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“Well, yes—we have a viewscreen here in the exam room,”Livsaid.Shenodded at something that looked like a flat screenTVmonitor in the corner of the room. “It’sright up there.”
“Canyou put him on then?”Celiaasked hopefully. “Please?”
“Ofcourse.”Livnodded and said, “CommanderGerrin, please patch the vid-call through to the mainMedCenter, exam room two.”
“Willdo,Doctor.”Thevoice cut out and after a moment, the viewscreen came to life showing an extremely worried lookingPeter.
“Darling!”Heexclaimed the moment he sawCelia. “Oh, it’s true—you’re back!Andyou’re all right!Er—areyou all right?”Headded, looking her over anxiously. “What’sthat strange garment you’re wearing?”
“It’sa hospital gown, butI’mall right,”Celiatold him quickly. “Theywere just checking us out because we went through a wormhole that was starting to destabilize and—”
“Darling, none of that is important now.”Peterinterrupted her. “I’mjust so thankful you’re alive and back in one piece.Andjust in time for our wedding!”
Celiabit her lip.Herewas the part where she toldPetershe had to call the wedding off becauseHoldandFiercehadClaimedher…or shewouldhave, if it wasn’t for the baby.Therewas no way she could go back to the twins and admit she was having another man’s child…things were going to have to be over between them.Butshealsodidn’t want her baby to be raised without a father.AndsincePeterwas the baby’s biological father, it made sense to go back to him.
“Yes,” she said at last. “Just…just in time for our wedding.”
“Howsoon can you get here?”Peterdemanded. “Iknow it’s late but you’ll have time for a few hours sleep before you have to get ready.Mummyhas everything all set up—she always believed you’d come back in time!”
“That’s…so kind of her.”Celiatried to smile. “I’llcome down to you right away.”Shelooked atLiv. “Canyou arrange for someone to fly me down toEarth?Rightnow—tonight?” she asked.
Livfrowned but nodded.
“Well, yes.Thereare always warriors waiting in theDockingBayto bring people back and forth toEarth—in case of emergencies, you know.”
“Good.Thankyou.”Celianodded and looked back up at the viewscreen withPeteron it. “I’llbe there soon.”
“Ican’t wait to see you and hold you in my arms again, my darling!”Peterblew her a kiss. “Andtomorrow we’ll have the perfect fairytaleChristmasEvewedding!Youshould see how beautiful the chapel atSt.Paul’sis!Mummyhas it all decorated forChristmas!”
Celiabit her lip.Shehad been going to do the decorations herself, but she guessed she ought to be grateful that herMother-in-Law-to-be had handled it instead, considering that she’d been missing for so long.
“Ican’t wait to see it,” she said, trying to smile.
“Hurryand come back to me!”Peterexclaimed. “Ilove you, darlingCece!”
“I…Ilove you too.”Thewords wanted to stick in her throat, but somehowCeliagot them out.Andthen the connection was cut and the vidscreen went black again.
“Celia…are yousureyou want to do this?”Katasked.Shehad been sitting quietly this whole time but now the look on her usually laughing face was deadly serious. “Areyou sure you want to leave your guys and go back toPeter?”
“Ihave to.”Celialifted her chin. “Peteris the father of my baby—my daughter.”Sheput a hand over her lower belly protectively. “Ihaveto go back to him.Besides, this is what we always planned—thatIwould do theClaimingPeriodand then go back down toEarthand marryPeter.”Shelooked atLiv. “CanIgo right now?BacktoEarth,Imean?”
“Don’tyou even want totalktoHoldorFierce?”Katexclaimed.
Celiashook her head.
“No—andIdon’t want either one ofyoutalking to them either.TheKindredhave patient confidentiality, right?” she demanded.
“Yes, we honor patient/doctor confidentiality,”Livsaid quietly. “Andwe can’t tell you what to do, of course.ButIreally think you should at least talk to yourTwinKindredbefore you leave to go back toEarth.”
Celiashook her head again.
“No,Ican’t…Ican’t face them.”Shecould just imagine the look of disgust onFierce’sface when she admitted she was pregnant with another man’s baby.No, she couldn’t go through that—wouldn’t put herself through it.
“Butto justleaveafter all you’ve been through with them—”Katbegan.
“Itell you what—I’llwrite them a note,”Celiaoffered.Shelooked atKat’svoluminous purse. “Youmust have a pen and paper in there, don’t you?”
“Well…yes.”Katdug in her purse and pulled out a notepad and a pen. “Hereyou go.”Shehanded them toCelia. “ButIreally think if you just talked to them—”
