I've been on a keyboard-pecking marathon! Thank you for the always thoughtful reviews. Rest assured, polarbear20000, the wedding is going to be epic.

Chapter 10

It felt strange to be in her childhood room. She changed out of her uniform, relieved to be wearing something else aside from a uniform or exercise clothing. She stood in front of the closet to decide which dress to wear.

"Yes?" she called over her shoulder when a knock on her door was heard.

"It's me," Matt's voice said.

She chuckled. "Come in."

The door opened, then closed, and she heard his sharp intake of breath.

He stepped inside at "come in" and forgot how to breathe at the sight before him. She stood there and looked through dresses, in nothing but her underwear. She looked over her shoulder at him, winked, and grinned.

#

She and Matt returned to the living room. She sat down next to Jeanette on the big couch and patted the space next to her for Matt.

"If you don't mind my saying so, you've lost weight," Katherine said.

"I blame long hours and a starship diet. I need some alterations to my uniforms," Rachel replied.

"Who was your captain?" Aunt Honor asked.

"Captain Wozniak. He said he came up on light and heavy cruisers, spent some time at the Admiralty, and then the Crusher. He was given the David Taylor last year."

Grace came into the room. "Excuse me, lunch is ready. Welcome home, m'lady."

"Thank you, Grace."

In the large dining room, Benjamin waited until everyone else was seated before he finally took a seat. He said a blessing and the kitchen assistants rolled out trays of food. Grace placed a covered dish before Rachel and removed the cover with a flourish. She laughed in delight at the steaming hot stack of pancakes, while everyone else was served soup and sandwiches.

#

She swirled a bite of pancake in buttery syrup and her mother's voice piped up.

"So, have you decided where you want to live?"

Rachel popped the bite in her mouth and looked up. Everyone was looking at her, amused. She had not yet realized her mother had addressed her. Matt snickered when she pointed at herself and Katherine nodded. She chewed, swallowed, and took a sip of milk.

"Not yet. I mean, I have the choice of officers' dorms at Alvarez Field or here. The dorms would be more convenient. The base is an hour away from here, even with a fast air car."

"You know you always have a room at Harrington House, don't you? It's just a half hour away from the field, and there's a shuttle service to the base," Aunt Honor suggested, and winked to her parents.

"Let me think on it a couple of days," Rachel said.

"Fair enough," Benjamin said.

Rachel looked at Matt.

"I'm in the dorms. Redmon is almost three hours from Alvarez Field, you know."

"A new apartment complex has gone up on the east side of Harrington Steading," Aunt Honor suggested.

"As great as that sounds, your grace, the dorms are rent-free," Matt replied, remembering the conversation he had with his parents about his living situation.

Come October, he would be a reservist medical student, earning only a stipend monthly. He had saved much of his academy stipend and was saving as much of his active duty pay as possible. However, when he started medical school, he would have to move out of the dorms, because they were only for active-duty personnel. His stipend wouldn't come close to the cost of rent anywhere! He would have to move back home because he couldn't afford to live anywhere else!

"How is she putting up with me? How is her father putting up with me?" he grouched to his father, frustrated and embarrassed.

"Because she loves you," her father replied.

His mother Judith spoke. "Things won't be hard as you think for too long. I know it's hard on your pride that for a while your wife will be the one with a steady paycheck."

Christine patted his hand. "Rachel is one of the sweetest young women I've ever met. She won't hold anything over your head or keep any kind of score."

"Aside from that, do you think her father would ever let her go without?" his father added.

—

"Please don't think that we're trying to push you out, sweetheart. On the contrary, this will always be your home, you'll always have a place here," Benjamin said.

"Thank you," Rachel said, and Matt squeezed her hand.

"And I'll add to that. You'll have a home in Redmon as well," Stephen added.

Her bottom lip trembled, and Matt kissed her hand.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that."

"What was your room like on the ship?" Jeanette asked.

"I didn't have my own room or bathroom, I shared a berth with six other people," Rachel answered and leaned closer to her sister with a conspiratorial air. "Four of them were men."

Her mothers, sisters, and the Goodson wives were scandalized. Ben didn't like hearing it himself, but what was done was done. Rachel could take care of herself, and she didn't seem any worse for wear. She also had a personal alarm and defense system called Hipper. He shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich. There was nothing he could do about midshipman berthing on Manticoran ships.

"But there were no problems, aside from Nate and Robert being disgruntled about it for a week," Rachel explained.

Ben manfully resisted the urge to laugh at the blank yet long-suffering expression on Sergeant McDonald's face.

"There was a partition down the middle of the berth when it was necessary, and we scheduled shower times."

"Did you have to share a room?" Theresa asked Matt.

"Your turn," Rachel murmured to him.

"I was on a much larger ship, with more berthing. Males and females had their own spaces," he answered.

She looked at her sisters and brothers, eager to move on from the subject of berths. "You start school again on Monday, right?"

She looked to young Honor. "And you, your senior year at Protector High!"

Honor smiled and nodded. "I'm the captain of the softball team this year! You'll come to some games, won't you?"

"Of course I will," Rachel said.

"Will you take some time after lunch to discuss some things with us?" Ben asked.

"Of course, dad," Rachel said and took another bite of pancake.

#

After lunch, Matt had to return to Alvarez Field. She sat with her parents and the Goodsons in Ben's office. He made space on his desk when Grace brought in coffee and tea. Hipper hopped on Katherine's lap, enjoying her attention.

"First things first; Bassingford notified Armsman Command that the regeneration on Nate's leg should be done by the end of this week. After that, he'll do physical therapy and when the doctors clear him, he'll return here," Ben reported.

"That's good to hear," Rachel said.

"Can you tell us what happened that day?" Katherine asked.

Rachel shrugged. "It's not classified, so why not?"

She took a sip of her coffee and told the story of the incident aboard Essen Station. It didn't take long, as the incident happened so fast.

"…and when we returned to the ship, Nate was rushed to emergency surgery. Surgeon Commander Yates was very sorry, but there was nothing he could do to save the leg. There was just too much damage."

She ran her hands through her hair and stared at a spot on the wall. "I've replay it over and over in my head. If I had reacted faster, or…"

She let out a shaky breath and let her hands fall to her lap. "What if he blames me? He was badly hurt because of me."

"I'm sure he doesn't blame you, and it wasn't your fault. In fact, I'm certain he's glad that you weren't seriously hurt," Ben replied.

"I don't remember feeling when I was hit. It was after when Robert pointed it out and I felt my shoulder and ear sting," she said.

"Do you know what you'll be doing at Alvarez field?" Katherine asked.

"No idea, I'm an ensign fresh from the academy, so there's no telling what I'll be doing," she said. "Now that I think about it, living over at Harrington would be so much more convenient, and Hipper could be there with all the other 'cats."

"Think about it, no rush. Now that you're here in person, I want to thank you for what you did at Sidemore. These two," he said, nodding at his wives, "fussed at me for throwing you into the deep end, but you did well."

#

That night, she and Matt went to dinner at Randleman's. After months of anticipation, she finally got her steak dinner.

"Was there an ungodly amount of pasta and potatoes on your ship too?" Matt asked.

"Yes! I know the cooks do the best they can, but after a while, there's only so much you can do with pasta and potatoes," she said and closed her eyes, enjoying a bite of perfectly cooked steak.

"Did you receive the letter about our pre-marriage counseling?" he asked.

"Mom mentioned that I had some mail, but I forgot to look at it," she admitted.

"This time last year we were starting our last year at the academy," he mused.

"What a year, huh?" she said.

She took a sip of beer from her almost empty stein and signaled the waiter.

"Another Randleman's please," she said and gave the stein to the waiter. "I was shocked when I first saw my brothers and sisters, although I don't know why I should be. Kids grow, you know? But Bernie has shot up!"

From the corner of her eye, she saw Robert focus on a couple approach their table, but Hipper merely flicked his tail at them. Rachel saw them, smiled, and stood.

"Beth, Rick, how are you?" she asked and hugged Beth.

"Matt, may I present Beth Booker and Kevin Fowler, friends from high school. Is your brother in the Navy?" she asked Kevin.

"Yep, he said he was on the David Taylor with you, and that you play a mean game of backgammon," Kevin replied.

"Would you care to join us?" Matt offered.

"Only if it's not an imposition," Beth added.

"No, don't be silly," Rachel stated.

"I'll get our plates," Kevin said.

Matt stood and waited until Beth sat down, then he resumed his dinner. Kevin and a waiter returned with their plates and glasses and dinner resumed.

"We were engaged in June, after our university graduation," Beth said and held up her ring hand.

"Congratulations, that's great!" Rachel exclaimed and Matt shook Kevin's hand.

"Remind me what you studied," Rachel requested.

"Education and history," Beth said.

"Accounting," Kevin replied.

"She starts Monday at East Austin Middle School," Kevin said.

"And he finished his Army OCS course two weeks ago," Beth stated proudly. "Now he's Second Lieutenant Fowler, Grayson Army Reserve."

"And junior analyst for the Austin City branch of Harrington Skydomes," he added.

"You two were on Manticore for four years, right? Tell us about it," Beth requested.

"Well, where do I start… when I stepped out of that shuttle into the open air and sunshine that first time, I wanted to stay outside all day," Rachel said.

She smiled at that memory of her first day on Manticore.

"I spent as much time as I could outside," she continued. "And when you're up in the atmosphere, looking down on it from a shuttle, it's so amazing. I'm glad to be home, but I'm going to miss Manticore."

Matt nodded in agreement. "I never left Grayson before the academy. For me, the scent of the air and grass is what got to me first. I sneezed my head off that first hour there. Antihistamines were a friend until I got on a regimen of anti-allergen injections."

"That was youI heard during orientation?" Rachel asked.

Matt shrugged. "Probably."

"I've never left the planet," Beth said.

"Me neither," Kevin added.

"Not even during OCS?" Matt asked.

He shook his head. "I'll get some space training on duty, but space isn't something we do, especially an Army reservist in the Finance corps."

"Would you two like to go up in a shuttle? Take a turn or two around the planet?" she asked.

"You can do that?" Beth asked.

"I'm a qualified small craft pilot. I think I can scare up a shuttle," she answered, thinking of Aunt Honor's shuttle.

"What do you do in the Navy?" Kevin asked.

"I'm a junior engineer, in addition to a small craft pilot," Rachel replied.

"I start medical school October first," Matt added.

"Um, Rachel, if you don't mind my asking, what happened to your ear?" Beth asked.

August 27, 1925 P.D.

After breakfast, Rachel wanted to go to Harrington House to see what room Aunt Honor would offer her. She hopped in the driver's seat of one of the palace cars, Robert in the passenger seat, and started up the local radio station. Hipper, in the back seat, bleeked and chittered at the people and scenery they passed. It was a hard thing for him to admit, but his charge was a better driver and she truly enjoyed it. However, she did agree for him to drive back to the palace.

They made the hour and a half trip adjacent the southern continent's tallest mountain range and waited for their turn to enter through Harrington Steading security concourse. She slowed to a stop at the gate and presented her driving license, Navy ID, and Robert's identification to the gate guard. They were asked questions, and the car was externally and internally scanned. The gate guard gave off a brief bow and "M'lady." He returned their identification and signaled for them to proceed. She drove along First Boulevard until the checkpoint for Harrington House, where they had to go through another security check. She cruised up the long drive to the manor and pulled into a parking space for visitors. Mac opened the front doors and welcomed them inside.

"I hope the drive was well. Would you care for refreshment?" he asked.

"A glass of sweet tea?" she asked.

"Certainly. Her Grace is in the library," he said.

"Thanks, Mac," she replied and headed for the library.

She knocked on the door and heard "come in" from inside. She went inside and saw four-year-old Raoul and Katherine on a rug with blocks and stuffed animals. Honor was behind a desk, scribbling on some documents with a stylus.

"Ben told me you were coming," Honor said and waved her to a seat in front of the desk. "I assume Hipper took himself off to the habitat?"

"You assume correctly," Rachel answered.

Katherine approached her chair and held up the little stuffed parrot she had given her last year.

"Yes, I remember."

The little girl was a beautiful mix of her father and mother, with her father's blue eyes, mother's blond hair, and Alexander smile. Lindsay Philips came into the library with two-year-old Andrew. She set the toddler on the rug with his brother and sister and sat in the armchair nearby.

"You know, I was surprised when I saw how much my siblings had grown, especially Bernie. I keep on being surprised," Rachel said.

"You know, if you take up residence here, you're back to being around little ones again," Honor said. "Speaking of which, there's some things we need to get straight if you decide to live here. First off, what you do with yourself and your time is your business. You're an adult. Unless it affects this home, it's none of my business."

"Second, you're not going to be bothered by people coming to the house. The family living areas are off limits. This office is my personal office, but my steading and business office is all the way on the other side of the place. I do business only there."

"Bock," Andrew stated and Raoul gave him a block.

"Third, I don't expect you to babysit. I'm their mother and we have a superb nanny," she said and winked at Lindsay. "However, you're welcome to spend time with them. Just no wild parties, you understand."

"Yeah, that's me, just a wild party kind of girl," Rachel replied.

Honor chuckled and rose from the desk. "There's a couple of rooms on the second floor I think you'd like."

They left the library and went to the bedroom wing of the manor. At the top of the stairs, Honor turned right and opened a door for the second bedroom of the wing. Rachel saw it and her eyebrows went up. The room was bigger than her room at the palace! She stepped inside and instantly liked the soothing colors and feel of the plush brown carpeting and beige walls.

"No one has ever been in this room, this wing really," Honor said. "When my parents come to visit, they usually stay in a room on the first floor."

She approved of the room's recessed shelving, a king-sized bed, desk and chair by a bay window, and a chaise lounge adjacent the double doors of the closet. She went to the bay window and smiled at the view.

A forest lined a beautiful (but deadly and toxic) lake that no one could ever enjoy for fishing, swimming, or boating. A mountain range was beyond it, again beautiful, but not cut out for hiking or camping.

"What do you think?" Honor asked.

"It's great, I like it."

"Want to see another?"

"Sure."

In a bedroom left of the stairs, the room was just as spacious and furnished, but she didn't care for the coloring of the carpet or walls. The view out of the window was less than ideal as well; all she saw was the outside west wall of the manor.

"I'm not sure what the designer was thinking with this room; it's the only one that doesn't look out on anything," Honor said. "I have another, if you're interested."

"No need. That other one was great," Rachel said and hugged her. "Thanks."

Honor chuckled and gave her a squeeze. "That was easy. You're welcome."

Rachel grinned and flopped down on the plush, large bed.

"So when should I expect you?" Honor asked. "I need to let the house staff know, my armsmen will have to adjust for your armsmen- things like that."

"I'll pack my stuff this week, so Saturday?"

"Good plan, you'll have the weekend to settle in," Honor said.

#