Dawn Autumn by Interstellar Lover

the elaborate archway that had appeared in place of his wall of pictures. “A traffic cop, no less. If it wasn’t for my paintings, I wouldn’t even be able to afford a wife on the salary I make.” There wasn’t much traffic through Fred’s portal. Maybe one or two aliens a month used the portal here, then the adjoining ones in Coal’s and Mr. & Mrs. Fadious’ rooms that lead to their respective worlds. No aliens stayed on earth. Who’d want to? The place had its charms, but it was a backward planet at best, useful only as a way station.
    It made a handy place to exile out of favor cops, too. Fred’s current assignment proved that. If Jay hadn’t come along and distracted him, Fred might have gone crazy with boredom.
    Fred had been the best of the best. A cross between a bounty hunter and a federal agent, he’d brought down enough notorious criminals for the Federation that his place should have been secure forever. Instead, he’d gotten involved with the wrong woman and found himself exiled. It had either been that or compulsory retirement, and at the time he couldn’t stomach the idea of being forced out.
    Some days, he regretted that decision.
    Perhaps guessing his thoughts, Coal said soothingly, “Instant travel compensates for a lot. At least there’s a chance of adventure guarding the frontier.”
    “Less everyday,” Fred said grimly, reviewing his report. Satisfied, he sent it off. “I’m ready to take that investigative position, Cole. Working with a private company has got to beat being a monkey for the government. The pay’s a lot better, too. As soon as I wrap things up with Jay, this place will be yours to handle.”
    Cole frowned. “You know I hate bureaucracy.”
    “Welcome to the real world.” Fred unhooked his new glasses from his black t-shirt and slipped them on. Jay had just gotten home.
    * * * *
    Jay left her door open when she got in. Fred had a habit of seeking her out, and tonight was no exception. It was still a shock to see him in his new jeans and stylish new glasses. The man did look good, even better than the sack of takeout he carried.
    Her stomach rumbled its disagreement.
    “Do you like Mexican? I cooked,” he said with a smile. He set the bag on the counter and started unpacking boxes.
    “I should start paying for some of that,” she said, grateful not to have to think about dinner.
    “Think again. That’s not the way it’s done where I’m from.”
    “And where’s that?” Though she’d lived in the same building for some time, she knew little about his personal life. It made her uneasy to think he knew more about her than she did of him.
    “A little planet on the edge of the Solaris galaxy,” he said smoothly.
    “Yeah, right.” She might have little green men coming out of her fridge, but Fred was no alien. She’d ditched the fanciful idea a few days ago. Since he’d given up wearing clothes that looked like rejects from Closet Donations, he’d become very warm, very real. Definitely human, and very much attainable.
    She tried not to get too excited, but for the first time in a long while, Jay had hopes that the family she dreamed of had a chance of coming true. She’d been lonely so long. Romantic as it sounded, living on dreams was a sad way to spend a life.
    Fred smiled at her skepticism and set out a chilled bottle of wine and another of carbonated fruit juice, mindful of her desire to stay sober. He poured both into two glasses and handed her one. “I was a foster child. My foster parents took me in to help with the housework and to clean their business.”
    Jay stilled. This didn’t sound like a tall tale. It was the first time he’d volunteered anything about his past, and she was intensely curious. “Were they good to you?”
    “They weren’t bad. It was a place to stay until I emancipated at sixteen and joined a guild.” He settled down with his plate and slathered on hot sauce.
    “Which guild?”
    “Law enforcement. I specialized in