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The Hail Mary arrived after Adrian had given up all hope they would ever hear their love again. After their children had grown into a world where their other parent was a more of a story than a memory. After most of the Eridians had lost all hope of hot summer days.
The first thing they had felt at the sound of the utterly alien ship was fear— as was perfectly reasonable. But whatever was inside had navigated to spacedock like they had done so a million times.
And then the news had broke that the lone survivor of the Astrophage mission was aboard the alien vessel and the family of every crew member had rushed to meet them, all filled with the hope the good news would be theirs. The wait for the space elevator to bring the survivor planetside had lasted nearly a lifetime. It had been Adrian who'd lucked out in the end; Rocky was the one who came home and he was not alone.
The space elevators opened, everyone went silent as Rocky emerged pushing a xenonite ball. Panic was clear in their body language. A creature in a xenonite ball with too few limbs and a elongated, soft carapace.
They should been cautious, they should have questioned why their mate would bring such a thing to their planet and yet they did not care. Their mate was back, they had been the one to make it. And their presence on the planet could only mean one thing— they had found what was needed to save their star.
Others followed in their rush, Adrian couldn't blame them for it. There was an alien life-form on their planet, the stuff of only dreams. Of course they would want to witness all they could. But they at least had the respect to hang back as Adrian drew in close.
Rocky barely acknowledged their presence—their focus on the creature in the xenonite bubble. They were speaking to it, soft comforting words, and the creature was responding in it's own language. It spoke with an odd flat voice, their sounds were incomprehensible with the few notes they stuck to. And Rocky understood.
"Grace will be okay, statement," they told the creature.
The creature gave a weak reply as it moved to sit down within its ball. Whatever it was, it was clear they were in poor health— much to their mate's great distress.
"I will fix it. I promise." Rocky told the creature— their voice soft as if comforting a scared child.
The creature made another odd sound. This one different than their speaking voice— more a huff of air than anything else.
"Rocky," Adrian said, attempting to get their mates attention.
Still they continued in their attempts to comfort the alien.
"Rocky!" Adrian called out again.
Rocky turned, finally seeing past whatever creature they were protecting. A bit of the stress drained from his form. They swayed with a giddy excitement at the sight of their long lost mate. Something in their body language was torn between keeping their vigil over the alien and properly greeting Adrian.
"Adrian," they began.
Adrian cut them off, "What is this?" They asked, hurried and unsure. What had the years away done to their mate? What had they brought home? How long had they suffered loneliness to gain such an attachment to someone of another world?
"My friend." they replied as if it were obvious.
When Adrian didn't respond they spoke again, "He helped me save the stars."
"It's dying," Adrian told them— softly, gently.
"No," they stomped a foot, even the thought angering them. "He will be okay, he is hungry— makes him weak. That's all."
Adrian made a low sound— caught between soothing their mate and the hard truth. The crowd was moving close again, curiosity and impatience finally winning out as they all tried to catch a bit of the alien their savior had brought home.
"He saved me, I have to return the favor."
He… It was an odd way to refer to the being, likely a translation of how the alien referred to itself.
"He's my best friend, Adrian," Rocky said, near begging.
Adrian didn't know how long they had been alone up there or how long they'd had this being by their side but whatever happened up there had created a bond like no other. They knew their mate. They knew how deeply they cared. They also knew they did not get attached without good reason. They were realistic unless it came to them and their children— and now apparently an alien.
"Why is he in a ball?"
"Our atmosphere will kill him. It's to protect one. I lived in one on his ship, now it's his turn."
The alien made the strange not-speaking noise again at that. It sounded a little lighter this time around.
"He laughed," Rocky explained, likely sensing Adrian's confusion.
The explanation instantly made sense. The sound had been similar to what they knew as laughter, Adrian supposed they simply did not think to consider it amongst the many strange noises he had made.
"What is his atmosphere like then?"
"He breathes oxygen, we can make it for him. Give him a place to live."
"Okay," Adrian agreed. Anyone their mate cared for this deeply was worth saving. They trusted them, even after all this time.
"I know what he needs, I've done it for him before— I will make him a small dome for now. Just enough so he has a bed. I have a ball; I can go in with him to take care of him."
Adrian took in their surroundings: the crowd was growing restless, growing closer yet. Rocky was seeing it as well. That much was clear from the way they placed themself in front of the creature, physically shielding him from the onlookers.
"We can start by taking him home," they assured. "It will be safer."
"Yes," was all Rocky said.
Adrian inched closer. Rocky inched further against the bubble.
"I won't hurt him," they assured their mate again. "I want to help. If you trust him, I trust him." They were entirely sure they believed it to be true but they needed their mate to come home and if it took letting an alien into their home to get them there, so be it.
Rocky looked over the crowd, stiff with nerves.
"Tell them to move and they will. You saved them all," Adrian said softly.
Rocky straightened a little. "Let us through. We will talk with the scientist and explain everything tomorrow. For now, we need rest."
The crowd parted just enough to allow the three of them a path, just as Adrian had predicted they would. The alien moved to stand, the sickening pops of broken limbs sounding as he did. Adrian expected a panic from their mate but their demeanor remained the same.
"Normal for Humans. Their bones 'crack'," they explained almost instantly, likely sensing Adrian's shock.
It seemed completely wrong and impossible, but what did Adrian know? They would just have to continue trusting.
Together Rocky and Adrian lead the alien through the parted crowd. Their fellow Eridians remained close— as was only fair. Children reached out in attempts to lay a hand on the bubble that held Rocky's alien companion, quickly swatted away by parents. Adrian lead them towards the train platform, quickly stopped by a disapproving rumble from Rocky.
"The ball won't fit," Rocky explained when they turned back, "And Grace will not be able to see."
Adrian filed the second part away as a question for later before stepping out of the way for Rocky to lead.
Rocky hesitated, "Do you still live—"
"We have not moved."
Rocky tilted his carapace in a nod and separated himself from the alien— Grace— to lead the way home.
It was not an easy trek, breaks were needed when the walk became too much for Rocky's alien to handle. He and Rocky would talk during that time. It wasn't as if they meant to exclude Adrian, and jealousy was far from what they felt at the sight of the two, but it was hard to follow a conversation that was only half comprehensible.
"We should have a proper introduction," Adrian said when they grew too impatient to continue sitting in silence.
"Introduce yourself," Rocky told them with a sweeping gesture. "He can understand you."
"I won't understand him."
"I will translate. Eventually you'll learn— or we will find a way for him to speak Eridian."
"You understand him." It wasn't a question that much had been clear since they touched down, more a baffled statement.
"We had to learn to work together to save the stars— can't work together without communicating."
"You amaze me, Rocky."
"I did not do it alone, Grace helped."
Grace spoke once more, Rocky responding with a slightly embarrassed trill.
"What did he say?"
"He thinks you are sweet, he is glad I got back to you."
"Tell him I am glad as well."
Grace responded.
"He is reminding you that he can understand."
Right. It felt wrong to speak in their own language to a creature physically incapable of responding in it but Adrian did so anyway, "I'm Adrian."
"He says you're bigger than he expected," Rocky translated.
"Am I to guess Rocky spoke of me?"
"From time to time. I'm Grace— like Rocky said. I'm a Human from planet Earth. That's in the Sol system— that's approximately 10 and a half lightyears from here."
"You've come a long way."
That seemed to trigger something in Grace, liquid beginning to leak from what must have been his face. He brought a hand up to wipe it away, seemingly unbothered otherwise. It must have been normal for his species.
He spoke again, now turned to Rocky. He laughed a little, it sounded wet and almost sad.
"His leaking is normal— he thinks it is funny that we are concerned by it," Rocky says in explanation. "Humans call it crying when the leaking is from the eyes. Grace says they do it when they are sad or happy— but Grace cries when tired, when scared, when angry…"
Grace begins to protest, cutting Rocky off.
Adrian can't help but laugh at their antics. "What are eyes?"
"It is how Humans sense light waves. They do not hear well, they see with light instead."
That had to be the most baffling thing Adrian had heard thus far. It was the stuff of pure science fiction. If they trusted their mate less they would assume it was a joke being played on them.
"What do they do when there is no light?"
"Can't see."
Adrian didn't know how to take that. How did a society operate without sight for half of a day cycle?
"Grace will explain, we will have time."
It sounded like they were trying to convince themself of it— unsure their friend would survive but refusing to admit it.
Adrian leaned into them, giving what little comfort they could and reveling in the feeling of their mate's touch after nearly a hundred years without it.
Eventually they make it back to their home. Rocky was understandably saddened to learn their children had moved away, but was comforted by the promise they would be called to visit once they had Grace settled.
Grace pulled something from his bag as they entered, holding it in his hand and pointing it around the room. Adrian couldn't help but stiffen, the gesture filling them with anxiety.
"It is called a flashlight," Rocky said hastily. "He says it is dark in here."
Adrian nodded and did their best to relax.
Rocky immediately set to work building out a space for Grace in their home after that. Leaving Adrian alone with the alien. They sat in silence, carefully observing each other. Grace had sat back down in his bubble. He was more out of breath than should have been required but as weak as he was it was shocking he had made it as far as he had.
At some point he started speaking: perhaps forgetting Adrian couldn't understand, perhaps simply feeling the need to fill the empty air. Adrian didn't mind it. It was interesting to hear him speak even if the words hardly sounded like words to begin with.
When Rocky returned, finished with his project he donned a xenonite ball of his own and carefully transferred Grace into his new environment.
Adrian watched as they carefully lead Grace to the bed created for him, rolling their ball up to join him.
"He needs sleep," they said in way of explanation.
Adrian nodded once again. "You should sleep as well. I can watch."
"Not tired yet," they argued.
Adrian knew them well enough to know it was anxiety that drove their response. They were terrified for their alien.
Grace was already draped over Rocky's xenonite ball, Rocky pressed up against the edge. They leaned into each other as if they could touch. It must have brought some comfort, even without the feeling a loving touch provided.
Adrian moved closer to the xenonite barrier.
"He is asleep," Rocky said, acknowledging their presence before they needed to beg for their attention.
Adrian looked at Grace. He shifted slightly, tucking himself further into Rocky— so, not asleep. "He's moving," they pointed out.
Rocky made a noise of disagreement. "Humans sleep differently, you must be quiet or you'll wake him."
The idea was baffling, a sleeping creature awaking due to something that filled as much of the world as noise— but he was an alien after all.
"Alright," they agreed, carefully pitching their voice as soft as they could.
Rocky gave a happy coo at their effort. Adrian's chest grew warm with a fondness for their mate at that.
"I will help you figure out what to do with him."
"Thank you, my love."
"I do have questions, however."
"Whatever you'd like to know, I will do my best to answer."
"Why did you bring him here?"
Rocky was silent for a moment. "Earth sent him to die. I gave him fuel— I tried to fix it, let him go home. But he chose to use it to save me instead. He can't go back and he does not deserve to die. He is good. He is my best friend. I was alone for 46 years, the last five I've had Grace. I did not want to be alone again."
Adrian looked to the sleeping creature again. This was who they had to thank for their mate making it home. They owed him much as Rocky did for that.
"I am glad he came back for you."
"Me too. I will find somewhere for him, you do not need to worry."
Adrian gave a low trill, "I'm with you through anything, Rocky. I decided that a long time ago. If having you back means homing Grace, I'm more than happy to. And I trust anyone you keep in your company is worth it."
Rocky made an appreciative hum in response.
A miracle had happened for Adrian— their family was whole once more. In fact, their family may have finally been completed.