Lee

Lee sat in James's home, watching the officers turn everything over. A strange helmet came out of the bathroom...was that what Aurora had made of the supplies he'd sent? Oh, god, is he complicit in this? He voiced his concern to a nearby officer. "Uh...sir? Am I...I didn't know any laws were being broken here. Am I an accomplice in something?"

The officer, a young man who looked new, looked around. "Um...let me call that in and find out."

Lee sat patiently. Again. For the fifth hour now. His hands were still shaking, and his gut felt like it was doing acrobatics inside him. Terri's familiar voice brought some comfort, even though she was talking to several police officers and not him. "That man in there wasn't part of anything here. By law, you have no reasonable suspicion to hold him here or elsewhere, and he's free to go."

"-Chief says his name hasn't come up in any reports, and prelims are clear...looks like he's not in on this."

Terri pushed her way past them. "Damn right."

Lee stood and greeted her with a hug. "Terri! What is going on? They've been talking about a kidnapping, and they think you're all doing any one of a dozen things with that Nova."

Terri spoke firmly at first, "Aurora. Her name is Aurora...and people always theorize. Come on, I'll explain on the way home."

"How are you back already?"

Terri smiled. "I know the law, and my rights. They didn't read 'em to me, so I was just under hold. They can't keep you against your will unless you're under arrest."

Lee let out a small laugh, more out of nervousness, and sat in her passenger's seat. "Okay...where are James and Sally? And Aurora?'

Terri started her car, driving without pause. "My kids are probably in some interview rooms, thinking they're under arrest...Jamie might be. I don't know yet, not really. Either way, they're not okay right now. I don't know where Aurora is...they'd need somewhere wet, so unless they brought a kiddie pool into the police station, she's in another building.", she rolled her eyes at kiddie pool. The idea was so stupid it could only be sarcasm.

"Why is all this happening?"

Terri bit her lip, breathing harshly before speaking. "Well... Jamie might...not have actually been looking into clearance yet. I'd actually only just talked him into it when...they came."

"...Oh.", Lee blinked and looked down. He was responsible for this all crashing down...at least in a way. "Why...why didn't he just call someone in the first place?"

Terri sighed. "They think something happened, something bad. I kind of agree...she did end up almost dead and naked outside a stranger's house."

Lee bit the inside of his cheek in thought. "Hm...that...does sound suspicious. Enough to look into. Still, they should have called someone."

Terri shrugged. "No guarantee she wouldn't go right back to whatever caused it in the first place... Jamie's always been like that. He doesn't think, he just acts. Especially when someone's in pain."

"Why didn't he become a doctor?"

"Too squeamish."

"Ah...so, now what?"

"Well, now we head back to my house...and hopefully we get good news or find a good lawyer to get them out of this. Do you know any I could hire from your company?"

Lee smiled, "Terri, I have three on speed-dial who are paid through a year for whatever I need them for. I deal with government contracts...I keep the best ones in my own pocket."

She gave a shaky sigh, paired with a relieved smile. "Thank you, Lee... I was so afraid you'd make some huge distance between us after all of this..."

Lee put a hand on her thigh. "Terri, I wouldn't miss this excitement for anything. How many people can say their girlfriend's kid had an alien?"

They shared a small laugh together.