Planetside
Rowena was still wearing the long, straight dress of a Taerian businesswoman. This one was reddish brown, with brown buttons and embroidery. It was characteristically loose-fitting, and didn't do much to show off her particularly well-endowed curves, but that never bothered her. She turned on the hot water and put a blood-red bath bulb under the faucet. As the tub filled up she unfastened the buttons that went all down her left arm and the ones on her right shoulder and let the dress slide down to the floor. According to the customs of her mother's planet, there was nothing underneath.
Naked, she walked across the large apartment to the bedroom, where she found a couple of scrungies and pulled her hair into a bun on the top of her head. As she went back to the bathroom the apartment felt very empty, as it always did nowadays. She slipped into the bathtub and leaned back. The water was not yet over her stomach, but it steadily rose, and she fell into a daydream.
Ben had been at war, somewhere in deep space, for almost six months. A month after the Marathon had embarked from Taera it had been boarded by the Pfhor, and now Mission control only got correspondence from the ship sporadically, and nothing very substantial. Most of them were just routine technical reports from the computers, automatically sent every so often, but every once in a while an AI or a crew member would send a progress report or distress signal. Even so, there wasn't much anybody planetside could do. Seven more ships of the Taerian fleet were in the area, but they seemed to be under heavy attack, too. According to the last reports the AI's had a few human Black Razors and baerson Kantellaemai (elite soldiers of the Taerian army) working individually to free prisoners and do other missions to win the war back from the triumphing Pfhor. Ben was one of them. Three ships had been boarded and commandeered by the bugs. The Taerians were beginning preparations for planetary war, and the few Earthers who knew of the threat were nervous as hell.
The water was over her breasts now, almost to the rim of the tub, so she turned off the faucet. Hot, carnation-scented steam rose to the ceiling. It was getting dark outside. Rowena wondered what Tango was doing. She didn't feel like doing anything herself, however, having just returned from Taera, but the emptiness of the apartment was getting to her. Without the water running silence flooded in, swallowing any thoughts she'd had that didn't involve Ben. Six months... It had been bad enough before, when one or the other of them would be gone on business at any given time for six or seven weeks. But six months... The High Council had been confident that the war would be won in less than three, and the troops were only prepared for eight, at the most, so unless they spent a lot of time in stasis their artificial energy would run out soon.
She had always guarded herself against getting too involved with humans - or anyone, for that matter - because there were too many risks involved, emotional and otherwise. Kherubim were as bad as humans: Even though they lived as long as baersonai (and longer than a half-human like Rowena, most probably), the Kherubim were adamant enemies of her kind. Her relationship with the warrior Semouth had been cautiously, desperately secretive until she had gotten pregnant. Now, with Ben, she knew she would have to leave him before his human lifespan got the better of them. She had known from the beginning, but had never been able to pull herself away.
As she was falling asleep the doorbell rang. She shook herself and stepped out of the tub. Before leaving the bathroom she wrapped a towel around her dripping body. The doorbell rang again. She looked out the peephole and smiled.
"Mom!" Seth cried, throwing his arms around her as the door latched shut behind him. "How's it goin'?"
"Good, considering. How have you been?"
He shrugged animatedly. "Asi, asi." He looked at her for a short second, and then saw the light in the bathroom. "Did I catch ya at a bad time?"
"Oh, geez, no. Sit down and I'll go get some clothes on."
She closed the bedroom door, and Seth took off her leather jacket. He sat on the couch and looked around the dark apartment. He hadn't seen much of his mother since the war began. She was always away on business between planets. He imagined she was purposely staying ludicrously busy to keep her mind off the fact that her lover was at war.
Coming out of her room in a sweater and jeans, Rowena flicked on the light. "Nice jacket," she said, moving it so she could sit next to Seth. "What's with this punk thing?"
He was wearing a white tank top, most likely bought 3 for $5 at WalMart, ripped up black jeans, several wallet chains, a studded belt, combat boots, and a beat-up, worn black fedora. "Do you like it?" he grinned.
"I, um, think so," she laughed. "And what about this hat, Seth?" She pulled it off his head.
His smile grew. "Steve made me do it. Whaddaya think?"
Rowena blinked. His formerly shaggy blond hair was now cut, and stood about two inches high in blue spikes with purple tips. "Well, Tango'll like it."
Seth laughed again. "I didn't think you would. Oh, and look! I got my tongue pierced!" He opened his mouth wide and stuck his tongue out to show her the silver barbell stuck through it. "Aaaahhh."
"Did Steve make you do that, too?"
"Nah. Jose Cuervo did."
"How long have you had your ears pierced?"
"Almost a year. Ya know, you should pierce your ears."
Rowena laughed. "Yeah, right. Taerian government officials don't pierce their ears."
"No one on Taera does, either. But hey, they know you're an Earther. And Kiriam did it, too, anyway." He paused, as if thinking of another idea. "You don' wear short shirts often, do ya?"
"No. Dare I ask why?"
He shrugged. "I was jus' gonna suggest you pierce your belly button-"
She burst into peals of laughter. "Oh, Seth. You're crazy."
"Well, it'd be sexy."
"Seth!"
"Not to me! To, like, other people. You know. Besides, if you weren't my mother I'd think you were a babe."
Rowena shook her head. "You're horrible."
"C'mon! You can't argue. I mean, geez. Lookit those..." he struggled, trying to think of a way to describe his mother's chest, "...tracts o' land."
"I should smack you, Rhenon," she threatened playfully, using his real name for emphasis.
"Well, it's true," he pouted. There was a long pause, and Seth suddenly looked up and grinned. "Listen, Mom. Lemme take you to dinner."
"Where?" she laughed, looking at his hair and clothes.
"I dunno. Nowhere fancy. Just, ya know, over ta Rodney's or somethin'."
"Alright." Rowena hadn't had Rodney's steak for a long time, and it sounded like something she needed right now.
Rodney's was a dark, smoky steakhouse/punk hangout. Loud, raucaus music played from speakers in every corner, and the waitresses wore short skirts and push-up bras. Rowena could adjust to anything, though, and anyway, the food was superb. As always, she ordered a half-inch thick, medium-rare sirloin with a small salad and medium Coke. Seth, on the other hand, had the biggest inch-thick on the menu, with all the sides. "I'm a pig," he grinned as the waitress walked away.
Dinner finished, Seth and Rowena left Rodney's and walked down the street. "When ya hafta work again?" he asked her.
"Well, so far I have two weeks off, but if there's any emergency they'll probably call me."
Seth grinned. "Two weeks, huh?"
She stopped walking and crossed her arms. "What are you planning, Seth Kellers?"
He laughed. "You're so suspicious. I jus' think you should have a little fun while you can. You've been stressed out lately. I can tell."
"So what's your definition of 'a little fun?'"
"See? Jus' trust me, okay?"
"Trust you? You'll probably have me piercing my eyebrows."
He put his hands on his hips. "Fine. I promise no piercings - 'nless you want 'em. Kay?"
"Good enough."
"Good. Let's go get somethin' to drink."
Seth was drunk. He'd had three glasses of brandy and more than eight beers, and was now busy hitting on the girl next to him.
"Aren't you here with someone?" she asked pointedly, nodding towards Rowena.
"What? Her? No, that's just my moth - m - my sister."
The girl rolled her eyes and walked away.
"Bartender! Lemme 'ave anoth' beer."
The bartender, who had just started her shift, looked at him skeptically. "How old are you, boy?"
"Um..." Seth looked worried. "Umm..." On a sudden notion he pulled out his wallet and found his driver's license. "Twenty-two."
She examined the card and handed it back to him. "How much have you had to drink tonight?"
"Not enough," he grinned.
"Boy, you're gonna pass out if I give you any more," she said, looking at his tab.
He vigorously shook his head. "Nope. Not 'nless I drink till...a long time from now. You haven't seen me drink, lady."
Before the bartender could say anything else Rowena, who had just finished her second brandy, grabbed Seth's arm. "Come on, Seth. I'll take you home."
"Aw, c'mon, Ro," he complained, even though he willingly (and stably) stood up. "I duneeda go home."
She pulled him out of the bar, grinning. Once on the sidewalk, she burst into laughter. "Let's go, Seth. You're going home."
"I donwanna."
"Yeah. Gimme your keys."
He sighed heavily. "Oh, kay." He dug in his pocket and procured a set of keys. Handing them to Rowena he added, "But I still don't wanna go."
"I know."
They got in the car and she drove him to his apartment. "You sleep it off," she told him, "and I'll call you tomorrow."
Seth smiled. "Kay. Promise?"
"I promise." She closed the door and went back out to the street to catch a cab.
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