Editing Story:ROAD TRIP! (Warhammer High)/Part Five (section)

==Earth==
===A Long, Long Time 'Til Touchdown...Oh, We've Landed===


Remilia kicked back in her chair and crossed her hands behind her head, listening as Venus said her farewells.  The ship’s ambient noise picked up as the pilot brought more and more of the flight systems online.  The cells that fuelled both engines spun up as Venus walked inside and sealed the ramp.
“All right…everyone ready to go home?” she asked.

Remilia nodded.  “Yep.”

“Can’t wait,” Jake said.  “So much buying to do!  Remilia, I seriously owe you one,” he said.

“What?” Remilia asked.

“The gift card.  Remember?  Keller’s?” Jake reminded her.

“Ah, yeah.”  Remilia looked up to the lights overhead.  “I think I’ll join you, actually.  I feel like upgrading before I head out.”

“Thinking of implants?” Jake asked.

“Hells of no, that shit is creepy,” Remilia said.  “I mean, good on Cora for stomaching it, but I couldn’t do that.  I’m just gonna buy a new storage drive.”  She went quiet as the others found seats, with Venus and Freya already debating who they thought would be at the party.  She found herself uninterested in joining in, as her thoughts turned to her own impending discussion with her mother.

What could she say?  Between the time she had come home from Freya’s and when she left for the road trip, they had barely spoken.  Would she feel compelled to apologize to her mother?  Would she resent her?

Remilia rolled onto her side in the heavily cushioned seat.  She hadn’t talked about this with Chuck.  Should he have?  It was new to her.  Clearly Chuck had gotten along very well with his parents, too.

As the hull started to buck a bit as they entered the atmosphere of the planet, nearly an hour later, Remilia realized that all she was accomplishing was making her stomach upset.  She sat up in the chair, looking over at where the others were busily reconfiguring their slates and watches to local time.

“All right, we’re clear and descending,” Venus said, glancing over her slate one last time.  She switched it off as they bumped about in the upper atmosphere.

“I’m actually nervous,” Freya confessed.  “I really want to see Morticia!  I hope she’s all better,” she said.

“Oh, is she back from Albiona?” Venus asked.

“She should be, and I want to read Angela’s story,” Freya said.  She was practically bouncing in her seat.  “Do you think Julius will be back?”

“Doubtful,” Venus said.  She squeezed her armrests as the shuttle dropped through the stratopause.  “I’m looking forward to spending some time in the forge.  Or hell, the pool.  I haven’t gone swimming in forever.”

“Can I take a dip with you?” Jake asked.

“Of course,” Venus said.  “You guys are all invited, if you want.”

“I’ll be gone,” Remilia said wistfully.

“I’ll be there,” Freya said.  “I love your pool.”

“I’m in,” Alex said.  “I think I should check in on Mom as soon as we’re off the shuttle, though,” he said quietly.

Jake cleared his throat.  “Well, I have a question for everybody,” he said.  “What’s everyone’s favorite part of the trip been?”

Venus paged through her memories of the journey, smiling at a few choice moments.  “Tough call…but I’d have to say either smithing in Deathfire on your watch or the thing in the hot spring on Fenris.”

“I’ll say the hot spring too,” Alex admitted, as Freya hid a smile.

“I think meeting Chuck, really,” Remilia said.  “That was a lot of fun.”

“He was a cool dude,” Jake said.

“I think…the trip to Hosanger,” Freya said.  “How about you?” she asked Jake.

He thought it over.  “I think the fishing trip, up until the kraken happened,” he said.  “Nocturne was fun, but it was just so hot.”

Alex passed him his vox.  “Remember this?”

Jake looked at the screen and smiled.  “Hah…yeah,” he said.  “Me and my harem.”

“You have a harem?  Why haven’t I been invited?” Venus asked.

“You kind of were, actually,” Jake said, passing her the vox.

Venus took it and laughed.  “Oh yeah…that was the night of the hot spring, wasn’t it?” she asked.  The screen showed the three of them lying with Jake on the bed.  “Man, you could sell this picture to any tabloid and make a bundle,” she said, giving the vox to Alex.

“Yeah, some random fucking hiver and his three Lady Primarchs,” Jake said cheerfully.

Remilia snorted.  “Dad would be so goddamned confused.  I’m almost tempted to have you really do it.”

The shuttle lurched.  “Your Highnesses, we’re four minutes from skids-down,” the pilot reported.

Alex sat down and buckled in.  “I hate this part.  No part of a space flight can go wrong in more ways,” he said under his breath.

“I trust my father’s pilots,” Venus said, settling back into her chair.  “And then…home.”

The ship settled on the pad on the Palace, clicking as it cooled.  After a few minutes of checklists, the hatches swung open, and a pair of Palace troops entered, providing an escort for the five teens as they disembarked.  At the bottom, two men in Navy colors stood, checking over the ship, and they parted in respect as the Primarch girls emerged.  “Your Highnesses, welcome home,” one said.  “If you will, your luggage is being transported to the security checkpoint.”

“Sure,” Remilia said, following the Navy personnel with the others in tow.  “Anything big in the news while we were gone?  Locally, I mean?”

“Lady Angela got published,” one of the sailors said.

“We saw.  We’re all really proud,” Freya said.

“Ah.  Well, Lady Morticia returned from her vacation…one of the members of the Senate had a heart attack and died,” the sailor.  “The representative of the Chartist Captains.  He’s been replaced.”

“That’s a shame,” Venus remarked.

“Indeed…Lord Primarch Perturabo and Lord Primarch Guilliman are both on planet at once for the first time in four years,” the sailor said.  “Aside from that, little major news until the election in four weeks.  Campaigns are reaching new lows in terms of turnout,” he said drily.  “The position of Grand Provost Marshal is open for the first time in twenty years.”

“That a fact?  Cornelius retired?” Freya asked.

“Sure did, ma’am.”  The group fell silent as the doors to the security station creaked open.  Beyond were the simple scanners used for the VIP checkpoints, with a small lounge beyond where people could wait for the scanners to spit their readings out.


===Meet the Parents===


As the group filed through, one by one, the machine beeped and whirled, and pronounced them all free of various diseases.  After an abbreviated search, they emerged into the tiny luggage claim and into the waiting area beyond.

Gairwyn Russ was sitting on a seat in the corner of the room, reading a holozine, when her daughter appeared.  “Mom!” Freya said happily.  Gairwyn looked up and beamed.

“Freya!  Welcome home!” she said in Juvjk, sweeping her daughter into a vice-like hug.  “Oh, you’re a foot taller, I swear,” she fussed.

“Mom, I wasn’t even gone three months,” Freya giggled, returning the bear hug.  The others filed in more sedately, separating to meet their own parents.

“Hey, Jake, good to see you intact,” George managed before Sandra cut him off.

“Where was it?  Let me see!” she exclaimed.  Jake obligingly turned to show here where the bottle had broken his skull, and sure enough, the spot had healed over entirely, and his hair was regrowing.

“I’m fine, Mom, I promise,” Jake said.  “Really, I’m completely okay.”

Remilia hugged her own mother, stepping back after a moment to look up at the intimidatingly tall businesswoman.  “Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, Remilia.  How was the journey?” Olivia Dorn asked.

“Incredible,” Remilia said.  “Do you have time to hear it all?”

“I suspect so, yes,” Olivia said.  “I took time off from the Foundation, until you can get off to Alanaster anyway.”

Remilia smiled to herself.  “Good.”

Venus hugged her mother tight, accepting a peck on the cheek.  “Venus, sweetheart, we saw the recording of your speech in Hesiod,” Misja said.  “You looked magnificent.  Your father couldn’t have been more proud.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Venus said happily, brushing a tear away.  “It feels really good to be home.  Can I just go throw myself in the pool after the party?”

“Of course, baby girl,” Misja said softly.  “And I want to hear all about Nocturne.”

Alex stood at the back of the room, watching the reunions with a fading smile.  Even before, he was sure neither parent would have been there to greet him, but now that he didn’t have one and the other was losing everything she had, the fact that neither COULD be there was wearing at him.  He tried not to look obtrusive as he made his way over to the door.

“The hell are you going?” Gairwyn’s voice asked.  She clamped one hand on his shoulder to arrest his progress.  “Come here,” she instructed, dragging him and her daughter into another hug.  “You’ve been away from home too long not to come back to a hug,” she said.

Alex’s shoulders shifted a bit as he held back a sudden sob, but he managed a smile.  “Thank you, Queen Gairwyn,” he said.

Freya nipped his ear as she was released from her mother’s iron grip.  “Let’s go,” she said softly.

Jake managed to disentangle from his mother and took a quick step back.  “You guys have to see the stuff I bought on Nocturne,” he said.  “I should change when I get the chance…oh shit, hey, Venus, we need to show them the…you know,” he said, tapping his head and gesturing as if he was running his hand over the contours of her crown.

She grinned.  “Hell yeah we do.”  She turned back to her own mother.  “Is Dad around?”

“He’s home, working on something, but he’ll have time to hear the whole story when you get there, don’t worry,” Misja reported.  “Have you had breakfast?”

“It’s actually around 1700 by shipboard time,” Venus said.  “Have you had breakfast?”

“Yeah, before we arrived, we all went out for a bite,” Misja said.

Gairwyn followed her daughter and Alex out of the room, watching them go with a proud smile.  “It’s quite something, isn’t it, Misja?” she asked.

“Sure is,” Misja said, as Venus hefted her carry-on and walked out after them.  “Shame we only get them back for a few days before they leave, eh?” she asked.

Alex piled his things in the back of the small truck Gairwyn had brought with her to the Palace garage, then sat inside as Freya filled it up with her own.  The truck shifted as the cargo servitors deposited the rest of the luggage and returned to their charging slots, and Gairwyn sat down beside him.  “Alex, lad, did you have a good time on Fenris?” she asked brightly.

“It was pretty fun,” Alex said.  “It’s an amazing planet.”

“It certainly is,” Gairwyn said.  “I look forward to hearing all the details.”

In the air limo beside them, Olivia watched her daughter settle into the cushions and decompress.  “Phew…feels good to be back in the old love-wagon,” Remilia sighed.

“Why do you call the limo the love-wagon?  Really, that makes no sense to me,” Olivia said.

“A girl has to have some quirks, doesn’t she?” Remilia yawned.

Jake paused to look over the new aircar his parents had bought in his absence.  “So this is the new ride?”

“Sure is,” George said.  “We bought it from a headhunter, and it’s great.”

“What happened to the old one you guys had?” Jake asked.

“We sold that one and yours and consolidated to buy this one,” George explained.  “Stack your stuff, we’re going to follow Lady Misja to the party.”

“Cool.”  Jake hefted his things into the aircar and sat inside.  “So, what have you guys been up to?” he asked.

“Not a whole lot, but it’s been busy,” George said.  “We set up a new heater at long last, but really the only major news is Hajime and Alice,” he said.

“Yeah!  Are they nearby?  I want to see them before we leave!” Jake exclaimed.

“Sure, they’ll be in town tomorrow,” George said.  He looked over at Jake as the aircars lifted.  “How are things with you?”

“Awesome, Dad,” Jake said happily.  “Kouthry is gonna be awesome.”

George smiled.  “They’re gonna work your ass off.”

“I can take it,” Jake said confidently.  “Trust me.”

“I hope you took tons of holos while you were out and traveling,” Sandra put in.

“Shloads,” Jake reported.  “We’ll have time to view them all, I assure you.”

They flew in silence for a moment longer before Sandra’s maternal instincts got the better of her.  “How are you and Venus, with regards to moving in with each other?” she asked.

“Subtle,” Jake said drily.  “And we’re looking forward to it,” he said.  “Oh wait, hang on,” he said, digging his new vox out.

“Hey, is that yours?” George asked.

“Birthday present from Alex,” Jake said.  “That and the hat, which I’m not wearing…ah hah,” he said.  He sent off a text to Alex.  Within minutes, the response came: the picture of the four of them watching the movie.

“Here, check this out,” Jake said, showing the picture to his parents as the autopilot drove them to the hotel.

Sandra’s eyes widened.  “What was the context here?” she asked.

“Heh.  We were watching a movie after we were done with the day,” Jake said, as his father’s eyebrows rose at the sight.  “Good times.”

“That’s quite a thing,” Sandra said.  “I’m glad you’re so comfortable around them, now.  I still feel a bit nervous around the Royal Daughters, even still.”

“Well…I guess it’s just context,” Jake said.  “Besides, I don’t think I could have picked a nicer combination of them to go with on the trip.”

“I don’t think I really ever had a chance to meet Remilia,” George said.

“You guys are coming to the party, aren’t you?” Jake asked.

“If you want your parents hanging around, sure,” Sandra said.

“It’ll be the last chance to see people before we all leave,” Jake remarked.  “I have a ton of stuff to buy afterwards, too.  Oh, and Dad,” he said, pawing at his pockets.  “Here, you have to see this.”

He extracted the watch Venus had forged for him and passed it over, with the clip and chain in its box.  He had set it aside on the flight to show his father when he had the chance.  George took them and stared.

“Wow.  This is…this is beautiful,” George said, turning the gold watch over in his hands.  “Where did you get this?”

“Venus gave it to me as a birthday present,” Jake said.  “She built it in one of the Legionary forges on Nocturne.”  George slowly looked up at him.  “I know, she just does that stuff.  It’s nice, though, isn’t it?” Jake asked.  “She didn’t make the actual mechanism, but the rest was her.”

“It’s gorgeous,” Sandra said.  “She’s special, isn’t she?”

“She is,” Jake said, putting the watch away.


===The Picture Show===


The convoy pulled up outside the small hotel that Roberta had booked for the morning, and the group piled out, as a few paparazzi near the entrance were shooed away.  The five travelers filed in, and were immediately beset by the Royal Daughters who had remained on (or recently returned to) Earth.

Venus lurched backwards as she was nearly tackled by Farah.  “Venus!  Great to see you again!” Farah proclaimed, wrapping her cousin tight.

Venus hugged her back.  “Farah, I’m so glad we caught you!” she said, pecking the ever-tousled blonde on the cheek.  “We have so much to show you from the trip!”

“I bet!  Come on up to the ballroom Roberta rented, we got a projector,” Farah said.

Gairwyn paused Freya as she walked in.  “Do you want me to be here, or do you want to see your cousins alone?” she asked quietly, in Juvjk.

“Be here!” Freya replied in the same tone.  “We’ll get little enough time to see each other before we take off.”

“True.  Very well,” she said, following her boisterous daughter in.  Freya promptly pounced on Miranda for a ferocious bear hug, nearly lifting the diminutive psyker off the ground.

“Miranda!  You’re back too!  This is great!” Freya squealed.

Miranda shook herself loose, breathless.  “Yeah, Carshim was fun…I brought holos too,” she managed.  She turned to offer a hug to Remilia too, and broke into a beaming smile.  “Remilia, welcome back,” she said, squeezing her cousin around the shoulders.  “You’re faring much better.  You can rest easy again,” she said in the faintest whisper, regarding the spiritual matter to which her father had attended prior to Remilia’s departure.  Her eye glowed faintly behind its bandana as she said it.

Remilia felt a weight lift as she heard the news.  “Thanks,” she said under her breath.  Louder, she continued.  “So how was the resort?”

“Manufactured, but very comfortable,” Miranda said.  “I’ll show you upstairs.”

Alex and Jake wandered around, being welcomed by the Royal Daughters who knew them, until Roberta poked her head out of a stairwell and spotted them.  “Guys, the room is ready,” she said.

Upstairs, the last of the caterers were making their exits as the girls emerged from the stairs.  “Oh, awesome,” Venus said, taking in the vaulted room.  “Where do we set up?”

Roberta pointed at the little table where a projector was sitting.  “Just get all the pictures on the same vox and pipe them in there,” she said.

“Here, I’ll do it,” Remilia said.  “Pass me your voxes, people.”  Those of the Daughters who had something to show handed their voxes over as Freya and Venus made discreet exits to change.

Jake and Alex drifted over to the table where a small buffet had been set up, both taking a headcount as they did.  Miranda was there, as was Roberta, Farah, both of the Twins, Isis, Faith, Victoria, and Venus, Freya and Remilia of course.  Angela was also there, as were Morticia and Kelly, but Cora, Petra, Hana, Furia, and Lyra weren’t.  Most of those girls whose parents could attend had them there, as well, though it was mothers-only for all of them, which suited the boys fine: the Seagers especially were looking somewhat overwhelmed.

Isis ambled up to where Jake was standing.  “Hey, Jake, glad you’re back,” she said.  “How was military food?” she asked drily.

Jake shook his head.  “I’d tell you if we had any.  We ate with the Captain nearly every day on the ship, except for breakfasts, and we just ate out on Nocturne.”

“And the Fang?” she asked, her curious orange eyes shining with good humor.  “No restaurants on Fenris.”

“Heh.  We ate in the Fang, so that, I’ll grant you, was pretty good,” Jake admitted.  He smiled back at Isis.  “Glad Julius is okay.”

“Me too!” Isis said emphatically.  “He wanted to go see his mother’s resting place before he came home, though, so I won’t see him for a long while.”

“So I hear.”  Jake coughed lightly.  “Forgive me, hmm?” he asked.  Before she could say anything, he leaned forward and hugged the much shorter girl.  “I’m glad you didn’t have to say goodbye to him, after what happened,” he said quietly.

“Thanks, man,” Isis said, stepping back with a bashful look.  “So…pics.  Show me.  Nocturne, the ''Tide'', all of it.”

A few minutes later, the projector wheezed to life as the girls and the few boyfriends and parents who wanted to stay found their seats.  Remilia picked up the remote for the projector.

Morticia glanced around.  “Are we not waiting for Freya and Venus?” she asked.

“They’re around,” Remilia said.  She brought up the first one.  “’Kay, here we are in front of the bar in the O-Club on the Iron Tide, the Salamander patrol ship we took.  That guy back there serving the fighter pilot is my new best friend, Chuck Kines,” she said, deciding to omit the details.  “Pro tip for when you find yourself on a warship: befriend the bartender, if you can find one.”

They moved on to the later trip, including a still from the sparring match with Isaac and Venus, to which the other cousins made the appropriate catcalls and sounds of appreciation.  Jake snorted as Farah gave him a playful nudge.  “Does she wear that around the house?” she teased.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Jake shot back smoothly.

The pictures advanced to Nocturne, and Venus in her formal uniform giving the speech.  Just as the image came on, she emerged from the restroom with the folded uniform in hands, having grabbed it when she had ducked into the head to change into civvies, and Remilia paused the show to let her display it.

“Nice outfit, Venus,” Roberta said, running a hand over the thick leather sleeves.  “Is that real drake?”

“Of course,” she said.  She showed where the weapons would holster on the hips with a gesture.  “Couldn’t really be asked to unpack the hardware or the crown, though,” she said.

“Oh, yeah,” Freya said, emerging from the bathroom in her Fenrisian robes.  “It’s shiny, sure, but if you want that rustic feel, well…”

The others looked up to see her in the full outfit, dagger and all.  “Wow, that’s really pretty,” Morticia said, fingering the pelt on the hem of the hood.

“Thanks, Morticia!” Freya said happily.  “Can’t get this on a store rack, either, this is real wolf pelt,” she said.  “And check the gloves.  Bjorn got them for me,” she said, holding her hands out.

“Bjorn…the Eldest?  Your father’s lieutenant?” Farah asked.  “Too cool.”

“Yeah, it’s great,” Freya said.  She put her hands up.  “But I don’t want to stop the show.”

Alex coughed lightly.  “Want me to drive for a spell, Remilia?” he asked.

“Would you?” she asked.  “Thanks.”  She ducked into the head to strip out of her travelling clothes into everyday wear as Alex picked up the remote.

“All right…here we are on…oh yeah, that was your birthday party, wasn’t it?” he asked Jake.

Jake nodded, a tiny bit uncomfortable being the center of attention from the Royal mothers.  “Yeah, that was the party,” he said.  “That poker set got broken in at record speed, too.”

“Hell yeah it did, much to my immediate profit,” Freya snarked.

“Dream on,” he Jake shot back.

The trip images took them over the remainder of the Nocturne excursion, until the last Nocturne picture appeared on the screen: the five of them standing in front of the Skarokk castle.  “And that was Nocturne,” Alex finished.  “Man, that was a wild trip.”

“So, Jake, show us your honorable war wounds,” Farah said.  Jake stood to show the shaggy part of the back of his head.

“Not very honorable, but hey,” he said.  “I mean, can you even see it?”

“Nope,” Farah said.  “Oh well.”

The door at the back of the room opened, and a few more people filed in, but Alex picked right back up with the trip to Fenris.  “So once we got there, we didn’t take as many pictures since we were staying in the Fang for the most part, but we got a few cool ones,” he said, showing them Venus’ pictures from the top of the basalt pillars.

They paged through several more, including one of Jake and the girls at the firing range, and one Alex had taken of the other four outside the hot spring.  When they got to the pic of Jake and the three Daughters watching the holo, Jake very deliberately crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back, to the laughter of most of the girls in the room.

The last few pictures of the Fenris trip were of the Fang’s interior, those parts that Freya thought the Wolves wouldn’t mind being photographed.  One was the inside of the rooftop hangar bay.  “I don’t get agoraphobia, but man…if I did, that room would have ruined me,” Jake remarked.  “You could park a Cobra in there, easy.”

“Really?  Wow,” Roberta said.  “Think they’ll build a ship in there someday?”

“Someday?” Freya asked.  “They HAVE.  One of the system patrol boats.  Never again, though.  What a mess it left.”

“Impressive,” Roberta said.

The slide show ended with a brief video clip of the five of them out in the wilds of the planet with Leman Russ, showing the boys how to construct a lean-to.  When the clip ended, Alex snapped his fingers and the lights rose.  “Man, what a trip,” he said.

“I know.  Can I show mine?” Morticia asked.

“Oh, of course,” Alex said, stepping aside.

===Time For Food===


One by one, the other Daughters who had taken trips showed their own images and videos.  As they did, Jake noted the people who had just arrived: the small group of friends from the Hive he had invited.  He discreetly got up and walked over, sitting down beside them.  “Hey, hey, what’s up, guys?” he asked as he sat down.

The three other boys looked over at him, astonished.  “You…didn’t say they’d actually BE here,” one whispered.

Jake blinked.  “What?”

“I thought you were just going to show pictures of the trip you took to their homeworlds,” the boy whispered urgently.  “They’re actually HERE?”

Jake sat back in his seat.  “Yeah, they are…don’t worry, I asked if they minded if you were here, and they wanted to meet you.”

Angela rose last, holding up her pamphlet.  “Well, this is it…not much to look at, but it’s ready and done,” she said.  She held it up to the crowd, who applauded politely.  “I’ve already ordered a single print run for distribution.  If schools like it, they can order more.”

“Very cool.  Can I read it?” Freya asked.

“Sure!  I’ll leave it up here,” Angela said, setting it down by the projector control.

Roberta stood as she sat.  “All right, we don’t have much time before Remilia, Farah, and I have to bolt, so let’s eat, huh?”

“Yay, Terran food,” Venus said.  “No offense to Roemer’s larder, but I suspect that when you can requisition any food you want, you just get the same few things over and over again without meaning to.”

“How was food in the Fang?” Miranda asked.

“Amazingly good, actually.  Spicy, though.  And more or less everything is cooked in its own blood.  Very heavy food,” Venus said, walking over to the plates.

Jake intercepted her as she made for the food with the others.  “Hey, Venus, I said I was gonna invite a few friends?”

She looked them over.  They flinched at her eyes.  “Oh, yeah, right!  Well, hi, guys,” she said.

“Dieter, Abram, and Will,” Jake said, pointing each out in turn.  He held them up as each started to kneel.  “Guys, come on, we’re having lunch,” he said, walking over to the food.

Venus grabbed Abram’s shoulder and hauled him up as he sank anyway, a look of total awe on his face.  “Glad you all could make it,” she said, as if nothing had happened.  “I understand you went to middle school with Jake?”

All three were nearly dumbstruck, but one finally managed to speak.  “Uh…y-yes, your Highness,” Abram said.  “It…I mean, it’s been a while, you know, but still…”

“Are you guys hungry or what?” Jake asked from the buffet line.

One by one, almost gingerly, the three boys made their way over to the food and stared.  “I don’t even…what is half of this?” Dieter asked.

“Just take a spoonful of each item, it’s all good,” Jake said.

Farther behind them, Angela lingered at the tail end of the line for Remilia.  As the other blond passed her, Angela halted her with a faint remark.  “When you left, I was really worried for you.”

Remilia shrugged.  “That was a dark part of my life, I’m not gonna lie…but come on.  Kelly and Morticia were worse off and they’re fine now.”

“Morticia took it on the chin and came out stronger, and Kelly’s been in intensive psychotherapy for three months,” Angela said softly.  “You’ve been stuck on a warship and two Death Worlds.  So…what did you do to make your soul heal so much, so quickly?”

Remilia looked down and blushed faintly, checking to make sure her mother wasn’t within earshot.  “I met a really, really nice guy on the ship…he took very good care of me.  Mentally, I mean.”

“A doctor?”

“Bartender on the O-Club, actually,” Remilia admitted.

A smile played around the edges of Angela’s lips as she made the obvious leap of logic.  Remilia wondered if she had been a bit too unsubtle, but then Angela wrapped her arms around her taller cousin’s torso and slid her wings around her too, drawing her into a gentle hug.  “I’m really happy that you’re feeling that much better,” she said softly.

Remilia hugged her back.  “Miranda said the same thing…was it that obvious that I was fucked in the head before?” she asked under her breath.

Angela opened her wings again and snugged them against her back with a rush of air.  “Blindingly.  Once I knew what to look for.  But…don’t worry.  You’re in vastly better shape now.”

“Good.”  Remilia shifted from one foot to the other, somewhat self-conscious.  “Can I just grab something and go eat?  I have to run after.”

“Sure, sure, let’s,” Angela said, grabbing a plate.

Kelly and Morticia reached the head of the line with their food and walked over to the huge table down the middle of the room’s left side, sitting down at the end.  Freya immediately dropped into the seat at Morticia’s side.  “Hey, Morticia, how’s your ticker?” she asked.

“Good as new, and it was the lung that got hit, not my heart,” Morticia said.  “Doctor says I’m up to 97%, and I’ll be healed to full by the end of August.”

“Great!” Freya proclaimed.  “It’s fantastic to see you better, you still had a crutch when we left.”

“Progenitor physiology, gotta love it,” Morticia remarked.

“How about you, Kelly?” Freya asked.

Kelly paused her chewing for a moment, not meeting her cousin’s eyes.  “I’m…better.  The guy at the hospital is really nice, and he’s helped a lot.”

“I’m glad,” Freya said.  “Have you decided whether or not to go to school?”

“I’ve had enough school,” Kelly said.  “I’m taking a year off to just relax and get my shit together.”

“That’s cool too,” Freya said, digging in to her biscuits and gravy.  “Breakfast buffets are the best thing in the world.”

“Aren’t they?” Morticia asked.  She turned her pale eyes on her lupine cousin, brushing lank grey hair out of her eyes as she did.  “Did you enjoy the trip home?”

“So much!” Freya said excitedly.  “It always feels so, so good to go home to the pack.”

Morticia smiled.  “That’s good.  Albiona was wild.  It’s a bit…artificial, in places, but fun.  It feels more tourist-y than Startseite, like they feel the need to conform to stereotypes to attract rich tourists, but it was still pretty cool.”

“I got the same feel from Carshim,” Miranda said, sitting beside Kelly.  “The whole planet is a beach resort, except a few floating towns over the jungles and a cabin getaway or two.  It felt very manufactured, and the casinos were gaudy as hell, but the water…wow.”

“The ocean was nice?” Kelly asked.

“Glorious.  I went swimming every day,” she said.  “Took in a few shows at the casino, but always with a falsehood on.  People just stared at my eye when I went without one.  Thought I was a Navigator or something,” Miranda grumbled.

“Really?  Wow.  Dicks,” Freya said.

“Eh.  I’m used to it by now.”  Miranda munched on some pancakes as the others marched up one by one.


===Holy Shit, You're Important===


Gairwyn’s somewhat rakish outfit of Fenrisian leathers and light blue tunic were positively outlandish compared to the simple denims and t-shirts of the children, but she wore it with the confidence of a career fighter.  Then, she was a child of the Navigators’ Household guards.  The Terran-born Fenrisian sat across from Alex at the far end of the table as the others found chairs.  “So Alex, what’s this I hear about you and Freya going to college together now?” she asked.

Alex looked up at her.  “Well…did she tell you about what my father did?”

“Yes.”

“Then there you go.  Freya and I are going to go to college together since I can’t rely on Dad covering it, and I got a scholarship to one of the places where Freya got accepted,” Alex explained.

“And you’re moving in together?” she asked innocently.

Alex smiled weakly.  “The scholarship didn’t cover room and board…I won’t be able to afford it if I don’t.  Not that I, you know, didn’t want to, but,” he backpedaled.  She smiled at his floundering.

“When do you move?” she asked.

“Uh, five days,” Alex said.

She nodded.  “Good to hear.  You two are good together,” she said.

“I think so, yeah,” Alex said, chowing down to avoid further embarrassment.

Down the table, Jake sat with the three guys he knew from school, noting the way they seemed almost fearful of the their surroundings.  “Guys, if you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to stay,” he said.

“Yeah, but how often do we get a chance like this?” Dieter asked.  He quickly shut up as Angela sat beside him, with Remilia sitting across from her.

“So, you guys are the ones who taught Jake how to play cards, are you?” Remilia asked.

Abram swallowed.  “Uh, yes, ma’am, we did.”

“Really, dude?  ‘Ma’am?’” asked, pained.  “Remilia.  Please.  I just spent three months instructing every sailor on that ship not to call me ma’am.”

“Sorry…we were just told that that was how you address royalty,” Abram said, looking away.

Jake cut through the tension.  “Speaking of cards, guys, hold on,” he said, rising from his seat.  “Dad, toss me the keys,” he said to his father as he stood.

George blinked, but tossed him the keys to the new aircar from his chair as instructed.  Jake jogged outside to grab the poker set from the trunk, and returned to the room in a rush.

The three other boys were still sitting there, studiously not talking, when Jake returned.  “Gents, after the food, I’m picking you clean,” he said.

Abram blinked.  “Say what?”

“Freya got me a poker set for my birthday, and we’re reverting to bad habits after the food,” Jake proclaimed, setting the case down beside himself on the floor.

“Uh huh.”  Dieter eyed the box.  “Well, I don’t know how much you had the chance to play at Imperator, but we kept up our daily game for four years after you went upstairs.  You can’t be very good, by this point.”

Jake raised his eyebrows at the challenge.  “Really.  Interesting.”  He looked over to where Freya and Farah were sitting.  “Hey, you two…want to play after you’re done eating?  I want to show you the guys who taught me,” he said.

Freya’s eyes lit up.  “Hell yeah, this will be an epic clash.”

Dieter’s eyes, however, narrowed.  “You need a Royal handicap to win?  You trying to intimidate us?”

Jake grinned.  “You haven’t played until you’ve played someone who can see tells like she can.”

Freya flashed her fangs down the table to where the boys were sitting.  All three recoiled, but remained resolute in their defiance of Jake’s sudden confidence.  “All right, fine,” Will said.  “I’m in too.”

“Fantastic.  We’ll show them Hive poker, then,” Jake said.

“What else have you taught them?” Will asked.

“Basic stuff.  Slapper, Ratscrew, Euchre, Blackjack, Double Hands,” Jake listed.  “A few other simpler games.”

“Hmph.  Introducing vice to the Royal Family,” Angela said with faux haughtiness.  “Such a tawdry display.”  Will paled, but Jake laughed.

“Funny, Angela, funny.  Who spent their spring break in one of the Merican hive-casinos that one time?” he asked.

“That was me, actually,” Isis said from down the row.

“Oh.”  Jake shrugged.  “Sorry.”

“Yeah, you know how we look so much alike, it happens all the time,” Isis deadpanned.

Freya pushed back her empty plate and bounded up to Jake.  “Here, I’ll set up.”  Jake handed her the case and she brought it to an empty place on the table to unpack the chips and cards.

“She’s nearly as good as I am,” Jake said.  He raised his voice a fraction.  “Nearly.”

“Just don’t tell me not to remind your friends about your humiliating record at Horse Darts,” Freya shot back.  “I might forget.”

“Touché,” Jake conceded.

Freya spread out the chips as Farah wandered over.  “You have not seen people play poker until you’ve seen Freya and Jake play poker,” Remilia said.  “It’s mesmerizing.  They get so in the zone, you don’t even know.  You wish you had their level of concentration.”

“I’ve been holding back all summer, you see,” Freya said cheerfully.

“Uh huh, sure you have, Freya,” Jake said drily.  He turned to the others.  “Come on, let’s school them.”

At the far end of the table, Victoria and Faith were speaking with Venus.  “Your trip sounds pretty wild, Venus,” Victoria said over her food.

“It was pretty great, except for the thing at the end of the Nocturne leg,” Venus said.  “I know I shouldn’t, but I feel a little responsible for it.”

“Your people’s behavior aside, I mean,” Victoria pressed.

“I think so, yeah.  It was definitely fun.”  Venus sipped her water.  “How about you, Vicky?”

“Well, I was going to go on that little tour of the Foundation’s facilities across the system,” Victoria started, “but after the riots damaged one of the offices a few weeks ago, we called it off partway and I just came home.  Security concerns, you know.  And it let me have a chance to say goodbye to Ben on my own time,” she said coyly.

Venus smiled behind her glass.  “Left an impression, did you?”

“I think so,” she said with an airy flick of her hair over the shoulder of her skin-tight halter top.  Faith rolled her eyes.

“Tell me about it,” Venus said.  “Can you imagine spending a month in the Fang...within sensory range of all those Marines?  No fun.”

“Ooh, sounds like you’ll have a lot to make up over the time between now and college,” Victoria teased.

Venus shook her head.  “Actually, I think Jake and I are going to spend most of the next few days cutting ties, you know.  Jake wants to go and say farewell to some of his friends from the hive and family he won’t see for a while, and go see his aunt and uncle before they leave on their honeymoon.  Me, I’m gonna throw myself in the pool and not come out, I suspect.  Haven’t gone swimming in three months.”

“You guys on the rocks?” Victoria asked idly, picking at her food.

“Not at all,” Venus said contentedly.  “We’re moving in at Kouthry together, after all.”

Victoria glanced down to where Jake was dealing his cards.  “Really.”

“Yes, really,” Venus said.  “Coulda sworn I’d told you that.”

“I thought he was just going to work there,” Faith said.

“Nope.  Living with me and taking night classes while he works days,” Venus said.

“That’s a big jump,” Victoria said.  “I couldn’t live with the same boy for four years.  I’d get bored.”

“Well, we won’t see each other much once his schedule starts up,” Venus said regretfully.  “But I’m still looking forward to it.”

Victoria shook her head minutely.  “Must have been a hard adjustment for him, living with you for three months, straight out of the hive.”

Venus cocked her head.  “I didn’t ask.  But it was fun.”

“Me, I had to say goodbye to Pietro,” Faith said sadly.  “It was rough, too, he really thought we could make this happen over college, but we’re just not going to be able to see each other.”

“That’s a shame,” Venus said.  “Where was he going?”

“Alanaster, like Remilia,” Faith said.

===Card Sharks===


“Oh, cool.”  Venus sipped at her water again as the sounds from the part of the table where the cards were being played died down.  “I want to see this,” she said, standing up.

Jake and his friends were already neck-deep, and even Freya was looking a little sandbagged.  Farah had clearly already backed out, and was watching with awe.  The four hive boys were playing in almost complete silence.  With a speed that that a professional poker player could have met, Abram ditched two cards and picked two up, and before he had even seen them, or so it looked, had dropped a chip into the pot.  Jake flipped a few of his own into the pot and set his cards down simultaneously with the others.  Will won, and scooped up the chips as Jake shuffled and re-dealt, again in silence.

“It’s like watching a deaf person paint,” Farah said, staring at the display.  “Art in silence.”

“How profound,” Venus observed.  Dieter chucked in his hand as the others dropped bets into the middle so quickly it was hard to tell the exact amounts.  Their eyes were darting from face to face, barely even looking at the cards.  Freya folded too, and Jake dealt out replacement cards.  Will had barely taken his cards when Abram and Jake both flinched at some unseen sign and folded immediately.

“Wait, what happened?” Freya asked, bewildered.

“He made the flush,” Jake said in disgust.

“But…how could you tell what he had?  He only ditched one card, and you didn’t see what his hand was!” Farah exclaimed.

“I just kinda know,” Jake said.  “Will’s tells are kinda obvious,” he sighed.

“Screw you,” Will said, scooping up the pot again.

“I can’t even tell what they are!” Freya said.  “How much were you holding back when we were playing all summer?” she demanded.

“Not much, actually,” Jake said.  He sipped his water as Abram dealt.  “I can only really do this with guys I know.  But keep in mind, we played an hour and a half per day, for money, for four or five years.”

“Are you winning?” Venus asked, sitting beside him.

“I’m being bodied,” Jake sighed.

“What?”

“My body is being destroyed,” Jake said glumly.  “I’m so bad at this game.”

“Oh, you’re a martyr,” Alex said.

“Eh, you’ve only eroded somewhat,” Will allowed him.

“You guys are crazy good at this,” Farah said.  She suddenly grinned cheekily, drumming her metal hands on the table so they could hear them.  “I bet I could kick you all raw at Ratscrew, though.”

The hive boys stared at her hands awkwardly until she sighed.  “It was a joke.  You’re allowed to laugh.”

“Well, it’s also true,” Jake chuckled.  “Your reflexes are insane.”

“Well, yeah,” she said with a sniff of false vanity.  The loose bandana over her head and tie-dye shirt she had on were specked with tiny burns, no doubt from recent work in the forges.

“What have you been up to before your trip out, Farah?” Jake asked as he took his cards.

“Just tooling around in the shop, really,” she said.  “Bit of writing, just having fun.  I’m looking forward to going home, though.  I want to see Mom’s new digs.”

“She has a new house?” Jake asked, pitching his cards in and sitting back as Freya finally won a hand.

“Well, remodeled.”  Farah stood and stretched, lifting her shirt over her toned stomach for a moment.  “Must acquire further sustenance,” she mumbled, walking back to the buffet.

Jake won some of his losses back with an inside straight before she returned with a second plate of sausages and biscuit.  “So, you three, where are you from?” she asked brightly.

All three hesitated before answering.  “Uh…well, we’re from Tetra too, your Highness,” Will said on their behalf.  "We went to middle school with Jake at 19889.”

Farah cocked her head.  “What’s that?”

“It’s just the number of the hab block our school was in,” Jake supplied, dropping a fifty credit chip into pot.

The pretty cyborg nodded.  “Ah.  So when did you get time to practice?”

“At cards, ma’am?” Dieter asked.  He shrugged at her nod.  “Well, most kids in the habs don’t have personal voxes or anything like that, so we just entertain ourselves the old fashioned way.”

“Jake had a vox when he came to Imperator,” Farah remembered.

“Well, Dad got a discount on them because of where he worked at the time,” Jake said.  “It’s more about age than anything.  Most hivers have them by graduation.”  He pulled his new one out.  “Alex got me this for my birthday.  I guarantee the range on it is a thousand times the range on my old one.  You don’t need long range in the hives, there’s antennae in every structure.”

“Can I look at that, man?” Will asked.

Jake passed him the vox and Will flipped it open.  “Wow.  No kidding.  I can’t even tell what it is…” he said, trailing off.  “Who’s that on the background?” he asked.

Jake took the vox back and checked.  “Oh, that’s just a picture of me as a kid with my grandfather Eric,” Jake said.  “Hell, he probably hasn’t worn that uniform shirt in ten years.”

Will nodded.  “My dad was in the Praetors.  Field recon.”

“So was one of my uncles,” Dieter put in.

Farah smiled.  “Good on them.  Any of you considering military life?”

“No thanks, ma’am,” Will said, shaking his head.  “No offense, but the war’s over.  Life in the hive is dangerous enough, I just want to keep my head down and get a real job.”

“Why would that offend me?  I’m hardly a soldier,” Farah said.

Will hesitated, looking at the tiny Iron Hands embossing on her bionics.  “Well…er…”

“Your father’s Ferrus Manus,” Venus said drily.

“Oh, right, that part,” Farah said with a laugh.  “Eh.  All the Primarchs understand that half of the reason we were fighting in the first place was to give humans a place to live without having to worry about alien invasions.”

Dieter grimaced, but all three boys looked down to their cards.  Farah cocked an eyebrow, surprised by their sudden hostility.  “Did I say something?” she asked.

“Forget it, ma’am,” Will said.

“Please stop calling me that,” Farah said.  “I know it’s knee-jerk, but some of us don’t like it.”

“You say so,” Will said, dropping a chip into the pot.

Venus suddenly snapped her fingers.  “Hell.  Jake, do you remember if we brought the spare towels out of the cabin?  Or did we leave them in the dresser on the ship?”

Jake slapped his forehead.  “Nuts.  We left them behind.”

“Damn,” Venus grumbled.  “Well, the Navy gets free towels.  I’ll shop for more before we go.”

“Gonna need them, Kouthry’s pool looks pretty damn big from the holos,” Jake chuckled.

Morticia dropped into the seat beside Dieter and stared at the game as Miranda took Angela’s other side.  “Wow.  You guys do this a lot, don’t you?” she asked.

“Eight years running,” Will mumbled, staring at his cards.

“Yikes.”  Morticia caught his eye as he looked up to place his bet.  “Hi.  I’m Morticia,” she said.

Will started slightly.  “Oh!  Oh, yes, you were…right.  Hi, I’m Will,” he said.

Morticia half-smiled.  “Seen me in the news of late, huh?” she asked drily.

“Few times, ma’am,” Will admitted nervously.  “Glad you’re feeling better,” he said.

“Me too.”  She watched another few lightning-fast hands in silence.  “I didn’t see you on the basalt pillars with the others,” she said to Jake.

Jake shook his head.  “Like I told Hunter Hasskald, I don’t like fighting gravity.”

“What’s it like seeing actual snow?” Dieter asked.

“Unbelievable,” Jake said.  “I’ll never forget that.”  He shook his head at the memory.  “Man, you guys think the glare off the walls is bad, an entire horizon of snow…it was nearly blinding.”

“I can’t even picture it,” Abram said wistfully.  “But man…I didn’t even understand what was happening in the picture of the castle in the middle.”

Jake blinked.  “The castle in…oh, the Skarokk castle.  It was just us standing there.”

“I meant the sky.  Was it red?” Abram asked.

“Yeah, on Nocturne the sun is red and the clouds are blue,” Jake said.

“Wild,” Abram said.

“It was pretty disorienting, yeah,” Jake said.

“You’ll get used to it,” Venus said confidently.  “If nothing else, you’re used to the heat.”

Jake shook his head, picking up the next hand.  “That’s debatable.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to handle the heat.  It was like sleeping in a furnace every night.”

Venus giggled.  Jake squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, grinning.  “Moreso than usual, that is.”

Remilia finished her own food and glanced at her watch.  “Ah, blast,” she muttered.  “Hey, Venus, can you give me a sec?  I want to ask you something,” she said, rising to her feet.

Venus followed her into a corner.  “Can you do something with this for me?” she asked her obsidian cousin, holding out the bottle cap from the drink Kines had given her.

Venus stared.  “A bottle cap?” she asked.

“Yeah, a keepsake from Chuck,” Remilia said.  “Can you forge it into a little pendant for me?  Just a little heart shape or something?” she asked.

Venus grinned, taking the tiny piece of metal.  “You bet.  Won’t get it done before you have to make tracks, though.  I’ll mail it to you.”

Remilia hugged her quickly, before walking back to the table.  “Well, folks, it’s been fun to see everyone, but I have a flight to catch to Alanaster,” she announced.  “See you all around, eh?”

Several of the other girls scrambled to their feet to offer up farewell hugs or advice as soon as she made the announcement.  Remilia accepted them all in turn, sadly exchanging her own farewells.


===The Party's Over===


“Good luck out there,” Kelly said next.

“Thanks, Kelly.  You too,” Remilia said.

Angela hugged her cousin briefly.  “You’re in good hands,” she said softly.  “I’m glad you’re not scared of the future any more.”

Remilia hugged back.  “Good luck with your writing,” she said.  “I’ll keep in touch.”

After she had received farewells from each Daughter in turn, Freya walked with her to the door of the ballroom.  They paused at the top of the stairs, and Remilia turned to her.  “Freya…thanks,” she said.

Freya nodded.  “Of course.”

“I think…I think this has been probably the best summer of my life,” Remilia said.  “And if you hadn’t invited me…”

Freya stepped up to her and hugged her tight.  “It was my pleasure, Remilia,” she said happily.  “You take care now, okay?”

Remilia closed her eyes and squeezed back.  Both girls just stood there for a moment before Freya nipped her ear one last time and pulled away.  “Now you go pack,” she said sternly.

The lanky soccer player smiled.  “You got it.  Write when you get to school, huh?”

“Of course.”  Freya stepped aside for Olivia to pass.  “Goodbye, Remilia.”

Venus sat back down beside Jake and slid the bottle cap into her pocket.  “Do you wanna head out too, baby?” Jake asked.

“Actually, I sort of do,” Venus said.  “I have so much packing and unpacking to do…and I promised I’d make something at the forge for Remilia.”

“Oh, okay,” Jake said.  He set his cards down as the hand he was playing ended.  “Gents,” he said, standing up.

“You’re leaving?” Abram asked.

“’Fraid so,” Jake said.  “Got a lot of unpacking to do.”

“Then I guess we’re leaving too,” Abram said, sliding his chips over to the case.

“All right.  You guys gonna be around later so we can get online?  I’m in town another nine days.”

“Uh, sure,” Dieter said.  “I will be, anyway.”  The other two nodded assent.

“Awesome.  Just like old times,” Jake said, packing up the chips and cards.

Misja walked over to them and held out her arms.  “Jake, I’m glad you had a fun time.  Make sure to call me before moving day so we can coordinate the mail situation.”

“Oh, right, the address,” Jake said, referring to the shared postal code he would have with Venus.  “I will.”  He accepted a quick hug from her as the other three boys stared.  “It was good seeing you too.”

“Actually, this is goodbye for now, isn’t it?” Venus asked.

Jake nodded.  “Yeah, I was going to go and see Alice and Hajime after we get unpacked, then go hit Keller’s.”

“Right.”  Venus pushed her plate away and stood up, stretching tiredly.  “So I guess I’ll see you in a few days?”

“Yep.”  Jake packed up the rest of the cards and chips.  “And then…Kouthry.”

“Hell yeah,” Venus said.

Jake picked up the hefty leather case and slung it.  Venus paused him with a parting hug and a quick kiss.  “I’m really glad you had fun,” she said quietly.  Her eyes sparkled.  “We should do it again sometime.”

Jake chuckled.  “Count on it.  Maybe some summer break when they don’t need me in the labs?”

“Call it a plan,” Venus said.

Jake set the case back down long enough for her to rest her head on his shoulder for a moment.  “Thanks for inviting me, baby,” he said softly.

“I wouldn’t have enjoyed it much if you hadn’t been there,” she said in the same tone.  She withdrew to the corner to say goodbye to Morticia and Kelly, who were still chatting with Miranda.

The three hiver boys gaped at Jake, in varying states of disbelief.  Jake shrugged sheepishly.  “Are you serious?” Abram asked.

“Would she have invited me along otherwise?” Jake asked.

“No, I mean…you are the luckiest guy,” Abram said, shaking his head.

Jake quirked a grin.  “Come on.  You guys need a ride back home?”

“No, we took Will’s car,” Dieter said.  He bumped fists with Jake as he walked by.  “Man, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous, but still…it was good seeing you again.”

“Yeah, we should get together and play again before I head out,” Jake said, hefting the case on its metal handle.

Alex rose as well, sensing the party breaking up.  “Queen Russ, I want to thank you,” he said.  “I was a bit worried I’d come home to nobody,” he admitted.

Gairwyn shook her head.  “I wouldn’t allow that, now,” she said.  “Do you want a ride to your mother’s new apartment?”

“I don’t know.  Where did she take all my stuff from the old place?” Alex asked.

“No clue.  I’m sure she wouldn’t just pitch it, though,” Gairwyn said.

Freya bounded up.  “Do you have your Mom’s vox number on you?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Alex said, paging through his own vox.  “Here.”

“All right.  Call her now and ask what you should do, I can just drive you if you need a lift.”

Alex clicked her number and held up the vox, walking over to the corner of the room for quiet.  His mother answered on the first ring.  “Hello?”

“Mom, it’s Alex.  How are you?” he asked awkwardly, suddenly aware that he should have called the moment he was earth-side.

“Alex!  Baby, are you okay?” his mother demanded.  “I only got your message a day or two ago, I’ve been worried sick!”

Alex sighed in relief.  “I’ll be alright.  Can I drop by and pick up my stuff from the old place?”

“Of course!  Come on to my new address.  You have it, right?”

“Sure do.  Love you, Mom.  Gotta run,” he said.

“Yes, I love you too, Alex.  Please come over as soon as you can,” she said.

“I will.”  Alex hung up and puffed out a breath.  “Okay.”

“Is she okay?” Freya asked as he walked back over.

Alex slid his vox into his pocket.  “I think so.  She just didn’t get the message until we were most of the way home already, that’s all.”

“That’s good,” Freya said.  “Are you going to see her?”

Alex grimaced.  “Well, I will need a means of traveling over there, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Gairwyn spoke up.

“Great.  Thank you, Queen Russ,” Alex said.

Victoria unfurled from her seat with a shake of her hair.  “Mmm…second breakfast is a glorious thing,” she said idly.

“It is,” Faith confirmed.  “When are you heading back out to the Foundation tour, Vicky?”

“Tomorrow,” she said with a yawn.  “When’s orientation?”

“September seventh, actually,” Faith remarked.  “Of those of us who are leaving, I think I leave last.”

“Plenty of time to pack, at least,” Victoria commented.  She broke off as Jake and Venus walked up with Farah.

“Well, you two, this is it,” Farah said.  “I’m Medusa-bound in fifteen hours.”  She hugged each in turn.  “Have a good year, all right?  I’ll be home when I’m home,” she said.

“I’ll try,” Faith said.  “I’m already nervous.  Just wanna speed up and start classes, you know?”

“Nope!” Farah said happily.  She turned to Victoria.  “You have fun, okay?  Say Hi to your folks for me.”

“I will,” Victoria promised.

Freya and Miranda watched as the five parted ways, heading for their parents if they had brought them – Victoria hadn’t – and walked out one-by-one.  “Are you looking forward to working with your Dad?” Freya asked.

The other redhead nodded eagerly.  “I have so much to learn.  Dad’s starting me off at the Scholastica Isolatorium, the place where the Scryers’ College is.  Learning the ropes there, you know.  I’m really excited,” she said.

Freya smiled.  “I’m glad.”

“And you’re comfortable living with Alex?  I don’t know if I could trust myself to live with someone like that,” Miranda confessed.  “I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from giving my little insights.”

Her cousin chuckled.  “Oh, I suspect you will.  That’s my little insight.”

“Mhmm.”  Miranda shrugged modestly.  “Well, that’s kind of you to say.”  She blushed a bit as Freya pondered the benefits of her shared living space.  “I’m, er…glad you two are so happy with each other.”

Freya leaned in closer to her cousin.  “Little secret for you, Miranda: a good relationship is one where you’re just as happy spending time away from your guy as you are with him.  When Alex goes off to play rugby, he doesn’t mind that I don’t go with, or when I go off to the range for a few hours he doesn’t feel obligated to come along.”

Miranda shrugged awkwardly.  “I wouldn’t know.”

“Trust me, Miranda, you’re going to work out just fine in that regard,” Freya said confidently.  “You be sure to write when you can, all right?”

“Bet on it,” Miranda said, “but I’m staying in town another week, you’ll get to speak to me before we go.”

“Of course,” Freya said.