Syn let out an evil laugh. “Yes, but not rude on his part.” He held up his wrist computer. “I killed the feed. Five more seconds of looking at him and I’d have hurled.” He turned his attention to Darling. “Remind me later that we really need to send you to anger management therapy.”

Darling widened his eyes innocently at Syn as he pulled Zarya against him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Rit. I’m all good.”

“Yeah, but we’re not,” Hauk said. “We just got busted.”

Fain draped an arm around Hauk’s shoulders. “We’re not busted, little brother. Only the morons who showed their faces.” He passed a pointed stare to Nykyrian, Darling, Syn, and Caillen.

Caillen shrugged. “What the hell? I never liked feeling safe, anyway. That’s for old women.”

Jayne came down the stairs, holding Nero against her.

Darling rushed toward them. “What happened?”

“He protected me and got shot.”

“I’ll be fine,” Nero said with a grimace.

“Thought you weren’t psychic,” Darling reminded him.

“I’m not. But I know my body and right now, my head really hates you, Dar.” Nero winced in pain as he met Zarya’s gaze. “Don’t worry. You’re both fine.”

She burst into tears, then rushed to hug him in a way that made Darling jealous. “Thank you! I’ve been so scared.”

Why was she hugging Nero over the fact that she and he were safe?

Nero patted her on the back, then stepped away. “Darling? You really should show her those papers you found.”

Darling sighed. “I hate it when you do that.”

“I know. Now I need to lie down for a few decades.”

Hauk took over from Jayne and draped Nero’s arm around his shoulders. “Let’s all get out of here before reinforcements come. Kyr may be on the other side of the universe, but not all of his army is with him.”

Darling agreed. They had a lot of civilians to take care of. The last thing they needed was to fight more League soldiers with them in the way.

While the others left, Darling walked slowly toward Zarya. She looked so tired and pale. But even with those ugly bruises marring her face, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. “Are you all right, baby?”

She bit her lip. “Funny you should use that word… According to Nero, I’m pregnant.”

For a full ten seconds, he couldn’t breathe as those words sank in. And here he’d stupidly thought that Nero was talking about the two of them. “Are you sure?”

“Nero swears he’s not wrong.”

And he wouldn’t be…

Zarya was pregnant.

Undefined emotions ripped through him all at once. Stark terror. Panic. But above all was a joy so profound it left him reeling.

He was going to be a father…

Have a baby.

And that thought brought a tidal wave of pain crashing down around him. “I saw a photo of you dead, Zarya. I thought I’d lost you.” He couldn’t keep his voice from cracking. “I came here only to avenge you, and to die. Now…” He placed his shaking hand over her stomach where his child was growing inside her. “Now you tell me that you’re pregnant… why in the name of the gods did you leave the palace in that condition?”