm okay. A little nauseous and tired, but that's to be expected."

Nala Se inclined her head, and while Brenna didn't fancy herself an expert on Kaminoan body-language, she thought that the movement indicated curiosity. "Everything is...normal?"

"According to the doctor, yes," she replied with a smile. "Everything is perfect."

"I am glad to hear it." There was a pause, then Nala Se's head dipped gracefully, almost a bow. "It is late. I believe I shall retire to my quarters. Your mother wished to discuss some of the quagga genetics with me, tomorrow, so I must complete some research in preparation."

This was news to Brenna, but she didn't question the Kaminoan, only wished her goodnight and then headed back up to her and Rex's room, as she also had a stack of work to get through. While the nausea wasn't bad enough – yet – to cause her to lose her dinner, it was more than enough to prevent her from sleeping at the moment, and besides, she was anxious to see Rex. Since Caith and Tavi had returned before the others, she'd heard a little bit of her family's success at Belleau-a-Lir, but she was eager to hear it from her husband.

Several hours passed, and Brenna was lost in her work for the duration. It was very late when she heard the sound of the speeder approaching, so she shut off her equipment, grabbed her jacket and hurried downstairs to meet Rex, her mother, and Kix. Once she stepped outside, the cool air that hit her face was like an embrace, and a few inhales helped chase away the edge of the nausea that had been plaguing her nonstop the last few days. Morning sickness, my shebs.

The hover-trailer that had been used to bring the quagga to the auction was empty, and she watched as the speeder pulled up into the gravel driveway, its headlights illuminating the puffs of her breath and making her squint in the bright lights until the driver cut them off. Save for the lamps on the front porch and the glow of the moon, it was dark.

Three figures emerged from the speeder, and she recognized her husband at once, despite the fact that his and Kix's silhouettes were practically identical. Jensine led the way, and as she approached, Brenna thought that her mother looked pleased about something that was not related to money. "Hi, Mom," she said. "I heard it went well."

"We came, we sold, we conquered," Jensine replied. "And I'm starving. Rex will fill you in on the rest."

Despite her brusque manner, her tone was warm and as she slipped past Brenna to the steps, she patted her daughter's arm with affection. Kix followed Jensine inside, his expression indicating he was tired and hungry as well, so she was expecting much the same thing when she looked at Rex.

Indeed, he did look tired, but there was something in his eyes that she didn't recognize, a kind of satisfaction that she hadn't seen before, and she was instantly alert. "Sounds like it was an eventful day," she said as he took her hand. "Are you hungry? There's still a ton of food from dinner."

"I could eat." He kissed her, then put his arm around her waist and they moved back up the steps, though he gave her a speculative look once they reached the front door. "How are you feeling?"

She inhaled, savoring the cool air that filled her lungs. With her jacket on, she was actually the perfect temperature, and she found that she didn't quite want to head inside, just yet. "A little nauseous, but it's not too bad, right now."

Sometimes, she wondered if spending so much time around Jedi had made him a mind-reader, or perhaps he just knew her that well, because Rex seemed to know exactly what she was thinking as he indicated the porch-swing. "Actually, I'm not that hungry. Would you mind if we sat outside for a few minutes?"

Soon, they were seated beside one another, listening to the gentle creak of the swing, and the wind as it sloughed across the yard. After adjusting her seat – she figured she'd have to start wearing maternity clothes, soon – Brenna sighed and leaned into his side; she felt his arm tighten around her shoulders again, then felt a kiss against her forehead before he spoke. "There was something of a bidding war for Nova," he said, amusement in his voice. "All of the quagga we brought went for very good prices, so I understand, but there was this one couple..."

When he told her how much the quagga had sold for, she gaped at him. "No wonder Mom was so happy."

Rex chuckled, then cleared his throat. "She offered me a partnership in Damaris Quagga."

"That's wonderful," she replied, smiling. "Assuming you can tolerate working with her, though I think you can, especially since she likes you."

He smiled at this, but a frown creased his face after a moment. "It would mean...staying here, on Alderaan," he said carefully. "Would you be okay with that?"

Brenna inhaled and looked at the stars that lay against the inky backdrop of the sky; there were so many, and even more that she couldn't see. She knew that in the past, she'd wanted nothing more to leave Alderaan, but now...

It had been, it was, and it would always be home.

"We're probably going have to move out of this house, sooner rather than later," she replied at last. "But yes, Rex. I'd like to stay on Alderaan." Relief crossed his face and he smiled, then pulled her close again, rubbing his hand along her sleeve as if to warm her. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. "I remembered something today."

His voice was quiet but heavy with hope. "What?"

She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her stomach; it was far too soon to be able to feel any signs of life, but the faint swell was reassuring, even if the nausea was not. "Being pregnant."

At this, his head turned and he regarded her beneath the faint glow of the porch lights. "Bren..."

"The nausea...that started it. And my breasts are tender...and bigger," she added, lifting a brow at him. To his credit, his expression did not change, save for a hint of his half-smile, so she continued. "I remember a little more, each day. It's..."

Suddenly filled with emotion, she blinked and leaned back into his shoulder, sighing when he kissed her forehead again. "I was afraid that I would never remember being pregnant with Iri, that those memories were gone, forever. But now, I'm so grateful for this...to experience this again "

He said nothing for a few moments, then she heard him exhale. "I'm really...glad to hear that, Bren."

Again, they were quiet. The wind slipped across the stubs of grass beyond the porch, rifling through the scattered trees and pushing a few upper-level clouds across the sky, obscuring some of the stars while they were bathed in the silver light of the moon. It was growing colder by the minute, but she was warm right now, content. Strands of her hair were picked up by the wind but she felt Rex's hand lift to smooth them down.

When he spoke, she heard a drop of wonder in his voice. "Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?"

"It's too early to tell. Why? Do you have a preference?"

"No, I've just been wondering." He paused, then leaned his head against hers. "How do you give someone a name?"

"What do you mean?"

Rex sighed and rubbed her shoulder again, but this time the motion was almost absent, as if he was lost in thought. "I chose my own name," he said slowly. "As did all of my brothers. Names were rarely given, but they were often earned. It was a very personal thing. I don't know...how to give a name to a child."

Brenna shrugged. "Some people pick family names, as those get passed down though the generations; I don't remember exactly why I picked it, but I know that Irini was also the name of my grandmother. Some people find one they like and stick with it, or change their minds a hundred times. It depends."

There was a weighted pause, then she pulled back so that she could look up at him. "Did you have a name in mind?"

He shook his head, his brows knitted. "I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Maybe we can come up with a few that we like, and see if any of them fit." She smiled at his thoughtful look. "We have a while, anyway."

A half-smile spread across his face as his eyes met hers. "We do, don't we?"

Thank you for reading!

Next time: "Saleucami was warmer than he remembered."

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