He watched Doug climb down stiffly from his perch on the table. Okay, he told himself, Doug's going to go back to his quarters now. Christ, it's after midnight. Okay, just tail along behind him and when he gets to his quarters, invite yourself in and get the job done.

DAY ELEVEN

"It's past midnight," Claire Rossi said tiredly as she trudged along the corridor that led from The Cave to her quarters. Nick O'Malley, at her side, towered over her like a redheaded bodyguard.

He nodded. "I've got the early shift tomorrow. Gotta be up and moving by six a.m."

She smiled up at him. "You can sleep in my place. It's closer."

He smiled back. "How could I refuse?"

But once they were snuggled in her bunk together, Claire whispered in the darkness, "Maybe I should get an abortion."

She felt the shock that went through him. "Abortion? Why? You can't! I don't want you to."

Feeling more miserable with each word, Claire said, "With all this going on, all this uncertainty… and if there should be any complications…"

He touched her bare shoulder tenderly. "You feel okay, don't you? There's nothing wrong, is there?"

"No," she said, "I feel fine."

"Then what's this talk about abortion? I don't like it."

"It's just…' She couldn't put the words together.

"Just what? This siege thing? Don't let that frighten you. Even if we have to go back Earthside we still have employment contracts. Masterson Corporation'll have to honor our contracts. We'll have our jobs."

"Suppose there's fighting?"

"How could there be?" he said. "We don't have anything to fight with."

"But Doug said Yamagata wants to take over the base."

He propped himself on one elbow and looked down at her. "And what's that got to do with it? We'd have to go back Earthside anyway, now that you're pregnant."

'I'd have to go back," Claire said. "I'm the one who's pregnant."

"Well, I'd have to go back with you, wouldn't I?"

"Why? We're not married. You're not under any obligation."

For a moment he was silent, then Nick chuckled softly in the darkness. "So that's it, then. You're worried that I won't make an honest woman of you."

"I never tried to-"

He smothered her lips with a kiss. "Listen to me, Claire darling. I love you. I love our baby, too. I'm going to marry you… if you'll have me."

She wrapped her bare arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. "I love you, Nick. I'm mad about you."

After a few moments he caught his breath and said, "So there'll be no more talk of abortion, right?"

"Right."

He fell silent for several heartbeats. Then he murmured, "I wonder if there's anybody here in Moonbase who can perform a wedding?"

Doug sat on the table's edge up at the front of the cafeteria until even Kadar ran out of steam. Only a handful of people were still in The Cave. Most had left long ago.