One year later
Hanni drummed her fingers anxiously on her knees, which were shaking as she jittered in her seat.
"Almost there, ma'am," the pilot said, guiding his fingers across the console and tapping security codes into a screen she could not see. This area was heavily guarded, and with good reason.
"You can take a look, if you want," the man said kindly as he turned in his seat to face her with a smile.
Hanni unlatched her restraint and approached the window, looking out at the familiar green haze surrounding Knowhere with an irrepressible grin.
"What are you gonna do there?" the man asked.
"I have something for the Collector," she said with a smirk.
"Yeah? Heard he's a real character, that guy."
"You have no idea," she laughed, returning to her seat for the final descent.
She laid her fingers on the highly secured gift next to her, her other hand finding its way to the necklace hidden beneath her shirt. It had taken some time of trading, hard work and business to finally get enough money for a return trip to the edge of the universe, but it was worth it. She laid back and sighed, picturing Taneleer's face, the fur cloaks he was so fond of, the way his body felt against hers, his flamboyant walk and strange demeanor... Hanni swore she could already smell cherries.
When they had landed and docked, she paid for an armed escort to Tivan's collection, entering the shining building by herself when the guards recognized her. When she entered, she realized it was nearly identical to the way it had always been, save for several new exhibits and, she noticed with surprise, the lack of a slave. She looked up to the small, brightly lit area at the head of a short set of stairs and her heart nearly froze. His back was to her and she could see his soft, flowing white cloak swaying with his movements as he fidgeted with something on his desk, concentrating on a new acquisition and mumbling to himself. Hanni walked forward and he raised his head at the sound of her footsteps, but did not turn around.
"Have you an appointment?" he asked in a bored voice. "I generally don't accept unsolicited visitors."
"This one's long overdue," she said.
Taneleer immediately turned around, his thick white eyebrows raised above his bizarre, telescopic glasses. He pulled them off his face and tossed them onto the desk, taking disbelieving steps down the staircase towards Hanni.
"Either I am dreaming or hallucinating," he said silkily, reaching his former slave and raising one of her hands to his lips and kissing it. He felt unsure and his eyes flicked over the bundle she held. He wanted desperately to grab her, but wasn't sure if his advances would be welcome.
"I have a gift," she whispered, stepping closer.
"For my collection?"
"You might not want to put this one in a cage," she said with a smirk, unwrapping the bundle delicately and handing it to Taneleer, who stared down in disbelief. He looked back up quickly and she grinned. Tivan leaped forward and embraced her, kissing her furiously, all the frustrations and unrequited desires of the past year finally being released as they laughed and touched and pressed their lips against each others' skin. Finally they pulled away, and Tivan admired the gift she had brought with tears in his eyes. The baby had hair as dark as his mother's, but it swept up at his widow's peak in a fashion undeniably identical to his father's.
"His name is Tanevere," she whispered.
Taneleer grinned and leaned over to his former slave, kissing her deeply again and holding her against him.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he said softly. He paused for a moment to kiss her yet again, as though trying to prove to himself she were real. "How can I convince you to stay?"
"Just promise you won't make me leave," she responded.
He laughed and clutched her tightly and she ran her fingers through his hair, kissing him again.
Finally, he thought, I've rebuilt.