Companionship. Trust. Friendship. Laughter. That's what puts the passion into a relationship.― Dannika Dark, Two Minutes

Ài – [愛 – love] (whether spoken by Xiùlán or Samantha, the meaning is 'Luv')]
ARC – Alliance military slang for Arcturus Station
MP – Military Police Qīzi– [妻子– wife]
Tiánxīn – [甜心 – Sweetheart]

• SYSTEMS ALLIANCE BASE, VANCOUVER, BC · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ Monday, 07 April 2223-CE ⸰

Right after breakfast, I changed out of my sweats in favor of my under-armor skins, then armored up, strapping my Húdié dāo to my calves, and snapping the scabbard of my Liǔyè dāo to my backplate. Last of all, I placed a comms device in my left ear so I could monitor ZeeDee while groundside. Looking at Xiùlán, my armor and weapons felt completely out of place compared to her dress blues.

Picking up her overnight bag, she queried, "Ready to go, Sà mi? Our ride awaits us,"

I pulled my heavy hooded duster on over my armor and replied, "Let's go, Tiánxīn." I grabbed my backpack and followed her out the door. As soon as we were seated inside the luxury X3M, I mentally sent a text message to Iringù-Eßizkur, telling her we were on our way.

Xiùlán wanted to know, "Is Irin going to take us all the way to the ARC?"

I glanced at her as I replied, "No … Irin will dock inside Žiuk'Durmah, in orbit above us. ZeeDee is carrying the UT-47A we'll use to dock within the Orizaba when we reach Arcturus; there'll be no need for Admiral Lindholm to leave her ship in order to meet with us on the ARC."

"How is it that you still have a Nazara class Reaper at your beck and call?" she snarked.

"Simple." I didn't bother correcting her use of the term. "Besides the fact that Tali'Zorah and I prevented his destruction, ZeeDee was always concerned for my safety when I was regularly traveling between systems, so he reconfigured a section of his interior to accommodate a UT-47 and a speeder, as well as constructing a habitat suitable for one or two humans to live in, similar to the layout of deck one of Ahn'Kahar Station."

"That's where you lived as the …" thankfully, she stopped speaking, glanced at our driver, then gave me a meaningful look, to which I replied with a small nod of my head. "Has anyone else ever traveled with you, Sà mǐ?"

"Other than Tali'Zorah, when we did the first shakedown flight, no … you'll be the first, and I have rarely taken advantage of ZeeDee's place in my life. Whenever I had to travel out of the system, he would fly along in formation with Irin in order to be available should I ever need him."

She chuckled in reply as we neared the spaceport. "When did you acquire a UT-47A, Sà mǐ?"

"It was a gift—presented to me eight or nine months after my departure from my former workplace." I grinned as I thought back to how considerate Buchanan, Ori and Chinami had been. "My colleagues had two shuttles—they had just received an overhauled asari patrol craft, formerly in the possession of Cerberus. It would only just fit inside their hanger bay if they got rid of one of the shuttles—the other one would just fit alongside the Rebekah."

Xiùlán's jaw dropped. "I remember that vessel! You facilitated the overhaul of that ship, didn't you." She released my hand and grabbed the top of my thigh just above the edge of my armor plate. An instant expression of regret passed across her face as she murmured, "I'm so sorry, Sà mǐ, truly. To this day, I still regret forcing you to give up your position as an info broker." The hand on my thigh squeezed a bit harder, inadvertently igniting a smoldering fire in my core.

Our driver slowly brought the speeder around, coming to a halt eight meters or so from Iringù-Eßizkur's left leg. We climbed out of the speeder and strolled up to the massive construct; as Xiùlán's driver sped off, I quietly said, "Hi, Irin. Would you lower your boarding tube, please?"

A voice with musical overtones replied in my ear, »Of course, Friend-Samantha.«

The semi-translucent column silently descended from my huge guardian, prompting Xiùlán to ask, "Does she do that for just anyone that walks up and asks?"

I chuckled. "Only for me, or someone I designate. If I was being coerced … if someone had a gun to my head, all I would have to do is place my hand on her leg while making the request. Anyone using the tube, either ahead of or below me, would be isolated in a stasis field the moment they were clear on the deck above."

Xiùlán shook her head slightly as she entered the device; as soon as she was above me, I followed. Once I was standing on the deck in her reception area, I escorted my qīzi to the forward lounge, then mentally sent the command to my omnitool that would power on the bulkhead mounted monitor acting as a viewport to the outside. With Xiùlán seated on one side, I plopped down in the other upholstered chair and spoke to the air around me. "Let's get going, Irin … is ZeeDee in orbit above us?"

»As you request, Friend-Samantha. Žiuk'Durmah is awaiting our arrival.«

It had been a long time, if ever, since Xiùlán had accompanied me on a flight within a Repository. She watched the view screens with a great deal of interest as Irin silently lifted off and headed for orbit. My qīzi glanced at me as she felt the shift in artificial gravity. "Is that for my benefit, or does she reorient the artificial gravity every time you fly?"

Before I could reply, Irin provided the answer. »I always rotate the gravity for the comfort of my passengers, Yuán-Admiral.«

"She ensures the deck under your feet will always be perceived as 'down', Xiùlán," I added.

We both sat back and enjoyed the forty-five-minute flight to a rendezvous with Žiuk'Durmah.

• INSIDE ŽIUK'DURMAH, AT LARGE · SOL SYSTEM •

During the early years, right after the loss of my job as the Broker, Iringù-Eßizkur and Žiuk'Durmah had developed a process that enabled a safe and efficient transfer of people between them. Irin's dock was positioned above the main platform that formed the shuttle and speeder dock, as well as the walkway to ZeeDee's habitat deck. Once Irin was securely docked, she simply lowered her egress tube to the platform. The entire walkway was enclosed, pressurized and temperature controlled.

I exited first so I could assuage any anxiety Xiùlán may have been feeling about what we were doing. When her feet touched the platform, she looked around in wonder. "Wǒ bù zhīdào gāi shuō shénme, Sà mi! [我不知道該說什麼,薩米！– I don't know what to say, Sà mi!] It's quite amazing!" She continued to gaze about as we walked towards the entrance for the habitat compartment.

"ZeeDee came up with this arrangement as an alternative to pressurizing and heating the entire 'hanger' area whenever I boarded or left. I kinda wish he had erected all this during our trip back from the galaxy's edge inside the Normandy." I felt a slight touch of nausea that passed as quickly as it appeared. "ZeeDee just rotated the gravity in this area … he broke orbit and set out for Charon a few moments ago. We can watch the flight progress from inside."

Žiuk'Durmah set a leisurely pace for the relay, ensuring I'd have enough time to show Xiùlán everything inside the spacious habitat area, including the compartment filled with exercise equipment, and the hydroponics compartment. "I never imagined you had all of this available for your exclusive use, Sà mǐ. You could live here in absolute luxury, year 'round!"

"Except I'd have no companions, Ài." I looked around the lounge in which our tour had ended and observed, "Without someone to accompany me, it'd be a bloody depressing existence. I know you think I'm a loner … and that's probably true, to some degree." My smile from before had long since evaporated. "As the Shadow Broker, I had the companionship of Chinami, Griff and Oriana. We worked, ate and played together. I never felt lonely, even when traveling alone on business." My eyes were awash as I cocked my head and concluded, "Leaving them behind was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do, Xiùlán."

She wrapped her arms around me; holding me close, she whispered, "I remember you telling me then how damned difficult it was to put it all behind you. I'm so very sorry I was the reason for it, but you've made a wonderful new life for yourself since that time … a life with me." She stared into my tear-filled eyes and asked, "Do you not think it was worthwhile, Sà mǐ?"

The question hung in the air between us for several moments before I leaned in and captured her lips with my own. After a few moments, I pulled back slightly, touched her nose with mine and replied, "Totally worth it, my darling. Your love for me is the only thing that kept me sane."

She smirked with her comment of, "I'll just bet you're having some regrets about having your body encased in armor right now."

"I would really regret getting into an altercation without it." Snarky expression firmly in place, I added, "If you want to fondle my boobs, I can easily slip the plates off, Tiánxīn, but I seriously doubt either of us would be willing to simply stop there." I chuckled as I added, "We don't have enough time before we need to meet Admiral Lindholm."

She barked out a laugh. "We'll have plenty of time on our return flight, Wǒ zhēnguì de shā màn shān. [我珍貴的莎曼珊 - my precious Samantha.]

I was a bit surprised by her amorous mood, as I was usually the instigator for our lovemaking. "Am I to believe you're not expected back on base tomorrow?"

"Believe it, Darling." She trailed several little kisses down my neck, adding fuel to the smoldering embers in my core. "I actually have two days, as I expected to spend tonight on the Orizaba.

"Dammit, Xiùlán! You're not playing fair." I gasped, nearly coming undone when she grabbed me by my nape and planted a ravenous kiss on my mouth. I pulled back slightly to gulp a breath, then moaned, "Really, really not fair!"

• INSIDE ŽIUK'DURMAH, AT LARGE · ARCTURUS STREAM •

ZeeDee left the relay behind and headed for the ARC, beside which the Orizaba was floating in a 'holding area', at a distance of approximately two kilometers. I notified the ship's captain of our intentions, which was to approach to within 500 meters in order to launch a shuttle to bring Admiral Yuán and myself aboard for a meeting with Admiral Lindholm.

As ZeeDee closed on the vessel, I led Xiùlán to the hatch and out onto the platform where the UT-47A was docked. I entered first, and, as my Qīzi joined me on the flight deck, began bringing the vessel's systems online. As soon as everything was operating to my satisfaction, I disengaged the security clamps and brought the shuttle to a hover above the platform. Speaking to the air around me, I said, "Okay, ZeeDee," then turned and headed up and across the empty void towards the exit.

Clear of my huge transport … and friend … I turned to the right and slaved the flight computer to the approach signal being narrowcast by the Orizaba—this would guide us to the dreadnought's small spacecraft hanger with unerring precision.

• INSIDE SSV ORIZABA · ARCTURUS STREAM •

I stood behind Xiùlán and opened the split hatch on the shuttle's starboard side, allowing her to step out first; I followed after a few moments as she strode up to Admiral Lindholm, came to attention and saluted. As I moved to stand behind her, she shook hands with the admiral, then motioned to me. "I'm sure you remember my wife, Admiral … Samantha Traynor?"

Lindholm looked at me with a big grin on her face as I stepped up and took her hand. "How could I ever forget you, after your brazen physical display during your comms call to her, what … ten? … eleven years ago?" She directed her attention to Xiùlán while continuing to speak, "Right before you made admiral yourself, correct?" She returned her attention to me as she continued chatting, her smile carrying through to her voice, "Samantha … Sam! It's so good to see you again, even if we're meeting under the cloud of a lawsuit."

She released my hand as I responded, "It's nice that you remember me, and it's good to see you again as well. And the lawsuit is my reason for accompanying Xiùlán here today; I need to explain everything that's been going on in Vancouver."

She returned her attention to my Qīzi while continuing to speak to us both. "Please, follow me. We'll meet in my quarters, and I'll treat you both to lunch."

• ADMIRAL LINDHOLM'S SUITE, SSV ORIZABA · ARCTURUS STREAM •

The admiral's suite was quite large, and super luxurious. After giving us a short tour, she had us take a seat in her lounge area. "Can I bring either of you anything to drink, or some snacks? Lunch will be served at 1245. I snuck a look at my chronometer while removing my heavy duster, noting it would be only twenty minutes from now.

"I'll wait for lunch, if you don't mind." Xiùlán declined as well.

She riveted me with a pair of intense, copper-colored eyes and got right to the point. "Samantha, I really need to learn why you felt it necessary to file a lawsuit against the System Alliance Military. What do you hope to accomplish? You must realize you can't prevail in court. So, why?"

I handed her an OSD as I replied, "That disk contains audio from my omnitool, along with video captured from a couple of the several cameras monitoring the gym where I was exercising on 15 March. It also contains the transcript from the hearing concerning a complaint of assault and battery filed against me by former Corporal Hudson. He lost, obviously, and was busted down to private. He's currently sitting in the brig for the next 53 days." With a smirk, I added, "And I do think my lawsuit will prevail in a court of law."

"That doesn't explain the necessity of a lawsuit, Sammy."

"I filed it to get the attention of the SA military, Admiral. When I was a petty officer in the Navy, and ever since, nearly every time I encounter an enlisted Marine and they discover my total lack of interest for anyone gender male, they all seem to take it as a personal insult, with a right fair number of them attempting to physically put me in my place, as Corporal Hudson did on 15 March."

"While that may be true, I don't see why you'd sue the Systems Alliance Military for damages."

"You don't see?" A righteous anger building inside me, I stood from my chair and paced a bit before stopping to stand over the admiral. I heard Xiùlán whisper, "Sà mi, please …" as I attempted to tamp down my wrath. "Goddammit, Admiral! Are you really that bloody oblivious? The Alliance isn't teaching their people the basics of tolerance, or respect! I've been putting up with this narrow-minded bullshit my entire adult life. The SA hasn't upgraded their training manuals in over fifty years! Marines think it's perfectly okay to attempt to teach …" I used both thumbs to indicate myself, 'this lesbian bitch' a damned lesson, only to turn around and cry for their mamas when 'this lesbian' cleans their ignorant clocks!"

Xiùlán and Lindholm stood from their chairs; Lindholm looked deeply in my eyes. "Samantha, please … calm down. I am sorry members of the Marines have been disrespectful of you in the past, but thirty billion credits?"

I felt a hand—Xiùlán's—gently caress my left tricep; after a quick glance at her apprehensive expression, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and held it for a five-count, then slowly released it as I rediscovered my center. Returning my gaze to the admiral, I sighed, "Forgive my outburst, Admiral Lindholm … please. My hope is that you come to understand what my life has been like during the past forty, fifty years." I was ready to return to my chair when an aide knocked on the door, stuck his head in and announced, "Lunch is served, Admiral."

She took my right elbow and, feeling me still shaking with anger, said, "Apology accepted, Samantha. Now, let's move to the dining room. We can continue our discussion while we eat." She retained her grip on my elbow as she guided me, with Xiùlán behind us, to a richly appointed dining room; it could more correctly be referred to as a banquet room. She had me sit in the chair to her right; with Xiùlán seated across from me, she sat between us at the head of the table.

A steward retrieved a bottle of white wine from a bucket half full with crushed ice, uncorked it and poured a measure for each of us. I placed the fabric napkin in my lap, took a sip of wine and began eating my salad. Lindholm took a bite of salad, followed by a sip of wine, then asked me, "Why thirty billion credits, Samantha? That's a significant percentage of the Alliance Military's annual budget. Is it your aim to bankrupt us?"

"My goal was to get your attention, Admiral … and look how well it worked!" With a small chuckle, I added, "You've been up Xiùlán's ass ever since I filed it."

Lindholm took a sip of wine, then used her fork to toy with her salad a bit before fixing me with those copper eyes and asking, "What would it take for you to drop your lawsuit, Sammy? I know you don't need the credits. Hell, you're an admiral's wife. You sail between the stars in one of two old machines." She took another bite of her salad followed by a sip of wine. "What do you need?"

"What I need is for you to order every member in the SA military—Marines and Navy—to undergo sensitivity training! Every. Last. One! Male, and female, enlisted and officers! They need to learn respect for everyone, for people that are different, including aliens … and especially for people like me! It has to be hammered into their skulls, and those that refuse to change their chauvinistic attitudes need to be dishonorably discharged from the service. No clemency! No exceptions!"

Xiùlán, having remained silent up until now, spoke softly. "Sà mǐ isn't the only woman to experience that attitude, Admiral. Before the war, I was a staff lieutenant newly assigned to SSV Tokyo. Due to the number of redactions in my jacket, Lieutenant Commander Randall Nolan, my immediate supervisor, wanted to see what I could do." She paused to take a sip of wine as she thought back to that day. "I wound up sending a mouthy, racist chauvinist to the med bay—a Marine Master Sergeant. He actually had the nerve to ask the commander if he thought it'd take him more than a minute to, quote, '… break this chink bitch'."

"We each had a number of run-ins with racist, misogynistic jerks during our spec ops training, Admiral," I added. "That's where Xiùlán taught me how to fight. Neither of us takes any shit, from anyone … me, especially, since I'm no longer in uniform." I laughed as I added, "I have an extremely low tolerance for stupidity, racism, sexism and male superiority, and I don't take prisoners, ever."

A pair of orderlies entered to clear our salad plates and bring in a small serving tray bearing sandwiches. Each one was quartered, the sections held together with long toothpicks. I grabbed a turkey club and waited a few moments before taking a bite. Lindholm took a small bite from her Reuben and chewed. A sip of wine followed, then she split her attention between us as we ate. "Samantha, drop your lawsuit, please … as a favor to me? I give you my solemn vow that all the men … and women, in the Marines and Navy … enlisted and officers, will receive mandatory sensitivity training."

I continued to eat my sandwich while I thought about her offer. Setting all this up would certainly cost the Alliance more than a few credits. "Could you begin in Vancouver? I'd like to review the course alongside Xiùlán … see if it will actually be worth a damn."

She smiled, "I believe that's a reasonable request, Samantha." Taking another sip from her wine glass, she added, "I'm really happy we could come to an agreement, Sammy; just between me and you, if you managed to prevail in a court of law and were awarded thirty billion credits, it'd probably bankrupt the Alliance Military division. We'd have to borrow credits from somewhere in order to continue operations … perhaps from Traynor First Galactic?"

Xiùlán choked on her wine as I laughed with my reply. "Of course, Admiral. I'd even give you a favorable interest rate."

We had finished lunch and had returned to the admiral's lounge, where we relaxed while enjoying fresh coffee and pastries. I took a sip from my second mug—I expected I would be riding a caffeine high well into the middle of the night—glanced at Xiùlán for a moment, then returning my gaze to the admiral. "Now that you've dealt with the temper tantrum of my lawsuit, I need to point out another problem of which you are probably unaware, Admiral."

She rolled her eyes before answering, "Okay, Sammy." She chuckled good naturedly. "You may as well complete the shambles you've made of my day. What's the problem?"

With my face a mask of innocence, I said, "Several members of the upper brass are traitors to their uniforms, Ma'am."

Her coffee mug paused in mid–travel to her mouth. After a moment, it completed its trip and she took several sips of the beverage, returned the mug to the side table by her chair and replied, her voice echoing infinite patience. "That's a pretty serious accusation. What proof do you have?"

I spent the next twenty minutes highlighting what I knew about the corruption among the higher brass; I began with Commander Garrett Sutton. That he'd even entertained a suggestion by the Illusive Man to, among other things, terminate my life, truly surprised her. "Harper really wielded that much power?"

"Credits are power, Admiral … and once Jack Harper had a brass fish on the hook, he never let go." I cocked my head and said, "You issued the order to relieve Major General Bradley Joesiar of his command at the San Diego base, and to detain him in Vancouver, correct?" Her expression provided the answer. "Were you also aware the Illusive Man was paying him an ever increasing quantity of creds for sensitive data, since before the war? Cerberus credits were channeled through that obese bastard and indirectly used to purchase the rifle that put a bullet through Xiùlán's shoulder during her promotion ceremony."

"You have proof of this, Sammy?" she quietly asked.

"I do." I handed her an OSD that duplicated the data I had forwarded to Asari Spectre Arinya T'Zemi. "I have comms calls between Jack Harper and the general—way more than will fit on that OSD. Before we traveled here, I sent a copy of that data to an asari Spectre; she will present everything to the Galactic Council, followed by a visit to the Alliance JAG office in charge of prosecuting General Brad."

Xiùlán offered, "Sà mǐ's sources are above reproach, Admiral. Her research was directly responsible for the arrest and prosecution of Garrett Sutton, as well as enabling the Alliance to claw back a significant portion of the illicit fortune amassed by Admiral Owen Fletcher before he ate a bullet."

"How many more of my people are corrupt, Samantha? Can you tell me?"

I chuckled, took my last sip of coffee, then admitted, "I am unable to say just yet, and I don't wish to reveal the true volume of data in my possession. Just know the Illusive Man controlled virtually the entire military during the war, Admiral." I stared of into the distance as I added, "His aim was to be the first emperor of the galaxy, with the Reapers as his enforcers." I shifted my gaze back to the admiral as I concluded, "If not for Rachaél Shepard, he very well may have succeeded."

Xiùlán stood from her chair while saying, "Admiral, we should be going; we've taken up a good deal of your day, and I don't believe we should impose any further." She held out her hand, a silent cue for me to follow suit. I stood and moved to stand beside my Qīzi; Lindholm stood as well.

Addressing us both, she declared, "Admiral Yuán … Missus Traynor … it has been my pleasure to have you here today. It's been an enlightening visit, and I want you to know that both of you will always be welcome on this vessel." She took Xiùlán's hand for a moment, then faced me and quietly said, "Samantha, I was quite prepared to airlock you for your brazen financial assault on the Alliance Military, but your impassioned defense of your actions quickly changed my mind." Taking both of my hands in hers, she concluded, "Please keep me in the loop as you turn up more evidence of corruption at the top, so I can personally deal with it. Thank you for coming to visit."

"I am grateful to have had this opportunity to meet with you. That you never flinched in reaction to my verbal assault speaks highly of you. It's been a pleasure." I released her hands and grabbed one of Xiùlán's as the admiral's aide entered to guide us back to my shuttlecraft.

• INSIDE ŽIUK'DURMAH, AT LARGE · ARCTURUS STREAM TO SOL •

Once safely inside Žiuk'Durmah, I checked for any new emails, then asked my huge host to take us home. "Bypass the relays, ZeeDee. You can stretch your legs a bit, but … take your time. Xiùlán doesn't have to be back in her office until 0830 day after tomorrow morning local time, and I intend to take advantage of every minute of our travel time."

»As you wish, Friend-Samantha.«

I led my zhì'ài de qīzǐ [摯愛的妻子 – beloved wife] to the lounge, a compartment quite similar to its counterpart inside Iringù-Eßizkur. The difference being that, in place of a large monitor on the bulkhead, the entire bulkhead wall in front of us flickered into life, becoming a virtual viewport that enabled us to see where we were going, as well as where we had been.

An information window had been set in the lower right corner of the image, displaying distance traveled, distance to destination, time to destination, and current speed.

We sat in a pair of comfortable chairs, where Xiùlán watched the view ahead of ZeeDee with an increasing amount of disbelief as he accelerated towards Sol. What really amazed her was the insane multiple of light speed he was able to achieve. "4.299 billion kilometers?" she asked, a touch of awe coloring her voice. "Each second?" she squeaked. She sat back in the chair and shook her head, as if in denial.

I looked at her and smirked. "Thanks to the installation of the new, larger Eezo core Tali and were involved in procuring, ZeeDee is faster than any other Repository in existence … even Harbinger. For shorter distances like this, he doesn't really need to use the relays." I watched the display for a few moments and, taking note of the readout for speed, I spoke up. "He's reduced his speed just a bit; looks like he'll set a cruise speed of fourteen point four billion kilometers an hour.."

"So, according to his time-to-distance calculation, we'll be back in the Sol System tomorrow afternoon, right in time for either a late lunch or an early dinner." She tilted her head and asked, "Speaking of which, what do we do for dinner tonight?"

"I'm sure I can put something together … there's plenty of food on board. In the meantime, just relax and enjoy the ride."

I shed my armor and weapons in favor of my own version of an SDU—a short-sleeve tee-shirt over a well-worn pair of jeans, socks and lace-up boots; I donned a hooded zip-up sweatshirt to ward of the slight chill in the habitat area—ZeeDee kept the temperature at just over 22 degrees, which was fine as long as one kept moving about.

I prepared a modest dinner for us, which we enjoyed in the small dining area that was an extension of the equally small kitchen. When my Tiánxīn commented on this, I reminded her that ZeeDee had followed my specifications. "This compartment is rather modest in size, because it's only meant for one or two people." I grinned as I offered my conclusion. "We're in a military style transport, Xiùlán, not a luxury-liner. That said, these quarters have it where it really counts—the bedrooms and bathrooms." With a smirk, I added, "We don't have to share, if that is your wish."

The horrified expression on her face was all the reward I needed. "Separate sleeping quarters!? Not on your life, Sà mǐ!" She paused upon seeing my smirking countenance. "Okay, you got me!" She shook her head in chagrin at the ease with which I'd fooled her. After a few moments, she asked, "Is there any alcohol in this overgrown dreadnought?"

With a laugh, I replied, "I just may have a bottle of hooch stashed in the lounge. Let's get finished in here so we can relax for a bit before crawling off to bed."

Downing the last sip from her tumbler, Xiùlán commented, "This is some fine quality scotch, Ài"

I nodded in agreement as I rose from my comfy chair to collect her glass and rinse it, along with mine; I finished drying them as she came up behind me. As I reached to the low shelf to put them away, she used her left hand to softly trail the tips of her fingers down my spine; I whispered her name, grabbed the edge of the counter to steady myself and moaned while arching my back, "Zhè zhēn de bù gōngpíng, qīn'ài de…yīdiǎn yě bù gōngpíng!" [這真的不公平，親愛的…一點也不公平！- It's really not fair, dear … not fair at all!]

"Making me think we were going to sleep in separate beds wasn't fair, Sà mǐ," she snarked. She gently placed her hands on my shoulders to turn me around.

Staring into the mesmerizing sable eyes of my exotically beautiful wife all but took my breath away. "I'll never take you … or your love for me, for granted, Xiùlán." I whispered. "You complete me, in so many ways."

She brushed her lips across mine as she breathed, "Show me."

I slowly awakened … the transition between sleep and fully awake happening so gradually, it was several minutes before I could get my bearings. I realized I was in a tangle of sheets, blankets, a quilt, and bare legs, arms and torso. Xiùlán! I'm in bed with Xiùlán! … A very nude Xiùlán! Upon managing to get my eyes to focus, I scanned my immediate surroundings; I actually jumped slightly when I discovered her face mere centimeters from mine, eyes closed, peaceful expression of total relaxation causing my heart to clench. She is so beautiful!

I finally remembered; we were in the massive bed provided to me by Žiuk'Durmah. While my wife and I had spent a major portion of the previous evening pleasuring each other in every way imaginable before finally succumbing to sleep, ZeeDee had been hurtling through dark space at an insane multiple of light speed. I checked the time on my omnitool's chrono … 0837 … and carefully sat up. Noticing my qíngfū beginning to stir, I looked at her over my shoulder and said, "Zǎo ān, lóng nǚ!" [早安，龍女 - Good morning, Dragon Girl]

Eyelids slowly slid open to reveal a pair of intense sable-brown eyes; she pointedly fixed them on my back for a few moments before looking at my face and replying, "Dragon Girl? Huh! You're funny … I'm reasonably sure that's no bird of paradise on your back."

I giggled. "Don't be a grump. It's a beautiful morning! Let's get our exercises done so we can shower and dress. I'll fix us some breakfast."

She managed to grab my forearm and pull me back down to lie partially on top of her. "How about we cuddle for a bit. I'm not quite ready to be up and about."

I replied with a small kiss. "We don't have to get out of bed at all, if that is your wish." I snaked one arm under her back in order to hold her close. She responded by bringing her arms around me. We held each other tight for several moments before I used my free hand to stroke her side from shoulder to hip and back. "How did we get to this place in our lives, tiánxīn? Even when I'm home with you in Vancouver, we never seem to have the time to simply live, or to love each other as we're doing now."

I grunted when she bent her knee and planted her left thigh solidly in my crotch; the pressure reignited the embers of the fire that kept my core molten for most of the night. "We're generally too busy with our own lives to simply kick back and physically enjoy each other, as we are right now. I've missed us just as much as you have, Sà mǐ … maybe more so, since I have many more responsibilities these days."

I solemnly asked, "Do you have any regrets?"

She searched my eyes for several moments before whispering, "Allowing Bill Cody to so easily influence my opinion of your position as the Shadow Broker, darling. It's an action I've regretted ever since." A tear managed to escape one eye and trickle past her nose.

"You know what?" I whispered in return. "While I will neither forgive nor forget Cody's roll in derailing a career that I enjoyed … a job I was exceedingly good at doing, I've been able to put that behind me and make an excellent living ever since." I was close to breaking down, so paused for a moment to get my emotions reined in. "I still miss my friends on Ahn'Kahar Station."

She kissed me tentatively, as if unsure that I would reciprocate; I planted a soft kiss on her lips in return, then drew back to study her eyes. Still whispering, I asked, "Do me a favor, please? Forget everything I said when you had your Marines cuff and strip search me and toss me in the brig. None of it was directed at you personally." I pressed my lips to hers again before adding, "I am unable to visualize my future without you beside me, tiánxīn."

"That goes double for me, Sà mǐ!" She moved her thigh slightly, dragging the scarred surface slowly past my sex while adding, "And your words from that day have been forgotten. I love you, darling!"