Just thinking about soulmate connections makes me queasy these days.
And sad too.
But before Jimmy and I left Mighty Minions we went to see him and I told him, if he ever changes his mind, my arms are open.
He smiled and said sure, then asked me if he could go ride the Lava Mountain rollercoaster.
“So what’s next?” Lyra asks.
“Well,” I say. “I guess we’re going to go hunt Veila down and get Tycho back and see if this rumor that Draden is still alive is true.”
“I wanna come! Please, please, please can I come?” Nyleena begs. “I haven’t done anything fun for months!”
“Bitch, please,” Lyra says. “You’ve done nothing but party since we woke you up.”
“Here, sure,” Nyleena says. “But I want to see the universe! I’m definitely going on this Veila hunt. Just try to stop me.”
Lyra rolls her eyes, then focuses on me. “Are you gonna go see your mother?”
Oh, yeah. That was a fun conversation. I had no clue they were keeping Corla in a cryopod out on a security beacon. But everyone agrees that even though there’s almost no chance of selfish Veila blowing her up, and the whole station in the process, it’s best to leave her on ice until we get a better handle on this situation.
“Not yet,” I say. “I’m not in a hurry.”
And then Crux found out he was my DNA father. Jimmy told him. I didn’t even know that until just before we docked at Harem.
Crux kinda had a meltdown at that point. But Jimmy told him in private. And everything about that is… awkward. Jimmy is dating his best friend’s daughter.
I don’t know. It’s kinda funny. Crux isn’t really my father. It’s not like he raised me.
That’s what I told him too. Which only made him stammer and stutter defensively. So I just said, “Butt out of my life, mister. You get no say in who I date.” And then I stomped my foot like a princess.
Subject closed. For now, at least.
Still, Crux sent me a message this morning that he was looking for Tycho and did I have anything that could help bring him home?
Home.
That was the best part of that request. He called this place home.
I told him what my boy told me. Told him that Leonis would know more and to ask him.
It’s not like I don’t miss Tycho and I still love him so much. And of course, I want him back with me as soon as possible.
But… my heart has changed somehow. It’s almost like it was empty before Jimmy came along and now it’s all filled up.
He is my world.
And yeah. OK. So we’re not fated mates or whatever.
But that’s all right.
Because we fell in love the old-fashioned way.
EPILOGUE – ASSHOLE ALCOR
“What is this? A party? Why the hell are all you people crowding me? And just what the fuck, Tray? This was supposed to be our little secret.”
“I only told Crux. He told everyone else. And I had to tell him. He’s the fucking boss.”
“I’m the motherfucking boss!” I yell. “Me! And I said don’t tell anyone!”
“You’re not the boss,” Crux says. He’s standing with his arms crossed inside my Pleasure Prison, flanked on either side by Luck and Jimmy, and either side of them are Valor and Serpint.
“And you!” Serpint says, pointing at Booty. “What the hell? You said you just needed a vacation and now I find out that you’re plotting in secret with Asshole ALCOR?”
“Just, calm down, Serpint,” Booty says. “I can explain.”
“I’m not the Asshole ALCOR. Last ALCOR was Asshole ALCOR. I’m Real ALCOR!” I tell them. “I have all the power here. This is my station, for fuck’s sake.”
“You gave up your share in Harem when you decided to play dead and stay in here to party like a teenager,” Luck says. “You’re more immature than that baby running things for real out there, you know that?”
Coming from Luck, that kinda stings. He was Other Asshole ALCOR’s second favorite when they were kids and I figured he’d at least give me the benefit of the doubt.
“I’ve been taking care of you kids for twenty years and—”
“You didn’t take care of shit!” Jimmy says. “That was the Real Real ALCOR. You’re just a simpering coward having some kind of mid-life crisis.”
I open my mouth to speak and find myself speechless.
“Well,” Crux says, looking at Tray. “Should we do it?”
“Do what?” I ask.
“I think we should. But let’s vote first.”
“Right,” Crux says. “All in favor of locking Asshole ALCOR up in the Pleasure Prison indefinitely and joining the new AI to Baby ALCOR so we can actually get some shit done around here, raise your hand.”
Every one of them raises their hands.
“What?” I say. “What new AI? And you can’t lock me in here!”
“It’s already done,” Tray says.
“And we don’t need you anymore,” Crux says. “Because now we have Succubus to help out instead.”