Page 65 of Alien's Love Child

"Here's mine." Taluk passes over a lumpy package. "Sorry about the wrapping. Some of us didn't inherit Jesse's smuggler's touch."

"You mean her obsessive need to make everything perfect?" Rena dodges my half-hearted swat.

Leo's gasp draws my attention back. He's holding a model spaceship, each detail meticulously painted. "It's your ship, Mama! The old one!"

"How did you-" I start.

Taluk shrugs, scales darkening slightly. "Had some time between jobs. Thought the kid should know his heritage."

My throat tightens as Leo zooms the model through the air, making engine noises. Maybe our past isn't something to hide from after all.

Leo's curled under the table, silver hair splayed across the floor, clutching his model ship like a teddy bear. Cake crumbs dust his cheeks, and his new pilot's jacket bunches around his shoulders. My heart swells at the sight.

"Remember that run through the Nexus Belt?" Rena's voice drops low as she helps me gather wrapping paper. "When those patrols had us pinned?"

"You mean when you pulled that insane spiral maneuver?" Taluk grins, his scales catching the lamplight. "Thought I was gonna lose my lunch."

"It worked, didn't it?"

"The ship's never been quite the same," Paraxan rumbles, whiskers twitching. "That stress on the port thrusters-"

"Worth it to see those patrol ships crash into each other." I stack plates, trying to ignore the familiar itch in my fingers. The need to wrap them around a control yoke, feel the thrum of engines beneath my feet.

"We miss you in the captain's chair." Rena touches my arm. "The routes aren't the same without your crazy schemes."

"Things change." My throat tightens as I watch Leo shift in his sleep, the toy ship making soft scraping sounds against the floor. "Some things matter more than a good adrenaline rush."

"Who says you can't have both?" Taluk leans forward, voice eager. "We could-"

"No." Davin's tone brooks no argument. "We discussed this."

"But with proper precautions-"

"The answer's no." I meet each of their eyes in turn. "I appreciate the offer, but Leo needs stability. Safety. Not a life running from port to port, always looking over our shoulders."

"Like we're doing now?" Rena arches an eyebrow.

"That's different." I gesture to Leo's sleeping form. "This is... manageable. Controlled. Out there? One wrong move and..." The words stick in my throat.

Silence falls, broken only by Leo's soft breathing and the distant cry of night birds.

Nothing else needs to be said on the matter.

CHAPTER 24

DAVIN

The crew's off-key singing fills our small living room with warmth. Leo bounces on his toes, trying to catch up with the words. His silver hair, so much like mine, catches the afternoon light streaming through the windows.

"The space whale goes whoosh-whoosh-whoosh," Rena sings, making exaggerated swimming motions.

"Whoosh!" Leo echoes, spinning in circles.

My PerComm vibrates against my wrist. A message notification flashes across the screen.

"Need to check something," I say, stepping away from the group. "Work stuff."

Jesse catches my eye, concern flickering across her face. I give her a reassuring nod.

---