He presented his worries to his cousins and they promised to look into it for him as they were more familiar with the procedures of ship tracking than he was.

He did manage to get a communication through to Amberly, though.

“Hey little bro.”

“Kismet?”

“Who else would travel halfway across the universe to keep you from tripping over your own two feet?”

“Bri is here and Bobby is on the way. You didn’t have to come.”

“I had to come, Amberly. Besides, Puck is my brother too; you didn’t think I was going to let you steal all the thunder did you?”

Amberly laughed. “Did you at least do the sheepskin walk?”

“No. I had to leave before the commencement ceremony.”

“Mum and Da are never going to forgive us. I hope Maggie actually graduates university with more than her transcripts and an escape plan.”

“You didn’t do that Amberly.”

“Not quite, but I didn’t stay on planet very long after graduation either, did I? So when are you going to be here?”

“Best I can figure is soon. Today. A few hours.”

“Great! We’re staying at the Hilton. Shouldn’t be too hard to find, it’s one of the biggest hotels there,” Amberly told him then gave him more details.

“Great, see you by dinner. Don’t make plans.”

“Alright, dinner it is. See you then,” Amberly laughed and the connection disconnected.

When Kismet arrived back at his quarters, Taloric was finishing his packing. “I had to replace your satchel with another, slightly larger one. The old one is there,” he indicated it on the far side of the bed. “You are leaving with far more things that you arrived with.”

“Our cousins are very generous.”

“You have adapted well, Kismet, do you miss your home much?”

“I miss my family.”

“Valdorn is protecting your family. He is bringing them to Uncle even now, is he not?”

“That was the plan. I just worry about Puck. Bobby should have reached him by now, but I’ve not been able to contact him. I don’t know if he was able to get any information, or get him released, if they had to escape. I don’t even know how ill Puck really is.”

“And contacting Bobby would help?”

“Or getting into the Center’s data systems, but to do that I would have to put everyone in danger and I can’t do that again.” Kismet tossed the last of his personal belongings on the bunk and began shoving them into the bag. “I can’t do that to you, or to Uncle and the cousins. You have all done so much for me and my family.”

Taloric stopped Kismet’s hands with his own. “You will not put us in any danger we do not want to be in. Uncle understands the importance of keeping the ship safe, and all those entrusted to its care,” he turned Kismet to face him, “all of those entrusted, Kismet, including you.” He leaned in and kissed the human who had wiggled close to his heart in such a short time.

Kismet closed the distance and embraced Taloric as he melted into the kiss. “I don’t want to leave you,” he murmured against Taloric’s neck when they finally broke the kiss.

“Then its good you won’t have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going with you when you leave. Our family owns lodging on that particular station, so I’m going to show you were it is. Then when your injured brother arrives, there is a place for him to have his needs tended,” Taloric let him go just as a series of chirps blew over the speaker system.

“Sounds like we’ve arrived,” Kismet said as he put his travel papers in the bag last so they would be on top. He had taken the time to properly forge the seals on his inter-galactic passport, but if his own government was looking for him it would be a moot point.

“So we have.” Taloric grabbed his own bag and headed out the door.

Kismet followed him trying to make sense of the emotions he was feeling. He had a family, a large accepting family. However, Taloric’s family had brought him into their lives on the word of another and accepted him as one of theirs, no questions asked. They had fed, clothed, and educated him, in addition to putting up with his strange habits and endless questions. Kismet didn’t consider himself the most emotional of his bothers, that honor belonged firmly to Amberly. Yet here, aboard this ship, among these people, Kismet found himself on the brink of another emotional display.

Uncle waited near the ship’s exit and near him stood the honor guard, today consisting of both of the cousins who had been in the combat class with Taloric when Kismet joined it. Uncle smiled as they approached.

“Thank you,” Kismet said to Uncle dropping his bag and enveloping the man in a hug.

Uncle looked surprised for a moment, then wrapped his arms around his human nephew, patting his back.

“No thanks is needed, nephew,” he said as Kismet finally pulled away. “We have a gift for you.”

One of the two guards handed over a packet which Kismet opened. Inside he found several sheets of paper with official looking seals and an inter-galactic passport with his personal information on it. He couldn’t read any of it except his name and the numbers.

“Adoption papers into our family, naturalization papers as a Seberian citizen, courtship documents, and a new passport. They will provide you more protection in this sector than your Earth papers.” He looked at Kismet, “And they will provide you a way home or a new one if you so desire. Taloric has decided to go with you and to stand with you, Kismet, in the eye of Fate now that you have decided to trust your true self and take a walk on the wild side.”

Kismet smiled at Taloric and blushed, “I am honored.”

“He will know how to contact us if there is a need,” Uncle told them as the exit opened and Taloric took Kismet’s hand. Together they stepped into their future.

The Seberian’s housing area put them within easy walking distance several hotels, bars, and one of the larger shopping districts. As soon as they stowed their things Kismet and Taloric headed out. However, before they walked out the door, Taloric stopped,

“Do you have your papers on you?”

“My papers?”

“Those papers that Uncle gave you.”

Kismet shook his head.

“It is very important that you carry some of them everywhere.” Taloric went back in, “Let me show you.”

Kismet pulled them out and Taloric went through them finding the page of that courtship document that should be carried when they were together.

“Put this in your passport and do not lose it,” Taloric told him then kissed him on the nose. “It shows you belong to my family.”

“I thought all those papers did.”

“All of them do to some degree or another, but this one specifically.”

“To your family,” Kismet said to himself as he followed Taloric out of the housing and into the streets. It was the wording that meant something. He knew it did, but damned if he could put his finger on specifically what.

Kismet looked around as they entered the lobby of the Hilton taking in its grandeur.

“This is a very nice place.”

“It is,” Taloric agreed although he had never stayed in a hotel. In all honesty he was very much relying on Kismet to aid him as much as he was here to aid and lend support to Kismet. He had never been off the ship except on his home world or with Uncle and an armed escort. He knew Kismet wasn’t aware of the trust being placed in him by Uncle and his cousins. And he wasn’t sure if Kismet was aware of Uncle’s blessing as they left the ship. He was just glad his other courtiers had taken his rejections with honor although they both thought he was crazy for picking the human over them.

They found the room with no problem and knocked, but there was no answer. So they stood around outside the door for a while hoping they would come back from where ever it was they went. Eventually, housekeeping came along and opened the door, muttering about the mess. Well, a mess didn’t sound like his brother at all.

“Excuse me; do you know when they will be back?”

“Checked out.”

Kismet frowned.

“Maybe we have the wrong room?” Taloric said. “There is somewhere we can check?”

“Yes, of course,” Kismet nodded, “Downstairs.”

They headed back down after Kismet got a good look at the room number. He was sure he didn’t get the wrong room. However that did not stop him from smiling at the desk clerk, “Would mind telling me which room is registered to Amberly Hanover?”

The clerk did something behind the counter, then looked up. “No one by that name.”

Kismet frowned again.

“Brianna Legacy or Robert Atoll? Honestly, they were travelling together; I’m not sure who registered.”

The clerk made a little aha noise. “And you would be?”

“Kismet Hanover, Amberly’s brother. We were to meet for dinner.”

“The room’s checked out, sir. The two occupants, a male and a female, registered as Ms. Legacy and Mr. Hanover, were restrained, heavily guarded, and in the care of the Crown Prince of Estovan. Your brother and the girl looked pissed about it too.”

Kismet blanched.

“Any idea where they might have taken Amberly and his wife today?”

“The prisoners? Probably back to Estovan,” the clerk suggested. “Wasn’t all that long ago, say right after lunch? You might be able to catch them at the port if you hurry.”

Kismet exchanged a look with Taloric and the two of them quickly exited the hotel. Directly in front of the door, a bellhop had just finished emptying luggage from a private hire. Taloric headed straight for it and its open rear door where he slid in with Kismet following closely behind.

“Sorry gentlemen, this vehicle is not for hire,” the driver said.

Kismet started to leave the vehicle, but Taloric stopped him and let out a string of words in yet another language that Kismet did not know. The engine started. Kismet had just enough time to close the door firmly before the vehicle pulled away from the curb at a good speed. Taloric sat back, placed his hand possessively on Kismet’s knee, and watched the scenery change.