by Darien Cox
“Yes,” Baz said. “Baby you help on mountain.” Baz chattered to the baby, waving her over.
Dressed in a clean white jumpsuit, white hair spilling over her little shoulders, the baby walked slowly toward them. She held a dark bundle in her arms. “Is okay,” Baz said. “Oh fuck, I speak English to her.” Baz glanced back at them and rolled his eyes. He faced the baby again and said something in his own language.
Suddenly the little white trotted over. She stood before Nolan and held her arms out.
Nolan smiled. “Oh my God. Is that my sweater?”
She smiled, white face stretching at the jaw. A babble of words came out of her mouth, sweet and high-pitched, and she thrust the sweater at Nolan.
“Thank you!” Nolan took the sweater from her. “So kind of you to return it.”
Her hands came up and curved, a shrugging gesture, and she chattered some more.
“AH AH AH AH!”
Nolan and Elliot stared at the tall White behind Baz, who’d just laughed, his face stretched into a smile.
Baz grinned at him then looked at Nolan. “He think it funny what his daughter say. She say to you, Nolan, need to keep warm. She think you live in forest. Say you keep her warm when cold and she worry you cold without sweater.”
“What is her name?”
Baz turned and said something to the father. The tall white muttered something back and shook his head. “Apology,” Baz said. “He say no to give name.”
“Oh. That’s all right.”
The little girl ran to her father and tugged on his robe, chattering up at him. He spoke to her in a soothing tone, then nodded. She ran back to stand in front of Nolan. Fisting her hands, she brought them to her mouth and made a chewing gesture.
Nolan looked up at Baz, who laughed. “Oh. She say she want to have human name for you. Want to be call squirrel. She like the squirrels in the forest.”
“Shquiggle!” the baby said, then laughed. “Ah ah!”
Nolan leaned over and smiled. “You want to be a squirrel?”
She squealed, nodding, hiding her smile behind her hand.
Elliot laughed. “Oh God. I’m dying of cute right now.”
“Told you she was cute. You called her creepy.”
“Nolan!” Elliot hissed. “Shut up!”
“Relax, they don’t understand us.” He smiled at the baby. “You’re super cute.”
She slapped Nolan’s knee, then scuttled over and slapped Elliot’s, smiling.
The tall White spoke, waving the baby over.
“He say time for her to go now,” Baz said.
“All right,” Nolan said. “Goodbye, Squirrel. Thank you for returning my sweater. Stay well.”
Baz knelt down and translated to the baby. The baby gurgled something in his ear. Baz grinned and shook his head. “She say she fond of you even though you have strange eyes.”
Elliot threw his head back and laughed.
The baby ran to her father. He crouched low and spoke to her. She slapped his knee then ran out of the room. The black door closed behind her.
“One minute,” Baz said. He walked over to the father, who leaned over to speak. It was an odd sight, someone being so much taller than Baz.
The two of them turned and walked closer to Elliot and Nolan. The White stood back a pace behind Baz. “He want to me to tell you words, okay? He say in the before he take baby to surface to see squirrels because she like. Hybrid…one of dirt-bag come to warn him of mutiny. Deception to make him go back to base. Father tell baby to wait in woods for him, hide, think he be back soon. Tell her if she see any hybrid, to run and hide. He be back soon. But when he go to base he fall asleep. Long time baby in woods alone.”
The White stepped forward and leaned down, muttering to Baz.
Baz shook his head. “Grah,” he said to the White.
The White’s big eyes narrowed. “Gorah? Tee?”
“No.” Baz pointed to his mouth. “Grrah. Tee. Tude.”
The White nodded. He approached Nolan. Nolan stared up at him. “Hello.”
The White held his big hand out. Nolan tentatively took it. Slowly pumping Nolan’s hand twice, the White said, “Gratitude.”
Nolan nodded. “You’re welcome.”
The White moved to stand in front of Elliot, then stuck his hand out. Elliot took it. The White pumped his hand twice, slowly and carefully, like he wanted to get it right. “Gratitude.”
“You’re welcome,” Elliot said.
The White nodded, then turned away. He placed a hand on Baz’s shoulder as he passed by, then left the room, the door swishing open, then closing behind him.
“That’s it,” Baz said. “You done.”
Nolan ran a hand over his head. “That was…wow.”
“Apology. Should get more thanks from Whites for help you give. Brett and others too. But will not happen. They grateful but to convince to speak to human difficult. White you met come to me and ask to thank personal. Ask to learn word for thank. Maybe not much, but trust. Is a big deal for him to do.”
“Shit, Baz.” Nolan laughed. “It was a big deal for us too, I assure you. Thanks. That was fucking amazing. Crap.” Nolan covered his mouth. “I feel like I shouldn’t be swearing on the space ship.”
Elliot laughed. “It’s not a holy place, Nolan.”
“I can walk you out?” Baz said.
Nolan grinned. “Walk us out? Probably a bad idea with gravity and all.”
“Ah ah ah. I mean to say…mist you out?”
“Sure.” Nolan stood. “You can mist us out.”
“Come close please.”
Elliot and Nolan stepped closer to Baz. Again Nolan experienced dizziness as the white mist formed, the sensation of floating.
The mist cleared and they were standing in Elliot’s living room. “Okay,” Baz said. “Goodbye.”
“You’re just gonna run out?” Elliot said. “We gonna see you again?”
“Oh yes. I still your ambassador. Just have more important duty at base now. We will speak I am sure.”
Nolan spread his arms. “Hug?”
Baz rolled his eyes. “Ugh. Okay.” He leaned in and patted Nolan around the back. “Do not tell Chrischris. I would not hug him in the before when ask.”
“Me, me, me,” Elliot said, and Baz turned and hugged him. “I’m gonna tell Christian you kissed me. With tongue.”
Baz’s mouth fell open. “You best be only to fucking with me.”
Elliot snorted. “Yeah. I’m just fucking with you. I won’t say anything to Christian.”
Baz grinned. “Be well. Baz goodbye.”
His tall white body was engulfed in mist. It dissipated in the swirly ghosts Nolan had become accustomed to. Then Baz was gone.
Nolan let out a deep breath and glanced at Elliot.
“I don’t know,” Elliot said. “I can’t even process enough to speak about what just happened right now.”
Nolan nodded. “Pub?”
“Yeah! Let’s go get drunk. Let’s go get really drunk. We’ve earned it.”
“I’ll grab my coat.”
“Hey Nolan?”
Nolan snatched his coat off the couch then walked over to Elliot. “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Nolan smiled. He doubted hearing those words from Elliot would ever cease to warm him and make his stomach flutter. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Please join hands,” Myles said.
Elliot smiled at Nolan as they took each other’s hands. Nolan looked absolutely edible in his tux, dark hair slicked back, showing off his gorgeous brown eyes.
They stood on the beach, and it was a bit cold, but the reception was at JT’s pub only steps away, so the guests could suck it if they didn’t like it. But Elliot felt warm. The sun was setting, and two crackling bonfires burned on the sand only yards away. November had turned the colored leaves brown, but they were still pretty as they swirled through the air on the lake breeze. The moun
tain peaks in the distance were dusted with caps of snow, but none had fallen in the village yet.
As Myles led them through their vows, Elliot followed along and said his bits but barely listened. Words didn’t matter. Standing here holding Nolan’s hands, staring into his eyes and pledging himself with their best friends watching…that’s what mattered.
Myles looked dashing himself in a blue suit that brought out his eyes, dark hair neat and combed. He was very serious and officious as he performed the ceremony, but now he smiled, eyes darting back and forth between Elliot and Nolan.
“By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you spouses for life.”
Nolan leaned in and gave Elliot a soft, sweet kiss.
The guests on the beach erupted in cheers and whistles, along with a few salacious suggestions shouted from their closest friends. Elliot expected nothing less, and as soon as the ceremony was finished, the party chaos began.
Nolan and Elliot trailed the sharply dressed crowd up to the pub, which JT had decked out for the reception, plenty of flowers and decorations and strands of white lights.
“So.” Nolan wrapped an arm around Elliot as they stepped into the pub. “You’re stuck with me.”
“Guess so. And you’re stuck with me.”
“Happy?”
Elliot stopped and wrapped his arms around Nolan’s neck. “Perfectly.”
Elliot lost himself in Nolan’s kiss, oblivious to the hoots and hollers they received until Christian bumped into them. “Break it up, break it up. Hey, don’t get too drunk at the reception, okay? We’ve got a surprise for you guys later. Once all the boring guests leave and it’s just us.”
Several people walked by and congratulated them, then JT came by and handed them each a glass of champagne. “Thanks,” Elliot said.
JT handed a glass to Christian, then raised his own. “Toast. To the best friends in the world, the solar system, the galaxy, and whatever the fuck else is out there. Congrats, Elliot and Nolan.”
“Cheers,” Christian said.
They clinked glasses and drank. “So what’s this surprise?” Nolan asked.
JT shrugged. “Couple fun things. Ogden will be by later.”
“Ogden?” Elliot frowned. “I thought he couldn’t make it?”
“He’ll be here,” Christian said. “He’s coming later because his gift is a bit…sensitive.”
“Ah, Christ,” Nolan said. “Now I’m gonna be wondering all night what sensitive means.”
JT laughed and slapped Elliot’s shoulder. “You’ll like it, I promise. Just a fun thing.”
Nolan’s hand rested on the back of Elliot’s neck. “We should go say hello to everyone before the music and dancing and drunkenness kicks in.”
“Good idea,” Elliot said. “But this is Singing Bear Village. Pretty sure most of these people are drunk already.”
“True. Speaking of booze, there’s Quint and Brett. Let’s go say hi.”
The night wore on with the kind of revelry only found in Singing Bear Village. Rudy danced on a table and it broke beneath him. Brett dropped his pants to show everyone the white lacy cock-sock he’d worn over the beef-sword of justice for the occasion. Tim Patterson hit on Tyler. Tyler told Tim he wasn’t his type. Tim told Tyler to go fuck himself. Then somehow the two ended up making out in the pub kitchen, as reported by Tammy who’d walked in on them.
At the end of the night, all the guest walked down to the beach and set floating lanterns off into the sky. Once the reception was declared over, JT led a small crowd up to the loft on the third floor for a private party.
“Oh, wow,” Elliot said as they walked into the loft. “This is fucking great.”
“Yeah, right?” Nolan said. “Awesome. Look outside!”
JT had brought in more chairs and couches for the occasion, fun music played over the sound system, and beyond the wall of glass skylights the floating lanterns glowed orange in the sky. Nolan and Elliot walked over and looked out at the view. “That remind you of anything?” Elliot said.
Nolan chuckled. “I wasn’t gonna say it but yeah. The Whites’ ships, when they all shot up to fight the Greys. Same color.”
Rudy came over and slapped a hand on each of their shoulders. “Hey. Ogden just got here. He’s coming up.”
“No way.”
“Come on.”
They meandered back to the center of the room, and Elliot looked around at the intimate group. JT was behind the bar serving martinis to Tim and Tyler. Rhonda was there. Dr. Sullivan. Shane. Brett. Quint. Myles and Christian. Rudy. That’s when Elliot realized everyone at the party was someone ‘in the know’, no outsiders.
Ogden stepped through the door carrying a small box with a bow on it, his grin wide as he greeted Christian. Wiley stepped in behind him, looking slick in a black silk shirt and slacks, white buzz-cut grown out some and gelled.
“Congratulations,” Ogden said as he approached Elliot and Nolan.
“Hey,” Nolan said. “Thanks for coming.”
Ogden handed Elliot the box. “Don’t open it yet.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll take that.” Christian snatched the box and walked away.
Nolan laughed. “That was…interesting.”
“You think that’s interesting?” Wiley said as he came upon them. “You’re gonna love this. Brett? Let them in.”
Brett went to the door and opened it. Two tall white figures stepped into the room.
Elliot’s mouth fell open and Nolan laughed. “Holy shit. Baz!”
“Oh my God,” Elliot said. “I can’t believe this.”
Dressed in a green tunic, his white hair sleek and trimmed to his shoulders, Baz strode over on long legs. With him was another hybrid, similarly dressed in blue, but his white hair was short, a Beatles style bowl cut. With the tunic and matching leggings, he looked like a throwback from the sixties—except for the whole seven-foot-tall, alabaster alien thing.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Elliot said to Baz.
“Ah ah surprise! Happy wedding.”
Nolan shook his head, grinning. “Who planned this?”
“Hoggin get to me. Then tonight sneak in. Oh. This my friend. Call him Joff.”
“Hello, Joff.” Elliot stuck his hand out. “Good to meet you.”
Joff looked like a very large-eyed deer in the headlights. He glanced at Baz. “Shake hand!” Baz said.
Nodding, Joff shook Elliot’s hand, then Nolan’s. “Nice to meet you,” Nolan said.
Joff glanced nervously at Baz, then pointed to Nolan.
“Oh, yes.” Baz wagged a finger back and forth between Elliot and Nolan. “These the ones. Married.”
Joff smiled. “Happy to you.”
Elliot’s brow rose. “Thank you.” He smirked at Baz.
“I try to teach him,” Baz said. “Learn some English but…not so good yet.”
“Does he drink?” Nolan asked.
“Oh sure. He drink.”
“Then I’ll get him something. Joff? You want to come to the bar with me?”
Baz leaned in and translated.
Joff smiled and nodded. “Happy to you.”
Baz grinned. “He mean yes, thank you, to go to bar.”
“Great. Let’s go, Joff.”
When Nolan walked away with the other hybrid, Elliot turned to Baz. “So. Joff, huh?”
“He very smart,” Baz said. “And kind. He one of hybrid who sneak in and take me when others bleed me. Get me to safe room where can make message for JT. Help me escape base. Very kind, Joff. Very kind. Save me. Save Whites as much as everyone by save me. Very fond of Joff.”
“That’s great,” Elliot said. “I’m glad you brought him. Was he nervous?”
“Ellytot.” Baz rolled his eyes. “So nervous. I have to boss him to come.”
Elliot wheezed with laughter. “Bossing him around, huh? So are you two…you know. More than friends?”
Baz’s shoulders hunched and his long
white lashes dropped. “Okay. Yes. More than friend.”
Elliot slapped his arm. “That’s great. He seems like a really good guy. Handsome, too.”
“Yes. Very beautiful. Kind.”
“Everyone!” Christian shouted. “Take a seat. Ogden and Wiley are gonna give the happy couple their gift.”
“Oh boy, wonder what this is,” Elliot said.
“Ah ah ah. So funny.”
“Cut the shit, Baz! You know what it is?”
“Is…how Hoggin say…dark funny but Ellytot appreciate.”
“Dark funny. Hmm.”
Myles walked over. “Hello, Baz. Just met your friend, Joff. He seems nice if not a bit freaked out.”
“Hello Myles. Yes. Freak out. He to be okay.”
“Of course he will. He’s among friends. You tell him that, okay? That he’s among friends.”
“Thank to you, Myles. I tell him.”
Myles went to sit down.
“Myles kind,” Baz said. “Chrischris fortunate too.”
“Look at you, being the bigger person.”
Baz scowled. “I am the bigger.”
“Never mind. Figure of speech. Shall we sit?”
Everyone gathered on the couches and chairs. Joff had brought Baz a drink and handed it to him. Nolan wrapped an arm around Elliot, laughing. “I think Baz got a boyfriend.”
“Yeah. We’ll talk later. It’s pretty cute.”
They sat down on a loveseat. Rudy came over and handed Elliot a martini. “Saw you were empty-fisted. Can’t have that on your wedding night.”
“Thanks.”
JT walked over to the big screen and turned it on. He stepped back with a remote and glanced behind him. “Ogden? You want me to just run this or you want to introduce it.”
Ogden waved a hand. “Just turn it on. It’s self-explanatory.”
“Okaaay.” JT hit play then darted over and sat next to Rudy, pulling him onto his lap and snickering.
An image came on the screen and Elliot’s jaw dropped. “Ogden what the fuck?”
“Just watch it,” Wiley said. “Drink your martini.”
Nolan rubbed his eyes, chuckling. “Oh dear God, what did you guys do?”
Onscreen was the image of Tullis, the orange-haired angry nasty. He sat behind a gray desk, dressed in a blue NASA tee shirt. Tullis glanced to his left. “You want me start now?”