Alien vs. Alien

off my stories.” He shook his head. “This could be the first time in the history of journalism that the kidnapping of an ambassadress and world war being averted is going to be on the back page, because we have such a better lead story.”
    “Try not to explode from the awesome of it all.”
    He grinned. “I’ll do my best.”
    A gray limo pulled up, and Buchanan and Jeremy got out of it. “We’ll take our own car,” Jeff said. “Oliver, if you need a ride, we’ll drop you.”
    “The lift is very much appreciated, Ambassador.”
    “And if we forget to drop you and take you with us by accident, please be sure to take good notes and let me know immediately if someone’s handing us a line of crap.”
    Oliver beamed. “Absolutely, Ambassador Martini.”
    Jeff kissed me and Jamie. “Get home safely.”
    “I’ll do my best. I’m not the one who got lost, I have to say yet again.”
    Jeff grinned. “I’ll let you punish me for it later.”
    “󀀅Can’t wait.” Truly. We still hadn’t had nearly enough sex to make up for being apart for a month, let alone to celebrate the world not ending again.
    Jeff, White, Alexander, Oliver, and Chuckie got into our limo. Buchanan and Jeremy got back in. Decided to table how and why Jeremy had left his post at the Embassy for later. Presumably because he’d been requested. I assumed Jennifer was still back at the Embassy, attached to Ravi’s hip. I had no problem with this.
    All the limos but one pulled away. The last one was still waiting for Armstrong.
    He came over to me instead. “Ambassador Katt-Martini, it appears all’s well that ends well.”
    “For right now, I guess. What’s the word on who was blackmailing us?”
    “Your mother was finally able to authorize a search of all of Esteban’s holdings. A variety of pictures were found, each of them with a portion of the finished product visible, so to speak. Ample proof of his attempts to blackmail us.”
    “Conveniently found or really found?”
    “You’ll have to ask your mother about that. She can tell you now—your security clearance has been reinstated. At a higher level than before, too.”
    “Thanks, I think.”
    “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll have ways for you to thank me later. Just as you’ll have them for me.”
    “We’re officially in bed together, even if the dirty pictures were faked, is that what you’re saying?”
    Armstrong laughed. “Better the devil you know, Ambassador, rather than the devils you don’t.”
    “Dude, for the first time, you and I totally agree.”

    Yi

CHAPTER 104

    W E WERE FINALLY ALL BACK in the Embassy, which was pretty much stuffed to the gills with people.
    Pierre had, of course, managed to create a fab “It’s Not Really the End of the World and We Feel More Than Fine” party in about five minutes, and everyone was having a good time. “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even” by Aerosmith played in the background, followed by “Crazy Days” from Adam Gregory. I approved of the musical choices.
    No one was positive about what the fallout was going to be from the Z’porrah attack, but until they showed up with torches and pitchforks at our doors, we’d decided to count this as one for the win column and not worry about it.
    Len and Kyle were with Adriana and Olga, all of whom were being entertained by Hacker International, with an assist from the Barones. Jennifer was sitting on Ravi’s lap. Jeremy was chatting up Adriana, and he suddenly seemed much less against the idea of humans and A-Cs matching up.
    My parents were with Jeff’s parents. They looked like they were plotting something. Knowing the four of them, probably when to start suggesting we have another baby. Embassy folks were with their significant others, and everyone was mingling. Pierre knew how to throw a good party.
    I was with Lorraine and Claudia. We’d caught each other up on what had happened at our various locations and were now just enjoying passing our babies back and forth among ourselves.
    “Speech, speech!” Michael Gower shouted.
    Chuckie had his arm around Naomi, and it was clear he was the one Michael was shouting at. Chuckie looked a little embarrassed but a lot happy. “Not a long speech. We just wanted to announce that, given that the world hasn’t ended, and with her parents’, sister’s, and brothers’ approval—especially brothers’—Naomi and I are officially engaged.”
    “Not that I have a ring yet,” Naomi shouted.
    “Hey, I was busy helping avert