"Acceptance"

**Am I supposed to be thrilled with this?** Huin sent, practically sending daggers to Kossia's mind.

**I absolutely refuse to go down the same streams with you. We've had this discussion right from when Skarloc and I lovemated. I'll not go through the paces again with you now. I know you don't think highly of him, but I would think that you'd know better than to encourage me to deny Recognition, Father,** she sent back. She held out her left hand and sent, **Look!** as her hand began to tremble. **It begins already! You would have me degenerate and fall ill and eventually die before being happy for me, wouldn't you?** She wrapped her hands around her trident again and shook her head. **We have held off accepting it to tell you, Mother, Tollan, and Benti. I had hoped you would just once be happy for us. If not that, then at least for me. But I see that I was wrong.** Kossia closed her eyes against the tears she felt rising. **I'll leave you to your hunt,** she told Huin. She abruptly turned, grabbed hold of Whisper's dorsal fin and the two sped off. **Find Crest and Skarloc.** she told him.

I should have seen it coming. He never approves.....Why should this be different? Mother will hear of it from him, no doubt. I'd tell her myself, but…no. I need to sort things out. As Kossia pulled her thoughts deeper in, so as not to broadcast them, she felt a familiar touch at the fringes of her mind.

**Tylii? What's happened, beloved?**

**Too much...It's....** she trailed off.

Suddenly, Crest darted out of a patch of seaweed and sped to swim in front of Whisper before turning back to swim next to him. He let out an eager series of clicks and whines and Kossia released his fin, allowing him to frantically chase after Crest. She closed her eyes and sighed. Lost in her own thoughts, she failed to sense Skarloc approaching from behind. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and kissed her neck. Kossia looked up in shock and then smiled at him. She suddenly felt a flash of heat surge through her body and her thoughts went reeling. She eased out of his embrace and turned to face him.

**He disapproves,** she sent simply.

**There's a change,** Skarloc replied sarcastically with a half grin.

**I had hoped he wouldn't for once.... I know it would be a miracle, but I had hoped.**

**Tylii, why do you let it bother you?**

Kossia smiled inwardly at the mention of her soul name. **Because, my sweet Ymoie. He is my father. He taught me most of everything I know. It will always bother me when he disapproves.**

**And what of Gentle Wave?**

Kossia shrugged noncommittally. **I didn't tell her.**

**You what?**

**I was so upset after talking to Huin...I just...didn't tell her.**

**So you're going to let him break the news to her? I can picture it now.... 'Do you know what your daughter did two days ago? She went and Recognized that scrap of seaweed, that's what.' Is that really how you want her to hear about it?**

Kossia looked rather sheepish. **Well...I figured he'd tell her...but not in that way.**

Skarloc's only reply was look at her with one of his 'well why not?' looks, and her cheeks turned slightly red.

**Well...I figured...I mean...." She trailed off again.

**You mean...what?**

**Well...I just didn't think he'd say it like that, that's all.**

**And what were you expecting? This?** he asked, sending her an image of Huin with a huge grin plastered on his face, flowered garlands strewn all over him, and happily telling Gentle Wave that Kossia and Skarloc had Recognized.

Kossia's cheeks burned even brighter. **No...**

**We didn't delay this to have your father angrily relaying to your mother what's happened, you know.**

Kossia started swimming toward the cave the two shared.

**Well? Aren't you going to tell her?** he asked, staying where he was.

**Nope. What I'm going to do is swim back to our cave, put my trident and daggers away, take off my clothes and go lay down. If you feel like joining me and maybe having some fun with this Recognition, then by all means, follow,** she told him, giving him a mischievous grin and mentally yelping as he surged forward to chase after her, not unlike their dolphins had done earlier.

Huin looked up from his dagger and whetstone. "Do you know what your daughter did two days ago?" he asked his lifemate.

Not glancing up from her beadwork, she sent back **No, beloved. What?**

"She went and Recognized that....that...that scrap of seaweed, that's what!"

Gentle Wave immediately set her work aside. **You didn't,** she said. **I know you wouldn't have done what I think you have.**

Huin crossed his arms across his chest. Gentle Wave's eyes widened. "You fool," she said, speaking aloud as she rarely did. She knelt next to him and grabbed his face between her hands, hauling his gaze around to meet her own. "Listen to me, Grandsire," she began, calling his attention to the conversation's topic by calling him grandsire. "I remember how long it took you to accept that lovemating, and I will not watch you harm your daughter emotionally again by rejecting or refusing to acknowledge this." She released his face. "What has he done to you?"

"What?" he asked, looking confused.

"What. Has. He. Done. To. You?" Gentle Wave asked, talking slowly to get her point across to Huin. "What has he done that you detest him so?"

"I don't detest him."

"Then why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you so dead-set against him having anything to do with our daughter?"

"I never said - "

"Why, Huin?"

"I don't think he's worthy of her."

"In what capacity?"

"He's just...it's...he's..." Huin faltered.

"You know, short of a High One, I'd bet my finest needles and threads that anyone else would be beneath her."

"I'm glad you see it my way," Huin said, setting aside his dagger.

"Let this go. She's happy with him. Shouldn't that be enough for you? Doesn't that in and of itself prove his worth to you?"

Huin reached over and took one of Gentle Wave's hands.

"Always the peace keeper."

Skarloc awoke with Kossia's left arm flopped across his stomach. He smiled as he reached over and stroked her cheekbone. She stirred slightly, a faint smile crossing her lips. A few seconds later she opened her eyes and grinned at him.

"Hi," she said sheepishly. She couldn't stop her grin from widening itself.

Skarloc snuggled closer to her and put his arm around her. "Tylii?"

"Yes, my sweet Ymoie?"

"What do you think it'll be?"

"My guess is it'll be a child." She replied with a chuckle.

"Well I know that much. I was hoping for a more specific answer."

"I don't know yet. When I find out, I'll let you know," she responded, closing her eyes. "For now, let's sleep. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted," she added with another grin.

"So does that mean you're not up for another go? I mean, maybe we should just to make sure it took, you know?"

"Well, ok. You twisted my arm..." Kossia said, and looked into his eyes. "But just for fun. Because trust me - it took."