Page 15 of Saving Lauren

“Keep them alive?” he parrots. “I thought you wanted to eat the plants. For Healthy Foods? Also the berries are supposed to be sweet, so I hope you will enjoy those very much!”

I giggle. “If you keep the plant alive, and let it grow, there will be new berries once you have picked the ripe ones. So, I think we need to create some sort of greenhouse, with artificial sunlight? Plants need sunlight to grow.”

He nods and I can see the wheels turning in his head.

“The vendor also sold me supplies when I bought the plants, these must be the things you need. I also think I can make you something. We have solar lights we sometimes use in the medical bay. I can ask O’Rec for a couple and reroute them.”

I nod. “Let’s start with that and figure out what we need on the way.” I touch one of the leaves and it feels just like a succulent plant from home.

“What does the other plant do?” I ask D’Var.

“That one has roots you can eat,” he says. I think about that. I don’t know anything about plants with underground edibles, but this will give me a project to really sink my teeth in when the guys are doing, whatever it is they are doing.

“What is it you guys are doing, exactly?” I ask D’Var as his face does that weird thing again.

“What’s happening? Are you talking to someone?”

He looks at me surprised. “Yes, I am asking T’Rak something.”

I perk up. “You can communicate telepathically?” This is so exciting.

He nods, then he is silent for a while and then he sighs.

“Yes, T’Rak, O’Rec and I have been a crew for many years. Even before the destruction. When you are that close with other Warriors a bond can form.” He grins. “It gives a great advantage in battle.”

I snort, D’Var is a Warrior alright. “So, can you form a bond with other Arracate? Or other beings?”

“With your mate," he says shyly, and he gives me a funny look. I remember him talking about mating and telling me we would talk about that later.

“I think it’s time for later, D’Var.” I say and he blinks. “You promised to tell me about mates later.” I say again.

He nods, and just as he wants to start talking my stomach growls.

“Let me feed you first and then I can tell you all about mates before we go to sleep, alright?”

I really want to protest, but he sounds so logical, and I am hungry, so we go to the Command Center and D’Var fixes something to eat. When we sit back on the bench I decide that this is not going to work long term. So, I make a mental note to remind him to talk about how long I will be on the ship and what our plan is. I have not really been thinking things through, but now that my initial shock is over, I am beginning to think I might have a future again.

We eat in silence. My mind is all over the place, and I am buzzing with questions and possibilities. O’Rec is silently piloting the ship and T’Rak is nowhere to be seen. D’Var seems utterly focused on his noodles, so I let him be. My questions can wait for the privacy of his room.

After dinner he tells O’Rec goodnight, and he takes my hand and leads me to his room. He stops before the door.

“Do you want to sleep here again? You can always go back to your own room if you want, you do not owe me anything.”

I put my hand on his arm. “It’s alright, D’Var. I want to be with you.”

He smiles at me. “Thank you, L’Ren. Thank you for letting me do this for you.”

I smile back. “You have it wrong D’Var, I should be thanking you.”

When we enter his room, he takes me to a big bag that is sitting in a corner.

“I bought you more clothes. You should see if you can find something that is suited for you to sleep in. I will be in the bathroom. You can change here while I am there, or you can change later, in the bathroom.”

He grabs something from a small closet and then disappears into the bathroom. I am touched again by his thoughtfulness. He is doing his best not to crowd me too much, and it is making me want to hold onto him even more. I wonder how he seems to know just what I need as look through the bag of clothes. They are basics; legging, shirts, but all very soft and in soft colors. There are even boots and socks. I love it very much.

No underwear though. I huff a bit. Aliens are so very developed in their technology, but underwear is not something that seems to exist outside of Earth at all. I quickly change my clothes, still bitching in my head about aliens and underwear when D’Var exits the bathroom. I turn around and I freeze, all I can do is stare at him.

D’Var has changed his clothes as well. He has removed the leather bindings, his harness, and he changed his leather pants for soft light gray pants. I think these are the alien equivalent for sweatpants. The pants are low on his hips, and he is all muscle. And all that muscled dark chest is covered in black ink. I can see his tattoos clearly now, without the harness interrupting the patterns, and I am fascinated. They look like tribals and swirls, something out of an ancient earth history book. He is magnificent.

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