Page 87 of Alien's Love Child

"Come on, there must be someone who catches your eye. That mechanic, what was his name…?"

"The one with the cybernetic arm? Pass." Rena stretches out on the floor, glass balanced on her stomach. "Some of us prefer the freedom of being perpetually single."

"You can't run forever."

"Watch me." She grins. "Someone has to keep your old ship running while you play happy families."

"I don't know if I'd call this playing." I gesture at the dress. "This is pretty permanent."

"Good. After everything you two went through?" She props herself up on an elbow. "If anyone deserves their happy ending, it's you."

"What about you? Don't you want-"

"Nope." She pops the 'p' sound. "I've got the stars, a fast ship, and the occasional exciting job. That's all I need."

The wine warms my chest as I look at my oldest friend. "I wouldn't have made it through these past few years without you."

"Don't get sappy on me now." But her smile is genuine. "Save it for tomorrow."

"No, I'm going to get sappy, and you're going to deal with it." I sit up, wine sloshing dangerously close to the rim of my glass. "You and Paraxan kept me sane when Davin vanished. You helped me raise Leo. Hell, you've saved my life more times than I can count."

"That's what family does." Rena's cheeks flush pink from the wine.

"Remember when Paraxan made that soup for me during morning sickness?"

"The one with his fur floating in it?" She wrinkles her nose. "You ate three bowls."

"It worked, didn't it? And when Leo was colicky, he'd purr him to sleep."

"That old furball loves that kid more than his ship engines, and that's saying something."

My vision blurs with tears. "I never thought I'd have this. A real family. Not just blood relatives running cons together."

"Hey." Rena reaches over and squeezes my hand. "You deserve every bit of happiness coming your way. Even if it came packaged as a stupidly handsome bounty hunter who tried to con you."

"Life's funny that way, isn't it?"

"Hilarious." She tops off our glasses again. "But watching you two together? It's like those old stories about fate and destiny actually mean something. Plus, Leo needs someone to teach him how to shoot straight, because we both know your aim is terrible."

"My aim is fine! I took out half a warehouse full of mafia cronies!"

"Tell that to the cargo container you hit instead of that pirate."

I throw a cushion at her head. She dodges, laughing, and raises her glass. "To unexpected happy endings."

"To family," I counter, clinking my glass against hers.

My dress whispers against the wooden floor as I approach Davin. The setting sun streams through the windows of the small temple, casting his blue skin in shades of purple and gold. His silver hair catches the light, making him look ethereal. Our eyes meet, and my heart skips – just like that first time in my ship's kitchen.

The priestess, her elaborate robes adorned with traditional Kaleidian symbols, stands between us. Leo squirms in Rena's arms behind me, but settles when Paraxan starts his gentle purring.

"The path that brought you here," the priestess begins, her voice carrying through the small space, "was not straight, nor was it easy. But that is the beauty of fated bonds – they persist through the storms."

Davin's lips quirk up at the corner, and I know he's thinking of our first meeting, when he infiltrated my crew. The priestess raises her hands, palms facing outward.

"In our tradition, we believe souls recognize each other across lifetimes. They dance around each other until the moment is right, until both are ready to complete their journey together." She looks between us. "Sometimes, that recognition comes in the midst of chaos. Sometimes, it comes despite our best efforts to deny it."

My fingers twitch, remembering that rainy alley where we first kissed, when everything was complicated and nothing made sense except the way he looked at me.

---