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Aly raised her brows at him. "They...let you get off early?"

He glanced back at her, and the side of his mouth curved up in a slanted smile. "No. A joke. I slipped away. I have no warnings this month, so I can afford to be a little rebellious. Just like someone I know." He bumped her arm with his, and Aly chuckled.

They looked over the edge and were silent for a long moment before Julian elected to speak again. "Did I ever tell you that me and Kate had been stationed on Freya for a few months before joining the Grayhart mission?"

Aly looked over at him curiously. "The civilian world? Why?"

He stared around until his eyes met hers. "We were thinking of settling down there, to try to start a family. It's a lovely place, really, the terraforming done a lot smoother than others." His eyes fell from hers. "But then we were called to join the mission, so we put our plans off. After all, who would say no to the chance to go looking for alien worlds? To study them? It's like every sci-fi nerd's dream. Too bad they don't tell you it’s not like the movies, eh?"

Aly smiled but said nothing. 'Some of it can be,' she thought. 'And that makes it even stranger.'

"So, me and Kate talked it over, and we think that this whole exploring thing might not be for us. And that's okay. Just because it is a chance of a lifetime doesn't mean you have to take it."

Aly's brows furrowed as she watched him, watched his mouth turn up into a smile though his eyes were dark with some deep emotion.

"So, if we do ever make it out, we are going to go back and start that family. ‘Cause that can be an adventure in itself. Maybe not to all but it can be. And it is enough for us." He looked back at her again, his smile fading a little. "I know your home life is bad, Aly, but you don't have to be alone. If you wanted to join us, you could."

Aly's eyes widened at this sudden offer. "You would...let me stay with you?"

Julian placed a hand on her shoulder, and the touch was welcome as she was desperate to have it. Even just from a friend.

"Family can be made anywhere. That's at least one sure thing in this universe. And my crew is my family. You are welcome to join us. And, you know we are always here to talk. When we come out of this, as I'd like to believe we will, we will go home together." He squeezed her shoulder. "Whatever is on your mind, whatever is bothering you, you will come and talk. Me and Kate will always listen."

Aly felt her throat tighten. She nodded her head but couldn't seem to form words except for a quiet, "Thank you".

He smiled and patted her back. "I better get back to work, but we will see you at the next meeting." He started back for the elevator then turned. "Don't be late." He winked and left.

Aly watched him go, her hand splayed across her neck. She had a place to go now if she ever went home, something she’d always wanted. She should be happy, but...

Her eyes fell across the entrance to a stairway just across the other end of the platform, and she froze. A figure stood watching her. A very big red and purple devil.

Xilya waved her over, and Aly didn't hesitate. Once she got to the entrance, she opened her mouth, but Xilya spoke first. "You’re needed below again."

Aly licked her lips. "He...needs me?"

Xilya's eyes sparked with amusement. "We all do. Come."

***

Xilya fiddled with Aly's techband, messing with the code of the tracer program, before they made their way downward, telling Aly she would explain when they were below. They took the stairs for two levels until they found an empty elevator and took it the rest of the way down. As they stood silently while each level passed, Aly glanced over at the vrisha female, wringing her hands as if to keep them warm. Her eyes lingered, tracing the pattern of Xilya's hard-edged scales along her neck.

She'd never really been alone with the alien before, and she began to realize she'd never really talked to her about anything, either. At least nothing important. Nothing about home and all that had happened. And she wondered how much Xilya knew. Perhaps nothing. Or maybe she'd left after. But then Aly thought that couldn't be. She was sure the alien would have acknowledged Aly's race when they first met if she had.

"Am I making you nervous?" Xilya said, shifting toward her.

Aly smiled. "Only a little."

Xilya grunted. "It is expected. Most are put off by my kind." She flicked her dagger-tipped tail, hitting the back of the elevator, leaving a thin black mark. "I can't imagine why."

Aly chuckled nervously. "You are intimidating up close."

"As opposed to far away?" Xilya huffed. There was a glint of amusement in her eyes as her mouth widened. Her eyes traveled down Aly's body, studying her carefully. "It is funny, though... most who I encounter usually have the same reaction—an instinctual drive to run or cower and maybe piss their pants."

Aly shifted on her feet, her eyes falling to the floor. "I'm sorry they judge you like that."

Xilya shrugged. "I am used to it. And really, it's hard to blame them." Her eyes shifted over Aly again, now curious. "You didn't react that way, though, did you? When we first met."

Aly bit her bottom lip and forced herself to meet the woman's eyes. "I guess I didn't."