Dani #2
Not just her physical weight in my arms. I felt her emotions. The terror that had gripped him was still there, but it was receding, being replaced by a tentative and fragile sense of relief.
But it was more than just feeling her emotions.
I could sense her thoughts; not words, she was too young for complex language, but impressions.
My mind swam with images. The storm was a monster to her, a living thing of chaos that wanted to hurt everyone.
The darkness hid her father, the person who made the world safe.
And I was strange, the not-father. But now I was warm and steady, similar to Andrek.
She seemed to like the sound of my song.
The warmth intensified, spreading through my entire body. It felt like something was being written into my very cells, a connection being forged at a level deeper than conscious thought. I blinked at the flood of sensory information that wasn't my own.
From Pip’s perspective, I felt the texture of my shirt. To her, it was soft, the weave different from Andrek’s clothes, making it interesting to touch. I could hear my voice the way Pip heard it. Higher pitched than Andrek’s, less resonant but becoming familiar, associated with comfort.
I could feel Pip’s exhaustion, the way her small body ached from crying so hard. The lingering fear of the storm. But underneath it all, a growing sense of being held, being safe, being loved.
And I realized with a shock that cut through the warmth.
Pip felt my love for her. I hadn’t wanted to name the protective feeling that grew over the past week despite all my failures and frustrations.
But Pip felt it anyway. She felt how desperate I was to keep her safe; how much it hurt me when she was afraid; how determined I was to learn how to care for her the way she needed.
The bond was forming. Right here, right now, in the middle of a crisis. The psychic imprint Andrek warned me about was happening, and I was helpless to stop it even if I’d wanted to.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, still rocking, though I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring Pip or myself. “I’ve got you. You’re safe. I promise.”
Pip made the soft chirp of contentment. Her hands unclenched from my shirt, then gripped it again, holding on from choice, not fear.
Time felt strange in the shelter, with the storm raging outside and the new awareness blooming in my mind.
It could have been minutes or hours. All I knew was that I kept singing, cycling through the verses I remembered and humming the melody when I forgot the words, and Pip stayed relaxed in my arms.
Later, I heard sounds from outside the shelter. Footsteps, uneven and dragging. Then Andrek’s voice, rough and strained, came from behind the doorway. “Danielle? Pip?”
“We’re here and away from the door,” I called back. “We’re okay.”
The door opened, and Andrek stumbled inside. He looked terrible. Andrek stepped in, his clothes torn, dark blood matted his left arm, and a gash across his forehead still bled. His eyes went to Pip. “Is she?” he asked, but stopped.
He stepped back resting his back against the door. “The bond,” he whispered. “It’s formed.”
As if to confirm his words, Pip stirred in my arms and opened his eyes.
When he saw Andrek, his face lit up with joy and relief.
Of course it did; he was her father, the person she loved most in the world.
But when Andrek reached for her, Pip didn’t immediately lunge into his arms the way she always had before.
Instead, she looked back at me. Her small hands patted my chest as if to say, stay. As if I were now part of his safe circle, not just someone to be tolerated until his real parent returned.
Then she reached for Andrek with one hand while keeping the other firmly gripped in my shirt. She wanted, or needed both of us.
I carefully transferred Pip to Andrek’s good arm, and watched as they pressed their foreheads together. This time, when they separated, Pip reached back for me.
“Hey, little star,” I murmured, moving closer so Pip could touch my hand. “Your dad’s here. Everything’s okay now.”
Pip’s eyes stayed on me, and through the new awareness humming in my mind, I could feel her emotions.
She felt relieved that Andrek was safe, yes, but I got the sense of belonging, of family.
Andrek was hers and had always been hers.
And now I was her family, too. Both of us together made her world complete.
“Danielle.” Andrek’s voice pulled me from the strange communion with Pip’s thoughts. When I looked up, his expression was serious. “Do you understand what’s happened?”
“I think so,” I said. “The bond formed.”
“It’s permanent,” he said, and my stomach clenched. “This isn’t employment anymore. Pip needs you now for the rest of her childhood. Her development and emotional stability are tied to you now, just as much as they are to me.”
All the pieces of myself I didn’t know had been missing before clicked into place.
“I know,” I said, meeting Andrek’s gaze. “I understand. And I’m not leaving.”
Something in his expression softened, the tension in his shoulders easing despite his injuries. “You’re certain? Because once this bond establishes over the next few weeks…”
“Andrek, I’m certain.” I reached out and touched Pip’s hand, feeling her response. “I came here looking for freedom, and I thought that meant escaping from everything I knew. But maybe real freedom is choosing what you commit to. Choosing what matters enough to stay for.”
Pip made that soft chirping sound again and reached for me with all her hands. Andrek transferred her back into my arms, and the bond pulsed stronger, reinforcing itself with each moment of contact.
“Besides,” I added, settling Pip against my chest where she relaxed, “someone has to make sure you go to the medical center and get those injuries treated instead of trying to tough it out.”
Andrek’s mouth quirked in what might have been a smile. “The storm’s passed. The medical center is a bit over ten minutes away.”
“Then let’s go.” I said, cradling Pip. “All of us. Because we’re a package deal now.”
We made our way out of the shelter, Pip drowsing in my arms and Andrek limping beside us.
This little family was what I’d been searching for all along, even if it looked nothing like what I’d imagined.
The twin moons were visible again through the broken windows, shining clear and bright now that the storm had passed. The house took damage. Debris scattered through the hallways, water stains on the ceiling, shattered glass glittered in the emergency lighting.
But we were safe. We were together.
For the first time since I arrived on this strange alien world, I felt like I was where I was supposed to be.
Pip stirred in my arms, one small hand coming up to rest against my cheek.
“I will,” I whispered to her. “I promise, little star. I’ll be here. Always.”