Alien Tango

crying and it didn’t come off as intimidating.
    I stroked his head. He tried to bat my hand away, but Alfred grabbed it. “Michael, you’re not too old to be turned over my knee.” He shook his head. “He’s normally not this unpleasant.”
    “Oh, that’s open to debate. Plus, he normally hasn’t faced his own loneliness and had it thrown back at him a thousandfold.”
    Michael managed a baleful look in my direction. “Who says I’m lonely?”
    “Uh, everyone. And your reactions confirm it.” I settled down next to them. “So, any good nongender-specific names you two can come up with?”
    “This is supposed to help him?” Alfred asked. He shot Martini a look. “Son, you might want to lend a hand.”
    Martini shook his head. “Kitty’s got it handled. Don’t you, baby?”
    “In my own way. So, Michael, any name suggestions?”
    “For what?” He still seemed angry but he was crying a bit less.
    “For the soon-to-be-renamed entity that’s now residing within your brother. I suggested Bob, but it was turned down.”
    “Why is it in Paul?” I heard some resentment. What a surprise.
    “Because he can handle it. And you can’t.”
    “Thanks, I feel a lot better.” He gave me another nasty look. “I think I may take back the dinner invitation.”
    I laughed, I couldn’t help it. “Michael, you crack me up, you really do.” I leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear. “You’re extremely handsome, but so is every A-C male. You’re not more attractive to me than Jeff, Christopher, Paul, or James. Christopher and I have an understanding, and the understanding is that I’m Jeff’s. But if something happened to Jeff, after a long period of mourning, I might be able to face it with my favorite snarkmeister. If James and your brother ever seriously consider going bi, then Jeff might need to worry. Otherwise . . . not so much.”
    Michael shifted so he could glare at me more easily. Maybe glaring was just an A-C specialty and Christopher was their gold medalist. “What does Jeff have that I don’t?”
    “Wow, do we have the time? Charm, charisma, killer smile, the greatest body on the planet. Not to mention power and authority, which, as any girl can tell you, are always turn ons. And other qualities best not discussed in front of his father.”
    “Oh, no, go ahead,” Alfred said. “Make me proud.”
    “He’s really so much like you. No one told me.”
    “They were probably worried I’d steal you away,” he said with a grin.
    Martini cleared his throat. “Dad? You’re heading into therapy territory.”
    “Always with you it’s the trauma.” Alfred gave me a wink. “You seem to handle his histrionics well.”
    “He’s worth it.” I looked back to Michael. “You, so far, are not. Now, get it together and sit up like a big boy, or at least toss some names out.”
    Michael glared at me again, but he stretched out and put his hands behind his head. “Paula.”
    “Nongender-specific, weren’t you paying attention?”
    He managed a smile. “Just seemed like a good choice.”
    “Bob was better.”
    He snorted. “Hardly. How about Leslie?”
    “Hate it,” Gower called.
    We went through a few more, none making any headway in our finding a name, but all getting Michael back to normal. Within a few minutes he was sitting up.
    Christopher wandered over. “What about location or something instead of a regular name?”
    “Location like what?” Gower asked. “By the way, you want to get off the floor so Uncle Alfred can get up, too?” he asked Michael as he walked over to us.
    “I suppose,” Michael said reluctantly. Gower reached his hand down. Michael took it slowly. Gower hauled him to his feet. “Thanks.”
    “Any time, little brother. You want up, Kitty?”
    “Oh, my job, thanks,” Martini said, as he picked me up and kept his arm around me.
    Alfred rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the helping hand, son.”
    Michael reached his hand down. “Let me.” He helped Alfred up and then hugged the older man. “Thanks for taking care of me.”
    Alfred patted his back. “That’s what family’s for.”
    “Think of a name,” I said to everyone. “Christopher, any ideas?”
    “Dakota?”
    “You said you never went to the movies.”
    “But he reads the trades,” Reader said with a snicker.
    “It’s a collective consciousness from across two solar systems, not a bear,” Gower added, sounding peeved.
    The rest of the gang got into it. I kept on trying to come