SGA fic: Gaijin, part 16/40
Dec. 15th, 2008 09:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sam_gamgeeGaijin, Part 16/40
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
“You’re going to *what*?!” Kelly practically bellowed.
“Keep your voice down!” Rodney hissed as he glanced around the pool cave furtively.
“Are you out of your mind?” Kelly hissed back, glaring at Rodney.
“Yes, yes I am,” Rodney replied as he flopped down next to the water. “I’m completely and utterly out of my mind for even vaguely considering this, let alone actually deciding to go through with it.”
Kelly sat down next to him. “Do you know what will happen if you two go through with this and she has a child?”
Rodney sighed as he replied, “A vague notion of the shit hitting the fan in ways previously unknown – also known as Jaelyn and I getting into the worst possible trouble for probably the rest of our lives. And who knows what would happen to our child.”
“And what made you think that this would even remotely be a good idea?” Kelly asked as he pulled off his shirt.
Rodney sighed again as he followed suit. “I want her to be happy.”
“At the expense of both of you being miserable for an indeterminate time into the future once you’re found out?” Kelly pushed as he took off his moccasins and his pants.
“Jaelyn said that if we did it before the festival was over, then there would be enough doubt that no one would be able to pin it on me.” Rodney swung his legs over the edge and into the water before placing his moccasins on top of his pile of clothes.
“The festival ended two days ago. Even with the variances in a pregnancy, I’d say you’re screwed.” Kelly gave Rodney a meaningful look as he gracefully slid into the water.
Rodney sighed unhappily and lay back against the stone floor with a thump. He was so totally screwed.
“And stop sighing,” Kelly called from the other side of the pool. “You’re not a young woman listening to love stories. It’s unattractive.”
Rodney laughed, the sound bubbling past his lips until he had to put his hands over his face to try to contain it. The absurdity of his situation finally hit him and laughter seemed to be the only way he could adequately respond to it.
“What’s so funny?” Kelly asked, this time from right at Rodney’s feet.
Rodney took a deep breath and shook his head, his laughter not quite finished yet. He took another deep breath and replied, “It just hit me how different this is from anything I’m used to. Back with my native people, this wouldn’t have been an issue. Well, me getting a woman from another planet pregnant would be, but among my people in general it wouldn’t be a big problem like it is here. Which, I understand why – with the population limitations and all, but –”
“Rodney, breathe,” Kelly replied, amused. “You’re babbling again. And you’re right, things are different here. I just don’t understand what made you take leave of your senses to even vaguely consider Jaelyn’s idea, let alone actually agree to going through with it. Have you told her?”
“No. I was going to tell her tomorrow.”
“Then you’ve still got time to get yourself out of it before you both do something completely stupid that you’ll regret for the rest of your lives. Are you getting in or what?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Rodney replied, sitting up and pushing himself off the edge and into the water. He let himself go all the way under and wiped the water out of his eyes when he came back up. “And what exactly are you suggesting?”
“Don’t go through with it! That’s what I’m suggesting. What did she offer you in return?”
“What makes you think she offered me anything in return?” Rodney asked innocently.
Kelly leveled an ‘I’m not that stupid,’ glare at Rodney before replying, “I doubt you would do this solely out of the goodness of your heart.”
“You wound me,” Rodney replied, placing his hand over his heart. “And, as a matter of fact, I am doing this ‘solely out of the goodness of my heart’. Especially since I don’t particularly want to break up with her.”
“She said she’d break off the betrothal if you didn’t?”
Rodney rolled his eyes at Kelly’s shocked reply. “No. She said that if I did this for her, she’d break off the betrothal so that I could find someone who could actually love me, since she’s apparently incapable of doing so.”
Kelly’s eyes widened. “And you’re actually going through with it?”
“Well, not whole-heartedly. I actually want to stay together with her since I do love her and I don’t mind sticking it out while she grows to love me over time and all that.”
Kelly shook his head in exasperation, while a small smile formed at the corners of his mouth. “You are totally insane, you know that, right?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me, all things considered,” Rodney replied as he grabbed his soap. “I’ve done some fairly insane things in my life.”
“So, can I try to talk you out of this?” Kelly asked as he started soaping up.
“You can try,” Rodney replied, “but I doubt it’ll work.”
“And you do realize that you both could be completely exiled, short of being thrown out of the village, once this comes to light, right?”
“Yes, I do.” Kirby had never actually told Rodney what would happen if he stepped too far out of bounds, but Rodney had seen it happen twice and knew the risk. “You seem fairly sure that we’ll be found out.”
Kelly gave Rodney another of what Rodney recognized as his patented ‘you really *are* an idiot’ glares before saying, “It’s simple logic. The two of you are together. She gets pregnant. There’s only one way for that to happen.”
Rodney fleetingly considered going into the whole Immaculate Conception idea, but didn’t feel like explaining a religious belief that he didn’t share for the sake of a lame joke. “Well, for the sake of shits and giggles, let’s go through this insanity and see what happens.”
Kelly paused for a moment to process the weird turn of phrase before either getting it or completely discarding it and replying, “Okay. So, Jaelyn approached you with the proposition of helping her have a baby because she really wants one – even if she doesn’t want a husband – and in return she’ll break off the betrothal so that you’ll be free to be matched to someone who actually will be able to fall in love with you.”
“Correct.” Rodney finished rinsing off, pulled himself out of the water, and began toweling himself off. “But I don’t want to break up with her because I do love her – and I probably am in love with her – but, ultimately, I want her to be happy, so I’m willing to go through with this if that’s what it takes for her to be happy.”
Kelly pulled himself out of the pool and began drying off. “And you will both be found out due to simple logic and you’ll be ostracized for an indeterminate amount of time. And you’ll bring shame to Jillian and Kirby because they weren’t able to teach you our ways well enough to keep you out of trouble.”
“But if I can keep Jaelyn from breaking off the engagement and we get married, that should lessen the guilt, since a betrothal is practically a marriage already. I’m sure that in time everyone will agree that a little premature is better than not at all,” Rodney replied, feeling smug.
Kelly shook his head in exasperation. “I’m not going to win with you, am I?”
“I doubt it,” Rodney replied with a smug grin.
“Then keep me out of it and don’t assume it’ll happen until Jaelyn has a baby swaddled at her breast.”
“Thank you, Kelly,” Rodney replied, grateful for his grudging acceptance. “And I promise to never say anything when you spoil the kid rotten.”
Kelly laughed in spite of himself as they finished dressing. “Life definitely hasn’t been dull since you’ve come into it, Rodney-chan.”
“Well, that’s better than what people usually say about my entry into their lives.”
As they headed out of the cave, Rodney felt a little bit more relieved now that he had talked things through with Kelly, even if nothing had changed. And he wanted to be surprised at his body’s indifference to Kelly’s this time around, but at the same time he was thankful for it – he didn’t need another distraction on top of everything else, even if he knew this reaction was more than likely due to his anxiety over what was going to be happening with Jaelyn. Why couldn’t things ever be simple and uncomplicated?
“Do you mind if I have a private word with Jaelyn?” Rodney asked Jennifer the next day at lunch.
“Not at all,” she replied, standing. “But I won’t go far – for propriety’s sake.”
“Thank you,” he replied, sitting down next to Jaelyn, who was giving him a curious look.
“I made a decision,” he whispered to her. “And I’ll do it.”
She grinned and moved as if to touch him, before pulling back at the last moment. “Thank you!” she replied earnestly. She blushed. “So, now what do we do?”
“We’ll have to find some time and a place to be alone together. Then we’ll go from there to figure out what to do about everyone else.”
Jaelyn bit her lip. “What about three days from now? It’s the day of rest. I’m sure we’ll be able to slip away then. We could go to the half-way point to the Ring of the Ancestors and have a picnic.”
Rodney looked at her speculatively. “I doubt we’ll be able to just slip away for that long. And with it being a day of rest, we’ll be noticed by at least one other person.”
“We’ll just have to let our families know. We can tell them that we want to spend some time together to make up for the time we lost during the festival, since we hardly saw each other.”
“Do you think they’ll go for it?” Rodney asked, worrying his bottom lip.
“Probably,” she replied. “I doubt they’ll suspect it’s really a ruse for what we’ll be doing.”
“Okay, then let’s shoot for that and see what happens. If we can’t get it to work, we’ll figure something else out.”
Rodney found it to be very easy to get Kirby to agree to let him go on a picnic alone with Jaelyn. Jillian’s only comment was that she wasn’t going to be making any food for them. Rodney couldn’t help but laugh at that, and assured her that she wouldn’t have to, since he was going to be in charge of most of it.
“I’m glad you’re taking this courtship seriously, Rodney-kun,” Kirby told him. I believe you’ll make good husband for Jaelyn and it’s good that you’re taking the time to prove it to her.”
Rodney ducked his head and blushed. “Thank you, Kirby,” he replied. “That means a lot to me.”
When he went to confirm his plans with Jaelyn, Rodney felt a pang of guilt over his deception, but he knew it would be better in the long run if he just continued with their plans. But his spirits lifted when he saw how excited she was when she told him her parents had consented and he headed back to his family’s quarters a few hours later, after agreeing to have dinner with them and playing a few games of dice with the grandparents.
The intervening time was quickly eaten up by the orders Rodney had been assigned from the festival and both he and Laura were excited that he was going to be moving on to harder assignments. He also had to prepare the food for the picnic – which had to be approved by Jaelyn’s mother.
“This is so frustrating!” Rodney said in exasperation as he put the last dish on to cook.
“Regretting your decision to have a picnic?” Jillian asked with a slight smirk as she sat down across from him.
“No,” Rodney replied in a huff. “I’m regretting agreeing to follow Jessica’s instructions on how to make the food because she thinks she knows what Jaelyn likes. Jaelyn told me she doesn’t like almost half of the things I’m making.”
“I doubt you’ll have much longer to deal with it before you and Jaelyn will be married; then you won’t have to listen to Jessica,” Jillian soothed. “But, hopefully your willingness to do this will win over both Jessica and Jaelyn.”
“I certainly hope so,” Rodney muttered as he stirred the contents of the pot.
Jillian took a quick taste of the vegetables and nodded. “It’s really good. You’ve come a long way since you first got here and tried to help Jean cook.”
Rodney snorted before replying with a shy smile, “Well, I’ve had some good teachers.”
Jillian returned the smile as Kirby entered and the conversation turned to other topics.
“Are we all set?” Rodney asked when Jaelyn met him outside her family’s quarters on the appointed morning.
“I believe so,” Jaelyn replied. “We’ve gotten approval and you have our food. I’d say we’re all set.” She grinned as they headed off and Rodney couldn’t help but smile as well.
When they reached the half-way point in the tunnel, Rodney put the basket of food on the table and asked, “Are you sure no one is going to be coming this way today?”
Jaelyn rolled her eyes as she leaned a hip against the table. “No – I’ve told you this. I double-checked with everyone to make sure we weren’t expecting any trade envoys – which we aren’t – and the last envoy we had left yesterday. You need to stop worrying.”
“I’m just making sure,” Rodney replied, matching her exasperated tone. “I’d rather not have anyone stop by for a break on their way to the encampment while we’re in the middle of having sex.”
Jaelyn laughed. “That would be a wonderful way to find out, wouldn’t it?”
Rodney let out a nervous chuckle and shook his head. “Not one I’m very keen on experiencing. So, would you like to eat?”
“I’m not really hungry,” Jaelyn said, looking down and fiddling with her fingernails.
“You have to eat *something*,” Rodney replied firmly. “You admitted you didn’t eat breakfast because you were too wound up and we just walked for four hours. I don’t want you passing out on me.”
“Maybe a little something,” she said, sitting down. “What did you pack?”
Rodney opened the top of the basket and began carefully pulling out jars and cloth-wrapped parcels of food. “I’m sorry, but I did have to make a few of these things to your mother’s specifications. But I added some of my own as well.”
Jaelyn’s eyes grew wide at the amount of food he pulled out. “How long were you planning on us staying here?” she asked.
“Long enough to rest a bit, have something to eat, do the deed, maybe eat a little more, and then go home.” Rodney looked down at the spread and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I have a tendency to eat when I’m nervous and since I had to cook in order to eat…” He trailed off and looked at her sheepishly. “At least most of this will keep, so it can be eaten later as well.”
Jaelyn smiled at him fondly. “You really are something else, Rodney-chan.”
“Yeah, well…” Rodney opened one of the jars and handed it to her with a spoon. “Why don’t you try this? It’s something I tried to make based on one a recipe from my native home. It seemed to go over well with Jillian and Kirby when they tried it.”
Jaelyn carefully sniffed it before dipping in the spoon and gingerly taking out a tiny bit to taste. “This is wonderful. What is it?”
“I’ve been calling it darchnan sauce, since its fruit looks and tastes a lot like a mix of apricots and apples – which are fruits where I’m from. It’s a pretty common way of preparing apples, so I thought I’d give it a shot with the darchnan fruit.”
“I’d say it worked out well,” she replied between bites. “So, what else did you make?”
Rodney smiled as he began opening and unwrapping other things. They picked at a little of everything and Rodney was happy to see that she enjoyed his cooking – especially since most of it was experimentation, due to Jillian being totally serious about not helping him with the food, even down to not giving him recipes. He could see Jaelyn slowly relax as they ate and felt himself relax in response.
As Rodney cleaned up when they finished, Jaelyn started fidgeting again. “Is it going to hurt?” she asked.
“Probably,” Rodney replied, placing the last jar next to the basket and taking out a blanket he had stowed at the bottom of the basket. “But from what I’ve heard, it doesn’t hurt a lot as long as we’re careful.”
He spread out the blanket on the ground next to the table and straightened it out before dropping a smaller piece of cloth on top of it. He looked at Jaelyn. “I’m sorry it’s not going to be the most comfortable, but it’ll be passable.”
“So, now what?” Jaelyn asked.
Rodney felt a pang of guilt at the innocence he saw in Jaelyn’s eyes, knowing he was taking it from her. He cleared his throat and said as straight and with as little sarcasm as he could manage, “Well, it helps if we get undressed.”
“Okay,” she replied, standing.
Rodney watched in fascination as she took off her robe and folded it up before placing it on the table. She toed off her moccasins and put them neatly on the seat before shucking off her pants, folding them, and placing them on top of her robe. It had been a long time since he had seen someone naked for this purpose and he was momentarily transfixed by the sight of her naked body. He was curious about her body and what made it different from the bodies of the other women he had been with. His first instinct was to catalogue Jaelyn’s body and see where she differed from Earth women, but he quickly stopped himself, knowing it wouldn’t do anyone any good if he continued.
She crossed her arms under her breasts as she turned to him. “Well?” she asked nonchalantly and Rodney wanted to laugh at the complete lack of insecurity she was showing.
“Yes, yes, right,” he mumbled as he quickly undressed and hurriedly folded his clothes, putting them next to hers. He nervously rubbed one arm and then the other as he turned to her. “Well?” he asked, figuring they could get any ridicule out of the way first before moving into the main event.
“Well, what, Rodney-chan?” she asked, looking a little confused and Rodney mentally smacked himself for not remembering that she hadn’t had any experience with any of this, so she wouldn’t know how to act. She looked him over and said, “You have a very pleasant body, Rodney-chan, if that’s what you want me to say.”
Rodney mentally kicked himself. “You’re just saying that because that’s what you think I’m expecting you to say it.”
“Well, you are, aren’t you? Besides, I would not say it if I didn’t think it was true. So, what do you think of me? I’m sure you must have an opinion, since you’ve had more experience with this sort of thing.”
Rodney suppressed a laugh and the desire to say, “Definely ‘more experience’.” Instead, he said, “I think you’re very lovely and I wish we were doing this in a more optimal setting.”
She blushed and ducked her head as she smiled. With a laugh, she said, “So, something tells me that if this is supposed to hurt, we’re not doing it right if you’re over there and I’m over here.”
Rodney nodded. “You’re absolutely right.” He gestured to the blanket and said, “Let’s sit down and we’ll go from there.”
Jaelyn nodded and sat down on the blanket, crossing her legs, and Rodney sat down in front of her, crossing his legs as well and scooting in so their knees touched. He leaned in and kissed her softly. She stayed still and Rodney pulled away.
“You’re allowed to respond, you know,” he said, fully aware that she more than likely didn’t know.
“I liked that,” she said. “Can we do it again?”
“Sure,” Rodney replied. “And please reciprocate.”
She nodded, looking a little unsure, as Rodney leaned in again. He kissed her again and she tentatively mirrored his actions. As they continued, Rodney remembered how much he had enjoyed kissing in and of itself, not just as a means to an end. He reached up and gently cupped her face with his hands and, after a moment, she mirrored his actions. He gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs before running his hands down her neck, over her shoulders, and settling them on the juncture of her arms and shoulders.
He broke off the kiss and said, “All right, I want you to lie down on your back with your legs open.”
She did so without hesitation and he had her raise her hips so he could put the cloth underneath her. “What’s that for?” Jaelyn asked, curious.
“There will be a tiny bit of blood – which is completely normal for the first time. This is to protect the blanket and make sure no one will find out.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”
Rodney took a moment to look her over again. She really was a lovely woman and he was awed by the trust she was putting in him. He smiled warmly down at her as he ran his knuckles down her chest and around the outside curve of one of her breasts. She shivered slightly and smiled back up at him. He was surprised at how much he was enjoying simply touching her. It had been over three cycles since anyone had touched him in any way other than either necessity or greeting and he was surprised to find that he actually missed it.
“Now, I don’t know what you’ve been told or taught, but this is supposed to be an enjoyable experience for both of us. If I do something you don’t like, tell me and we’ll fix it. And if I do something you like, tell me that too, so I can do it again. Okay?” He gave her a reassuring smile.
“Okay,” she replied. “Could you do that thing again with your lips? I liked that.”
Rodney laughed. “That’s called kissing. And, sure, I can do that again.”
He leaned over, bracing himself on one hand, and kissed her again, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. She easily opened her mouth when he ran his tongue over her lips and he plundered her mouth as he captured one of her breasts in his other hand and caressed it before lightly pinching the nipple and rolling it between his fingers until it pebbled. Jaelyn moaned softly and Rodney took that as a good sign and moved over to do the same with the other breast. He gently skated his hand over her skin, soaking in the feel of it.
Pulling back, he said, “You can touch me, if you’d like.”
“You’re too far away,” she replied with a slight giggle.
Rodney laid down on his side next to her. “Is this better?”
“Much,” she replied, turning onto her side and facing him.
She reached out to touch his chest, playing with his nipples the same way he had hers. The sensations sent a jolt of pleasure through Rodney and he felt it pooling in his groin. He ran a hand down her side and across her hip, enjoying the smile she gave him as she continued her tactile exploration of his chest and stomach, slowly venturing down to his belly button.
Rodney carefully moved his hand down to the juncture of her legs and she looked down at what he was doing. “May I?” he asked, gently stroking the light, wiry curls that were scattered across her skin.
Jaelyn nodded and opened her legs for him. Rodney carefully dipped his fingers between her legs and between the folds of skin. He was happy to find that she was at least a little wet, but he could see the nervous tension in her body and he knew he’d have to get her to relax if this was going to be a success for them. He gently stroked her clit.
Jaelyn’s eyes widened and canted her hips towards him as she said, “Do that again.”
Rodney laughed as he did so a few more times before gently pressing a finger inside of her. She sucked in a breath of air and froze as the muscles seized around Rodney’s finger. Rodney stopped and waited until she started relaxing again. Then he began working his finger in and out of her, helping her get used to the idea of something being inside of her, as well as loosening her up. He slowly added a second and then a third finger.
He was enjoying watching her get used to the feeling of his fingers. First, she looked at him confused, as if what she was feeling wasn’t what she had been expecting. Then she slowly smiled as the pleasure began overriding whatever discomfort she was feeling. And Rodney could tell when she stopped analyzing what was happening and just let herself go with it because her eyes slipped closed and her mouth opened slightly as she began meeting his gentle thrusts, her soft moans of pleasure sending shivers of pleasure through him. She looked so beautiful that Rodney couldn’t help wondering how she would feel when he was inside of her. Her enjoyment was a stronger aphrodisiac than he was expecting and when he touched himself to make sure he was ready, Rodney found he was already hard and precome had covered most of his cock with a light sheen of lubrication. When it looked like she had relaxed enough to be able to take him with as little discomfort as he could prepare her for, Rodney withdrew his fingers.
Jaelyn’s eyes snapped opened and she glared up at him. “Why did you stop?” she asked, her tone almost accusatory.
“Because I think you’re ready to go to the next level.”
“Oh,” she replied softly and then grinned. “Okay.” She looked down at his cock and bit her lip. “Will that fit inside me?” she asked, a hint of nervousness coloring her voice.
“Without a problem,” Rodney replied with a smile as he stroked her hip in comfort. “Lie on your back and open your legs.”
She did so and Rodney knelt between her legs. He brought her legs up around his waist and pressed the head of his cock against her opening.
“Relax,” he soothed, gently rubbing her hip. “Remember how good it felt a moment ago?” She nodded. “It’s about to feel a lot better.”
Rodney leaned forward and braced himself on his hands before slowly pushing into her. She gasped and started to seize around him and Rodney paused to let her adjust to the feeling of his cock inside of her. Gradually, she was able to take all of him.
“Is that it?” she asked with a hint of dejection and Rodney laughed.
“Not quite,” he replied with a grin. “We’re just getting started.”
He slowly withdrew and thrust back into her, letting out a low groan at the feeling of her tight channel gripping him and flexing around him. He kept the pace slow and steady as he watched her for any further discomfort, but once the initial discomfort was over, she seemed to get the idea and canted her hips so he went deeper inside of her – causing them both to groan in response. And Rodney did his best to savor this experience and not let himself get swept away too quickly.
But soon enough, he felt himself being overtaken by desire and slowly began to speed up. Jaelyn smiled beneath him and began meeting his thrusts equally as she gently ran her hands over his nipples. When her fingernails scraped over the sensitive buds a second time, he stilled and came. He saw the surprise in her eyes as he emptied his seed into her. He began thrusting through the aftershocks of his orgasm, his hips stuttering in response to the increased sensitivity, but it was worth it when Jaelyn gasped, then moaned, and he felt her contract around him as her own orgasm washed over her. He continued, pushing her through it and she arched into him before relaxing back against the blanket.
Rodney carefully pulled out of her and used the cloth to clean them both up.
Jaelyn spoke first once he had finished. “That was…wow.”
“It was,” he agreed with a small smile. “We should go though. We don’t want to arouse suspicion.”
“Okay,” she replied, wistfully. “Thank you, Rodney-chan, for doing this for me.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied with a pensive smile of his own as he stood.
They both dressed and Rodney packed the basket in silence, careful to put the incriminating evidence in as safe a spot as he could manage so he could burn it when they returned. The walk back was also done in silence, but Jaelyn kept sneaking shy glances and smiles in Rodney’s direction.
When they reached the door, Rodney paused and asked, “How do you feel?”
“Good,” she replied. “Relaxed.” She paused and looked a little concerned before adding, “And a little sore.”
“That’s normal,” he replied. “It’ll go away on its own.”
The cloth had just finished burning when Kirby stormed into their quarters, grabbed Rodney by his upper arm, and hauled him to his feet. “What the hell did you do?” he yelled at Rodney.
“What are you talking about?” Rodney asked, surprised and, for the first time since he had arrived, scared shitless.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about!” He increased pressure on Rodney’s upper arm. “You lied to all of us!”
“She asked me to!” Rodney blurted out, wishing he could take it back as soon as he said it.
Kirby looked like Rodney had physically struck him. “I had thought you would be past the boyish impulses, given your maturity and forbearance in the other areas of your life,” he said quietly as he released Rodney’s arm. “I think the trust I put in you may have been misplaced. I hope you haven’t done anything else that would make me seriously consider disowning you.”
He turned sharply and left their quarters, looking older and more weary than Rodney knew to be true. Rodney let out a shocked breath and opened and closed his mouth a couple times, unsure of what to do. The first and foremost thought, though, was ‘How did he find out?’
Rodney sank back down to the floor and pulled his knees up to his chest. He scrubbed his face with his hands and let out a ragged breath before crossing his arms on top of his knees and staring into the fire. He didn’t know how long he stayed that way, only coming out of his daze when Jillian entered.
She gave him a sad and disappointed look, but didn’t say anything as she began preparing dinner. Kirby finally returned, his face looking pinched and tired. They conversed quietly and Rodney couldn’t make out what they said. His gaze returning to the fire, Rodney wished he could take back what he and Jaelyn had done earlier that day. He knew Kelly had been right – whatever happiness Jaelyn would get out of this if she did have a child would always be shadowed by how it had happened and Rodney would always be seen as the willing accomplice.
Jillian gave Rodney his portion of dinner, but otherwise she and Kirby ignored him.
The next morning, after continued silence through breakfast and a chilly reception by everyone else in their borough, Rodney cornered Kelly by the yak pen to see if he could get any information out of him.
“I can’t talk to you,” Kelly hissed, glancing around warily.
“I know,” Rodney replied. “I just need to know – how did they find out?”
Glancing around again, Kelly quietly said, “From what I’ve heard, Jaelyn winced when she sat down after returning, but denied anything when Jessica asked if anything was wrong. Then, when she was helping prepare dinner, her grandparents were talking about how she had a glow around her – much like a woman on her wedding night and Jaelyn began blushing profusely.”
“Damn,” Rodney replied. “Thanks.”
News had spread much quicker than Rodney had expected, though he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. Small communities were notorious for knowing everyone’s business – even Atlantis hadn’t been completely impervious. He felt a pang of guilt at thinking of Atlantis at a time like this.
Laura only spoke to him when absolutely necessary and gave him a sad look that made Rodney feel like he had completely let her down *and* kicked her puppy. Rodney sighed as he started his work for the day, wondering how long it would take for the majority of this disaster to blow over.
He wasn’t completely surprised that evening when the people he had been expecting to see for check-ups went to Kirby instead, until Kirby, in exasperation, told them that one lapse in personal judgment didn’t discount Rodney as a healer and that if they were that set on being healed as soon as possible, for them to go to Rodney or come back the next day. A number of them left and only one came over to Rodney.
As the days passed, nothing changed. The other Laprans had closed their ranks against him and Rodney was left to stew in his guilt, with no knowledge of how he could even begin to atone for what he had done. He began wishing fervently that Jaelyn would come to him with news that she had just started her period and that she hadn’t conceived. That way, he could start doing damage control and trying to convince everyone that they were mistaken and that he and Jaelyn really hadn’t done anything and that they were all blowing a few isolated incidences out of the water and that they were all wrong, wrong, wrong. But he hadn’t even glimpsed her since they had returned from the “picnic”, let alone had a chance to speak with her.
He hated not being able to do anything to fix this predicament. He had always fared better when he was able to do *something* in a crisis – even if it was ultimately the wrong thing and would have to start over. The fact that he couldn’t do anything to attempt to fix what was wrong chafed and he felt himself slowly starting to panic.
He spent most of his time trying to work off his nervous energy pacing and trying to not work himself into a panic attack. A number of times, he felt nauseous and laid down on the floor, which garnered him weird yet sympathetic looks from Jillian and absolutely nothing from Kirby.
Rodney also tried meditating and working through his guilt, but it was still too raw to be completely eradicated and every day added fresh guilt to his load as he was continually snubbed by the people who he had come to consider a family – possibly even the truest family he had ever had.
Finally, Kelly brought him a small respite. “It’s been going around that Jaelyn hasn’t had her courses,” he said quietly, falling in step with Rodney one morning on his way to the silk section.
“She could be late,” Rodney replied softly, not daring to look at Kelly.
Kelly shook his head sadly and said, “Jessica says it’s not possible and that the sandstorms could be predicted by Jaelyn’s body.”
“So what happens now?” Rodney asked.
“The elders are going to convene in two days and discuss what your punishments should be.”
“Will we be able to make a case in our defense?”
Kelly snorted and shook his head in derision. “The evidence is iron-clad, Rodney-chan.”
“Not for me,” Rodney replied. “I’ll gladly take full responsibility for what I’ve done. I knew better and still did the wrong thing. I mean for the baby. It’s completely innocent and shouldn’t have to be punished for the foolishness of its parents.”
“I don’t know,” Kelly replied thoughtfully. “I don’t think anyone’s ever tried to do that before.”
“Where will they be meeting?” Rodney asked in resignation.
“Probably in our borough. It would be easier that way, if they need to call on either you, Jaelyn, or your families while they’re making their deliberations.”
“What about you and Jennifer?”
“That is a possibility as well. I wish you luck, Rodney-chan.”
Rodney nodded as Kelly dropped back and turned to head back. He spent the rest of the day contemplating what he would need to say in the baby’s defense.
Continue to Part 17
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
“You’re going to *what*?!” Kelly practically bellowed.
“Keep your voice down!” Rodney hissed as he glanced around the pool cave furtively.
“Are you out of your mind?” Kelly hissed back, glaring at Rodney.
“Yes, yes I am,” Rodney replied as he flopped down next to the water. “I’m completely and utterly out of my mind for even vaguely considering this, let alone actually deciding to go through with it.”
Kelly sat down next to him. “Do you know what will happen if you two go through with this and she has a child?”
Rodney sighed as he replied, “A vague notion of the shit hitting the fan in ways previously unknown – also known as Jaelyn and I getting into the worst possible trouble for probably the rest of our lives. And who knows what would happen to our child.”
“And what made you think that this would even remotely be a good idea?” Kelly asked as he pulled off his shirt.
Rodney sighed again as he followed suit. “I want her to be happy.”
“At the expense of both of you being miserable for an indeterminate time into the future once you’re found out?” Kelly pushed as he took off his moccasins and his pants.
“Jaelyn said that if we did it before the festival was over, then there would be enough doubt that no one would be able to pin it on me.” Rodney swung his legs over the edge and into the water before placing his moccasins on top of his pile of clothes.
“The festival ended two days ago. Even with the variances in a pregnancy, I’d say you’re screwed.” Kelly gave Rodney a meaningful look as he gracefully slid into the water.
Rodney sighed unhappily and lay back against the stone floor with a thump. He was so totally screwed.
“And stop sighing,” Kelly called from the other side of the pool. “You’re not a young woman listening to love stories. It’s unattractive.”
Rodney laughed, the sound bubbling past his lips until he had to put his hands over his face to try to contain it. The absurdity of his situation finally hit him and laughter seemed to be the only way he could adequately respond to it.
“What’s so funny?” Kelly asked, this time from right at Rodney’s feet.
Rodney took a deep breath and shook his head, his laughter not quite finished yet. He took another deep breath and replied, “It just hit me how different this is from anything I’m used to. Back with my native people, this wouldn’t have been an issue. Well, me getting a woman from another planet pregnant would be, but among my people in general it wouldn’t be a big problem like it is here. Which, I understand why – with the population limitations and all, but –”
“Rodney, breathe,” Kelly replied, amused. “You’re babbling again. And you’re right, things are different here. I just don’t understand what made you take leave of your senses to even vaguely consider Jaelyn’s idea, let alone actually agree to going through with it. Have you told her?”
“No. I was going to tell her tomorrow.”
“Then you’ve still got time to get yourself out of it before you both do something completely stupid that you’ll regret for the rest of your lives. Are you getting in or what?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Rodney replied, sitting up and pushing himself off the edge and into the water. He let himself go all the way under and wiped the water out of his eyes when he came back up. “And what exactly are you suggesting?”
“Don’t go through with it! That’s what I’m suggesting. What did she offer you in return?”
“What makes you think she offered me anything in return?” Rodney asked innocently.
Kelly leveled an ‘I’m not that stupid,’ glare at Rodney before replying, “I doubt you would do this solely out of the goodness of your heart.”
“You wound me,” Rodney replied, placing his hand over his heart. “And, as a matter of fact, I am doing this ‘solely out of the goodness of my heart’. Especially since I don’t particularly want to break up with her.”
“She said she’d break off the betrothal if you didn’t?”
Rodney rolled his eyes at Kelly’s shocked reply. “No. She said that if I did this for her, she’d break off the betrothal so that I could find someone who could actually love me, since she’s apparently incapable of doing so.”
Kelly’s eyes widened. “And you’re actually going through with it?”
“Well, not whole-heartedly. I actually want to stay together with her since I do love her and I don’t mind sticking it out while she grows to love me over time and all that.”
Kelly shook his head in exasperation, while a small smile formed at the corners of his mouth. “You are totally insane, you know that, right?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me, all things considered,” Rodney replied as he grabbed his soap. “I’ve done some fairly insane things in my life.”
“So, can I try to talk you out of this?” Kelly asked as he started soaping up.
“You can try,” Rodney replied, “but I doubt it’ll work.”
“And you do realize that you both could be completely exiled, short of being thrown out of the village, once this comes to light, right?”
“Yes, I do.” Kirby had never actually told Rodney what would happen if he stepped too far out of bounds, but Rodney had seen it happen twice and knew the risk. “You seem fairly sure that we’ll be found out.”
Kelly gave Rodney another of what Rodney recognized as his patented ‘you really *are* an idiot’ glares before saying, “It’s simple logic. The two of you are together. She gets pregnant. There’s only one way for that to happen.”
Rodney fleetingly considered going into the whole Immaculate Conception idea, but didn’t feel like explaining a religious belief that he didn’t share for the sake of a lame joke. “Well, for the sake of shits and giggles, let’s go through this insanity and see what happens.”
Kelly paused for a moment to process the weird turn of phrase before either getting it or completely discarding it and replying, “Okay. So, Jaelyn approached you with the proposition of helping her have a baby because she really wants one – even if she doesn’t want a husband – and in return she’ll break off the betrothal so that you’ll be free to be matched to someone who actually will be able to fall in love with you.”
“Correct.” Rodney finished rinsing off, pulled himself out of the water, and began toweling himself off. “But I don’t want to break up with her because I do love her – and I probably am in love with her – but, ultimately, I want her to be happy, so I’m willing to go through with this if that’s what it takes for her to be happy.”
Kelly pulled himself out of the pool and began drying off. “And you will both be found out due to simple logic and you’ll be ostracized for an indeterminate amount of time. And you’ll bring shame to Jillian and Kirby because they weren’t able to teach you our ways well enough to keep you out of trouble.”
“But if I can keep Jaelyn from breaking off the engagement and we get married, that should lessen the guilt, since a betrothal is practically a marriage already. I’m sure that in time everyone will agree that a little premature is better than not at all,” Rodney replied, feeling smug.
Kelly shook his head in exasperation. “I’m not going to win with you, am I?”
“I doubt it,” Rodney replied with a smug grin.
“Then keep me out of it and don’t assume it’ll happen until Jaelyn has a baby swaddled at her breast.”
“Thank you, Kelly,” Rodney replied, grateful for his grudging acceptance. “And I promise to never say anything when you spoil the kid rotten.”
Kelly laughed in spite of himself as they finished dressing. “Life definitely hasn’t been dull since you’ve come into it, Rodney-chan.”
“Well, that’s better than what people usually say about my entry into their lives.”
As they headed out of the cave, Rodney felt a little bit more relieved now that he had talked things through with Kelly, even if nothing had changed. And he wanted to be surprised at his body’s indifference to Kelly’s this time around, but at the same time he was thankful for it – he didn’t need another distraction on top of everything else, even if he knew this reaction was more than likely due to his anxiety over what was going to be happening with Jaelyn. Why couldn’t things ever be simple and uncomplicated?
“Do you mind if I have a private word with Jaelyn?” Rodney asked Jennifer the next day at lunch.
“Not at all,” she replied, standing. “But I won’t go far – for propriety’s sake.”
“Thank you,” he replied, sitting down next to Jaelyn, who was giving him a curious look.
“I made a decision,” he whispered to her. “And I’ll do it.”
She grinned and moved as if to touch him, before pulling back at the last moment. “Thank you!” she replied earnestly. She blushed. “So, now what do we do?”
“We’ll have to find some time and a place to be alone together. Then we’ll go from there to figure out what to do about everyone else.”
Jaelyn bit her lip. “What about three days from now? It’s the day of rest. I’m sure we’ll be able to slip away then. We could go to the half-way point to the Ring of the Ancestors and have a picnic.”
Rodney looked at her speculatively. “I doubt we’ll be able to just slip away for that long. And with it being a day of rest, we’ll be noticed by at least one other person.”
“We’ll just have to let our families know. We can tell them that we want to spend some time together to make up for the time we lost during the festival, since we hardly saw each other.”
“Do you think they’ll go for it?” Rodney asked, worrying his bottom lip.
“Probably,” she replied. “I doubt they’ll suspect it’s really a ruse for what we’ll be doing.”
“Okay, then let’s shoot for that and see what happens. If we can’t get it to work, we’ll figure something else out.”
Rodney found it to be very easy to get Kirby to agree to let him go on a picnic alone with Jaelyn. Jillian’s only comment was that she wasn’t going to be making any food for them. Rodney couldn’t help but laugh at that, and assured her that she wouldn’t have to, since he was going to be in charge of most of it.
“I’m glad you’re taking this courtship seriously, Rodney-kun,” Kirby told him. I believe you’ll make good husband for Jaelyn and it’s good that you’re taking the time to prove it to her.”
Rodney ducked his head and blushed. “Thank you, Kirby,” he replied. “That means a lot to me.”
When he went to confirm his plans with Jaelyn, Rodney felt a pang of guilt over his deception, but he knew it would be better in the long run if he just continued with their plans. But his spirits lifted when he saw how excited she was when she told him her parents had consented and he headed back to his family’s quarters a few hours later, after agreeing to have dinner with them and playing a few games of dice with the grandparents.
The intervening time was quickly eaten up by the orders Rodney had been assigned from the festival and both he and Laura were excited that he was going to be moving on to harder assignments. He also had to prepare the food for the picnic – which had to be approved by Jaelyn’s mother.
“This is so frustrating!” Rodney said in exasperation as he put the last dish on to cook.
“Regretting your decision to have a picnic?” Jillian asked with a slight smirk as she sat down across from him.
“No,” Rodney replied in a huff. “I’m regretting agreeing to follow Jessica’s instructions on how to make the food because she thinks she knows what Jaelyn likes. Jaelyn told me she doesn’t like almost half of the things I’m making.”
“I doubt you’ll have much longer to deal with it before you and Jaelyn will be married; then you won’t have to listen to Jessica,” Jillian soothed. “But, hopefully your willingness to do this will win over both Jessica and Jaelyn.”
“I certainly hope so,” Rodney muttered as he stirred the contents of the pot.
Jillian took a quick taste of the vegetables and nodded. “It’s really good. You’ve come a long way since you first got here and tried to help Jean cook.”
Rodney snorted before replying with a shy smile, “Well, I’ve had some good teachers.”
Jillian returned the smile as Kirby entered and the conversation turned to other topics.
“Are we all set?” Rodney asked when Jaelyn met him outside her family’s quarters on the appointed morning.
“I believe so,” Jaelyn replied. “We’ve gotten approval and you have our food. I’d say we’re all set.” She grinned as they headed off and Rodney couldn’t help but smile as well.
When they reached the half-way point in the tunnel, Rodney put the basket of food on the table and asked, “Are you sure no one is going to be coming this way today?”
Jaelyn rolled her eyes as she leaned a hip against the table. “No – I’ve told you this. I double-checked with everyone to make sure we weren’t expecting any trade envoys – which we aren’t – and the last envoy we had left yesterday. You need to stop worrying.”
“I’m just making sure,” Rodney replied, matching her exasperated tone. “I’d rather not have anyone stop by for a break on their way to the encampment while we’re in the middle of having sex.”
Jaelyn laughed. “That would be a wonderful way to find out, wouldn’t it?”
Rodney let out a nervous chuckle and shook his head. “Not one I’m very keen on experiencing. So, would you like to eat?”
“I’m not really hungry,” Jaelyn said, looking down and fiddling with her fingernails.
“You have to eat *something*,” Rodney replied firmly. “You admitted you didn’t eat breakfast because you were too wound up and we just walked for four hours. I don’t want you passing out on me.”
“Maybe a little something,” she said, sitting down. “What did you pack?”
Rodney opened the top of the basket and began carefully pulling out jars and cloth-wrapped parcels of food. “I’m sorry, but I did have to make a few of these things to your mother’s specifications. But I added some of my own as well.”
Jaelyn’s eyes grew wide at the amount of food he pulled out. “How long were you planning on us staying here?” she asked.
“Long enough to rest a bit, have something to eat, do the deed, maybe eat a little more, and then go home.” Rodney looked down at the spread and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I have a tendency to eat when I’m nervous and since I had to cook in order to eat…” He trailed off and looked at her sheepishly. “At least most of this will keep, so it can be eaten later as well.”
Jaelyn smiled at him fondly. “You really are something else, Rodney-chan.”
“Yeah, well…” Rodney opened one of the jars and handed it to her with a spoon. “Why don’t you try this? It’s something I tried to make based on one a recipe from my native home. It seemed to go over well with Jillian and Kirby when they tried it.”
Jaelyn carefully sniffed it before dipping in the spoon and gingerly taking out a tiny bit to taste. “This is wonderful. What is it?”
“I’ve been calling it darchnan sauce, since its fruit looks and tastes a lot like a mix of apricots and apples – which are fruits where I’m from. It’s a pretty common way of preparing apples, so I thought I’d give it a shot with the darchnan fruit.”
“I’d say it worked out well,” she replied between bites. “So, what else did you make?”
Rodney smiled as he began opening and unwrapping other things. They picked at a little of everything and Rodney was happy to see that she enjoyed his cooking – especially since most of it was experimentation, due to Jillian being totally serious about not helping him with the food, even down to not giving him recipes. He could see Jaelyn slowly relax as they ate and felt himself relax in response.
As Rodney cleaned up when they finished, Jaelyn started fidgeting again. “Is it going to hurt?” she asked.
“Probably,” Rodney replied, placing the last jar next to the basket and taking out a blanket he had stowed at the bottom of the basket. “But from what I’ve heard, it doesn’t hurt a lot as long as we’re careful.”
He spread out the blanket on the ground next to the table and straightened it out before dropping a smaller piece of cloth on top of it. He looked at Jaelyn. “I’m sorry it’s not going to be the most comfortable, but it’ll be passable.”
“So, now what?” Jaelyn asked.
Rodney felt a pang of guilt at the innocence he saw in Jaelyn’s eyes, knowing he was taking it from her. He cleared his throat and said as straight and with as little sarcasm as he could manage, “Well, it helps if we get undressed.”
“Okay,” she replied, standing.
Rodney watched in fascination as she took off her robe and folded it up before placing it on the table. She toed off her moccasins and put them neatly on the seat before shucking off her pants, folding them, and placing them on top of her robe. It had been a long time since he had seen someone naked for this purpose and he was momentarily transfixed by the sight of her naked body. He was curious about her body and what made it different from the bodies of the other women he had been with. His first instinct was to catalogue Jaelyn’s body and see where she differed from Earth women, but he quickly stopped himself, knowing it wouldn’t do anyone any good if he continued.
She crossed her arms under her breasts as she turned to him. “Well?” she asked nonchalantly and Rodney wanted to laugh at the complete lack of insecurity she was showing.
“Yes, yes, right,” he mumbled as he quickly undressed and hurriedly folded his clothes, putting them next to hers. He nervously rubbed one arm and then the other as he turned to her. “Well?” he asked, figuring they could get any ridicule out of the way first before moving into the main event.
“Well, what, Rodney-chan?” she asked, looking a little confused and Rodney mentally smacked himself for not remembering that she hadn’t had any experience with any of this, so she wouldn’t know how to act. She looked him over and said, “You have a very pleasant body, Rodney-chan, if that’s what you want me to say.”
Rodney mentally kicked himself. “You’re just saying that because that’s what you think I’m expecting you to say it.”
“Well, you are, aren’t you? Besides, I would not say it if I didn’t think it was true. So, what do you think of me? I’m sure you must have an opinion, since you’ve had more experience with this sort of thing.”
Rodney suppressed a laugh and the desire to say, “Definely ‘more experience’.” Instead, he said, “I think you’re very lovely and I wish we were doing this in a more optimal setting.”
She blushed and ducked her head as she smiled. With a laugh, she said, “So, something tells me that if this is supposed to hurt, we’re not doing it right if you’re over there and I’m over here.”
Rodney nodded. “You’re absolutely right.” He gestured to the blanket and said, “Let’s sit down and we’ll go from there.”
Jaelyn nodded and sat down on the blanket, crossing her legs, and Rodney sat down in front of her, crossing his legs as well and scooting in so their knees touched. He leaned in and kissed her softly. She stayed still and Rodney pulled away.
“You’re allowed to respond, you know,” he said, fully aware that she more than likely didn’t know.
“I liked that,” she said. “Can we do it again?”
“Sure,” Rodney replied. “And please reciprocate.”
She nodded, looking a little unsure, as Rodney leaned in again. He kissed her again and she tentatively mirrored his actions. As they continued, Rodney remembered how much he had enjoyed kissing in and of itself, not just as a means to an end. He reached up and gently cupped her face with his hands and, after a moment, she mirrored his actions. He gently caressed her cheeks with his thumbs before running his hands down her neck, over her shoulders, and settling them on the juncture of her arms and shoulders.
He broke off the kiss and said, “All right, I want you to lie down on your back with your legs open.”
She did so without hesitation and he had her raise her hips so he could put the cloth underneath her. “What’s that for?” Jaelyn asked, curious.
“There will be a tiny bit of blood – which is completely normal for the first time. This is to protect the blanket and make sure no one will find out.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”
Rodney took a moment to look her over again. She really was a lovely woman and he was awed by the trust she was putting in him. He smiled warmly down at her as he ran his knuckles down her chest and around the outside curve of one of her breasts. She shivered slightly and smiled back up at him. He was surprised at how much he was enjoying simply touching her. It had been over three cycles since anyone had touched him in any way other than either necessity or greeting and he was surprised to find that he actually missed it.
“Now, I don’t know what you’ve been told or taught, but this is supposed to be an enjoyable experience for both of us. If I do something you don’t like, tell me and we’ll fix it. And if I do something you like, tell me that too, so I can do it again. Okay?” He gave her a reassuring smile.
“Okay,” she replied. “Could you do that thing again with your lips? I liked that.”
Rodney laughed. “That’s called kissing. And, sure, I can do that again.”
He leaned over, bracing himself on one hand, and kissed her again, capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. She easily opened her mouth when he ran his tongue over her lips and he plundered her mouth as he captured one of her breasts in his other hand and caressed it before lightly pinching the nipple and rolling it between his fingers until it pebbled. Jaelyn moaned softly and Rodney took that as a good sign and moved over to do the same with the other breast. He gently skated his hand over her skin, soaking in the feel of it.
Pulling back, he said, “You can touch me, if you’d like.”
“You’re too far away,” she replied with a slight giggle.
Rodney laid down on his side next to her. “Is this better?”
“Much,” she replied, turning onto her side and facing him.
She reached out to touch his chest, playing with his nipples the same way he had hers. The sensations sent a jolt of pleasure through Rodney and he felt it pooling in his groin. He ran a hand down her side and across her hip, enjoying the smile she gave him as she continued her tactile exploration of his chest and stomach, slowly venturing down to his belly button.
Rodney carefully moved his hand down to the juncture of her legs and she looked down at what he was doing. “May I?” he asked, gently stroking the light, wiry curls that were scattered across her skin.
Jaelyn nodded and opened her legs for him. Rodney carefully dipped his fingers between her legs and between the folds of skin. He was happy to find that she was at least a little wet, but he could see the nervous tension in her body and he knew he’d have to get her to relax if this was going to be a success for them. He gently stroked her clit.
Jaelyn’s eyes widened and canted her hips towards him as she said, “Do that again.”
Rodney laughed as he did so a few more times before gently pressing a finger inside of her. She sucked in a breath of air and froze as the muscles seized around Rodney’s finger. Rodney stopped and waited until she started relaxing again. Then he began working his finger in and out of her, helping her get used to the idea of something being inside of her, as well as loosening her up. He slowly added a second and then a third finger.
He was enjoying watching her get used to the feeling of his fingers. First, she looked at him confused, as if what she was feeling wasn’t what she had been expecting. Then she slowly smiled as the pleasure began overriding whatever discomfort she was feeling. And Rodney could tell when she stopped analyzing what was happening and just let herself go with it because her eyes slipped closed and her mouth opened slightly as she began meeting his gentle thrusts, her soft moans of pleasure sending shivers of pleasure through him. She looked so beautiful that Rodney couldn’t help wondering how she would feel when he was inside of her. Her enjoyment was a stronger aphrodisiac than he was expecting and when he touched himself to make sure he was ready, Rodney found he was already hard and precome had covered most of his cock with a light sheen of lubrication. When it looked like she had relaxed enough to be able to take him with as little discomfort as he could prepare her for, Rodney withdrew his fingers.
Jaelyn’s eyes snapped opened and she glared up at him. “Why did you stop?” she asked, her tone almost accusatory.
“Because I think you’re ready to go to the next level.”
“Oh,” she replied softly and then grinned. “Okay.” She looked down at his cock and bit her lip. “Will that fit inside me?” she asked, a hint of nervousness coloring her voice.
“Without a problem,” Rodney replied with a smile as he stroked her hip in comfort. “Lie on your back and open your legs.”
She did so and Rodney knelt between her legs. He brought her legs up around his waist and pressed the head of his cock against her opening.
“Relax,” he soothed, gently rubbing her hip. “Remember how good it felt a moment ago?” She nodded. “It’s about to feel a lot better.”
Rodney leaned forward and braced himself on his hands before slowly pushing into her. She gasped and started to seize around him and Rodney paused to let her adjust to the feeling of his cock inside of her. Gradually, she was able to take all of him.
“Is that it?” she asked with a hint of dejection and Rodney laughed.
“Not quite,” he replied with a grin. “We’re just getting started.”
He slowly withdrew and thrust back into her, letting out a low groan at the feeling of her tight channel gripping him and flexing around him. He kept the pace slow and steady as he watched her for any further discomfort, but once the initial discomfort was over, she seemed to get the idea and canted her hips so he went deeper inside of her – causing them both to groan in response. And Rodney did his best to savor this experience and not let himself get swept away too quickly.
But soon enough, he felt himself being overtaken by desire and slowly began to speed up. Jaelyn smiled beneath him and began meeting his thrusts equally as she gently ran her hands over his nipples. When her fingernails scraped over the sensitive buds a second time, he stilled and came. He saw the surprise in her eyes as he emptied his seed into her. He began thrusting through the aftershocks of his orgasm, his hips stuttering in response to the increased sensitivity, but it was worth it when Jaelyn gasped, then moaned, and he felt her contract around him as her own orgasm washed over her. He continued, pushing her through it and she arched into him before relaxing back against the blanket.
Rodney carefully pulled out of her and used the cloth to clean them both up.
Jaelyn spoke first once he had finished. “That was…wow.”
“It was,” he agreed with a small smile. “We should go though. We don’t want to arouse suspicion.”
“Okay,” she replied, wistfully. “Thank you, Rodney-chan, for doing this for me.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied with a pensive smile of his own as he stood.
They both dressed and Rodney packed the basket in silence, careful to put the incriminating evidence in as safe a spot as he could manage so he could burn it when they returned. The walk back was also done in silence, but Jaelyn kept sneaking shy glances and smiles in Rodney’s direction.
When they reached the door, Rodney paused and asked, “How do you feel?”
“Good,” she replied. “Relaxed.” She paused and looked a little concerned before adding, “And a little sore.”
“That’s normal,” he replied. “It’ll go away on its own.”
The cloth had just finished burning when Kirby stormed into their quarters, grabbed Rodney by his upper arm, and hauled him to his feet. “What the hell did you do?” he yelled at Rodney.
“What are you talking about?” Rodney asked, surprised and, for the first time since he had arrived, scared shitless.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about!” He increased pressure on Rodney’s upper arm. “You lied to all of us!”
“She asked me to!” Rodney blurted out, wishing he could take it back as soon as he said it.
Kirby looked like Rodney had physically struck him. “I had thought you would be past the boyish impulses, given your maturity and forbearance in the other areas of your life,” he said quietly as he released Rodney’s arm. “I think the trust I put in you may have been misplaced. I hope you haven’t done anything else that would make me seriously consider disowning you.”
He turned sharply and left their quarters, looking older and more weary than Rodney knew to be true. Rodney let out a shocked breath and opened and closed his mouth a couple times, unsure of what to do. The first and foremost thought, though, was ‘How did he find out?’
Rodney sank back down to the floor and pulled his knees up to his chest. He scrubbed his face with his hands and let out a ragged breath before crossing his arms on top of his knees and staring into the fire. He didn’t know how long he stayed that way, only coming out of his daze when Jillian entered.
She gave him a sad and disappointed look, but didn’t say anything as she began preparing dinner. Kirby finally returned, his face looking pinched and tired. They conversed quietly and Rodney couldn’t make out what they said. His gaze returning to the fire, Rodney wished he could take back what he and Jaelyn had done earlier that day. He knew Kelly had been right – whatever happiness Jaelyn would get out of this if she did have a child would always be shadowed by how it had happened and Rodney would always be seen as the willing accomplice.
Jillian gave Rodney his portion of dinner, but otherwise she and Kirby ignored him.
The next morning, after continued silence through breakfast and a chilly reception by everyone else in their borough, Rodney cornered Kelly by the yak pen to see if he could get any information out of him.
“I can’t talk to you,” Kelly hissed, glancing around warily.
“I know,” Rodney replied. “I just need to know – how did they find out?”
Glancing around again, Kelly quietly said, “From what I’ve heard, Jaelyn winced when she sat down after returning, but denied anything when Jessica asked if anything was wrong. Then, when she was helping prepare dinner, her grandparents were talking about how she had a glow around her – much like a woman on her wedding night and Jaelyn began blushing profusely.”
“Damn,” Rodney replied. “Thanks.”
News had spread much quicker than Rodney had expected, though he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. Small communities were notorious for knowing everyone’s business – even Atlantis hadn’t been completely impervious. He felt a pang of guilt at thinking of Atlantis at a time like this.
Laura only spoke to him when absolutely necessary and gave him a sad look that made Rodney feel like he had completely let her down *and* kicked her puppy. Rodney sighed as he started his work for the day, wondering how long it would take for the majority of this disaster to blow over.
He wasn’t completely surprised that evening when the people he had been expecting to see for check-ups went to Kirby instead, until Kirby, in exasperation, told them that one lapse in personal judgment didn’t discount Rodney as a healer and that if they were that set on being healed as soon as possible, for them to go to Rodney or come back the next day. A number of them left and only one came over to Rodney.
As the days passed, nothing changed. The other Laprans had closed their ranks against him and Rodney was left to stew in his guilt, with no knowledge of how he could even begin to atone for what he had done. He began wishing fervently that Jaelyn would come to him with news that she had just started her period and that she hadn’t conceived. That way, he could start doing damage control and trying to convince everyone that they were mistaken and that he and Jaelyn really hadn’t done anything and that they were all blowing a few isolated incidences out of the water and that they were all wrong, wrong, wrong. But he hadn’t even glimpsed her since they had returned from the “picnic”, let alone had a chance to speak with her.
He hated not being able to do anything to fix this predicament. He had always fared better when he was able to do *something* in a crisis – even if it was ultimately the wrong thing and would have to start over. The fact that he couldn’t do anything to attempt to fix what was wrong chafed and he felt himself slowly starting to panic.
He spent most of his time trying to work off his nervous energy pacing and trying to not work himself into a panic attack. A number of times, he felt nauseous and laid down on the floor, which garnered him weird yet sympathetic looks from Jillian and absolutely nothing from Kirby.
Rodney also tried meditating and working through his guilt, but it was still too raw to be completely eradicated and every day added fresh guilt to his load as he was continually snubbed by the people who he had come to consider a family – possibly even the truest family he had ever had.
Finally, Kelly brought him a small respite. “It’s been going around that Jaelyn hasn’t had her courses,” he said quietly, falling in step with Rodney one morning on his way to the silk section.
“She could be late,” Rodney replied softly, not daring to look at Kelly.
Kelly shook his head sadly and said, “Jessica says it’s not possible and that the sandstorms could be predicted by Jaelyn’s body.”
“So what happens now?” Rodney asked.
“The elders are going to convene in two days and discuss what your punishments should be.”
“Will we be able to make a case in our defense?”
Kelly snorted and shook his head in derision. “The evidence is iron-clad, Rodney-chan.”
“Not for me,” Rodney replied. “I’ll gladly take full responsibility for what I’ve done. I knew better and still did the wrong thing. I mean for the baby. It’s completely innocent and shouldn’t have to be punished for the foolishness of its parents.”
“I don’t know,” Kelly replied thoughtfully. “I don’t think anyone’s ever tried to do that before.”
“Where will they be meeting?” Rodney asked in resignation.
“Probably in our borough. It would be easier that way, if they need to call on either you, Jaelyn, or your families while they’re making their deliberations.”
“What about you and Jennifer?”
“That is a possibility as well. I wish you luck, Rodney-chan.”
Rodney nodded as Kelly dropped back and turned to head back. He spent the rest of the day contemplating what he would need to say in the baby’s defense.
Continue to Part 17
