When she wasn’t tormenting him and stealing his toys so he’d pay attention to her.
Now her mother sang a sweet song and Gianna hummed along with her. The children were tucked in, Gianna first, with an extra kiss and one for the bear after she insisted. Paolo pretended to disdain a kiss but accepted the caress anyway, which made Gianna glad for him.
Her mother moved toward the door. “Your father is going to be late, or so his message said, don’t try to stay awake for him. You’ll see him at breakfast. Hopefully.”
Dread rose in Gianna’s heart and she tried to cry out a warning but her vocal cords were paralyzed. She tried to go further into the room, to drag her mother away from the spot where the bulkhead and other crushingly massive pieces of debris were going to fall on her. “No, no!”
The scene froze, so the last thing Gianna saw was her mother’s happy face as she blew them a kiss.
“Seven hells we are never doing this again. I should have known after the fucking pantry this was a bad idea.” Trevor was swearing a blue streak. He was holding her tight, her head pressed against his chest as she wept.
Verlaine was licking her ear, the only part of Gianna he could reach. She shoved the hound away, unable to stand the ticklish sensation despite being grateful for his affection.
“She was shown what she wished to see,” V’terre said calmly. “She asked for a vision and I opened the portal of time ever so slightly and provided to the adult what the child’s last happy memory was. She has taken no harm for I was vigilant. No rules were broken.”
Gianna realized she’d fainted and somehow she was back in her own suite. Maybe V’terre had teleported them there. She didn’t care. Pushing against Trevor’s hold, sniffling, she accepted a handkerchief from V’terre (ancient aliens carried handkerchiefs?), realizing with a start as she looked at the old fashioned monogram, it was one of her mother’s. Goosebumps prickled the flesh on her arms and she stared at the Mellurean who merely nodded. Wiping her eyes, Gianna sat up and kissed Trevor on the cheek. “I’m fine, really, sweetheart. Lady V’terre is right I got what I’d hoped for. I’d forgotten the book and the lullaby but I never forgot how much she loved us.” She paused. “Did you see?”
Jaw clenched, he avoided her eyes for a moment before giving a curt response. “I did.” Relenting a little in his fierceness, he kissed her forehead and said in a warmer voice, “No offense to Lady V’terre, but I’d rather not have any more such experiences. I don’t know about the Mellureans but humans aren’t meant to relive the past like this. Please tell me we’re done with this. I know you needed closure but we’ve done enough.”
“I agree.” Briskly she rose to her feet as Verlaine barked his approval. “The return voyage is complete for me now. I don’t have any more questions and the Nebula Dream has no more hold on me. I’m all about the future, our future. Well, after we’re done with Paolo’s wedding.”
Epilogue
“I had the worst crush on you,” Gianna said to her dancing partner as she swirled across the floor with him at the reception venue. “For years I was determined to marry you.”
“Mara might not have appreciated the idea,” Nick Jameson said with a laugh. “But I’m honored. I think you’ve found yourself a good man, by all reports and what I’ve seen this week.”
She glanced to where Trevor and Mara Lyrae Jameson were dancing and her heart filled with happiness again. “No offense to you, but meeting him was the best thing that ever happened to me, after surviving the Nebula Dream experience of course.”
“And I’m thrilled for you. You deserve happiness.” Smoothly Nick directed their steps, in perfect time with the music, to the point where he could reclaim Mara and Gianna could enfold herself in Trevor’s arms, to spin and twirl for the rest of the song. The skirt of her beautiful Twilka Original bridesmaid dress billowed around her legs as the dance ended. Gianna applauded with everyone else, having thoroughly enjoyed the music and the experience. “You’re so handsome in your dress uniform,” she said to Trevor as they walked to the head table to rejoin the others. “I’m having a hard time restraining myself from finding a broom closet and dragging you inside. No one will miss us now that I gave my eloquent sister of the groom speech.”
“And did a fine job of properly embarrassing him and praising him.” He squeezed her hand tight. “Tempting offer you’re making to me though. Should I go scout out likely alcoves?”
She shook her head in not entirely mock regret as she reached the table. “Too late, we’re back.”
He held her chair for her and she sat next to Paolo, although her brother was quite understandably preoccupied with his new bride, who was a delightful woman, a fellow officer in the Star Guard. She and Paolo and the others in their tight little Nebula Dream survivors’ group had had plenty of time to catch up during the week gone by, including one completely private dinner, catered by Chef Stephanie where it was just the six of them. Not even Trevor or Paolo’s intended were invited. The meal had gone on literally all night, with talking and tears and the amazing realization, at least on Gianna’s part, that no matter how many years elapsed, the adults and the now grown children remained a tight and unbreakable alliance, united by what they’d seen and endured.
The musicians struck up the next song and her companions deserted the table to dance. Gianna shook her head, petting Verlaine, who was at ease partially under the edge of the tablecloth, accepting whatever illicit goodies he was given. “My feet are tired—I’ll sit this one out.”
Trevor stayed with her, holding her hand. “I’ve never met a D’nvannae Brother before. Your friend Khevan is spooky. I’d hate to go up against him.”
Gianna watched Twilka and Khevan dance, enjoying the obvious attraction between the two. The couple made the banal wedding reception entertainment music seem sultry and hot and their improvised dance was intricate and suggestive. She remembered a few times on the Nebula Dream where they’d been as caught up in each other and she said as much to Trevor. “Even though I was only three at the time, I knew the two of them had something going on, right from the first.” She switched her focus to Nick and Mara, moving as one, talking quietly as they executed a fairly basic step. “What did you think of Nick?”
“Consummate professional. Top notch soldier. A genuinely good guy. I can see why you survived, with him taking care of you. He told me he thought of you as a younger sister, got a bit emotional, but then he gave me a fatherly talk about taking care of you and cherishing you. Which I assured him I will do for the rest of our lives.” Trevor fished a business card chit out of his jacket pocket to show her. “He and Khevan invited me to join their company. I said we didn’t know yet what our living situation was going to be and they said no problem. I wanted to talk to you first but I’d like to take this opportunity. Their security and consulting firm has a stellar reputation and they don’t take just any former military personnel. Actually not many men or women even get an interview, much less a job offer.”