I walk in the door and the first words out of my wife's mouth are, "She knows."

It takes a second for me to figure out what she's talking about, but the realization floods into me quickly. "You told her?" I ask.

Aeryn shakes her head, getting up from her position on the sofa to walk over to me. "She heard us fighting about it the other night. She asked me about it."

Oh, God. And here I was hoping to never have to have this conversation. "What did you tell her?"

"She knows that this is her half-sister, and she knows what it means, and that she won't be born for a long time. I told her to talk with you about it."

"Thanks, Aeryn," I grumble. "Damn, I'm not ready for this."

She touches my arm tightly. "You can't stall anymore. If she heard us talking, she knows too much to let it slide."

I know this. It had to happen eventually. I just hoped Rose would be like thirty. Or at least at an age where I knew she would understand what I was telling her. I'm not sure a six-year-old can.

She's in back, Aeryn says. She knows I'm trying not to move my feet yet.

Knowing if I stay here any longer I'll have to deal with Aeryn, I decide to get this over with. I walk out to the porch, where Rose is sitting on the stairs. I don't know that I've ever seen her this still. Oh, this is not going to be easy.

Hey, Rosie, I say, sitting next to her.

Are you going to tell me now? she asks.

Even if this had been easy to begin with, Rose doesn't seem to want to let me off on this one. I nod. Yeah, I'm going to tell you now.



If it wasn't for that look on her face I would never even think to tell her the full truth. No one this young should have to hear this. Then again, she's not a normal kid, by any stretch of the imagination. That still doesn't mean she gets to hear about her father getting decapitated.

I say, and take a deep breath, trying to settle that cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. Years ago we ended up on a royal planet. The princess there had to get married, but her DNA was all messed up, so she couldn't find someone who could be her husband. My DNA worked with hers, so I had to marry her.

Rose looks horrified. See? I knew this would happen. You said everything, I remind her.

Keep going, she says, closing her jaw.

Damn. I was hoping she wouldn't want to hear anymore. We had to be frozen for eighty years, I continue. But I got unfrozen and they couldn't put me back. Then I found out that the princess was going to have a baby.

She's breaking my heart, she really is. Rose knows where babies come from, and she's not happy about this.

I cut her off. They used my DNA. I had no part in it. I didn't know what they were going to do.

Rose looks like she's going to cry. So where are they now? she asks.

The princess is with the man she really loves. He took my place. And since the baby won't be born for a long time, he's going to be her father, I say. Another reason I didn't want to tell her. If it's hurting her, imagine what it's doing to me. I haven't talked about this in depth since it first happened, and it's killing me.

She gets quiet again, and I hesitantly put my arm around her. I'm surprised she lets me. I did get to see her, though, I say quietly. They have this cool technology. I got to see her, and she's beautiful. She looks so much like you.

Why didn't you tell me? Rose asks.

Because it hurts, I say honestly. I didn't want to have to put you through it, and I didn't want to have to say it.

It's good you did, Rose says, and scrambles onto my lap. Will I get to see her?

Maybe. But it'll be a long time, and they'll probably say they don't know me, I tell her. But if you want to find her, it's up to you. That's another thing that's probably going to haunt me. Knowing how Rose is, she'll one day search her out, whether her sister wants to see her or not. Meaning when my daughters meet- and if Rose decides they will, trust me, they will- I won't be around to see it.

Does she have a name?

I shake my head. I debated for a long time giving her a name just for me to call her in my head, but it just made her more real. I couldn't do it.

If I say Leslie, I mean my sister, Rose states proudly.

I stare at her.

Like your mom. I know it's bad luck because she's dead but we can't get more bad luck, she says.

Is she trying to make me cry? If she keeps this up... I pull my little girl into a hug. You know I love you, right? I say, kissing her on the forehead.

Rose nods. Love you too, Dad. Anything else you need to say? she asks suspiciously.

I smile. No, not that I can think of.

She gets up and goes into the house, and only then do I see that Aeryn's standing at the door. How did it go? she asks.

I wave her over to sit next to me, and when she does, I hold her for a long time. Are you all right? Aeryn finally asks.

I will be once I've recovered, I say. I pull away from her, absently playing with her ponytail. We've got a good kid, Aeryn.

She nods. I know.

I keep my arm around her, needing some kind of contact with her right now. Her hand moves to my waist, apparently knowing this. She named her sister Leslie, I say.

Aeryn looks me in the eye. It's a good name, she says, and holds me tighter.