Victoria's Challenge

  “But if I had…”

  “Victoria, you said it yourself, certain things had to happen. The Phoenix needed to be built, you needed to learn to fly her. You needed to be a doctor first. The atmosphere needed to clear enough for a Raptor to get through. This is the first time all those things were possible.” He tilts her chin up to him.

  “You’re exhausted. Sleep. I’ve got you.”

  “Lucas, you can’t fly with me in your arms.”

  “Yes I can. I need you here. Need to know your resting. Please Victoria.”

  “You’ll wake me if anyone needs me? Even my father?” Eyes that meet his are already half closed.

  “I will, I promise. Sleep honey.” Feeling her immediately fall to sleep Lucas pulls her closer. Disengaging the autopilot, he flies the Phoenix.

  Opening her eyes, Victoria tries to figure out where she is. “Sleep more.” Lucas kisses the top of her head.

  “Hmm?” Lifting her head, she realizes she’s still sitting in Lucas’ lap in the cockpit. “How long?”

  “Just two hours, go back to sleep.”

  “I need to check on them. I promised Brett he could eat again when he woke up.”

  “He seems to be handling everything pretty well.”

  “Yeah, he’s a trooper but he’s got a long ways to go to get up to normal weight.” Sitting up, she looks at Lucas. “You have the mic on in the living quarters.” She realizes that’s how he’d heard her father.

  “I wanted to make sure you rested.” She sees his jaw tense, letting her know he was still angry. Touching his cheek, she brings his eyes to hers, seeing the banked rage.

  “He’s just upset about mom. He has the right to be angry.”

  “Not at you, never you.” Knowing how she’d feel if the situation was reversed, she couldn’t argue with him. Giving him a gentle kiss, she starts to slide out of his lap. Hitting the autopilot, he stops her, pulling her up for a hard deep kiss. Turning in his arms, she straddles him returning the kiss. They’re both breathless by the time the kiss ends.

  “I need to go check on them.” She rubs a thumb across his lips.

  “I know. I’ll be listening.” He turns his chair so she can rise.

  “How’s your leg feeling? I shouldn’t have been in your lap.”

  “It’s fine. It’s not like you weigh anything.”

  “I’m going to scan it anyway. What are you going to want for second meal?”

  “Just fix me whatever you’re having.”

  She can’t help but smile at him.

  “You think you’re pretty tricky don’t you.” He just smiles at her then turns to disengage the autopilot. Shaking her head, she goes to check on her family.

  “Hey Brett, how are you feeling?” Entering the living quarters, she finds him in a chair watching their parents sleep.

  “Okay.”

  “You didn’t sleep long, you need to rest.”

  “I was hungry.”

  “Hungry huh?” She smiles at him. “Come on, we’ll go into the galley, let them sleep.” Rising, he follows her.

  “How’s your stomach feeling? You’ve been keeping everything down?”

  “Down?”

  “You haven’t been sick, throwing up?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, let’s try something heavier. Have you ever had chicken nuggets?”

  “What?” Shaking her head, she goes to the console.

  “You’re in for a lot of surprises but remember,” she gives him a serious look. “If you don’t like it, you can have something else. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  With Brett eating, Victoria scans her still sleeping parents and prepares the syringes. While giving them, her father starts to stir, the smell of food waking him.

  “How are you feeling?” she asks quietly.

  “Okay.” Is his hoarse reply.

  “Here,” She hands him a bottle. “Drink, I’ll get you second meal.” Returning with a larger bowl of soup and bread for him, she finds Cyndy awake.

  “Hey.” Smiling, Victoria kneels down to take her hand. “You had a good sleep. Take some water.” Obediently her mom sips the water. “I’ll get you some soup maybe we’ll try some bread with it. How does that sound?”

  “Good.” Squeezing her hand, she returns to the galley to get the meal.

  “Dad, do you want to help mom?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, make sure it’s small bites of the bread, maybe dip it in the soup, her throat is going to be sore.” Turning, she looks at Brett, seeing his plate is empty, she smiles. “More?”

  “Can I get it?”

  “Sure, but I’ll watch to make sure you get the right thing okay? You don’t want something nasty.” Following him, she watches as he pushes all the right buttons.

  “Well aren’t you the smart one!” She ruffles the little hair he has.

  Returning, Tori checks her mom. “Doing okay, mom?”

  Cyndy nods.

  “Good, then I think I’m going to go grab a quick shower and change clothes. I won’t be long.” She’s about to turn when her mother’s eyes shoot to her. “What?”

  “A shower?” The desire in her mother’s voice is obvious. Victoria kneels down beside her.

  “If you’re feeling up to it after I’m done, we can get you one. Would you like that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then it’s a plan.”

  In the shower, Victoria leans against the wall. God, she just needs a minute, a minute to settle. It’s good mom wants a shower, that she’s showing an interest. She thought she was going to lose her earlier. How would she survive that? To have her back then lose her.

  Straightening’ she plunges her head into the hot spray. She won’t have too because she’s not going to lose her. Quickly finishing up’ she steps out to dry and dress. Entering the living quarters, she finds all three have finished second meal.

  “Looks good. How are you feeling mom?”

  “Better.”

  “Let me clean this up, it’ll give your food time to settle and we’ll get you that shower.”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  “All right, let me set up the bathroom okay? It’ll just take a second. Dad, if you want to help mom, you can start walking her to the bathroom. Brett, will you be okay by yourself for a minute?”

  “Yeah.”

  In the bathroom, she puts a chair in the shower knowing her mother isn’t strong enough to stand the whole time then makes sure everything they’ll need is at hand. Turning, she finds them standing in the doorway.

  “Okay, let’s do this. Mom, sit and we’ll help you undress.”

  “Peter, go be with Brett.”

  “What?”

  “Brett, he’s not used to being on his own. Please?”

  “But….”

  “Tori can handle this. Please…” Cyndy’s tone is getting a little desperate.

  “Leave the outside hatch open, I’ll yell if I need help.” Victoria’s wondering what’s going on.

  “Okay.” With her father gone, Victoria helps her mother undress.

  “Are you going to tell me?”

  “What?”

  “Mom, you didn’t want dad in here. He’s seen you naked before….” Understanding slowly dawns. “He hasn’t seen you recently.”

  “No and he doesn’t need too, it will only upset him.” Victoria thinks about her own reaction to her mother’s condition and nods, understanding the need to protect the one you love.

  “Okay, I’ll go along with you… for now.”

  Cyndy moans as the hot water hits her body. It’s been so long since she’s had a shower... since she’s felt clean. When Tori hands her a cloth with some sort of liquid on it, she frowns.

  “It’s like shower gel, Aunt Cassie’s favorite scent, vanilla.” Rubbing it down her arm, it immediately foams and the scent fills the air. She’d forgotten something could smell like that.

  “Cassie’s alive?”

  “Yes, she??
?s married, has three sons, and is expecting her fourth, a girl.”

  “Cassie’s married?” Cyndy can't hide her shock.

  “Yes, to Uncle William, High Admiral William Zafar. He’s a good man, mom. They love each other.”

  “Zafar?”

  “Lucas’ dad.”

  “His father…. then he’s…”

  “He’s older then Aunt Cassie, yes, about twenty five cycles. Grandpa would have liked him.”

  “Three sons?” Cyndy continues to wash her body.

  “Kayden the oldest, he’s a few months younger than Brett, then there’s Jacob, after grandpa, he’s six and Willie, named for his father, he’s not quite three.”

  “And now a little girl.”

  “Yeah, in a few moon cycles, sorry months. Its moon cycles on Carina. They are actually pretty close to Earth’s. There are a lot of similarities to Earth there, a lot of differences too but you’ll learn all that. How are you feeling?”

  “Clean. For the first time in… I don’t know how long.”

  “You weren’t showering in the shelter?”

  “We started having problems with the water and were having to ration some. I…. oh no!”

  “What?”

  “I’ve been in here too long! I shouldn’t have…”

  “Mom!” Victoria cuts her off. "It’s okay. The Phoenix will recycle all the water. You can take as long a shower as you want!”

  “But Brett and your father….”

  “Will have plenty of water.” She sees the doubt in Cyndy’s eyes. “I swear to you mom, this isn’t a problem.”

  “Okay but I’m done. I need to get dressed before Peter comes looking for me.”

  Turning off the water, Tori hands her mother a towel.

  “Sit there, dry off and I’ll get you some clean clothes.”

  “Clean clothes? But…”

  Victoria should have realized.

  “Mom, I have more clothes for you, you’re not putting those back on until they are cleaned, and I might even have some eadai for you.”

  “What?”

  “Underwear, very nice underwear. Now stay sitting…. please.”

  “Okay.”

  Dressed again, Victoria can tell she’s tiring. “Let’s go find the men, mom.”

  “Yeah, your dad’s probably climbing the walls.” What they find is Brett asleep with his head in his dad’s lap. Victoria remembers when she used to do that, a lifetime ago. His eyes follow them as they cross the room.

  “Here you go, mom. Would you like something to drink? Water? Juice?”

  “Juice?”

  Victoria smiles.

  “I’ll see what I can find that’s similar to juice on Earth.”

  “How’s Brett?”

  “Full and content,” her dad replies.

  “Good, after I get mom the juice, I’ll show you how to run the shower.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Peter, go take a shower.” Cyndy tells him. “It feels incredible.”

  Juice in hand, Victoria returns to find her mother sleeping and dad standing looking down at her.

  “She’s just tired.” Victoria sets the bottle down where she can find it, checking to make sure Brett is still asleep, she turns to her father.

  “Ready? She’ll be okay. I’ll just be gone a few minutes.” Victoria tells him, finally, he nods and she leads him to the bathroom.

  “Hot… Cold. This is soap you can use and a cloth, towels and clean clothes. Put what you’re wearing in that container. Stay in as long as you want, there’s plenty of water, it recycles. I left the chair in case you get tired.” Turning, she leaves.

  “Tori… about before…” He can see the hurt in her eyes, that he had hurt his daughter like that tears at him.

  “You’re entitled to your feelings, dad. I need to get Lucas’ second meal. I’ll leave the outside hatch open. Yell, if you need help.” Returning to the living quarters, she finds Cyndy still asleep and Brett nowhere to be seen. After checking the galley, she heads for the cockpit.

  “Now you see that button there?” Brett, strapped into the copilot seat nods. “Flip the cover up then press it.”

  “Really?” Brett gives Lucas a disbelieving look.

  “Really.”

  When he does, a star chart appears on the window.

  “Wow…”

  “Replacing me?” Victoria asks as she slides her arms over the top of chair to rest them on his chest. The grin Lucas gives her, trips up her heart.

  “You have some competition. Brett here’s a quick learner.”

  “I noticed, he can already order up chicken nuggets.”

  “Really? Very impressive.” The look he gives Brett has the boy grinning.

  “What do you want for second meal?”

  “Some soup will be fine, in a sealed cup.”

  “Any specific kind?”

  “Surprise me.”

  “Oh you know how I like to do that.” Lean down, she kisses the top of his head. Brett watches with interest. “Are you staying here?”

  “He’s fine. How’s everyone else?” Lucas asks.

  “Dad’s in the shower, mom’s sleeping after hers. Brett will be next.”

  “For what?”

  “A shower.” When he wrinkles his nose, she laughs, little boys are all the same. “Oh you’ll have one.”

  “Don’t like cold water.”

  “Cold?” Victoria frowns, realizing he’d probably never had a real shower. “You’ll have hot water, you’ll like it, trust me and some clean clothes.” Rubbing Lucas’ shoulders, she leaves to get his soup. Brett looks at him with questioning eyes.

  “What’s your question, Brett?”

  “Are you my sister’s husband?”

  Lucas jolts at the question.

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Why not? You touch each other all the time.”

  “I… yeah, we do. We love each other. She’s my life mate.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It means we’ll be together forever.”

  “So married.”

  “It’s called a Union on Carina and eventually we will be.”

  “Why aren’t you now?”

  “Because your sister’s only eighteen.”

  “So?”

  “That’s too young,” Lucas tells him.

  “Too young for what?” Victoria asks walking in. Handing Lucas his cup, she runs a quick scan of his leg and smiles.

  “To be married, Unioned,” Brett replies.

  “Have a Union,” Lucas corrects him.

  “A Union? What are you two talking about?” Victoria gives Lucas a confused look.

  “Brett asked if you were my wife.” He sees the surprise in her eyes.

  “Your wife…” She whispers, her eyes staring into his not sure what she’s seeing.

  “Yeah, you act like mom and dad, well kind of. You work together. Help each other.”

  “Oh well….” She shifts her gaze to Brett. “We’re life mates.”

  “That’s what Lucas said. What’s the difference?”

  “Well…” Looking at Lucas, she sees she won’t be getting any help from there. “Ummm… life mates are two people who know they are meant to be together, they love each other. A Union doesn’t have to be.”

  “So life mates don’t have Unions?”

  “They can, if they decide they want too. It’s an official ceremony, legal.”

  “What’s legal?”

  “It’s means it’s recognized by other people. People witness it. Life mates… well, I guess it’s more private.”

  “But….”

  “Brett!!!”

  “Ooops, that’s dad.” Undoing his harness, he hustles back to the living quarters.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lucas hits the autopilot then turns, looking at her as he sips from his cup.

  “What?” She can feel the heat start creeping up her neck.

  “Interesting questions. Interesting answ
ers.”

  “Well you were no help.” Putting an arm around her waist, he pulls her into his lap.

  “I wanted to hear what you’d say.”

  “What’s going on Lucas?” She’s never known him to be this evasive.

  “We’ve just never talked about it. I wasn’t sure what your thoughts were.”

  “On?”

  “Being my wife.” He watches her eyes widen before she pulls his head down for a deep slow kiss.

  “I’m your life mate, Lucas. I’ve always known that.” She mummers against his lips. “It would be an honor to be your wife, whenever you decide the time is right.”

  “I think it would be a mutual decision.” He looks into her eyes.

  “It seems you think I’m too young.” She had understood what he was saying.

  “You just turned eighteen, Victoria.” He looks at her, caressing a cheek. “You’re already trying to decide what to do with your career.”

  “And you don’t think I’d take you into consideration deciding that?”

  “I want you to decide what you want to do, where you want to be.”

  “That’s easy, where ever you are.”

  “Victoria…” He watches her pale before pulling away from him.

  “You don’t want me with you...” Green eyes fill with pain.

  “That’s not what I’m saying!” His arm tightens around her. “Fuck, you know that’s not true!”

  “Tori!” Brett runs in. “It’s mom!” Lucas immediately releases her and she’s gone.

  “You said you’d stay with her!” Peter accuses, as he sits helplessly next to his wife.

  “Come on mom, relax, shhhh. It’s okay. There you go, spit it out.” She wipes her mouth. “Good. The steam from the shower helped loosen it up some.” Victoria looks into her mother’s pale face. “That wasn’t as bad as last time now was it?”

  “It still hurt,” Cyndy whispers.

  “I know, I’m sorry but you got up about twice as much without needing a shot. That’s good. You know what this means, don’t you?” She smiles into her mother’s eyes.

  “What?”

  “At least one hot shower a day for you whether you want it or not.” That gets her a slight smile.

  “Speaking of which, dad, Brett needs his. I promised him hot water. You’ll need to show him where everything is.” Tori looks to her father.