Chapter 4 - Baby Names

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A/N - Hiya! I just wanted to thank you guys for the awesome reviews especially
Augusta and Clover the Sea-Beast. You're the best! As for the questions concerning
Thomas Jerome Newton... I based him on a character (also played by David Bowie)
from an obscure little seventies sci-fi movie called "The Man who Fell to Earth".
Basically Thomas is an alien who comes to Earth to collect water for his dying planet
but gets a little distracted by the wonderful world of sex, TV and alcohol! He
eventually gets caught and experimented on and gets thoroughly depressed because he
failed his mission. I wanted to bring the character into the story after he'd been
stranded on Earth for about ten years where in the meantime he's become a bit of a
traumatised wreck who's forgotten how to talk. I thought it would be funny if Hilarity
took him in as a pet and I was thinking about returning him to the wreckage of his
home planet in a later story. As for the romance, you just have to wait and see! I don't
have any ideas for Trin at the moment so if you have any weird suggestions for his
love life, let me know!

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Sadly, Hilarity could not return to the Goblin City for several months. She had to
spend some time in the Coria star system researching her next travel guide. Her work
was mostly reviewing hotels and restaurants but she also had a little space to write
about her many adventures and narrow scrapes with the Mafia and such. She also like
to write a little section about all the rural villages that she would often explore and
converse with their inhabitants. Seeing as Danny was no longer around she had to
bring Thomas with her. The change in the little red headed alien was quite
phenomenal. He still wouldn't speak but he no longer flinched when people talked to
him and was beginning to look quite happy and agreeable. He had even cut back on
his gin intake. Hilarity guessed that he was trying to impress her in his funny little
way. She wasn't sure how to react to this sudden change but she let him hold her hand
when they walked and that seemed to please him enough. They finally got home via
the Dragon Nebulae and called in on Trin who was retaking his degree for the sixth
time. Everyone in the Freak family had their fingers crossed for him to scrape a pass.
They landed outside his tiny flat to wish him luck.

"Hey Hils! You're back." said Trin, rushing outside and getting momentarily distracted
by the great parking job Hilarity had pulled off. He wished he could parallel a space
ship like that.

"Yep, I thought I'd stop by to say good luck and I hope you pass that economics degree
you've been doing."

"Thanks."

"You're not deliberately failing so you won't have to get a job, are you?"

Trin looked shocked and hurt "Well really! What do you take me for?"

"Sorry, dude. I just find it very hard to believe that someone can fail five times in a
row. I know you can do this, you just need to put some effort in."

"Fine, whatever." Trin sighed. He hated it when people implied he was a lazy little
sod. It was all true but he didn't need reminding "Jareth asked for you by the way. He
said it was important and he wants you to come over as soon as possible."

"Well I can go right now, I guess. So anyway if you want some help revising, I'd be
more than happy to..." she was already gone.

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"...lend you a hand." said Hilarity as she and Thomas materialised in one of Sarah's
chambers. "What the..?!"

"Ah, you made it!" said Jareth who was sitting on an eighteenth century sofa next to
his wife who was supporting a hefty bump.

"Hi guys! How's it going?"

"Oh it's been hell!" said Sarah "This thing's been kicking my insides like David
Beckham on speed!"

"Bloody hell! That can't be good. Have you thought of any names yet?"

"Nope. Haven't got a clue." said Sarah.

"How about Jareth Junior, then you could call him JJ!" Hilarity suggested.

Jareth looked intrigued but Sarah shot him a scathing look "Er..no, that wouldn't be
very appropriate."

"How about Raphael?"

"Too gay."

"Melladria!"

"Too naff."

"Rudyard."

"Definitely not!"

"Strix Aluco, that's Latin for tawny owl."

"No."

"Ziggy?"

"NO."

"Well, I'm out of ideas. So what's this important thing you wanted to ask me?"

Sarah smiled. "We were wondering if you wanted to be our child's godmother."

Hilarity looked a little shocked but her expression soon changed to one of her carefree
grins. "It would be an honour. I'd love to..."