The former Captain called John and Herc whenever he could. Even when he was no longer overwatching the Enterprise, he was still an incredibly busy man. Eliza and Peggy call once a week, and then relay any new information to Angelica, who is busy with her new position to actually spare a moment for a call. Thomas never called once.

He tried. Dear gods, he tried. He stared at his holographic device, his fingers twitching, trying to get up the nerve to call. If he just talked to someone, it didn't matter who, as long as someone told him what was happening, maybe he'd feel better. But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

He should've done more, he should've been better, he should've, he should've, he should've-

"Thomas."

Thomas closed his eyes, biting his lip until he tasted blood.

"Thomas, hey, hey…" James was kneeling in front of him, his eyes wide, "What are you doing now?"

He couldn't reply. Just like how he couldn't save Alex.

"How long have you been sitting in the dark?" James asked. He had long ago given James a key, for emergencies, and the man must have decided this counted as one. "Thomas, please, take deep breaths with me."

Thomas could barely hear the other man. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he dropped the hologram, his hands shaking too violently to function. James took his hands in his own, his thumbs brushing his knuckles gently.

"Thomas, you have to tell me what's wrong. What's going on?" James asked quietly, watching as Thomas' face screwed up more and more. Finally, the dam broke, and Thomas crumbled. His shoulders shook as he fell forward, into James' arms. His wails echoed in his empty flat, his nails digging tightly into James' clothing. His lungs failed to function, almost as if the manufactured oxygen in his home had been ripped out into the dark abyss outside. James supportively rubbed his back, "Shh, let it all out, it's okay, shh, shh…"

"I-I-I-I-"

"Shh, shh"

"I couldn't, I couldn't stop him, I couldn't save him, I couldn't-"

"Thomas, that's not true! This wasn't your fault!"

He couldn't believe that. Because he couldn't stop the man he loved from going on a suicide mission. And he couldn't even call to see if he was okay.

Awake - where is?

Don't know - not safe!

He jumps off the fluffy spot onto the hard, cold floor. The fluffy spot grabs his ankle, ruining his escape. He crashes ungracefully, screeching in shock. He lands on his shoulder, and he winces in pain. He stays low, scouring the area for danger.

Alone? Alone.

The wall opens suddenly. Not alone!

He scrambles under the fluffy spot, into the small, dark space. He stays quiet, watching the room around him. The wall closes again. Two bare feet stand still. No move. Wait. No move. Wait. Wait.

He creeps forward, in the dark spot, looking at the bare feet. They shift under his gaze.

Suddenly - face!

He crawls backward, back to safety, back to darkness.

Not safe! Not safe! Not safe!

"Nawu, swaknsier? Whncie ankls iuwntixn lknwiu." The face makes noise. "Nwius ootsniw wisniwt."

He growls: scare away, go away!

"Wuionsi, nwiquil ionqkxyui uinkwu." The face has a hand now, reaching for him. He screeches, but freezes at the next noise, "nwiul, Puppet."

It started slowly, so slowly.

To be honest, Gilbert had no idea what they were doing. But they knew enough about humans to understand that sometimes, they really just needed something to cling to. They need something to believe in. So, even if Gilbert was flat-out lying about his qualifications to help Alexander, they believed it was the right thing to do. When John and Herc looked at them with such faith, how could they tell them the truth?

Besides, it's not like they could make the situation any worse. That's the good thing about the bottom rock, they supposed.

"Shh, yes. Tis I, another human." Gilbert whispered, reaching their hand under the bed to coax the man forward. He hesitated, staring at Gilbert suspiciously. Gilbert tried to make their borrowed face appear unthreatening. "Come here, Puppet."

Alex's shoulders relaxed slightly, even as he carefully inched forward. Gilbert waited patiently until Alex's head finally peeked out from under the bed. He looked up at Gilbert's face for a tense moment. Gilbert blinked twice, unsure what Alex was waiting for. Finally, the man nodded once to himself, before settling down by Gilbert's side. He was still curled up in a very animal-like manner, but he appeared to be relaxed.

Gil rested a hand on Alex's head. The man flinched, looking back up into their face once more. He watched them as they carefully brushed back some of his stray hairs. Alex closed his eyes in acceptance, making a small whining noise.

"Have you explored your new home, Puppet Alex?" Gilbert asked, looking around the room. It was mostly empty, except for a bed in the center of the room; a dresser against one wall, a desk against another, and a full-length mirror in the corner. There wasn't a whole lot to explore for a normal human. But Alex wasn't exactly normal at the moment. He probably saw this new space as some vast, terrifying battlefield.

Alex, of course, didn't respond to them. He just sat by Gil's side, leaning against his touch. Gil watched as a small smile etched itself across Alex's face as Gil's fingers ran through his hair.

"You're on Mars, with John and Herc. They're very worried about you, Puppet Alex." Gil had decided that they were going to associate the only word Alex responded with, 'Puppet', with his actual name, in hopes that he'd start to respond to his name as well. Every time Gil said the 'P' word, Alex would glance over at them, but not do anything else.

And so the process began. For most of the time, Gil just sat with Alex in his room, talking to him about nothing. Gil was also in charge of feeding him, which wasn't too hard, since Alex apparently enjoyed being hand-fed. It was a strange sight.

Every day, Gilbert would leave Alex's room, and every day, John or Herc would ask, "How is he?"

And every day, Gilbert would reply, "He's getting better."

They weren't sure how true that was.

It was a tough day when Alex bit John. The boy kinda had it coming. He poked his head into Alex's room to see how the other man was doing. He gasped in surprise when he saw Alex almost standing, watching himself in the mirror.

Alex's head whipped around so fast, it hurt John's neck. At first, Alex froze, trying to seem invisible. But when John opened the door a bit wider, Alex must've decided it was time to fight. He growled and charged the door, John put his hand out to stop him, which became Alex's boney chew-toy.

John ripped his hand out of Alex's jaw and slammed the door behind him as he left the room. He bolted into his room and curled up in bed, trying to contain his sobs. John was still in that position when Herc and Gil returned home from shopping.

"John?" Herc called from the other room, "You home?"

"I'm going to check on Alex." Gil said.

John squeezed his eyes shut as he heard footsteps, a door opening and closing. He tried hard not to feel stupid, and tried harder not to feel jealous. Alex wouldn't bite Gilbert.

That thought process was cut off as Herc appeared in his doorway, a concerned frown on his face. "Hey, buddy. Are you okay?"

John shook his head. His eyes burned and his throat felt dry.

Herc sat down on the bed next to him, "Why are you crying?"

In response, John held up his injured hand.

"John, what happened?" Herc asked, his voice a bit more urgent.

"Alex bit me." John whimpered.

"Of course he did, he's feral." Herc replied, trying to keep his voice soft. "Why would you go into Alex's room?"

John shrugged, his eyes trained on the wall across from him, "I miss him…"

Herc deflated slightly, sighing. "Yeah. Me too."

After two and a half weeks after Alex bit John, Gilbert decided to try and move things forward a bit. They explained what they wanted to do to the boys, who shared unsure looks.

"I think with me there, in Alex's form, and with food, he will be able to see that you guys aren't a threat." Gil said, "But there should only be one other person. I think two would be too much right now."

"Okay." John said, nodding. "Okay, it's worth a shot."

Herc had his arms crossed, apprehensive. "What if he reacts badly?"

"Then we remove you guys from the room, calm him down, and try again later." Gil said with confidence they didn't really feel. "These things take time. If it doesn't work at first, then we just need to wait."

Herc ran a hand through his hair, "Alright. Um… Who do you think should do it?"

Gil paused, thinking. "I'm not actually sure. Alex prefers John, but Herc is less emotional and more rational."

Herc frowned, "Alex prefers John?"

John scowled, "Herc's rational?"

Gil continued after a moment, "I think it should be Herc. Alex might still associate John with that bite."

The two shared a look, before nodding. "Yeah, okay."

Gilbert went in first, in Alex's form. They followed their usual program, brushing Alex's hair and talking sweetly. Alex was dozing happily by their thigh when there was a knock at the door.

"Come on in." Gil instructed, keeping their hand on Alex's shoulder. Alex looked up when Herc walked in, shifting nervously. He had a bowl of grapes in his hands, and he didn't really know what to do.

Alex's gaze slowly shifted from Herc to Gil. Gil smiled and continued to brush Alex's hair soothingly. The man took this as a sign to relax, so he laid his head against Gil's thigh.

"Sit right here, in front of us." Gil instructed quietly. Alex tensed as Herc moved closer, but he didn't look ready to attack. He glared over at Herc suspiciously, shifting a bit closer to Gil.

"Hey, Alex." Herc said, chuckling awkwardly. "It's me, Hercules. I, uh, brought fruit."

Alex glanced between Herc and Gil once more. Gil took a grape from Herc's bowl and turned fully to Alex. "Puppet Alex, why don't you show Herc what we've been working on?"

Alex blinked curiously, watching Gilbert. They smiled at Herc and then sat up straight and crossed their legs. They tapped the floor in next to Alex's head and said, "Humans sit up, Puppet Alex."

Slowly, clumsily, Alex unfolded his limbs from under him and shifted until he was sitting the same as Gilbert. He straightened his shoulders and looked at Gil expectantly.

"Very good, Puppet Alex." Gil murmured, holding out the grape. Alex's lips wrapped around Gil's fingers as he took the fruit.

Herc stared, his expression some strange mixture that Gilbert didn't know well enough to describe. Finally, he said, "He's- he's not a dog."

"No." Gilbert agreed, "But this is the first steps. If he wants to be a part of humanity, first he must move and look like a human." Gilbert took another grape, and then tapped the floor once more, "And humans sit up."

Alex straightened his shoulders once more, tilting his chin up a bit. Gil chuckled and fed him another grape. Herc shook his head silently, but muttered, "If you insist."

"Trust me, this is progress." Gil said, trying to conjure that human-necessity of hope once again. Gil then stood up and raised their hand, "We're also working on how humans stand up!"

Alex was licking his lips, distracted by the taste of grapes.

"Puppet Alex!" Gilbert said, gaining his attention once more. "Humans stand up!"

Alex scowled, but put his hands on the floor in front of him and pushed up into a small crouch. He looked up at Gilbert expectantly, who shook their head. Alex huffed, grumbling nonsense as he clumsily pushed himself up into a weak standing position. He still had his head ducked, and his hands were close to his chest, but he was on his own two feet.

Gilbert gave him his grape, happily cooing, "Yes, Puppet Alex, good job!"

Alex immediately sat back down again, once he had his reward. He chewed his grape happily, closing his eyes. Gil lowered themself down next to him, still smiling. "He doesn't like to stand much. And he really doesn't like walking. But we're working on that."

Herc was silent as he nodded and watched Alex. Finally, he said, "Okay, what do you want me to do, then?"

"Well, I was really just showing you his, uh, accomplishments to get him used to you being in the room." Gil said, gently rubbing Alex's back soothingly. Alex hummed and leaned against the touch, he decided to stay sitting up instead of wallowing on the floor or crouching. Gil thinks he's expecting more grapes for his good behavior. He's right. "Now that he's basically decided you're irrelevant-"

"Gee, thanks."
"-we're going to shift that image of you from neutral to positive." Gil said, gesturing to the bowl in Herc's hand, "You're going to feed him."

"I don't want to do that." Herc said immediately. "Gil, this is weird, seeing him like this. He's not- he's not himself and I-"

Gil interrupted, "If you want him to get used to being around other people, you have to get used to being with him."

Herc watched Alex, who was distractedly watching his own toes twitch. Finally, he sighed. "Okay. Fine. But, I don't like this."

"I know." Gil said, "That's why I'm trying to fix it."

Herc picked up a grape and said, "Hey, uh, Alex?"

Alex's hands shot down and grabbed his toes, successfully catching them on his first try. He leaned down to observe his prize. Gilbert snorted and said, "Puppet Alex."

Alex glanced over at him, still interested in his foot.

"Humans sit up." Gil said, tapping the floor. Alex groaned and sat up, shooting Gil a glare.

Herc let out a loud laugh, startling Alex. "Okay, that seemed pretty accurate to Alexander. Maybe this is helping him."

Alex's hand landed on Gilbert's thigh, and he shifted closer to the other man. Gil shushed him, quietly assuring him that nothing was wrong. Alex only relaxed when Gil gave him another grape.

Herc took a deep breath, and then said, "Hey, Puppet Alex."

Alex looked over to him, a bit surprised.

Herc didn't know what to do after that, his eyes found Gil's, who smiled encouragingly.

"Uh, I'm proud of you." Herc said as he held out the grape. Alex paused, his eyes flicking between the grape and Herc. Only Gilbert had fed him for so long, does food from other people even count as food? Herc grinned, almost like he could tell what Alex was thinking, "Trust me, it's the same grapes Gil was giving you."

Alex took another second before he inhaled the grape, his lips brushing against Herc's fingers. Herc huffed in amusement, wiping his hands off on his shirt. He picked up another grape and held it out to Alex, who didn't need any prompting this time around.

They sat there, in a little circle, watching Alex eat grapes from their hands. Alex's hand always stayed firmly planted on Gil's thigh, but the rest of his body was slowly shifting closer to Herc's. By the time they ran out of grapes, Alex was almost sitting in Herc's lap.

Gil couldn't keep the smile off their face, "I told you, he's getting better every day."

He sat on the Tall One's thigh, his eyes closed. The Same One was gone. Sometimes here, sometimes not. Tall One is new, but good. He likes the Tall One. Tall One has juicy treats.

"Winxle. Auwionvx, whionxlau." Tall One spoke. He shivered as his hair was played with. Tall One has big hands, good for scratches. "Wnious mjawio oeusln eoisnx."

Tap on face. He opened his eyes to see Tall One watching him. Oh no, did he do something wrong? Will Tall One leave? He should have been watching. He don't know unless watch. Tall One smiled, not mad?

"Wnisul sqoul, Alex." Tall One said. He tilted his head, glancing around the room. Tall One shook his head, gently pushing him off his leg. He sat on the floor, panic setting in as Tall One stood up. He quickly stumbled to his feet, but his knees gave out. He crashed to the floor, yelping at the action. Tall One stayed only long enough to make sure he had not hurt himself. Then, Tall One left through the wall.

He screamed, realizing that he was left behind, in the small room, all alone. He paced the floor, he scratched at the wall, he hid under the bed and accepted his death. He sat in front of the wall, waiting for it to open once more.

"Once he gets used to John, we can open the door and let him into the rest of the apartment." Gil explained when Alex's screaming became a bit much.

"I don't like leaving him alone like that." John said, wincing as he heard a distinct thump from the other room. "He really shouldn't be alone."

"I know, I'm going to go back in there in just a moment." Gil said, "Herc couldn't stay in there all day."

Herc nodded, "It's impractical. But we'll reintroduce him to you tomorrow, and then, if he takes it well, we can open his door and he can hang out with us in the livingroom."

John nodded, wrapping his arms around himself. "Is he getting better?"

"I think so." Gil said with a forced smile.

Herc shared with them a knowing look, but agreed quietly.

When Herc and Gil walked into the room, Alex had two quick reactions. The first was to push Herc hard and growl and spit. The second was to cry and fall into Gil's arms, shaking.

"Oh, shh, Puppet Alex, we didn't leave you alone that long." Gil said, rubbing soothing circles against Alex's back. "You're okay, you're okay."

Herc sighed and held out his hand, "I'm sorry, Alex. Do you forgive me?"

Alex looked like he wanted to bite the hand, but he decided against it. Instead, he tucked his head under the hand, demanding to be pet for his pain.

Herc chuckled and the three of them settled down on the bed. Alex sat cross-legged between Gil and Herc. His hand was resting on Gil's knee, but his focus was mostly on Herc. Herc was telling a story as Gil brushed Alex's hair. It seemed like Alex was paying close attention to the words being said, maybe even understanding them.

The trance was broken when there was a knock at the door. "Guys? Can I come in?"

Alex dropped low to the bed, his eyes trained on the door. He only glanced away as Herc placed his hand in front of Alex, blocking his path. "Yeah, come on."

There was a pause, and then the door opened slowly. John poked his head in, and watched from relative safety. Alex's grip on Gil's knee tightened. Gil only continued to brush Alex's hair, their voice soothing. "Puppet Alex, this is John. He's very nice. You're friends."

It took two minutes of this before Alex relaxed enough for John to enter the room completely, closing the door behind him. In John's hand was a plate of bite-sized sandwiches; he was gripping the plate so tightly it was shaking.

Herc patted the spot on the bed next to him, "Come sit here. Slowly."

Alex watched John as he moved closer to the bed. Alex backed away, still touching Gil's leg. He glanced between Gil and Herc, who were trying to not appear tense. John settled on the bed with Herc between himself and Alex. He brought a hand up to cover his mouth as he watched Alex intensely.

"He's-" John swallowed hard, "I don't even know what he is, but…"

Herc wrapped an arm around John, shushing him quietly, "I know, I know, shh."

"What could he even be thinking right now?" John asked.

NEW! NEW? NEW! NEW!

Not safe? Safe? New? Don't know don't know don't know don't know-

"Puppet Alex." Same said, tapping the soft space, "Humans sit up."

No, no, no, no- new! Doesn't like new! No!

"Alex." Tall One said, "wniuql xniows exniuoq winsiw."

Same held out something - food? Smells good. "Humans sit up!"

He slowly crept forward, closer to New, and sat up. Same held out the food. Tall One nodded. He carefully took the food from Same's hand into his mouth. Tastes good, very strange. Wants more!

"Wuinsk whel iqo." Tall One said, others laughed. Everyone smiles? He tries to smile too. Fit in, won't be left alone.

"Udnsio qmio, Alex!" Same said, running their hand through his hair. He smiled again, he does good?

"Alex?" New said. He glances up, unsure. Wonder: what is Alex? Why said so much? Important?

"Qsnhi mxu!" Tall One said, reaching for Same. They smile again, then turn to him. He shrinks back, unsure. What happening?

"Alex?" Same said.

He glances between the faces, what they want? He sits up straight, like how Same taught. They look at each other again, speaking gibberish. As they talk, he ducks low onto the soft space. He reaches forward and snatches another food from the pile in front of New. He quickly shoves it in his mouth and retreats back by Same.

His hand never left Same. Always touch Same. Same is safe, touch Same, he's safe.

They're all looking at him again. He chews his food and keeps an eye on New. Still don't trust.

"I've never seen him use his hands like that before." Gil said, stunned.

"He just, put the food in his mouth," Herc said pointing at the plate, "With his hands!"

John was silent as the other two expressed their surprise and praise. He shook his head minutely at the sight of his best friend. Look at what he had become. Look at where he had started. This was insane.

Alex watched him just as intently, like he didn't recognize him. John felt his throat close up as they locked gazes. Alex didn't even blink. Herc and Gil were talking to him now, trying to get him to use his hands again. John just watched and tried not to cry.

By the time John had to get up and leave, Alex was no long glaring at him like he wanted to kill him. But he also wasn't as trusting of him as he was Herc or Gil. Baby steps, he supposes. Baby steps.

They let him out of the room. John sat on the counter in the kitchenette, watching as Herc and Gil (who was wearing Alex's form) coaxed Alex into the main room. Alex sat by the door of his room, refusing to move much further. Eventually, Herc and Gil gave up and decided to just let him move at his own time. John tried hard to not watch Alex's every move as they watched TV. Alex only started to explore when he thought they were all focused on the screen before them. He stayed close to the walls, creeping around the exterior of the apartment.

After he had checked out the entirety of the building, he slowly moved inward to the couches, where everyone was sitting.

"I don't understand this 'cavity' thing. Why does it happen?" Gilbert asked, gesturing to the screen. It was some TV show about toothpaste. All commercials were banned on Mars, since they were ruled as 'lying to the public', so marketers had to make entire 15 minute long shows to promote whatever they wanted to sell. It made for some very strange television shows.

"I dunno, man." Herc replied, "Your teeth just don't work well with sweets and stuff, so they get, like, bone-infected. When I was a kid, I had to get a tooth removed because I had a huge cavity in it."

Gil grew alarmed, "Your tooth was removed?! Is it not one of humanity's natural weapons?"

John brushed the fading bite mark on his hand. Herc waved it off, "Well, I guess, but I was a kid, so it grew back."
Gil shook his head, "No, humans cannot regrow limbs."

Herc snorted, "Right, but teeth aren't limbs. Everyone has baby teeth, that fall out and then stronger ones grow back in their place."

Gilbert stared at Herc for a long moment before finally saying, "That sounds completely fake. You're joking right now to see what the alien will fall for."

Herc didn't get to reply, because Alex chose that moment to awkwardly climb onto the couch to settle between Herc and Gil. When he realized everyone was watching him, he grew very still. Only his eyes moved as he looked over to Gil. The alien smiled and looked away, continuing their conversation with Herc.

Alex relaxed after a moment, shifting so he was sitting cross-legged. His attention was captured by the TV. John could almost pretend that things were fine. That Alex was normal and they were just friends, sharing a lazy day. But then he'd look over to Gil, who was borrowing Alex's face, and he couldn't fool himself any longer.

"Humans stand up, Alex!" Same said, standing in front of him.

He stood up, smiling when they all grinned at him. He sat back down on the floor when he wasn't given any food.

"Weqs, humans stand up!" Same repeated.

He hesitated, but slowly stood up again.

Tall One said something, gesturing to himself. He stared at him, and then went to sit down again.

"Xi! Alex!" Tall One said, he then repeated what he said previously, "wnxi qkio mxiuqp."

Tall One pointed to himself again, and Same walked over to Tall One and spoke again; gesturing to the space between them. He tried to sit down again, but got yelled at once more. Humans stand, he gets it. But what do they want from him now?

New stood up from his spot on one of the couches. He approached him carefully, then held out his hand. He hesitated, but took New's hand in his own. New smiled and took a step forward, then another. He had to take a step with him, in order to keep touching New. They continued in this slow, awkward dance forward until they were standing in front of Same and Tall One. Everyone smiled and cheered softly. Head pats. Happy? Good?

Same then moved to stand across the room, saying, "Humans wnisl nxiuw, Alex!"

He looked over to New and Tall One, who gently pushed him forward. He stood still, unsure of what he's expected to do. New took his hand again and walked over to Same. Same happily scratched his hair, then turned him around so he was facing Tall One.

Tall One gestured over to himself, saying, "qniou smwi, Alex. Humans wuios xniw!"

Humans. Alex. Strange sounds with no meaning. At least this time he was able to figure out what the hell they wanted. He took a step towards Tall One. Then another. He looked up to see everyone's expressions. Smiling. Good. Another step. Check faces. Still good. He continued this process until he was standing in front of Tall One, who pulled him into a tight embrace.

Attack!? Scared! Don't want!

Wait.

Warm. Good? Nice…

He ducked his head a bit under Tall One's chin and inhaled the scent of him. Good. Safe. Tall One is safe.

"I think he'll be okay with me in Thomas' form." Gil commented as they watched Alex alternate between picking up Cheerios and lick them up with his tongue. He liked to sit on the floor, they haven't convinced him to use the table yet. And he only liked the couch if the others would sit with him. But, overall, he was… functioning.

"I'm not sure." Herc said. "Whenever he gets scared, he runs back to you. What'll he do if he thinks you aren't there?"

John added, "Yeah, and he doesn't exactly love me yet."

Gil nodded and held up their hands, "Okay, okay. We'll wait a bit. No problem. I just don't like Alex's form as much and as soon as I can switch back to Thomas' the better."

Herc put his hands on his hips, "It's been months and you never mentioned this before?"

"It wasn't important before. Alex was important. And when he was in the room, I was able to be me - er, Thomas. But he's out here, with us, all the time, and I don't have that option anymore." Gil explained quickly. They glanced over to John, who appeared thoughtful. "I can stay as Alex as long as we need. I just, it's weird."

John leaned closer to them, interested, "You have different preferences?"

"Yeah, kinda." Gil shrugged, scratching their neck, "Which is … new."

"That's also new." Herc said, his eyes on Alex. They looked over to see Alex awkwardly scooping the dry cereal up with a fork. His hand was wrapped around the handle in a fist, and he moved his face to the utensil instead of vise versa. But he was able to get the forkful into his mouth and he chewed it quietly. He looked up and was surprised to see everyone watching him. Alex slowly lowered the fork, dropping it onto the floor.

Gil walked up to him, smiling. He knelt beside him and pressed the fork back into his hand and scratched at his hair. "That was good, Alex."

The man hummed and continued to eat once Gil left him again.

...Is Alex me?

They speak to me when say it. Am I an Alex? Thought I was a human? Human Alex? Alex Human?

Do what they do. Fit in. Be like them, and they won't leave. Use the metal stick to eat. Sit up straight. Watch the colorful screen. Be like them, be like them, be like them.

"Alex?" He looked up to see New watching him. He waited to see what New wanted. New waited to see what he would do. Oh! Good question time! He slowly held up his hand and pointed to himself. He tilted his head. New's eyes widened. New repeated, voice hushed, "Alex!"

He pointed to himself again.

"Wnsi, wnsi, Alex!" New said, pulling him into a tight embrace, similar to Tall One's. "Alex! Snwiu mxqiks wiuls!"

Maybe… maybe he is the Alex?

He could be the Alex if they stay with him.

"How is he doing?" Peggy asked. She must be the messenger for the day. She kept trying to look over Herc's holographic shoulder, as if she could see a glimpse of Alex. "Is he eating? Is he sleeping?"

"Yeah, he's doing great. He's gained fifteen pounds since being here, he doesn't look like some starving Earthling anymore." Herc said, his lips quirking upwards in a joke.
Peggy shook her head, "That's not funny, Herc."

Herc huffed, "It would be if you had to pay for all the groceries."

Peggy put her hands on her hips, "We told you, we'd help you pay-"

"I"m kidding, Peggy. Tell everyone that he's getting better all the time and soon he'll be running around, picking fights with strangers, like the Alex we know and love." Herc said. He looked over at Alex, who was trying to sit on the counter, but couldn't quiet coordinate his legs well enough to hoist himself up. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright." Peggy sighed, "Tell Alex I said hello!"

"Will do."

He turns off his holographic device and turns to Alex. He puts his hands on his hips and says sharply, "What'd'you think you're doing, Alex?"

Alex yelps and turns around, eyes wide. He looks between Herc and the cabinet above him. Herc raises an eyebrow and walks past him to open the cabinet. "What's in here that you want?"

Alex backed away from the counter, his head bowed.

Herc opened the cabinet and glanced at its occupants. At the very top shelf there sat a box of cookies. Herc snorted and looked back to Alex. "Is that what you were trying to get?"

Alex dared to glance up at Herc, and relaxed a bit when he saw Herc's smirk. Slowly, he creeped over to stand beside Hercules.

Herc watched as Alex raised both his arms up above his head, reaching for the cookies. He couldn't reach the highest shelf, so he whined and looked over to Herc pitifully.

"Well, aren't you just precious?" Herc grinned, reaching up and pushing the cookies further back onto the shelf. Alex gasped loudly and had the audacity to look betrayed. This only made Herc laugh harder.

After a second, Alex started to hesitantly chuckle along with him.

The day Gilbert walks out of their room in Thomas' form, Alex freezes entirely. But he doesn't look scared. He looks confused. He was working on a children's puzzle, and he almost had the star completed. But now his focus was completely on the new man.

Herc and John are carefully watching from the sidelines as Alex watches Gil from across the room. At first, Gilbert doesn't look at Alex, pretends he isn't there, and just lets him get used to Gilbert being in the room.

But as Gil decided that it was time to approach Alex, the other man scrambled back on the floor, eyes wide. He then took two small steps forward, before moving back once more.

"He doesn't know what to think of you." Herc commented quietly.

John held up his hand, "Gil, take your hair down."

Gilbert followed the instruction and let their hair fall loose into wild curls. Alex made a small whining noise and moved closer to them.

"Put your hair up." John instructed.

Gil did, and Alex backed away again, eyes darting back and forth across Gil's face. He made a strangled growl and placed his head in his hands. Gil, John, and Herc shared concerned looks. Gilbert came and sat beside Alex on the floor. Their voice was lower now, more like Thomas', rather than Alex's, as they said, "Alex, shh, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Alex's head snapped up to look at them, tears forming in his eyes. He was breathing hard in short burst and his hands were shaking. Gil reached out and placed a hand on Alex's knee, "It's me, it's Gilbert. Do you understand, Puppet?"

At the sound of that word falling form those lips, Alex inhaled sharply. John and Herc thought he suddenly attacked Gil. The smaller man reached forward suddenly and pushed into the alien's space. They landed on the ground with a smack, and John and Herc rushed forward to pull the two apart. They both halted, however, when they saw that Alex wasn't ripping off Gil's face with his teeth. Instead, the man was sloppily kissing them, desperate and needy. Gil was stock-still under him, wide, scared eyes looking up at the others.

Herc pulled Alex off of Gil, who still didn't move once free. Alex kicked and squirmed until Herc was forced to let him go. Alex stared at Gil, breathing hard. He flinched suddenly and shook his head, before scrambling and running on all fours back to his room. From the open door, John could see Alex crawl under the bed.

"What the hell was that?" Gil whispered, still laying on the floor.
John knelt beside them, "A kiss. Kinda."

"But … why?" Herc looked away from the silent room down the hall.

John shrugged, "I guess he thinks Gil's hot."

Gil shook his head, shifting through Thomas' memories. "No. That's not exactly accurate."

The children's puzzle was left on the table, forgotten. There was only one piece missing.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I KNOW HIM!

Knew him, knew him, knew him, knew him, knew him!

Not him - knew him - can't be - who? Who?

What's happening?

Same is gone, where's Same? Can't find Same!

Same left him, Same left him, Same left him, Same left him because he wasn't good enough-

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

They can't see you in the dark place, stay in the dark place.

Who was that human? Who was he? Why does he know him?

He wanted to bite him with his lips. Strange? Never wanted before?

He called him Puppet? And it was familiar - but different familiar, new familiar?

Need name for New. Can't be New, already have a New. Who's the new New?

Familiar. Name for new New is Familiar.

"Thomas, this is absurd." James sighed, crossing his arms. "Alexander has healed, why haven't you?"

Thomas didn't respond from his spot on his bed. He stared at the wall, his mind empty, but his chest full with rocks. James sighed loudly and walked around the bed, squatting so Thomas was staring at him instead. He didn't even blink.
"Thomas, when will you realize that this wasn't your fault?" James asked, "It's been months. The time for blaming yourself has passed. There's nothing you can do about this now, so there's no point in wallowing in it."

Thomas' fingers twitched against his pillow.

James didn't give up, "When was the last time you ate?"

Thomas' eyes darted away guiltily.

"Good lords." James grumbled, pulling up his hologram to order some Martian-style take out. "I'm not leaving until you eat everything I order. And take a shower, you smell like an Earthling."

Thomas shifted so he was on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

James closed his eyes and counted to ten. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his secret weapon. "I talked to Angelica. And we just so happened to come across the topic of Alexander."

Thomas' jaw locked noticeably.

"If you get up and do the things I asked, I'll tell you all about Alexander's wondrous progress." James said casually. He got no response, so he turned on his heel and took two steps away, "Pity. I've heard lots of great things."

He smirked when he heard the bedsheets rustle and a gravelly voice speak from behind him.

"Deal."

He doesn't try to kiss Gilbert again. And he seems unsure if he wants to even touch them. Some days, he's plastered to their side, arms wrapped around them, whimpering pathetically. Some days, he stays far away from them, and jerks away from their touch.

"I'm starting to get suspicious of Alex's relationship with Jefferson." John grumbled moodily. "I swear to Gods, if he ever once touched Alex wrong-"

Gilbert cut him off saying, "Worry not. Everything they did was completely consensual. Your friend was not abused."

"Then why is he acting like this?" John asked, gesturing to the boy sitting in the corner, watching Gilbert's every move.

"I'm not fully sure." Gil admitted.

Herc sighed, "If only he could talk."

Alex sits at the table now. He sits cross legged on his chair and he sometimes uses the wrong utensil to eat. But he knows that when the others are making food, he's supposed to wait at the table and place a napkin in his lap.

The worlds have forgotten about Alexander Hamilton and the mess with the Fualtics. Mostly because a majority of the human race never got the full story. With each passing week, concerned calls happen less and less. There's not much new to report, either. Progress has strangely slowed.

They can take him outside now. He walks with them to the store and he picks out boxes of cookies that he recognizes. But if he sees another human, he always clutches Herc's arm until they leave on their merry way. He doesn't freak out with kids. He actually approaches them and watches them. Herc and John have had to pull Alex away from a child multiple times, apologizing profusely to concerned parents. Gil never understands what's so wrong with a grown man staring at a small child, but they at least don't encourage the behavior. Usually, someone has to hold Alex's hand, so he doesn't wonder off.

He's almost completely human. If not for the language barrier.

"Most of the time, I don't think he even understands what we're saying." John said, watching as Alex chased a fly around the room. He ran into the sofa and growled, shaking his head. "I keep reading to him, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything."

"I can't begin to count how many times I've sung the ABCs to him." Herc sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe he could just talk or write or something-"

John threw his hands up in the air, "He doesn't even remember how! He's not even Alex anymore! He's just some weird fucking-"

"Hey, hey! John!" Herc said, holding his hands up, "You shouldn't say something like that."

"What?! He'll get wnsjiowl offended or something?!" New was shouting.

Alex flinched and turned to look at him. He and Tall One were arguing again. Alex bit his lip and looked down at the fly he had caught.

"He doesn't even know what we're saying, Herc!" New pointed at him. Alex scowled and sunk down onto the floor. His heart felt heavy as the conversation carried on above him.

"That's not true, John!" Tall One said. "And even if it was, wnuxiol wknxi mcbo. That doesn't excuse you to wnkxu xnuwio."

"It's been a year, Herc." New said, his voice shaking. Alex glanced up at him, seeing the tears fall down his cheeks. "Mxuosi, Herc, I can't deal with this any more."

"He's my friend, too. I zniwouls him, too. But getting upset with him like this isn't helping anyone." Herc said quietly.

"That is not my friend!" John hissed, pushing Herc away. "He's a cheap imitation of Alex. He's not even qnxuolsnk wnisukdl xnai! Alex would be ashamed to be him!"

Alex tore the fly's wings off, watching the creature squirm. He let it crawl around for a moment before he smashed it with his thumb. He sighed to himself.

'I know what you're saying.' He thought to himself. He wiped his dirty fingers on the carpet, looking up at John's sobbing form. 'I just don't know how to tell you.'

Alex stood in the shower until New - John, his name is John, he's your friend - pounded on the door, complaining about water bills. He stayed in an extra minute, because, goddamn, he doesn't understand what he's saying.

"Do you know how expensive water is, Alex?" John grumbled later as Alex poured a bowl with cereal and milk. "We're not rich, you know."

Yeah, I know.

Alex didn't look at him as he shoved a forkful of cereal into his mouth, the milk dripping between the prongs.
"Alex? How are we doing today?" Gilbert asked, hesitant. Alex sat at the table next to him, his bowl hitting the table a bit too loudly.

I'm doing super fine, except for the fact that you have my almost-boyfriend's face and sometimes that's confusing as hell, how are you?

"Humans eat cereal with spoons, Alex." Herc said as he sat a spoon down next to him and plucked the fork from his hand.

Yeah? Well, humans also do whatever the fuck they want, have you ever investigated that?

All three of them were staring at him now, scowling. John crossed his arms, "He's mad about something."

"Wonder what it could be." Herc mumbled.

Gil tilted their head, studying him silently.

I'll tell you what I'm mad about! I'm mad that you people are treating me like a child! I'm not stupid! I understand what's happening! I'm fine now and none of you have figured it out yet! I'm mad that no one has spoken to me like an adult in a year! I'm mad that I remember everything that happened! I'm mad that I'm trapped in my body because I can't remember the one thing I need the most! I'm mad that Alexander Hamilton has been silenced!

They continued to stare at him, frustrated, he shoved more cereal in his mouth.

Also my shower was cold.

"James, I don't want to go to your stupid little convention." Thomas whined for the sixth time that hour. James ignored him and watched as their ship approached Mars. "I want to sleep and ignore my Queen."

James ignored him as the ship landed on Mars' largest convention center.

"Nothing here will interest me, I don't care about your weird Martian fetish, I just want to go home."

James ignored him as they paid for their entry and pushed their way between the crowds.

"Why the hell would you even make me dress up for something like this anyway - ew a poor person touched me!"

James ignored him as he stopped beside a large statue of one of the former Martian presidents. He had no idea who he was. Some old white guy.

"My feet hurt and it's hot here and I got sand in my hair and I don't like the air pressure and…"

James ignored him as he pulled out his holographic device and checked the time. Pleased, he turned to Thomas and said, "I need you to shut up and look over there."
"Look over where, is this some stupid Martian game?" Thomas grumbled as he glanced in the direction pointed.

The crowd parted slightly as a voice called out, "NO! ALEX COME BACK!"

Thomas froze as the short Immigrant pushed past strangers, furious. His face was red as he glanced around the area, most likely looking for an escape route. His did a double-take, however, when his eyes locked with Thomas'.

"You knew he'd be here." Thomas said, his voice a whisper, "How did you know?"

James shrugged, "I was talking to Hercules and the topic of Alex just so happened to come up."

Thomas ignored him as his feet moved forward without his permission. They sped up as he got closer, and Alex had much of the same reaction. They met in the middle with a vicious hug that could almost be described as violent. Thomas picked Alex up off the floor as they hugged, and Alex squealed against his skin, his legs wrapping around Thomas' hips. Without thinking, Thomas pressed a kiss to the skin of Alex's neck, before he pulled away and set Alex back down on the floor.

The man somehow managed to look both amazing and horrible at the same time. His hair was a mess and his hands were shaking, but his face was full and flushed and he was breathing so intensely and his eyes were so focused and alive. He looked like how he was on the Enterprise, before this Immigrant mess. He looked like the man Thomas fell in love with.

"You look like ass." Thomas said, grinning.
Alex laughed and pushed him. Thomas waited for a verbal response, but none came.

"What's this? Fualtic got your tongue?" Thomas watched as Alex rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Oh, so your friends were able to teach you the walk, but not the talk. Figures. If you want something done right, send a Moonie to do it."

Thomas had no idea why he was rambling like this. It just felt right. It was normal for them, and Alex hadn't scowled yet, so he must be doing something right. Alex raised an eyebrow in expectation, so Thomas cleared his throat dramatically.

"Repeat after me: Thomas Jefferson has a delicious ass."

Alex laughed again and shook his head.

"Jefferson!?" A voice yelled. Thomas and Alex turned around to see John, Herc, and Gil running up to them. Alex made a gagging noise. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, whatever I want." Thomas replied. "Currently, that involves catching up with Alex."

Herc spoke up, "Oh, he doesn't, uh… He doesn't understand what you're saying."

Alex let out a deep sigh, his shoulders sinking. Thomas' lip quirked, "Uh-huh. Are y'all sure about that one?"
"Yeah," John crossed his arms. "He never responds to anything we say."

"Maybe because you don't talk to him." Thomas replied, jutting his chin out.
"We talk to him all the damn time!" John said, raising his voice. A few people turned to look at them. Alex tugged on Thomas' sleeve and pointed to a group of kids.

Thomas snorted, "Have you tried talking to him like he isn't a child?"

Herc glanced between Alex, Thomas, and the children. His eyes widened, "Oh my gods."

Alex shot Herc a fingergun, as his look of horror grew in intensity. John covered his mouth with his hands. "Alex, no… Why didn't you tell us?"

Alex tapped on his chin thoughtfully. It took Thomas a second to notice that the finger Alex used was his middle one. He cackled in joy at the sight of an angry, mute Alex passive aggressively flipping his friends off.

"Alex, we didn't realize- I'm so sorry!" John said in an emotional whisper. Alex rolled his eyes and pulled John into a hug, rubbing his back soothingly. He then did the same with Herc, who looked like he was trying hard not to cry.

Thomas grinned, sardonically saying, "Aw, ain't that precious." Before he could continue being a sarcastic Moonie, he remembered something. He patted his coat pockets and found what he was looking for, "I, uh - this is yours."

Alex blinked in surprise as he took his holographic device from Thomas' hand. He brushed his fingers around the metallic outside, entranced.

"You kept that on you?" John muttered.

"That's case evidence! That belongs to the Council!" Herc said, pointing at it, "How - why do you have this?"

Thomas crossed his arms and looked away, his ears turning red, "Uh, because I do what I want."

Alex caught his gaze and winked, a knowing smirk on his face.

Thomas cussed quietly and said, "Alright, look, you have my number on here. We can, um, you know." He chewed his lip and shoved his hands into his pockets, "Talk. And… get drinks."

Alex smiled shyly and nodded.

Thomas stared at him, wanting desperately to kiss him, in front of everyone. But he didn't deserve it. Not when he caused Alex's misery for the past year. So he awkwardly glanced at Alex's friends and clasped his hands together. "Right, well, uh, my friend - James, James is waiting for me. So. Mulligan. Laurens. ...Gilbert. Alexander, good to see you again."

He sped walked away, looking over his shoulder to see Alex watching him. Thomas tried not to squeal like a little girl their entire way home. James informed him that he failed.

Two weeks later, and they still call each other nightly. Both of them grew happier and healthier with each holographic conversation. Alex is somehow still a wordsmith, even without words. Thomas will look up from whatever he was doing and get distracted due to the flirty look Alex was sending him.

"This isn't fair. You have no words to stumble over!" Thomas accused.

Alex rolled his eyes and waved him off. He then pretended to cry dramatically.

"I'm not being a baby." Thomas growled.

Alex chuckled and was going to make another gesture, but Thomas was suddenly looking away from him. Alex could only hear a faint voice of someone on Thomas' end as he spoke.

"Have you eaten today?" The voice said. It sounded vaguely like James Madison.

Thomas glanced at Alex, "I'm actually in the middle of something right now. I-I'll do it later."

"Thomas, you have to eat. You deserve food."

"I-I know, I'll-"

"When's the last time you ate?"

"Look, can we not talk about this right now? I'm on the phone and-"

"Thomas, for the last time, you didn't cause Alexander's breakdown and starving yourself in no way fixes it."

"OH MY QUEEN, SHUT UP!" Thomas shouted, his face red. Alex's eyes flew wide as the information sunk in. Wait. What? Thomas wasn't eating? The Moonie was breathing hard now, his hands grasping at the air. He barely glanced at Alex before he mumbled, "Ihavetogo."

The hologram disappeared as Thomas terminated the signal. Alex sat on his bed, staring at the spot where Thomas' face used to be. He couldn't believe this. This was… This wasn't acceptable.

Alex climbed off the bed and sat at the desk against the other side of the room. He set up his hologram with various helpful videos and tutorial articles. He had so much work to do.

"Mister Jefferson," Gilbert smiled easily, their hands in their pockets, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Thomas' lips quirked up in a small semblance of a smile, "Oh, Gil. I thought we were friends."

"We are?" Gil asked, surprised. Thomas snorted and pulled the alien into a hug, "Since when?"

"Since you saved Alex's life." Thomas replied, stepping away to rub his neck awkwardly, "Probably before that, honestly."

Gilbert nodded, and then said, "Uh, so this is a friendly visit?"

"No." Thomas sighed, licking his lips. "I have an offer for you. I can make you one of the most powerful individuals in the human race. I can give you a position to learn about humanity in a vast spectrum. You'll be able to ask any question and get an answer immediately."

Gilbert crossed their arms, "Thomas, what are you suggesting."

"Switch places with me." Thomas said quickly, like ripping off a band-aid. "Become my replacement in line for the throne. I don't want to be king anymore. I don't want to be on the Moon anymore. I want …"

"You want an alien to rule the Moon?" Gilbert asked, bemused. They didn't bother asking what Thomas actually wanted in life. They could tell that much from the man's memories.

"Not an alien." Thomas said, shaking his head, "You."

Thomas got the lovely experience to see what he looks like when he cries tears of joy.

As they were making the final arrangements and saying their goodbyes, Gilbert grabbed Thomas' arm and whispered into his ear. The words brought a shiver to Thomas' skin, even as Gilbert pulled away and smiled, disappearing out some doors.

Thomas blushed darkly as the words circled in his mind on repeat.

Alex loves you, too. He's yours, if you just ask.

Thomas kept shifting on his feet as he waited for Alexander to show up. He wasn't sure why, but the other man wanted to meet him in person. They were in a public building, so there's no way to was to have sex (probably, the Enterprise was pretty public and look at how many surfaces they managed to fuck on). The last time they spoke, James so rudely interrupted with all his caring and compassion and shit. Thomas wasn't sure if he was ready to see Alex's pitying gaze. Or worse, what if he hates him? Tells him to lose his number? Fights him?

They're meeting at one of the random coffee shops on Mars. It wasn't that big of a deal to get there this time because, well, as much as Thomas hates the stupid, sandy planet, he found himself living there. Just a block away from Alexander's room in Herc and John's apartment. Why? Well, because Thomas is stupid and he hates himself. He's pining after a guy, and if he lives closer to him, there's a more likely chance they'd run into each other (as opposed to the moon, where Alex isn't even allowed access inside). And if they run into each other all the time, clearly, the only possible outcome of this is for them to fall madly in love and get married.

It hasn't worked so far.

Thomas couldn't ponder over it anymore, because Alex was walking up to him with a determined expression. Here it goes. He's going to inform him that he hates him with just his body. Thomas flinched as Alex stopped before him, like he was expecting a punch.

"It wasn't your fault."

Thomas shook his head, his eyes somehow squeezing tighter, "Yes, it was! I couldn't convince you to stay! I wasn't good enough for you to not take the position."

"Thomas. I'm a stubborn, stupid asshole. But most of all, I'm addicted to education. Nothing you said could've kept me away from aliens."

Thomas tugged at his hair, "I could have prevented all of this!"

A hand came up to cup his jaw, "No, you couldn't have. It was out of your hands. You tried to stop me. On multiple occasions. I refused to listen. It was not. Your. Fault."

Thomas sighed and opened his eyes, "I guess you have a point, Alexander."

Alex smiled and waited for the realization to hit.

"Alexander!?" Thomas pulled away to freak out, "You just talked!?"

"What, like it's hard?" Alex snorted. "Yes, I've been practicing for days."

Thomas pressed a delighted kiss to Alex's forehead, "Oh my Queen! That's- I- Oh my Queen!"

Alex laughed, nodding, "Yup! This entire Immigrant issue is behind us!"

"You- you practiced talking for me?" Thomas asked, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.

Alex smiled shyly, glancing away, "Well, someone had to tell you how wrong you are."

"I-I like you!" Thomas shouted suddenly. He immediately winced, mentally berating himself. His face was growing darker with each passing second as Alex just stared at him.

Finally, the Earthling mumbled, "What?"

Welp. It's too late to be shy.

"I like you. Um. A lot." Thomas confessed, he picked at his nails as he continued, "I may have always liked you. And when you were gone - it destroyed me. I don't ever want you to be alone like that again. I don't want to be alone like that again. I… I want to be with you, forever, by your side. But, uh, I get it if you don't… want that…"

Alex shook his head, confused, "But, Thomas, I'm poor."

"Yeah, well, I just dethroned myself and moved to the fucking eye of a sandstorm, so, you know." Thomas shrugged awkwardly, "Twinsies."

Alex's face grew red as he whispered, "Oh my gods, you're serious."

"Of course I'm serious, why wouldn't I be!?" Thomas growled.

Alex threw his hands in the air, "I don't know, probably because you're out of my league in every sense of the word! An Earthling and a Moonie? It's unheard of!"

"I wasn't done yet." Alex said, grabbing the front of Thomas' shirt. Thomas swallowed hard, preparing for the worst. "It's only unheard of because we haven't told everyone the good news yet."

And Alex kissed him. Right in the middle of some random Martain coffee shop. Thomas' hands were shaking as he pulled Alex closer, his worlds closing in to just them. Nothing else in the universe exists in this moment. Somehow it was better than all their other kisses. It made no sense, Alex wasn't doing anything different. But this kiss was so amazing, it made all of those other hot make-outs seem like a friendly greeting. Alex's breath is hot against his lips as he pulls away, his face flushed. Thomas fought hard not to chase after those delicious lips.

Thomas was a bit dazed as he spoke, "So, you got: a new home, no job, and um, me… What're you gonna do next?"

Alex shot him a sheepish look. Thomas had a deep sense of foreboding.

"Hamilton, what are you planning now?"

It took the Council of Humanity a long time to agree to start up the Immigrant Program again. The Martian President was adamantly against it, as were some other politicians. But it was none other than Angelica Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton who stood before them to fight for the right to go back into space.

"With the Fualtic's technology, we have been able to create bigger ships, faster engines, and stronger telescopes. And we're in the progress of making translators that can connect us with any other lifeform. The universe is out there, but we can not explore it on our own. We need help of those who have already gone through this process." Angelica gave her speech with passionate vigor, "With progress there are mistakes. There can be no steps forward without a few trips. But we have not fallen. Our first encounter with alien life was not ideal, but it wasn't disastrous either. Alexander Hamilton is alive and well, and guess what?"

Alex leaned forward so his lips touched his mic, "I'm ready for more."

Angelica tried hard neither grin nor glare. "I believe we can do this again. I believe in humanity, I believe in learning, and I believe in Alexander. We just have one condition."

Alex closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "If we restart the Immigrant program." The council members were prepared for a long speech from the Earthling. Instead, they got three simple words, "Don't. Send. One."

This is how Alex found himself standing in front of another strange alien ship. This species called themselves Nirkkens. He nervously fiddled with his fancy outfit, praying that he kept this one on this time. At least the Nirkkens had a face. Two, actually. With two separate heads.

Was Alex foolish to think he could do this without breaking down again? Possibly. But he wouldn't be doing it alone.

"Ready for round two?" Thomas asked, a nervous smile on his face.

Alex's fingers slid into Thomas' own, their hands clasped together tightly. "Someone's gotta show you the ropes."

Thomas took a deep breath, glancing over to Eliza and Herc, he nodded at them and said, "Well, Immigrants, let's get this job done."

Happy Thanksgiving, I finished a fic.

Tell me what you think!