“I have negotiated many treaties and agreements on behalf of my government before, yes?” Li'ren said with a smile during one of their meetings. She had a cocky way of waving her tail that gave Aria the impression that she had met with little defeat before. “All of them carried much higher stakes than the issue before us now. I will take advantage of every loophole, legal precedent, and backdoor that is presented to us. I do not promise that this trial will be elegant or attractive. But I do promise that I will not give up on it. Her Majesty would be most displeased with me were I to promise otherwise.”
Aria told Li'ren that she believed her. However, deep down, she was more fearful than she was willing to show to anyone. The prospects looked better now than they ever had before. But that was far from the same as them looking good.
******
The night before the trial was to begin was finally at hand. Jack was undressed, lying in bed in Aria's room, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. A single lamp was illuminating the room, casting shadows about the walls. Jack's mind was abuzz with thoughts, most of them worrisome. He was nearly sick with the anticipation of what was to come the next day. He wanted Aria to return so that he could finally go to sleep and have a rest from his thoughts, but at the same time he did not want to sleep, because that would make the morning come all the sooner.
Aria had spent nearly the whole day, from sunrise to sundown, in conference with Li'ren. On this day, Jack had been requested not to be present. All of the trial preparations as far as case building had been completed the day before. Today had been about running Aria through various scenarios. Jack had been made to understand that Li'ren wanted to make sure Aria could handle herself in the courtroom, and so the noblewoman was coaching Aria in how to behave. Li'ren wanted to be able to control the testimony as much as legally possible. To do this, she had insisted in having as few distractions as possible for Aria, so Jack was shut out of the day's meeting. Normally, Jack would have been upset at being excluded from the proceedings, but in this case he could see that Li'ren knew what she was doing. He didn't want to interfere in any way that would be detrimental to Aria's case. It was enough that he would be allowed to be in the courtroom tomorrow, a right that Li'ren had managed to win for him only a few days ago.
I hope Aria can keep it together tomorrow..., he thought to himself, chewing on his lower lip. Jack crossed his legs, then uncrossed them again. He sat up, leaning against the headboard of the bed, and then he slumped back down again. God, nevermind Aria...I hope I can keep myself together tomorrow!
The door to the bedroom opened, and Aria came inside. Jack sat back up once more, watching her as she closed and locked the door, then crossed the room towards him. She sat down in a chair near the bed, her back to him, looking into a mirror that hung from a wall. The Ailian's tail was hanging to the floor, looped loosely about her ankles, and her ears were standing normally. Her body language suggested unconcern, but Jack could see that her posture was stiff, as though her mood was a put on.
After a few minutes of waiting, Jack broke the silence. “So...How did it go?”
Aria's shoulders jerked a little, giving Jack the impression that she hadn't really been paying attention to her surroundings. Unusual for her, though less so these days. “Fine, I think,” she replied finally. “Well...I not know...” She stood up and moved closer to the mirror, clasping her hands in front of her.
“You don't know how well it went?”
“No...Yes...I...” Aria turned around, shaking her head slightly as she finally looked at Jack. “Worried...”
“Well, that's understandable,” Jack said. “If you weren't worried about tomorrow, I'd be worried about you. You're facing something pretty damned heavy. It's natural to be nervous about it. To say the least.” He turned halfway, rolling onto his side.
“Yes.” Aria turned back around. She loosened the wrap of her skirt, starting to unravel it from around her lower body. Her movements were slow and gradual, owing to residual weakness in her arms. When her legs were bare, she unwrapped her top as well, baring the rest of her body. Aria folded the long bolts of fabric carefully in her hands, placing them gently on her chair. The Ailian walked to her dresser and retrieved a brush from it, returning to the mirror and beginning to run the brush through her fur, smoothing the ruffles that had formed underneath her clothing. “Nervous...Is good word for it.” She managed a laugh that struck Jack as rather unconvincing.
When she finished with her grooming, Aria went and replaced the brush where she had gotten it. Then she moved to the bed, sitting on the edge near Jack. He rolled onto his back, looking back up at the ceiling. “How did it come to this?” he sighed, closing his eyes.
Aria glanced to the side. “Is strange question,” she murmured. “You know how this happen, yes? You there.”
“I don't mean your trial, or us, or anything like that,” Jack said. “I'm talking about...all of this. This war, this conflict...The whole thing. Why did our two species have to go to war? Why do some of your people want to start a new civil war? It's all so useless, isn't it?”
Aria looked away from Jack. “Useless...” She hadn't ever allowed herself to think in terms of the usefulness or uselessness of the war. To her it hadn't ever been a question of utility. Her people had been attacked, invaded without provocation, or so she had been taught. War had been the only answer to a situation such as that. But that had all been before she had met Jack, before she had ever been face to face with a human in anything other than battle. “I suppose is useless...Yes.”
Jack sighed again. “Anyway, I guess those questions don't really matter right now.” He smiled a little at Aria. “The only thing that matters is getting through tomorrow, right?”
“Right.” Aria turned her head to look back at him. “Lady Amani think good chance tomorrow. She give me...what you humans call it...'pep talk'?”
“That's good,” Jack said, chuckling. “It's always nice to have someone in your corner.” He reached over and placed a hand on her bare thigh, rubbing his palm back and forth along her soft, silky orange fur. “I believe in you, se le ch'aa ara.”
Aria made a small growl of amusement. “You accent need work,” she told him. “But...mine, too,” she allowed a moment later. The Ailian looked down at the floor, her tail tip twitching slightly. She was quiet for a long time, and Jack watched her carefully. Her face was half hidden from him, turned at an angle away from his view. When she spoke again, her voice was quieter than normal. “I almost not want come to bed tonight...”
“Why not?” Jack asked her, his eyebrows raising slightly.
“Because...Because I...Oh, Jack...” Without warning she covered her face with her hands, and in seconds she was sobbing uncontrollably. Her shoulders shook as she cried, tears streaking down her face into her palms.
Jack was taken aback completely, not having expected this at all. He got up from where he was on the bed and moved to Aria's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. He rocked back as she lashed out, shoving him away from her.
“Not look at me...,” she pleaded through her tears. “Not look at me...Not want you to see this...”
“Don't push me away, Aria,” Jack said, gently but firmly. He put his arm around her shoulders, gripping her as tightly as he could. She relented, turning and melting against him, her soft, furry body pressing against him. Jack needed all of his strength to hold her much larger form up, but he managed. Aria buried her muzzle in his neck, her tears wetting his skin as her body trembled.
“Not want to die, Jack,” she sobbed, her voice muffled against him. “I...I so scared...Not know what to do...Please...Please hold me...”
Jack felt his heart wrench as the woman he loved cried so pitifully in his arms. Though he had seen Aria shed tears before, he had never seen her cry like this. And he was certain that she had never, ever admitted to being scared of death. Aria had faced death bravely many times, and had even gone running headlong towards it. Now she was baring her soul
to him, confessing that she was afraid to leave this world.
So he just did what she wanted of him, and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. His hands rubbed up and down along her back, letting her get everything out. Jack wanted to cry himself, but right now Aria needed him to be strong for her.
“I sorry...,” she said, once she managed to get herself under control. Aria pushed herself away from him, not harshly, with one hand on his chest. “Is shameful.”
“You've got nothing to be ashamed about,” Jack told her. He put a hand on her cheek, wiping away the moisture there. “Aria, you put too much emphasis on your personal honor and pride. It's not shameful to cry when you're facing a death sentence, or after what you put yourself through recently. You have every right to cry.”
Aria sniffed, wiping her face with her both hands. She took several deep, shuddering breaths, closing her eyes for a few moments. “You right.” With another deep breath, she forced a small smile. “You stronger than me, Jack. Always have been.”
“No, I'm not stronger,” Jack said. He reached around, placing a hand at the back of her neck. “I just took the strength you gave me, and now I'm trying to pay it back.” Jack kissed her then, pressing his lips to her muzzle as he drew her head towards him.
Aria made a small whimper in the back of her throat, and she leaned into him. Jack allowed himself to be pushed over, and he fell back against the bed with the Ailian coming down atop him. She came down on her elbows, and he heard and felt a muffled growl of pain as she put pressure on her weakened forearms. Her feline tongue slipped between his lips, the roughness tickling the inside of his mouth as she tangled it with his own. Her breath was warm against his face, the dampness from her tears smearing onto his skin. Jack felt her tail curling its way around his legs as her fur rubbed against him. Their closeness banished away some of the heartache they had built up over the preceding weeks. When Aria broke their kiss, she looked down at him, her yellow-gold eyes gazing deeply into his dark blue ones.
“I love you,” Aria whispered. She bent her head down, rubbing her cheek tenderly against his. “No matter what, I love you.”
“I know.” Jack stroked his hands down her sides, moving them underneath to her belly and back up to her breasts, feeling the feathery cream fur there. “I love you, too.”
Aria's face broke into a wide smile, the first real, genuine smile he had seen since she had woken up in the hospital. Then she winced, her body dropping slightly as her injured arms began to give out. “Ala ra'sh te'la...,” she hissed quietly. “My arms...”
“Poor girl,” Jack said, teasing her a little. He was rewarded with a flash of the old fire in her eyes. Jack wrapped an arm around her body, and rolled her over, coming down on top of her. She gazed up at him, her eyes half-lidded as desire was evident on her face. Jack looked down at her with the same desire, his gaze traveling up and down her form. Aria was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his entire life. “You just let me take care of everything this time.”
For an answer, Aria brought her hands behind her head, underneath the pillow. She flicked her tongue out between her lips, watching him carefully. Jack grinned at her, holding her gaze. She seemed to have an air of defiance about her face, as though challenging him.
Well, Aria, we'll see about that...
Jack slid down her body, placing his hands on top of her knees and pushing them apart, wide enough for him to settle down on the bed between her thighs. As always, he found himself feeling overwhelmed by how much taller she was than him. And he loved her luxurious coat of orange-and-black-striped fur. He found it an incredibly alluring feature. Especially when they slept, and she curled around him, enveloping his body in her soft, furred arms and legs. She had soft fur all over, but the softest was...
“Ka're...,” Aria hissed softly, her eyes closing to bare slits as she felt his fingers brushing her sex. His fingertips moved slowly and teasingly, eliciting a shiver up and down her spine as an electric tingle of pleasure washed over her. She spread her legs wider for him, giving him unquestioned access to her treasure. Her hiss turned quickly to a sharp moan as he pressed his advantage.
“So ready so soon?” Jack asked her. He snickered as he saw the insides of her ears turn pink. She'd never heard him talk dirty before, though she had done so towards him many a time. Seemed as though she wasn't used to the shoe being on the other foot. “You must really want it.”
“Not tease me,” she growled at him, her voice taking on a dangerous tone.
“Oh, and what are you going to do about it?” Jack inquired. He pushed his fingers particularly deep, making her back arch up and a sharp mewl issue from her mouth. She glared at the human, her breasts heaving as she fought to catch her breath. “You couldn't hurt a flea with your arms the way they are right now. I'm perfectly safe.”
Aria whined softly. “Not make me beg...”
“Beg? Mm, now there's an interesting idea.” Jack shuffled his way down her body, pressing a kiss to her soft petals. He slipped his tongue between her nether lips, savoring the taste of her alien flavor. He listened to the purr starting to rumble in her core, the vibrations traveling through her body and to his tongue. Jack kept one hand up on her furry belly, rubbing in a soft slow circle as he saw to her need. Aria was whimpering now, her hips rising to meet his kisses. “I could definitely make you beg, I think.”
“Jack, please...”
Jack came up to his knees, letting her see just how aroused he was. He saw her eyes latch onto the target she wanted. The hunger in the Ailian's eyes was blatantly predatory, like a starving cheetah staring down an antelope. “Lucky for you, Aria, that I need you right now just as badly as you need me.” He moved forward, lowering himself on top of her, his belly coming into contact with hers as he nestled his face in between her breasts.
“Yesssss...,” Aria hissed, her legs wrapping around his back. She let out a pleasured sigh, all of her breath escaping her lungs as they joined. Her human lover fit so perfectly, as though he were made for her, different species though they were. As Jack began to move, her arms came from behind her head. She crossed them over his shoulders, hugging him to her as tightly as she could manage. Jack moaned deeply, his voice muffled by her thick, fluffy belly fur.
They rocked against each other, making love slowly at first as they reacquainted each other with the feel of their bodies. Aria kept her legs wrapped about him, preventing him from going very far for long. As they grew more comfortable, their lovemaking sped up, building and building. They began to feel like they were reliving the first time, that wonderful, strange mating in the tent, so soon after they had first met.
Aria leaned her head down, licking the top of Jack's head lovingly. He looked up at her, a slightly sloppy grin on his face. She managed to laugh weakly at him, her mirth overcome by a moan of pleasure. Her sensitive feline nose twitched, her senses flooded with the scent of sex that was filling her bedroom. The mixture of his human musk and her pheromones was like an intoxicant, making her head spin and her vision go fuzzy. This was the proper order of the world. This was what was truly right, her duty be damned. And she knew that Jack felt exactly the same way.
“Jack!” Aria gasped. She squeezed her legs around him tightly, clamping her jaws down on the scream that threatened to escape her and wake the whole household. The Ailian squeezed her eyes tightly, her body shaking and shivering. Faintly, she heard Jack's own groan of bliss as he joined her, warmth spilling deep into her body as his alien seed flooded her womb. She held him within her, feverishly murmuring nearly unintelligible phrases in Ailian.
******
When Jack awoke some hours later, he was curled up next to Aria, having moved sometime in his sleep. His upper body was resting on her chest, her tail curled up around his shoulders as she stroked his sandy blonde hair lightly with one hand. The Ailian was purring deeply, the sound resonating through both of their forms as they rested together. Her tail tip was waving back and forth. The fuzzy tail was tickli
ng his chin, but he wasn't interested in the least in moving away from her.
“So nice...,” Aria sighed. She tilted her head down to kiss his forehead. Jack looked up into her eyes, and he saw tears shining there again. “If this the last night...Was a good night.”
“Don't talk like that, Aria,” Jack said. He reached up a hand and thumbed the tears from her eyes. “It's going to be alright, it's...” He felt his own throat close up, his voice failing him.
“Shhh.” Aria kissed him on the lips tenderly. “Just sleep. Is late. You need you sleep.” She placed her hand on top of his head, hugging him to her breast. Jack eventually fell asleep with her words whispering in his ear. “Se le ch'aa ara.”
******
The next morning seemed almost unreal. Aria and Jack both woke up, still tangled in each others' arms, with sunlight streaming in through Aria's bedroom window playing along their bodies. Reluctantly, her heart heavy, Aria extracted herself from Jack and went to her bathroom to wash up. After all, it wouldn't do to show up to her treason trial reeking of human. While she prepared herself, Jack returned to his guest quarters and did much the same thing, dressing himself in the nicest clothes that he could manage to gather from what Aria's family had provided him. When he felt reasonably presentable, he walked down from the guest house to the main building, to the dining room for breakfast.
The mood around the table was all gloom and doom. None of Aria's family members seemed to feel much like eating. Sami had prepared a wonderful breakfast, but most of it sat untouched. A few feeble attempts at conversation were made, but they all trailed off quickly. Jack managed to eat a little bit, but he felt sick. He didn't want to think about what was coming later that morning.
Transmission Lost Page 35
