"You…" Dixie stared, then cracked a grin. "You were chief nanny?"
Byron nodded. "I oversaw the care of twenty-seven children, ranging from a newborn, delivered two days before we crashed, all the way up to a pair of mischievous ten year olds." His smile turned so heartbreaking, Dixie damn near cried. "I can't watch sci-fi movies—not because the science is bad or the aliens are always evil or anything. Because it's always the soldiers and such that conveniently survive and so things turn out okay. In reality, it's not the ones trained to survive who actually do and it doesn't turn out okay. Five of us walked out of that wreckage, two of them children. Ariadne was a scientist, I no longer remember what kind exactly, but she was able to cobble together enough parts to get the medical and modification equipment functioning. She and I converted well enough to this environment, but the others were not so fortunate. Eventually, when we realized we were going to be stuck here forever…" He shrugged. "We kidnapped a couple of humans and used them as models and blueprints to modify our appearance. It's not perfect, obviously, but most of the time, I pass muster."
"I'm sorry," Dixie said quietly. "That feels inadequate, but I'm real damned sorry, Byron."
Greg reached across the table and squeezed Byron's hand. "We're all sorry. I wish we had enough here to get you home again."
"Too much time has passed, to be honest," Byron said. "Home would not be home anymore. Earth is my home now. And right now, we need to save it from the G.O.D. If they have Ariadne, then we need to get her back and destroy whatever they've gotten from her."
"That I can do," Dixie said. "If it's in their systems, I can destroy everything electronic and the others can destroy whatever's in the labs and stored on archives. Can't promise we'll get it all. I'm sure after the last time I shredded their systems they've gotten smarter, but we'll do our damnedest. Matt and Karl won't mind coming in to help if you want."
"We'll probably need them, but that's the next stage," Byron said. "Getting the chip is a three-person job." He stopped, looked at Leland. "Four-person job." When Leland nodded, Byron smiled in a way that was shy and adorable and completely unlike the Byron Dixie had always known. Honestly, if he kept acting like that, Leland was gonna melt in his palm. Unless Leland didn't swing that way, but if those lingering eyes were anything to judge by…
Well, time would tell. They all had more important things to deal with right then.
A bell chimed before anyone else could speak. "Pizza!" Greg crowed. "I'll go get it." He vanished through a door that would actually lead to an empty building next door, something else Byron had bought up to help keep the apartment complex contained and completely under his control.
Looking at the monitor, Byron said, "Display Operation: White Out."
"Guest not approved," the computer said.
"Modify bracelet to omnipass, full registration pending. Register name Leland Deveraux. Connect to Alias – Minder. Permission granted by Byron Valentine, code 02141587." The computer chimed, followed by a softer chime from Leland's bracelet. "Display Operation: White Out."
The computer opened the requested files right as Greg returned with stacks of boxes, plastic bags dangling from his arms. "Let's eat!"
"Let's get to work," Byron said, and they all settled down to do both.
*~*~*
"Fuck snow," Greg said between chattering teeth. "This fucking sucks. I fucking hate snow."
Dixie chuckled, lowered his binoculars, and turned to look at the shivering bundle next to him in the glorified hole they were stuck in while they watched Robert House's cabin. "Ain't got too much longer left, kitten."
"M'not a fucking cat."
Dixie leaned down and dropped a quick kiss on those pouty lips, then lifted the binoculars and went back to staring at a whole lot of nothing. Beside him, Greg had gone still and quiet. It wouldn't last long, but it was always funny when Dixie got him that way at all.
Even if he shouldn't be taking any excuse he could find to keep stealing kisses. Once this whole mess with the Mason Chip was done, their group was going to have to split up. Wasn't safe for all of them to huddle in the same place for too long, anyway, and once they destroyed the Mason System the G.O.D. was gonna be on the warpath. Scattered to the wind was the smartest way to stay free.
And if his stomach clenched and his chest ached every time he thought of no longer being able to tease and kiss Greg at every opportunity, well fool fucking him for doing something he damn well knew not to do. From the moment he'd gotten free, he'd known his days were numbered. It'd be the height of stupidity to drag someone down into hell with him, or worse, leave them behind to suffer the way Mama had in the wake of Daddy's death.
Bad enough he counted Byron and Matt friends. He hadn't meant to acquire any of those either.
But no matter how many times he told himself no, he kept touching and teasing and tasting.
His hands tightened on the binoculars as he panned across House's property, the ridiculous multi-million dollar "cabin" that looked like it had room enough for three football teams. He'd known it was ridiculous from the intel, but pictures and blueprints weren't enough to appreciate how fucking stupid the damned thing was.
Who the hell needed that much house in the middle of nowhere? And how much taxpayer and donation money had paid for it? He almost wanted to torch the damned thing, but that would bring a lot of attention fast.
"I can't believe he helicoptered in hookers," Greg muttered. "Hopefully he doesn't do that again tonight."
Dixie snorted. "I can't believe we didn't think to account for something like that." He grinned as Greg muttered and grumbled, not a lick
