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"Valerian?"They're somewhere in Alpha. Can't remember where exactly, but it's one of the smaller quadrants. Not that that matters much when you're seeing it from this perspective, though. Laureline cranes over her shoulder to scan the street; no one seems to be paying attention. She turns back to the alley."Valerian, talk to me."Her husband is crouched by the wall, bracing himself with one hand. His face is hidden, but she can see his back rise and fall as he breathes. He lowers himself down to sit on his heels and mutters thickly, "Gimme a minute."Laureline bites her cheek and worries. It doesn't smell all that bad here. And anyway, that doesn't usually bother Valerian...he's been this way for almost a month, though. Getting sick at the drop of a hat. Whatever bug he's got, it's hitting him hard. She hears him heave again, and turns away. A towering, spiked alien gives her a nod and a pleasant smile as it lumbers past; she stares it down. Then, when it's quiet in the alley again, she kneels down to Valerian's level and lays a hand on his back. A small gesture of reassurance."'m good," he croaks."D'you think you can make it back to the ship?" she rubs her thumb back and forth over his shoulderblade, prominent through his civilian clothes. After a moment's hesitation, he nods mutely; she helps him to his feet. Once upright, he wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, brushes his hair out of his face, and is suddenly Major Valerian again. With a crisp nod to his wife he sets off into the crowd, and only she would notice that he's a little unsteady on his feet. She shakes her head and follows him. Valerian gets sick once more before they get to the ship. By the time they arrive and he flops down on their bunk, he's feeling pretty sorry for himself. He's a soldier, for fuck's sake. Shouldn't he be more in control? He lies there for quite some time, listening to Laureline bustle around in the next room. He's still nauseous in spite of himself, and is just working up to a really bad mood when a thought occurs to him. He stands up and walks to the nearest wall terminal."ALEX, show me the readout from my last bioscan."A blue holo-screen blinks up in front of him; he scours it, his face unreadable, as though it might have changed since the last time he saw it."What are you reading?"His heart skips a beat or three. Laureline strides into the room, grabs a hoodie from the end of the bunk, and pulls it on over her short-sleeve shirt, then finger-combs her hair back and starts to braid it. Somehow Valerian keeps his voice level."Bioscan. Wanna figure out what's wrong with me."A little smirk crosses Laureline's face, as though she's biting back some smart-ass comment. Which she almost certainly is. "So what's the verdict?"Valerian balks momentarily. Might as well tell her. He's waited this long, better to just rip the bandage off."I'm pregnant." he drops the words. Laureline freezes with her hair half-braided and stares at him. A long moment later, she finds her words."But you said you couldn't --""Well, obviously I was wrong." Valerian waves away the holo-screen. He doesn't want to see it anymore. Instead he sits down on the bunk, facing away from Laureline, who's quiet for another stretch of seconds."Alright, well, I guess we'll be going to the human quadrant tomorrow," she says slowly. Her tone is smooth and clinical, as though she's talking to some Federation bureaucrat instead of her husband. "I'm sure we can find a doctor there to take care of it before the next mission comes in. We'll just be leaving a bit behind schedule." she finishes braiding her hair, gathers up some datapads, and heads back toward the other room -- only to stop dead in her tracks halfway there. On her face is a strange mix of emotions. "...That is what you want, isn't it?"Valerian doesn't answer. But Laureline knows him well enough to hear what he's not saying. And the silence says enough on its own. She puts down the datapads on a nearby crate and crosses the room to join him on the bunk. They sit in silence for a moment. Valerian stares at the wall."You're going through with it." it's a statement. She already knows the answer.Valerian nods, and he's half-surprised to find that he really means it. Repercussions and all, he wants this. A sidelong glance shows that Laureline's deep in thought, too."How long have you known?""A month or two.""And you didn't tell me?" there's a little bit of heat in her words."I needed time to think." Valerian sighs. It turns into a nervous laugh that he quickly bites back. "You did say you wanted to have kids someday.""Yes, but I didn't think that meant now!""I don't hear you arguing, though."She cocks her head in agreement, and thinks a little more. Then, finally, she cracks a smile. Her hand finds his; he guides it to his abdomen and rests it there. They've got a lot of planning to do in the coming weeks and months, but that can wait a little longer."So...I guess we're doing this." it's a question this time, but they both know the answer. Valerian smiles. A genuine smile, not his usual lopsided smirk."I guess we are." ~~~°~~~