31. Chapter 31
Jason told Dare during their nightly call that the captain had okayed his retrieval of the empath in Stravetta”s personal shuttle. Arends only caveat was that Dare would have to wear a breather and change into a clean flight suit once he was on board. It was doubtful that he carried any alien diseases, but, as the captain pointed out, he hadn”t risen in rank by being lax in following regulations.
Dare agreed, adding that he was leaving the clothes he brought down with him to avoid additional contamination. There was a lull in the conversation, then the empath sighed.
”I”m going to miss them, J. Maybe we can return someday. It”s a beautiful planet. I”d like you to see it again.” He paused a moment. ”Before I forget to tell you, there”s no sign of Derek. I”m sure they”ll keep looking, but I”m pretty sure he”s not here. Hard to hide among people who all know each other.”
Jason gave him a searching look, then nodded. ”I had to check, but I”m not surprised he”s not there. As for New Eire, maybe we will. We won”t be going back to Earth to retire, so when we”re done roaming the galaxy, that could be the place we end up. I know saying goodbye was difficult for you. Goodbyes always are.”
”This is the first time I”ve cared enough about anyone to say goodbye. I didn”t know how much that would hurt. At least I have friends there and know I can return if I want to–with you, of course.”
Jason gave him a wry smile. ”Oh, I”m sure they”d love to have me there. Too bad if they don”t because we”re a package deal now.”
The Mindset rolled his eyes. ”Don”t worry. I”ll protect you from the mean Eireans that don”t actually exist. They”ll like you just fine, as long as you don”t threaten anyone.”
”Am I the first to tell you, you”re no fun?”
”No, but let”s wait until I see you again to discuss this, so we can find out just how much fun I can be.”
It took Dare”s eyes over an hour to adjust to the lower light level when he returned to the Gambit. The sunlight on New Eire was wonderful. He gave a little sigh, already missing it. Decon was miserable, and twice as long as before, but Jason was waiting for him and that made up for any discomfort.
The empath had barely donned a clean flight suit before Jason was whisking him up to their suite, Lewis grinning as he followed them. Stravetta asked his bodyguard to face the lift doors, then latched onto Dare”s mouth like he was starving, pulling a mmppff out of the younger man, before he joined in enthusiastically. Lewis”s shoulders shook with repressed laughter until they reached the suite.
Escorting his boss and Dare into their home, Lewis held on to his professional demeanor, thanking Stravetta for giving him the night off with what could be called a mild smirk, or maybe a smile. Jason narrowed his eyes, but waved him off without comment.
The older man let go of his empath long enough to see that he”d lost a little weight and was a bit sunburned.
”You need to eat, and do you want to get something from the infirmary for that sunburn? Looks painful.”
Dare moved back into his arms. ”Food would be welcome, but most of my sunburn is the damn decon. I thought it was going to cook me medium well. I”m a little sensitive, but not too bad. Want to eat, then have some fun?”
Jason laughed. ”Yes, to both. I”ve missed you every way I could, mind and body. Just in case my behavior in the lift wasn”t clear.”
”Oh, it was very clear. We made Lewis happy, too.”
Jason shook his head. ”He”s a great bodyguard, but he”s not the most subtle person I know. He”s been trying to cover for Derek, which isn”t working since Lew can”t work twenty-four/seven. The whole bodyguard thing is because of my family”s status, not because I think somebody is going to assassinate me. I”m putting him on a strict day shift after we metaphorically wrestle about it. He calls me ”boss,” but sometimes I wonder.”
”No offense, but I think you”ve lost that battle with all your employees because you care about them. Is the captain searching for Derek? It”s not like he had many places to go.”
”He”s instituted a search, although not with much enthusiasm. If he”s on the ship, they”ll find him. If they don”t, then we”ve done our best.”
Dare looked down, then shook his head. ”If he”s not found, then he”s what? Dead?”
Jason stared at him for a moment before taking his hand. ”Probably. Since neither I, Lewis, nor you killed him, I”m not concerned. He wasn”t a good person and tried to give you up to my family to use. Pardon me for not giving a damn about him. Good riddance.”
The empath sighed. ”You”re right, but he was a person, crappy though he was. Or maybe is.” He smiled over at the older man. ”Let”s eat and talk about what”s next for us. We”ve done what we can for Derek, and I don”t want to waste my time on him anymore.”
”Smart choice. I”ll ask Lola to fix us something, and then we”ll start planning our next steps. After that, your body is mine.”
”As long as I get equal rights to yours, I”m good.”
Planning fell by the wayside once they finished up a quick meal. Dare gave Stravetta a smile, and before he could do anything, Jason was towing him out of his chair and into the bedroom.
”We”ll have more than enough time to discuss our future on our way back to Earth space. Right now, I just want you, Dare. I want to touch, kiss, and suck you off until you can”t speak. Any objections?”
The empath gazed up at him, his eyes twinkling. ”Absolutely none, as long as I can do the same with you. It”s been a long five weeks without you.”
Jason grinned as he pulled his lover into their bedroom. ”Good plan. I”ve missed you, too. Now get your clothes off. If I do it, there won”t be anything left.”
They slept little that night, caught in celebrating Dare”s return. In the early morning hours, Jason held his empath, marveling at the circumstances that had brought them to this place. As Dare slumbered on, the older man felt his emotions swell with happiness as a smile broke free, glowing into the dimness of the room. This was love, contentment, and home. He needed nothing, and no one else.
They spent the next two weeks sharing their thoughts and bodies whenever they wished. Dare luxuriated in sleeping late, more tired from his sojourn on New Eire than he realized. Jason was always close by, reading, or watching his lover sleep. Dare had no appointments during this time, as most of his clients were still on the planet. The empath enjoyed his first ”vacation” a great deal, allowing tension and worry to leach away under his lover”s care. They exercised together, insisting that Lewis join them. They ate in the regular mess to give Lola and Henry some time off. The crew”s wariness of Mr. Stravetta waned as he interacted with them without artifice. It didn”t hurt that his affection for Dare was obvious and strongly felt.
Riis often joined them for dinner, as did Mike. It didn”t take long for them to be charmed by Jason, who tried not to be too sarcastic. He asked the right questions and showed interest in what they did, and that dispelled their concerns about him regarding Dare. Riis went so far as to give the empath his ”blessing” while Mike diverted Jason, winning a laugh from the Mindset.
His vacation was over too soon, as they always were. Dare resumed his usual schedule the day after the transport shuttle docked, sending a final message to Chance before the ship left the system, saying only that he hoped to see him again, and sending best wishes to everyone. The empath sat quietly after sending the message, feeling the ache of goodbye fill him. He accepted it was the cost of caring, and worth the pain.
The Gambit headed back towards Earth, her speed increasing as she left the New Eire system. Things settled into a routine, made lighter by the empath”s love for Jason, and more interaction with the crew.
If Dare occasionally wandered down to where the colony had been, walking the bare deck, no one knew, or if they did, said nothing.
No trace was found of Derek, and he was soon forgotten by most of the crew.
Jason never forgot what he had done. Although relieved he was gone, he hoped his ending had been as ignoble and unpleasant as the man himself.