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"I'm back." She smiled while tears ran down her rosy cheeks.
"That you are, mekarry," I confirmed with more laughter.
She slung her arms, still attached to countless hoses and lines, around my neck and kissed me, and I kissed her back with all the relief I felt for having her back. And for the years upon years we would be able to spend together in happy bliss.
"I love you," I said when we finally let go.
"I love you more," she replied with a wink.
EPILOGUE
I couldn't believe wehad been given a second chance. I felt like a new person after the procedure and couldn't stop looking in the mirror or staring at my arms and hands, any exposed skin really. Gone was the zombie-like look of the past months.
Garth didn't say anything, but I knew he liked the original me better too. He would never say it out loud, but here and there I caught him staring at me, or brushing his fingers over my skin. Skin so different from his. Not that color mattered at all, not for me or him; it had been the sinisterness behind it and the health threat that had made it harder to live with than anythingelse.
Back on Astrionis, I couldn't thank my fellow humans enough for so generously donating their blood to me, to make this possible.
Over the next few months our little colony grew as more refugees arrived from Earth, sent by Xandros and Ashley. I didn't envy them their task of running a resistance against the Cryons, but part of me wished I could be more involved.
The horror stories of the newcomers were enough for me, though, to count my blessings of being as far away from it as possible. According to them, the Cryons' brutality had increased since I was taken.
The most wonderful thing happened a couple of days ago. Thanks to the database some of the humans had created, Ashley had been able to find Kevin's parents! They were alive!
I hadn't told Kevin yet, I wanted it to be a surprise.
I made sure he was working on the welcome boxes we prepared for all the new refugees since most arrived with barely the clothes on their back, when the transporter bringing his parents arrived.
"Come, let's go meet the newcomers," I suggested, stacking the last box on top of the others.
"Doth promised to take me on a tour of the mountains," Kevin declined.
That I hadn'texpected and cursed myself for not having Doth clued in on Kevin's surprise, but honestly, how could I have known that today of all days he would make good on a promise he had made weeks ago?
"Doth can wait." I used my most convincing voice. "You can always go later. Come on, it's always fun to see the new arrivals." For good measure I added, "You never know if you might recognize somebody."
Had I not known of the surprise awaiting him I would have never tried to lure him with a promise like that, but I was desperate.
"They are not coming. They'll never come," Kevin said hanging his head and in a quiet voice added, "They're dead. I know they are."
It took all my willpower not to spill the beans right then. I grabbed his shoulders and lowered myself to his level, which wasn't that hard, since he seemed to have grown since I first met him. "Hey, never give up hope, Kev. Never, Now, come on."
I held out my hand.
This was a big gamble, at his age Kevin wasn't the type to hold hands any longer, especially since he wanted to be a warrior, but he surprised me and took it. "Okay."
"Okay?" I smiled at him. "Just okay?"
"Ijust hate the way I feel after. After I looked at all the new faces andtheyweren't with them," Kevin confessed.
I squeezed his shoulder. "I understand."
I led him to where the transporter usually landed and with every step his excitement grew just a bit. "You know what, maybe today is the day."
"It just might be." I winked at him.
"Day for what?" Garth wanted to know as he joined us, coming straight from a meeting.
"The day my parents might arrive," Kevin said in a voice caught between hope and doubt.
