There was pounding in my head and I groaned and rolled to my side. Unfortunately, this only succeeded in my rolling off the couch and practically cracking my skull on the table. I groaned again and sat up, grasping my head to stop the pounding. That was when it occurred to me that the pounding wasn't in my head--it was at the door.

I stood unsteadily, running a hand through the tangled mess of my hair and slowly made my way to the door. I fixed a glare on my face to scare away the intruder, and it almost worked when I was met by a young soldier with a CP file.

"F-from Lord Jalan, s-sir," the boy stuttered. I must have looked an awful mess by the way he was staring at me.

I took it from him and nodded, allowing him to leave and he scampered off. From his speed, I decided to get myself cleaned up as soon as possible. However, on my way to the bathroom, it occurred to me why I was sleeping on the couch to begin with.

I walked over to my bedroom door and knocked lightly. "Ayina?" I kept my voice somewhat soft as well. If she was awake, I didn't want her to feel as if she could not leave the room, but if she still slept I didn't want to disturb her.

There was a rustling noise from inside and a small moan as someone rolled over. I smiled and moved back into my living room. It wasn't late--I would let her sleep.

I caught sight of myself in my mirror and cringed. Not only was my hair a mess, but my clothes were wrinkled, and I had a black eye. Violet's fists had done serious damage. My hair was tamed with a comb, the bruise gone with a simple spell, but until I could get to my room and my closet, my clothes would have to be the most frightening thing about me. That was fine with me. I didn't particularly want to leave the room until Violet awoke anyway, and I still had to explain what she was doing in my room to begin with.

I was just beginning to formulate an excellent story how she had mistaken my room for one of Nacirem's (a guard under Daut), when a small cry grabbed my attention. I stood, listening for it. It had come from my bedroom, so I knew it must be Violet, but it was so small. I fought an internal battle with myself on whether or not I should go and find out what had caused her distress. A second cry decided that.

I entered my room as quietly as I could and found Violet completely wrapped in the sheets. She was struggling against the bonds she had made herself and crying out softly. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her expression one of pain.

I found myself sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her shoulders still. "Violet," I said, not loudly enough to frighten her. "Violet, wake up. It is only a dream. Wake!"

Her violent thrashing ceased, and she opened her eyes. I could see tears there as well and her gaze became one of confusion. "Maru?" Her voice was little more than a desperate whisper.

The next thing I knew, I was holding her in my arms, stroking her back and whispering comforting words. She clung to my shirt and sobbed, seemingly trying to roll into a ball at the same time but her violent trembling kept her from doing so. Inbetween sobs, she told me the gist of her dream. It was no dream--it was a nightmare. She had been at the bottom of a stinking, festering pit, and something thick, heavy and rotting was pressing in all around her. She tried to climb to the top but halfway there, a hand grabbed at her foot. She looked down and it was the face of a friend. The things pressing around her became the charred, rotting corpses of her people. They grabbed her, forcing her back down to the pit, accusing her of not being there, of not caring, of not dying with them. That was when I had woken her up.

I held her in my arms for quite a long time. After her tears had stopped flowing, she continued to lie in my grip, seemingly content. My head was resting on her hair and I felt her tilt her chin to look at me. I cocked my head to meet her gaze and found a straight expression staring back at me. There was a pause between us where I suddenly became aware of how close she was, how tightly I was holding her, how strong her grip on my clothing was. She ran her tongue over her lips. "Thank you, Maru."

My brain informed my head it was time to nod, but I didn't pay attention. "You're welcome," I answered, my voice equally as quiet. I paused, and found my lips tilting to meet hers. "...Ayina."

Her neck stretched as she reached her face up to mine and--

*RING*

Both of us started, turning our gazes to my bedroom door. I looked back at Violet to see her breathing fast, heartbeat unusually strong. I couldn't tell if it was because of what had just happened between us or the noise. "Doorbell," I murmured.

She nodded and I, regretfully, released her, standing from the bed. I made my way to the door and glanced back at her. "I don't know who it is, but I don't think it is a good idea to announce you just yet. I'll call for you once they leave." Violet nodded again and I closed the door.

I was an entire two feet from my door when it opened. Jalan's face met my own and I found my expression to be one of annoyance.

"Where were you?" he demanded.

I scowled. "I was just about to open the door, when you did it for me."

He shrugged, unconcerned and walked passed me heading for one of the chairs facing my couch. I sighed and waved my hand in his direction, closing the door. "Please, Jalan, won't you sit down?"

"Why did you take so long to answer the door?" came his polite reply.

I didn't sit, hoping he would take the hint and take his leave. He didn't. "I was asleep," I explained, leaning against the back of the couch.

He raised an eyebrow. "Still? It's late."

"I haven't felt well lately," I replied with a shrug. "I suppose I just needed to catch up on a bit of sleep."

He smiled and nodded. "You have been looking tired lately. I'll go in a bit, I only had a question."

"What was that?" I asked.

A sly smile crept across his face. "Your birthday, Maru."

I raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"Your twenty-first in less than a week, is it not?"

"It is."

The sly look grew. "And what is done on an Elvian male's twenty-first, Maru?"

"What are you--" Then it hit me. A male was expected to marry on his twenty-first birthday. I felt my face burn as I blushed. How could I have forgotten? Jalan hadn't, and I couldn't have expected him to either. "Oh, uh...."

Jalan laughed. "You have not even thought about it, have you? Too busy working! I thank you for taking your job so seriously, Maru, but a female is needed!"

"I, uh, I have one in mind," I said lamely, lying through my teeth. How could I have forgotten? It would be noticed, of course, if the Imperial Guard was not wed!

Jalan's grin nearly blinded me. "No one has one in mind, Maru! They have several!" I could only shrug to that and he laughed. "Well, for you, my friend, one is more than I had expected. I'm happy for you, of course!"

I smiled shakily, wracking my brain for a way out of this nearly binding verbal agreement. "Thank you, Jalan."

"Oh, and did you receive my message?"

The disk was still in my hand and I smiled sheepishly, holding it up for him to see. "I just received it a few minutes ago."

Jalan raised his eyebrows. "I thought you said you just woke?"

I paused, caught. "Well, after I got it I went back to sleep," I replied. After a moment, I added a reassuring smiled.

Jalan laughed and--

*~*Interruption of Part Six*~*

The door to the med lab slid open, interrupting Maru's speech. Lokaia whirled around to see a pair of eyes only two feet above the ground staring curiously inside. The Elvian female sighed. "Hello, Seamus."

The eyes glanced up at her and to the bed where Maru lay. "Auntie Kai," he said in a whisper. "Who's that?"

Lokaia couldn't help but smile and a glance at Maru showed that he was attempting not to laugh. "Come here, Shay," she said, holding out her arms. "Come meet our guest."

The small boy toddled across the room hesitantly, stealing glances at the elderly Elve on the bed. He cautiously climbed onto Lokaia's lap, looking at her curiously. "Auntie Kai, he looks like you."

Before Lokaia could counter that, Maru spoke. "Why do you call her 'Auntie Kai'?" he asked quietly, kindly.

Lokaia sent a desperate glance to the child which was thoroughly ignored as he hugged her closely. His small face was carefully scanning the elder Elve's. "Mummy and Daddy say she's my aunt."

Maru paused before responding, as if waiting for more. Then he smiled and nodded. "An excellent choice," he told the boy. "I am Maru."

Seamus glanced at Lokaia's face for confirmation and, once received, grinned brightly at Maru. "Hi! I'm Seamus Aiden Davenport Goddard!"

Maru's eyebrows shot up and his expression was one of shock. "His name is even longer than an Elve's!"

"That's his mother's fault," Lokaia said, tousling Seamus' hair. "We call him Seamus or Shay."

Lokaia felt a tug on her hair as Seamus latched onto a handful. "Auntie Kaia, whatcha doin' in here?"

"We're just talking, sweet," she replied. "Where's your mom and dad?"

"Daddy's talking to Telma," he said, bouncing on her lap. "And Mummy's watching the babies."

"Babies?" Maru's tone was interested. "There are other children on this ship?"

Lokaia smiled. "Three, actually. Seamus here is human, Randy is half human, half Saturnian, and the twins are half Mercurian and half Uranusian."

The man's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "A full ship. And an array of cultures in every child." He laughed a bit. "It should be interesting to see how they grow up."

"That's what we were thinking," Lokaia replied, smiling fondly at Seamus.

The human child's brow was furrowed in thought. "Randy can scream... like Auntie Cat. But the twins are different."

"Different?" Maru echoed.

"One twin looks Mercurian, the other looks Uranusian," Lokaia replied. She smoothed Seamus' hair. "I guess it could be a little confusing for you."

"Confusing for me even," Maru said. He smiled in Seamus' direction, receiving a blinding grin from the child.

"Your eyes are funny," Seamus informed him.

"Seamus!" Lokaia cried, horrified.

Maru only laughed. He nodded and said, "Yes, they are. Those are scars. I'm blind."

"Oh." Seamus obviously had no idea what that meant. "Does it hurt?"

Maru leaned forward and gestured for Seamus to come closer. Feeling the small boy's weight as he clambered onto the cot, Maru said in a low, pained voice, "Horribly."

Seamus sat back on his heels, very impressed. "Wow."

"Indeed."

Lokaia didn't think she could hold her laughter much longer. Glancing at her watch she addressed Seamus. "Shay, will you go ask Thelma if she would bring us down something to eat?" Their tea had grown cold long ago.

The boy looked back at here, pouting. "Auntie Kaaaai," he whined, drawing out the last syllable. "I wanna stay and talk!"

"Well, Maru needs his rest," Lokaia began worriedly.

The elder Elve waved a hand. "Oh, no, talking with you this morning has given me a bit more energy. I would be glad to stay with the small one until you return."

"You're sure?" Lokaia considered warning the man of what he was getting himself into.

Maru smiled. "Of course." Seamus was hopping up and down on the bed, watching Lokaia hopefully.

She sighed and nodded. "All right. I'll be back soon. Seamus." She waited until she had the boy's full attention and narrowed her eyes. "Don't do anything you wouldn't do to your parents."

"Okay!" Seamus replied happily, turning his back on her.

Lokaia thought for a moment. "On second thought, don't do anything you would do to your parents either. Be nice, Seamus."

Seamus visibly deflated and sighed. "Okay."

Bova sighed, bouncing the pink twin in his arms. "Rosie, I can't think of any other names. And I'm sick of this. Why don't we just pick two and get it over with?"

Rosie was shocked. "Bova! Names are important. They'll have these names for the rest of their lives!"

"Unless they change them. They can do that."

"Well, I want them to like their names," Rosie replied, smiling brightly at the dark twin sitting beside her. The girl was in the process of sucking on her foot, a task she seemed to attack with incredible curiosity. "So, think! What do you think for her?"

Bova glanced at his dark daughter and shrugged. "Toey?"

"Bova!"

"Well, I don't know!" he said defensively. "What do you think?"

"What about...um...Sunni?"

Bova raised an eyebrow. "Sunni?"

Rosie laughed. "You don't like it?"

"Well...." Bova shifted uncomfortably when she laughed again. "It's just... well, Rosie and Sunni? Kind of sun-related, isn't it?"

"That was the idea," Rosie replied with a grin.

"So, you want me to pick a name that's Uranus-related?" Bova asked incredulously. He thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing tiredly. "Do me a favor and don't tell anyone I said that."

Rosie was struggling not to laugh. "Okay, Bova."

"So, a transport will be waiting at the Starcademy to pick Loki and I up once we get back," Radu was saying as he and Cat entered the mess hall. "That'll take us to Miseth much faster."

"You're sure then?" Cat asked. "This is what you want?"

Radu gave her a small smile. "Yeah. I'm sure."

Cat returned the expression, laying a hand on the Andromedan's arm. "Good."

"Took you long enough to decide about it, though," Harlan joked, seated at the table before them with Randy in his arms. The baby was fussing, but Harlan held him expertly.

"What's wrong with him?" Cat asked, concern washing over her face as she hurried over to take her son.

Harlan shrugged. "He's only hungry. I was waiting for you to get back."

"You should have called me," his wife scolded, settling into one of the chairs around the table.

“You needed a break,” he reminded her. Cat hadn’t been complaining, but the dark circles under her eyes were evidence of her lack of sleep. As his son began to nurse, Harlan turned to face Radu. “You told Kaia, then? About the liaison position?”

Radu nodded. “She knew I’d informed my people. My plans were finalized this morning, though, and she’s been with Maru all day. I haven’t had the chance to tell her yet.”

“She’ll probably take a break soon, then,” Harlan assured. “Plus, Seamus was asking a lot of questions about our ‘visitor’, so I think he might have gone down to pay a visit.”

"Uh-oh... do TJ and Seth know?"

"Are you kidding?"

Radu smiled. "I guess I am. Well, at least we know Loki would never leave him down there alone."

Right on cue, Lokaia walked into the mess hall. "'Morning," she greeted them with a smile, heading towards the food wheel.

Her three friends exchanged a glance. "Kaia..." Cat began. "Where's Seamus?"

"In the med lab with Maru," the Elvian replied, attempting to balance two trays full of powder in her hands.

"Y-you left him down there?" Radu asked, surprised.

"Yes. Maru said he didn't mind."

"Kaia, did it occur to you to think if Seamus' parents would mind?" Harlan demanded.

She looked up, startled. "Why would they mind? Seamus is fine."

"We don't even know this man, Kai," Cat added. "You shouldn't have left him there by himself."

"What do you think he's going to do?" Lokaia demanded, setting the trays aside and placing her hands on her hips. "He's blind, scarred, weak... he couldn't do anything even if he wanted to. He's more in danger than Seamus is!"

Harlan cleared his throat. "I guess all we're trying to say is be careful. Are you going back now?"

The look on Lokaia's face softened and she nodded towards the trays. "Yes."

"Why don't you take a break this afternoon?" Radu suggested. "One of us can take over for you and you can get some rest."

Lokaia looked uneasy about this idea but nodded. "All right. Which one of you wants to talk to him?"

"I should," Radu said. He glanced at Cat and Harlan. "You two need rest, too." Randy was back in Harlan's arms, and looked as if he was about to cry again. After glancing at him, his parents were suddenly very agreeable to the idea.

Radu turned back to Lokaia. "I'll meet you in the med lab at about 1400, okay?"

She nodded, somewhat irritably. "Yes, that's fine."

"Kaia, its not that we don't trust you," Harlan began.

"It's that you don't trust him." Surprisingly, she was smiling. "I thought that was my job." She picked up the trays and headed towards the door.

"1400," Radu called after her.

"Yes, yes, 1400," she replied over her shoulder. The doors slid closed.

"You didn't get a chance to tell her about your news," Cat reminded Radu.

The Andromedan shrugged. "There will be other times. She'll be too tired tonight. I'll probably get the time to tell her tomorrow."

"If you're lucky," Harlan added. He looked down towards his fussing son and saw that Randy's arms were not out-streched to his father. "Oh, for crying out loud..." Harlan muttered, handing his son to Radu.

Radu grinned brightly, accepting the child who firmly latched onto one of the Andromedan's fingers and promptly fell asleep.

Cat stared. "How do you--"

"I have no idea," Radu replied, still smiling.

"Anyway, I was saying, Kaia's had kind of an attitude change lately, hasn't she?" Harlan continued.

Cat nodded. "She was pretty defensive about Maru."

"So, she's getting to like, and trust, the old man," Radu replied. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Harlan said quickly. "But... well, I guess the question is can we trust him?"

"There were a lot of holes in his story, Radu," Cat reminded him gently. "Things he either couldn't, or wouldn't say."

Radu shrugged, careful not to wake the baby. "Maybe he just wanted to say them in private. You have no idea what he's told Loki."

"True." Cat met Radu's gaze. "You talked to him before. What did you think?"

Feeling both of his friend's serious gazes, Radu sighed. "He's a perfectly nice man. He... he has his secrets, but who doesn't? It doesn't mean he isn't trustworthy."

"So, you trust him?" Harlan asked.

Radu's eyes met his. "I want to. I really want to."