Epilogue
How many days had it been since Darcy had opened the pods? She couldn’t remember. Time passed differently here since there was no sun or clock. It had been long enough that fear and terror of what had happened had started to fade, and were instead replaced with wonder and curiosity.
It took awhile for the girls to get used to the big guys and even longer for the guys to get used to the girls. Humans and Toxhocan were so different, yet the same in a lot of ways.
Darcy sat at a table in the ship’s common hall, watching the women spread out across the room. Some huddled in groups, some mingled with the aliens like they were old friends. A few others clung to the large windows of the ship, mesmerized by the vastness of the space around them.
Despite the time that had passed, the girls weren’t…
entirely used to their new normal, though it was obvious it was growing on them.
Some complained about the food, saying it was too sweet like Darcy had said.
Others thought it was too warm on the spaceship and wanted some kind of air conditioner, which only confused the hell out of the big guys.
Since there was more than enough room on the ship, the girls were all staying in their own assigned rooms. There wasn’t much in terms of clothes, though.
They alternated wearing their old pajamas and dresses made of scrap cloth from old seed sacks.
“They are adapting well,” A-rec said, sliding into the chair beside Darcy with his tray. “Most of us thought they’d have destroyed the ship by now.”
“Humans aren’t as unstable as I make them seem,” Darcy teased back. “It’s good they finally know the truth.” She said, sobering.
A-rec glanced around the room at the mix of humans and Toxhocan. He sighed. “I was angry at first. Why did my Mate betray me and my kind?” He thought for a moment. “But I realized, you did not betray me. I betrayed you by not supporting you or backing you when you needed me the most.”
Darcy thought for a moment. The old Darcy could easily let him take the fall for their constant fighting… But not today. “It was mutual betrayal, I think.” Okay, even that was putting too much on his shoulders, but old habits die hard.
Stephenie slid into the chair across from her.
She looked exhausted, but not TOO mad. At least she was sitting at the same table as Darcy now.
It was clear Darcy wasn’t entirely forgiven, but she was certainly not hated.
Maybe it was possible they could mend their friendship after all this. At least, Darcy hoped so.
Across the hall, one of the women staring out the window spoke. “I want to stay,” she said suddenly. “I want to know what the Universe has to offer. I didn’t have much back home anyway. Besides, who could see all…” she gestured to the space outside, “THIS and want to give it all up?”
“I think I want to stay too,” said another woman, the bold one from before, from her spot at one of the dining tables. “Explore space, an alien planet, AND hot guys? Hell no, I’m not giving that up.”
Darcy took a deep breath and rose from her seat. “You’ll each have that choice. And we’ll stand with you, no matter what you decide.”
There was a murmur of agreement that sounded across the room. No more fighting. No more arguing or screaming. Just…contentment. At least for now.
And for the first time since Darcy had awoken on this alien spaceship, it felt more like a home than a prison.