As Meaghan watched her last link with the Andromeda take off, she suddenly felt light-headed, and her next sensation was that of her knees meeting the ground, and everything seemed to be fading away.

To Charlemagne's shocked surprise, Elsbeth took over completely, ordering Meaghan to be taken to her room, calling for a doctor and just generally organizing everything.

"Do you think it could be a problem with the baby?" Charlemagne tried to sound nonchalant about it.

Elsbeth arched an eyebrow at him. "Anything's possible, but how often did she leave the ship?"

He shrugged. "Just the once that I know of."

"And now, she's pregnant, separated from all her friends, and on a planet that has nearly a third again the gravity that she's used to." Elsbeth looked at her husband. "I think that the only way to know for sure is to wait and see what the doctor says."

&&&&&&&

Meaghan awoke in a large, soft bed in a large, opulent room. At first she thought was alone, then as she started to sit up, she heard Elsbeth's voice. "Lie still."

Meaghan felt a cold panic grip her. "My baby?"

"Is fine," Charlemagne's wife reassured her. "You're just overstressed and need some time to acclimatize to our higher gravitation here. The doctor said bed rest for today, then slowly increasing your activity."

"But what about..," she began.

"Charlemagne's current secretary will stay a few more days until you are able to assume your duties," Elsbeth interrupted. "You do want to do what is best for your child, don't you?"

"Of course." Meaghan subsided. "And I want to thank you for taking such good care of me, your grace."

"You intrigue me," Elsbeth admitted, coming to stand near the bed so that the other woman didn't have to crane her neck to see her. "Charlemagne told me how you came to be on the Andromeda, and how quickly you made yourself indispensable."

"Hardly indispensable, your grace," Meaghan pointed out, "or I wouldn't be here."

"Elsbeth," the amazon interjected. "Since you're going to be staying here, the constant use of such formalities seems a little unnecessary."

"Staying here?" Meaghan tried to keep the dismay out of her voice. "But I thought..,"

"It was my idea," Elsbeth said bluntly. "As I said, you intrigue me, and I'd like to keep you where I can see you." Then her features softened a little. "Do you feel up to eating anything?"

Meaghan considered the question a moment. "I don't think so at the moment. And whatever your motivations for your kindness, I thank you, Elsbeth." She held out her hand, and after a brief hesitation, the Nietzschean woman took it. Something seemed to pass between them, and the harsh lines on Elsbeth's face softened a little.

"I'll look in on you again before I retire for the evening, Meaghan," the stately brunette said. "Rest now."

&&&&&&&&

Charlemagne was in his office, ostensibly working, but in reality just blankly staring at the information in front of him, when Elsbeth entered. It took a supreme act of will for him not to jump up and immediately demand news on Meaghan's condition.

"It will be a few days before she can assume her duties," his wife informed him without prelude. "The doctor says that she needs time to acclimatize." She waited on the other question, deciding that if he really wanted to know, he was going to have to ask.

"Then it's nothing serious," he said with a calm he did not feel.

"Not according to her physician." Elsbeth shrugged. She added thoughtfully, "She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?"

"I didn't know that you liked girls, my love," Charlemagne teased. He left his chair and sat on the desk, near his wife, pulling her to him. "Maybe I just thought that it was time that there was an attractive female about the place."

Elsbeth made a half-hearted attempt to free herself, but Charlemagne's arms only tightened about her.

Charlemagne began nuzzling her neck. "Surely you're not jealous of a human, are you, my dear?"

"Merely an observation," Elsbeth answered. "But don't you have work to do?"

He released her with a show of reluctance. "Regrettably true."

"Try to be on time to dinner tonight," his wife reminded him as she left.

&&&&&&&

Soon enough, Meaghan was on her feet and handling her new responsibilities with ease, and Elsbeth began to relax as neither she nor Charlemagne by any word, look or gesture suggested that there was anything between them. A rapport grew between the two women, human and Nietzschean, an entirely feminine one that totally excluded Charlemagne. He was beginning to be unsure as to whether he had gained Meaghan, or lost his wife.

&&&&&&&&

Five months later:

A now visibly pregnant Meaghan was having a restless night, and had made her way to the salon that overlooked the gardens. She stood at the window, taking in the lovely sight of the moonlit greenery.

"Meg?" Charlemagne came up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him.

She closed her eyes a moment, just enjoying the nearness of him that had been conspicuously absent these last few months. "Couldn't you sleep either?"

"I heard you pass by our rooms," he confessed. "I just wanted to make sure that everything was all right."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Just a bit battered."

"Battered?"

"Here." She took his hands and placed them on her swollen abdomen where he could feel the energetic kicking of their son. "Try to sleep while you're being kicked in the ribs."

"Our son," he murmured in awed tones, then became distracted by other considerations. It had been so long since he had been able to hold her, breathe in the scent of her..,

"I've missed this," she whispered. "Being in your arms."

"Anything else?" he inquired teasingly, nudging aside her hair to nibble on an earlobe.

"None of that, your grace," she admonished gently, pulling away from him. "Besides, my hormones aren't geared to that now."

She reached up to kiss his cheek, then left him standing there, alone.