Whose Bun Is It?

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He frowned. Kurt of course remembered how everything had gone back on Tatooine, but his parents hardly cared about that. He had explained the situation to them...as best as he could, and they had been more than happy not to judge. That wasn't who his parents were. They knew that Kaile and Kurt were friends, they knew that Kaile wasn't a murdering psychopath and that was really all that mattered to them.

They were good people.

"Why?" He asked quietly. "They won't...they won't judge you or be mad at us for any of this."

It was true. His mother would be about as understanding as could be, his father might make a joke...but definitely not around Kaile. They were both adults, whats more they knew exactly how difficult it was to bring up a child. They would understand. "It's somewhere to go that's stress free."

Relatively.

"You won't get yelled at." Like she probably would on Sullust. "Just think about it, okay?"

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Her fingers kept playing with one another, uncertainty painted across her heartshaped face. She was at odds. Part of her wanted to, the thought of going back to Tatooine and being around nice folks like Kurt's parents was tempting. With that came the shame and the guilt of putting any more drama or trouble on Kurt and his parent's shoulders. They didn't even know if maybe Kurt was the father... or Asmus.

What would they even think of me?

Swallowing hard, Kaile shook her head at the door, as if Kurt would be able to see it.

"Had to report it..." plus the free medical care as long as she was on Sullust. And truth be told, didn't matter where she went. Regardless where Kaile maybe she was still going to fell stressed.

"Ain't one place in the 'verse that's gonna be less stressful Kurt." her weak voice added, the Lorrdian playing with her fingers some more.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"I know how bad this all is." Kurt said quietly. "I just thought Home would be nicer than some stuffy Headquarters on Sullust."

He really did.

Though he was in a state of constant self-loathing Kurt still did think of Kaile. He understood that her situation wasn't really any better than his, and he knew that she probably felt doubly awful about putting him where he was. There wasn't really anything that could cheer her up instantly, but he had thought that going to Tatooine, the twin suns and just being somewhere they didn't have to worry about anything would be helpful with...well her current state.

"I'm not forcing you to go or anything." He would stick with wherever she wanted to head towards, but no way was he leaving.

"We'll go to Sullust if you want." Simple as that. "Just thought it would be nice."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

It was quiet for a few moments. Then the sound of the bed creaking followed by the quiet steps of bare feet moving to the door came next.

Kaile's pale face came peeking out through the sliding open door a moment later. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she really did seem in need of some rest. Stress marked itself across her features, her hair a mused mess from the constant running of her fingers through the strawberry blonde length.

"I ain't sure it's a good idea..." she added, and Kurt would realize where she was coming from when she said, " Not with how things be going on with it all."

Brown eyes fell down to look at her feet, unable to help the shifting weight.

"I'll be fine on Sullust." really, really. Maybe.

I don't know.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"We." Was Kurt's only response.

He wasn't going to push the issue if Kaile didn't want to go. He hardly thought that Sullust was the proper place to be, the air was naturally toxic and she wouldn't be able to see the sun while there...and...well it was a military world. They could claim otherwise, but the Alliance was at with with half a dozen different factions, even if they weren't major government entities. Staying there would be stressful, more stressful than sitting on Tatooine.

But if it was what Kaile wanted, then Kurt wouldn't argue.

"If you're going." He told her. "Then I'm going too."

Regardless of what SIS handler chump told him to do. Kurt wasn't about to abandon his friend, even if things had entirely gone to shit lately. That just wasn't who he was, even if he wanted to...he didn't think that he could at this point.

Or at all for that matter.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile could see it in his expression. He wasn't going to change his mind. It was in his eyes. His stance. In the way, his arm and fingers flexed. Kaile couldn't help but feel the well of love for him then.

A step forward and before she knew it, Kaile fell into Kurt's arms. She pressed herself close, burying her face along the musky fabric of his shirt, forehead just under the crook of his neck.

She was scared. So scared. She also didn't want to lose him, as much as she felt that could very well be an eventuality.

It wasn't going to be easy. It wasn't going to be neat. There were always consequences. So many consequences.

Only time would tell.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt gently wrapped his arms around her.

He wasn't entirely sure about how all of this would end up, they had no real plan, no real idea of what to do. Part of the reason for that was because they didn't even know whose kid it was...After that maybe they would be able to actually figure things out, but...until then things were even more complicated.

Whether they went to Sullust or Tatooine that wouldn't really change.

Kurt supposed that it couldn't really be helped. There was no instant fix, no way of making things more comfortable than they already were. The Messa was comfortable, warm, they had food and enough money to do pretty much anything they wanted for the foreseeable future. He had thought Tatooine a good option because the environment was most familiar to him, but if Kaile wasn't comfortable than he wouldn't force her to go. Though he still thought Sullust wasn't the right space.

To stuffy.

Too much military.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

​

SULLUST
Enroute

So, Sullust it would be. Not the most comfortable or stress free of places, but at the very least Kaile wouldn't need to pay out of pocket for medical care.

She was at about two months now. A check up with the Medic would give her more information on the little one and perhaps relay just how long it would be before they'd be able to find out who was the biological father. Since Kurt would be with her, it would be easy to cross reference a small sample of his blood. Asmus wasn't here, so Kaile couldn't use him for reference -- and to be honest, the Lorrdian didn't want to go down that road.

She was already feeling weighted down by everything as it was.

Sullust space control would check their credentials as they neared Sullust Base. From there, well -- Kaile typically spent her time at the barracks.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

This was hardly a typical situation though.

Kurt didn't want to go to the barracks, he'd spent a good portion of his young adult life situated in some barracks and his time there had been mostly unpleasant. Sure there had been some pleasant points, some soft bits, some very soft bits, but that wasn't about to happen. Not today, or tomorrow for that matter. Thus they would be staying on The Messa, or they would be if Kurt had anything to say about it.

As the ship dipped down Kurt leaned over towards the radio. "Should've gone back home"

That wasn't anounced out loud, just said quietly to himself.

[We'll be landing in a sec] Kurt said over the comm [They gave us a private hangar bay so that's a good sign...probably]

Maybe not. In truth he still only had a vague idea of how the SIS, GADF, and everything else still all worked together. As far as he was concerned this was all just one glorious mess that he had been stuck in. Was he even an SIS agent? Kaile had called him an 'asset' when she'd first explained it to him, but in truth the distinction didn't really make much sense to him.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

[ Alright. ]

Kaile couldn't quite bring herself to say 'okay.' It ended up getting tied to someone else with jade green eyes and a rascal's smile. A deep sigh fell from her lips, shoulders dropping as she pulled back from the comm and surveyed her cabin.

It was a tiny thing, but her own. She had strung lights from one end to the next, making it feel as if they were tiny little stars. She also added the encrypted data terminal with about a dozen holoprojectors that allowed her to work. Then there was Bobo's shelf where she'd added his terrarium, a heat lamp, and the collection of bits and bobs. Even the nice little shiny paperweight that sat next to Bobo's terrarium was there.

The thought of leaving it to go to the barracks wasn't the most thrilling in the world.

Glancing back at the bed, the Lorrdian quietly continued to pack. Once they landed, well, it was going to be a whole mess of paperwork.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt flew The Messa through the Sullust atmosphere, careening through the air while thinking about just how awful this place actually was. Sure enough the Sullustans had created some nice underground homes, and the Jedi Temple was nice, but he still didn't think that this place was best for Kaile.

Not when there was a better option.

He sighed slightly and shook his head, taking the usual flight patch to where they wanted to go. The trip was of course a quick one, cut through the planets atmosphere and leading directly towards Headquarters. Kurt knew that when they got there things would likely get complicated again, but part of him wondered if that wasn't sort of...well already happening. He and Kaile both were stressed to all hell, and adding just a little more on top of it likely wouldn't do much else.

At least he had those pills for his heart.

"Here we go." Kurt said to himself as they passed into the hangar and landed.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile felt the rumble of the Messa as she set down. Kurt was a fantastic pilot, so there was no worry in the manner that he'd take the freighter down. True to word, Kurt set her down gently on the hanger.

With a wan smile to Bobo, the Lorrdian cupped him in her hands and perched him on her shoulder.

"There you go bud," she told him, giving him a lingering caress on his jaw. A glance down back at her bed and she swung her back onto her shoulder.

Why did she feel as if she was leaving again? Nerves likely. Or just an oppressing sensation of how everything was going crazy.

Another deep breath and Kaile held it. Okay, just take it one day at a time.

"We'll figure it out somehow," she said aloud, moving to the door. Kurt would meet her at the lounge, already bundled up and ready.

"Just gotta check in. You could probably see what they can do about giving you fuel and such. "

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He shrugged. "Don't worry about that I'll sort it out."

At the very least they had some money now. It had historically been a concern for the two of them, but right now they had a pretty good reserve that they could pull from. It was the one thing that...well gave Kurt a little bit of relexation, the fact that they didn't have to worry about where they would get their next meal or how they would get The Messa around the galaxy for the next delivery. Money may not have bought happiness, but it got security.

That was what he needed.

"I'll meet you back here." He told her. "Here."

He pointed to the deck of The Messa, as if insisting that Kaile would not be running off or staying in some rundown set of barracks. "This is home."

That wasn't going to change anytime soon.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

This is home.

Why did he have to say that? The sting came to Kaile's eyes then. Her lower lip quivered.

Home.

Home was Kurt. Home was the Messa. This was home.

But why did it feel as if I was breaking that home?

What does one do when the only family you have, the one person who was your best friend, utterly felt lost because of something you were responsible for?

Even now, Kaile could read it. Kurt might not understand the full implications of it all, but it was easy to see how badly it had affected him. How lost he was. And in the several days he simply just sat there quiet and numb, Kaile realized one thing.

She'd lie.

If the baby turned out to be Kurt's, she'd lie. She'd change the details so that it would say it wasn't his baby. Why? Because then he wouldn't have to worry about it right? He could just go on as before and not worry about it.

There be no reason for him to stress.

One tiny little lie.

For Kurt, Kaile could do that.

Would do that.

Vision blurred and there Kaile was again, crying. It felt like she was one massive never ending watering pot.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt reached out and hugged Kaile.

It was a gentle embrace. His mother had told him once that pregnant women tended to get emotional, and since this was an especially troubling time for both himself and Kaile he figured that this was simply natural. There was no question as to what was wrong, no judgement, nothing. Kurt just quietly held Kaile with no complaints or objections.

When a man wandered by the exit ramp to see if everything was okay Kurt glared at him with a look that seemed to say. Move along.

So Kurt just stood there.

Holding her.

He had no objection to standing there for an hour or for a minute, mostly because he had no idea how long this would go on and prompting her felt...well it just felt wrong. So he stood in place, arms wrapped around her, not a single question falling from his lips.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile didn't know how long they stood there where Kurt's arms wrapped around her. They felt so warm. Protective. One runny nose went to slide against Kurt's shirt, likely saturating it with more tears and maybe a little bit of snot. Sorry, not one of her best moments, but well, emotions.

Shoulders shook, and she quivered. Kaile gave a few more sniffs then pulled back. A hand came up to rub the palm of her hand against her red-rimmed eyes.

"A-Ahm fine." she managed to say, although clearly she was not. A pasted but wobbly smile attempted to bring some of the formally bubbly woman back.

"Alright." she swallowed, throat bobbing. But Kaile was a silly woman who worried about those she cared about more than herself.

"I'll comm you."

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt gave her one last squeeze and then broke away from the embrace. "I'll be here."

Where else was he going to go? He felt like an odd duck out whenever they were at any Alliance facility. Most of the people here either knew what he was or didn't know who he was. Both of those options were equally bad, mostly because no matter what they knew that he wasn't one of them. In places like this it didn't really pay to be an outsider, even if you really did meant good at heart. He shrugged as Kaile headed down the ramp, thinking it was best not to dwell on that.

"Right." He said to himself quietly. "Fuel."

He had credits, but he thought maybe he could talk to someone about getting it for free.

"Whose the quartermaster here?" Kurt asked a nearby flightcrewman who pointed him in the right direction.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

The flightcrewman gave a perk of his head. He was a Duros, large red brown eyes blinking over at the pilot curiously. A swivel of his head and then a long finger pointed up the stairs towards the second level.

"Second floor." He then gestured to the Messa.

"Need a top off?" he offered? Might as well since he was here.

Kaile on the other hand made her way inside the base. It was chaotic and just as crowded as she remembered. The scent of industry and sulfur thick in the air. It was familiar as it was a harsh reminder.

"Alright girl." Kaile told herself, feeling Bobo scurry from one shoulder to the next. "Guess for now it is time to go to the medic." A confirmation of her pregnancy and actually get the details on it all.

And just how the Big Guy would take it.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt...well Kurt did his thing.

It wasn't like there was a lot for him to do. He tracked down the quartermaster, gave him some spiel about how The Messa needed fuel for an SIS mission, then pretended that he'd lost the mission code and that the boss would kill him. Eventually the quartermaster had just given him the fuel as a way to shut him up. They wouldn't be writing any history books about that particular con, but at the very least it got Kurt and Kaile some free fuel.

That was always nice. "Okay."

Kurt said to himself as he slowly looked around the hangar bay.

"Now what?" He frowned, peering around until he saw some engineers gathered in the corner of the room. A small smirk played on his lips. "Pazaak? Don't mind if I do."

It would at least keep him from sulking.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

One hour later, the news didn't change a thing.

Yup. Pregnant. About two months now considering her last menstrual cycle and the use of the birth control stim. Which, as the medic reminded her, was only 97% effective.

Good ol' lucky 3%.

The results were now in her record. Of course, the result of that also left the Lorrdian with a sort of knotted sensation deep in her belly.

They showed her holographic image of the sonar sensor.

Not long enough to know the gender, but enough to see that it was this tiny thing. No bigger than the size of a strawberry. No larger than about twelve centimeters but you could still see the tiny hand and feet. But the sight wasn't as powerful as sound, for that tiny little heart was pounding out at least one-hundred and sixty beats per minute.

It made it real. It made that tiny thing a human being. Life.