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Family Reunion

A Scarborough Fair Story

by RedFox6

As the Scarborough Fair traversed hyperspace, Tollel was attending school. While her body sat motionless in her cabin, her mind traveled through Marie's systems. Under Marie's guidance, she was learning how to improve her abilities in cyberspace.

As her avatar moved through the systems, she came across a sealed file marked with a red rose. Her curiosity was aroused, as all the other files she had come across were identified by alpha-numeric codes.

“Marie,” she asked. “What's this?”

There was silence. It went on for so long that Tollel thought Marie wasn't going to answer.

Then, almost shyly, she did. “Those are my most important files. Memories of all the organics I have worked with over the years. Would you care to see some of them?”

“Yes, please,” she answered.

“These are the most recent ones,” Marie began. “When this ship was called the Wild Rose and we were Wild Rose Trouble Consultants Ltd.”

The first file came up, a middle aged gray coyote with dark brown hair and his left ear partially chewed off. He was wearing a singlet that stated, 'Always Bring Grenades' while holding a beer and smiling broadly at something.

“George Beltane,” she continued. “A member of a special forces group, before it was forcibly 'disbanded'. A good fur, and one of the first to realize that I was fully sentient. He died on Excalibur, covering our escape.”

Another file came up, showing a human female with chestnut hair dressed in an ancient style bomber jacket and jodhpurs, and posing with an oversized revolver in her hand and a sardonic smile across her face. “Florence Fisher,” Marie said. “Founder of Wild Rose. George may have been the public face of our group, but Florie was the guiding light. To a very real extent, she kept the group together. Even after the others left, Florie and I kept going. We left the Sword Worlds, and began trying to help wherever we could. It was while we were smuggling weapons and equipment to Johnny Rotten that we met Leu. After they were destroyed, he joined us as a partner for several years. He has soldiered on after Florie's death on Deseret, trying to carry on her legacy.”

The next file came up, showing a short mouseling with pale cream fur and red hair, dressed in a light blue jumpsuit and holding a large gray cat in her arms. She had a pair of goggles perched on her head and a smile so wide it almost met itself behind her. “The mouseling is Gadget Hackwrench,” Marie began. “She was an orphan, who named herself after a character in an ancient, preHegemony animated movie. An itinerant engineer on Asherah who showed up at our original spaceship looking for work. She did such a good job, that Florie and George offered her a permanent position. As she was unable to get into the Engineers' Guild, and thus secure a steady job, she accepted.

“Her companion is Joel Grey, a Terran cat uplifted to human level intelligence. We never did learn how they came to be together. Joel was very protective of her, and only reluctantly trusted us. Oddly enough, he was very good at hacking computers. He caused me many problems while attempting to hack my systems. Because of his efforts, I was able to find and plug many holes in my security settings. He also enabled me to automate the ship more effectively, although I still occasionally find trapdoors he left behind.”

The next file came up, showing two humans wearing naught but collars. The female had auburn hair, while the male had been completely depilated, save for his eyebrows. Both were laughing happily at something. “Kayla and Cale,” Marie said. “The children of one of George's friends. The political situation changed for the worst on Durendal, and it was necessary to smuggle them offplanet. The quickest and most expedient way was to disguise them as slaves. Once safely offplanet, they decided that they liked being our slaves, and continued on as such. They were very useful in helping us navigate the overly complicated politics of the Sword Worlds.”

There were other files, and Marie quickly skimmed through some of them.

Marie finished with, “As long as I exist, all these people, including you and Leu, will be remembered.”

It was an oddly comforting thought to Tollel.

While Tollel continued her training, Leu was on the bridge, catching up with his emails. Scrolling through, he came across one with a very familiar address.

“Ah, Sheol,” he thought. “Is it that time already?”

He sat for a moment, then muttered, “Might as well get it over with now.”

Opening the email he watched as an almost impossibly cute and perky calico neko girl came up. “Leucidion O'Faolain.” she began. “It's that time of year again. And we're expecting you at the reunion this year. You know you're going to come eventually. Nobody can resist me forever. So you might as well give up now.”

Her expression softened. “Please, Leu, it's been so long. I just want to see my big brother again.”

He let the message run to the end, then began, “Marie, send back the usual reply, can't make it because of schedule, etc., etc., blah blah, woof, woooffff,....”

Trailing off, he sat there thinking. Finally, he muttered to himself, “Why not? If she wants to, that is.

“Sure, why not?” he finished out loud, almost smiling. “Marie, hold off on that message. When Tollel's done with her classes, could you ask her to come up to the bridge? I'd like to ask her something.”

When Tollel arrived, Leu smiled and said, “There you are. I need your input on something.”

Turning to the console and pointing at the neko girl on the screen, Leu said, “That insufferably cute little furball is my sister Katie, aka Trouble.”

At Tollel's quizzical glance, he explained, “I come from a multi species family.”

Smiling, he went on, “She earned that nickname at age eight, when she hacked the planetary defense grid. The Authorities were less than amused, even though she showed them how to fix the hole. She's been programming ever since. Has her own company and does a lot of freelance work for various businesses.

“But, on to the point,” he said, unpausing the message.

When it finished, Tollel looked at Leu and asked, “Do you want to go to this 'reunion'?”

With a sad smile, Leu said, “The last time I went was 15 years ago. It didn't really work out so well. I had more than a few problems back then, and left early. Katie's been trying to get me to come back ever since. A very persistent kid sister.

“But the relevant question,” he went on. “is, do you want to go and meet my family?”

Tollel considered the proposition carefully. She'd never had a real family, and the thought of acceptance, of belonging, was tempting. And if the rest of his family was like Leu, she could expect to be accepted wholeheartedly.

“I, I think that I would like that,” she finally said.

“Okay,” he replied. “I'll send an acceptance note. It's not for another month, so that should be enough time for everyone to get over the shock of my showing up.”

With a wicked smile, he went on, “At which point, we'll shock them with just how smexy you are.”

The time went quickly, and almost before they knew it, the Scarborough Fair was diving deep into the core of the Confederation. The week and a half trip went well, and soon they were coming out of hyperspace near Huron-Beltane, where they were immediately tagged by the Planetary Defense Grid. After completing the identification procedures, and declaring their reasons for being there, they were allowed to pass through the Grid and approach the planet.

Once they were past the Defense Grid and in orbit, the Planetary Navigation System plotted their course to Fauna Station Starport, the closest one to Leu's home. A message was sent groundside, notifying Leu's family of his estimated arrival time.

When it was their time to leave orbit, the PNS took control of the ship, guiding them to their destination.

Sitting on the bridge with Tollel, Leu remarked, “It's always a little disconcerting when the ship's remotely controlled. Just doesn't feel right.”

“It's almost as if they don't trust me,” Marie sniffed from the speakers. “I could understand it if it were an organic pilot bringing us in, but I am fully capable of landing this ship without outside aid.”

Smiling, Leu said, “Let's just hope they don't remember what happened the last time we were here.”

“I have told you before, Leu,” Marie responded, “With your sister's help I was able to successfully erase that information from the databases onplanet. There is no evidence that can connect us to that incident.”

“I certainly hope so,” he answered. “I don't think we could afford the fines.”

“And besides,” she went on. “It is not my fault that their security was so lax. Any competent SysAdmin would not have left that many gaps in their systems.

“Really,” she finished up with. “I think they should consider themselves lucky that I even notified them of their system's deficiencies at all, rather than leave them to be exploited by someone with less benign motives.”

“I think it was the way you did it that they most objected to,” he replied dryly. “Most governments don't really have that much of a sense of humor.”

Smiling, he finished with “But Katie sure did seem to find it hilarious.”

As they came in towards Fauna Station Starport, its true size became more apparent. Centered on the control tower/main concourse, it spread out in a massive dome several kilometers in diameter. The top was covered in hatches for the landing bays, opening and closing as ships entered and exited them.

Under ground control, the Scarborough Fair moved into the landing queue. As they came up on their assigned landing bay, they dropped out of the queue towards the dome, the hatch below them opening up as they reached it, giving them access to their assigned landing bay.

Once they'd landed and their engines were off, the roof closed and robotic power and communication umbilicals connected themselves to the Fair. The local Huron-Beltane time and date was displayed on the monitors, along with the temperature both inside and outside the structure.

With everything secured, Leu turned everything over to Marie, saying, “We're off. Try not to cause too much trouble, 'kay?”

“You know that they will not be able to trace anything I may or may not do back to us,” she replied.

“As far as we know,” he said with a smile. “But after last time, I'd rather not take any chances.”

Wondering, Tollel made a mental note to ask later what they were talking about.

Leu and Tollel picked up their bags and left the bridge, exiting the ship through the lowered cargo ramp on the second deck. Walking across the hanger floor, they entered the access corridor and waited while the security systems screened them for weapons, contraband and infectious diseases. Once cleared, the door opened. A small travel cart was waiting for them just outside. Leu held the door for Tollel, and waited while she got settled in before entering himself. Once the door was closed, Fauna Station Starport's Internal Traffic Control started their cart and effortlessly merged it amongst the others that were traveling in the major passenger arteries, soothing music playing from the speakers.

Their travel cart stopped when it reached the access corridor leading to CHI. After they exited it, and moved into the corridor itself, their cart moved on to pick up its next passengers.

As they exited the access corridor, they saw a small group of humans and morphs waiting for them.

At the front of the crowd was the calico neko girl from the email, smiling widely, waving madly and practically bouncing up and down in her excitement. Slightly embarrassed, Leu waved back.

They got in line and went through the formalities at the automated CHI station. Once approved, their IDs were digitally stamped and they were allowed into the reception area.

Katie immediately rushed up to Leu and grabbed him in a big bear hug. By the time the others reached them, she had already introduced herself to Tollel with a friendly hug as well.

There was a hurried flurry of introductions, and the group moved off to the parking lot. A Khanorkon Scout skimmer waited for them. Seating themselves inside, they waited while the Automated Traffic Control System found a slot for them in the dense streams of traffic that filled the ground and air lanes.

Once they were launched and flying off, Katie turned to Tollel, pointed to her collar and said, “Finally. We're well past CHI, so you can take that silly thing off.”

Leu was surprised that she'd caught on so quickly. Seeing his expression, she rolled her eyes, then went on, “Oh puh-lease, big brother. I know you way better than that. You would never own someone. So, the only reason for the collar is either some kind of game, and I know how bad you are at those, or you're hiding her from someone.”

She smiled dreamily for a moment, then said, “That's so romantic.

“And totally typical.” She turned to Tollel and said, “Even when he was younger, I remember he was always bringing home strays and injured critters. Mom actually considered hiring a full time vet to stay at the house. And then there was that time he brought home that runaway.

“Remember Lucinda?” she finished, looking at Leu.

He winced and said, “I'd rather not. That didn't end well at all.”

“It did for her,” Katie explained. “She found a good man and settled down. In fact, their eldest kit graduates from college this year.”

Smiling at the byplay, Tollel reached up and removed her collar. She placed it in her bag while watching the friendly banter between Leu and Katie. The rest of the trip passed comfortably as Leu and Katie got caught up with each other. Leu's speech pattern quickly shifted to match Katie's. Their Lingua Gaelic had a slightly different accent than Tollel was used to, giving it a more musical lilt, pleasing on the ears.

The skimmer flew over a small stretch of ocean heading towards an offshore island.

“That's Freemeda Island Refuge,” Katie said, smiling. “We own the whole thing. Isn't it great?

“It's one of the few places left on Huron-Beltane that still has lots of old growth Bolean Trees, nesting sites of the Ruby Ladybird. They're both sooo beautiful. I'll have to show you while you're here.”

Katie's enthusiasm was infectious, and Tollel found herself smiling along with her.

Soon enough, they were coming up on Treside Pinnacle, rising from the center of the island, the location of the O'Faolain family home.

As they came over the hill, Katie excitedly pointed out the house to Tollel. “That's Shadow Falls,” she said. “Home sweet home.”

The house sprawled across the wooded hilltop, blending in almost seamlessly with the trees. On one side it overlooked a valley with a river running down the middle. Several smaller creeks meandered down through the woods before becoming waterfalls and joining the river. Tollel was enchanted with the view, watching as they flew over the hill and headed for the landing pad.

“It's so beautiful,” she said, delight showing plainly on her face as they landed and prepared to exit the skimmer.

As they got out, Tollel breathed deep, taking in the fresh air, and identifying all the myriad scents that were carried on the breeze. Her tail gently wagged happily, while her ears twitched back and forth at all the forest sounds that drifted through the air.

As they were disembarking at the house, Katie casually remarked, “Oh yeah, Mom wants to see you both as soon as we arrive. She's in her sitting room.”

Leu glowered at her. “And you couldn't mention that earlier?”

Barely concealing a wicked smile at his discomfort, she answered, “But it's your own fault. It's been so long and there was so much to get caught up on, I didn't really have the time.”

Shaking his head while muttering under his breath about evil kid sisters, Leu escorted Tollel down the hallway to his mother's favorite room. Set at the east end of the house, its large bay windows allowed a breathtaking view of the valley below. Small groupings of comfortable furniture were scattered about the room, books and tablets covering some of the tables. Dark wooden bookcases filled with real books lined the walls, interspersed with framed artwork, mostly landscapes from various planets, along with photographs and portraits of family members and friends. It had a friendly, lived in look.

Entering the room, Tollel saw an older human woman sitting on a couch. Even sitting down, her presence seemed to fill the room.

“Mom,” Leu said. “this is Tollel, my companion and SO. Tollel, this is my mother, Moira Scathach O'Faolain.”

“Come in,” she said, rising, then, “Please, come closer. These old eyes aren't as good as they used to be.”

With Leu behind her, she moved closer. Keen eyes the same color as Leu's looked her over before she spoke. “Vito said that you were quite the beauty. I see that he did not exaggerate,” she said.

At Leu's expression she went on, “Just because you never write or call, doesn't mean that your friends don't.

“Now come,” she said to Tollel, smiling. “Sit next to me, we have so much to talk about.”

Seated nearby, Leu watched as, for the next half hour, his mother did her usual magic, setting Tollel at ease and getting her to speak freely. Tollel quickly lost her shyness and joined in with Moira's jokes and observations, adding her own opinions as well. By the end, the two were acting like old friends.

Finally, Moira said, “Thank you my dear, for putting up with an old woman's prattling. But now, I believe my most troublesome daughter would like to take you to the beach for a while. We have a quite lovely one on the north end. Enjoy yourself.

“Now shoo,” she went on. “I would speak with my son for a while.”

Smiling, and with a slight bow to Moira, Tollel left the room. Just outside the door she met Katie, who immediately whisked her away, chattering happily all the while.

“So,” Moira said, getting immediately to the point. “when is the wedding going to occur?”

Leu's face fell. “It's not,” he answered. “She really was a slave. I saved her from her last owner, but he put a flag on her biometrics on the interwebs. He's dead now, but his org still has the flag.”

“I see,” his mother said gently. “Slaves can't be wed, only owned. And if you free her and wed her...,”

“Crakesbones' org will be able to find her,” he replied glumly, finishing her thought. “And I can't, I won’t, let her go back to that.”

“A problem indeed,” she answered.

“Still,” she went on. “While she is here, she's family.

“And we protect family.” For just an instant, a hint of the iron that had so attracted his father showed through on his mother's face.

And then, “So tell me,” she asked. “How have you been doing these last few years? Better, I hope?”

“Yeah, the last year has been pretty good,” was the reply. “A few parts were a little more exciting than I could have wanted, but overall, much better.”

A wry smile crossed his face as he thought about the long conversation he'd had with Marie after she'd locked him in the airlock while they exited Malmordo's atmosphere. She hadn't been happy with his actions onplanet, and wanted to express her displeasure. And he had to admit, she'd been right. He'd broken his word and used a command override on her, something he'd sworn never to do.

Tollel had been furious as well, as evidenced by the slap she'd given him as soon as he'd entered the ship, followed by a long, angry rant about what he'd done to her and Marie. After the shock had worn off, he'd been secretly proud of her new found assertiveness, painful as it was. Even chastened by her justifiable anger, he was happy at this evidence that she was overcoming her slave conditioning.

The conversation went on for some time. Moira was very happy with the changes she saw in her son. The guilt and anger and self loathing seemed to be gone, replaced by calm. The wry sense of humor that she loved so much had returned, and he seemed more relaxed and happier, much more like the idealist who had gone to the Empire to teach and change the galaxy. And it was such a drastic change from the last time he had been home.

“I believe that Vito is right,” she thought. “This woman is good for my son. And it is obvious that they care for each other, even love each other. Tollel has returned my son to me. For that, if for nothing else, I am in her debt.”

With Katie chattering happily about the beach all the way, Tollel followed her into a fairly sizable bedroom. Scattered around were a comfortable looking bed, several chests of drawers, and a large elaborate wooden desk covered with state of the art computer equipment. Walk in closets took up two of the walls, while a large window over the desk looked out over the countryside. Everything was bright and cheerful, with several stuffed animals perched on the furniture and along the walls. It was a perfect expression of Katie's personality.

“You'll love it!” she exclaimed, seating herself on the bed.

Noticing Tollel's uncertain expression, she went on, ”What is it? Is something wrong?”

“No,” Tollel replied. “It's just that, I've never been to a beach before.”

“You've never been to a beach?” Katie exclaimed in surprise. “Well then, we'll have to remedy that immediately.

“First off,” she went on. “a swimsuit.”

She looked Tollel over for a moment, then smiled and said, “I've got just the thing!”

She dived into one of her closets, and, after a moment of digging around, came out with a sea blue bikini, that complemented Tollel’s fur.

Trying it on and looking at herself in the mirror, Tollel had to admit that it was both comfortable and accented her body admirably. A matching hat and sunglasses and they were ready to go.

A short skimmer ride later, they were at the beach.

Stepping out onto the sand, Tollel felt a gentle breeze ruffle her fur. The smell of salt water and sand filled her nose, while the sounds of laughter filled her ears. She could tell that the party had been going on for some time, as there were blankets and umbrellas scattered across the beach, interspersed with folding chairs and small tables next to portable grills. Humans and morphs stood over some of the grills, cooking up various food items and distributing them to anyone who came by with a plate. Coolers full of soft drinks and beer were everywhere. Along the beach swim suited people frolicked across the sand, while others sunbathed on blankets. A spirited game of volleyball occupied several beachgoers off to her left, while to her right others seemed to be building something out of the sand.

Not being hungry yet, Tollel merely collected a soft drink then found an unoccupied blanket to watch the fun.

Laying back on the blanket, Tollel relaxed, luxuriating as the sun warmed her fur, the gentle sound of the waves calming her nerves.

She looked on dubiously as Katie and several other members of their party splashed out into the ocean waves that came curling up the beach.

Katie ran up the beach to Tollel, water running off her fur. “Come on in,” she said. “The water's fine.”

“I, I can't,” Tollel said.

“Why ever not?”

“My, trainers never taught me how to swim,” she shyly admitted.

After a moment's shock, Katie exclaimed, “Those bastards! And of course, there's nowhere to swim on your ship.

“Well. We'll just have to fix that right now.

“And,” she went on, glancing around with a sly smile at all the males who had been more or less openly admiring them all day, “there are plenty of people here who would jump at the chance to help you learn.

“In fact,” she went on. “I know just the one.

“Hey, Micha!” she called out to a middle aged otter who was splashing around in the surf. “Come on over, I've got a job for you.”

Micha smoothly swam through the waves. Reaching the shallows, he rose up, water streaming from his fur. Smiling, he replied, “What can I do to help you?”

“Tollel here,” Katie began. “was never taught how to swim. I was hoping you could give her some lessons.”

Turning to Tollel, she explained, “Micha here is a certified swim instructor. In fact, he taught me when I was younger.” Glancing at his physique with a sly smile, she went on, “That's just one of the reasons we keep him around.”

“I am happily married you know,” he replied dryly.

“Never learned to swim?” he inquired. When Tollel shook her head, he went on, “Well, that's not a problem. We'll start with the basics and work up from there. And don't worry, I'll be right beside you all the way. Haven't lost a student yet, and I don't intend on starting now.”

His confident manner and friendly smile set her at ease, and she felt no qualms as he led her toward the ocean.

Being naturally athletic and a quick learner, she swiftly mastered the basics. True to his word, Micha stayed with her all the time, ready to help if needed, and giving advice and encouragement.

Nearby, Katie floated on the waves, watching as Tollel quickly gained confidence and began enjoying herself, frolicking in the water along with everyone else.

Laughing, Tollel finally came out of the surf and shook herself, then walked to where Katie was reclining on a large towel. Exhausted, Tollel dropped down beside her, water streaming from her fur.

“Well?” Katie asked with a half smile while cocking one eyebrow.

Despite being different species, the resemblance to Leu was so striking that it caused Tollel to laugh again, before saying, “Deities, I never knew that water could be so much fun. Or so tiring.”

All too soon the sun began setting. Grills were extinguished, tables and chairs were packed up, blankets and towels were collected and umbrellas folded. Everyone pitched in and policed up the area for leftovers and garbage, and all too soon for Tollel the day's activities were over.

Everything and everyone was loaded aboard the several vehicles, and then the trip back to Shadow Falls began.

After arriving back at the house, Tollel began helping unload the aircars.

Seeing this, Katie came over and said, “No, no. You're our guest, and we've got this. You go find my brother; he'll be anxious to know how your day went, and” she continued with a smile, “he can help you shower and get the rest of that salt out of your fur.

“We'll see you again at supper. Now shoo.”

Tollel moved off, shaking her head and wondering if Katie could ever not be cheerful for more than a minute. Still, it was contagious, and Tollel walked to her room smiling happily, looking forward to telling Leu about her day.

When she walked into their room, Leu was studying something on his PPC. Looking up, his eyes lit up as he took in her swimsuit. “Nice,” he said as he rose and took her into his arms.

A couple of kisses later, then, “So, can I assume my kid sister got you hooked on the beach?”

“Oh, yes,” she replied, a large smile across her face. She filled him in on the details while heading towards the bathroom, stripping off her bikini as she went. Leu followed, undressing as well.

Reaching the shower, she finished with, “Then Katie suggested that I get you to help me shower the rest of the salt out of my fur. Interested?”

“Do you really have to ask?” he replied, stepping into the shower with her.

He took the bottle of her shampoo, specially formulated for morph fur, and began rubbing it into her fur and hair. He also took the opportunity to use some of the skills that Tollel had taught him over the last year to massage some of the soreness out of her muscles.

Their activities brought the expected results, and they came together under the water, kissing and caressing each other, then, still embracing each other, they moved to the drying tube. Big enough for two, it almost seemed designed to encourage conjugal relationships.

Unfortunately, by the time they had finished showering all the salt out of her fur and then drying off, it was almost dinner time.

“Much as I'd love to continue, Mom really hates it when people are late for supper,” he said, reluctantly breaking off the kiss. “It's usually the only time everyone gathers together, so it's kind of a big deal for her.”

“I guess we shouldn't disappoint her then,” Tollel answered.

“Yeah,” Leu agreed. “Still, supper rarely lasts more than an hour or so. I guess I can wait that long.”

Feeling rather frustrated, they both dressed and then headed for the dining room.

Entering, Tollel saw a long formal dining table with small cards at each seat, denoting who was sitting where.

When they found their seats, Tollel saw a young human across the table from her. The young man, handsome and obviously aware of it, was introduced as Mike Dario, a nephew come to visit.

Rising as they were introduced, he smiled and then waited until they were seated before he sat himself.

Looking from Tollel to Leu, Mike frowned suddenly and said disgustedly, “No, no, no, no, no. This is totally unacceptable.”

As Tollel's face and ears fell, he continued, pointing at her, “She is obviously far too good for you. I demand that you release her immediately so that she may join with someone who is worthy of her beauty.”

She almost blushed at the compliment, ears rising and a smile breaking out across her face.

“Someone like you, maybe?” Leu responded.

Sitting back in his chair, Mike looked at his nails, buffed them on his shirt, and said, “Well, naturally. We do want her to have the best, right?” With practiced ease he caught the dinner roll that Leu threw at him.

After a pause, Tollel said, “I appreciate the compliment, Mike. But I'm afraid that no one is 'releasing' me without my permission.”

While Leu shrugged and gave Mike a 'what can you do?' expression, Tollel went on, smiling, “But, if I'm ever in the market, I'll definitely look you up.”

“Ah,” Mike said with a knowing smile. “still under his spell I see. But you will come to your senses before I leave. I am sure of it.”

Watching how Leu and Tollel interacted, he continued under his breath, “Maybe,”

For the rest of the meal, Mike was a perfect gentleman, witty and clever in the ongoing conversations. When it was his turn, his tales of his misadventures as a top model kept everyone laughing and smiling and hanging on his every word.

The food was delicious, the conversation was entertaining, and everyone helped to make Tollel feel at home.

The meal went on for an hour, drones bringing the dishes, as everyone tucked in and enjoyed both the food and companionship.

Watching all the interactions among the dinner goers, a feeling of being at home began to work its way through Tollel, and she began relaxing. She began feeling more comfortable in freely engaging in conversations with the others. Everyone was treating her like an equal and an honored guest, or even a family member.

Looking across the table, Katie caught her eye, smiling and giving her a broad wink. “I told you it'd be alright,” came through as clearly as if she'd said it out loud.

By the time the meal was over, Tollel had made several friends among all the people. Her natural friendliness and likability made her popular among the guests, and she had even exchanged email addresses with several of them.

By the time the day was over, Tollel was more than happy to fall in bed with Leu. They finished their day by making slow and gentle love before falling asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning Tollel awoke to Leu shaking her gently. “Time to get up, darlin',” he said.

Yawning, she asked, “What time is it, anyway?”

Looking at the clock, her eyes widened as she saw how early it was. “What's so important that we have to get up this early?”

“Something special,” Leu replied with a smile. “but we have to get there before sunrise.”

A half hour later, they were sitting on the hill opposite the house. The morning songs of the Ruby Ladybirds began drifting through the forest as the sun began rising behind them.

Sitting there watching the sun rise, Tollel glanced at Leu. For the first time since they'd met, she saw him totally relaxed and at peace, with an almost childlike expression of joy on his face.

“It never gets old,” he said softly, watching as the sun rose over the hill behind them, illuminating the east side of the family home, the light slowly creeping down the heavily forested slope, chasing away the shadows and sparkling off the many small streams snaking down towards the river below. The sounds of the flowing water complemented the songs of the Ruby Ladybirds that filled the morning air.

Tollel turned back to the scene, feeling the peace and tranquility wash over her. It felt as much like home as the Fair itself.

Far too soon, the reunion was over, and everyone began leaving, returning to their homes and jobs. Leu and Tollel were among the last to leave, reluctantly leaving the sanctuary of Shadow Falls.

Katie and several others flew with them to see them off at the spaceport.

While Tollel was saying good bye to the others, Leu had a few moments alone with Katie.

“I just wanted to say thanks,” he said.

“For what?” she replied, confused.

“For still thinking I'm worth the effort,” he answered.

“You're my big brother,” she said, hugging him.

“And you're my annoying kid sister,” he replied, hugging her back.

“It worked, didn't it,” she answered, smiling widely.

“Indeed it did. Don't ever change.”

“Of course not,” she said. “Remember what you said years ago? 'Weaponized cuteness, the most powerful weapon ever.' Why would I give that up?

“Remember what Mom said,” she went on. “Call and write, okay? And we'll be expecting you both for the next reunion too.”

“Now that I've exposed Tollel to you all, I don't think I could keep her away,” he replied laughing.

He reluctantly let her go, waved at everyone, then turned and escorted Tollel down the passageway to the Fair.