Page 20 of Alien’s Love Child

CHAPTER 20

DAVIN

I stand outside Leo's room, my heart hammering against my ribs. The door panel glows with a soft nightlight, casting shadows across the hallway.

"You're going to do fine," Jesse whispers, squeezing my arm. "He's a sweet kid. Just... be gentle."

"What if he hates me?" The words slip out before I can stop them. "Our first meeting, I practically terrorized both of you."

"Hey." Jesse steps in front of me, her green eyes fierce. "You weren't yourself then. And kids are more forgiving than you think. Besides, he's been asking about his daddy for months now."

"What did you tell him?"

"That his father was a brave man who got lost, but might find his way back someday." She smooths down my collar, a familiar gesture that sends warmth through my chest. "We weren't ready for the death talk yet, so I avoided it. And look, here you are."

"I don't know the first thing about being a father."

"Neither does any new parent. We figure it out as we go." She pokes my chest. "You commanded entire squadrons in the military, didn't you? One toddler can't be scarier than that."

"Those soldiers weren't my flesh and blood."

"True. But Leo already has your stubborn streak." She grins. "And your appetite. Kid can put away three bowls of cereal in one sitting."

That pulls a chuckle from me. "Poor you."

"Just... be yourself. The real you." She reaches up, traces the scar on my face. "The man who shared tea with me in the middle of the night and told me stories about the stars. That's the father Leo needs."

The door slides open with a soft hiss. Jesse steps in first, and I hear rustling sheets and a sleepy mumble.

"Hey sweetie," she says. "Someone's here to meet you. Again."

My throat tightens as a small figure appears in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. Leo's silver hair catches the light, matching mine perfectly. His skin is a lighter shade of blue than mine, but those eyes – they're all Jesse's.

"Tyren?" Leo peers up at me, clutching a stuffed animal to his chest.

Jesse kneels beside him. "Remember how I told you about your daddy? How he got lost but might find his way back?"

"Uh-huh." Leo nods, still studying me.

I drop to one knee, bringing myself closer to his level. My military training never prepared me for this moment. "I... I'm your father, Leo."

His brow furrows. "Like when Mira's new daddy 'dopted her?"

"No, baby." Jesse smooths his hair. "Tyren’s name is Davin, and he’s your real daddy. He helped make you. But he got hurt and lost his memories for a while. That's why he couldn't be with us."

"Lost memories?" Leo tilts his head. "Like hide and seek?"

A laugh escapes me. "Something like that. But I found them again. Found you both."

"Can you stay?" His voice is small, hopeful. "Mommy gets sad sometimes when she talks about you."

Jesse's breath catches. I reach out, hesitant. "If you'll have me, I'd like to stay for a very long time."

Leo takes a step forward, studying my face with an intensity that reminds me of Jesse. "Your hair's like mine."

"Yeah, kid. It is."

Leo launches himself at me with the unrestrained enthusiasm only a toddler can muster. My arms come up automatically, catching him as he collides with my chest. The impact sends a jolt through my scarred skin – a reminder of the explosion that stole my memories.

"Daddy!" His small arms wrap around my neck, and something inside me fractures. The mafia's conditioning battles with instinct, with truth. This child, this perfect blend of Jesse and me, breaks through walls I didn't know existed.

"Hey there, little warrior." The words come naturally, though part of me still thinks in Tyren's voice, still sees the world through a hitman's eyes. But Leo's silver hair tickles my chin, so like my own, and his grip is strong – stubborn, like both his parents.

"You smell like space," Leo declares, pulling back to study my face. His nose wrinkles exactly like Jesse's does when she's thinking hard about something.

"That's because I've been traveling." My throat tightens as he traces the scar on my face with tiny fingers. No fear in those eyes, just curiosity. "Looking for you and your mom."

"Did the bad guys hurt you?" He pokes at my chest where the worst of the scarring lies beneath my shirt. "Is that why you got lost?"

“Nah, nothing can hurt me,” I say firmly. Jesse makes a small sound behind us, but I keep my eyes on Leo. "But I'm better now."

"I get lost sometimes too." He nods sagely. "But Mommy always finds me. She's good at finding things."

A laugh bubbles up, surprising me. It feels foreign, like something Tyren wouldn't do, but right. "She found me too, didn't she?"

"Uh-huh." Leo settles against my chest, already growing heavy with sleep. "Can you tell me a story? About space?"

I look to Jesse, who nods, wiping at her eyes. "One story," she says. "Then breakfast."

"So there I was, facing down three space pirates," I say, settling Leo onto my lap as Jesse rummages through my sparse kitchen cabinets. "Their ship was twice the size of mine."

Leo's eyes widen. "Were you scared?"

"Never." I tap his nose. "Want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I had a secret weapon." I lean in close, lowering my voice. "My ship might've been smaller, but it was faster. And smarter."

"Ships can't be smart," Leo giggles.

"Oh yeah?" The sound of Jesse opening and closing cabinets punctuates our conversation. "This one was. See, while the pirates were busy trying to catch me, I flew straight into an asteroid field."

"That's dangerous!" Leo clutches his stuffed animal tighter.

"Very. But I knew something they didn't." I create a makeshift asteroid field with my hands. "The rocks weren't random. They moved in patterns, like a dance."

From the kitchen, Jesse snorts. "Is this the Carina Belt story?"

"You know it?"

"You told it to me that night in the galley." She peers around the corner, brandishing a spatula. "Though I remember more cursing and less dancing asteroids."

"This is the kid-friendly version." I wink at her before turning back to Leo. "So there I was, weaving through the asteroids. The pirates followed, thinking they had me cornered."

"Did they catch you?"

"Nope. Because right when they thought they had me..." I pause for dramatic effect. "I cut my engines."

Leo gasps. "But you'd crash!"

"That's what the pirates thought too. But remember - I knew the dance." I demonstrate with my hands. "My ship drifted right between two massive rocks, quiet as space itself. And those pirates? They flew right past me, straight into the biggest asteroid in the belt."

"Boom?" Leo asks hopefully.

"More like crunch." I make a crushing motion with my hands. "Their ships got stuck between the rocks like sandwich filling."

"You're embellishing," Jesse calls out. "I've seen the report. Only one ship got caught."

"Am I telling this story or are you?"

"Sorry, sorry." She waves the spatula in surrender. "Continue your tall tale."

Leo tugs on my sleeve. "What happened next?"

"Well, while they were stuck there, I called in the authorities. Those pirates spent the next ten years in a very small cell, thinking about their life choices."

"Is that really true?" Leo asks.

"Cross my heart." I draw an X over my chest.

Leo sprawls on the floor, surrounded by random trash that sticks together as he constructs what he claims is a spaceship. The starlight streams through the window, casting rainbow patterns across his silver hair.

"He has your focus," I murmur to Jesse, who's curled up next to me on the couch. "Won't stop until the job's done."

"Mmm. But that scowl? Pure Davin." She pokes my side. "Speaking of focus, what's eating at you?"

My jaw tightens. "The Lightyear gang won't stop. Not until they get what they want."

"About that." Jesse shifts, lowering her voice. "I have something that might interest them. A backup of Xander's data."

The muscles in my back tense. "You kept it?"

"Insurance." She shrugs. "Old habits. It's encrypted, stored on a secure drive. We could trade it for our safety."

"That data..." The words stick in my throat as I watch Leo make whooshing noises, flying a block through the air. "It's a bioweapon, Jesse. People could die."

"People will die anyway. The gang will find another way to get what they want." Her fingers find mine, squeezing. "But right now, they're focused on us. On Leo."

"Daddy, look!" Leo holds up his creation. "It has lasers!"

"That's great, kid." I force a smile. "Very tactical."

Jesse's voice drops lower. "I know this might be selfish, but what choice do we have? We can't keep running forever. Not with him."

The weight of the decision settles on my shoulders like a gravitational anchor. Military training screams about duty, about preventing mass casualties. But Leo's laughter cuts through those thoughts, sharp and clear as a warning siren.

"You're right," I concede. "But we do this smart. Set conditions. Make sure they can't trace it back to us."

"Already ahead of you." Jesse's lips quirk. "I didn't survive this long by being careless."

I turn to Jesse, taking in the familiar constellation of freckles across her nose, the way her red hair catches the starlight. My fingers trace her jawline, remembering how I'd first noticed that particular shade of green in her eyes aboard her ship, before everything went sideways.

"Thank you," I whisper, leaning in close.

"For what?"

"For not giving up on me. For raising our son. For..." The words catch. "For giving me a family when I didn't know I needed one."

Her lips curve up. "Even when you were playing hitman?"

"Especially then. You saw through that facade pretty quick."

"Hard to forget those brooding looks of yours." She taps my nose. "Though the scar adds a certain roguish charm."

I capture her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "I mean it, Jesse."

She shifts closer, her breath warm against my lips. "You've got the rest of our lives to show your gratitude, spaceman." Her fingers thread through my hair. "And I plan to collect. With interest."

"That a threat or a promise?"

"With me?" She grins. "Usually both."