Read It and Weep (PG-17)

Writers: Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 8th February 2016

Characters: Bailan, Falior, Harston
Description: A good day all around.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 8 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Eionen, A'kua
Rating: PG-17

Bailan could only stare. She had just entered the house to start making lunch, and a blue animal had come out of nowhere to perch on her kitchen table, forepaws resting on something small and flat wrapped in scraps of hide. She had never seen one before, but it could only be a fire-lizard. Why was a fire-lizard here in her kitchen? She cautiously approached, and the little flier lifted his paws to let her have the packet. The hides came apart easily, revealing two pieces of paper folded together. Bailan opened them to read them.

The first page was addressed to her, cursing her out. The filthy language, accusing words, and handwriting all clued her in as to who could have possibly sent the message. She read it anyway, biting her lip and picking through the abuse to discover Aluka's sire had found him and he was angry she had told Eionen about him.

The second page was easier to get through, because it started with an apology for the foulness on the first page, a thanks for the care of Shastia's headstone, and condolences on her unwanted marriage. The rest of it was news, short and to the point. Bailan's eyes bugged out on reading it, she gasped, and finally let out a triumphant cheer. She put the pages down and ran to get a small knife to cut a message into one of the hide wrappings: **Apology accepted. I'm glad you're okay and doing well. Can I tell Falior and Gordionne? - Bailan.**

She brought out the ham that was going to be baked for lunch and carved off a piece for the fire-lizard before it took the hide and vanished. Bailan tried to get to work, but she was too jittery to focus. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait too long for the answer that was brought back by the same blue fire-lizard: **Go ahead. I'm never coming back, so they won't hear it from me. - A'kua.**

Bailan squealed in glee, sent back a hasty thanks, grabbed page two of her letter and took off running, making it to Falior's cottage in moments. The children he taught were outside having lunch and horsing around, so the harper was the only one inside when Bailan burst in and rushed up to his desk to throw the letter down. The man jumped in surprise and nearly choked on his sandwich. When he finally managed to swallow, he coughed out, "Bailan, what in the-"

The young woman put her hands on the desk, leaning forward with a ferocious grin. "Read it an' weep, harper," she crowed.

Very confused, Falior picked up the paper and read it, eyes slowly widening in disbelief, and looked up at Bailan once he was finished. "When did you get this?"

"Just now. Fire-lizard brought it," Bailan said smugly.

Falior looked back at the letter. "This can't be right. He's lying. He has to be-"

The woman laughed. "Alu- A'kua never lied t' _me_," she gloated, leaning closer. "'Sides," she went on, tone poisonously sweet, "why would he lie when the truth'd do more damage?" She took the letter back and straightened. "So, looks's though he did make somethin' o' himself after all. I shoulda run off with him when I had the chance. Y'have a nice day now, Falior."

She dashed off to Gordionne's own hut, but his reaction to the letter was far less satisfactory: He simply read it and handed it back with a shake of his head. Whatever had happened to his grandson just plain didn't matter to him. Bailan still sauntered back home happily, but was surprised to see Harston there, staring at the clutter on the table in confusion. "Whatcha doin' here? Lunch ain' ready," Bailan said, moving past him to collect everything.

Her husband caught her shoulder and turned her around. "I wanna try again," he said seriously. "I'm feelin' better now, an'-"

Bailan touched his mouth, stopping him, and shook her head. "I never want kids," she said sternly. "Bein' pregnant was the worst thing t' happen t' me, aside from bein' forced t' get married." Harston looked deeply hurt at that, but Bailan went on. This was a long overdue conversation. "If'n y'want children, tha's fine. It just won' be with me. I don' care if'n ya ask Falior t' dissolve our marriage an' have a passel o' kids with some other woman, but you're never gonna knock me up again an' that's final."

Harston took her hand and moved it off his mouth. "Darlin', ya listen to me: I'm never, ever, ever gonna do that, an' _that's_ final," he said even more seriously. "You're my wife, an' I love ya above all others even if'n ya don' love me back. It was _your_ kids I wanted t' raise. Losin' our li'l 'un damn near killed me; I wanted that baby even if'n ya didn', but I want _ya_ even more. So don' tell me t' marry someone else."

Bailan hesitated. She'd known her miscarriage had hurt her husband a lot, and had appreciated his tender care while she was in recovery. He had finally acted like the kind of husband she wanted in that time. But she hadn't known Harston actually loved her: He'd never said so until now. "All right," she said at last. "But if'n we're stayin' married, things're gonna change, an' it's gonna happen _now_. You're gonna go t' the healers an' ask 'em for somethin' that'll keep me from conceivin' again. Tell 'em y' don' wanna risk losin' me if another, worse miscarriage happens. You're a man; they'll listen t' ya. An' after ya do that, I'm gonna teach ya how t' finally give me an Ancients-damned orgasm, 'cause frankly, ya don' compare t' the man who could make it happen with just his lips an' hands."

Hartson's eyebrows became friends with his hairline, and he forgot to be insulted or clarify that his wife had a lover before she was married. "Tha's possible?"

Bailan chuckled, moving closer to put her hands at the back of her husband's neck. "It is, so I hope you're a fast learner, 'cause we got a lotta work t' do."

And maybe once it was all figured out, being married might not be so bad. She was willing to take that chance now and make the most of what she had, even if it wasn't what she wanted. If Bailan had to work to find happiness, she would.

Last updated on the February 9th 2016

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Read It and Weep (PG-17)