Dex still couldn't move. And he was trying. As the man he thought he'd left back on Beaumonde charged him, he only had time for one thought—there was no way it could really be him.

As soon as the greeter started running, Rachel's hand snaked instinctively to her holster, but the man's shoulder knocked her off balance as he made a beeline for Dex. Barely able to right herself in time, Rachel could only watch in confusion as the man scooped Dex up off the ground, laughing.

"Carl Dexter, you can huen dahn! I can't believe it's really you!" Dex tried to smile from his position hanging a foot off the floor. "You haven't change a whit, boy!"

Dex gritted his teeth. "Yeah, and you're still strong as an ox…"

As if it had only now occurred to him that his old friend might have trouble breathing, Woof loosened his grip and Dex slid to the floor. As soon as his feet touched the plating, the redhead's hands clamped onto the man's massive arms. "Never thought I'd see you again, boy, what you been doin' with yerself?"

Dex gestured to Artemis' cargo bay with a certain sense of pride. "Own half this pretty little ship right here. I'm a real live mechanic now."

"Ai ya, din't I always tell ya them fancy books was gonna come in handy?" Woof tightened his grip again, and Dex pushed away.

"Hey, easy, easy, I still ain't breathin' right from the last one."

"Sorry, I'm just…been a damn long time."

"Yeah, last time I heard from you was…"

"…right after you left when me and Rooster sent you that wave…"

"…with the box turtle!" When they said the last line in tandem, both men broke into laughter. "Oh, it's great to see you, look better'n ever…"

"So," Rachel turned toward Mariah in the loudest voice she could manage, "I think it's conceivable that Dex and this here fellow might have met before now, what do you think, Mariah?"

"Actually, I think I'm rather inclined to agree with you, Captain."

Dex blushed and shook his head. "Aw, ru he wu si, I'm sorry. Woof, this's Rachel Wu, cap'n of this here ship, and that's Mariah Boleyn. Ra