Following his mom into the house, Mark barely set his bags down in the living room before his mom was hugging him again. Hugging her close, he looked up at Sean and smirked. Sean returned the smile, taking Mark's bags to their bedroom. His mom pulled away, asking Sean curiously. "Where are you going? Don't you want to hear about Mark's trip?" Sean stopped half-way down the hall to tell her openly. "It's alright. I got to hear a lot about it on the way over. Enjoy him. I'm going to shower." Mark leaned his hips back against the couch, asking his mom sweetly. "So? Where do you want me to start?" His mom excitedly dashed to the kitchen to get dinner started as she told him happily. "Start from the beginning. How was the launch? Was it like the movies? Was it fun?" Mark chuckled, joining her in the kitchen to help out as he started from the beginning. He told her what he could about the trip, but left out the Reptilian bits. Instead, he kept the story pretty uneventful. He simply told her that a crew member lost their mind after being up there too long and had messed with the controls.

He told her that their medical officer took care of him and he tried to fix the station, but the damage was too severe in the end. She hung onto his every word. Then while he was setting the table, she suddenly asked him in a cool tone. "So... The unknown transmission wasn't an alien?" Mark kept calm as he finished setting the table and replied casually. "Nope. Just strange interference from the electrical waves in space." As Mark turned around, he saw his mom staring at him with a strange look. Giving her a shrug, he uneasily asked her. "Mom? Something wrong?" She huffed softly, her eyes looking him over before she said in a low voice. "You look so much like him. Some of it is me... but I see him in you." Mark smiled, moving to the cutting board to help dice some of the veggies as he told her sweetly. "I don't know what to say to that. I mean... I can hope that I got something from him." His mom touched his shoulder unexpectedly, causing him to jump and instinctively close his eyes for a few seconds before looking at her.

Staring into his eyes, she whispered to him lovingly. "What really happened up there, Mark?" Mark's heart began to race in his chest. Keeping his body calm though, he asked her nonchalantly. "What do you mean? I told you everything." His mom pointed a wooden spoon at him, stating out in a motherly tone. "Mark... Did you tell him?" Mark set down the knife to face her, mumbling out a little perplexed. "What are you talking about?" She lowered the spoon, sighing lightly. Looking at the cutting board, she gently informed him. "You think I didn't know? True... I didn't take it well at first... but did you really think that I didn't notice?" Mark gripped the counter, feeling the fear creep up on him. He was hoping she wasn't talking about what he thought she was. Her eyes slowly drifted up to meet his, continuing calmly. "I prayed every day that you wouldn't be born... deformed or unhealthy. Your father and I fought about it so much. He was scared to tell me. Jason was born human... but you were an accident and he just... had a feeling about you."

Mark licked his dry lips and forced himself to swallow. His mom raised a hand to touch his cheek, tears brimming her eyes as she told him. "I'm sorry...I wanted you to be normal so badly... because... When I held you for the first time, I wanted to keep you safe. I was terrified that if anyone knew that they'd take you from me." Mark leaned his cheek against her hand, his body tense but his heart was calming down. She stroked his cheek, moving closer to tell him in a warm motherly voice. "Your dad always wanted you to go to space... and part of my wondered if you'd come home after you saw it." Mark put a hand on her wrist, telling her comfortingly. "Of course, I'd come back. This is my home. Space is amazing... but it's just an empty void without you and Sean." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she embraced him in a tight hug. Mark returned the hug, asking over her shoulder curiously. "How did you know about me? I thought...?" He couldn't finish, prompting her to lean back and sarcastically blurt out. "Mark... I brought you into this world. Scales and all." Mark blushed, rubbing his arm nervously.

She waved him back a bit to finish dicing up the veggies as she told him more casually. "The government tried to take you away in the hospital... but your father somehow convinced them to let you be. I was just sworn to secrecy and had to keep you hidden from Jason during your... testy moments. Your father was a big help during your teething phase and your primal urges though." Mark blinked, recalling come of the games he played with his dad and the things they ate together. They were all good memories. Sliding the chopped veggies off the board and into the pot, she chuckled out. "I remember your dad pacing our yard the day you went off to college. He was so stressed out that you'd impregnate the whole college." Mark snorted, mumbling out embarrassed. "Why?" She chuckled to herself, setting the board down as she said in a distant voice. "Something about your scent? He was afraid that the women would flock to you and he'd have to explain to the government why a bunch of pregnant women had to have their kids removed. I can't remember the whole thing." Mark shrugged, replying under his breath. "Well, that didn't happen... I mean, there was one girl... but we didn't last."

Mark winced, scoffing his foot on the tile as he reluctantly started to say. "About that... Did dad ever mention her pregnancy scare?" She moved the board and knife to the sink, answering without looking at him. "The one where she got pregnant and wanted YOU to take responsibility for it? I remember. You called your father and he had blood tests done to prove it wasn't yours. What about it?" Mark cleared his throat, struggling to inform her. "I wasn't kidding when I told you that you'd have been luck with Jason... Because I found out then that..." His throat tightened, causing him to stop short. His mom inhaled deeply, saying under her own breath. "The curse of hybrids... I had a feeling." Mark felt like crying for breaking her heart. She turned to face him, giving him a small smile when she said openly. "I was hoping that wouldn't happen to you. I was looking forward to what your kids would look like... but it's probably for the best. Raising a kid is hard enough without worrying if they are going to bite students." Mark rolled his eyes, grumbling out under his breath. "I only did that once... and he deserved it."

His mom huffed sarcastically, retorting back with an uneasy chuckle. "The kid called you short... That's not exactly a declaration for war. Least of all, just cause for losing his leg. You're just lucky that your father was there to pick you up and separated you from him." Mark shared a laugh with her. Behind him, Sean suddenly asked him curiously. "What's so funny?" Mark inhaled the strong mix of the light shampoo and Sean's heavier scent. Pushing away from the counter, he walked around the island to wrap his arms around him. Giving Sean a brief kiss, he purred over his lips. "It's nothing. Just talking. Did you enjoy your shower?" Sean brushed his damp bangs away from his eyes with nod. Telling them that he was going to change and shower, he left them to chat. The hot shower felt good against his skin. He didn't know when the Space Force would call on him again, but he hoped to do his part and defend Earth to the best of his abilities. It was strange to think that there were others like him that would be coming to the surface in the hopes of defending their home and loved ones.

Placing his hands on the tile wall, he closed his eyes and let the scales ripple over his skin. Tilting his head back, he let the warm water rush over his scales for the first time. The light from the bathroom reflected off his wet scales, casting rainbow sparkles across the tiles. He knew that he'd have to keep hiding... but it was moments like this that he felt at peace with himself. As scary as it was to be different, he decided to just embrace it. Pulling the shower door open, he forced himself to stare at the large mirror. Seeing his reflection, he inhaled deeply and exhaled the past. The Reptilian staring back at him was beautiful in his own way and he never wanted to forget that. Stepping closer to the mirror, he leaned on the counter and told his reflection in a serious voice. "I accept you. Even if the world isn't ready for you... We'll show them all in time." Raising a hand, Mark placed it to the mirror. He felt slightly silly, but the effect it had on his heart was uplifting. He was tired of fight the other half of himself.

Seeing his reflection smile, Mark chuckled to himself. He hadn't realized that he was smiling. Bowing his head, he let his scales disappear. When they were hidden again, Sean sweetly uttered out from the doorway. "Are you ok, Mark?" Mark straightened up away from the mirror, telling him honestly. "Ya. Just... talking to myself." Sean crossed his arms over his chest, teasing out. "You're being nice to yourself; I hope." Mark chuckled, pulling Sean close to kiss his temple as he told him. "Yes. Something that was long overdue." Releasing Sean, Mark got dressed into his loose pajamas and then took Sean's hand. Intertwining their fingers, Mark draped his arm over Sean's shoulders and lead him from the room. Laying back across the couch, Mark beckoned Sean to lay back between his legs. Wrapping an arm around him, Mark kept his fingers intertwined with Sean's as they snuggled up to watch TV. When his mom got a minute to join them, she sat in a chair by them. Mark draped his free arm over the arm of her chair to let her hold his hand as she pet his arm. He didn't know what the future had instore for them... but he swore that he'd protect his family no matter what it cost him.

Over the next few months,NASA completely merged with the Space Force. Where Miles pulled Mark into a new project that he felt he was perfectfor. As the oldest hybrid that they knewof, Mark was tasked with helping the younger Reptilians adapt and learn abouthumans. While in turn was learning moreabout himself in the process. It even amazedMiles that Logan even attended the lessons, in order to see Mark and even Seanon the occasions when Mark would bring him in for the young Reptilians to meettheir first human. It was taking Sean awhile to settle into Mark's house permanently, but Sean promised he'd visit thekids more once he had officially moved in. Sean was good with the kids and even got to meet Logan's little sister. She was thrilled to meet another hybrid andbonded with Mark right off. Mark washappy with his new life. It filled himwith so much joy to being making a difference to kids that he hoped would helpshape the future. So that when the tenthplanet came around again... things would hopefully be different. That the Space Between them would hopefullynot be so vast. Until then, Mark washappy with the life he had with Sean. The man who had accepted him and braved space to be with him. The End.