CHP 4
The next morning, Protozoa had made her breakfast and pulled out all the stops in a silent apology for the ridiculous answer he gave her the night before. Zenon acted like nothing had happened and went along their usual routine. With one big difference. She would dodge or refuse any of his head kisses when he tried to give them to her. She would lean against him while thinking, but it was a controlled pressure, nothing like she had before. There was a tension there. A wall she had put between them since his panicked vomit of words. Not to mention, none of his touches were reciprocated like they were before.
"I'm making something special for us tonight," he mentioned as she was heading back into her room, "I can whip it up in a half hour."
"I'm not hungry, thanks," she waved at him with a nod, "I got some more communications to go over, so I'll probably be up late."
"You want some help?"
"No, I got it," she sent him a forced smile and turned from him with a bite on her lip.
He rubbed at his head and his eyes in frustration. He really came to dislike that tourist and himself even more. It was his words that missed everything up. Couldn't have thought of something better?
Maybe something like, 'Don't fret, love. Good job using your stellar mind.' Or could have gone with the: we won't speak of it again approach of 'Nothing to apologize for.' Even going so far as what he really wanted to say, 'That was perfect. Let's practice some more in case it should occur again?'
He had to do something. He won't be able to get through another day of this the way it was. He headed for the music room to gather up a few things.
Meanwhile, Zenon poked away at her zap pad and tried to figure out the costs the station would incur to keep it space operational and habitable. Not to mention the cost of the station itself. If the government has given up on the station, maybe there was a way to take control of it before they decide to dismantle it. Then the problem of finding those funds. The number on her screen was only going up, up and up.
"Stellar," she groaned at the screen and imputed the large string of numbers into the document on the computer screen, "Those are a lot of zeros."
Her zap pad flashed with an incoming call.
"Mom!" she greeted with a smile as her mother's head with stress helmet came into view, "How's the packing going?"
"Faster than I would have liked," Astrid groaned as the stress helmet's lights flashed above her brow, "I know you weren't expecting us for a couple of weeks yet, but we're heading down in a few days."
"Days?!" she stood up from the desk and grabbed the zap pad closer to her face, "Cetus-Lepeedus, it's too soon!"
"Cool the meltdown, Zenon," Astrid tried to placate her, "The station is still not being decommissioned for a couple of weeks. They packed our section up quicker than originally thought."
"Where are you guys coming to? Or staying once you 're here?"
"There is a temporary housing for all those displaced and we can find a place from there," Astrid rolled her eyes at the absurdity of everything around her, "We're going to stay with your aunt the first night and then set up from there. Do you think Protozoa would allow you to stay with him for now? I'm sure we'll have a good idea on where we're settling after the actual decommission. Until then, I'd like to think you'd be more comfortable there."
Zenon looked over at her desk where she had put the small Polaroid picture at the corner of her computer monitor, despite their unfortunate spat. She bit her lip as she thought it over. She wasn't being the best friend or roommate today. But she didn't even feel like she was a friend anymore. Just another girl throwing themselves at him.
"Zenon?" Astrid asked in her worried mom voice.
"Sweat minor, mom," Zenon gave her a small smile that didn't even feel real.
"What happened?"
Zenon sat down by the large windows showcasing the fantastic view, "Nothing nuclear, but sometimes I just feel like I'm just this teeny-bopper fan to him."
"Zee, what would make you think that? Protozoa adores you."
"It's just something he said last night and I just- I mean, I kinda put him on the spot, but I... I don't know," she sighed out and looked at the view instead of the zap pad.
"You know, no one is ever good at talking when they are on the spot."
"He's a rock star."
"With rehearsed and practiced songs. When have you ever seen a man with eloquent words when he's nervous or out of his realm?"
Zenon thought back to the night before, and he looked stressed. She took a deep breath and looked back at her mom, who had an expectant look on her face.
"Has he said anything since?"
"Just our normal routine, but he made me my favorite breakfast this morning."
"He cooks?"
"Who knew, right?" Zenon chuckled, "He also tried to be more helpful on my current project, bringing me a drink before I even knew I was thirsty... and giving me support I kind of shrugged off..."
"Baby, I don't know the details, but it sounds like you're the one pulling away. I don't know what he said to make you think he thinks lowly of you. But I also don't know many rock stars who make their 'teeny-bopper fans' their favorite breakfast and make a room for them in their private getaway," Astrid turned off her stress helmet and set it off to the side, "Your aunt and uncle are going to have a barbecue dinner at their place in three days when we get there and I want you to come. The both of you."
"With the way I've been acting, I don't know if he'd want to go."
"He'll want to come," Astrid assured her and gave her a look through the zap pad, "Just think about what I said. There are actions on both sides to note."
Zenon looked back at her desk to see the picture again and then looked at her mom's face, "I'm stubborn, aren't I?"
"You get it from your father," Astrid nodded with a softer smile, "I'll see you two in a few days. I love you."
"Love you, too," Zenon waved at her mom's face before the zap pad went black and then back to the information she was reading off of before.
She shut off the screen and set it on the desk. She took another look at the picture and took a few moments to study it. To study him. He was caught off guard, this look wasn't one of a famous rock star, or an entertainer. This was a guy with a girl, looking over her instead of a stellanarious sun set. His eyes soft and unsure. One thing Protozoa was not, was unsure. Protozoa reeked of confidence wherever he went. An ego the size of the station they were trying to save, but he quelled it. For her. In one moment, it wasn't about him.
"I'm so inky," she huffed and got up from the desk. She grabbed the box with the bracelets from the side of the room and wrapped the smaller one around her wrist. She grabbed the other one in her fist and walked out her door to track him down. She would set things right before it would go too far in the wrong direction.
She found him in the music room on his bench seat, strumming a now familiar tune. His voice sang the lyrics she hadn't heard before, "Drifting out on my own to places unknown... Heavy thoughts take root with darkness, my new home... Just searching for my sun... Then you're there, a new star, blinding bright...my new center of gravity, a new universe lights up the night ..."
"You've changed a few things," she whispered when he took a momentary pause in his playing.
He put the guitar to the side and looked at her in the doorway, "Felt right. Write what you know."
She plopped herself next to him and instead of leaning into his side, she turned to face him directly.
"I'm sorry I've been black hole-ish to you all day," she said as she looked directly into his eyes, "I didn't have a valid reason to be upset and I just felt like I wasn't a friend. I was just a fan that happened to be here."
"Nothing is further from the truth," he reached for her hands and kept connection with her eyes, "I was a git- an idiot for what I said. It's not what I felt. I meant to say you were brilliant for thinking on your feet. You had nothing to apologize for. You're my best friend, Zenon. The closest thing to family I have besides the boys in the band- even Lester. I'm sorry I ever made you feel you are just a fan to me. You are and always will be more."
Zenon smiled and turned her palm in his hand and pushed the bracelet into his hand, "You won these for us. Might as well wear them."
He smirked and pulled his on as he saw she already had hers on, "Still not going to give me the picture, huh?"
"You're not getting my picture."
"Greedy," he touched her nose in jest and then grabbed her hands again, "Are we good?"
"We're fabulo," she assured him.
"Good, come get your dinner, I heard your stomach growl," he pulled her from the bench seat with him and toward the kitchen.
"Then can I help you with the chorus?" she looked back at his guitar.
"Of course, where would I be without my muse?"
Zenon landed the pod at the curb just outside of the Plank residence with a confident smile and an affectionate pat on the pod's steering wheel.
"Well, well, look who's getting proud of their parking prowess."
Protozoa lounged in the passenger seat, his arms folded behind his head in a relaxed state.
"You're just saying that because you enjoy feeling like you have a chauffeur again."
"How dare you assume I would ever see you as a chauffeur, darling. You are much more suited to the muse position."
"Does the muse get paid better than the chauffeur?" she wondered out loud as she turned off the pod.
He put on one of his suave smiles and quirked an eyebrow as he leaned over the center toward her, "Only with my undivided attention."
"Lucky me," she pushed at him in play and got out of the car.
"How many others would fall over themselves with that line?" he mumbled to himself and untangled himself from the seat belt. It was something he was always thankful for. Zenon was never like his other fans. Sure, as a teenager, she was just as excitable as the next one to meet him. But even on the first quick trip up to the space station, he realized she was different. She was smart and ironically down to earth. She didn't trip over herself to get in his good graces or swoon with his smiles or one liners. She didn't care he was a rock star once she got to know him. He was a friend and a human being- he was Protozoa the man, not Protozoa the rock star. Few others figured him out like she has over the years. A smile grew on his face, "Yet another reason I can't get enough of her."
"You going to be on your best behavior?" she asked and pulled on her jacket and knocked on the door. She had dressed in Earth fashion with a pair of skinny jeans and a flowing top with a dark jacket.
"As if I can be anything other than my devastatingly charming self," he pulled on his own jacket.
"You and your charming self," she shook her head and fixed a piece of his hair laying at another angle than all the others. He wore it a bit more relaxed than his spiked rows and let her brush his hair with her fingers. She bit at the corner of her lip and then nodded, "There fixed."
The door opened wide with Dasha just inside, "Zenon!"
The ten-year-old wrapped herself around Zenon's waist in a hug and held tight.
Zenon laughed at her cousin and rubbed the top of her head in affection, "Hey Dasha. You gonna make us wait out on your front porch all night?"
"Us?" Dasha peeked out from her hug to see Protozoa leaning against the door frame, watching the interaction. Dasha squealed and jumped from Zenon to attach herself to Protozoa, "Zoa! I'm so glad you're here!"
"Same, darling," he hugged her back, but then when he stopped, she was still attached to his side. He looked up at Zenon for help, but she shook her head.
"She's attached to you now."
Zenon took what sounded like a relieved breath and walked inside to make him follow. Protozoa patted the girl on the back to let her know they were walking and moved in, her feet shuffling in time with his. He nudged the door closed and half carried Dasha down the hall and into their back patio. He saw Zenon walk right up to her parents, and they engulfed her in a tight hug. When her mother stepped back she asked her something and Zenon nodded with a bright smile and nodded over at him in the doorway where Dasha was still holding tight.
"Dasha Plank, will you please detach yourself from our guest," Judy called from beside her husband on the grill.
Dasha rolled her eyes and huffed as she gave him one last squeeze and dropped her arms to go over to her parents.
"Sorry, Protozoa," Judy apologized when Dasha reached her.
"It's Zoa to my friends and family," he corrected and walked up with a hand out reached. When he reached her she gave him a hug instead of the handshake.
"And here we hug our friends and family."
"As seen by your lovely daughter," he chuckled and shook Plank's hand as he was a hand shaker.
"Thank you so much for allowing Zenon to stay with you while we try to figure out our living arrangements," Mark said as he came up with a handshake.
"It's my pleasure and my offer to her, Mr Kar," he nodded and shook the hand firmly.
Astrid came next and gave him a hug, which he returned gratefully, "A pleasure as always, Mrs Kar."
"It's Astrid and Mark," she chuckled, "Or do you not see us as family, Zoa?"
"Like it or not you've been brought into the fold of the Kar and Plank Clan," Zenon said from the side with a bright smile. She then put on a horrified face, "You can't escape now."
"You get used to it," Dasha said as she sipped on a drink and everyone laughed.
"Who am I to argue?" he asked with a warmth up to that point in time he had never really felt before. It's been a while since he could be with people he cared about and they accept him as he was and didn't shove a guitar in his hands and ask for a song.
"That's the thing, you can't," Astrid grinned at him, "Now, you want a burger, hot dog or shish-ka-bob?"
They all sat at the outside table along a bench seat and chatted about the smaller points of life and let the heavy things wait until later. Protozoa found himself seated between Zenon and Astrid, Dasha on Zenon's other side chatting away to them both. Protozoa instantly felt at ease at the table and found his arm around Zenon's shoulder as she leaned into him as she has a hundred times before. They both laughed and swapped stories with the family- especially Protozoa as he regaled with his last tour days through the states. He of course left out the finer details that came with traveling in a rock band, but there were short interesting stories that were needing to be told. Zenon would then chime in with the details given to her by the other band mates like Germ that may or may not cause Protozoa to blush. Everything was so natural, neither of them knew they had defaulted to their natural position until Dasha had taken note of it.
"You guys always sit so close together?" Dasha asked as she eyed her cousin and the rock star. Said rock star shifted to move his arm, but Zenon held on to the hand over her shoulder to keep it in place.
"You'll get it when you have a best friend like I have in Zoa. Besides, it's comfortable major," she nodded and leaned back to trap his arm, "And if he doesn't mind, neither do I."
"If I did, you would know."
"Dasha, I think it's time you get ready for bed," Plank looked at his daughter and then to the sliding glass door where Z had been watching them for a good portion of the night.
"Okay, Daddy," she rolled her eyes, knowing better to argue about the late night on a school night. She got up to kiss her parents on their cheeks to wish them goodnight. She hugged her aunt and uncle before she glomped Zenon and nearly pulled them both to the ground, dislodging Protozoa's arm. Dasha laughed with her cousin and then gave Protozoa the same treatment.
She laughed and then whispered to him, "My cousin is into you major."
He looked at her with a large question mark on his face.
She lifted her brows as if it was something easy and then smiled, "Goodnight!"
"Night," he nodded at her and she walked into the house with Z now at her heels.
The adults at the table quieted down and stared at the table before the heavy subject at hand came up.
"What are the next steps here?" Plank asked and looked over to Zenon.
"We need to find a place to stay while we look for something more permanent and will meet our experimental needs," Mark looked at Astrid who nodded.
"You both are more than welcome to stay at Nova Linda Cove with Zenon and I. God knows I have the space. I spend most of the time locked up in my music room," Protozoa offered and looked at Zenon who smiled in appreciation, "I don't know about the experimental space, but I do have room. Or I even have a flat in LA currently sitting empty."
"As much as we appreciate it, Zoa, we will need more resources experimental wise than the room," Astrid gave him a genuine smile.
"What resources are the government giving you?" Plank asked as he has gotten as little on the temporary housing situation other than what he heard from the marooned Earth bound souls.
"Something close to the military base until the current experiments run their course and then we will have to check with other labs about use of their anti-gravity chambers. I just hope they've improved over the last ten years," Mark grumbled, "They are saying it will be close to three years before the next station is launched and put together in orbit. Most of our cases won't wait that long."
"There is no way to keep a part of the station in space for the experiments like yours?" Zenon asked and looked at the sky, "Maybe dispatch that section and self sustain it?"
"They are putting all eggs in one basket with the full station. Believe us, we've been back and forth with Hammond on it already. He agrees with us, but has to give out the reasoning on the other side of his superiors," Astrid frowned and shook her head in disgust.
"There is talk of it being pre-sold or even auctioned off for scrap metal," Mark growled.
"From where?" Plank sat straight up in his seat.
"Maintenance mostly. They have been slowly being dispatched off as they will be needed less and less. Talk of jettisoning some pieces off again have been discussed in other circles as well."
"They won't do the jettison again. It would throw off the orbit too harshly."
Zenon took a deep breath as she still stared up at the sky, "Can intense funding be done to save it?"
The others at the table all turned their attention to Zenon, "What are you talking about?"
"Zoa and I have been crunching numbers and thought maybe if the government would allow it, private funding can buy and repair the station."
"It would have to be more money than the government will spend on it," Plank explained but nodded to her to go on.
She turned to Protozoa who leaned forward and pulled some paperwork from inside his jacket pocket. It had chicken scratch and a few figures that were done by another hand over printed out figures. He smoothed out the paper and pointed at a few numbers.
"There big numbers to be sure," he nodded, "The top for the station itself. The second for the repair items needed to keep her up there and the third is for the labor."
"If they are going to be selling her for scrap, then they may just sell her out right," Zenon looked at her parents and then at Plank, "If that's true, we can buy her and get her repaired as a private resident station. Which may mean more room on the new station for more experimentation? It would be good for the most part."
"Where are we going to find funds for this?" Plank looked at the numbers even as he nodded with their plan, "Even pulling all funds privately from the families, it won't be enough."
Protozoa saw Zenon's face fall a little and he bit the inside of his mouth before he offered, "What about celebrity kinds of money?"
"What do you mean?" Astrid asked.
"Speaking from experience, many celebrities like to throw around their money to a good enough cause- especially if it puts them in the lime light," he explained and poked at the figures again, "If we get enough money coming in, the labor may be picked up by a few different charity organizations. We just need to catch their attention."
"What do you have in mind?" Mark nodded and looked at Protozoa.
"Celebrity fundraiser. I can see about getting Lester on board, see what we can whip up? Try to save her before the last countdown."
"Zoa, you're a stellar genius!" Zenon crowed and hugged him around the neck. He caught her easily and smiled into her hair as he hugged her back.
"You say that as if you didn't already know, love."
Astrid saw the interaction between the two and patted her husband's hand to draw his attention to it as well. He looked back at her with a questioning eyebrow raised. She nodded subtly and then cleared her throat.
"When do you think we can get the fundraiser planned?" Mark asked loudly to gain the attention of the two youngest at the table.
Protozoa pulled back from Zenon and pulled out a smaller zap pad with a wave of his hand, "Lester has had a full gala prepared in under three days. How does next week sound?"
All attention went to Plank who was thinking to himself and running the possibilities.
"Honey? Is it doable?" Judy asked and put a hand to Plank's arm.
"It will take a few things to convince Hammond completely, but I think it's worth a shot."
"If convincing the General is the biggest worry, I have a connection for that," Zenon smiled as she pulled out her zap pad and got off the bench seat as she tapped in a number, "Hey Margie, it's me. I have a nova level favor to ask you."
"If she can give me a head start, I appreciate it," Plank nodded and looked at Protozoa, "See when we can do this fundraiser."
"Everyone loves a good party," Protozoa nodded and left the table to call his manager, "Lester, I got a favor, mate..."
Plank watched them both go to separate parts of his deck and then turned to the Kars, "Your daughter, the problem solver of her generation."
"She's had help this time around," Mark nodded toward Protozoa, "He is definitely all in on this with her."
"He always has been," Astrid noted, "When no one believed her about the station, he let her hitch a ride. When no one else believed her about the aliens, he took her word for it instantly. Now, he just wants to help save her home just because he knows how much it means to her. It makes you think."
"I know that look, Astrid," Judy popped up and narrowed her eyes at her sister.
"I just think I know something they don't," Astrid gave a knowing look at Judy.
"No, you don't think-" Judy gasped and looked between her niece and Protozoa.
"Maybe," Astrid shrugged and looked at her husband, "I think I'm going to talk with him. Have a little chat."
"Don't scare him too much. I really want to hear his new music he was talking about earlier," Mark kissed her on the cheek and she stood up to clean off some of the table so she can throw the items out at the trash compactor by Protozoa.
"The age thing doesn't give you pause? Not to mention she's living under his roof?" Plank asked as Judy beamed between the two now on their zap pads.
"Zenon is a smart girl and will figure out what she wants without my help. Will do what she thinks is right without my input. She's an adult, as much as I may want to try, I wouldn't be able to stop her either," Mark sighed, "He makes her happy and I can see it. She makes him happy too. You can't help who you fall for. You two know that well enough."
"That we do," Plank nodded and touched heads with Judy, "Why are you letting Astrid talk with him?"
"I have known her to get information out of Zenon. If anyone can get all the answers, it's her."
Protozoa paced a little with his manager on the other end of the zap pad, "I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner, but I have been writing. Be happy about that."
"Look kid, I know you're helping a friend and that's great and all- and seeing as it is Zee, I will get what balls I have to get rolling to see this get traction. You know I'll move mountains for her, just like any of the other guys. But what about the Cosmic Blush thing? We will need to give them an answer soon. Chester has been up my ass for the past week."
Protozoa saw the others talking at the table and then looked back at the screen, "Have you talked it over with the gents?"
"They aren't all that supportive of it," Lester shook his head and leaned back in his chair, "To tell you the truth, they don't like her. If you are going to go for it, you may go on your own. Germ would be the only one to agree, but Cosmic has their own drummer."
"I can understand their decision," he nodded and thought it would be their choice as a band and let out a breath, "I'm sorry, mate. I can't do it with Jaime. The way she's talking, she will push us off the stage as soon as she can and I will not let her back hand us for a few duets at each stop. If I do a farewell anything, it's going to be with me and the boys."
Lester stared at the screen and slowly nodded his head, "I get it. And working with Chester the last week has been Hell. Don't know if I can blame you. May have just dodged a bullet. I'll let them know this coming week before this fundraiser. Who are we inviting?"
"Anyone you can. We're pulling out all stops. You saw the numbers we got to raise. We may even need to call in on some favors."
"I'll be in touch to see who I got to talk to to set it up with the station."
"I have their info. Let me know when you're ready for it and I'll hook you up."
"That's my job, kid. Why you working so hard on this for anyway? Not like you're going to get much out of this."
"It's Zee's home. I'm going to fight for it as long as it takes. Pull out all my stops. I'll have some new songs I can premiere there if it will help. It's important to her. When she told me, she cried... I never want to see her cry again, mate. I want to make sure she never will."
"... She's legal right?"
"Lester! It's not like that. She's... you know, she's Zee."
"You're in so deep, you don't even know how far," Lester paused with a chuckle and looked at his now blushing star, "You do what you need to take care of her. I miss her spicing up things around here. And I miss her keeping you on course. I thought she'd be able to get a few more songs out of you. Tell her to keep up the splendid work."
"Yeah, yeah, did you get that little errand done that we talked about?"
"Smooth change of subject, but yeah it's done. You can pick it up anytime."
"Thanks, talk to you soon," Protozoa pushed the button to cut off the screen and tucked the smaller zap pad back into his jacket, "Wanker."
Before he turned around, the small compactor went off beside him and jumped to find Astrid finishing up with the trash.
"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your call. Wanted to clean up a bit."
"I wanted to help with the clean up," he ran a hand through his hair and over his face, hoping he wasn't blushing anymore.
"You're a guest, you don't clean up."
"You're a guest, too."
"You got me," she chuckled and leaned against the compactor and patted the spot next to her for him to sit with her, "What did uh, I'm sorry... Leonard say?"
"Lester, my manager. He'll get the ball rolling to get it set up, his words. Should be no problem by next week. It will give us plenty of time before the last day. I'll have to give him Hammond's information and probably Plank's too. I can zap it to him later."
"Good, then it's coming along. Maybe we can set up a lab there once the station is coming back online for the interim."
She nodded and looked over at him as his eyes landed back on Zenon who had made it back to the table with a thumbs up at Plank. He relaxed just at the sight of her and a smile pulled at the corner of his lips. She shook her head with a knowing grin and pulled at his jacket sleeve.
"I'm going to cut to the chase here. How do you feel about my daughter?"
Everything stopped, including his breathing, within a nanosecond. Protozoa stared openly at the older woman, who sat calmly with a gentle smile and a relaxed posture. Despite not taking in air, his heart thundered with hundreds of beats a minute, his brain struggling to find something that wouldn't get him killed. These people were like family, he would not lie to her. He couldn't. He refused.
"Zoa, I didn't mean to give you a heart attack. You need to breathe," Astrid patted him on the arm and he took a large inhale. She chuckled a little and nodded at his actions, "I'm not upset with you, neither is Mark. We trust you and we trust Zenon, but I need to know."
He took another inhale and looked up at the night sky, "How obvious am I?"
"You both are pretty obvious," she patted his back and smoothed out the material on his back like she had soothed Zenon when she was younger, "I know she's young and can be impulsive-"
Here he let out a short laugh at the description, but Astrid continued on, "But she's also mature and bright. I just want you to be honest with me and I will do the same for you."
"I would never lie to you or anyone here. I respect you all too much," he looked at his hands and with a nod turned back to her, "I have feelings for her. She doesn't know, or if she does, she hasn't let me know she does. There are a lot of things that can complicate... things. Like the age gap I'm now fully aware of. You know she called me old?"
"How so?"
"'You're not old. You have to be thirty to be old.'" he tried to mimic her a little and chuckled, "I'm paraphrasing. Of course, she then learned I was thirty-one."
"I told you, impulsive. She probably thought you were still in your 20s. You look it."
"It takes a lot for me to push back time, unlike you I can't just be flawless," he smirked and then fell back into his thought process, "Then there's the media. I may not be the hottest commodity out there anymore, but star chasers are still a thing and Lester can only do so much. I'm afraid they're going to turn her into an escort or gold digger or something worse."
"And you a cradle robber?"
"I couldn't care less what those vultures think of me. What I care about is how it can affect her. She's done amazing things and is sure to do more. I don't want her to be known as the 'young woman who is with Protozoa and after his money and fame'. If anyone gets to have the spotlight over me, it should be her, but it needs to be for the right reasons."
"You've been thinking a lot about this."
"Especially recently," he pushed from the compactor and paced a little in front of her, "She's always been amazing, but recently she's been more. Brighter. Ever since we got back from the moon, it's been different. Like I can't stay away or feel any differently. Now matter how hard I try. I want to do right by her."
"Do you think by caring for her, you aren't?"
"I don't want to give her any more complications. How I feel won't stop me from helping her achieve what she wants. What she's passionate about. Because that's when she shines the brightest. As long as she's happy and stays happy, I'll do anything. Including being quiet about how I feel."
"I have heard no one talk about her like you do. I don't think she has either," Astrid leaned forward to stop him in his pacing. She gripped him by his arms and looked up into his eyes to make sure he heard her, "Listen to me. The age thing could be an issue down the road, but then again it easily won't be. She's been dealing with both positive and negative press since she was in her early teens thanks to Wyndham. She knows how to handle it, and if she's thought about this as much as I think she already has, she will already have a plan on how to handle all negative press again. Either way, it's up to her. She's going to do what feels right to her. And she will be with who is right for her. Just know you two will figure it out. As long as you talk it out... calmly. You don't do well under pressure."
He let out a soft chuckle and nodded, "Yeah, I've learned that about myself."
"If it helps, and I can speak for both Mark and myself, we approve. I've never seen Zenon this calm and this happy."
"Thank you, Astrid," he smiled and hugged her tight.
"Don't push it off until the last minute," she waved her finger in his face when they walked back to the table.
"Just what are you lecturing him about?" Zenon asked as they got back to the table, "Don't think I didn't see the finger waggle."
"Nothing life altering, just something I noticed and wanted to bring to his attention."
"Right..." Zenon turned to him, "Did you get the Astrid mom talk?"
"Is that what that was?" he asked with a serene smile now he was next to her again, "I don't know what you're talking about. The mom talk was enlightening."
"See, he appreciates it," Astrid laughed as she eyed her daughter, "At least someone does."
"Don't take her side," Zenon pushed at him.
"What can I say, she's a smart lady. Very intuitive."
"I call them like I see them."
"I think it's time to call it a night, everyone. Zenon, Zoa would you like to stay the night?"
"I'm awake enough to get us back to the cove," Protozoa reported and took another swig of water before he stood up and helped Zenon up as well.
"I can't wait for bed. We'll call you tomorrow when we hear from Lester about the fundraiser," Zenon hugged her parents. She got a whisper from her mother, which she only answered with a stubborn look. While she hugged her aunt and uncle, Protozoa said his farewells to her parents.
"Thank you again, Astrid. Let's see if I have the courage you all think I do."
"You can sing to millions, but choke at a conversation with a nineteen-year-old?" Mark teased and shook his hand to bring him into a hug, "But seriously, you hurt her, I know where to sever your vocal cords."
"Mark!"
Protozoa let out what he thought was a strangled chuckle and hugged Astrid, "That's what I thought I was going to hear. It actually makes me feel better."
"Safe trip back," Judy giggled as she hugged him.
Plank shook his hand again and looked him in the eyes, "Take care of her."
"Yes, sir," Protozoa gripped his hand tighter.
"Stop staring him down, guys," Zenon looked at her whole family, "What's going on? First he was part of the crew and now you want to chase him off."
"Don't be silly, Zee. We want him to stick around for quite a while yet," Mark gave her a wink.
She groaned and rolled her eyes, "Vega Omega, come on, Zoa, before they try to eat you. Goodnight, guys."
"Goodnight everyone, talk tomorrow," Protozoa waved at them as he walked away with Zenon.
They got into the pod, with Zoa now behind the wheel, "I have to grab something on the way back. Are you okay?"
"I was about to ask you. They were being weird major right before we left."
"I've been through worse and I think it was a hazing like most families do. I didn't mind it. It actually made me feel included. I'm honored. Your family is stellar."
She smiled and waved at the door where her parents were at the door. Once they picked up from the ground and headed toward LA airspace she leaned the seat back, copying his relaxed pose from earlier, "Where are we going?"
"I got to drop by the garage. Have to deal with some payments."
"Okay, sounds good," she said in a smaller voice. He glanced over at her and saw her eyes droop. He reached back where he threw a heavy jacket in the back at one point and pulled it over her. She sighed contently and turned her face toward him, her face now buried into the collar of his jacket.
At the garage, he was quick in and out. He went to the main office and looked out the windows to look at the Wonder Bus in all its glory on the tarmac.
"You sure about this?" the garage manager asked.
"Never more, mate."
The manager handed him an envelope and nodded, "See you soon, then."
"Thanks," he nodded and went back to the pod, Zenon still fast asleep and back to the Cove. With not one look back.
