I traced my fingers up the line of Addy's spine until they rested along the back of her neck. Her shoulders were tight, pulled so high up they were nearly touching her ears from her anxiety. I massaged the muscles there, pleased by the way it made her roll her neck a little. Her shoulders slowly loosened as she continued her chatter with her Riniere.

Charlotte was easy to remember. I'd spoken to her multiple times now when she'd called on me once before and twice when I'd reach out to her on behalf of my own Riniere and what amounted to the treason we'd been drafting in secret. She'd need more than helpful in those few brief conversations.

I did my best to commit the others to memory while I had the chance, though I hoped in the future we could have a more conventional meeting of Rinieres. Until then, though, I enjoyed the bits and pieces of memories Addy had shared with me from before and let them consolidate themselves into the visions of her friends in front of me.

While I found Charlotte easy to remember, the other one with the hair like Addric's was harder to reconcile. She'd told me her name was Petra with a voice that was lower than I would have expected from her. I knew from Addy's stories that she was the logical pragmatic one, easily the mother of the group who knew when to take charge. Though, as I watched the flow of their conversation, I found that there was an easiness in their interaction that was as familiar to me as my own friends.

"So, you're happy then?" Petra asked Addy. Her eyes didn't flick my way quite as I expected them to, though I know I was an undercurrent in the conversation. It didn't make me mad, in truth I was happy that her friends were concerned for her well-being. It eased a ragged part of me to know that others were there to hold her gently along with me. The auburn slashes of her brows cut down along her face scrunching it along with the scattered freckles.

"More than I ever expected I would be, for real," Her hand reached back, searching for mine, though it was already on her. I'd never deny her the connection, or anything at all, so I pulled my hand away from the curve of her shoulders and slipped it into hers. She gave it a squeeze.

The girl in the back, whom I knew was Gabby --a far easier deduction than the others-- mumbled something and motioned to the screen, to us. The quiet one next to her jostled her with her elbow, but they both dissolved into laughter in the background. I was nearly certain she was Alicia, though she'd yet to get the opportunity to introduce herself. It was either her or Natalie --though they both tended to get muddled in my mind from Addy's stories.

"You're a lecher," Charlotte rounded on Gabby, pinning both her and Alicia to the spot.

Gabby scoffed, nearly affronted the way her mouth fell open told me they were both close to laughter, "You're one to talk, Charlotte! The only thing we've heard about since you let it slip was that one--"

"I will kill you," Charlotte marched back towards the two girls, Alicia dodging out of her way well before Gabby had even realized she was coming.

"Should we be worried?" I whispered to Addy, but she only laughed.

"No, they act like children on good days," Gabby dodged out of frame and Charlotte tore after her.

I could hear something squeak in the background and then a smack onto a hard surface, Charlotte's voice rose over the sounds, "Ohhhhhohoho bitch you thought."

Gabby's high-pitched laughter had both Alicia and Petra glancing their way, amused and bored respectively.

"You're certain we shouldn't be concerned?" Before Addy could answer me, the female I assumed to be Alicia looked my way --the first to directly address me aside from introductions.

"They're fine. Gabby tried to lock herself in the bathroom, but Charlotte caught her. She'll probably spray her with the showerhead or something. Charlotte's just a little sensitive is all," Petra and Addy both were caught in a surprised huff of laughter at that, but Alicia seemed stalwart, "I'm Alicia by the way."

"A fond morning to make your acquaintance, Alicia. You may call me Esayr," Alicia's smile was soft in a way that was hard to describe. Unassuming, but present in a way that would sit there whenever you needed it. When she turned her attention back to Addy the friendliness of it still lingered and settled itself in my chest, making me look forward to a smoother future. "We'd like to hear from you some more, Addy."

"Same," Addy pulled that thin device out of the pocket of her pants, even though it didn't work the way she wanted she'd taken to carrying it with her wherever we went, "We're trying to see if we can rig my phone to make calls down to the planet with some updated technology."

Addy turned her face up to look at me and I had to shove down the desire to kiss her since I'd assumed this conversation was a means for her friends to get accustomed to me. "Do you think Vailen has any idea of when that could get done? Or if it even can?"

"We can ask, we could also always go to Kayle's brother Lirin to see if he might be able to do it himself."

"The one who made the Clever Arrow?"

I liked the English translation of Kayle's media and drink hall, especially when Addy said it. "If we can't get ahold of any of the other Technical Engineers, I'm sure he'd set aside some time for us."

I'd fallen so terribly hard for my little mate, that when she looked at me the world could simply disappear. It was a surprise then, when Petra's warmed commentary, "Who's Kayle?"

Addy's Riniere was slowly adjusting and with familiarity came curiosity. It was something else that gave me hope. If we could at least engender curiosity amongst the human women, I was willing to bet that there was a chance for the future we'd all envisioned the day that Roan had dialed in those final coordinates that oriented the Aarond Form onto the last leg of its journey.

"He's," I paused over the word since Addy hadn't had any idea what I'd meant when I'd first uttered the word Riniere, "a close friend of mine. There are a few others, they are to me what you are all to Addy."

There was a rustling in the background again, and Alicia stepped back just in time for Gabby to lean back into the frame. Half of her brown curls hung limp and wet down her side, the other half was in a mussed tangle, "So, you're saying you have friends up there? What are their names? How old are they? Do you all look similar?"

My laughter surprised them I think, at the very least their eyes all widened, then crinkled down with amusement a second later, "There are five of us in total. Myself, whom you've met, then Kayle, Laene, Addric, and Kados. We're all similar enough, at least in a way that's akin to humans. We're all of an age, as well. I'm the youngest, then Addric and Kados --who are brothers-- then finally Laene and Kayle, though their margin of difference in age was nominal at best. It would have been traditional that you all meet each other at--" I paused again, unsure how comfortable Addy would be with talk of our mating, or even the phrasing at how I would usually have described it.

But my sweet little mate finished the sentence for me, and squeezed my hand with an air of reassurance I didn't even realize I'd needed, "our mating."

"Oh, now that's a fun word," Charlotte's honeyed voice could be heard behind the camera, just seconds before she re-entered the frame, "Very primal." Her eyebrows wiggled in a way that had all the other girls laughing.

"Shut up Charlotte," Addy snickered along with them.

"Fine. We'll table that conversation for another girl's talk then. But, we should get down to business. When will we meet the other boys then?"

That question took us all by surprise I think. I could feel an air of apprehension move through the girls on the screen as if I were actually present there with them. Meeting me, someone familiar and connected to them through Addy was certainly something, meeting my friends, however, looked to be something else entirely. I imagined it would take at least a few more conversations acclimating the girls to me before they would want to meet my Riniere. And --if I were being honest-- I didn't blame them, but it didn't stop the hope that we were making a bridge right here in these little moments, salvaging a relationship with one interpersonal connection at a time.

"They'd be willing to meet you whenever you're comfortable." It was probably the truth...mostly the truth... four-fifths the truth. I thought of Laene and wondered if he would be conspicuously absent like Natalie was.

"We'll talk about it," Like a switch, Charlotte's voice turned to that no-nonsense steel I'd become familiar with. It was that shrewd knowledge and a feel for the room and the thoughts of others. Petra leaned back just a little and shot her a look.

Even as only an Empath, I could tell there was a silent conversation made up of only thoughts and small expressions between them. A conversation would be had if not between the whole group, at least between them both. I was interested to see where their decision would land. Though, I resolved myself to warn Laene of the possibility long before we got an answer.

"What time is it?" Addy whispered to me, though Gabby caught the question.

"Somewhere fun to be?" That same movement in Gabby's eyebrows had them laughing again. It amused me that her Riniere gave her as much good-natured ribbing as mine had given me.

"Not as fun as I want, dammit," Addy groaned and turned back to her friends. She settled back against me though and my hands found their way back to her shoulders, "We're expecting Cecelia to be up here any minute."

Her shoulders tensed under my hands and I tried to smooth the muscles back down. Only my assurance that Vailen would have called for us had any impact, though.

She was met with a chorus of "oooh"s from her friends. There were a variety of questions, but most just centered around what she was like, though Addy had no concrete answers to give them just yet.

"She seems just like a normal woman. At least from what I heard of her, though talking to her was a little weird. I guess that's what you'd expect from a woman on the run. I'll know more later today."

"And hopefully after you talk to Lirin, you'll be able to tell us more about it on your phone soon." Alicia piped up from the background, surprising me that she remembered the name of Kayle's brother.

"Hopefully, I gotta get through convincing her that everyone on the ship isn't evil first, though." She raised her hand to rub at her own neck but met mine there, so instead, she just let it rest on top of my own.

"I mean hey, y'all ain't married yet so at least she knows you're not being pushed," Gabby's quick commentary had Charlotte's gaze flicking to her quickly, but she caught herself and schooled her features so fast I'd have missed it, had I not had nearly the exact same reaction.

If my Riniere had anything to say about it, all of the female populace would know they weren't going to be pushed very soon indeed.

Addy chewed on her lip, I could just barely see the action in the reflection of the screen, "Yeah," her words were slower, more considering, "I guess that's one benefit."

I could have groaned. Too many things were falling into place keeping us apart. I'd sooner have her over the damned couch quick and dirty at this point so that we could tie ourselves together so tightly we'd never know which thread had begun as hers or mine. But, that would wait until I'd spirited her back to our quarters.

Addy said her goodbyes to her friends and the comm feed shut down not long after, though she was mostly lost in thought. I pulled her to me, letting her nearness stoke a fire in my body that I knew wouldn't get quenched any time soon, "What's wrong."

Her voice was soft, "I guess there kinda is a benefit to going from mates to fully mated, while she's here, isn't there?"

I bit my tongue. There was logic in it, but my cock didn't want to admit it. Granted, it very rarely wanted to be logical anymore. So instead, I just inquired as to who she meant, though I knew it was Cecelia.

"Yeah, Cecelia, and that way she'd have a little more background for the fact that I'm unbiased in my interpretations. Then after we are fully mated," her cheeks pinkened even over the formal words and it made my mouth water and my fingers itch to touch her, "she'd know it was my own decision and I wasn't pressured."

"You're right," I had to drag the words out, but I was pleased to see she didn't look at all happy about them. "Her having access to us and seeing our interactions will be invaluable."

She let out a sigh so long that I'd have sworn should have deflated her entirely, "Fine."

I echoed her annoyed words she'd squawked out in our quarters, "Fine?" Two steps and I had her back hovering just shy of the wall, "What happened to 'Just stick it in me, Esayr'" I loved the way her hands balled in my shirt, keeping our bodies close together.

"Don't say naughty things to me when we can't act on them. You know Cece's going to be here soon."

Her eyes were wide, and her lips were parted. She'd wet them with her tongue just a second ago and I knew they'd taste like her, "Why not?" I advanced that little step until I was pressed up against her, flush all the way along her body. "Afraid someone might hear us?" I pressed my knee between her legs with just enough pressure that she spread them. "I've heard these rooms are soundproofed, though we could certainly find out if you wanted."

"Oh, fuck me, I really want to find out, but not right now. We just talked about why that's a bad idea."

My cock ached at her choice of words, even though the language implant told me she wasn't actually asking me to fuck her. As much as I wanted to tease some more, and share our pleasures with each other, logic proved right, though parts of me were loath to admit it. A chime was followed by Vailen's voice, "We've got word that Cecelia has made it to the Houston Lab."

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

I had a crazy thought the other day when I was driving home from work.

I don't know if this is a common thing that others have going through their minds in some form or another, but I have a habit of viewing my memories as being "bright" the scenery always being sunnier or more saturated and joyous and I look back on them with an air of wistfulness and a twinge of anxiety that I won't ever have moments like them again.

I think in a lot of ways people struggle with their mental health and I wouldn't say that I have a particularly hard time, but I will say that I do certainly have moments/spans of time where my past seems brighter, happier, more full of hope than my present or my future.

On Wednesday when I was coming home from work I had the thought "this is a bright moment right now. I'll look back on this moment and remember it" and then it struck me that I was happy. I was happy in a way that was less brief, in a way that had seeped into just my everyday attitude and how I viewed each day.

And part of that is because of you, because of your kindness in letting me just write a story for the sake of enjoyment and being here with me as it comes along. So thank you for being here with me and giving me a few minutes of your time whenever one of these notifications pops up.

I'm thankful for each and every one of you,

~Layla