As they prepared for Zef’s arrival, Brom approached his wife in the living room and turned her towards him so he had her full attention. “Our Zef’s problem is causing me great concern. There is no reason she should lose the love of her chosen partner over being a surrogate. Do you think this Alex is really that unreasonable?“

Anasera sighed. “I don’t know. He must have a high intelligence to be a Star Fleet Captain, and if she* loves him he would also be compassionate and understanding. Maybe he has questions about the ritual?”

Brom nodded. “That’s along the same lines I was thinking. After breakfast, I believe I will pay a visit to the Manhattan and have a conversation with Alex Cochrane. But let’s not mention it to Zef while we eat. The less we upset her, the better for success with the fertilization.“

Husband and wife agreed. An hour later, Zef arrived and the three talked about Baj, them catching her up on old friends and new figures in leadership positions.

Much Later That Day

Brom Ghelfi approached the security entrance from the Even Horizon station to the Manhattan.

“May I help you, Sir?” An Andorian in the gold and black of Star Fleet asked.

“I believe so. My name is Brom Ghelfi and I wish to speak with Captain Cochrane about a private matter.” He looked very dignified in the dark trousers and knee length tunic coat he wore. The tasteful design and elegant cloth announced him as a man of good fortune. His dark hair was expertly cut to just below his collar and there was no doubt about the authenticity of the tasteful jewelry he wore.

The Andorian raised an eyebrow but tapped his combadge. =/\=Ensign T’ak to Captain Cochrane. There is a visitor at Event Horizon gate who wishes a private conversation with you. Your orders, Sir?=/\=

—Zef

There was a slight pause and then Cochrane’s voice came through. =/\= Cochrane to T’ak. Who is it, Ensign? =/\= His voice was calm and professional. =/\= Gentleman states his name is Brom Ghelfi, Captain. =/\= There was a much longer pause. T’ak looked at the man and his antennae wavered suspiciously and then Cochrane replied =/\= Have an escort bring him to the Ready Room, Ensign. =/\= and the comms shut off. T’ak looked at Brom and said “One moment sir, and a Security detail will take you to the Captain.” and he tapped commands into the PaDD in his hand. True enough, two minutes later two Security officers arrived. “Sir, if you would please come with us, we will take you to the Captain.”

Curious about the ship, Brom took in as many details as he could during the escort, to satisfy his own inquisitiveness and to share with Anasera later on.

A brief turbolift ride and the doors opened onto the bridge. The security officer in the lead gestured graciously to the Ready Room door, which opened to reveal Captain Cochrane standing in the doorway. “Mr. Ghelfi. An unexpected surprise. Please, come in.” and he looked at the detail and said “Dismissed. Thank you.”

Cochrane turned and directed the Bajeen to a chair as the door slid closed. “Welcome to the Manhattan, sir. Would you care for something to drink?” Alex asked as he went to the replicator.

Cochrane, CO

Cochrane was in uniform now and cut quite a figure. A commanding air surrounded him and a sureness that wasn’t there the day before when they’d met by surprise. It was easier to understand today why Zef was attracted to him.

He sat in the chair indicated. “A glass of cold water would be splendid, thank you.”

Alex nodded and two glasses soon materialized. Alex turned and sat one in front of Brom and then sat one on his side and sat down.

He waited until the glass was in front of him and Cochrane was seated on the other side of the desk. “I hope you will forgive my intrusion. I know you are a busy man, but I feel we have some things to discuss. The best way to acknowledge the situation that is causing you and our friend, Zef, so much difficulty is to simply state it plainly. It is my understanding that you are upset about her acting as surrogate for my wife and I in the Degansa. How can I help set your mind at ease?”

—Ghelfi

Cochrane looked at the Bajeen for along moment before he said “I appreciate your candor, Mr. Ghelfi. But I am afraid that your ritual was sprung upon me rather suddenly… night before last to be exact. I know little to nothing about the ritual, the agreement, or the terms discussed. It was made plain that wasn’t my place to be a part of such things. Now I understand that this is a routine and normal occurrence for your people and that you have given Z-… Commander Rollo… a great honor. It is not unheard of in my society, either… but it is usually discussed between all parties and anyone affected by the potentiality before being agreed to. Now… I have no wish to interfere with your customs nor your agreement with the Commander. That is not my place as the Commander of this vessel or as the man who cares for her. As the Commander, I ask only that you take all precautions you can to ensure her safety and her… dignity. As the… well… I’m not sure exactly what I am actually to her, if indeed anything anymore… but be that as it may; I cannot say that I am at all comfortable with the thought of the woman I love getting pregnant by another man. While your society views such things one way, mine may be… shall we simply say ‘less progressive’… than the Bajeen culture. So I am sorry, sir, but I don’t know what you could do or say to make this a comfortable prospect for me. But I do appreciate you taking the time to talk about it. And I hope my perspective causes no difficulties for you and your mate… or even the Commander.” and he took a drink of water and swallowed… hard.

Cochrane, CO

Brom listened quietly and admired Cochrane’s ability to stay calm as he spoke about the Degansa. ” First off, let me assure you that she loves you. She has told my wife and me several times during the hours we’ve talked. You mean a great deal to her but she is confused by your reaction. I, personally, want you to know that Zef is also doing Anasera and I a great favor with this contract. The two of them are closer than most sisters I have met and I am quite taken with her beauty and soft demeanor myself. Anasera is unable to have children—she in infertile. She also knows that I want and need an heir. Legalities keep us from…adoting? Is that the Terran word for raising someone else’s child legally? In order to pass on my wealth and holdings, I must have a child that is half my genetic identity. The only way for that to happen is with a contract like the one we have with Zef.”

“My people had similar legal necessities in times past.” Alex said in order to underline similarities, something he had been trained to do in negotiation and diplomacy matters.

He stopped and drank a third of the water, setting the glass back on the desk. “It takes a special person to give their child to someone else, an even more special one to carry that child for eight months while it develops and then give it away. Before we approached Zef, Anasera told me all about her, from their very early childhood to the women they are now. There is a tight bond between them, are you aware of that? It was always our plan to approach Zef first. Thank the Gods she agreed, but that decision has put a wedge between the two of you. As far as not being told about it until the last minute, I don’t think that was done out of a disregard for your feelings. It is a business contract entered into by Bajeen people and we have a way of keeping business and private life separate. What else is bothering you?”

Brom looked across the desk with intensely dark eyes at Alex.

—Ghelfi

“As I said… the fact that this was dropped in my lap at the last possible moment is part of it. And I understand that may be the way of your people. But for Humans it is something of a slight. And if one side is to be understanding and accepting of cultural aspects, I believe both sides should take that step. The other part of it is my people don’t share their bodies or the bodies of their partners with others without an explicit agreement before hand that that is consented to by all involved. To be blunt, sir… I love her. And I don’t want to share her in that fashion with you or anyone. I find the thought heartbreaking. I know that in this I am alone in this sentiment. And that is simply the way it will be, I suppose. But that is my people’s way. And in this I see no mutually beneficial common ground between our cultures. Which, unfortunately, does happen. I am most distressed that it had to happen here, though.”

Cochrane, CO

Brom looked thoughtful and was quiet for several minutes. “This is the heart of the matter, isn’t it? I can hear the passion for her in your voice and feel the anguish at the possibility of losing her. If it comforts you at all, I experienced these same things with her at breakfast this morning when she joined my wife and I.”

Taking a deep breath, he crossed his legs and drummed the fingers of one hand on the arm of the chair. “This will sound questionable on my part, but I do understand your feelings to a certain extent. If our roles were reversed and Anasera was to be your surrogate, I can’t say I wouldn’t have some jealous feelings about your joining with her. This agreement, the Degansa, you understand it is strictly about conceiving a child and has nothing to do with an intimate relationship with Zef Rollo, right?”

Cochrane set his palms flat on the desk and took a deep breath. He looked at Brom and said “The Bajeen and Humanity are similar in many ways, sir. But in this there is a difference that I feel must be acknowledged. And that difference is…” and he paused and thought for a moment, “… it is that when a human gives their physical self to another who they have also given their emotional love to… that physical joining becomes something much deeper. It is an intimate bond that for most of us surpasses the want or need for another. It is an intimacy that, for us, cannot be equally shared with another. So if the person that we have formed that bond with takes another… even without emotion… it causes us emotional pain. Many of us, myself included apparently, can have a great deal of difficulty separating sex from emotion. Zef and I actually tried that at the beginning… but she is, as you said, something special.”

His brows furrowed. “Still…give me a few hours to research the legal definition of ‘joining’ in the contract. Perhaps there is a way around the part you have the most objection to.”

—Ghelfi

“Sir, do what you will. Honestly, I wish nothing but the greatest success for all three of you. This issue here, clearly, is mine and mine alone. So please… do your ritual. I wish your family and your heir, as my mother’s species says ‘Peace and long life’.” and he stood and extended his hand to Brom.

Cochrane

1836 hours Captain’s Quarters

Having grown angrier and angrier as the day wore on, Zef tried to wait out the emotion, but her psyche was having none of it. In the same simple gown she’d worn to lunch with Vash’tur, Zef marched down the corridors until she stood outside Cochrane’s quarters. Lips set in a hard line and eyes piercing with intent, she palmed the chime and waited for Alex to respond.

—Zef

The door slid open and Alex stood in the door in black flannel pajama pants and a navy blue t-shirt. The look of surprise on his face was quick, but he wordlessly stepped aside and motioned her inside.

Zef marched to the middle of the room before turning around.

The room was much like the last time she was in it. The only change was the plate of half eaten food on the table… next to the three-quarters empty bottle of scotch.

Alex

Stormy eyes focused on the man by the door and then she paced the room. Back and forth, back and forth as she mumbled in Bajeen vehemently. Finally, there was a sharp turn and she strode up to him till there were only inches between them. “Damn you Alex Cochrane for telling me you love me, and damn you for not setting your ass back down and listening to me at dinner, and damn you for making me feel like I have done something wrong when I haven’t, and damn you for being the person I wound up loving and…and…and damn you for sending your mother after me!!!”

She turned on a heel and headed for the viewport wall. “You think you’re the only one hurting? Think again!” She felt tears in her eyes and blinked them back. Yes, she wanted to yell and scream and stomp her feet, but she did NOT want him to see her cry—Zef took a deep breath and swallowed hard before she whirled around again. Arms straight and hands fisted at her sides, she spoke. “Well? Do you really have nothing to say to me?”

—Zef

Alex’s gaze followed her around the room, stunned by the outburst. When she turned and faced him and asked her question, he blinked a few times and finally collected himself. He walked over to the table, poured two fingers of scotch into the empty glass and downed it in a single swallow. He looked at Zef and the anger… and hurt… were plainly visible on his face.

“I have plenty to say. But I thought I would wait until you stopped screaming to try and talk.”

Alex

She pressed her lips together in a line and squeezed her eyes shut. He said he had plenty to say, but she had to calm down to hear him. She could feel her blood pressure raise and hear it pounding in her ears. A drink would help but it was forbidden during the purification, so…

Without a sound, Zef walked to the couch and sat in her ‘usual’ place without even thinking about it. She folded her hands together in her lap and then looked at Alex. “Fine. Talk.”

—Zef

“Fine. Then listen.” and he poured another glass and slid it to her… not knowing that the preparations had already begun.

He stood away from her, looking out the window, his hands in his pockets. “Zef… you broke my heart.” he said calmly to begin with.

“I sat in that restaurant, I heard you say that you loved me… and thirty seconds later you tell me you are going to have another man’s child. That you had agreed to it weeks ago. And that the first I heard of it was the night before he arrived. I was…devastated. Not just about the baby…but that is certainly part of it. But what hurt the most…what still hurts the most is that you didn’t say anything to me. Not a word. For weeks and weeks on end.” He turned to look at her, anger competing with pain and no clear winner visible.

It hadn’t been weeks and weeks on end, but it had been long enough for the Ghelfi’s to arrange a contract and arrive at Event Horizon.

“You made a potentially life-changing decision… a decision that directly affects us… and not so much as a warning. It was selfish. It was inconsiderate. And it was wrong not to tell me, Zef. And before you get all high and mighty, I’m not saying you had to ask me… like you need my permission. But you damn sure should have talked to me. Explained it. And not the night before it happened. Not the night before you let someone else ha-” and his voice cracked and he looked away.

Alex

She tried to push her own feelings out of the way and just concentrate on his, but that was impossible—she was too deeply involved. She knew that according to her people, she hadn’t done anything wrong. If she’d been in a relationship with a Bajeen male and told him she’d decided to fulfill a Degansa contract, the male would have been agreeable. He would gain status because of the honor bestowed on his mate.

But that was part of the problem wasn’t it? Alex was not Bajeen…”Do you remember when I told you we didn’t know enough about each other’s worlds and lifestyles? This is what I meant. I didn’t have any idea at the time that this was about to happen, but I knew something eventually would.”

Zef was grateful to hear her voice was much calmer, but she was still feeling the effects of too much adrenaline. “I’m sorry you feel hurt. If I’d realized the effect my announcement would have on you, I might have made a different decision, but I forgot the human factor.”

—Zef