CHP 9

Jaime grins and chuckles a bit, giddy with the fact Zenon was leaving Protozoa. She was going to win.

Zenon took another breath, wiped the fallen tears from her cheeks and started again, "I'm sorry to all of you. Despite what my feelings may be for anyone, I refuse for someone else to dictate what those feelings should be."

Another wave of hushed whispers spread over the crowd and Jaime stood, shocked as the feeling of icy fear crowded around her heart.

"I have to apologize because all of you spent your time, your effort and your funds to help buy back my home. I appreciate it all more than you will ever know," Zenon continued, and paid no heed to the girl next to her. She instead focused on the people in front of her and then down to Protozoa and her family, "But I can't walk away. He's my best friend. And more. He's always been there for me- despite albums and tours, he was always there when I needed him. He was always the first to back up my plans, without a doubt. I cannot and will not give up on him because someone tells me I have to. I will never do that to someone I love."

Protozoa shook his head against her decision. She was giving up the station. For him.

"I know you all thought I could save the day, like I have before. Save the station, like I have before. This time I wasn't enough. I wasn't strong enough," she shook her head before more tears could come and turned back to Jaime who still looked shocked, "Jaime, congratulations on your recent purchase. I can only hope it brings you a sliver of joy it brought me for the past fourteen years. Even as scrap. You're right, I disappointed everyone. But I will not walk away from him."

She turned on her heel and set the microphone down on the top of the stage before she walked back toward her parents and friends.

Commander Plank was the first to meet her at the bottom of the stage stairs.

She looked at him and tried to take a deep breath to talk, "I'm sorry, Commander."

Plank frowned, but immediately wrapped his niece up in a tight hug and smoothed a hand at her back to calm her, "You did the right thing."

She heard him shift his feet as others came around them, "Take her. I'll have to clean up this mess off the stage."

Her parents were next and hugged her tight as she began to sob, "Zenon, we are proud of you. Shh, it's okay. You did good. It's going to be okay."

They pulled her into another area behind the stage, which led to one of the lounge areas for the performers and the event staff. Once she was in the lounge and away from prying eyes, they sat her down on one of the large couches and tried to calm her. None of their comforting words, or the words of Nebula who also followed would calm her.

Then there were arms around her and she smelled his scent and knew exactly who was holding her, "Love?"

She hugged him tight and cried into his tux jacket, her shoulders shaking in sobs.

"Zee, love, look at me," he tilted her face up to his and wiped her tears away, her makeup past the point of saving, "Are you sure about this?"

Zenon, still tearful, let out a sob drenched chuckle, "You doubt me now?"

"Never," he shook his head, kissed her on the top of her head and pulled her back into his chest, "I know better."

He let her cry into his chest, moving her only to pull his jacket off to drape it over her shoulders and pull her back into him. She held on tight to him and let the flood of emotions go.


Jaime stood dumbfounded on the stage, her face and name still read out as the buyer up on the screen. The little space girl chose him over her home. Now, why did she think it was going to be the other way around? At least, she did disappoint everyone with her decision, and the entire event came to nothing but a waste of time. Jaime looked up back at the crowd and saw their upset faces and their narrowed eyes, but they seemed to be focused at her. Some of them turned away from her and pockets of talk echoed in the ballroom.

"I think it's time you got off the stage," Commander Plank said from the stairs leading off with the microphone Zenon had just used in hand. He motioned to the stairs, "You've overstayed your invite."

"You not going to congratulate me?" she challenged, though it felt like the fight in her was fading, "I'm the new owner."

Plank nodded his head like it was nothing that concerned him.

"You already got a congratulations tonight for buying the station out from under all of us. I will not give you another one."

"Look, I'm-"

"What in the galaxy is wrong with you?" another voice joined in and a hand grabbed the microphone from Plank's grip.

Margie Hammond, all of five feet and three and a half inches tall- six inches, if you include her current heels- stormed up to the stage to face off against the pop star. She stomped her foot right in front of her to gain her full attention and her jaw clenched and released as she waiting for an answer.

"Who the hell are you?" Jaime looked her up and down in full judgment, sure she was not part of the celebrity community.

"Don't even think of judging me, you have no right," Margie took a deep breath and clenched her free hand into a fist, "I know how manipulation works. I know how to play mind games to get what I want. Skills I learned when I was younger and I recognize weren't the best things about me. What I did to people back then, who are now my friends, made me feel like the largest inky black hole I could think of. But you are so major beyond anything I could and have done."

Pockets of the audience cheered or whistled in agreement at Margie's back. Jaime looked nervously to the crowd and then back to Margie.

Margie didn't let her open her mouth for another retort and started again, "You just put your true colors out for everyone to see you as the cowardly and jealous adolescent minded cretin you really are."

More cheering and whistles echoed the domed ballroom even with Plank trying to pull the microphone from Margie's death grip.

"I'm not done, Commander," she said sweetly even though she pulled back with a fierce pull, "You take something so meaningful to hundreds of people, something people have put their money and heart into- their lives into- and pulled out a bargaining chip? For what? A deal that wouldn't have worked in a thousand years? You realize they belong together, right? I back Zenon and her decision. I'm going to miss my home, but I still have a friend who is genuine and follows her heart. Just like we all should. Have the hunk of metal! It's just as cold and empty as you are!"

"Miss Hammond, please," Plank pleaded with her as he reached for the microphone.

"Okay, okay," she sighed, but pulled it back from him one more time, "I wonder about one more thing... I get why you did it because of well... you're you. But I'm curious how you did it? Where did the money come from?"

There was a long pause and Plank finally got the microphone from Margie's hand and turned to the pop star, "She has a good question. We have been fundraising all night. Where did you get the funds to beat the sizeable sum?"

Jaime stood still as the fear changed from ice into a suffocating pressure.

"Where did I get the money?" she squeaked out, "I'm a pop star."

"With one major album out and some tours, but you can't have that-" Margie pointed to the screen- "in your bank. I've done research about being a star, believe me. I had to be prepared for my own career, but this isn't all yours."

"It is mine. I am what makes Cosmic Blush."

Chester stood at full attention and pulled out his zap-pad to look at the accounts for the band, and his jaw dropped to the floor. She had nearly cleaned them out. She used them to get the upper hand. He wasn't sure if they would even back another tour or album.

"She barely left anything..."

The rest of Cosmic Blush looked at the screen and then at Chester with a reluctant acceptance. They knew it was only a matter of time. They looked at each other and then looked at Chester again.

"We're done," the drummer shrugged.

"Girls..." he started, but they shook their heads and walked into the crowd.

"That money is mine to use as I want and I wanted this."

"Again, you have overstayed your welcome. I'm sure you can find your way out," Plank gestured to the stairs again and looked at the screen technicians to take her winning bid off the screen.

Jaime swallowed hard, dropped the microphone to the stage and walked toward the front doors, her head still held high. She looked for her band, "Let's go, girls. I guess the party is over."

She turned to the side of the stage where they were a moment prior, but found they were already gone and Chester had disappeared from sight.

"Yeah, I bet they aren't all that happy about them not being Cosmic Blush anymore," Margie said under her breath.

It was hard to push through the station families at the front of the stage, but the rest of the guests stood away from her like she was the plague of 2020. The other guests she related to as a fellow celebrity now stood away from her as far as they could. She just needed to make it outside and she could tell the paparazzi out there her story. They would be more than happy to listen, she knew from experience. As soon as she made it outside, she found where her band mates had gone. They had the full attention of the press and all turned to her when she left the doors.

"...and that's what happened," her guitarist ended the interview, "I'm sure her rendition will be much more dramatic, but please do ask her. We're out of here."

As a full unit, her band mates turned from the cameras as they rushed toward Jaime.


In the back lounge, Zenon had calmed, and Nebula tried her hardest to take the last of her smudged makeup from her face and corrected what she could. Zenon sat back against her mother, who helped to put her hair back in order, and Protozoa's jacket still over her shoulders.

"Girl, you are a mess," Nebula smiled up at her friend hesitantly and then brighter when she heard Zenon's laugh in response.

"Thanks for helping, Nebula."

"Always," she held Zenon's hand with her free hand and took a breath, "Well, there is no puffiness, and I outlined as well as I could. You should be good."

"Last thing I need is to apologize again. This time for my appearance."

"You're beautiful," Protozoa affirmed from the side of the room, still brooding over the situation and tried to hear what he could from the ballroom.

"You haven't even looked at the fabulo job Nebula did."

"I don't need to," he turned back to her and smirked with a wink. He turned back to the door and shook his head, "I need to check on Lester. I'll be back."

"Zoa, be careful," Zenon worried.

"I'll be back, beautiful," he promised, and kissed her forehead before he walked out the door in search of his manager.

Astrid combed her fingers through Zenon's hair to shape it back into the bun it was before, "You know, Zee, you don't have to put it all on your shoulders. We still have a home."

"The station's gone," Zenon said quietly.

Nebula sighed and locked eyes with Astrid before she nodded, "What was it you used to tell me and Zenon when we were real little?"

"Which one? I used to tell you girls a lot of things over the years. Most of which I didn't think you were listening to," she smiled and pinned a twist in the hair.

"The one about home."

Zenon frowned a little and then looked at her best friend as if she was scheming.

"Home is not about the location. There are places where we feel safe and places we feel comfortable, or even just content. But there is only one place where you feel completely loved. Surrounded by your family and those you love in return where ever you are. Home is not a physical place..."

"... but a place in your heart," Zenon finished.

Astrid finished with the crystal clip back in her hair and leaned over Zenon's shoulder, "Where ever we are, we are home because we have each other. It's where you feel loved. I'll miss the station, but I will never have to miss having a home. And I'm extremely proud you saved the one you have built with Zoa."

Zenon turned in her seat to look back at her mother. Astrid smiled and hugged her daughter tight.

"Oh guys," Nebula blubbered a little, and joined in the hug as well.

The lounge door opened and Protozoa poked his head in, trying to block out the noise from the ballroom behind him.

"What's happening out there?" Zenon asked with a deep furrow in her brows.

"They are asking for you out on the stage."

"Who is?" Mark asked, more protective than before.

"The whole room," Protozoa smirked and waved at her, "It's going to be okay, love. I promise."

Zenon looked at her lap, took a clearing breath, and stood up. She tugged the jacket from her back and held it open for him to step back into it. She straightened his jacket and nodded.

"Let's go."

Her parents and Nebula followed them out to the stage without being asked. He led her back to the stage and let her go at the stairs. She looked back at him in question.

"I'll be right here," he kissed the back of her hand.

Zenon walked toward the center of the stage, where Plank held the zap pad and waved her over.

"I heard you were asking for me," Zenon stated simply.

"We were," Plank nodded and signaled for the lights to go back up in the ballroom and the stage lights softened. He wrapped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her into his side in a comforting gesture, "We have a solution."

Her nerves went haywire as she thought in overdrive. Cetus-Lepeedus, they were going to make her give him up, aren't they?

"A.. solution?"

"I know they are usually your forte, but Microbe and a few of your neighbors thought of a plan," he explained and gestured to a few of the station personnel down below along with Lester and the boys who had joined Protozoa at the stairs, "We asked those who were kind enough to contribute tonight if they were okay if there was a change in plans and they agreed. The station is gone, we can't do anything about it."

Zenon's eyes fell to the stage, but Plank hugged her to pick her head up again.

"But with the funds, we can build on our own community and focus on obtaining the newest equipment we can use here on planet side instead of borrowing from others and hope it works. We couldn't save the station and that's okay. We're staying together and we'll be able to continue the scientific trials interrupted by the decommission. It should have never been about the station. It was about us. Our family and community. Zenon, you still saved our home. Home is where we feel it is, where we belong. And we will have home thanks to tonight and thanks to you."

Zenon looked blankly at Plank as it sank in. He held out the microphone toward her and she looked back out at the crowd.

"I promise I won't cry this time," Zenon said into the microphone she now shared with her uncle. There were a few chuckles between the clapping, and Zenon looked up at the large hologram of the station above their heads. She let out a breath she felt like she was holding since the beginning of the night, "Thank you for understanding. Home- as much as I would've loved it to be back on the station- isn't just a place. It's a who. Thank you for ensuring we keep those who are closest to us... well, close."

The audience laughed again.

"And thank you for securing the care for all those patients the trials and experiments will help. If we can get the best equipment, I'm sure the delay will be minimal or not even measurable. We will not waste your generosity. I promise you this."

"In a way of serendipity, I wanted to announce we have reached our goal," Plank turned to the screen which flashed the large number, "Which translates to not only all the housing we would need, but funding for all labs we had running on the station... and then some."

"Where will this be built?"

"A good question," Plank nodded, "Something that will be touched on with a meeting with the General at a later time. Everyone, thank you again for attending tonight. All of us from the station, and the hosts of this gala, thank you."

Zenon and Plank both walked off the stage and Zenon grinned at her family and friends around her, "From now on, can everything just stay calm?"

They laughed with her and nodded in silent agreement.

Protozoa wrapped her up in his arms and kissed the top of her head, "Tired of saving the world?"

"At least for this month," she hugged him to her. She took a deep breath against him and dragged her head back to look up at him, "I want to go home."

The word startled Protozoa, but he finally figured out she meant Nova Linda Cove. With him. He tucked her head under his and looked over at her parents, who nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll get things cleaned up as usual," Lester patted the small group on the back, "Everyone out the back. Knowing Jaime's exit, it will be wild out the front. Out you get."