I wake a few hours later, noting that Penny is not in the room and there’s a smell of food leaking past the doorway. Not sure if it’s her cooking or an exchange order, but my stomach doesn’t care. My shower is quick and I find some pajamas of Penny’s that I can wear in shorts and what must be a dress-length t-shirt on her.

When I emerge from the den of sex and consensual biting, I see my girlfriend and Kitty standing next to the stove, with the AI in rapt attention as Penny explains pancakes. I walk up and kiss my ship on the side of the head before pulling Penny’s lips to mine.

“I love breakfast food. Thanks for cooking, babe.” I let my hand slide around her waist as I move for a cup of coffee.

“Is she always this sweet?” Kitty asks Penny.

“With me she is.” She smiles and coos at me. “Don’t think I didn’t see the kiss you gave my daughter miss Marshal.”

“She’s a great kid. We had a good night yesterday and just hung out and talked. Even asked me what my intentions are with you. It was super cute.” I smile at the flush on Kitty’s synthetic cheeks. Penny went above and beyond with that chassis, holy moly.

“Oh? Are you going to make an honest woman out of me, Mikki?”

I snort some coffee and laugh as I cough. “No chance I would try to change you, but you’ll have to pry me off like a barnacle now that we’re together.”

“I am very glad you aren’t that clingy. Sad that you don’t like gifts though.” Aww, pouty pixie melts my heart. I sneak a sausage while she’s showing weakness.

“Kip lectured me a few weeks ago about this,” she swats my hand as I reach for another, “I didn’t realize that it makes you feel good to give me stuff, maybe even similar to how I want to constantly be touching you when we’re together.”

“Are you guys going to be gross the whole time?” Kitty asks.

Penny turns to her as she plates a pancake and pours a new one, “She means like holding my hand, touching feet at the beach, or something like that. We can’t always be around each other, so we need to focus on what else we value. Mikaela values touch and validation, and I like providing for and to some extent nurturing my partner.”

“Yep! And until recently I didn’t realize that her providing was something she needed instead of something she thought I needed. I’ve also been triggered recently by others not thinking I’m capable, so I’ve had some rage blinders on.” I rub the small of Penny’s back, “I’m really sorry about that.”

“And I had to realize that I resort to throwing gifts at things more than I should. Though I did very much enjoy sneaking in gifts like your Imperial uniform. I’m also glad you are getting along with Mikaela, I think you two will be good for each other.”

Kitty shrugs “I guess she’s not the worst. Better since she started sleeping again and stopped taking those trashy stims. I like Mikaela more than I like Mik though.”

I bristle a little at that. While I like that she’s acknowledging me, I don’t love that she’s regarding me as two different people. Before I can say anything, Penny chuckles.

“I don’t really know that side of you. I hear mixed things about him. Petra has nothing but fire to spit when talking about you.” She hands be a plate and picks up another, leading the three of us to the lunch table.

“We’ve been harassing each other off and on since she got the job. I decided I’d had enough when she had government facilities ‘misplace’ our stuff and falsify records to cover it up.”

“I’m aware of the tit for tat, honey. The meeting in two days will be the appropriate time to hash that out. You’ll get to see my business persona again. Won’t that be fun?”

It was fun watching Penny terrorizing the House of Governors, but I don’t want that aimed at me. “I mean,”

“It was a rhetorical question dear. That meeting isn’t going to be fun for anyone, including me. I really should know better than to ask friends to work for me, but I don’t have enough kids or confidantes that I can trust planets to.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Can people like me or the other AIs be Marshals?” Kitty asks.

“I suppose there’s no problem with you being a deputy or an assistant, but only Users get access to the right interfaces that I need managed.”

“Then how did auntie Tess get to be a User?” I see a hopeful young woman and a suddenly tired mother.

“You know how Pixies are beings of magic?” Kitty nods, “After my race evolution, I got a huge bump in how much my body was composed of aether and how much it could naturally channel. Andromeda nor Tessa told me that symbiotes start to struggle at Body of Power five. When I reached tier 4, I reached BOP seven, and before my ascension, Andromeda told me that my symbiote would die, Essentially erasing a huge part of who Tessa is, leaving just my tech remnants and what it held of her personality.

It was widely known how close I was to Tessa, so I asked what it would take to save her. It took my tier 4 ascension bonuses, both in power and in reward to make her a User. I don’t know if I could do it again. My kids cost six levels and a skill, so I have to take a break if I don’t want to cripple myself.”

She has five kids. That’s a lot of power she’s had to make up for. We don’t talk a lot about her kids, whether it is not to scare me off or there’s a bitter moment, I don’t know. Now is probably not the time to ask.

“I’d like to meet more of your kids someday.” I say without thinking. Damnit brain.

Penny sighs, “This is the part where I wish you’d been more straightforward with your intentions.” Penny summons a pitcher of mimosa and drinks straight from it. “Zia thinks you’ve been toying with my emotions and doesn’t much like you anymore. Isabelle straight said she doesn’t want to meet you, before I even talked about you, which is a mind job, and I never told Xander and Parker about you.

After you said you love me when you thought I was sleeping, I had hopes you would get to know my next child, but almost a year later when I got pregnant again, you still hadn’t said anything and I kinda wrote you off.”

“So is Alphea friends with the Herrati Embassador to Astoria?” I have no right to be jealous, but I am.

“She is. Alphea adores her, and she is adored in return. But now, my youngest is on an Earthly adventure, and Zia has cleverly gotten her to commit to five years with her on the Human planet.”

Guilt slaps me as it could have been me that little Alphea adored, had I been sure enough about myself. But I wasn’t and I barely am after this much time. “I’m sorry, Penny. I’ve been so tied up trying to figure out who I really am, that I was just coasting on the things that were steady in my life. I can see why you wouldn’t want your kids to get to know a casual hookup.”

“I never thought of you that way, but that is not the point. I won’t tolerate being put on autopilot again. I’m also going to need you to tier up again, because I’m going to live for millennia and I expect you to do the same so that I can badger you for a figurative eternity.”

My heart thumps and pauses long enough for me to get dizzy. My breath comes in fast when I figure out the action again, and I glance at Kitty to see wide, expectant eyes. I take a few moments to ask myself what I want long term, and when I look up, the only thing I know for certain is that I could enjoy that smile for a thousand years.

“If you were asking for a long-term commitment with that comment, I’m in baby.” I walk over and sit in her lap and pull her in for a kiss. “What do you even get an Empress for a commitment present?”

“Mikaela! That is such a lazy way to propose to mom!” Kitty asks.

Penny raises an eyebrow and puts on her predatory grin? “A proposal? Mikki, would you like it to be one?”

Gods, that tone. My insides are mushy and my endorphins are pumping. “Penny, I said it before, you’re not getting rid of me unless you tell me to go. I’m more of a committed partner, or Union kind of person though. If you’re willing to tie yourself to me for my lifetime, I would be the happiest person in the Empire.”

“Kitty is right though, this is the most casual proposal I’ve ever heard of. However, as I turned down a proposal for you, this is what I wanted from you. I warn you, though, that I will be possessive, and I will be nervous of other women in your life. My history with this is abysmal. I . . .” before her bared insecurity can ramble I kiss her and pick her up in a bridal carry.

“I know your history, babe, save the cat lady; and while it may color your personality, you’re still a work of art.” A smile and a hind of surprise splashes across her face as I continue. “I would like to go swimming with both of you? Maybe a picnic? At a remote water feature?”

“How about a Spa Resort that has private rooms for me and my guests?”

“Sounds ridiculous and Imperial, lets do it.” I say.

“I’m picking your swimsuit.” Penny volunteers. “Kitty can pick her own. That chassis is waterproof unless damaged.”

Kitty realizes she’s invited to come with us and squeals in delight all the way to her room.

I look at the smiling Pixie in my arms and a flush of warmth perfuses through my body. “I love you, you know that?”

“You fucking better, future wifey. I can see it now, you me, the local sect of the Sisters of the Divine Calamity blessing our Union.”

“Wait, isn’t that a religion that worships you specifically?”

“It is! And I think that you may have to fight their Head Priestess for their blessing, but you’re okay with that right?”

“Penny . . . you heard what I said about marriage.”

“But you love me right?”

“Yes, but not that much.”

“You promised in front of the Empress. You can’t take it back.”

“You’re such a brat!”

“MOM! DAD! SHUT UP AND TAKE ME TO THE SPA!”

We look at each other and giggle at being chastised by Kitty.