The morning light woke them and Saleairy yawned. Her back was to Carth and her arms were cold. She didn't think she was awake until Carth turned and wrapped his arms around her. Toopleasant for a dream.He'd tucked her in last night, after he admitted they were both exhausted and it was frigid outside. He rested his face on her shoulder and his hand on her stomach made her squirm. She was still ticklish. He chuckled and moved his hand to her sternum.

"Touchy." He kissed her shoulder.

"Good morning pilot man." She said, yawning.

"I've been promoted from fly boy?" He asked.

"That seemed too unoriginal after the first time." She said.

"Do we have to get up?"

"Sooner or later." Loud knocking on their door meant sooner.

"Who is it?" Carth said, yawning as he gripped Saleairy tighter.

"It's me. Jolee helped me make breakfast." Mission said.

"I thought the hotel was cooking?" Saleairy said, her eyes shut.

"Come to the dining room in twenty minutes and you'll see." Mission said. They listened to her retreating footsteps and Carth sighed.

"How do you feel?" Carth asked.

"I'm fine." Saleairy said. Carth gripped her ribs and she gasped.

"Fine indeed." Carth said. A thought struck him. "Did I hurt you when I landed on you?"

"No." She smiled. "And the near suffocation was well worth it."

Carth got up and dressed while Saleairy stayed on the bed, eyes shut. She was tired, fatigued in any way possible, but it went beyond that. She wouldn't take time to analyze it now. Carth left the room and she blinked. She didn't get up and her eyes shut.

Carth entered and slid on top of her. She groaned and reached for his waist. Her fingers wrapped around his belt buckle and she opened her eyes.

"Dammit." She muttered and shut her eyes again. Carth kissed her neck.

"You should get up now beautiful. Our twenty minutes is almost up." She groaned and slid closer to the pillows until her collarbone was even with Carth's shoulders and her waist was well above his. "Is that a hint?" Carth asked.

"I'm trying to get a few minutes of sleep and you're trying to wake me up like a Gizka that wants to be fed." She said. She smiled at him and he narrowed his eyes.

"The Gizka thing is getting a little old." She ran her finger behind his ear and he attempted to keep the pacified look from his face.

"Sure it is." He caught her hand and pinned her other arm down, kissing her. Her hands slid from his grasp and she held his face, rolling until they fell off the bed. She jumped from on top of him and ran to the bathroom, laughing as Carth groaned.

Saleairy brushed her hair and opened the door to the bathroom as Carth knocked. Carth looked sheepish but stood behind her. She set her brush down and he wrapped his arms around her, gripping her waist. She leaned into him.

"You'll have to keep you mind out of the gutter when you're around the Council."

"You're taking me with you?" Carth was shocked.

"That's the scariest place I'll ever be, damn right you're going."

"Won't they condemn you loving another human being?" He held her tighter and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I don't think so. And if they do, I'll play that saving the galaxy card." She kissed his ear. She sat on the counter and looked up at Carth.

"I don't like it when you stare at me, thinking. It makes me wonder if you see a Gizka or not." Carth said.

"Gizka's don't wear annoying belt buckles babe." She slid from the counter and Carth stopped her from leaving, pushing her against the counter with a brazen smile.

"What are you thinking when you just look at me like that?" He kissed her and held her close.

"I'm not really thinking. I just look at you."

"Really?" He asked.

"I'm thinking some things that I would rather not say, including comments about your jacket and pants. And how much I love you." She kissed him and when she released him, they drew a hasty breath. He pressed closer and she kissed him again.

"Guys, come on!" They heard Mission at the room door and Saleairy sighed into Carth, since she had nowhere else to move. Carth peeked at himself in the mirror.

"You really can mess with my hair." He kept her pinned as he restyled his hair. She smiled.

"I can mess with other things too." She kissed him and pressed him close until he was forced to break away, gasping. He stumbled back and she smiled as she ran for the dining room.

"Flirt!" He called after her.

Breakfast was short and Mission had indeed cooked since breakfast was aboard the Ebon Hawk as they prepared to leave. Canderous and Zaalbar loaded luggage while Carth readied the ship. Saleairy sat in the co pilot seat and helped him. Carth caught himself staring a few times and kept preparing the ship systems. He remembered when Saleairy laughed and told him it was okay that he stared. He smiled at Saleairy and got up, standing over her.

"Something wrong, pilot man?" Saleairy asked. She looked up at him with her gray, glinting eyes and he melted.

"No, I'm thinking about letting someone else fly for once." Mission wandered in and pushed Carth on to Saleairy.

"I'll do it." Saleairy was too busy trying to keep Carth from falling on his butt to laugh. She steadied Carth who decided to stay on her lap.

"You're usually so polite too." Carth said.

"I figured you two would end up making out so I just saved you some time." She said, sticking her tongue out. "Jolee, come be co pilot." Jolee walked in a few moments later as they took off and Carth got up. Saleairy got up and stumbled since Carth's weight may or may not have cut some circulation off. They sat in the crew quarters and Saleairy curled onto one of the cots. Carth wrapped a blanket around her and watched her sleep. Saleairy struggled in her sleep and woke with a start as she almost rolled off the cot. Carth sighed as he climbed in beside her.

"I can't trust you to sleep peaceably anywhere we go."

"Yeah. I have trouble sleeping when someone's watching me sleep." She yawned.

"You could tell I was watching you?" Carth asked.

"Yes. And if you'd behave and sleep I'll be a very well rested savior of the frigging galaxy."