***************************Chapter 18 *************************************

We stepped into the lift and Marcel turned to face the door, shaking his head at the four people who moved to step on. Shannon moved off to one side, while Kahlen and I moved to the back, as far from them as possible.

"What did you say to her?!!" I asked in a hoarse whisper. No need for either of us to clarify who I was talking about.

"Nothing." she replied, looking in my eyes. "As soon as we got in a lift, she turned to me and asked me how long we had been sleeping together."

"She actually asked that?" I demanded, horrified. This was worse than I had thought.

"Well, not in those specific words." She frowned as she tried to piece together the conversation. "She scolded Shannon a bit for not having gone to the MedLab last night, but that didn't last long. Just long enough for me to relax and think that she might not have put it together. Than she turned to me and asked me . . . .

"Her exact words were : 'Tell me Kahlen, how long have you been intimate with my son?'" Kahlen took a breath and continued. "I was shocked. I couldn't believe that she was asking me that! Sure, she could have asked if she was curious, but to come out like that, no lead up, no small talk first . . . . I was terrified."

I sighed and gave her a hug. She was tense at first and I could understand why. This change in our relationship was still new to both of us after all.

I could also sympathize with her reaction towards my mother. I was still caught off guard by her sometimes, and as my father had once admitted, even HE was sometimes surprised by her.

"Believe me, Kahlen, you are not the first, and you wont be the last person

to be surprised by my mother. I think she likes to shock people like that."

I held her close and breathed in her scent. It reminded me of the smell of the morning dew after a nights gentle rain. "Go on."

Even though I couldn't see her face, I knew she was blushing. "I told her that last night was the first time we . . . . Well that it was the first time. Then she asked if I enjoyed myself."

Now it was my turn to blush. "What did you say?"

"I told her that I had never felt anything so . . . pleasurable. When she heard that, she gave a small grin. She asked me a few more questions like that, mostly about my . . . past experiences and what I hoped for our relationship. I told her that I had no past relationships and that no matter what happens between us, we would always remain friends."

Shannon turned her head and grinned. "Tell him what happened next."

Kahlen's eyes widened and she looked down at the floor, her face almost matching her hair. "I can't tell him that!!" she stated, shocked.

Shannon's grin grew. "If you don't, I will." she said firmly.

Kahlen sighed. "Alright, alright." But she stopped speaking and tensed up in my hands again.

I moved my hand and lifted her face up to meet mine. "Tell me." I urged silently.

She gave a small smile. "She started to ask for more . . .'intimate' details and then she gave me a few tips on physiology."

I frowned. For the moment, the subtext eluded me, then I caught the gist of what she was saying. My mother had given her instructions on how to . . . . That was definitely not something I should ever have had to picture.

"She did what?!" I gasped.

Kahlen's smile widened at my reaction. "She told me where most of the erogenous zones for a human male and a Minbari male would be. She also said that I should, and again, I'm quoting her : 'take the time to explore his body as thoroughly as I want to because sex is supposed to be pleasurable for all involved, not just one partner.' Then she said that I should insist that YOU take your time and explore MY body as thoroughly as possible." Marcel let out one loud humph, while Shannon giggled and Kahlen smiled up at me.

I groaned and wiped my face with my hand. "I can't believe she actually said that." *At least she didn't mention the Shan Fal* I thought to myself.

"Well, you'd better believe it, because I intend on following her advice. As soon as possible and as often as possible for as long as possible."

I sighed melodramatically. "Well, if you insist . . . . " Then I pulled her into a passionate kiss. Behind us Shannon 'oohed' and 'ahed' while Marcel wondered out loud how long it would last before one of us broke for air.

The kiss lasted until the lift stopped moving and the door opened. We stepped out, Kahlen and I holding hands. There was no more reason to try and hide that our relationship had changed.