I felt incredibly self conscious as he held my hand and guided me through the crowd. I didn't need to look back at the group to know that they must have been watching us closely.

I glanced over at all the different faces that now filled the beach. This spot used to be so empty. Now there were so many people having the time of their lives, some were even already passed out.

Most of them would have belonged to the high zones, privileged and pampered. So far they weren't being any trouble but really how long would that last.

The more we walked, the louder the music got until we were just outside the area where the dancing looked to be the most intense.

It suddenly dawned on me.

"I don't know how to dance" I said to him. It was true. I hadn't been much of a dancer back on earth and now, even more foreign, I was expected to dance like a girl while trying to balance on the shifting sand.

"It's okay, I can't either. We'll just goof off" He replied with a raised voice to speak over the music.

Of course that was a lie because while I was only managing to put together a little shimmy here and a shake there paired with the little I remembered from old dance movie scenes, Asher was proving to be a lot more of a professional.

"You're really good" I leaned in to say.

"yeah?" he replied "I try. You're pretty good too"

I gave him a knowing look inbetween my attempts at rhythm, "That's a lie" I told him.

He laughed "yeah it is, but your beauty makes up for it".

I blushed. I tried my best to keep up for a few minutes before reaching my limit. He had thrown in a couple compliments to keep me feeling fresh. I could tell he was experienced at flattery but eventually the novelty was wearing off.

I decided I didn't like dancing.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the music slowed down to give everyone a break. I thought that was the cue that we were done but he and the DJ unfortunately had other ideas.

He approached me with a cheeky smile and it eventually dawned on me what the slower music meant.

There was no opportunity for me to protest however because he was already taking my hand and pulling me close.

I glanced back in the direction we'd come to ensure that we were far enough away from the group for them to see this scene.

Why was I hiding anyway? There was nothing to be ashamed of.

I was a young woman dancing with a young man. There was nothing more natural in the world.

For better or for worse, being a woman had long since stopped bothering me. Whatever remnants of my masculinity that remained had been obliterated years ago.

I'd often wondered if Caitlyn walking through my cell door all those years ago was a net positive good thing. The answer was yes. Given the chance, I would absolutely do it all again.

'So be a woman and enjoy a handsome man's attention' I thought to myself as I pulled myself closer to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulder.

His hands rested on my lower back as we began to sway with the music.

"It's not fair" I whispered to him. The music was now low enough that we could hold an actual discussion.

"What's not fair?" He whispered back.

"You know so much about me and I know nothing about you?"

"What do you want to know?" his voice was soothing.

"Anything. Everything" I rested my head on his broad chest.

"I'm not that special" he replied. His entire chest vibrated as he spoke.

"I still wanna know everything" I whispered.

"Um I'm 35. I was Director of Sales for some company that nobody cares about now. Never married. When I got my ticket, I sold everything and came here. And I'm glad I did".

"Why?" I asked admittedly very naively.

"Cause it brought me to you"

It was cheesy and predictable but there was just something about his undying attention and admiration for me that pulled me closer. It certainly didn't help that I'd had such a shit time waiting on Will to say something like that to me.

"How'd you get a ticket?" I asked after thinking for a moment.

"My friend hooked me up" he answered.

"He gave you his spot?"

He shook his head "He had a couple"

"Sounds like a nice guy. Is he here? I'd love to meet him".

"No umm... " he paused "He was on Voyager 1".

I raised my head off his chest and looked into his eyes. Understandably he was sad.

"I'm sorry" I managed but internally cursed myself.

I killed his friend. Asher had been so nice to me and he would continue to be because he would never learn what I did.

"I'm sorry" I said again, this time with my eyes watering. That was all I could do, apologize. As if that would do any good.

"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't mean to make you sad" he said when he saw my expression. "Do you want to take a walk?"

I nodded. I was feeling very suffocated.

=^..^=

Neither of us said anything as we walked across the beach and towards the edges where the music was the thinnest.

"What was he like?" I asked punishing myself.

He gave me a short smile, "Funny" he answered, "Funnier than I could ever hope to be"

Every few steps, he'd think of something new and tell me more about Theo, his friend.

It turned out Theo Bouchard was the son of Canada's prime minister but he earned his place on Voyager 1 by holding a high enough position in some asset holding company that was one of the major bankrollers for the Pathfinder and Voyager missions.

I apologized a few more times throughout the conversation which must have seemed absurd to Asher since I wouldn't have had anything to do with it.

Eventually, Asher invited me to finally have that drink which I would have refused because it was getting late but it was clear he was very upset over Theo so I couldn't just abandon him now.

"Sure" I agreed. Seemed to me that I was doing a lot of agreeing where he was concerned.

=^..^=

Asher and I made the rest of the journey to Voyager 3's canteen which was empty. It seemed as it got darker, more and more people had heard about the full on rave that was happening at Pathfinder's Beach.

"All to ourselves" I spread my arms wide and did a twirl as we entered the empty canteen.

I caught him smirking which was better than the gloomy expression he'd had on earlier.

"What's your poison?" he asked as he made his way to the synthesizer at the bar.

"Champagne" I replied while searching for the perfect table.

"Hmm classy" he responded. I noticed him swipe a card after making his selection. That was interesting because we hadn't had to do that in Pathfinder's canteen.

He handed me a fancy glass filled with a bubbly liquid before taking a seat beside me.

I hadn't actually ever tasted champagne. Even if I had been old enough to drink back on earth, It was much too expensive. This was a first.

I took a sip, savoring the taste before swallowing. I took another. And another until only half the glass remained. I decided I loved champagne.

I noticed him watching me with an amused expression which caused me to blush.

"What is that?" I asked him in a desperate attempt to move on from that moment.

"Tequila"

I hadn't had that either.

"Whats up with you and the guy?" Asher asked me.

"What guy?" I replied confused.

"The really serious one. Just want to make sure I'm not getting involved with someone's girl"

Real considerate of him.

"There's nothing going on between us" I said taking another sip of the champagne and turning away.

"Would you like another?" He gestured to the empty glass in my hand.

It dawned on me that I had finished a drink from a guy I'd only met that day.

I placed the glass back on the table. He took it.

"Be right back" he said as he stood and walked in the direction of the synthesizer.

Why would he even just ask a girl that question randomly. Plus he made it sound like I was property which bothered me even though I knew what he meant.

"Here you go" he handed me a filled glass and retook his seat.

"Just so you know, I wouldn't be here talking to you if there was anything going on between Will and I. I'm not that kind of girl" I blurted out.

"I know you're not. I didn't mean to insinuate that" he seemed genuinely apologetic so I let it go.

"It's fine"

"It's just..." he looked flustered "I see myself having a real future with you and didn't want to get my hopes up".

That was sweet.

I tucked my hair behind my ears, "Will is Adya's father so we'll always have that connection but other than that, there's nothing between us" I explained.

"No offense but the guy is insane. I'd never let a girl like you slip through my fingers" He said with a charming smile. He was forward if not anything else which was a breath of fresh air compared to the smokescreen Will and I had.

"We could rule this planet together, you know? You and I" he continued.

I laughed "I don't think the rest of the planet would agree".

"Maybe" he took a sip of his drink "Maybe not".

I wondered what he meant by that as I took another sip. I decided I really loved champagne.

=^..^=

"It was getting late so Asher had charmingly offered to walk me back to the Pathfinder before returning to his room on Voyager 3.

Thats how I knew he was important. Or atleast that his friend had hooked him up with a really VIP ticket.

The Voyagers only had a few hundred rooms each. For the vast majority of people, they'd been in stasis for the entire journey and now resided in the tents around the landing area until the new buildings were done.

For people like Asher however, they'd been on more of a tourist trip, woken up at special times throughout the trip to take in the sights and spend a week or two in their rooms eating actual food and getting real sleep.

The music had died down by the time we got to the beach and most were asleep although there were still a few stragglers extending their good time a little bit longer.

"Here we are" Will said as we reached the entrance of the Pathfinder.

"Here we are" I replied.

Was he going to try to kiss me? Wasn't that what happened after first dates? Was this a date? It felt like one.

"I should head in. Thanks for tonight. I had a good time" I told him.

"I did too" he replied.

He was standing several feet away. He wasn't going to try to kiss me. It was an awkward realization when it dawned on me that I really wanted him to kiss me.

Was I that easy? Maybe it was the alcohol.

"See you later" I said while turning to the door.

"How about tomorrow?" He said. I turned back to see that charming smile. "Come out with me again tomorrow"

How do you even develop a smile that perfect? Surely he practices it in the mirror every morning. That was the only explanation.

"Sure. Goodnight".

I really couldn't say no to this guy.

=^..^=

Walking into the Pathfinder's canteen the next morning, I was greeted by the sight of mum feeding Adya which immediately brought such joy into my heart.

Seeing my mother taking care of my daughter wasn't something I'd been prepared for. As if that wasn't enough, Adya saw me and pointed, "Mama"

This caused everyone to turn and look at me. I sent a puzzled look back to them.

"What?" I mouthed.

Soon though, everyone returned to their meals except Mia who was making cheering motions and Will whose eyes lingered.

I made my way over to the synthesizer and selected 'coffee'. One benefit of having the other ships arrive was that we'd gotten a refill of resources.

"Morning mum" I said taking a seat only after kissing Adya on the forehead.

Eating an actual meal again felt great. I'd gotten used to the plant based diet but even I could admit that it sucked.

Thankfully with the arrival of the experts from Earth, we'd soon be able to manufacture the raw materials the synthesizer needed. That development would go a long way to support my argument when I proposed a ban on using these animals for food.

Breakfast went by quickly and quietly and soon everyone had gone about their business. Will had suggested helping out with the construction which all the men had agreed to.

Mum was clinging tightly to her grandchild which allowed Mia, Imani and I to just hang out. We had initially considered a walk on the beach but the suns were high in the sky and scorching so we'd eventually just settled for the observation deck.

"How did it go last night?" Mia asked. She had clearly been holding on to that question for a while.

"Umm we danced..." I started.

The pair of them looked at each other and smiled.

"We talked, drank, and he brought me back" I finished.

"That's it?" Mia was disappointed.

"Nothing really happened. He was sweet and respectful. Suggested we hang out again today".

From my position in the observation deck, I could see the ocean for miles. I wondered what was on the other side. Eventually, people would build ships and set sail across. Just like the first sailors of earth.

Before long, we would make every inch of this planet our home. Such was the human nature.

"Are you going to see him again?" Imani asked.

"I don't see why not. Atleast I know he likes me" I felt self conscious talking about my feelings. This caused my gaze to fall to the floor to inspect my outfit.

I wore a pink blouse paired with a simple cotton skirt. I'd always wanted to print this very cute jean skirt style I found on the printer which I felt would go very well with this blouse but jeans were a very expensive material to print so I hadn't ever done it.

In any case, I shouldn't have been greedy. Most of the new arrivals still wore the standard issue except those rich enough apparently like Asher that were about to print outfits.

Meanwhile I had plenty. Four years worth of clothes. Granted, those clothes from the first two years, during the pregnancy and after, don't fit me anymore. But still, I had a large collection.

When we'd gotten our refill, Andy, Imani and Mia had been able to print a few but probably not enough. I decided I should offer my wardrobe to the two girls atleast.

"Do you like him?" Imani asked.

"I think I do but I've known the guy less than 24 hours"

"That is true" Imani agreed.

We ended up talking for a while. There was something easy about talking to them. I connected with both girls way easier than I could have ever done with the guys. The only person that could make this group better was Heather.

I had to see her.

=^..^=

I excused myself from the girls and went down to the bridge. I owed the life I had now to Heather in many ways. The biggest one obviously being Adya.

There were times I felt guilty over the years as I lived a happy life with my daughter while she was stuck in stasis. I couldn't shake that feeling even though I knew nothing that had happened was my fault.

Now that she was awake, I had to atleast say thank you.

"Pola, contact Caitlyn" I voiced out as soon as I walked through the bridge.

I didn't have to wait long because soon, Caitlyn's face appeared on the viewport. She looked to be in some sort of office but that didn't matter.

"Hi Dani" she said casually "To what do I owe the pleasure?".

"Any news on Heather?" I asked. "Can I see her?"

"I checked but the doctors said she's not to be allowed any visitors".

"Did they say why?" I asked again. It didn't make sense.

"Dani, you know I don't understand any of that stuff. If they have her in isolation, it's probably for a reason"

"She should be here with us. She's part of our team"

"I know" Caitlyn sympathized "But let's let the doctors work, okay?"

It wasn't a suggestion.

"Okay" I said anyway. It wasn't like there was anything I could do.

=^..^=

I ended up waiting the entire day and honestly, I was stewing. It had gotten dark a few hours ago and still not a peep from him. Had he changed his mind about me already?

I knew it was silly to keep letting people make me feel like this but I couldn't help it.

Adya was with her grandmother again which allowed me a bit more free time. I decided to dig in for a solitary night but was interrupted by a ring at my door.

"Open" I voiced.

A moment later, the door clicked and in came Mia.

"Hi, what's up?"

"Some guard just dropped this off for you" she said excitedly as she placed a box on my bed. It was a sleek@ black box with a red bow.

"What is it?" I asked.

"How should I know? Open it"

I pulled at the bow string which caused it to fall apart. I carefully lifted the box lid to reveal a navy blue fabric.

Pulling it out of the box, I realized it was a dress. A backless dress only held together by two extremely thin shoulder straps.

"It's beautiful" Mia commented.

It was such a flimsy thing. It didn't help that the low cut design would leave my entire cleavage in full view.

"Does he really expect me to wear this?"

"There's a note" Mia alerted me to the white card that had been below the dress.

'Meet me in Voyager 5, Suite 4, Door code 2023. Asher'

That was it, I wasn't going.

I handed the note to Mia. She beamed a bright smile.

"Who does he think he is?" I asked rhetorically.

"Someone with a lot of money. A dress like this would have cost a fortune"

"Is he really inviting me to his room? Just like that?"

"Looks that way" Mia answered "Are you going to go?"

"I shouldn't right?" I asked her.

"It's forward, I think. But guys like him play by different rules. You know he wants sex right?"

I nodded.

"Well do you want to have sex with him?"

"I don't know, maybe" I rubbed my forehead. This was stressing me out. "I just still feel like I don't know him".

"Girl, it's up to you. See you in the morning. Don't get murdered" She told me very unhelpfully.

She said her goodbye, blew a kiss and disappeared out the door.

=^..^=

I had put on the dress and was now brushing my hair in the mirror. It was worse than I thought. Sluttier. There was no way I was going to wear this through the ship and eventually the voyager.

I selected a jacket to pair with it and was now focusing on getting my wild hair under control.

I watched myself move in the mirror when I thought I was ready. A bombshell stared back at me. 16 year old me must have been staring in disbelief at who I'd become.

I'd always expected to grow up and bulk up eventually. That clearly hadn't happened. Now I was smiling back at the woman in the mirror.

I slipped on the jacket and made my way out the ship while doing my best to avoid any eye contact. The jacket did a solid job hiding my upper body, but left my entire bottom half in full view in the brightly lit hallways.

My caution paid off and I reached the end of the first portion of my journey without any alarms being raised and stepped out of the Pathfinder for the first time that day.

Surprisingly, the guard was still there and insisted on escorting me the entire fairly long walk to Voyager 5.

=^..^=

The guard whose name I'd managed to pry out stayed only a few feet away from me at all times and only backed away as we reached what I assumed to be Suite 4.

"Bye Alfonso" I said with a smile as I inputed the code on the door's keypad.

The beautiful and heavily ornamented door clicked alerting me that I was free to push it open.

The room itself was dimly lit but I could still make out the features of what looked to be a gorgeous and surprisingly large room.

It featured a dining table that seated up to four as well as a raised sleep area on the far side that required 3 small stairs to access.

"Hello" I called out.

Asher peeked out of a door that I realised was a bathroom. He was wearing a white shirt and black plain trousers. He looked very classy.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right there" he told me.

I obliged and took off my jacket.

=^..^=

Asher walked up to me a few moments later with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Dani, you put Miss America to shame".

"I didn't know what to think when I got your invite" I said trying to keep my cool when he took my hand and kissed it.

"It's all very innocent, I assure you. I just thought a canteen wasn't an appropriate venue to host such a beautiful woman".

I blushed.

It was still a shock how everyone managed to accept me as a woman so easily. I don't think this would have been the case even a few decades ago.

"Hungry?" he asked gesturing to the table.

I smiled. "Sure".

=^..^=

We'd had a wonderful dinner and interesting conversation, the whole time he'd been a perfect gentleman.

It all seemed too good to be true. I adored him, I really did. I didn't want the night to end but it was clearly that time.

The meal was done and the talking points exhausted, there was only one thing on my mind. I wanted to fuck him. Sometime during the meal, he'd undone an additional button and it made me so horny.

"I should escort you back before they send out the search party"

Heartbreak.

"But what if you didn't go?" he suggested.

"Stay here?" I asked shyly

Asher chose to let his actions speak for him. I tried my best to keep my composure even as he stepped out of his chair and in my direction. He gently took my hand and helped me up after I slid the chair backwards.

The feeling of my heart pounding away in my chest told me I much preferred a man that saw what he wanted and went after it. No games. No deciphering.

He leaned in and kissed me and I melted in his arms. How had I fallen so fast for him. I didn't care. I felt the movement of his hands with my body even as they found their way to my butt.

I pressed harder into him as we kissed. My own hand found it's way to his junk and pressed lightly. He was hard already.

"Are you on birth control?" I asked.

"Mmh" he grunted "Freshly done".

I fumbled with his belt as we kissed, eventually prying it loose.

After he moved my dress straps off my shoulder, I hurriedly shimmied out of the flimsy fabric letting it fall to the floor.

"God you're perfect" he said with his eyes glued to my now bare breasts. He picked me up like I weight nothing and carried me to the bed.

I squealed laughing the whole way. I imagined how I must have looked as he placed me on the bed, the only thing keeping me from being completely naked was the black lace panties I'd chosen earlier in anticipation of this moment.

I readied myself as he quickly removed the rest of his clothes and climbed into bed with me.

Being with Asher that night showed me a whole new world of feelings I never knew existed. Whenever I would start to feel like my inexperience was getting in the way of his satisfaction, his passionate grunts would let me know otherwise.

It hurt sometimes when he would thrust deep and carelessly into pelvis but there were moments mind blowing pleasure that more than made up for it. Some positions made me feel loved and some made me feel sexy. Some were uncomfortable and some I felt I could last the whole night. I let him take charge and I'm glad I did.

By the time we went to sleep, I wondered how I'd gone all those years without experiencing that and now that I had, how would I go another moment without it.

=^..^=

I was awoken by a feeling of cold metal on my leg.

'What was that?' I wondered.

Even before I opened my eyes, I could still see Asher's muscular arms around me. It felt nice. I wanted to keep feeling him.

It didn't feel like it had been that long since we'd gone to bed. Was it morning already?

The cold metal poked my feet again.

'What the hell was that?'

I groggily opened my eyes but what I saw quickly shocked me awake. I sat up in a panic and shook Asher rapidly.

There were four men with guns pointed right at us. Their faces were covered but I could tell they were RAW agents.

Asher woke up only after I had shaken and called his name enough times. I couldn't place his expression in that moment? Confusion? Some form of fight or flight? I had no clue.

"Up" one of them commanded.

I was naked under the covers so I couldn't move. When he readjusted his scopes on me, I knew he meant business.

Slowly, I stepped out in full view of the four men but the fear no longer allowed me to feel any embarrassment. I put on my panties while they watched me closely. I hurried down the three steps to where I'd left my dress on the floor.

There was another man at the door. That made five. What the hell was going on?

As soon as the dress was over my head and in place, they held me down, tied my hands and placed a bag over my head.

As soon as I was met with that darkness, I could no longer resist the urge to cry.

=^..^=

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Hello again, as always, would love to hear what you thought about this chapter