15. Chapter Fifteen

0hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds EST remaining Mari shivered and shoved away the tickling thing. It came back. Groaning awake, she startled.

Crey was beside her, drawing his fingertip across her upper arm.

"Hey, you," she murmured.

"You are ticklish in many places, melayfah."

"And you seem serious about finding all of them," Mari noted sleepily. They'd been up so late.

"I am."

"I can't believe you're so bright-eyed after all that lanaroot juice."

Her hot Gaiian husband grinned. She loved his smile. "I can metabolize substances faster." He gestured toward a food tray on the bed. "I have made you an Earthen meal called breakfast."

Sitting, Mari held the blankets against her chest, even though Crey had seen it—thoroughly. "Hm. Corn dogs and apple pie."

"They looked interesting."

They were, especially the combination and the idea that they were a breakfast combo. Mari brushed her unruly hair from her face. "That was quite the party in the hangar." She shook her head. "That Hunter Fury is something else. It was wild how everyone had a story about her. If she wasn't there correcting the details, I would have assumed I'd finally caught Gaiians making up stories."

"She is exceptionally brave…and destructive. We set aside ships for her in Bogarta to replace the ones she destroys."

"I'd believe that. I lost count of how many ships she went through in the stories. Mm. Damn, that was fun. You splash around lanaroot juice in a hangar full of Gaiians after a successful battle, and, wow, things get wild."

"I have not previously witnessed anything like that," Crey said.

"I'm surprised you all didn't end up with butterflies above your butts. That hangar was one happening place." It was impressive. They ran the replicator out of pizza. Wanda had replicated tons of food and sent out bots carrying trays. Crey had even tricked a few Gaiians into eating broccoli.

Crey ran a hand down her bare arm. "Yes, but you will notice, bayantar, I have returned you to our ship, safely, with no added butterflies." He'd also dressed and made breakfast—what an over-achiever.

"Mm hm." She grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. "When we got back, we were so tired."

"Yes, and you were so…fun."

Mari had been singing the whole way to the ship. It had amused Lue. The Gaiian engineer had been transporting everyone to their ships outside the hangar and nearly crashed when Mari couldn't quite hit a high note.

Crey had still needed to kill a few creatures before they'd made it inside.

"I can be a whole lot more fun this morning," Mari said suggestively. This morning… Wait, they had something to celebrate. "What time is it?"

"One week, three hours, twenty minutes, and 14 seconds since I walked onto your ship."

"That means the interval is over—our courtship is done?" Mari was trying for a coy tone, but she wasn't sure if she could pull it off.

"Yes. I must return you to your people, if that is what you wish." From his expression, he had no doubt of her wishes. Cocky Gaiian.

Mari lay in the bed. "Let me think. I can return to a ship's lab where I'll never be satisfied with that level of adventure and where I won't fit because I've changed so much—that is option one. Option two is that I can travel the universe with a wealthy, sexy, powerful Gaiian, who is planning to ravish me as soon as I've made my decision, and who pronounced us married himself."

"This sounds like a difficult decision; however, remember, I also brought you an Earthen breakfast." Crey picked up the apple pie. "This smells very pleasant. Apples are similar to Earthen vegetables, are they not?"

"Apple pie is equally nutritious to broccoli," Mari lied with barely any remorse.

Crey ate a bite of the apple pie that he'd speared with a utensil.

"I thought that was my breakfast?"

"You are lying down."

Mari immediately sat up.

Crey fed her the next piece. Mm. Apple pie. He handed her the plate and reclined on the bed beside her. While Mari had the sheets tucked modestly under her arms, her position left her entire back side exposed. Crey took in the view as she ate pie. "Your vines are so extraordinary." Crey traced one lightly with a fingertip. It was a tickly sort of sexy.

She ate faster.

"Am I to return you to the Beagle-2230?"

"Still deciding. You know what would help make up my mind?"

Crey traced the vines lower on her back. "What, my navi'ian?"

"When you thought I was dying, you said something. You haven't repeated it since I've recovered from being pumped full of moss toxins." She looked over her shoulder. "Is that only something you say when you think I won't remember?"

Crey's dark eyes met hers. "No." He sat. They were a breath apart. "Dr. Marigold Clemons, I would fight each and every cursed creature on this planet to be with you. I love you, my Mari."

Mari grinned. "I love you too, but how about, instead of fighting mean nasty creatures, you take me away from this awful planet."

"Should we continue on to the escape planet?"

Mari shook her head. "Bogarta. I want to meet your sister, check out the aquifers, and see where you live." She'd also heard him talking about Gaiians building warships throughout the "party," and several Gaiians had asked if he intended to command the "Gaiian fleet" when the warships went out. He'd been nonplussed by this, but it made sense. He would be great as commander or general or whatever they called the position. "Plus, we might want to visit Gaiia and discuss the upcoming war with the All Father. Everyone is sure that's in our future."

"My future is with you." His words and their firm tone made her a bit shivery with excitement.

"I can share you with the universe so you can make it safer for Earthens, Gaiians, and everyone else."

"I do think this is only the beginning," he admitted. "There is that growing faction within the Allegiance that has more widespread power than we had realized. I am not certain that we can fully trust the Allegiance to handle the Thalarins or dangers from other directions. Furthermore, the Hunters have seen firsthand the unrest following the pirridium regulations. The faction set that in motion. I am certain of it." He lowered his voice. "We cannot speak of this faction openly here. It will already be difficult to convince those in the dark system to save the Allegiance."

"I can understand that." There was a distinct difference between most of the Gaiians she'd met from the dark system and those in Bogarta.

"Lue believes I can command respect from those in the dark system, in addition to forces from the colonies and Gaiia."

Crey could "command them"—period. They would follow him into battle. Mari would need to share her husband with the universe. This is what happened when you bonded with someone as amazing as Captain Creythur Darfothahar. She had not planned on being the mate of a military commander, but, while she'd never claim prescience, that was in her future.

"What was all that talk about monsters with, uh, Rem?" she asked, changing the subject. "I think that was his name."

"Yes. Rem has been gathering information on these supposed monsters. They are not actual monsters, and he has begun to suspect they are fighting the corrupt faction within the Allegiance."

"A group of genetically-engineered super-soldiers with glowing eyes—well, that certainly sounds like an urban legend." She chewed on her lower lip. "Though, it'd be awesome to have monsters on our side." She definitely didn't want them as enemies.

"We shall see. We have an extensive information-gathering network, and, if we are rejoining the universe as a race, we will need more evidence of prospective allies. I cannot keep you safe if I am dealing with supposed rumors, rather than facts."

"Safe?" Safe was boring. Mari didn't want epic stories told about her at parties, but she wanted to fight for the universe alongside Crey. She could also collect the occasional botanical samples on planets they stopped on. Wanda had already drawn up plans to convert one of the ship's rooms to a lab.

"I intend to keep you very safe, Dr. Marigold Clemons."

Mari looped her hand around his neck and pulled him close. "Captain Creythur Darfothahar, I have flown inside rifts, hunted ships in an asteroid field, shoved my saber up a metal spider's ass, fought evil flora and fauna, nearly died from moss, taken down ships with a copper hawk, and saved the entire dark system—do you really think I'll be happy with safe?"

"You are a badass xenobotanist," his eyes slid downward, "with a beautiful garden painted on her body."

"I've lost you to the vines, haven't I?" Mari set the pie aside, letting the sheet drop as she did.

"I did warn you they could trap me."

Mari laid back and crooked a finger. "Well, come on, Crey, let me show you my garden."

"I need to ready the ship for departure." Crey did not wish to leave Mari, especially here in bed, but it was time. They had seen many Gaiians off and taken the hawks for one last flight. Now, Crey wanted Mari to himself. They would take "the long way" back to Bogarta.

"Mm. How come you never told me the epilogue to the story about Priscilla and Lord Charles?"

"I have told you—multiple times. You awakened many times that one dark-cycle and demanded I retell it. You fall asleep in the same spot."

"Tell me again."

"You are sleepy. You will fall asleep, and I will recite the remainder due to my devotion."

"I'm wide awake," Mari mumbled with her eyes already closed.

"If not for the hidden part," Crey said, "I think I would detest the epilogue, and I did not discover this cunning aspect until the third or fourth time through."

"What hidden part?" she asked, rousing herself.

"The male in the carriage is not Lord Charles."

"What? Of course it is. That was what you were complaining about the whole time."

Crey frowned. "I thought it was, but, no, it was not. Even that fight on the parapets was not as I thought. She rode across the moors to tell the baron she loved him and followed them to the manor. On the parapets, she expressed her desire that the baron give up being a highwayman. After he nearly lost her when the parapet crumbled, Ulric realized he would do anything for her, and the baron agreed to her terms."

"When?"

"When he salutes her with his sword and nods. Ulric is not giving up. He is showing respect to a worthy competitor—Priscilla, and he is accepting her terms for surrender."

Mari snorted. "You don't always get the right significance behind stories."

"No, melayfah, you are wrong. This is understandable as you do not love someone with a dangerous job. You do not know what it is like."

Mari put her head down, her mouth twitching. "I guess I don't."

"After reading the instructions for the neutralizing wand, I realized how treacherous xenobotany is. I often watched the exploratory ship leave Bogarta's port. Each time, I was not certain I would see you again." That was even before Crey had known what it would feel like to lose the mate he loved, as he had discovered with the moss. Mari would always wear gloves when pursuing her interests going forward. Crey would also safeguard she was able to do so.

Crey grasped Mari's hand and examined her injured palm. Her wound was nearly healed. Inexplicably, he wished to kiss her palm. What a peculiar instinct. Despite its mostly-healed state, he would not do this irrational Earthen behavior of "kissing it better." Crey set Mari's hand on his bare chest and skimmed his fingers along her skin, making her shiver. Her soft skin was magnificent, and he could touch all of it.

"Will I need to give up my dangerous botanist job?"

"No." Crey stroked his hand through her lush hair. "We can find a way to keep you safe while you do what you love, even if it is dangerous."

"Oh. Good."

"Just as Priscilla did with the smuggling."

Mari lifted her head and squinted. "What?"

"Priscilla and the baron became nighttime smugglers. Smuggling does make more sense than his career in thieving. The credits made as Ulric was doing are unreliable, and it was dangerous. Smuggling is a far more responsible way to earn credits."

"I don't think… Are you sure that's what happened?"

"Yes."

"They became smugglers?" Mari's voice sounded incredulous. Crey knew many smugglers. It was a reasonable method to accrue credits.

"Yes."

"If I'm the one with the dangerous job, does that mean I'm the baron, and you're Lady Priscilla?"

"I did note how impressive she was at escaping. She is remarkably clever."

Mari frowned. "But, she also fornicates with Lord Charles—a lot."

He could not argue with this. "In that, we are not alike. However, she was misguided. Priscilla thought she understood what path was meant for her. She does not do that after the parapets."

"You said that she did in the epilogue."

"She is with the baron, and they are not fornicating; they are making love."

"You also called the sex uninventive." Mari settled on his chest.

"Making love does not always have to be inventive—sometimes, the connection—the union is enough. I have had time to ponder this while you waste time sleeping. The baron gives up his dangerous career. Priscilla stops trying to live the life she had been told was important. Together, they find a path."

"Hm."

"It becomes clear in the epilogue. The clever Earthen author gave the readers exactly what they wanted. They could see Priscilla united with the weak Lord Charles if that is how they are or—"

"Or she could live happily ever after with the baron?"

"Exactly." The logical choice. The better choice.

"And, you think she got her happily ever after?"

"I know she did. You Earthen women deserve nothing less."

"Sweet talker. Okay, tell me one more time."

He sighed dramatically to make Mari smile, which she did. "If you insist."

"I do insist, and you know how demanding I can be."

"Indeed. Once more, bayantar."

"Mm-hm."

Crey recited it again. "Epilogue. The carriage rolled across the moors, but this time, there was no call to ‘stand and deliver.' The baron and his mighty company of thieves had been disbanded. After that fateful night when the two men had fought upon the parapets for her heart, the highwayman had ridden no more.

"Of course Lord Charles had ordered the baron's arrest—in this, he'd been disappointed. Some foolish misguided lass, whom the wicked, wicked man had seduced to his side, had tipped Ulric off, and the baron had escaped. He would have to rebuild his empire all over. Something he'd done before. His days as a dangerous leader of thieves were over.

"And she'd never again find herself bound to a bed with silken cords in the baron's drafty old castle. It'd been taken by the Crown at the behest of Charles. If he couldn't have what he wanted, Lord Charles seemed satisfied with making his nemesis pay in other ways. She wished that Charles would forget the baron entirely, but possibly that was too much to ask. After all, the dastardly baron had stolen away the woman Charles wanted again and again and again…

"Perhaps this return to their picturesque escape in Cornwall would cheer her dearest love. It was far from the demands of the polite world and Charles' jurisdiction as a magistrate—though, there was a band of smugglers eluding local authorities. Their little family could enjoy simple quiet days, and she and her love could have the nights. Priscilla reached across to tousle the curly, flaxen hair of her son, as his father dandled the babe on his knee. She had never been so content."

Mari was asleep—again. His beautiful sweet mate. Leaning down, Crey kissed her shoulder. He continued her story. The dangerous scoundrel surrendered to his love, and they lived happily ever after.