Sebastian Doran stood in front of his easel enjoying his weekend break from remodeling the basement. Whenever Marla started getting itchy about the kids she would throw herself into redoing the house. This was the third time in four years so they decided to take their time.

The phone ringing in the next room made him drop his brush. For the past four years every time the phone rang his hopes would rise high in his chest. This time was no different.

“Good Evening,” he said trying to sound like a reasonable adult.“Daddy?”“Donna! Sweetheart! How are you? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you?” so much for sounding reasonable.

“Yeah, Dad, I'm fine. I love you too. I just thought it was time I called and said hi. I know it's been a few years....

“Three Donaku.” Tanma corrected from his own computer.

Sebastian wondered about the male voice in the room, but before he could ask a female voice interjected itself into the conversation.“Actually it has been 4 years 2 months and 3 days since she has had contact with her father. I could calculate the hours and minutes, but I do think that would be pushing it.”

“Er, yeah Miem, just a bit. Sorry Dad, it's been way too long it seems. That was Tanma and Miem by the way. And I guess it's easiest just to drop it on you at once, Tan's an alien and Miem's our spaceship. I'm exploring the universe daddy! In a spaceship! Okay it doesn't really look like a spaceship inside, Miem likes to make the living areas look more like a house....”

Sebastian listened as she babbled on a bit. She sounded happy and safe to him at the moment so he let himself be happy for her. He would worry more later he knew. “That's great, baby, but let's get your mother on the phone, okay?”“Sure Dad.”“Marla! It's DONNA!”

Two seconds later, Marla was on the phone. “Donna? Baby are you all right?”“Yeah I'm fine, Mom.”“I already checked Marla, she's fine. She's exploring the universe in a spaceship.”“Oh that's wonderful, Donna. Are you eating enough?”

“She's eating fine, Mrs. Doran.”“Oh, Mom, this is Tanma. He's my traveling companion.”“Nice to meet you, Tanma, and thank you for making sure she eats properly.”“MOM!”

“Mother, I'm fine. I'm eating well, and I'm sleeping like I should. Don't worry.”“All right, Donna. So what have you been up to since you left?”“Well the four of us stayed together for a while, but then we started wanting to go in different directions. Have you heard from any of the others yet?”

“You're the first to get in contact with us, Donna. I'm sure David is off somewhere wooing a rich heiress.” Bastian's tone was light as he gently teased his absent son about wanting to be rich.

“I'm sure Jack is doing fine. He always was a bit of a loner. We'll here from him when he's ready.” Marla added.“When you do, tell him I miss him.”“Of course.”

“And we know Rose is somewhere with lots of plants, and people,” Donna added thinking of her older sister.“Definitely,” her parents agreed.

“Well, baby, it's good to hear from you, but I'm going to have to run. Be careful and don't wait so long to call next time, all right?”

“All right, Mom. I love you, too.”

After Marla hung up, Sebastian picked up the conversation again. “But what about you, hon, what have you been up to?”

“Just what I said I would do, Dad. I've been exploring the universe one planet at a time.”

“Anything specific?”

“Sure, Dad. Oh we bought a tea set for you from Vesolian VI. It similar to the ones they have in Takemizu, but this one was a gift from their royal family. It has the royal crest on it.”“You met a royal family?”“Yeah and we're not even at war, can you believe it?”

“Well we ran into one of their princesses when we got caught in the middle of an uprising on Carteygna. We managed to get out of that mess and gave her a ride back home.”

“I think she really wanted Tanma to stay,” Donna continued, “She kept looking at him all strange like.”“Donnaku, I really think she wanted both of us to stay, that's quite a common arrangement among her people,” Tanma put in calmly. “She looked at you quite as often as she looked at me.”

“Really? I wonder how come I didn't notice? Well anyway, when we told her we needed to leave she gave us the tea set, and a small reward. I thought it was quite nice of her really. It's not like she needed to.”

“Let's see and then there was that time on Xentair. It was quite interesting, Dad. They look like something out of a western novel without the cowboys.”

“That's when we had to play Retter for the engine parts Miem needed wasn't it?”“Yes, Donnaku. He wouldn't sell them, but he let us play poker and win them off of him.”

“I'm not sure why you looked so worried most of the time, Tanmaku. We actually turned a bit of a profit that trip.”

“I had heard that he was ruthless, hated to lose, and tended to cheat.”

“Retter? Are you serious?”

“I found out after the game that he has a brother with a very similar name, and they are constantly being confused.”

Donna snorted, “That sounds like a bad soap opera.”

“Of course not all our trips are fun and games. There was the time we ran upon those slavers on Eris.”“Slavers?” Bastian's voice took on a tense undercurrent.“Yeah. Nasty. There are places in the universe where it's legal unfortunately.”

“Eris is an open planet so lots of things go on there that couldn't anywhere else in the world. Smugglers, slave traders, pirates, lots of underworld types use it as a base of operations in that region. No laws no authorities.”

“But also no one for them to turn to if someone steals their cargo either. What I wouldn't have given to have been a fly on his wall when he realized we'd set free 15 of the slaves he was supposed to be selling to an illegal drug runner the next morning.”

“But that's pretty much what I've been up to, Dad. Exploring the universe, doing a bit of good here and there. Having fun.”

“Good, I'm glad, Donna. Donna, do you mind if I talk to Tanma a moment?”

“Nah, I don't mind. I need to run for a moment anyway. I love you, Dad. I'll call you again, soon. Less than four years, anyway.”

“Hello, sir. This is Tanma again.”“Is she out of earshot?”“She didn't respond, so probably yes.”“Would you be offended if I asked you what your intentions were?”

“Would it stop you, if I were? No, I'm not at all offended. I'll be honest, I care a great deal for your daughter. But all she sees in me is a dear friend, and a traveling companion.”

“Tanma, I wouldn't give up on that yet. Donna cares a lot more about you than you think. She just hasn't figured it out yet.”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“As certain as I can be without being in the room with her. But I know my daughter.”

“How do you feel about that?”

Bas almost laughed, “Why don't we put it this way, Tanma. Make her happy and I'll never have a bad word to say about you. Hurt her and I will personally hunt you down.”

~~~

After talking with Tanma, Sebastian joined Marla and caught her up on the parts she had missed.“She seems to be enjoying herself for the most part. And she's doing some good as well.”

“That part about the slavers worries me though. I know she's doing good, but I hate thinking of her in danger.”

“Is she in any more danger out there than running from elves here?”

“No, I suppose not. Do you think we'll ever see her again?”

“I think we will. Probably not for long, but I think he'll see to it.”

“He does seem good for her.”

“I suppose, but he's not good enough for her.”

“Men.”

“You're no more irritated at me than the last hundred times you've said that, Marla Doran”

“Well in that case we might as well just cuddle. Or...wait...”

“Marla?”

Marla rushed out of bed headed toward the bathroom when she realized just what it was making her feel so ill. “Dear, I think we might want to set up the nursery again.”

~~~

The main part of the story will be continued soon. I wanted to take a few moments here though and thank Pen for all the help she gave me, especially for the pictures of David and Jack. And everyone else who has listen to me babble about this for half a year or more, thank you. Also many thanks for the help in getting the cover put together. I had a lot of help, and I really do appreciate it.