Alien in the Family

and looked quite pleased with himself. “I always want to make you feel like that.”
    “I’ll make sure it’s in the wedding vows.”

CHAPTER 58

    THE ALIEN SPACESHIPS WERE CLOAKED and being guarded by a lot of buff guys in dark camouflage fatigues. The rest of our equipment was back in Area 51, and the injured were at the Science Center, whose personnel had returned from wherever they’d gone for lockdown. Martini was in isolation with Security around him, just in case.
    I wasn’t with him for a variety of reasons. Isolation meant isolated, of course, and I needed to rest and regroup and all that good stuff, too. But the real reason was that the isolation chambers creeped me out beyond belief. I’d rather fight Bitch Leader again than have to watch them put Martini into the scientific cross between Frankenstein’s lab and The Mummy’s Tomb , complete with extra special effects including tubes and wires running into his body and head. Supposedly this was harder to observe than experience, and I had no desire to put it to the test.
    Kevin, Chuckie, and Gower assigned teams to search the Science Center from top to bottom, including the old water pipe. No bombs, bugs, or anything else strange were found.
    “Still want to know how the prisoners got away,” Chuckie fretted.
    I thought about it. “Oh, duh. Paul, ask ACE if Lilith did it.”
    Gower twitched a bit. “Yes, ACE is pretty sure the other superconsciousness removed the prisoners. He apologized for not mentioning it before. Even a superconsciousness can get distracted, apparently.”
    “No worries. Solves that problem.” I had a much bigger one. “I need to go shopping.”
    “Kitty, when did you sleep last?” Chuckie looked concerned.
    “I don’t remember.”
    Reader put his arm around my shoulders. “I’ll take care of it.”
    “But James—”
    “I’m fine. I had a lot of rest. You get some sleep. Then we can take care of everything else. I’ll line up the dress options while you and your many bridesmaids take a breather, okay?”
    “You conspired with the families to get us married this weekend.”
    The cover-boy grin was in full force. “Of course. You two were heading for a disaster. Eloping to Vegas is a great plan.”
    “Eloping with our entire families and almost all our friends?” A thought occurred. “What about my friends most of you don’t know about?” It was one thing not to ask my other sorority sisters to be bridesmaids. It was another to move my wedding up by six weeks and not share that news until after the fact.
    Chuckie shrugged. “I know all your friends from college. Already did the list comparison with your mother. Those who received invitations in the mail were advised that things had been moved up. Most of them will make it.”
    “How?” I looked at Chuckie and Reader suspiciously. They both contrived to look innocent. “Who’s paying to get them out here?”
    Chuckie grinned. “It’s amazing how we need a really good cover story for what’s gone on here, something to distract attention away from interplanetary and terrorist issues. A huge wedding is just the thing.”
    “How did the C.I.A. get involved in my wedding day?”
    Reader grinned. “You invited Reynolds and your mother.”
    “Good point. I’m almost afraid to ask what else is coming.”
    Reader shrugged. “It did spiral a bit out of what I’d originally planned, yeah.”
    “I don’t want to know, do I?”
    Reader kissed my forehead. “Probably not. Let’s get you into bed.” He nodded to Chuckie and took me to the elevators.
    “I thought Jeff was going to stay on Alpha Four.”
    “I don’t know why.” We got into the elevator. “Man lives for you.”
    “He’d make a good king.”
    “Probably. Doesn’t matter. He declined.”
    “Because of me.”
    Reader hugged me. “Yeah. He made the first selfish choice I’ve ever seen. About time, too.”
    “But he’s the leader.”
    “Even leaders deserve to be with the person they love.” We got out on the 15th floor and went to the Lair. “You think you’ll be okay down here?”
    “Well, you could stay with me, but I think that would cause Jeff and Paul some major issues.”
    He laughed. “Yeah.”
    I remembered something I’d wanted to ask. “What did you name your Poof?”
    He looked embarrassed. “Doesn’t matter.”
    “Oh, come on. I’ll find out Christopher’s, too, you know.”
    “I’m sure. Gatita.”
    I thought about it and did a translation. “That