Weeks, maybe even months were dedicated towards learning, teaching and preparing. Time passed rather slowly while Paul trained the Fremen in preparation for an attack. I didn't know all of the details, I'm not sure if Paul really knew either, but once Paul had trained the Fremen in his  combat skills and they had trained us in their own, we would be really ready to take back Arrakis.

"Lia! Lia!" 

The small girl's voice draw my attention and I looked up from my son to see her small figure bouncing towards me. It had only been mere weeks since her birth and here she was, able-bodied, having matured physically as if she were at least two-years-old. She was growing at an alarming rate, though we knew there was something odd about her. She was different. That much was evident from her accelerated growth.

I was currently sitting on a bench off to the side rocking Leto as he slept while I watched Paul instruct a group of older Fremen in his combat skills. Stilgar and Paul decided the best course of action would be to combine abilities, making sure both we and the Fremen are fluent in each other's ways.

My father was perfect for that role, and I was happy that it finally gave him something to do. Both Paul and my father would train with the Fremen regularly, and so would I when I was able to pull myself away from Leto for an hour or two at a time. I was still attached to my child, I couldn't handle being without him.

Alia bounced her way to my side. As she reached me she looked over at the training group being led by her brother and thought to lower her tone. A few of the trainees gave her side-glances and I could see her posture slouch in embarrassment.

She was speaking, communicating. Even if she were to be no more than two years old, she was incredibly well spoken. From the moment she was born it was as if she already knew everything she needed to know. We discovered that her touch could communicate with you and make you see what she wants you to see, but most curiously, her touch allowed her to see into you. 

There were no surprises with this girl anymore. As abnormal as it was for her to be growing at a speed four times faster than normal, she continued to defy our expectations. Her abilities were remarkable, but many of the other Fremen didn't exactly see it as such.

"Lia, I just saw something wonderful." Alia shifted restlessly from one foot to another, eager to tell me her story. 

"What did you see?" I smiled. She noticed Leto in my arms who, unlike her, was growing at a normal rate. She stepped onto the bench I was sitting on to get a better look. I turned my body towards her so she could see her nephew.

"Hi baby Leto," she cooed and offered him her finger to grab before gathering her thoughts again, "oh goodness, it was incredible. I was playing with the other children but we could hear one of the pregnant women in pain. They told us to stay away but, oh Lia, I just couldn't! I had to see it for myself."

I grinned at her excited smile while she let her eyes travel across our surroundings, unable to focus on one thing. It was odd to hear her young voice mixed with fully formed sentences. 

"Just as the lady was giving birth, I peeked over the curtain and saw the baby's head! The baby had a big head and he was coming out of his mother, I've never seen anything like it. He just slipped out of his mother, it was an odd sight. But oh, it was so beautiful!"

She touched my shoulder, and whether it was on purpose or not I understood everything just as she described it. I couldn't see the image in my mind, but I could feel the beauty of the childbirth she had come to witness.

I nodded and let out a laugh. "You're right, it's beautiful. That's what it was like when I gave birth to Leto. That's also what happened when your mother gave birth to you." I poked her lightly on the nose.

She blinked at my touch and made a face. "Did that hurt? It must hurt. It looks like there's a boulder coming out of your vagina."

My eyes widened at her loud voice and I hoped no one could hear our conversation. "I mean, it hurt a lot. Like, a terrible amount. But I didn't really notice it after I held Leto. After that, he was the only thing I could think of."

"Interesting. I can't imagine being in pain and then suddenly losing focus of it." She giggled. "I wonder if it would hurt for me if I gave birth to a baby."

My eyes widened and I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I hope you won't find yourself pregnant for a very long, long, time."

But Alia was lost in her thoughts. She leaned against me and I could tell by her eyes that her mind was wandering. "I'm going to keep track of the Fremen women in our sietch. Hopefully I'll be nearby when someone gives birth again. Oh, Lia! I would just love to see that again!" She grabbed my arm in excitement. "I still can't believe that I saw the birth of a baby!

"You saw what, child?" 

Alia and I both looked over at the scolding sound of Jessica. She was marching her way towards the two of us, her eyes narrowed at her daughter. 

The smile slipped from Alia's face and was replaced with one of shame and panic. "I'm sorry, mother."

"You know you must respect the Fremen rules and traditions. That was not appropriate of you at all."

"But mother," the girl whined, "it's not like these traditions are sacred or anything, it's just decency-"

"Exactly!" Jessica gave her daughter a pointed look. "It's decency. You need to treat these people with decency. You need to respect this culture because it is also your culture, dear. You are one of them."

Alia frowned and crossed her arms. "It doesn't feel like I'm one of them, so why do I have to act like it? I'm a freak."

"Don't you dare say that." I scowled. "You are not a freak. Who said that? Who said you were a freak?"

She kept her eyes trained on the ground and played with her fingers. "No one, but..."

"Exactly." I told her more gently. "I don't even want you to say or think that again. Nobody thinks that of you here."

"They don't need to say it for me to know," she retorted, "I know what they're thinking. Even if I don't want to, I do. I see it in the way they look at me. I see the way they whisper to each other when I try to play with them. They think I'm a freak."

Jessica crouched down to bring herself to Alia's level. "You are an incredibly gifted young girl with powers even I have yet to understand. People fear what they don't know, and to everyone else you are a mystery. You are not a freak, my child. Don't let yourself believe that."

Alia didn't look convinced but she didn't protest any further. "Okay." She mumbled.

"Where's my boy?"

I looked over to see Paul making his way over, the sweat glistening on his forehead. The sight of him hot and sweaty made something inside me stir The trainees behind him began to scatter so I could only assume the session had come to an end.

"Someone was missing his daddy." I handed Leto to his dad who took him gladly. Alia hopped off the bench to approach her brother.

"Paul," she called to catch his attention, "do you think it is appropriate for me to watch the women give birth?"

Paul took his eyes off Leto to exchange looks with his mother before returning his attention to Alia. "Not at your age, I don't think. If anything you shouldn't be watching because you need to respect their privacy. I hope you don't think about trying anything like that anytime soon. Sorry, Alia."

The small girl frowned and stormed off before anything more could be said. I exchanged a knowing look with Paul. Alia was always getting herself into situations like these, she was more curious than most.

"Alia..." The Lady Jessica muttered before following after her daughter.

I turned back to Paul who was holding Leto out with his arms, lightly swinging him up to the sky. The baby let out small giggles and bubbles of spit as he got tossed lightly into the air.

"He didn't cry once today." I informed Paul who continued to play with our son.

"Not once?" Paul turned his wide eyes to Leto. "You didn't cry once? Look at you go, big boy!"

He pulled Leto close to his face and began to blow raspberries against his cheek. Leto squirmed in his hands, kicking and thrashing as his father tickled his cheek.

I looked back at the new group of soldiers that occupied the training space, this time with a Fremen instructor. Our preparations had been going on for a long time, I wondered when we would finally escape our boring routine of combat and conditioning.

"Do you know if the soldiers are ready?" I asked Paul, my eyes still trained on the trainees. "Do we plan to fight soon?"

His gaze reached mine and he paused for a moment, searching for the right thing to say.

"I think so, yes." He nodded. "Everyone has been trained as much as we can, but this war, it... It's going to come faster than we expect."

I raised a brow. "How fast?"

He pursed his lips. "Fast."

I nodded. That could mean a lot of things, that could mean weeks, days, maybe even hours.

Paul coddled Leto, trying to keep him occupied as he talked. "I'm going to leave tomorrow. It won't be long, but I wanted to let you know."

"Leave?" I asked.

"To another sietch," he clarified, "a few hours away, at least that's what Stilgar says. I shouldn't be there long but I can't see anyone attacking us that soon so you should be safe. Still, I'm hoping that I'll be back in time-"

"And if you're not?"

He sucked in a breath. "Well, let's just hope I am." 

A moment passed, the both of us watching Leto before Paul spoke again. "Lia... It's not just me and you anymore. We have Leto to think about, too. Whenever the war comes-"

"I'm not staying back," I snapped, "if that's what you're going to tell me to do. I'm a skilled fighter and I know it, skilled enough to help you train the Fremen in the combat lessons my father taught the both of us. Leto will be safe with the other children. I want to protect our family, but I'm not going to do that by staying home doing nothing."

He nodded, a knowing smile reaching his lips. "And I'd never ask you to. You're my equal, Lia. If not more. I was going to say, when you go into battle, promise me you'll be smart. Not strategically, but with your family in mind. With me in mind. Don't do something stupid and get yourself hurt"

My expression softened. Feyd-Rautha seemed to have ingrained the habit of asserting myself to others since he was always good at making me feel small. It is easy for me to forget the Paul isn't Feyd. Paul is better, he always has been.

"Thank you for saying that. And you're right, I need think of our family. I will think of our family." I assured him. 

"Please," he begged, "make sure you don't get into trouble. That's all I want."

I nodded, but even if I did, I knew I could never let him know. Not when it would distract Paul from doing what he needs to do. That's me thinking about our family. Making sure Leto has a father to care for him and a good world to live in.

"Ugh." Paul sniffed the air. He raised Leto and pressed his nose to his bum before pulling back and gaging. "This guy took a fat shit." He made a face and eyed Leto accusingly.

He paused under my narrowed expression. "Fat poop," he corrected himself, remembering to watch his words around children, "he took a fat poop."

"Well, daddy better change that poopy diaper before I start to smell it from here." I stepped up onto my tip-toes and planted a kiss on both Paul's cheek and Leto's forehead.

"We'll be back, won't we Leto?" Paul began to wander off back to camp where Leto's things would be. I watched as my two boys played happily together and prayed things wouldn't have to change after the fight. But I wasn't so sure anymore.

***

hey loves, how are you doing? school just started up again so i'm sorry for the delay, i appreciate your patience.

also i'm accelerating alia's growth just to make the story make more sense

thoughts on this chapter? what do you think will happen while paul is away? why is it so important that he goes?

make sure to get your sleep!! gonna do that rn lol

with love,
via <3