The Space Between

Chapter Seventeen: "Saucy Rebel"

Sean briefly glanced at the Disney movie, before moving to the dresser. Pulling out some clothes to change into, he asked Logan casually. "You have a sister?" Logan nodded, chuckling over his shoulder. "Ya. She's too young to understand what's going on with the Order. She's obsessed with these types of movies though. I blame dad. Naming her after a mouse... Honestly. What kind of a name is that for a Reptilian? It's so... weird." Sean chuckled, gathering up his clothes to take to the bathroom. He didn't feel like changing in front of Logan. He could imagine the questions... and he really didn't want to explain sex to a seven-year-old lizard man. While slipping into the bathroom, he asked Logan through the slight crack in the door. "What's her name? I'm a bit rusty on Disney names lately." From the living room, Logan answered sweetly. "Minnie. You know, the iconic mouse's girlfriend?" Sean stepped back out of the bathroom, saying nicely. "It's a cute name for a girl." Logan snorted, mumbling out dryly. "Really? Imagine this. She's going to grow to about seven to ten feet tall. You think she'll look 'mini' at that height? That's like calling a tall guy shorty."

Sean laughed to himself, rubbing his collarbone nervously. Getting himself together, he changed the subject to ask him curiously. "So, what's your plan to get us into space?" Logan turned off the TV, sitting up as he told him with a grin. "Well, it will be easy for me. Tricky for you. But I got connections. A buddy of mine can hook you up." Sean raised an eyebrow. He found that hard to believe from a seven-year-old. Sliding off the bed, Logan itched his neck to tear a piece of shredded skin from his neck. Eating the skin, he told Sean with a shrug. "What? I never said I was a good kid... I'm in my... how do you humans say it... Rebellious stage?" Sean shook his head to forget everything he thought he knew about Logan, telling him bluntly. "Ok. But what are we going to tell Mark's mother?" Logan tapped a taloned nail to his scaly lips, mumbling out. "Can't eat her. Can't tie her up... Can't tell her the truth. So, we lie. Easy." Sean dropped his head into his hand, mumbling out. "Oh, boy..."

Logan grunted, drawing Sean's attention to the way his scaly body began to shrink and change. The transformation was quick, but the popping sound of bones made Sean uncomfortable. Logan's scales rose up off his skin slightly, changing colors like a chameleon. To Sean's surprise, some of the scales on Logan's body turned into hair on his arms, head, and chin. Sean's jaw dropped. He looked so human now that it was frightening. Logan stretched, causing more bones to pop before he relaxed and told him. "Man, I hate transforming... I feel so small and cramped." Logan cracked his neck and fingers. Unable to help himself, he reached out to touch Logan's bare arm. He expected to feel the scales, but he didn't. It just felt like cooled skin. Logan grinned, chuckling out. "Neat, huh? I'm told that our scales are made up of keratin proteins. The same protein that makes hair, fur, and feathers. When we change, some of our smaller scales change into another form of the protein. There is a long thing about it... Something about how spicing human DNA with ours made it happen... Etcetera. I never really paid attention. I hate anatomy class. So many complicated names for the dumbest things."

Logan bit his lower lip, looking around the room for his clothes. Finding them on the floor of the closet, he began to dress. Sean took a deep breath, turning his back to Logan as he asked him. "How are you going to convince her exactly?" Logan adjusted his sleeveless black shirt that had a space dinosaur yelling at a space shuttle in bold print that read; 'Stay out of my space and my foot will stay out of your Uranus.' Sean snorted in an attempt to not laugh at it. Logan pulled on his hoodie, smirking at him as he walked closer. Removing a wallet from his pocket, he removed an ID to show Sean, asking him confidently. "Think this will convince her?" Sean took the ID, commenting softly. "That shirt sure won't... You might want to keep that covered." Logan rolled his eyes, zipping up his hoodie as he grumbled out. "Everyone's a fucking critic..." Sean looked over the NASA ID, telling Logan distracted. "It's not professional... and if you are trying to pass yourself off as a Science & Technology employee from NASA, you can't wear stuff like that."