When winter cycle finally came, the inhabitants of Mu-Beta-Prime emerged from their underground lairs. Most of them set about cleaning the dust and sand from their above-ground homes and businesses. Most, however, didn't include Gavin and Maybell. Gavin still bunked underground in his storeroom during the winter cycle.

And Maybell didn't have a home. She spent her winter days hanging out with Bobcat, or at his saloon. Sometimes she got him to give her the biggest of the six guest rooms he owned upstairs, meant for visitors that never ventured so far into space. Other times she hung out at the garage, earning her keep by fixing things, and otherwise tinkering. Then there was hunting bull-rex on her red Rynocycle, or just riding around on it aimlessly, enjoying Mu-Beta-Prime's amazing lack of scenery.

But as often as she could, Maybell hung out with Gavin underground.

The two were discussing what kind of payment she might receive for the latest bull-rex she had brought in for him to butcher, when the whole storeroom began to shudder. It reminded Maybell of an experience she had last winter cycle, while taking a bath in the big guest room upstairs from Bobcat's saloon.

Gavin caught her rolling her eyes while looking about in response to the shaking. "What?" he asked, sensing she knew something he did not.

Her suspicions were confirmed when the shaking became so violent that dust found its way through seams in the Xenon plastic lining the walls and ceiling. Only one show-off with a airship that big would bring it that close to the surface of a planet where a bunch of Dirters lived.

"It's Sara Jane," Maybell said with no cheer.

"Hey, Bitch!" Sara Jane brayed upon catching sight of Maybell, who couldn't hide from her old bounty hunting partner any longer.

"Fuck you," Maybell said as her usual reply.

Kelles was with Sara Jane. She wagged her fingers at Maybell from a few steps behind her Captain. Maybell gave Kelles a warm smile in reply. Seeing such a willowy Celt with hair much like her own taking orders from an enormous, bleached white mare was amusing, to say the least.

Kelles took pride in her new position as First Mate. She held her head high, and with confidence. Her words were sharp when she chose to speak, and when she was in motion—as she often fidgeted—her muscles flexed like steel cable under her white Spacer suit.

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Kelles [https://i.imgur.com/6yFJkeO.jpg]

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Sara Jane spoke much too loud for being underground, and for anywhere else as well. "I came to see what's been keeping ya," she said to Maybell.

"Nothing keeps me. Nothing and no one. Not even you."

The reason why Kelles often trailed behind Sara Jane when they were together was twofold in its nature. It kept her from being struck accidentally, should Sara Jane flail her arms or mane, and it allowed Kelles to smirk, should someone get the better of her Captain. So, while Sara Jane flailed and shook her mane, Kelles took to smirking, both of them amused by Maybell's too-smart mouth.

"I've been living underground," Maybell added as her friends carried on.

That comment got the newcomers to both look at Gavin, who'd been aiding Maybell in hiding from Sara Jane only moments before. "It's Gavin, right?" Sara Jane asked. "You're my bitch's mate, aren't ya?"

"Yup," he said nonchalantly, playing along with the game, and causing Maybell's mouth to hang open for a moment.

"That's right," Maybell said after composing herself. "And I ain't your bitch, Spacer Girl. Not any more, at least."

Whinnies of laughter erupted from Sara Jane. The tails of her red duster flew about as she gave into all manner of horse-like behavior. During this display, Kelles took the opportunity to speak to Gavin.

"It's nice to see you again," she said softly, looking deep into his eyes.

"Likewise, too, I'm sure," he said, staring into hers.

An inordinate amount of time went by, as Kelles and Gavin made googly eyes at one another. Sara Jane then broke the tender moment by clomping a boot on the floor.

"Listen, guys," she brayed. "We could exchange lovelies all day, but I'm a busy gal." To Maybell, she said, "It'd be a lot easier if someone down here answered her link from time to time."

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Maybell noticed Sara Jane secretly signaling someone on her own telecom link. "As I said, I've been underground. It's only been winter for a week."

"Iie, iie—that is crap. Links work underground."

"In case you don't remember, I got into a spot of trouble the last time we hooked up."

Everyone but Maybell smiled at that, as they all avoided her glare. "What?" she asked in regards to their amusement. "It's true. I'm very sure the authorities would like to talk to me about Heinemann's whereabouts, and all."

"You got that right, Girlfriend," Sara Jane said. "But they're not likely to come lookin' for ya, or anything like that."

Maybell addressed her big friend. "You also were gonna punch me. Like, on at least two occasions. And with all the horse you got in you, your meat hooks are big as tree trunks."

Sara Jane took a moment to marvel at Maybell's capacity to hurl insults. "You know I don't eat meat, Bitch. I'm a vegetarian."

"Fine. You got salad forks big as tree trunks."

Sara Jane turned a bit, noticing Kelles couldn't hold in her giggles. Gavin only smiled at the trio of beauties in his lair. Sara Jane then shook her mane and clomped her boot, drawing the attention back to her.

"Hoo boy, you are right about that," she said to Maybell. "I do often have an urge to clop you in the chops."

"Uh huh," Maybell said, nodding in agreement.

"But I ain't here to dredge up old urges."

"No. You're here because you got a job you want me to do."

Sara Jane sized up her old girlfriend, fisting her muzzle while pondering what to say. "Hai. But that's not the entire idea. First off, you've got a mess o' cigarettes in my hold."

"That is a bunch of bull. You mean to say you're so stupid that you didn't turn those cigarettes into creds as soon as you were able? Has that horse junk seeped into your brain?"

Sara Jane simply smiled. "You see? There's that urge to pop you in the kisser comin' on again. It's what I like best about you, I think. And just so you know, you deserve a good share of those creds," Sara Jane pointed out with humility. "All of'm, if you fix to fight for'm. You might not think it so, but you did right the way you treated Heinemann. He and I, we talked about it a spell, and I now know that what you did was best for everyone involved."

As Sara Jane heaped on praise, Maybell looked at the toes of her cowboy boots. "You talked to Heinemann?" she asked in earnest, keeping her eyes cast down. "Recently? Is he okay?"

"He has set about to make things square between both you and me, and the folks that got wronged on the planet where the trouble was."

"He still has a bounty on him, though, hasn't he? He's got a price on his head."

Sara Jane slowly nodded. "Yup. That he sure does have. He did kill a man, after all."

"A man who killed his partner!" Maybell blurted, surprised by how loud she spoke.

Again, Sara Jane nodded. "And that man also stole Heinemann's cigarettes. The cigarettes he then gave to you."

"Well…" Maybell hawed, staring at the dust on the ground. "Then I gave'em to you." With one of her impish smiles, she cocked an eye. "I did have a lot of fun earning them."

Sara Jane's arms flew up in response, providing proof anew to the appropriateness of Kelles' tendency to trail behind. "I had lots of fun, too!" Sara Jane said while gesturing grandly.

She whirled to face Kelles, her duster flying as she turned. "Kelles!" Sara Jane brayed as an order, causing her First Mate to snap to attention. "Did you have fun with Maybell when she was on board our ship?"

Kelles beamed while answering. "Yes sir, Ma'am! Maybell is a hoot!"

Both Spacers turned their heads to watch Maybell blush.

"And a total bitch!" Kelles added, to make Maybell blush further. "Sir!"

Everyone snorted on laughter. Sara Jane then whirled to face Gavin, who stood behind a table holding a piece of the bull-rex he'd been butchering.

"How about you, Mate—Good Friend of Maybell, the Total Bitch?"

"How about me what?" Gavin shot back, resuming his butchering to deflect the attention.

"Is Maybell a lot of fun?"

"Well," he said, pausing for effect. "It's fun how she can clear the room with the way she smells."

Sara Jane and Kelles burst out laughing, wide-eyed and amazed at the insult.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that!" Maybell said with an evil grin.

She charged at Gavin while looking for a spot on his apron that was clean enough for her to punch. He defended himself from her while trying not to smile.

"What? You do," he teased. "You're very good at it."

Maybell got in one good punch, landing it square on his breastbone, and knocking the wind from his lungs. "This polecat is the most fun of all the people I know," he said after catching his breath, struggling to keep from getting punched again.

Maybell resigned herself to Gavin's strength, as he had both her fists in his hands. He kissed the top of her head as an apology. They then stood side by side, facing the two Spacers.

"So what are you here for?" Gavin asked Sara Jane. "To have fun and say hello?"

Sara Jane clopped her big hands together. "Nope! We have had our fun, and have said hello, and now it's time for business."

Maybell held her breath, in fear almost as much as in anticipation. Gavin, sensing her discomfort, gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"But I'm not fixin' to present the business part of our visit," Sara Jane said. "That's better done by another."

The sound of someone mewling could be heard from a spot just out of sight, near the entrance to Gavin's storeroom. Maybell recognized it in an instant.

"Heinie?" she asked in shock and awe. "You brought Heinie here to see me?"

Maybell disengaged herself from Gavin, and worked her way around Sara Jane's enormous body. Just before she got past tiny Kelles, a grey and brown beast appeared, shirtless and wearing a wide-brimmed cowboy hat. He flung the hat from his head to the ground before wrapping Maybell up in an embrace that was as strong as a lion's. Unable to form words due to his pleasure, he vocalized affection with yips and barks and yowls.

Maybell struggled to free an arm, so that she could hug back. "Oh, Heinie!" she swooned. "I've missed you so much!"

She used her free arm to hold onto the back of his head, for he was bending her far backwards by hugging so hard. With his long neck, he nuzzled his face in the spot on Maybell's back where her shoulder blades met, while she scratched him behind an ear.

Everyone in the room got the impression that Heinemann was about to crawl into Maybell's clothes, until she freed her other hand. Now using both of them, she pried his head from between her shoulders and crooned into his face.

"Heinie, what are you doing? Why did you come here? You could get arrested, being this close to…"

It was all she got out before he engulfed her with his lips.