FIC: Generation Next
Title: Generation Next
Author:
_infinite_enemy
Fandom: Vorkosigan universe
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Do NOT own!
Prompt:
Helen wraps Miles around her little finger
"Why?" Miles demanded as soon as the library door had shut. Vorkosigan house was, of course, monitored from every angle by vids, but the household knew better than to eavesdrop on something like this. He glared up at his daughter Helen--strong, beautiful Amazon of a young woman who looked more like him than Mark did.
"I knew you'd be angry with me. I--we---had to make sure that what we did couldn't be undone." She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, even though it meant she had to hunch over a in order to properly glare at Miles.
"You're so young!" Miles said, exasperated. "I was at least thirty before your mother and I even considered--"
"I'm twenty-five! And it's not my fault I'm normal and found the love of my life at a decent age!" Her comment was scathing and her stance defiant, but the glint of a tear in her storm-gray eyes kept Miles from barking out a comment about how many stuffed animals were lined up on her shelves upstairs. His shock faded into a weary worry, and he sat slowly on the edge of the nearest chair. How had she gotten to be 25 so quickly?
"I'm not angry Helen...I'm just..." he let out his glare in a long, tortured sigh. Having children had aged him in ways he never thought possible, and for the millionth time, he felt guilty for all the things he'd put his own dear parents through. "Just trying to understand. Please, begin at the beginning. I'll try not to interrupt." Miles sat back in the large plushy armchair trying not to look as severe as he felt.
This wasn't the reaction that Helen had expected. She turned and began to pace slowly, without really realizing it, hands steepled in front of her waist. She pressed her fingers together, then closed them into fists. She breathed in deeply.
"There isn't a beginning...I've just always loved him, and he's always loved me. We know that we're right for each other," She chanced a glance over at Miles, wishing he could feel the sweeping, glorious feeling of true love in his heart like she did in hers. "And we knew that you'd say no. And we knew that his father would say no. But we didn't care. We got married almost three months ago, only we never told anyone but those we'd ask to witness..."
"And who would that be?" growled Miles. He was already planning a firing squad...too bad Bothari wasn't around to conveniently beat the crap out of people
"Um...Grandmother was one. And Uncle Mark. And..." she steepled her hands again, nervously, "Aral was the last one...but don't kill him! I made him swear that he wouldn't tell."
Revenge died in Mile's mind before Helen could even ask. "Grandmother knew about this!?"
"Yes! But not all of it. See, after we were married, we went to Beta Colony--me for school, him for that diplomatic mission. But while we were there, that's when we decided that there were too many ways to break us apart back here on Barrayar, what with you and his father and all...so we bought the replicator there, and called over Uncle Enrique to do the actual procedure."
Miles face turned white, then red, but Helen cut him off before he could interrupt. She knew exactly how he felt about Uncle Enrique.
"But when we got to customs, trying to bring our replicator back here, one of the guards happened across my new papers with my new name and had a little fit about the identity of the baby in the replicator, and called in Galeni, and so that's how he found out...and we made him keep quiet rather forcefully--so...um..." She trailed off, her hands in determined fists at her sides. The tale really deserved it's own book, it had been so exhilarating and suspenseful, but Helen just didn't have time to tell it right. Time to get to the important part.
"That's how you're about to be a grandfather." She sat beside Miles on the couch, her gray eyes relieved of the burden of secrecy. "To, um...Prince Ezar Miles Vorbarra."
"Helen," Miles choked out.
"Please don't be mad father!"
"I said I'm not mad...and I'm not. I just wish you had been honest with me. Neither Gregor nor I would have stopped this union...especially if my mother gave it the OK...I just wish you had told me...so I could have helped."
"What?" Helen was startled, again, by this unexpected reaction. He was supposed to be furious, he was supposed to froth at the mouth and stomp his short little legs, and then finally (after much persuasion) agree to see the replicator and fall in love and forgive her.
"I did my fair share of secrets back in my more rambunctious days...I could have been a valuable asset! Why on all the planets in all the stars did you go to Uncle Mark and not me!?"
"He really wasn't any help at all, if it makes you feel better." Helen reassured Miles, relaxing a bit now that the hard part was over.
"And when are you going to tell Gregor and Laisa? And Eka--your mother?"
"Serg is doing that right now. And mom...I don't know what I'm going to tell her."
Miles brightened. "Then you may still need my help yet."
"Father...I'm sorry. I should have told you. I just know you're not keen on how close we are to the Vorbarra's already. But we did a thorough gene scan of Ez before, and he's just perfect."
Miles smiled. "I can't wait to meet him."
"Me either..." Helen sighed deeply, happily, and then threw her arms around her father. "I should have known you would understand. You'll always be the best Da ever."
Miles didn't say anything to that--he couldn't. He brushed away a tear as discreetly as possible and then took Helen's hand to help her up.
"Let's go find your mother. She may try to kill you when she finds out she missed standing in your wedding circle. Luckily I'm trained in combat."
Helen rolled her eyes, "Don't exert yourself, grandda."
Author:
_infinite_enemy
Fandom: Vorkosigan universe
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Do NOT own!
Prompt:
Helen wraps Miles around her little finger
"Why?" Miles demanded as soon as the library door had shut. Vorkosigan house was, of course, monitored from every angle by vids, but the household knew better than to eavesdrop on something like this. He glared up at his daughter Helen--strong, beautiful Amazon of a young woman who looked more like him than Mark did.
"I knew you'd be angry with me. I--we---had to make sure that what we did couldn't be undone." She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, even though it meant she had to hunch over a in order to properly glare at Miles.
"You're so young!" Miles said, exasperated. "I was at least thirty before your mother and I even considered--"
"I'm twenty-five! And it's not my fault I'm normal and found the love of my life at a decent age!" Her comment was scathing and her stance defiant, but the glint of a tear in her storm-gray eyes kept Miles from barking out a comment about how many stuffed animals were lined up on her shelves upstairs. His shock faded into a weary worry, and he sat slowly on the edge of the nearest chair. How had she gotten to be 25 so quickly?
"I'm not angry Helen...I'm just..." he let out his glare in a long, tortured sigh. Having children had aged him in ways he never thought possible, and for the millionth time, he felt guilty for all the things he'd put his own dear parents through. "Just trying to understand. Please, begin at the beginning. I'll try not to interrupt." Miles sat back in the large plushy armchair trying not to look as severe as he felt.
This wasn't the reaction that Helen had expected. She turned and began to pace slowly, without really realizing it, hands steepled in front of her waist. She pressed her fingers together, then closed them into fists. She breathed in deeply.
"There isn't a beginning...I've just always loved him, and he's always loved me. We know that we're right for each other," She chanced a glance over at Miles, wishing he could feel the sweeping, glorious feeling of true love in his heart like she did in hers. "And we knew that you'd say no. And we knew that his father would say no. But we didn't care. We got married almost three months ago, only we never told anyone but those we'd ask to witness..."
"And who would that be?" growled Miles. He was already planning a firing squad...too bad Bothari wasn't around to conveniently beat the crap out of people
"Um...Grandmother was one. And Uncle Mark. And..." she steepled her hands again, nervously, "Aral was the last one...but don't kill him! I made him swear that he wouldn't tell."
Revenge died in Mile's mind before Helen could even ask. "Grandmother knew about this!?"
"Yes! But not all of it. See, after we were married, we went to Beta Colony--me for school, him for that diplomatic mission. But while we were there, that's when we decided that there were too many ways to break us apart back here on Barrayar, what with you and his father and all...so we bought the replicator there, and called over Uncle Enrique to do the actual procedure."
Miles face turned white, then red, but Helen cut him off before he could interrupt. She knew exactly how he felt about Uncle Enrique.
"But when we got to customs, trying to bring our replicator back here, one of the guards happened across my new papers with my new name and had a little fit about the identity of the baby in the replicator, and called in Galeni, and so that's how he found out...and we made him keep quiet rather forcefully--so...um..." She trailed off, her hands in determined fists at her sides. The tale really deserved it's own book, it had been so exhilarating and suspenseful, but Helen just didn't have time to tell it right. Time to get to the important part.
"That's how you're about to be a grandfather." She sat beside Miles on the couch, her gray eyes relieved of the burden of secrecy. "To, um...Prince Ezar Miles Vorbarra."
"Helen," Miles choked out.
"Please don't be mad father!"
"I said I'm not mad...and I'm not. I just wish you had been honest with me. Neither Gregor nor I would have stopped this union...especially if my mother gave it the OK...I just wish you had told me...so I could have helped."
"What?" Helen was startled, again, by this unexpected reaction. He was supposed to be furious, he was supposed to froth at the mouth and stomp his short little legs, and then finally (after much persuasion) agree to see the replicator and fall in love and forgive her.
"I did my fair share of secrets back in my more rambunctious days...I could have been a valuable asset! Why on all the planets in all the stars did you go to Uncle Mark and not me!?"
"He really wasn't any help at all, if it makes you feel better." Helen reassured Miles, relaxing a bit now that the hard part was over.
"And when are you going to tell Gregor and Laisa? And Eka--your mother?"
"Serg is doing that right now. And mom...I don't know what I'm going to tell her."
Miles brightened. "Then you may still need my help yet."
"Father...I'm sorry. I should have told you. I just know you're not keen on how close we are to the Vorbarra's already. But we did a thorough gene scan of Ez before, and he's just perfect."
Miles smiled. "I can't wait to meet him."
"Me either..." Helen sighed deeply, happily, and then threw her arms around her father. "I should have known you would understand. You'll always be the best Da ever."
Miles didn't say anything to that--he couldn't. He brushed away a tear as discreetly as possible and then took Helen's hand to help her up.
"Let's go find your mother. She may try to kill you when she finds out she missed standing in your wedding circle. Luckily I'm trained in combat."
Helen rolled her eyes, "Don't exert yourself, grandda."