Hades pulled his hand through his short black hair as he looked across the room at Charon. He'd been married to her for over two years, and he thought they'd had a good relationship, but lately she'd been moody and irritable. He was almost afraid to talk to her anymore, and being cramped in their small spaceship didn't help him any either. He decided he'd give it one more try.
"Um--honey?" he asked softly, lowering his overpowering rumble of a voice to little more than a rasp. "I've been, uh, wondering...."
She raised her ruby eyes to look at him. "Hades, I'm sorry I've been so nasty lately," she blurted out. Hades took a step back in surprise, and she forged ahead. "I--I'm pregnant." Hades didn't waste time on dramatics, he simply fell down to the ground with a thud. Charon rushed up to him. "Hades! Are-are you okay?"
"I'll be fine in a minute." He was too shocked to even be embarrassed by his fall. He looked up at her, and he knew his eyes looked blank with surprise. "How-how long?"
"Long enough." She shrugged, shifting her heavy red hair. "I didn't want to say anything at first, because we were still at Haven, and I was so frightened for our future. Once we escaped I was worried about a home for our little one. I finally decided I couldn't put off telling you any longer" She knelt by his side. "Are you sure you're okay?"
He nodded and pulled himself to his feet, then turned to offer her a hand up. When he'd pulled her to her feet as well, he stepped up to her and enveloped her in a tight hug. "I'm going to be a father!" A father
*****
Charon waited until she was sure her husband was asleep, then she closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt the slight disorientation of her teleportation, and when she opened her eyes again, she stood in Hades' ship. Thank goodness she could teleport over planetary distances without any assistance. She walked up to the berth and knocked on the door.
"Chronos? It's me." Please let him be here!
The door slowly opened. Chronos looked at her in surprise, then stepped back to let her in. She walked in, wringing her hands. This would be hard, but she had to do this.
"Chronos, I've told him."
"You told him? Are you crazy ?" Chronos walked over to pick up the Garnet Rod, but Charon put out a hand to forestall him.
"I didn't tell him that. I told him that I'm pregnant."
"Oh." Chronos relaxed. "Is that all."
"I-I don't think I can see you again."
"Why not? Charon, you mean so much to me!" Chronos ran over to grab her, putting his hot hand on her cheek, bringing his lips close to hers....
"No!" Charon put her hand between his lips and hers. "I--I want to provide a good home for this child. I can't allow us to do this anymore."
"Isn't the child mine? Isn't that what you said? Leave him and marry me!"
Charon closed her eyes. She had been so stupid. This could easily tear apart the whole group. She had to fix this. She took a deep breath and started. "I lied. Actually, at first, I thought it was ours, but I counted back again, and it's not. The child is Hades'. Chronos, I'm so sorry, but I have to do this. You do understand, don't you?" She tried to smooth his emotions, cool them from fire to a warm memory, but he was too angry for her to have much effect.
His eyes got a little wild. "I'll go back in time, and make the child mine! Then you'll stay with me, won't you? Please, Charon, don't do this!"
Charon gasped with fear. If he was willing to break his vows over her, she'd put the rebel group in more danger than she'd thought. She opened her mind to it's fullest extent and bore down on his raging emotions.
"NO! You mustn't do something so evil, Chronos! I could never love a man who would do such a terrible thing!" Please, please let this work!
He was silent for a minute, his hand still on her cheek, his mouth not more than a few inches from hers. For a minute she feared she had failed, and that this would cause a terrible war. Suddenly he doubled over with a forlorn sob. Charon knelt next to him and sadly smoothed his beautiful dark green hair. She leaned close and gave him a gentle kiss. "I did love you. I think I still do. I'm so sorry, Chronos." She stood up and stepped away. Chronos was still on his knees on the cold steel floor. She turned around and began to teleport back to her husband. Back home. "Be well," she whispered quietly, and disappeared.
*****
Serenity smiled happily. "Oh, but that's wonderful ! Your baby will be the first one born in our new home! You must be so pleased!" She gave Charon an enthusiastic hug. Charon had been so depressed lately. Serenity hoped it was only worry over her new baby. She turned to Sol. "Isn't that great?"
Sol nodded happily and smiled at Charon. "It's wonderful, Charon." He turned to Hades and shook his hand. "Congratulations!" Serenity smothered a smile at how proudly Hades puffed out his chest. The man was usually so somber. Serenity certainly hoped this would loosen him up a bit. Sol walked up and clapped Hades on the back. "I still have a few cigars from Haven. Why don't you and I find a few close friends and celebrate this, hm?" He led the larger man off, and just before they rounded the corner in the corridor, he turned back to give Serenity a wink. She laughed softly and blew him a kiss. Then she turned back to Charon. She stopped, and looked more closely at her friend. She had a strange, wistful look in her eyes. Serenity tilted her head.
"What's wrong, Charon. You don't seem happy. Is there a problem?"
Charon shook herself as if she had been lost in thought and blinked. "Oh, no not at all! I was just a little jealous of you and Sol. You seem so happy together. Hades and I lost a lot of that spark a while ago. I miss the heady days of being newlyweds...." Charon reached down and rubbed her belly. "Maybe this will change things."
Serenity privately thought she and Sol would never let their love wane, but she smiled at Charon and didn't say anything about that. Instead, "Tell you what. Let's plan a huge baby shower! It'll give us something to look forward to during the last few days of this voyage."
Charon smiled. "That sounds wonderful. I think I'd like that."
Serenity chuckled. "Now our only problem is trying to find something appropriate for a baby on these spaceships!"
Charon smiled. "I know you--you'll improvise something wonderful."
The two women walked down the corridor, laughing and planning.
*****
"Sol! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Wha--" Sol blinked the sleep out of his eyes, and looked up into Serenity's face. "Mmmmm. Good morning." Sol reached up for her, and she laughingly pushed his hands away.
"Stop that!" He loved the way she could laugh behind her voice like that--laugh through her eyes and face, yet without a sound. "Sol! I mean it! We're about to go into planetary orbit around my planet and Gaia's! Get up!" Sol ignored her words and tried to capture her hands, and with a final chuckle she left his side and walked out of the room. "Hurry up!" she called as she closed the door behind her.
Sol grumbled good naturedly and tumbled out of bed. He quickly put on his brightest armor, and washed his face. He pulled back his hair in a pony-tail at the nape of his neck. His hair was getting too long. He'd have to cut it soon. After one last look at himself to make sure everything was in place--Serenity teased him ceaselessly when he put on a shirt with a spot on it, or clothes that didn't quite match--he strolled out of their little room toward the bridge of the ship.
Serenity stood on the command deck and gazed at the view screen. On it were two lush planets, blue and green jewels in the sky. Their ship began to fall toward the smaller one and all of the others followed. They were going to establish themselves here first, then get the other started on their planets. Sol strode up behind Serenity and stood behind her with his arms around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. He gave her a quick peck on her cheek and they stood, completely still, a beautiful statue etched in the light of their new planet. Sol braced his feet to hold them steady as the planet grew larger and larger, covering the whole screen. Suddenly they were almost jarred off their feet as the ship touched down. Once the ship had settled, Sol let go of his wife to go to one of the control panels and press a glowing yellow button. The main hatch opened, and Sol walked down it, to set the first foot down on the surface. He turned, taking deep breaths of the alien, yet pleasant new air, and held out his hand to Serenity, who stood at the top of the ramp, a beautiful vision of white and silver. He smiled.
"Welcome home."