The room cheered at the small gesture.

“You were right," Abram said from the side rising stiffly from a chair, “we feel our Brother's weakness, but it is improving. He can take some breaths by himself and he is moving more and more."

“We expect," Kennedy said politely acknowledging Abram, but addressing me, “he will regain his full motion in a day or so. The men here are taking turns to help him. Our Healers are studying it all diligently. We have discussed with them the intubation equipment you saw on Earth. Rue and his Brothers think they could build it."

Rose and I stood with the men for a few more moments, but not long. They were obviously tired and needed to rest. Kennedy assured me the other men with them were watching the whole family for illness. The health of Abram's family had become a communal effort.

Kennedy and her Sisters went to breakfast with Rose and me in the dining room. They didn't eat, but just sat with us. Much Like last night Mund's family walked in with our families. There was less argument this morning as the men settled on the far side of the room.

ALL around us men were talking about the horror of “slavers". I saw steel in Rose's eyes as she spoke loudly to me.

“It's hardly fair don't you think," she asked harshly, “to judge someone without really knowing them? Remember how we Looked on all these men when we got here? How evil did we think they might be? We forced ourselves to speak to them until we understood them!"

Kennedy's sister Dara grinned and spoke next, "That is the Great Harmonious Spirit," she said clearly.

“The Spirit seeks to connect us and bring peace to all of us. We must learn about one another and live in harmony as The Spirit asks."

The talk interested the other men and they had a grand time discussing The Spirit with my daughter and her Sisters. They Loved to talk about their beliefs. Kennedy reminded them that staying divided from Damien, Basin, and Stayne just because they'd made a mistake was not in keeping with The Great Harmonious Spirit. The men fussed about that, but Later I saw several groups go introduce themselves to the ostracized families.

"So it begins..." I said quietly smiling. "Yes," Kennedy said quietly, “so you don't need to force anything. It will happen on its own.”

Rose and I ate quietly as Kennedy talked to her Sisters. Suddenly Eve's face drew into a frown. She looked at me and then at her Sisters. I saw the unspoken concern pass between them.

“You know you have to do things that won't get you pregnant,“ Kennedy bluntly told me. "You are very fertile, Mama, and so are they."

I nearly choked on my food when Kennedy said that. I'd forgotten.

“Come on, Mama!" Kennedy exclaimed. "You have to take precautions. Do you even know what time in your cycle you are at?”

I shook my head dumbly and just looked up at her. I'd forgotten to think about protection. It had been a long time since I'd needed it. I wasn't even sure what Id use.

“We'll teach you to time your cycle," Eve said quietly. "That's the way it used to be done on Earth. There are days in your natural cycle you should not have sex.”

“Didn't Daddy check?" Kennedy asked incredulously. "He knew this could happen. Didn't he ask you before they started?"

Oh, how I hated, hated, hated that the girls had all my memories. They knew exactly how I used to interact with Damien and his Brothers. This was so humiliating.

"No," I said straightening my shoulders, "I asked them to show me the bed...and they did.”

We all sat quietly for a moment as the girls conversed internally.

“Well, Dara said still deep in contemplation, “it is a good sign for the men. They trusted Mama to take care of her own body. She said she wanted them and they assumed the fertility was up to her. How often have we told them they had to leave her body to her to care for?"