Chapter 7
JOLAR
Thankfully a shuttle pilot had been summoned at the same time as I’d been given my notice that I had a mate match. We found him completing pre-flight checks. I smiled in greeting, recognizing him, as we’d gone through basic warrior training as youths together.
“Targel! I didn’t know you’d gotten assigned here!”
“My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw your name, Jolar. I’d have sought you out had I known you were aboard.” He booped Neal’s nose. “And who is this little cutie?” he asked, pretending he hadn’t read it on his flight orders.
“I’m Neal. You know my daddy?”
“Well, hello there young Neal. I certainly do. We met when we were just a bit older than you.”
Neal looked impressed. “That was a long time ago and you didn’t forgetted! I forget stuffs all the time! I even lost my shoes yesterday!”
Targel laughed a warm rumble that brought back fond memories of youthful hijinks. “Well, we best get inside and start off before my old brain forgets where I’m supposed to take you.”
Neal’s expression soured at the mention of our destination.
Targel gave me a knowing look over Neal's head before leading us up the ramp and inside. He had a booster seat already set up in one chair and I helped Neal into it before fastening him in. I took the seat opposite and likewise strapped myself in while Targel took the pilot’s seat.
He started the engines, and the first thing he did was make the entire ceiling of our craft look transparent so Neal could see everything around us as we took off.
“Wow, look, Daddy!” he cried as we left the hangar. “Our ship is so big!”
Targel pointed out the other ships in the Fleet that were easily seen, and I blessed him for it as it helped distract Neal from his worries and turned this trip into an enjoyable one for him.
“Okay, we’re about to enter the atmosphere. All you’ll see is a bunch of bright lights, so I’m going to turn off the view now.”
“Aww!”
“How about some Scobby Doo?” I asked, mispronouncing it on purpose.
“It’s Scooby, Daddy!” Neal giggled. “Not Scobby.”
Target called up the AI and asked for Scooby Doo and within moments, one of the many episodes began to play.
The second episode was nearly finished when Targel let me know we were approaching our destination.
He slowed down and did a loop around so Neal could finish his show, which he did as we landed.
I thanked Targel for the smooth ride.
“I’ll be right here to take you back,” he reminded me, a laughing glint in his eye.
If I was being honest with myself, I wished my old friend would come in with me to meet Mitchell, purely for moral support of course.
I was being silly and I knew it, but I was feeling well and truly rattled despite my outward show of confidence.
This was my mate and we were about to meet for the very first time!
We would be together for all time after this, and irrationally, despite knowing we were indeed perfect for each other, I was terrified that he would find me lacking in some way, or unintentionally say something to upset Neal.
I picked up Neal, settling him on my hip.
He burrowed his head into my neck, his tiny hands clutching at me, seeking comfort and reassurance.
I rubbed gentle circles on his back with my free hand, giving it to him as much as I took the same from him.
He was a steadying presence, shifting my focus away from myself and onto him.
I took a deep breath, then tossed Targel a cocky grin that I could feel trembling a bit, but which held true. “All right then, we best get going. We have a mate to fetch!”
Target clapped me on the back in a show of support.
I took a step forward, then another, until I was down the ramp.
Feeling more confident now, I lengthened my stride, eager to greet our new future.
Love would win, I was sure of it, but our hearts had to meet first before they could come together.
I reached the door to the building, reached out to let Xeranos scan my hand, and leaned down for it to also check my retina.
The door clicked open, and I pushed it with my foot, once more rubbing my youngling’s back as he let out a low whimper, and stepped inside.
The sight that greeted my eyes was not at all what I expected. Mitchell was bent over, his head on his knees, words of gentle encouragement to breathe along with the officer being given. I blinked in surprise, then whispered into my son’s ear, “Looks like your new papa is afraid to meet us.”
Neal looked up at me in surprise. “But we’re not scary, Daddy.”
I hummed in agreement. “But look and see.”
Neal twisted around to get a better view, then squirmed to be let down. I placed him on the floor, watching in bemusement as he ran over to the struggling redhead.
“It’s okay. New people can be a little scary to meet,” he said, repeating what I’d told him on his very first day of school aboard ship.
The scholarship officer stepped back, giving me my first good look at my mate, as I’d not even opened his file yet, having been too stunned by the news at first, then too preoccupied with making sure Neal was okay.
All I’d seen of him was his name in the matching announcement.
Mitchell lifted his head, and I was stunned at the paleness of his blue eyes and the way his russet-colored lashes framed them.
He had the most adorable brown dots across the bridge of his nose and a few scattered across his cheeks.
Neal held out Stitch. “You can hold him if you like. He makes me feel better when things get scary.”
Mitchell’s breathing slowed, and he looked first at the stuffed animal, then at our son.
“But what if he only works for you?” he asked Neal.
“Then you can hug me and I’ll make you feel better while he adds extra feel goodness,” came the reply.
I saw the moment it happened and wondered if I had looked exactly the same the second Neal’s eyes caught mine and we connected upon our very first meeting. Mitchell looked at our son and his now open arms, and fell in love as he accepted his first hug.