Four days later
"Hurry the fuck up, boss!" I yelled it as I bolted through the hallways and corridors. I knew them better now but I wanted to get out, needed to really.
"Can you not run like that?" Hudson called it out from behind me and I shook my head.
"No!" My heart was in my throat. At'kat'vo had finished his moult. When I had talked to everyone that morning they let me know that he would be returning to work in the afternoon and gave me the time and now I was late. "We gotta go!" I knew I wasn't the most active but the way I was starting to breathe hard just from the little bit of running was just embarrassing.
"Come on, Captain!" He was gaining on me and I scowled slightly as he made pace beside me. "Lift those knees! Push it! Push it!"
"I will push you down a flight of stairs if you don't shut up!" I glanced over at him, glaring as I turned the corner quickly and he laughed.
"You're the one who wanted to run. So come on, soldier! Pump those little baby legs!" He was full on laughing at me so I reached over and shoved him mid step but he barely moved over. "You gotta run faster than that!" He did a quick foot movement and turned backwards. "I could run circles around you backwards, soldier! Makes me wonder how you became Captain." He put a bit of an extra bounce in his backwards steps as he did them and I broke into laughter, slowing down to a stop.
"You look fucking ridiculous." I shook my head, pressing my hand to my chest and shaking my head. "And ask Hollister how I became captain cause I dunno." That was a title forced upon me, not one I had chosen for myself. "We're late, I wanna see At'kat."
He stopped, tilting his head with a grin, "Ahhh yes, the space bug."
I pointed at him, narrowing my eyes, "If you call him that I will full force punch you in the dick." He laughed but I narrowed my eyes further. I was dead serious. If he said anything bad about At'kat, I would 100% punch him in the junk.
"Let's go, Aun'Rox" He was still chuckling as he reached over and grabbed the top of my head pushing me to move even as I smacked at his arm in irritation. I had thought that him getting that stick out of his ass would make him more likeable but all that seemed to do was unleash a six-five, two fifty, older brother version of Georgie. Which was just lovely.
I fell into step beside him and he vigorously rubbed his hand on my head, messing up my hair and I yelped, moving away quickly. "Don't you have anyone else to torment?" I quickly finger combed my hair, I knew I needed to redo my bun because of his open palmed noogie.
"Naaaah." He shook his head before he smacked my shoulder. "Let's go, Aun'Rox. We gotta call your space friends." I threw another narrow eyed look at him. He said that but I had also caught him having conversations with them as well, or making comments when I was on the call. Usually it was either to Mare-aidee or to Gal'rug and with Gal'rug it was wanting to talk about the arena and who could enter and what it took to fight a winged horror. Which meant that Gal'rug completely forgave him for the non-verbal 'fight me!' debacle and was close to making a new best friend. Which I wasn't jealous about. Nope. Not at all.
We made it to the exit and I waited while he did his sweep. Shortly after we were back on the ship and I was opening up the comms, excitement flooding me as I heard the pings. I was aware Hudson had moved to stand beside me but I didn't care. The call answered and At'kat'vo was front and center. I squealed with excitement, "At'kat! I've missed you so much, buddy!"
I watched as he clicked his mandibles together as if a bit nervous. "I do apologize for breaking my word. I said I wouldn't moult and then I did." He waved his spider leg fingers and Hudson stiffened beside me.
"Creepy." It was a low mutter and I didn't hesitate as I swung my arm out, the bottom of my fist catching him in the junk. He gave a choked off grunt, almost doubling over and I ignored him as I beamed at the k'gtar.
"I know I was telling the other to give you a hard time about it but I was just worried. You're down one moult and I don't like feeling responsible for taking literal years off your life." I watched as he shifted in his spot. His chitin was shiny black, no scratches or little chips. He looked massively younger than when I first met him.
"They are years I gladly give to you, my friend." He made a decisive click in his throat and I hated that we were so far away cause I wanted to hug him for that. He was strange, the strangest looking out of all of them, but he really was a great friend.
"I'm going to punch you in the tit." Hudson rasped it out as he sat down on the floor, holding onto to the console and cupping his junk.
"I warned you." I pointed at him before turning back to At'kat. "Please ignore that. I have a personal guard and he's learning a very valuable lesson at the moment about being rude."
"You hit the frank and beans." He groaned it out and I struggled against the laughter that wanted to escape.
At'kat bowed his head, his eyes glittering in the lights. "I will be pleased to meet him once he is able."
"Able to what? Have children? Not fucking likely. Fuck me." He leaned his head against the console, grimacing in pain.
"I think you'll have to wait for the swelling to go down before that, boss." I threw him a bright smile that he returned by flipping me off.
"I am glad to see you though, my friend. The others have told me about your adventures but I would prefer to hear it from you." He seemed to settle in and I smiled.
I told him about connecting to Nasa, about the US government's plan to black bag me, how they tried to do it to my family along with another country. I told him about uploading my videos, how my channel was nuked to get rid of it. How people were growing restless without any news. I told him about my legal team and meeting the Prime Minister and how horribly that went. I told him about how they were studying the Accords and should be done soon. I told him about Armaan and the updates he was giving me about the secret ship building he was coordinating and I told him about Hudson and teaching him to fly the ship. I then told him how I missed Torin and wanted to go back, how things were getting tense between countries we once thought of as allies and how things were feeling like they were going to boil over and how I felt a little helpless with the thought of it.
He nodded at each thing, giving bits of advice here and there that I appreciated. I had missed that. In fact I missed all of them, I hadn't seen Hint and Liress in a while as well and I hated that but I understood they had just had their baby three days ago and were dealing a newborn they had to take care of. I wanted to go back to Torin, I really really did.
"And so you protect her?" At'kat asked it with several clicks and Hudson nodded. He had gotten off the floor during my detailed explanation to At'kat and stood beside me, his hands carefully over his junk. More than likely to protect it from my errant fists.
"Yes, sir. I've been tasked with protecting her and keeping her safe from any and all threats." He bowed his head as he said it, speaking a bit more formally. I doubted I could get him to stop that with the Council. It was a little better with Gal'rug but not quite all the way casual.
"Oh that makes me feel much better about this. I am sure you are a master at your profession."
Hudson looked actually thrown by the compliment and it seemed to take a second to respond. "I try, sir. She knows how to listen at least."
At'kat gave his amused clicks flaring out his fingers. "I doubt that. Our Raw'si is quite contrary when it comes to following directions. Did she ever tell you about how she called the Supreme Council to tell them to go copulate with themselves and had her comm room privileges taken away?"
"At'kat'vo!" My mouth fell open in shock as he shook his head, amused clicks escaping him so quickly that it resembled the barest hints of laughter.
Hudson was staring at the side of my head as I sunk down, my face red. "She did not. What else has she done?"
"Oh, there was the time she and Gal'rug-" The absolute menace went into great detail about how Gal'rug and I had pranked Bof'jag and accidentally got Loril-ee in the process and she chased us both into a tree and threatened to eat us both for supper. Hudson was practically weak kneed and crying by the end of it he was laughing so hard and I was just shaking my head, my face bright red.
"I hate you." I looked at the unrepentant alien and all he did was click at me in amusement, his mandibles flaring out into his version of a smile.
"Ahh, my friend. If I cannot tell stories of you, I will surely forget about how much we care about you." The little ass had the audacity to tilt his head, trying to act innocent.
"She's like two feet tall!" Hudson hit my shoulder with the back of his hand as he gasped for air, holding onto the console with his free hand.
"She has sharp teeth and bites!" I snapped it out, scowling at him. I knew for a fact he was going to be sharing that story with his team. Their phone calls were getting more numerous and Hudson had said more than once that when they finished up with their current mission they would be the team he requested for the assignment. So he told me that it was better that they knew me before hand. Which had resulted in mini interrogations nearly every phone call where I was hit with rapid fire twenty questions.
Not that I minded. The guys were hilarious but this story would result in me being verbally barraged with jokes just like Jetski did when Hudson spilled the 'Jesski on a Jetski' thing. I figured it went with the territory but I wasn't looking forward to it. I let out a small sigh, smiling just a bit. That was a bit of a lie. I was just embarrassed.
"But I must now share you." At'kat'vo said it with a click and a new screen popped up and I beamed.
"Hint! Liress!" I nearly squealed it out as I leaned forward in my chair. "How are you? I've missed you both!"
Hint gave a growling laugh. "We have been good. Tired but it is worth it, we wanted to share."
With that Liresss lifted a bundle and turned it to face me. "Oh my fucking god." I breathed it out, nearly tearing up at the little baby. Its ears were folded down and its eyes were closed and it gave a small little puppy whimper that nearly had me fully melting.
"Meet Rocksi. She is so precious to us both." The name had me legitimately tearing up and I pressed my hands to my face.
"You named her after-" The lump in my throat grew so large it was impossible to speak. I felt like I was going to burst into tears.
"Yes. It is a good name, a strong one, and we hope she grows to embody the bright spirit you carry within you." Liress said it softly, looking down before nuzzling her nose against the baby's furry little cheek.
"I'm gunna cry." I waved my hand in my face, giving a wet laugh as I looked at them both. "You did good, mama. She's so beautiful." I looked at Hudson, sniffling. "Isn't she beautiful?"
Hudson was staring at the screen, his eyes wide and little Rocksi yawned, giving a tiny little grumble as she wiggled in her wrap. "That is the cutest fucking thing I have ever seen in my life." He said it with a touch of awe and I was glad I wasn't the only one who felt like that.
"When I get back she is getting all the cuddles. Like all of them!" I squished my face to try and retain the urge I had to immediately head back to Torin to steal her from her parents and squeeze her and kiss her furry little face.
"I will hold you to that, our friend. Gal'rug refuses to touch her. He is afraid he will hurt her." Hint gave that grumbling laugh again and I felt like melting as one little hand popped out and grasped the wrap tightly.
"Oh my god! I wanna cry! Why can't human babies look that cute?" I looked up at Hudson and he shook his head.
"I have no fucking clue but that's adorable. Like beyond cute." He looked blown away but the corner of his mouth was pulled upwards slightly.
"That must be your protector. Everyone was explaining it to us. I hope you are staying safe." Liress said it as she gently rocked little Rocksi in her arms. I nodded and her gaze went to Hudson. "We thank you for your efforts in keeping our friend safe. We wish for nothing more than for her to return to Torin so she can meet our Rocksi. We care about her a lot."
"I have heard. No worries. Nothing will happen to her. I promise you on my honour." Hudson placed a fist on his chest and gave a small head bow.
"Strong words, warrior. I can see why Mare-aide speaks so highly of you." Hint said it, the corner of his mouth pulling back slightly as his eyes flicked to me in a knowing look and my mouth slowly started to drop open. No fucking way.
"I have spoken to her in great detail about keeping Roxie safe and I will hold myself to the standard she sees in me." Hudson cleared his throat slightly as if he were slightly uncomfortable and I slowly looked up at at him. His cheeks had gone slightly pink and my mouth dropped open and I started to smile.
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
I glanced at Hint and he gave a subtle nod as if confirming what he knew of Mare-aidee and that slight blush and uncomfortable shifting told me all I needed to know about Hudson. I knew the two of them chatted but I hadn't realized it was to that extent.
Mare had a crush on Hudson...
And he liked her back!
"Whatever you're thinking. Don't" Hudson hissed it out and I pinched my lips together to try and keep from laughing.
Oh he had it bad.