Paige forgot to ask Rosalie or any of the people who actually worked in the kitchen if they even had the right ingredients for their party. She was sure all the rich people food was stocked in bulk, but that didn't mean Paige would find everything for the burgers.
“Please, God,” Paige prayed as she looked around. “I rarely ask you for anything, but let me—let us,” she corrected herself, “have this one small comfort in our lives while we’re so far away from home.”
Nothing felt more like home than a couple of burgers with some fries and a cold Coke to wash it all down.
In this case, not just any burgers but Big Macs.
Paige already knew the recipe by heart from when she made them with Willow and her dad, so all she needed was some good fortune.
Okay, if I was a bun, where would I be? Paige wondered. She opened things at random but found mostly utensils, pots and pans, and things like that.
Where's the food?
Paige spotted doors at the back of the room. She opened the first one and immediately wanted to do a little dance. It was a pantry, and it was packed with all the foods she could possibly need. She felt like she was in a supermarket.
She grabbed all the ingredients she would need before returning to the kitchen and dumping everything on the counters.
Paige even found all the elements to make their secret sauce. She hoped that the next door led to the fridge, and she was right. She found a small ladder and placed it by the door to keep it open.
She’d seen too many horror movies with people trapped inside a meat freezer.
Thank you, but no thank you.
A part of her felt guilty for taking all the food, but on the other hand, the Greens unquestionably deserved it. If Dave was there, he would undoubtedly tell her feeling guilty was just silly.
Just take what you want. I dare you. She could practically hear his voice urging her on.
Her breath puffed as she looked for the ground beef, but thanks to the Black Mass inside her, she felt no cold.
It's so cool, she chuckled at her own joke.
“Where are you, my lovely round delights?” she joked while looking at all the shelves and moving boxes to see what was behind them.
Yes. She finally found the right one.
Paige grabbed the whole package then let herself out, closing the door with her foot.
I think I have everything now, she thought as she looked at her display. Meat, buns, cheese, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, condiments... She listed off everything inside her head.
Perfect. Paige felt like jumping from joy, but reminded herself that she was on a time limit.
Paige found a discarded apron, and she put that on, hoping not to ruin her uniform. She didn't like it or what it represented, but it was still the only one she had.
Ok, let's get down to business.
Paige hummed to herself while she fired up a grill.
I'll make one to start, just to see if I can make them edible. Truth be told, she’d never made them from scratch on her own before. Her father always supervised her cooking.
I’m assembling the first Space Big Mac. I like that name; it's catchy. Paige's mouth watered.
Here we go... She took the first bite to determine if the burger was perfect or not. Oh, my God, she groaned. This is sooo good.
Paige needed to think about the prospect of opening up her own burger joint in space because she nailed it. Then she could have a whole franchise across the universe.
She reminded herself to stop daydreaming and get back to work.
Only a couple dozen more, and I can get the hell out of here and eat my burger in peace.
She looked at the perfection she still held in her hands. “It would be a waste to leave it to the side to get cold,” she argued with herself.
Yes, it’s smarter to finish it now rather than save it for later. Paige prepared to take another big bite.
“I knew I would find you in a place like this, eating a burger,” a boy's voice said behind her, instantly freezing every cell in her body.
It can't be, her brain rebelled, but it was.
Paige instantly turned, still firmly holding her hand-crafted Space Big Mac, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
Dave stood only a few feet away from her, smiling.
“Dave,” she breathed, suddenly feeling like there was no air in the room. She was overwhelmed with joy.
Dave erased the distance between them, grabbed her by the shoulders, and kissed her straight on the mouth.
Chapter Thirteen
Paige didn't even have time to process Dave’s soft lips pressing against hers before he pulled away.
“You had some ketchup there. Delicious,” he deadpanned.
She smacked him on the shoulder in return.
“Ouch,” he protested, chuckling.
“I can't believe you're actually here,” Paige confessed. Her lips tingled as she hugged him with all her might, burger in hand and all.
“I missed you, too,” he replied.
She squeezed even harder.
“Hey, watch the threads. I don't know how to wash these,” he complained, but it was all for show, so she ignored him.
Dave is here. Paige's mind spiraled. She couldn't help but think about the last time she saw him. That thought alone made her release him.
“Are you really you, or...?” a Host? She couldn't force herself to say the word as she took a step back. She would need space if this turned into a fight.
He didn't take offense to her question. “It's really me. I’m Black Mass free.”
Taking her hand, Dave took a massive bite from her hamburger. Anyone else would get punched, but because it was him, she let that slide.
He groaned, closing his eyes. “I missed this.”
Somehow, she knew he told the truth. It was as if the Black Mass inside her detected nothing inside him. Unlike AJ, she could sense the otherness in him, especially now since she’d had the mass for a while and had learned how to use it.
She offered him the rest of her burger, but he shook his head, so she placed it carefully on the counter. Paige hugged Dave again, and she could feel him shaking from laughter. Once they parted again, both grinned from ear to ear, and Paige was impatient to learn everything.
“How are you here?” Paige asked. “When did you get here?”
“Well—”
“Oh, Peter is here. Well, he's hanging out with Tilley at the moment, but he’s on the ship,” she interrupted. She thought he’d want to know before he told her about whatever adventure he’d had on his own.
Dave visibly sagged with relief. “Thank God. I knew he was here, but I'm relieved he’s with you guys. Is he okay?”
Paige simply nodded in return. “Alive and well.”
Making sure his brother was safe was the least she could do for Dave after everything he’d done for her.
Only then did she notice something strange about him. “Dave, why are you in Red?” she inquired. Dave looks great in red, she admitted to herself.
He grinned. “It's...”
“Wait,” she cut in again. “How's my family? Oh, are Brooke, Willow, and my dad here with you?” She looked around, hoping she might find them standing somewhere behind him.
Dave put a hand over her mouth. “Will you actually allow me to say more than a couple of words, or are you going to keep asking questions and then interrupting?” he challenged, faking annoyance.
It is so good having him around again. “Sorry,” she mumbled against his hand, and he released her.
“I'm just so happy to see you,” she confessed.
“Me, too.”
Dave sat on the counter, and after looking around, Paige decided to do the same.
I will have to sanitize this counter later, she told herself before settling in to hear what he had to say.
“I came here alone. Your whole family is alive and well,” Dave reassured her. That was good to hear because she’d been so worried since they left on E
arth.
“Brooke had to go save some other world, but I wanted to find Peter,” Dave said. “She loaned me a small spaceship so I could get here in hopes I would find all of you here, and it worked.” He grinned.
Brooke loaned him a spaceship? Dave flew here? Paige's eyes lit up while listening to his story. It was hard to keep quiet.
As if reading her mind, Dave held up his hand to prevent her from blabbering. She rolled with her eyes in return.
Dave chuckled. “Good girl,” he teased, and Paige scowled at him. “Yeah, she taught me the basics,” Dave continued, answering her unspoken question. “But the ship pretty much flew itself, thank heavens, or I would have been in trouble.”
“That was a very stupid and brave thing to do,” Paige blurted out, unable to help herself.
Dave smiled. “That's me, brave and stupid. Anyhow, she also set me up with this badass identity,” Dave continued, pointing at his clothes.
Only then did she notice that his red uniform looked slightly different from the others she’d seen so far. She wondered what that meant.
“Everyone treats me like I'm some kind of king or something,” Dave said, slicking his hair back.
“Lucky you,” Paige said with a sigh. She wasn't bitter or anything. Paige simply hated all the division and tension on the mothership.
“Hey, you know what's mine is yours, right?” he asked sincerely, misinterpreting her tone. “I got your back, always,” he promised.
“I know that,” she reassured him. “What else?” she prompted.
He pondered about that. “I met some cool people while on the Watchers' Station... And Brooke...”
“Tell me about the treatment,” Paige interjected, stalling. She was dying to know everything about her older sister, but she wanted to stall at the same time. She missed her like crazy, but her feelings were still complicated.
“They have some rockstar doctor on the Station, and he cured me. I don't remember that much, but I know it hurt like hell. It took me a while to recover. Brooke helped me a lot and trained with me,” he said. There was so much gratitude in his tone. Paige was glad he had someone by his side when he needed it because he was such a good guy.
“Are we done with the twenty-one questions, or is there something else you want to know?” Dave teased.
“For now,” Paige said carefully. She needed a moment to process his words.
That last part got her thinking. If Dave was completely cured, did that mean there was hope for her as well? After all, they’d acted differently once infected with the Black Mass, so she couldn’t just assume the same cure would be possible for her.
Yet, a girl can hope...
“What about you guys? What did I miss?” Dave asked after a small pause, snapping her from her thoughts.
“Oh, it's a long story,” Paige replied with a long sigh. Dave gave her a look, so she continued. “Ok, let's see. We managed to get on board of the ship Genesis in the nick of time, and we were separated from Brooke, Willow, and Dad, but you already knew that part. While there, an alien—an enemy of my mom—and his gang kidnapped us. We managed to kill them, take their ship, and that's how we ended up here. Hey, I guess it wasn't that long of a story after all,” she joked while Dave stared at her wide-eyed.
“Wow, that's quite an adventure.”
That was a bit of an understatement, but Paige had a feeling that was his point, so she replied in the same manner. “Just a little.”
They both laughed.
“So, what are you doing here, apart from the obvious?” Dave asked.
Paige made a face. “How did you know to find me here, anyway?”
“Oh, I knew you wouldn't be able to help yourself if you had an opportunity,” he replied, raising his chin a little.
He doesn't know I’m infected with the Black Mass. And for some unknown reason, Paige wanted to keep that from him for a little while longer. She would tell him. But not right now.
“Ha-ha,” Paige replied, pretending to be offended. “I’m here to make burgers for the people on the Green level.”
“Of course, you are,” Dave commented back with humor.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
Dave shrugged, getting down from the counter and facing her to look directly into her eyes. “It means you just act all tough, but in your heart, you are a goody two shoes."
Paige wanted to object. She felt a little self-conscious, so she jumped back down, too, pushing Dave slightly out of the way.
“I need to prepare the meals. I'm sure the break will end pretty soon.”
Dave smiled as if knowing she changed the subject on purpose. He draped his hand over her shoulders. “Need some help?” he offered.
“Sure,” Paige replied instantly.
“Then put me to work, chef,” Dave said, goofing around. Paige couldn't help but laugh.
“Hey, are there any more of those things?” he asked suddenly, pointing at her.
It took her a second to figure it out. “You mean aprons?” Paige asked, and he nodded. “Don't know,” she replied honestly. She found hers by accident, but she was sure there were more of them.
Dave sighed and took his blazer off. Paige looked at him incredulously.
“What?” Dave asked with a slight attitude. “I don't want to ruin my clothes. It has real gold threads in it, you know.”
Paige rolled her eyes, throwing some lettuce at him. “You snob.”
“Hey,” he protested, avoiding the leaf as if it was a slice of pizza that could ruin his shirt forever. It was hilarious.
“Behave,” he threatened.
“Or what?” she challenged.
His face turned serious. “Or I’ll float you out,” he said in a totally fake, deep voice, and Paige almost lost her mind laughing.
“Oh, I'm shaking in my boots,” she taunted.
“Oh, you're gonna,” he said back, grabbing bottles of mayonnaise and ketchup. Paige instantly calmed, guessing what he meant by picking them up.
“Okay, okay, truce.”
He smirked. “Truce.”
They eyed one another for any signs of mischief before completely backing down.
“What do you want me to do?” Dave asked.
Paige thought for a second. “Do you mind working the grill while I prepare everything else?” she asked.
“Sure thing,” Dave replied, saluting her.
He took the case of meat and did his thing while she laid out all the buns and cut all the vegetables for the hamburgers.
They worked in silence for a while, and Paige had to admit it felt nice. It was a true miracle. I got my friend back. That gave her hope she would be reunited with the rest of her family soon as well.
“I need more cucumbers,” she said to Dave over her shoulder before heading to the pantry. It was a quick trip, but when she returned, she came face to face with a man in a blue coat, and he didn’t look pleased to see her. “What is going on here?” he yelled.
Crap! “Um...” Paige started, but he continued to speak over her.
“You will be floated out for this mess,” he threatened angrily.
“Says who?” Dave interjected, coming to stand next to her. He put his red coat back on.
Thank God Dave knew how to think quick on his feet, Paige thought to herself, grateful to no end.
The Blue Coat looked at him then back at Paige. Even though she could see the wheels turning inside his head, he simply couldn't make a connection.
It would be comical if the situation wasn’t so serious.
“I’m sorry, sir,” he stammered. “I didn't see you here.”
“So, what's this deal about floating someone out?” Dave inquired, straight-faced.
“Well, you see...”
“They threaten to kick out people if they misbehave in any way,” Paige provided.
Dave frowned. “Kicked out as in...” He left the sentence unfinished.
“Straight into space. Shoved out an airlock and left to die
cold and alone. Any insubordination or mistake can get someone murdered by being thrown out into space. That’s floating.”
“Oh, that's interesting,” Dave replied, looking at the other man. Paige could actually see the Blue Coat starting to sweat.
Yeah, get a taste of your own medicine for a change.
Unfortunately, Dave decided to put him out of his misery. “This lovely lady and I are preparing a few dozen or so burgers with fries and Cokes. It will go much faster if you help us,” Dave said, and even though his tone was casual, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind it was an order and not a request.
Paige barely stopped herself from laughing out loud. Seeing Dave act all authoritative was hilarious. On the order hand, he saved her neck, so she calmed down and rolled with his actions.
“You can charge everything to me,” Dave added as an afterthought, flashing a gold card.
Something short-circuited inside the man's brain. He clearly didn't expect Dave to act like that as a Red Coat. She seriously doubted he thought he’d get roped into being kitchen help, but Paige had to give him credit. He snapped out of it quickly.
“Of course, sir,” he said.
“Excellent.” Dave smiled. “What's your name?”
“It's Gordon Goodwin, sir,” the Blue Coat said.
“Come with me, Gordon. I have a special job for you,” Dave said, ushering him away, but not before he winked at Paige. This time, she did smile.
Thanks to the extra help, they finished the food in no time. Before they knew it, Dave and Paige happily carried the food back to the sleeping quarters on the Green level.
“I thought that dude would never leave us alone,” Dave commented, and Paige laughed.
Gordon turned out to be a good cook, but afterward, he didn't want to leave Dave alone. He acted like a personal assistant and wanted to stick around. Finally, Dave had to send him away on a fool's errand just so they could escape.
“I know. Me, too,” Paige replied through the laughter. “AJ will flip out once he sees you,” Paige said.
That sobered Dave. “Good. I need to thank him for saving my life. Without what he did, I would still be a mindless Host,” he said, shuddering.
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