There were clothes waiting when Cadan and the children emerged from the washroom. The twins were almost giddy with happiness at being clean, and chased each other around the infirmary, giggling in their towels, before they came over to sort through what had been provided for them. Cadan was glad to see a fresh set of her own clothes. She left the sports bra off, she couldn't handle pressure against her throbbing ribs, and stepped gingerly into a jumpsuit. Raaa seemed to be through with her, and jumped down from Cadan's shoulder to scamper away.
Cadan managed to step into the legs of her jumpsuit, and Devin was there to help with getting the sleeves on. He hurried over as soon as he saw Cadan wince as she twisted around to find a sleeve. It was much easier to get her arms through with Devin holding them for her. The adrenaline of the fight was long gone, and the numbing of the antiseptic was wearing off, so the pain of Cadan's injuries was shining through.
Devin bit his trembling bottom lip, looking up at Cadan.
"Get yourself dressed. I'm fine," Cadan told him quietly. She gestured him toward the clothes with a turn of her chin. "I'll be fine in a few days, I promise."
Devin nodded and joined the twins. Erica and Kofi chose shirts that must have been Sophi's, brightly colored but soft. They would serve well enough for sleep shirts. The Rhyssa was warm enough they weren't likely to get cold without pants. Cadan helped them roll the sleeves up so their hands were free. Devin dressed himself in a pair of pants that were probably Sophi's, legs rolled up and waist held with a belt, and an oversized shirt Cadan would bet was Gamal's. If Cadan had been thinking clearly when she'd left the Royal Palace, she would have brought clothes for the children, but she hadn't been. She'd just grabbed her things and gone with Sophi as quickly as she could.
Farah ducked into the infirmary, eyes smiling at the children. "I brought this," she said, holding something out to Cadan. "I know the young princess likes to wear a headwrap. It's not exactly the same, but I thought she could use one of mine?" Farah reached up to touch the pale-peach headscarf she was wearing.
"Thank you." Cadan accepted the scarf from Farah. It was a soft blue, not quite royal teal, and silky to protect Erica's hair from damage. It was wider and a lighter fabric than they'd usually use, but more than serviceable. "Here, sweetheart, do you want this?" Cadan asked Erica, who immediately ran over to have it tied over her freshly tended curls.
"Gamal is heating up some food in the kitchen," Farah added while Cadan tied a showy bow on the side of the scarf around Erica's head. "It should be ready now." Cadan nodded gratefully. She had not been looking forward to trying to cook.
"Come on." Cadan carefully pushed herself upright, holding her hands out to the children. "Let's eat." She hoped there would be enough for her—not that it really mattered. There were nutrient bars in the kitchen if she needed more. The twins squabbled a bit before settling for both holding different fingers of her left hand, while Devin took her right. They pressed in close to Cadan as she walked to the kitchen, glad it was not very far.
The smell hit her before she reached the door, and Cadan smiled.
"Nut stew!" Kofi crowed as they stepped into the kitchen. Gamal was ladling stew over a big, slightly misshapen ball of reheated fufu in a serving bowl. He smiled at the children and carried it over to the table. The children immediately abandoned Cadan to climb into chairs and take big pinches.
Erica sighed happily. "It tastes like at home."
"That's because I made it," Cadan said, sitting down carefully in the last chair. Had it just been a few hours before? It felt like forever. It was as good as it had been fresh, maybe better for having let the stew's flavors meld together. Cadan ate, finally filling the emptiness in her belly. The twins finished quickly and cuddled up together in a chair to fall asleep. They dropped off as soon as they sat still, the sweet, tired babies. Devin was eating more slowly. He glanced toward Cadan, and again, and turned his face away—shoulders curling in.
"You got hurt and it's my fault," he said. "I should have... have..."
"No." Cadan reached over and squeezed his shoulder tight. "You were so brave and you did so good, Devin. Better than anyone could have asked you to."
"I should have kept fighting." Devin faced Cadan, spitting it out like an accusation—one against himself. "You would have kept fighting. You wouldn't have stopped." He cradled his cracked wrist in its brace against his chest.
"No." Cadan gently rubbed her thumb whisper-soft across the dark, puffy bruise on Devin's cheek, heart aching. "Not when I was your age, little one. You couldn't have won. They were adults, and you can't take the blame for anything they did."
Devin sniffled, eyes bright, and Cadan carefully pulled him in to rest against a less-bruised part of her chest. "I'm so proud of you," Cadan whispered into his curls, holding him close. "You took care of the little ones and you survived until I could find you. I would do anything for you, my prince." She'd sworn it to Magnus, when he was crown prince. She hoped Devin had grown up never having to doubt it. It was her own fault she'd gotten hurt. Cadan should have taken Magnus's offer of more hard-light shields, implants in her ribs to protect her core. She should have them, even if it meant letting the royal doctors crack her skull open to install the neural connections to control them.
"I want to go home," Devin mumbled into Cadan's jumpsuit.
"We're going home," Cadan promised. "I'll get you home." She gently pushed him away. "Let's get some rest. I think we're all tired. You can sleep in my bunk." She could sleep on the floor, and be close to them. She'd have to get her bag from Sophi's room, or ask someone to bring it for her. Cadan was not sure she would be able to pick it up, with how sore she was.
"You could sleep in my room," Sophi interrupted from the door. Cadan hadn't noticed her standing there with her arms wrapped tight around her torso. "It's big enough you'll all fit, and your stuff's already there."
"Thank you," Cadan answered, levering herself to her feet. That would make things much easier. She certainly didn't want to have the children out of her sight, and doubted they'd be happy sleeping apart from her, either. The twins complained sleepily when she woke them, but they followed along easily enough when Cadan promised them a bed. She'd rather have carried them, but she really couldn't right now. Staying upright and walking was challenge enough.
"This room is pretty," Erica observed, taking in Sophi's red-and-gold decorations—the drapes that framed the bed. Kofi just yawned and crawled up to take his place in the middle, and Erica climbed up to cuddle with him. They'd always slept like that, holding on to each other tightly. Cadan gestured Devin onto the bed with a turn of her head and fished around in her bag for her painkillers. She tucked a little dissolving tablet under her tongue for immediate pain relief and swallowed down two long-acting ones so she'd be able to sleep.
Devin had pulled the twins closer to his side of the bed so Cadan had more than half the space to herself. The painkiller hit, relief sweeping her body, and Cadan plucked her communicator out of her bag as she joined them.
"Let's send a message to your father," she suggested. Calling Magnus probably should have been the first thing she did, but she'd been otherwise occupied. Cadan quickly set the communicator to record as she lay on the bed, holding it up so it showed all four of them. She looked worse than she'd realized, with bruising and newskin patches visible on her face and neck.
"Papa." Devin's lip trembled as he looked up into the communicator. He turned his face away, hiding against the already-sleeping Erica's back. Cadan awkwardly reached over to cup the back of his head in her other hand, to offer him comfort.
"We're coming home," Cadan finished for Devin, and sent the message. She sent a still image to Senan. Senan didn't need more than to see that Cadan had the children. She'd understand. Cadan set her communicator aside, moving gingerly to not aggravate her wounds.
Sophi spread a blanket over them all. It smelled like Sophi, her skin and the light floral scent she wore. Cadan tucked it firmly around the twins, so hopefully they would not kick her in their sleep. Sophi's hand rested on Cadan's cheek, a soft, affectionate touch.
Cadan caught her hand when Sophi would have drawn back. "Stay?" she asked. She was fading. She was so tired, and she finally had her children safe. She didn't have any other words, but she did not want to have Sophi away from her.
There wasn't much room left in the bed, but Sophi slipped in beside Cadan. She was careful not to touch Cadan's ribs, instead holding her hip. Sophi's slender leg was thrown over Cadan's, and that was good. That felt right.
Cadan breathed deep—the Rhyssa's particular mix of gasses, the scent of Sophi and of freshly washed children. She sighed as she closed her eyes and let sleep take her.
*~*~*
The twins woke up first and their giggling and whispering, along with Devin trying to shush them, woke Cadan. Sophi was already gone, leaving the four of them alone in her room.
The systemic nanohealers had done their job while she slept. Cadan's bruises were already fading, and the pain of her bigger injuries was lessened enough she only needed a single long-acting painkiller.
The children's clothes were cleaned and folded neatly on top of Cadan's bag at the foot of the bed, and Cadan had two messages from Senan on her communicator. She'd slept deeply enough she hadn't noticed any of it.
The first message was for Cadan, chiding her for her injuries and informing her of plans to transfer her and the children to the Aequus to go home. It made sense—Senan's cutter was smaller and faster than the Rhyssa. The second message was for the children, and they'd crowded around the communicator to listen to their Aunti Senan tell them how much she loved them and promise to get them home.
The Aequus was already in communication with the Rhyssa when Cadan and the children emerged to find themselves breakfast. Sophi was in the helm, coordinating with Senan's pilot, who was no more than an hour away from them. There were warm flatbreads with curry legumes and even a little tangy, real-dairy cheese left in the kitchen for breakfast. Very likely Farah or Gamal's contribution, since there hadn't been any in the group ingredients. There was a note left on the food, inviting everyone to have some, and the children tucked in eagerly.
Cadan supplemented hers with a protein-and-vegetables shake, to avoid eating the whole thing and leaving none for anyone else.
Dr. Hanne met them after breakfast, and seemed very pleased with Devin's healing when sie checked on him. The bruise on his cheek was almost completely gone already, and he claimed his cracked wrist only twinged a little bit. Dr. Hanne offered to check on Cadan too, but took it with no more than a quiet huff of disappointment when she refused.
Gamal and Farah were in their off hours, and not available, but Dr. Hanne promised to relay Cadan and the children's thanks to them.
Sophie was busy coordinating with her crew and contacts until the last moment, arranging to pick up the jobs she'd dropped to find the royal children. Only Klirii and Raaa and a few other male anoloids were waiting inside the airlock with them as they waited for the ships to dock.
Her niblings practically vibrated with excitement at Cadan's side as they felt the first hesitant nudges of the ships connecting. Sophi arrived as the docking procedures finished, there to make a formal greeting as captain and to receive her pay. The artificial gravities of the two ships adjusted to each other, and the airlocks opened.
Senan stepped through onto the Rhyssa, flanked by her guards and looking every bit as beautiful and regal as their aunt the Queen had been. Senan's teal-threaded locs were woven into a crown atop her head to match the accents in the richly woven dress that wrapped around her broad curves. The twins broke away from Cadan to run to her, followed closely by Devin, and Senan dropped every last vestige of formality as she swept them into her arms to kiss them. Devin didn't even protest the treatment.
Sophi hung back and allowed them their reunion, but Senan did not keep her waiting long. She set the twins down and took a case from one of her guards.
"Captain Pan, your payment as agreed." Senan held out the heavy case. Sophi took it and opened it, inspecting the rows of nul suspension vials. Two full kilos. It was a royal ransom, far more antimatter than Cadan had ever seen in one place. Sophi counted it out without the slightest hint of shock on her face.
"Everything as agreed." Sophi nodded to accept it, clicking the case shut. She handed it off to Raaa and Klirii. "A pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Martin. My only request is that you talk her into considering more cautious battle plans." She indicated Cadan with a crook of her thumb.
"Your request is noted," Senan answered. There was a glint in her eyes when she glanced at Cadan that promised a revisit to their old arguments about acceptable risk. "Let's get going." She shooed the children toward the airlock and the Aequus. "Your father is waiting for you."
Senan and her guards surrounded the children; they were safe in her care now. Cadan felt the final knots of tension loosen in her chest, the last of the weight ease from her shoulders. The children were safe, and they were out of her care. She had done her job and everything was finally right. The galaxy settled into place around her. Cadan followed two steps toward the Aequus before she stopped.
Sophi.
Captain Sophi was stepping back, shoulders hunching and her hands shoved deep into her pants pockets as she watched them go. She'd worked so hard and given so much for this. Cadan could never have found the children without her. Sophi hadn't been in this for the children. She certainly hadn't been in it for king and Kingdom. She hadn't even entirely been in it for the money.
Sophi glanced up at Cadan, her heavy-lidded black eyes aching.
Cadan dropped her bag and turned to Sophi instead, wrapped her up tight in her arms. She was so good and perfect to hold. Sophi squirmed her hands out of her pockets and held on to Cadan carefully, a tiny whimper in her throat. Cadan buried her face against Sophi's neck, breathing her warm skin and holding her close.
"Thank you," Cadan whispered. "Thank you." She could not say it enough. Sophi had done so much, because Cadan had asked her to. She'd worked so hard to find the children and had jeopardized her standing, even if Cadan didn't exactly like where Sophi chose to stand. When Cadan hadn't had anything to give her in return, when Cadan had hurt her with her anger, Sophi had kept working as hard as she could. She'd held Cadan together when she was breaking apart.
Cadan drew back slightly, just enough to see Sophi's face and cup her cheek in her big hand. Cadan kissed her gently, slowly, but long and thorough. Sophi's breath stuttered against Cadan's mouth, almost like a sob as she answered the kiss. Cadan hummed an anoloid note of contentment to soothe her, stroking Sophi's back through her shirt, and her thick black braid.
Cadan could kiss Sophi forever, but she didn't have forever right now. She broke the kiss, placing one last peck on Sophi's lips. She ran her thumb affectionately across Sophi's cheek, slid her hand farther back to play with her braid again, still holding her close.
"I'll see you again soon, love," Cadan promised.
A smile broke out across Sophi's face, the faint warmth of a blush tinting her cheeks and the tips of her ears as she ducked forward to rest her forehead against Cadan's collarbone.
"I have to go," Cadan told her. "But I'll come looking for you as soon as I can. Take care of Raaa for me?"
"You take care of yourself," Sophi demanded in answer. She stretched up on her tiptoes to beg one last soft kiss before she let Cadan go. Cadan picked up her bag and followed her family onto the Aequus.
Senan favored Cadan with a knowingly raised eyebrow and a small smile, but said nothing. Devin looked up at Cadan with his eyes shining, even with the twins making gross faces behind him.
"You're in love with Captain Sophi?" Devin asked. "Since when?"
Cadan glanced back through the airlock, smiling back at the smile that was still on Sophi's face. "For ages," she answered. She had time to see the renewed blush blossom on Sophi's cheeks before the airlock closed between them.