The next day York and Carolina went through hell. Intelligence, strength, and combat. They were still better than anyone had a right to be after four years out of any formal training.

Geia stayed in the room looking after Allison but also starting to try and find a way through the Freelancer firewalls. Phyllis was unsurprisingly not amused by the intrusion and started trying to track the signal but Geia quickly sent the AI off her trail and cut the connection. She hadn't got into anything special but did get the standard map of the ship given to all crewmembers. No individual labels but for major rooms like the mess hall or armory. Also had so blacked out parts but it was enough for Geia to get started on. There was no true motivation for the Map or attempted hack beyond curiosity and a need to know a lay of the land so to speak. Geia continued to amuse herself with Allison who was also curious about this new space they found themselves in. At the moment she was sitting on the floor on a blanket with a teething ring quietly chewing while Geia played a podcast and looked online for any of her major rivals in the galactic chess network. Keeping one eye on Allison she started a beginner game. She felt Eta's curiosity at her sudden change of preference.

"Carolina not doing something?"

"Break. Why are you playing a low-level game?"

"Don't want to show the Project just how smart I am." Geia said

"Makes sense" Eta agreed "in that case can I play?" Eta had been learning how to play chess on Sherman IX.

"Sure" said Geia. She pulled up a new game and let Eta dictate the moves

Eta had picked up a lot from Geia and so won the match. They started another round but then Carolina came in. She picked up Allison talking quietly to the little girl in a mix of English and old English before putting her down again and grabbing a change of clothes. "I need a good long shower. After that I will show you the mess hall." She told Geia.

"Actually I know the way. I can go on my own and meet you there." Carolina raised an eyebrow at her young charge. "I may have gotten a little board and started hacking into the main computer."

"Phyllis? Please don't antagonize the computer in charge of the whole ship more than necessary, and don't get your self kicked off on the first day."

"Hey I know this is probably an obvious question but why are we not telling the truth about Allison? I don't mind being her sister she feels like that but why not just be open ablaut her and your marriage for that matter?"

"Project Freelancer explicitly states that soldiers are not to have relationships anything more than professional. And if the director knew then he would not allow Allison stay on board because she would be too much of a distraction and York and I would be split up. I'm not letting my daughter be sent away."

"Oh so you can't say anything because of protocol. But why don't we just become colonists again. You two can join the local militia if you want to."

"But what about the AI?" Carolina asked. Geia thought about it for a minute, and came to the conclusion that unfortunately the AI would not be allowed to go with them if they ever left. Geia couldn't imagine the Frees without Delta's strange statistics, Iota's loyalty, and Eta's moral compass. "I can tell you see the situation we're in at the moment. Remember what the director said? "Your two of our best agents." Take it from some with experience the director does not let things go. The only reason we weren't brought back sooner was because the director thought we were dead. We can try to leave again but there's no guarantee we could really get away." Geia nodded thoughtfully.

"Would he want you back just because your two of his top agents and know a lot about the project?"

"I would like to think I know a lot about the project but that is probably not true maybe once I would have thought that but being away four years has shown me just how blind I was and the rest of the freelancers still are. I'd also like to think that the Director cares about me at least as much as a father should but I highly doubt it. Not everyone is as good a father as York. Now I really do need to go take a shower. I will meet you in the mess hall? York might be there by the time you get there."

Geia agreed picking up Allison. Till they're more comfortable on the ship and with the people none of the Frees are ready to leave Allison alone for long. Allison is already fed but not ready to go to sleep so she is constantly looking around as Geia wanders the halls of the large ship.

Geia's POV ('Cuz I tried to do it third person but it felt weird)

The ship was pretty normal for a scientific and combat vessel. Everything packed together tightly. Marines stared at me as I passed Allison sitting in a sling on my back. I cold feel her shift around but not enough to make her difficult to carry. I was taking a longer route to the mess hall because to be honest I did not want to go in alone. After an acceptable amount of time for Carolina and York to shower I walked back to the mess hall. I stood at the entrance for a moment before seeing Carolina and York walk up. "You okay kid?" York asked ruffling my hair slightly. A familiar gesture he had done a hundred times on Sherman IX and it made me feel infinitely better. "I'll take point," Carolina said stepping into the hall and I followed, York at my side another bit of familiarity. We use to walk like this when in a new place. Carolina looking ahead, York looking on his right, which was his good eye, and I, looking left with the AIs watching our six. We hadn't been planning on being attacked but it was a bit of military habit that made any place feel a little less out of control.

Once we were clearly in the mess hall people stopped talking and looked at us there was maybe only twenty in the hall everyone else must have already eaten. Carolina leads the way to the food line and we grabbed trays. The food was bland wholegrain spaghetti and topped with meat sauce a bottle of water completed the meal. Carolina leads the way to a table already occupied by five people. I could recognize them by their voices they were the freelancers who came to Sherman IX. It was the polite one with the kid AI, the timid one, the one who growled with the AI that was on fire, the girl who seemed to be PMSing, and the nosey girl.

Carolina next to the timid guy and York sat across next to the polite one. I sat on the other side of Carolina. Carolina leaned around me and took Allison off my back. She sat the small girl on her lap and hooked an arm around her middle keeping her in place while eating with the other hand. I gratefully dug in. It was not like Carolina's but living on the streets makes you appreciate any balanced source of nutrition. I was aware of the other freelancers looking at us. In particular they were watching Carolina try to get Allison to chew bit of spaghetti that was not covered in sauce. Allison didn't have her teeth fully in but she was giving it a good go gumming the little piece of spaghetti. I caught York's expression change between pride and amusement at Carolina's determination to teach Allison how to eat, and Allison's face as she tried. Then he adopted a strange blank face or what York would probably consider blank. Clearly Delta told him to stop looking so happy. Carolina told me he was a bad liar for as long as she had known him and I prayed that he figured it out fast because after Carolina's talk I know exactly what is at stake. "Never thought I see the day where Carolina acted maternal." South said in shock food forgotten.

"I did have a life before the project." Carolina says looking up "Plus I like Allison and have been helping Geia with her." I could see in Carolina's body that she didn't like lying about Allison's history anymore than me. It must really hurt to have to say your infant daughter is not your child.

"Allison? Didn't the director onc-" the polite one started to speak

"It's the name of my grandmother." I cut in quick everyone looks at me.

"Everyone this is Geia our ward. I just realized we never introduced you all properly so Geia this is most of our old squad, The kid sitting next to Carolina is Agent Washington or just Wash, next to him is Maine, then there's Connecticut-"

The nosey girl smiles winningly at me "Call me CT"

"Right then these nest to me are the twins North and South Dakota North's the guy and South is the chick." I nod to them before a yawn escapes me. Carolina stands up and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"You ready to turn in?" She looks at the newly named Freelancers "Night" She locks eyes with York for a moment and I know he will be in our room tonight for at least a few hours.

"I'll get your trays." He says waving at our empty trays and Carolina hitches Allison higher on her hip before walking out of the hall. I follow glancing back once to see the other Freelancers start crowding around York. He sees me and winks conspiratorially. I feel a little better leaving him to deal with the interrogation that is about to start.

"So how are you doing?" Carolina asks.

"Alright considering yesterday I was living on a planet as a regular girl and today I am on a spaceship where I am probably the only kid other than Allison." I realize after I say the words that I sound ungulate full when I am nothing else but.

"We'll get through this." Carolina defiantly has this way of making you believe she can do anything.

Third POV

The female Frees waited for about an hour before York came in. "Thanks guys for backing me up in there." He said falling on Carolinas bed and pulling her up to his side. Carolina relaxed next to him and Geia smiled before getting up she had dosed off but had woken up when York came in. " I think I'll go for a little wander. Don't worry I still have the map and Eta has been on the ship before. Geia may have been part of the family but not by blood and York and Carolina needed some time to themselves and to Allison. The baby was theirs after all.

Once Geia was gone Carolina sighed before shifting Allison so she could nurse. York's fingers started to comb through her braid, which had all but fallen apart during the day. "I don't like this. What if something happens to us?"

"None of us like this but until we have a different plan that includes bring the AI we need both shelter and money. I don't think pecuia is going to get us far. But I thought you loved being a soldier?"

"Only when I have nothing to lose. Now I have a daughter, ward and a husband I love very much." York smiled at her.

"I love when you say that."

"What? That I love you or call you my husband?"

"Both."

"You really are a dork." Carolina swung out of bed putting Allison in the small impromptu cradle Geia had made out of a drawer. She then paused looking at her bureau before laughing slightly and holding up a silver object for York to see. "You still have that?" Carolina nodded before climbing back onto the bed. They both looked at the silver lighter that Carolina had snatched away from him so many years ago. "Who would have thought we'd end up here?"

"I didn't."

"Hey why did you take my lighter in the first place?"

"Partially to get your attention and mainly because it was annoying as hell." York grinned and took the lighter out of her hands and started flicking it on and off

"Like this?" he laughed

Carolina scowled "I hope you burn yourself." York set the lighter on the bedside table.

"You know what we haven't done in a while?" he had a smirk that Carolina loved and made the AI decide now was the time to log off and retreat further in their chips.

Hi People!

Finally got Word on my computer including OneNote, which is my main writing tool. Any way still got a crazy schedule so don't expect me to update soon though I will try my best but I now spend a large deal of time crawling under stages with only fifteen inches of space. Platforms are the bane of my existence. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. That always pushes me to publish sooner (Hint hint). Also thank you to everyone who has followed this story or favorite it plus everyone who has done the same for my profile. When I finish this story however I will be on FictionPress and Wattpad writing my own stuff. I own nothing.

Olivecat