Finally, we've reached the end! Apologies for the delay – crazy finals week!

Enjoy!

-XXX-

The baby cries, even as I shush it gently, stroking its soft head. From behind me, Khan sighs.

"Please feed it so I don't have to listen to that incessant bawling."

Casting him a glance, I pick up the little one, cooing as I offer it the bottle. The babe immediately latches on the rubber nipple, greedily sucking down the milk. I run a finger along one silky, tiny ear, smiling down.

"You're not fawning over it now, are you?" Khan sighs. "Soon you'll be wanting another."

Reaching back, I swat his shin, the nearest limb to me. "So what if I do? They're cute."

He sneers. "Clearly you have little experience with goats."

In my lap, the kid bleats softly, having finished her bottle. I rub her belly, cuddling her closer. "I'm getting more. They're so sweet –"

"No," he says blankly. "It can't come home with us."

"I didn't ask!"

He gives me a look. "You were going to. No."

I stand, holding the tiny creature to my chest, leaning up to Khan, smiling. "You don't want to share a bed with this adorable little thing?" I hold up the goat.

"That's not the 'adorable little thing' that I'd like between my sheets, no," he says, brows rises. One hand curls against my waist. "Though, you, on the other hand…"

"Uh-huh?" I stand on tip-toe to kiss him. "Lucky you, eh?"

"Eh," he agrees, pausing against my lips. "Lucky."

Six months have passed since our encounter with the Enterprise. Since then, a small base has been set up thirty kilometers from camp, with occasional visits with supplies. I have weekly comm reports due to Federation HQ, in which I outline the latest news among the Augments. Nothing substantial has occurred since our arrangement was made – Augments, as it turns out, regardless of their high capacity for violence and aggression, are relatively relaxed among each other. Sometimes, I forget that they are not human – but only sometimes

The shacks we'd built months ago have been improved, and in some cases, replaced. Our has been outfitted with heat and air conditioning, a small hot place, and running water. There was central water, and dinner is still take in the center of our settlement most nights, but the upgrade has allowed for less work and more leisure time. I take it greedily, spending much of mine with the goats. Khan is often too busy to spare as much time as me, but he will occasionally grace me with his presence for a few minutes.

Today, I'm playing with the springtime kids. They're dears. Khan is far less fond of them.

"Beast," he sneers when the little one squirms between us. I giggle, pulling back.

"You mean adorable."

"Hardly," he snorts.

I stoop to release the kid, rise again to put my hands against his chest. "What are you doing out here? I thought you had a few meetings with the farming committee and the Starfleet base manager."

"They finished early."

"You're not playing hooky?"

Khan gives me a glance, eyes rolling. "If only. But no."

I wrap my arms around his neck. "Pity."

"Mmmm." His cheek rests the crown of my head, breathing deeply. A weight is shared between us – as leaders (him officially, me unofficially), we're going about a million miles a minute. In moments such as these, we seem to together exhale the burdens of the day, releasing, sharing, relaxing.

We've still got our difficulties between us. At times I feel resentful, yes, distant. I'm still slighted by some of the members of our family, which triggers some less-than-charitable feelings towards the group as a whole – and particularly the person who was responsible for getting me here. There's little he can do to sway me during these times of frustration but sit quietly and warily watch my rage.

Nothing is perfect, by any means. But we're getting there.

"Alya?" he murmurs after several moments.

"Hm?"

"We've got a meeting over the comm with the planetary rights council in an hour," he says.

I sigh, pulling back. "I suppose I ought to clean up."

With that, we leave the pasture, striding slowly through the field and trees. If there is one thing I'm enjoying about life on Cylfax, it's the closeness with nature. Terra has lost many trees, clean rivers, and so on. The people are not longer in harmony with the earth. It was something we often discussed in my anthropology classes – man's distinct shift away from Mother Nature for a heavy dependence on technology.

Here, there are more trees and hills and grass and streams and lakes and non-human life than I've ever seen. I walked barefoot on cool green grass for the first time in my life, and realize that there is no feeling like it in the world. For all of our settlement's downside, for as lonely as I can feel here, the connection to nature I wouldn't trade for anything.

As we emerge from the woods in silence, I peer about the settlement. Business is as usual. A few women wave at us from where they sit weaving. Patel, standing beside one young woman, gives us a brows-up look. I grin. He's been trying to get Lashita to pay attention to him for months now. She's has yet to throw him a bone.

"They're cute," I say.

Khan snorts. "Hardly."

I nudge him. "No need to be jealous, O Prince."

His title makes his lips upturn. "Don't call me that," he murmurs. "Besides, jealousy could hardly be valid when they should clearly be envious of us."

"The bickering human and the imposing boss-man? I don't see how they couldn't be."

Khan allows for a slip of a smile before sobering. "They could be they. They all could be." A sidelong glance my way, he sighs. "It is hard, knowing they cannot procreate. Some of our people are so disheartened they do not seek to make – what is the purpose without children?"

I frown. "Companionship? Love?"

He shakes his head. "Not enough for everyone."

"Is it enough for us?" I ask, looking straight ahead.

This is enough to give Khan pause as we're about to enter our home. Frowning, he reaches out, stopping me before I can cross the threshold. "What do you mean?"

I pick my words carefully. "We still haven't talked about it yet, Khan. But you didn't get attached to me simply because I looked like child-bearing material, surely?"

"No." His frown deepens. "Alya, I wanted you because you were kind and compassionate and I couldn't think of my life without you in it once I'd met you. But that doesn't mean –"

"Even so. I don't feel right doing this, in front of all of them when they cannot –"

"They would rather see us happy then miserable. Even if we had something they didn't."

"Who is to say we'd be miserable without children?" I retort, gazing up at him.

He shakes his head again, closing his eyes. "I have a duty to my people."

"And me?"

Silent, Khan looks down at me.

"You have no duty to me?"

"Of course I do. You know this is something I must do. Something I must do with you."

Emotion swells up in my throat. "Khan."

His hands find mine. "It doesn't have to be now."

"Tell me it doesn't have to be ever," I beg quietly, slipping my hands from his. "Tell me you won't force me to do this. That, if we wait and I decide I don't want children, you won't resent me."

"Are you doing this prove something?" he whispers. "To make me prove something to you?"

"No! Nothing more than asking you to consider me in this."

He cannot look at me. "Alya…."

My chest tightens and I reach for him. "I love you. I'm not saying never. Please, just…think of me."

Brushing past my open arms, Khan moves inside, silent, leaving me to stand alone outside of our home. For several minutes, I remain, blinking back frustrated tears. When I finally gather the nerve to follow him inside, I linger in the doorway of our main room, where my partner sat before the comm unit, reading over a PADD file. The air is heavy, hostile, so thick I can hardly speak, leaving me to open and close my mouth several times before being able to express myself.

I don't want to tell him never. Because I cannot say that I'll never want children. A good part of me wants to. I want to be happy, I want Khan to be happy, I want to help our family. Yet – something is holding me back from saying yes. Maybe it's merely because this is something – one of the first things – I've had control over since Khan entered my life. What I do know is I'm not ready to make a decision about this. I'm twenty-six. In the rare instances I considered a life with a husband and kids, I pictured myself being older. Quite a bit older.

"I could make you," he says suddenly, without looking up. "I could stop your birth control. I could make you come to me…."

His words scare me. "You don't mean that. You wouldn't."

"In time you'd forgive me."

I release a bark of a laugh. "Would I?"

He turns to me. Eyes dark, sad, Khan is unhappy. "I don't want to do that to you. But I need this."

"I need you to listen to me."

"I will. Provided you don't shut me out."

"Shut you out? You are not the one being shut out here!" I bite my lip, feeling wetness rise to the corners of my eyes. "You are forcing me to make a decision on something I'm not ready to do. What happens if I say no, Khan?"

That's the question. The Augment's eyes alight. Hands tighten into fists. "Alya."

The thought of us ending shakes through me. If apart, I would be left alone. The Augments are growing on me, however, I would not be welcome into the home or family units of any of them. I'd be an outcast. Alone, likely left to live in one of the smaller shacks on the edge of camp. Giving all of my life on Earth up…would it be worth it?

Wordless, I approach. He takes up my hands. Eyes hold mine solidly. Waiting.

"I love you. And regardless of whether we have children, that feeling will not change."

I kneel to be level with him. His forehead rests against mine, eyes still locked. Slowly, they blink closed. Our breathing evens together. Khan's fingers lace into mine. We are quiet for a long time. Finally, Khan pulls back.

"I will be here regardless of whether we have children," he says, not opening his eyes. "I will be here until you send me away, and even then I couldn't even hope to go." They blink open, crystal orbs hotly bright. I can't look away.

"I doubt I'd have much success, anyways," I murmur. "You'd hardly listen."

One hand cups my jaw. "I'm trying. Today, I'm trying."

I let his thumb stroke my jaw, closing my eyes. "This can work. We can work. We just need…time."

He nods. For a moment, we simply look at one another. It's a silence less heavy then before. More contented. Still not quite comfortable.

But then the comm beeps faintly in the background, reminding us of our obligations. The moment is broken. With a sigh, I draw back.

"Shall we?" I nod to the comm unit. Khan bows his head, smiling slightly.

"We do not have much of a choice," he replies wryly, hitting the answer button. The screen flickers to life, and we're no longer Khan the Augment and Alya the human, but the leaders of Cylfax. The role, I think, that suits us well.

-XXX-

This wasn't exactly the ending I'd been anticipating. But it kind of works for me. I ended on a happier interval, despite the fight, but I guess I wanted to kind of make a point with it. Nothing against pieces that do this, but I think more often than not a baby is thrown into the mix as something to bind people together. And several people asked me if this was going to end with Alya pregnant, which got me thinking….

Anyways. I may return, add more, but for now, I'm finished. There is a chance I might add a brief sequel, but we'll see!

Thank you so much for all of your support – your reviews, favorites, and follows. I greatly appreciate it.

Keep an eye out, I'll be posting some Sherlock within the next week and possibly the start of a LOTR bit.