"I thought you said this couldn't happen!" Sanya burst into Mhaegen Gerrera's living room without ceremony after the royal dinner was over. "You said that hypo you gave me would keep it from happening!"

Hiram tactfully left the room, mumbling that he had something that needed doing.

The former medic of the Bloody Galia set aside the sewing she had been working on and took a deep breath before she entered into the battle she had known was coming. "What I said is that the medication should keep you from getting pregnant for a certain amount of time. I was unsure of how long that time period would be because there hadn't been enough tests done in the literature and I certainly didn't have the opportunity to test it myself. And you admitted yourself that you hadn't tested its effectiveness with anyone else until..."

"Why didn't you give me another dose once you knew Jak and I…" She trailed off.

"It is Jak's baby then?" Mhaegen glanced at a sheet of flimzi that was lying on the caff table between them.

Sanya reached out and snatched it up and quickly scanned the contents.

"It arrived by messenger shortly after you and Drokko left here this afternoon," Meg told her calmly.

"It's from that… Jon. I thought you lot had some sort of doctor patient confidence," She crumpled the sheet in one hand.

"He was worried about you and knew that you would probably be coming to see me while you were in Iziz…"

"Osik! He doesn't even know you! He came on board after you left."

Mhaegen sighed again. "He seemed to know that you trusted my council and that if he couldn't get you to come in for a physical then maybe I could."

"What's he gone and blabbed it to the whole kriffing crew?" Sanya crossed her arms over her chest and was reminded that she was still wearing the fancy dress and that her fuller figure had also begun to betray her.

"No. I'm sure you saw there in the note that he hadn't even shared his concerns with Freddie."

"She probably suspected though. She picks up on osik like that."

"If she has I believe she will maintain her loyalty to her captain. Freddie also understands the importance of keeping secrets."

"Aye." Sanya dropped into the chair opposite her friend. Because that's what Meg was if she was anything. The captain had always been able to trust her in the past and if anyone was going to get her through this mess it was Meg. "I guess she does."

She studied the note again. "It says he suspected something right from when he came on board. That wasn't long after you left."

"Aye." Meg had recently begun to adopt a more southern dialect but conversing with the captain brought back old habits. "I was attempting to figure out how far along you might be from his observations and my own since you've arrived. I've been trying to remember if I noticed any signs while you were still under my care."

"And did you?" Sanya asked.

"I don't believe so but you could have been in the very early stages. My guess would be that the conception occurred during our voyage north up the river before Hiram and I disembarked and while Drokko was our prisoner."

"That's why you asked if it was Jak's? You thought maybe while Drokko was on board… And then that's why I came back down here to see him?"

"The thought had crossed my mind. I wondered why you left Jak up north on this voyage."

"I marooned him." She announced defiantly. "He wanted me to go back to Blackhold with him."

"Perhaps that's the best place…" Mhaegen began but Sanya scowled at her.

"I didn't know anything about this thing inside me when I left Jak up there. And I sure as Dxun don't want the Blackwells getting their hands on it!" She placed her own hand on her stomach. It was the first time she had really admitted the existence of the little person who resided there.

The medic nodded. "So you sailed down the river to be with Drokko. I know he's of a similar frame of mind, having left the responsibility of the nobility behind. I'm aware he has feelings for you so he might very well agree to raise the child…"

"I don't love Drokko. He knows that," Sanya sulked. She didn't want to settle down and have a sweet little family anyway.

"So what are you planning to do?"

"I don't know. I have no kriffing idea."

…

Salt gods he loved that woman. Though there was no reason on the planet that he should. She was an accomplished liar for starters and a thief by trade. Some would call her a cross dresser in her trousers and coat, though he thought she filled them out quite nicely, especially since their journey south when she had gotten some good fresh produce under her belt. They had managed to round off some of the sharp angles she'd had when they first made love that night in Kira's camp after the battle with the city dwellers. He didn't mind her either way though really. He loved the feel of the weight of her body on top of his. Or beneath if that was what she was in the mood for. He wasn't picky.

Jak Blackwell was completely stern over sail in love with Captain Sanya Harkon and he wanted to go on sailing with her till the end of time, even though she had marooned him on this Dxun be damned, salt gods forsaken, little island.

He shouldn't have said it. He never should have even considered bringing up the idea of going back to Blackhold. He certainly didn't want to stay there himself. He couldn't be more glad that he had gotten away from the island in the first place. And he knew now that they had let him go. It was all a part of his lord father's dastardly plan to leave Talya in the lurch and take Harkon Hall for the Blackwell clan. It was a cowardly move and Jak wasn't want to admit that he belonged to the family who thought it up.

Sanya was right about all those lords and their games. As was that Kira who gave up his throne in favor of the freedom of the jungles. More power to him, wherever he was now! Maybe he was still on the island Sanya had marooned him on too. Ha! Quite a pair they were, both left behind by the pirate queen of the northern sea.

But she loved Jak, didn't she? He was sure that she had. She had his name tattooed on her inner thigh. That had to stand for something in his opinion.

When they had stood up with Talya and Yutton at the salt formation, he had said those vows in his heart to Sanya as well. He had promised, "I am hers," even if he never heard the return sentiment from her lips. And yet when she accepted Freddie's suggestion to spend some time alone with him here on this rock with its spring, and grotto, and little cabin, he was sure she meant it all the same. Maybe she just meant it as… goodbye.

Talya had been the one to remind him of the first time he had wanted to just take off and go sailing with her sister and what had he gotten in recompense for that event? A cog pup. Not that Wilson wasn't a great pet. He was loyal and cuddly but he didn't exactly make up for not getting a ship for his seventh birthday and sailing away with the four year old red head he'd known instantly was a kindred spirit by her spunky grin.

He wished he had Wilson here now. Jak picked up a bolo ball he'd found in the cabin, threw it up in the air and caught it. If Wilson was here he could play fetch.

There must have been a child who lived here once upon a time. Maybe it was Freddie since she was the one who knew about the place. There certainly wasn't anyone coming back for this now.

Jak had never really been interested in team sports. He threw the ball up again and caught it. And then he noticed a stylus that had rolled away on the floor.

What he really wanted was just someone to talk to. So he took the stylus and the ball and drew a crooked little face on it. "There. I'll call you Wilson, like the cog pup."

He set the thing on the end table where it was at eye level while he sat on the floor so they could continue their one sided conversation. "I told her brother once that anyone would be a fool to marry her or her sister. I guess that makes Yutton Bralykburn a fool? I would never say that to his face though. Talya is a nice enough girl I suppose. She'll make a good lady of Bralyk Keep. But I wouldn't say that to her face either. Nya probably wouldn't like it if I did."

He stroked his chin. It was getting scruffier than he liked. He'd gotten into a habit of staying well groomed with his razor sharp sideburns on each cheek, especially the one that covered his scar.

"Did you know she gave me this?" he asked his silent companion. "She was a brilliant knife wielder even then. Eleven years old and she beat every young noble at that party. And she hated me, absolutely despised me because she thought I had insulted her sister. Ha!"

Jak picked up the ball and tossed it and then thought better of dizzying his new and only friend and placed it carefully back down to continue their discussion. "Sorry about that." He shook his head. "I loved her even then. I'm sure of it. We were only kids and yet all the lords and ladies were trying to pair us all off. I suppose a few of us would need to be paired off to keep the lines going."

He stood and started to pace around the room but glanced over his shoulder at Wilson at intervals to make sure that his comrade didn't feel left out of the conversation. "My brother was the first to succumb to the coupling. He and his wife have a little boy, my nephew, Alon. He's a good kid. That's who's taking care of your namesake now. And that's House Blackwell taken care of for an heir."

Some of the root vegetables he had cooked for himself the night before were sitting on a plate on the counter. He hadn't done a very good job at it but they were palatable for the evening's meal and they were alright now even though they were cold. He took a bite and spoke with his mouth full. "Sounds like House Harkon might have an heir by next spring as well."

He swallowed and then apologized for his abysmal manners, even though Wilson didn't seem to mind. "Sorry, Mate. They already have a girl of course, Sanya's brother I mean, and the Harkon's generally come three to a generation with a set of twins among them. It's like with Sanya and her twin and their brother, two pregnancies, two girls and a boy, savvy?"

Wilson didn't interrupt to ask questions so Jak went on.

"Talya says that Dalla's pretty sure that she's carrying twins this time around and since they've already got little lady Betha it stands to reason that the twins will be little lord and another little lady. Although if they do by some chance get two more girls I suppose they would try again until they get a male heir." He thought about the proposition.

"Lady Dalla comes from the Flint clan and the Flints are notoriously prolific so it shouldn't be a problem," Jak assured the bolo ball.

Wilson seemed relieved so the young man continued with his oratory. "Now that Yutton has married Talya they'll be getting right down to making a family as well. The way they were looking at each other on that dock the morning after their wedding, I'm thinking that's not going to be much of a difficulty either, aye?"

Jak nudged his little friend with his elbow and the poor little ball rolled from its perch and across the floor. "Osik!" He ran after Wilson and settled the silent partner back onto the table top.

"You alright there, mate?"

Wilson was situated now in a much more stable position with Jak's scarf wrapped around its base.

The young man lowered himself to the settee and looked the ball in its hand drawn eyes. "Aye, so anyway, that's all of the northern noble clans proliferated. Life will carry without any help from me and Nya. We wouldn't have been any good at being parents."

"I don't need a son to carry on my name," he explained carefully to the ball. "A child would anchor us down and that's not something either of us needs right now or ever. And besides Marl- er Mhaegen the medic gave Sanya that hypo thing so it's not even a possibility."

Jak got up and started pacing again. "Then why do I keep thinking about it? Is that what you're asking? Because I'd like to know the same thing. It was something that nurse, Jon, said." He plopped back down on the settee. "He said… or maybe it wasn't in so many words but he inferred... that she was carrying my child. My… child."

Jak sat back against the cushions and stared at the ceiling and ran his fingers through his hair making it stand on end. He tried and failed to wrap his mind around the idea.

"Is that why she's punishing me? For that and for suggesting that we go back to Blackhold and tell everyone that we're… whatever we are."

He heaved a deep sigh and looked out the window. It was snowing. He hadn't seen a storm like this since he was a child. It was unlikely anyone was going to come and get him off this island anytime soon, if anyone even knew he was here other than Sanya and the rest of the crew.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Wilson. At least you're a good listener. And if you've got anything to say, please feel free."