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medical will be needed first.” It killed her to admit it, but she thought that honesty was going to be her new policy with him. “So which of your parents is Nyal?”
    “My father. My mother met him on an exchange program to his world and he followed her home.” He smiled at childhood memories. “My father is Vnash and my mother is Rabeni. So Vorabenik is the best compromise that they could manage. What of your family?”
    “Ah. My family liked to pretend that I didn’t exist. It was why I got so good at my talent before I even left Terra. Attention from my family meant that I was in trouble so I kept out of sight as often as I could. Attention from boys could go from okay to bad so I learned to avoid men. And then I ended up in the offices back on earth figuring out the questionnaire, not noticing that I was flickering on the video that they were recording.”
    Ben looked a little surprised.
    “They offered me the chance to go, and I went. No one missed me.”
    “I have a hard time believing that.” He was silent for a few minutes. “So you really have no ties to your home world? I find that shocking.”
    “Well there are a few shocks in store for you if you continue to associate with me. I have very few pleasant memories of my childhood and it makes me leery about bringing up another generation.”
    “Well, any children that you would have would not be back on Earth, they would be raised where you felt safe, say…Azon?”
    She pondered that for a moment. “I don’t know. I have never given thought to raising children. I don’t even know if I can get pregnant.” A side effect of her talent had been her cessation of menstrual cycle.
    “I would be happy just to spend the rest of my life with you.”
    She was not surprised, but… “Are you really sure? I can be really annoying.”
    “I have seen you at your most annoying. I still want you forever and always.” He stroked her hair gently.
    He moved her back and forth in his arms, rocking her slowly. It worked, she was drowsy and then the last thing she saw was his smiling face.
     
    She really had to pee. Crawling out of his oh-so-warm embrace, she used her compass to help her orienteer her way through the woods. The rushing of water happened in gratifyingly short time and she found herself at the base of a waterfall. Stripping had never been easier and she first used the cover of trees for her ablutions and then ran headlong into the water.
    Wriggling in delight, she swam, dove and thrashed around in general happiness. If only she had some shampoo and a hairbrush, all would be heaven. After her exercise, she reluctantly turned to wash her uniform. It was easy to pick up, it was dangling from Ben’s fingers. “Gimmee. I need to do laundry.”
    She had just snagged the leg of her clothing when he let go and it smacked her in the face. In seconds, his clothing covered her as well. What the heck, he had made her shelter and hunted for her. It was the least she could do.
    The washing took only a few minutes and she laid the cloth out on some shrubs to dry. It was warm out, the fabrics should dry quickly. Now back to swimming.
    Ben was doing a lazy backstroke, his erection acting as a mast.
    “Does that thing every go down?” She was swimming near him, but out of reach.
    “Eventually, but not when you are pale and naked, wearing nothing but water.”
    She eyed him all very carefully and swam a little closer. “Right back atcha.”
    It was all the encouragement he needed. His hands snapped forward and grabbed her wrists, then simply pulled her onto him. He was surprisingly buoyant, like a surfboard. With a mast.
    Astride him, she now was able to run her hands across his chest and abdomen with abandon. He was stuck simply cupping her breast and thumbing her nipples, any more activity and he started to sink. As soon as he moved his legs, hips, anything, he started to sink. This was too funny.
    “I think that the foreplay is better done on a stable surface