Chapter 42

Lily

After that world-shattering shower, we finally get dried off and dressed. Then Ravok and I work on his ship for a few more hours. I keep finding myself staring at him, lost in la la land. I've never had a guy just take over my pleasure like that – he mastered my body as if it belonged to him. I veer away from the thought – that is some perilous territory to tread upon. Thankfully, my job of handing Ravok tools and holding things doesn't take much brain power. Especially since my brain has been turned into complete mush and is still probably lying dormant on the shower floor in an endorphin-induced catatonic state.

Ravok leans over, deep in the guts of his ship. Damn, holy beefy buns, Batman. It makes me want to take a bite outta him. That rump is just so damn meaty – I could dig my teeth into that. Ravok straightens up and turns around, catching me in the act of ogling him like a hungry predator.

I don't even care. I want him to know how sexy I think he is. He deserves to know how much he is wanted.

He gives me a pleased yet bashful look. He's obviously delighted and seems almost overwhelmed at the idea of me finding him attractive. He almost seems anxious about it, making him seem so normal – vulnerable even. It makes me like him even more.

Turning back to the ship, Ravok lifts a panel off the ground and sets it back in place. He lifts the panel, which would make me stagger under its weight like it's no heavier than my purse. There is a sense of sheer magnificence as I watch Ravok lift the last metallic panel into place.

As he looks over the ship, his features are painted with a mix of hope and nervousness. We have slowly made our way around the entire vessel, and this was the last section that we needed to work on.

"Is that it?" I ask. "Is there anything else we need to fix?"

"No, we're done for now," he rumbles, looking towards me and holding out a hand in invitation to join him inside. "Come, Leelee. It's time to test the ship."

I place my palm on his and follow him inside the spacecraft.

Stepping into the dark interior of the spacecraft, we quickly walk past the cryo-chamber and sit in the cockpit. With a few taps of his fingers, the ship hums to life beneath our seat. A faint vibration resonates through the metal beneath my feet, and I have a momentary weightless sensation in my stomach, which reminds me of a rollercoaster as we rise slightly off the garage's floor. Without conscious thought, I grasp a tight hand around Ravok's bicep. I stare out the front view window in shock, watching the dust swirl through the garage as we hover.

When he reaches out to tap another button, I realize I'm digging my nails into his arm. I unpeel my fingers from his bicep and give him a tight, apologetic smile for letting the ship's movement frighten me. He catches my fingers before I can fully pull away and places them firmly back on his arm with a hot look in his eyes. I'm getting the vibe that he craves my touch, regardless of the circumstance or timing.

Ravok's fingers move with expert assurance, transitioning from one panel to another, adjusting controls that are way beyond my understanding, the alien symbols screen changing with every movement. I watch, intrigued yet perplexed, keeping silent instead of asking the questions crowding my brain. I don't want to interrupt him while he is concentrating. Marcus always said I never stopped chattering, that every thought in my head made it out of my mouth. He said it was one of my worst habits.

Moments lapse into minutes before Ravok finally turns to me. The metallic glow in his eyes is calming, almost soothing, even though his expression is pensive.

The memory of our shared shower, the water cascading over hard alien muscle and hematite skin, has my mind wandering down forbidden paths. The way Ravok looked at me, his unusual white eyes soft and warm, awoke something inside me I thought long buried. Close and intimate in the steam and slick soap, trailing my fingers over his firm muscles, I still feel the tingling they left on my fingertips. I don't even realize how close I've started to lean toward him until a loud beep from the ship's computer jolts me.

"The updated diagnostic report is done, Leelee," he announces, his tone filled with quiet optimism. He explains that the initial data looks favorable, but a sense of anticipation hangs heavily in the air. I hold my breath as I watch his eyes scan the information before him, his fingers moving gently over the strange symbols.

Because I'm still clutching his bicep, I feel it when his muscle suddenly tenses – it feels like it turns into iron beneath my hand. Looking at his face, a frown fills his features. He hunches closer to the screen and a bad feeling settles in my gut, sending a ripple of fear through me. "What's wrong, Ravok? Is it bad?" I ask, unable to keep the tremor out of my voice. I look from the screen back to Ravok: his grimace ratchets my worry even higher.

"The ship has exhausted its energy storage system," he explains, his deep voice slightly disturbed. "I won't be able to reach my next charted destination. I can't exit Earth's atmosphere without adequate power…" he trails off, the possible implications hanging heavily between us.

My heart plummets as he grimly notes, "I'm going to need to figure out a different energy source and make it work with the ship's thrusters."

"Is it like the… telrinite?" I don't think I pronounce it correctly, but Ravok knows what I'm talking about. "Can you find it here on Earth?"

Ravok shakes his head. "It's something that my people created just for our ships. We'll need to come up with some alternative source of energy."

I like that he says ‘we', but I'm getting increasingly worried as I contemplate what he's saying. "Is that possible – to find a new type of fuel? Don't you need the same fuel that your ship already uses?" I feel a little chagrined. Why am I offering suggestions? As if I know a damn thing about alien technology. Feeling the need to explain myself, I offer, "Sorry, I read too much science fiction. Plus, human vehicles can usually only accept one fuel type, so that's what I'm used to. Putting something else into the tank will usually kill the machine."

"No, you're making perfect sense. My ship is tuned to use a specific type of energy, but I should be able to modify it with enough time. I know you're just trying to help, and I can't begin to describe how thankful I am." Ravok pauses, consulting the alien text again. He points to a section that looks like the rest to me. "I just need a source of stored energy that I can use to give my boosters enough power to push through your planet's atmosphere and gravitational pull. Once I do that, it should generate enough kinetic energy to replenish my empty reserves."

Pressing buttons on the console in quick succession, Ravok turns off the spaceship. With slow grace, the ship lowers slowly to the ground, settling back onto the garage floor with a barely audible thump. Ravok reviews the text on the console one more time before he turns to me, "Come, Leelee. There's nothing else for us to do in here."

Ravok offers his hand to me, and my fingers instinctively curl around his, his skin cool and reassuring in mine. His grip is gentle yet secure. With his help, I rise from the cockpit seat. Hand in hand, we head to the open hatch at the back of the spaceship. The light seems bright in the garage as we emerge from the dimness of the ship's interior.

I follow Ravok as he walks around the ship, checking it one more time. I cock my head when I have a sudden thought. He'd spoken English earlier, but it might as well be Klingon. "Stored energy?" I repeat slowly. "I mean, that kinda sounds like a battery."

When Ravok gives me an inquisitive look, I grab an old flashlight from a workbench. I unscrew the cap and dump two large batteries into my hand. I do my best to explain their function.

"Yes, that is exactly what I need," Ravok exclaims. "Although, I need a much, much larger battery. I have set my ship's computer to scan the area for sources of stored power."

My mind whirls as I process his words. My nursing knowledge doesn't extend to engineering, but I'm optimistic. "Ravok, while the ship is doing its scan, we could do some research on the internet. Might find something useful."

Ravok's brows knit together, a clear indicator that he's confused. "Internet?" he enquires, the word sounding foreign in his mouth, which tells me that his translator doesn't know this word.

"It's where almost all of the knowledge of my entire species exists."

Ravok looks both taken aback and intrigued at my explanation.

"Alright, Ravok, let's Google it,"I say decisively, dragging my laptop closer across the kitchen table. I know I need to head into town sometime today, but I keep putting it off. I don't want to be separated from my… I don't know what Ravok is to me yet. Alien boyfriend seems presumptuous, especially considering the deadline for our time together. However, I feel like we are more than an aliens-with-benefits situation or even just a fling. I decide to stop dwelling on it and focus on helping Ravok figure out the ‘energy storage' problem instead.

Ravok sits at my elbow, watching me open a browser, his lambent eyes gleaming curiously.

We wile away the next couple of hours, heads bent over the screen as we trawl through countless pages and reviews of power sources. Resting my chin in one hand, I hunch over the screen, scrolling with the other. My gaze blurs over strings of numbers and acronyms, my mind buzzing alongside it. I've spent the last few hours engrossed in a world of technical jargon far beyond my comprehension, reading over specifications and battery types as Ravok diligently processes information. Ravok's translator only works on the spoken word, so I have to read everything to him.

We're currently comparing different types of batteries and their pros and cons.

"In theory, the lithium-ion process involves shuttling lithium ions between the battery's two electrodes," I read off the website. At first, I felt like I was stumbling around in the dark, bungling words I barely comprehended, but as time goes on, something interesting starts to happen – I start learning. I never thought there would be a day when I understood what lithium-ion batteries or nickel-metal hydride meant, but I'm getting it a little bit. It helps that Ravok is good at explaining things back to me in understandable language.

My nursing credentials have hardly prepared me for this crash course in electrical engineering. I wouldn't be surprised if a quiz on battery specifications supplants my nightmares about oversized spiders. Still, I can't help but chuckle to myself, the warm glow of the laptop illuminating the mirth in my tired eyes. "You know, Ravok, I swear, I'm going to become an honorary engineer by the time your ship is fixed."

He navigates the technicalities far better than I do, his knowledge of energy systems outlandish, yet he explains everything patiently.

I nibble on the edge of my lower lip, my eyes skimming across a plethora of battery types: lithium, alkaline, nickel-cadmium, and sealed lead acid.

"Okay, so lithium," I mutter, "higher voltage, more power but less durability, right?" Ravok stares at the screen as if he can burn the battery with his gaze alone.

"Yes, lithium-ion batteries have the highest energy density."

"And energy density is how much energy a battery can store, right?"

Ravok gives me a look that makes pride surge in my gut. "Yes, that's right. I'm starting to think that our best option is using sodium-ion batteries since sodium is abundant throughout the universe. Plus, these batteries appear to be less prone to certain types of thermal runaway reactions. That report you read stated that lithium-ion batteries, while safe under normal conditions, have been known to catch fire or explode if damaged or subjected to extreme conditions. And I like the rechargeable options I'm seeing. I think we can agree that lead-acid batteries are the least viable option."

I have no idea if that's true, but I'm just going to go with it.

I pull up a webpage where we can buy a bulk order of sodium-ion batteries. I hide my sticker shock from Ravok. The price doesn't truly matter because he needs them no matter what. I mentally recalculate my monthly budget, tightening my usual spending habits to make room for this unexpected expense. I'm generally pretty frugal, so hopefully, this won't set me back much. Not that it matters, I'm helping him no matter what.

"Damn, the shipping is almost the same price as the batteries. And it will take weeks to get here. I don't think we can wait that long. There must be something we can find that can get here faster. What about car batteries?" I suggest. "There is a mechanic in town that we could probably get some easily."

Ravok looks intrigued at the idea of car batteries. After doing some research, that option appears promising due to their strength and longevity but the cumbersome bulk of them is going to cause problems. Ravok doesn't have the room for all the batteries he would need for his ship. Plus, it might raise some eyebrows if I show up in town and purchase almost a dozen car batteries. I imagine that would land me on a federal watchlist or something.

Mango hops onto the table and tries to plop his butt on the laptop's keyboard. I guess that he's decided that we've spent enough time not paying attention to him. The ‘neglect' needs to be rectified.

"Mango, I can't see the screen, you chonker," I mutter, moving him to the side of the computer and stroking his head. He lets me give him three strokes before deciding to take up residence on Ravok's lap. "Traitor," I playfully murmur to the brat, reaching over and stroking his back to bely my words.

However, I'm starting to worry. I thought finding batteries would be easy but it's turning out to be more difficult than expected. A dawning realization settles itself. If we can't find him what he needs, Ravok could get stuck here. I can't help but feel out of my depth. But, looking into Ravok's focused gaze, there is a sense of shared hope and determination.

I sigh, smiling at Ravok as he pets Mango. I'm so happy that my mercurial feline likes him. Mango has an ingrained asshole detection system.

I roll my stiff shoulders and push the laptop away. "How about a break? Coffee? Or some food?" I stand up, needing to stretch the muscles of my back and neck that are tight from worry and being hunched over a screen for too long.

Ravok shakes his head but pushes back from the table, setting Mango gently on the floor.

I contemplate the situation as I reheat a cup of coffee in the microwave. Where can we get the batteries we need? As I take a sip of the now-bitter brew, a thought occurs to me.

"We should call the local hardware store, Ravok," I begin, sliding my arm around his waist as he joins me in the kitchen. I rest my head against his pec, enjoying the beat of his heart under my ear. "There's a local hardware store in town, loads of tools and stuff. We can call them and see if they have anything in stock. Even if they don't, they might know where we can get what we need without having to wait forever for it to ship from China."

I look up from his chest and meet his gaze. His eyes study me with an intensity that sends tingles down my spine. I can't tell what he's thinking. His only response is a slight tilt of his head as if he's mulling over my suggestion.

Shrugging, I continue, "If we do call them, we should do it soon. I have no idea if they close early in a small town like this."

"It doesn't sound like there's a downside to calling them to see what they have in stock," Ravok agrees.

I grin in triumph. It feels good to have a plan – even a partial one. "Okay, let's give them a call. Do you need anything else, like tools or supplies to fix your ship? I can ask them while I have them on the phone."

Ravok turns his eyes to the ceiling, trying to think of anything he needs, but he shakes his head.

My coffee is left forgotten on the counter as I return to my laptop and look up the number for the local hardware store.

When I pick up my phone I have a text message waiting for me. "Your car is ready to be picked up. The garage will be open until six tonight. This is Svarog, the mechanic."

I type a quick thank you and let him know that I should be able to pick up the car later today. Then, I quickly dial the number for the hardware store and put it on speaker so Ravok can listen in.

"Harbor Home Tools. This is Anton. How can I help you?" a voice asks.

"Oh, um, hi. I'm looking for large-capacity batteries. I prefer sodium-ion if you've got them, but I'm pretty flexible. Do you have anything like that in stock?" I give Ravok a hopeful look as I talk.

"Actually… you might be in luck. Koko ordered a bunch of batteries last month but ended up not needing them. They're collecting dust on my shelf. Do you know how much voltage you need?"

I tell the man the basic specs we're looking for and then hold my breath.

"I think I might have what you need. Let me double-check my computer and see if these batteries fit your needs." The line goes quiet for a moment and all I can hear is the soft clicking of a computer keyboard over the line. A moment later, Anton hums into my ear. "Hmm. I think it might be your lucky day. If you'd like to come take a look at them, I'll make sure to hold them for you. Not that I'm worried about anyone coming in to grab eight 210 amp-hour rechargeable batteries. These are usually used in solar applications, just to warn you."

"Oh, that sounds like they might work for what I need. I need to come into town to get my car from the mechanics anyway. So I can stop by after I do that. I'd like to come look at them before I commit to buying, if that's okay."

"Of course. The store is open for two more hours. However, I should warn you that parking might be a pain. Today is the seafood festival and it's a big draw."

I'd forgotten entirely about the food festival that Koko had invited me to.

"Thank you so much for your help. I'll be coming by soon."

I hang up the call and give Ravok a happy grin. I don't want to get my hopes up too high. What are the odds that the local hardware store in this tiny town happens to have what we need in stock?

Ravok's smile is wide and his eyes almost seem to brighten with hope. As I look at him, a worry pops into my head.

"Ravok," I venture, trying to find the right words, "I think you need to look at these batteries before I buy them. So, you should come into town with me. But that means we'll need to disguise you somehow." His white eyes glance down at his metallic-looking skin, intense luminescence piercing through the semi-darkness of the cabin. There's nothing human about him.

"That store owner, Anton, mentioned the seafood festival," I continue, striding over to sit on the edge of the sofa, chewing on a nail in thought.

"I mean, with the town swarming with tourists and locals, we might blend in easier. Plus, people will be busy eating and drinking," I explain, watching his reaction. The thought of him even setting foot in town is a wild idea.

I take a deep breath and then exhale, tugging at the hem of my shirt nervously. My mind whirs with ideas on how to hide an enormous alien in plain sight.

"But…." I hesitate, unable to meet his piercing gaze, and then continue, "Your skin… it's not exactly subtle. We'd need to disguise it or cover it up… somehow."