THE OTHER MISS BRIDGERTON

"Dalla!" Francesca ran after the fence as she left the Hair Affair. Getting time off from her work on Dantooine hadn't been easy. Managing to land in the same place as Dalla, also not easy. And handing off Auggie to Riyo – okay, that had been pretty easy. But Francesca had determined to make this meeting and she wasn't going to squander her chance.

"Francesca." Dalla waited for her to catch up. "I take it you're here for Genna and Sam's wedding?"

"I wouldn't miss it. Auggie's never seen a wedding before and I think he might burst with excitement."

"My kid's excited too, but mostly for the cake. How have you been?"

"Oh, fine. The comms division is up and running and Auggie's growing like a weed." She cleared her throat. "I actually was hoping to speak to you privately. Is this a good time?"

"I don't see why not." Dalla steered them toward the defector's apartment, which was thankfully empty, and locked the door behind them.

"Thank you for taking the time to do this; I know you're not here on business." Francesca pulled out a chair at the tiny kitchen table.

Dalla made a dismissive hand gesture. "Please, I'm always on business. What's on your mind?"

Here went nothing: "I want to become a handler."

Dalla coughed and Francesca jumped up to grab a glass of water.

"I'm fine, just – a handler?" Dalla repeated. "I thought you were settled on Dantooine."

"Comms officers are a dime a dozen. It's one of the easiest jobs to train new recruits for, and the division is fully staffed. Looks like every day more people get fed up with the Empire and join our ranks. But I know that gain is more work for Defections, and you need more hands."

"I won't argue you there, but you know how dangerous it is."

"Yes, and I want to give back what I was given." When Dalla didn't give a rebuttal, she went ahead. "Half the Imperial navy passed through Fondor, so I've talked to practically everyone and I have insider knowledge to check defectors' stories. And I've been in their shoes before. I know how they're going to reach out to a handler, how to get information out of them, and how to keep them calm so they don't go off book."

"I don't doubt it." Dalla held up a hand to stop her before she could monologue further. "You have all the traits of a great handler, believe me. Not just anyone could boldface lie to the ISB."

"Then I'm in?" Francesca lit up.

Dalla lowered her hand. "My concern is Auggie."

"Auggie? I mean, I would be gone more but he's flexible, and between Auntie Riyo and everyone he's charmed I have no shortage of babysitters."

"But can you leave him permanently?" Dalla asked. "You saw firsthand what being a handler entails, and it might mean not coming home to Auggie. So I'm asking, can you die for your defector without hesitation, even though doing so would leave your son alone in the galaxy?"

It wasn't a scenario she liked to think about, but she'd considered every possibility before making her decision. "I don't relish the thought, but if that's what it takes for Auggie to live in a world without the Empire, then I'll do it."

Dalla kept her personal life out of work, but Francesca knew that she had a son just a few years older than Auggie. She too was risking her life and selling her youth for the possibility he might live in a better time.

"We've never had a defector become a handler before," Dalla said. "But since you're already in the loop, I don't see why you couldn't."

"Really?" Francesca gushed. "Thank you! I can get started right away."

"Slow down. We'll need to get a comm set up and have Suu do your handler's tattoo. If you wanted, Riyo could swear you in while we're all here."

"I don't want Riyo to know." Francesca stopped her.

"I thought you two were friends."

"We are, and that's why she can't know. It's dangerous, she was responsible for me once, she'll freak out."

Dalla nodded. "Okay, full anonymity then. I'll bring you the comlink as soon as I'm able, and you should be ready to take cases once the celebrations are over. Speaking of which, we should get back to them. Don't want to look too suspicious."

…

Francesca went back to the wedding preparations alright. She walked herself right back to the Hair Affair and swung open the door with a flourish.

"Hello!" Genna looked up from the acrylic manicure she'd just finished giving herself. "Oh, Francesca. Auggie's not here, I'm afraid. Riyo took him and the girls to the market for ice cream."

"That's fine; I'll just wait for him here. And how are you feeling?"

Genna shrugged. "A bit jittery, but that's to be expected."

"The sickness isn't too bad."

"I sure kriffing hope that nerves won't have me puking on my wedding day." She laughed a little nervously.

Francesca didn't. "Not that kind of sickness. You're doing a marvelous job hiding it, but I was in the same boat. Don't worry, I won't say anything." And she laughed to cut the tension.

"Good," Genna relaxed. "We weren't ready to tell anyone yet."

"Girls help other girls. Speaking of which, are you taking new clients? I'm going to be bringing some friends around."

"Friends," Genna repeated dubiously.

"Yes, friends. They're hoping you could give them something like what you did for me." Genna's eyes widened in realization and Francesca pushed on. "And I was hoping you could schedule them so they wouldn't meet any of Riyo's friends."

She couldn't keep the network stylist out of the loop, but she could buy her silence. Luckily for Francesca, the currency had seemingly fallen into her lap.

"You too?" Genna asked and shook her head. "It wasn't so long ago I was doing your hair."

"I trust you'll show my defectors and I the same confidentiality you show everyone else."

"It would be terribly unprofessional not to." Genna started putting away the nail polish bottles and Francesca knew she was done talking.

"Thank you. I know you two are practically in-laws and –."

"Mama!" The bells on the salon door clanged a warning and Auggie raced through the door followed by Genna's daughters and Riyo. "Auntie Riyo took us all the way to the Archium!"

"I'm tired, they're not." Riyo dropped into a salon chair. "Babysitting is a workout."

"Try putting them to bed; that's the real adventure," Genna quipped.

"We got some more of Sam's things!" One of the twins, Francesca couldn't tell them apart, announced and lifted a satchel.

"Put it with the rest of his stuff." Genna shooed them upstairs. "And then finish your homework!"

Francesca scooped up Auggie and was about to head to their hotel room when Riyo stopped her. "Do you want to grab drinks after the rehearsal dinner? We have a lot to catch up on."

They sure did. Still Francesca smiled at her friend. "It's a date."

…

"And here I thought that it was supposed to be bad luck for the groom to see the bride on the day of the wedding."

Genna looked up at his reflection in the mirror as he entered the salon. Then she spun around and ran to embrace him in reality. "You know how I feel about traditions and I haven't put on the dress yet so that will still be a surprise."

Her hair and makeup were already done and she had asked all of her attendants to give her some privacy when she sent for Sam.

"I hope this does not mean you are getting cold feet." He looked into her eyes for any sign of regret and found none.

"No, of course not." She shook her head.

"Then, what is it?"

She took a breath and then began pacing. "She knows."

"Who knows what exactly?"

"That-" she censored herself as she had begun to get into the habit of doing. "Francesca. She knows about the baby."

"How?" It couldn't have been from appearance. It would still be some time before Genna began to show. "Did Phee say something?"

"She promised not to and I'm sure she kept her word. Maybe she noticed that I was feeling queasy during the shower?"

"Well, she's not going to tell anyone is she?" He stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. In just a few hours they would belong to each other body and soul but he had long since begun to carry her burdens as his own.

"I don't think so." She turned to face him again. "But, I think she wants something from me in return."

"Blackmail?"

"Nothing so sinister. She hinted that she's going to be a handler."

"Won't Riyo be proud of her protege?" He smiled.

"That's just it. She doesn't want Riyo to know, to worry about her getting involved."

"Oh." He nodded slowly. "Well, I guess that makes sense, but you already practice a degree of confidentiality and…" he put his arms around her and laid a hand on her flat abdomen. "We'll be making our announcement in a few weeks anyway."

"You're right, Saan, of course." She relaxed. "I just can't help but think there will be more to it than that."

They sprang apart at the sound of the door opening.

"Why aren't you wearing your dress, and what's he doing here?" Omega glared mock-seriously at the groom.

"Just giving her a last chance to run away and elope and avoid your brothers." Sam was only partly joking. He winked at the twins who followed their aunt into the room giggling.

"Don't worry, I'll be there. These three will make sure of it. I'll be the one in white."

"And I'll be waiting with Shep at the end of the aisle."

Omega shooed him away before he could steal one more kiss.

…

It had been agreed that since not only Genna but also her daughters would be placed into the care of the groom that all three of the ladies should be given away by Tech's siblings. Omega therefore took the lead in the procession looking lovely in a pink dress that had Hunter dividing his attention between his sister and Kebiin whom he escorted next in line.

After the three of them came Crosshair, who may have actually relaxed a bit since his own wedding, escorting Saviin.

The twins were wearing their traditional blue and violet respectively and Genna as promised was wearing white. The back of her gown was open to reveal her tattoos to the congregation as she passed them on the arm of Wrecker who, along with his brothers, glared the serious nature of the ceremony at the groom.

Sam was oblivious to all but his bride and her daughters whom he also vowed to cherish and protect. This was his Aliit!

…

"Thank you for taking the girls while we go on our honeymoon," Genna said to Ka'ra at the reception.

"Of course! What's two more?" Ka'ra took a swig of her champagne. "They'll keep Blake and Rylie occupied for a couple of weeks."

"But it's been so recently since you and Crosshair said your vows. I don't want to intrude."

"Don't worry about that; we've had the chance to go away together." She beamed. "He bought me a harpoon gun and we went chirn hunting!"

Those two would choose hunting over a luxury hotel any day. Genna listened to Ka'ra recount her and Crosshair's adventures on the Onderonian north sea, and got a little misty when she mentioned the adorable comm call from Blake and Rylie. Maybe she could tell Ka'ra her little secret. Surely her sister-in-law would keep mum for a little while.

But then she saw Francesca out of the corner of her eye, helping her son get a piece of cake. When Auggie was set and took off with the dessert, the look she gave Genna was unmistakable: I'm holding up my end of the bargain.

Maybe she wouldn't tell anyone just yet.

"Genna, you forgot your drink!" Phee hurried over with a glass of sparkling juice in her hand. "We can't have a thirsty bride."

"Thank you." Genna clinked her glass with Phee's. She would think about it later. Tonight, they celebrated.

…

Francesca didn't waste time. The very day Genna and Sam returned from their honeymoon, there was a defector booked for a makeover. And what a defector it was.

"Are you sure they won't find us?" The twelve-year-old child cried from the salon chair, tears threatening to ruin the pigment injections Genna had just done.

"They will never find you, Antoinette," Francesca swore. She was kneeling in front of the defector and holding her hands, locked on to her charge. "Once Miss Genna is done with her work, no one will even recognize you."

"You don't know that."

"I know they haven't found any other defectors."

"I second that," Genna piped up. "Our staff checks on them. Wherever you go, you'll be safe."

Antoinette didn't look convinced, but she squeezed Francesca's hand and said "okay."

"Thank you."

Maybe it was the extra maternal hormones kicking in, or she was just turning into Dalla's Aunt Shara, but when Genna worked on the young ones she always had the urge to adopt them on the spot. Really, they'd probably be better off wherever the network and Riyo in particular placed them.

Osik, how was she going to explain where this one came from without mentioning Francesca? Genna brushed off the thought. That sounded like a problem for Dalla, not her. And Riyo didn't really need to know where the orphans came from.

That's how they would do it. Genna gave Antoinette's hair a final fluff and turned her chair to face the mirror. "What do you think?"

"I—."

Before the girl could elaborate, there was a deafening crash from upstairs.

"Sam?" Genna shouted while Francesca put herself between Antoinette and the door.

No response. Genna lowered the salon chair and went to investigate. "Sam, are you okay?"

Now that she was closer, she could hear someone breathing heavily from the bedroom.

Sam's caddy of cleaning supplies was scattered on the floor, obviously the source of the crash. And a few feet away, Sam himself huddled against the wall staring at the closet.

"What is it?" Genna dropped to her knees beside him and saw in a minute what had upset him.

The blaster Tech had given her, unused since the night they had conceived the twins, sat in its storage box with the gun lock threaded through the barrel.

"That can't be in the apartment," he insisted. "What if the girls find it?"

Genna recognized his tone; she'd heard it at night when his screaming and thrashing woke her from a dead sleep.

"I've always been very careful," she said. "The gun lock is always on, and I'm the only one who knows the code. And I keep the ammunition locked up separately, just in case. Sam…Tech gave it to me."

Sam was already shaking his head by the time she mentioned ammunition, so she knew he hadn't heard about Tech. "That doesn't matter! We can't even own something like this with kids in the house; they could get into it and hurt themselves. Have you ever seen a child with a blaster wound?"

She couldn't think of any child who was motivated or skilled enough to get through two locks and a durasteel cable, but it didn't matter. When Sam was spiraling, logic didn't matter. She had to get him out of the thought spiral before any argument would land.

"Breathe. Remember what Omega said, in through your nose –."

"Have you? Have you seen a child disintegrate? Because I have, and I won't let it happen to cuun ad'ike!"

So meditation wasn't on the books today. Genna didn't really want to go to Plan B, which involved Sam's prescribed medication, but in a moment she realized she wouldn't have to.

"Sam." Francesca stepped into the room, blocking Sam's view of the blaster pistol. "Take a breath."

She used the same voice she'd used with Antoinette, and Sam gulped a breath.

"Another," Francesca instructed. "Like Genna said. In through your nose, out through your mouth."

He obeyed and Genna let out a sigh of relief as she saw the panic attack abating.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked, and her husband nodded.

"Yeah," he said, to her or Francesca, Genna wasn't sure. "I'm sorry, it's stupid, but the last time I saw that model of blaster was …"

"I get it. I flipped out the first time I saw an Imperial captain's uniform, even though it was just on a hanger in an intelligence closet." Francesca made her way toward the door. "I'll get Antoinette packed up so you guys can have some privacy."

"Francesca," Genna called and the handler stopped in her tracks.

"Thank you."

Francesca smiled.

"Happy to help."

…

Riyo winced as Genna squeezed her hand, but Genna hardly noticed or cared. Her only concern was the contraction tightening in her belly.

"Kriff, Beroya," she muttered. Sam couldn't hear her. He'd taken the girls to Shep's and then he would be back to take her to the medcenter.

"I'm not sure why you asked me to be your doula," Riyo confessed when the pain abated. "I've never given birth before."

"Suu and Ka'ra weren't available, and Phee made herself as unavailable as possible." Phee had scuttled off as soon as Genna reached full term. Serious handler business, Genna's shebs. "Besides, you've done this before."

Osik, she shouldn't have reminded Riyo of Francesca. Genna covered it up. "When we get to the birthing center, tell the doctor I won't need any pain meds."

"No pain meds?" Riyo paled. "Genna, Francesca did it that way and she said it hurt a lot. Are you sure?"

Genna waved her off. "They said I'm healthy enough to have a vaginal birth, so I'm going to do it Mandalorian style. Anyway, it's my second delivery. It shouldn't last as long."

Being a diplomat, Riyo didn't mention that Genna had been sedated for a majority of the twins' birth. "I'll do whatever you need," she said.

"Thank you," Genna took a slow, deep breath in preparation for what was to come. "Here goes. If you and Sam hold my hands, I'll just breathe through it."

A day and a half later, there was no mention of breathing or hand holding. Genna crouched on the bed on her hands and knees, sweat beading her brow and her eyes aflame as she screamed at Sam. "Dank ferrik! You kriffing demagolka! I can't believe you convinced me that this would be a good idea!"

"Um…" Sam, who hadn't convinced Genna of anything, gulped. He was probably about to protest his innocence but Riyo stepped on his foot in the nick of time.

A few more colorful phrases spewed from the laboring mother's mouth including a curse that Riyo could have sworn was directed at Francesca of all people and then with a groan she went curiously quiet.

Maybe the doctor noticed the cessation of profanity or maybe it was something that had appeared on the monitors at the nurses' station down the hall, but the professional entered the room pulling on gloves and immediately getting down to business. "Let's see how much progress you've made since the last time we checked."

…

The next hour was a blur of grunting, groaning, pushing hell. It was longer and angrier than Francesca's delivery, but at least Sam didn't pass out. The baby burst forth into the world and he was right there to cry out: "My gods Gen, he's beautiful!"

"He's okay?" Genna asked deliriously, her arms reaching out for the baby like they had minds of their own.

"He's perfect. Are you okay? Manda, you're amazing!"

"Oh," she grinned, taking the baby from the doctor and looking into his little face. She seemed to have forgotten all of the pain. "Hello there."

"Congratulations." Riyo made tracks for the door. Her work here was done. And she thanked the universe once again that she and Echo weren't having children.

She thought of their sweet godson and of how this experience had differed from attending Francesca's labor and delivery. And then as if the thought had summoned her, Francesca appeared, racing up the sidewalk toward the med center.

"Did Genna have the baby?"

"A boy," Riyo smiled tiredly. "Daryc Ret Beroya, named after both of Genna's other two brothers since she swears she's never having another one. You might want to wait to go up for a visit. I think they're all pretty worn out."

"Oh, well I can give them my congratulations later. I guess she'll be taking a break from the defector makeovers while she's on maternity leave."

"Yes, Dalla told us all to get familiar with scissors and box dye. Why do you ask?"

"Because someone has to buy the box dye, of course." She linked arms with Riyo. "Come on, let's go celebrate."