Needledrop

28

"Do you want to come hang out with Auntie Athena?" She asks Keith again, ignoring me entirely.

"Thina!" Keith cheers happily, clinging to her favourite auntie. Athena leaves the room with Keith, smiling at me when she leaves.

"Star, I'm jealous of a one year old." I sigh to the fox as I slouch further into my seat. He yips at me as I glare at space as we just float in the middle of nowhere. I sigh, standing up to go into the kitchen. Star takes up residence on my shoulders, slowly drifting off into a fox nap. Giovanni and Jake sit at the table playing a card game. Keya is cooking. I go to stand behind her, placing my head on her shoulder.

"Keith wear you out?" She asks me with a smile I can hear in her voice.

"Your devil offspring is stealing my girlfriend." I grumble. She laughs along with Giovanni.

"Keith is stealing Jake too." Giovanni smiles at me. I notice the light dusting of stubble across his cheeks and jaw. Jake kicks him under the table, about to win the game. Star choses that moment to wake up and jump into the middle of their game, scattering the cards. I laugh, smiling and giving him my hand. He places his paw in it, giving me a high five. A little while later, Keya calls everyone for food, taking Keith to go feed her and put her down for a nap.

Everyone eats, talking about different things. Brett comes out of his room, yawning as he joins us. Keith keeps him up all night some night crying and screaming bloody murder. It is known to keep the whole ship awake some days. Athena comes in, resting her chest on my shoulders as she hugs me from behind, her standing and me sitting.

"Bonne soirée mon amour." She speaks softly, kissing my cheek.

"Hi." I answer simply, smiling at her as I shovel another spoonful of food into my face. Giovanni laughs as Keya comes back with a cooing Keith, asking for Uncle Jake.

"Hello baby girl." He coos at her as he takes her in his arms, all attention he was once giving to Giovanni going to the baby. Giovanni lets out a humph, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat, glaring at Keith. She smiles at him, giggling at Jake. I smile warmly as I study them, imaging how good Giovanni and Jake would be as fathers. Their child would be so loved. I turn my head, kissing Athena's chin before standing up.

"I'm headed off to bed, wake me when Roe comes back to the ship." I wave goodnight to everyone, heading off to go to bed. I strip off my jacket once I get into the room when something starts to feel off. I notice the photo on my nightstand has been moved. It may have only moved a hair, but I notice the slight shift. I feel movement behind me, swiftly turning to see nothing but darkness.

"I never would have thought," that voice, I recognize it, "my own blood fraternizing with the enemy." The voice growls. I whip around, coming face to face with someone I thought I'd never meet. I let a small warning flame fall from the tip of my finger, sending it to warm Giovanni. "That was a mistake my dear." He sighs, overpowering me easily and plunging a needle into my neck. I keep eye contact with him, bringing one of my hidden knives, stabbing it up into his abdomen through the thick, hard layer of muscles there. Then I fall to the ground, darkness consuming my vision and mind.

Athena

We all watch Wynnona head off to bed.

"Auntie Wyatt is right, it's bedtime munchkin." Brett says, tickling his daughters' stomach, lifting her up into his arms while tossing her in the air slightly so she lets out a shrill giggle. I smile but freeze when the feeling of the room shifts around me. Everyone else notices as Keya grabs a hidden sword, drawing it and stepping in front of her husband who holds their daughter close. Giovanni draws a gun, stepping in front of Jake who grabs the other gun on his hip. I turn to meet the eyes of someone I've learned is called Gunther.