Bram wondered if that money was still around. Perhaps his mother had collected it and had it saved somewhere for Valon. He hoped so, it'd be good to get the man back on his feet again - even if he would happily take care of him till the end of their days.

The cyborg sat up, bracing himself with his hand in the sand and running his other down his lover's chest. Already the tide was coming in and they would have to go inside to warm up and dry off. The question was on the tip of his tongue, though he didn't want to sound silly or pushy when he asked. He'd never asked it with someone like Valon.. someone he honestly yearned and cared for. Loved. It was different and he worried..

"Valon," he started softly, the words not quite forming on his lips at first. What if he said no? The timing felt perfect. They were both comfortable, warm, and safe.. On their little vacation to visit the family in a beautiful house by the sea. His heart beat even faster, like he was a teenager again.

"Would you lay with me tonight?" he finally asked, slowly and warmly - tucking a piece of the man's lovely long hair behind his ear. He bit his bottom lip with worry again, leaving the question open to be taken in the most innocent way possible if Valon chose to.

Valon smiled at the tide slowly licking up their bodies. He rubbed a gentle hand up and down Bram's back. He could feel the other man's question heavy on his own tongue. What has his lover going to ask that had him so upset? Valon had a few guesses, but he could not bare to entertain the thought. "What is it my love?"

He laid back into the sand, a hand going up to cup Bram's cheek and his thumb tracing over the graceful arch of Bram's cheek bone. Valon could swim in those deep green eyes, they searched his face, judging his temperament. Listening quietly he waited for his lover to speak.

As the words set in his heart sped up and his breathing shortened. His stomach did a flip flop. Valon wanted to be with Bram that way, more than anything. The former slave was unsure though if he could handle it. He couldn't disappoint Bram though, disappoint the both of them.

"Yes. I will lay with you." He pulled Bram close. "Please though, I won't be able to do everything. Be patient with me my love." He leaned in for a deep kiss conveying all his thoughts and feelings to Bram. There was no deigning that he wanted to be with Bram that way. "I want to make love with you."

------------------------
Valon's purr grew louder as he nuzzled his lover sated from their time together. He blushed lightly his hand going over his eyes at the thought of going downstairs after this. "Oh Goddess! I'm not going to ever be able to look my mother in the eye ever again."

He laid his head on Bram's chest, laughing lightly. It was then that he noticed the glow coming off the man's skin, "Bram why are you glowing?"

Bram bit his lip and shrugged, not sure exactly how to answer Valon's question. He was hoping that the man hadn't noticed and they could just take a nice nap. His body felt like it could nap. After all of that and the sudden flicker of his synthetic parts, he felt quite drained.

"Remember when I told you about my dream with my father?" he asked," I.. don't think it was a dream." The vision of his father walking across the water, glowing vibrantly - his hair floating in a breeze that didn't exist. Telekinesis of some sort, he assumed now. Perhaps that was why when the energy flowed from his body, it jumbled his mechanics. He was going to keep that issue to himself, however. Valon had enough to worry about.

"I don't understand the glow, though. I have some speckles, too, see?" he motioned to his good shoulder," Of course.. I don't know much about my father or his species. So, just consider it after glow?" he joked with a smile.

Valon could feel his own tiredness aching in his bones, as well as Bram's. He could see that his lover had been uncomfortable with the last question and nuzzled Bram's shoulder as a way to apologize. Rubbing a gentle hand up and down Bram's spine he listened quietly. So Bram was a telekinetic, or at least his father was. Valon would have to let his grandfather speak with Bram. He might be able to help the man tap into his power.

Valon smiled chuckling at his lover's joke. "They are beautiful. It matches your eyes." A claw traced over the spots followed by gentle kisses. As he moved, Valon's back became visable showing his still glowing Kaftrigian markings on his back.

Bram smiled and "mmm"d at the kisses, letting his fingers entangle in Valon's hair. "Glowing freckles, yes," he chuckled, reaching around to rub his lover's back. Before he set his hand down, he noticed the reflective glow and sat up a bit. Tracing his fingers along the faint marking, he tilted his head.

"You're doing the same thing I am," he commented, his brows burrowing. His mind was really too tired to process all of this. In fact, the last day was too much to process. At this point, he almost felt numb. Like nothing incredible could happen to leave him in awe - other than, well.. him and Valon. He could understand why he would glow like his father, but Valon's markings didn't make any sense.

"Have.. they always done that?" he asked, curious, but knowing the probable answer.

Valon tried to look up and over his shoulder, settling on taking his lover's word for it. He was too tired and limbs to weak to make a conscious effort. He looked back a Bram his eyes only widening slightly. "Um...not that I know of. Weird..."

He laid his head back on Bram's chest tracing over the man's ribs. The weight of their last activities was fully draining him. He huffed, purr skipping a beat. He nuzzled Bram's chest and kissed over the man's heart. "Let's nap. Metana will be calling us for dinner before too long."

His purr reached an all time strength as he held Bram close. "Love you, my captain." Valon let his eyes slip close and drifted off exhausted.

Well, another mystery to add to his very long list. Great. He laid back on to the pillows and held Valon close to his chest while petting his hair gently. His eyes looked over the ceiling and he focused on the man's steady purring. He loved that sound. It meant Valon was enjoying himself. He'd been doing it more and more, as well, since he was saved from a life of slavery. Bram had a warm feeling at that thought.

Once he fell asleep, the cyborg kissed the top of the half breed's head and murmured," I'm not your captain, but I love you too."

Soon he was off in his own dream world. The visions were surreal and made no sense now. Whirling colors, darkness, strange sounds. In the end he was met with a giant golden sphere that seemed to ripple on the surface at the end of a hallway. Before his dream self could touch it, his body woke as he heard their names being called for. Fluttering his eyes open, he realized he was still glowing.

"Shit," he grunted and rubbed his head as he sat up, almost forgetting about Valon curled on top of him. Quickly he caught him before he flopped over and let his head gently rest on the pillow. Stepping out of bed he scrambled to a mirror and looked at himself. He groaned.

There were more markings on him. This time, four dots under his cheeks that make a sort of crescent under his eyes. His speckles on his shoulders were brighter and the general glow from his skin like a faint aura. Now the lines of his irises lit up faintly. "Why won't it stop?" he whined, leaning his head against the mirror and slumping like a spoiled child.

Valon yawned as the temperature in the bed dropped and Bram left it. He stretched out like the large cats he was related to, his jaw stretching impossibly wide exposing his teeth. Scratching the top of his head and looking around bleary eyed Valon spied his lover leaning against the mirror. He could see that Bram's marks had spread. Interesting.

He looked at his own arms noting that the their were soft glowing markings, where their hadn't been any before. Valon concentrated on the marks searching in his mind for any connection or excess power. Near the edges of his consciousness the half breed found a familar presence. Bram! So we have bonded!

Leaving the bed he walked over to his lover and placed a hand on his shoulders. "I don't know love, but I have an idea." Valon trailed both of his hands down Bram's arms and laced their fingers together. He leaned near Bram's ear. "Open your mind." Valon closed his eyes and let his mind reach for his connection with Bram.

Do you hear me my love?

The cyborg tensed a little when he felt Valon's hands on his shoulders and stood straight. He leaned against his warmth, looking himself over in the mirror with the most dread filled expression. Why did all of these things keep happening to him? Was he supposed to do this? Did his people have their own person body flashlights for some reason? He had no clue.

Subconsciously his fingers easily laced with Valon's. "You're just going to make things worse I know it," he moaned, not in the mood for optimism. Bram.. didn't take change well.

The voice in his head was new, too. Oh god, at least it wasn't as awkward as Horris.

I can.. yes. What are you doing in there?

"Valon this isn't going to help," he protested outwardly, his brain wracking itself on how to stop him from being a giant beacon wandering around. Something in his gut also told him it wasn't a good idea. Something was going to go wrong.

It is going to help you need to calm down. Search your body for your power source, tap into it, control it. Valon opened his mind fully to his partner. It was something all little Kaftrigian's had been taught, how to bond with another, how to open your mind as well as close it off. This was why he was Bram's vessel, he ha to teach and help his lover through this.

He grabbed Bram mentally and lead the man to his power core. He showed his lover the pale green ball of energy. Isn't it beautiful. You can manipulate it, use yours to turn off the glowing or to make you more powerful. Here let me show you. Valon lead Bram mentally into his power core and showed him how to manipulate the power. Valon turned down his own markings making them dark on his own body.

I don't want to calm down.. He groaned mentally, rolling his head so it rested against Valon's. Why won't you just let me be miserable?

He could feel the connection between them - how their minds opened and entwined with one another. Bram wasn't sure how much he liked the idea of other people rummaging around in there, it was a terrible place. The least he wanted was Valon to see all of the dark little things he'd been thinking - particularly about the Goddess.

Still, he allowed himself to be lead along, giving in to the trust he had with the man. He hesitated at the power, feeling awful things happened if he messed with it too much. Bram never wanted such a gift. He was happy being a beat up cyborg to be honest. With power came responsibility. However, he was what he was.. there wasn't anything in the universe that could change that.

Playing with the energy, a small burst of it temporary emitted, causing his body to glow once again and the lights flicker around the house. His synthetic heart skipped several beats, then became irregular, but at least working again. Bram then carefully tried manipulating it, eventually returning his body to its normal state.

He clutched his chest and bit his lip - feeling some discomfort.

Valon smiled as his lover manipulated his own energies, turning the glowing off. He kissed Bram's cheek squeezing him close in a tight hug. "Brilliant Bram."

It was then that he noticed the pained looked and the man clutching at his chest. He reached out to his lover and helped him to sit down. Boyd's warning about Bram's heart rang in his ears. "Bram...shit." Helping the other man sit down he felt his own fear clutch at his chest. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.

He cupped Bram's cheek trying to remain calm. "Do I need to get a doctor? Bram."

Bram sat down and gave his lover a pained smile. He didn't want to worry him. The cyborg shook his head and unclutched his chest, as much as he wanted to keep holding on. Doing his best to make his face return to normal, he patted Valon's shoulder. "I'm fine, just a little hiccup, don't worry about it."

He reminded himself that whatever power it was he did have did not play well with his synthetic parts. Of course they wouldn't.. his body never anticipated that. It was like he was now working against himself.

"Come on, let's get on some clothes and go downstairs to eat. I heard your mum calling us a little bit ago," he stood, carefully moving his body so not to cause himself too much pain or to let Valon catch on he was faking. He pulled on a decent pair of clothes, probably the nicer ones he had. He didn't have many of those. Pushing open the bedroom door he beamed back at his lover," I'm starving, hurry up."

Valon looked worriedly at Bram. Boyd's warning sounded over and over again in his head. "Bram love, that was more than a hiccup." He chewed on his bottom lip. "Boyd told me that you have heart problems and to watch for anything. That was why I was in the room that day we activated your dormant memories. I needed to know how to help you in case of a crisis."

He held onto Bram's hand for a moment trying to stop him as he rushed out the door. Valon let go, seeing his lover so happy and free of worry. "Go ahead love I need to get dressed, I'll catch you in a second." He gave Bram a little kiss before sending him out the door.

Valon opened up his closet surprised to find it full of traditional Kaftrigian clothing in his size as well as Bram's. He pulled out a red under tunic with a high collar. Over it he wrapped a white half tunic, and slipped on a pair of loose pants. The clothing was all a fiber harvested from the Llanigita. A large moose like creature that's fur was as smooth as silk and as breath able as cotton.

Leaving the room barefoot he headed for the dining room. Mother had it set for the three of them, she sat at the head of the table and smiled brightly as he entered.

Bram had trotted down to the dinning room. He flushed a little as he entered, realizing he was alone with Valon's mother. She didn't, for the mean time, bring up the unexpected noises they'd made upstairs. So, he sat down with a smile and a little hello. The table had been set for three and he was starving. He didn't think it would be polite if he just started eating, so he waited patiently.

When Valon entered, dressed in his traditional garb, his smile brightened. He looked so handsome.

Looking around, the cyborg furrowed his eyebrows, then examined the places at the table. Looking to the head of the table, his expression became more questioning," Where is Ekani going to sit?"

He was already fond of the little old man. He seemed to have a good sense of humor, he was warm, and very sprite for whatever age he was. There was never a sense of superiority with him as a captain. He ate at the same table, in the same places, as his crew. Shoving them off because they were, by title alone, under him seemed.. wrong. "Did he go home to his family or something?"

Valon's mother smiled at Bram and his concern for Ekani. Her son had chosen very well. "He and his wife usually dine with us, but their daughter and her children are in town for a visit. They wanted to spend time with their family. I prepared tonight's meal. Come sit Valon."

The halfbreed smiled at his mother kissing her forehead before sitting next to his lover. He looked over the spread pointing out each thing and explaining it to Bram. "A traditional Muikaa bird, it's like chicken. Mashed tuspanna, roasted mirkla, and mother is that Humlana?!" Said dish was a large dark cake with a thin orange glaze on the top. Valon turned to his lover. "It's so good!"

The woman smiled brightly, "How could I forget your favorite? I'm your mother. Now let's eat before this get's cold."

Bram nodded, he could understand that. The cyborg was just glad the little old man wasn't in a room somewhere by himself, eating alone. That thought made him a little more sick than he already felt from earlier. It was just plain depressing.

He was brought out of it by the excitement in Valon's voice as he explained the food. Having no clue what any of it was, he just grinned and nodded. He'd eat anything once. In fact, he began eating quite heartily once Valons mother gave the okay. He was starving and his chest still hurt, but he didn't let that ruin his mood at the table. At least he didn't feel hungry anymore.

"So, now that Valon's home again, there's going to be quite a bit of hassle to go through.. What's your plan, ma'am? It's.. hard bringing someone back to life if I remember right, personal experience, don't ask," he finally chimed in, not liking the polite silence. He smiled a little, then shoved some.. tuspanya or whatever it was.. into his mouth.

Valon's mother looked up at the mention of Valon being dead. "I never filed the paperwork to have my son declared dead Bram." She sat up a little straighter. "I did not know if my son was truly dead or alive, but I never gave up hope. My husband was very much against the actions, but I stood my ground. The procedure to be " She looked over at her son. "Should you want to return to the alliance your position as captain is secure, I made sure of that." The regal bearing of his mother and her tone gave Valon the shivers for a moment.

She was a complicated woman, a warrior and a politician all rolled into one. Valon sighed. "I am not going back to the alliance Metana. My place is at Bram's side." He threaded his fingers with his lover's under the table. Suddenly he felt a pain through their bond. Bram are you alright?

Bram was a little taken back by Valon's mother. She certainly was a strong woman, but it seemed almost as if he had insulted her by assuming she had declared her son dead. Clearing his throat he nodded - subconsciously entwining his fingers with the other mans. The pirate had a small inkling that his lover's mother wouldn't be very.. happy with her sons decision to not go back to the Alliance, especially after all she had done to make sure he would be comfortable upon his return. Flying around the universe with a fugitive wasn't normally something parents aspired their children to be.

Fine. Never been better. Are you going to keep sneaking in here or what?

He gave the half breed a charmingly disgruntled face through a full cheek of food. Swallowing slowly, he turned back to Metana," Well, we don't want to rush into anything, love. After all, once they hear about you being alive.. and they will trust me.. they'll be wanting to pay a visit and I doubt you'll want me at your side for the occasion." He smiled weakly - almost apologetic to the woman across from him at the table.

Valon looked at his lover. There was definitely something wrong, he could still feel pain in Bram's chest. It worried the Kaftrigian greatly. Then Bram's last comment registered in his brain. He turned to look worriedly at his lover. After everything...was Bram going to leave him again.

Enomwoyl watched the play of silent communication between the two men. She smiled softly taking a large mouthful of her wine. "Bram, that will be unnecessary, your leaving. You two are not the only two to speak with the goddess."

Valon's eye's grew huge at the comment. He switched between looking at his mother and at Bram. "Metana...what?" She threw up a hand to stop him.

"I knew you weren't returning my son. The goddess came to me when you were still a within me, many, many years ago. She did not foretell your death, but that you would be our salvation, you and your mate." Enomwoyl smiled at the pair.