By the time Malik and I get back to Alan's bakery with our bags in tow, some time has passed, and the burning heat that had beat down on us from the sky earlier has cooled to a soft warmth, covering Roswell in a soft orange glow.

"I cannot believe we just walked that far, Malik," I groan, my shoulders slumping as we approach the building. "It brought back memories of strength training in the Chiardi mountains when I was in my fifth rotation. I nearly died nine times and threw up twice as much."

"It was not even that long of a walk!" Malik protests, looking up at me in confusion. "What in Mother Superior's name is wrong with you?"

"I do not know, but this new human form seems to tire very easily, and my flesh has started to become quite burned and red," I admit as I reach the front door to the bakery, relieved to see the familiar spaceship stickers on the door and the green alien heads stuck on the glass window.

I wondered if Alan had finished icing his cakes without my assistance and if there was any possibility that I could convince him to let me help him in the kitchen again. Based on the limited information I had gathered about Alan, he seemed like the type to forgive and hopefully forget my past mistakes, like putting a hole in his ceiling and disappearing for hours at a time. 

"I can't wait for you to meet Alan and for me to show him my new skin suit and clothes!" I tell Malik excitedly as I grab the door handle to enter the bakery. "I feel like he will appreciate all the effort we went through to complete our mission today."

I try opening the door as I speak, only to find that it doesn't open when I pull on the handle. And after a few more tries at pushing and pulling to no avail, a sinking realization settles over me.

"Is something wrong?" Malik asks me curiously.

"The door is locked," I reply, jiggling the handle a little before peering inside, hands cupped around my face. "Nobody appears to be behind the counter, either. Do you think Alan and his sister left to go get food and decided to close the bakery while they were gone?"

"I am clueless about your Alan human's whereabouts, but there is a sign on the door, Luna," Malik points out. "What does it say? I can't read it from all the way down here."

I pull back and examine the paper stuck to the door before plucking it off to read it.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but Roswell Sweets had to close early today due to staffing issues and multiple orders. Please contact Alan on our social media page for questions."

Thanks, 

Kiki and Alan."

"Oh no," I whisper mournfully, and I press my forehead against the door, my eyes closed. "Alan closed the bakery because there was no one there to help him frost his cakes, Malik. This never would have happened if I had not gone to Roswell Mall and spent the entire day having fun and ignoring my problems! I am a horrible friend."

"This is not your fault, and you are not obligated to assist Alan with his mission!" Malik assures me, "He's his own warrior, a grown male, and he has to deal with his own problems."

I start crying quietly against the door.

"Luna!" Malik throws a Victoria's Secret thong at the back of my head, and it bounces off before hitting the floor. "If it upsets you that much, then why don't we find a way inside and help Alan with his cakes before he comes back in the morning?"

I turn around and stare down at him in surprise, quickly realizing what a brilliant idea that was.

Malik and I walk back around the bakery and decide to climb up the metal staircase that I had tumbled down the day before. Well, I ended up climbing and carrying him under one arm since his legs were very short and stubby, which was awful. Malik weighed more than a Kuturian Slug and he had an odor on his fur that reminded me of something musty and foul.

Once we reach the top, I put Malik through the attic window and climb in after him. 

It seemed like forever since I had seen the remains of my ship, but there it was in all its glory. The side panels had been ripped off, and faint sunlight spilled down on the shiny purple paint, causing it to glow in an eerie way as if it were alive and waiting for me. But I could not concern myself with repairing it right now; I had much larger problems to deal with.

"You really seem to like this Alan Human, don't you?" Malik asks me as we start downstairs together, "Are you planning on mating with him in the future?"

"Malik!" I almost scream in embarrassment, "I have not even considered mating with Alan! He is a completely different species! Stars above! Our genitalia and desires may not even be compatible!" 

Feeling hot and bothered, I headed straight for the kitchen as soon as we arrived downstairs, but I knew my words were a complete lie.

I had considered what would happen if Alan wanted to mate with me, and I wasn't opposed to it.

"Hehe," Malik chuckles a little and pads after me, "but you like him enough to frost his lard cakes for him and shop for items for him at the mall. I think you would make a fine couple. Alan is quite large and impressive in height."

I ignore Malik's teasing in favor of grabbing white containers of frosting from a shelf and busy myself deciding how to decorate Alan's cakes. As I'm doing this, Malik proceeds to roll out a cart full of unfrosted shapes from the freezer. There were more than a dozen, all of them labeled with specific orders and names. It was going to be a long night for both of us.

I work harder than I ever thought possible, using my knives to frost each cake efficiently while Malik reads off the labels and instructs me on how to decorate them and what to use. Slowly, we begin to fill the cart back up with decorated cakes, and time passes until it's very late and my eyes begin to droop with exhaustion. 

It gets to the point where Malik curls up under one of the metal tables and naps as I'm finishing off the last cake, using something called a piping tool to add chocolate curls around the edges. At this point, I didn't know if it would be enough to help Alan, but I needed to complete my task, so I pushed on until I couldn't go anymore.

I begin to fall asleep with the piping tool in my hand, my legs dangling from the stool I'm sitting on. Chocolate frosting oozes down the front of my apron, and I rest my head on the table, my eyes closing in exhaustion.

A door opens somewhere, and keys jingle. "Oh my fucking God!" Alan's voice floats in from the doorway. "Who the hell are you? How'd you get in here?"

I bolt upright in my seat, frosting smeared on my face. "Alan!?" I yelp when I spot him standing in the doorway, carrying two white bags in his arms. "It is me, Luna! Do not worry!"

Malik rushes out from under the table and starts barking wildly at Alan until I run over to scoop him up from the floor, putting a hand over his mouth to silence him. 

"Luna?" Alan breathes, his eyes wandering over me in surprise. "What happened? You changed." 

"It's still me on the inside," I tell him softly. "I just wanted to fit in with everyone else, so I went to find a proper form. That's where I was the whole day."

Alan studies me, reaches out slowly, and touches one of my braids, "You still have pink in your hair." He whispers, "And your eyes are still the same."

All the freckles on my body proceed to light up at once, and Alan's smile returns in full force. "Your freckles still glow," he whispers, my shine reflecting bright pink on his face and in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I abandoned you, Alan," I tell him before stepping aside. "Please tell me this is enough work to keep your bakery open tomorrow. I don't want you to have to close because of me."

Alan looks over and spots all the cakes neatly frosted on the rack behind us. His mouth drops open, and he shakes his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you did all this by yourself!" He blurts out, "How long have you been here? Kiki and I looked for you for hours! I started getting worried that something might have happened to you! Oh my God!" He slowly wanders over to the cake racks, reaching out to touch one. "Luna! These are so freakin' good!"

I cuddle Malik to my chest and smile as Alan admires all the cakes.

"It is time," my companion whispers to me with a nod, and drops from my arms before walking away. 

A bundle of nerves sits in my belly, and I remove my apron and then begin to unbutton my shirt. 

"I actually came to try and finish some of these cakes. I didn't know if you were going to be here, but I brought extra sushi if you want to have dinner with me tonight--" Alan turns around to face me right as I drop my pants and the rest of my clothes so that I'm standing there in the undergarments that Malik had chosen for me.

"Alan," I whisper to him softly, "does this form please you?"

Alan takes one look at me, then collapses behind the metal table with a loud crash.