A/N: This chapter – the second of three – depicts the group's return to Edinburgh, Scotland

ANN - Alliance News Network

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Galla - Scots Gaelic for 'bitch'

Kaffe - equatorial Thessian vine, the seeds of which are used to produce a non-alcoholic beverage of the same name, the taste described as a mix of coffee and chocolate; blends originating in Dassus are considered among the best

XO - Executive Officer

Gabby and Harley Part II – Home Coming

Gabriella Daniels Creath's Home, Edinburgh, Scotland – 21 Nov 2191

Harley waved his activated omnitool through the haptic interface baring the front door from opening, then watched and listened as the red interface cross-faded to a pale green, accompanied by the metallic clanking of multiple latches and deadbolts retracted into the heavily reinforced door and its equally stout frame. Damned thing wouldn't be out of place in that castle up on the hill, came the thought. It's probably heavy enough to stand up to a battering ram. Asari never do anything by halves, that's for sure! With a quiet chuckle at the thought of a hoard of Vikings attempting to gain entry, he shoved the door open, reached in and set his travel bag on the floor beside the opening.

Looking back at his wife, – gonna take a bit of time to get used to that concept as well! came the thought – their live-in housekeeper and his stepchildren, he began moving to assist in bringing their luggage to the house, only to be waved back inside by Gabby. "We're fine, Harley. After you take your bags upstairs, you can assist me and Violet by moving ours as well."

After a quick trip up to their bedroom, he returned to grab the children's and Gabby's bags. But first, he had another task to perform. Standing just outside the door, he planted his rather substantial frame in front of the entrance and waited. Gabby, followed by Violet and the children, stopped in front of him. "Harley, what the… ?" she began, only to let out a surprised squeal of delighted joy as he bent down, placed an arm behind her thighs and, with his other hand firmly holding the side of her chest under her arm, picked her up as if she was a feather.

Violet clapped her hands and laughed, while the children looked on in wonder, then shrieked in joy; Harley carried his bride across the threshold of her house – now their house… their home –and set her feet on the floor in the middle of the living room. Retaining his grip on her ribcage as he stood back up, he pulled her in, gave her a passionate kiss on the mouth – a kiss that left her a bit breathless – and whispered as he withdrew, "Welcome home, Missus Creath."

He looked at Violet and winked, then knelt down on a knee to gather the children in his arms; after hugging and kissing each of them, he retook his feet, grabbed the bags and took them upstairs. Violet followed him up and moved past on the way to her own bedroom. After placing the kits belonging to the twins in their bedroom, he moved back into the hallway; spotting his bride entering their bedroom, he followed her in and gently closed the door. "Hope we don't all come down with colds after enjoying the weather down south." With a fake shiver, he added, "It's downright chilly outside… and damp. You sure you don't want to relocate to Rio, Gabby?"

She turned to face him as she began to undress. "Weather outside is why I'm gonna change into my sweats." Shucking her blouse, she opened the closet and hung it within as she continued, "As for moving, I'm rather used to the weather and the people here, Harley. Besides, I resigned from the Alliance Navy so I could leave all the reminders of my life with Kenneth behind. Relocating to the Villa would just bring all those memories, both happy and sad, back to the surface." She bent down, removed her shoes, then pulled her slacks off and hung them in alongside her blouse.

After admiring Gabby's nearly nude backside for several moments, he observed, "I don't believe I've ever told you this, but you have an exquisitely beautiful pair of legs, Missus Creath."

Clad only in a skimpy pair of beige panties and a lacy beige bra, she turned to face him once more and, after a quick glance down at her bare limbs, placed a fist on one hip and coyly responded, "Are my legs the only aspect of my body you find beautiful, Harley?"

Before he could stammer out a reply, she took two quick steps, wrapped her arms around his body and, with her hands firmly in the middle of his back, crushed herself against him; standing on tiptoes, she placed a beyond adoring kiss on his mouth and whispered, "My hips?… or my butt?… how about my boobs? I'm a 36-year-old mother of twins, my darling man. I'm not sure, but I think my legs may be the only parts of me that my pregnancy didn't alter."

Holding this nearly naked woman against him and being the recipient of some very passionate kisses was setting off little explosions of lustful need in his loins, something he expected she was only too well aware of. "You don't play fair, Gabriella Creath, and there isn't any portion of your physical anatomy I don't find attractive!" He chuckled softly, adding, "And I think you used to be more than a bit bashful at being partially or completely nude in front of me. What changed?"

"We got married! I love you, and you love me." She released him, stepped over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of navy-blue sweatpants; after pulling them on, she grabbed a black sweatshirt with the T'Sere logo emblazoned across the front in red, white and gold and pulled it over her head. Speaking before her face was clear of the garment's collar, she added, "You should also keep in mind I once spent over seventeen hours totally naked, seated in a pool of warm water with my knees up and my thighs spread wide apart, all while leaning against – and being embraced by – a completely nude Asari matriarch. After that experience, my lack of clothes doesn't bother me nearly as much as it once did."

A sudden look of wonder replaced the loving expression on her face. "It just came back to me! During the war, after I called Kenneth out concerning his sexist comments about all the other women on the Normandy, the very first compliment he ever paid me was about my legs." Shaking her head at the memory, she added, "How very odd. Damn!" She placed a little kiss on Harley's nose as she added, "My legs must really be exceptionally nice to have earned verbal compliments from the two most important men in my life… and you only commented about them because you haven't seen them completely bare more than a couple of times since we met."

Harley gathered her back into his arms. With a warm chuckle, he said, "I have to admit, it's a real test of my self-control anytime you're dressed in only your birthday suit and lying down, or even standing close to me."

Gabriella giggled. "Be sure to inform me when that changes, my love, so I can take steps to rectify whatever deficiencies you've noticed."

While enjoying a spot of lunch, Gabby had a quiet discussion with Violet regarding plans for Thanksgiving dinner. Violet was holding out for Friday, the 25th – rather than Thursday. "Either day is muckle tae close tae yule fur me, Missus," to which Gabby had unequivocally agreed.

"This year is special, Violet, not only because I want to celebrate my marriage to Harley – before he returns to the Villa – but also because I want to ask Eadan and Heather Matheson to join us. It's way past time for them to meet their grand-niece and nephew… inviting them to join us for dinner is the perfect excuse to see them."

"Och! That's a capitol idea, Missus. Ah wull appreciate seeing thaim as well!" She paused briefly before adding, "Only thing is, Ah don't relish spending th' entire day in th' scullery. If it's okay wi' ye, Ah kin go oot th'morra – order all th' dinner fixins' tae be delivered oan end eh the week, aroond 3:30 or 4:00pm, duin fur us tae sit doon 'n' enjoy."

Gabby smiled with her reply. "It's a holiday, Missus Sweeney, so there's no good reason for you to spend all day working in the kitchen. My gosh! You'll be doing more than enough by preparing that wonderful appetizer." Her smile turned into a teeth-baring grin as she added, "So, next year, even if we don't join Shepard and T'Soni on Thessia, we'll celebrate Lughnasadh – the harvest festival – in August, along with the rest of Scotland. We'll only delay by a day or two should it become necessary to accommodate Harley's schedule."

Violet beamed upon hearing that. "That wull be wonderful, Missus… a bit mair separation atween th' holidays wull enable us tae appreciate howfur special thay both are."

At Large, Edinburgh, Scotland – 22 Nov 2191

Harley had accompanied Violet into Edinburgh immediately after breakfast; in addition to procuring a catered dinner, she wanted to visit the fishmongers on the docks in order to purchase some fresh salmon. Her plan was to cure it, then serve it as an appetizer, along with fresh horseradish cream sauce, before Friday's dinner.

Piloting the X3M he had rented upon their arrival back in the city yesterday, he took Violet to Máiréad MacEalair's Beyond Expectations Catering, a small, family-owned and operated business located in the heart of the old, central city. Gabby had given Violet a list of what she felt was needed to set a table for a traditional Thanksgiving feast; Violet felt MacEalair's would be able to provide most of it at a reasonable cost.

Upon arriving at their destination, Harley looked at the building upon exiting the speeder and observed, "Place looks like it's been here for a number of centuries, Violet… maybe even a millennium. I might think we took a wrong turn somewhere, except for the sign over the door."

Violet laughed. "Aye, this is th' steid a'richt, Commander!" She took the few steps necessary to reach the front door, and, feeling confident that Harley was right behind her, she pushed it open and stepped into the small reception area; a bell attached to the door tinkled as Violet pushed it open, then tinkled once more as Harley closed it behind him.

A pleasant looking woman, dark grey hair arranged in a tidy bun on top of her head, emerged from a doorway behind a worn wooden counter. To Harley's great surprise, her words sounded very much like Violet's speech. "Howfur kin Ah be o' service th'day?"

Violet smiled with her quiet reply. "Ye mist be Missus MacEalair."

The woman grinned back at Violet as she confessed her identity. "Aye, that wid be me, a'richt, but ye kin ca' me Máiréad, 'n' chuffed tae catch up wi' ye, Missus?…"

"Ah, I'm Violet Sweeney, and this is Lieutenant Commander Harley Creath." Thoughtful expression firmly in place, she added, "Máiréad? That's an Irish Gaelic pronunciation, is it not?"

"Aye, it surely is, an' spelled as if it wur Irish as weel. Bit, it is also a Scots Gaelic name, wi' th' pronunciation Ah uise. Mah maw wis Irish, da wis a Scot, 'n' both wur traditionalists. Th' name is a richt fair happy medium, honoring mah mixed heritage ferr weel, Ah think."

Violet nodded as she grinned, "It's a bonny name, 'n' suits ye quite weel, if Ah kin be sae bold." With a quick glance at Harley, she got down to business. "We wid like tae order a meal fur five, plus two toddlers, tae be delivered end eh the week, by 4:30 or so, if that's possible?"

Mairead crossed her arms under her chest and cocked back on a hip. "Awful short notice fur that muckle fairn tae be prepared. Did ye hae a menu o' whit ye need?"

Violet ducked her head, apologized for the short notice and brought out Gabby's list, which she handed to Missus MacEalair; Mairead whistled upon seeing the items Gabby hoped to serve. "That's quite a bit of food, Missus Sweeney. And where would this need to be delivered?"

"Our hame in Leith, Missus."

Harley, having remained silent to this point, offered, "I'm more than willing to pay extra for your service, if that will help."

The woman brought a datapad out and began making entries. After several silent minutes spent calculating, she turned the pad around so Harley could see her figures. "Half up front, 'n' I'll personally deliver it o' time fur ye tae sit 'n' enjoy it."

Harley chuckled. Bringing up his omnitool, he entered the store's ID number and transferred the credits necessary to pay the entire bill. At the woman's expression of surprise, he said, "You're doing Violet a huge favor, as well as for myself and my new bride. I can't thank you enough."

"Newlyweds, ye say? Wi' bairns already?" She clapped her hand on her mouth instantly, her embarrassment plain to see. "I am sae sorry," she said. "That wis thoughtless o' me."

"Think nothing of it, Missus MacEalair," Harley chuckled. "My Gabriella was widowed before she gave birth to her twins, two years ago this past March. Their father is buried in the Portobello Cemetery annex."

"Widowed? Wi' twins?" she asked, astonishment replacing the embarrassed expression from a few moments before. "Then you mist hae fallen madly in love wi' th' wifie tae tak' oan th' task of raising twa bairns fathered by another."

Harley laughed with his reply. "I did, Missus MacEalair, but not just with her. I love that pair of little ones as much as if they were my own. Nice thing is, they seem to really love me as well."

Mairead nodded in understanding, then said, "Well, I'm nae getting yer tea duin by standing 'ere nattering oan aboot your domestic life. Ta sae much fur comin' in, bit I pure shuid git tae work."

Harley and Violet both thanked the woman for her time and took their leave.

Gabriella Daniels Creath's Home, Edinburgh, Scotland – 22 Nov 2191

Alone in the house with the twins after Harley and Violet's departure, Gabby played with Malcolm and Belle for a while; they were each engaged in playing with their toys, giving their mom space to think. Seemingly, without conscious thought, she soon found herself sitting in front of her propulsion design terminal. She had been working on a new sublight powerplant for one of Judea's earlier designs for less than ten minutes when her comms terminal came to life; recognizing the caller's identity caused a worried frown to momentarily appear on her face. Stay calm, Gabby. She's just calling to congratulate you. Schooling her features, she smiled just a bit as she answered the call from T'Sere Shipwrights.

The Asari that materialized on her screen was, as she'd expected, Matriarch Tralis, who greeted her warmly. "Gabriella! Congratulations on finalizing your union with Commander Creath. Did everything go as expected? And how are Violet and your children adjusting to this major change in their lives?"

That this Asari cared enough to ask about Violet and the twins nearly brought Gabby to tears, but after a quiet cough to clear the lump in her throat, she responded with, "Everything was super lovely, Matriarch. We had a beautiful ceremony, and having Tammi – umm, my dear friend from the propulsion lab on the CGC – there with me, was something Harley arranged, and beyond special, for both of us." She paused a moment to gather her thoughts, then continued, "As for Violet and the kids, I don't believe the reality of our new situation has completely registered yet. And actually, Harley will be spending most of his time working for the Alliance Navy down in Rio, a port city in Terra's southern hemisphere, so won't be here for more than an occasional weekend visit."

The Matriarch nodded gently as Gabby was speaking; when she fell silent, Tralis spoke in a loving tone, "So, Gabby… if I may inquire, why in the Goddess' name are you working today? I believe you were supposed to be taking this week for some well-earned vacation."

"How could you possibly know I was doing design work, Matriarch?" She grinned in order to remove any sting her next words might cause. "I sincerely doubt you would plant a logger in my haptic interface."

Tralis responded with hearty laughter. When she could speak once again, she admitted, "You just told me exactly what you were doing, my dear. I actually didn't know, although your quick acceptance of my contact request had me suspicious." She laughed again, this time at Gabby's expression of dismay. "Oh, Gabriella. Please, my child! Don't think anything of it… it's nothing at all, really! I just want you to take a bit of time off… at least the rest of this week, that's all. By the Goddess, you just got married! Enjoy your first week together as a bonded couple. Once it's gone, you can never get it back!"

Gabby's smile nearly lit up the room. "You're correct, of course. It's just that… I almost always have ideas churning around in my head. Even when I'm just sitting and playing with the twins, I can't seem to stop thinking about or mentally exploring all the different avenues of propulsion theory that continuously appear in my mind." She chuckled as she added, "It'd be nice if there was an 'off' switch behind my ear."

"I find I am in reluctant agreement with you, my dear." She shook her head slightly as she concluded, "Again, my congratulations. Please convey to Commander Creath my wishes for a long, happy union, for both of you. And Gabby, please… for me?" Tralis grinned as she added, "Take some time away from that design computer. Enjoy the week with your new husband."

"I will, Matriarch… I promise. May the Goddess keep and protect you."

Tralis waved. "You and yours as well, Gabby."

After leaving her desk to check on the twins – both of whom were still quietly playing with several different toys gifted to them by various Alliance personnel at the Villa – she moved to the kitchen in order to brew some fresh coffee and fix a snack for herself. Upon checking her chrono, she realized with a start it was nearly 1245. Harley and Violet should be back anytime, came the thought. Hope her search for fresh salmon was a success.

As if on cue, she heard the front door open, accompanied by a happy chorus of 'Hawley' and 'Antee By'let' as Belle and Malcolm dropped everything in order to run and greet them. Gabby leaned against the door frame between the kitchen and dining room and watched in delight as Violet, after being swarmed by the pair's enthusiastic greeting, started towards the kitchen with several bags containing her purchases. Harley became the twin's new target, with each of them grabbing him around a knee as they happily, and repeatedly, shouted his name. Harley glanced in Gabby's direction, as if asking for help.

She responded to his silent entreaty by moving towards him. "It appears as if you are trapped, my good Sir. Do you require assistance?"

With a happy grin on his face, he replied, "Perhaps… but I think I've got them." Reaching down, he extricated Malcolm's arms from his left knee and picked him up; after thoroughly hugging the happy little boy, he set him down on the floor, then performed the same procedure on a gleefully squealing Belle. Before Malcolm could reattach himself to Harley's leg, the man moved to the nearby couch to sit; seating Belle at his right side, he beckoned Gabby to join him as Malcolm got up on the couch and plopped down at Harley's left.

After Gabby took a seat in her rocking chair, her husband activated his omnitool and entered a number of commands; entering one last command resulted in the tool on Gabby's wrist coming to life. She inspected the new download for a few moments before turning a questioning gaze to Harley. "Insurance data?" Returning her attention to the data scrolling through the interface, she added, "Life insurance beneficiary, personal life, health and dental, children's…"

"We just need you to fill in the blanks on each of the forms, so I can get them filed with H.R. on the base," he explained. "It's one reason I wanted us to get married so soon, Gabby… I want you and the kids protected financially should I encounter deadly misfortune in the line of duty."

Gabby could feel her throat tightening from the memories of Kenneth's unexpected death; she shook her head while saying, "Darn it, Harley, I really don't want to think about this right now!"

With a nod of his head, he answered, "Then don't… at least, not today. But I would like to transmit the forms to Alliance H.R. by the weekend, when I have to leave for the return trip."

She looked at the data a bit more as he was speaking; with a slight frown, she asked, "You have a half-million credit life insurance policy? Half a million!?" She shook her head in shocked disbelief. "Kenneth's policy paid only a fourth of that!"

Harley nodded in understanding – and sympathy. "Most likely for one main reason. As a ship's systems engineer assigned to a Spectre-captained, Council-owned stealth frigate, it was the council's responsibility to provide for his survivors in the event of his death, just the same as when I was XO on Spectre Hailot Jatok's ship, the Huli." He shrugged his shoulders. "It would seem the council isn't nearly as generous as the Alliance. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, since they're funded by all their member races, the Systems Alliance included, so I don't want you to ever have to face financial hardship again, Gabby."

Gabby shook her head as she grumbled, "I never even thought to ask. What price a man's life?" She heaved a sigh and shook her head once more. "Sounds like I was cheated out of some creds. Do you suppose I should go see the Council? File a protest? Actually, it would be interesting to learn how many families of Alliance personnel that died fighting during that Council-led skirmish with those damned Quarians were short-changed out of proper death benefits."

Harley sighed with his reply. "Sounds to me as if the Quarian people should have been required to contribute to a compensation fund, set aside for the families of those that lost their lives putting a stop to their misguided attempts at enslaving a race of sentient beings – never mind the fact they're not organic."

Closing her eyes, she spent a few moments using the fingertips of both hands to massage her temples as she rocked back and forth. Upon reopening them, she fixed her husband with a sad look while commenting, "I'm not a mercenary bitch, Harley… a label I expect the Council would privately apply to me if I approached them with this." Shaking her head, she added, "Thanks to T'Sere Shipwrights, I am very well compensated for my work, and the benefits are beyond generous." She looked around as she concluded, "I don't lack for anything…" she finished with a smirk, "… especially now that I'm married to you."

She took another look at the data on her omnitool. "Looks like pediatric care is also included in this package. Are there any Alliance approved pediatricians in Edinburgh?"

Harley shrugged his shoulders with his reply. "Don't know. There's a physician's directory in that document, Sweetie. Should be able to find any general doctor or specialist you might need There's also a fairly generous prescription medicine benefit."

Gabby looked up to see Violet entering from the kitchen. "Tis nearly 1:30… either o' ye interested in a plook o' lunch… mibbie some coffee, or Kaffe?"

Gabby smiled in gratitude as she rose from her chair. "Kaffe sounds lovely, Violet." With a quick glance at her mate, she asked, "Harley?"

A huge grin firmly in place, he set the kids on the floor before re-taking his feet. "Sounds wonderful! Lead the way."

Shortly after finishing her lunch, Gabby sat in front of her comms terminal with her mug of freshly brewed Kaffe, placed a call, then waited with no small amount of trepidation; she had last seen Eadan and Heather Matheson in this house, at the get-together she had hosted in Kenneth's memory, middle of January nearly three years ago.

Her thoughts evaporated as the T'Sere logo displayed on the screen dissolved to reveal a woman's face. Faint smile blossoming into a full, teeth-baring grin, Kenneth's Aunt Heather's eyes lit with recognition. "Oh, my word! Gabriella! It took me a moment… couldn't imagine for the life of me who'd be calling from Edinburgh! How've you been doing? And your wee babes?"

Gabby responded with a grin of her own. "We've been doing well, Aunt Heather… quite well, indeed… and they're not so tiny anymore." With a chuckle, she got to the point. "I'm calling to invite you and Uncle Eadan to join us for a Thanksgiving dinner, this Friday afternoon."

"Thanksgiving?" Heather's grin faded slightly as she asked, "Is that not a North American tradition this time of year?" Before Gabby could respond, the woman's features brightened. "Forgive me, Gabriella… I nearly forgot your heritage. And of course, we'll come; we'll be happy to join you. It'll give us a chance to see your children!"

Gabby looked down for a moment as she put the words together in her head; returning her gaze to the image on the screen, she added, "There's another reason we're having this dinner, Aunt Heather… it's… well, I'm married again, to a wonderful man… a lieutenant commander in the Alliance Navy. We said our vows just last week."

Heather's eyes opened wide in step with her mouth falling open in stunned surprise. Recovering quickly, she looked down for several moments before offering a weak response. "Um, well… it would seem congratulations are in order. It feels rather sudden, to me, but it I guess it has been nearly three years since Kenneth… since he…"

"Lost his life," Gabby finished for her, her throat tightening at the memory, "… while serving on the Normandy, Aunt Heather. And just so you know, my new husband was with Spectre Samantha Shepard when she put an end to Daro'Xen – the Quarian galla responsible for my Kenneth's death."

"Oh, Gabriella! That's so nice to hear… well, not that someone else died, but that Kenneth received a bit of justice. ANN didn't go into any details about the conflict after it ended, other than to report that a lot of people – on both sides – lost their lives."

Continuing on, Gabby said, "Anyway, that's the main reason – besides wanting you to meet the children – that I would like for you and Uncle Eadan to join us for dinner, Aunt Heather. I understand it may be difficult to accept, but I believe in my heart that Kenneth approves of my marriage to Harley… umm, Harley Creath. He's in charge of the Alliance special operations teams, based at the Interplanetary Combatives Academy in Rio. We met during my maternity leave at the T'Soni estate, on Thessia, where the twins were born.

Heather momentarily shook her head ever-so-slightly before responding, "Gabriella, it's okay, truly. It's just a bit of a shock, is all. I would not expect a woman as young as yourself to spend the entire rest of your life as a grieving widow. And, as much as you need a man in your life, your children need a father-figure in their lives. The only questions I have are, does he love you?… truly love you?… and, of greater importance, does he love your children?"

Gabby giggled, "Oh, Aunt Heather… he's crazy about both of them! And they took to him the first time he was here, Christmas before last." She could feel a hint of a blush creeping up her neck as she shyly continued, "And – of equal importance – Harley loves me every bit as much as my Kenneth did. I realize we've known each other for a relatively short time, compared to the many years I was with Kenneth, but I cannot imagine my life without Harley being a part of it."

Heather's smile from before had returned. "Okay, then. There'll be plenty of time for more conversation when we come to your home, Gabriella. Oh! And now I'm looking forward to seeing Violet once again as well. We'll see you on Friday, around?…"

"If you can arrive by 1300 or 1330, that will give you plenty of time to chat with Harley and Violet, and me, and get to know your grand-niece and grand-nephew, before we sit down for dinner."

The woman chuckled, then signed off with, "We'll see you on Friday, Gabriella, and… thank you so much for inviting us. It feels really nice to be included as family with you and yours."

After her conversation with her Aunt Heather had concluded, Gabby spent the following 30-to-40 minutes reviewing – and filling out the forms for – the life and health insurance policies on which she and the twins would be included, now that she was legally married to Alliance Commander Harley Creath. I've gone from being an enlisted ship's propulsion systems specialist in the Alliance Navy to being the wife of a Commander in that Navy, she mused. Even though I'm working for an Asari space vessel factory on Thessia, it seems I'm unable to completely place the Alliance Military behind me.

Mentally shaking her head at this newly-grasped revelation, she carefully filled in all the blanks on the several forms Harley had transferred to her omnitool, paying especially close attention to those forms that enrolled her children in what appeared to be excellent health coverage. Not having to pay full price for their doctor's visits – as few as they are – will be nice. I never once gave any thought to all this when I resigned from the Navy… just wanted to put the memories of everything I had lost squarely behind me. "Funny how life always manages to surprise me," she whispered aloud.

Sitting on the couch in the living room – where he was keeping an eye on the twins – Harley looked at her with his query of, "What was that?"

Gabby, seated at the small table in the kitchen enjoying a second cup of Kaffe as she filled out the forms, cocked her head slightly with her reply. "What was what?"

Harley chuckled. "You said something… whispered it, actually. Talking to yourself, Gabby?"

"How could you have possibly heard me from where you're sitting, my dearest? Eavesdropping, are we?"

The chuckle she received as he rose from the couch to join her gladdened her heart. "Not at all. House is quiet, even with a couple of boisterous children playing right in front of me. It's just that I'm blessed with exceptionally sensitive hearing, despite the years I've spent in the Navy." He walked over to the Kaffe press in the kitchen, made another mug of the hot beverage for himself, then joined Gabby at the table. "So, what did you whisper to yourself?"

"An observation about my life, Harley. I resigned from the Alliance and left the propulsion lab on the CGC behind, only to find myself now married to another Navy man." She reached for and grabbed his hand as he set his mug on the table. "Life always seems to create opportunities for new discoveries… mostly good ones."

After brushing her teeth, Gabby pulled on a sleep shirt, dimmed the lights in the bathroom, and moved back into her bedroom. Harley had already crawled in on the far side and was lying on his right side, facing her. She dowsed the bedside light and slid under the covers, where she was ardently embraced by a pair of solid arms. Taking note of his bare torso, she said, "Please tell me you are wearing skivvies, at least."

She couldn't see his grin as he nuzzled her neck but could hear it in his voice as he murmured, "As agreed, my dear."

She sighed, "That's good. They're easy enough to remove if we decide it's necessary. I just don't want Violet catching a glimpse of you – all of you – should anything happen that obliges you to run downstairs in the middle of the night. She'd probably faint."

"Or, she might just applaud and ask for an encore," came the snarky response, followed by, "It's how I sleep on base anyhow." He kissed her, whispered, "I love you," in her ear, then relaxed his arms. "Sleep well, my darling."

Gabriella Creath's Home, Edinburgh, Scotland – 23 Nov 2191

Right after breakfast, Harley had departed in order to do a bit of clothes shopping in town, explaining, "I grew up in a place that experienced some bitterly cold winters, and while I don't believe I'll experience those extremes while I'm here in Edinburgh, the chill that comes in from the ocean seems to go straight into my bones." He hugged his wife tightly as he added, "I need to buy some civilian clothes that are better suited for the damp winter climate here." Glancing out the front window, he kissed her, then concluded, "I'm going to leave now, while it's still sunny. Weather's supposed to turn by mid-afternoon, such that I expect sitting in front of a roaring fire will be preferable to being outside."

Gabby accompanied him to the door, which he unlocked and opened; kissing him before he could step outside, she said, "I love you. Stay safe."

Something in her voice – the way she said 'stay safe', brought him up short. Cocking his head, he looked at her intently and replied, "I love you more, and I will… I promise." He winked at her, then was in the X3M and gone. Gabby closed and locked the heavy door, then placed her back against its wooden surface for several moments as she pondered their future lives together.

She was brought out of her reverie by her daughter, who tugged on her pants legs with both hands and asked, "Momma okay?"

Gabby looked down at the sweet little face worriedly looking up at her; she carefully dropped to one knee in front of her, embraced her in a loving hug and whispered, "Momma's okay, baby… I'm just fine." She placed a kiss on the child's cheek, released her and stood while saying, "Everything is wonderful, sweetie, so run along and play."

Gabby joined Violet in the dining room; the woman had started an inspection of Kenneth's mom's good china, some of which was on display behind the glass-fronted doors of an antique china hutch. After several minutes, Gabby volunteered, "It all appears to be in great condition, Missus Sweeney, and there's eight place settings, so more than enough for five plus the kids."

"Aye," responded Violet. "Just need tae wash th' stoor fae thaim afore we set thaim oot fur oor meal." Shaking her head slightly, she observed, "Funny howfur things kin git sae dusty, bit then, we haven't used anythin' fae this cabinet sin ye moved in wi' yer wee babes."

Gabby, a bit stunned at Violet's statement, paused to stare out the front window for several moments. Mentally shaking herself, she looked at the woman beside her and said, "You're absolutely correct, Violet, and it just doesn't seem as if that much time has slipped by us." Returning to the task at hand, she added, "I'm so busy all the time, I never think about having folks join me here, for dinner, or just to socialize." Maybe having Kenneth's Aunt and Uncle here for dinner will be a good thing, for all of us, came the thought.

At Large, Edinburgh, Scotland – 23 Nov 2191

Harley Creath had completed shopping for winter clothes – at least, clothing suited for the cool-to-cold, damp-to-rainy weather prevalent on the eastern Scottish coast during winter.

On a whim, he detoured from his planned route home in order to make his way to the annex at Portobello Cemetery. Parking the speeder at the edge of the paved pathway – in nearly the same spot as he had done during his Christmas visit the previous year – he climbed out, closed the side door and canopy, pulled the collar of his coat up, and strolled the path for several meters to stand in front of Ken Donnelly's grave marker.

After a few moments of simply listening to a bit of the ocean-scented breeze wafting through the bare branches of the surrounding trees, he began speaking in a quiet voice. "It's been nearly a year, Chief. I just want you to know I love Gabby with all my heart, and will take good care of her, and your kids." Thinking, I must be crazy, talking to a dead man. After several moments spent in contemplative silence, he added, "She still misses you, Kenneth… misses you terribly, and I expect she will miss you every day for the rest of her life."

As if responding to his words, a sudden gust of wind chilled his face; looking up at the sky, he took note of the increasingly leaden-grey appearance of the thickening clouds, rapidly spilling in from the North Sea. Returning his attention to the man's grave marker, he said farewell, adding, "I'll bring her and your children out to visit on your birthday, Chief."

He shook his head slightly and, with a heavy sigh, turned and made his way back to his speeder. Once inside, he turned on the canopy's kinetic barrier – this would repel the droplets of fine rain that were just beginning to fall from the dark mantle of clouds – cranked the heater up enough to ward off the chill, then left for his new home.