"Sometimes, family and friends can be the same thing," DG pointed out, pretending that she hadn't noticed the way he'd winced in response to his own words. The killjoys weren't the sort of people to go in for public admissions of affection.

"I'm not going to hurt him. I want to be his friend. Your friend, too, if you want."

Everyone needed friends. Especially in a place like Taxon.