Mama was asleep. 

Lana slipped off her shoes, moving silently, the way T’Kyr and Uncle K’Naut had taught her. Mama was like prey–and if she moved too quickly or made a noise, she would startle her prey. She prowled forward on all four paws, keeping low to the ground. Mama didn’t move. She was so tired–

Soundlessly, Lana picked up the PADD lying on the couch cushion, pulling it into her lap. Mama had been working until she fell asleep, and the tablet was left unlocked. She tapped the screen, opening the volume controls and turning them all the way off, just like Mama-Lyn had shown her how to do on her own tablet. Tucking the PADD under her arm, she padded silently towards the door. She paused as she approached, twitching her ears and listening for voices in the hall. Once she was certain that nobody was outside the door, she crossed the invisible boundary that opened the door to their quarters, and snuck out into the hall. 

In her hands, the indicator light on the tablet began to blink. Lana tapped the screen, canceling the alert. “Computer,” she asked as she hurried down the corridor, “where is Marcus Crow?”

“Marcus Crow is in holodeck two.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marcus sat on the grass overlooking the prairie. About a mile behind him was the house but he didn’t want to hang out in his room or even the pool. In his lap was a sketch pad and beside him were a few various pencils. His eyes were on the horizon as his hand slowly shaded in shadows cast on the ground below a  few of the bigger hills. He’d been coming out ‘here’ a few times to practice. If he did it at home, his mom would dote, his sisters would tease, and his dad would…he wouldn’t understand or would want him doing something else.

Lana sat and watched him. She’d already been sitting in the tall grass for nearly ten minutes, and he hadn’t noticed her. She’d followed his scent the whole way from the house, and she’d planned on pouncing him…but she hadn’t expected him to be doing this. “It’s pretty good,” she finally said, breaking the silence. 

He stopped, the pencil tip still touching the paper. It’d been a long time since he’d even heard her voice and beyond the shock of her piping up, the words of warning his dad had given him before they came back onto the ship replayed in his head. “We’re not allowed to hang out.”

Lana didn’t move from her spot in the tall grass. “Are you…mad at me?”

“No,I’m not mad. But after what happened on the station my folks gave me a long talk and he said that we’re not allowed to hang out like this anymore. He said you had something going on and I wasn’t helping so I needed to give you space and if I didn’t…well, he didn’t say that part but I know that voice he used so he was serious.”

“I was sorry–” Lana paused, her ears laying back, “and I wanted to ‘pologize, but I wasn’t allowed to talk to that girl.” She gave a soft sniffle. “Her dad said I was dangerous. He thought I was asleep, but I heard what he said.”

“She wasn’t hurt that bad, but you scared the hell out of her. Why did you do it?”

“I dunno.” Lana let her legs stretch out in the grass. “I just– felt it in my chest.  T’Kyr said that a good hunter feels when they should pounce, and–” She let the sentence trail off in a sigh. 

He nodded, her answer made sense. “How did you find me in here? And don’t say you smelled my cologne, it’s not *that* strong.”

“Computer said you were on the holodeck.” Lana looked back at the house behind them. “And you clomp through the grass like an elephant.”

“I’m surprised your moms let you wander.”

“Mama-Lyn is fixing the other ship with Uncle K’Naut. And Mama fell asleep on the couch. The visitors kept calling her last night– it woke me up a bunch.” Lana pressed down the grass with her feet, as if making a little nest. “She was tired, and I was quiet.” She went quiet for a moment. “Does Papa Captain think I’m gonna hurt you?”

“No, this isn’t about that. He just said you were going through something, and that if I’m close by it’ll get worse so I need to stay away to help you. He didn’t get into the details. All I know is that my folks talked to yours and it was decided.”

“Nobody talked to me.” Lana gave a huff, rolling onto her back on her grassy spot. “And now I have to stay in our quarters all the time, and they make me go to the nursery with the little kids and I’m bored and–” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her paws. “And they think I’m sick and I’m dangerous, and I just want to go back to the planet.”

“You got used to being able to run wild. You used to talk about not wanting to wear shoes and clothes. But that wasn’t real life, this is. The ship and the rules. Maybe they’d let you use the holodeck to go on hunts so you’re not so bored.”

“Mama-Lyn said I have to keep the safeties on.” She kicked at the tall blades of grass with her feet. “I tried catching one of the ducks when I was looking for you. It didn’t work.” She let her arms flop out over her head. “When we were on the planet, I caught fish, even when the water got so cold that my teeth knocked together, ‘cause they needed me. Now, I feel like they are scared of my claws. Now, I’m just s’posed to play house and drink pretend tea.”

As she vented her frustrations his eyes were focused on her, especially once she moved her arms and he quickly sketched her outline, before putting the grass around and the bigger blades. “We have replicators again, we don’t need to go hunting. I know that you liked doing it and you were very good, but being on a ship is different from being on a planet where you don’t know what’s for dinner every night.” His mention of dinner coincided with his stomach grumbling. What time was it? How long had he been in here?

“When we were on the planet, I got to see you.” One of her paws shot up, batting a grasshopper away mid-arc as it jumped over her. “So I’d rather be on the planet.”

He scribbled a little more, before turning it around to show her. “Whatcha think?”

Before she could answer, the program, including the artwork in his hand, fizzled away and the glowing panels of the room were all around. In the doorway stood his father, arms folded. Marcus froze, his hands still in the air holding nothing.

Lana flipped onto her stomach quickly. “I didn’t hurt him!”

Henry stepped further into the room and held up his hand, speaking with a softer tone. “I know Lana.” His eyes went to his son. “Your mother sent me to collect you for dinner.”

Marcus stood up, and dusted himself off out of habit. “I thought it was about time.”

Henry nodded, looking back to Lana. “And I’m sure both of yours will be upset if they find you snuck out. I won’t tell though if you get back before they notice.”

“It wasn’t his fault.” Lana’s voice trembled. “Please don’t get Marcus in trouble.” She scooped up the PADD, which was still blinking its alert. 

“No, no, he won’t be in trouble.” Her concern for him was telling. “Do you want me to take you home?”

Lana shook her head. “Your boots click when you walk. You might wake her up.” She hesitated, looking back up at Marcus. “I’m…” When the tears escaped, she turned and hurried past Henry and into the corridor. 

He sighed at her exit. 

“She found me here, I didn’t seek her, like you told me.”

“I understand, and neither of you are in trouble for this. It was bound to happen.”

“I still don’t understand why we can’t be friends.”

Another sigh. Henry walked over, putting a hand on Marcus’ shoulder. “Lana’s people, much like the Chief and the other Felinoids have a habit of getting attached to someone that they’re around. We think the reason she went after that girl on the station is that she got attached to you and it’s like she got really jealous of you talking to that girl. The more you’re around her the more attached she’d get.”

“She’s lonely and bored.”

“I get that, but this is for her own good, even if it’s really hard to see that right now. I don’t even know how it’d work if she’s attached to you. It’s better if she waits to be attached to one of her people when she’s a little older.”

“If you don’t know then why is it bad?”

Henry didn’t have an answer for that. “It’s just what me, your mom, and her folks decided and sometimes, even when it doesn’t make sense, it has to be good enough for an answer.”

“Are you going to tell on her for sneaking in?”

“No, I’ll keep my word. But you need to be a little stronger if she does this again to do the right thing.”

“Yes, Sir.”

They walked out, but Henry knew this wouldn’t be the end of it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lana paused just beyond the threshold of the door to their quarters, the PADD in her hands still blinking its alert. She listened at the door, angling her ears. She didn’t hear movement, so she took several quick steps forward, slipping through the door and letting it shut behind her. The PADD in her hands stopped blinking, and Millie hadn’t moved from her place on the couch. Lana crept forward on silent paws, returning the tablet to its place next to her mother. 

At that exact moment, Millie’s eyes opened.

Lana froze, her fingers still on the edge of the tablet. Her ears lay back, and the fur on her tail fluffed.

Mille gave a soft smile and reached out to ruffle the fur between Lana’s ears. “Sorry, котенок, I think I fell asleep.” She looked up to the chronometer on the wall. “Oh, Prophets and Jesus both, it’s late. You must be hungry.” 

Lana shook her head. “No, I’m not hungry.” Even though she was. She was too sad to eat. “Mama– when I’m not sick anymore, can I be friends with Marcus again?”

Millie gave a gentle sigh. “You aren’t sick La’lana.” She stood. “Come on. Let’s have some tuna for dinner.”

Lana scowled, and reluctantly allowed her Mama to lead her to the kitchen table. Maybe she could talk to Aunt Emma about a medicine that would make her better.