Ginny's head throbbed with hot lines of pain, as if she was lying face first in sand. When she pulled herself up, her first concern was not of the unfamiliar bed, but of her child.



She could see a crib leading down from a flight of stairs, and in in squirmed Virgo, swaddled in alien clothing. At least she appeared to be safe.


But where was this place? Ginny noted the dutifully positioned daffodils that kept watch over the bed, and admired the careful paneling of the wall. Though her first instinct should have been to flee, there was in inborn comfort present in the room that kept her rooted to the bed for a minute more.


Still, instinct or not, her primary concern was the safety of her child. She flew down the flight of stairs and twirled Virgo in her arms, who didn't seem alarmed by the sudden movement.

"I see you're awake."


Through the open door Ginny spotted him, a man with rugged physique but kind eyes. Her heart skipped.

"Forgive me for leaving. I was worried that we had no food, so I figured that I should fish. But the rain started, and I believed it to be a sign that I should go back. And I see that I was right. Now, of course, I'm empty handed, so I guess that we are right back where we started."

His voice was smooth but authoritative. It made Ginny shiver.

"If you would permit me, perhaps it is time to lead you to your own house?"

She shook her head. 'I'm sorry, you sound kind, but you are...?"

The man laughed. "Of course, my sincere apologies. You were completely delirious before. It is too much to ask you to remember me. My name," he smiled, sticking out his hand, "is Fawn of Joon. But others tend to call me Fawn."

Her head was swimming as she shook his sweaty fist. There was a "before"? All that she could remember was, well, nothing, really. She had a daughter named Virgo, her own name was Ginny...

"I'm sorry if I've caused any trouble for you," she finally said.

"You have done no such thing."


Rubbing her temples pushed some memories to light. She could see the very man before her standing in the night of the desert, surrounded by gentle bubbles.

And what exactly was she to do with that information?

"Since you are up, would you like me to escort you to your home?"

Maybe additional sleep would help her recover more memories. "Perhaps I should rest some more before we go."

"Certainly."

But something shifted inside of Ginny as Fawn, ever a true gentleman, herded her up the stairs. Electric tingled in her scalp, and whispers of a far off age tickled her ear.

Of course. Of course! This is who she was. Her purpose was to birth and raise children to follow the footsteps of good so they may spread their morality to future generations, in the name of the Goddess Laetitia. And to have a different father for each child, as to increase the survival chances of the human species! She knew what she had to do.

Right?



Without thinking, she turned to kiss Fawn, who offered very little resistance to the advance. Or to what would happen next. Ginny never got that sleep that she wanted.

A few minutes after the event, Fawn offered again to bring Ginny to her home. A little surprised that she could have forgotten an entire house, she agreed.

What she saw amazed her.



The children's bedrooms were spacious, with enough room for shenanigans and downtime alike.


There was a simple hobby room, lined with computers and easels.



The kitchen had been carefully set up to handle the strain of pittering, pattering feet and even had a small play room in back for toddlers to wait in while food was prepared.

But her favorite room of all was the nursery.


The light pastel blues and piles of toys would make it a fruitful playroom for any toddler.


Virgo agreed.


In the resulting days, Fawn offered his assistance around the home, just until Ginny could settle in.

"And," he noted, pointing at her stomach, smiling, "to help with those."

So he knew part of her secerts.

Ginny gladly accepted. Even  when he wasn't helping her clean or cook, it was nice to have someone around the house.


It gave her some time to flesh out her artistic pursuits. And it also helped her discover that she had no artistic pursuits.

She read the town newspaper consistently, making note of hotspots. They would prove lucrative in the baby daddy trade.



At one of the local clubs, she met Cuewen. He stood apart from the rest of the party-goers, literally and figuratively - he was by himself in a corner, swirling his drink uncomfortably. The two talked for a while, and Ginny couldn't help but feel swept away by the vast passion present when he spoke of his hometown.

"Why did you leave?" she couldn't help but ask. He looked at her in shock.

"The Goddesses' ravage, of course. Why is anyone in Lunar Lakes? It's the only place still protected by the heavens." He cocked his head. "Are you new here?"

Ginny felt like she should know what exactly the "Goddesses' ravage" was. Were they not benevolent beings? She was working for the good of one, after all. "I guess you could say that."

"Well, Ginny," he said, interested in spinning his drink, "consider yourself lucky. Only those with pure intentions may enter the city. I guess not even knowing what this place is puts you on some whole new plane of morality."

"You have no idea."


Going home, Ginny had to ask herself some difficult moral questions. Was it right to hit the town when patient Fawn played the part of babysitter back at home? Was she not leading him on? She didn't quite know the right answer, so she did something that she wasn't exactly proud of.

She ignored it.

In her defense, the coming days would give her little choice but to push her concerns away.


Virgo's birthday came and went rather uneventfully, though Fawn did sing what could only be described as an utterly unique iteration of "Happy Birthday". She seemed happy enough with the small bunny present Ginny had picked up from a secondhand shop. Ginny might have had a large house, but being new to the town left her with next to no money.



And about halfway through the day, Ginny knew that it was time to head for the hospital. She exited the house surprisingly quietly, hailing for a taxi.


Fawn was hot on her heels, not wanting to miss the birth. Virgo was handed over hastily to an unassuming neighbor in the meantime.






Ginny was blessed with twins, a son named Kolpia whom inherited her vibrant hair, and Nix, a grey skinned babe whom took after her father in every way.


Though slightly overwhelmed, Fawn could not have been happier.

The days passed peacefully, and soon the twins were at the stage of Virgo.



And still did Fawn's interest in the family hold steady.



When the two worked as a unit to bring the toddlers up to speed in their life skills, Ginny truly felt as if she was a part of a family.

How was she going to tell him? It seemed petty to give the excuse that working on the behalf of a celestial being who may or may have not of been responsible for mass destruction prevented the two from being together. But something about the feeling she surrendered to on Fawn's staircase was legitimate, no matter the absurdity surrounding it.


But her life was about to get stranger still.

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