Page 84 of Alien's Love Child

"He's not eating properly," I whisper to Davin later, after we've cleared the plates. Leo's curled up on the couch with Paraxan, listening to one of the mechanic's rambling stories. "And he flinched when Rena moved too quickly earlier."

Davin's hand finds mine under the table. "He's got Kaleidian blood in him, Jesse. We're built to weather storms."

"Half Kaleidian," I remind him.

"And half you." His thumb traces circles on my palm. "That makes him twice as resilient."

Rena snorts into her drink. "Stars help us all when he's older. Stubborn as a Kaleidian, clever as Jesse – he'll be unstoppable."

"Already is." I watch Leo giggle at something Paraxan says, the first real laugh we've heard from him since the incident. "Look at him. Still a toddler and he's bouncing back."

"Like I said." Davin squeezes my hand. "Resilient."

CHAPTER 31

DAVIN

The door to Leo's room slides shut with a soft hiss. I lean against the wall, watching Jesse tuck our son into his small bed. The events of the day have left their mark, and exhaustion weighs heavy on her shoulders.

"Another story, Mama?" Leo's voice is small, but determined.

"One more, little star." Jesse perches on the edge of his bed. "Which one?"

"The space pirate one."

I cross my arms, hiding my smile. "You've heard that one three times today."

"Four," Jesse corrects, running her fingers through Leo's silver hair - so much like mine. "But who's counting?"

Paraxan's heavy footsteps echo down the hall, followed by Rena's lighter ones. Through the open door, I catch snippets of their conversation about security protocols and sensor arrays.

"All sealed up for the night," Rena calls out. "We'll take shifts."

"Copy that," I respond, then turn back to find Leo's eyes growing heavy despite his protests.

"But I'm not tired," he mumbles, clutching his stuffed velocitorck closer.

Jesse starts the familiar tale anyway, her voice soft and soothing. "Once upon a time, there was a very clever space pirate..."

I slide down to sit beside her, my hand finding the small of her back. Leo's breathing evens out before she even reaches the part about the treasure map. She lets the story trail off, and we sit in comfortable silence, watching our son sleep.

"He's out cold," I whisper.

"Thank the stars." Jesse leans into me. "Though I can't blame him for being anxious. It's been quite a day."

"We should get some rest too. Rena and Paraxan have first watch."

Jesse nods, but neither of us moves just yet. The soft blue nightlight casts gentle shadows across Leo's peaceful face. After everything that's happened, these quiet moments feel like stolen treasures.

"I need a shower." Jesse walks into our room, her fingers already working the buttons of her shirt. She glances back at me, a smirk playing on her lips. "You coming?"

I raise an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe. "Do I need an invitation?"

She laughs, a sound that never fails to send a jolt through me. "Not at all. Just didn't want you to miss the hint."

I push off the frame, following her into the room and shutting the door behind me. Her shirt hits the floor, quickly joined by her pants. "Subtlety was never your strong suit."

"And thank the stars for that." She turns to face me, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Are you joining me or not, Davin?"

---