Chapter 2

"Scarlet Beniot!"

Scarlet rolled her eyes and smiled, she recognized that high-pitched voice. She acted like she didn't hear. Continuing to brush her horse, she did not turn to face her old friend, Émelie.

"Do you realize your comm has not been working for the last week?!" Émelie protested.

"Is it?" Scarlet asked, confirming she knew what Émelie had already known: there was absolutely nothing wrong with the communication device; Scarlet had just been ignoring her.

The horse neighed as if he got the joke.

"Scarlet Beniot- after all that I've done for you in your absence, this how you repay me- is it that difficult to answer my calls?"

'Well I did pay you,' Scarlet thought. She sighed, turned towards Émelie and smiled.
She could see pretty little Émelie, with arms crossed, demanding an answer.

"Look Émelie, I am sorry. I, err- we just needed a quiet week to transition back here. We've been lunar-lagged, sleep deprived, and mentally strained!" The corner of her lips formed a smile, "Could you really blame me?"

Actually, what she had said was only partially true. Both Ze've and Scarlet were sleep deprived, but not because of "lunar-lag", and they were far from 'mentally-strained'. In fact, the week since their return had been like…paradise. They immediately went back into the physical labor required to manage the farm, but every moment they weren't working, they'd been attached to each other, being intimate, laughing, poking fun of each other, watching the sunsets, gazing the stars whilst telling stories, enjoying the farm and all of its' serenity...She could continue the rest of her life like this.

Émelie's body relaxed, somehow catching the contagious energy radiating from Scarlet. Her friend was genuinely happy, and she was happy for her. For whatever reason she could not control herself, Émelie jumped toward's Scarlet throwing her arms around her neck. "I've missed you! I'm just so excited to hear your stories! Did you unlock any of your Lunar powers? What was Luna like? Where's Wolf?!"

"Woah, woah, woah please can we cut it out with the interrogations?" Scarlet placed a hand over her temple feigning a headache coming on. "Ze've," putting emphasis on his name "is repainting the fences. He should be back any moment."

"The last time I spoke with you, you told me you two were dating, but when I saw you two on the feeds- the way that he would look at you, the way you looked at him- I suspected it was not just dating," Émelie wagged a finger at Scarlet. "Now you've invited him to come live with you! Scarlet Benoit, you are in love."

Scarlet laughed, but not a laugh that would deny Émelie's claims.

"Has he already proposed? Or will you be the one to pop the question?" Émelie continued, "When will you two have children? Do you have any plans to build a bigger home?"

Scarlet froze. Marriage? Children? Sure, the thought had come across her head a few times, but…Marriage? Children? "You do realize I am still in my early 20's right?"

Again Émelie stood at a stance demanding an answer, this time with a smirk painted over her face like she had Scarlet cornered. She had known Scarlet a long time, since she first arrived- a young, spoiled, chubby Parisian girl angry with her father for being her father and angry with her grandmother for putting her to intense physical work. Since then, Scarlet blossomed into a voluptuous young woman, with more body in her hair and attitude. She could've had the attention of any guy with a little bit of effort, but Émelie knew Scarlet always harbored too much fire in her to waste her energy on entertaining boys.

"I am the one who introduced the two! I could see it in his eyes that could finally grab the attention of our Scarlet!" Émelie would say, pointing at the feeds in the tavern whenever the Ze've, Scarlet, and the rest of the Rampion crew were on (which was quite often in the last half year).

"What do I know about committed relationships?" Scarlet felt a rush of heat coming up from her chest to her throat. "Grand-mére failed to mention anything about her Lunar fling, aka my grandfather. My mother just abandoned us, my father could not even remain faithful…" She felt her face fluster. "I am sorry, I don't know where that came from…"

Émelie looked taken aback, regretting she asked in the first place.

Scarlet exhaled, all of the sudden tension released. "Look, it's just too early to plan these things. He's only been here for a week."

"Scarlet, that's another thing I wanted talk to you about…" A shadow casted over her face, like she was already regretting what she was going to say next.

Scarlet gave her an inquisitive look.

"Some people are not too happy you've invited Ze've to come live here. Many people in our area had close- too close experiences with the Lunar attacks. Many people lost people they loved, even worse- some had to watch it happen,"

"And I didn't?!" Scarlet spat, selfishly. She instantly regretted that. "I am sorry, but did they somehow miss the feeds? We could not have done what we did without him. He helped save all of us…"

"Look," Émelie began, "The city wants to throw you a big party next week. Our local hero deserves a medal, or some formal recognition. Maybe it'll be a good idea the people can see him in person. See he is different."

Scarlet thought back to the day before yesterday while both her and Ze've were inspecting the crops bordering the neighbors property. The neighbor's children, boys ages 6&8 hid behind a large tree pointing at Ze've with frightened looks on their faces. Their mother calling both of them to quickly come back inside, probably scared to death for her children's safety.

"That sounds like the exact opposite to what I think would be a good idea," Scarlet looked like her friend as though she was crazy. Her rural paradise suddenly felt more like an island surrounded by an ocean full of sharks. She wished she could build a huge wall to separate her and Ze've from the rest of the world. For a second, she thought about the rest of the Rampion crew, who probably had to do the same- face reality, face the world.

"Just think about it," Émelie said, sounding exasperated.

"Hello?" Ze've entered the stable, behind Émelie.

Émelie turned around and jumped. "Sorry- I didn't hear you coming," She caught her breathe and her eyes widened taking a longer look at him. Sure, she had seen him plenty of times on the feeds, but now he was standing before her, towering over her.

Did he get somehow get bigger…? She inspected his face, jaw protruding under his newly grown beard. Her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and fear.

Before it become uncomfortable for Ze've, Émelie did something no one expected in that moment. "Wo-I mean—Ze've!" She took a gigantic arm between her two dainty hands. "I've been waiting to finally formally talk to the man who whisked our fiery Scarlet away!"

Émelie had high hopes Ze've would shed more light on their adventures in space.

Ze've looked at Scarlet, confused. She responded only with a shrug.

As Émelie led Ze've away, Scarlet exhaled leaning on a wooden pillar. She had the image of Émelie's face upon Ze've entrance burned into her head, along with other thoughts she didn't wish to have.

She faced the horse, "Maybe you can attend the party in my place."

The horsed neighed, licking the sugar cube from Scarlet's palm.

"Yes, you're probably right. I wouldn't be able to find a red hood big enough to disguise you."