Page 60 of Alien's Love Child

"More syrup please, space commander sir!"

I laugh, reaching for the bottle. Some things never change, no matter which corner of the galaxy we hide in.

I trace my finger along the nav display, the familiar star patterns bringing back memories. "You know, we're not far from Rivina. Beautiful little place - waterfalls that glow in the dark, floating markets."

"Another smuggling hotspot?" Davin raises an eyebrow, cleaning up the remains of breakfast.

"Actually, no. That's what made it perfect for certain... discretionary shipments. The locals mind their own business, but they're kind. I delivered medical supplies there during the drought two years ago."

Leo looks up from his toys. "What's a waterfall, Mama?"

"It's like... remember the shower on the last ship? But bigger, and prettier, and outside."

"Can we see it?" His eyes light up.

I catch Davin watching me, his expression thoughtful. "What do you think?" he asks softly. "Rivina's pretty far from the regular patrol routes."

The possibility settles in my mind - a real home, not just another temporary hideout. "Leo needs more than ship cabins and quick getaways. He should have friends his age, maybe even school someday."

"But?" Davin prompts.

"But staying in one place..." I run my hands through my hair. "It's risky. If they find us-"

"We can't run forever, Jesse." He moves closer, his voice low enough that Leo can't hear. "We've got enough credits saved. I could find work in security, you could-"

"What, become a respectable citizen?" I snort. "I wouldn't know where to start."

"You could start by teaching Leo to swim in those waterfalls you mentioned."

I watch our son, making explosion sounds as he crashes his toys together. He deserves more than this perpetual chase across the stars. "The northern continent has these amazing mountain ranges," I say slowly. "Small communities, mostly farmers. Easy to blend in."

Davin leans against the counter, his expression softening as he watches Leo play. "You know this is the right choice. Not just for him, but all of us."

I smile at the thought of playing family with Davin. "The great bounty hunter, settling down?" I bump his hip with mine. "What would your old military buddies say?"

"They'd probably die of shock." He pulls me closer, his arm warm around my waist. "But I've missed enough of his life already. And yours."

Leo crashes his toy ship into Davin's leg. "Daddy! Be the bad guy!"

"Sorry, kid. I'm retired from being the bad guy." He scoops Leo up, settling him on his shoulders. "How about we be explorers instead?"

"Like Mama?"

I laugh. "More legal than Mama's old exploring."

"We could get a place near those mountains you mentioned," Davin says. "Something with a yard. Maybe even a workshop where I could teach him to fix ships."

"And a garden," I add, surprising myself with how much I want this. "I always wanted to grow real food, not just hydroponics."

"A garden?" Davin's eyes crinkle. "Never figured you for the farming type."

"Hey, I'm full of surprises." I tap his chest. "I've spent so much of my life in sterile space, dirt is just so appealing now. Besides, someone needs to teach our son that food doesn't just appear in storage containers."

Leo bounces on Davin's shoulders. "Can I have a tree house?"

"We'll see about that, little star." I reach up to steady him. "First we need to find the right place."

"Rivina," Davin says firmly. "Let's do it. We can start looking for property as soon as we land."

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