Chapter 8
Chee
“So, you’re Trove’s mate?” Goldie finally said, breaking the easy silence that had fallen over the girls as they paused to eat their frozen sweet treat or take a drink of something fruity that Chee didn't recognize.
They had finished ribbing her over her name and invited her to the rec room for treats, drinks, and chatter.
And unlike before, this offer had been made genuinely, so Chee had accepted it and, to her surprise, found she actually liked these women.
Haven was a little energy goblin who had problems sitting still, but she was quite possibly the most intelligent person Chee had ever met.
She taught herself Standard by listening to it instead of through the language imprint directly beamed into her brain.
She helped create this whole ship. She designed and built it by hand in places.
And she had done even more besides. If it weren’t for the obvious ADHD that made her an easily distracted energy ball, she might be terrifying.
Goldie was right next to her in impressiveness though, as she was learning alien medicine online – essentially – and was acting as the ship’s medical officer.
Including as the gyno for the three pregnant ladies who were all carrying alien hybrids.
And sure, alien pregnancies were, apparently, easier on the body than human ones, but that didn't make it less impressive.
Grace and Garnet were the two obviously pregnant ones, and they weren’t unimpressive themselves.
Sure, they weren’t teaching themselves alien science, but they had still helped build this ship while heavily pregnant, out in the middle of nowhere, with only themselves to rely on.
Grace carried herself like nobility while Garnet slumped backward, lovingly stroking her baby belly.
The former looked like the picture perfect ideal of what a pregnant lady aspired to be in maternity photos while Garnet seemed like she’d shoved a beachball under her dress that was filled with sand and was weighing her down.
But both of them were smiling as they ate their alien sherbet and got to know Chee.
It was all going pretty well. They’d asked about her life on Earth, what it was like being an event coordinator, what kind of events she coordinated – mostly weddings, but there were also reunions and lavish birthday parties and corporate events, etc.
They talked about the various ways they had come into space, which seemed to be different for all of them.
Garnet and Goldie were kidnapped, Grace had matriculated after being part of the Lunar Experiments conducted on humans by the Coalition, and Haven, in probably the most ADHD genius thing Chee had ever heard, had snuck aboard a ship and just stowed away across the universe.
She’d learned spaceship mechanics with the same ease she’d learned Standard as a language and once again, Chee found herself nearly intimidated by the girl wearing an alien jumpsuit under a letter jacket from her high school.
It was all very innocent and benign and fun.
Until Goldie finally said the part they had been deliberately not talking about. And now all of them were looking at her, waiting for her answer.
Chee took her time finishing her alien treat before saying-
“Biologically, it would appear so.”
“That’s one way to answer,” Garnet snickered. “You don’t seem happy about it.”
“Neither did he. I suppose in that, we are perfectly matched. I think this is a situation where we shall be two ships passing in the night and let it be.”
“Yeah, right,” Garnet snickered.
“Trove didn't want to pursue this?” Haven asked, her words a bit slower than the others. She still had a bit of an accent, but apparently she was a lot better at talking than she used to be. So long as she focused – if she was rushed, her Standard became more broken. “Trove loves being with women. I’m surprised he’s not all over you. ”
“He loves women, huh,” Chee repeated, somehow not surprised. He definitely had the look of someone like that.
“Not that you need to worry,” Goldie assured her quickly. “Part of the domini mate bond thing is that he physically can’t get hard for another. Ever again. You’re it for him. So, it doesn’t matter what he was like before. He’s totally devoted to you now.”
“Huh,” Chee blinked. “I didn't know that. How does that work?”
“Oh, well, actually, the way the domini brain and endocrine system work together after the mating bond is triggered is really fascinating-”
“Pass,” Garnet cut her off. “Don’t let her get started. And don’t change the subject. If you’re Trove’s mate, that means you’re one of us, right?”
Foiled in her plan to move them past this, Chee grimaced.
“I don’t think that’s quite… Not that I don’t like you all.
You’re very nice. This has been fun. But I only came here to complete this job.
I’m not really… What I mean is, it doesn’t really seem fair to just expect that you guys will subsume me into your crew or anything. ”
“Why?” Grace cocked her head. “Do you have something else going on?”
“No. Not really. Just this.”
“What are you doing after this then?”
Chee hesitated. Honestly, she didn't really know. She had a goal here and accomplishing that goal was her only ambition right now. Whatever came after was something that could be decided later.
“Hyde promised that he’d help me,” she finally said.
“Yeah, well, Hyde is your sponsor, that’s his job,” Garnet pointed out easily.
“But that just means he has to provide you with a place to live and means to take care of yourself while your sponsorship is ongoing. It has nothing to do with what you want to do. You had to completely give up your Earth citizenship and any right to ever return to come out here. Surely, you had some kind of plan.”
Chee shook her head. No. She really didn't. Not beyond getting Hyde to keep his end of their deal. “Maybe someone needs an event planner.”
“So, nothing?” Garnet leaned forward as far as her belly would allow. “There’s no reason not to stay with us then. Right?”
Chee frowned, drawing back from her. Uncomfortable. “Why do you care so much?”
“Because I love my boys. Trove included. And if you’re the one destined to make him happy, then I want you to be with him.”
“Yeah, well, what about me? Who said he could make me happy?”
Without giving her a chance to answer, and absolutely running from this problem, Chee put down her bowl and stalked quickly from the room.
Sure, his friends loved him. And yeah, she was sure he was a great friend. That didn't mean he’d make a great partner, and nothing she saw about him so far convinced him that he might be.
This absolutely was not going to work.