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//188604// Saber Soul Transfer and body creation lab.
A green eyed brunette stood over a mutilated form of herself, going over the repairs the cryogenically preserved body would require as it finished thawing. With a final sigh, she took a sample and slipped into a replicator, before running a scan of the body. She fed the sample into a body sequencer to run the genetic analysis and make her job easier as her eyes glowed, a nearby datapad searching through manuals to instruct her in this process.
Setting limiting parameters and installing the scan overlay, she picked up the small body of her former self and poured a glass of corpse disposal proteins over it, watching the picomachines quickly melt the body into a grey goo that could be washed away easily and leaving behind the metals and plastics of her cybernetics. A few quick movements across the control board and that's exactly what she did, only to lean down and start an inspection of her old cyberware. A few repairs and tweaks with a laser knife to solder, and a microspray of biocompatible conformal coating to repair any breaches into the electronics let her boot the datapad and upgrade its software. A new base plate for her rebreather turbine, and she could disassemble the various plugs and cables. Another implant found its way into a bin, logged, and sorted, as she unpackaged a Geist implant and activated it for an in-construction install, but for the rest, they were sorted into bins and assigned arbitrary numbers for the body assembler to identify them and install them during the construction.
A deep breath as she relaxed, and a large, green lighted button presented itself. Absently, she started to the door, pressing Start. Her taller form was more convenient, but this was the body that others out in the stars knew. She would be making a few more modifications when the new body was finished, including a firmware update and a long range comm beacon for a Geist device.
The body assembler beeped a harsh warning, the display showing that the body she'd ordered was too small to survive any potential pregnancies. She confirmed to go ahead and edit the uterus out and leave the rest of her reproductive system in place, and the builder gave a green light. Another press of start and the device hummed to life, and Rose set for the door.
For now, she had to take someone out to dinner. Out of habit, she looked to her wrist, her Geist connecting to the internet via the datapad in her pocket and checking the account with her bank, making sure she had enough to pay for her lover. As that was confirmed like a memory, the information simply being there, she looked back up and continued walking, and pulled a small device from her coat pocket.
She didn't need to dial in the comm code, but it felt nice to hold the device up to her ear as she talked into it. Something more personal. "Hey, Sarah, I've been doing some thinking since I... Since I died. You know that restaurant in Nath Tower? Let's go to dinner. Just you and me. It's been too long since we had the evening to ourselves."
"Um... Sure, let me finish reassembling my rifle. Meet you there, or are you bringing the limo?" Sarah's voice said from the other end of the line.
"We have a limo? I'll meet you there, goof." Thorn's smile was audible as she shook her head, finding the exit and finding herself lost in the handful of DR-1s parked in the lot, remembering hers had a distinctly factory paint job with no special markings of any kind. Her thoughts had started kicking her for that, considering there was no way to identify it by eye. "Though I might have lost my bike."
"I'll come pick you up in the jeep." Sarah said with a muffled giggle.
"I'm gonna find this damn bike. Then I'll load it into the Jeep like a smart girl who doesn't know how to properly ride yet." And Thorn brought two fingers to her forehead, rubbing firmly. "I'm in the south parking shelter."
"I'm on my way. See you there beautiful." Sarah gave before ending the call.
When Thorn pulled the phone away from her ear, she shook her head and grinned. "Sure thing, gorgeous." Looking to her left, she cocked her eyebrows, pressed on her key fob, and watched the factory grey motorcycle blink its lights. Rolling her eyes, she muttered something about always letting people drive her around.
Sarah showed up a couple minutes later, wearing a tanktop and skirt as she pulled up in the driver seat, "Anyone call for the sexy taxi?
"Sexy is right!" Thorn grunted, pushing the motorcycle towards Sarah's jeep. "So when are you going to teach me to drive?"
Her own attire was far more lab work appropriate, with heavy jeans and a tee shirt, a keycard hanging off her left breast pocket. Normally, she was trying to get into a more regular or healthy sleep cycle, but she still often worked thirty hour shifts due to her inability to sleep. Curled up with a warm body helped, but she was starting to consider getting a cat.
Sarah climbed out and helped Thorn move it up the jeep's extendable ramp, "There we go, you ready? Must be pretty important if your taking me to dinner first."
Sarah walked back around to the driver seat with a purposeful swish to her hips before climbing in and popping the passenger door over.
"Normally I'd be making a joke about you keeping me here and my wanting to get back into the stars!" Thorn slid into the passenger seat easily. "But with you sweet talking me into growing my hair out and my new bigness, I can't exactly fit in my ship anymore."
Sarah giggled, "Maybe Jack will let us take the U-1 for a spin, he doesn't get to fly it much himself from his days in the Skyguard. He'd be happy to see her get out and used."
Sarah put the jeep in drive and pulled out of the underground parking area and onto the recently paved street flanked by metal walkways instead of the usual cement sidewalks, with street lamps lining the road she increased speed.
"Maybe, but that's not what I wanted to say and this is kind of awkward and I'm... I'm gonna buckle up before I drop this bomb." She reached behind to grab the seat belt and haul it over her lap and chest, hearing the satisfying click over the wind. "I want to get a name change and settle down."
Sarah slowed down, blinking a couple times as she processed Thorn's words. "Wait what? 'settle down' like get married?"
"Maybe!" Hands went up in exasperation, before she slumped and her voice lowered in volume. "I don't know. I just don't want to be a mercenary anymore. I think I'm happy, here."
"Well I'm happy your staying, and even if you had decide to leave I would have followed, I didn't enjoy being a hired gun either. But I would have picked up again for you. Saber and my brother gave me something to fight for honestly again, but you gave me a reason to love." Sarah said slowly speeding up again now reddened.
"Sweetheart, you're probably the sexiest person I've ever met, but our interactions for the last few weeks have been fairly consistently heated flirting and dumb jokes. Maybe some fooling around in the armory. If that's what love is, I'm happy to live it." Thorn would smile, reaching out to touch Sarah's shoulder. "I trust you, enough that you know my trigger phrase. But I don't want to be an annoyance anymore."
"I know, and you've never been an annoyance believe me. People have had to deal with much worse around here. And our interactions have been great, but we can do better, and I feel like we're ready for more. Settling down sounds nice, to have a fixed home again. After my parents died, I joined the army for a need of revenge, but the war was over by the time I actually entered service. So i finished my tour and decided to put my skills to use. Especially with contracts dealing with Elysians. I wasn't a mercenary exactly. I haven't seen my micro on Yamatai in twenty years, but I kept up the payments." Sarah said still red but now with a softer voice.
"At least you know where your parents went. I've heard different stories about mine. From them selling me to not even knowing I'm gone. Soon as I got freed, I signed on with the same ship as an apprentice merc and built my ship from the ground up. Then I went to raise trouble. Never bothered to see if I had a micro, but I'm pretty sure somebody has a warrant on me. Point is, I'm ready to not be the reckless data mercenary Thorn anymore. Neera and Izzy had some ideas for a name change."
Thorn's hands folded tightly in her lap as she tensed, keeping her head down. "Though this could have been a lot less awkward and sentimental if I'd just come out and said it in stead of dredging up the past like a crazy person."
"It's okay, we still need to finish getting to know each other, and dealing with these things now helps us stay sane. Gives focus towards the future." Sarah said placing her hand on Thorn's. A slight, trusting squeeze and Thorn's fist unclenched, interweaving her fingers with Sarah's.
"Now let's hear these ideas, I want to know what to scream at night" She winked towards Thorn, whose cheeks reddened slightly at the comment, "And I'm sure they're all as beautiful as you." Sarah said as they got closer to the city.
"Neera said I was just as annoying despite the new body. Apparently there's this quote about every rose having its thorn, and then she just kinda walked off. Not sure what to take from that." Thorn gave a slight snort. "She can be a bit cryptic. But then, you and I have only been dating a few months, so there's still a lot we both don't know."
"Neera tends to talk shit, but Rose sounds apt, besides I like it when you poke me. And we can open up our life books when we're ready." Sarah said laughed slightly as they entered the city limits, large buildings beginning to pass by in increasing numbers.
The newly named Rose grinned, her face reddening as her mind filled with images not safe for work. Some, not safe for play. "I think I'll stick with Rose then. But there's a lot more that I can do than poke you, and a lot more that you like."
"Ā, demo watashi wa anata ni takusan no koto o suru koto ga dekiru node, yoru ni dareka no namae o sakebu yuiitsu no hito ni wa naranaideshou" Sarah said in fluent Yamatain, giving Rose a seductive grin as her hand moved to Rose's thigh.
"You know I don't speak Yamataian..." While this was true, she did get the intent, and leaned over. Her leg rotated a little as she moved, letting Sarah's hand slip further between her thighs. "Do we just want to go to your place and wake up Jack by skipping to dessert?"
"Well, a girls gotta eat and there's plenty of time for dessert later. Besides, why don't we go to your place? Or better yet if we're both going to be settling down, how about a house so we can be loud all night long?" Sarah said squeezing Rose's leg as she moved up along her thigh.
As if on cue, Rose's stomach rumbled, and her face reddened further. "Yeah, still getting used to the whole hunger thing... And the only problem with my place is that none of your favorite toys are there and half your fireteam lives within a few rooms. Unless you want to make them envy me." She gave a half lidded seductive look and a small bite of her lip. "But all night sounds good."
Sarah giggled, "I'll get the keys from Jack later after dinner. Then we can really have fun. Then tomorrow we can talk about how we wanna settle down?"
"If by settle down, we mean stop doing reckless dangerous things and having me die again. Speaking of, nobody told me how long I was out before waking up in your body like some cheap Freaky Friday knockoff."
"Yes, well that too, but I mean... Would you want to get married?" Sarah asked, shying away slightly.
"If you asked me to, I... I would be really happy," Sarah wasn't the only one who shied away as Rose mused. "And concerned, I wouldn't expect or want you to stay exclusive to me, and I'd say yes, but I would be an inconsolable bundle of nerves for a while. I never really saw myself getting married and living in a nice house."
Sarah pulled over before turning completely towards Rose. She scooted over next to her, very close so her words wouldn't be misconstrued or misunderstood, "But don't you think I want to be exclusively yours? Why would I need to be with anyone else? Yes you can have the nice house, and me with it, just say you do and I'll never leave."
There was a moment of Rose flinching away, before she leaned into her lover and tried to dodge the subject with an off the top of her head comment. "You're the strong one. Why don't you ask?"
Sarah brought her left leg over Rose's lap to bring her onto her fully into the seat and facing her lover, before cupping Rose's face in her hands, "Will you marry me Rose?"
She gave a slight squeak, her face flushing until she could feel the heat radiating off and her mind locked down in an attempt to find some response or reason to dodge the question, before the only thing she could do was grab Sarah firmly around the ribcage, her hips sliding forward as she dragged Sarah into a crushing hug. When she'd first come to section 6 she'd begun researching the customs and other things she'd missed in her education. Things she'd had no concept of, including genuine love and affection. She knew by now that this was an important question, one with only two answers. Her responses to this kind of genuine care were rather limited. In this case, she didn't know how to verbalize the excitement and fear, nor the sheer, unbridled joy proposed by Sarah's question. Thusly a bone-crushing hug that caused Sarah to let out a little gasp as her back popped loudly, and as Rose's face was buried in Sarah's breast was the only reasonable response she could come up with.
When Sarah rasped out "Honey, my back...I can't breathe," Rose let out a small squeak and let up the bone-crushing pressure for something a bit more agreeable to the other woman's body. Though she had to admit the back pop sounded like it felt good. Still, she had no intent to let go, feeling the softness of Sarah's skin on her face and the tank top against her chin.
"I feel like I'd do anything for you."
"Just love me then. Let me make you strong. I will give you everything I am and have. Marry me, Rose Ironhart and let's be together." Sarah said caressing Rose's head.
Something deep within screamed at Rose to say no, or do anything to dodge the question. She was fairly sure it was a simple anxiety, or some hint of her fear of being controlled. She ignored it, speaking slowly and hushedly, her voice barely above a whisper as she said yes.
"I'll do it. Let's get married "
Sarah's eyes began to well with tears of joy before she kissed Rose deeply, "I have the rings made tomorrow then we can plan the wedding. Let's go eat and celebrate, and later tonight we'll go all out."
Rose pulled away when the celebration was mentioned, "but-- But I never thought... I... I only mentioned... Fuck it." She threw her arms around Sarah's neck and pulled her in fro another, deeper, more passionate kiss. She tried to lift Sarah up and got snagged on the seat belt with a squall of disdain. Sarah's hands reached down, groping in the process as she unfastened the belt, and she was promptly lifted up and tossed back down into the seat as Rose took her turn on top. Rose's movements caused the jeep to rock on its suspension as she gave a sigh and looked at Sarah for a moment. "You said something about dinner?"
"I did, though we might have appetizers first before we do.", Sarah said before grabbing Rose's rear.
"We can order delivery." She leaned in, planting a kiss under the jaw, before reaching up and pulling the strap of Sarah's tank down. A gentle bite on the collarbone, just enough to leave a small half moon hickey was placed as Rose's other hand moved up Sarah's hip, and slid under the shirt.
"I like that idea, you wanna give the wheel a go? I'm going to need my energy if we plan on going all night." Sarah said as she slid one hand down Roses pants while moving the other up the back of her shirt as she kissed her neck.
"I haven't slept in over a day, so you and I are both taking tomorrow off." Rose rocked her hips forward, into Sarah's hand as she felt the warmth growing within her, her hand sliding farther up Sarah's body to feel the curvature of her chest. "And I kind of want you here."
---The next morning still in the parking lot outside Nath tower---
Sarah awoke with her hair in her face. As she sat up she was stopped by a sleeping Rose laying on her arm.
"Baby, it's morning. You ready to go home?" Sarah said before her comm device buzzed. Thorn grumbled and nuzzled deeper as Sarah, groped into her long discarded pant pocket for the device and answered it.
"Sarah, where the hell are you?! You didn't come home and no one else knows where you went." Jack gave his irritation clear as she answered.
"I'm in the Nath tower parking lot with Rose." Sarah said groggily. Though she was proud of herself for getting used to the name so quickly.
"Who is Rose? I thought you were going out with Thorn. You're not... You're not cheating, are you?" Jack said sounding worried now.
"Rose is Thorn. Was Thorn. And we kinda slept here.....together. Yeah there is a lot to explain. Neither of us are coming in today, we got stuff to get to together. Also, can you leave the keys in the door of that house across the street?" Sarah said finally getting her arm free from out from under Rose.
"Yeah, I don't think I need to know. Whatever's going on between you two, I'll just hear what I need to, later. The keys are in the door. Shall I have your stuff moved over...and Rose's?" Jack asked. He was calm, now, but somewhat confused.
"Thanks, yeah, see you tomorrow." Sarah said ending the comm call.
Rose had made herself quite comfortable laying in her bra across Sarah's chest, and stirred when the taller woman pulled her arm free. A furrowed brow and a groggy moan and she pushed herself deeper into the soft skin. "Iunwannageup."
"I know, baby, but I gotta drive us home, now where is my tank top, bra, ........and my underwear? Um, it's kinda cool out here for a desert. Help me get my clothes before someone sees." Sarah said now realizing how naked she was sitting there in a parking lot.
"I dunno, I kinda like seeing you like this." Rose stretched, leaning up off of Sarah and twisting around. "I have a sport bra on the back of your seat and underwear..." That one, she had to look around for, handing Sarah her bra.
"Aap. Sitting on it."
"Well last night was fun, but lets head home." Sarah said quickly putting on her clothes before starting the jeep and rolling out of the parking lot after the aether generator's hum picked up.
"Fine..." Rose whined. "You know, you're glowing. The way your hair just eats the sunlight and floofs up in the back. It just makes your whole face glow." She looked about pausingly for her shirt, and upon not seeing it, looked down and decided a bra was enough coverage. Pants, however, could be a good idea.
Sarah drove for the next ten minutes, entering into the neighborhood where the personnel of Section 6 and Saber lived in the USO's only real neighborhood. She pulled up in front of a house across the street from her brother's home, shut off the engine, and stepped out. "Alright lets get inside and go to bed," she stretched, yawning.
Grumbling, Rose opened the door and stepped out into the driveway. "You don't wanna carry me across the threshold? Or have me carry you?"
Sarah couldn't help but giggle as she came around and picked up a delighted, squealing Rose in a princess carry, "Just think. This will be great practice for after the wedding as I carry you inside for a sexy honeymoon."
"But you know I'm strong enough to carry you, too!" she laughed, wriggling into a more comfortable position. After a moment, she curled inwards and relaxed, letting her weight settle her spine with a pop. It was about then that she realized her heart was pounding, but not in the way she'd expected when she woke up. More like that first day on the beach, when she was still small, with butterflies in her stomach and a smile on her lips. "But I still like it, here."
Sarah carried her to the door and turned the key with her hand and nudged the door open with her shoe. She brought Rose upstairs to the bedroom, placing her on the bed before falling onto the soft folds of fabric, herself. She could see the standard dresser beyond Rose's hair and easily surmise that the home, like the others, came prefurnished, standardized and inexpensive. Some might even call the decor quaint and attractive, if simplistic. If one was not of this group, they could always go buy more.
"Ok, I'm just gonna lay her an sleep for a bit wake me up when..." Her voice trailed off as she slipped away, soft snores filling the room as Rose rolled over to bury herself in the crook of Sarah's arm. Rose's hair made a soft hissing sound as she dragged her head below Sarah's breast, her breath evened, deepened, and she slipped into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, one arm over her fiance's stomach and a hand on her hip, and a soft, serene smile on her face.
A green eyed brunette stood over a mutilated form of herself, going over the repairs the cryogenically preserved body would require as it finished thawing. With a final sigh, she took a sample and slipped into a replicator, before running a scan of the body. She fed the sample into a body sequencer to run the genetic analysis and make her job easier as her eyes glowed, a nearby datapad searching through manuals to instruct her in this process.
Setting limiting parameters and installing the scan overlay, she picked up the small body of her former self and poured a glass of corpse disposal proteins over it, watching the picomachines quickly melt the body into a grey goo that could be washed away easily and leaving behind the metals and plastics of her cybernetics. A few quick movements across the control board and that's exactly what she did, only to lean down and start an inspection of her old cyberware. A few repairs and tweaks with a laser knife to solder, and a microspray of biocompatible conformal coating to repair any breaches into the electronics let her boot the datapad and upgrade its software. A new base plate for her rebreather turbine, and she could disassemble the various plugs and cables. Another implant found its way into a bin, logged, and sorted, as she unpackaged a Geist implant and activated it for an in-construction install, but for the rest, they were sorted into bins and assigned arbitrary numbers for the body assembler to identify them and install them during the construction.
A deep breath as she relaxed, and a large, green lighted button presented itself. Absently, she started to the door, pressing Start. Her taller form was more convenient, but this was the body that others out in the stars knew. She would be making a few more modifications when the new body was finished, including a firmware update and a long range comm beacon for a Geist device.
The body assembler beeped a harsh warning, the display showing that the body she'd ordered was too small to survive any potential pregnancies. She confirmed to go ahead and edit the uterus out and leave the rest of her reproductive system in place, and the builder gave a green light. Another press of start and the device hummed to life, and Rose set for the door.
For now, she had to take someone out to dinner. Out of habit, she looked to her wrist, her Geist connecting to the internet via the datapad in her pocket and checking the account with her bank, making sure she had enough to pay for her lover. As that was confirmed like a memory, the information simply being there, she looked back up and continued walking, and pulled a small device from her coat pocket.
She didn't need to dial in the comm code, but it felt nice to hold the device up to her ear as she talked into it. Something more personal. "Hey, Sarah, I've been doing some thinking since I... Since I died. You know that restaurant in Nath Tower? Let's go to dinner. Just you and me. It's been too long since we had the evening to ourselves."
"Um... Sure, let me finish reassembling my rifle. Meet you there, or are you bringing the limo?" Sarah's voice said from the other end of the line.
"We have a limo? I'll meet you there, goof." Thorn's smile was audible as she shook her head, finding the exit and finding herself lost in the handful of DR-1s parked in the lot, remembering hers had a distinctly factory paint job with no special markings of any kind. Her thoughts had started kicking her for that, considering there was no way to identify it by eye. "Though I might have lost my bike."
"I'll come pick you up in the jeep." Sarah said with a muffled giggle.
"I'm gonna find this damn bike. Then I'll load it into the Jeep like a smart girl who doesn't know how to properly ride yet." And Thorn brought two fingers to her forehead, rubbing firmly. "I'm in the south parking shelter."
"I'm on my way. See you there beautiful." Sarah gave before ending the call.
When Thorn pulled the phone away from her ear, she shook her head and grinned. "Sure thing, gorgeous." Looking to her left, she cocked her eyebrows, pressed on her key fob, and watched the factory grey motorcycle blink its lights. Rolling her eyes, she muttered something about always letting people drive her around.
Sarah showed up a couple minutes later, wearing a tanktop and skirt as she pulled up in the driver seat, "Anyone call for the sexy taxi?
"Sexy is right!" Thorn grunted, pushing the motorcycle towards Sarah's jeep. "So when are you going to teach me to drive?"
Her own attire was far more lab work appropriate, with heavy jeans and a tee shirt, a keycard hanging off her left breast pocket. Normally, she was trying to get into a more regular or healthy sleep cycle, but she still often worked thirty hour shifts due to her inability to sleep. Curled up with a warm body helped, but she was starting to consider getting a cat.
Sarah climbed out and helped Thorn move it up the jeep's extendable ramp, "There we go, you ready? Must be pretty important if your taking me to dinner first."
Sarah walked back around to the driver seat with a purposeful swish to her hips before climbing in and popping the passenger door over.
"Normally I'd be making a joke about you keeping me here and my wanting to get back into the stars!" Thorn slid into the passenger seat easily. "But with you sweet talking me into growing my hair out and my new bigness, I can't exactly fit in my ship anymore."
Sarah giggled, "Maybe Jack will let us take the U-1 for a spin, he doesn't get to fly it much himself from his days in the Skyguard. He'd be happy to see her get out and used."
Sarah put the jeep in drive and pulled out of the underground parking area and onto the recently paved street flanked by metal walkways instead of the usual cement sidewalks, with street lamps lining the road she increased speed.
"Maybe, but that's not what I wanted to say and this is kind of awkward and I'm... I'm gonna buckle up before I drop this bomb." She reached behind to grab the seat belt and haul it over her lap and chest, hearing the satisfying click over the wind. "I want to get a name change and settle down."
Sarah slowed down, blinking a couple times as she processed Thorn's words. "Wait what? 'settle down' like get married?"
"Maybe!" Hands went up in exasperation, before she slumped and her voice lowered in volume. "I don't know. I just don't want to be a mercenary anymore. I think I'm happy, here."
"Well I'm happy your staying, and even if you had decide to leave I would have followed, I didn't enjoy being a hired gun either. But I would have picked up again for you. Saber and my brother gave me something to fight for honestly again, but you gave me a reason to love." Sarah said slowly speeding up again now reddened.
"Sweetheart, you're probably the sexiest person I've ever met, but our interactions for the last few weeks have been fairly consistently heated flirting and dumb jokes. Maybe some fooling around in the armory. If that's what love is, I'm happy to live it." Thorn would smile, reaching out to touch Sarah's shoulder. "I trust you, enough that you know my trigger phrase. But I don't want to be an annoyance anymore."
"I know, and you've never been an annoyance believe me. People have had to deal with much worse around here. And our interactions have been great, but we can do better, and I feel like we're ready for more. Settling down sounds nice, to have a fixed home again. After my parents died, I joined the army for a need of revenge, but the war was over by the time I actually entered service. So i finished my tour and decided to put my skills to use. Especially with contracts dealing with Elysians. I wasn't a mercenary exactly. I haven't seen my micro on Yamatai in twenty years, but I kept up the payments." Sarah said still red but now with a softer voice.
"At least you know where your parents went. I've heard different stories about mine. From them selling me to not even knowing I'm gone. Soon as I got freed, I signed on with the same ship as an apprentice merc and built my ship from the ground up. Then I went to raise trouble. Never bothered to see if I had a micro, but I'm pretty sure somebody has a warrant on me. Point is, I'm ready to not be the reckless data mercenary Thorn anymore. Neera and Izzy had some ideas for a name change."
Thorn's hands folded tightly in her lap as she tensed, keeping her head down. "Though this could have been a lot less awkward and sentimental if I'd just come out and said it in stead of dredging up the past like a crazy person."
"It's okay, we still need to finish getting to know each other, and dealing with these things now helps us stay sane. Gives focus towards the future." Sarah said placing her hand on Thorn's. A slight, trusting squeeze and Thorn's fist unclenched, interweaving her fingers with Sarah's.
"Now let's hear these ideas, I want to know what to scream at night" She winked towards Thorn, whose cheeks reddened slightly at the comment, "And I'm sure they're all as beautiful as you." Sarah said as they got closer to the city.
"Neera said I was just as annoying despite the new body. Apparently there's this quote about every rose having its thorn, and then she just kinda walked off. Not sure what to take from that." Thorn gave a slight snort. "She can be a bit cryptic. But then, you and I have only been dating a few months, so there's still a lot we both don't know."
"Neera tends to talk shit, but Rose sounds apt, besides I like it when you poke me. And we can open up our life books when we're ready." Sarah said laughed slightly as they entered the city limits, large buildings beginning to pass by in increasing numbers.
The newly named Rose grinned, her face reddening as her mind filled with images not safe for work. Some, not safe for play. "I think I'll stick with Rose then. But there's a lot more that I can do than poke you, and a lot more that you like."
"Ā, demo watashi wa anata ni takusan no koto o suru koto ga dekiru node, yoru ni dareka no namae o sakebu yuiitsu no hito ni wa naranaideshou" Sarah said in fluent Yamatain, giving Rose a seductive grin as her hand moved to Rose's thigh.
Oh but I can do a lot to you as well, so that I won't be the only one screaming someones name at night.
"You know I don't speak Yamataian..." While this was true, she did get the intent, and leaned over. Her leg rotated a little as she moved, letting Sarah's hand slip further between her thighs. "Do we just want to go to your place and wake up Jack by skipping to dessert?"
"Well, a girls gotta eat and there's plenty of time for dessert later. Besides, why don't we go to your place? Or better yet if we're both going to be settling down, how about a house so we can be loud all night long?" Sarah said squeezing Rose's leg as she moved up along her thigh.
As if on cue, Rose's stomach rumbled, and her face reddened further. "Yeah, still getting used to the whole hunger thing... And the only problem with my place is that none of your favorite toys are there and half your fireteam lives within a few rooms. Unless you want to make them envy me." She gave a half lidded seductive look and a small bite of her lip. "But all night sounds good."
Sarah giggled, "I'll get the keys from Jack later after dinner. Then we can really have fun. Then tomorrow we can talk about how we wanna settle down?"
"If by settle down, we mean stop doing reckless dangerous things and having me die again. Speaking of, nobody told me how long I was out before waking up in your body like some cheap Freaky Friday knockoff."
"Yes, well that too, but I mean... Would you want to get married?" Sarah asked, shying away slightly.
"If you asked me to, I... I would be really happy," Sarah wasn't the only one who shied away as Rose mused. "And concerned, I wouldn't expect or want you to stay exclusive to me, and I'd say yes, but I would be an inconsolable bundle of nerves for a while. I never really saw myself getting married and living in a nice house."
Sarah pulled over before turning completely towards Rose. She scooted over next to her, very close so her words wouldn't be misconstrued or misunderstood, "But don't you think I want to be exclusively yours? Why would I need to be with anyone else? Yes you can have the nice house, and me with it, just say you do and I'll never leave."
There was a moment of Rose flinching away, before she leaned into her lover and tried to dodge the subject with an off the top of her head comment. "You're the strong one. Why don't you ask?"
Sarah brought her left leg over Rose's lap to bring her onto her fully into the seat and facing her lover, before cupping Rose's face in her hands, "Will you marry me Rose?"
She gave a slight squeak, her face flushing until she could feel the heat radiating off and her mind locked down in an attempt to find some response or reason to dodge the question, before the only thing she could do was grab Sarah firmly around the ribcage, her hips sliding forward as she dragged Sarah into a crushing hug. When she'd first come to section 6 she'd begun researching the customs and other things she'd missed in her education. Things she'd had no concept of, including genuine love and affection. She knew by now that this was an important question, one with only two answers. Her responses to this kind of genuine care were rather limited. In this case, she didn't know how to verbalize the excitement and fear, nor the sheer, unbridled joy proposed by Sarah's question. Thusly a bone-crushing hug that caused Sarah to let out a little gasp as her back popped loudly, and as Rose's face was buried in Sarah's breast was the only reasonable response she could come up with.
When Sarah rasped out "Honey, my back...I can't breathe," Rose let out a small squeak and let up the bone-crushing pressure for something a bit more agreeable to the other woman's body. Though she had to admit the back pop sounded like it felt good. Still, she had no intent to let go, feeling the softness of Sarah's skin on her face and the tank top against her chin.
"I feel like I'd do anything for you."
"Just love me then. Let me make you strong. I will give you everything I am and have. Marry me, Rose Ironhart and let's be together." Sarah said caressing Rose's head.
Something deep within screamed at Rose to say no, or do anything to dodge the question. She was fairly sure it was a simple anxiety, or some hint of her fear of being controlled. She ignored it, speaking slowly and hushedly, her voice barely above a whisper as she said yes.
"I'll do it. Let's get married "
Sarah's eyes began to well with tears of joy before she kissed Rose deeply, "I have the rings made tomorrow then we can plan the wedding. Let's go eat and celebrate, and later tonight we'll go all out."
Rose pulled away when the celebration was mentioned, "but-- But I never thought... I... I only mentioned... Fuck it." She threw her arms around Sarah's neck and pulled her in fro another, deeper, more passionate kiss. She tried to lift Sarah up and got snagged on the seat belt with a squall of disdain. Sarah's hands reached down, groping in the process as she unfastened the belt, and she was promptly lifted up and tossed back down into the seat as Rose took her turn on top. Rose's movements caused the jeep to rock on its suspension as she gave a sigh and looked at Sarah for a moment. "You said something about dinner?"
"I did, though we might have appetizers first before we do.", Sarah said before grabbing Rose's rear.
"We can order delivery." She leaned in, planting a kiss under the jaw, before reaching up and pulling the strap of Sarah's tank down. A gentle bite on the collarbone, just enough to leave a small half moon hickey was placed as Rose's other hand moved up Sarah's hip, and slid under the shirt.
"I like that idea, you wanna give the wheel a go? I'm going to need my energy if we plan on going all night." Sarah said as she slid one hand down Roses pants while moving the other up the back of her shirt as she kissed her neck.
"I haven't slept in over a day, so you and I are both taking tomorrow off." Rose rocked her hips forward, into Sarah's hand as she felt the warmth growing within her, her hand sliding farther up Sarah's body to feel the curvature of her chest. "And I kind of want you here."
---The next morning still in the parking lot outside Nath tower---
Sarah awoke with her hair in her face. As she sat up she was stopped by a sleeping Rose laying on her arm.
"Baby, it's morning. You ready to go home?" Sarah said before her comm device buzzed. Thorn grumbled and nuzzled deeper as Sarah, groped into her long discarded pant pocket for the device and answered it.
"Sarah, where the hell are you?! You didn't come home and no one else knows where you went." Jack gave his irritation clear as she answered.
"I'm in the Nath tower parking lot with Rose." Sarah said groggily. Though she was proud of herself for getting used to the name so quickly.
"Who is Rose? I thought you were going out with Thorn. You're not... You're not cheating, are you?" Jack said sounding worried now.
"Rose is Thorn. Was Thorn. And we kinda slept here.....together. Yeah there is a lot to explain. Neither of us are coming in today, we got stuff to get to together. Also, can you leave the keys in the door of that house across the street?" Sarah said finally getting her arm free from out from under Rose.
"Yeah, I don't think I need to know. Whatever's going on between you two, I'll just hear what I need to, later. The keys are in the door. Shall I have your stuff moved over...and Rose's?" Jack asked. He was calm, now, but somewhat confused.
"Thanks, yeah, see you tomorrow." Sarah said ending the comm call.
Rose had made herself quite comfortable laying in her bra across Sarah's chest, and stirred when the taller woman pulled her arm free. A furrowed brow and a groggy moan and she pushed herself deeper into the soft skin. "Iunwannageup."
"I know, baby, but I gotta drive us home, now where is my tank top, bra, ........and my underwear? Um, it's kinda cool out here for a desert. Help me get my clothes before someone sees." Sarah said now realizing how naked she was sitting there in a parking lot.
"I dunno, I kinda like seeing you like this." Rose stretched, leaning up off of Sarah and twisting around. "I have a sport bra on the back of your seat and underwear..." That one, she had to look around for, handing Sarah her bra.
"Aap. Sitting on it."
"Well last night was fun, but lets head home." Sarah said quickly putting on her clothes before starting the jeep and rolling out of the parking lot after the aether generator's hum picked up.
"Fine..." Rose whined. "You know, you're glowing. The way your hair just eats the sunlight and floofs up in the back. It just makes your whole face glow." She looked about pausingly for her shirt, and upon not seeing it, looked down and decided a bra was enough coverage. Pants, however, could be a good idea.
Sarah drove for the next ten minutes, entering into the neighborhood where the personnel of Section 6 and Saber lived in the USO's only real neighborhood. She pulled up in front of a house across the street from her brother's home, shut off the engine, and stepped out. "Alright lets get inside and go to bed," she stretched, yawning.
Grumbling, Rose opened the door and stepped out into the driveway. "You don't wanna carry me across the threshold? Or have me carry you?"
Sarah couldn't help but giggle as she came around and picked up a delighted, squealing Rose in a princess carry, "Just think. This will be great practice for after the wedding as I carry you inside for a sexy honeymoon."
"But you know I'm strong enough to carry you, too!" she laughed, wriggling into a more comfortable position. After a moment, she curled inwards and relaxed, letting her weight settle her spine with a pop. It was about then that she realized her heart was pounding, but not in the way she'd expected when she woke up. More like that first day on the beach, when she was still small, with butterflies in her stomach and a smile on her lips. "But I still like it, here."
Sarah carried her to the door and turned the key with her hand and nudged the door open with her shoe. She brought Rose upstairs to the bedroom, placing her on the bed before falling onto the soft folds of fabric, herself. She could see the standard dresser beyond Rose's hair and easily surmise that the home, like the others, came prefurnished, standardized and inexpensive. Some might even call the decor quaint and attractive, if simplistic. If one was not of this group, they could always go buy more.
"Ok, I'm just gonna lay her an sleep for a bit wake me up when..." Her voice trailed off as she slipped away, soft snores filling the room as Rose rolled over to bury herself in the crook of Sarah's arm. Rose's hair made a soft hissing sound as she dragged her head below Sarah's breast, her breath evened, deepened, and she slipped into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, one arm over her fiance's stomach and a hand on her hip, and a soft, serene smile on her face.
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