~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few days later, the group was seated around a table in one of the conference rooms the Monaiens had provided for the signing.
"Same deal as always, you're all to be on your BEST BEHAVIOUR." he emphasized as he looked under the table at Cassie and Harper, who was crouched in front of his chair. He smiled sheepishly and sat in his chair. Cassie frowned, her game interrupted, but crawled into her chair too. "The only thing that's really different is that, while the Monaiens are around, Beka is not a Valentine, she's a Hunt and so is
Cassie."
"Why?" Harper asked.
"Women who are pregnant out side of a marriage need special permission to keep the unborn child. Children born out of wedlock are unheard of on this planet unless granted permisson, something very
hard to get. Even women who are pregnant and loose their husbands must seek out permission from the government." Rommie finished.
"Mrs. Hunt it is." Harper said. Beka shot him a look. Trance smiply smiled at the whole exchange while Tyr and Rev made no outward signs of aproval or disaproval. The meeting lasted a few more minutes
before every one was dismissed and went on their way to enjoy shore leave.
"You seem pretty happy about all of this." Beka said as they left the building.
"Of course! I get to do this." he said as he took the ring of her right hand and put it on her left. "Marry me?"
"Looks like I already did." she said as she looked at her left hand and ran her right over her stomach. Dylan just smile and took Cassie's hand.
"Hey! It's a giant bathtub!" she exclaimed and pointed to the ocean.
Beka and Dylan laughed. He picked her up so she could see better.
"It's not a giant bathtub. That's the ocean."
"Ocean?"
"Yup. Lots of things live in the ocean. Fish, whales, plants, other things. Just don't drink the water."
"Why? There's lots of it."
"It taste bad. It's salt water." he explained.
"Ooooohhhh." she said. "Can we go and play in it?" They walked a little further and found a beach with a few people at it already.
"We'll go later. Right now, we have to find you something to wear."
"Why? I like this dress." she said as she looked down at the yellow sun dress she had on, her hair in two braids down her back.
"Well, so do I. We just need something a little fancier for the party." her face fell.
"You're not gonna lose me again are you? Then make a dumb choice and let things get messy are you?"
"Of course not! There are going to be less people there and it's going to be on the Andromeda and Rommie will be able to keep an eye on you all the time." Cassie sighed.
"Oh good. I don't want to be losted again."
"We don't want that either." he said as they walked a little longer before finding Rommie waiting for them. She had insisted on approving the dress herself. Cassie went with her eagerly and Beka and Dylan
were shooed away to go and do something else.
"I will never understand those two." she said.
"Why?"
"She thinks Rommie is her best friend, well, next to Harper, and Rommie will do anything for her. I can't count the number of times I've asked Rommie to check on her and report back, only to have her
not come back because they started to play a game."
"Well, Rommie is learning about being human and who better to learn from the a child who's learning as well?" he asked.
"I guess you're right. Just as long as it's not Harper. He might try and introduce Rommie to playing Dr." she said as they both shared a laugh over that.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few days later, the group was seated around a table in one of the conference rooms the Monaiens had provided for the signing.
"Same deal as always, you're all to be on your BEST BEHAVIOUR." he emphasized as he looked under the table at Cassie and Harper, who was crouched in front of his chair. He smiled sheepishly and sat in his chair. Cassie frowned, her game interrupted, but crawled into her chair too. "The only thing that's really different is that, while the Monaiens are around, Beka is not a Valentine, she's a Hunt and so is
Cassie."
"Why?" Harper asked.
"Women who are pregnant out side of a marriage need special permission to keep the unborn child. Children born out of wedlock are unheard of on this planet unless granted permisson, something very
hard to get. Even women who are pregnant and loose their husbands must seek out permission from the government." Rommie finished.
"Mrs. Hunt it is." Harper said. Beka shot him a look. Trance smiply smiled at the whole exchange while Tyr and Rev made no outward signs of aproval or disaproval. The meeting lasted a few more minutes
before every one was dismissed and went on their way to enjoy shore leave.
"You seem pretty happy about all of this." Beka said as they left the building.
"Of course! I get to do this." he said as he took the ring of her right hand and put it on her left. "Marry me?"
"Looks like I already did." she said as she looked at her left hand and ran her right over her stomach. Dylan just smile and took Cassie's hand.
"Hey! It's a giant bathtub!" she exclaimed and pointed to the ocean.
Beka and Dylan laughed. He picked her up so she could see better.
"It's not a giant bathtub. That's the ocean."
"Ocean?"
"Yup. Lots of things live in the ocean. Fish, whales, plants, other things. Just don't drink the water."
"Why? There's lots of it."
"It taste bad. It's salt water." he explained.
"Ooooohhhh." she said. "Can we go and play in it?" They walked a little further and found a beach with a few people at it already.
"We'll go later. Right now, we have to find you something to wear."
"Why? I like this dress." she said as she looked down at the yellow sun dress she had on, her hair in two braids down her back.
"Well, so do I. We just need something a little fancier for the party." her face fell.
"You're not gonna lose me again are you? Then make a dumb choice and let things get messy are you?"
"Of course not! There are going to be less people there and it's going to be on the Andromeda and Rommie will be able to keep an eye on you all the time." Cassie sighed.
"Oh good. I don't want to be losted again."
"We don't want that either." he said as they walked a little longer before finding Rommie waiting for them. She had insisted on approving the dress herself. Cassie went with her eagerly and Beka and Dylan
were shooed away to go and do something else.
"I will never understand those two." she said.
"Why?"
"She thinks Rommie is her best friend, well, next to Harper, and Rommie will do anything for her. I can't count the number of times I've asked Rommie to check on her and report back, only to have her
not come back because they started to play a game."
"Well, Rommie is learning about being human and who better to learn from the a child who's learning as well?" he asked.
"I guess you're right. Just as long as it's not Harper. He might try and introduce Rommie to playing Dr." she said as they both shared a laugh over that.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~