Smugglers Cove (Love2write and Silence)

Dragging Star behind himself, he reached the top layer of the underground part of the city. "You jump up here on my back and I'll drag us both out of here." Killian felt her arms wrap around his neck and he jumped to reach the ladder. With the extra weight it was harder and being the water had made it difficult as well. Once he had a grasp of the ladder he started to pull himself up one bar at a time till his feet could reach a rung and then he ran up the rest of the way. As soon as Star could run she was off and the two of them started for the bay.

Killian ignored the fact that water below the city smelled foul. A few folks around him were wrinkling their noses and he ignored them for the time. Taking a headset from Star he put it on and started to run, pushing past people. "You have a map yet?" When she finally got to one she asked him where he was. "I'm at the edge of the market." Making a sharp turn toward the stairs he held onto the rail with one hand in case he fell during the run. One time he stumbled, but pulled himself back up. Making a jump from the last of the stairs he raced North. The bay for 327 was still occupied though he could already hear the engines starting. He would need something to stop it. Tearing a post from the dock he threw it toward the ship's main engine exhaust.

While it worked the engine spit a good portion of the massive metal back at him. Killian raised an arm to block the incoming metal. A loud crack sounded as it made impact with his arm. The metal dented some and his hand lost feeling. When the hatch on the ship came open a line of men began to open fire. Cradling his arm he ran up the planks ignoring the sharp sting of a few bullets before he reached the first man and threw him into the side of the wall. Inside he could hear Claire crying and she wasn't the only one. Blinded with rage he didn't remember anything of what he'd done till an officer from the docks arrived. A call had gone out due to disturbance of the peace and damage. Staring at the Chippequoti dripping blood and panting the officer raised his gun. "Drop the weapon!"

Looking at the man he dropped the knife in his hands and raised them. Keeping them raised he let the officer pat his body down and then the man's eyes grew wide when he saw the problem. "You wait here. We've been trying to track these guys down for months. There's a lot of money offered for them dead or alive and rewards for the missing children if found."

Killian couldn't believe that they just excused him from all the chaos that he just instigated. Walking into the ship a little further Killian started to look over the various little cradles to see if he could find Claire. Finally the little black curls and green eyes came into sight. She had been crying and her little face was red and scrunched up. Without caring about the blood for now he picked her up with his one arm and rested the other on her back. "Star we've got her."

By the time Star arrived the officers had taken over the situation and they had a large note for credits. More than what Killian had thought he would get out of the crystals and to keep the black market off his back he knew that he would have to pay the one who talked the same as a crystal was worth though it wasn't quite a quarter of the reward money. He finally noticed that his one hand was turning kind of a nasty blue color and he still couldn't feel anything in it. The pain was beginning to edge in and he let Star take Claire from him. "I'll walk with you to the ship and I need to go get my arm looked at." Felt like it was broken and he almost had to groan at the thought.
 
"We'll both go to the clinic. I want Claire to get looked at too." Star held her baby tenderly against the shoulder that wasn't burned. "Its ok, Claire. You're safe. Momma's here. I'm never letting you go again."
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Dr. Wittick took care of Killian's arm and other various wounds. Then he looked over Claire to ensure no harm had been done to her. And finally, he checked Star's shoulder, giving her salve for the burn which would help it heal in a few days. "Thankyou, Doctor. Don't know what we'd do without you." She smiled at him softly. She looked back over at Killian, feeling bad about his hand. It had to hurt...but it was worth it for Claire. She walks with Killian out of the Clinic, pressing close beside him, and holding Claire so tightly the babe had begun to whimper. Her eyes darted about searching for anyone that looked suspicious...unfortunately, that was alot of people.

It was none-too-soon by the time the ramp closed up in the ship behind them and Killian was at the navigation. Star took the reward money, storing it in the safe in their wall. It was enough to last them for a good duration of time and the supplies for the colony were stored safely away in the cargo bay. As the flight evened out Star gave Claire a much needed bath and put her in a clean change of clothes before laying down with her on the bed. Never in her life had she been more worried or panicked or sick to her stomach about someone than she had with Claire. This precious treasure, birthed from her own body...she couldn't imagine her life without her anymore.
 
Killian nodded to Star. It was probably a good idea to have Claire looked at. When they reached the clinic the doctor got a nearly exasperated look on his face. Only a short while back he'd warning them to be careful and still take it easy to find that the Chippequoti was already back and looking like hell. "Looks like you broke your arm and part of the hand too." Scanning it he sighed. "I'll start with the stitches and then we'll put you under for a few minutes to get the arm and hand set." Thankfully there wasn't much needed for stitches.

When he was done with the stitches Killian was escorted to a side room where the doctor waited till the general anesthetic put the Chippequoti out. The Chips tended to be very sensitive about their bones and it was better not to find out the hard way if this one was just as bad as the rest. Once he had it all casted he left the door open to the one that he stepped into with Star and Claire. Seemed that the mother and understandably so wanted to have him check on the little girl. Laying Claire on the little baby exam table he checked her over. "You're looking fine to me." Within a few minutes of moving over to examine Star's shoulder he noticed that Killian had woke up. "Just stay laying down for a few minutes. Might be a little dizzy for a few minutes yet."

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Finally on board the ship Killian took his arm out of the sling. He didn't have to wear it, but Witteck wanted him to have it for the first week or so. Setting the casted arm on the navigation panel he used his other hand to do the codes and steering to get out of the docks. "Hey Star." When she came in he pointed to one of the switches. "I can't get that one in time if you want to flick it when I tell you."

Soon as she turned away Killian reset the coordinates to land at a little planet that he'd heard about. Supposed to be pretty this time of year and he wanted to do something special. They couldn't be always about business and he hadn't done anything nice for her in a while. Heading to the bedroom with Star he laid down on the bed and couldn't help the slight wince. "So many bruises." Chuckling a little he winked at her. Star had plenty of bruises and the burn was likely sore too. "I'm not hungry for anything tonight. Think I'll just sleep till its time to take the lozenge for the bones."

Late that night Killian rolled out of his side of the bed. "I'm just sore. Need to get a lozenge." Sneaking into the navigation room he landed at the docks and figured he could say something in the morning if she woke up before he did.
 
Star felt Killian roll out bed just as she was getting to sleep. He something about needing to get another lozenge and she nodded in acknowledgment, sleepily. He never complained, no matter the pain he felt, not willing to put more weight on her shoulders. She smiled lightly and put a hand on the sleeping Claire's chest. You have a good daddy, little Claire. Yes, he's a bit rough around the edges and still has alot to learn. But he's good, even if he doesn't realize it himself. He just needs someone to be his conscience sometimes. She pressed her face a little closer to Claire's and falls back to sleep, barely registering that the ship was no longer moving.

It was Claire's pathetic mewling that awoke her the next morning. Never had she been so relieved to hear that cry as she was today. Because that cry meant Claire was still safe and sound with her. Star yawned and moved enough to feed Claire, stroking her cheek. Her mess of curls had grown a bit, as had her tiny nails. She'd have to clip those soon before Claire scratched herself. Claire reached out a hand to grab Star's lip. She chuckled and gnawed on the tiny fingers softly. Claire's lips parted into a tiny smile before resuming feeding.

"Killian!" Star looked up excitedly as he entered the room. He'd been up for a while already and thankfully had let her sleep. "She smiled! Claire smiled at me!" She poked the babe's cheek. "Come on, do it again for daddy." No such luck. "Well, I'm sure you'll see it later." She finished feeding and Star lay her back down. She grabbed the cream and lowered her shirt to get to the burn which was a nasty red and white color. Star winced as she rubbed it on, looking up at Killian as he invited her to hurry and come with him. "What? What's going on, Killian?" She asks curiously. He looked like he was about to pee his pants the way he was acting. Star put on a new bandage, picked up Claire and followed him. "Seriously, what's this about?"
 
It was hard to sleep and part of it was due to the fact that his arm hurt and the other half was the excitement. Killian hadn't thought that maybe Star's face would be bruised. Still it wouldn't matter. A bruise never ruined a great outing. Early the next morning Killian rolled out of the bed again. He was too distracted to make coffee or even try for much besides a shower and some clean clothes.

For hours he paced the corridors of the ship. She had to be waking up soon. Peering into the bedroom he saw that Star was still sleeping. Maybe he could have gone out to get what he wanted but, there was always the chance she would wake up and it would probably be while he was gone. That was just his luck. Pacing down the hall again he finally decided to use the small escape hatch. It was quieter and safer to use than the giant hatch if he didn't want to wake her up that is. Walking up the ladder to the escape hatch he turned the knob till it unlocked and then pushed it up with his good arm. Once Killian was on top he closed the hatch again. Later on he would just have to come through the main door. Didn't want to leave it open and risk Star or Claire getting hurt by anyone. Stepping as lightly as he could across the top of the ship he came to the edge and jumped off.

The valley they were in was filled with exotic plants, cherry blossom trees and orchards. It was known to be a peaceful place and nobody had quarrel with the folk here. Walking into the orchards he picked his way through till he found a little house. There was a sign outside of it claiming to be a florist. Just down the row was a dress shop and then there was the real reason he had come here, but all these things had to be first.

Killian had spent a bit of time doing his research to know what a woman expected at this kind of event. Somehow he hoped that his suit he packed had remained an undiscovered treasure. Who knew. Star would sometimes dig in his stuff though that wasn't often. When the door swung open a midget sized man answered. "Yes."

"I uh..." Killian grinned a little. "Needing some flowers."

The little man nodded. This wasn't so uncommon. Dozens came here almost by the hour though today was fairly quiet so far. It would get busier later on. "So you've brought the girl here to propose? What color of flowers does she like?" Each time before Killian could answer the little man rattled off another question and just went about pointing to the various flowers.

Finally Killian stopped and waited for the man to notice. "I already proposed. Gonna marry her." Looking at the flowers he finally pointed to an arrangement. "What about that one?"

"You've got good taste." Waddling over to the case he picked the arrangement out and set it on the counter. "Delivered or to pick up?"

"Uh delivered to bay 27." Now that he had that much done Killian went to the dress shop to look for something acceptable for Star. When the woman asked for the size Killian raised his eyebrows. "I don't know." Putting his hands out he gave his best guesstimate. "I'd say when I grab her around the waist she's about this big." The question of bust size came up and he shrugged. "A little less than a handful each?" Obviously by the grin on the woman's face it was only semi helpful though he wasn't sure what else they would need to know.

Gauging by his size and best guess she pulled a few dresses of the rack. "These are all her approximate size. You do know if its for a wedding that she usually picks her own dress out. Unless you were looking for something else."

He had no idea what all the traditions were so he grinned. "I was looking for both. So I'll let her pick out her own white dress and I'll get her a green one for dinner tonight."

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Killian had barely hidden the wrapped package with the green dress and he saw the delivered flowers already sitting outside so he moved them just to the inside door of the ship. Working his way back to the bedroom to check on Star again he almost knocked right into her. Star was merrily jabbering about the baby smiling and he watched with some interest though he was still wondering how she would react. "It's fine if she won't smile for me. It'll happen eventually." Killian shifted on his foot and then to the other. "I wanna show you something." Gently brushing her arm with his one good hand he started to walk and then noticed that she wasn't quite caught up.

Shifting his weight from one leg to another again he stared at her. "Just c'mon. You'll like it." Taking Star to the main door he picked the flowers up and handed them to her. "Decided to make a little stop on the way home and I wanted to know if you'd still marry me."
 
Star gasped at the gorgeous bouquet, sniffing the aromatic foliage. And then the question that she'd long been anticipating came. Her face rose from the flowers, her answer not as immediate or enthused as it had been months prior. After her argument with with him over morals and the raising of their daughter, she had been giving their future alot of thought. A painful battle between want and need. He stated at her expectantly. "There's nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you, Killian. To raise our daughter together...but..." She holds Claire in one arm and fingers the flowers with the other. "I still can't get our conversation earlier about morals out of my head. It really bothers me that they hold no value for you."
"Never grew up with any. Why would I think of them?" Killian couldn't help the slight bit of defensive tone that had crept into his voice. She kept bringing this up and it was a very uncomfortable subject.
"Because you have me now, and they are important to me." She says simply.
Wincing at the suggestion he almost turned his face away from her. "Not that I don't try. Had more practice not using manners or morals or whatever it is that suits the occasion."
"I know..." Star reaches out a hand, stroking his arm softly. "And you've been amazing listening to me, and deferring to my opinions when it comes to something I feel strongly about morally. Yet another thing I love about you. You're not to prideful to bend and listen to other people's opinions. But, if we're going to get married and raise Claire together, I need to know that you're going to be making on a conscious effort to grow in this area. For all of us. Are you willing to do that? Really willing?"
"Augh..." Grumbling a little he finally nodded. "Alright. Just don't expect me to always be good at it."
Star laughs, wincing slightly as the wide smile pulled at the bruise on her cheek. The cream had kept it from swelling to much but the sensitivity and discoloration was still there. She reaches up and kissed him. "Then yes, I will marry you Killian."
Resting his casted arm on her hip and grabbing her gently by the waist with his good hand he smirked. "That's good. I was gonna keep asking anyway."

"Thankyou, for the flowers by the way. They are gorgeous. Pink's and blue's. How'd you know?" She smirks.
Killian shrugged. "Eh I figured those are colors you like to wear." Turning his head to the side he coughed. "Dust bunny." It was still tickling the back of his throat and he had to let go of her long enough to actually cough a good couple of times. "Ok..." His voice was a little weak for the moment. "Wanna go for a walk?"
"Sure. Just let me grab Claire's blanket." Star hurries off and grabs the pink fuzzy blanket for Claire, wrapping it tightly around her before rejoining Killian. "Uh, why are we headed to the exit? Aren't we in the middle of...." Star blinked, somehow just registering that the ship's engines had long been silent and that these flowers were fresh, hinting that they'd been recently bought. "Did we land home already?" She asks incredulously.
Always there was some reason to wait for the baby. It wasn't such a bad thing considering they almost lost her yesterday. Patiently he waited for Star to notice that they were not in flight. "No we don't have flowers like this at home." Winking at her he opened the door and let Star see where they'd landed.
Star gasped. "Wha...wha??" She stutters, exiting the ship, her mouth agape. "Killian!? What is this!?" She was in awe of the beauty around her. Tears smart in her eyes. She'd never been to a place or planet as beautiful as this.
Suddenly the start of tears showed and he momentarily panicked. "Uh..." Killian reached up and scratched the back of his head. "Don't you like it?
"Its....its the most beautiful place I've ever been." Star smiles at him brightly and giggles at his worried face. "These are tears of joy this time. Silly man."
"Tears aren't good anytime if its a man." His brow furrowed some and then he busted out laughing. "I know you're not a man just uh...Never seen tears of joy before." Shaking his head he was still having a hard time getting over that detail. Nobody had tears of joy, except Star. She had a special ability he never knew about.
"Well, keep treating me to thinks like this and you'll probably see more." She giggles, and wipes her eyes. "So, are we going to walk through this paradise or just stand here." She offers her free hand.
"I uh...um..." Killian took her hand. He'd planned this very carefully last night and now he couldn't seem to do anything right. "Do wanna get something to eat after we walk?" Since she had legs much shorter than his own he tried to take it slowly.
"Yes! I still haven't had breakfast." She was walking slower than normal, taking in the incredible beauty of the multi-colored forest. "How'd you find out about this place!? We should've moved here!"
Killian grinned nervously when she asked about how he found out. "Saw a pamphlet for it yesterday when we were getting credits at the bank. You know they don't like anyone, but their own kind live here." Catching her look he shrugged. "I wouldn't even get close to passing as one of them."
"I understand." She nods then giggles. "The pamphlet probably promised something like 'Most romantic place in the system. We do weddings too.'"
"Of course." Star chuckles. "I mean, just look at this place." She squeezed his hand. "It is incredibly romantic." Claire began to fuss and Star sighed lightly, switching her hold on her. That seemed to appease her, for the moment.
Romance was slightly uncomfortable and the more he thought about it this was a rather obvious choice. "I uh...I take a lot of hints from random stuff I see. Otherwise I'm not much good at coming up with these things for myself."

"That's alright. You're good at other things." She grins up at him. They continue for the 10 minutes down the colored path. Till the town come into view. "Oh my gosh! Its so cute!" She exclaims and laughs. "Wow, Killian. This is so not your scene. Thankyou." She grins up at him.
Finally she saw what he meant about not fitting in. First of all it was gardens and then he was next to giant compared to the people. "There's a little bakery over there." Pointing to one of the small buildings he smirked. Everything here was little except the plants. The folk here were nice enough to make houses taller so that others besides themselves could comfortably sit down or stand though Killian had to stoop slightly to keep from hitting his head on the ceilings.
Star was having a series of giggling fits as Killian awkwardly navigate the town. "I'm sorry...I'm not trying to laugh, but I see what you mean by not fitting in." She thanks a waiter as he brings over the menu ordering pads. "Wow...I haven't heard of half the things on here. Stucko Soup, Grup, Neco Steak..." She smirks, as she looks over the menu. Claire was being bounced happily on Star's lap, a finger in her own mouth. Her bright green eyes meet Killian's and she smiles.
Despite the fact that the chairs were slightly larger than what belonged to the people it still felt dainty. Killian cautiously sat on the chair and almost breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't break. Of course they made their furniture from hardy woods that wouldn't break, but it was still that same look on every large man or woman that ventured to sit down. The waiter got a knowing smile as he watched the pair of them. Not knowing what anything was Killian just picked something random. Then he caught that little grin. "Ooh she just did it."
"She did!?" Star craned her neck to see but the smile had already faded. "Aw...well, I'm certain there are plenty of more smiles to come. Makes all the crying worth it." She orders something random as well and hands the pad back. "Want to hold her for a bit?" She offers.
Killian reached across the table. "Sure hand her off to me." Claire's eyes brightened at the prospect of getting held by dad. It wasn't as often that he held her. Almost as soon as Killian had her in his lap the baby started to gnaw on his cast. "I'm sure it tastes good."
"Ew....man...i just realized she's almost 3 months old now. She's gonna start teething soon. Oy, teething pains on top of growing pains...we're not going to get much sleep."
She gives him a slightly irritated look. "Fine, if I have to stay up with the baby all night, I get to sleep in and you get to get up early, change her diaper, make breakfast and clean the house." She smirks.
"I don't change diapers." Killian had never agreed to that yet and he wasn't about to give in. "Besides we're about to eat. Shouldn't be talking about that sort of thing."
"Oh, you're learning. I've had to change your catheter plenty of times, mister...you can clean up a little baby poop." She laughs and smiles at the waitress as she sets their food on the table. Thankfully, Star's looked a lot like a sandwich on a strangely colored bread.
"Huh uh." Killian just shook his head and grinned when the food was set in front of him. Mostly it looked like little vegetables until he noticed tiny little eyes type looking things in the dish. They even jiggled when he poked them with a spoon. "Hmmm.." Scooping out a little he tried a small bite to start and was pleasantly surprised. Claire reached for the dish so he pulled a few of the mini eyeballs out and let her play with them or eat them.
"Oh, no...that's so gross." Star snatched them out of Claire's hand, and wiped her hands vigorously on the napkin. "Not to mention she's not ready for solid food yet, much less something as 'exotic' as that." Star shakes her head at Killian. "You should also keep in mind what you give her to play with from now on. Anything too small that she sticks in her mouth could choke and kill her."
Oh." Killian shrugged. "Hmm...I didn't know that."
Star nodded. "I know...that's why I said something."

They eat their meal while talking casually, Star frequently laughing and giving him various tips about Claire's future growth and things to expect. When the meal ends and everything was paid for Star stood. "Where too next? Don't suppose they have any hot springs here...oh, that would be so nice. Then again...Claire wouldn't be able to go in...she's too little...so scratch that."
A little grin came to Killian's face at the mention of the hotsprings. "If they have some I'll hold the baby. I don't mind watching. Otherwise I had a little present for you at the ship. Kinda forgot to give it to you earlier. Too nervous I guess. Could always get the present first then go to a bath house or hotspring." They had to have at least one of those options.
When they got back to the ship Killian pulled the box out and gave Star the carefully wrapped gift. He hadn't wrapped it cause his wrapping jobs looked terrible. "I got that for you." Handing her the box he waited for Star to open it before they left for the hotspring. Watching wouldn't be bad. He couldn't get in the hotsprings anyway with all the stitches and his busted arm.
"Aw, Killian...It's beautiful." Star held it up to herself, checking the size. "Looks about right. I can't wait to try it on."
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The hot spa had been amazing. What was even more amazing was that fact that there were many small pools, all partitioned off to give the romantic couples privacy. She didn't even have to worry about a bath-suit with only Killian watching. She got him to put his feet in a little later and massaged them lightly while teasing him with a mischievous smile on her face. She was going to enjoy every moment she could get out of this day.

Two hours later Star glides out of a beauty boutique looking like a queen. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b2/cc/87/b2cc87a629cdf722255949b56c87557b.jpg The dress fit her perfectly, accentuating her features. Her hair had been curled and hung softly around her face. She even had make-up on, which she never seemed to wear in daily life. Her light smile seemed brighter with that extra shade of red on her lips. "I think they overdid it..." She confesses looking down at herself and gripping the dress a little awkwardly in her hand. She'd never been the type to doll herself up, at least not in regards to hair and makeup. The most she'd done was some lipstick here and a dress there. Usually though, she wore what ever looked nice and was comfortable.
 
Killian followed behind Star with the baby in one arm and the little baby duffle bag slung over one shoulder. When they got to the springs Star didn't even wear a bathing suit and he grinned a little bigger. With that kind of view he didn't mind watching at all. While Star enjoyed the water and Killian sat by the baby began to tilt her head further in toward Killian's side till her little face was planted there and she fell asleep.

Eventually Star talked him to at least putting his feet in the water which he did though nothing more. After the bath she went into the spa to get all prettied up and he still waited though this time it was outside cause the weather was nicer. When Star stepped out he let out a long breath. "Wow." Somehow the comment about overdoing it went in one ear and out the other. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Slowly walking over to her he gingerly pulled her in with his casted arm and kissed her. He didn't want to snag the dress or anything. When he pulled away he grinned at her. "Oh you don't know how hard it is to keep my hands to myself right now."

Letting her take hold of his free arm he was slightly disappointed that he couldn't feel her fingers through the thick blue cast. "Next stop is a little shopping." If he'd learned one thing it was that she loved to shop and he wanted her to enjoy this. There hadn't been much for good things that had happened since they got together. Often it was ruined by some catastrophe or another and he was almost nervous it would happen again, but you couldn't let those things rule your life so they were going to enjoy themselves now. Walking her to the dress shop he put his back to the door and pushed it open. "I was told ladies pick out their own wedding dresses and jewelry. Don't worry I've got that suit with and I'll be uh...I'll be dressed up to." At least here if they got married it would be an official certificate. With the training to read and write he could even write his name though it was still a horrible sloppy looking signature.
 
Star gasped. "Are you serious?" She laughed as it clicked. "So that's why you asked again...and why we're here. You are full of surprises." She shook her head and kissed him.
An employee came over, smiling brightly as she recognized Killian. "Ah, so this is your beautiful fiance." She giggles then looks over at Star. "Can I help you get started finding a dress?"
"Actually, I don't need one." Star took Killian's arm. "We don't need to spend a 1000 credits on dress I'll only wear once. This one works just fine for a 10 minute ceremony." She stroked the soft velvety material then looked up at the clerk. "But, I would like some jewelry to compliment this."
"Of course, right this way."
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Star had a few more places to stop after the wedding dress store. One was a little clothing boutique with baby clothes. She picked out a few extra outfits for Claire and one white and green one for the wedding, so she too would be all dressed up.
Next was the very same flower shop Killian had stopped at and she ordered a bouquet to hold for the ceremony and a corsage made up of green and blue flowers for Killian.
The final stop, just before dinner, was a gift shop but Star wouldn't let him come in with her. "It's a surprise." She says with a mischievous wink and disappeared into the store leaving the fussy Claire with Killian. While they waited Killian smelled a ripe stink wafting through the air, originating from Claire's diaper. She smiled up at him, no longer fussing.
 
Inside the shop Star went directly to picking out jewelry. Since Killian had never been to a wedding he didn't really mind one way or another if she had the dress. It was just a funny little thing that he thought all women did for their wedding. Claire began fussing part way through the shopping trip and Killian ignored it. He was more busy trying to keep up with all the different things she would hold up.

At the baby store he was amazed by the number of dresses and special things there were for little girls. Wandering through with Claire he let her fuss a little till she spotted a horrible pink polka dot dog. Reaching for it the baby fussed a little and Killian turned around and she started to fuss again. "Ugh...Fine I did get something special for Star so I guess you need something to." Taking the dog off the shelf he handed it to Claire who began to happily chew on it's head. When they left the shop and paid for a heap of baby clothing besides the dress he noticed that Claire started to fuss again. There was no end to it and he could only ignore the crying for so long before it started to get to him.

Killian was about ready to step into the next shop and Star decided to go in by herself. Little Claire kept on with her fussing and she gripped the dog tight and turned beat red. At first Killian didn't know what was going on till that smell started to creep out of her diaper. That grin from the baby...."You just had to do it didn't you? Awe...Claire you're supposed to wait till mom's holding you to do that." He would have held her at arms length instead of next to himself like this, but he couldn't with the one arm being broke and then there was the challenge of not being able to fix the problem cause he didn't even know how to change a diaper. Instead he came up with a new solution. Taking a seat on the grass he put Claire down on her little blanket that she'd been wrapped up in and let her play on her stomach with the dog. Whatever Star was doing in that store was taking forever. Without the sling his arm had begun to ache and fingers swell. He didn't give his arm enough time elevated for the day. Folding his arm across his stomach he leaned against the trunk of the tree to wait though he kept an eye on Claire. She seemed to have already forgotten that just a day ago somebody else had taken her. As far as the baby was concerned it was all fine cause her mom and dad still had her and those few hours were a memory that wouldn't last.
 
Star finally came back out of the shop with a bag of baby clothes on one arm and a bag of jewelry and other items on the other. "Aw, how are my two favorite people?" Star coos at Killian and Claire equally. "Oh, Claire. Wow..." Star wrinkled her nose as she got close. "I'd reprimand you for letting her sit in a dirty diaper like that, Killian, but I know your hand is still recovering." She sets the shopping bags to the side and pulls a plastic blanket, some wipes and a new diaper. She lay Claire on her back on the plastic, undressed her and peeled away at the sides of the dirty diaper. After she pulled it off and wrapped it in on itself, she set the foul smelling object beside Killian. Like an expert she used the wipes to clean Claire and few minutes had her wrapped up in a new diaper and ready to go. "See...not so bad. You've dealt with my birth you can deal with a diaper." She smirks at him, and wipes her own hands clean on a fresh wipe.
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Star sighed happily as she dressed down into sweats and dropped onto the bed after laying Claire down to sleep in her crib. The day of shopping and pampering had been just what she needed and it was nice to see Killian had enjoyed himself for the majority of it too. "That was so fun, Killian. Thankyou." She smiles up at him. "I am looking forward to marrying you tomorrow."
 
Killian's whole hand felt like it was throbbing with each heartbeat. He couldn't help the occasional frown. Finally Star came out and she gave a very slight scolding. While she cleaned the baby up he supported the casted arm with his other. Seemed that Star purposefully put the diaper next to him and he crinkled his nose slightly. It smelled so nasty that he couldn't help being slightly put off by it.

Somehow Star was still trying to make it seem not so bad and he shook his head. "Oh no...That was a one time deal. Not delivering anymore babies." Grabbing the bags that he could Killian let Star carry the baby home. Soon as they got to the ship he set the bags down and before he could start for the kitchen to get some of the little ice bags while she was gushing about the day. Grinning a little he turned toward her. "Needed to marry you sometime." Pulling her in for a kiss he was careful not to touch her with the cast. It had gotten to the point he swore he could feel everything through the cast.

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That night Killian stuffed one the lozenges in the side of his cheek and rested his arm along the headboard of the bed. Since it was higher than heart level he figured it should help. Laying an ice bag over it he turned on his side and pulled Star closer to himself. "What if we stay here for 2 more days after we get married. Make it a small adventure." He had no idea what else to call an outing like this.
 
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"I'd love that." She grins up at him. "This time, we'll go wherever you want to go."
She rubbed his good arm, sympathizing with the pain of his broken arm. She'd never broken a bone but she'd birthed a baby. She could definitely empathize with pain. "I love you." She smiles at him.

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Star was to amazed to find that she'd woken up before both Killian and Claire. Her eyes looked at her ring on her dresser. "I'm getting married." She stared at the ceiling, lost in thought for a moment. Married...to...an alien...but one she loved with all her heart. One with whom she could no longer imagine her life without. She looked at the date. It was just over a year and a half since the day they'd first met. How time had flown by. So many close calls, so many arguments and pain, but also so much joy and adventure, fun and friends and now Claire. She took a breath, almost wishing she had bought a dress for the occasion, but...she stood by what she'd told Killian earlier. They needed the credits for an emergency, of which there would no doubt be another with their lifestyle.

She quietly got out of bed and got on the datapad. She ordered breakfast to be delivered to the ship. Something worthy of a wedding day. She also had a notice that the object she'd ordered yesterday was going to be delivered in the next half-hour. Just about the same time as the breakfast. Perfect. Star took a quick shower while Killian and the baby slept, getting dressed just as the knock at the hull sounded. She hurried to the door, paid the caters and brought in the basket of food and two small packages. She set the basket on the table and hurried to the bedroom. He was still sleeping. His face too adorable not to kiss awake. Which she did. "Morning. Breakfast is hot and on the table." She smiles brightly at him. "Happy Marriage Day!"
 
Once the lozenge had begun to work he fell asleep. As with most Chippequoti he slept more when his body needed to do some mending. Bones were by far the worst by any Chip's estimation as they were difficult to break, but incredibly tender and perhaps more sensitive than humans in that way when they did break. When Killian felt a cool hand rest on his cheek he ducked his head and pulled at the blanket to escape. Instead he was almost smothered in little pecks on the cheek and kisses. "Rmmmm." Slowly he lowered the covers and sat up.

Sheet marks lined the right side of his face and he grinned at Star. "Good morning." The swelling in his hand had gone down and he reached to grab her around her waist. It was still awkward with a cast, but he didn't really care. "Do I have to get up yet?" Sounded like there was breakfast so he nodded. "Alright let me get a shirt on." Some of the stitches were almost healed up now. It didn't take long with the treated, enhanced threads to heal. With time the scars on his back had begun to fade and even the ones on his side. Since he was still wearing pajama pants he slipped a shirt on and wandered out to the kitchen with her. "Oh wow." There was a lot of food and he was still half asleep. Taking a seat at the table he rested his head on one hand. "What time is it?"
 
"A little after 9 hour time. Around noon, their time." Star answers, pouring him a cup of coffee and opening the basket. There was an assortment of muffins, donuts, fruit, hot sausage and pancakes and other familiar human inspired food items. "I did some research." She says, pulling out some sausage and a chocolate muffin. "Looks like there is a "Love Day" festival come nightfall. There's supposed to be lights, couples activities, shows and music, various booths. It might be fun to go to after we're married." She suggests. "Unless there is something else you'd like to do."
Killian took the cup of coffee and smiled slightly. "Mmm...." He loved the coffee and everything about it first thing in the morning. Wrapping both his hands around the cup he peered into it and listened to Star talk away. "Might be worth checking out." Anything that involved a party sounded good.
"I also got a message from the chapel our slot is for 3, their time so noon our time. Which gives us about 2 and a half hours to do anything we want."
Nodding he peered into the cup and decided to take a sip. "Ooh I think we could eat breakfast. Take our time." Eating slowly was something he'd been trying to practice. Though at the sight of what was in the basket he doubted he would be able to eat that slowly. "Maybe go back to bed for a little bit then get cleaned up and go to the chapel."
Star nods. "Sounds like a plan. Oh, I uh, have something for you." She pulls out the two packages and sets one of them before him. They open the gifts together. Both were identical wrist watches, except Killian's was larger to fit his frame of a wrist while hers was much smaller. "Now, these aren't just watches." Star says, tapping the screen of their watches. They are synchronized so that we will always know the location of the other watch. They also act as a mini-communicator and health monitor so that we can look up the vitals of the other if we want or need. You could be half-way across the galaxy and I could get updates on how you're doing. Cool right?" She hoped he didn't hate it.
"I'm taking mine off when I sleep." She winks mischievously.
Killian shrugged. "Fine be that way. I'll probably keep this one on. I'd forget it otherwise." Pointing to a little notification box he pushed his wrist toward her. "What's that mean?"
"Uh..." She taps it. "That mean's we are synced up and transmitting. She slides her finger across the face of the watch and it turns into the health monitor. "Slide it up, you'll see my vitals, slide it down you'll see your own." She slid the screen again. "That's the gps. As you can see we are in the same vicinity." She grins. "I tried to get one for Claire but they didn't have any her size and she'd outgrow it in a few months anyway."
"Oooooh fancy." Killian left it on Star's vitals for the time. "So how do I find out what the time is?" It was supposed to be a watch first and he didn't know if there was going to be too many directions for it.
"Just slide the face again until the clock part appears." She does it for him. It only took one swipe. "Now isn't that easy." She laughs. "I love modern technology."
"Ah..." It was just too simple. He was thinking it would have had to be something more like a tap or double swipe. A little red alert came up and he frowned. "Haha...my body temperature is too low. It'll find out in a few days and sync to the body I'm sure." Killian shook his head. "So for the first few days it'll be telling you that I'm freezing."
Star laughed. "Yeah, probably. Aw, my watch is buzzing." She looked it and read aloud. "Your partner's body temperature is low." She smirked at him. "It even warns me. How clever."
"Thank you." He finally remembered to say it and leaned across the table to kiss her. "I know this sounds terrible, but we should eat. All I can think about is food."
"Good. I'm hungry too." She chuckled and dove into the magnificant breakfast that didn't have to cook.

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The three were dressed in their finest as they approached the chapel for their scheduled marriage slot. Thankfully, there were only a couple other human and alien couples in line. She held Killian's arm tightly as a Gillick and his bride to be talked in front of them. They were completely unaware of anyone around them as they talked with one another. She'd been a little nervous before, but now she was feeling anxious. She held Claire tightly in one arm trying to keep the flower bouquet away from her gaping mouth while they waited. She willed herself to relax while she teased her babe, getting those beautiful smiles in return.

She watched as the Gillick couple in front of them finally went in the small chapel and doors closed behind them. She looked up at Killian. "You good?"
 
Standing at the chapel door Killian couldn't help feeling a little nervous. He had to go without the jacket and instead wear just the vest and shirt with the tie. There was no way he could wear the jacket with the giant cast on. So instead the sleeves were rolled up at his arms and showed the olive skin with a few scars that had mostly faded now. This wasn't like anything he'd ever done before and while it was relatively safe it felt wild and risky.

The Gillick ahead seemed to elevate some of Star's vitals. Killian could feel his watch buzz gently with a soft notification. It wasn't that terribly surprising. Reaching over with one hand he gently squeezed hers. Star gazed up at him and asked if he was alright and he grinned. "Of course I am. Just got the only woman I'd ever need to finally marry me. I've been waiting a long time for this." He knew that she had pretty well started the idea in his head, but he liked to make it sound like it was his thought first.

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When their turn came the man at the chapel had Killian go to the front to wait for Star while she did her last minute things in the back. Since there wasn't anywhere to immediately put the baby, Claire was set in a little chair at the front and only a step away from Killian. Happily the baby chewed on her pink dog while Killian shifted his weight from one leg to another. It was taking her so long that he started to feel nervous. His eyes lit up when he saw Star step into the aisle and he could finally breathe again. Who knew that this sort of ceremony could make a man almost sick with the nervousness.
 
An attendant led Star to another room to help her fix her hair and makeup again and make sure her dress was neat and zipped properly. "This your first marriage?" The attendant asks, slightly grumpy.
"Um, yes...and I plan on it being my only one." She replies happily.
The attendant grunts. "Yeah, they all say that. Hope you know you're getting into bed with, Dear. Chippequoti types aren't known for their tenderness."
"Oh, I know exactly what I got in bed with, and I have a baby to show for it." Star smiles at the attendant, shutting her up.

She hears the music and steps out onto the isle, smiling brightly at Killian who looked adorable in his vest and tie. Little Claire was thoroughly occupied with her new dog. Such a beautiful girl. Star held tightly to the boquet in her hand, and her watch blink letting her know that her heart rate was elevated. Yes, thankyou watch. I'm well aware of that. Great, now Killian knows. Maybe these were a bad idea. She giggles nervously at herself then giggles again as her watch lets her know that his heart rate was elevated as well. How silly, what the heck do we have to be nervous about. She begins to the graceful march up the aisle with a foreign version of the wedding march playing over the speakers. Colorful petals of various plants were spit out of a vent spread and fell like a slow gentle rain upon her as she walked.

She finally reaches Killian and sets the bouquet aside so that she could hold his hands, being especially gentle with the one that was broken. The officiant said a few words about love, commitment, mutual honesty and respect then finally got to the important bit. "Do you, Killian Laularin, take Anne Star Lane to be lawfully wedded wife to watch over and protect, to love and care for, no matter the circumstances, all the days of your life?" Star giggles at Killian. Then the Officiant repeated the vow for her. "I do."
"Do you have any words of your own you wish to add?"
Star holds Killian's hand a little tighter. "I didn't know the day that I tried to kill you and steal your ship, that you would be the man to woo my heart. But, now I can't imagine my life without you. No matter what happens...I'll always be yours."
 
All of it seemed to be almost silly. The flowers spewing out of a vent and yet for all the lavish and silly things that could be done Killian liked it. Star was beautiful. Her hair was soft and dark with little flecks of leaves and flower petals. He couldn't help smiling a little when she got close. As Star got closer he almost walked down the steps to meet her. Instead she set the flowers aside and they held hands. When the priest came to the vows Killian almost missed his part. He was so busy looking into Star's eyes and trying to read her expression that he lost track of the ceremony. "I do." The little giggle probably meant that Star noticed his near miss.

Gradually the attendants eyes widened when she heard the bride's added words. Tried to kill a Chippequoti and survived the ordeal long enough to become his wife. It was a strange turn of events. One that she would be interested to find out about. However, the last name of Laularin did sound familiar for some reason. She knew it from somewhere. Rumors...A long time ago. Shaking her head she cleared it for the moment while the ceremony proceeded.

Killian smirked at Star's added words. It was one of those things where he felt that he should probably think of something too. There was nothing quite like being put on the spot and he couldn't begin to organize all the thoughts in his head. "I'd never met one woman in all my life who thought of herself as my equal and wasn't afraid of me. Until then I didn't know what a woman could be." He wasn't sure if she would understand it, but that was the best way to put his feeling for her in a small amount of space and time though it only scratched the surface. Like many of the Chippequoti once he was devoted it was a deep connection that was next to impossible to break. Glancing down at her hand he took the ring from the minister and slipped it onto her finger. She'd been wearing it for a while, but this was just part of the marriage.

The man performing the ceremony nodded. "You may kiss the bride." Another round of flowers dropped, this time on both of them. When the finished with the kiss the man gave a final instruction. "When you go back please meet me to the room on the right."

Walking with Star down the aisle, Killian glanced at her off and on. She was blushing though he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was just her still being nervous. Part way down the aisle he remembered that Claire was still merrily cooing at the front of the chapel. "Oh shit!" Letting go of Star's hand he went back and plucked the baby from her seat. When they got back to the room he waited for the officient to arrive.

While the couple waited the man rolled the flowers up on the soft drapes that covered the floor and had the other workers load it into the vents again. The entire sanctuary of the chapel was cleaned and prepared for the next couple in the matter of half hour. During the clean up of the rest of the chapel he went back to the room to sign the paperwork and file it in the Galaxy Database. "I have the marriage contract here. I need you to sign there." Pointing to a line he slid the paper toward Killian. "Then you sign there." Pointing to the spot next to it he gave the instruction to Star. "After that you have 3 days to get an annulment before the record is permanent in the Galaxy Database."

Killian gripped the pen with his hand and slowly began to scratch his name out on the paper. It was perhaps uneducated looking, but he was more than pleased with it. Stepping to the side he took Claire from Star and passed the pen to Star he waited for her to write her name. Compared to his scrawling letters it was a magnificent signature. Finally, the official stood from his place behind the desk, shook their hands and saw them out of the chapel. Now that they were married Killian didn't know what to think. "So uh...That's it huh? How folks get married."

Still watching from one of the windows the attendant studied the couple. She saw thousands a year and yet these ones seemed to be familiar faces. She couldn't know why though. She'd heard the names and she committed them to memory. They would last longer than 3 days if they already had a child. So at the end of those three days she could find out a little more about them through the Database.
 
"That's how people who don't want to deal with the hassel of a big ceremony do it." Star laughs and grips his hand a little tighter. "Oh my gosh, we're actually married!" Star exclaims as they exit the chapel, Claire in hand. Her cheeks were flushed with happiness and it was a relief to finally have it official. "Wow, I'm a wife. I'm a legit wife...to a chippequoti." She makes a funny face. "This is weird and amazing at the same time. I have so much energy right now." She laughs.
Killian nodded. It sounded fair enough. He wouldn't have made it through a huge ceremony if it was much more than that. "Why is it weird being married to a Chippequoti?" So many people seemed to think it was a sort of difference between them and him. Most of it wasn't good and that was why it typically annoyed him now that he knew he was Chippequoti. Before this people didn't make any assumption. They accepted him as a person and either tolerated him or they didn't.
"I dunno, I just always imagined I marry a human. If you think about it...marrying an alien...its a bit weird...but I don't care." She reaches up on her tiptoes and kisses him again. "You are more amazing then any human guy I've dated."
"I always imagined I was human." Smirking a little he accepted the kiss and let her continue her little saga. "Guess I just got a little touchy finding out I was alien is all. Get tired of the all the folk making random assumptions because I'm Chippequoti. You know if they had good things to say I wouldn't mind."

Star smiled at him, and patted his arm. She didn't know if he'd realized it, but he'd just admitted he wanted to be seen as good, as something other than the cruel race that the chippequoti were known for being. That meant, to an extent, his actions and how they affected people morally had begun to matter to him, whether he realized it or not. "So...there are a couple more hours till nightfall. What would you like to do to begin our honeymoon?"
"Get changed and go exploring." Walking around and maybe going to the mountains would be fun for a change.
"Let's do it. This is a beautiful planet. I want to see as much as it as possible."
************************************
Star found the baby carrier, in the cargo hold, that allowed a parent to strap their baby to their chest without having to hold them constantly. Since her shoulder was nearly healed and Killian's arm was still extremely sensitive she wore the baby-carrier which allowed her greater range of motion as they explored the more mountain region of the planet. It was beautiful, and it felt amazing to walk and talk with her new husbands in a place as incredible as this. They had a quick picnic before returning to the town just in time for the festival.

By this point Claire was extremely fussy, having not been able to sleep much. They enjoyed the festival for a few hours before retiring for the evening. Star fed and changed Claire then lay her down to sleep. She kissed her forehead and then grabbed a package from her drawer. Killian would be coming to the room any minute for the traditional first night of married couples and she, while in the midst of all the shopping she was doing, had not forgotten to get the appropriate attire. She came back out of the bathroom with a soft pink robe on just as Killian entered. She grinned at him teasingly, a bright flush on her cheeks. "I have one more surprise for you." She went over to the wall, dimmed the lights and dropped the robe for her new husband. Hopefully the baby would be kind enough not to interrupt them tonight.
 
Killian always loved exploring even if the last trip into the mountains hadn't been really good. This range he was pretty sure wasn't inhabited by cannibals. He almost felt bad that Star was carrying the baby, but his arm was too sore to really offer the baby the support if he slipped. Part way through the climb he decided to start up the side of a boulder and he did slip though he was able to use his good arm to catch himself. By the time he reached the top Star had already taken the long route and beat him. "I enjoyed the challenge." That was about all the more he could say for the situation.

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That night after the baby was put to bed and Killian had the lozenge he stepped into the bedroom to be greeted by Star all dressed up in a pink robe. "Another............" Letting out a long breath he couldn't help grinning. "Oh that's a very good surprise."

2 days seemed to pass much more quickly than Killian had thought it would. Still they needed to be heading home. It was only a day from home so Killian figured if they wanted to come back one day they could. This was a fairly short travel. In some ways it was nice to be back to their own planet and in other ways it was strange. He liked being in his ship and part of him wanted to wander. Finding new planets, flying abroad, making raids, all the things that Star seemed to find the most distressing to let him do he wanted to.

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The attendant found the certificate in the Database. It was a long search but, well worth the time. She remembered an old woman telling the story of a boy with that name. By the telling she always assumed the old woman was the mother. Perhaps she would want to know that the missing boy had survived and he grew up well. Obviously if he had managed to get a woman to marry him. Writing down the license number from the marriage certificate she typed it into a small message and sent it to the woman. She wasn't terribly far away and if she was still the same kind of woman she would have her ways and contacts to find the Chippequoti if she wanted to.

A notification came to the pad and the old woman picked it up. At first her brow furrowed. Was someone putting the name out there as bait. She'd been curious the older she got though she couldn't say that she was sure she wanted to know. Now she did. That marriage certificate made her curious. Who was this Anne Star that he had married? What was the woman like?

Packing her bags she started a trace on the message and then the back tracing on any other systems that had accessed the file. There was one on a planet not far from the happy marriage place and she knew that was likely the spot. It had been uninhabited for a while and if she still knew anything about him, Killian would hide away till he thought it was time to strike though the target was always someone larger than himself. Perhaps not in a physical way, but he had a way of picking fights that he shouldn't. Stepping on board her ship she almost froze. This was such an odd feeling. It was over ten years ago since she'd fled and now she was here again on the dusty threshold of the vessel.

Only a week later the strange ship landed on the planet. She gazed out the windows at the men collecting and gathering around the base of it. One stood taller than any of the rest of them. At first the cast made her think it couldn't be him. Then those bright green eyes shown and she knew it was.

Killian waited for the back of the ship to open and he watched wearily till the tip of a woman's red shoes poked out. Almost immediately following was a woman dressed in wonderfully bright clothing and her dark hair falling in curls around her shoulders. Crows feet had formed near her eyes. Still it was a face that he knew. His jaw dropped open and he stared like a dunce until she stood in front of him and then he clamped his mouth shut. "Sasha?"

"Some things never change, including your eyes." Gazing into his eyes she finally tilted her head to the side. "Where is this Anne Star that you married? I've come all this way and now I want to know what woman could have caught my wild boy."
 
Star weighed Claire on the scale checking her last weight and inch measurement. She gave the little babe a concerned look. "You haven't gained an ounce, though you've grown two inches already. Hmm, looks like I'll have to increase your feeding...again." She picks the babe up in her arms. She hears the door open and a pair of heavy footsteps sound. "Killian! I swear if you didn't take off your boots before entering the house again..." She didn't get to finish her sentence. Her mouth gaped slightly at the woman behind Killian. "Uh....Killian? Whose this?" She asks curiously.
Killian slowly turned around and had the woman follow him. "She's uh this way." Nervously he started toward the house and then he felt a tap on his shoulder. Taking the bag he nodded and took a deep breath. He'd barely stepped into the house with his boots and he stopped in his tracks. He'd gotten so used to being on the ship that he never thought to take his shoes off. Star obviously took note of the woman and he glanced at Star and then back to the woman and back to Star again. "This is Sasha, she wanted to meet you." Setting the bags down he started for the door again.
"Uh, Hi. Nice to meet you, Sasha." Star extends a hand. "And this is Claire...our baby."
The woman glanced behind herself as Killian left the house. Gazing at Star for a long moment she carefully took her hand. "Anne Star, you're not what I expected."
"You can just call me, Star." She gestures for the woman to follow her. "What uh, what were you expecting?" She chuckles lightly.
Leaving her bags at the door the woman shrugged. "I thought maybe a woman more wild would have caught him. You seem much more tame than I had imagined.."
Star laughs. "I have my moments. Trust me." Star enters the kitchen and puts Claire in the baby rocker. "Can I make you tea? Coffee?"
"I would have coffee if that is the strongest you have." Seemingly reaching deep into her hair she scratched her head and then lowered her hand. "How long have you know him?"
"A little over a year and a half now." Star replies as she makes the coffee. "Speaking of which, how do you know him. He's never mentioned a Sasha that I remember."

"I raised him till he was old enough to be on his own." The woman picked absentmindedly at her finger nails. "He wasn't mine. A woman gave him to me. Same beautiful haunting eyes."
"Oh." Star nods. She puts one mug in front of the woman and sits across from her. "You're the prostitute who took him in. Why would his mother give him away like that? Did she ever say?"
"He was the child of an affair. She fled with the man to save the child. Her husband she said was in purusit and near to catching them. I don't remember everything. Just something about the fact that her husband had returned from war and he had a right to the child's life. It wasn't likely she knew I was a prostitute. Never could have promised him a good life and it wasn't what the boy got. All I knew was his name but, I was told never to speak his last name. How did he come to know it?"
"We uh, met some of his family upon entering the system." Star ran a hand through her hair. Bad memories. "It wasn't very pleasant."
"I imagine not. After I had a particular client become troublesome I was forced to set him out on his own and then I fled. Have lived here ever since."
"And you never knew what happened to him." Star notes sympathetically. "How did you come to find him anyway?"
The woman tilted her head to the side. "My dear you wouldn't understand. I was never sure I wanted to know what would happen to him. It was living hell in that whore house." A slight grin came to her face. "Oh I received a little hint and I traced the Database searches with an old system I have. Found that there were only two locations to have ever viewed that certificate besides myself. One was where you were married the other was here."

"Clever woman." Star nods. "So...why are you here? To check up Killian? To...vet me?"
"I was curious." Sasha took the cup of coffee in front of herself and sipped at it. "Never thought he would have survived his childhood. Dreadful child. Cried nearly all the time as a baby. My clients sometimes grew violent if he cried too much. Once or twice they slapped him. As a woman I was naturally horrified that they would hit such a small child. One of them nearly crippled him. He couldn't walk till he was nearly 5. Seems to have recovered fine. Later discovered after I moved here that he was likely Chippequoti and that explained the durability despite many accidents."
"He probably crying because of growing pains." Star notes, taking a sip of her coffee. "Hmm, his knee still gives him trouble to this day...Chipequoti have very special bones." Star glances over at Claire who was napping with her pink dog. "Well, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. We have plenty of room." Star says with a light smile.
Meeting Star's gaze she shook her head. "I don't know how long I'll stay. If you didn't notice we're not on the best of terms."
"I understand that. But, perhaps this will be your chance to help him understand things he couldn't have as a child. Perhaps...even reconcile."
"What would I reconcile?" A chuckle sounded. "I'm an old woman and I know now that I could have done things differently. He tried to fight some of the clients that hurt me and I stood by when they turned on him. When one got too violent I set him to the streets and fled. I was too afraid that he would start crying again if we stowed away. Tried to comfort myself with the fact that he'd started to run." Rubbing at her head again she pulled the full head of brown hair off. It was simply a wig and combed her fingers through the graying hair though she still had an air of elegance. "What would you do?"
"Honestly, I don't know." Star shrugs. "But I do know this, I love him. And whenever there is a rift I do my damnedest to see it repaired. If you love him and want to reconcile...then you'll give it a shot. If you want to leave the past in the past and continue on with your life, knowing that...he's turned out pretty well, then...there is no judgement. You can go in peace and let go of any guilt you've been holding onto all these years."
Letting out a long breath she smiled softly. "I can see you love him. Only a woman confident in her man would be able to yell about the shoes in the house." A small chuckle sounded. "Perhaps I will try to reconcile." Peering over the edge of the table she smiled at the baby. "Lovely child. They are the most beautiful and ruthless people I've ever met."
"Yeah, but don't say the word ruthless around Killian or Claire. He's sensitive about the bad rep around his people and I'm raising her like a human. She'll be the most beautiful and kind half-chippequoti in existence. If...not the only half-chip." Star laughs lightly.
"Sensitive?" A glimmer of humor came to her eyes. "Rare among the Chippequoti. You know it doesn't matter how hard you work and train them even as children. They are never tame. I tried." At least it brought a good memory to her mind. "Should have seen him as a child. That curly black hair and those eyes full of mischief. He pulled himself around by his arms and once he was crawling...ugh." Sasha was almost exhausted at the thought. "Got into everything. I even found various little pets in the house. A spider in my closet that he'd taken to feeding, bird in the washroom, a snake in his bed, cats that thought they should live under the sofa, a dog, and I'm still not sure how he managed to lure a cow into the back yard."
Star chuckles at the memories but her expression was more serious. "Respectfully Sasha...you were a prostitute, around violent men...and you never defended him. In addition you put him out on the street before he was a decent age. Don't look at your experience with Killian and tell me that no matter what I do she'll still turn out like her kin. I don't believe that for one damn moment." Star said all this in a completely even tone, but there was a fiery determination in her eyes. Claire would not become like one of them.
"There is a wildness in the blood." The woman stared at Star her gaze steady. "I know what I was and I know what I did." Sipping at the coffee she chuckled. "That should have broken a normal person. From my experience with the Chips there is something more than pure determination. You can't tell me those green eyes aren't still full of mischief and wild nature. My old eyes can still see and it's there."
"Mischief and wild nature is a far cry from ruthless and cruel. God knows I was wild and mischief too as a kid."
"Don't mistake my assumption of wildness with ruthless or cruel. He never was as a child." The woman thought it seemed that Star was getting uncomfortable. "You know very well I mean that he hasn't outgrown that wildness. It lurks always below the surface. All Chips have that wildness even the ones they enslave."
"Sure. It's a part of there personality. I won't argue with that." Star nods, her grip on the cup having tightened throughout the course of the conversation. For some reason she couldn't help but feel defensive around this woman and all her talk about Chippequoti ruthlessness and wildness.
"I'm sorry." Noting the increased discomfort she sipped a little more at her own coffee. "You know I have a job for Killian if he'll take it."
"What sort of job?" She asks curiously.
It seemed to have at least peaked the woman's interest. "I did a little research to see how you came here. Found a few interesting details. He is the 'Beast' it's how I know the wild never dies. If you're to be effective against the nobles there is a prison that you could raid. The Bippens started a gate and now they are shipping Chippequoti here by the hundreds. His home planet is nearly decimated. Now the nobles are taking the Chippequoti and using them for hard labor, but none of them are made aware of others of their kind. Most believe they are the only ones. To be sure they cannot communicate the masters have surgically had their vocal cords cut. Not even a sound from them and then they blindfold them at night. Seems that the Bippens have finally found a way to rid themselves of their neighbors."
"Oh my gosh....that's horrible." Star looked thoroughly disgusted. No matter how ruthless the chips were, no one deserved that.

Then Star gave her a suspicious look. "Are you offering this job to Killian out of compassion or do you have another motive?"
A look of disgust came to her face. "You think I would have only other motives. My...my." Shaking her head she couldn't help the smile. This woman, Star was clever. "I have some of the same motives as yourself. Who would want to see them suffer like that and yet who would make a better army to destroy the nobles?"
Star nods. "It is an interesting proposal. I'm sure Killian will be interested in hearing it when he comes back. Speaking of which..." she looked around for her husband. He was taking an awfully long time to retrieve those bags.
Killian was trying to avoid going back into the house. He spent nearly an hour checking the woman's ship over. If nothing else to ensure that she didn't bring anything to trace them here.
"Oh don't worry I'll let you tell him." Sasha sipped at the coffee again. "It would be better if he heard it from you."
"Oh no. This is your job proposal. You can tell him."
Sasha smiled. "If I leave can you live with yourself knowing that they are all dying because you refused to speak? If he found out would he ever look at you again. Whether he knows it or not your own people always have a tie that you don't understand. Just as I know as a human and woman that you would be terrified of what he would think of you if he found out you let them die without saying a word."
Star's eyes narrowed, getting visibly angry with her. She stood. "Do not presume to come into my home and think you can manipulate me." She growled. "You know nothing about me or Killian. You have no idea the HELL we've been through together! You have no idea about all the fuc*ing battles we've been through. The people we've risked our lives for. It NEVER ends. There will always be someone else in need of saving but my FIRST and foremost priority is the safety of my family. If that means keeping silent about the chip plight a little longer, so be it. He doesn't owe them a damned thing." Claire began to cry and Star went over to her, picking her up tenderly. She calmed slightly, not looking at Sasha. "If your heart is so damned set on the chippequoti plight then you can be the one to tell him. But I'll not willingly put yet another dangerous quest and war in front of him."

Calmly she finished her coffee. "I don't presume anything." Plucking the wig she fixed it back on her head and pinned it to her hair. "You love him. I had an obligation beyond my curiosity after I found out what he can do. If you should chance to see me in public ever again without my making contact with you, then we don't know one another. My voice is that of the mute, my feet walk for the lame, my eyes see for the blind, but, mostly my ears hear what the deaf cannot. You my dear have become one of us." As she started to walk for the door Killian stepped inside with a few more bags.
"I got it already you....Are you leaving already?" Killian was a little surprised to see Sasha already prepared to go.

"You have become one of us? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Star thought irritably as Sasha began to leave.
The woman leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Yes, I'm leaving. I needed to know that you were alive and well. You may ask your dear wife what we spoke of if you must know." With that she picked up one of her bags and started for the door with Killian carrying the rest. Before he stepped out of the house he shot a questioning gaze at Star. It all seemed so strange.
Star was beyond pissed at the woman and showed through the dramatic spike in her heart rate and blood pressure. Not to mention the red that had come to her face. Killian had to know, he'd find out eventually. But why that damned woman was putting it on her shoulders was beyond her.

**************************************************************
Star was pissed off the rest of the evening. She didn't mean to short with Killian, but unfortunately there were several moments where she was. She didn't trust that woman as far she could throw her. With that excuse in mind, she refused to relay the message...for the time being. By the time she'd was in bed, she was less irritable but still conflicted. Poor Killian. She felt bad for her attitude but she just continued to blame it on Sasha coming into her home and trying to manipulate her and saying things that pissed her off. She sighed lightly as Killian came to lay in the bed next to her. She didn't look up at him. She felt guilty for not saying anything, but she had no desire to be used by that witch for whatever game she was playing.
 
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