Chapter Twenty-Five: Lab Work and Good Nights

"Ouch!" Lexi withdrew her hand and placed the finger she zapped into her mouth. Lexi sighed and looked up at the scans she had for what she was trying build. Though long ago she had been granted access to Alex's lab she only found recently a reason to use it.

Taking her finger out of her mouth Lexi flipped the triangular brick over. Cheeking its wiring: she cross referenced it with the blue prints blown up on the screens in front of her. She typed in a few things and the prints automaticly changed to her modifications.

Lexi, though smart and a lot more techno savvy then most of the guys thought, she was still no Tech or Alex. She had to take her time and use trial and error before it was ready. What could she have expected? Melding together an invention of Alex's and one of Techs wasn't going to be a walk in the park. She would of simply used one or the other, but Alex's didn't fully meet her needs and Tech would be able to recognize and track one of his own inventions to easily and quickly.

She couldn't have that. However combining the designs would be perfect. Not easy though. Lexi fiddled with it again before it sparked at her again. She gave a frustrated sigh and set it aside.

"Deep breath Lexi." She mumbled to herself, "You can work on it later."

"Hey, angel, what-cha up to up here?" Lexi looked up to see Alex leaning in the door frame. He had his arms crossed and lopsided smile spreed across his lips. Lexi smiled back at him as she pressed a button that made the displayed blue prints disappear.

"Nothing much, just..." Lexi eyeballed the device before slipping it into her pocket, "Messing around with things I guess."

Alex gave a slightly wiry look, but shrugged it off, "Anything I can help with?"

'yes!' She thought but voiced the opposite, "Naw, like I was saying just fiddling around." She could of used his help. He could get this done in no time, but she needed to do it on her own. She didn't know why, she just had to do it that way.

Lexi smiled again and stood up. Alex lightly chuckled for kicking himself off the door frame and meeting her with a kiss, "Well, maybe your 'fiddling' would go better if you got to sleep."

Lexi looked at him questioningly, "What time is it?"

"A little past midnight I think. Maybe later"

Lexi sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "I must of lost track of time." She looked up at Alex, "Did you get Tessa down okay?"

Alex casually shrugged wile his hands to drop down to around her hips and waist, slightly pulling her into him, "I read her a story and she went out like a lite, but she did say something about wanting to spend tomorrow with 'Mommy'."

Alex lightly taped her noise with the pad of his pointer. Lexi smiled slightly, it not quite reaching her eyes as she was still a little unsure of the new label.

"Then I guess I should get some sleep." Lexi said yawning. Finally realizing just how tired she was.

She released herself from his warm hold and started to walk toured the door way, but Alex caught her hand. Lexi turned to look at him.

Alex looked down and rubbed the back of his neck, "It's kinda a long walk back to the other wing where your room is." He looked up finding the wall interesting as a light pink tinted his cheeks and the bridge of his noise, "And I'm sure you're rather tired..."

"Yeah?" Lexi asked. Pushing him to continue.

He looked into he eyes with a little-boy shyness, "You could stay in my room tonight? It just down the hall and... I could send a droid to get your night close. I'm not trying to try anything funny or noth-"

Lexi kissed him, before just barely pulling away and allowing there foreheads to rest on one another, "Lead the way."...

Tessa held tightly to her hand. Fear from the dream still streaming in the child's thoughts. The thumb of her free hand absentmindedly found its way to her mouth as her arm tightened around the brown teddy bear. Her blue footed pajamas with moons and stars swished every time her legs brushed by each other.

She looked up as Mrs. Annebeth's pace slowed to a stop. The feline attendant gave a warm smile to Tessa before gently nudging her toured the door in front of them. "Go on child 'ere in there. Nontin' to be afraid of any mo'"

Tessa gave one last glance up at Annebeth, her eyes slightly glowing in the moon light from the window, and pushed through the door. The room was dark, but Tessa could make out the out line of a bed in the moon light. The room was chilly. The fire had gone out probably hours ago. Tessa shivered a movement, rubbing her arms, before running over to the bed. Soft thumping of her feet against the stone flooring.

She saw a hand that was barley falling off the side of the bed. Wrapping both hands around it she gave a light tug paired with a small voice saying, "Mommy...M-mama?"

Lexi shifted slightly before Tessa saw a soft glow of pink that quickly turned into emerald eyes, "Tessa?" Lexi blinked, allowing them to focus on the small child in the dark before her. "Sweetie, what are you doing up? What's wrong?"

"B-bad dream." Tears started to rim the child's eyes, "Th-then you weren't in your r-room."

"Oh, Tessa, I'm sorry." Lexi sat up then leaned down to pick the child up to the bed. This was the third night Lexi had stayed in Alexanders room. Lexi nudged Alex.

"Hum-wha? What is it? Tessa what are-" Alex said groggily. Sleep heavily keeping it's hold.

"She had a bad dream. I usually hear her and get her, but... Even with supper hearing I can't hear her from here. Now scoot-ch."

Alex removed an arm that had been wrapped around the blond bunny and moved enough for Lexi to place the child snugly between them. Tessa smiled tiredly at Alex as he tousled her hair then wrapped his arm back around Lexi and now the raccoon child.

"Night Daddy."

"Night Sweetie."

"Night Mommy."

"Night baby." Both Lexi and Alex watched at the child instantly fell back asleep.

Alex looked up at Lexi, "Dose she have these 'bad dreams' regularly?"

Lexi yawned, "Yeah, but there getting less frequent."

"But still happening." Alex paused a moment, "If your going to be spending more nights in here then perhaps it would be best to move Tessa into the room across the hall."

"That would probably be best." Lexi agreed with a soft smile. Alex smiled too before resting his head down and falling back into his own slumber. Lexi looked at the two next to her. They looked adorable together, and she could sens there love. Alex's love for her and his love for the child in between them. Tessas love and connection to the two adults. Even her own love that mirrored theirs.

A content, warm, happy, feeling settled its self with in Lexi. A feeling that made many of Lexis doubts and worries wash away that very moment. She wrapped her arms around the child and closing her eyes her sleep was accompanied by one thought.

'Perhaps being Mommy is what I need too.'