CHP 7

"- it was over for me, Lester. She's my supernova girl," Protozoa leaned against the bar and sent a wink back at Zenon when she looked over at him through her group of friends. He would have to say hello, it's been a while. Especially for Nebula.

"She could do better," Lester laughed and Protozoa frowned and kicked at his shoe.

"Oi!" he pouted and walked with Lester toward the center of the room, "She appreciates what you did to get this up. And so do I."

"You two deserve it. And each other," he nodded and took a deep breath with a bit of concern.

"What's on your mind, Les?" he asked and smiled and waved at a few musical guests that knew him well enough to be friendly to.

"I told Chester about the no go on the tour and to say it upset Jaime was a bit of an understatement."

"She can throw tantrums all she wants, mate, but I'm not going back on my decision," Protozoa kept his show smile on and took another sip of his drink.

"I wouldn't want you to. She is coming tonight. Jaime and the rest of Cosmic Blush, she may try to talk you into it again."

"She can try all she wants. You know how stubborn I can be about my decisions."

"Also, the boys will be here soon, but they wanted me to tell you before they got here. They are winding down. They are all going their different ways. Most of them have families they haven't really seen and they want to."

"You saying they want out?"

"They want to hang up their band lives. Live on the other side of things. I know that's not what you want to hear, but-"

"I get it," Protozoa looked back over at Zenon as she was in the middle of telling her friends something that tinted her cheeks just slightly red. Spending the time he did with Zenon in Nova Linda has been something he didn't even know he was missing. Yes, he missed the performance side of things and wouldn't be giving it up soon. But he didn't know of any time pre or post fame he was happier than the last few weeks. Writing with her doing her 'save the world' thing she did. He actually got it. Civilian life wasn't so bad once you had someone to share it with. He turned back to Lester, "I'm not ready to stop singing or producing work. I love it and won't stop until my voice goes out, but if the gents must hang up their music, I understand. I'll find a way."

"Solo differs from band, kid."

"Yeah, but I think the pros outweigh the cons at this point," he took another sip of his drink and sighed heavily, "Things are changing."

"Yeah, but you still got me. And now a beautiful girl who, for whatever reason, is crazy about you."

"How do you know she's crazy about me?"

"She can't stop looking at you," Lester whispered.

Protozoa looked over to catch her eyes again, "I think I have some talks to do, Les. Talk with you and the gents when they get here."

He took the last bit of his drink, handed the glass back to Lester, and headed toward the group of girls.


"Oh, wow," Cassie said dreamily when Zenon finished.

"I did always enjoy a slow burn," Nebula sighed and shook her head, "But I'm serious, marry him before I take things into my own hands."

"Marry who?" Protozoa popped his head into the conversation.

"Zoa!" Nebula squealed and latched herself to the singer's neck. She hugged him tight and then let him stand on his own, but her hand was still tight on his lapel, "You treat my girl good."

"I see you're spreading the word," he chuckled and looked at Zenon who shrugged. Protozoa looked back at Nebula, "Nebula, darling, I will spoil her with everything I can until she can stand me no longer."

"Don't worry, if you've lasted this far, it's not stopping soon," Zenon pried her best friend off of her date and then looked at Margie, "And I didn't want anyone to say anything before I could."

"Did you tell her before me?" Nebula accused.

"No, but I stumbled on something that made me suspicious major," Margie said with some delegation, "I'm going to find my date and go from there. Enjoy your evening, ladies. Zoa."

"Cassie and I are going to check out some of the food choices and do some celebrity sighting before it gets too crowded," Nebula smiled wide and pushed her cousin to follow with her to the tables lining the wall.

"Did I scare them away?" he asked and put a hand at her waist naturally.

"No, they just want to give us some time before the wave hits and the night really starts," she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his middle, "I know we're on the clock, as you said before, but there will be time for a dance or two with your supernova girl, right?"

"Of course, love. Just don't dance with anyone while I'm up on stage."

"I'll be too busy enjoying the show."

"Zee, Zoa!"

They turned to their side where her parents and Aunt Judy had reconvened at the table with Plank. They both waved at them and Zenon nodded her head to the table.

"You ready to let them know?"

"Then we schmooze with the A-Listers and let your charm do its work."

"Finally got back from the food table, I see," Zenon noticed the small plates with the different finger foods.

"This is amazing major," Mark gushed over the visuals, "How did your manager get this put together?"

"Lester has his secrets and his own brand of magic," Protozoa chuckled and held Zenon's hand under the table to let her know he was ready.

"We have something to update you with," Zenon bit her lip and looked at him before he nodded and turned to her family, "Zoa and I are together."

Astrid grinned and looked at them both before she shrugged, "We know, baby."

"What?" Zenon looked at him like he had told them already, and he shook his head before they both turned back to the family table.

"Your dad and I gave Zoa our blessings at the barbecue and from there I knew it was a matter of time," she explained, and popped a piece of popcorn shrimp into her mouth.

"And they told us around the same time," Judy added on.

"No wonder you guys were being so weird major to him when we left that night."

"Honey, he makes you happy. We all saw it. We just wanted to make sure you both saw it before you missed it," Mark agreed and chewed on a piece of fruit, "But I had to warn him. It's my fatherly duty."

"What did you do?" she groaned and then turned to Protozoa, "What did he do?"

"Just a warning, love. Unneeded, but appreciated," he pulled her into his side and kissed the side of her head. He turned to the rest of the table, "Then no objections about introducing her as my girlfriend tonight?"

"Affirmative," Plank smirked at him and looked at Zenon before they walked away, "I would let your cousin know by message tonight, so she doesn't hear it from the news. I will not hear the end of it."

"Will do, Commander," she promised and hugged her parents and her aunt before joining Protozoa to mingle with the A-Listers and tell them exactly what they're backing.

As the hours rolled by, Zenon was introduced to new and classic actors and performers alike. Most heard her out about the station and the urgency they needed the funding. Protozoa was always by her side to make the introduction, but after meeting Zenon, many of the others around her were enthralled with her intelligence and her charisma, just like he knew they'd be. They laughed with Zenon as she also told them stories of the station and her escapades growing up. She even brought Nebula into some conversations with some of who Zenon knew were her favorite actors and actresses. Protozoa was proud of her. She never faltered with her words and rolled with the punches at every turn. She treated everyone equally, no matter how high on the list they were.

"Zoa, how did you manage to catch such a lovely girl?" one actress asked him, as Zenon regaled them with her story of one of her late runs to her science lab for a project with Nebula.

"I have no bloody clue, but I'm glad I did," he answered honestly.

"She's an absolute jewel," she pulled at his arm, "If I hear you've let her go after a week, I will be most displeased with you, my boy."

"No, I'm holding on to her as long as she lets me."

"Hold on to her longer than that if you can," she patted his arm and went to join another group with a wave of her hand.

"I just might."

An hour after the event officially started, a small group of ladies with a sturdier man at the rear walked into the ballroom. Each woman had an original dress or pant suit made of the same silver material and definitely made a statement when they came in. Once the front blond found the one's she was looking for, she made a beeline for Protozoa still talking with the couple that came in before her and his manager right behind him. But when the couple moved, the blond stopped as she saw the same young woman from the photos Chester gave her standing next to Protozoa, his arm comfortably around her waist.

Zenon picked her head up and smiled at her as soon as their eyes met, "I was hoping you would come, Jaime. Cosmic Blush is crushing it still. Giving this guy a run for his money."

"He is nowhere near our bookings," Jaime smiled sickly sweet and turned to Protozoa, "Isn't that right, PZ?"

Before he could answer, Zenon started again.

"Well, when you are looking at live show income, you definitely are up there. But Microbe is still selling high from their twelfth album they released last year. Selling copies just over you as of this morning. But you are coming out with your second album soon, right? Maybe you can break your record with this one."

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" she asked, her voice going even higher.

"Sorry Jaime, thought you knew nearly everything," Protozoa interjected, "I forgot to introduce you. This is Zenon Kar, the hostess of the evening and my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" she sputtered out and laughed to herself, "How long this one going to last? Two weeks?"

"Don't push it, Jaime," Chester whispered from behind her.

"I'm going to get ready for my turn on the stage. It's the least I can do."

Zenon smiled at her and watched her walk with the rest of her band mates who looked more embarrassed than anything.

"What a bitchy introduction from a lead singer."

Zenon and Protozoa turned back to the front, where the rest of Microbe stood in front of them.

"Mates!" Protozoa cheered at the sight of the other three pieces of his band.

"Zee!" they cheered back, and all ran forward to hug on Zenon and pushed Protozoa out of the way. She laughed and giggled as they all hugged her or asked her questions about their missing lead singer. Has he been taking care of her? Did she have to drag him back to the world of the living again? Did they hear it right from behind the bitchy woman in front of them? Did she finally catch their leader? Were they coming out of hiding?

Protozoa whistled at them and held out his arms as if to separate them from Zenon, "Alright gents, off my girl."

"You've had her all to yourself for the past three weeks. We need to have time too. She's not only your favorite space girl," Germ said as he put a heavy arm over one of Zenon's shoulders and his ever present lucky drumsticks in hand.

"He's right, let us have some time with her. It's been forever since we've heard a good Zenon story," Virus chimed in and leaned on her other shoulder, his keyboard already backstage.

"We have to give the audience what they want," Zenon said with a teasing smile, as Lichen, the other guitarist, peeked over her head with a smile.

"Oi, I want her back in one piece," he told his band mates as they more or less carried her off, her laughter mixed with their voices.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Lester offered.

Protozoa held back and talked with a few of the music connections who recently arrived as he watched his group from afar. She really charmed everyone around her. They've been all about her after the first concert in space. They always asked after her when she called, or butted into the zap conversation themselves. They were his best mates, and it looked like she had been a part of Microbe long before any of them ever knew.

"Do you think we can have a second?"

Protozoa turned to his right, where a hand slipped in to hold his arm. Knowing it wasn't Zenon, he carefully removed the arm and looked down to see Jaime.

"What did you need?"

"I'd much rather we discuss in private," she looked up at a catwalk area open to guests, but empty at the moment.

"We can discuss what we need out here."

"Believe me, we can't. Don't want what I have to say to get back to your new girl, do you?" she asked.

"I have nothing to hide from Zenon. She knows everything."

"Are you so sure? Shared everything of all your macro inky past times?" she chuckled and walked away without looking back.

Protozoa huffed out an enormous sigh and followed her. She knew what buttons to push, he'll give her that.

Meanwhile, Zenon was wrapping up the story of the guy from the village and her night out with Zoa. She crossed her arms as she told the last bit, "And then he answers me with 'Don't fret, love. Not the first time a girl threw herself at me.'"

"He didn't, the idiot," Germ's mouth gaped open.

"You still chose him?" Lichen asked.

"He apologized and so did I. It was a misunderstanding and Zoa isn't the best of thinking on his feet."

Zenon looked past them, where Protozoa had just walked off with a determined set to his jaw.

"We know well enough," Virus chuckled.

"Thought I taught the boy better," Lester shook his head in disappointment.

"Where did our auspiciousness leader head off to?" Germ asked, and scanned the main ballroom.

"I'll go find him," Zenon offered, "No one can track him down like I can."

"And I have some items to discuss with the boys here. We'll meet you two before he goes on. Tell him he has an hour."

"Hour to showtime, you got it," Zenon saluted him and walked out into the gathering crowd in search of her boyfriend.

"Still don't know how he did it," Germ shook his head, "He better not fuck it up."

"You said it," Lester nodded and turned to the group, "So, I talked it over with Zoa-"


"So what's this all about, Jaime? You know I have to go over the sets with the boys," he sighed and leaned at the furthest point from her as he could.

"Slow your jets, PZ. I'm going on before you so, you have plenty of time," she cooed and used his least liked nickname, "Just wanted to chat without you all distracted. You know you're distracted, right?"

"Not sure what you mean. Wrote three full songs while I've been... distracted," he folded his arms over his chest and looked down at the party now in full swing.

"Then let's talk about why you didn't want to tour with me," she stepped toward him, her arms crossed under her chest to push up some of her assets, "Giving up an opportunity to relaunch your career back into the limelight. It isn't like you to stay away from attention."

"We both know the boys would have been brushed aside. Microbe would be a stepping stone in the tour- something to be forgotten. I'm not letting you do it to them or me," he finally turned from her and leaned on the catwalk, focused on trying to find a certain blond head in the crowd.

"I think both you and Lester had a misunderstanding on the tour offer. It would've been just you. We already have a band. I just wanted you..." Jaime was suddenly very close and her hand stroked slowly down his back as she leaned her lips toward his ear, "Still do."

He turned from her as she tried to close in for a kiss and stepped back to give them space, "What're you doing?"

"Shit, if you aren't touring with me, might as well give me a chance to have some fun. Come on, have some fun with me."

"No thanks."

"It's what all rockers do."

"Not when they're in love with someone else."

Jaime groaned loudly like a petulant child and looked up at the ceiling, "PZ, get a grip. How many women you been through? Just thinking about the lists that have walked through your bedroom is baffling. I mean, how long is this kid going to last?"

The comment made his jaw twitch, and he took a deep breath.

"Don't try the temper," she rolled her eyes, "You really think being with her is going to be stellar Heaven on Earth? How long until you ruin her and her rep?"

Some fight left his shoulders, and he quickly shook his head, "She may be young, but she isn't a child. She's more mature than you're showing yourself to be."

"Really? Now, who's playing games?"

"Zenon is more than you are. She's more mature, brighter, intelligent... just more."

"But what makes her so special? She's just a viral spacer kid."

"She's my muse. I see her and I can write every lyric," he chuckled a bit at the words tumbling out, "I see her and I can write anything. How do you think I got through three songs in three weeks?"

"Look at you, you're hopeless," she huffed out and shook her head, "You've lost your head over a girl."

"Why do you care so much?"

"Good luck trying to keep her safe from the jackasses with the cameras when the public finds out," she smirked as he narrowed his eyes, "Did she want to go to college? Good luck getting to classes. Want to get a regular 9 to 5? Hard when cameras are flashing in your face trying to get the best shot of Protozoa's young, hot girl."

"That's when they find out. She's not to be touched, Jaime."

"You're even worse off if you don't think it won't leak after tonight."

"I kind of expect it to," another voice made them both turn to Zenon in the hallway leading to the stairs.

"Zee?" he asked her, scared she heard Jaime's points to the cons of a relationship with him.

She smiled sweetly and walked over to him to straighten his jacket, "Lester told me you have an hour to show time."

"Did you hear nothing?!" Jaime yelled at her from her place toward the side of catwalk.

"I heard enough," Zenon shot her a warning look.

"So you're okay with your reputation disappearing in the tabloids? Falling into a black hole?"

"I agree, there'll be backlash. They'll be people who choose not to understand. And that's their choice and opinion. We'll know the truth and so will my family and our friends. Their opinions mean more than the rest of the entire universe," Zenon shrugged and turned fully to Jaime, "I also heard you try very hard to convince Zoa to leave me. To save me? Smart to appeal to the hero part of him. It's good thing I can spot a manipulator from a mile off now. Trying to time the kiss just right?"

"She knew you followed us up," he put it together behind her.

"She made sure I saw her walk in your direction when I was with the guys," Zenon nodded at his guess, "Hoping I would find a much different scene up here. She underestimated you."

"Underestimated him? You don't know what he's done in his past. He's-"

"I have a very good idea," Zenon said, her voice higher in volume to just overcome Jaime's and quiet the pop star, "The thing is, I don't judge people by their pasts. I feel pity you do."

"There are things-"

"I may not know, and he will tell me when and if he's ready to let me know. But those things, I don't judge him by because those things, good and bad, have made him into the man he is today. He is who I fell in love with. Not his past. And the thing major I'm considering is our future. You can't keep living in the past forever."

"Isn't that what you're doing with your precious station?" Jaime smiled as it took Zenon a little by surprise, "Someone's past is very important. It shows the person as they really are and what they are willing to do."

"If I followed your logic, I would have never given one of my best friends a chance. She was a manipulator when we were younger, and I know it now. She was a vindictive and jealous girl. But she's grown to be a caring and loyal friend- if not a little exhausting."

Protozoa chuckled shortly as she described Margie to a tea.

"She grew from her past and learned from it. People change and move on from their pasts. You can't know the complete person they are by the person they were. Acknowledge it? Definitely. But don't make it the only focus. I trust Zoa and I was right to."

"You are both delusional. They'll tear you apart because they look at the past."

"They can try all they want," Zenon said with a challenge, "I can't wait to hear the headlines tomorrow as I'm sure there will be some."

"I can't wait to see you torn down. You'll disappoint everyone one day," Jaime smirked again as if she had a back-up plan. She took a deep breath and shrugged as if the entire face to face with the couple was nothing and walked out toward the staircase, "Don't worry, PZ. I wouldn't dream of touching your little muse. She'll destroy herself all on her own."

"You first," Zenon growled under her breath.

"Love," he reached out for her and turned her to him.

"I'm sure she wanted me to see something that didn't end up happening."

"Dodged her like she was one of those crazy girls throwing themselves at me."

They both laughed with each other before Zenon put a hand on his chest.

"I fell for this. Your heart. I trust you and I will not let her change my mind. I love you."

"And it's a mystery major why," he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

She wrapped him in a hug, "Come on, let's get you ready for the stage."