N-Vorl and Teresa have finished their sensual business and lie cuddled together on the bed. The big yautja's arms are wrapped firmly around the ooman female's waist and he is fast asleep. However, Teresa is wide awake. She toys with the mesh on his chest with a wistful smile.

  "So this is my new reality?" Teresa whispers.

  N-Vorl stirs at the sound of her voice, his green eyes fluttering slowly open.

  "What is your new reality?" N-Vorl mutters sleepily.

  "To only have my lover for brief periods at a time. Always explaining to my son why his father cannot be with him. To my children...Why they cannot be with the one they love. I suppose, it's the least I deserve. It was my idea to breed a childling in the first place. I've made my bed. Now, I must sleep in it."

  N-Vorl draws Teresa closer to his chest and exhales sharply.

  "I cannot make change from the outside, Teresa. Believe me, I want nothing more than to be here with you forever. But, if I can spend enough time with the Council of Elders? If I can win their trust and respect? There may come a time...When V'Daha will no longer have to be a closely guarded secret. You could come home with me. Or, we could build a whole new life here. Free of dishonor. Every childling which has been abandoned by their sires could find a home with our kind. It is as Mau-Nis explained it to me...A goal for the greater good of all yautja."

  "I know, N-Vorl. I know. That doesn't mean I can't be unhappy about the whole thing. I'm tired of losing everyone I love. I'm just tired. I wish you could stay. But, I know you cannot."

  Wriggling out of N-Vorl's arms, and sitting up on the bed, Teresa glances around for her shift. Spying it on the floor, she prepares to climb off of the bed. N-Vorl wraps his arms around her waist, and draws her close, so that her back is against his broad chest. He rests his braided head on her left shoulder and enthusiastically breathes in her scent. Teresa is truly angry with him, despite her softened words. He has not smelled such anger since their time together aboard the ooman science vessel.

  "Do not be angry with me. You know that what I speak is the truth. A life of exile? Or a life of pleasure? Free from the council's quest for blood. Those are our choices, Teresa."

  "But do you really believe you can change their minds, N-Vorl? Or, is this another naive quest to prove something? You have nothing to prove to me. I want you here. With our family."

  Indecision creeps into N-Vorl's mind and he kisses Teresa's exposed shoulder. His round eyes narrow as he draws in a deep breath.

  "For now...This is how it must be."

  Teresa slams an angry fist down on the edge of the mattress and roughly removes N-Vorl's arms from around her waist. She climbs to her feet and snatches her shift from the floor.

  "No. I can't do this. No."

  An intense pain rips through Teresa's abdomen before she can completely put on her clothes. Dropping both hands to her stomach, Teresa moans painfully.

  "Oh hell. Oh no."

  N-Vorl is already on his feet before the first words are out of Teresa's mouth. He comes to her side just as she drops to her knees on the floor.

  A sickly sweet smell invades his senses and N-Vorl's eyes widen. The time of her expulsion is here. A puddle of liquid has already pooled where Teresa kneels and her color has paled significantly. Every breath escaping her lips is a deep gasp.

  N-Vorl cautiously takes Teresa up into his arms. He lays her atop the bed and covers her nudity by drawing the two halves of her shift together. No need to tie them. Teresa's body has begun to tremble. N-Vorl wraps one of her slender hands in his and kisses it.

  "I will be back. I will return with Yau-tala."

  "N-Vorl...Please no. Don't leave me alone."

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  "I must. Please, Teresa...Stay calm. I will bring back Yau-tala. Do not worry."

  Teresa weakly reaches out a hand as N-Vorl slips out of the room. She calls to him softly before another contraction steals her voice away. And then, she screams.

  -

  -

  Mau-Nis follows closely behind Yau-tala, holding tightly to Vor'taalnis' tiny clawed hand. The medical specialist describes every facet of her equipment in detail. Some of it, Mau-Nis absorbs with interest. The rest, he tunes out. He is more interested in learning about their enthusiastic tour guide.

  The black sleeveless garment which covers Yau-tala's upper portion hides very little, her large chest mounds straining against the material. Since his time with Teresa, Mau-Nis has found himself musing more and more about exactly why oomans and yautja became such mortal enemies. They have much more in common than other species he has encountered. The two species should be allies; helping each other to grow and adapt in a cruel and unrelenting universe.

  Looking at Yau-tala, Mau-Nis can find little to fault her for. She is a beautiful specimen of genetic wonder. The best that both of their worlds--ooman and yautja--has to offer. A sturdy body, the same long thick hairs which cover the head of all yautja, many overly feminine qualities, extremely high intelligence, determination, loyalty, and a demeanor which both commands--and demands--respect.

  Mau-Nis finds himself wanting to smile simply thinking of the hybrid female. He reins in this feeling by reminding himself that she might find such an expression to be crafty or menacing. Yau-tala turns at that very moment, gesturing toward a circular apparatus. She pushes against it with a clawed finger, and the device rocks back and forth.

  "We use the gi-jyl to regulate blood pressure. Many hybrids experience hypertension and have other ooman ailments associated with high blood pressure. This device helps to soothe the mind and ease symptoms."

  Mau-Nis imitates Yau-tala's previous action and rocks the apparatus with his larger clawed finger.

  "Adult oomans...Uh, hybrids...Who enjoy swinging? Like childlings?"

  "Not exactly. They don't really swing on it. The upper body goes into the round portion of the gi-jyl, while the patient is hooked up to a machine which measures their blood pressure. According to how high or low their blood pressure is...The gi-jyl will move back and forth at a predetermined speed. It's meant to soothe the patient. Similar to Dr. Boyd's meditation methods. Once the patient's blood pressure is at an adequate level, the machine will adjust and the motion will cease. Besides, it isn't really about what they enjoy. It's a matter of life and death."

  Mau-Nis nods and grins with understanding, forgetting his original goal of keeping all smiles to a minimum. To his surprise, Yau-tala returns his smile. Her brown eyes seem to sparkle and her sharp teeth become more visible.

  As much as he hates to do it, Mau-Nis broaches a topic which has been on his mind since first seeing the sprawling settlement. Compared to the technology most yautja have come to depend on, the settlement is little more than an echo of a past Earth. Houses of wood and crude stone, very little electrical energy, food cooked over small fires, and not much else.

  On previous visits to V'Daha, the elder's ship had remained on the outskirts, staying hidden amongst the surrounding hills and valleys. Mau-Nis had only glimpsed partial infrared and holographic images of the settlement below. The elder had chosen to meet his ooman lover in secret. The less eyes, the better. Mau-Nis had walked as far as the elder permitted before setting up camp to wait for his leader's return. The life of a V'Dahan is much worse than he'd been led to believe.

  "Why a healer, Yau-tala? What are you hoping to gain by extending the lives of these refugees from yautja society? You are less than a hundred strong. On a world meant for millions. Even billions. Are you not simply prolonging the inevitable?"

  "Is it our fault if our progenitors left us here with nothing?" Yau-tala says, suddenly bitter and angry.

  The settlement leader takes a step back from Mau-Nis. Vor'taalnis, sensing something is wrong, steps closer to the young hybrid. He offers Yau-tala his hand and chitters. Yau-tala looks down at Vor'taalnis with sadness.

  In that brief moment, Mau-Nis takes two steps forward. He releases Vor'taalnis' tiny hand and clasps Yau-tala's face. He tilts her head upward, and she gazes up at him in surprise.

  "I am asking...What is in it for you?"

  "Why does there have to be anything to gain? Except seeing my fellow hybrids live as fruitfully as life will allow? I love every soul here on V'Daha. Ooman...Yautja...Or hybrid. We have lived and strived together for many cycles. Despite all of the hardships. We are our own kind now. We don't need you!"

  Mau-Nis' eyes narrow at this last assertion, knowing it to be a lie. Lowering his mouth to Yau-tala's, he is not surprised when she throws her arms around his neck. Vor'taalnis uses a tiny clawed hand to grip Yau-tala's black skirt. He does not tug, simply hold on.

  A loud scream shatters the late afternoon air. Yau-tala quickly withdraws from Mau-Nis, her eyes wide.

  "That is the ooman female. The one called Teresa. I think...It is time."

  Mau-Nis mouthparts droop and his eyes grow wide to match Yau-tala's.

  "This is not good. We have another female who is very close to expulsion as well. Closer than Teresa. I fear this will cause a chain reaction. She may go into the birthing process as well. I need to find Binahytu. If he does not find me first. Excuse me. I must get prepared."

  Mau-Nis completely releases Yau-tala with great reluctance. He watches her hurry from the room, a heavy feeling settling into his yautja breast.