Chapter 10

You could almost taste the distaste and condescension in the word as Dalen hissed it out. Other than me, nobody in the cosmos hated Robert more than my beloved. It showed on his face, in his every movement.

“Please,” I begged mentally to every figure in the cosmos that I believed in, even the slightest bit. “Let us win. Let us save ourselves and not be distracted by the visceral hatred he inspires in us. Please.” When I finished the prayer, I brandished my poisoned dagger.

It was nerve wracking to watch the pair of them. I only had one shot with this, so I had to make it perfect, so I had to wait.

Controlling myself was so hard as I saw things as if I were watching a movie.

Dalen slashed at Robert. He was too slow as Robert was able to side-step the attack. Robert used his knife and embedded it into Dalen's stomach. Dalen made an inhuman screech, his arms going around Robert's head as Robert sadistically twisted the dirty knife inside of Dalen.

Dalen quickly slammed Robert into the ground. He tried to stab Robert in the stomach. The knife embedded itself in the ground as Robert rolled away in time. Robert shoved Dalen to the ground and slammed his skull to the ground multiple times. I could hear the hairline fractures being made.

Dalen’s vision was going fuzzy, clearly as his eyes were glazing over. On the upside, I finally got my shot. I slammed the knife down into the back of his neck, and sawed his head off. Gruesome, yes. But I knew about Robert’s healing factor. This was the only possible way to kill him permanently.

I sent a blaster shot to his brain once… Okay! It was four times. I know it was superfluous. But it just felt so good. Tell me he didn’t deserve it! That’s right, you can’t because he deserved it and so much more.

I saw a few men left, a snarl ripping from my throat. I would kill every single one of them. I would bathe in their blood and they will rue the day they ever went after me or the ones I loved.

Seeing the nearly feral glance in my eyes, they bit their thumb. The action was the universal symbol of forgiveness. Like raising a white flag, they would never go after me again. I let them leave in their smaller ships, never to return. I glared at them. If they ever broke their promises, I would ruin all happiness in their lives.

Death was too good for Robert. But Robert’s death was exactly what Dalen needed.

I looked down at Dalen and tried to keep him awake, feeling my eyes fill with tears. As the adrenaline poured out from me, I could feel myself beginning to sob. “Dalen. Look at me.” I begged him. “Stay with me. Don’t shut your eyes. Don’t go to sleep. You have to stay awake.” I went through his medicine and tried to heal him. Tried to find something I could do.

He can’t die on me. What do I have left if I don’t even have him?

Epilogue

Long story short, I did a crappy job of healing him eight months ago. I mean, he is mostly better now. He is blind in one eye, though. It's not fair to him. I should be the one who was hurt. This whole thing happened because of me anyway!

He doesn't blame me, though. Says I'm an angel come to rescue him from the ‘mundanity of normalcy'. As I stared at my husband, I couldn't help but grin. He was looking at a map – trying his hardest to make out everything as best he can – and trying to find where we should go.

We knew we couldn’t return home to Moro. Not after everything happened. It just… felt wrong. And neither of us felt safe there anymore, even if the threat has passed.

Robert didn't need a ship anymore, though. So why not put it to good use, Eh?

Okay, sure. There are several decent reasons not to put it to good use, but boo on those. It’s what I want and therefore it is more than good enough. It is what we want.

We now get to spend our lives doing everything I have always wanted to do. Explore the galaxy. Find charted and uncharted places. Feel and experience everything there is to be done.

I held a hand to my stomach as I felt a kick. Oh yes, I almost forgot. One more thing I’ve always wanted to do. Start a family with the man who I care about more than life itself. Strangely enough, I never really wanted this.

Well, I don’t mean it like that. If I could name a perfect life for me to live, this would be exactly the thing I would describe. That doesn’t make it perfect. I never really considered this a possibility.

Ok, well… kinda- sorta. I mean-

Vaguely, I did. The perfect family as you know. But until it was happening I didn’t have any actual…

“Why?” I heard myself ask, as I felt Dalen was kissing my stomach. He did this all the time now. I think he might do it more than he kissed me on the lips. Of course, I only said that so I would get more kisses from him.

“I just wanted to kiss my cute little daughter.” He cooed, not even hesitating to continue doing it despite my protests.

"You've never seen her yet, Dork," I argued, snorting with laughter as his stubbly beard tickled my stomach.

"If she is even a fraction as beautiful as you are, she will be one of the loveliest things that have ever graced the galaxy." He was so serious as he said it. I squeaked and hid my face as I blushed. How can someone be so charming? It isn't even fair. The jerk knew exactly what he was doing too.

“I love you, My Loveliest Rose.”

“I love you too, Darl'n.”