by Ava Louise
Her mind swirled with questions as she showered and washed her hair. As she was about to turn on her hair dryer, she heard a couple of beeps from the other room. Running a comb through her hair as she went, she entered the living area and opened the door. Just seeing Daxon standing there, her stomach seemed to fill with nervous butterflies, her skin feeling that now familiar zing. She smiled at him and motioned him inside.
“Let me finish my hair and I will be ready,” she said, walking back in the direction of the bathroom.
Mamzell came in the room and climbed into Daxon’s lap as he got comfortable on the couch. “Looks like Mamzell will keep you company; I’ll be right back,” she chuckled.
Maggie quickly dried her hair and went back to the living area. “Okay. Ready and starving.”
They walked in silence to the eating hall, but Daxon held her hand the entire way. They received several greetings from fellow crew members along their way. As they got comfortable at a table with their breakfast, Denot entered the eating hall and went to one of the panels to gather his own food.
“Mind if I join you?” asked Denot. He sat before waiting for a reply, drawing a laugh from Maggie and Daxon. He looked at each of them briefly, then paused for a longer look at each. “Is there anything you want to tell me?” he asked cautiously.
Surely it wasn’t obvious they had been together, wondered Maggie. She turned to Daxon, more than willing to let him answer his friend’s question. She could feel her cheeks blushing.
“No, there is nothing to tell you,” said Daxon. He continued eating his meal as though he had no clue why Denot would ask such a thing.
Maggie hoped that was more a sign of him not wanting to kiss-and-tell than a sign he had any regrets about their being together. She thought for now she would just follow his lead. While Daxon and Denot talked about their work they needed to get done today, she ate her breakfast in silence. The silence allowed her mind to start whirling with questions again. Did she want to stay up here in space with Daxon? Is that what he wanted? As the questions swirled, she realized, this was the same as starting a relationship with a human. All sorts of logistical worries before even knowing what each other wanted from it.
Denot finished his breakfast quickly and bade them farewell. She looked to Daxon to find him looking at her.
“I think we …,” she started.
“We need to …,” he started at the same time. They both laughed.
“You first,” said Maggie. Her stomach was back to the rousing rendition of dancing butterflies.
“I was just going to ask you … if last night meant the same to you as it did for me?” he asked cautiously.
“Well, I don’t know what it meant to you, you haven’t said,” she smiled at him. “But I hope it meant more than a one-time thing.” She couldn’t help the note of hope that crept into her voice. They were both talking softly, not wanting to draw attention from any of the crew members dining nearby.
Daxon seemed to relax at her statement. He smiled and said, “I most definitely do not want it to be a one-time thing. I did not think it would work for me to be with a human woman. But I feel a connection to you already. I … care … about you quite a bit, already. I would like to find out if it deepens.”
Maggie thought it was good to know the nerves seemed to apply to them both. She smiled at him as she felt some of the butterfly flutters leave her stomach. “I feel the same. But what do we do now? What is the next step? This is out of my norm, being on a starship, so I could use some guidance here.”
“It is out of my norm, as you say, too. I have never had a long-term relationship with a female. I think it would be safe to say we should spend more time together; get to know each other even more. What do you think?”
“Works for me,” she said smiling at his dark blue eyes. She loved that his pupils were vertical slits. It reminded her so much of a feline. And considering she had a huge soft spot for felines, this was definitely to his advantage.
“What would you do on Earth?”
“Well, a couple would go out on dates, various activities, like going to eat, going to the movies, having picnics, stuff like that. We have the movies covered up here, but there are no restaurants to go to for a romantic meal-for-two. And I haven’t seen a park or a beach to have a picnic at,” she laughed as she said this last part.
“Ah, I have read about those things, and seen them in movies from Earth. Several of the women that have come up here liked to watch movies they called romantic. We would watch them as a group in the recreation area. Going off of those, I think I could help with the picnic idea.”
“Really?! How?” she excitedly asked.
“I will surprise you. How does tonight sound for a picnic?”
“Ummm, okay. I’ll leave that in your hands. I’m not big on surprises, but this sounds intriguing.” She wondered how he was going to handle a picnic aboard a starship.
CHAPTER 20
Daxon had sat through enough of the Earth romance movies that he felt he had a pretty good idea what Maggie would like to see on a picnic and he remembered having picnics as a family from his childhood. He decided to show her the hologram room, which he had skipped on his tour of the starship since he didn’t think she would ever need it. Remembering a picnic that his mother had planned when he was a small child, he decided to try to recreate it.
Daxon was finding that he rather enjoyed having someone else to think about in his life. While he wasn’t ready to say for sure that Maggie was his soul mate, being the cautious type, he was willing to admit that he cared deeply for her. He worried over what the end of the second week would bring. Would she leave him, to return to her Earth life? Or would she decide to stay with him on the Starrays, until the starship was scheduled to return to his home planet? He didn’t want to be one of the crew members that mourned a chance at a mate, moping around the ship. He had seen this in some of the crew after a human female decided to return to their regular lives back on Earth.
Setting aside the worries that he couldn’t answer, he focused on programming the hologram for the picnic. After testing that the room looked exactly like he wanted it to, Daxon went to the eating hall to program in foods from his home world. This he took back to the hologram room and laid it out exactly as he wanted it. He decided to shower and change into casual clothes. As he was changing, he realized he had never worn anything but his uniform around Maggie. Now, he just needed to collect his “date.”
Maggie was waiting for Daxon’s arrival, anxiously. She was dressed in linen pants and a t-shirt, both in a light green. The color accented her auburn curls, while making her eyes sparkle more than usual.
“You are beautiful,” said Daxon.
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself,” said Maggie, blushing. She looked him over closely, admiring the loose-fitting pants and the shirt, which crossed over his broad chest and tied at the side. The clothes were similar to something found in many retail stores on Earth. Even his sandals looked Earth-made. The dark blue of his clothing emphasized the dark blue of his eyes. “So where are we going for this picnic?”
“Come, I will show you,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “I have not shown you the hologram room yet, mostly since you would not be able to program it.” He led her out of the room. The hologram room was on the same level as the eating hall, but down a corridor she had not noticed before.
Stopping before a large door, Daxon placed his palm on a panel, then entered a code. The door opened to reveal a room filled with lush tropical-looking plants. Maggie could hear water flowing somewhere in the distance. She stepped inside, following Daxon. Still holding her hand, he pulled her farther into the room.
“This is amazing!” exclaimed Maggie, enthralled by the beauty of the room. She could not see any walls, and she walked on what she would have sworn was a rainforest floor. “What is this place? Is it real somewhere?”
“This is the forest behind my childhood home. My mother used to bring us to this
place on picnics when my father would return from his space travels.” Just then he pulled her past the last screen of plants. As they fell away to the sides, she stepped into an open area. It was beautiful. Before her was a waterfall, over 30 feet above them. It fell into a pool, the water breaking up over large rocks jutting up from the surface of the pool. “This is the pool where I learned to swim. It was a special place for my parents.”
“Oh, Daxon, it’s wonderful! Thank you for sharing this with me,” she looked up at him so he could see how touched she was. That he would share a special place like this with her meant a lot to her. She wished she could return the favor, but that wasn’t possible. Her childhood had been rather nomadic, thanks to the Army.
She touched the side of his face lightly. Stretching to her toes, she reached to kiss his lips softly. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she leaned into him as he returned her kiss. That familiar zap of electricity came alive in her skin. She had never been so touched by someone’s action as she was by this.
They spent the next couple of hours wrapped in each other’s arms, talking about their childhood memories. Maggie learned that Daxon, too, wanted a relationship based on his memories of his parents. They had been made for each other, just as she always thought her parents had been made for each other.
“Can you keep this program? So we can come back again? And would it be okay to bring Mamzell? I think she would love this,” she asked Daxon.
He was happy that she was thinking of future excursions. He felt a hope blossom in his chest, a hope he didn’t realize until then he had been secretly harboring. Sharing this special location was just one of many things he wanted to share with her.
“Yes. We can come back anytime you like. And, yes, we can bring your pet, too.” He chuckled at her devotion to her pet. The cat was beginning to grow on him, too.
“We should get back. Mamzell is probably wondering where I disappeared to.” She leaned in to kiss him, belying her rush to return to her rooms.
Closing her soft, emerald eyes, she rested her head against his warm chest, losing herself in the pleasure of just feeling him. She inhaled that special scent that filled her with contentment. She was surprised to find that he felt and smelled like “home” to her.
He bent his head, taking her lips gently, nipping her bottom lip, then along her jawline. With a quiet growl, Daxon rolled them over, pinning her beneath him. “I need to feel you; all of you.”
“Yes,” she said on a soft moan as that electrical current traveled along her skin. She couldn’t believe how much she wanted him. The need for him skyrocketed her to new and desperate heights.
He quickly pulled her clothes from her as she helped him lose his, too. Wrapping his arms beneath her, holding her by the shoulders, he sat up with her straddling his lap. They joined as one, each lost in the other. They drove each other to the brink, then plunged over that edge into fiery oblivion. It was a union of mind, body, and soul.
CHAPTER 21
Maggie and Daxon spent the rest of the week learning each other, emotionally and physically. She couldn’t remember the last time she had ever felt so happy and content. They spent a couple of evenings in the recreation area with the other Nordonians, but most of the evenings, he spent in her rooms with her.
Neither talked about the fact that the end of her two weeks had crept up on them. Neither wanted to break the bubble that they felt they were in at the moment. Daxon was worried she would leave and choose her life back on Earth. Maggie worried that she was making a huge decision too quickly. She wanted to stay with Daxon, but she was worried about her commitments on Earth, too. She had a career she loved and she had to see this thing with the shooting through to the end, also. Justice had to be found for the store clerk that had been killed.
That Saturday, Maggie woke to find herself alone. Knowing Daxon had already left to go to work, Maggie got up and showered after seeing to Mamzell’s needs. As she dressed, she talked to her constant companion about her upcoming decision.
“Well, Mamzell, what do you think? Would you like to stay in space?”
“Mrawr,” said her blue-eyed companion.
“That’s what I figured; no opinion.” Maggie sighed deeply. She was on her own with this decision. Just then she heard the beeps indicating someone was at her door.
Opening the door she found Daxon and Ambassador Pacer. Daxon had a worried expression and the ambassador was carrying what looked like an electronic notebook.
“Hi, guys. Come in,” invited Maggie, waving them inside. “What’s up? What’s with the long faces?”
“Maggie, Claire contacted me a bit ago. The police in your town are looking for you. There has been a development in your case according to Claire. I have a notebook here and you can contact Claire using Voice Over if you like.”
“Oh, sure! I wonder what happened.”
Maggie watched as Pacer docked the notebook he carried into the top of the desk in her living area. After making a few selections on the screen, he had a connection to Claire. “Hello, Claire. I have Maggie here.” He stepped aside, allowing Maggie to step in front of the screen. She sat so she would be on eye level with Claire. Maggie assumed she was in her office in Seattle, based on the office furniture around her.
“Hi, Claire, what’s up?”
“Hi, Maggie. A Detective Romano contacted me first thing this morning. I guess you left my number with them for contact purposes?”
“Um, yeah. I didn’t know what else to do. I hope that was okay.”
“Yes, it was. They would like for you to call them. They have apprehended the shooter and need you to make an ID.”
“Cool. Thanks, Claire.” Maggie signed off with Claire and turned to the ambassador and Daxon. “So now what? I have their phone numbers. Do I just use the notebook to call them?”
“Yes. If it is okay, we will stay to see what they need from you, Maggie.”
“Of course,” said Maggie. She retrieved her cell phone to look up the detectives’ numbers. After entering the number for Detective Romano, Maggie waited for the connection to go through.
“This is Detective Romano,” came the older woman’s voice over the speakers.
“Hi, Detective, this is Maggie Cline. I heard you were looking for me?”
“Yes, Maggie, we need for you to come down to the police station to identify the shooter from the convenience store holdup. Where are you? The person I spoke to this morning would not tell me where you are.”
“I’m not in town at the moment. I decided to lay low after the attack.” Looking to Daxon and the ambassador for confirmation, she continued, “It will take me a couple of hours to get back to town. I’ll be there as fast as I can.” The ambassador nodded his head that it was possible.
“Fine, Maggie, but please don’t take too long.”
Maggie signed off with the detective and looked at Daxon. He was obviously not happy with her decision. “I do not want you to go back down there, Maggie.”
“I know, but I have to, Daxon. I have to see that justice is done. He can’t get away with shooting that clerk.” She looked to the ambassador for help. “Will it be a problem getting me back to my apartment, Ambassador? I don’t want to lose my memories of being up here, but I have to see this through. Can you give us a moment, please?”
“Of course.” The ambassador left the room, leaving Maggie with Daxon. Pacer hoped Daxon did not mess this up with Maggie. He had come to care about the girl and knew they cared about each other, too.
“Please do not go,” implored Daxon.
“I have to. Don’t you understand?”
“What I understand is that you will go back down to Earth and not want to give up your life there. That is what happens every time a human female leaves our starship.”
“This isn’t the same, Daxon, you should know that. Can’t you give me time to make sure this is taken care of? I will come back, I promise.”
“No. Do not go, Maggie. I do not want to lose you.”
“Of course you do. But I see you have made your choice. I need to be alone and think right now.” Daxon turned and stormed out of her rooms. He rushed to his rooms, not saying a word to anyone he passed in the corridors.
How can she leave after all we experienced together these last two weeks, he fumed. He paced his room, angry that she would choose to return to Earth. He had opened up to her. He was sure they were soul mates, meant for each other. Why couldn’t she just let the subject drop? Why did she have to get involved in the matter again? She had given the police her statement; that should be enough. She should be able to move on and walk away. Earth laws were too convoluted compared to Nordo laws. They seemed to feel the need to drag things out.
Daxon remained in his rooms, not understanding Maggie’s need to return to Earth. No females had ever been allowed to return to Earth with their memories of the time they spent on the Nordonian vessels. He had placed faith in their connection and thought she had, too. He ignored the voice in his head telling him he was being unreasonable. This is what he had been afraid of; turning into one of the crew members that moped around after losing a human female. He had opened himself up to the pain of her departure. He wasn’t sure if he was angrier with himself for allowing the feelings in, or with Maggie for making him feel this connection.
Maggie sat at her desk, pondering the situation. She didn’t want to have her memories wiped, but she had to return to Earth and see that justice was done. Maggie went to the communication panel and entered the ambassador’s number on the keypad. His face came up on the display screen.
“Yes, Maggie?” he asked.
“Ambassador, I need to speak with you, please.”
“Of course, I shall be right there.” The display screen went blank as he signed off. A few minutes later, the ambassador was at her door. “Have you decided to return to Earth?”
