The Spider Queen

(Earth Federation- Alpha Star System)

(Nephilim Church Starship- Private Cabin)

Just click it… come on… come on…

Don't be a coward.

Sophie's finger trembled slightly as she hovered over the [Yes] option that was displayed on the screen.

Her girlfriend was just one simple tap away but the tiny distance between her finger and the communicator seemed like a vast chasm.

It had been over three months since that terrible day and her burning desire to reunite with her friends and family was the only thing that kept Sophie sane during those tough months.

This was completely ridiculous. Why was she being so hesitant?

For fuck's sake… this was just a phone call.

The problem was that as her finger came closer and closer to the screen, Sophie would feel her stomach churn.

What if Cleo didn't want to talk to her? She had changed over the last few months…

What if she wasn't the same person that Cleo had fallen in love with?

What if Rachel was wrong and Cleo had moved on with her life?

Wouldn't Cleo be better off with someone else? Someone who wasn't… damaged.

Insidious questions wormed their way into Sophie's mind and filled her thoughts with nothing but negativity and self-doubt.

Sophie flung her hand away from the screen and slammed her fist against the nearest wall with as much force as she could muster.

A loud cracking noise echoed through the room as the thick metalloid exterior of the wall easily folded and collapsed.

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Calm down… calm down… do not lose control…

Sophie took a few deep breaths and gently exhaled. She tried her best not to focus on the negative emotions but rather the sound of her steady heartbeat.

"In… and… out… in… and… out," Sophie whispered as she closed her eyes. She opened them slowly once a few minutes had passed and made her way to the bed.

Sophie sat down on the soft, comfortable mattress and leaned against the bedframe. She grabbed a few pillows from the corner of the bed and propped them against her back.

Now that she had taken a few minutes to calm down, it was easier to look at the situation more objectively.

This fear and panic… it was nothing compared to what she had to endure during her time in the Unovan Syndicate.

Besides logically Sophie knew that her self-doubts didn't make much sense when considering a few key facts.

Cleo knew about her hybrid nature and quirks and had still remained by her side.

Even when she had lost control on planet Calypso… her girlfriend had decided to stay. There was never even a trace of disgust in her eyes when Cleo viewed Sophie's alien features.

Maybe it was reasonable to wonder if your significant other would still love you after an extended period of time apart.

Sophie truly didn't know.

This was her first real relationship and there were just so many unpleasant thoughts and doubts lurking in the back of her mind.

"I can do this… I can do this…I can do this!" Sophie firmly spoke with a hint of determination in her gaze.

She needed to treat this like ripping off a bandage and just do it as quickly as possible before her brain caught up with her actions.

Sophie immediately tilted her wrist upwards and slammed her finger against the [YES] option that was displayed on the screen.

[Video calling Cleo Sisrelis…. Connecting… Connecting…]

Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!

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The soft ringtone entered Sophie's ears like a thunderous drum as she nervously stared at the screen.

Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!

All sense of time and reality seemed to fade away as Sophie's only focus was on the status of the call.

Two voices inside Sophie's mind constantly fought back and forth as the minutes passed by uneventfully.

A part of her was relieved that her girlfriend was not picking up while the other part was disappointed.

Bleep! Bleep! Bleep!

The hopeful look on Sophie's face gradually faded as she realized that contacting Cleo was not possible… well at least for now.

Just as she was about to press the [Cancel] icon and give up, the image of a room was unexpectedly displayed on the screen.

The angle of the video made it easy to deduce that Cleo's communicator was placed on a ledge or elevated area that was some distance away from her body.

There she was.

Sophie's breath was caught in her throat as she stared at the video on the screen with an almost religious fervor.

The girl in the video was clearly unprepared for the sudden call as she sat quietly in a chair with her attention fully occupied by the contents of the book in her lap.

She was dressed in a long oversized pink sweater and baggy pants that were a bit faded and had small rips in the fabric below her kneecaps.

Messy black hair fell below her shoulders and there was not a hint of makeup on her face.

But one could argue that the girl didn't even need makeup since the famously attractive looks of the royal family had clearly been passed down.

A cute button nose, sharp angular cheek bones, full kissable lips and a small birthmark beneath her chin.

The only flaw on her perfect face were the heavy bags that were present under her piercing green eyes clearly from a lack of sleep.

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Her face was sharper and thinner than Sophie remembered, and it was obvious from her unkempt image that Cleo did not bother to maintain her appearance.

And yet… even still…

Sophie had never seen anyone so beautiful.

In Sophie's mind there was no one else in the entire Earth Federation who could compare to the loveliness of her princess.

"Excuse me? Why aren't you saying anything? Hello?" Cleo suddenly asked as she looked up from the book that she was currently reading.

"Wait… what…?"

Sophie froze in place as she saw Cleo's expression turn from confusion to utter disbelief as she saw the image on the screen of her communicator.

"Sophie?" a frail whisper came from the other side of the call.

The book in Cleo's hands fell to the ground as the princess ran towards her communicator and hurriedly picked it up.

"It… it's me," Sophie softly spoke. All the negative thoughts in her mind disappeared and a warm loving smile flashed across her face.

"How? Wha… what? Where are…are… you?" Cleo tripped over her words as she spoke.

Sophie opened her mouth to reply but couldn't stop the tears from running down the side of her cheeks.

The throbbing feeling in her chest returned and faint tinges of pink began to spread from the corner of her golden eyes.

A million thoughts about what to say next ran across Sophie's mind. There was just so much that she had to tell Cleo.

Her strengthened connection to the Hunter Goddess, the duel with Captain Dawn, and even the time she had spent as a mercenary working in the Unovan Army.

Those were only a fraction of her experiences over the last few months.

And yet the only thing that left her mouth were three simple words.

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"I missed you."