••••

Groaning, I throw everything I have behind the switch. Some distant part of me hears Loveth moan as well, but I ignore it as I feel the switch move. It's just a tiny bit at first, but as I continue to shove, it picks up speed. I notice something running from my nose—most likely blood. My ears start ringing again, and we tumble to the floor, too weak to support ourselves.

Just before I black out from the effort of moving the switch, I hear a small, almost imperceptible yawn.….

...…..

I wake with a start as fear courses through me, followed immediately by massive pain in my skull, and I collapse backward onto a soft surface.

"He's awake," a voice says, sounding distant, but I recognize it as Stephanie's.

What's she doing here? I wonder, and then realize that I must have been dropped back home after I went unconscious.

I sit up again as I remember why I was unconscious in the first place.

"My kids," I croak, and I was startled by the sound of my own voice.

"They're fine," Loveth tells me as my eyes try to adjust to the light.

Something doesn't seem right. Everything has a yellow tinge to it, which throws off my augmented vision.

So Loveth is here too. By the sound of her voice, she's doing better than I am. "You saved them, Nick. I'm so proud of you. You did it!"

I feel a hand grip mine and give it a squeeze, but I still can't focus my eyes. I know the hand is my sister's because I can sense my switches better now, and I can even feel the one I made for the six little babies.

"My eyes," I say, glad my voice is improving as I speak. "I can't seem to focus."

I feel someone take my other hand and know from the switches I sense that it must be Stephanie. "Vage says you caused some damage to yourself saving your kids. The nanites and this yellow light are working on healing you, but it's going to take a bit."

That's nice, I think. The yellow light will get me better in no time.

Wait… yellow light… in my room?

I vaguely remember Vage using it that night in the basement and relax.

"Nick, you really had us worried. We understand what you did, but it almost killed you." I can hear the fear in her voice and pull the blurry shape that I know is her toward me for a hug. Loveth hugs me too, and I'm grateful to sense my switches strengthening. At least I haven't burned that out.

"How long until the demons arrive?" I ask, afraid of how long I've been out.

"They're still outside our solar system," Loveth says, and I relax, fear about being out of commission too long and missing the invasion leaking out of me.

Then I remember the twins.

"Those two," I say, swallowing and clearing my throat, "the ones who attacked me. She can sense where I am. They might be on their way here right now!"

Stephanie laughs softly before replying, "I wish them luck."

I turn my blurry gaze to her, confused. My eyes are finally starting to focus, and I can make out Stephanie's concerned face.

"If they can get up here, then they're too powerful to stop anyway," Loveth states.

My eyes finally focus completely, and I see that we're in the blue, featureless room. I groan as I realize I'm on the ship, not in my bedroom. My head is in Stephanie's lap.

"Why are you here, Stephanie?" I ask my girlfriend.

"Ouch," I hear my sister say a moment before Stephanie shoves my head off her lap.

"Maybe because I was worried about my boyfriend after watching them fry and pummel you on campus." I can hear the hurt and pain in her tone, and I realize my mistake immediately.

"Stephanie, I'm sorry," I plead as I feel the light and nanites returning my strength to me and sit up. "It's no excuse, but I'm under a lot of stress and didn't think."

Stephanie looks at me for a moment, then nods. "You're right. I'm sorry I've been adding to that stress."

She comes back over to me and gives me a hug. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"I'm not angry about you being here, but how did you get here?" I ask as the question occurs to me.

Loveth clears her throat and answers, "I've been up here watching over you, so I knew about her becoming your girlfriend. I figured she would want to be here."

Turning to my sister, I thank her and hold Stephanie closer to me. "Did it look as bad as it felt?"

Stephanie starts crying into my shoulder, and I have my answer. She must have thought I was dead.

I let her cry for a bit before looking at Loveth. "Did anyone see the ship?" She shakes her head. "My kids?"

Stephanie steps away from me, and I realize just how insensitive I'm being. I now have six kids with another woman, even if that other woman is an alien, and I haven't really gotten a handle on how my girlfriend feels about that. I open my mouth to apologize again, but the dyed redhead cuts me off.

"No, don't apologize. They're important to you, and that means a lot to me." She takes a deep breath, then continues, "Go. You need to see them."

Grabbing her hand, I turn and open the portal into the blackness. She hesitates just outside it but apparently trusts me enough to follow me through.

"How do you see in this?" she asks.

"What do you mean?" Loveth pipes up solicitously. "Can't you see the floor beneath us?"

"Be nice, Loveth," I chide. "We've got nanites in us that augment our vision so we can see into the infrared spectrum."

"Nanites? Really? That's so cool!" I smile as the geek in Stephanie starts to come out. "Can I get some? What else can they do?"

I try to answer all her questions as we walk, and soon we're outside Vage's room.

For once, I think before acting. "Stephanie, on the other side of this door are two aliens and my kids. Are you going to be alright?"

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