He'd better be.He'd better be. Sometimes you two forget how much I love him." "No," I replied as I felt the clang of the overhead doors sliding shut and the hiss of air being pumped into the shuttlebay. "We never forget that, P'nyssa. I know how important he is to you." "Do you?" she asked, curiously. I nodded. She smiled and hugged me tightly in her tentacles. "I'm glad, because I need you to know." "P'nyssa, I don't often say this, but you're more important to me than he is. But I'm so secure in my love for you, and you for me, that I don't express that love to you often enough." She smiled. "I love you enough, Ken, to know I don't need to hear it every day. But I've had you every day since our crash landing, and he hasn't had you at all. Go with him." The hiss ended, and I heard now, rather than felt, the sound of interior airlocks opening. Vega tossed a switch on her command panel, then walked to the ship's main airlock, punched the ATM button on the inner door, walked into the airlock and hit the button with the same label. The outer door opened a small contingent, five people, stood there. I recognized all of them, instantly. Etta, Katherine, Amanda, M'Vahn and... "Aaden!" I ran out of the shuttle without a concern in the universe but for him. Decorum be damned! I ran into his arms, grabbed his fur and held him close. "Oh, Gods, I was so afraid you wouldn't be here!" He was silent as I held him. He didn't say a word. |