Christiana was excited. Really excited. She was dressed in her nicest outfit. A blue gingham cotton dress with a sapphire bow similar to the one often worn by Haruhi-nee in the back of her long straight honey-colored hair. She loved this frock since it brought out the color of her eyes because they were both a comparable shade of her favorite hue.

Her closest Sister had helped her put on her clothing due to her injured wrist, and the two had gossiped about their upcoming Alterday. Her oneechan was going to be visiting with their secMother while they scheduled her to have dinner with Miss Harrison. Both girls had been looking forward to their respective occasions, and they chatted happily in their room while waiting for the appointed time.

As usual, when calling on Miss Harrison, she was riding in the Washingtons' nicest vehicle. It was the high-end luxury model her Mother used daily. Since her Okaa-sama's personal secretary and chauffeur was off on the weekends, Lucy was currently in the driver's chair. Even from her position on the back seat of the car, the schoolgirl could see that the poor officer's white knuckled grip on the steering wheel. While the young sentry often drove the other vehicle's in the family fleet, she almost never operated this one. After all the automobile cost more creds' than she made in ten years.

The kindly girl tried to talk to and distract her. "How are you doing today, Miss Lucy?"

"I'm fine, Miss. How are you?" the guard answered, her eyes never leaving the road in front of her.

"I am quite well," the schoolgirl replied. "You have never told me before, do you have any patDaughters? Or even Sisters close to my age."

"Oh yes, I do," her companion responded, her grip loosening on the controls. "I have five patDaughters total, and since I am the eldest in my original matFam all of my siblings are younger. I have a Sister who will be sixteen this year so she is only slightly older than you."

"Does she live near here?" Christiana asked with genuine interest. "Does she go to my school?"

"No, Miss," came the reply. "She lives over in Harrisburg. Besides, my family is from the working class, so she wouldn't attend your academy, anyway."

"That is a shame," she replied honestly. "If she is similar to you, then I would very much like to meet her."

"Thank you for the compliment, Miss," the brunette responded. "If you really want such a meeting, I can ask Mrs. Washington. If she agrees, then I would be happy to arrange things for you."

She was quite delighted with this idea, as was Lucy. It was through such meetings and interviews that the majority of working-class families would eventually attain employment in their adulthood. If the encounter went well, then both sides would create a mutually beneficial bond. A relationship that might slowly evolve into a friendship of sorts. As with so many cases in life, it wasn't so much what you know, but who you know that took you the farthest.

"So please, tell me about your Sister," the girl requested.

Then, for the rest of the drive, the officer happily told the schoolgirl all about her sibling. By the time they arrived at their destination, the driver had lost her nervousness and the journey became much easier for both of them.

----

After they had pulled into a massive underground parking structure complete with its own vehicle 'lock, the duo rode up a nearby elevator into a spacious open lobby. Here the floors were tiled in polished, multicolored granite while the grand concierge desk at its center was made of delicately carved wood.

Overhead, large lighting globes were suspended from the beams two levels above, giving the chamber a steady and slightly cool illumination. Meanwhile, the shadowy light of Alterday was visible through the floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows.

The room's interior looked out upon a carefully landscaped courtyard one story below. An artificial stream and an arched Nipponese-style bridge were situated on the terrace. From her vantage point, Christiana could see many well-dressed individuals walking along the graveled walkways that meandered and crisscrossed the garden.

This was the lobby of the highest class hotel in all of Simmon's Town, The Chateau Duflot. Named after the rear admiral who commanded the initial expedition to the a-cent star system, people knew it throughout the prefecture for its high level of luxury.

It was so luxurious that many people wondered how such an establishment could maintain itself financially in such a backwater area. However, since it had been built just under fifteen Years ago and was still in business, the owners had to have some way of keeping things afloat. Even a child found it slightly strange that they erected a luxury hotel like this one here and not in Planetfall or Cooper's Landing. Christiana's young and innocent mind sensed that something was a little off with this place.

However, those gloomy thoughts were quickly replaced by joy when she heard a familiar voice call out "Chris-chan!" Not bothering to see who was around her, she began running full-tilt towards the origin of that cry. Then she jumped into the outstretched arms of the young lady in front of her. This person knelt on one knee to embrace the child with a joyful smile of her own.

The woman in question had the radiant youth of someone in their early to mid-twenties. She also had bright blue eyes and golden hair similar to the child's own. The major difference was that, unlike the schoolgirl's straight locks, this person's long tresses were wavy.

While still thin enough to be considered healthy, she was carrying a few extra kay-gees of mass. However, this weight was distributed in all the right places to make her curvier and gave the adolescent an air of sensuality missing from most individuals her age. This feeling of innocent sexuality was accentuated by her unusually full and pink lips.

She was wearing a brightly colored floral print sundress and a big floppy hat made up of intricately woven plant fibers. The head covering also had a band of ribbon tied into a bow which was the same color as both of their eyes.

This, of course, was Miss Harrison, the schoolgirl's close friend. Truth be told, next to secMother Karen Christiana was more emotionally attached to this lady than any other adult. But then a person her age barely qualified as an adult, no matter how mature she acted.

"I've missed you!" Christiana openly declared, her face positively beaming in delight.

"I missed you too, little one!" the twenty-something replied.

After hugging in the middle of the lodging's foyer for over half a minute, the two girls were brought back to reality by Lucy loudly clearing her throat.

Embarrassed by her public emotional outburst, Christiana pulled backward from her friend; her face blushing like a tomato. It was only then that she remembered her Mother's edict that she treat this woman with the utmost respect.

"I'm sorry, Miss Harrison," she apologized, her sincerity clear to anyone listening. "I was just so happy to see you..."

"It's okay. I am as much to blame as you are," the other girl replied as she rose to her feet.

Then, unnoticed by the blushing child, she shot the guard a complex look. While her mouth was still smiling, her eyes were not. In a jubilant tone, she told the confused member of security, "I've got it from here. You may leave."

"Yes, ma'am," the now rattled sentinel responded. She then bowed deeply before quickly retreating to the nearest elevator.

"Come on. Let's go get some dinner!" the blonde woman said cheerfully. Then she held out her hand to her much younger friend.

"Okay!" Christiana replied as she took Miss Harrison's outstretched hand.

Together, the duo walked hand in hand through the lobby and behind the concierge desk. From there, it was only a short walk to the building's combination restaurant and lounge. They, of course, went into the restaurant portion and were quickly seated by the Hostess at a table for two. The table was next to another set of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a garden below. However, while the terrace seen from the foyer had an Asian feel, this one had a more Western atmosphere. The dim light of Alterday illuminated the blooming flower beds with their riot of colors. The girl always loved to look out at the window at the many rose bushes visible from this vantage point.

"It's a shame we never come here during Mainday," the youngster muttered while looking outside. "I bet the view is even better when a-cent-b is above the horizon."

While she had said this in a whisper, not meaning to be heard, her companion unexpectedly replied.

"I'm sorry, little one, but I am occupied every Mainday," she stated. "But I can arrange for you and your Sister Haruhi to come and have lunch one weekend when I am not in town. It'd even be my treat. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great!" she responded with an enormous grin. "Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome, Chris-chan," the older adolescent came back with an equally cheerful expression. "I enjoy spoiling you. After all, you are only a kid once."

"You know, I've always wondered why you do that," the child stated matter-of-factly.

However, before Miss Harrison could answer the impeccably dressed waitress arrived to take their orders.

"Let's start with a drink order and we will eat after we talk for a while. Is that okay with you?" she inquired as Miss Harrison glanced at Christiana who was sitting across from her.

"That's fine, although can you please bring some bread with the drinks just in case I get hungry before the meal arrives?"

"Of course Miss," the server replied with no hesitation. "Whatever you wish."

"Then I will have your largest glass of grape juice," Miss Harrison ordered and then shifted her gaze to the female sitting across the table.

"Can I please have a normal-sized apple juice?" she asked.

"Yes, of course, you may. I shall return shortly with your requests," the attendant stated as she gave a bow to the duo. She then promptly headed towards the kitchens.

"No, where were we? Oh, you were asking why I love to spoil you, right?"

"Yes, I've wondered about that for a while."

"Well, I can answer that in two ways, one is long, and the other is short. Which one would you prefer to hear?" the older female asked with a mischievous grin.

"How about the shorter one?" Christiana responded after a moment of deliberation.

"The reason I like to spoil you is...," then she stopped speaking.

Thinking that her friend was just pausing for emphasis, Christiana waited. Then, as the silence progressed beyond what would normally be acceptable, she became anxious. Finally. she couldn't take it and out of frustration she said, "Well, what's the answer?"

"What are you asking about?" came Miss Harrison's reply with a snicker.

"Oh, come on!" she stated in a slightly exasperated tone. However, she had a smile on her face because she knew the older girl was just teasing her.

"Okay, okay I was only joking. Now I will give you a proper answer...," she said before pausing.

"Yes?"

"The answer is..."

Yet another pause.

"Yes?!"

"What was the question again?"

"Okay, you're taking this a little too far."

Miss Harrison couldn't hold back a giggle. Then she finally responded properly, "I spoil you because your Mother doesn't."

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"It may not make much sense, but it's the truth," came the retort, Miss Harrison's eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Yes, it is true, but...,"

They were interrupted by the waitress once again as she gracefully placed their drinks in front of her customers. She also put a small plate containing three dinner rolls before the younger of the two. Then she quietly left the table after bowing formally once more.