"Wait,.. I said WHAT?!"

"To put it mildly, you said running today would be a bad idea, in the most vile and vulgar way possible."

"Oh... We're going to have to apologize to them somehow."

"We, Ms. Potty Mouth?! Do you have a mouse in your... wait, never mind." She was still naked, and I didn't want to go there.

"Ugh... I've never felt so sticky, or been so sore. Maybe we over did it a little?" She kinda' winced as she said it.

"Ya think?!" We were young, and in love. We had newfound passion, and last night we had barely scratched the surface. Now we had to deal with the consequences. And we still had to deal with those steps.

Another mistake we managed to make was not bringing the slings up, at least we could have kept ourselves from tumbling down the steps. But those went between our legs, and the prospect of having anything occupying that space made me shutter.

We threw the sheets and our clothes over the side and let them fall to the ground. Then crawled our way over to the steps.

It was like standing at the edge of a cliff. I decided to be chivalrous and go first.

Ow-ouw-ow-ouw-ow-ouw all the way down for both of us, I never was so happy to be on solid ground.

"Dibs on the tub." Said Anna.

"Very well, you seem to be worst off." Then she whacked me in the arm, and I swept her up and gave a morning breath kiss. That's when you know you've arrived as a couple. You can stand in your side yard completely naked, hair that looks like you had a squirrel living in it, covered in goo, breath like a stale fart, and all you can think about is how much you love each other. We must've been quite a site...

I guess they were starting to trust us more, the replicator had been adding items available to us. One of these things were art supplies. Anna took one of the leftover planks from the tree house build, and cut the ends off in a swirling pattern. Rosemaling. She was remembering more from her implanted life, I sometimes wondered what she'd be like around a welder. She took the scalpel and just touched it's surface and routed it with more rosemaling around the edges. In the center she spelled one word; 'Love'.

She went to the replicator and ordered paints and brushes, along with some sandpaper. Dipping the brushes into the the routings, this paint was the best stuff ever, it came with a wand that you passed over it and it dried rock hard. Then she sanded what had slopped out of the routing, and finished it by giving it a clear coat.

"Hows this?, do you think the Zahir's will like it?"

"I think they'll love it, Anna. You're very crafty."

"Thank you. I think I'll do some of this for the house, I mean, if it's OK with you."

She was asking my permission to girly up the place. When I was on earth, my home was quite stark- and frankly- I liked it that way. I was a minimalist and I think the Masters seen this, as this home reflected that simplicity.

But this was our home now, and I was delighted with the prospect of our home having a woman's touch.

"Yes, Anna. You have my permission to go nuts, and thanks for asking. All I ask is that you leave the storage room alone. I want a mancave that has some shred of masculinity, and another thing, don't put ANYTHING on my speakers."

"Of course darling, thank you!" Then she gave me a big hug. Compromise. If we could keep this up, we could have the best relationship ever. But that has never happened with any couple in the history of the universe. Maybe because there's so much of me in her this works, but I can't help but think the day will come with a big blowup. Right now though, it's all hugs, kisses, and sweetness.

Even in paradise flowers die...

"Olaf."

"Yes, Michael. What can I do for you?"

Can you get a message to the Zahir's to come to dinner tomorrow evening, three hours before the rotation into night?"

"A small social gathering based on the consumption of food. Excellent idea, Michael. Do you mind if I observe this firsthand?"

"No, Olaf, I know you spy on us anyway."

"I wouldn't put it that way, Michael. I merely wish to observe you."

"I don't suppose you 'observed' us last night." There was that pause again. Anna had just stepped into the room, her eyes as big as saucers.

"You hesitated."

"I'm sorry Michael, but I do have a job to do- and besides- your performance last night was an excellent example of the human condition."

"Olaf!" Anna screamed. "That was a very personal moment! We're not some zoo animals meant for you to gawk at!" Sic'em Anna! She was very arousing when she stood up for herself.

"Anna, one thing you must realize is there's a price for everything. Your very existence is based on preserving our races. If you don..."

"Olaf, that is ENOUGH! Do as I asked, then power down. I'll deal with you later." I was basically telling the Masters to go fuck themselves. They needed us, and I'll lead a revolt if they ever threaten Anna or myself again, I don't care if they can read minds.

If your reading my thoughts right now, then you'll know I wouln't let you threaten Anna's life. Ever.

"You know I'm very proud of you, the way you handled that back there. You stood up for yourself." We were just getting into bed, and were calling it quits early, the starlight just starting to fade.

"Thanks, but I'm still pissed! How much do you think they watch us?"

"Every single minute, of every single day."

"You don't seem to be too bothered by this."

"I'm a realist, Anna. Right now these beings have us by the short and curlies. This is their ship, and their habitat." The next thing I said would really ruffle her feathers.

"They made you, Anna. they made you. How do I know they wouln't take you away and dematerialize you. I can't bear the thought of losing you right now, so I'm willing to compromise my privacy. This place is the next best thing to being in Heaven, and I wouln't do anything to jeopardize this right now. Although I just told Olaf to go jump in a river, I'll have to apologize to him tomorrow."

"You're defending them?! I can't believe you right now! I'm sleeping somewhere else. Goodnight, Michael!"

"Anna wait, don't lea..."

"Don't talk to me right now!" There it was, the blowup. Over something this trivial. Well, trivial to me anyhow. Earlier today I imagined all the animals of the forest in an circle underneath the tree house all cheering us on last night.

And with the twenty thousand hours of porn that I've watched in my lifetime, thinking about the Masters huddled around a monitor watching Anna do the reverse cowgirl was kinda' funny.

She did not see it that way, her feelings were crushed. But they were her feelings, this didn't come from me. Her thoughts are becoming independent. When I first met her- and the way she did the whole 'Stepford Wives' bit- I feared I was getting a robot. Now she's down on the couch fuming over being spied upon, and for what I said. I was using logic, and she was following her heart. This made me smile, and now I love her even more.

True love, that's what this is. It's finally happened for me. On this speck of dust floating among the stars, with the soft orange glow of the nebula streaming thru the windows, I felt so at ease, and sleep came.

Well,... for a short time anyhow.

"Are you awake?" She was practically rolling me over, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I am now." I was grinding into my eyes to fight the sleepiness.

"I couldn't sleep, I kept thinking about what you said, and how you talked to Olaf. That could have been very dangerous... and I.. just... can't... stay mad at you."

"That's the thing, Anna. This whole thing is very dangerous. We're in space, at the mercy of the Masters. A billion things could go wrong. I live with that fear every day. I have you, Anna. Right now you're my rock. I need you, do you understand? I NEED YOU!" I just couldn't hold back my emotions. Dammit! I really didn't need a moment of weakness. I got myself back together, took a few deep breaths and tried to tell her how I felt at the moment.

"Anna, you have no idea how glad I am that you got mad, even when you directed that anger at me. When I first met you, I though I was getting an automaton. A cardboard cut out Princess Anna of Arendelle. You're proving me wrong, and I couldn't be happier."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"How could I be?"

"I still feel I handled this badly."

"Anna, you handled it with your heart, I couldn't be more in love with you right now."

"I'm so sorry." Then she gave me a big hug, and I gave her one back. We may have gone to bed mad, but the star did not shine through the window with us feeling that way. I drew her into the covers, spooning into her and stroking her hair. Then I whispered in her ear.

"There will be many more times like this, we will live a very long time. Please, let's settle things before we go to sleep, there is no problem we can't solve, as long as we love each other."

She turned to me face to face. We were just kissing for the better part of an hour, and stroking each other. Make up sex was completely out of the question, as that particular equipment wasn't functioning up to specs yet, and I've never been a big fan of that anyway.

I would really like to get some sleep, before that giant fusion reactor comes streaming through the window. We have a dinner party, and I have to apologize to Olaf, or cuss him out, we'll see how that goes.

"Olaf, what the Hell? You don't ever threaten Anna,... ever. Do I make myself clear?"

"First off, you didn't let me finish last ni..."

"Your damn right I did not let you finish, she is very fragile. You do remember our first day? I'm sure you seen all that too."

"Please Michael, just let me speak. I know all this looks very easy. But you must understand, this whole thing was a very difficult thing for us to undertake. Creating all the Hybrides cost us a great deal of our long accrued treasure. We were well aware of your mental stability. we had to be sure, you and the others of your species were right for us, and this mission. Please see this thru our eyes."

"I've been tested, haven't I?"

"Yes, and so far you've passed with flying colors, as you'd like to put it." There it is, now it's out in the open. I suspected this all along. I knew this was a trick that women back home used all the time, and I'd fail miserably,...all the time. But this time I was one step ahead of them.

"Ya' know what Olaf? I really don't care. You can spy on me and play your little games to your hearts or what ever keeps you alive content, I just don't care. But if you do anything that upsets Anna, I will smash you into a million tiny pieces."

"That wouldn't do any good, Michael. The object you see is merely a drone, my being lies elsewhere." Way to go, asshole. Another clue.

"Have you thought about how much you've changed since you've been here, Michael? You came here as a timid loner, the very sight of Anna scared you near to death. Now look at you. You stood in front of a hundred and six complete strangers and gave them the most inspirational speech they've ever experienced personally in their lives. You've fallen in love deeper than with any female you knew on Earth. And knowing how omnipotent we are, you still told me to 'Go fuck yourself!' in so many words. That is an extremely brave thing to do. Would you have done any of these things on Earth?" Damn, he got me. Point, Olaf.

"Yes, Olaf. You're right. I've changed, and rather quickly, to boot. But the fact still remains that I will never, ever trust you fully, until you reveal yourselves. I want to shake somebody's hand, or flipper, or whatever. If I ever find out that Anna's accident was intentional, there will be hell to pay, I promise you."

"I can assure you that was purely an accident, please watch." Now Olaf broke out something I haven't seen the whole time I've been here, their video technology. It was an overhead view, so I have to assume the cameras are mounted near the sky panels, yet another clue. I watched in horror as she danced down the limb and it gave way, her falling to the ground, and her screaming, it was gut wrenching.

"Please, Olaf, turn it off."

"Now do you believe me? These beings are a substantial investment on our part. We would not intentionally damage them to this extent in order to conduct a test." Price, cost, value. Didn't we just leave all that shit behind? Now I felt terrible. Anna was just a thing to them. She had a dollar amount attached to her. It reminded me of that joke I made at the meeting, she was repaired instead of replaced. She wasn't 'totaled' like in the car insurance vernacular.

"Alright Olaf, that will be enough for now."

"Is there something else bothering you right now?"

"I just need some space, Olaf."

"Very well, call me if you need anything." I never even acknowledged him. I decided to just go for a walk, alone.