They reached the top of the rise they had set as a goal and stopped to take a breath. The view was stunning. This particular hill was rocky, and topped with a meadow that seemed to have been caused by a forest fire from some electrical storm a few years past. Fallen logs remained, singed and half rotten. New trees had yet to grow in their place. Around them was a view of mist covered valleys and another, even higher, tree covered peak beyond. A stream cut across the meadow to fall off the edge of the cliff with a warm hissing sound.
Helena sank down on a sun-warmed boulder which felt good in the humid but cool air at this altitude. "I don't know why I let you talk me into coming," she said when she stopped panting. She knew it would be a few more days before she acclimatized to the altitude.
"You love it, and you know it," Alan Carter responded, leaning down to kiss her and help her undo the straps to her backpack. "It makes a nice change of pace." His hands remained on her waist as she shrugged out of the pack, making their way under the leather vest she was wearing.
She smiled. Alan had an infinite capacity for making her smile. "It certainly is different," she agreed, looking past him at the view. "And so peaceful."
"True, not a rug rat in sight-or ear shot." He leaned forward to nibble at her neck as she unfastened his backpack.
"Rug rat! You adore every one of them!" she laughed. Of all the parents, the children had quickly learned that Alan was the most tolerant and the most playful. They all consulted him first when they were in trouble, and recruited him for all grand adventures.
"True, but it's nice to get away once in a while, don't you agree, love?"
She smiled and agreed. "You're right. I'm glad you suggested of this."
"The timing was perfect. Sandra's not due to have her baby for months yet, Angie isn't pregnant, and you're not nursing and barely pregnant yourself. You won't even be showing until well after we get home."
"But, I am beginning to feel the effects" she said. "I'm starving. What are you going to feed me tonight?"
"Tonight, for your dining pleasure," he said in a truly horrible French accent. "We will be serving river trout broiled over an open fire, combined with-" he glanced around the meadow, quickly checking out the vegetation with a practiced eye, "Fresh wildflower salad and Sandra's famous crushed nut and berry bread. Guaranteed to please madam."
Playing along, she replied, "I didn't know Sahn's nut bread was famous."
"But of course," he replied, his accent sounding like a bad imitation of the cartoon character, Pepe LePew. "Everyone on the planet loves it."
"All six of us?"
"Twenty if you count the kids," he switched back to his normal voice.
"You can't count the ones under two, they haven't tried it yet."
"Seventeen." He compromised, and leaned forward to kiss her. Her arms closed around his neck and she returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm, then pulled back, her hands caressing his chest and her eyes glimmering with amusement. Before he could suggest any additional games, she slapped him playfully on the chest with both hands. "Feed me, Alan!"
"Yes ma'am. Right away," he said with a smile. He opened a side pocket on his pack and removed a small net. "I'll have the fish before you have the fire ready for them."
"I'll take that bet!" Helena responded to the challenge and began to search for firewood.
"Loser gets clean-up duty," Alan called as he headed downstream looking for
a likely spot to cast his net.
Carter lost the bet, and was just finishing banking the fire as twilight turned to night. Helena had made their bed in an open area with a view of the stars, and was watching the many stars wink into sight as the sky grew darker. The past ten years had made Carter an expert on Helena's pregnancies and he knew that not only did her appetite increase, but she tired easily and required more sleep. She was already dozing when he crawled under the covers beside her. She turned toward him and curled up against his side, one arm thrown across his chest.
"The stars are beautiful tonight," he said quietly, watching more and more stars wink into view as the night darkened.
"Thinner air," Helena murmured sleepily. She cuddled closer and Alan listened to her breathing becoming deeper and more even as she fell asleep.
He wasn't really sleepy yet, and enjoyed watching the stars, remembering a time when he had flown among them. Despite the dangers, he had loved exploring deep space. Ten years after bringing the others safely away from the dangers of the Black Sun that had claimed their companions on Moonbase Alpha, he still missed the thrill of flying.
He watched the sky and must have dropped off to sleep. The stars had wheeled across the sky in their natural progression when he opened his eyes again. He picked out stars that had become old friends since he had brought the survival Eagle to the planet. Then he saw it. It moved across the sky from north to south at a steady speed. It was to the west of zenith and high enough to still be in the sunlight. He lay frozen, watching the object make its way across the sky. He made some quick mental calculations and began counting as it reached the southern horizon. Then he waited, barely breathing, until it again appeared in the north. He knew the type of orbit it was flying-he could program it in his sleep.
His heart rate increased. They were a hundred miles from home and completely defenseless against whoever was in orbit high above them. Even had he been at home, they had no defenses. Whoever was up there would know someone lived on the planet simply because of the weather satellites they had so carefully placed at Trojan points before landing. Who was up there, and what were their intentions? In the ten years they had lived on the planet there had never been contact with anyone and that had not surprised them. After all, Earth had never had a confirmed contact with alien races. Alpha, on the other hand had encountered more than their fair share of aliens all with their own agendas, some hostile, others indifferent, very few with good will.
Helena slept peacefully beside him, unaware of the danger above them. He debated whether he should wake her or not, and decided that he couldn't shelter her from this.
"Helena?" he said softly, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up, love. I need to talk to you."
"Mmm?" was her confused reply. Then with a knack he had always envied, she was wide awake and sitting up. "Alan, what's wrong?"
He pulled her down against his chest. "There's a space ship up there in orbit."
"What? Are you sure?"
He pointed out where it should appear again and they lay still, waiting together in the darkness. On schedule, the ship appeared this time further to the west. She gripped his hand as the object traveled across the sky.
"It's a standard survey orbit. They're mapping the planet, just as we did when we first arrived."
"The children-" Helena said.
"Our home won't be hard to detect with the Eagle sitting next to it. We still use electrical power for the computer and to receive the weathersat signals. It should stand out day and night."
"We have to get home!"
She started to stand, ready to pack and leave right away. He pulled her back down. "In the morning," he said firmly. "We're not hiking off this mountain in the dark." She tried to protest, but he put his fingers on her lips. "The path is marked, but it will still take us at least three days to hike back. Starting now, in the dark, would be foolish. Anyway, whoever is up there could land by sunrise and be gone before we got there."
That idea was physically painful to her, but she nodded reluctantly and settled again by his side. "I'll never sleep now," she said softly, barely whispering.
"Yes, you will, love," Alan replied. He held her close, murmuring softly and
stroking her gently, until her breathing told him she had once again dropped
off to sleep.
Alan let Helena set the pace, and she pushed them both. They had the advantage of a marked trail, and the fact they were headed toward sea level meant more downhill walks. They left at the first sign of light and walked until they could no longer see. They cold camped and ate forage they found as they walked, or more of Sandra's nut bread.
By late on the third day they were in familiar territory. Alan stopped her and put his hands on her shoulders. "This is as far as you go."
"Alan-"
He was firm, knowing that she would resent being protected. "I want you to go down to the cove, and stay hidden while I check things out. I'm just going to do some reconnaissance - that's my job, remember?"
She nodded reluctantly. "Just don't take any unnecessary risks. I don't want to be left alone here. I'd rather-"
"Be with me, I know." He took the leather thong from around her neck. On it was a wooden whistle, carved like a small flute. He had carved it for her to use if they got separated in the woods. "Let me borrow this. If everything is okay, I'll meet you at the cove and blow this to let you know I'm coming. Stay out of sight until I blow the whistle. OK?"
She hesitated.
He pressed the issue, knowing that she wouldn't break her word, but she would get around it if he didn't hear her agree. "OK?"
She nodded. "Okay."
He kissed her softly, then moved his hands from her shoulders to her neck and kissed her more thoroughly. When they drew apart she turned around. "Go." She told him.
"I'll be back as soon as I can."
She nodded, eyes closed. She wouldn't watch him leave. "Don't make promises
you can't keep," she said softly. She wouldn't cry. She had given up crying
long ago; but she couldn't stop worrying about him, or caring for him. She waited
until she could no longer hear him, then she adjusted her own backpack and headed
in a tangental direction down a familiar path.
The wait was almost intolerable. She was tired, and on edge, and hungry. Knowing she could do nothing until Alan returned, she headed to the cove that the family had used as a picnic spot for years. She unfastened her pack and hid it on a natural rock shelf. Then she slid into the space behind the waterfall and sat down to wait for Alan. She hoped he wouldn't do anything dangerous. She hoped the rest of the family was all right. She hoped he would come soon.
Helena curled up tight and remained still. The wet season was barely ended and the falls still ran heavy. Through the curtain of water she could pick out the blue of the water in the cove and the white sand of the beach. She had come down the inland path and could spot any movement along the path down the cliff face. Anyone approaching from the beach would be spotted immediately. She made herself as small as possible, rested her head on her knees and waited.
In less time than she had thought possible she spotted Alan running down the beach, his backpack was gone. Her heartbeat increased as he stopped and looked around the cove. Then he took the whistle from around his neck and blew a flurry of piercing notes that echoed off the walls of the cliff that circled protectively about the cove. She left her shelter quickly, still concerned about what Alan had found. He spotted her immediately and ran toward her.
"Alan, is everything okay?"
"Everything's more than okay, it's wonderful!" he cried sweeping her up in his arms.
"What is it? What's happened?"
"It's an Eagle, Helena! From Alpha! Bill Fraser and Tony Verdesschi are aboard her! Somehow Alpha survived and they've ended up here too!"
Alan continued to hold her and swirl her around. "Sahn and the others have already sent Alpha all the data on our planet here and they're going to institute Operation Exodus immediately!"
Helena pushed him back, holding him at arms length. "Alan," she said cautiously, "are you sure it's them? It's not just some alien-" she hesitated. Alan would most likely take offense at the word hallucination, or delusion. She finished, rather lamely she thought, with "trick?"
He shook his head and squeezed her arms. "No," he said gently with a smile. "It's no trick. I've been aboard their Eagle; checked everything out. Sandra and the others have talked to Alpha. They're only in line-of-sight communication and we won't be able to contact them again until after midnight. It's real!!" The last sentence was said with such boyish enthusiasm that she had to smile at him.
It had been hard on the six of them. They had left behind friends, loved ones, home to begin a sort-of life they had built on Alpha after Breakaway. Then, after adjusting and beginning again on Alpha, they had been torn away again with the mission to survive the encounter with the Black Sun. They had arrived here on this planet, the six of them barely acquainted when they left. Now they were a family, but there was always so much to do and so few hands. The others from Alpha would be most welcome.
Including a certain John Koenig who had fallen in love with her on Alpha and who had sent her away rather than let her die in the Black Sun with him. Her face went gray as she realized the John would be coming here. It was something she had never even dared to hope for. John was dead. She had mourned for him and moved on.
She didn't exactly remember Alan easing her down to the sand but she never
thought that she completely lost consciousness. Alan hurried to the waterfall
and brought back a cup of water for her. At his instructions, she sipped it
slowly, using the time to regain her equilibrium. Alan sat by her side, maintaining
the silence she seemed to need, but supporting her with his presence. It took
a while, but she finally made an internal peace with the situation and reached
out for Alan's hand. "Let's go home," she said quietly, and they did.
Homecoming included greeting all the family, including the children, plus the newcomers. Helena knew Fraser from occasional poker games that Alan had arranged while they had been on Alpha, but Verdesschi she had only met in her professional capacity. John had mentioned his name a couple of times as being someone with potential. Tony Verdesschi was re-introduced to her as Chief of Security, but Helena wasn't ready to deal with what had happened to the former security chief. It was a hazardous profession.
The third member of the recon team was the most interesting. She was Maya of Psychon, a pretty young redhead whose petite features spoke of an alien origin, through her striking eyebrow and unusual skin markings. Her position was Science Officer, a duty that Helena had shared with Victor Bergman. This time Helena had to ask about the change, but before she could, Maya offered the information she wanted. "Professor Bergman has been concentrating on theoretical and long term projects. Practical areas and reconnaissance duty fall to me. Dr. Mathias handles life sciences. Professor Bergman has told me a lot about you. I'm very pleased to meet you."
The young woman was attractive and pleasant and seemed to be about to further the conversation, but Sandra stepped in . "Helena, you look exhausted. It's time for you to get some rest."
Sandra shooed away children and adults alike and led Helena to the stairs. As soon as they were upstairs she began a running commentary on recent events. She quickly caught Helena up on everything that had happened at home and ended with: "I cannot believe that Alan told you about spotting that ship, then rushed you all the way home. That idiot! What was he trying to do, kill you?"
"I was the one insisting on returning. He let me set the pace," Helena replied wearily, allowing Sandra to help her undress and crawl into bed.
"You're not much better than he is. What did you two think you could do if something was wrong?"
"We never discussed that," Helena was forced to admit.
Sandra sat on the side of the bed and took her hand. "I thought as much," she said more gently. "You were likely to give yourself a miscarriage, or fall off a mountain, or something. Get some sleep now. I'll bring up some supper in a few hours."
Helena started to protest that she could make it downstairs, but realized that would be mostly bravado on her part. She acquiesced with a nod.
"Sandra, did you speak to John?" she asked tiredly. Just being in bed was relaxing her, but Sandra had been part of the command staff and would have made a report. Helena had to know.
"Yes," she said with a smile. "He looks the same. A little grayer, perhaps. He asked about you, and I told him you were away, but would be back in a week or so. He didn't say anything else."
"He wouldn't. Not on an open channel." Their relationship hadn't been a secret, but it had been discreet. John had made every attempt to keep their private life out of the public eye.
"I know." Sandra patted her hand and stood. "It will all work out, Helena."
Helena nodded imperceptibly and was asleep before Sandra softly closed the
door.
When Helena awoke the sun had set and the small table by the west window held a tray of fresh bread, preserves, and a pot of tea, still hot. She was afraid she would be stiff, but she slipped out of bed and went through a routine of stretching exercises without much trouble. The room was lit by a small oil lamp on the table.
The house had been designed and built soon after their arrival and was intended to last the family for many years. Tall straight trees in the area had provided logs for the exterior. Wood had been sawed into paneling for the interior walls and floors. The trees were a pale blonde color and the logs provided excellent insulation. The house was shaped in a three legged zigzag. One leg contained the kitchen and a workroom. Wide porches circled this area. The porches provided space for a loom, a leather curing area and a place to prepare food and watch the little ones simultaneously. The workroom contained much of the electronic equipment from the Eagle and a power cable ran from it to the Eagle which sat a few yards away. A stairway ran from the workroom to the men's bedrooms which were used more or less as each man wished. Toshi valued his solitude and was usually found here. Alan rarely used his room for more than storage.
The second leg of the house contained the main living and dining area. The living area held a large fire place and it's rock wall radiated heat to the rooms above and behind it. A second staircase in the main room led upstairs to the women's rooms. A short hall connected this staircase to the men's bedrooms. Helena's room was directly above the dining area and to the other side of the staircase, above the living room, was Sandra's room. To the back of the landing was Angela's room in the third leg of the zigzag. Underneath Angela's room was the children's nursery.
Knowing that the women were planning to have as many children as possible, their bedrooms were larger than the men's to accommodate a cradle for a nursing baby, and room to care for the baby. Once the child was weaned, he or she was moved downstairs to the nursery. The three fathers rotated night duty, staying with the youngsters in the nursery, settling them to sleep, comforting night fears, and maintaining order. Bedtime was a strict assembly-line of baths, snacks, stories and bed, with all available parents assisting. The design of the house and the rules agreed on by all had worked well for the family over the ten years they had been here.
Helena's room had windows to the west with a view of the bay, and the south, where a thick wall of trees hid the nearby ocean. The floors and walls were polished to a pale yellow glow in the light from the oil lamp. Her bed was under the south window and her table and two chairs were in front of the east window. A wooden chest held her clothing at the foot of the bed. A rocking chair and a cradle completed the furnishings. Indoor plumbing would have been nice, but the six adults lacked the time and expertise to draw pipe and create fixtures. Electric lights would require the manufacture of light bulbs and copper wire. Both ideas were dreams for the future.
Helena hadn't expected to be hungry. Her mind was still in turmoil over recent events, but her body was most eager for fuel. She finished the bread and was pouring a second cup of tea when a light tap came on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened quietly and Angela poked her head in. "We weren't sure you'd wake up tonight."
"I'll probably go right back to sleep, but I was starving. Thanks for the snack."
Angela smiled and nodded. "Are you up to a family meeting before you turn in? Daytimes are even more chaotic than normal, and I expect they'll become more so once the Eagles start landing."
"I suppose you're right, but I hope it's short."
"It will be." Angela opened the door further and the other adults trooped in. Sandra, about 6 months pregnant, claimed the rocking chair. Toshi took the other chair at the table. Alan and Angela sat side by side on the edge of the bed. George walked over to Helena and bent to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Are you OK?" he asked, his deep voice edged with concern.
"I'm fine. Sahn is being overprotective." She took his hands and smiled. She was carrying George's child this time and knew his concern was for both her and the baby. He folded his large frame and sat on the floor next to her.
"Sandra usually has good reason, whenever she does something," George replied. Helena smiled fondly at Sandra, who had become the matriarch of the family. She mothered all of them, adults and children alike and her advice was usually sound. Helena took another sip of tea which she could tell contained the native version of willow bark, a natural analgesic. She patted George on the shoulder in agreement.
Sandra began the meeting by looking at Helena. "We have a suggestion that we want you to consider."
"Me?" Helena asked, surprised.
"We all feel that it is your decision," Sandra replied. The others nodded in agreement and Sandra continued. "There will have to be adjustments when the other Alphans come. We'll have to show them what is edible, where things are that can be used to build houses with, and hopefully, we'll have a say in were they first build; but we're all in agreement that the family should stay together."
Helena wasn't sure where this was headed. She nodded at this and Sandra went on, "Of the six of us, you are the only one who was seriously involved with someone on Alpha. We all know how you felt about the Commander. We think you should ask the Commander to join us."
Helena was surprised. She had not had a chance to think about anything long-term. "It's been ten years," she said. "He may not feel the same way about me."
"That's why we think it should be your decision, Helena," Alan said.
"You don't have to say anything now," Angela said, leaning forward earnestly. "We just want you to think about it, and take time to see how things are between you."
"And we want you to know that we're behind you, one hundred percent," George said, patting her knee.
Typically, Toshi, the quiet one, said nothing, but reached out and took her hand in a silent gesture of support.
Helena gripped his hand, her other hand covering George's hand on her knee. "Thank you. All of you. I really can't imagine being without you. That hadn't even occurred to me."
"Now you need some rest. It will probably be a week before all the Alphans are down, and we know the Commander will be among the last." Sandra shooed everyone out of the room, but Helena caught her eye and she lingered.
"Was this your idea?" Helena asked her friend.
"No, it was Alan's idea. For an idiot he occasionally comes up with a good idea."
Helena smiled. "He's not so bad. He's really very sweet." Alan had a tendency to tease everyone and Sandra didn't tolerate that very well. Helena had always enjoyed Alan's playful nature and gave as well as she got.
"He's also completely in love with you and is afraid of losing you."
Helena stared out the window at the dark. She knew quite well how Alan felt about her, although neither of them ever spoke seriously about it. They had an unspoken agreement to keep their relationsip light. She hadn't wanted to lose her heart again, and now John was back.
"None of us want to lose you. Besides, how could we possibly split up the children?" Sandra slid into the chair across the table from her. "Really, John should be a part of the family. The oldest two children are his."
Unable to meet Sandra's eyes, Helena continued to stare out the window. "He doesn't know that."
"What?"
"He doesn't know I was pregnant when we left."
"How could he not know? I always thought--"
"You always thought he put me on the survival Eagle because I was pregnant." Helena twisted the ring on her right hand. It was an heirloom from her grandmother, a reminder of happier times in a different life. She had no ring as a reminder of her time with John Koenig, and the symbol of her marriage to Lee Russell had been left on Earth many years ago. "No, he never knew. I'd had an allergic reaction to the implant I had been using, so we were using mechanical methods for a couple of months. Then we went to Rethe. We were never sure of what happened down there, but three weeks later, I tested pregnant. By then we were feeling the effects of the Black Sun. John was so busy trying to figure out what was happening to us, then how to keep us alive, there wasn't any time for personal matters. I went to tell him once, and he was outside pulling that silly stunt with the shields. I never had another chance. Computer knew I was pregnant. I expect the computer decided that a pregnant woman was a survival bonus. John really did have computer select our team. It wasn't a personal decision."
Silence reigned between them. Finally Sandra said, "I am sorry Helena. I should have never believed that, of either of you. The two of you have much to talk about."
"Yes, I suppose we do." Helena said absently, old memories, long suppressed, were haunting her.
Sandra reached over and patted her hand. "Get some rest." She left quietly. Helena continued to stare out at the dark and never noticed her go.
Much later, Helena woke up to find Alan in bed beside her. She turned over and put her arm around him. He woke at her touch and turned to kiss her softly. Without a word spoken they began to make love to each other. After ten years together, they knew exactly what each other liked and they leisurely reached a sweaty fulfilling climax together. Afterwards, she lay curled against his side, content in the moment, but afraid of what was to become of them.
Quietly, Alan said, "I'm leaving with Bill and Tony in the morning. They'll need every available pilot for Operation Exodus."
Helena smiled in the darkness. "Besides, how could you resist another chance to fly."
Alan chuckled, not surprised that he was so transparent to her. Without another
word, they slept. When she woke the next morning, he was gone.
The next week was a whirlwind of activity, receiving Alphans and supplies, trying to make order out of the inevitable chaos of Operation Exodus. By mid week several prefabricated buildings had been assembled by the initial teams, including a building for the Medical Center. Helena spent most of her time setting up the equipment Mathias was sending and coordinating the medical team.
She arrived home one evening to find Victor Bergman sitting on the porch with a crowd of children around him. He looked unchanged by time, a touch grayer, a bit more gaunt, but with the same zest for living. He had obviously already enchanted the children who were laughing at the story he was telling them. He greeted Helena with a warm hug.
"I rode down on an Eagle with Carter who insisted I come here. Sandra tells me I'm to stay with all of you."
"Wonderful. We have plenty of room," Helena sent the children scurrying to chores and sat beside her old friend, pulling Angela's youngest, one year old Jessie, onto her lap.
"The children are beautiful, and you've built a wonderful home for them."
"Thank you," Helena smiled and carefully extracted the commlock she wore on her belt from Jessie's grasp.
"Your oldest bears a striking resemblance to his father." Helena glanced at Victor who smiled steadily back at her. He continued, "I first met John in his late teens. Johnathan looks exactly like him. Vicky looks more like you, but with John's coloring."
"They're wonderful children," Helena managed to say. "I hope that John-"
She stopped unable to continue. Victor patted her arm. "If John Koenig has
any sense at all, he'll be delighted."
It was Alan and Sandra who orchestrated her reunion with John. His Eagle was expected to land just after dawn. Sandra made quick preparations and sent Helena to the village which was now being referred to as Eagle's Landing.
John's Eagle landed about half an hour before Helena got there. She was extremely nervous. Her palms were sweating and she couldn't imagine what she would possibly say to him. He was standing with a small group including Bill Fraser, Alan, Tony Verdesschi and several others, taking his first look at this new world that would be his home.
When she walked in to the clearing their eyes met almost immediately. He stopped in mid-sentence and smiled at her. It was as if none of the others existed any longer. She walked up to him and into his arms. He tasted the same and smelled the same as she remembered from long ago, and from the dreams she had, but never discussed with anyone. Neither hurried the kiss and it took her a while to realize that the roaring in her ears was applause from the crowd around her. When she pulled back and sought out his deep blue eyes she no longer had any doubt about how he felt after ten long years. She turned and looked at Tony who was grinning at the two of them. "You've had him for the last ten years, he's mine for the next few days. I'm sure you have plenty to do without him around."
"I'm sure we can manage," Tony replied. Helena took John's hand and led him away. She was almost surprised that he came. She was well aware of his sense of duty, but he had just led his people to a new home and seemed quite willing to follow her lead. She laced her fingers with his and walked ahead of him down the narrow trail. They had gone several hundred yards and were well out of sight of the landing when he squeezed her hand and stopped. "Where are you taking me?"
"Don't you trust me?" Helena asked, turning around and putting her arms around his neck. She had forgotten how tall he was. She looked up into those wonderful blue eyes again.
"I'm not sure I believe you're real yet," he replied. He touched her cheek, then moved his hand down her body until she gasped and reached hungrily for his kiss.
The kiss threatened to become much more and Helena sighed and said softly, "John, not here," as he nibbled at her ear.
He grinned and kissed her neck. "You used to tell me that in my office too."
"Yes, I did. I kept imagining Paul opening to doors to Main Mission while we were going at it on your desk."
"It was those damn plastic chairs. If I'd had a decent couch I could have talked you into it."
It was Helena's turn to laugh. "You're probably right. And after I left, I wished I had said yes, any time, any where. We hadn't had enough time to love each other."
He shook his head. He held her face in his hands. "When I saw who the computer had picked, I was shocked, but I had to send you. It was the only fair way." She nodded. She had come to terms with that a long time ago. He continued, "Then when we made it through-"
She put her fingers on his lips, "It doesn't matter now. Somehow we're together again and I don't intend to let you go."
He grinned and leaned down to kiss her again, but she pulled away and took his hand again. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" he asked again.
"Somewhere we can be alone. Somewhere special."
He followed again, down the path through the woods and across a small creek on carefully chosen rocks. He heard the waterfall before he saw it, a rustling white noise, like wind through the trees, but with an uncanny steadiness. Suddenly they broke through the trees and were standing on a fifty foot cliff next to a small waterfall. The cliff was shaped like a horseshoe, with an outlet to the open sea beyond. The waterfall splashed to the rocks below and a white sandy beach stretched around the edge of an azure blue cove that made the Mediterranean look murky. Helena stood beside him, giving him a chance to admire the view. Then she tugged at his sleeve and headed down a rugged path along the cliff face. He followed and realized that the path was part natural and part laser cut. Helena and the others had obviously enhanced a natural path for ease of access.
Ahead of him, Helena was stripping off the light cotton shirt she was wearing then her shorts. When she reached the sand at the bottom she turned to welcome him like a water sprite, or Aphrodite rising from the sea. He followed her lead and stripped off his own clothes. When he reached her he lifted her off her feet. This time she had no intention of stopping him.
The sand made a wonderfully soft bed as they reacquainted themselves with each other's bodies. Their passion for each other was undimmed by the time they had spent apart. When they finally pulled apart, sated for the moment, they looked into each other's eyes and smiled. It was so good to be together again. Passion had subsided for the moment. Helena noticed a large scar running from his shoulder to under his arm. She touched it gently. "What happened?"
"Maya and I were doing reconnaissance on a planet we passed. We broke their laws and were forced to fight against three other aliens who had broken the law on the planet. One of them jabbed me with a sharpened pole. It splintered, and got some infection before I could get back to Alpha." Knowing that she would want the medical details, he relayed them to her. "Bob took good care of me," he finished.
"He better have," she said, smiling up at him.
His fingers traveled over her body, lightly exploring her curves. He traced parallel scars along her belly. "Stretch marks," she offered as an explanation, wondering what his reaction would be.
For a moment he was silent, examining the tan lines on her belly and sides. "Sandra said you have had several children."
"Six," she answered, wondering if this was the time to tell him about the twins.
His hands wandered to her breasts, tracing the stretch marks there. "I also nursed them," Helena said. He ignored her comment and continued to stroke her. She couldn't remember ever being so aroused and knew this wasn't the time to talk yet.
Much later, nearly noon, she lazily asked if he was hungry. He responded in the affirmative and she got up, showered in the waterfall and checked the rock shelf for the picnic she knew Sandra had packed. John followed her example and she told him where to find the soap. By the time he was done she had spread out a blanket and arranged the sandwiches, fruit and wine. They ate the lunch practically in silence. The food was delicious and John asked what they called the various fruits. As they finished up, Helena knew it was now time to talk.
"John, there's something you need to know."
He was helping her clean up the picnic and he paused to listen.
"When we arrived here, I was already pregnant. I think it happened on Rethe." John made no response at all and she continued. "About six months after we arrived, I had twins, a boy I named Johnathan and a girl I named Victoria. They're such wonderful children, John. They both look a lot like you. They're very bright. Vickie can spin and weave better than any of us and Johnathan has been learning blacksmithing from George."
John still hadn't said anything. "I wanted to tell you I was pregnant before we left, but things happened so quickly." She couldn't look at the shocked expression on his face anymore. She turned and looked out at the cove where she had taught the twins to swim. She was afraid John, who had already missed so much would reject her and the twins. "I would never have left you, it it hadn't been for the children. I had to give them every chance to survive. There were times I thought I would go crazy from missing you, but then I'd look at Johnathan or Vickie and know I'd done the right thing." John moved to settle beside her. He put his arm around her. "Computer chose you because you were pregnant."
"I think so."
"I always wondered-" he remembered those last frantic days before the Black Sun claimed them. He had been too busy to have any time to himself, or time with Helena.
"Who do they think is their father?"
The question surprised her. "You, of course. Alan and George and Toshi all love the twins as much as their own, but we wanted them to know about their real father. They can't wait to meet you."
"But who's the father of your other children?"
"Two are Alan's. One is George's and one Toshi's; and I'm carrying George's baby now."
"You're pregnant now?" The surprise in John's voice was evident. "But we've been making love. Can't that hurt the baby?"
She shook her head and reassured him with a touch. "No, the baby is quite safe." She continued, he still had said very little about his children, but she had to tell him about the family too. "With only six of us, the gene pool was so small that I felt that the first generation of children needed to be as genetically diverse as possible. We all agreed not to pair off, and the women decided to have children by all three men. Since none of us had any strong emotional attachments to begin with it was easier for us to accept. Computer chose well," she assured him. "Not just for skills, but for compatibility. We've grown fond of each other, and live well together, and the children are well cared for."
She stopped, wondering what his reaction to all this was. He stood, and walked down to the water's edge. Then he turned to face her. Helena wasn't quite sure what to read in his face, fear, hesitation, doubt?
"And you and I? Where does that leave us?"
She ached for him. She wanted him as much now as she had when they first arrived in the cove; as much as she had in the woods, or any time they had been together on Alpha. "I don't know," she said simply.
She stood and walked to him. "I do know that I love you, and I want to be with you."
He reached out, touching her cheek, and lips, but keeping her at arms length. "Enough to leave the others you've made a life with?'
She couldn't answer that. "And the children?" she asked in return.
It was his turn to hesitate. "I don't know," he said. She turned her head and kissed the palm of his hand and held it in hers to stop his caresses. "Let me offer you a proposal."
He flashed a grin at her choice of words, but immediately became serious again. "All right."
"Let's not make any decisions for a month. Come home with me. Meet our son and daughter. Get to know the family. We'll all be busy settling the Alphans in anyway." "And then?" "And then perhaps we'll know enough to decide what to do."
John sighed. He touched her still-tight belly. "Won't George be jealous?"
Helena thought fleetingly of Alan, but answered only the question offered with a shake of her head. "No. George and I are good friends, but he won't be jealous." She smiled, " He tends to be very protective of his babies, though."
John smiled too. "Good for him."
"Would you like to meet our children now?" Helena asked.
"Soon," John said, pulling her closer, "but not yet."
That was, she decided, a very good answer.
It was late afternoon before they walked hand in hand up the beach. They had dressed, but carried their shoes and the remains of the picnic. There had obviously been a look-out posted because a childish voice called out, "They're coming!" and two small figures made their way skillfully down the steep path to the beach.
John stopped and stared at the twins, who stopped a few yards away and returned his stare. The sight of the two nearly took his breath away. The boy looked so much like him, it was amazing. The girl was a couple of inches shorter than her brother, and despite her dark complexion and hair, had her mother's features.
"Come here, Johnathan, Vickie," their mother called, feeling a touch out of reality at being allowed the chance to see this never hoped for meeting. "This is your father."
John dropped to his knees as they came forward and held out his hands. They each took a hand shyly.
Helena encouraged the children with a nod and placed a supporting hand on John's shoulder.
Johnathan found his voice first. "Do you like to play baseball?" he asked shyly.
John grinned. "That's my favorite sport," he answered truthfully.
"Papa Toshi and I have made some gloves and a ball. Would you like to play?" his son asked.
"I can't think of anything I'd rather do."
Vickie, not to be outdone by her brother, asked, "Can we call you Daddy? That's what Kyle gets to call Papa Alan."
"Of course you can." John responded and he and his daughter exchanged smiles for the first time.
"Your mom has been bragging about you all afternoon. She was telling me what a big help you've been to her. I'm very proud of you both."
The two practically glowed in the praise, and stepped forward to hug him. He drew them to him with a sob. Beside him, despite the fact that she had given up crying long ago, tears slid down Helena's cheeks.
Vickie ran her small hand through her father's dark hair and said softly, "Mama Sahn cries sometimes when she's happy. Is that why you're crying now, Daddy?"
John held her tighter and managed to say, "Yes it is, sweetheart, yes it is."
Dinner was a complicated affair. Only the four oldest children dined with the adults. The other children were fed first and allowed to play in the living room within sight of their elders. The twins sat proudly on either side of their Daddy. Younger brother Kyle, less than a year younger than the twins sat across the table between his parents. Kyle was a perfect blend of Alan and Helena, an irrepressible tow-head with a lively curiosity and a quick intellect who wanted to hear about space battles and evil aliens and flying Eagles. Alan and Helena kept him in check with a firm hand, but nothing stopped him for long.
John was not surprised to see Victor at the table. He seemed to have already been adopted into the family. A worshipful eight year old Peter sat next to him. Peter was the son of Toshiro and Sandra. Angela's oldest was a precocious seven year old with an array of tiny dark pigtails. She had gravely informed him that her birthday would be this winter and then she would be eligible to eat with the grown-ups too. She had quickly taken carge of the little ones at meal-time with a practiced hand.
Dinner had seemed like a culinary feast after years of eating on Alpha. There was fresh roast with an exotic seasoning that John liked immediately, fresh bread, still hot from the oven; and a plate of mixed vegetables that were unrecognizable, but delicious. Desert was a large cobbler with a tart fruit the color of peaches, but with a completely different flavor.
"Do you always eat like this?" John asked.
"Usually," Alan replied. "We take turns cooking, and sometimes try to outdo each other."
"Except for Helena," George said, chuckling.
Helena shrugged. "I've never been much of a cook. My heart's just not in it. I stand back and let the chefs do the real cooking while I wash and chop vegetables."
"She also washes dishes real well," Alan supplied, supportively.
"Thank you kind sir," Helena replied with a smile.
The atmosphere at the table was jovial. George and Alan had spent the day at Eagle's Landing and gave John a full report of the activities there. John was made to feel at home immediately. Although he had barely known three of the six adults on the survival Eagle, all immediately called him by his first name. When after dinner chores began Toshiro suggested that he volunteer for dish washing because it was easier than getting the children ready for bed. The twins immediately volunteered to help wash dishes too, and led their father to the kitchen. While they dealt with a stack of dishes, shrieks and laughter could be heard from the back of the house, and a naked three year old came running into the kitchen with Toshi following right behind her. The little girl giggled and said something that John didn't understand. Toshi answered her and John realized that they were speaking Japanese. Vickie joined the laughter and called out something in Japanese and the little girl responded as Toshi threw her over his shoulder and carried her out with a grin and a wave.
Angela entered next and called the twins to come wash up.
"But we're not finished!" Johnathan protested.
"I'll help your Daddy finish up. Uncle Victor is going to tell the bedtime story tonight."
"More Arabian Nights?" Vickie asked hopefully.
"You'll have to get washed up and find out," Angela answered, shooing them out of the kitchen.
The lure of the story and the promise that John would come kiss them goodnight
got them out the door.
Bedtime madness subsided gradually, leaving the adults together in front of the fireplace. John sat next to Helena on a rugged wooden sofa, their fingers entwined, her nearness still intoxicating him. Oil lamps flickered on the mantle, adding to the light from the small fire crackling in the fireplace. Sandra sat nearby in a large padded rocking chair. Toshi sat on the hearth next to her a basket of fish net beside him to repair. Angela sat in a second rocking chair, a sewing basket next to her and an oil lamp in a stand to her left, providing the light to sew a new shirt for one of the children. George fed the fire and Alan perched on the back of the sofa. Victor was still weaving stories in the nursery.
Angela smiled at him and said, "So John, what do you think of our home?"
"It's fantastic. I'm amazed how well you've done for yourselves." He smiled and continued, "and the kids are terrific." He caught Helena's eye and squeezed her hand.
"Helena says you're going to stay with us for a while," Sandra said.
He glanced at Helena, wondering where this was leading. "That was what we decided, I hope it's all right."
"Of course it is," George said. "As long as you like."
Sandra added, "We are happy to have you here. In fact, we would be pleased if you would consider joining the family permanently."
Toshiro continued. "Helena is a valuable member of the family, and we care a great deal about her. We understand how she feels about you. We would be most honored if you chose to join us, and we would not need to lose Helena."
The invitation was not something that John had expected.
"John," Angela said. "We don't expect you to make a quick decision. Take the time to get to know us, and think it over carefully; but we want you to know that we all extend the invitation."
"Of course," Alan added, interjecting some levity into the conversation. "If you become a full fledged member of the family, you have to take your turn in the nursery like the rest of us. And no one is allowed to avoid diaper duty."
"Both of which Alan excels at," Sandra said with an impish smile.
"I'll teach you everything I know," Alan offered with a mock bow at Sandra's back-handed compliment.
"That shouldn't take long, I'm sure," John joined in the joke. More seriously, he turned to the others. "I do understand that you care a great deal about Helena, as do I. I appreciate the offer."
Talk turned to plans for the future and hopes for the changes that the arrival
of the Alphans would bring.
The next few days were idyllic. Helena and John took the twins for a picnic to let John get to know them. Kyle protested strenuously that he should be allowed to go with his brother and sister, but Helena vetoed that and Alan agreed and kept his eldest son with him. John played baseball with the children, fished with Toshi and sat next to his daughter while she showed him how to weave cloth. He helped cook meals and entertained children. Helena began to make occasional trips to the village and John and the twins joined her. John, bursting with pride, enjoyed showing off his children to the other Alphans.
Everyone was extremely busy. Sandra, entering her third trimester, was finding it harder to move quickly after the children, so Angela was usually supervising the younger children. Toshi took the small fising boat out every day, usually with the help of one of the Alphans. Several other boats were being built, but were not ready yet. George walked a trap line in the marshes every day, and took a bow with him in case he found additional game. In the afternoons he helped some of the Alphans set up their own trap lines to provide additional food.
Alan shared the maps he and Helena had been making, with locations of ores that the family had found but had not yet had the manpower to work. Several mining teams had already set out to secure the raw materials the new town would need.
Helena was needed in the settlement to help set up the medical clinic. Being on a new world and seeing the family's children had inspired large numbers of Alphans. Removing birth control implants and family planning were a full time occupation.
Fields were being cleared and houses built. The family had offered most of their stores of grain as seed. They were reluctant to introduce Earth plants if it could be prevented. Alpha's botanists agreed. They had the good luck to arrive at the beginning of the growing season and were optimisitic that plenty of native food would be available. Grafts were taken from the fruit trees that George and Sandra had grown near the house. Orchards would be planted to provide the Alphans with fruit in the future.
John found that Angela could use his help with the children, and since his job as Commander of Alpha was at an end, he happily assisted her. The littler ones were learning to read and the older ones needed supervision to stay on task with their chores. He really enjoyed the routine they developed of Helena spending most of the day in the village while he stayed home with the children.
The family had welcomed him with open arms and treated him as one of their own. They were busy, happy and confident. Everything should have been wonderful, but John began to feel less and less comfortable. Angela's youngest child was nearly weaned and she was ready to have another baby. She asked John to be the father. The request startled John and he avoided answering immediately. When he talked it over with Helena he was surprised to find that Helena wholeheartedly approved.
The family was affectionate, and that disconcerted John as well. One evening while he and the children were playing baseball in the yerd, Helena was helping Toshi clean fish for dinner. The two began singing an off-key rendition of "Take me out to the ball game" which left them laughing, accusing the other of singing worse. When Toshi put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek, John felt his stomach twist with jealousy.
A few evenings later, Helena was late coming home. Supper was nearly ready and John was sure she would be along shortly. He decided to walk down the forest path to meet her. He had only walked a few hundred yards when he saw them ahead. They were walking slowly on the path ahead, holding hands. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but they were concentrating on their conversation, not looking ahead. They stopped and Alan put his arms around her waist. Helena smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.
Koenig saw red, turned and left. Intellectually he had known that she had been with Alan and the others over the last ten years, but he wasn't ready to believe it. He went straight to the room he had shared with Helena for the past two weeks and packed his few belongings in a shoulder bag and stormed out of the house. He slipped down the stairs into the workroom and headed for the beach. He wouldn't use the forest path. As he headed down the steps to the beach he heard Helena call his name. He didn't look back. He would head for the village, find a place to stay, let Helena get on with her life, a life she had built without him. He hurt so badly that he didn't hear the footsteps rushing up behind him.
A hand on his shoulder spun him around. It was Alan, a person he certainly didn't want to speak with. He shook Alan off, but Alan was persistant.
"Are you planning to break her heart again?" he asked.
"I'm sure you'll be happy to console her."
"Then you have a warped sense of happiness." Koenig stopped. Alan continued, "Yes, I love her. Enough to want her to be happy." He moved around in front of John. "Do you think this has been easy for her?" She arrived here pregnant, thinking you were dead. I stayed by her while she cried for you in her sleep. During the day she was tough as nails. She kept the rest of us sane and healthy and never let on that her heart was broken, or that she was carrying on only because she carried your child. "She was the one who devised a way to make sure our kids had the best chance of surviving, no matter what the cost to the adults. We barely knew each other. We had never expected to make a life together, yet we managed to survive, and even, occasionally, be happy. How can you possibly come in and judge us on the manner of our survival?"
"That's not it," Koenig replied angrily.
"So, your just jealous?"
They stared at each other for a long moment. John had no wish to confirm the statement that was so obviously true. Alan would not back down. It took John a moment to recognize the pain that fueled that anger.
"I know a good deal about jealousy," Alan admitted. He turned and looked out at the surf. "I had plenty of girls on Earth, and on Alpha. But then I came here, and the only person I truly cared about called out your name in her sleep, or when we made love. I'd say I don't want to lose her, but she's never really been mine to lose."
He glanced back at John who hadn't moved, then he stared out at the sea again. "I know that living with the family is not easy, and we've had more practice than you have. It will require a lot of effort on your part, as it does on ours. But please don't just leave her like this. Don't hurt her." Alan turned back toward the house and walked away. John stood still, watching him. He could still see the stairway that led up the cliff from the house. Helena sat on the stairs watching them. Alan walked swiftly back and up the stairs. He paused only briefly to touch her hand, then he left her sitting there watching John.
She made no effort to join him on the beach. She just watched as he tried to decide whether to walk away, or stay with her. Neither choice would be easy. He wanted her so badly, it hurt. But did he want her enough to live with the lifestyle she had chosen?
No, he thought to himself. This lifestyle had been thrust upon her, and he had done it. If he had not sent her away, she would have been with him for the last ten years. He had to accept the responsibility for that, no matter how much he wanted to pin the blame on Computer.
The first step was the hardest, but once he began walking toward her his resolve hardened, and by the time he reached the stairs he was running. She stood and held out her arms and he lifted her off her feet in a hug, burying his face against her neck.
"Forgive me?" he asked softly.
She stroked his hair with her fingers. "There's nothing to forgive," she said, her voice breaking with emotion.
He closed his eyes and held her tightly, enjoying the feel of her against him,
her smell, her taste as his lips brushed against her neck. It was time to start
a new live with Helena, and the twins, and perhaps the new baby that Angie had
suggested. He put her down gently, and took her hand. They started up the stairs
together, going home, to their new life.
June, 1998