After being dropped off by the transport, Jenny and Lynn walked the short distance to Jenny's bungalow. They each took off their shoes as they entered, and Jenny led Lynn into the living room.
Lynn just looked about in awe. "You stay here all by yourself? Don't you get lonely?"
Jenny walked up behind her and gently placed her arms around Lynn's waist, leaning her head against the back of Lynn's head. "Intolerably lonely…" Jenny sighed.
Lynn turned around in her arms, grasping Jenny's hands firmly. "My room-mate is off-world because she and her parents are going back to Sea of the Forest Star, and they're just getting her all registered for next semester…why don't you come live with me?"
"Why don't YOU come live with ME?" Jenny said playfully, as she started touring Lynn around the spacious town home.
"But…would your parents even allow it?" Lynn wondered, as they walked into the bedroom. Above the bed, as sure as Jenny had told her, were pictures of her in various candid moments of life. She felt flattered, and flustered, all at the same time. To think that each of them had felt the same way about the other, and it had taken all of this trouble to bring them together. Such was the ways of fate, she mused to herself, tenderly touching the clover pendant around her neck.
Jenny pulled her over to the bed, and sat down and pulled Lynn down to sit beside her. Her face became serious. "Lynn, I have to confess something to you. I didn't want to say anything at school, but I need to tell you this. I hope that it won't change anything between us."
Lynn could see she was serious, but she knew in her heart that Jenny was the one. Hell, Jenny could tell her that she was really a boy under those clothes, and it probably wouldn't matter. Well, maybe a little bit. "I'm listening," Lynn said sincerely.
"I've been promised to an older man," Jenny started to say, but suddenly tears just started to run down her face and she could barely speak. It always hurt to talk about this, even to think about it. But she wasn't prepared for how much it would hurt to tell someone that she cared for. Her heart ached to think that she might be plucked away from this wonderful school life, and from this beautiful girl.
Lynn pulled Jenny into her arms and held her tightly. "I'd actually heard that rumor," Lynn whispered to her softly. Jenny looked into her eyes, and could see Lynn's genuine empathy. "We'll find a way, I promise," Lynn continued, her roguish tomboy eyes glinting. "Jenny," she whispered lovingly.
Jenny swooned in Lynn's embrace, pressing her head against Lynn's neck. "Lynn…" she whispered back.
Their brief moment of intimacy was interrupted by Jenny's and Lynn's phones both ringing out incoming text message alerts simultaneously.
"They're coming HERE!" they both exclaimed in unison, looking up from their phones, and then again in unison, giggled out, "Jinx!"
"Maybe I should go back to my dorm…" Lynn began, but Jenny wiped her eyes, and still laughing just a little, said, "I think they know that we're both here, together. They're bringing take-out dinner, so lets just all have a meal together."
The doorbell rang. "Wow, that was fast," Lynn said.
"No, it's not them. Keiko wouldn't ring the bell – she'd just let herself in, hoping to catch us in the act…" Jenny grinned.
"…in the act of what?" Lynn was quite innocent, and had never even kissed anyone. Jenny was a bit worldlier, but Lynn's innocence was precious to her. She wanted it to last as long as possible. As she went to answer the door, she just grinned back at Lynn, imagining the day when Lynn would learn "the act".
"Who is it?" Jenny asked over the door intercom, but could see on the small display that it was a Stellar Military officer.
"Stellar Military. I need to speak to Miss Lambretta," the woman answered. "She was seen coming here with you, Miss Doolittle." Jenny recognized her as Lt. Harris, one of the women who interrogated her. The surveillance systems in town were quite pervasive. There was no point in prevaricating. She opened the door, as Lynn approached from behind her.
"Summons for a formal hearing," Lt. Harris said dryly, handing a data pad to Lynn. "Tomorrow morning, nine o'clock sharp, Stellar Alliance Building, New Okohuma City. The details are all in there. If you don't show, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. Good night, girls!" She smiled, and whirled about and strode back to her transport.
Half an hour later, just as Jenny predicted, Keiko let herself and Maddie into the bungalow. Not seeing Lynn and Jenny in the living room, Keiko peeked into the bedroom, where Lynn was reclining against the headboard, and Jenny was fast asleep with her head in Lynn's lap. Lynn looked at Keiko and pressed her finger to her lips, signaling Keiko not to wake her. "She's exhausted," Lynn whispered.
Keiko held up the bags of food, whispering back, "I'll bet she's hungry, too!"
Lynn nodded, and gently woke Jenny. Jenny stirred, and looked up at her. Sitting up, she asked, "…did you sleep, too?"
Lynn shook her head with a smile. "I just wanted to see your cute angel face while you slept…"
Keiko, still standing at the door, was happy to see them so familiar with each other, and called out, "Come on, you two. Let's eat!"
The four knelt around the living room table, said their prayers and began eating. Maddie perused the summons data pad that Lynn had been served with. She chuckled as she read the charges aloud, but Lynn seemed to grow more concerned. "Don't worry, Lassie," Maddie consoled. "They're not getting' away with this claptrap!"
After Maddie had read the "Data Piracy" charge, Jenny realized that it must have been Lynn who had altered the course of the race. Lynn still seemed oblivious to how that choice had almost gotten Jenny killed. She realized that those two seniors must have talked her into it, or bullied her into it, if she knew those two. She wasn't going to ever let Lynn know the consequences of her actions, because she didn't want to have any kind of psychological advantage over her. If Lynn realized, it would fill her with guilt, and she would do anything to make it up to her. Jenny wanted real love from Lynn, not some half baked desire for atonement. "Mrs. MacDougal, your food's going to go cold," she said in a hinting tone. Maddie looked back at her, then at Lynn, and then noticed that Keiko too was giving her non-verbal cues to drop the subject.
"Aye, you're right, Lassie!" she said, turning off the data pad. She turned to Keiko. "We'll discuss it later at my hotel."
Keiko spoke up. "And the two of you can just have a sleepover here tonight. It's past curfew, so you can't go back to the dorm, Lynn. We'll pick you both up in the morning."
Lynn frowned at Maddie. "But aren't you going brief me, and tell me what to say?"
Maddie shook her head as she swallowed some food. "Oh, heavens, no, lass. You should never let anyone tell you what to say. Ye know the truth better than anyone, and ye told it to me when we first met. Just tell it to them tomorrow, just as ye told it to me."
Lynn sat for a moment, her eyes going back and forth between Keiko and Maddie. "It was you, wasn't it?" Lynn said to Keiko. "You hired Maddie to watch over me, right? Why? I don't even know you…"
Keiko eyed Maddie for a moment, and then looked Lynn in the eyes. "It's complicated. All of this is much, much bigger than you realize. Just let us look after you. You really don't need to know the reasons why."
"I just wanted to thank you." Lynn said softly.
Keiko smiled. She truly was worthy of Jenny. She was perfect. "I'll pass it on up."
After they finished eating dinner, Jenny and Lynn cleared the table, and Jenny turned to the group. "Anyone want some gelato for dessert?"
Maddie and Keiko both shook their heads. "No thanks, dearie," Maddie answered for both of them. "Miss Keiko and I have work to do tonight. Why don't you little lassies get some rest? I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be a busy day again for both of ye!" With that, Maddie and Keiko each took their valises and departed.
Lynn washed the utensils, while Jenny disposed of the takeout containers. After brushing their teeth and washing their faces, they finally settled again on the oversized bed in the bedroom. Jenny was already wearing a nightshirt from when she changed earlier, and she went over to the chest of drawers and pulled out another one, adorned with a clover, and handed it to Lynn. "I really won't peek this time," Jenny giggled. Lynn grinned and rolled her eyes, as she took off her skirt and top, and then wriggled into the nightie, in full view of Jenny. Jenny just sat and feasted her eyes. "It's just us girls, after all," Lynn saw how Jenny was ogling her, and gently poked her in the center of her forehead with her index finger.
They scooted up on the bed, and cuddled together. "This bed is really comfortable," Lynn observed. "How do you ever want to get out of it in the morning?"
Jenny nodded. "It's some kind of predictive, adaptive micro-foam that they use on long distance space travel and for deep hyperspace dives. It hardens, or softens, swells or shrinks depending on the heat and tension of the muscles in contact with it…it's like getting a micro-massage the whole night. My dad wanted me to get a good night's sleep and be refreshed every day."
Lynn smiled. "You would look beautiful and refreshed if you slept on a rock," she said softly, her tomboy eyes glinting.
Jenny wrapped her arms around Lynn, pulling her on top of her and gently wrapping her legs around Lynn's waist. "I bet you say that to all the girls…" she giggled.
For a long moment, they just looked into each others' eyes. As Lynn moved her lips close to Jenny's, Jenny's lips parted slightly and she closed her eyes. Neither had ever kissed anyone, not like this, anyway. Lynn kissed her tentatively, just letting her lips touch Jenny's, but then Jenny pulled Lynn against her, and pressed her lips against Lynn's. Jenny didn't indulge in any tongue kissing, and Lynn didn't seem to know about such a thing anyway. They basked in the warmth of their new-found love for a time, and fell fast asleep in each other's arms.