Last Exile Fan Fiction ❯ Soft Options ❯ Return ( Chapter 3 )

Soft Options

 

Rating: NC17/X

 

By: AZ

 

Chapter 3: Return

-

Lavie's eyes slowly opened. After several moments spent working on it, she finally focused on the roof of the cramped cabin she shared with Claus and Al. Fragmented bits and pieces of her dream trip down memory lane slowly faded away. There are more pleasant things to dream of. thought the girl sourly. Growing awareness of her aching head and abused body displaces the last traces of her troubles dreams.

“Lavie?” came a voice so quiet and hopeful that it was nearly inaudible. Turning her head felt like she was bashing it against a wall, but she gritted her teeth and did it anyway, finding herself looking at Al's concerned face. Blinking once, she managed to smile at Al.

“Hi, Al.” she said, suppressing a grimace at the pain. Al let out a worried breath.

“You're awake, Lavie!” she happily confirmed.

“Yeah.” agreed the girl, experimentally making sure that she could move all her fingers and toes. She also realized that she had to pee. “What happened?” she asked, trying to sit up, only to find herself so dizzy that she felt like the bunk she slumped back on was rolling like their ship had in the Norkia Cup race. Was it really so short a time ago? she wondered, closing her eyes as she tried to get the spinning to stop. “Ugh!” she grunted softly, slowly raising her hand to rub her face.

“You don't remember?” asked Al, concerned again. Lavie didn't open her eyes to answer.

“I remember the hanger. Then nothing.” she said honestly. It was a blur to her, and the last thing she remembered was a wall of darkness falling on her. In fact, her last clear memory from the hanger deck was listening to the collision alarm going off. Hearing her reply, she opened her eyes, since it was not Al's voice.

“Nothing?” came the worried voice of a man. “Do you remember me? I'm Mullin Shetland, Lavie!” Lavie's deep hazel eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“I know who you are, Mullin.” she snapped irritably. Her attention shifted back to Al. “Al, what happened and how long have I been asleep?” she asked. Seeing Mullin open his mouth, she glared at him. I asked Al, Mullin! she thought angrily.

“We were on the mechanic deck, and you said we should go somewhere safer, then there was a loud sound, and we were knocked over. You were asleep until just now. That was three days ago.” said the girl. Seeing Al's eyes shiny with tears, Lavie pulled herself to the edge of the narrow bunk and hugs her.

“I'm fine, Al.” she assured the girl. Concussion, I bet. she thought sourly. “Thanks for taking care of me.” said the girl, touching Al's cheek. Al smiled at Lavie, hugging the girl tightly.

“Alis helped me.” she said. Mullin made a sound, but didn't say anything. Lavie held on to Al's slim form, testing rather or not she could keep her dizzy spells under control long enough to make her way to the bathroom or not.

“Alis? You mean Tatiana's navigator?” she asked. Al nodded against her neck.

“Yes. She was here with me all the time until just an hour or so ago.” confirmed the girl. “Godwin came by and told her that the flight deck was clear, and she ran off to look for Claus and Tatiana.” said the girl. Lavie froze.

“Claus and Tatiana aren't here?” she asked. Of course he isn't here! He would have been by my side when I can to if he were here! she realized. “What happened to them?!” demanded the girl, her head clearing with the surge of adrenalin.

“They were shot down in the fight with the Urbonis, and then we sank, too. We haven't been able to get a ship out to look for them until just now.” supplied Mullin. Lavie looked at him.

“Shot down?” she asked in confirmation. “Figures.” she said dryly. “Tatiana is not the pilot that Claus is.” she mumbled. “How is the ship?” she asked. Al answered her.

“Godwin said that we should be able to ascend by as early as tomorrow morning.” said the girl. “Godwin has been by to check on you every so often.” said the girl. Lavie's bladder was increasing its complaints.

“I should see what I can do to help them.” said Lavie. “But first, I have to pee.” she said, carefully tossing back the sheet and cover in preparation to swing her legs over the side. In doing so, she discovered that she was naked. Blinking, she looked at Al curiously. “Why am I naked?” she asked the young girl.

“Alis and I gave you a bath yesterday.” said the girl. “You were pretty dirty, so we thought you would like being clean.” she said honestly. Lavie dismissed the topic.

“Yeah, thanks, Al.” she said, beginning to stand. Al immediately grabbed her arms to steady you.

“You shouldn't be moving around yet, Lavie!” she protested. Lavie could sympathize with the girl; it hurt to move, and her head felt like someone was beating on it with a sledgehammer. But, she had to pee.

“Probably not, Al, but I have to pee.” she repeated. “I might need a hand getting to the bathroom.” she noted, finding that her balance was way off, the dizzy spells playing havoc with her. Al nodded. “I'll help you, Lavie.” she promised.

Of course, that proved to be a bigger task than the girl thought, as she tried to steady the wobbly older girl only to find that she wasn't big enough to catch Lavie if she tripped. “Al, maybe you should go tell the Vice Captain that Lavie is awake while I give her a hand.” suggested Mullin. Lavie was reaching for her coveralls, one hand grasping the edge of the bunk for stability. Al looked at Lavie.

“Lavie?” she asked.

“I'll be fine.” said Lavie, giving up on her coveralls and going for an easier target: her work tunic in Silvana grey. Pulling it over her head, she started for the door, feeling Mullin grab her arm.

“Um, Lavie? That doesn't cover much…” he started to say, holding out the pants that went with the tunic. Lavie snorted.

“It covers enough.” she said simply. “Besides, I couldn't stand upright to put those on, anyway.” she noted. Moving toward the door, her hand on the wall, she smiled at Al as she opened the door. “Thanks, Al.” said the older girl.

The corridor was empty, the crew doubtlessly busy with repairing the ship. With the hem of the tunic about an inch below her groin, she was dressed enough to take a walk to the bathroom. Mullin took her arm to steady her as Al, after one more look at her, scampered off to find the Vice Captain. Lavie was preoccupied with relieving her bladder, but Mullin was nervously swallowing, realizing that other than the grey tunic, Lavie was right next to him, stark naked.

What made him nervous was not that she was all but naked, nor the fact that he was holding her arm, but the fact that he couldn't forget his history with her. First, there was the embarrassing `premature fire' incident in the tackle locker. As if that weren't bad enough, the day before, he had found himself masturbating over her unconscious form; and he had been busted by Alis, no less.

Understandably, he was nervous about being near her, but was still drawn to her like a moth to the flame. Of course, after his poor showing in the tackle locker, he had found his attentions shifting to Tatiana, the cold van ship captain. But even then, he couldn't push Lavie from his mind. Let's face it, Mullin, he thought to himself, you're desperate for any girl! It was true, but intellectually, at least, he understood that Lavie was more likely to be receptive to him than Tatiana would ever be.

Reaching the bathroom, he helped Lavie through the door, closing it behind them as she made her way to the facilities. When he started to move toward her, she sent him a look that warned him not to. “I can handle this part myself.” she said, sighing in contentment as she emptied her bladder. Blushing, Mullin turned to look at the opening that led to the shower area. Lavie noticed his blush, and commented. “You're not going to go off early again, are you?” she asked, a trace of humor in her voice.

“I…um…that is…” he tried to find an answer. Lavie made a soft sound of derision.

“You're something else, Mullin.” she said in a nearly conversational tone. “What, never had a girlfriend before?” she guessed. Seeing him stiffen, she nodded to herself; before being reminded that her abused head was still not up to par. “Should have known it.” she confirmed to herself. “You have a lot to learn, Mullin.” she noted. Not the least of which is control! she left unsaid.

“I'm trying to learn!” he blurted out in his defense. Lavie quirked an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. “It's just that I haven't been able to practice any…” he murmured, mostly to himself.

“So you wanted to use me for practice?” came her voice.

“N…no!” he replied. When she says it like that, it sounds so…bad! “I…really like you, Lavie.” he admitted. “Do you like me?” he asked in a near-whisper.

For a long heartbeat, there was no sound from the girl. Then, she answered. “You're ok, Mullin.” she sort-of committed. Not nearly the man Claus is, but hey, not everyone can be lucky enough to grow up with me! she thought to herself, reaching for some toilet paper to wrap up her business.

“I'm…ok?” parroted Mullin. What does that mean? he wondered. “Does that mean you'll be my gi…”

“Let's not get carried away.” interrupted Lavie immediately. “It means just what I said: you're ok. You need some practice, that's all.” she repeated, standing and moving toward the door. Mullin took her arm as she reached his position.

“So you'll help me?!” he nearly begged. Lavie sighed.

“I guess I could give you some pointers.” she allowed. Seeing him open his mouth, she pressed a fingertip to his lips. “But right now, my head is killing me and my body aches.” she said. And I need to know that Claus is safe. she silently added. That was, in fact, her top priority. Mullin nodded slowly.

“Ok, Lavie.” he said. What else can I say? “Back to the cabin?” he suggested. Lavie nodded.

“Yeah. The ships spinning.” she said. The two managed to get back to the cabin without mishap. Once back in her room, Lavie pulled the tunic off and collapsed back into her bunk. Seeing her laying there naked, Mullin could feel his dick harden, tenting his pants. Self-consciously, he covered his erection with his hands.

“Um, Lavie…?” he began. Lavie rolled her head to look at him. Immediately, she saw the situation.

“God, Mullin!” she complained, closing her eyes for a moment.

“I guess I'll just…” began Mullin dejectedly. Lavie sighed.

“Obviously, you have to learn to listen to girls.” said the young woman on the bed. “Still, as fast as you go off, it'll probably be faster to deal with it now.” she sighed. She waved her arm at him. “Come here, Mullin.” she said.

Mullin scrambled over to her. Seeing him move, Lavie was struck with the mental image of a large, clumsy puppy moving around in her cabin. The sheer absurdity of the image brought a smile to her lips. When he paused at the side of her bunk, she used one hand to unfasten his fly and pull his dick out. “Ok, pay attention now.” she directed him. “This is commonly called a `hand job'.” she said, grasping his dick and stroking it. “A girl will usually give one to a guy she isn't sure about, or when she doesn't feel like sucking his dick or having sex with him.” she explained. Mullin was shivering at both her touch, and the mental images he was getting from her explanation.

“You mean, you would suck my dick?” he asked, pre-cum leaking at the very possibility. Lavie frowned a little.

“Maybe. But not right now, so pay attention, Mullin.” she reminded him, gripping his dick a little tighter in her hand. “This can also be foreplay, if the girl is worried about performance or staying power with the guy.” she noted. She had learned a lot from listening to the gossip of the older girls in Norkia, but some of it she had learned earlier.

“S…staying power?” wondered Mullin, already near the edge from feeling her hand on his dick, hearing her frank explanations and seeing her naked body on the bed.

“Uh huh.” confirmed Lavie. “If you get a guy off once before you have sex, he usually lasts longer.” she said. Mullin had no clue what she meant, exactly, but didn't care at the moment. “A girl likes a guy to last longer than five seconds when she has sex with him.” she observed, digging at him a little. Mullin nodded.

“O…okay.” he grunted. Lavie debated reaching over to fondle his sack like she did with Claus, but decided that it wasn't worth the energy right then. Maybe later. she decided, speeding up her strokes as she felt his pre-cum cover her entire hand and his shaft. Maybe I better tell him what he's supposed to do when he gets close. she mused.

“When you get close, warn the girl so she can prepare.” she directed him. Mullin blinked at her. Frowning slightly, Lavie wondered if he was paying attention. “Are you getting close, Mullin?” she asked him directly. In her hand, she felt his dick spasm. Shit! was all she had time to think before he erupted in her hand, blasting her arm and chest with his first load. Lavie closed her eyes, slowly stroking his shaft as more jets followed the first. No point in stopping now, damn it! she thought crossly, feeling the hot, slimy cum decorate her chest.

“Lavie!” grunted Mullin, firing his fifth and final shot before his dick began to deflate. Pulling her hand off his dick, she milked the last bit of cum from his softening shaft. Seeing the thick, viscous mess on her hand, she hesitated for an instant before carefully sampling it with her tongue. Ugh! Salty! she thought, making a face. Not as bad as some girls claim, but I'll take Claus's, thanks! she decided. “Lavie?” came Mullin's voice.

“Well, at least you got my name right.” she muttered crossly. Looking at her chest, she found a fairly large amount of cum on it. “Geez, Mullin!” she grimaced, “Do you never jack off or what? You must have been backed up.” she muttered, evaluating her situation. “Hand me that, would you?” she asked, pointing to the cloth and bowl of cool water left over from Al's tending to her.

“Sure!” agreed Mullin eagerly, turning to get it. Unfortunately for the young man, his sudden move splattered his last few drops of cum across Lavie's face.

“Mullin, you jerk!” she snarled, angrily wiping the drops off with her clean hand. “Be more careful!” she demanded. Compared to Claus, Mullin is a ten-second no-load jerk! thought the girl angrily. But still, he could be made into a reasonable man, given time and some instruction. God knows neither Claus nor I were experts the first few times. she reasoned.

“Sorry, Lavie.” murmured Mullin, embarrassed. Not again! Am I ever going to do it right?! he wondered. Lavie began to clean his load off her chest, arm and hand.

“Don't be sorry, Mullin.” said the girl, her tone tired. “Just learn from your mistakes, ok?” she suggested. Mullin nodded.

“I will, Lavie.” he assured her earnestly.

“Good. And put that away.” she said, glancing at his limp dick. Mullin hastily tucked it back inside his pants. Not a minute had gone by before the door opened and Al stepped in, the Vice Captain just behind her. Lavie pulled the sheet over herself and tucked her pillow under her head.

“Are we interrupting anything?” asked Sophia.

“Nah. Just some advice.” replied Lavie easily and without a trace of embarrassment. Mullin stiffly saluted the woman.

“Vice Captain.” he managed. Sophia's eyes swept over him, noting some spots on his pants.

“Mullin.” said the woman. “Go find Godwin and get your work assignment.” she said. He moved past her.

“Yes, ma'am!” he answered immediately. Once he had exited the room, Sophia turned her full attention to Lavie. Seeing Al standing right beside the bed, her small hand on Lavie's bare shoulder, the oldest of the three smiled.

“Well, I'm sure you are wondering what happened and what is going on.” said the woman crisply, sitting on Al's bed. “Simply put, we were sunk by the Urbonis and her three sister ships. During the fight, we had an explosion in the mechanical shaft at the service deck. You were caught in the blast, and given a concussion along with some minor cuts and bruising. We managed to catch ourselves on the edge of a fang, and have been working around the clock for the last three days.” said the woman.

“What about Claus?” asked Lavie, her mind on her partner, lover and family.

“Claus and Tatiana were attacking the Urbonis and were hit by musket fire. They disappeared beneath the lower cloud surface, and we lost all track of them. It was only two hours ago that we managed to get the flight deck cleared enough to let a van ship take off. Dio agreed to pilot, and Alister insisted on being his navigator.”

“I see.” replied Lavie. “Claus is alive.” she said evenly. I don't know or care about Tatiana, but Claus is alive! she swore to herself. Sophia inclined her head.

“I certainly hope so, Lavie.” she said quietly. “Alister only has a few hours to search today, so she will be back soon. Hopefully, tomorrow, we can raise the ship.” she continued.

“I'm not leaving without Claus.” said Lavie flatly. Never without Claus. she swore. “Tomorrow morning, I'll go out with Alister and find Claus.” she said.

“Lavie, you shouldn't be moving!” insisted Al.

“And Alister isn't a pilot.” pointed out Sophia. Lavie gave her a steady look.

“I was planning on flying myself.” said the girl. “I'm no Claus, but I can fly a van ship easily enough.” she revealed to the surprised woman. Lavie closed her eyes as another dizzy spell hit her. “Ugh. That's irritating.” she muttered. First, Mullin shoots off all over me again, then I get another dizzy spell!

“You need to rest up and finish healing from that concussion, Lavie. We'll talk about it in the morning, ok?” suggested Sophia. As much as Lavie didn't want to, she nodded slowly.

“You're probably right.” she admitted. “Thanks for coming by.” she added as Sophia stood.

“It was no problem, Lavie.” assured the older woman. “Well, until tomorrow.” The Vice Captain exited the room. Al silently stood by Lavie's bedside, her hand on Lavie's shoulder.

“Are you going to rest now, Lavie?” asked the girl. Lavie made a non-verbal sound of agreement. “Ok.” said Al, pulling off her tunic dress and shorts before climbing into bed with Lavie. “Can I sleep with you?” she asked. Lavie nodded, settling Al into a comfortable position.

“Sure, Al.” said the girl, drifting off to sleep. Before she got there, Al had one more request.

“Lavie? What were you and Mullin doing?” she asked.

-

Lavie opened her eyes, blinking at the darkness in the cabin. Her head was much clearer, but she wasn't sure that she was as recovered as she thought she was. Feeling a warm, soft body tucked tightly to her own, she brought her free hand up, feeling the hair. Feeling the long, soft hair, she sighed. Not Claus, damn it. she thought, though knowing that Al was nestled into her chest was comforting.

Experimentally raising her head, she felt a deep, throbbing pain shoot through her head, but the dizziness seemed to have abated some. Lying back, she wondered how the rest of her body was faring. The choice was, of course, rather or not to awaken Al to find out if she was in flying trim. I also need to find out what time it is. My day and night are all messed up, she realized.

The choice was not left to her, though, as the door opened as quietly as possible. Raising her head, she vowed that if it was Mullin wanting more help, she would tear his dick off. Instead of the Musketeer, she found herself looking at the back-lit form of Alis, her hair braided into her thick, tight braid and her body sheathed in her military flight suit. Seeing the weak light form the emergency lighting in the hallway reflect back from Lavie's eyes, the girl smiled, stepping into the room. “Awake again, I see.” said the navigator, her mask and helmet in her hand.

“Yeah. Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready to fly.” said the girl, starting to move. Alis reached out and touched Lavie's bare shoulder.

“Um, Dio is already waiting for me, Lavie. You need to take it easy.” she said as gently as she could.

“I'm fine, Alis!” snapped the girl, her temper flaring. Starting to sit up again, she clenched her teeth as the throb turned into a searing stab of pain. “Ah!” she gritted. Al began to stir, deprived of Lavie's warmth.

“Lavie, think for a minute. What would happen if you were flying and had another dizzy spell? Or a sudden migraine?” Seeing Lavie think about it, she moved in for the kill. “No one thinks you can't, Lavie. We just don't want to have to tell Claus that you were injured again or killed because you were too stubborn to rest up.” Lavie's lips twisted into a grimace as she lay back.

“That was dirty, Alis.” said the girl. Al raised her head, rubbing her eyes.

“Alis?” she asked sleepily. Alis gently rubbed Al's head.

“Morning, Al.” said the other navigator. “Can you make Lavie breakfast?” she asked. Sitting up, Al nodded excitedly.

“Sure!” she agreed, hopping out of bed and grabbing her shorts and tunic dress. In bare moments, she was out the door and on her way to the kitchen. Once she was gone, Alis turned her attention back to Lavie.

“I'll find them and bring them back, Lavie. I promise you I will.” she vowed, looking Lavie in the eye. Lavie closed her eyes.

“You have to, Alis.” she said softly. Patting Lavie's shoulder with her gloved hand, the older navigator rose and moved to the hatch.

“I will.” she assured the girl, exiting the room. A few minutes later, Lavie picked out the sounds of a van ship lifting off.

“Bring him back to me, Alis.” whispered the girl, feeling tears gather in her eyes. Blinking the tears away, she focused on seeing how much she had recovered since first awakening. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she slowly stood, finding herself to me mostly recovered, though she still felt small bouts of dizziness and the dull, strong throbbing in her head got worse when she stood.

It took some effort to pull on her panties, followed by her work clothes, but as she settled her Silvana-issue mechanic's tunic over her chest, she heard the door open again. “What's for breakfast, Al?” she asked without looking.

“Sorry, Al is still finishing up the food.” came the voice of Sophia. Lavie turned to see the woman there. Flipping on the main light in the room, Lavie was surprised to see the central light flare to life. “Main engine is back on line, power is restored and we are beginning final preparations to lift the ship.” said the Vice Captain. Lavie noticed bags under her eyes and the paleness of her skin. “How are you doing?” asked the older woman, stopping in front of Lavie and carefully checking her over.

“I'll live.” said Lavie with as much indifference as she could manage through the headache. Sophia replied with a non-committal sound, carefully feeling Lavie's head and looking intently at her eyes.

“Bet you have one hell of a headache, huh?” she said, smiling slightly. Unwillingly, Lavie nodded.

“No more rest for me, Sophia. I'll go mad if I have to lay there and wait for Claus.” she said quietly. “There's work to be done, and I'm going to do it.” she promised the older woman. Sophia sighed.

“As I thought.” said the woman, pulling a small bottle from her uniform pocket. Unscrewing the tin cap, she shook out a few small rock-looking things. “Swallow these and drink a lot of water, Lavie.” directed the woman, holding out her hand. Lavie looked at the off-white, roughly circular items suspiciously.

“What are they?” she asked. Sophia gave her an encouraging smile.

“It's medicine, Lavie. It will take the edge off your pounding head and should help with the dizzy spells.” she explained. Lavie didn't have a lot of experience with medicine. Fortunately, she and Claus were both very healthy, and the very few times that they had gotten sick, they hadn't had the money or the inclination to buy the medicines that were available through the Guild-licenses medicine houses.

“I don't know…” she began, only to have Sophia smoothly and swiftly toss the pills into the back of her throat by the simple means of slapping her hand over her open mouth. Instinctively, Lavie swallowed, blinking the older woman. Seeing the look in Lavie's eyes, Sophia shrugged.

“It was faster than arguing the point with you, Lavie.” dismissed the Vice Captain. Behind them, Al appeared with a tray with a bowl on it and some bread.

“Breakfast is ready, Lavie!” she called cheerfully. “Hi, Sophia!” she chirped happily, smiling at the older woman. Sophia smiled back, absently pushing her half-glasses up.

“Good morning, Al.” replied the woman. Lavie got situated in her bed while Al carefully settled the tray on her lap before handing her the spoon. “Soup for breakfast?” wondered Sophia. Al didn't look at her as she answered.

“The cook said that we were almost out of food, so he had to stretch it this way.” she said. Sophia knew that they were getting low, and since the damage to the ship had knocked out their refrigeration system, they had lost about half their food within the last two days. She had directed that the cook use as much perishable material as he could before it went to waste. And now, we are into the non-perishable stocks, which account for about a third of our stores. thought the Vice Captain.

“It's fine.” assured Lavie. “As long as it's food, I'll eat it!” she declared, digging into the bowl with gusto. Al settled in to watch Lavie consume the food, a small smile gracing her face. With Lavie awake again, she felt much better. And to see Lavie eating affirmed to the young girl that her Lavie was ok.

“Do you think they'll find them?” she asked as Lavie stuffed the last chunk of toast into her mouth and chewed. Lavie couldn't answer because of her mouthful of food, but she quickly reached for the water to help wash it down so she could. Before the short-haired girl could speak, however, Sophia answer Al for her.

“If anyone can, Alister and Dio can.” she assured the girl. “Alister is a top navigator, and Dio seems to have some kind of strange admiration for Claus, so they won't stop until they find them.” she said.

“They better not stop if they know what's good for them!” declared Lavie, having finished swallowing the bread. “Claus will come back, Al. I know he will.” she added, absolute confidence in her voice. He wouldn't leave me alone; I just know he wouldn't! she left unsaid. “And now that I've had breakfast, it's time to get to work!” announced the young girl, carefully stretching her chest and arms.

“Lavie, no! You need to rest!” protested Al immediately. Sophia moved to support that assertion.

“She's right, Lavie. You are likely going to have dizzy spells on and off for the next few days, and working in a dangerous environment like the mechanical deck while subject to them is worse than dangerous - it's flatly stupid.” she said remorselessly. Lavie frowned at Sophia's tone and words both.

“I'm not going to get hurt again, Sophia.” she shot back. “Besides, lying here will drive me nuts!” she griped. Sophia wasn't moved by her words.

“Lavie, don't make me ban you from the mechanic deck.” said the woman firmly. “I will not allow you risk yourself before Claus returns.” said the Vice Captain. Seeing that Lavie was going to argue it more, Alvis moved in again for her next turn.

“Lavie, please!” she begged. Lavie looked at the girl, seeing faint shadows beneath the girl's eyes. She's been taking care of me all this time, so she is probably tired. realized the girl. Considering her condition, she reluctantly made her choice. Since my body hurts like hell and I get dizzy just standing, I should probably go for a nap, at least. she decided.

“Ok, Al. But I want you to stay here and rest with me. Deal?” she counter-offered. Al eagerly nodded, nearly immediately all but leaping into Lavie's bed and laying down beside her.

“Deal!” exclaimed the girl. Sophia stood.

“Well, I have more things to do, Lavie, so I will see you two later.” said the vice captain, moving toward the door. “Have a good nap, you two.” she added, switching off the light and closing the door to their room. Lavie wiggled down so she was lying flat beside Al, who was wigging around some herself.

“What are you doing, Al?” wondered Lavie, feeling the girl moving around.

“I forgot to take off my clothes.” explained the girl. “And I want to get under the blankets, too.” she added, succeeding in ridding herself of her clothes. Moving around, she felt Lavie's arm holding open the blanket, her other hand guiding the girl under so she was next to Lavie.

“Better?” asked Lavie, feeling Al's warm body press to her own soft skin. Al nodded against her shoulder.

“Much.” she agreed. Lavie was surprised to feel herself yawn as she situated the small, thin pillow under her head and made some small adjustments to Al's position so she was comfortable. Minutes passed, then Al spoke again.

“Lavie, are we bare because we don't want to hurt Claus?” asked the young girl, her cheek resting against Lavie's left breast. Lavie frowned in the dark cabin.

“Bare? What do you mean?” wondered the older girl.

“Down there.” explained Al. “Alis has hair down there, but we don't. Is it because Claus's dick is sensitive and we don't want to hurt him?”

“Down there? Do you mean…?” began Lavie, only to feel Al's small, soft hand slide down her belly to touch her sex briefly. Al discovered that she could feel some very soft, very fine hair on Lavie's sex. I guess Alis just has different hair. mused the young girl.

“Well, I don't want to hurt Claus, true,” replied Lavie, feeling Al's hand return to where it had been before, resting just below her breasts. “but I just haven't grown mine yet.” she answered. Justine had a neat patch of blonde hair that she kept trimmed, and she told me that I would have some one day, but I guess that it just isn't that day yet. thought Lavie, recalling Claus's mother, who had become her mother in a very real way over the years. “You will probably grow some yourself eventually.” she added.

“Really?” wondered the young girl. “Do you think Claus will like us if we have hair?” she asked. Lavie shrugged.

“I don't think that some hair on our pussies will bother him, Al.” she soothed the girl. He seems fine with Alis, and Al said she has hair on her pussy, so why would it bother him if Al and I grow hair on our sexes? she reasoned.

“But, what if he doesn't like it? Or it hurts him? Alis's hair is rough down there.” noted the girl.

“Well, if he doesn't like it, we can shave it off.” replied Lavie, having watched Justine do just that a few times. “And instead of saying `down there' when talking about girls, say `pussy' or `sex'.” she added. Al nodded against her chest.

“Ok, Lavie. Is that what you call it?” she asked. Lavie nodded.

“Well, it's what it is most commonly called.” she shrugged.

“I see.” answered Al, digesting the new information. Lavie realized something.

“Al, didn't anyone ever tell you about sex?” she wondered. Al shook her head.

“No. Mother never said anything about it, and Kita would always tell me not to ask about it.” she replied. Lavie made a surprised sound.

“How strange.” she muttered. I guess that is what you get when you are raised by a nanny in a rich house. I'm glad that Justine told me about it enough that I could figure the rest out myself and from listening to older girls talk. Another thought occurred to her. I wonder if Dad or Hamil ever told Claus about it? He seemed pretty clueless the first few months, but then, he's pretty laid back by nature.

Her exploration of that possibility was interrupted by Al. “Who taught you about it, Lavie?” wondered the young girl. Lavie found herself smiling softly in nostalgia. During her coma-induced sleep, she had dreamed her life up to the time she and Claus had boarded the Silvana, and she was still feeling that warm sense of bitter-sweet memories.

“Justine taught me some, and the rest, I figured out from listening to other girls and from experimenting with Claus.” she explained.

“Justine was your mom?” wondered Al. Lavie slowly shook her head.

“No, but she became my mother. You see, Al, I never met my mother, since she died the day I was born.” Lavie began. In the dark cabin, Al learned how Lavie and Claus had grown up.

-

“Alister!” yelled Sophia as the green twin-engine van ship made a flashy approach to the powered-up Silvana and settled onto the landing pad on the rear deck. Dio cut the engines, but didn't get out. Alister unclipped her belts and stood up so she could lean over the edge.

“Vice Captain.” she said, her tone distracted as she saluted her commanding officer. “We found where they initially hit, but the ship's gone, so they must have been able to effect repairs and move on.” she said. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled to the ground crew, who seemed to have the idea that the ship was going to be withdrawn. “Forget it! Fill the tank! We're heading right back out!” she yelled.

“Alister!” yelled Sophia. “We're going to raise the ship! Wait until she's up!” she suggested. Alister shook her head.

“No can do, Vice Captain!” replied the navigator. “We have to run the search while there is still some light down there!”

“But you don't know where they went!” protested Sophia. Alister gave her a thin smile.

“I have my suspicions, ma'am!” she replied. Godwin was already filling the Claudia tanks.

“I can't let you go back out, Alister!” protested Sophia. “If you go out, you won't be able to find the ship again!” she pointed out. Alis shrugged.

“Tell me where the Captain is headed, and if I miss the Silvana, I'll bring Claus and Tatiana to that location.” she suggested. “Either way, I'm lifting off in five minutes!” she added.

“Alister,” began Sophia. Alister shook her head.

“Sorry, Vice Captain.” she said firmly. “Orders or not, we're going back out.” she declared. “You can discipline me when I return, Ma'am.” she said, saluting. Sophia knew that tone and the look in the young navigator's eyes. Tatiana. Lavie. Alister. They are all so stubborn! Sighing, she realized that if they weren't like that, they would not be where they were today.

“If you don't come back, I'll have you hung!” she threatened the navigator. “If we can get the ship up, we are going to be making for Walker's place.” Alis gave her a weak smile.

“If I don't come back, you're welcome to hang me, Vice Captain.” she replied. Seeing Godwin close the fuel door, she dropped back into her seat, reaching for her belts. “Tell Lavie!” she yelled to Sophia as Dio hit the ignitions and the van ship leapt from the deck, Dio's delighted laughter drifting back.

Turning, Sophia found herself face-to-face with Lucciola, Dio's strange bodyguard. “Lucciola!” she breathed. I never heard him come up behind me, and didn't sense his presence at all! she realized.

“Lord Dio asked me to relay a message to you, Vice Captain Forrester.” he said simply. Blinking, Sophia recalled that Lucciola and Dio had Guild-made communication devices.

“And that message is?” she asked crisply.

“That you not inform the girl until they have recovered Immelman.” he said casually. “It would raise her hopes prematurely.”

“I see.” replied the Vice Captain. He is probably right. she realized. “Thank you for that suggestion.” said the woman, moving past the white-clad young man. Lucciola bowed his head to her back.

“It was Lord Dio's request.” was all he said, as if that made it the most important thing in the world. Sophia didn't reply, moving to the lift, then down to the crew sections of the ship. She soon reached the door to the cabin that Lavie and Al shared with Claus. Listening carefully, she didn't hear any sounds. Easing the door open, she peeked inside, finding the two to be still sleeping.

“Well, that solves that dilemma.” she whispered, quietly closing the door behind her. Glancing at the clock at the head of the passage, she moved to the lift to return to the bridge. Alex Row would be ready to give the order to raise the ship any minute now, and he would expect her to be on the bridge.

-

Lavie awoke to find Al still sleeping happily against her, one small hand cupping Lavie's modest breast, holding the captive mound against her cheek. Smiling softly, Lavie gently stroked Al's hair. Just like Justine used to do with me and Claus. she recalled fondly. Come to think of it, I did just what Al is doing more than a few times myself when I was younger than her. Unwillingly, she found herself giggling as quietly as she could, further memories from her childhood coming to the forefront. Claus and I used to double-team her, in fact! That one Kingdom Day festival evening, I ate so much that I thought I would burst, and when Claus started to yawn, we found our dads sitting with Justine, one on either side, on the edge of the porch, so we climbed into our fathers' laps and laid our heads on Justine's lap. Lavie's smile faded slightly, her giggling going silent. That was one of the best times I can recall. It felt like she was my real mother…

Pushing that line of thought aside, she sighed. The sigh, soft though it was, managed to disturb Al, who slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them as she raised her head from Lavie's chest. “Lavie?” she questioned.

“Well, I see you're awake, Al.” replied the girl. Taking stock of herself, she realized that she felt a hell of a lot better. She also realized that she could feel the ship moving. “Feels like they got the Silvana up again.” she noted, gently nudging the younger girl out of her way so she could get out of the bed. Gotta pee again. she thought to herself. Al grabbed her arm as she stood, but seeing that Lavie didn't get dizzy again, the shorter girl slowly eased her grip.

“What are you doing, Lavie?” wondered the girl, clambering out of the bed as well, yawning. A soft laugh from Lavie drew her attention. “What are you laughing about, Lavie?” she asked.

“You were yawning just like Claus does.” explained Lavie, ruffling Al's hair affectionately. “I've rested all I can stand, Al. So,” Lavie answered the initial question from the girl, “I'm going to get dressed, drop by the bathroom, and go find some food. After that, our van ship isn't getting any less damaged with me lying around like this.” she finished resolutely.

“I'll come with you.” declared Al, grabbing her shorts and tunic dress as Lavie managed to find her panties and top, slipping them on with minor difficulty, followed by her grey Silvana work togs. Glancing at Al as she stepped into the sturdy work boots that she had managed to find in her size, she saw Al stepping into her own high-quality boots.

“Ready!” chimed the girl, smiling at Lavie.

“Me, too.” said the older girl, moving toward the door. Exiting the small cabin they shared, the two girls dropped by the bathroom before ducking down a level to the cafeteria. Entering the common eating room, they found the mechanics sprawled out over a table, most of them snoring. “Man, what a sight!” smiled Lavie.

“Lavie? That you, kid?” slurred Godwin, raising his head a little. “Hey! You're back up and around!” he cheered, unaware of the small strand of drool from the corner of his mouth to the table top. “We were getting worried about you, you know.” he yawned.

“Um, sorry about that, Godwin.” came the contrite reply. “You guys must have been busting your butts to get the ship repaired.” Godwin shrugged carelessly.

“Just another glorious day in the Anatory Navy, Lavie.” Another yawn. “Now, if you'll excuse me…” he managed before his head fell back to the table top, a snore coming from his mouth even before his head came to rest. Alvis and Lavie shared a quiet laugh. Feeling a nudge against her arm, she turned to see the cook holding a tray with a heap of simple - but hearty - food and a decanter of water.

“You must be starving.” said the cook quietly. “Enjoy your first real meal in four days.” he added, winking at her before patting Al's shoulder as he moved back to the kitchen. Together, the two girls cleared the plate and drained the water in record time.

“You're starting to show an appetite like mine, Al.” joked Lavie as she and the small girl made their way to the mechanic deck to work on Claus and Lavie's wrecked personal van ship. Al just smiled.

“That's ok, Lavie.” she said, unconcerned. “Claus likes girls with healthy appetites.” she shared candidly. Lavie blinked.

“What does that mean, Al?” she wondered.

“Claus told me that one of the things about you he loved was that you never forgot the food.” explained the younger girl, clutching her stuffed ram toy.

“I see.” replied the older girl, unsure how to take that. Thinking about it, she had to admit that she did like a good meal. Her thoughts were interrupted by the realization that Al was still talking. “Sorry, Al. What was that last part?” she asked, somewhat embarrassed that she had zoned out on the girl.

“I said that I want to be like you so Claus will like me as much as he likes you.” repeated the girl. Lavie had already opened her mouth to assure Al that Claus liked her just fine when it hit her that Al wasn't necessarily talking about the same meaning of `like' that she was. First the hair, now food…Al couldn't be…! Could she? wondered the girl.

“Al, just what do you mean when you say you want Claus to like you like he likes me?” she asked the girl.

-

“Come on, you stupid thing!” grunted Lavie, straining to loosen the nut. “Claus tightened you last, didn't he?” she accused irritably. Taking a short breather, she made sure the wrench was securely seated on the nut, then put her muscle into it again. “Move, damn it!” she gritted. The exertion, coupled with her somewhat awkward position on the edge of the winglet, caused her to suddenly feel disoriented and dizzy. Trying to catch herself, she slipped off the winglet, falling toward the hard, cold deck below her.

She never hit the deck. Arms caught her and steadied her on her feet. “Are you ok, Lavie?” came a strong, calm, masculine voice. For some reason, Lavie felt a spike of disappointment that it wasn't Claus who had caught her. Turning, she saw the dark eyes of the Captain of the Silvana, Alex Row. Watching the two from the navigator's seat, Al silently hugged her toy ram.

Completely unsure what to say to the man, she wordlessly worked her mouth a time or two before managing a weak, “I'm fine.” The man released her as she regained her feet. Looking at the battered silver ship, he pursed his lips briefly. Holding out his hand, he looked at Lavie expectantly.

“May I?” he asked calmly. For a moment, she didn't understand, but then it hit her, and she offered him the wrench, still clutched in her hand. “There's a trick to this particular nut.” he explained, slotting the wrench and easily turning the wrench. Seeing how he did it, Lavie realized that she had been trying to apply pressure at the wrong point. Job done, he silently handed the wrench back to her before touching the side of the van ship for a moment, then quietly moving off.

“Weird.” murmured Lavie, her eyes watching his form disappear into the dark stairwell. How long was he watching us? Why did you offer to help, and how did he know how to get that nut off so easily? wondered the girl. Not like it matters, I guess. she shrugged mentally, turning back to the repairs.

“Lavie?” came the soft query from Al.

“It's fine, Al.” dismissed Lavie easily, her hands busy. Slowly, Al settled back into Lavie's seat, checking the small container of water that they had taken from the mess hall before they headed up here to work on the ship. Seeing that it was ready for when Lavie wanted a drink, Al got comfortable and watched Lavie work on the ship, noticing the warm look in the girl's eyes and the small smile on her face.

-

“Van ships approaching! Prepare flight deck!” came the announcement over the PA system. Lavie blinked as she realized what the announcement could mean. Looking up at Al, she found the girl sleeping comfortably in her seat. Lightly moving up to the navigator's seat, she gently shook Al's shoulder.

“Al, wake up.” she said, seeing the girl stir, her grey eyes opening. Once she was sure that Al was awake, Lavie went on. “They just announced that van ships were approaching. Come on. Let's go see if it's Alis and Claus.” she suggested. Al nodded, eagerly climbing out of Lavie's seat, the navigator helping the small girl over the edge and down to the decking. Smoothing her tunic dress once, Al looked up at Lavie.

“Ready?” she asked the girl, getting a smile.

“Sure am.” agreed Lavie, turning for the gap in the steel partition that shielded their private van ship from the rest of the mechanic deck. She had only managed one step when Claus whipped around the corner, freezing as he saw Lavie and Al standing next to their still-inoperable van ship.

“Lavie. Al.” breathed the young man, his body sagging in relief. His military flight suit was dirty and worn, but he seemed to be fine over all. Al sprinted toward him.

“Claus!” she screamed happily, throwing herself into his arms. Behind him, Lavie made her way toward her partner and lover at a more sedate pace, though her steps were by no means slow. Holding Al, Claus moved to meet her. Silently, the girl wrapped her arms around him and Al both, squeezing him tightly to her.

“Welcome back, Claus.” she whispered to him.

“Lavie.” was all Claus said, feeling her warmth in his hands. Taking a deep breath, Lavie released him, easing back from him.

“You need a shower, Claus.” she noted. “Please tell me you didn't lose your coveralls.” she added, wondering why he hadn't changed into them. Claus gave her an embarrassed smile.

“Not exactly…” he began. Movement behind the young man caught her eye, and Lavie turned to see Tatiana pause in the doorway. Her eyes grew slightly larger seeing what the woman was wearing. Claus was talking, but she didn't hear what he was saying. Lavie's warm brown eyes narrowed and cooled.

“Yeah, Claus.” she said, her tone dismissing whatever he had been saying. “Glad you're back safely.” she said, turning away from him and Tatiana as she moved back to the van ship. “I've got work to do.” she said, picking up her wrench again. Al blinked at Lavie.

“Are you going to keep working, Lavie?” she wondered. Lavie nodded, not looking at anything but the ship.

“Yeah. I've missed enough work already, Al.” she said. “Are you going to get that shower or not, Claus?” she asked, her tone sharp. Slowly, Claus nodded.

“Probably should.” he replied. Lavie nodded. Al slipped out of his arms.

“Come on.” she said, grabbing his hand. “I'll fix you something to eat while you shower.” said the girl firmly, leading him out of the small semi-private area. Tatiana stepped aside as they moved past, falling in right behind Claus.

“Tatiana, the Vice Captain wants to see you when you have cleaned up.” came Alis's voice from beside her. The van ship captain blinked, not having realized that Alister had fallen into step with her. The short-haired girl nodded jerkily.

“Understood.” she said simply. “Make sure that the mechanics begin repairs on my ship as soon as possible.” she added, remembering the severity of the repairs that Claus had had to make to get the ship even slightly air worthy. “Tell Godwin that the Claudia system needs to be reworked from the resonance chambers forward, and the airframe needs to be inspected for damage from the crash.” she instructed her partner.

Alis nodded. “Yes, Tatiana.” she said simply. Watching the pilot, she realized that this Tatiana was vastly different from the one that had led the mission against the Urbonis-class ships. Something happened between her and Claus. She's practically a whole new person! marveled the girl. But I wonder what happened with Lavie? Obviously, she saw something she didn't like… her thoughts were interrupted by Tatiana.

“I'm going to get cleaned up now, Alis. I'll catch up to you later.” she said, breaking off to grab her towel and bath supplies from her shared cabin as Claus and Al paused at the door to their cabin. After a few quick words from Al that she couldn't hear, the young girl nearly skipped down the corridor toward the mess hall. Claus stepped into his cabin. Tatiana glanced back to see Alister moving back toward the flight deck, and when she saw that she was moving away from her, Tatiana sprinted to the cabin that Claus had gone into.

Hearing the door close, Claus turned to see Tatiana standing there, a towel over her arm, and a small mesh bag in her hand. “Tatiana? Everything ok?” wondered the young man, watching her even as he continued to work on getting the flight suit off. Swallowing nervously, Tatiana nodded.

“Yeah, I'm fine!” she replied quickly. “I…was wondering if…?” she broke off, her cheeks coloring. Claus freed his chest from the flight suit and swiftly peeled it off his hips as he waited for her to finish. Tatiana remained silent as she got distracted by seeing him naked again. God! You'd think that I had had enough in the desert, but I still want him! she thought to herself, surprised at the strength of her desire for him.

“If what, Tatiana?” came his voice, prompting her to complete her question. Guiltily, she pulled her eyes off his body and looked at his face, finding him to be watching her expectantly.

“Um…” was her intelligent reply. What was I going to ask him? she wondered. Absently, she licked her lips. Something about what I was about to do, but I can't recall what that was! She realized that her eyes had slipped down his body - again. Claus grabbed his towel and started for the door.

“I am kind of tired, Tatiana, so I think I'll grab a shower and…” he began. Tatiana blinked.

“Shower…” she thought out loud. “Oh, shower!” she realized what she had come here to ask him. “Do you want to shower with me?” she asked him, feeling her face heat up slightly. Considering that he's eaten me, sucked on my nipples and fucked me, a shower shouldn't get me so worked up! she marveled to herself. Of course, in the desert, there was no one to walk in on us… she recalled.

“Sure, Tatiana.” he agreed easily. Together, the two made their way to the bathroom, and stepped into the shower area. Like most military vessels, the Silvana had common shower areas, which were little more than pipes and a spray head, with a simple drain system below a wood decking. Hanging her towel up on one of the enamel hooks by the entrance, Tatiana glanced at Claus as she moved to a shower head and turned it on.

Claus watched her walk to the shower head, admiring her toned ass and slim build. Selecting a shower next to hers, he started the water and began to rinse off. Since he had done nearly all the work on the van ship, he was pretty much covered in dust, oil, grease and grit, while Tatiana was - for the most part - only coated in sweat. Picking up the small bar of soap, Tatiana silently offered it to Claus.

Accepting the bar, he turned and began to scrub Tatiana's back and sides clean, letting the water from his own shower run over him as he worked on Tatiana. Tatiana had smothered a gasp when she felt Claus touch her back, but didn't react, since she had promised herself that she would make the crash up to him by being whatever she could be to him. Surprised at how efficient he was at scrubbing her, she just had to ask him about it. “Claus, how did you get so good at this?” she wondered.

“Well, Lavie and I usually do this when we are running low on time or have gotten really dirty working on the ship or from being together.” he explained casually. “Does Alis usually do this for you?” he wondered. Tatiana shook her head.

“No. Occasionally, she had helped me, but mostly, I do it myself.”

“Oh. When you handed me the soap like that, I just assumed you wanted help.” A low chuckle came from behind her. “You did that exactly like Lavie does it.” he shared. Tatiana wasn't sure how to answer that one.

“I'm…glad.” she murmured at last, hoping for the best. Biting her lip, she steeled her nerves, then went ahead with what was most on her mind since the desert. “Claus, what about Lavie?” she asked him. Claus paused for a moment, then resumed his ministrations, which by now were working over her hips and down her legs.

“What do you mean, `what about Lavie?'?” he asked the girl.

“Where…do I fit in?” Tatiana asked awkwardly, trying to keep from sounding like a girl begging for attention. “You…love Lavie, right?” she asked quietly. Claus nodded, though she couldn't see it.

“Yeah, of course I do.” he replied candidly. “But you and Lavie are going to try and be friends, right?” he reminded her. “Lavie's a lot like you in some ways, Tatiana.” he thought out loud. “If you can start over with her, I think you two will become really close.” he suggested. Tatiana felt him reach her toes, then his hands landed on her hips, and he turned her to face him, starting on her front side.

Tatiana was not sure where that answer left her. He wants Lavie; I know that much. But, does he want me more than her? Or does he want us both? Maybe I'm just a convenient partner. she worried. Still, we seemed to make a good connection in the desert, and I think that Claus and I understand each other. Which brings us back to Lavie. she realized.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Claus handing the small bar of soap back to her. Gladly dismissing the issue from her mind for the moment, Tatiana took the soap and began to do to Claus what he had done to her. As she worked on him, she decided to go ahead and give him the full works.

-

Claus yawned as he finished the last of the meal that Al had brought him. Dressed in fresh shorts, he was sitting on the edge of the bed that he and Lavie shared. The mahogany-haired girl was still not back, but Claus wasn't worried. Living with Lavie for all their lives had taught him her quirks better than he knew his own. She would show up before morning, and they would likely end up snuggled up together like usual.

“That was good, Al.” Claus praised the girl. Smiling, she set the empty plate on the narrow, shallow ledge by the small porthole.

“I'm glad you liked it, Claus.” said the girl. “I'm glad you're back.” she added.

“I'm glad to be back with you and Lavie as well, Al.” agreed Claus. Al looked at the small clock by the door. Seeing that it was getting late, she began to get ready for bed, pulling off her tunic dress and balloon shorts after kicking off her boots. Claus had managed to get under the covers by the time that Al reached up and turned off the light.

“Good night, Al.” came Claus's voice.

“Good night, Claus.” came her voice from right beside the bed. Blinking, Claus felt her climb into bed with him. Silently, he helped her under the covers, feeling her tuck her small form tightly to him, her arms wrapping themselves around his chest. Figuring that Lavie would either move Al to her bed or take Al's bed when she got in, he tucked an arm around the small form of Al and drifted off to sleep.

-

Tatiana saluted Sophia and turned for the door. The girl was in her super-short exercise shorts and a long-sleeve, turtle-neck top that reached mid-hip on her. Her legs were encased in mid-thigh length black leggings and her ship-board boots were on. She had just finished her debriefing, after an hour and half in the Vice Captain's quarters.

Tired and ready for bed, Tatiana sought out her quarters, eager to grab some sleep before her next shift. As she passed the stairwell that led to the mechanical deck, she heard some faint pounding. Detouring, she climbed the three flights of stairs and emerged onto the mechanic deck, seeing a set of lights on behind the semi-closed partition around Claus's van ship. No time like the present, thought the girl, squaring her shoulders and moving toward the ship.

Peeking inside the partition, she watched Lavie work on their personal van ship for maybe ten minutes. Seeing how the girl worked, Tatiana was reminded all over again of her inadequacies. She also realized something else. Lavie is shorter than Claus. She watched the slim girl work. Slowly, more things caught her eyes. We really do share some similarities! Lavie wiped her brow before slowly sinking to the steel decking, setting aside the wrench and pry bar she had been working with before pressing her hands to her head. That's right! She got a concussion! Tatiana recalled Sophia's briefing about the events on the ship.

“Lavie, you need to rest.” said the girl, stepping forward into the area. Lavie's head came up, her eyes turning to look at Tatiana; and instantly going cold.

“Oh. It's you again.” she said, her lips tight. “Mind your own business, Tatiana!” she hissed. The platinum-haired girl stopped next to the other. Claus, I know I promised, but she's so angry with me! Not that she doesn't have reason to be; I was a real bitch to her when we first met. admitted the older girl. How can I do this? she wondered.

“Lavie, I heard about your concussion.” she said quietly. “Your head must feel like it's splitting open.” said the van ship captain. An idea hit her. “I know from experience, you see.” she offered. Other than a small twitch from the girl sitting on the decking, there was no response. Risking it, Tatiana went on. “Back in the Academy, during basic van ship maneuvering exercises, I screwed up an approach and hit my head on the rim of the cockpit. I got a concussion from that, so I know how they feel.”

Lavie made no reply, so Tatiana pushed a little more. “Lavie, I want to apologize to you for what I said.” she nearly whispered. “I…should have asked about what was going on before criticizing you. I…can show you a technique to keep from blacking out again, if you like. It's something that we learned in the Academy, and…”

“Is this because you nearly got Claus killed?” came the hard, cold voice of the girl at her feet. “Is it because you are trying to get Alis to forgive you for giving Claus her spot?” Tatiana knew then that this would be harder than she thought. We are so much alike… she recalled Claus's words. “Well, save your sympathy! I don't need it!” snarled Lavie, standing. Tatiana noticed that she was wobbling a little. Instinctively, she reached out to steady the girl.

Slapping away the other girl's hands, Lavie glared at her. “Don't touch me!” she hissed. Tatiana bit back the sharp reply that sprang to her lips.

“If you fall on the stairs, Claus might lose what he treasures most.” whispered Tatiana tightly. Slowly, she reached out and took Lavie's upper arm in her hand. “I…would like it if we could start over; as friends, this time.” Slowly, Lavie started for the stairs. Taking her silence on the topic as a sort of answer, Tatiana fell into step beside her, her hand on Lavie's upper arm.

-

Claus came awake slowly, blinking at the ceiling of the cabin. Trying to move his arm to rub his eyes, he found that he couldn't move it because a warm, soft body had it immobilized. “Al,” he breathed sleepily.

“Al's in her bed.” came Lavie's voice, pitched far softer than she normally spoke.

“Lavie.” breathed Claus, smiling slightly. “I heard that you got a concussion.” he noted. Lavie nodded.

“Yeah. But I'm feeling a lot better now.” she murmured, shifting against his side. Claus felt her arm wrap around his chest as she raised herself enough to bring her lips to his. With his arm now free, Claus wrapped both of them around her chest, returning the kiss eagerly. When Lavie released his lips, she lowered her face to his neck. For several seconds, she was silent. Then, she spoke again. “I was scared, Claus.” she whispered to him. “You were missing, and I wasn't with you…I kept wondering if it would be a repeat of our fathers again.” she confided in him. Claus slid his hands up to her head, gently stroking her short hair.

“I'm sorry I worried you, Lavie.” he said, feeling her shift so she was lying on his chest, her legs on either side of his hips. Feeling her against him, he realized that she was completely naked. His dick stirred, but his attention was focused on her words and emotional needs, rather than her physical needs. “You know that I won't leave you, right?” he reminded her. Against his neck, she nodded.

“I know, but it was the first time we've been apart when something like this happens, and I…” she trailed off, mutely shaking her head against his throat. Claus guided her head up so he could kiss her softly. The kiss wasn't deep or long, but served to calm Lavie considerably. It also kindled her desire, which was always quick to start when she was close to Claus.

“To tell you the truth, Lavie,” said Claus, gently rubbing her cheeks with the back of his fingers and tracing her chin fondly, “I can honestly say that having you with me in that desert would have made things easier, but Tatiana did ok, and she knew about the redoubt where Alister found us. Who knows if they would have found us at the original crash site?” he pointed out.

“Or even looked for us at all.” muttered Lavie. Neither of them had any illusions about there they fit into the priority chain aboard the ship. Chances are, they would have just shrugged, and steamed off without even bothering to look for us! All they seem to care about is Al, and she was safely aboard. thought Lavie. “Speaking of Tatiana, how did she do?” asked the girl, resting herself on her elbows so she could hold her face right above Claus's face, so close that their noses touched.

“She was really upset when we crashed. She locked up when we saw the Silvana go down, and almost sent us in at full throttle in a steep dive.” he related. “The ship got busted up and her flight suit got ruined by Claudia fluid when the pressure indicator blew out. My coveralls were a lifesaver, Lavie, thanks for fixing them.” he added, recalling that he hadn't really thanked her for that yet. “She got a little upset that first night, and wanted to kill herself, but I wouldn't let her.” He shifted slightly, feeling his dick stiffen as he felt Lavie's body rubbing against his own.

“I managed to sort-of cobble together the ship, and we made our way to the redoubt, but ran into a few Disith soldiers. It was a bit tense for a bit, but then, they ran off, leaving one of them to guard us. Tatiana and I managed to get the better of her and shortly after that, Alister and Dio came swooping down.” he related. As he told his tale, his dick went hard, recalling the events in the desert, and he moved his hands to Lavie's breasts, expertly kneading them, the nipples springing erect at his touch. A soft sigh came from Lavie as she felt him cup her modest breasts in his hands.

“You had sex with her, didn't you?” breathed Lavie, feeling his hard member poke her upper thigh. Claus nodded, stealing a kiss from her as he did so.

“We did, but I also learned a lot about her, Lavie.” he acknowledged. Lavie stole a kiss back from him, wiggling down a little so his hard length was pinned tight between her thighs and her pussy. Feeling the heat and wetness of her sex further enflamed Claus's lusts. Lavie worked her hand behind Claus's head and pulled him to her for a hot, passionate kiss.

“What did you learn from her?” she panted, her hips undulating against and around his dick. Claus sat up, holding Lavie's chest tight to his own.

“Can we talk about this later, Lavie?” he asked, rolling his hips to bring his tip to her entrance. Lavie groaned as quietly as she could.

“I suppose…” she agreed, working her legs around so she could wrap them around his waist, giving him an unimpeded path to her slick sex. Draping her arms around his neck, she sealed his lips with her own, his tongue caressing her own. Claus moved his hands down to her small hips and got a secure grip on them, right above the crests.

With his grip secured, he pressed down on Lavie's hips as he pushed up with his own. His wide, thick tip - settled between her nether lips - began to push into her passage. Lavie was a little smaller than Claus, and the two had learned that she was so tight that he needed some leverage to get himself into her. With plenty of practice, the two joined once more, Claus floating on the euphoria of being inside his Lavie once more. Soft grunts, groans and gasps filled the cabin as Claus and Lavie reaffirmed their bond to each other.

Lavie bounced up and down as much as she could, being driven wild by the feeling of Claus's dick in her tight passage. Each time she felt his tip nudge her cervix, she shivered in pleasure. “Claus…” she purred, breaking the kiss.

“Lavie.” he puffed, nearing the edge. Turning over and around, he laid her on her back, her legs still hooked around his hips. With more leverage, he was able to hammer into her sopping wet sex with greater speed and force, driving them both toward the edge faster. Teetering on the edge, he took her heels in his hands and raised them, spreading them as he did so, tightening her already tight nest even more. Lavie made a mewing sound as she felt herself cum hard.

Feeling her sex go crazy, Claus reached the end and buried himself in her as deeply as he could as he filled her with his own cum. “Ugh! Lavie…!” he managed, feeling his dick slowly soften in her flooded sheath. Gradually, the two collapsed back down to the bed, slowly regaining their favorite post-fuck position, Lavie on top of Claus, his tip still lodged in her passage.

About a half hour later, Lavie spoke. “So, what did you learn about Tatiana, Claus, that made her come to ask me if we could start over?” she wondered. Claus hummed softly before replying. As he told her about what the two of them had talked about in the desert, neither he nor Lavie knew that Al was watching them and listening, having awoken shortly before Claus.

-

“Claus, good morning!” came a voice from behind the young man as he finished up his meal. Turning to see who was talking to him, he saw Alister settle at his side. Lavie had left the mess hall about ten minutes before with the mechanics, itching to work on their van ship, but planning to give the mechanics a hand with the last few repairs to the ship before that.

“Morning, Alis!” he replied. The navigator smiled at him warmly. “How's Tatiana?” he asked her. Alis inclined her head, indicating that he should look to his other side, where Lavie had been sitting before. Turning, he was just in time to see Tatiana settle into the chair. “Morning, Tatiana.” he smiled at her.

“Morning, Claus.” said the girl calmly, a small smile on her lips.

“I hear that you spoke with Lavie.” he said quietly. Tatiana nodded.

“Yes. But I don't know if it did any good.” she admitted. Claus gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

“It did.” he assured her. “Just give her some time; she's stubborn.” he explained. Tatiana nodded curtly.

“I will.” she promised him. Claus smiled in response.

“Thanks, Tatiana.” he said. “What do you have planned for today?” he wondered, seeing Alister quickly eating her meal.

“I have another debriefing with the Vice Captain, and Alister is going to map out where those Disith capsules landed. We also have to report to the Captain about our run-in with the Disith troops at the redoubt. I think it is safe to say that we can no longer use that particular location for re-supply and refit. I think that we are going to have to go back and check each of the ship's secret dumps to see if they have been compromised, but the Captain will have to make that call.” she explained. “What are you going to be doing?” she asked him.

“Well, Lavie and I are going to work on our ship for a while, but she's currently helping out the mechanics with some final patching of the Silvana. Al's making sandwiches right now for us, so we will probably be there most of the day.” he replied.

“I see.” mused the girl. “If you can, would you come find me this evening?” she asked him, looking away from him as she asked.

“Sure.” agreed Claus amicably. “Any particular reason?” he wondered. Tatiana shook her head.

“Not really. I was wanting to talk for a bit, if that's ok with you.” she replied. Claus nodded.

“Ok. I'll find you sometime this evening, then.” he sealed the deal, seeing Al scamper out of the kitchen with her basket of food, waving to the cook as she did so. With the food supply of the ship so low, the sandwiches are probably going to be pretty bland stuff, but Claus and Lavie didn't really have fancy tastes anyway. “Ready, Al?” he asked her.

“Uh huh!” she nodded eagerly. Together, the two exited the room. Alister moved over so she was in Claus's seat, next to Tatiana.

“Tatiana, are you sure…?” she began, slightly worried. Tatiana gave her a steady look.

“No, which is why I want to talk to him.” said the van ship pilot. “You…are still game, right?” she asked. Alis nodded.

“If you're sure you are right, I'm with you, Tatiana.” said the girl. In silence, the two finished their meals and made for the bridge for the detailed debriefing.