Addison goaded me on, falling into place in our little group of players easily. I winked at her and our entire audience broke out into cheers.

I'd never anticipated the boost to morale our little foray out into the public could have been. Honestly, I'd expected Addison to be skittish and nervous. I'd planned to field any unwanted attention all day to keep her comfortable and not cooped up in our little room, but as I stood there at the Aule playing table I realized I'd underestimated her. She was as much made to be on this ship with our people as I was even if she'd only just stepped foot on it days ago.

I picked up the black chips that were mine and tossed one toward the far end of the table while maintaining eye contact with my mate, "Always a pleasure to show off for you." I missed.

Addison cackled along with every other nearby Val'Dornn. "You'll have to try a little harder to show off," she wheezed as she fought back tears.

It was a joy to see her happy and laughing. It made me feel almost playful. "You're next," I sounded almost ominous as I darted toward her, faster than she was anticipating from her surprised expression. I had her up in my arms and spinning about before I placed her in front of the board in the circle of my arms resting on the smoothed wood.

I ran the tip of my nose along the side of her throat, "Show me what you've got then, Addy."

The chips jangled in her hands as she fumbled with them, "You're cheating," she accused as I pressed a light kiss to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, "I can't focus."

"Good," I laughed, "At least I'll have company when Addric and Kayle take the lead."

"You're terrible." Her hands had steadied somewhat. The room was quiet as she pulled free a pale yellow chip --the color of her hair. "Any particular way I'm supposed to throw this?"

"Any way you'd like. You just have to stand at that end of the table and your chip cannot leave your hand past the black line marked on the wood in front of you." Addric rumbled.

I watched as Addy placed the little yellow chip on its edge on the table in front of her. She rested one finger on it and rolled it back and forth a few times, testing it. And then, the put a little pressure on the chip and it shot out from under her finger, darting down the board until it clicked into place in one of the forward most triangles.

There was a breath of silence before Addison asked, "That's good right?" And then even more boisterously our crowd erupted into applause.

Addison's smile was radiant and she gave a happy little hop before I pulled her into my arms and stared down at her with mock appraisal. "You never cease to amaze me."

She blushed under my scrutiny and I stole a quick chaste kiss that she greedily leaned into. I didn't press for more, though because we had an audience and I knew it would make her nervous. "You get to choose who goes next in the order."

She turned to Kayle and Addric, "Addric."

Addric shot Kayle a triumphant smile and Kayle only rolled his eyes. Their game had finally begun. Addison and I were just a distraction.

Aule was a fun game that Addison and I weren't particularly great at. She was better than me by far, but we wouldn't be joining a devoted Aule team anytime soon. Kayle and Addric were easily the best out of our Riniere, I knew because they could regularly be found settling arguments at this very table. It hadn't been a surprise to find them here. What was a surprise was that Kados and Laene were absent. Most of the time when Kayle and Addric got into these playing moods they'd get the other two to mediate for them. Not always, but usually.

Kados has likely been slaving away over the human genomes since Addy gave him another swab and Laene probably wanted to avoid being the only one stuck between these two.

Addison and I stood and watched as Green and Red chips ate up the triangles, occasionally knocking one of the few yellow or black chips we'd landed free from their territories. We'd long since exhausted all of our chips by throwing them off of the board and had retreated into the crowd to spectate as Kayle and Addric's rivalry built.

I stood there, quietly content as my hands rested on Addison's hips in front of me. Between one moment and the next, a realization hit me. This was some of the domesticity I'd craved and dreamt of. The small lover's touches that were comfortable and easy. I had to bite back the gasp that threatened as emotions threatened to overwhelm me in this large happy group.

Addison leaned back against me unconsciously and it made it even harder to contain myself. Even now, males shot smiles our way, used to the feel of an Empath's influence. The happiness and joy were radiating outward and if they could feel it, they certainly knew I was in a state. I felt Addison's hand sneak down to cover one of mine on her hip and I had to physically look away for a moment or I feared I might make a spectacle. I was an emotional creature, certainly, as a Val'Dornn and moreso as an Empath, but it wasn't considered good form to burst into jubilant tears in the middle of a bar.

My gaze scanned the crowd, looking for anything to occupy my attention and I felt the barest calming touch. Suddenly the staggering weight of my happiness that was being boosted by the good mood of the crowd lessened and I could breathe easily yet again. An Empath.

We weren't particularly rare, but I wasn't anticipating this assistance. I searched the crowd again, this time to find my savior. He was leaning against the bar a ways off, smiling happily. He had the same shock of dark hair that I did. I was my father's son after all, but his hazel eyes were softer and less intense. It made him more approachable than me, I thought.

He waved and I smiled back. I searched the others behind him, looking for my mother, but she wasn't there. She was likely down in the medical ward, helping with patients. He laughed, I could hear it in my memories, as he guessed what I was searching for.

Father nodded to Addison and smiled and I could feel my smile stretch even wider. He was happy for me and proud.

It made me want to show her off. One of my hands drifted up to brush some of her hair behind her ear so I could whisper to her, "My father is here."

She stiffened for a moment and I felt a small twinge of anxiety.

"He isn't expecting us to go and speak to him, but would you like to wave?"

Addison nodded, her soft brown eyes were wide and nervous.

"He already loves you, Addy. Don't be nervous. He's leaning against the bar in the back. We look similar."

I turned her gently and watched her search the crowd as I had. I watched the recognition dawn on her face and the faint blush dust her cheeks. She smiled and it was genuine if a little nervous. It melted my heart. She gave a little wave and mouthed her English word 'Hello'. My father wouldn't know what she said, but he'd understand the context that she'd greeted him.

There would be good-natured bickering from my mother tonight once she found out that she'd missed out on greeting my mate, of that I was certain.

My father waved back and inclined his head in a bow to her.

She linked hands with me and my father didn't miss the gesture. I could feel a wave of pride from him as he ducked his head. He waved to us one last time before sneaking back out of the bar. He never frequented the gaming establishments, so I could only assume that word had gotten out where we were and he couldn't keep from checking in on us. I could feel a tight warmth in my chest and not all of it was mine, even the bond was warm as Addison watched him go.

"You look a lot like your dad."

"I am my father's child, of that we are certain." I laughed, it was a joke in our culture. You couldn't have children with anyone aside from your soulbind so paternity was never actually in question. "I do have my mother's eyes and her stature, however. My father is a larger male than me."

"I'd like to meet your mom." Her voice was quiet but sure.

And suddenly I was afraid I'd need my father's assistance again as happiness threatened to choke me.

"Have they come to blows yet?" Laene's voice surprised both of us.

Laene was an anomaly to most Val'Dornn, being exempt from nearly all mental based connections he was almost impossible to track by psychic means. The male was just also naturally stealthy. He'd snuck into the crowd and to our side without either of us noticing.

"Not yet, but surely it won't be long. They've already started arguing about rules and demanding a non-magnetized board."

Laene nodded, silent as a sage.

"Where have you been?"

"Around." He was evasive, but it wasn't surprising. Laene was always mysterious and the fact that we couldn't divine anything from our connection with him as a Riniere never helped.

I tended to err on the side of respecting Laene's boundaries, but there were times when I considered pushing harder; like when we were not yet out of boyhood and he reappeared after schooling with a broken lip and black eye, or when he disappeared for cycles upon cycles after the incident with his parents. And now, as I stared at the dark circles under his eyes and the tightness to his brow I got that same feeling that I should pry a little harder than I usually do.

Laene noticed me staring and his face went deceptively blank, "Yes, Esayr?"

"If you ever need to talk, friend, I'm here. Or if you ever need someone to listen without judgment, I'm here."

For a moment he looked upset, but then let out a ragged sigh, "I appreciate the offer, but I am well. Only tired."

I searched his face, "The offer always stands. It has no expiration date."

Laene let out a snort.

"Knock him out, Addric!" Kados voice rose from the crowd, breaking up the moment and instigating all manner of inappropriate conduct.

Laene uttered a curse and charged forward, ready to mitigate at least some of Kados' bad influence. "Do not knock him out! Kados you wicked creature stop making their battle worse!" He called out over the amusement of the crowd.

Despite the lightness of their banter, I could feel a tension in the air that hadn't been there before and it almost...worried me.

The hum of the Aarond Form beneath my feet told me it was about midday and the perfect time to bring Addison to the communications bay. We could catch them between morning and evening discussions allowing Addison the time to talk to her Riniere.

"I think it is time we leave. Before they get too rowdy and before the communication team begins their nightly transmissions. You should be able to speak to your friends today."

Addison's attention had been riveted on Kayle and Addric slinging chips and insults at each other, truly you'd think they were enemies, but it was a hobby of theirs...or maybe just Kayle's to bicker with the twins. Addric only ever retaliated over Aule. Kados...Kados was another matter entirely. But, at the near mention of her friends Addison brightened and gave me her full attention. "I can speak to them? Really?"

"Of course." The idea that once upon a time she'd thought we would imprison her and never allow her, her freedoms stung, but I had to remind myself that she'd experienced those very same oppressions from her own race and she'd been conditioned to expect that. "We would never separate you from those that you cared about. I apologize that it wasn't immediately available. Like I said we're culturally accustomed to a period of bonding away from our respective societies and we'd found concepts in your literature and media that hinted the same. It was an oversight on our part to make that assumption. You and any other female will be allowed to contact her loved ones immediately."

"Thank you....from all Earth women, thank you."

*****A/N*****

I've been trying to organize some of the thoughts I have running around in my head regarding this series. I have a bad habit of planning a ton of things but never writing them down so I end up forgetting them. I'm making a concerted effort to get all of the information that I want to include in future stories written down.

I currently have the barest of skeletons for five total stories in this world, not including the slice of life kind of things I want to write, but I'm sure I'll come across even more characters I love and want to play matchmaker with as we go along.

Love,

Layla

On a different note, I'm thinking of uploading another very different story that I might work on in my free time. It would be updated much less frequently. Any particular thoughts on whether that would be something anyone would be interested in? Or would you prefer I just keep up the one story to keep me from possibly dividing my already limited time?