Page 24 of Alien’s Love Child

CHAPTER 24

DAVIN

T he 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.

In the kitchen, I tap the screen. The message opens:

'Remember the explosion that should've killed you? We saved you once. Time to return the favor. The bioweapon data is ours - we know you have it. Bring it to the coordinates below in 48 hours, or we'll finish what we started.'

My throat tightens. The Lightyear gang. The same ones who nursed me back to health, filled my head with lies about being Tyren. The same ones who turned me against Jesse.

Leo's giggle carries from the other room. "Again, again!"

"Through storm and meteor shower," the crew starts up another verse.

I grip the counter, my knuckles turning pale blue. The life we've built here - Leo's birthday parties, quiet mornings with Jesse, teaching my son to walk - it could all vanish in an instant.

The PerComm buzzes again. A second message appears:

'Don't try running this time. We're closer than you think.'

My fingers dance across the PerComm's interface, running every trace program I learned in the military. The encryption's unlike anything I've encountered - military grade, maybe better. Each attempt hits a dead end, bouncing through relays across three systems.

"Come on," I mutter, trying another backdoor approach.

ACCESS DENIED flashes across my screen.

The singing from the other room grows louder. "The space whale meets his friends..."

I switch tactics, attempting to isolate the transmission's origin point. The signal disperses into quantum noise, impossible to track. Whoever sent this knows their tech.

My PerComm chirps with another message: 'Trying to find us? Cute.'

A cold sweat breaks across my neck. They're monitoring my attempts in real-time. They must have gone out of their way to hire some tech nerd, they sure didn't have this capability when I was there. I shut down the trace programs, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"Papa!" Leo calls from the living room. "More cake!"

"Be right there, buddy." My voice stays steady, practiced from years of ops gone sideways.

I take a deep breath, centering myself. The message could be coming from anywhere - the next system over or the café down the street. The not knowing claws at my gut worse than any certainty would.

"Everything okay in here?" Jesse appears in the doorway, her green eyes searching my face. "You're missing the good part of the party."

"Yeah, just..." I gesture vaguely at my PerComm. "Work stuff."

She raises an eyebrow. "On Leo's birthday?"

"Sorry. I'm done now." I force a smile, but my mind races with contingency plans. We need options, escape routes, safe houses. But first, I need to get through this party without letting on that anything's wrong.

The smell of Paraxan's cooking fills the kitchen - a mix of spices and seared meat that makes my mouth water despite my churning stomach. Through the doorway, I watch Jesse and Rena playing some kind of hand-clapping game with Leo, his squeals of delight piercing through my dark thoughts.

"You've got that look," Taluk says, sidling up next to me. His scales catch the light as he leans against the counter.

"What look?"

"The one you had back on Jesse's ship. Right before everything went sideways with Xander."

My muscles tense. "Just tired. Leo's parties are exhausting."

"Sure." Taluk's eyes flick to my PerComm. "Lots of messages today?"

The hair on the back of my neck rises. His tone is too casual, too knowing. "Just work stuff."

"Right. Work." He drums his fingers on the counter. "Funny how it always comes up at the worst times."

Before I can respond, Paraxan's furry arm reaches between us with a steaming plate. "Taste this. Need opinion on seasoning."

I grab the offered fork, grateful for the interruption. The meat melts on my tongue, perfectly spiced despite the few stray hairs.

"It's good," I say, but Taluk's already wandered off to join the others, his usual clumsy act back in place as he trips over his own feet.

I watch him interact with Leo, making exaggerated faces that send my son into fits of giggles. Maybe I'm being paranoid. After months years of living like this, seeing threats in every shadow, it's hard to trust anyone. Even old crew mates.

Still, something about his questions nags at me.

I glance at my PerComm again. The nearest store's only an hour away. I could grab some milk, make a detour to those coordinates, handle this mess before it reaches our doorstep.

"We're out of milk," I announce, pushing away from the counter.

Jesse looks up from where she's helping Leo stack blocks. "Already? I just bought some yesterday."

"Papa, look!" Leo holds up his creation. "It's a tower!"

My throat tightens. The tower of blocks wobbles precariously, nothing like a real building, but his face beams with pride.

Three years ago, I disappeared. Jesse thought I was dead. Leo spent the first years of his life without a father. If I slip out now, if something goes wrong...

The memory of my own childhood floods back. My father died in service when I was still young. Mother always said he'd return someday, drowning in denial. I spent years watching the landing pads, hoping each incoming ship would bring him home.

"Actually," I say, "the milk can wait."

Leo tugs at my pants. "Help me make it bigger?"

I sink to the floor beside him, my joints creaking. "Sure, buddy. Let's build the fastest ship in the galaxy."

The message on my PerComm feels like a weight pressing against my chest, but watching Leo's small hands stack blocks with fierce concentration grounds me in what matters. I won't let him grow up wondering if his father abandoned him. Whatever comes next, we face it together.

After dinner is over and the adults are sufficiently tipsy, I lead Jesse to our small balcony. The night air carries the scent of rain-soaked pavement and distant engine exhaust.

"Something's been eating at you all evening," Jesse says, leaning against the railing. "Spill it."

I pull up the messages on my PerComm, holding it out to her. "They found us."

Her eyes scan the screen, freckles standing out against her paling skin. "The Lightyear gang?"

"Yeah. They want the data we destroyed."

"Which doesn't exist anymore." She pushes away from the railing, pacing the small space. "Perfect timing, showing up on Leo's birthday."

"There's more." I tap through to show her my failed trace attempts. "Their tech's better than before. Military grade, maybe higher. They were watching my every move when I tried to track them."

My fingers brush against the burn scars on my arm, a reminder of the last time I underestimated these people. "We can't run. Not with Leo."

"And we can't fight them alone." She steps closer, resting her hand on my arm. "But we're not alone anymore. The crew-"

"No. I won't put them in danger."

"They're already in danger just by being here today." Her grip tightens. "We need help, Davin. And they're the only ones we can trust."

The truth of her words settles heavy in my gut. "You're right. But we do this smart. No half-measures, no noble sacrifices."

"Agreed." She slides her arms around my waist, pressing close. "Together this time."

"Together," I echo, holding her tight.

Back inside, Leo sprawls across the couch, his head drooping despite his protests. "Not sleepy."

His yawn stretches wide enough to swallow a small moon. Jesse catches my eye, a soft smile playing at her corners of her mouth.

"One more story," Leo pleads, rubbing his eyes. "Please?"

Rena settles next to him, tucking her legs underneath her. "Alright, space cadet. Ever hear about the Crystal Nebula Pirates?"

"No." Leo snuggles closer, his eyes wide with wonder

"Well, there was this crew of space pirates who lived in a nebula made entirely of crystals. Their ship was invisible because the crystals reflected all the colors of space around them."

"Like a chameleon?" Leo's eyes widen.

"Chameleon?" Par asks.

"Earth animal," Jesse explains.

"Exactly. But here's the thing - they weren't mean pirates. They only stole from the meanest, richest merchants in the galaxy."

"Why?"

"To give the crystals to children who needed birthday presents, of course." Rena taps his nose. "In fact, I heard they might've left something special for a certain birthday boy..."

Leo sits up straighter, suddenly more awake. "Where?"

"Can't tell you that. It's a secret pirate hiding spot." Rena lowers her voice to a whisper. "But maybe tomorrow, if you get enough sleep..."

Jesse and I exchange glances. The weight of the messages on my PerComm feels heavier watching this peaceful scene. Tomorrow everything changes, but for now, we let Leo drift off to Rena's tales of crystal ships and noble pirates.

Taluk trips over his own feet heading to the kitchen, still growing into his body. Paraxan quietly cleans dishes, his fur catching the light. We'll tell them soon enough. But not yet. Not while Leo dreams of space pirates and hidden treasures.